Internet Business Ideas Channel
Start an Internet Business/Internet Sales Business
If you don't want to sell information products, downloadable products, or run a membership type website, then starting an ecommerce business is the perfect business model for you. If you are not sure what type of products to sell online, or need ideas on choosing a niche, then you've landed on the right page! Now more than ever is a great time to start your ecommerce business.
Step 1. Choose a Niche - What Do you Want to Sell Online?
The first step is to choose a niche. Check out the lists below to get a feel for what niche you may want to enter online and then go to step number two.
Apparel Internet Business
Automotive
and Tool Internet Business
Beauty and
Health Internet Business
Bed and Bath Internet Business
Books,
Music & Movies Internet Business
Computer and Laptop Internet Business
Consumer
Electronics Internet Business
Fashion
Accessories Internet Business
Gift, Craft
and Hobby Internet Business
Home and Garden Internet Business
Industrial
Supply Internet Business
Jewelry and
Watches Internet Business
Kitchen/Housewares Internet Business
Kids and Baby Internet Business
Leisure and
Sports Internet Business
Toys and
Collectables Internet Business
Step 2. Supplies and Order
Fulfillment
In order to start your
internet-based business you
will need a large supply of
products. Naturally you're
not going to want to create
your own products or even
ship the products out
yourself; this is where
using drop-ship vendors will
fulfill this task.
We recommend you check out:
Doba
As you locate drop-ship vendors each drop-ship vendor will need to obtain your EIN (Employer Identification Number) in order to use their services. You can apply for an EIN online at the Internal Revenue Service's website. If you plan on running your business as a sole proprietor you may not need to obtain an EIN. You can simply use your social security number when submitting your information to each drop-ship vendor.
Before heading off to apply for an EIN from the IRS, now is a good time to start thinking about what type of business entity you would like to form:
Download the Legal Structure Mini Guide
Generally, if you use a service online to form a corporation the service provider can also obtain an EIN for you -- saving you valuable time. Or, you can consult with your Lawyer or Accountant to help you get set up.
Step 3. Building your Online Business Storefront
Once you've located
reputable drop-ship vendors,
you'll need a robust online
shopping cart. There are
many shopping cart service
providers on the Internet --
so much so that it can
become quite confusing on
selecting one.
Here are your choices for
creating an ecommerce store:
Using a website builder
Hiring a Web programmer
Using an online shopping cart service
Using a shopping cart script
The Easiest Way to Build an Ecommerce Store
The easiest way to build your online
storefront is using an online shopping cart
provider. The benefits of using an online
shopping cart provider are:
- No graphic design skills needed
- No programming necessary
- Comes with email accounts
- Comes with free store templates
- Use PayPal and Google
Checkout
- Bulk product imports and exports
- Automated thumbnail image
creation
- Customers can create wish lists/registries
- UPS, Fed Ex & USPS integration
- Customers can track & view order
history
- Real-time inventory control
- Setup drop shippers & automatically route orders to those warehouses
- And more!
We highly recommend you check out Network Solutions to help you build a great looking online store easily!
*If you need a more affordable solution, please check out our hosting services as well.
Step 4. Marketing and Advertising
Once you have your online storefront set up,
it's time to start getting the word out
about your new online business. The fastest
way to bring potential customers to your
online store is purchasing pay-per-click
advertising. There are many advertising
networks online, but you should start out
first with all the major online advertising
networks like Google AdWords, Yahoo Search
Marketing, and the Microsoft AdCenter.
Using services like Google AdWords will
allow you to display text ads, video ads,
banner ads, and even audio ads. Although you
will need some money to use these services,
it's a sure fire way to bring in interested
buyers looking for your products. At first
you will need to play with your ad copy and
keywords to ensure that you are converting
those clicks in to actual paying customers.
Build an Ecommerce Store Easily...
Discover Drop-Ship Vendors...
