How to create an online business
Whether you're launching a Web site to complement a bricks-and-mortar store or planning an Internet start-up, there are good reasons to go online.
The costs of operating an
online business are much lower than those associated with maintaining a physical store. And with more and more consumers using search engines as a basic research tool, companies that don’t promote their products and services online could be missing out on valuable business.
"In today’s marketplace, you need to be online in order to be competitive," said Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. "We can get you up and running as quickly as anyone in the business. With our support, prices and reliability, you don’t need to be a tech whiz, invest lots of time or spend hundreds of dollars to do it."
Register a domain name
The first step in creating an online business is to register a domain name. An ICANN-accredited registrar, Go Daddy registers domain names for up to 70% less than other registrars.
Build a Web site
The next step is to build a Web site or have one built for you. WebSite Tonight® is an excellent do-it-yourself Web site builder that requires no technical skills to use. Or you can have the Go Daddy Dream Design Team create a custom Web site to your exact specifications.
Once you have a Web site, you’ll need
hosting to make your site "live" on the Internet. Ad-supported
Web hosting is included free with WebSite Tonight, or you may purchase hosting for a cleaner, ad-free look to your site. For multiple Web sites or those with heavy traffic, check out Go Daddy’s
Dedicated Servers plans.
Turn your Web site into an
online store with Go Daddy’s Quick Shopping Cart® or use QSC as a standalone store. If you plan to sell things on the Internet, you’ll also need an SSL Certificate to protect your customers’ private information from being viewed as it moves to and from your site. Plus an agreement with a company that processes credit card transactions so you can offer a variety of payment options.
Market your site
The biggest challenge to
starting a business online is getting noticed. There are billions of Web sites out there and it’s easy for yours to get lost among them.
Most successful business sites use a variety of tactics to attract and retain visitors. The first is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which entails embedding key words in the text and meta tag fields of your Web pages. This improves your chances of being listed on the search engine results page when a shopper searches for your products.
A second popular option is pay-per-click advertising. You determine the key words that shoppers looking for your product are most likely to type into their search box, then create an ad for the search engines to display on the results page for those key words. Every time someone clicks on your ad, you pay a fee.
Once you have an active list of customers, you can keep them coming back with regular emails— Express Email Marketing® makes this goof-proof.
Direct mail is also useful in driving traffic to your Web site. Follow your direct mail piece with an email, timed to arrive three days after the postal mailer for even better results.
For more tips on
how to start a business online, check out
www.GoDaddyConnections.com. Articles in the Connections library cover a wide variety of topics, from marketing to financing. Connections is also a great place to exchange valuable information with other business owners, provide feedback and discuss ideas on how to better leverage your business assets.
If you need
Business Hosting, look no further than GoDaddy.com, rated the World's largest
Hosting Provider according to Netcraft. Whether you’re building a site for your business,
tracking traffic or simply coordinating schedules for your co-workers, our
eCommerce Web
Hosting solutions will have you headed for success in no time... at incredible savings. We've
put together combinations of our most popular products and made them available to savvy
business shoppers like you at low, low pricing. If your business needs more power,
Virtual Server
and
Dedicated Server plans are available, too.
Our New Business Solution gives you everything you need for your online business! You get a domain name, WebSite Tonight
(business web hosting and email included) and Search Engine Visibility. Plus, you’ll promote your business with Deluxe Registration while
getting crucial insight on your visitors with Traffic Facts. Set-up is fast and easy, and no design, marketing or
technical skills are necessary.
If you’re a web developer, get your site live on the Internet with our power-packed
eCommerce Hosting package.
It's affordable, reliable and backed with live 24/7 expert support. Plus, you’ll keep that site encrypted and secure with our
Standard SSL Certificate. This special savings package even includes Traffic Facts so you'll always have the crucial insight
you need to make your site better and more effective.
Finally, if you need ecommerce Web site hosting that includes an online store, we have a package that includes Quick Shopping Cart and Merchant Accounts, so you can sell from your Web site and accept credit cards... at big savings. Add our Standard SSL Certificate and you can run your store safely, securely and with up to 256-bit encryption.
