How To Start A Website

To start any website you need a name or URL, you need to host your website somewhere, you need the ability to design and edit web pages with software, and you need a shopping cart and merchant account.

You also need to know how to program your website, along with marketing and advertising it

Now for the expenses. Your website name or URL can cost around $10 a year, the software to make your web pages can cost a few hundred of dollars, hosting a website can cost hundred or more, and finally, a merchant account with a shopping cart can cost hundreds more.

So, you are looking at anywhere from $500 and up, and that is still not figuring in advertising and marketing, graphics, etc You need to be able to market your website or no one will know you are there. As you can see a traditional website could run you into the $1000s.

So what are the intangibles that you will need?

First, if you want to make money online, you need a laser tight niche. A specific market where you solve a problem or find a need and fill it.

Then second, you need to be able to edit and update the content on a simple website.

The third thing you need is to build relationships with a list of subscribers. Research shows that most sales online are made from the 5th to 10th contact. So build an email list.

Fourth, you need to know how to monetize your site. Money is really only made two ways online, one is through advertising and the other is through selling products. Either you develop a content site that sells advertising, or you develop a content site that sells products, or both. Just remember that Content is King! People arent looking to be sold, they are looking for INFORMATION.

Fifth, no matter what you do online you need content or niche information. People are not going online to buy things, they go online looking to solve problems and/or find information. Let me say that again… People surfing the web are looking for INFORMATION!

Lastly, you need traffic. If people don’t come you cannot build a relationship, so get them there.

When starting a website, there is always unforeseen challenges. That is ok.

Most days you are going to come up against obstacles, the key is that you do not give up, just figure it out and make those course corrections. That is just business… the road is not always easy, but that is what makes it exciting, right?

Like Cortez in history, burn your ships and just keep going forward. Success comes to those who don’t quit. Eventually you will figure out how to overcome those unforeseen obstacles, just keep trying.