Unofficial guide to starting a business online

The inside scoop... for when you want more than the official line!

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to capitalize on the fastest growing marketplace ever, the Web, this is the book for you. From choosing the product or service you offer to designing your website to marketing and managing your online venture, this guide gives you step-by-step guidance and helps you avoid common pitfalls. You don't have to be a computer guru or programmer, and you don't have to invest big bucks, thanks to the unbiased recommendations, practical guidance, and insider savvy this book puts at your fingertips. Updated with advice from experts, current statistics, new tips and strategies, and information about hundreds of resources, this guide gets you in business online with:

Vital Information on choosing a unique product or service and targeting a specific niche market

Insider Secrets from entrepreneurs who have launched successful online businesses

Money-Saving Techniques, including using services from Yahoo!, Microsoft, eBay, and others to create a small-business website

Time-Saving Tips for obtaining prominent listing placement on search engines and in Web directories and information portals

The Latest Trends in online advertising, marketing, and branding, plus the online auction phenomenon

Handy Checklists to help you create and operate your online business

Author Notes

JASON R. RICH is the author of nearly thirty books and numerous articles on career-related issues, technology, e-commerce, entertainment, and travel. He authored the first edition of The Unofficial Guide to Starting a Business Online (Wiley), which appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

About the Author	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
I In Business, Preparation Is Everything	p. 1
1 Making the Right Business Choices	p. 1
What's involved with starting an online business?	p. 5
Is an online-based business right for you?	p. 11
How best to invest your time and money	p. 13
Which business ideas are best suited to the Web?	p. 15
Defining your business idea	p. 19
Should you give up your day job?	p. 20
Establishing your existing business on the Web	p. 23
Be careful what you get involved in	p. 24
E-commerce in the new millennium	p. 25
Just the facts	p. 26
2 Laying the Groundwork for Your Online Business	p. 27
Starting your business: some considerations	p. 27
Developing a business plan	p. 30
Getting help-people and software	p. 33
Elements of a business plan	p. 35
Seeking expert business advice	p. 38
Setting up an office	p. 39
Just the facts	p. 47
3 Your Online Biz's Finances	p. 49
Benefits plans and compensation packages	p. 50
A few words about hiring employees	p. 52
Should you incorporate?	p. 53
Other considerations involved with launching a business	p. 55
What needs to be done before going online?	p. 57
Planning your business operations	p. 60
Setting up a merchant account	p. 60
Acquiring a merchant account: strategies from Aria Financial Corporation	p. 62
Ten strategies for obtaining a merchant account	p. 63
Financing your business	p. 67
Just the facts	p. 71
4 Planning Your Site	p. 73
Making your site look professional	p. 73
The first steps in developing your site	p. 78
Developing your site's basic layout	p. 79
Choosing the perfect content	p. 81
Types of graphic files	p. 91
Graphics programs	p. 94
Choosing website-creation software or a turnkey e-commerce solution	p. 96
e-commerce software solutions for small online businesses	p. 97
Complete turnkey solutions for website design and operation	p. 99
eBay ProStores: another turnkey e-commerce solution	p. 107
eBay ProStores add-on services	p. 109
osCommerce: a totally free, yet powerful, website-design solution	p. 111
The scoop on copyrights	p. 113
Avoiding the most common Web design mistakes	p. 114
Using outside creative talent	p. 119
Just the facts	p. 120
II Getting Your Business Online	p. 121
5 Selecting and Registering Your Domain Name	p. 123
Understanding domain name syntax	p. 124
Choosing your domain name	p. 127
Domain parking is available: plan ahead	p. 130
Determine whether a domain name is available	p. 131
Registering your domain name is easy	p. 134
What to do if the domain name you want is taken	p. 136
Getting help registering your domain name	p. 138
Consider the costs	p. 138
Just the facts	p. 139
6 Selecting Your Host: The Ins and Outs of ISPs	p. 141
The costs associated with going online	p. 142
Services you need at prices you can afford	p. 144
A typical website hosting offer	p. 146
All-in-one turnkey solutions	p. 148
Getting technical support from your ISP	p. 149
Finding an ISP/Web-hosting service	p. 150
The computer equipment you need in-house	p. 151
Just the facts	p. 154
III An Internet Presence for Existing and New Businesses	p. 155
7 Expanding Your Existing Business into Cyberspace	p. 157
