|
Author: Lavonda Thigpen Article source: http://www.punditpreneur.com/. Used with author's permission.
In my last article, "Follow That Guru", I told you about the one (1) simple technique I used when starting my home business, "A Name".
Now everyone wants to know what to do next. OK, here it goes.
You've found your Guru, and you know what kind of home business you want to start. Your next step is to get a website.
Now, there is a lot involved in launching a website. That's not as easy as it sounds. Sure, it's not "Rocket Science" or anything like that, but it will take you a while to get it started.
When I got to this point, I had no idea that a professional website would cost so much. As I researched all the different Web Designing Companies, the prices ranged between $899 and $1500 to get a website built.
I was on a VERY tight budget, and could not afford to spend that much money, so I decided to go BACK to the place where it all began. The Forums.
First, do a search on Google for "Web Designer Forums". It will bring up a list of about 26,000,000 search results. The best ones are on the first 5-6 pages so take you time and go through each one checking to see if they have a place to post for "Help Wanted" or "Freelance Opportunities, or something to that effect.
There are a lot of Web Designers that are looking for exposure and want to build up their portfolio. Most of which will design you a website for free in exchange for having their logo on your site. You just have to go about it the right way.
They will be doing you a big service for nothing. So offer them a little more than just having their logo on your site. Give them some free advertising by allowing them to put a banner on your home page, and/or offer them a percentage of the profits. Whatever the two of you agree on is up to you.
Next, start looking for a "domain name". Come up with a name that will be easy for your customer to remember. Let's say, you're starting a "doggie treat" business. The name of your business is "Fidos Bark-O-Ruff-it Treats". Now, "fidosbarkofuffittreats.com" would be a very hard name for the customers to remember, but "fidostreats.com" would be perfect. Keep your domain names as short and as close to the point as possible. Go to www.nameboy.com to check the availability of your domain name. If you are having trouble coming up with one, just put in a couple of keywords relevant to your website like, "bark, ruff, treats, dog, etc, and it will give you a list of domain names that you can choose from.
Then, once you have your domain name, you need to register it and get a hosting company for your site. In most cases, you can register your domain name with your hosting company, so be sure to do that before you sign up.
Now there are free hosting sites out there, but if I were you, I wouldn't go with any of those. I'm not saying that they are bad, but if you're like I was and didn't know what I was doing in the beginning, you'll want a hosting package that will offer the most support. You can get a good hosting package for about $5 a month. I use www.dot5hosting.com
Take a look at this hosting company and see if it would meet your needs. If not, do a Google search for "Hosting", and you will be sure to find a good one that is in your budget.
OK, now you're on your way. You have your website, your domain name, and your hosting package. The next thing you have to do is find content for your site.
For you to get noticed by the Search Engines, your site must be "content rich", which means that you need to have a lot of valuable information for your visitors to read and see.
Say you're still in the "doggie treat" business. Articles with information on dogs are a must. Find all the information you can on dogs, dog food, dog toys etc. You can even go to other websites that offer dog products, and look at the kind of information they have, and how their website is laid out. This will give you an idea of the type of information you need to make your site successful.
You can do a poll in the "dog lovers" forums, asking dog owners what kinds of treats their dogs like. Then add the results to your website.
Be creative. The more creative you are, the more likely you are to get more visitors. Offer something that no other "dog" website offers.
Remember, the key to traffic is INFORMATION.
Another way to get traffic is to trade links with other sites like your own. There are many "linking programs" out there, but the two I use are www.linkmetro.com and www.linkmarket.com
All you have to do is to sign up and enter some keywords about your website, and you'll begin getting offers from others website owners that would like to link to your site. It's that easy.
Now you know what you need to do next. Just don't forget about the person that got you started. Your Guru. They are there to help you in every step of the process of building your online business. Keep asking them for their advice. You are not only building an online business, your building a relationship too.
