Four Important Factors To Get You Started

Getting started with your online business can get a little complex. Sometimes there seems to be just too much to do. There's legal considerations and accounting and finding suppliers and choosing a selling site and... well, you get the idea. There's a lot of stuff to consider. That's what the Online Selling Association is all about; helping you work your way throught the myriad decisions and choices. There's a lot of good information to be found here and some well versed professionals to help you. Be sure to ask any questions you have, either through posts in the members forum or by using the Contact OSA link above.

The process of building your success with an online business is on-going and won't be satisfied with your first few steps. You can, however, make the journey easier by setting down a good foundation right at the start. Even if you missed these things in the beginning it is never too late to go back and attend to them. There are four things you should seriously consider as foundational building blocks, or stepping stones, to your business success.

1) A Business Plan -- There is a whole section on this site about business plans. They are, actually, quite easy to produce but they tend to be overlooked by the vast majority of small business people. A good business plan, that is reviewed and updated regularly, allows you to track your actual progress against projections and determine where you are in relation to your goals. If you are already actively involved in your business, and you don't yet have a business plan, you really should take the time to create one.

2) A Domain Name -- Having your own domain name is an important part of your business identity, or branding, on the Internet. Even if you sell through a venue (eBay, MSMO, Etsy, etc.) you should have your own domain name. Think about it. Would you use someone else's phone number or email address to get messages for your business? Perhaps, in the worst financial situation, but only until you could afford to get your own. You would (should) want control of those aspects of your business that are important to customers being able to contact you. Your domain name falls into the same category. If you move to another selling site, how will customers find you? If the site where you were says something about "this ID no longer a member" or "this store no longer found" your customers may think you have gone out of business and shop elsewhere. Having your own domain name provides a permanent contact point for your customers no matter where you sell.

Before you run out and register a domain name, however, you may want to speak to a professional who can help you with the process and provide good advice on your choices and options. Our Hutch Web Services is one company that offers this service. They have agreed to offer a significant discount to Online Selling Association members so be sure to tell them you found them here.

3) A Selling Site -- Choosing a good selling site where you can build your business is one of the first things you need to do. Moving from selling site to selling site to find one that "works for you" is not a good thing for your business. You need to investigate thoroughly first. You may even have to pay a little to get a really good site, one where you can stay and build your business over time. Find a site that lets you build your own business the way you want. This may seem unimportant but many sites dictate how you can promote your business, whether or not you can link to off-venue sites, what payment methods you can sell and even what features or sevices you are permitted to use or offer. Some of these things may not seem important at first but they will become very meaningful as you begin to expand your initial efforts.

4) A Website or Landing Page -- Your own website goes hand in hand with having your own domain name. You can forward your domain name to your selling venue, taking people directly there, but you will have less control over content, identity, and search engine optimization (SEO), all important to being found on the Internet. Even if you don't actually sell from it, having your own website, or even just a single "landing page", will allow you to create your own presence, your own "identity", on the 'net and control the content and SEO efforts. You can link from your website to your selling site(s) and provide information of interest to your potential customers that will bring them to you. You may also be able to find others willing to provide inbound links to your site if it provides useful, and interesting, information.

Sellers on Main Street Mall Online (MSMO) sell through web stores that are actually fully stand-alone websites linked from the mall site. The price of the web store includes a domain name if the seller doesn't already have one. They also get professional help with search engine optimization (SEO) for the web store and with social media marketing (SMM) promotion. This can be a very good deal when compared with the price of purchasing a stand alone website.

These four items are important considerations for every online seller. Your business plan, your online identity, where you sell your items, and how you are found on the 'net, are the key elements which will provide a solid foundation as you progress with your business into the future. A little time spent now on these items will go a long way toward your ultimate success.