Internet Business Plan - Identify Your Business
So here you are. You own a small company or partnership and you are in the beginning stages of making your business global, using the internet as the worldwide guide that it can be in marketing and advertising. Or maybe you don’t own a company…yet! Whatever your position you can be confident that this how to guide on business internet marketing will take you from beginning steps to ending consistency. Owning a business can be a very rewarding thing. Not only will it give you more freedom then ever in your life but it can be very profitable as well. So here we go- a guide to developing a profitable website geared toward you and your business!
The first step, the baby step in other words, is developing your business identity. What does your business identity consist of? Answer these questions when dealing with who you are and what you are about:
What do you sell (or plan to sell)?
Where are your basic selling points or locations?
What is your business name and logo?
Who are your basic marketed audiences?
Are there certain demographics you intend to hit?
What would you consider your biggest benefits are?
What are your business goals?
Let’s take a closer look!
What do you sell? Just because you have a small business or merchant website doesn’t mean you have to be constricted into some sort of ‘planned’ program. Many products have a lot of room for variation so choose a niche that works best for you. If you try to be everything to everyone then you will quickly burn out and people won’t look for you when they want quality. Being a specialist is the way to go when it comes to narrowing your selling focus. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Look at your resources! What do you have for start up money or cash flow money? The more you have, the more you can branch out.
2. Look at your interests! There is nothing worse then selling something that you either don’t believe in or just plain don’t like to sell! Your niche is very important.
3. Look at your goals! Whatever your business goals are will help dictate what you do in terms of selling identity and narrowing your focus.
Whether you choose to sell clothing or sporting equipment, finding your niche is a huge part of the process!
Location, Location, Location!
What are you basic selling points or locations? If you have ever had any part in the real estate business you learn one basic thing- location, location, location! While this seems to be a routine part of selling homes, it is also a crucial part of your business identity. Too many people try to throw themselves all over the World Wide Web and the newspapers promoting themselves as the savior to all! While sure, you may believe you have the best products on the market and the best customer service, you can’t market yourself with this super-confidence. Realize what you can and can’t do and understand your limitations. To be completely successful you need to know your abilities!
Part of your business identity is going to deal with where you want to locate yourself. Most small companies (and nearly all large ones!) serve a duel location- residential and global. Your location is completely up to you but here is the most accepted practice of business:
Residential: Residential business set ups mean an actual, tangible location. This would serve as your local area where you rent out an office or storefront and have your materials and products on hand. This builds your local base, which helps correlate with your internet base. If there is any type of popularity in your local area for your particular type of business (as there usually will be) then you should hammer in on this market.
Global: The global market is probably the more important market to you since you are reading this page and it is probably going to bring in the bulk of your profits. Being on the global marketplace means having a website designed with your business in mind and having it includes e-commerce abilities. This online ‘store’ will be much like your local store but it will be completely on screen! Many business owners decide to just keep with their global store and skip the residential one altogether to avoid the hassle of employees and business hours. Whatever your choice, you will need to utilize this global marketplace if you intend to get the most out of your business.
One of the most important factors of your global market is deciding how to name your domain and pick point blank key words to direct traffic your way. We’ll deal with key word optimization later (in Section 3) but let’s look at your domain name. Your domain name should come directly from the name and logo of your business and your logo should be tied in as well. As much as you can try to use your business name (which should be short and sweet) as your domain, but don’t be discouraged if you can’t get it because there are millions of websites on the internet and your name may be taken. Choose wisely though, short and sweet usually acts as an easily remembered name!
| << Previous | Internet Business Plan pt. 1 - Identify Your Business p. 1 |
Next >> |