Online Internet business

Posted By: Peggy
Date: 2004/5/14 10:14 a.m.

Does anyone have primarily an online business?
I am wondering how many people have primarily an online business. Of those folks, how do you promote your business? (Search engine stuff and such.) I have been doing this for like 4 months now and I think my biggest problem is getting people to come to my site. I would love to hear any tips and tricks of the trade anyone would care to share.
Tnx in advance Peggy

Re: Does anyone have primarily an online business?
Hi Peggy; I use to have a website where I sold my painting patterns from.
How do I get people to come to my site?
Doing what you are doing.
Letting people know that I was there.
Joined groups and participate in them.
Then people got to know a little bit about me and decided whether or not they wanted to buy from me.
I also had items at different prices.

The smaller stuff it will give people a chance to see my workmanship before buying the expensive stuff and meanwhile I was building up credibility on Web. I can't remember how long I kept that page up, but by the time I closed it I was starting to bring in some business. I mostly closed because of lack of time.

When I started my first site..I was just learning HTML and basically just hiding on the Web and learning. Six weeks later I noticed people that I didn't know showing up. The search engines had found me.

The next website I did..I added my site to every search I could find..6 week later I saw new faces. Now I don't bother with the search engines..if anything I try to keep them out because they get into everything.

If people want to sell their stuff on the Net..I say start with free stuff..build up credibility and experience while it's still free and then move on. That way when people are not selling anything it's not costing them anything either but they are gaining a lot of experience and building up credibility. Just my experience Peggy.

But you do beautiful work and your jewellery is beautiful.
If that's what you want to do...don't look back, don't get discouraged, keep working and doing what you love to do. It will eventually pay off.

Another thing that I found about business on the Web is; it's like business in real life. Lots of long hours...either networking or building the website...and it will take anywhere between 3-5 to see the fruits of our labour. I don't think most of us will make it rich but we'll break even and a little bit more.

Seven years ago when I came to the Net I saw a lot of sites come and go. Now what we have left are sites that are serious about their work and treating it as a business. I think the Net Surfers are starting to realize that as well. lritchie

Re: Does anyone have primarily an online business?
Peggy;
Don't give too much away..but if you are giving it away anyway..let people know for sure. Remember the trick that some people use...if things are not selling don't knock down the price but hike it up? You are telling the world how you feel about your work too. Your jewelry is beautiful and as Patti said "she knows the beads are expensive and of good quality" so hang on to them and sell them to the people that will pay a fair price and appreciate them.

Use your website as a catalogue for people on the Net.
If your website is costing you too much move it over to a free supplier.
Tell everyone where they can find your things.



Put pictures on a binder and use that for people that are not the Net.
I wouldn't give my work away..because if you do give it away and not get a quick return you will be discouraged and then we'll all lose. Some people can not sell their work..let your friends do it for you. Let them spread the word. Networking on the net takes a lot of time. Send your friends here for your auctions. I will sell your work to them.

Ask people if they want to be on your email list..send them a reminder from time to time.
We all forget or get busy and need reminders. If you know people with websites..trade links. I could go on and on. Good luck Peggy. lritchie
ps..look at the jewellery that young kids are using...sell it to them...You go Girl

search engines and websites
A few years ago my friend lost her job and started a website and wanted to know how to submit to search engines. First she found out it's a lot of work if you don't want to pay to have it done for you. Second and most importantly it really doesn't work unless people have traffic using the site already. But the people that are taking our money to submit sites to the search engines won't tell us that. Everything that the site submitter's does, people we can do too. It's just it takes time. Yes..if we pay, our site will be index once..because we paid for it.



How does it work then?
The Net has spiders, robots roving 24 hours a day and they look for activity. If a site is busy the spiders stops by and indexes everything. Now if the site is not the search engines assumes it has it all and doesn't come around to index anything. So the site that needs the most help won't get it. Bottom line if you are not busy don't expect help from the search engines. If you site is really busy..you want to keep the search engines out because they eat up all your bandwidth.

Pay attention to your "Meta tags" on your website.
That's what they will look for when sending people to your site. Make sure all of your key words are in there...lots of them even some misspelled ones. Search engines still has links to pages that I closed years ago. Luci

Re: Does anyone have primarily an online business?
Peggy,
The first thing I would do is make sure there was a link to my site on every message I put out - that way we could go look at your site.... (so how do I see all your lovely jewellery??) Theresa E

Re: great questions Peggy I sure am glad Luci answered this one for you .
I have a website but don't sell off of it. I have it for reference purposes but someday may try and sell our cookbooks and food mixes off it so I sure printed off all the advice. And I love your jewelry...be sure and post the link when you answer questions etc on the boards . sharon