The first step in getting started in an internet business and/or marketing is the product or service. But before that it’s a good idea to determine who you will share your services with. What group will you target? What is it they need?
It’s been said that people aren’t looking for products or services but for a solution to a problem. What you have to offer should be an answer or solution to the question or problem that is making their life unbearable. People want convenience, love, money, and the basics of life. They don’t want to struggle to get it so if it will take too much effort you can forget about getting what you are offering into their hands. What you have to offer is not about you making money in their eyes. It’s about you offering a solution.
So your product or service should meet a need. Take a minute to determine if what you are offering meets a need. If you can say yes without hesitation or uncertainty then proceed. If you are not sure, go back to the drawing board and find a way to give people what they want. Remember that it’s not about you but about the customer.
You have the best product or service for your target group right? People have talked about needing/ wanting something like what you are offering, correct? With the number of people who go online for information increasing everyday, you’ve decided to get on the bandwagon. You may choose to sell products from crafts to tools or you may offer a service like writing, consulting, or career planning. Whatever you decide to do, there is a way to offer it online.
You have to option of selling on a site like Ebay or creating an e-commerce site. You can become affiliate marketing, meaning you sell other people’s products for a commission, or you can create your own product to sell and get others to be your affiliate.
Since the internet was originally a way to exchange information, the biggest selling product is information. Information products or Infoproducts have just about the largest group of buyers on the internet. Whether it’s learning how to bake cookies or start a multi-million dollar business, people will buy information from the experts.
You don’t have to sell information exclusively, but it’s a good idea to add it to your product mix. If you sell dog biscuits find away to add a dog nutrition report to it as an incentive or separate report. If you sell beauty products, find a way to add a color selection guide to your list of offerings. People may not buy your product in the beginning but they will likely buy an inexpensive report.
Internet Biz/Mark Basics
Product or Service – This is what you will share with others in return for payment.
Domain name – This is your www.yourname.com. Choose with care. Namesecure.com [namesecure.com] and Godaddy.com are the services that I use.
Hosting – Hostgator.com about $10 per month.
Website/Blog – I use WordPress, a free blogging service.
Marketing Collateral –I use VistaPrint for all my printing needs. They often have free business cards. You just pay for shipping.
Articles – I currently post my articles both on my blog and on EzineArticles.com. Write (or get someone to write) articles as a part of your marketing efforts.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – How you show up in Google or Yahoo search
Email List Management Service – I currently use Aweber for my email list management service.
Marketing Funnel – Here is a visual example of how the marketing funnel looks.
Payment System – I currently use PayPal because it’s free to set up and use