©2005 Lavonda Thigpen, All Rights Reserved Lavonda Thigpen worked in Advertising for 15 years. She got tired of working for someone else so she "Fired the Boss" and "Hired her Family", and never looked back. She had always wanted to own her own business, and work from home. She started the website http://www.ez2workathome.com in order to help people that were wanting to start a home based business. If you're looking for a way to start your own home business, go to her site for more information, articles, links, e-books and products to find what's right for you.
Discover the Astonishing Power of Words Today!
Picture all the people you know who are dynamic, successful and self-confident. The ones who are the stars of every gathering. The scintillating personalities ...
Restore Your Marriage - 5 Ways to Feel Connected to Your Spouse Even on Opposite Schedules
Many married couples today both work full time jobs outside the home, often on opposite schedules. It's no wonder why it's so hard these days for a married coup...
Why TV Poker Can Make You Wealthy!
There's an awful lot of poker on the television these days, people love watching other people in real situations and poker is the latest reality TV craze.
Doing Things We Dread
Resistance is killer hard to deal with! In this article, the coach plays with ideas and options for getting thru blocks to action in a fun and slightly irrever...
Will Your Cell Phone Work in an Emergency?
Surprisingly, 911 calls placed on a cell phone are far less reliable than calling on your home phone. Find out why, along with information on the frequency dif...
The Benefits of Underwater Digital Cameras
Underwater digital cameras are fun and easy to use under the water and great above the water as well. Use your underwater digital camera in all kinds of weathe...
Wax Pencils, Stickers, and Rubber Stamping in Your Scrapbooks
Another important writing implement for scrapbooking is a wax pencil. Wax pencils are soft pencils designed to write on glass, plastic and photographs. These pe...
How To Make Your Site RSS User-Friendly
Try these simple steps to make your website more Friendly for RSS users.
Vinyl Replacement Window Terminology
Learn about the different terms used in describing energy efficient vinyl windows
Lose Weight Cycling
If you're looking to shed pounds and improve your fitness, cycling for weight loss may be the perfect answer.
7 Great Email Habits for the Beginning Internet Entrepreneur
7 Great Email Habits for the Beginning Internet Entrepreneur - What Every Marketer Needs to Know About Communicating by Email
Leadership For Deep Results: Without Them Are You Wasting Your Leadership And Your Life? (Part Two)
The author asserts there are two kinds of results leaders achieve, standard results and deep results. All leaders know what standard results are, but few leade...
Self-Preservation Techniques For The Unemployed
Three specific techniques are provided to help those who have suffered a job layoff to survive with intact self-esteem, a belief in their own self-worth and a p...
Natural Aromatherapy, Essence of Health
Recently, aromatherapy has become a hot topic for discussions. Discussions do not focus on the essential oil, but rather its container; and not its plant origin...
How To Stop Your Horse From Rearing And What To Do If He Does It Unexpectedly
There is a dangerous problem that horse owners should be very aware of. It's when a horse stands up on his back legs. It's called "rearing." This problem can...
5 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score
Boosting your credit score can save you money.
Article Marketing - How to Make It Work For You
Though the various tools you can use to make the process of distributing your articles more easily are invaluable in getting your content the most exposure, tha...
Ten Skills - A Backpacking List
If you want a safer and more enjoyable trip into the wilderness, learn a few skills first. This backpacking list will get you started.
Violence
What is the origin of violence? In the present article I revisit my childhood in a tough neighborhood and draw from my experience certain conclusions about this...
Weddings, From a Photographers Point of View
What can you do to make your wedding day more enjoyable and less stressful?
How to Make the Most of Your Website Copywriter
Many people feel uncertain when dealing with copywriters. Like any artform, writing is subjective; instead of black and white, most business owners and marketin...
Grains and Weight Loss--Do Whole Grains Help You Lose Weight?
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and proven connection. Perhaps that is not the best way or most accurate way to say it. It is actuall...
When is it Right to be Angry?
Many of us have been taught that it is wrong to be angry. This thinking weighs heavily in both the sacred and secular domains. Is that thinking right or wrong...
Failing At Your Network Marketing Business?
Network Marketers read this! Do you know that Network Marketing whether online or offline has been a good source of income for young business establishers nowa...
|
Print this page