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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
If you've thought of starting an online business or ifyou're already selling online, here's how to get yourshare of online customers. This second edition of Starting anOnline Business All-in-One For Dummies covers everything fromcreating a business plan and building a customer-friendly site tomarketing with Facebook and MySpace. There's even a sectionabout setting up shop in the virtual world of Second Life. Eleven handy minibooks cover online business basics, legal andaccounting, Web site design, online and operating, Internetsecurity, boosting sales, retail to e-tail, storefront selling,fundraising sites, niche e-commerce, and e-commerce advanced.You'll learn to: * Build a business plan that translates your ideas into aprofitable enterprise * Choose software to help you manage taxes, balance sheets, andother accounting chores * Create a Web site that helps your business make money * Fill orders, pack and ship merchandise, and manage stock * Set up, budget for, and implement a plan to protect vitalcomputer equipment * Use PR and advertising tools that best promote your businessonline, including Google AdWords * Choose what sells best in Second Life and earn real money fromyour virtual store * Market through niche communities, find and use specialmarketing tools for nonprofit organizations, and apply successfulmobile marketing techniques Inside the book, you'll even find a Google AdWords giftcard worth $25 to help spread the word about your onlinebusiness!
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2009
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Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
What You Need Not Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Book I: Online Business Basics
Book II: Legal and Accounting
Book III: Web Site Design
Book IV: Online and Operating
Book V: Internet Security
Book VI: Boosting Sales
Book VII: Retail to E-Tail
Book VIII: Storefront Selling
Book IX: Fundraising Sites
Book X: Niche E-Commerce
Book XI: E-Commerce Advanced
Icons Used in This Book
Book I: Online Business Basics
Book I: Chapter 1: Starting from Scratch
What Are You Waiting For? Start Your Business Now!
Choosing Just the Right Business
Creating online businesses for today and tomorrow
Finding a business that’s your type
Getting Started
Book I: Chapter 2: Turning Internet Dreams into Reality
Thinking Like a Netrepreneur
Putting Your Business Idea under the Microscope
Using informal research to verify your idea
Applying a SWOT analysis to your idea
Creating a feasibility study to validate an idea
Identifying Your Market and Target Customer
Classifying your customer
Going to the source
Competing to Win: Analyzing Your Competition
Book I: Chapter 3: Getting Real: Creating a Usable Business Plan
Understanding the Value of a Plan
Recognizing That the Parts of the Plan Make a Whole
Getting Help to Write the Plan
Determining when to hire a professional
Knowing what to expect from a business plan consultant
Using a Business Plan Today, Tomorrow, and Always
Book I: Chapter 4: Finding Money to Fund Your Online Start-Up
Bootstrapping the Low-Cost, No-Cost Site
Making the leap to the bootstrapping lifestyle
Saving money to make money
Getting resourceful
Looking at the pros and cons of bootstrapping
Finding the Perfect Investor
Turning to your friends and family network
Finding angels
Venturing into the world of venture capital
Checking Out Alternative Financing
Taking a Shortcut: Purchasing an Existing Site
Book I: Chapter 5: Creating Policies to Protect Your Web Site
Taking Care of Customers
I pledge to you
Put it in writing
Putting Policies in Place
Privacy policy
User agreement or terms and conditions
Shipping policy
Return policy
Safety for young users
Other online policies
Delivering On Your Promises
Book I: Chapter 6: Setting Up Shop: Everything You Need for Online Efficiency
A Floor Plan for Success
Must-Have Equipment
Make form follow function
Revving up with a powerful PC
Let somebody else do the hard stuff
Tools for Your Desktop
Searching for a Web browser
Sending and receiving messages with e-mail
Using document-viewing software and other useful applications
Your Essential Software Toolkit
Connectivity: Today’s Internet Options and More
Book II: Legal and Accounting
Book II: Chapter 1: Minding the Law
Keeping Your Business Legal
Federal tax identification number
Resale certificate
Business bank account
Employee forms
Zoning for Business (at Home)
Obtaining Business Licenses
Book II: Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Foundation: From Partnerships to Corporations
Strategizing for the Best Organization
Operating Alone as a Sole Proprietor
Fictitious name registration
Husband/wife sole proprietorship
Sharing the Load with a Partnership
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Making It Official with Incorporation
Different flavors of corporations
The choice to incorporate
Changing Your Organization as It Grows
Book II: Chapter 3: The Trademark-and-Copyright Two-Step
Understanding Why Trademarks and Copyrights Matter
Making Your (Trade)Mark
Protecting Your Investment with Copyrights
Establishing Registration Yourself
Getting your trademark
Filing for copyright
Retaining Professional Assistance
Book II: Chapter 4: Accounting for Taxes (And Then Some)
The Tax Man Cometh — Again and Again
Income tax
Employment tax
Sales tax
By the Numbers: Accounting Basics
Determining periods and methods
And now, your balance sheet
A quick glimpse: The P&L
Choosing Software to Make Your Tasks Easy
Going online?
What size are you?
How much do you want to pay?
Do you need support?
Hiring a Professional
Recognizing that it takes all types
Knowing what to expect from your tax professional
Finding likely candidates
Choosing the best person for you
Following the Rules of Recordkeeping
Dealing with all the paper
Storing records: How long is long enough?
Book III: Web Site Design
Book III: Chapter 1: What’s in a (Domain) Name?
Picking Your Online Identity
Approaching your domain name carefully
Understanding what a domain name should be
Registering the Perfect Name
Who you gonna call?
Let’s make it official
Finding Out What to Do When Somebody Gets There First
Exploring your domain name options
Getting what you want — at a price
All the Good Ones Are (Not!) Taken
Varying the extension
Getting creative
Book III: Chapter 2: Designing Customer-Friendly Sites
Maximizing Performance for Profitability
Looking Your Best
Following basic design principles
Making design choices
Choosing Substance Over Style
Counting on Function to Win Customers
Understanding the customer experience
Building function into your site
Book III: Chapter 3: Building a Site without Spending a Fortune
Mapping Your Route to a Successful Site
Setting reasonable expectations
Avoiding common holdups in developing a site
You Can Do It! Make a Build-It-Yourself Site
Using HTML: The old-fashioned way to build a page
Going modern with Adobe Dreamweaver and more
The pros and cons of using automated site builders
Creating Your Site with the Pros
Seeking experience: Choosing the right Web site designer
Comparing apples to apples
Speeding up the process
Keeping an eye on your business interests
Book III: Chapter 4: Finding the Host with the Most
Differentiating between an ISP and a Host
Determining What Makes the Difference for High-Performance Hosting
Sorting Out Your Web Site Host Options
Putting the Long-Term Contract in the Past
Serving Yourself: Don’t Overlook Other Server Options
Book III: Chapter 5: Writing Content that Search Engines Want to See
Words Are Words — Right? Wrong!
