| one wants to start their own business and become | | | | you, say no. Registering a domain name is not |
| their own boss, but many are not sure how to do it. | | | | technically difficult. Do this yourself. Many web |
| There are several types of home businesses. Service | | | | designers register the domain name at the cheapest |
| businesses, selling products, and web based home | | | | place they can find then charge you $100 or more |
| businesses, just to name a few. | | | | per year for the domain name. Then many of them |
| In this article I am going to guide you through the | | | | register it in their own name! This will cause you huge |
| process of starting your own web-based home | | | | problems if you ever decide not to use their services |
| business. I will try to take some of the mystery out | | | | anymore. The domain name should be in your name |
| of the process. By following this guideline, you will be | | | | always. |
| up and running in very little time without having made | | | | 2. Ask them what program they use to build your |
| a huge investment. | | | | website in. If they are going to use FrontPage or |
| First, you need to know what your business is going | | | | Dreamweaver or other WYSIWYG editor, you may |
| to do. Will it provide a service? Are you planning to | | | | as well build your own home business website. If |
| sell products? Those are the two general types of | | | | they do not write html from scratch, then they |
| web-based home businesses I will be discussing in this | | | | shouldn’t be in the web design business. |
| article. | | | | 3. If they wish to charge you monthly to run your |
| If you plan to provide a service, what type of | | | | website for you, be careful. Do not sign yearly |
| service will you be providing? Will it be provided to | | | | contracts. Their job is to build you a home business |
| people who own websites? Will it be a service that | | | | website. Let them stick to just that. Most designers |
| anyone can use or will it be confined to your local | | | | are just designers. They are not search engine gurus, |
| area? | | | | business managers, or anything else. Hire a designer |
| Ask similar questions of yourself if you plan to sell a | | | | to design and others to do what they are good at. |
| product. Will it be a product you sell and deliver | | | | 4. Do not let them talk you into features you do not |
| locally, nationwide, or internationally? If you choose | | | | need. Just like used car salesmen, they will try to get |
| worldwide, do you know anything about shipping | | | | you to add on a lot of bells and whistles you |
| your product overseas? The same applies to | | | | don’t need. |
| nationwide delivery. Do you know the costs | | | | 5. A brochure website is one that is basically designed |
| associated with delivering your product everywhere | | | | to just let people know what products or services |
| in the nation you live in? | | | | you provide and to contact you to get more |
| Once you have answered those questions, you will | | | | information. Usually, that is a main page, an about |
| have more of an idea about how your home web | | | | page, and a contact page. That shouldn’t |
| business will eventually be shaped. | | | | cost you more than $500. |
| Next, you will need a domain name. Most people think | | | | 6. If you are going to add the ability to buy your |
| their company name is the best way to go for a | | | | product or service by paying for it through your |
| domain name, however, a generic domain name with | | | | home business website, then it becomes an |
| keywords that are associated to your product or | | | | e-commerce website. Again, watch out for the bells |
| service will serve you much better. You can also | | | | and whistles that the used website salesman tries to |
| register your company name as a domain name and | | | | sell you. PayPal is a good option when you are first |
| point it to your website, but it is not necessary. | | | | starting out. You can get a PayPal account easily. You |
| The generic domain name can help you with search | | | | can create your own buy buttons and insert them |
| engine traffic and can be more memorable. It is only | | | | into your website with the code they provide |
| one factor of many that will help you with search | | | | without being an html guru. You can even configure |
| engine optimization, but it is a step you should take | | | | shipping costs and everything else through PayPal for |
| when getting started. Example: is a better domain | | | | free. They charge small percentages per sale, but the |
| name than ford.com, even though ford spent millions | | | | services they provide are worth it. Besides, they |
| to advertise and brand their name. Even is better | | | | have no setup fee or monthly fee like other |
| because people will search for that. | | | | e-commerce solutions. When your sales volume |
| You need to find a good domain name registrar, not | | | | reaches into thousands of dollars per month, you can |
| a cheap domain name registrar. Cheap means cheap | | | | look for a better solution, but until then, use PayPal. |
| in the area of domain names. Your domain name is | | | | 7. An old saying among those who make money on |
| important. Spending $25 per year to registrar that | | | | the web is “You build the first one for show |
| provide more services and quality VS spending $10 or | | | | and the rest for dough”. What that means is |
| less at a cheap registrar is what we are talking about | | | | this; You will likely be very concerned about the look |
| here. If that extra $15 per year is going to make or | | | | of your website in the beginning, however design is |
| break your home business, then maybe you should | | | | the LEAST important aspect of your home web |
| not start one. | | | | business. Many will disagree, but who cares. Let me |
