Business Marketing & Finance Resources

You have heard how easy it is to make money online but are skeptical about it. Yes, there are a lot of scams out there. However there are also money making gems which you can capitalize without any investment risks on your part.

Yes, internet can give you many opportunities to make money from the comfort of your own home. You can be your own boss without reporting to anyone and without anyone reporting to you. Unlike any brick and mortar businesses, if you know how to make money from the internet, there is with almost no financial risk on your part because there is no investment required if you choose not to invest your money.

The bad news is that, most internet work from home internet businesses are doomed before they can take off. This is because an online business is just like any other businesses which need dedication, perseverance and some educated knowledge.

So, is it easy to make money over the internet? Yes, it is, if you know how to. Many people thought that once they have their websites or blogs set up, they are in business. This thinking is wrong. Having your online websites up is just the beginning of your online journey.

About 3 years ago, I responded to a newspaper advertisement about easy ways to make money online seminar. I booked my seat and was listening to speaker after speaker on how they made a fortune over the internet. At the end of the seminar, I was convinced to part with a few thousand dollars to buy a few websites, some books and CDs about internet marketing education and making money from home.

When my websites went life, I was elated. I started waiting for my first customer. Days and then weeks went by. Then I begin to realize that not only do I not have any customers, I hardly even have any visitors to my sites. My websites are virtual ghost towns.

Then I started to do more research on website marketing, join some online courses and bought some online marketing tools. To cut the chase, it took me another year and plenty of trial and errors to finally see my websites climbing up the search engines and getting thousands of visitors everyday. Now my internet businesses are making me plenty of money, however, it was a long and tedious process.

Since I now know how to get my websites found by thousands of people every day from the search engines, then I can create more successful websites and sell more things. Do you think I was happy? Well in a way, yes. But internet marketing also sapped up a lot of my strength and energy.

You see, I have to reply to customer’s enquires everyday, send out orders, keep inventory etc Just like any other businesses. Yes, these are happy problems because I am getting businesses while 90 percent of internet businesses don’t.

This was until I stumbled across upon a certain website. Upon reading this website, I was reminded that success coaches like Anthony Robbins and Robert Kiyosaki always teach about building multiple passive income streams to be wealthy. Yes, my internet businesses can be classified as multiple income stream and are earning me money which I have never earned before, but they are certainly not passive. There was a lot of work involved.

Now, I got my hand on the internet marketing education book from that website and learned how to make multiple passive income streams without spending a single dime, well, except for the price of the book. I was taught to build blogs. Yes, make money over the internet by blogging.

With the information, I started a few blogs, each bringing me its own income and money without me doing anything if I want to unless I want to improve on them. So what are these businesses without investment risks and products of your own? Some of you may already have known, but not doing anything about it. They are affiliate marketing and pay-per-click advertising.

One of the hardest parts about having an online business is the marketing part. With a store front, people actually get to walk by and see you, and your merchandise. With an online business it’s a bit more difficult to do so. Online marketing becomes a vital part of your online business, and there are numerous ways.

First and foremost, before you begin marketing your online business, make sure that it is ready to be marketed. Don’t try to market a business that is not finished. Nothing irritates customers more than getting interested in your product only to find that it is not yet available. If your business is affiliate marketing then you are all set, there is no product on your end to make, just promote.

One of the fast and furious ways to market your online business is social networking. In this day and age, almost everyone with something to say is on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Make accounts on these, make friends in the same area of interest as your product and naturally they will be intrigued at least enough to visit the site and read a bit more. Keep in mind, your landing page will have a lot to do with the consumer buying or leaving once they get there but that’s for a whole other article.

Another time tested way of marketing your online business is area specific forums. Forums are a place where like minded individuals gather to share ideas, stories, thoughts, and horror stories of experiences. A lot of forums are free, some do have a small fee associated with them. Do not exclude a forum based solely on the fact that there is a fee involved. Most people would agree that the free info can be tainted, but the info that people are paying to be a part of may have a bit more credibility. Do some searching, find a forum that is in your niche and area of interest, make an account, and begin to post, questions, answers and generally anything related to the forums. Most forums allow for a signature area, this is where you would put your website. Every time someone reads your posts, they see your site.

Finally, the best form of marketing is always word of mouth and testimonials. Testimonials are the heart of online consumerism. Most people are terrified to make a purchase on a whim online, and testimonials help ease the pressure. Above all else, theses testimonials need to be authentic, give away a free sample or “trial” and ask for a review. For example, the first time we provided our Ebook to the public we gave away the first 1000 who signed up and simply asked for a review of the product. We used those reviews and testimonials to ease the consumer and make the experience a bit less stressful.

Marketing your online business can be challenging. But if done right, it can be one of the most rewarding experience in your new business.