Getting Ready to Write for the Web
Understanding who and why
Understanding that packaging is everything
Getting organized
Making a list and checking it twice
Moved to Purchase: Turning Words into Action
Choosing Words that Search Engines Notice
Book III: Chapter 6: Lights, Camera, Action! Taking Your Site Live
Some Things to Know Before You Start Uploading
Taking the Compatibility Test: Testing Screen Resolutions, Browsers, and Platforms
Checking it out
Testing on Mac, Windows, or whatever
Keeping people in mind
Taking a Trial Run
Three, Two, One — Take Off!
Book IV: Online and Operating
Book IV: Chapter 1: Determining Your Revenue Model
Selling Tangible Products
Projecting how you’ll make a profit
Manufacturing and selling your own goods
Buying tangible goods and selling them online
Selling Your Professional Services
Understanding the pros and cons
Building credibility
Selling Information
Placing Ads for Profit
Looking at sites that sell
Analyzing traffic patterns
Choosing ad formats
Estimating your revenue potential
Getting it from Google
Managing ad space inventory
Selling the space
Establishing an Affiliate Advertising Program
Putting It All Together: Multiple Revenue Streams
Book IV: Chapter 2: Making Money with Affiliate Programs
Looking at How Affiliate Programs Work
Understanding some affiliate terms
Finding an affiliate program
Signing Up for an Affiliate Network
Avoiding Scams and Questionable Content
Illegal affiliations
Questionable affiliations
Book IV: Chapter 3: Turning Information into Profit, from e-Books to Webinars
Creating Your Own Information Product
Finding hot topics
Researching the information
Organizing your thoughts
Providing E-Books
Creating the document
Distributing your e-book on e-shelves
Putting Together a Webinar
Your recording session
Finding your audience
Book IV: Chapter 4: Paying Up with the Right Payment Options
Accepting Credit Card Payments
Securing a merchant account
Choosing a payment gateway
Reading the fine print: Fees
Offering Alternative Payment Options
Managing the Payment Process to Protect Your Income
Book IV: Chapter 5: Putting the (Shopping) Cart before the Horse
Not All Carts Are Created Equal
Back-end management
Customer-centric
Integration and maintenance
Promotion and marketing
Shopping Around for the Best Hosted Solution
1ShoppingCart
GoECart
Finding Off-the-Shelf Software
Designing a Cart for You
Book IV: Chapter 6: Taking Inventory
Finding Out What’s Popular By Using eBay
Putting Together All Your Research
Pricing Your Products
Building Your Inventory
Stocking up as a low-price leader
Becoming all things to all people with trial-and-error inventory
Specializing with limited inventory
Book IV: Chapter 7: Fulfilling Expectations and Orders
Figuring Out the Logistics of Shipping
Developing an In-House Fulfillment Model
Deciding to Outsource Fulfillment
Finding an outsourcing partner
Establishing your outsourcing relationship
Operating with an outsourced fulfillment house
Assessing the quality of the fulfillment work
Shaping Up and Shipping Out
Giving shipping options to your customers
Setting up accounts with carriers
Creating online postage and labels
Having items picked up for delivery
Shipping international orders
Maintaining the Back End
Deciding on a database
Using handheld scanners and bar codes
Developing a shelving inventory system
Feeding orders into the shipping department
Book V: Internet Security
Book V: Chapter 1: Understanding Security and Your Risks
Legal Responsibility: The Merchant and the Customer
Avoiding charge-backs
Keeping your customer information secure
Defining Your Privacy Policy
Keeping Your Web Site Secure
Displaying Seals of Approval
Book V: Chapter 2: Developing a Security Plan
Making a Plan
Policies and procedures
Inventory and skills assessments
Risk analysis
Existing security measures
Action plan
Resources and follow up
Creating a Budget for Your Plan
Finding Security Resources
Book V: Chapter 3: Attacked! What to Expect from the Net-Thief
Fending Off Denial-of-Service Attacks
Deterring Hackers
Avoiding Viruses and Other Malware
Keeping Your Domain Name Safe
Staying Away from E-Mail Scams
Phishing
Pharming
Book V: Chapter 4: Securing Your Site and Your Business
Protecting against Credit Card Fraud
Minimizing your own financial losses
Protecting customers’ privacy and financial data
Backing Up Your Data
Adding Firewalls
Book V: Chapter 5: Overcoming Security Concerns in the Wireless World
Understanding How a Wireless LAN Works
Establishing Barriers
Following your common sense
Setting up a virtual private network
Keeping an eye on your connection
Book VI: Boosting Sales
Book VI: Chapter 1: Driving Traffic, Driving Sales
Calculating Your Site’s Conversion Rate
Figuring Out When You Get the Most Traffic
Getting Customers to Notice Your Web Site
Book VI: Chapter 2: Special-Edition Public Relations for the Web
Writing Reviews
Finding the best places to post reviews
Writing the review, section by section
Becoming a Community Leader
Speaking out with Webinars
Billing yourself as an expert
Writing Articles
Tailoring your article topics
Putting together your article
Handing out your articles
Book VI: Chapter 3: Web Marketing at Work
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Devising your brand
Working the brand
Reeling In Customers with Newsletters
Decide who will write your newsletter
Decide what your newsletter will cover
Decide when to issue your newsletter
Decide on a format for your newsletter
Decide how to distribute your newsletter
Automating Your Routine Tasks
Searching for Traffic with Search Engine Advertising
Signing up for Google AdWords
Deciding when to use pay-per-click
Marketing Your Company Offline
Book VI: Chapter 4: Converting Browsers to Buyers
Giving Customers a Reason to Stay on Your Site
Providing your own content on your site
Getting other people to provide your content
Anticipating Customer Needs
Watching customer logs
Predicting future purchases
Organizing a Buyer-Friendly Site
Streamlining the shopping process
Toning down the bells and whistles
Keeping Your Shopping Cart Simple
Avoiding Assumptions about Your Customers
Asking customers for feedback
Remembering your customers
Encouraging Viewers to Buy
Offering deals and promotions
Sending one last reminder
Book VI: Chapter 5: Analyzing and Monitoring Your Customers
Tracking Trends
Measuring Web Site Traffic
Defining the terms of traffic analysis
Looking at your log file
Referring to your referrer file
Examining error logs
Checking abandoned shopping-cart logs
Scrutinizing the most common entry- or exit-page logs
Measuring Traffic against Activity
Jam Packed: Traffic-Analysis Software
Basic analysis software
Detailed analysis software
Enterprise or big business
Collecting the Correct Information
Storing data using cookies
Adding information to your links
Studying the path analysis
Getting to Know Your Customer Really Well
Using Your Data to Understand Your Business
Watching trends to find out average behavior
Identifying areas of improvement
Deciding on a change
Following up
Book VI: Chapter 6: Mastering Search Engines, Optimization, and Rankings
Navigating the Ins and Outs of Major Search Engines
Getting Your Web Site Noticed by Search Engines
Submitting Your Site to Search Engines
Signing up with Google
Signing up with Yahoo!
