|
By Gert Ljungqvist
Most people realize that when you start a business offline it will
cost money. But, when it comes to online business most people donīt
want to pay anything to get started.
The bottom line is you canīt start any business with out some costs.
The difference between online and offline business are that online
business can be done with a tight budget.
When you first start your online business there are some tools you
must have. You must have an autoresponder, now you might wonder
what is a autoresponder? This is a form of email where you store
pre-written follow up sales letter, newsletter or articles depending
of what your business are.
These messages are sent out to your customer at time you decide.
There are free autoresponders and there are autoresponders that will
charge you a monthly fee.
The free autoresponder have less features. And some of the
autoresponder
will put ads in your follow up letters, and that is not an good idea
for you. You donīt want others to promote there products or services
in your letters where you are promoting your own product or service.
Therefore a paid autoresponder is much better, there will only
be your own promoting in it.
You have to build an opt-in list with customer, itīs here the
autoresponder show its greatness.
To get interested customer to your list you have to place an ad and
from that ad you will have your customer to visit your web site.
When the customer subscribed they end up in your autoresponder and
will be send your pre-written follow up letters at time you set up.
There are lots of places where you can put your ad in.
Here are some examples:
Google Adword
Overture
There are more, just search the Internet.
There are also companies where you can buy leads for your list.
Some examples:
Cutting Edge Media
Lead Factory
For more, just search the Internet.
When you buy leads this will go directly to your autoresponder
they will not be directed to your web site, but thats okey you will
have your link to your web site in your follow up letters.
Itīs also important to have a website, you use the web site to
promote your business. Itīs in the web site you place your
sales letter to convince your customer of your product or services
greatness so they will subscribe to your list.
If you are involved in affiliate programs they will some times
provide you with a web site, often you will have several web sites
depending of there products.
The problem with these web sites are that you canīt build your
opt-in list.
You have probably heard that the success is in the list, and I
have to agree. Itīs much easier to promote products or services
whit customer in a list then try to get new customer all the time.
Opt-in list are a database where all of your customer are gathered
when they subscribe to your list. Itīs from these list your
autoresponder gets the email address to your customer.
So what I suggest you to do is to build your own web site and from
this you promote your affiliate programs and let people subscribe
for your pre-written follow up letters in your autoresponder.
If you donīt know how to build your own web site there are several
on line that will help you with this, of course they will charge
you but if you donīt know how, these will be well spent money.
There are also some business partners who will build your web site
for free with ready to go affiliate programs as long as you join
them with these affiliate programs. This is a good idea if you have
none or little knowledge in Internet business, you will get started
in a easy way, and some of them will also have step-by-step guides
how to run your business.
How about affiliate programs are they free of charge?
It depends on what product or service they are offering.
For example if they offer a software product that can be used on
web sites, they will almost certain charge you with a monthly fee,
and that is understandable, if they donīt you could use it on your
web site and promoting some one Else's product and get to use the
software for free.
There are also other reasons for a monthly fee, there are
administrative costs, they may provide you with a web site and
follow up letters and they have to track your sales so you get
paid properly, wonīt you agree that this is important.
So now you will understand that running a home business is not
totally free of charge. But itīs much more affordable than an
offline business. You donīt have to spend that much money to be
successful.
I spend about $100 to $150 a month on advertising, autoresponder
and affiliate fees. But thats me, you can spend more or less
depending on your budget.
|