Starting an online business is a great to create a regular income for yourself. I've put together a list of resources to help you with building your online business.
Before we start, here's few things to remember when starting a business:
- Create a strategy, set goals for yourself with milestones that you must reach
- Business is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take time to see results so don't get discouraged.
- Know what your customer needs. "Build it and they will come" doesn't work in the modern age, you need to research your customers biggest pain points and provide a solution for their problems.
- How to find out your customers problems: When conducting product research look at customer reviews and see what customers are complaining about. Browse all of the 1–3 star reviews to see what you can improve upon.
- Don't be afraid to delegate. As you business grows you'll need to hire assistants and employees to take of tasks you no longer have the time for. Don't be afraid to step back and delegate these tasks to an employee or assistant.
Okay, that's the main opening points, now lets into the resources.
Take your business online
Every website needs an online presence and the internet is the best place to give your business maximum visibility. The easiest way to get your business online is with a website.
When it comes to building your website there's a few ways you can do this:
Use a website builder
A website builder is an all-in-one solution that includes web hosting, a website and domain name. Website builders are the easiest way to get your business online.
If you're looking for an affordable website builder, you can use Squarespace to build an online store starting from $12 per month.
This guide explains Squarespace's pricing plans: Pricing for Squarespace: Squarespace Costs Explained. For most people the business plan is enough for an online business, with a decent cost.
Use WordPress
For those of you who are more technical, you might want to build your own website on WordPress, to this you'll need a domain name and web hosting.
The following guides will help you get started:
- What Is Web Hosting? What is a Domain Name? Difference Between Domain Names and Web Hosting Explained - Guide that explains what domain names and web hosting are.
- How to install WordPress | WordPress.org - Official guide on how to install WordPress.
- The Best Web Hosting Services for Small Businesses - 2020 - Guide explaining highlighting different web hosting services.
If you plan to sell online, you can use WooCommerce, a WordPress plugin that converts your WordPress site into an online store.
- Start with WooCommerce in 5 Steps - WooCommerce Docs - Official guide on how to install and get started with WooCommerce.
- 7 Ways You Can Use WooCommerce to Make Money Online (2020–2021) - Guides showing 7 different ways in which you can use WooCommerce to make money online.
If you can't decide on whether to use WordPress or a Website Builder, the following resources will you help you to make an informed decision:
- Elementor vs Squarespace: Which Website Builder is Best For You? - Guide comparing Elementor and Squarespace.
- Web hosting vs WordPress vs Website builder? Which one is the best - Guide comparing WordPress, Web Hosting and Website builders.
Best Phones for Business
Modern technology has made it easier than ever to run your business whilst on the move, you can do everything from answering emails to even web design from your smartphone.
You may find the following guides helpful for choosing a smartphone that is suitable for business:
- Best business smartphones in 2020 | TechRadar - List of the best business smartphones in 2020.
- iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: Which One Is Better? (Buyer's Guide) - Guide on whether to get the iPhone 12 or iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 vs iPhone XR: Which One Is Better? (Buyer's Guide) - Guide on whether to get the iPhone 11 or iPhone XR
Closing Thoughts
Starting an online business doesn't have to be intimidating or difficult, the next step is to get started, so what are you waiting for?