Archive for the ‘Business Website’ Category

As an online home business owner who has received assistance many times from forum members, I am dedicating this article to them as my way of saying `thanks` for their invaluable input and support.

There are many different types of forums available online. Some forums specialize in topics such as search engine optimization (SEO) , others offer broader assistance to those who have a work at home online business.

The reason that the information obtained in forums is so valuable has to be because those supplying the advice have been down the road before and are talking from experience.

It is amazing that you can submit your online home business website for a general review and you will receive constructive criticism as well as advice on how to improve your site. You simply need to state in your post what it is you would like feedback on specifically (design, colour scheme, browser compatibility, copy, functionality, etc).

SEO specialists will also review your site for free and offer advice to optimize your website for the search engines. The SEO specialists offering advice in the forums also keep themselves up to date with what is going on in the search engines and freely pass on this information. If you have been dropped from the Google search or sandboxed, these guys will advise you how to get out of these situations.

Html, web design and programming are other areas where you can ask questions as well as share your resources. This area can save you hours of work if you have an html or design error that you cannot solve yourself.

Online home business marketing ideas are another area where you can pick up great tips on what others have tried. With technology advancing so rapidly this is invaluable information, as it saves you spending time on research.

Apart from those mentioned above, other interesting topics that you can find in a forum are inter alia, domain names, web hosting, blogs, ebooks, adsense, online auctions, internet marketing, affiliate programs, email marketing, mailing lists and auto-responders, auctions, online payment processors, testimonials and product reviews, pay per click advertising, offline advertising, copywriting and sales letters, networking, joint ventures and co-promotion, market research and network marketing.

Some forums have a section totally dedicated to online home business and internet marketing articles, allowing you to submit your own articles for reprint.

You may also find a Link Exchange section where members can exchange links with each other. This is very valuable as you can be certain of finding sites that are similar to your own.

Forums are an arena where you can build a name for yourself in your particular area of expertise so it really pays to become involved in a forum where you feel comfortable. You can not only build valuable relationships but also back links to your website that will greatly benefit your online home business.

The forums also give you the great opportunity to give back and share your experiences and knowledge and offer online home business help to the other forum members.

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Cynthia Minnaar is the owner and webmaster of www.cyns-home-biz.com, the online home business site for ideas to start an online home business, internet income training, online home business opportunities and ideas to make a home business income. Get your own income generating site set up free. You may publish my article provided you include the resource box

by Stewart McCauley

Have you thought about creating your own website, but thought it was way too much trouble or too much money. The truth is, it can be hard, but it can also be easy. You need to ask yourself the exact purpose of the website. Five basic questions to ask yourself as to before undertaking your own site, are:

• What is your budget?
• Do you know any HTML, PHP, XML or able to work with graphics?
• What is your audience?
• Will the site have static or dynamic content? (i.e. will it be updated on a regular basis)
• Are you going to depend on search engines to bring in traffic?

The five somewhat simple questions can mean the difference from a highly popular site to a site that may get 1 hit a year. I know women that are in direct sales pay a good amount to have a semi-hosted web page with their direct sales company. Due to the terms of service with these companies, some companies do no allow women in direct sales to have external websites to list their products. When I say external websites, I mean your own domain name, hosted and setup by you. Here are two examples of company hosted and non-company or personal hosted sites:

Company Hosted
• www.xyzcompany.com/yourname
• yourname.xyzcompany.com
• www.xyzcompany.com/index.php?=userid=yourname

Non-Company Hosted or Personal Site
• www.yourname.com
• product1.yourname.com
• product2.yourname.com

When you have a company that you sale products for host your website, trust me, they are making money off you. Some offer them for free which is great, but a lot charge a monthly fee which only you know if it pays for itself. Here are some a list of a few PROS/CONS of direct sales company hosting your site:

PROS
• Easy to setup.
• Easy product updates.
• Semi-custom layout.
• Product catalogs integrated.
• Automated Shopping Cart.

CONS
• Cost
• No flexibility to do what you want with site content.
• Generic site look. (looks like every other direct sales consultant)
• Not able to list other products you may offer.
• Search Engines will not index and track correctly. (more on this later)
• Low traffic.

Both the PROS/CONS almost balance each other out, but again you have to ask yourself what the website is used for and how much you are willing to put into it.

How much headache are you willing to put up with and how fast do you want a website ready for the public. Are you thinking long term or just something to get by with? I know you would like to have a super cool, all-in-one; website that has everything including the kitchen sink, but I have to inform you, it can be hard work, but in the long run more profitable.

I know I keep stressing the question of asking yourself what and why, but it is very important you know what you want. Not only is it important to start off on the right foot, but it can save you a ton of money and a ton of frustration. If you are not sure of which way you should go, ask around, tell people your idea even if they know nothing about websites, talk to family members, talk to other direct sales consultants. Try to get a feel for the task that you want to under take. Other direct sales consultants will be able to tell you, if having a hosted website by their direct sales company is cost effective.

