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Starting a New Business Online?
- by Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
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It seems everybody has a "can't miss" idea
for starting a new web-based business, despite innumerable news
accounts of most web businesses going belly-up in a short time.
Most folks still think, mistakenly of course, that a website alone somehow magically produces customers who
will buy even the most off-beat items and services. They
fail to realize that buying or building a website represents
only part of the overall online marketing equation.
Anyone considering starting a new online business or
taking an existing business online should heed the following
advice to avoid many heartaches and an empty wallet.
Target your audience.
What exactly do your customers want and what words do
they use to describe the products and services they will
purchase? Don't assume you know how and what they want
to buy - ask them! From this research you will determine
the "keywords" your customers will use to find
your business while surfing and using search engines. You should
then focus completely on these keywords while constructing
your
entire web presence.
Build a focused site.
Your website should center exclusively on those issues
directly related to what you sell online. If you sell "orange baskets" then only write about the
characteristics, features and benefits of using your orange baskets.
Take great care in writing your copy to keep your text
focused on one subject per page and make liberal use
of your keywords and their synonyms. Constructing your
pages in this manner will aid you greatly in achieving good
directory listings and attracting search engine
traffic.
Use search engines effectively.
If building a highly focused, relevant site to display
your products and services gets you to first base with the
search engines, then building "bridge" pages
will get you
rounding third and headed for home!
The term "bridge page" characterizes a web
page that
focuses on one keyword phrase throughout the entire
page.
You should build dozens, if not hundreds, of these
pages,
each of which focuses on one keyword phrase a
potential customer would use to find you in a search engine. You
should then submit these pages to the individual
search
engines and monitor them for the traffic they produce.
Accept Change As a FACT of Life!
Understand that creating a successful online business requires commitment to a process of constant promotion
and continuous education. You must stay current on cost-effective search engine and directory promotion
techniques
for driving traffic to your site as well as any
factors specifically affecting your industry online.
Accept the fact that change happens online at two
speeds:
fast and faster! Just when you think you have
everything figured out, a search engine changes its rules, or
starts charging for services, or goes from important to
irrelevant in the blink of an eye.
Your ability to predict change, master it, and
"roll with the punches" will determine your long-term
success or failure online.
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Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and
the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of
targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
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