Home Business Online
Home-based service business online
Contact us
Custom Search
|
Share this Page
Cool Clicks
Home Business Online
Using your website to sell services online
This tutorial is entitled Home Business Online. We have talked about many ways of making money from a website in previous tutorials (see menu: Make Money).
The focus of this tutorial will be providing services from a home-based business, marketed by means of your own website.
A website can be used as an aid to marketing any kind of service, and many of those services can be provided from your home. But some services are particularly well suited to the internet:
- Services which can source clients from all over the world
- Services whose work or instructions can be received electronically, and whose output can be delivered the same way.
Services best suited to a home online business
Here is a list, by no means exhaustive, of some of the services, usually pursued on a freelance basis, which are well suited to website marketing and electronic delivery:
- Article writing
- Copy writing
- Technical writing
- Website writing
- Graphic design (digital)
- Editing
- Proof reading
- Translating
- Software testing
- Software development
- Virtual assistant
- Website building
- Website design
- Website testing
If you have a suitable skill, including any of these, you could create a home-based business, providing an online service. (If you know of other suitable skills not mentioned here, please contact me).
What sort of website will you need?
It's best if you design your website specifically for the job of promoting your service business. You could adopt one of these two approaches:
- Build an interesting site with useful content that would appeal to prospective clients. Choose and place your keywords carefully. Promote your website as suggested in our Build Traffic tutorials. Concentrate on link-building activities which will help you to rank well with the search engines.
You may attract enough traffic to your website to provide a steady stream of prospects for your service business. Create one page specifically to introduce your service, as described in approach 2 below, and link to it from every other page.
- Build a basic website, perhaps only one page, attractively laid out. It should give details of the service you provide, together with your qualifications and experience, contact details and any other pertinent information - rather like a web c.v.
Then advertise your service on the Internet, perhaps with Google Adwords, linking back to your website from each ad, to draw traffic to your site.
These two approaches could be combined, if you liked. Build a full site - and advertise your service.
Create a simple website for a home based online service
You don't need to worry about shopping carts and payment gateways. You'll just email invoices to clients, and they will pay you by check or electronic transfer
You should not need large traffic inflows to your site. Aim for quality, not quantity.
Don't try to monetize the site with affiliate programs or advertising. You need to create maximum credibility and a professional image
You need only a few clients and a few more prospects
In a service business you do not need many clients once the ball is rolling. You will likely get repeat business from existing clients (because you'll do such a good job for them.)
If you're using advertising to promote your website, you can always turn it off when you don't need work, and turn it back on again before you do.
You could also maintain a mailing list of prospects who have expressed any interest in your service, and remind them about your service every three months or so.
Run your home business online and keep your day job too
You may have noticed that this is the kind of business that you can start while doing another job. You can, and here are some tips:
- Don't give up your day job until you have an adequate and reliable income from your online business.
- Don't work on your home business from your workplace. It's a quick way to get fired!
- Expect it to be hard to find the time to do both. Decide what you are willing to give up.
- Keep your life in balance. Don't cut yourself off from your friends and family. Watch that you get proper nourishment, sleep and exercise. (Yes, I've been down this path!)
- Don't tell your colleagues at work that you're also running a home business online. They may not be sympathetic and your boss won't be happy (unless she's very understanding.)
If it all sounds like hard work, that's because it is. Running any business takes lots of work - online ones are no different.
Home business online - Watch out for scams
I want to say a few words about scams. Anyone who searches the Internet for an online home business is sure to come across them. It's really sad because people who are thinking about starting a home business online often don't have a lot of money to spare.
They certainly don't need to waste any of it on these schemes.
With an online business, the Internet doesn't do the work for you. You do it yourself. Anyone who tells you differently is living in a different world, possibly one in which it's O.K. to con people out of their money.
If they fall for it, well that's just their own stupid fault, man....Ha ha!
I see scams on the web every day. Email-reading, rebate-processing, data capture, free websites, aggressive affiliate schemes.... The only product they have to sell is misinformation, and perhaps the knowledge of how to pass on their con to the next unwary mark.
How I made $100 000 in three months (or two weeks, or 4 days, or whatever.).... Learn my technique..... Anyone can do this.... Earn money while you play!.... (Picture shown of millionaire lounging on his private yacht, beach, island)..... No selling!....Statement showing (enormous) day-by-day earnings.
I'm sure you get the picture. Please don't fall for this stuff. I know it's sooo tempting. We all want to believe it can be this easy! And it will only cost you $97 (or $197... or $395...) to get in on the opportunity of a lifetime!
I have a rule that keeps me out of trouble. If I don't understand exactly what is being offered, and why it makes sense for the person to be offering it, and how I will be able to benefit from it.... then I just hang on to my cash.
I know this section is an insult to your intelligence, Sorry.
Links / Resources
More articles on Online Home Business:
Home based business online articles (catalogue)
Starting a home internet business
Selling local services on the web
Start an online business without a website
10 Myths about running a home based business online
Newbie's guide to online business
More articles on avoiding online business scams:
Top 10 home based business scams
How to avoid online business scams
How to find a proven legitimate online business
Make Money: Home Business Online Top Prev Next: Small Business Website
Copyright © 2009 - 2011 EasyWebsitePrimer.com Last updated: September 2011
It is more blessed to give than to receive