Starting an online business can be a great way to earn income from the comfort of your own home.
You need to think about what kind of business you want to run
One option is creating your own Information Products like eBooks or a video course, or even a membership site.
Here’s a link to a few of my Info Products to give you a flavour:
- Meet The Info Product Geek
Affiliate Marketing programs are also a great way to make money, since they involve promoting products created by someone else and earning commission from sales.
I am an Affiliate Marketer. I like making commissions from Info Products and Services that I didn’t have to spend any time creating.
Here are some ideas to give you inspiration
- Best High Paying Affiliate Programs
- Some of the products and services that I promote as an Affiliate
Starting a profitable online business can seem daunting, but with the right information and a little bit of effort, it doesn’t have to be.
Let’s go through some basic steps to get started.
Find Your Niche
Before you start your online business, it is important to first decide what your niche will be.
Your niche should be reflective of the interests or knowledge you posses, and there should be a clear need and potential to monetize it.
To do this, consider something that you are passionate about or knowledgeable in.
In simple terms, a niche is essentially the market or industry that your business will focus on.
To help narrow down potential niches, think about something you are passionate about or knowledgeable in so that you can create content around it more easily.
I chose Golf as my niche for my first Content Website, which I am very passionate about. You can see the website at Fore King Golf
Additionally, make sure there is a need for your niche and a viable way for you to make money from it.
Use online resources such as market research tools to analyze whether there is an audience for the products or services you could provide within your niche.
For instance, if baking is something that you love doing, research what other baking products or services are popular within the market and see if you can create products or services to better cater to the same audience.
Create High Quality Engaging Content
Creating high quality content is one of the most important aspects of running an online business successfully.
It is important to understand website traffic so you are able to bring customers to your site and make sales.
Content helps draw people into your site which will eventually lead them to become customers or subscribers depending on what type of products or services you offer.
There is a lot involved with creating great content so be sure to check out the following Guides
- Understanding Search Intent When Writing Blog Posts
- How To Write A Great Blog Post That Ranks Well
- Simple Guide To Crafting The Perfect Blog Title
TL/DR – if you haven’t got time for the full info, here’s a quick overview
You need to write SEO Friendly, high quality content, that meets the search intent, is accompanied by a perfect blog post title and gets a lot of people sharing & linking to your content
Start Building Your Platforms
Once you have determined your niche and created content for people to engage with on your website or blog, now it’s time for promotion!
Getting your brand out there can be daunting, but knowing how to find your niche is key!
Once you know what content people want to engage with on your website or blog, the promotion journey can begin.
Creating an presence on multiple platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram offers an opportunity for increasing your brand’s reach, as users can now follow along and stay up-to-date with all things concerning it.
including product announcements or special deals exclusive for followers of those platforms!
Additionally, consider setting up accounts on Amazon or eBay where customers can buy products related directly back to your brand as well as other retailers who may carry them.
This way, customers can purchase products that are directly related to your brand.
An added advantage is that many people prefer using shopping platforms that they are familiar with, allowing you to further reach prospective buyers and further expand your business opportunities.
Lastly don’t forget about email marketing
Email marketing is an important tool for the success of an online business, particularly a blog.
When done correctly, email marketing can continue to nurture leads for long term growth and ensure readers return for more content.
A word of caution though, email marketing should not be approached as merely an avenue for direct sales pitches
rather it should be viewed as an opportunity to tell stories around yourself and your business, because brands and services that pique interest among customers and make them loyal followers of the business.
By using email interactions effectively website owners can easily increase engagement levels with their readers, which makes for a more fun and vibrant website.
Final Thoughts
Starting an online business doesn’t have to be intimidating when done right!
By following these steps
- Determining a profitable niche market
- Creating engaging content
- Building up social media platforms
- Setting up accounts on websites like eBay or Amazon
- And engaging in email marketing
any aspiring entrepreneur can create a successful business venture with a bit of consistent effort.
Don’t forget that starting small, and showing up everyday to work on your business, will allow you to learn more and get better as time goes on.
This will give you valuable insights into what works for you, what you’re good at, what you’re not so good at (which you can eventually outsource to someone better equipped)
and of course how you can best serve your customers, which ultimately leads to you making money in the process!
Good luck!
