Turn on the radio and tune it to any popular station; up pops an ad for making money like a Hawaii beach bum. Look in the mail box and there's a flyer for a lunch-provided seminar that will make you an Internet sales guru.
Nine times out of ten, these are scams. Feel free to attend the seminar for a free lunch, but avoid the huckster selling “turn-key” Internet stores, "guaranteeing" front page exposure on Google searches.
The Way Internet Sales Really Works
Two common observations and the truth about them:
- Al Gore invented the net. False; the net was begun as a work in progress in 1962 as a DARPA consideration.
- Google owns the Internet. False again, but this one might as well be true. Google is the big player; everyone else (yahoo, MSN, Bing, etc.) is engaged in a heated game of catch-up. Be prepared to play by Google's ever-changing rules.
So can money be made with on-line stores and content webs? Absolutely. But not with one of the aforementioned $999.00 to $2,000.00 turn-key business. That's common sense; how can money be made using the same HTML templates, products, and pricing structure that suckers across the globe have invested in during the past decade?
The key is finding a niche market that net surfers and shoppers are looking for, and adding value to the site in the form of quality articles, newsletters, blogs, and forums. Cater to an audience with specific interests, like running and fitness.
Shop for a Quality Hosting Service
To provide a unique and professional on-line shopping experience, all the bells and whistles come in handy. A quality hosting service is actually quite affordable. The packages range from basic to business, to enterprise.
For a start-up, the small business package is the best deal. These will typically offer plug-in credit card processing, shopping carts, forums, Email accounts, add-on domains, and MySQL database instances.
Develop the HTML Pages
It's not necessary to be a code-slinging HTML guru to develop a professional looking site. There are a number of free templates available that require minimal customization. To make the needed modifications, it's worthwhile to purchase HTML editing software like that offered by CoffeeCup Software.
Download GIMP for working with graphics. GIMP is a open-source software package comparable to PhotoShop.
Become an Affiliate Marketing Publisher
Some on-line stores offer proprietary merchandise, but many do not. Being an affiliate simply means posting ads for other merchandising companies. The page owner gets a commission based on sales, leads, or clicks.
There are three common ways to do this; either deal directly with the merchant, sign up with a service like Commission Junction or ShareASale who represent a group of merchants, or partner with Amazon.com.
Working with Amazon has the advantage of leveraging their solid reputation and considerable market share. It's the Oprah Winfrey of on-line shopping.
Add Content to the Site to Create User Value
Nothing says user-friendly like good solid content, articles that answer the query entered into the search engine using SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This is what catches Google's eye, which brings customers with credit cards in hand. It is possible to overdo it though. Today, search engine spiders and robots look at keyword density very carefully and will penalize sites that engage in keyword stuffing.
As an illustration, a running-oriented site will offer articles on sports injuries, training advice, and a race calendar.
The bottom line is that to make serious money from home on the Internet, research and develop carefully, avoid the cookie-cutter approach, and give the site time to mature; Google likes that.
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
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