| In the first part we talked about why creating your | | | | own domain with full control. Without your own |
| own online business is so interesting the basic parts | | | | website your earning potential is pretty limited, but again |
| you need and the mindset, to take action. In this part | | | | this can be done cheaply if you are on a limited budget. |
| we will get into more detail on what you need, | | | | Registering a domain name costs less than $10, and |
| resources and mindset. | | | | you can get (quality) web hosting for less than $80 per |
| So I think, in theory, most of us know what they should | | | | year. |
| do, but do note act accordingly. But to get started, | | | | To build your site, in most cases your choice may be |
| there is no better way to learn than by doing, failing, | | | | the WordPress platform. Although initially designed to |
| getting up again and improve and retry or start over | | | | make installing and maintaining your own blog a breeze, |
| with another idea if the first REALLY proved to have | | | | even for non technical people, over the years |
| not worked out as we expected. | | | | WordPress has advanced so much that it allows you |
| I am not telling you, that you should insist on an idea, | | | | to build very professional websites. WordPress is free, |
| even it seems to make no sense; what I'm trying to | | | | very easy to manage and has loads of free designs |
| explain is that you should not give up too early and not | | | | (called themes) and thousands of free plugins (add-on |
| let you get distracted by all the "amazing" new ideas | | | | functionality like a contact form, semi-automated SEO |
| you will get bombarded with, as soon as you start | | | | tools or widgets) that can be added to your |
| giving away your email to get some free content or | | | | WordPress website with a few clicks of your mouse. |
| subscribe to some newsletters. It happened to me and | | | | Although most decent hosting companies have |
| it has happened to millions of others like us. Why | | | | WordPress ready to be installed in minutes, you can |
| should you be so different? Be selective with what | | | | also download the latest version on WordPress.org |
| you SPEND your time with, stick to your plans and try | | | | In case you do not want invest initially in your own |
| to learn a few things good to very good. | | | | website, you could also have a WordPress site |
| Let's take a friend of mine as an example. He is pretty | | | | installed on Although functionality in this case is more |
| good at SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which | | | | limited it may be a good way to start of quickly. |
| helps him get his pages well positioned in Google's | | | | Another, similar option is creating your own blog, using |
| search results fro quite competitive terms, and as a | | | | a service like Both will host your site on their server for |
| consequence, get "free" traffic. Well; not really "free", | | | | free. |
| because he has to put quite some work in it. He also | | | | Bear also in mind that you don't need to learn |
| does SEO professionally for his customers, and this is | | | | everything and do it all yourself. Think about tasks you |
| how he really got into the Internet Marketing Business. | | | | do not like o lack skills and outsource them ASAP. The |
| But then he thought that he could probably get traffic | | | | best way to start doing this is to hire freelancers on a |
| with less effort if he invested in paid traffic. There are | | | | project base on sites like elance.com, scriptlance,com |
| hundreds, if not thousands of ways to drive traffic to | | | | or |
| your website and he tried quite a few of them, but | | | | As mentioned before, there is a much steeper learning |
| most of the times it was a waste of time and/or | | | | curve that most people expect. If you don't make any |
| money. To be clear again, he did not fail because the | | | | sales at the beginning, stay calm and just keep trying |
| methods did not work or because he isn't smart | | | | out different things and learning from your mistakes. |
| enough; there are thousands of internet marketers that | | | | No-one makes lots of money instantly with no |
| use them successfully. He failed because he never got | | | | experience. It takes time. |
| to skill level that would have allowed him to really take | | | | One very important point I want you to take in serious |
| advantage of the methods. When he saw that it did | | | | consideration is the following phrase: "The money is in |
| not deliver the results as expected he moved on to | | | | the (contact) list!" No product sells forever, and without |
| the next "cutting edge" traffic driving method. | | | | building a list of customers and prospects to contact |
| Now he finally is concentrating on SEO again and took | | | | you will have to start over again with each new |
| advantages of his main skills. Having said this, I won't | | | | product. I would highly recommend having an optin |
| stop here, but he will choose much more carefully on | | | | form to capture emails, where visitors to your site can |
| what he will INVEST his time and money. | | | | choose to receive valuable emails or a free eBook |
| Most of the resources that you need to start making | | | | from you. This way, even if you are not making any |
| money online can be found for free or pretty cheap. | | | | sales during your initial phase, at least you are building |
| Although for a very limited area you may not need a | | | | up your mailing list, which many successful marketers |
| Website, in the end you will find out that it's best to | | | | claim is their most valuable asset. |
| have your own site, and even better if you have your | | | | |