How to create an awesome online business
It's the thing to do at the moment, open a business. Everyone seems to want to be an entrepreneur start a business and live life by their own terms. But with so many small business failures how can you get on the path to success?Well I'm about to layout some steps for you to follow which will supercharge your chances for success when starting an online business. By observing thousands of people start and grow successful businesses, I've narrowed it down to these key factors:Give people what they wantWrite kickass copy (that sells)Create an easy-to-use website (probably wise to use a professional)Drive traffic to your siteBecome the go to guyAlways follow up with email.Upsell like a madman.Following these steps can boost your existing business or rocket your new one to the moon.
Step 1: Give people what they wantSounds obvious right? But most people when starting worry about creating or looking for a product before they look for the market. You gotta revers engineer this shit man, find the market first!! Find a group of people with a shared problem who can't seem to find the solution. use the internet to find these people and give them what they want/need.Use stuff like online forums, Facebook groups and the likes to see what questions people ask and what problems they need to solve. Then do research to find what a lot of people are looking for, but with the added twist that not many sites come up that offer the solution.When you do find competitors check them out by visiting their sites and see what they're trying to do in order to fulfil the need. Then you can use what you've learned to do it better than the competition.Step 2: Write kickass copy (that sells)With sales copy there seems to be a bit of a formula at work that takes people through a journey. At the end of that journey (if it's done correctly) they will end up making a purchase, here's the process:Get them interested with a title that draws them inSpend some time highlighting their problem (the one you're about to offer a solution to)Get your credentials out; here you show them why you're the man for the jobUse past experiences, use testimonials of people you've helpedTell them about the product and how it'll solve their problemMake them an offer (one that is equal to the value you can bring them)Make a solid guaranteeMake it limited supply, or a time dependant offer in order to create urgencyStraight up ask for the saleAll through your copy you need to be looking at it through their eyes, showing how you understand their problems and how your product (or services) can solve them. They will be constantly weighing up what's in it for them and whether there is enough value in your offering, it's your job to keep batting away their objections.Step 3: Create an easy-to-use websiteNow you know where you're going, your going to need a platform to sell from. You cause Facebook and the like of course, but you'll need a website to add credibility if nothing else. When it comes to a website then I'd strongly recommend using a web designer such as Highstreet Media, But if you're going to go it alone, make sure you keep it simple. You have next to no time to grab someone's attention so make it appealing. Here's some helpful tips:Choose plain fonts on a white background (no more than 2)Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every pageUse graphics, audio or video if they enhance your messageInclude an opt-in offer so you can collect an e-mail addresses (build that list)Make it easy to buyYour website is your shopfront, so make it customer-friendlyStep 4: Drive traffic to your siteA website is all well and great but you're probably going to need some visitors if you're actually going to make any money. Use social media to drive people to your site putting links everywhere you can or use good old fashioned pay-per-click advertising on Google. This is probably the easiest way to get traffic to a new site. The other joy of pay per click is that you can test different keywords to find out which ones bring most bang for buck. When you identify them you can litter your site and blog with them in order to improve your organic reach and keep your advertising costs down.Step 5: Become the go to guyEveryone uses the internet to find any and all information nowadays. By providing that information for free to other sites, you can get more traffic and better search engine rankings. The trick is to include a link to your site with each bit of information. Spread your free content anywhere and everywhere. Create blog articles, videos or any other content that may be useful. Smash that content out by using online directories and/or social media sites.Become active in forums and social networking sites where your target market hang out, dropping knowledge bombs on them daily.You'll get new readers using this approach as well .as having more and more links back to your site. A little SEO bonus as search engines love links from relevant sites and your reward will be improved rankings.Step 6: Always follow up with emailYou hear people banging on about building a list all the time, and there's good reason for that. When you have an opt-in list, you have one of the most valuable assets of any online business. These customers/subscribers have given you permission to send them email. That means:They like what you're offeringYou're developing relationshipsYou can measure the response rate (accurately)Email marketing is the cheapest and most targeted form of marketingAnyone who visits your site and opts in to your list is a qualified lead. And there's no better tool than email for following up with those leads.Step 7: Up-sell like a madmanIf some one buys from you then there's over a 35 percent chance that they'll buy from you again, that's good odds. Getting a new sale is therefore more difficult than following up with a pre-existing customer and up-selling. How to do it:Offer things that tie in nicely to what they already bought (amazon are great at this)Send out loyalty coupons they can redeem online. (Reward your customers for their loyalty and they'll become even more loyal.)Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after they purchase.The internet isn't the Wild West it used to be, and this system has proven itself time and again in many different situations for many different people. So, if you're just starting a small business online, stick to this system. If you've been online awhile, check if there's a step you're missing, and get it sorted. The basics aren't sexy, but they work like a charm.For more useful insights, get your hands on my latest book...
