Turn Your Hobby Into A Worldwide Success With The Internet
Copyright 2006 Vision Business Concepts Inc
Many people start a home based business, sell to a few family
and friends, then close the business down because they lack the
one thing they need: new customers. The wonderful thing about
the Internet is you have an unlimited supply of "potential
customers". You have the ability to reach out and promote
yourself to millions of people all over the world.
Start By Building Your Business
Your hobby is your passion, right? You do it because you love
it. And if someone buys what you do, all the better.
But what if you could turn your hobby into a full time business
that not only supported you, but also provided you with an
income that would change your lifestyle?
The key is to think about selling before you rent your first
booth at the local fair.
Let's imagine you bake brownies, and after winning several
competitions, you know you have one of the best brownie recipes
in town. You package them up, and take them to your local
holiday fair.
You'll probably sell quite a few brownies during the fair, but
what about the day after? Will people remember you, and have a
way of getting a hold of you to order more?
If you've planned ahead, you'll be selling your brownies all
year long - with the help of the Internet. And it all starts
with a website.
Build an Eye-Pleasing Website
Whether you tackle design yourself with one of the many
template-driven systems online today, or hire a designer to take
on a more customized look, the key is to get a website up to
help you market your product line.
While there are many things necessary to make an eye catching,
professional website, I consider the top 5 characteristics to be
as follows.
1. Every site should have a solid, clean, professional look. The
look and feel of your site should carry through from one page to
the next. Always avoid looking homemade; people have a harder
time completing the sale if the site isn't professional.
2. Your navigation should be easy to understand and easy to
maneuver. Make sure your navigation buttons carry through from
page to page, and are easily understandable to your visitor.
Your ultimate goal is to have your visitor buy - lead them to
the order button, and make it an easy process.
3. Have a message that speaks directly to your visitors. Content
is king online. A site full of relevant information will always
capture the attention of a visitor over a site without. People
go to the Internet for information. Give them what they are
searching for. No matter what you are selling, creating several
pages of information relevant to your product and industry is a
must.
4. Impulse shopping is the only way to sell online. Have you
ever been to a website, seen something you loved, the price was
write, so you decided to buy? When you clicked on the shopping
cart, it was easy to input your credit card information, and the
sale was completed within a few short minutes. That's impulse
selling. No forms to fill out and fax in. No phone numbers to
call in the order the next morning. You instantly buy when the
desire is high.
5. Continual marketing allows you to connect with your
customers. Your current customers are your best prospects for
repeat business. Creating online techniques for continual
selling, such as an ezine, allows you to stay in touch with your
prospects and customers. This is a necessity for any Internet
savvy business.
Forever Marketing
There are two kinds of hobbyists: those that turn it into a
business, and those that don't.
To turn your hobby into a business, you must market to every
person that buys your product. You can do that in one of two
ways.
First, list your website on everything you create for your
business. The labels on your product, your business cards, your
brochures, and your advertisements. Everything that comes into
contact with your customer should provide a way to create more
sales. When they try your product and love it, they need to have
a way to get more.
Second, ask your customer to be put onto a mailing list for
special promotions. People love deals. They love coupons. And if
you promise them a coupon to get a discount - they'll sign up
instantly. And you gained access to market to an existing
customer for years to come.
When people visit your website, the vast majority will not make
a purchase from you at that time. But if your site provides good
quality information, and has a desirable product/service, you
will attract attention. Your goal is to capture these people.
Ezines, or electronic newsletters, are one of the best ways of
staying in touch with your potential customers.
Ezines also allow you to develop a relationship with your
potential customer. Think back to all the sales you've made in
the past. Most of your sales probably came from people that you
had contact with. You met face to face, talked for a few
minutes, and established a certain level of trust. Repeat sales
came because they trusted you and your product, and felt
comfortable doing business with you.
That same process must be built online. Because your potential
customer may be several thousand miles from you, the ability to
meet in person is difficult. If your customer is half way around
the world, even talking on the phone can be next to impossible.
Incorporating special promotions into your email campaigns and
ezines allows you to connect in a personal away with each of
your prospects. You can continually offer new sizes or product
combinations, and provide exposure to your business and products
over and over again. No longer do your customers have to visit
the fair to purchase your product; they can complete the sale
any time of the day from the convenience of their own home.
And that will help you turn your hobby into a profitable
business.