Internet Business..Just set up the store and wait?
Some people are spreading harmful rumors about how easy an
internet business is. Set up a site, and the people will come in
droves. You'll get hundreds,thousands, millions of hits a day!
Nothing can be further from the truth. Think carefully, then go
slowly into cyber space and most of all have realistic
expectations.
Like any other business, marketing is 90% of sales. Without
marketing you have nothing. Hundreds of millions of web sites
exist on the internet. You are truly just a speck in the virtual
universe. Here are a few facts for you to think about.
1. Most people will not search past the first 3 pages of a
search engine. If each page lists 25 sites that is a total of 75
places. 2. Most of the top 75 sites are pay per click sites.
This means two things if you are #1 or #2. First,you will get
the most clicks and second, not everybody who clicks shops. If
1,000 people visit your site everyday and you are paying $0.11
per click figure it out......that is about $3,000 a month rent
for the # one slot on a search engine. 3. Most people find out
about a website through friends and paper advertising. That
means in addition to the cost of search engine placement you
need to budget for old fashioned print advertising, until you
establish your clientel. 4. The cheaper your web site, the
cheaper it looks, the less likely people are to do business with
you. You don't need flashy but you do need good design that is
easy to navigate. This still costs money. 5. If you plan to sell
on the internet you need to accept credit cards etc. This
service costs money. 6. If you plan to get people to come back
to your website to buy it must be constantly updated. This costs
money and takes time a lot of time. Unless you are a talented
writer you will probably spend a lot of time editing your
updates. 7. If you want to do it... go for it! Just keep your
feet on the ground and figure out a budget. What is the actual
cost of marketing a web site?