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Based Business Idea
W
E B S I T E C R E A T O R / E D I T O R:
Business
Description:
Are
you intrigued by the Internet? Would you like to put your mark on it for
all the world to see? New websites are currently being added to the
Internet at an astonishing rate (some stats are in the millions/month).
The idea of a successful website is that your brainchild will be seen by your
target market. Kind of like finding a needle in a haystack. Why
would your target audience find your site over the others that are circulating
on the Internet - or better yet take the time to actually read what you have
written?
Because
you have a GREAT idea. Pure and simple you must have come up with
a novel approach to providing a solution to someone's problem.
Second you are a wizard at getting that information to the RIGHT
market. You will be the brains behind an online site that is targeted at a niche
market. As web creator, editor, and designer you focus on every aspect of
the site. This is not for the faint at heart. You are
responsible for accuracy, focus and detail of an online magazine that is
evaluated by anyone - anywhere in the world.
The
only way you should begin this venture is if you are an expert in your subject matter.
If you lose credibility by publishing false information or presenting
only "fluff", then your viewer may never return. You
should be passionate about your subject, product or service and that
will transfer to your audience.
Your
Unique Skills
Knowledge of the Internet. You should have
a good eye for design and a knowledge of your potential audience. A strong
marketing background, solid writing and editing skills are a must. This is a new
industry and the term website creator was not even around ten years ago.
You can't go into most colleges today and say I want to be a website creator -
it isn't offered. So you need to get your feet wet and do the necessary
research on your own. If you type the search term website creator into a
search engine you will come up with hundreds of pages of useless information -
most are trying to make a quick buck.
Untangling
the web. How are you going to get your site
viewed? This is your challenge. You need to target the very specific
needs of your audience and once you have defined that - figure out what they are
looking for when they site down to the computer. Where will they go and what will
they search for? That is where your site needs to be.
I'd like
to give you more hope but this is one business where there is little data about
the success of current website creators. If you have patience, flexibility,
and creativity you may turn a profit in the future. Do not get caught up
in the scams - such as affiliate programs that claim to make you big
bucks. This is a new medium and no matter how
far we have come in the last few years - what works is not always known.
You must keep your site "fresh".
Word of
encouragement. The longer your site is live - the more opportunity you
have for it to grow. Each day someone in the world may want to either
exchange links, add your article with a link to your site or just reference you
as a good resource. If you have the time and can stay afloat then down the
road you may be one of the few left sailing.
To be
successful as an online webpreneur you need to 1) get to know your
customer 2) figure out what he is looking for and how you can give
that information to him 3) Use a team to give the customer more than
what he wants 4) make sure that you provide a complete
experience 5) keep it fresh.
Get to
know the web design products available - Microsoft Frontpage and Dreamweaver are
two popular products for home business web sites. Learn HTML (the language used to build websites).
You are going to need to understand the Internet - search tools/engines,
possibly ecommerce etc. The
skills associated with a "traditional" editor's job (organizing ideas,
choosing topical subject matter, dealing with writers, etc.) are relevant to
online editors as well.
Tools
of the Trade:
Your main
tool is - your computer don't skimp here. A good computer - one with
memory, hard drive and backup capabilities. You will probably be running several different programs at once, so
your machine will need a fair amount of processing power. You will need a
reliable and upgradeable (planning for growth) source to host your site.
Take it from someone who knows - don't go to a low-cost startup hosting service
(you get what you pay for). If you're planning to
host your site out of your home, you will need to investigate server options.
This can be expensive. Server costs start at $2,000 and when something goes wrong - you don't have
an 800 number to turn to - it's just you - argh. You must have a high speed and
reliable connection to the Internet (ISP) - Internet Service Provider.
This should be separate from your phone line. If something goes wrong, a reputable ISP will have your
problem solved in no time. This will save you in terms of both money and
headaches.
Cost
to get Started:
A good computer will run anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000+. You need a reliable
backup system for your website too. Many computers have an
internal fax as well. If you are paying for an ISP to host the site you can plan
on monthly rates that are $20 on average. You can create a simple brochure to
distribute locally or you can create an online brochure that you distribute
through direct email. Many companies send out a mass-mailing called
SPAM. I don't know about you but I have absolutely NO time to read
it. I have a block on my email for SPAM and it is immediately
deleted. A better method is to find your target market and create an
enticing statement that will lead them to your site. Tell them what
problem you solve in 25 words or less. Ex. "Save time, money and
headaches in three easy steps". Wow!
You
should attempt to get as much free marketing from the Internet as you can.
In the site biz-eWomen.com we have never paid for marketing to a submission
service. Now Yahoo charges for a site to be reviewed. But alot of
free options are available. Find similar or complementary sites that are
catering to the same market as you are and trade some of your content or just a
link. Remember it is a big world out there and other sites should not be
viewed as your competition. Working together you can provide a richer
experience for your audience. Always think of the customer first.
Tap into other communities that are running to announce your site.
How Much
You Can Expect to Make:
Good question. What are you selling? If it is a high ticket item
where you have exclusive rights, then maybe quite a bit. If you are
starting out and think that you can sell an ebook, hold classes, post sell
memberships etc then you have the opportunity to make a living based on the
quality, price and service you provide.
If you
have uncovered a "gold mine" and hit on a hot topic or used savvy marketing,
that has enticed thousands of viewers a month (or day) then you can begin to
elicit advertisers in the form of banners or other space on your site.
These promotion opportunities can be sold for $100 up to thousands of dollars
depending on the type and position of the exposure you provide.
The
potential of the Internet is great. Marketers are only beginning
to understand the consumer on the Internet. One thing is for
sure. The buying patterns, relationship and many other
characteristics are totally different then what we have seen in a
traditional buyer/seller relationship. The potential of your site
and it's success is up to you.
Resources
e-How Things get done. Designing
Web Pages
HerWeb Biz for the Female
Entrepreneur
Free
Content:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free-content/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aabusiness/
- Article Announce Business
http://www.makingprofit.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/articles_archives/
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