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Starting and
operating an Internet business is not much different from operating
any other business, in particular because of the necessity today of
any business to have an Internet presence. The same tenets
apply, such as providing customer service and care, fair pricing,
on-time delivery, and maintaining truthful advertising.
There are some
differences between a traditional and an Internet business, however.
Cost
The start-up cost
for an Internet business may in some cases be lower than start-up
costs for a traditional business, but consider additional costs that
can be incurred at a later date. For example, purchasing a domain
and launching a web site via a host provider may seem cost effective
at $5 a month but consider the cost over time, and the cost of
multiple web sites. If you are running a business solely over the
Internet, the possibility that you will require more than one web
site is high. Internet businesses, like any other, require time,
planning, creativity, maintenance, a vision, and changes before a
profit can be made.
Skills
Maintaining a
web-based business requires additional skills that you may not
already possess. Most importantly is web design and maintenance.
Other needed skills include programming, web server technology, and
knowledge of service engine optimization (SEO), which is all about
ensuring the right language is used so searchers can locate you.
There are courses offering information and knowledge on these
skills. Or, consider the services of a freelance web site provider.
In some cases, new web site businesses or students can offer this
service free or low cost.
Marketing
Possibilities
The market
potential is virtually limitless over the Internet. For example, you
can conduct business overseas. Other issues may become evident, such
as translations to and from the native language, or legalities.
Results Maintenance
Tracking sales
results and issues is more flexible with an Internet business. A
business can keep regular track of sales, and even questions and
remarks directly on a web site.
Legal
Considerations
There are
international and national laws to research and consider, especially
when concerning manufacturing, medicine or foods. For example, there
are multitudes of U.S. FTC regulations for online businesses,
including privacy policies and collecting information from children,
which apply to anyone who does any business in the U.S. Other
countries have their own regulations.
Zoning laws are a
consideration before starting any business. Local government should
offer this information. For example, if adding an office to your
home, a building permit typically is required.
Once a web site
business begins several considerations should be taken.
Establish an
Internet Presence
Develop a site through
a web hosting service and purchase a domain. The web site page is
called a URL, uniform resource locator, which specifies the location
of Internet information publicly available.
Search Engine Optimization and Meta Tags
Be sure your web pages are coded properly.
Place your keywords in the right positions. If possible, obtain your
URL (web page name) with a primary keyword. For example, Flowers
Delivered. When this is done, the search engines are notified
immediately about the content of your site. The title tag is the
line of text appearing on search engine results. They operate as a
link to your web site. This is vital as it tells the viewer what
your web page is about. Key your title tags very descriptively,
brief, and keep them updated. Include words that are “keyword rich”,
that is, that will increase the relevance of your web site according
to search engines.
Loading meta tags with
keywords no longer is imperative, but it remains ideal to place
keywords in the meta tags.
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Ideas: Direct
Sales, Wholesale, Franchises, and Re-Marketing
If you want to
start an Internet-based business but have no idea what you want to
sell or promote, consider direct sales, wholesale opportunities,
franchises, or buying and reselling merchandise. There are many
options available over the Internet. |
