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How to Become a Successful Internet Entrepreneur

Digital Entrepreneurship How to Become a Successful Internet Entrepreneur
APR 2, 2018 LISTEN

It is not that difficult to becoming an internet entrepreneur, but it’s difficult to succeed as one.

These days, the internet is a major part of both small and big business. With extensive traffic on the web, from social media advertising to new methods of merchandising online, a new generation of business people is growing up: the internet entrepreneur is someone who is looking at the vast power of the internet to start or grow a business. Whether it's a physical merchandising business or a play on innovative modern services, someone who wants to become a successful internet entrepreneur will often pay attention to some startup basics involving blending this new technology with classic good business sense.

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The phrase Classical Business Sense is very key in becoming successful both online and offline. Nine (9) out of Ten (10) startup businesses fail while 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs go out of business within the first 18 months. So if it’s easy to become an entrepreneur on the internet but not easy to be successful.

If your aim is to become rich overnight, then you are destined for failure. You will need at least two years to start seeing meaningful results.

Truth be told. Never be blown away by pictures like the one below on Facebook.

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That is the bad side of the internet. There are lots of skills that will equally fetch good money online and no cop will chase you for doing it. Skills like Web Analytics, Email Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Blogging and Social Media Administration are skills the youth can really depend on.

Starting online business.
In summary,

  1. Find a need and provide a solution for it.
  2. Write copy that sells.
  3. Design and build an easy-to-use website.
  4. Use search engines to drive traffic to your site.
  5. Establish an expert reputation for yourself.
  6. Follow up with your customers and subscribers with email.
  7. Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling.

There is no better way to explain these steps than as explained by Allen Moon of On Deck Marketing Agency.

The steps are not that different from what you will need to succeed offline. Just that your home is the internet. Your office is the internet. Your kitchen is the internet. Your bathroom is the internet.

Step 1: Find a need and provide a solution for it.

First, look for a market. Then find a product/service for that market.

The trick is to find a group of people who are searching for a solution to a problem, but not finding many results. Your companion in finding this group is the internet.

Visit online forums to see what questions people ask and what problems they're trying to solve.

Do keyword research to find keywords that a lot of people are searching, but for which not many sites are competing.

Check out your potential competitors by visiting their sites and taking note of what they're doing to fill the demand. Then you can use what you've learned and create a product for a market that already exists--and do it better than the competition.

Step 2: Write copy that sells.
There's a proven sales copy formula that takes visitors through the selling process from the moment they arrive to the moment they make a purchase:

  • Arouse interest with a compelling headline.
  • Describe the problem your product solves.
  • Establish your credibility as a solver of this problem.
  • Add testimonials from people who have used your product.
  • Talk about the product and how it benefits the user.
  • Make an offer.
  • Make a strong guarantee.
  • Create urgency.
  • Ask for the sale.

Throughout your copy, you need to focus on how your product or service is uniquely able solve people's problems or make their lives better. Think like a customer and ask "What's in it for me?"

Step 3: Design and build your website.
Once you've got your market and product, and you've nailed down your selling process, now you're ready for your small-business web design. Remember to keep it simple. You have fewer than five seconds to grab someone's attention--otherwise they're gone, never to be seen again. Some important tips to keep in mind:

  • Choose one or two plain fonts on a white background.
  • Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every page.
  • Only use graphics, audio or video if they enhance your message.
  • Include an opt-in offer so you can collect e-mail addresses.
  • Make it easy to buy--no more than two clicks between potential customer and checkout.
  • Your website is your online storefront, so make it customer-friendly.

You can get a decent website not more than $100.00. You definitely need a website if you want to do your business online.

Step 4: Use search engines to drive targeted buyers to your site.

Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a brand-new site. It has two advantages over waiting for the traffic to come to you organically. First, PPC ads show up on the search pages immediately, and second, PPC ads allow you to test different keywords, as well as headlines, prices and selling approaches. Not only do you get immediate traffic, but you can also use PPC ads to discover your best, highest-converting keywords. Then you can distribute the keywords throughout your site in your copy and code, which will help your rankings in the organic search results.

But at the long run, organic traffic is the best. It is free and it last. If this whole organic, inorganic, traffic sounds a bit technical to you then join my Telegram Group. We are learning Digital Entrepreneurship Skills. Getting people (traffic) to your website is one of the key skills I teach in the group. It is free. So feel free to join. At your convenience, you can also check on my personal website where I blog on similar Digital Content

Step 5: Establish an expert reputation for yourself.

People use the internet to find information. Provide that information for free to other sites, and you'll see more traffic and better search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your site with each tidbit of information.

Give away free, expert content. Create articles, videos or any other content that people will find useful. Distribute that content through online article directories or social media sites.

Include "send to a friend" links on valuable content on your website.

Become an active expert in industry forums and social networking sites where your target market hangs out.

You'll reach new readers. But even better, every site that posts your content will link back to yours. Search engines love links from relevant sites and will reward you in the rankings.

Step 6: Use the power of email marketing to turn visitors into buyers.

When you build an opt-in list, you're creating one of the most valuable assets of your online business. Your customers and subscribers have given you permission to send them email. That means:

  • You're giving them something they've asked for.
  • You're developing lifetime relationships with them.
  • The response is 100 percent measurable.
  • Email marketing is cheaper and more effective than print, TV or radio because it's highly targeted.

Anyone who visits your site and opts in to your list is a very hot lead. And there's no better tool than email for following up with those leads.

Step 7: Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling.

One of the most important internet marketing strategies is to develop every customer's lifetime value. At least 36 percent of people who have purchased from you once will buy from you again if you follow up with them. Closing that first sale is by far the most difficult part--not to mention the most expensive. So use back-end selling and upselling to get them to buy again:

  • Offer products that complement their original purchase.
  • Send out electronic loyalty coupons they can redeem on their next visit.
  • Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after they purchase.
  • Reward your customers for their loyalty and they'll become even more loyal.

The internet changes so fast that one year online equals about five years in the real world. But the principles of how to start and grow a successful online business haven't changed at all. If you're just starting a small business online, stick to this sequence. If you've been online awhile, do a quick review and see if there's a step you're neglecting, or never got around to doing in the first place. You can't go wrong with the basics.

Don’t forget. You are welcomed to my Digital Entrepreneurship Group on Telegram.

BTW, I’m Kaunda. I just love the internet and decited to curate this content.

Kaunda Ibn Ahmed
Kaunda Ibn Ahmed

Digital Entrepreneurship TrainingPage: DigitalEntrepreneurship

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