7 Steps to Your First Website, Subscriber, and Sale

One of the major benefits of Internet and information marketing is that you can get started without quitting your day job.

You can create a home-based Internet business that will provide you with a steady side income. Here are the seven simple steps:


Step 1. Identify Your Market

The biggest mistake I see budding Internet entrepreneurs make is to start by trying to figure out what they're going to sell. And that can be tough. There are hundreds of thousands, even millions, of possible products and services.

It's more important to decide what market or niche you are going to target. When you identify your market, you will know who your prospects are, what problems they have, and what solutions they are looking for. And once you have that information, it's not hard to find a product to sell to them.


So how do you decide which market to go after? My recommendation is to make a list of all the things you are interested in and choose from that. Why make a list and not just zero in on your number one passion? Because you want to give yourself some options. Just because you have a strong interest in something doesn't mean there are enough people out there who share your interest and (very important) have money to spend on it.

Golfers, for example, are passionate about their game. They also have a lot of money to spend on golf-related "stuff." On the other hand, though teenage boys may be into sports and cars, you won't have much luck selling them anything anytime soon.


Step 2. Choose -- and Purchase -- a Domain Name


Another mistake that online entrepreneurs make is to try to come up with a domain name that is cute or creative.

Your domain name should be descriptive of your website topic and benefit-driven. Ideally, it should also include your main keyword. And, of course, it should be easy to spell and easy to remember.

A good example of a domain name that is easy to remember, easy to spell, descriptive, benefit-driven, and includes the main keyword of the website's topic: FreeCreditReport.com.

Step 3. Put Up a Website

If you can use a word processor, you can create a website. The software is similar.

Many marketers use and recommend WordPress. This is one of the best website content management systems out there. It is free... and fully customizable.

Step 4. Add an Opt-In Form to Your Site

When you visit any of the top marketer's websites, you'll notice that there is an opt-in box near the top right-hand corner.

Having an opt-in form is one of the things that separate successful online businesses from those that fail. It allows your site visitors to give you their names, e-mail addresses, and any other information you may want to collect.

By capturing their contact information, you can follow up with them on a regular basis via e-mail. You can send them valuable content, build a relationship with them, and bring them back to your website to sell them products they are interested in.

Step 5. Offer a Freebie

The best way to get people to give you their contact information is to offer them something of value in exchange. On my website, I offer free network marketing video training..
You could also offer a free special report or some type of tip sheet. Putting one together can be as simple as coming up with 10 questions that people in your niche are likely to ask and answering those questions. It can be just five or 10 pages long. Better yet, unlike a daily newsletter, you only have to write it once. Then you upload it to your autoresponder (the same software you use for the opt-in form) and have it automatically sent to everyone who gives you their name and e-mail address.

I recommend using a third party autoresponder service such as Aweber.

Step 6. Drive Traffic to Your Website

There are many ways to drive traffic to your website. But when you're starting out, you'll want to focus mostly on free traffic.

One of my favorite ways to get free traffic is by writing and submitting articles to article directories. I submit most of my articles to EzineArticles.com. (Make sure you include your website's URL in the blurb or bio that runs with the article.)

Another good way to get free traffic is through social media marketing. Search for blogs and forums that are related to your niche and answer questions and post comments. Most forums and blogs will allow you to link back to your website. Just be sure that you are providing good information and that what you have to say is relevant to the forum's or blog's subject matter.

Keep in mind that most of the people you attract to your website by submitting articles and through social media will not purchase anything from you. At least, they won't purchase anything on their first visit. But that's why you have the opt-in form -- to capture their contact information so you can keep bringing them back.

Step 7. Follow Up... and Start Making Sales

The final step is to follow up with the people on your opt-in list and start selling them products. These can be your own products or products you are promoting as an affiliate.

This, too, can be done with your autoresponder. For example, you could write a series of five to seven e-mails, each one promoting a different product. And as soon as people opt in to get your freebie, you have those e-mails automatically sent to them, one at a time, every couple of days.

Those are the seven steps you can take to quickly and easily launch a new online business. Once you have this basic system in place, you continue to build on it by learning more ways to bring traffic to your site, building a bigger opt-in list, and starting to promote what we call "back-end" products.$

[Ed. Note: Ray Buckner is offering a complete blueprint to helping you take control of your financial future with a web-based business that you can operate from anywhere in the world – including a coffee shop, your kitchen table, or anywhere around the world where there is Internet access. Discover how you can achieve the American Dream and your financial independence here. You’ve never seen anything like this before.]