Submitting to other search engines
Placing Keywords in Key Spots on Your Web Site
Keywords that are invisible
Keywords that are visible
Arranging Your Pages Strategically
Watching Your Rankings
Moving Up in the Rankings
Knowing where you stand
Seeing what your competition is doing
Creating your own referrals
Discovering Editorial Opportunities with Engines
Book VII: Retail to E-Tail
Book VII: Chapter 1: Knowing When to Put Your Store Online
Making the Decision to Move Your Store Online
Finding the Right Time
Taking into account seasonal latitude
Timing your launch around an event
Dedicating manpower
Bridging Your Offline Store with Your Online Store
Finding your identity
Creating an image
Integrating your shopping cart
Making a Flawless Transition
Stage 1: Orientation
Stage 2: Implementation
Stage 3: Evaluation
Building an Inventory
Book VII: Chapter 2: Understanding the Differences between Real and Virtual Customers
Comparing Online and Offline Customers
What Your Online Customers Expect from You
Round-the-clock hours
A variety of payment methods
Everything a customer could want, plus the kitchen sink
Details, details, details
Methods for coping with the holiday rush
Flexibility
Superior customer service
Establishing Patterns
Book VII: Chapter 3: Window Dressing for the Online Display
Creating the Right Look for Your Online Store
Creating the Perfect Shopping Experience
Organizing your products in categories
Offering a search function
Beyond Window Shopping: Designs that Lure Traffic
Book VII: Chapter 4: Making In-Store Customers Loyal Online Shoppers
Benefiting Customers (And Your Business) with In-Store and Online Synergy
Enticing Customers to Your Online Offering
Publicizing your Web presence
Displaying your online goods in-store
Showing shoppers the money
Providing a Positive Shopping Experience
Keeping friendly, flexible policies
Offering impeccable customer support
Enlightening your shoppers
Making Your Customer the Star
Book VII: Chapter 5: Staying Local, Getting Mobile with M-Commerce
Distinguishing Between Different Types of Mobile Commerce
Sending SMS alerts
Advertising with text-to-buy
Distributing mobile coupons
Localizing with Ads
Google AdWords
Yahoo! Search Marketing
Book VII: Chapter 6: Troubleshooting the Transition to E-Tail
Handling Returns in the Store from Online Sales
Merging Existing Back-End Systems with Online Requirements
Managing inventory
Fulfilling and shipping your orders
Tracking your orders
Maintaining site performance
Deciding How to Handle Integration
Extending Payment Options to Virtual Customers
Buy now, pay later
Check alternatives
Book VIII: Storefront Selling
Book VIII: Chapter 1: Instant E-Commerce with Storefronts
Knowing What You Want: Features
Performance
Product merchandizing and marketing
Administration features
Realizing What You Can Have: Cost
Shopping for Storefronts
Book VIII: Chapter 2: Mastering the Amazon
Joining the Marketplace
Achieving Pro Merchant Status
Taking Advantage of Other Selling Opportunities with Amazon Web Stores
Book VIII: Chapter 3: Let’s Hear It for Yahoo!
Why Open a Yahoo! Store?
