Roger Flowers
Yucaipa, California
www.RogerFlowers.Me
roger@rogerflowers.com

Register a Domain Name

Every company large or small needs to start with registering a domain name.  A domain name is what comes directly before .com, .net, .org, .me, .info, etc.  So for example, one of my businesses sells real estate in Yucaipa so it has a domain of yucaipa-real-estate.com.  I can use my domain for custom email accounts such as roger@yucaipa-real-estate.com, I can host a web site, blog and more.  Domain names can usually be registered for under $20 each per year.  The longer you register your domain the more creditability you will have with the search engines.  If possible, register your domain name for at least 5 years to show the search engines your company intends on being around a while.  I register my client's domain names here. 

Establish E-mail Contact

Consumers are much more comfortable purchasing products they feel are supported by the companies who sell them.  It is important to have a telephone number, a fax number and an email address clearly posted on your web site unless your business is online only in which case fax and email are necessary.  Once you have your domain registered, you will need to have email stored on a server.  The most economical way to do this is to purchase an email package like one of the personal email plans.  To step it up a notch to include other tools like a blog and website (mentioned later in this guide), try out SmartSpace.

Establish Telephone and Fax Contact

To add to the comfort level of your customers, your business should have a dedicated fax and phone number.  Even if you are unable to answer the phone at all times, you should have a number that can take messages.  Adding an additional business line through the phone company can be expensive, but establishing digital voice over IP phone service and a dedicated digital fax line is relatively inexpensive using your existing high-speed internet connection. 

Create and Maintain a Web Presence

One of the key elements in obtaining customers online is your web presence.  You must have a store or information online for consumers to visit.  It must also function correctly, not have bad links, and look good; otherwise consumers will just go to a different site and become the customer of someone else.  You can use Traffic Blazer to help optimize your site.

For online retail operations, it is crucial to have a quality shopping cart.  Most shopping carts also offer the ability to integrate with credit card processors.  You may also find that www.ProPay.com has a suitable credit card processing solution for you.  Your shopping cart should be linked to you domain or website so customers can quickly place orders online. 

For sites that are not retail or desiring a shopping cart, you must have some unique information to provide to anyone who views your website.  To make sure you have all available options, I would suggest you purchase SmartSpace to maintain your website, blog and email.  It is very important that you some how capture the visitors to your web site.  One way of doing this is to ask prospects to subscribe to your email list which in return you will email valuable promotions.  Check out ConstantContact and Express Email Marketing to manage your email list.

Advertise Your Website

It is absolutely pointless to go this far to get your business online and then never have anyone visit your website.  Think of your website as an extension of your office or storefront.  If no one visits, then there is no reason to even be in business.  You must drive people to your website.  This is the most expensive part of online marketing.  The two major contenders for effective online advertising are Google Adwords and Yahoo Advertising.  Without one or both of these services, your advertising campaign is destine for failure.  Your website should also be printed on your business cards, your signs, all of your print media advertising and mentioned on radio and TV ads (if you are one of the select businesses that can afford television and radio). 

Track Your Results

No point in spending money if you can't measure how well you are doing.  Tools such as Google Analytics (which is free) and Traffic Facts can help understand your visitor behavior.  If you are able to determine that prospects get to one page and then leave your site, you can then go and modify that specific page to help keep the customer.  Tracking your results helps you improve and maintain your website to achieve maximum potential.

Stick With It

Online marketing is not an overnight process.  It takes time and determination.  You can expect to spend at minimum an hour per week reviewing statistics and making slight tweaks to web pages to keep things running smooth.  In contrast, this is way less time you would spend at a retail storefront or office.