| Next, you will need a web hosting service. Again, | | | | repeat, design is the LEAST important aspect of |
| cheaper is not better. There are good hosting | | | | your home web based business. A beautiful website |
| services for $100 per year or even a little less. | | | | with no traffic gets uglier by the day. An ugly |
| Anyone that is offering you hosting for less than that | | | | website with traffic that makes money gets more |
| should raise a red flag. Choose and pay for your | | | | beautiful by the dollar. Create a total budget for your |
| hosting for at least a year, just like you registered | | | | home web based business. Spend no more than 30% |
| your domain name for. If you are going with a | | | | of that budget on design. Spend the rest on |
| monthly plan, you probably aren’t fully | | | | promoting your website, advertising, and other |
| committed to your new home business. | | | | actions that bring you customers. Don’t let |
| Now, you have your domain name and the hosting | | | | some designer talk you into thinking his design is |
| for your new website, but where is the website and | | | | more important than your home business’s |
| how do I get that? You have several options. You | | | | success. |
| can learn html and build your own. You can use a | | | | Now that you have your domain name, hosting, and |
| WYSIWYG editor like FrontPage to build your own | | | | website up and running, you now need customers. |
| website. You can hire someone to build your website | | | | Where do you get them? I have my website, |
| for you. | | | | won’t they just find me now? NO, they |
| First, we will talk about learning html to build your | | | | won’t. |
| own website for your home business. There is a | | | | There are several things you can do to get traffic. |
| learning curve here. This is the best option of the | | | | Do not fall for all the scams out there that tell you |
| three I mentioned above, but it takes time to learn. | | | | they can send millions of hits to your website for |
| You will probably not be up and running in just a few | | | | just a small fee. There are a lot of traffic scams. The |
| days with this option. In the long run, it will save you | | | | traffic is usually auto or bot generated traffic and will |
| a lot of money to learn html and build your own | | | | do you no good in selling your product or service. |
| websites. The more websites you have in your | | | | You can buy Adwords from Google, MSN (coming |
| portfolio, the more likely you will have at least one | | | | soon), or Yahoo. That sends you traffic from people |
| that is a big winner. Writing your own code means | | | | who search for specific keywords. Be careful about |
| you can build a new website as often as you want. | | | | bidding on these and set your spending limits low until |
| Next, building your own home business website with | | | | you see which keywords are paying off for you. |
| a WYSIWYG editor. (What You See Is What You | | | | You can purchase links on popular websites that are |
| Get). These editors are similar to making a document. | | | | related to your product or service. Again, start with a |
| Everything is visual and you do not need to know | | | | small text link and a small budget until you find which |
| html. The learning curve for these editors is much | | | | of those links are actually sending you traffic that is |
| less than that of learning to actually code your own | | | | converting to sales. If one is producing sales, expand |
| website. | | | | on that one. If one is producing nothing, drop it. |
| However, these websites do have limitations. Since | | | | It’s like running an ad in the newspaper, on |
| the code for the website is auto-generated, it tends | | | | TV, or on radio. If it isn’t bringing you |
| to have mistakes. In addition to that, you have to | | | | business, you get rid of the ad. |
| make sure your hosting has the proper extensions to | | | | You can write articles on topics related to your |
| host your website. FrontPage Extensions is the | | | | products or services like the one you are reading |
| example if you use the FrontPage WSYIWYG. | | | | now. Your links go into the box below, just like mine |
| This option will get you up and running faster, but | | | | here. You submit your articles to article submission |
| you need to hire someone at some point to fix the | | | | websites. They provide it to other webmasters that |
| code for you so the page will always load correctly | | | | want to use your article as free content for their |
| and optimally. How your website is viewed in | | | | website. Each one that picks up your article becomes |
| different browsers, how fast your website loads, and | | | | another link to your website. This is the best method |
| how your website looks are all design factors that | | | | of marketing in my honest opinion. |
| make a difference to your customers, so weigh each | | | | Posting in related forums and blogs with your home |
| option carefully. | | | | business link in your signature can produce more |
| Next, hiring a web designer to build your home | | | | targeted traffic for your website. More traffic does |
| business website is another option. A professional | | | | not mean better. Targeted traffic means much more |
| web designer knows how to give your website the | | | | and converts to sales more often than traffic you |
| look and feel you want it to have. However, be | | | | might get from unrelated websites, so stay focused |
| careful when choosing a web designer. I’ll add | | | | on blogs and forums that relate to your topics. |
| some things you need to be aware of here; | | | | I hope this article has helped you realize what it |
| 1. If they say they will register the domain name for | | | | takes to start your own home business on the web! |