Setting Up Shop
Managing Your Yahoo! Services
Opening Your Yahoo! Store for Business
Constructing your catalog
Opening the doors
Selecting a Yahoo! Plan
Starter package: Starting out
Standard package: Moving up
Professional package: Building on solid ground
Breaking Down the Fees
Growing with Your New Business Partner
Marketing programs
Customer relationship management
Report results
Book VIII: Chapter 4: Making eBay THE Way
Understanding How eBay Works
Getting Started on eBay
Setting Up an Auction
Maintaining your auctions
Leaving feedback for your buyer
Opening an eBay Store
Setting up shop
Managing your store
Becoming a PowerSeller
Joining the Reseller Marketplace
Book VIII: Chapter 5: New Storefronts, New Opportunities
Highest Bidder Takes All with Auction Sites
Localizing Storefronts with LiveDeal
Creating Instant Products with CafePress
Discovering the benefits
Registering with CafePress
Setting up your store
Adding images and products
Comparing Features to Find the Best Deal in Storefronts
Spreadshirt
Zazzle
Book IX: Fundraising Sites
Book IX: Chapter 1: Raining Donations: Why Not-for-Profit Is Big Business Online
Determining How Your Organization Can Benefit
Convincing Your Board of Directors
Tying the Internet strategy into your mission
Developing an online strategy
Providing a budget-friendly proposal
Offering case studies
Recruiting an expert
Garnering positive peer pressure
Getting specific
Book IX: Chapter 2: Adding Online Moneymakers to an Existing Site
Determining Which Features Your Site Can Support
Testing your backbone (connections)
Deciding on your computer needs
Locating your server
Processing payments
Tracking back-end modules
Mapping your site structure
Determining staffing capabilities
Paying the piper: Your budget
Adding an Auction to Your Site
Third-party auctions
Direct auctions without the middleman — almost
Soliciting Donations on Your Site
Connecting with online giving sites
Adding Donate Now buttons
Shopping for a good cause
Book IX: Chapter 3: Getting the Donor Base to Come to You
Building an Online Donor Base from Scratch
Get your site noticed
Engage passersby
Establish a relationship
Putting Together a Plan to Reach Donors
Converting the Faithful
Reaching Out to People Surfing for Charities
Book IX: Chapter 4: More Online Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits
Asking for Donations
Multiplying donation buttons on your site
Passing the hat (pass-alongs)
Building personalized pages
Circulating donation links offline
Cross-promoting
Making Donating Easy
Book IX: Chapter 5: Legal Considerations for Nonprofit Organizations
Designating Responsibility
Creating Online Policies
Registering Your Charity
Gaining Seals of Approval
Better Business Bureau
Charity Navigator
Book X: Niche E-Commerce
Book X: Chapter 1: Discovering Niche Markets
Deciding to Sell a Niche Product
Finding Your Niche
Book X: Chapter 2: Discovering Niche Trends That Pay: Children and Boomers
Marketing to Children
Attracting a fickle customer
Keeping ’em coming back for more
Reeling in the parents
Reading the small print: Important policies to consider
Understanding the Baby Boomer Market
Designing your site to attract aging customers
Keeping baby boomers buying from you
Finding a niche within the baby boomer market
Book X: Chapter 3: Blogging for Profit
Creating Value
Finding your voice
Content, content, content
Earning Money with Google AdSense
Choosing a Blog Platform
Signing up with Blogger.com
Getting started with WordPress
Book X: Chapter 4: Socializing (And Profiting) in Second Life
Introducing Other Worlds
Social networks
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)
Virtual communities
Navigating the Basics of Second Life
Signing up with Second Life
Modifying your avatar
Getting your hands on Linden Dollars
Earning a Living in Second Life
Unskilled labor
Skilled labor
Entrepreneurs
Selling your wares in the Marketplace
Other income opportunities
Book XI: E-Commerce Advanced
Book XI: Chapter 1: Overhauling the Business
Paying Attention to the Signs
Qualifying for a Makeover from Lagging Sales
Increasing the number of visitors to your site
Converting more visitors to buyers
Knowing Where to Start
Book XI: Chapter 2: Redesigning to Win New Customers
Updating an Outdated Look
Giving your designs a purpose
Changing for the sake of change
Telling customers about the change
Deciding what to update
Increasing Appeal
Giving your customers search capability
Adding content
Creating a user community
Running a poll
Making Your Web Site Functional
Updating your Web site in a timely manner
Building smart navigation tools
Building your customer history
Book XI: Chapter 3: Expanding Products to Increase Stagnant Sales
Figuring Out When to Expand Your Product Line
Limited-appeal products
Limited-use products
Technology-based products
Product marketing
Product positioning
Price points
Conversion rates
Replacement or Expansion: The Art of Culling Your Inventory
Replacing one product with another
Expanding your product line
Finding New Products
Book XI: Chapter 4: Bringing Former Customers (Back) Home
Figuring Out Why a Customer Left
Instituting countermeasures
Asking for reasons that customers leave
Offering Customers Incentives to Return
A tailor-made offer
A targeted offer
Enticing Customers to Stay
Giving them blow-your-socks-off service!
Rewarding loyalty
Saying “Thank You”
Book XI: Chapter 5: Revisiting Marketing Strategies
Reviewing the Progress Report: An Annual Tradition
Getting the right reports
Sharing your progress report with your team
Figuring Out What Worked and What Didn’t
Analyzing a failure
Examining a success
Changing Plans for a Growing Company
Focusing on specific elements of your strategy
Testing your ideas
Automating your campaign
Finding Your Place in the Market
Focusing on your strengths
Emphasizing quality, not quantity
Increasing your profit, not buzz
Borrowing Strategies from Others
Stealing a page from your competitor’s playbook
Updating your strategy for survival
Partnering with other companies
Book XI: Chapter 6: Hiring Experts to Get Business Rolling Again
Bringing In the Pros
Looking at the age of your business
Looking at the severity of the problem and attempts to solve it
Looking at your skill level
Looking at the timing
Matching the Right Advisors to Your Business Needs
Choosing the Right Consultant
Defining the Relationship
Overcoming Great Expectations and Still Getting Results
Book XI: Chapter 7: Transitioning a Small Site into Big Business
Seeking Out the Next Level of Your Business
Expanding the business
Acquiring other sites
Becoming an affiliate or a partner
Going international
Bringing in financial partners
Going public
Passing on your company and retiring
Selling your site
Selling your domain
Dealing with Accidental Success
Purposefully Making the Next Move
Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
by Shannon Belew and Joel Elad
Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009922581
ISBN: 978-0-470-43196-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Authors
Shannon Belew is the co-owner of several online businesses: allbizopps.com, allsmallbiz.com, avespamedia.com, bizoffice.com, todayshomeoffice.com, top10workathome.com, and workathome1.com. Bizoffice.com is a nationally recognized, award-winning global provider of resources for small and home businesses. Shannon writes the Huntsville Times column “Today’s Home Office”; has written magazine and newspaper articles; and founded the public relations firm aVespa Media, Inc. Her clients have appeared in such venues as Inc. magazine. She has also consulted for an Internet provider, advising companies on developing and reengineering their online presence.
Joel Elad was a fan of the Internet before most people had ever heard of the World Wide Web. He sells online as a PowerSeller on eBay with an impeccable customer satisfaction rating. He also runs his own e-commerce businesses: JoelElad.com focuses on selling educational products such as books and DVDs about selling online, and NewComix.Com, which he co-founded in 1998, focuses on selling new comic books, Japanese manga, DVDs, and action figures. He was the lead instructor for the Learning Annex in New York and California for classes about eBay and advanced Internet sales, and he’s an educational specialist trained by eBay. He also contributes to Entrepreneur magazine, TrendGrinder.com, and SmartBiz.com.
After earning his MBA from the University of California–Irvine with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and information technology, Joel co-authored five bestselling books focusing on online activities, including Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies and LinkedIn For Dummies (both from Wiley Publishing). He’s now a consultant to e-commerce companies, a trainer to thousands of eager students at seminars and workshops, and a guide for helping people attain the freedom of growing their sales and establishing their own online presence.
