Doing Business Online

Doing business online may seem like an insurmountable task – at first. When you haven’t yet doen it before, learning from all those gurus out on the internet can be quite overwhelming. Who do you trust? Will it work…all these thoughts come to mind. I did and it could be most daunting if you follow information that is difficult to put into action.

So, I’ve taken the liberty to put a check list of what you should do to get attention on the world wide web. It has worked for me over and over again. And I’ve also found that the information I’m presenting here can actually be found on the internet, but I’ve summarized what I found to work and save you tons of time and agravation. Happy Business Building Online.

 

Identify your niche.

Be very specific here. Often, you will target a bigger slice of the market than you think is accurate – that can set you up to fail to attract your right crowd.
Conversely, you may actually miss the target altogether – in this case widen you market to the next level.

 

Plan the objective of your online business.

* Is it to introduce you and what you have to offer?
* Is it to provide updates or announcements?
* Is it to showcase your product or service?
* Is it a testimonial or quote from satisfied customers?
* Is it to present research?
Identify your audience: profile your clients.

Armed with that knowledge, construct your profile with information appropriate and relevant to your audience.
In your website, always include one or more links to your website in your profile.
Carefully develop your Unique Selling Point (USP).

The USP is the crux of your company, product or service.
This is the crucial factor that sets you apart from your competitors.
Ensure you focus on the benefit to the user instead of the unique features.
Follow Social Networking etiquette when creating your profile.

Here is a quick guideline:
* NEVER use software scripts or html that hijacks or otherwise interferes with a
user’s PC or software (that’s illegal and at the very least really anger the prospect).
* When using images, make sure they are family safe (no porn, nudity or otherwise offensive).
* Never use photos of people without their permission.
* Be careful very careful when you craft your profile using text and graphics: make them easy to read, understand and make sure you do not offend anyone.
Structure your Social Site Pages or Profile.

You have all heard of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. You will want to use some or a selection of these Social Networking sites.
Make sure to include: the Introduction, Objective, Deliver Objective, Benefits to the Audience, Call To Action, Conclusion (make sure it’s a really attention getting Summary).
Friend/Follow other Social Network users who may be interested in what you have to offer.

Research and find the following:
* Popular websites/video.
* Websites/blogs/videos related to your niche.
* Comment and create a rapport with the site/video owners.
* Ensure you link to your site or video in the comments section.
* Personalize the comments to appear a real and likeable person.
* Encourage your friends to comment on and post responses to your sites.
* Establish your profile and reputation in the community.
* Drive traffic to your site by regularly updating your sites.
* Social bookmark and ping your sites.
If you are satisfied with the level of traffic and leads you are receiving from your websites, social sites, videos and profile, congratulations! You have successfully created a traffic-driving, lead-generating profile.
If the traffic and response is not to your expectations or if you intend to get more traffic and gain more popularity, try expanding one or more of the strategies in the above process.

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