Want to Start an Internet Business? Seven Basic Things to Consider

Billions of dollars are spent on the internet every year and the number is rising. If you are in business and have not considered the internet, why are you not marketing your products or services to this biggest marketplace? If you have not got a business, starting an internet business should be a good business venture. What should you consider if you want to start an internet business? Here are seven basic things you should consider:

Firstly, do you have any technical knowledge about the internet? This is not the day to day surfing of the internet, emailing and posting on social media sites. This is about domain registration, hosting, DNS setup, website design, html, ftp etc. Luckily today, these information are readily available and the knowledge can be easily learned. You need to assess the level of your technical knowledge so that you can find out what areas you need to beef up. This is important so you can define your requirements and evaluate the right books to buy or even courses or training programs to take.

Starting an internet business, as you may have heard, will cost you close to nothing. This is not entirely true. If you were to start a business without the necessary tools and knowledge, how far would you think you will go? Some degree of investment will be needed to acquire the necessary knowledge and tools relating to internet business. Try and leverage on the knowledge and experience of those who have made it. There are plenty of courses, training programs and ebooks regarding internet business out in the market, but which one should you invest in? Putting some thought on the amount of investment will give you a clearer picture when evaluating the training materials you intend to acquire. If you look for it hard enough, you will find a package that suits your requirements and budget.

Training course or program is the third thing you must consider. There are plenty of courses or ebooks relating to internet marketing business out there. Choosing one that meets your requirements is important. Your evaluation of your technical knowledge will come in handy in selecting a course, training materials or ebooks you need for your internet business. Besides technical knowledge, you should assess how much you know about the various key areas of internet marketing eg. email marketing, link building, copywriting, PPC marketing, niche market research, social media marketing or even video marketing. If you are starting the business from scratch with minimal knowledge and not very technically savvy, you may want to choose an internet business step-by-step start up training package that have also incorporated website design and hosting. The course or ebooks you choose should enhance the knowledge of the areas you are least familiar with. There are plenty of options and the investment consideration you made earlier will help you determine the type of packages you can invest in. There are packages which involve one off payment. There are also subscription based training programs or packages which will not drain your cashflow upfront.

What product should you consider selling? Evaluating, choosing or developing the right niche product for your internet business is very important to the success of your internet business. There are affiliate programs you can choose and join to start your internet business relatively quickly. The best money making approach is, of course, developing your own product, but this will take time. Remember always that you are creating a product that your customers want, not a product you feel strongly about that you want to sell. You will need to do some market research to find the niche product you are able to develop that will sell like hot cakes. Most good internet marketing courses will include this area and teach you how to do market research.

Once you have got a product to sell, you'll need to create a website to sell the product by having an online internet presence. What sort of website do you need? You can have a website to market a single product which most internet marketing gurus recommend or you can have a content type website to market a range of related products and at the same time monetize your website with Google ads. You can also have a website created only for the purpose of list building.

After deciding on the type of website you'll create, you must consider and plan the suitable method to drive traffic to your website. Traffic generation is the most important aspect of an online business. There are plenty of traffic generation ways or tips you can search up online and there are even software that you can use to generate traffic. Traffic generation methods or techniques should be a core part of any internet business course you consider to purchase.

The last thing but the most important thing to consider is time. How much time can you spent on the internet business? A lot of people start up an online business as a part time venture. Even when you are running the business part time, consistent time commitment is key to its success. I'm sure you have heard that internet business allows you to make money while you sleep. Isn't it great to be able to make money while you sleep? But, the reality is making money while you sleep will not happen without commitment of time and effort. You will not even make any money while you are awake if you don't commit any time and effort on the business! For those successful internet business owners, a lot of effort and time would have been spent on the business before they could see money coming in while they sleep.

Starting an Internet Business - Why Everyone Seems to Be Doing It

Does it seem to you as if everyone around you is either talking about or starting an internet business? With the state of the economy and many employers cutting back on benefits and annual increases it's probably not a surprise to you.

Still if you are not experienced with the internet or online marketing, and you're happily employed or financially stable...why would you even consider starting an internet business?