Dedications
Shannon: This book is dedicated to my family: my son, Holden; my daughter, Wiley; and my husband, Tom. Thanks for your relentless encouragement, love, and patience — and for always reminding me what is most important in life.
Joel: This book is dedicated to the hardest-working man I will ever have the privilege of knowing — my dad. Thanks for showing me the value of planning and discipline, as well as love. You will always be my inspiration.
Authors' Acknowledgments
Shannon: Since becoming a published author, I have realized that two groups of people deserve the most thanks once a book like this one is published: the team of people that helped produce it and the great people who are kind enough to buy the finished product!
That said, my sincere thanks to the entire team at Wiley Publishing that made this book a reality, not once, but twice. This includes Rebecca Whitney, Jim Kelly, Rebecca Senninger, Kyle Looper, and my co-author, Joel Elad. I am convinced that this is one of, if not the, most talented and caring group of people I could ever have the privilege of working with, or knowing. A special thanks to Rebecca Senninger and Kyle Looper for their continued guidance.
Thanks also to all of those who choose to read this book and who are inspired to become entrepreneurs. It is your ingenuity, creativity, and passion to follow a dream that not only makes this world go ’round but also inspires the rest of us to follow in your footsteps.
Of course, I can’t leave out another important group of people. Thanks to my in-laws, Jim and Freida Belew, for their support and love. Most importantly, thanks to my parents, Ron and Janice Sanders, for inspiring me. You have always encouraged me to stay on track with my dreams, even through the many ups and downs of this crazy life. Every entrepreneur should be so lucky to have parents like you in her corner.
Joel: I’d like to give a big thank you to Anthony and Yvonne Choi, James Marchetti, Anita Cohen-Williams, and Hans Park for the contacts, information, and support I needed along the way to fill in the gaps.
A special acknowledgement goes to my usual co-conspirator, Michael Bellomo, who put me on the path of being an author and keeps me going with a bizarre sense of humor mixed with a powerful dose of inspiration.
Most of all, I have to thank the Wiley team, which has been truly inspirational: Kyle Looper and especially Rebecca Senninger, whose patience and guidance helped make this book possible.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions and Editorial
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Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
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Introduction
For two decades, the Internet has continued to prove itself a viable tool for building, managing, and growing a business. Little doubt remains that you can make money online and find success in doing so. In fact, since beginning our own online endeavors, we have had the privilege of meeting and working with a variety of entrepreneurs — people who, much like you, share a dream of finding economic independence by running their own businesses. As you might have guessed, many of them found success on the Internet.
The Internet provides not only a legitimate resource for starting your own business that offers a steady source of income for your family but also a nearly endless source of ideas and opportunities to market and grow your company. It can even give you the flexibility to work from home, the freedom to work part-time, or the ability to earn an additional source of income to help make your life more enjoyable.
Now we want to share with you the knowledge and tools we picked up along the way and provide you with a few shortcuts to help further your own online endeavors.
About This Book
We first wrote this book in 2006 to cover the many different ways you can start or expand a business by using the Internet. For this second edition, we took great care to update all the key information that has remained valid in the past couple of years. We also searched out many of the new opportunities that have evolved since then, such as mobile commerce, social networking, and blogging as a legitimate revenue maker. For that reason, among others, we encourage you to use this book as a resource and return to it whenever you need it most.
In addition to providing you with details regarding specific online business strategies and moneymaking opportunities, the book covers basic offline information. It’s the stuff that every small-business owner needs to understand, such as how to apply standard accounting principles and keep up with the legal side of running a business.
Of course, using this book doesn’t guarantee that you will make a lot of money — or any money, for that matter. The book provides you with just enough knowledge and inspiration to keep your online business dreams on track. Running a business is hard work. It takes persistence, dedication, and perhaps an equal mix of patience and luck.
What You Need Not Read
You should at least browse through every section of this book. Even if your e-commerce skills are more advanced, it never hurts to have a refresher course on some of the business basics. Considering that the Internet touches many different aspects of people’s lives, you never know what unexpected tidbits of information you might discover.
Nonetheless, some parts of this book certainly aren’t required reading — you know, the extra stuff. Typically, these sidebars and paragraphs are marked with Technical Stuff icons. They provide a little more detail because sometimes you need just the meat of an issue.
If you don’t think that this “extra stuff” is necessary information, you have our permission to skip it. We know — you don’t need our permission. This is your book now. Use it in the manner that’s most helpful to you and your online business.
Foolish Assumptions
While we wrote this book, we assumed a few things about you:
♦ You’re a smart, inquisitive person who is seeking information about running a business on the Internet.
♦ You have an entrepreneurial spirit and are a bit of a risk taker — at least in the area of starting a business.
♦ You may be looking for ways to use the Internet to build an existing brick-and-mortar business or to increase online donations for a nonprofit organization.
♦ You’re comfortable using computers and browsing the Internet.
♦ You use e-mail regularly.
♦ You’re willing to find out about new technologies.
♦ You want to use Web sites and online technologies to build a brand.
♦ You want to use the Internet to make money.
♦ You have bought items online and maybe even sold a few things.
How This Book Is Organized
To ensure that you can access the right information, when you need it most, this book has 11 minibooks. Each one addresses a general business topic (such as marketing) or a specific area of online business (such as selling on eBay).
Because this book is a reference tool, it works best if you can quickly flip to the sections that most apply to you — regardless of whether you’re starting, growing, or expanding a business online. This section provides a glimpse of the material you find inside.
Book I: Online Business Basics
From the best way to finance your venture to fine-tuning your business plan, Book I touches on everything. You might already know some things but need a review of other issues. Or, you might simply want reassurance that your idea is viable. Book I explains how to validate your online business concept, and even provides inspiration to nudge you forward in the right direction.
Book II: Legal and Accounting
Book II is all about protecting your assets. Find out whether you should operate as a sole proprietor or incorporate, and then set up a good recordkeeping system to keep your online business on track. Don’t forget to review what the IRS expects of you, now that you’re a business owner. You find this information, and more, to ensure that your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed.