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About the Author: Stewart McCauley has been in the Technology Industry for 16 years, dating back to the old days of BBS (Bulletin Board Systems) before anyone knew what the Internet was. He has worked with the latest technologies in many job markets and helped many companies pick the correct technology for their needs. He is constantly staying on top the latest web based trends and always trying to convey to the simple users how they can use the new technologies to benefit and better themselves. 2Digital Technologies (http://www.2digital.com ) is his consulting firm. His latest project has been helping women in all walks of life get the most out of the Internet (http://www.momssource.com)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

I converse with people all the time regarding their at home based business advertising techniques. A majority of the time I help work from home company entrepreneurs, who don’t think of themselves as Internet organizations, develop a marketing strategy that expands their home based business promotional techniques to include Internet and social media as important elements.

A Website Provides Benefits to a Home Based Business

What I frequently pick up is, “I don’t really need a website – and I for sure don’t want Twitter!” Well, I’ll talk about Twitter in another post, but the following are 11.5 benefits of constructing a top home based business website – even if your primary businessis not online. And remember that even if you’re a part time entrepreneur, just trying to earn extra money from home, all the benefits a full time operation would obtain from having an Internet presence would apply to you as well!

Reasons for a Home Based Business Website

1. Cheaper and More FlexibleThan Print Advertising.

Taking advantage of the Internet for promotions is quite dissimilar from print advertising due to the fact that promotions on the “net” are so much cheaper! Also, your promotion is get-at-able for as long as you need it to be, the information can be re-written without needing to request someone to change it for you and you can likely reach a much wider audience .

2. Market Enlargement

The Internet has allowed businesses to push through geographical barriers and be mostly accessible from any area in the world by customers that have Internet access.

3.  Opens Up Diversity in Revenue Opportunities

Not only will a well-visited top home based business site bring more clients to your organization, but you can also produce advertising for people on your website too. Equivalent and complimentary businesses will pay to put their advertisements on high-traffic websites, permitting added revenue for your organization.

Additionally, you can use your primary site to advertise your own work from home company diversity. A catering business, for example, could also advertise event planning services and tent rentals as well as their catering activities .

4. You’re Always Open

Customers will now always be able to do business with you even when you close your physical shop or turn off your workstation. You’re ready-to-go 24 hours a day, everyday providing your customers and prospects with important info about your home based business, it’s products and services, and presenting them an avenue to provide you their contact information that may be instantly sent to your attention.

5. Easy to Search

Today, so many people prefer to “check out” a product on the Internet before they decide to buy. By allowing them the opportunity to research your information at their convenience, they are more likely to think they are making a well thought out buying decision when looking at your products and services.

6. Add Value and Satisfaction

Your website is an extension of who you are and is a super chance to furnish your unique touch. You can render tips, advice and other interesting information that will keep your top home based business people re-visiting to your website and will help them to remember you when they want a solution to their problem.

7. Standardize Gross Revenue Performance

By “checking out” the variety of content you provide on you website and analysing promotional strategy A to promotional technique B, you will easily be able to view which strategy resulted in bringing in the most prospects. Now you will be able to refine and constantly improve your advertising technique almost instantly!

8.  Enhance Credibility

A site enables you the chance to tell potential clients about your business and why you deserve their trust and confidence. In fact, many people go online for pre-purchase research so that they can find out for themselves whether a particular business or brand is worthy of their business and won’t take them for a ride if they come to the conclusion to do business.

The Internet also opens up “viral marketing”, where your website people take it upon themselves to spread ”upbeat” word-of-mouth promotions about your operation after their many upbeat experiences they’ve had dealing with your organization! It doesn’t get any better than having your customers do your advertising!

9. Promote your Brick ‘n Mortar Company

Getting lost trying to locate your business can be frustrating for a prospective client. You can solve that situation by building what they call a ”dummy” map on your site, that gives directions and landmarks graphically, so the  potential customer could print it out and have it with them when looking for your Brick ‘n Mortar location.

You might also market a promotion on your site encouraging the prospect to visit your Brick ‘n Mortar operation, (e.g. ”At a Location Near You!”).

10. Growth Opportunities

A top home business site serves as a dynamite location to refer potential investors to, in order to show them what your organization is about, it’s products and services, what it has achieved to date and what it projects to achieve in future.

11. Two Way Communicative Marketing Advertising

Prospects can quickly and simply give feedback on your products, services and/or marketing style. You could also reach-out to your home based business customers with newsletters or timely advice that you can upload to your site or, if they want, email to them on a timely basis! This will keep your business on top of their mind – for your customer and referrals.

11.5. Cheap Market Studies

You can utilize options on your website such as visitor polls, online surveys and your website statistics to discover what your customers like and want more of from your home based business. This will keep you always informed concerning how they feel about certain aspects of your company and will help to determine how you can improve your products, services and the way you do business.

A Website for Every Home Based Business

So is a online presence for everybody? Well, I haven’t really hooked up with anyone yet where a website wouldn’t help in some form or other. So I always recommend, when putting together an at home based business advertising plan, to check out every one of the above benefits to learn if any of them would apply to the client’s enterprise. And again, it is very RARE that a top home based business would not be enhanced by having an online presence.

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Statistics say that most people miss at least one MAJOR opportunity every year. The fact is that if you took advantage of all the opportunities that you have missed, you’d be better off than you are now.

Laying the right foundation to launch an at home based business is one of those opportunities!

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