Well I have a secret for you and...here it is, you don't need any internet marketing experience to create a successful online business and achieve a lifestyle that most can only dream of.

Following are the primary reasons most people are either talking about it or actually doing it, see if any of these resonate with you:

The internet is a huge market (the whole world) and it's getting bigger as you read these words

According to the Computer Industry Almanac, there were 1.59 Billion Internet users in 2008; and we could see the 2 Billion mark by 2012. Now, is there any doubt that a 1.59 Billion-user pool is a very attractive target given the leverage you have on the Internet?

It is very inexpensive to start

Unlike an offline business that you may be used to, an online business does not require much start up money. With a good market, a solid idea, product or service you are ready to build. All you need to purchase is a domain name, internet access and web hosting...all of which can be purchased for less than $100!

Even as an Internet Newcomer anyone can learn how to do it

If you have no previous experience you can start an internet business. There are remarkable resources available for free online to get you started from training courses to eBooks. If you're willing to learn you can be in business for yourself.

You choose when you work

Who says you have to work from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday? To do business online, you don't have to wake up early in the morning so that you can fight traffic to arrive to work by 9am. You choose your own schedule because you are your own boss!

You can work from home or anywhere with an Internet connection

Where you hook up your computer could be your new office even if that's the beach! You can save hours of your time each day by not having to travel to and from your work place during rush hours.

You can fully automate your business

If properly set up, some online business models can be fully automated - please be aware that even with automation like that of a turnkey internet business - you will still have to put time into it if you want it to grow.

Your business can and should be all about your hobbies and passions

What a great reason for you to be starting an internet business, the opportunity to turn your passion into profit. With so many profitable niche markets available for you to go into, these businesses truly allow your passion and dream to come to life.

Internet businesses generally have very low ongoing expenses

Believe it or not, some can be set up and running at zero cost, if not very low. A good example of this is a blog using a free blogging platform like Blogger or WordPress. And there are many other options that can be run with minimal ongoing expenses like web hosting, domain name registration and payment processor.

There will always be a trade off - your time or your money. Because even though there are many low-cost options - the more automated and the more of the work that is completed upfront generally the higher the cost. A good example is a turnkey internet business or a "business in a box."

With a turnkey internet business much of the business is already established for you - all you have to do is "turn the key" and open your doors for business. However, these type of businesses can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars to buy so be sure to do your research first.

Once you have one profitable venture you can build and have more than one

Since the cost of starting an internet business is so low, and you can automate your operations, you can operate multiple businesses easily as an independent entrepreneur.

So now you know why so many others are talking about or starting an internet business. Given all the wonderful reasons above you may also now be thinking about starting your own online business. There are remarkable resources available to you, even if you are an internet newcomer that can have you up and running your own business literally in hours. The only question left for you now is why not start an internet business?

Loreen Muzik

Online Mentor

If you're tired of working 9-to-5 and think that starting an internet business [http://www.topturnkeyinternetbusiness.com] might be for you,

I will show you how to be successful with a turnkey internet business.

Loreen has been a successful coach and mentor for more than 20 years.

Her passion is helping others in attracting abundance for online success.

By teaching a step by step success blueprint and free online marketing strategies.

To learn more about starting an internet business register to grab your FREE ebook

"The Simple, Easy Guide To Starting An Internet Business and Achieving Freedom"

10 Reasons Why My Internet Business Failed is Revealed

You hear it all the time, "Why did my internet business fail?" The reality is that running an internet business is just as tough as running a traditional brick and mortar. By no means is it easy to be successful at either. Driving traffic, generating leads, challenging competition, and marketing strategy are just as prevalent online as it is offline. Based on a recent study, we know that over 80% of the population by the year 2010 will be running a for-profit business online or have some kind of internet presence [Resource: Oneupweb Research]. It's clear that as internet marketers, we have to challenge ourselves to find the reasons why businesses fail in order to succeed.