Book III: Web Site Design
Your Web site is a key factor in creating a viable online business, and design and functionality rules are continually evolving for the Web. Book III shows you how to enhance functionality and incorporate good Web design principles to build a truly inviting and user-friendly site. An important part of attracting your audience and knowing how to keep them is the wording you use throughout your site. It’s time to write online content with zing, and this book shows you how to do it.
Book IV: Online and Operating
Maybe you’re not sure which shopping cart software is best for your online store or you want to know whether affiliate programs can earn you more money than selling e-books on your own. In Book IV, you explore the best profit structure for your site and choose products that sell. Merchant payment solutions, back-end inventory management systems, and other e-commerce necessities are covered in this book.
Book V: Internet Security
You know about spam and you’ve been warned about identity theft, but there’s much more to understand about online security. If your Web site isn’t locked up tight, a few unwanted visitors will sneak in and take over. Book V shows you how to implement basic security measures, such as firewalls, spam filters, and adware blockers. Then it talks about denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, spoofing, and credit card fraud. We also help you develop a security plan to protect yourself — and your customers — from the most recent security threats.
Book VI: Boosting Sales
Are you ready to rev up your e-commerce engine? Book VI shows you how to implement online public relations to increase exposure to your site and gives marketing tips that help convert visitors to buyers. You find detailed information about using search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search advertising to increase sales and about using traffic analysis software effectively to reveal important patterns about your customers’ shopping habits.
Book VII: Retail to E-Tail
You’re an experienced brick-and-mortar retailer ready to expand your business to the Internet. Before rolling out the welcome mat to your online customers, you need to check off a few items on your to-do list. Book VII explains why you should develop separate online store policies, how to convince your regular customers to shop with you online, and how to maximize online sales without cannibalizing your in-store profit. You also find out how to incorporate some of the most recent online trends, such as mobile commerce, to help market your business and build sales.
Book VIII: Storefront Selling
Can you say “eBay?” It stands to reason that a book about online businesses isn’t complete without a section on eBay. It also makes sense that many viable eBay alternatives are also included so that you understand how to maximize your online auction opportunities. In Book VIII, you find all the basic information you need in order to start selling on eBay and other online auction sites and storefronts (such as Amazon). All of them are worth checking out. This minibook also highlights sites such as CafePress and Spreadshirt.com that help you sell custom products from online stores that are easy to set up.
Book IX: Fundraising Sites
E-philanthropy is a popular buzzword among nonprofits of all sizes. The idea of attracting an online donor base to increase funding is also practical and cost efficient. Getting your organization started in fundraising by way of the Internet is the goal of Book IX. Find out how simple additions to an existing Web site can increase donations or determine whether a full-fledged online campaign is warranted.
Book X: Niche E-Commerce
One of the best ways to grow a business online is to stumble across a trendy idea that’s just beginning to take off. It’s the type of idea that makes others say, “I wish I had thought of that!” This type of specialized product or service is often popular because it’s targeted to a specific customer base, or niche market. The Internet enables online businesses to market to niche audiences inexpensively. Although Book X doesn’t provide a list of guaranteed bestsellers, it gives you a glimpse of some lucrative niche markets. Tweens, blogging, and social networking (like Second Life) are just a few of the areas covered in this book to help you discover how to capitalize on hot new niche markets.
Book XI: E-Commerce Advanced
Book XI is for online business owners who have been around for a while and are facing the decision of where to take their business next. Your site might have celebrated a ten-year anniversary or passed a significant revenue milestone, or maybe potential buyers want to it. For you, Book XI discusses everything from taking your business to the next stage of growth to handling an occasional dip in sales. It also shows you the best approach for a site redesign, reveals marketing strategies to increase your customer base, and reviews strategies for taking on a financial partner to expand the site.
Icons Used in This Book
These icons call attention to important details:
Check out this helpful hint. We picked up this information somewhere along the way.
This friendly reminder serves up important information. Whenever you see this icon, know that this information is something worthwhile to keep in mind as you move forward.
Pay special attention when this icon appears. It could save you from making a fatal error — at least in your online business!
You can usually understand an idea without having to know its behind-the-scenes details. Even when we point them out with this icon, feel free to skip them and move on.
Book I
Online Business Basics
Contents at a Glance
Chapter 1: Starting from Scratch
What Are You Waiting For? Start Your Business Now!
Choosing Just the Right Business
Getting Started
Chapter 2: Turning Internet Dreams into Reality
Thinking Like a Netrepreneur
Putting Your Business Idea under the Microscope
Identifying Your Market and Target Customer
Competing to Win: Analyzing Your Competition
Chapter 3: Getting Real: Creating a Usable Business Plan
Understanding the Value of a Plan
Recognizing That the Parts of the Plan Make a Whole
Getting Help to Write the Plan
Using a Business Plan Today, Tomorrow, and Always
Chapter 4: Finding Money to Fund Your Online Start-Up
Bootstrapping the Low-Cost, No-Cost Site
Finding the Perfect Investor
Checking Out Alternative Financing
Taking a Shortcut: Purchasing an Existing Site
Chapter 5: Creating Policies to Protect Your Web Site
Taking Care of Customers
Putting Policies in Place
Delivering On Your Promises
Chapter 6: Setting Up Shop: Everything You Need for Online Efficiency
A Floor Plan for Success
Must-Have Equipment
Tools for Your Desktop
Your Essential Software Toolkit
Connectivity: Today’s Internet Options and More
Chapter 1: Starting from Scratch
In This Chapter
Recognizing when the time is right
Understanding the different types of online businesses
Gathering your thoughts and getting started
Once upon a time, start-up businesses that operated over the Internet were considered risky ventures with uncertain futures. No longer is that the case! Consider how many different ways you interact with businesses over the Internet every day: You probably buy gifts for friends and family members, look up health-related information, make vacation travel arrangements, and even buy music or pay bills online using a Web-enabled mobile phone. Each of these interactions also represents a business opportunity by which people earn a living on the Internet.
In fact, U.S. online retail sales are expected to reach $335 billion by 2012 for e-commerce goods sold, according to studies done by Forrester Research. With more than 238 million people now using the Internet in the United States alone (according to Internet World Stats at www.internetworldstats.com), many potential customers are willing to be Internet consumers. Why shouldn’t you be the next person to take advantage of this rapidly growing market and start an online business? In this chapter, we answer that question, describe the kinds of businesses that exist online, and motivate you to get started.
