Internet Marketing First Steps

The first steps to internet marketing success may seem like a challenge, but it will all go smoothly if you take it one step at a time. Remember that every step and every breath you take will either move you closer to or further away from your dreams and goals.

Here are the internet marketing first steps I recommend for you to take over the next seven to ten days.

• Think about the lifestyle you would like to create for yourself and your family. Now think about the business that would enable you to live that lifestyle. Make some notes in a journal or online document to express exactly what your life will look like when you set up a business on the Internet.
• Choose a niche topic to focus on, at least for the next six months. Start out with a broad topic and then niche it down over time. It might be something as general as business, health, personal development, or lifestyle. The idea here is to get you used to the process of building a business online, and then giving you the time to find your sweet spot of the more specific area and audience you wish to serve.
• Purchase a domain name to use for your website. This can be your name, or anything else that is suitable for your topic. If won’t ever seem like the perfect choice, so simply choose a domain and know that this can always be changed later on.
• Set up a hosting account so your domain will have a place to live on the Internet. My recommendation is Blue Host Solutions because of their commitment to working closely alongside new online entrepreneurs.
• Use the one-click installation of WordPress to create your site. The hosting company is happy to do this with you, or you may contact me to have it set up.
• Begin adding content to your site, using original, PLR (private label rights), or curated content. The ideal scenario is if you add content twice a week, but if your schedule does not allow time for that right now, post once a week for at least the next six months.
• Start thinking about your ideal prospect and what he or she needs most when it comes to your topic. Remember that first and foremost the purpose for any business you can think of is to serve the needs of a specific group of individuals. Online business is no different, and once you understand this concept your business will flourish. For example, the people I serve wish to have a business they can run from home, or from anywhere in the world they happen to be, with just a laptop computer and an internet connection. Many of them have health issues, are caring for an aged family member, or raising children or grandchildren. This requires them to be home or on the road, yet they still want and need a substantial income to meet their financial obligations. Other have lost their jobs or simply no longer wish to be at a job that no longer serves them but still need a six figure or greater income. I help them to get started and to build a business that enable them to live the lifestyle they have chosen while still being there for the people in their lives who need them.
• Add an optin form to your site so that you can start building a subscriber list from the very beginning. People who do not do this cite it as the reason they did not build their business as quickly as they could have if they had done so. I recommend Aweber for this part of your online business. Send a relevant and interesting email message to the people on your list at least twice a week, sharing more about yourself and what you have to offer them. Be of service to these people, as they are the backbone of what you are working to achieve as an online entrepreneur.
• Create a short report to use as your free giveaway to encourage visitors to your site to opt in to your list. Put your best foot forward by providing valuable information here.
• Choose one or two of the business models I have outlined in this post on multiple streams of income and learn as much as possible about them. Resist the temptation to get involved with more than two of these during the first six months you are working online. I have written more than a dozen books that can help you with the specific details of most of these income streams.
• Get involved with social media, but remember my motto to “Get in, get out, and get back to work!” I recommend Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus, and YouTube to get started with.
• Start your own Channel on YouTube to share videos related to your business. My YouTube Channel has proved to be extremely valuable to my business.
• Attend at least two live marketing events each year. This was the single most important factor in helping me to move forward quickly in my business.
• Know that starting an online business requires the least capital of any type of business you can start. Your time and dedication will pay off handsomely if you jump in and get started.
• Take action daily!

I certainly hope these internet marketing first steps have been helpful to you. Please connect with me personally to let me know where you are now, what you are working on, and how I may be a part of your success story.