How To Start An Online Business Successfully

In today’s society, it has never been easier to start an online business.

In years gone by, starting a business meant investing a huge amount of money for a bricks and mortar store, buying stock, hiring staff to work in the shop and so on.

Today – armed with a computer, internet connection and a heap of resilience and determination – anyone (including you) can start an online business.

This opportunity allows you to start an online business on a shoe string budget and then as you grow, invest or reinvest money into it.

Until you are in a position to unlock flexibility and freedom into your life.

Today, I am going to share with you a simple strategy on how you can start an online business.

Steps To Start An Online Business

Come up with your business idea

Work out what your business idea and how you plan to make money.

Remember, that if you are not making money – then you have a hobby rather than a business.

Be crystal clear on what your mission statement/value proposition or vision is. WHY are you in business?

Who Is Your Audience?

Understand who your customers are – what do they look like?

How old are they?

Where do they live?

What do they like and dislike?

What are their problems and pain points?

How can your business help them solve that problem?

Create Content

Start writing content for your audience.

This could be through writing blog posts, recording videos or webinars, running online workshops and so on.

The aim of creating content is not to sell your audience anything, but help solve some of their pain points that you have identified previously.

This is how you start to build trust with your audience.

Social Media

Get you and your business out there by being active on social media.

Identify where your audience “hangs out” in regards to social media.

For example, mums aged between 30-45 use FaceBook, where a younger audience may use a platform like SnapChat.

Don’t try to become an expert on every single platform.

There are too many out there to try and wrap your head around – let alone become an expert at.

Grow Your Email List

As much as it is essential to have a social media presence, trying to build likes and follows can potentially end in disaster.

Social media platforms such as FaceBook and Instagram change their algorithms all the time.

This means that the rules change ALL THE TIME.

Your email list is yours – you control how often that you speak to them and how often you reach out to them.

It is also more likely that your email list will buy your products as it is a warm audience.

You can grow your email list quickly by creating a lead magnet or an opt-in.

This could be a cheat sheet, workbook, free webinar or eCourse – something that will want people to hand over to you their name and email address.

Sell Your Product

Once you have a list of people who are eager to hear from you on a regular basis – it is now time to start to create your products to sell.

You will need to work out what it is that you want to sell.

This will depend on your skills and expertise, whether you can create it yourself or need to outsource – and so on.

So there you have it, a simple plan on how to start an online business.

If you are ready to get started, check out our FREE eCourse Business Idea Booster which walks you through how to come up with your business idea in more detail and get you started.