What Are You Waiting For? Start Your Business Now!
You might have dreamed for years about starting an online business. Or, perhaps you woke up just yesterday with a brilliant idea. What are you waiting for? The truth is that the most difficult part of beginning a new endeavor is making the decision to do it. You can easily get bogged down with excuses for why your business won’t happen. To keep you motivated and on track, here’s a list of the Top 10 reasons to start an online business now:
♦ You can gain financial freedom. One major incentive for owning any business is the potential for a better income. The Internet offers the opportunity to create your own wealth.
♦ You have unlimited customer reach. No geographical boundaries exist when you run a business over the Internet. You can choose to sell your products or services within your community, within your own country, or to the entire world.
♦ It’s affordable. You can now create a Web site inexpensively and sometimes for free. The cost to maintain your site, secure products, and cover related expenses is often relatively low. This low start-up cost is especially evident when you compare the start-up costs of an online business and a traditional bricks-and-mortar business.
♦ Your schedule is flexible. Part time, full time, year round, or seasonal: Your schedule is up to you when you operate your virtual business. You can work in the wee hours of the night or in the middle of the day. An online business affords you the luxury of creating a work schedule that works for you.
♦ Novices are welcome. As the Internet has grown, e-commerce (a type of business activity conducted over the Internet, such as sales or advertising) applications have become increasingly simple to use. Although you benefit by having experience with your products or services, the process of offering those items for sale online is easy to understand. You can set up shop with little or no experience under your belt!
♦ You can start quickly. From online auctions like eBay to storefronts powered by Amazon.com, the tools that can help get you started are readily available, essentially overnight. Many of these sites (such as Amazon) handle all the details for you — they set up the Web site infrastructure, manage the payment and shopping cart system, and even provide easy access to merchandise.
♦ You can expand an existing business. If you already own a business, the Internet provides you with the most economical and most efficient way to expose your business to a huge new group of customers and increase sales.
♦ No age barriers exist. You might be retired and itching for extra income, or perhaps you’re a teenager who’s only beginning to consider career opportunities. Online businesses provide economic opportunities for entrepreneurs of all ages.
♦ A variety of ideas qualify. As proven time and again, the Internet supports a broad range of business concepts. Although some ideas are better suited to long-term success, almost all your ideas have potential.
♦ Everyone else is doing it. Okay, maybe your parents wouldn’t approve of using this logic. It’s certainly true, though: People around the world are finding success and more financial freedom by starting businesses online. It’s one leap you should be proud to take!
If you’re still hesitant, consider this bonus reason: The information you need in order to take your business online is right at your fingertips — literally. This book gives you most of what you need to get started. Whatever else you require, such as information about conducting business in your specific state or regulations for your specific industry, is out there on the Internet (put there by some other enterprising entrepreneur, no doubt). You have no more excuses!
Choosing Just the Right Business
After you decide to start your own online business, you have to take a look at the different categories of online businesses from which you can choose, which we conveniently provide in this section.
Not all online businesses will explode like Amazon or eBay. But even if your business never grows into a megastore, you need to plan for the long haul. You want your business to succeed and survive. Also, selecting the right type of online business is just as important. Losing interest or lacking an understanding of your chosen business area can hinder the growth of your new online business. Putting some thought into the type of online business you want to pursue pays off.
Creating online businesses for today and tomorrow
The secret to e-commerce success is to create a business that will stand the test of time. Sure, some people take advantage of relatively short-lived trends and make a mint (the Pet Rock and Beanie Babies, for example). The odds are small, however, that you can create the same magnitude of buying hysteria with a product or service. Still, hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs are quietly and steadily making a respectable living by using the Internet, and their ideas will find a market for many years. They’re not making millions of dollars a month, but they’re paying their bills and making a profit.
The widely used term online business can be used in different ways. It sometimes refers to a company that operates only over the Internet and has no other physical location from which to sell goods or services. It can refer to a traditional brick-and-mortar business that also sells over the Internet. In this book, an online business is any entity (or person) using the Internet, in whole or part, as a source of income for itself, its business, or its organization (such as a club or a nonprofit agency).
Finding a business that’s your type
You can pursue a variety of businesses to earn money online. Almost all types of income-generating opportunities fall into one of two categories:
♦ Business to consumer (B2C): Customers are typically the individual consumers who make up the general public. They buy products or services designed for personal use.
♦ Business to business (B2B): Customers are most likely other businesses. They might buy steel by the ton, employee uniforms, or anything that would be used primarily by a company.
Crossover between the two categories can occur. Sometimes, either type of customer can use the products or services you offer, as is the case with office supplies. And, with more businesses now shopping online, this crossover occurs frequently.
Knowing whether your primary customers are individuals or businesses helps you to create more effective marketing campaigns. Typically, these two groups buy from you for very different reasons. By marketing to each individual group, you can better target your advertising messages for increased sales. You may find that your primary customers require (or respond better to) one type of marketing, different from your secondary customers.
You find within each of the two primary categories the different types of businesses you can operate. Here are a few examples of the ways in which you can generate revenue online:
♦ E-tail: When you have a brick-and-mortar store (a physical building from which to sell retail merchandise) and you offer those retail products for sale online also, you have an e-tail site. You’re responsible for hiring the resources and purchasing the tools needed to sell your wares over the Internet. One successful example of an e-tail site is the Barnes & Noble bookstore — you can buy your books online or visit the brick-and-mortar store.
♦ Storefront: This term is commonly used to refer to any Web site where you sell merchandise but lack a physical location for customers to visit in person (brick-and-mortar). (Offline, the retail industry uses this term to describe the outside of a building, which includes its signage, front door, and overall image.) In this book, a storefront is a one-stop shop for setting up an online presence to sell products. Yahoo! and CafePress.com are examples of storefronts. CafePress.com, for example, provides you with a custom page that displays all your wares. This page has a structure, though, that matches the overall CafePress.com site. Think of it as a flea market or one of those small kiosks you see in the mall — you get your very own little shopping area that you can customize, and visitors to your page see your merchandise and can learn a little about you if you choose to include personal information about yourself or your business. Good storefront providers offer the following:
• Templates for your Web site: You don’t need to build a site from scratch. Many storefront providers provide you with wizards or HTML files that you can customize for your storefront.
