Creating an online presence can seem daunting to anyone without any technical or digital skills. As daunting as it might seem, starting an online business is actually fairly straight forward because all you have to keep in mind are three things: brand, hosting, and hybrid content. If you can keep these three components of an online business in mind, you can start yours and begin earning your fair share of passive income.
1. Domain
The very first thing you will want to do is determine what your domain name will be. A few years ago, people clamored for what is known as the .com extension. A domain name with a .com extension is the most popular because it was among the first domain extensions available, but many new ones are available.
The best place to get your domain is a domain host, such as Namecheap.com, which offers cheap yet reliable domain hosting. You will want to research your domain name because many domains are taken. Prior to selecting yours, you will want to determine if someone is already running an online business with a domain similar to the one you want to use.
2. Hosting
Once you have determined your domain name, you will need to find a web host. A web host operates the servers on which your website will run. For instance, some of the best web hosts include the following:
- Host Gator
- Blue Host
- WP Engine
- PowWeb
Selecting a hosting company requires you to determine which one offers the best price, storage, and site speed. Of course, you should check online reviews for hosts that offer the best customer service and up-time. Once you select your hosting company, you can create an account, pay the monthly fee, and install your website.
3. Content management system
WordPress is a common content management system (CMS), and it allows you to select a template that will give your site its appearance. You can also choose Joomla or Drupal.
Whatever CMS you choose, you should be able to use the control panel in your hosting account to install your site with just a couple clicks of your mouse. Once the CMS is installed in your hosting account, you will be able to begin adjusting the template and publishing content via the CMS control panel.
4. Hybrid
When it comes to running an online business, you can run an e-commerce site if you sell things, or you can run a blog if you publish content. If you conduct reviews, you might consider video reviews via YouTube. If you want to run an e-commerce site but only have a limited number of products, you can consider running an affiliate site and sell the products of others.
Whatever type of site you run, you will want to actually consider creating a hybrid business that consists of all these types of content. Doing so will help you reach many more potential customers.
In the same way a restaurant offers many types of food and drinks, you will want to publish different types of related content via a variety of mediums.
5. Affiliate
Running an affiliate site just by itself is one of the most successful types of online businesses because the parent company supplies the product as well as fulfillment. All you have to do is create a website that generates traffic. As you generate traffic, a certain percentage will make purchases from the parent site, and you will get your commission.
Moreover, whatever type of business you are running, you can always find high-quality products that offer commissions for each sale. The good thing about adding affiliate products to your business is that many are available via Amazon.com, or you can find products by visiting sites and checking their menu to see if an affiliate program is offered. If so, all you need to do is create an account, select products to sell, and paste the affiliate code into your website.
Once the affiliate code is in your website, the site images and text will appear on your site along with a link customers can use to finalize the purchase. The link keeps track of your affiliate ID number, and you will receive your payments as soon as you reach whatever payout threshold the parent company requires.
In terms of setting up an affiliate program, it is often best to purchase a training program like the one from Entre Institute. This type of program walks you through setting up your affiliate site and helps you cover all essentials to maximize revenue. Read the in-depth Entre Institute review on jessesingh.org to get more information about the training.
6. Content
The final thing to consider when starting your online business is how often you will publish new content. To keep the interest of your readers, you will want to publish frequently.
The average publication frequency should be daily or every other day. As you publish more content and as your content begins showing up on search engines, you will find the site growing and your sales increasing.