The basic steps for getting online	p. 161
How virtual and traditional businesses differ	p. 162
Creating an online presence for a traditional business	p. 163
Converting hard-copy assets into an electronic format	p. 166
What features your business could offer on the Web	p. 169
Spreading the word about your online presence	p. 170
Just the facts	p. 172
8 Fine-Tuning Your Business Before Going Online	p. 173
Research: the key to success	p. 173
Becoming a niche-marketing expert	p. 178
Identifying the needs and wants of your potential customers	p. 179
Beware of get-rich-quick schemes	p. 181
Twelve common scams	p. 184
Other online scams to watch out for	p. 189
Always pay attention to details	p. 190
Making online ordering fast, easy, and secure	p. 191
Make building customer confidence a top priority	p. 192
Post your privacy policies	p. 193
Just the facts	p. 193
9 Generating Revenues from Your Site	p. 195
Using your site to accept purchase requests	p. 196
Selling advertising space	p. 196
Membership fees	p. 198
Selling and trading online advertising space	p. 199
Affiliate programs	p. 204
A few words about Web rings	p. 207
Selling software or other downloadable goods	p. 207
Charging visitors for access to your site	p. 210
Just the facts	p. 211
IV Promoting Your Site	p. 213
10 Promotion Is the Key to Success	p. 215
The importance of promoting your online biz	p. 216
The target audience	p. 216
Promotional and advertising opportunities available online	p. 221
Internet newsgroups	p. 222
Internet mailing lists	p. 224
Why you should avoid using spam	p. 226
Paid online advertising versus free promotion	p. 229
The ins and outs of banner advertising	p. 229
Banner ad trades: the ad barter system	p. 233
Press-release distribution	p. 234
Tips for writing an effective press release	p. 237
Online chats and communities	p. 238
Taking advantage of traditional advertising	p. 239
Blogging as a promotional tool	p. 240
Podcasting as a marketing tool	p. 243
Online newsletters are excellent promotional tools	p. 244
Just the facts	p. 245
11 Search-Engine Optimization and Search Marketing Made Easy	p. 247
Internet search engines and portals	p. 249
Understanding search-engine lingo	p. 252
The Web-directory aspect of certain search engines	p. 253
Make sure your site contains meta tags	p. 253
What a meta tag looks like	p. 254
Search engines: the next millennium's Yellow Pages	p. 256
Generate traffic with Google AdWords	p. 259
Using banner ads to boost traffic	p. 262
Tips for banner ad creation	p. 263
Utilizing price-comparison websites	p. 265
Just the facts	p. 267
V Improving and Analyzing Your Site	p. 269
12 Making Your Site Look and Sound Great	p. 271
Web browser plug-ins	p. 272
Chatting within your site	p. 278
Beware! Not everyone uses plug-ins	p. 279
Using Java applets and other graphic technologies	p. 280
Should your site use cookies?	p. 282
Paying attention to download times	p. 285
Test browser compatibility	p. 286
Giving visitors something of value	p. 287
Think before you act	p. 289
Look to the future...wait, it's already here!	p. 290
Just the facts	p. 292
13 Analyzing Your Site	p. 293
Pre-grand opening checklist	p. 294
Determining how your site is perceived	p. 297
Soliciting comments and feedback from visitors	p. 298
Keeping your site's content fresh	p. 300
Just the facts	p. 301
VI The Experts Speak	p. 303
14 Doing Business the eBay Way	p. 305
eBay auctions 101	p. 306
Reasons to use eBay	p. 308
Create effective product listings	p. 309
Your feedback will make or break your reputation	p. 311
Strategies for listing items for an eBay auction	p. 312
eBay spin-off businesses generate huge profits	p. 318
Establishing an eBay store	p. 318
An eBay store is scalable	p. 322
eBay ProStores: another turnkey e-commerce solution	p. 323
Just the facts	p. 323
15 E-commerce Industry Experts Share Their Knowledge and Secrets	p. 325
Sandy Bendremer, Cofounder, Galaxy Internet Services	p. 328
Rich Riley, Vice President/General Manager, Yahoo! Small Business	p. 338
Jimmy Duvall, Senior Product Manager, Yahoo! Merchant Solutions	p. 338
Jeff Vikari, Executive Director, Clickincome.com	p. 347
Troy Stevens, General Manager, Clickincome.com	p. 347
Barry Schnitt, Spokesperson, Google AdWords	p. 352
Just the facts	p. 356
16 Successful E-commerce Entrepreneurs Speak Out	p. 357
Taeyoung Oh, Founder/CEO, Louisdog.com	p. 359
Jeremy Alicandri, Founder/Owner, SimplyCheap.com	p. 365
Carole Jane Rossi, Founder/Owner, JOriginals.com	p. 372
Christian Girts, Founder/Owner, AnglersVice.com	p. 376
Scott Meyer, Founder, OnlyOneCreations.com	p. 382
Chris Gwynn, Founder/CEO, Fridgedoor.com	p. 386
Just the facts	p. 392
A Glossary	p. 395
B Resource Guide	p. 403
C You Sold It, Now Ship It	p. 409
D Important Information About Copyrights and Trademarks	p. 413
Index	p. 421

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Author Notes

Table of Contents