7 Steps to Start A Small Business Online

Follow this plan for attracting visitors to your small business’s site and getting them to buy.

When launching a business online, there is a proven sequence of steps you should follow to ensure your success. Thousands of people have established and grown successful businesses by following the steps below:

1. Find out the problem of your prospect and provide a solution.
2. Write copy that sells.
3. Design and build an easy-to-use website.
4. Use search engines to drive traffic to your site.
5. Establish an expert reputation for yourself.
6. Follow up with your customers and subscribers via email.
7. Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling.

This method of learning how to start a business online can benefit anyone, from a complete beginner to a seasoned online entrepreneur.

Step 1: Find out the problem of your prospect and provide a solution.

 The majority of people who are just getting warmed up make the mistake of looking for a product first, then a market.

Start with a market to increase your chances of success. The key is to identify a group of users who are searching for a solution to a problem but are having difficulty finding one. This type of market research is simple thanks to the internet:

• Look at Internet forums to identify what questions people are asking and what problems they are trying to solve.
• Do keyword research to identify terms that are frequently searched but have very little competition from other sites.
• Analyze your possible competitors by visiting their websites and observing what they’re doing to satisfy the demand. So you may apply what you’ve learned to create a product for an existing market  and do it  better than the competition.

Step 2: Write copy that sells.

There is a proven sales copy formula that guides visitors through the selling process from the moment they arrive to the moment they make a purchase:

1. With a compelling headline, you can attract people’s interest.
2. Describe how your product solves a problem.
3. Establish your credibility as a problem solver.
4. Include feedback from customers who have used your product.
5. Talk about the product and how it benefits  the user.
6. Make a offer.
7. Make a strong guarantee.
8. Create a sense of urgency.
9. Ask for the sale.

Throughout your copy, focus on how your product or service is uniquely able to solve people’s problems or make their lives better . Ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” as if you were a customer.

Step 3: Design and build your website.

You’re ready for your small-business website design now that you’ve nailed down your market and product, as well as your selling process. Always remember to keep it simple. You have less than five seconds to capture someone’s attention; if you don’t, they’ll vanish, never to be seen again. Here are a few pointers to bear in mind:

1. On a white background, use one or two plain fonts.
2. Make your navigation clear and consistent across all pages.
3. Use graphics, audio, and video only if they help to communicate your message.
4. Include a sign-up or opt-in offer to collect e-mail addresses.
5. Make purchasing simple—there should be no more than two clicks between a potential customer and the checkout process.
6. Make your website user-friendly, because it is your online storefront.

Step 4: Use search engines to drive targeted buyers to your site.

Pay-per-click advertising is the most cost-effective approach to drive traffic to a new website. It offers two benefits over waiting for organic traffic to come to you. First, PPC advertisements appear rapidly on search engine results pages, and second, PPC advertising allows you to test different keywords, headlines, prices, and selling strategies. You may use PPC advertisements to identify your best, highest-converting keywords as well as receive quick traffic. Then you may use the keywords across your site, in both copy and code, to improve your organic search results.

 Step 5: Establish an expert reputation for yourself.

The internet is used by people to find information. You’ll get more visitors and higher search engine results if you give that information away for free to other websites. The secret is to include a link to your website with every piece of information.

• Give away expert content for free. Create articles, videos, or any other type of content that will be useful to others. Use online article directories or social media networks to distribute your content.
• Include “send to a friend” links on your website’s valuable content.
• Become a frequent contributor to industry forums and social media platforms where your target market hangs out.

Step 6: Use the power of email marketing to turn visitors into buyers.

You’re creating one of your online business’s most valuable assets when you build an opt-in list. Your customers and subscribers have consented to receive emails from you.

That means:

• You’re providing them with something they requested.
• You’re forming relationships with them that will last a lifetime.
• The response is completely measurable.
• Because email marketing is highly targeted, it is less expensive and more effective than print, television, or radio.

Anyone who comes to your site and joins your mailing list is a hot lead. And there’s no better tool for following up with leads than email.

Developing a solid email marketing plan allows you to engage and interact with your target audience in a personalized manner while also increasing revenue at a low cost. Email marketing tools, like other platforms and media, allow your businesses to reach customers more easily than ever before.

Step 7: Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling.

One of the most important internet marketing strategies is to develop every customer’s lifetime value. At least 36 percent of people who have purchased from you once will buy from you again if you follow up with them. Closing that first sale is by far the most difficult part, not to mention the most expensive. So use back-end selling and upselling to get them to buy again:

• Offer things that complement their initial purchase.
• Send them electronic loyalty/discount coupons that they can use on their next visit.
• After they’ve made a purchase, offer them related products on your “Thank You” page.

Customers will become even more loyal if you reward them for their loyalty.

The internet changes at such a rapid pace that one year online is roughly equivalent to five years in the real world. However, the fundamentals of how to establish and grow a successful Internet business have barely changed. Stick to this sequence if you’re just getting started with an online business. If you’ve been online for a while, go over your checklist to see if there’s anything you’re missing or never got around to doing. With the basics, you can’t go wrong