Start an Online Business

Stop thinking of Starting An Online Business and Actually go out and do it!!!

The global financial crisis is such big news to the hearts, souls and back pockets of ordinary people throughout the world that it has even got its own acronym – the GFC.

But what does the GFC mean to ordinary people? You might be like so many of your friends, sweating over your job just to make sure you still have a job.

Warning: this may shock you . . .

SHOPPERS ARE STILL FLOCKING TO THEIR COMPUTERS RATHER THAN SHOPPING CENTRES AND MALLS

So what could this mean for you?

In a climate not looking so rosy there is still plenty of money to be made online.

A new poll conducted by RetailMeNot.com, an online coupon website, found that nearly nine out of 10 American consumers have changed their shopping habits as a result of high gas prices.

The poll found that out of more than 1,000 respondents who voted multiple times:

45 percent said they plan shopping trips together to use less gas
42 percent said they shop less
22 percent said they do as much shopping as possible online
11 percent said there was no impact

Whether or not the economy is bad, there are some best practices to keep in mind when opening an online business. Here are a few of Grau’s tips:

Have a niche or focus on a specialty category. Since you’re essentially competing with box retailers like Wal-Mart or Target when you enter the online retail space, “be sure [you're selling] something niche-oriented, such as fashionable maternity wear or urban street wear,” Grau says. “Or focus on a specific category, like shoes, but that’s all you do. But offer great custom service, such as making it easy to return shoes.”
Offer an innovative marketing technology. A good example of this is Diapers.com, a small web retailer.”[The company is] very successful in part because it has an innovative referral program where if a Diapers.com customer refers somebody else to the company, that customer gets a discount. That is one way it has built up its customer base.”Grau also says Diapers.com uses innovative packaging that enables it to cut down on shipping costs. Finally, the company is innovative in its focus on convenience; it makes it easy for young parents to have diapers delivered to their door without having to make a midnight run to the store because they are out of diapers.
Keep pricing in mind. Even if you are selling a niche product, always keep pricing a priority.

“You are never going to compete with big box retailers on pricing, but perhaps there is a promotion or value-added program you can offer that helps people deflect that or takes their minds off of pricing.”

A unique product, an innovative marketing technology and a promotion to help customers deflect prices are important business strategies during a recession because people have less discretionary money to spend.

If you have your unique product but don’t have any web skills to speak of, or if you don’t have the marketing skills to turn your passions into business then I have a great solution for you, it’s like a business in a box.

It’s called Site Build It, here’s what it does: