Archive for the ‘Online Business’ Category
Having a website is part of doing business
Those businesses who don`t have a website are doing themselves a disservice. If your customers or clients cannot find you on the internet they will use your competitor’s services or buy their products and not yours. That is a fact. We can convince ourselves otherwise but no matter how we look at it anyone who is in business needs a website.
I recently interviewed several local authors who have written books and during the interview they were each asked if they had a website. Not one said yes. One author was easy to find because she is very instrumental in promoting local authors and is part of a provincial writing association. The others were not so easy to locate. What a shame, because their books are extremely interesting and important. By having a website each of these authors could be promoting their books and thus increasing sales.
Traditional marketing is not enough anymore. The phone book has almost become obsolete and with mobile devices and the internet the majority of customers look online for products or services.
I was at my daughter`s home awhile ago and asked for her phone book because I was looking for a local business and wanted their address. I was told that she didn’t have one and quickly searched on her mobile device for what I was looking for.
It doesn’t have to be difficult and it`s possible to have a site online in a few short hours. The first step is to register and purchase a domain name, contract the services of a web host server, download wordpress which is free and insert relevant content. I know it`s actually not that simple but those are the basic steps.
WordPress – Build your website Today
Domain Name: A domain name is the name you choose as the name for your website. This can be your business name, your personal name or something that represents the products or services you sell or perform. This must be registered and purchased and can only be used if no one else has already reserved it.
Choosing a name can appear to be daunting unless you are fortunate to have the name of your business or your personal name available. Probably you have heard how important it is to have names that people search for or recognize. For example if you have a shoe store in your community, then probably the name of your business is what your domain name should be. If not, choose something your customers would recognize so you are easy to find.
Example: One of my websites http://roamingrv.com had its name created as a resource for RVers while http://writefortravel.com is all about travel writing and travel. They have keywords in their names that are searched for regularly and so are easily found by anyone looking for their resources.
Companies that you can register your domain name are godaddy.com and yahoo.com but they are not the only ones. Prices vary from company to company so make sure you shop around comparing what they offer to others.
Web Host: This is a service provided to people or businesses to have their website accessible on World Wide Web. There are free web hosting services available but they may be limited in services that are offered.
It is preferable and recommended that web hosting be purchased and once again there are many organizations or companies that offer this service. There are all types of web hosting available but for the inexperienced it is advisable that they contract with a recommended reliable server.
Ask your friends or business associates what webhost server they use and do some research as to which will meet your needs. Once again compare packages and determine which one will be best for you and your business.
I personally use Hostgator and find their customer service to be excellent. Each and every time I have had questions or concerns they have responded immediately and stayed with me until my problem was corrected. I pay around $15.00 per month for an unlimited number of websites. However, there are other web host providers that are equally as good such as Reliable web hosting from Yahoo! Web Hosting – 25% off!
What is WordPress?
It is publishing software that is easy to use and has a very active community which is available for anyone needing information or assistance. Plus it is free. There are many free templates available that can be modified and plugins added to and are easy to work with. Although There are also templates available for purchasing which has more to offer but the free templates are perfectly acceptable for anyone just starting out. I still use the free template themes for many of my own sites. I also have purchased Genesis Framework and absolutely love it.
Download and Install Wordpress:
Wordpress is relatively easy to install and the process takes less than five minutes to complete. You will need access to your site and its directory and software before proceeding with the installation. This is usually done through the cPanel (hosting control panel) and using the web hosts tools. My Hostgator account offers Fantastico which automatically installs WordPress for me. Most web hosts offers tools for WordPress installation, making it much easier for the inexperienced.
Instructions as provided by WordPress for Fantastico
1. Login to your cPanel account and click on the Fantastico (or Fantastico Deluxe) option
2. Once you enter Fantastico on the left hand side there is a ‘Blogs’ Category under which WordPress is there. Click on it.
3. Click on the ‘New Installation’ Link in the WordPress Overview
4. Fill in the various details and Submit.
5. That’s it you are done!
Once your website is set up the next step is creating content and inserting it. It’s possible to have many pages, categories, sub-categories and sub-sub categories. Pictures, videos and articles can be posted and should be relevant to your product or service. Make it interesting and informative and by using the plugins and widgets available, your website will be completely yours and one of a kind.
You have now made it possible for your clients or customers to find you and have given them a reason to do business with you or your company.
All the best,
If you find this post of interest you may wish to read: Online Business, Website Information, or Cost of Domain Names and Hosting
Upgrade yours skills through VAClassroom
In spite of the fact that I believe everyone should continue to upgrade their skills and take advantage of some of the excellent training programs on the internet I have been so busy on different projects that I have not followed my own advice.
When I first started my business Lorac Virtual Solutions I signed up for as many courses and programs I thought were relevant and affordable. I was lucky to hear about Craig and Kelly Cannings’s VAClassroom and during my business startup I took a number of their courses and not once did I regret it.
However, it has just occurred to me that I haven’t checked with them in over a year and I haven’t upgraded my skills in that time either. That’s why I recently spent an hour reviewing their online training courses, workshops and mini-clinics.
Connecting through Social Media – the right way!
Social Marketing Specialist Program and the Certification Program
I signed up for these courses to help me market my business using social networks and not only did the knowledge I gained help my business I am now able to offer this service to my clients. This was an added bonus. By taking this course I had a better understanding of what social media is and how it affects everyone’s business and I learned how to create a strategy to effectively use the social networks. Not only that, it also taught me how to monitor the results and understand the implications of connecting via social media.
Blog Marketing Tips, Tools and Tactics
The course resource guide and bonus material included a 50 page WordPress Set-up and Start-up Guide, something I devoured. The 8 video lessons are easy to follow, straight forward and relevant. Craig also encourages his students to get involved in their own Social Network sharing ideas and questions about the courses.
Mini Courses for busy people
The mini courses are perfect for people like me who are extremely busy, need the skills but don’t have a lot of time. We have all heard about Facebook but we don’t necessarily understand how we can use Facebook to enhance our business – the new Facebook Pages Course looks very interesting as well as the online Video marketing Specialist Training Programs.
An Added Service to your Business
Although VA Classroom targets Virtual Assistants and provides training that will assist them in providing this service, I feel that this training is good for anyone in business whether they use the skills for their own business or as an added service. I have recommended some of their mini-courses to clients of mine who were struggling with different aspects of running and growing their businesses to their complete satisfaction.
The programs can be taken live at the time they are offered or they can be taken online on your own schedule which is perfect if you are like me and want to study at my own pace. They offer Event Planning, Wordpress training, internet marketing, Traffic Geyser, Online Video Marketing Specialist Training, HTML Training, Camtasia for VAs and the list goes on.
By accessing their training programs you will gain a membership that includes many FREE features including attendance at interactive events with guest speakers providing a lot of excellent advice and assistance. The course material is always available to refer back to at any time and I just verified that by checking the courses I took two years ago and they are still available to me.
There is also a very active forum where others will help answer questions you may have or you may even be able to help them with their problems. The monthly newsletter helps you stay on top of topics and trends. And that’s all for FREE.
Help your Clients Find You on the Internet
There is much more than what I have listed in this review so I recommend anyone who is in business and wants to create an online presence or help their clients do so, sign up for training through VAClassroom. It’s important to keep your skills fresh and up to date – something I plan on doing right away. Visit VAClassroom.
All the best,
Well, for one thing if you don’t have a website how will your customers find you or know what products you provide? 
- It really doesn’t matter what business you operate. It could be a shoe store, a B & B, a photography studio, grocery store, bakery or you offer lawn mowing. You must have a website – if only to list your services or products and contact information. That is the minimum you must have on your website if you are a business looking for new customers or maintaining your current one.
