Are you a freelance writer looking for a freelance writing job? Do you feel that you have enough qualifications and experience to be accepted in any company?
Why not start an online business and work for your own company?
As an owner of two websites providing writing services to students and business bloggers, there is one thing that I have discovered – Filipinos are great writers. They are hardworking individuals who want to earn money. However, I also observed that they are afraid to venture into an online business. Perhaps, this is because they just do not have the time to learn how to manage an online business or they think it is not possible for them to become entrepreneurs.
Internet marketers agree that now is the best time to become an entrepreneur. Because of the rise of the social media, marketing one’s own website/blog has never been easier. But before you start your online business, below are the things you should know before you start an online business:
1. Choose a short and easy to remember domain name. Your domain name should be easy to read and difficult to misspell. It is preferred that your domain name should be something that will give an idea to your clients about the nature of your business. You should avoid weird sounding names because it may be too difficult to recall.
2. Choose a web developer. Web developers are individuals who have the skills and experience to design your own website/blog. Getting good web developers is not difficult because many Filipinos are offering their services online. In fact, many Americans hire Filipino web developers to design their websites because of their skills and work ethic.
Prices of websites/blog range from as low as 20k to as high as 100k depending on the features of your website/blog. Before you hire any web developer, try to check their portfolios.
A good tip is to check the bottom part of the websites of your competitors. You are most likely to see the company name of the web developer who designed your competitor’s website. Start talking with them.
3. Be irrationally generous to your clients. Jim Cockrum, an Internet Marketing Expert, said that to become a successful online entrepreneur you should be irrationally generous to your clients. This means thinking of the best kind of service you can give to your target clients and taking it another notch higher.
The idea behind this is that satisfied clients broadcast the excellent service they got from your happy which will bring in new clients. Happy clients are the best marketers of your own online business.
4. Develop partnerships with influential leaders in your field. There was once a time when having a website or blog was enough to make it big online. Nowadays, it takes much more than having a website/blog to become successful. It now requires a great deal of time and effort.
Internet marketing experts suggest that you develop partnerships with influential people in the field you are in. They suggest that you visit their blog, leave useful comments on their posts, contribute to the conversation happening online and make them feel special.
5. Avoid listening to marketers who promise get rich quick schemes. As I was starting my online business, I thought that knowledge of SEO, pay per click advertising, and affiliate marketing were enough to become successful. It took me two (2) years to realize that get rich quick schemes just do not work. I wasted two (2) full years spending money on something that is expensive and difficult to sustain.
I realized that instead of focusing my efforts on search engines like Google, I should concentrate my efforts on pleasing my clients and improving my service. After all, happy clients are the entrepreneur’s best marketers.
Running a successful internet business is a slow process which involves talking to your clients, listening to them and asking about what they want. Follow these steps and you will have loyal customers who will spread the good news about your online business.
Stephen L. is an online entrepreneur who manages websites offering writing services to students and business bloggers. He is interested in sharing his experiences as an online entrepreneur to those who are interested. Visit his blog at http://home-business-partner.blogspot.com
By: Stephen