Have you read the last 2 blogs on 12 Point check list for building an online business? If not I really suggest you do. This blog will be adding the “meat and potatoes” in building your online business.
This blog has some affiliate links to products that I use. This means if you would make a purchase of any of the products, I may receive a commission but there is no extra cost to you.
To recap from blog 1 and blog 2, the foundation was laid that you can now start building.
Week 3 – Point 7 – Branding/Foundation
Stepping out of the medical field and into online business the language was a little foreign to me.
I didn’t know what brand I was!! Usually as a network marketer the only brand that is talked about is the company’s brand.
The people that were teaching me to bring my business online kept saying, “what is your brand”, “what is your logo”, “what are your colors”.
My color that I like is blue. A logo, gosh I had no idea and again my brand, maybe a nurse that stepped into the network marketing arena!!
As I grew in my knowledge I found other mentors. Mentors that talked with me one to one. Another reach into the wallet. What you will find out if you don’t invest in yourself the road you want to take is going to be very long and hard. You can not do it yourself.
Strengthening Your Foundation For Online Business
My mentors helped me strengthen my foundation that I could start to build. You don’t have a foundation then you are going to hear crickets and possibly for a long while.
Now you’ve got your idea and you figured out if it’s a good idea because you did your research. You decide how you are going to bring it to your audience. The uniqueness of you and your value.
Don’t forget you have your foundation for online business, your website.
I didn’t think I needed a website. As I was learning technology the thought was exciting however very scary at the same time. My first group of mentors only talked about Facebook. This is where I started and was doing ok.
As I continued growing, and now my mentors were taking me deeper into my journey, I started to realize the importance of the website for building an online business. Your website is yours and no one can take it away. Facebook can take it away whenever they want. It even has gone down for a day and there was crickets as no one could get on. If your business was on Facebook you could do nothing with or for your business. This is not a really scary thought to me now.
You can send people to your site when you do start selling your product or service.
Think of brick and mortar businesses. The owners may rent at first. If the property owner decides to sell or move everything, their business would possibly be no more. This is why a lot of brick and mortars buy their own property. It belongs to them and no one can take it away. This is the same with your website.
You have to own your space on the worldwide web. This will require domain names, hosting and all the fancy things people will do. Actually what you are doing is building your house!
As you get all of this you eventually get an email autoresponder. You have to have a way to connect with your audience after they have been to your site.
Building Online Business Sales Funnels
Don’t get discouraged if some of this particular terminology you don’t understand. The simplest way to not let it overwhelm you is thinking about how we walk through these “funnels” every day. They usually are sales funnels.
With the sales funnel at the top is a sales person coming up to you when you enter a store. That person is getting to know you and learn why you are there. Now they like you and take you deeper into the funnel and now you trust the person and buy from them. Sound familiar?
We do this all the time. Don’t let the words sales funnel scare you. Think about the process when you want to buy something. That usually isn’t scary at all.
As you will learn how to do sales funnels however one of my mentors taught me about a really easy sales funnel. It is called Samcart. This truly is so easy and fun.
When you are selling you need the funnel and Samcart is so simple. This is part of your foundation.
You have as your foundation for you building an online business, a website, an autoresponder. Samcart is your payment, checkout for digital product and delivery all in one.
Point 8 – Marketing And Branding
Point 8 of the 12 points for building an online business is marketing and branding.
One thing I didn’t mention for your online foundation is setting up your social profiles.
Your website is the logo, the wheel. The different social channels are the spokes that will bring people to your website. You have to have a presence on them.
Once you set your presence on each social media that you chose you can really dig into your branding and marketing. This is what will bring the people to your website. Your website is where you will be selling your stuff.
One way to do this is writing your blog. If you write the blog on your website and then post it out where ever your presence is on social media, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter. The blog actually stays on your website and the people come to your site to read it. This gives them a chance to look around your “store”. It helps them learn who you are because they need to know who you are before they come in.
A lot of online businesses tend to focus on the color, the fonts, the banner. This is part of it but my brand has changed from when I first came online to now. People need to learn who I am not my brand. I am my brand. As an example Mary Kay. Yes we know or most women know pink is her color. Do we really know anything about her?
She is known in the marketplace for beauty creams and make up. What are you known for golf, social media, Pinterest, blogging or homeschooling?
You have the brand apart from the colors and the fonts. It is who you are in the marketplace.
You are the brand! You will grow, your audience will also grow and so does your colors or your theme or other things about you.
These are just tips. When you are ready for them, awesome. You already have them, great. However if you are learning that is okay.
Points 7 and 8 on the check list of building an online business are about forming your foundation. The foundation is critical before you start the marketing and branding exposure efforts.
If you found value please comment below.
You may know someone that might need these tips so please share this blog and blog 1 and blog 2.
To Your Success,
Deb
6 replies to "12 Point Check List For Building An Online Business"
Excellent advice for building that foundation!!
Thanks, Heidi, for commenting.
Thanks for sharing all the great tips and reminders.
wishing you a successful and happy week.
Mary Elizabeth, you are very welcome. You have a great week also.
Deb
Deb, you make some great points. Many may not realize they need all these steps. Many go into business hoping the phone will simply ring and sales will arrive. But structure is needed. I've learned a lot in over 30 years in business.
Kebba, Yes, I’ve had my struggles learning all this however anything that is worth doing, especially becoming an entrepreneur, should be done correctly. Thank you for commenting.
Deb