- Let’s look at the reason why many businesses don’t have a website. In doing some research and speaking with many small business owners many are still intimidated by the process, do not understand the importance of having one or think they can get along without one. And yes, they can probably still operate without having a website but think how much better their business could be if they did have one.
- Let’s use a shoe store for example. You own a local shoe store and since you live in a small town, everyone knows you and come to you when they need shoes. Wrong. Yes, your regular customers probably will still come to you because they know and like you. What about those potential customers who are searching for a specific brand of shoe that you carry but don’t know anything about you? Today’s customers do not get in their car and drive from store to store looking for something. They do a search online for exactly what they are looking for and when they find it (online) they will either contact the business directly via email or telephone and arrange a purchase or get specifics. By not having a website you have just lost that potential customer who prefers to shop online. They will probably be shopping at your competitor’s business or purchasing from another business hundreds of miles away.
- A local bakery usually has weekly specials or promotions they like to offer their customers. What better way of getting the message out than posting promotions or sales on your website maybe offering coupons, contests, etc? This is a form of advertising you cannot neglect. Combine this with a bit of social media and you will get results you could not have seen without advertising online with your website.
- Don’t let the website terminology scare you. It’s not a foreign language, even though it may seem so. Here are some descriptions to help you understand what is involved.
Think of having a website as the same as having a physical location.
- You need an address – IP address/website
- A physical location – domain name – usually it is the name of you or your business and must be purchased.
- A landlord – web-hosting company - I usually recommend that the domain name and hosting company be different
- Different areas of the store – web pages
- Doors that people enter and leave from – bandwidth
- Janitor – website designer / maintainer
That’s enough for now. Next, we will break these down further and I will show you how easy it is to have a website for your business with an effective domain name and have it hosted with a reliable hosting service. We will discuss what are the bare bone basics of what you need on your website and how easy it is to make it happen. How will you get your mail? What shopping cart or shopping basket will you use and what do you want to use for a cash register. Really important is your security system.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of having a website for your small business – it’s possible to have one up and running in a matter of hours and it doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. Just think of it in terms of having a physical address for your store and what it intails – its the same when you operate online.
We will be talking about the same things that are important to your physical business – how will you receive your mail? What furniture do you need? Do you want shopping baskets or shopping carts? What type of cash register do you need? Do you need a security system? It makes more sense when you break it down into small bite size pieces.
All the best,
PS: If you want to do some name searches for your domain name visit GoDaddy – it’s low cost, good service and very reliable. I use it when registering my domain names or those of my clients.
Prices vary! Service varies!
Every business needs to register their own domain name and get a website set up. It doesn’t matter what type of business ~ YOU NEED A WEBSITE!
However, before you can set up your website you need to register a domain name. This could be the name of your business, a service you provide or a product you sell but it needs to relate to you and your business. Even if you are not ready to get your business online you still should get your domain name registered before someone else comes along and grabs it.
The cost varies and you should shop around and also ask your friends or business contacts who they used and if they would recommend them. I have used a couple of registries and have been happy with any of them I used. At the bottom of this page is a link for Register.com with a coupon to help you save some money! I always like a deal so thought I would pass that one on.
Host – I recommend that you do not use the same company as the host for your website. What if one company folds? You still have the other one and it will be much easier to be up and running quickly. Not that any of them will close their virtual doors but why take a chance.
So get your domain name registered! Today. Oh, by the way I try and use .com for any of my sites – which is the most popular.
Have a great day!
Join me and other Virtual Assistants by taking the Viitual Assistat Industry Survey.
This survey will help us learn more about our industry and give us pointers and assistance to grow our businesses.
As you may know, the Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) is in the middle of its annual Virtual Assistant Industry Survey. We’re shooting for 800-1,000 participants by April 1 this year and so far we’re at 509. Everyone who participates get a free copy of the 75-100 page results report. The sooner we meet goal, the sooner everyone gets their complimentary copy.
Help us reach our goal! Take the survey today! Click here to view more details
All the best,
