Starting your Internet Marketing Business?

Delving into the world of online marketing is an exciting time for the new marketer. However, it is not surprising that the uninitiated could be daunted by the unfamiliar terminology and technology that forms an inevitable part of the journey. Unfortunately, there are also unscrupulous companies out there who will be more than happy to prey on the novice by selling basic products and services at overinflated prices. Although setting up an internet marketing business requires some expenditure, most IM beginners will probably be pleasantly surprised at how small that outlay is.

Of course, I’m assuming you have bought a computer and an internet connection, but apart from that there are seven essential acquisitions you need to make before you can get going:

1. Website editing software

This is the software on which you actually design your site. There are many options to choose from, some completely free, others in excess of £500 with many shades in-between. The free options are usually more than adequate for creating a good quality site.
There are two fundamental types of editing software (although hybrids are also available): these are raw HTML editors (suitable for those familiar with writing HTML) and WYSIWYG (pronounced ‘wizzywig’) editors. The acronym stands for ‘what you see is what you get’, and this kind of software allows you to use an interface to drag and drop your web elements onto your site.

2. Domain name

You can buy a domain name for a year for under £10. This is the name of your site (e.g. www.hsoub.com). There are thousands of domain name registrars out there so it is useful to shop around, especially since some registrars provide special offers such as free credits for Adwords or royalty-free photo sites. Domain names ending in .com are the most expensive so you could save money by choosing a .biz or .co.uk domain instead. On the other hand, you may want to pay more for a .com address if you want to attract traffic from US internet users.

3. Hosting for your website

Once you have a site and a domain name you need somewhere to put your site, in other words a ‘web host’. A web host stores your website on a server so that it can be accessed from anywhere on the planet.
It is advisable to find a host who gives you complete control over your domain. You can seriously restrict your activities by choosing a host that handles your file transfer for you. It is also advisable to choose a host which uses cPanel, a popular interface which makes your domain management much easier.
Web hosts, of which there are many to choose from, usually offer a range of packages so you need to research exactly what you get for your money. It is unlikely that you will need to pay out for a dedicated server until you are established but you might want to consider upping your package to enable multiple-domain hosting, especially if you intend to run more than one website.
Hosting is usually inexpensive, costing less than £10 a month.

4. FTP software

You have your site and your web space, now you need a way in which to move your site into that space. This requires software which employs file transfer protocol (FTP). High quality, easy to use FTP programs are available for free online or you may find that your web design software incorporates file transfer. File transfer may sound complex but it is usually a case of just dragging and dropping your files from one window to another.
However, one very important thing to watch out for is accidentally mixing up websites. Unless you specifically rename your sites’ home files, they will all be called the same thing (usually index.html). Dragging the wrong site’s home file to your domain will overwrite the original file.

5. Merchant account

Presumably you are considering internet marketing because, sooner or later, you are expecting to handle some money. Although banks can provide ways of taking money online, these are often very expensive and may only be available to companies with a high turnover (not very helpful for the start-up marketer).
Fortunately, there are several well-known online merchant account providers which enable online transactions in return for a small cut; some of them will process credit and debit cards even if the buyer does not hold an account with them.
6. Affiliate merchant (or processor)
This is a service provider that allows you to link up with affiliates who will sell your product in return for commission. Most internet marketers use affiliates to promote and sell their products and the bigger merchants enable affiliates to create links or buttons that connect straight to your landing page. They also include performance trackers so you know which affiliates and products are earning you money. Affiliate merchants are usually free to join although a one-off activation fee (usually less than £20) may be payable.

7. Mailing list manager

Although it is possible to manage your own mailing list via nothing more complex than a database and an email account, it is well worth considering investing in a mailing list manager. For less than £20 a month, the most popular programs will not only organize your mailing lists, they will supply customisable opt-in forms for your site and enable you to set up autoresponders.
An autoresponder is an online marketer’s favourite tool since it automates the process of communicating with your list. Typically, an autoresponder will be set up to send an immediate activation email to subscribers followed by a welcome email plus a series of further mails, scheduled to build interest towards a future product pitch.