Step 1: Give people what they wantSounds obvious right? But most people when starting worry about creating or looking for a product before they look for the market. You gotta revers engineer this shit man, find the market first!! Find a group of people with a shared problem who can't seem to find the solution. use the internet to find these people and give them what they want/need.Use stuff like online forums, Facebook groups and the likes to see what questions people ask and what problems they need to solve. Then do research to find what a lot of people are looking for, but with the added twist that not many sites come up that offer the solution.When you do find competitors check them out by visiting their sites and see what they're trying to do in order to fulfil the need. Then you can use what you've learned to do it better than the competition.Step 2: Write kickass copy (that sells)With sales copy there seems to be a bit of a formula at work that takes people through a journey. At the end of that journey (if it's done correctly) they will end up making a purchase, here's the process:Get them interested with a title that draws them inSpend some time highlighting their problem (the one you're about to offer a solution to)Get your credentials out; here you show them why you're the man for the jobUse past experiences, use testimonials of people you've helpedTell them about the product and how it'll solve their problemMake them an offer (one that is equal to the value you can bring them)Make a solid guaranteeMake it limited supply, or a time dependant offer in order to create urgencyStraight up ask for the saleAll through your copy you need to be looking at it through their eyes, showing how you understand their problems and how your product (or services) can solve them. They will be constantly weighing up what's in it for them and whether there is enough value in your offering, it's your job to keep batting away their objections.Step 3: Create an easy-to-use websiteNow you know where you're going, your going to need a platform to sell from. You cause Facebook and the like of course, but you'll need a website to add credibility if nothing else. When it comes to a website then I'd strongly recommend using a web designer such as Highstreet Media, But if you're going to go it alone, make sure you keep it simple. You have next to no time to grab someone's attention so make it appealing. Here's some helpful tips:Choose plain fonts on a white background (no more than 2)Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every pageUse graphics, audio or video if they enhance your messageInclude an opt-in offer so you can collect an e-mail addresses (build that list)Make it easy to buyYour website is your shopfront, so make it customer-friendlyStep 4: Drive traffic to your siteA website is all well and great but you're probably going to need some visitors if you're actually going to make any money. Use social media to drive people to your site putting links everywhere you can or use good old fashioned pay-per-click advertising on Google. This is probably the easiest way to get traffic to a new site. The other joy of pay per click is that you can test different keywords to find out which ones bring most bang for buck. When you identify them you can litter your site and blog with them in order to improve your organic reach and keep your advertising costs down.Step 5: Become the go to guyEveryone uses the internet to find any and all information nowadays. By providing that information for free to other sites, you can get more traffic and better search engine rankings. The trick is to include a link to your site with each bit of information. Spread your free content anywhere and everywhere. Create blog articles, videos or any other content that may be useful. Smash that content out by using online directories and/or social media sites.Become active in forums and social networking sites where your target market hang out, dropping knowledge bombs on them daily.You'll get new readers using this approach as well .as having more and more links back to your site. A little SEO bonus as search engines love links from relevant sites and your reward will be improved rankings.Step 6: Always follow up with emailYou hear people banging on about building a list all the time, and there's good reason for that. When you have an opt-in list, you have one of the most valuable assets of any online business. These customers/subscribers have given you permission to send them email. That means:They like what you're offeringYou're developing relationshipsYou can measure the response rate (accurately)Email marketing is the cheapest and most targeted form of marketingAnyone who visits your site and opts in to your list is a qualified lead. And there's no better tool than email for following up with those leads.Step 7: Up-sell like a madmanIf some one buys from you then there's over a 35 percent chance that they'll buy from you again, that's good odds. Getting a new sale is therefore more difficult than following up with a pre-existing customer and up-selling. How to do it:Offer things that tie in nicely to what they already bought (amazon are great at this)Send out loyalty coupons they can redeem online. (Reward your customers for their loyalty and they'll become even more loyal.)Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after they purchase.The internet isn't the Wild West it used to be, and this system has proven itself time and again in many different situations for many different people. So, if you're just starting a small business online, stick to this system. If you've been online awhile, check if there's a step you're missing, and get it sorted. The basics aren't sexy, but they work like a charm.For more useful insights, get your hands on my latest book...
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