| developing your business plan |
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selecting the best domain name |
| a business plan is nothing more that a communiqué explaining how you are going to make money from your idea or invention. your business plan should include the following elements: outline, description, marketing, financing, managing, sample biz plans |
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your domain name (www.yourbiz.com) is the web address for your online business. find out how to register your own name with network solutions or buy the right name from a broker. branding, understanding, registering, buying, trademarking |
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| creating your marketing strategy |
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buying web site design software |
| marketing addresses the four "ps" of your business: product, price, promotion and place. the combination, or mix, of these elements will define your marketing strategy. you can learn more about the 4ps by clicking here: product, pricing, promotion, placement |
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use off-the-shelf software packages like microsoft frontpage to create great looking web sites. alternatively, you might consider the tools provided by your web hosting service. alternatives, terminology, solutions, off-the-shelf packages |
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| get your biz online in 30 days |
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getting listed in search engines |
| learn how you can get your web site up and running quickly. thirty days is a reasonable amount of time if you want to register your own domain name, open a web hosting account, and get listed by a few search engines. here you'll learn about biz planning, connecting, publishing, marketing |
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get your web site listed with the large search engines like yahoo!, excite and lycos. find out how you can improve your ranking so that it appears higher on the list of selected keywords. use announce sites to speed the process. reviewing, analyzing, getting on top, announce sites |
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| understanding types of online biz |
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choosing a web hosting service |
| find out how to identify the different types of businesses you can find online today. broadly, they can be characterized using jaclyn easton's definitions of content sites, paid subscription sites, and transaction sites. categories, 4 horsemen, models, offline biz |
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web hosting services are becoming the most popular choice for small businesses to get online because they eliminate many of technical difficulties associated with publishing a web site. terminology, service providers, hosting plans, e-commerce solutions |
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| hiring outside web design help |
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using online banner ads |
| the scope of your online business is going to determine whether you will need to hire additional employees to create and run your web site. you might also consider a web site designer to get your business online: building, webmaster, promoting, hiring |
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understand measurement metrics like unique visitors, page views and impressions. learn how to design and create banner ads and how you can get your banner ad displayed for free on some web sites. terminology, ad campaign, offline ads, market research |
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| picking an e-commerce solution |
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joining affiliate programs |
| e-commerce is not so much about making money as it is about saving money. you can set-up a business in record time online, and begin collecting payments with credit cards, but this still doesn't mean you will make any money. features, credit cards, back-office, providers |
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an affiliate program is a way for you to begin generating additional revenue for your online business. these programs pay participants a percentage of sales, or a flat fee, for sales that originate on their web sites. understanding, joining, linking, creating |
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