Home Based Internet Business

Jeff Zbar

• Publisher: QuickStudy Reference Guides
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781423237150
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Small Business
• Index: Business

Use the power of the Internet to start your own business or improve the business you have already started. This guide will show how with limited resources anyone can start a business with the multitude of tools available for research, marketing, sales, distribution, website creation and communication that are a fingertips click away. Written by a home-based business guru and consultant, the guide offers detailed options as well as suggestions so you can make the right decisions to reach your ultimate goal.
Topics covered include:

• Defining Your Home-Based Business Opportunity
• Business Research
• Popular Home-Based Internet Businesses
• Computing Solutions
• Site Marketing
• Sales Tools & Sites
• Marketing & Advertising
• Social Media Marketing
• Managing Your Customers

Sales Tools & Sites

Shopping Carts & Sales Tools

Shopping carts are the mechanisms that allow customers to select and purchase products from a website. Most can be integrated with merchant accounts in what’s called an “outof- the-box” solution. Providers include PayPal, Go Daddy, Google Checkout, and 1ShoppingCart, among others. Here’s how they work:

• Once you’ve established an account, you’ll be provided links to embed or place on your site.
• Embed credit card logos on your site similar to the stickers retailers place on their store windows.
• Money from purchases, once cleared by the bank or merchant company, is generally deposited directly into an account as directed by the merchant.

The Browsing Experience

• Shopping carts can create a window to your e-tail location.
• Post images and detailed descriptions of your product.
• Post videos of the product in use.
• Sprinkle testimonials around the product or sales pages.

Specials, Promos & Seasonals

• Shoppers like special offers.
• Include a variety of products based on the season or demand.
• Frequently switch product offers.
• Discount stale items to boost sales.

Tell Them Your Tale

TIP

Many online sales and auction channels let sellers enter personal information or a profile. Be descriptive: use those keywords and details that help establish your expertise. Shoppers buy from people they trust.

• Customers like buying from people they know; tell your personal story.
• Post your bio or history on an “About Us” or “Our History” page.
• Have you received an especially moving review, recommendation, or testimonial? Post it prominently.

Polling to Engage Visitors

• Online services (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Polldaddy, Pollhost) make conducting polls and surveys easy.
• Some blog sites offer free, built-in poll apps.
• Add a new poll tied to the season, a holiday, or a news event.
• Visitors can view the results.
• Poll results make for good blog fodder.

Close the Sale

Luring customers is half the battle (and can be the fun part). Getting them to click “Purchase” can be nerve-racking. Simplify the process by providing the tools they need to close the sale.

Encourage the Sale

• Write and place hot-linked calls to action throughout each page.
• As busy as it may look, research shows that sales pages that graphically incorporate bright colors, various fonts, bolding, photographs, and testimonials can help convince readers to buy.
• Place “Shopping Cart” and “Buy Now” buttons on every product page.

Help!

Post a “Help” link on every page that has a shopping cart. Guide the customer through the process.

Are You a CSR?

• You are a customer service representative (CSR). Always.
• Expect to deliver customer service.
• Post a form, accessible from the “Help” link, asking about the problem and the customer’s name and contact information.
• Use an autoresponder to let the customer know the inquiry has been received and will be responded to.
• Set aside time each day to check for customer inquiries and to respond if necessary.

Online Sales Services

Online shopping services (e.g., eBay, Amazon, Etsy) allow merchants to set up “shops” on the site. Users search the site for the product and then engage in a sale or auction.

• Auction sites like eBay run an auction for the product. Sellers can also post a “Buy It Now” price to sell the product immediately for that set price.
• Invest time to learn how auction sites work. They can be confusing at first and may take some time to become comfortable with.

Can My Site & Amazon Get Along?

Some people have their own site. Some have only an eBay, an Amazon, or a Yahoo! storefront. Is there room or reason for both? Yes.

• eBay, Amazon, Yahoo!, and other storefronts are simple to launch and can start generating revenue, even if the company e-commerce site isn’t up.
• Such storefronts provide an additional, heavily searched online channel for products.
• These online storefronts, if well branded by you, can steer traffic back to your site.
• Avoid online storefronts if you don’t want to pay commissions or if you want to control 100% of the shopping experience and transaction.
• Controlling the experience limits vulnerability to other sites’ outages, hacks, identity theft issues, and even changes in terms of service.

Building Your Community

• With any online auction or e-commerce site, correspond with your customers and shoppers.
• Be a kind shopkeeper; positive feedback from customers is important to encouraging future sales.
• Ask shoppers to submit feedback.
• As with any online forum, address negative comments and try to correct what went wrong.

Online Classified Listings

Posting products or services to online classified listing sites can boost product awareness and sales opportunities among a new audience.

• Create an account, choosing your category and geography.
• Post products or services, descriptions, photographs, and testimonials.
• Sites include Oodle, eBay Classifieds, Backpage, recycler.com, Adoos, and Hoobly.
• Some online businesses use Craigslist to boost local product marketing and sales.
• Closely review sites’ terms of use to ensure your marketing or sales model doesn’t conflict with their rules.

Affiliate Programs

For home-based Internet business owners, affiliate programs can generate additional revenue with little added work.

• Become an affiliate, selling and generating commissions from another company’s product from links or ads placed on your site.
• Create your own affiliate program, offering commissio...