Finding a systematic approach for an online business is key to your success. Trisha Ahlman, CEO of Augment Marketing Group recently released a poll of nearly 35 unsuccessful internet businesses and why they failed. Research indicated that most internet businesses failed due to 10 very important and common reasons. When marketing an internet business, marketers have to clearly devise a plan of action and take these reasons serious if wanting to succeed with an online business model.

"The 10 Reasons My Internet Business Failed is Revealed" [print it out and study]:

1) Commitment - Some people are starters but never really finish anything. They are people who want to succeed but never really quite get there. It boils down to commitment. When running a home-based or internet business, you have to be committed and disciplined. According to one success story, "I learned when marketing my internet business that commitment is a real key component. Having action plans, calendar of events, step-by-step instruction, and check lists have really helped with marketing my internet business successfully".

2) Budget - Internet business that failed did so because they lacked budget. The rule of thumb is 10% to 20% of sales, in most cases, depending on how aggressive you intend to be with marketing your internet business. The question consultants face, "How do I develop a budget from sales when I first start?" The answer is that you have to have the mindset that you will spend a specific amount each month in marketing. Sure, there are grassroots internet marketing techniques just like there are offline, but you still need a budget in mind to get started. The research indicated that most who failed had little if any budget.

3) Resources - Lack of resources was a clear reason for failure based on the poll; including time, money, hardware, software, and manpower to name a few. An important point to remember when marketing an internet business is that you should treat it just like any other business. If you lack resources in one area, you have to make up for it in another area. If you lack money, for instance, put more time into marketing the internet business. There are tons of free trials, low monthly subscriptions, and/or automated marketing software that can help multiply your marketing efforts.

4) Support - Lack of support from family members, team members or customer support depending on your business played a huge role in failure based on statistics. Running a business offline or online is really no different. As an entrepreneur you are working long hours, you are committed and you are determined to succeed, then when you need to rely on a source for support, perhaps it's not there. Forget selling to consumers, your first sales job is to your inner circle of support. Make sure you have ultimate buy-in from family, friends, and key support players.

5) Systems in Place - A systematic approach to marketing an online business includes developing an organizational chart, setting time lines when to launch products, services and PR campaigns. Developing an online business model, setting up a merchant account, marketing plan, and all other systems that should be considered to run a successful online business is still necessary. Those businesses that started marketing an internet business without systems in place or, at the very least, set it up on the front-end of their business --simply failed.

6) Planning - Writing down goals for sales, budgets, projections, campaign tracking strategies, as well as target audience, keywords, etc... were a huge role in failure across the board. When asked, businesses polled did not understand the power of goal setting and planning. Most didn't even have plans for (3) three months out much less 12 months or (3) three years out. While the internet changes quickly, planning is still important to success when marketing your internet business.

7) Strategy - "What do you mean long-term strategy? This is a home-based or internet business. Why would I need to think of strategy? ", commented one business. Long-term vision is important to every business. Companies that failed did not take strategy into consideration when developing concepts for their brand. There's a simple solution for online marketers. If you are marketing your internet business with success in mind, write down your vision, mission, and at least three to five core values. Begin creating a strong foundation for what you provide consumers even when marketing an internet business.

8) Motivation - Attitude is everything and internet marketers were consistently discouraged easily for those internet businesses that failed. Implementing core beliefs when starting an internet business is just as critical for online marketing. It's highly recommended to get a dose of motivational inspiration on a daily basis or at least every other day when starting an internet business. Getting easily discouraged is not an option.

9) Mentorship - The number #1 reason that internet businesses failed was due to lack of mentorship. Most off line franchises are successful because they are team-centric and offer a ton of support, mentorship, and coaching. In order to sell more franchises, success is critical; therefore, it's in their best interest to offer help. If you have an internet business that does not have some sort of mentorship program, team support, or coaching plan, you either need to begin developing your own or research services that have mentorship programs.

10) Training - The number #2 reason that marketing an internet business failed was due to lack of training through either mentors or through the chosen internet business franchise. Staying abreast marketing trends and techniques can only be achieved through training and instruction. Those who failed simply did not understand all the facets of marketing online. If the internet marketer is committed to marketing their internet business then they will seek training resources to support their success. If not, like the 35 polled internet businesses, they will fail.