• Hosting options: Many storefront providers have a variety of options for you, some free and some for a fee. These can include elements such as shopping cart systems, phone support for your storefront, discounts on fees if you pay rent by the year rather than monthly, and more.
• A shopping cart solution: The method that customers use to purchase products from you.
• Payment options (possibly) and even products, in some cases: The ability to accept online payment (credit card or debit card) is an absolute must. But other options allow payment to be deferred or even allow financing of purchases.
• An auction: The way your customers buy products is somewhat different when you auction items to them. Your customers can bid on the final purchase price, as opposed to buying at a price you set. (eBay, the daddy of all online auction sites, has become so popular, however, that it has blurred the lines among auction, storefront, and e-tail. We discuss eBay in Book VIII, Chapter 4.)
♦ Service business: You don’t have to sell products to have an online business. From doing taxes to writing brochures, most professional services can be sold online, just like physical products.
♦ Content site: In the earliest years of the Internet, people assumed that it would always be a resource for free information. More and more, that point of view is changing. Charging a fee for all types of content and information products has become an accepted business model. And you find that as your site becomes more popular with visitors, options such as paid advertisements on your site can generate income.
♦ E-commerce application: If anything lends itself for sale over the Internet, it’s technology. E-commerce (or electronic commerce) applications continue to provide lucrative growth for innovators. Think of e-commerce as any type of technology product that makes doing business online (and offline) easier. Inventory programs, shopping cart solutions, and payroll-management software are all examples of innovations that would fit nicely in this category.
In Book IV, we explain how to create a revenue model for your business; you can apply this model to any of these types of businesses.
As you can see, you have no shortage of opportunities to satisfy your urge to start a business. After you officially decide to take the plunge, you can narrow the field and get started.
Getting Started
Even after reading this entire chapter, you might still consider having an online business to be a dream — a vision for your future. At this point, you might want to test the water to see whether it’s right for you, just as you dip your toe into a pool before diving in. At some point, though, you have to decide to go for it. To that end, this checklist describes what you need to do to begin wading into your own online business:
♦ Make the decision to commit. Although you don’t have to quit your day job yet, you need to acknowledge that you’re ready to pursue your goal. Say aloud, “I want to start an online business!”
♦ Set clear goals. Write down why you want this business and what you expect to gain from it. These goals can be related to financial objectives, lifestyle goals, or both. If you know what you’re looking for, you can also more easily choose the right business to meet your needs.
♦ Talk with your family. After you commit to your idea and establish your goals, share your plan. If you’re married or living with a partner, you must talk about your vision for the future. After all, your dream for an online business affects that person’s life too. Discussing your plans with family is also a helpful step in making your business a reality.
♦ Create an action timeline. Unlike the broad goals you set in the first item in this list, writing down specific action steps can help you realize tangible results. From researching business ideas to obtaining a business license, assign a targeted date of completion to further ensure that you make each step happen. (Figure 1-1 shows an example of an action timeline for use with your business.)
♦ Identify a business. As we show you in the preceding section, you can choose from different types of businesses to operate online. Before going any further, however, you have to decide which business to pursue. Narrow your choices by thinking about what you enjoy doing or which specific qualifications you might already possess. Consider your professional experience and your personal desires. You might even have a hobby that can be developed into a moneymaking business.
♦ Develop your business idea. Define your idea and determine how you will turn it into a profitable online business. (Read Book I, Chapter 2 when you’re ready to evaluate whether your idea is feasible.)
After you make it through this checklist, you’re ready to go to work and transform your dream into a legitimate business.
Figure 1-1: A timeline for starting your online business.
Chapter 2: Turning Internet Dreams into Reality
In This Chapter
Training yourself to think like a netrepreneur
Evaluating your business idea’s chances for success
Scrutinizing your future customers
Picking apart your competitors
Congratulations! After you make the emotional commitment to get started, you have to shift gears and concentrate on the next set of actions that will make your Internet business a reality. From evaluating the potential success of your idea to identifying who will buy your products, you gain in this chapter the tools to help get your idea off the ground. In the process, you find out what it means to think in terms of operating a business online. In this chapter, we get you to think like a netrepreneur and start your business on the right track.
Thinking Like a Netrepreneur
Using the Internet to conduct business is similar in many ways to operating a traditional company. Profitability (or how much money you make after subtracting your expenses), taxes, and customer feedback are examples of factors that affect your business whether it’s online or off. Some exceptions, however, set apart an online business. Even the most experienced entrepreneur can get caught in the trap of forgetting those differences. Particularly important are your attitude and how youapproach the business as a netrepreneur.
As you read this chapter, you see the term netrepreneur frequently. You often hear it used in the business community, too. The term developed in response to the growing number of people moving their businesses online. The term combines Net, the slang term for Internet, with the word entrepreneur, which is someone who assumes the risk and rewards of a new enterprise. Netrepreneur (or the variation netpreneur) simply refers to an innovative business owner, like you, who conducts business online.
Adjusting your attitude slightly and viewing business from behind the lens of a netrepreneur isn’t difficult. Doing so is simply a matter of recognizing that the Internet changes the way you can and should operate your online business.
When you think like a netrepreneur, you
♦ See the invisible storefront. Although the doors, walls, and even the salesclerk for your online business might be invisible, they definitely exist. In fact, every part of your Web business leaves a distinct impression. Yet rarely do you hear or see the response to your storefront directly from customers. Consequently, and contrary to popular belief, a Web site demands your continual care and attention — new products to add, bugs to fix, replying to e-mail, and more.
♦ Understand who your customers are. Even if you don’t personally greet your online visitors, don’t be fooled: The Internet offers the unique opportunity to learn and understand almost everything about your customers. You can learn where else they shop, how much time they spend on your site, what products they’re interested in, where they live and work, how much they earn annually, whether they are parents, and which magazines they read. Netrepreneurs collect and use this information regularly in an effort to increase sales and better serve their customers. (When you’re ready to meet your customer, turn to Book VI, where we explain how to get and use this wealth of customer information.)
♦ Respond to fast and furious changes.
