Get Your Visitors to Stay Longer

When you start online store web design, you must apply certain elements to your site to entice visitors to stay and look around. Whether it is your very own website or a page you have created on someone else's website, it is up to you to take the site and turn it in to prime real estate.

Most visitors will give you only a split second glance before clicking off and going somewhere else. Do not make it so easy for them to do that. Keep the following factors in mind when you are ready to start online store design.

- Make your site easy to use by even the most novice Internet users.

- Do not allow any more than three clicks to any of the pages on your store. If you have any more than that, customers will lose interest.

- Do not make your site look like the Las Vegas strip. Tone down the banners and graphics. They will create noise and confusion if not done in moderation.

- Provide helpful information to your visitors. You will appear more knowledgeable and trustworthy.

- Use a black Verdana or Ariel font for easy to read text.

- Provide a contact form on your site in case customers want to contact you. Then make sure to respond to inquiries in a polite and timely manner.

- Promote customer participation with surveys and online polls.

-Put important information at the top of your site. You will quickly lose a visitor's attention if they have to take the time to scroll down to see what your site is about. You have only seconds to make a good impression.

When you put all of the above key elements into place, do not be surprised to see longer visits from your customers on your stat counter. There will be no reason for customers to go elsewhere.

Keep it Simple

How to create an online business seems like a daunting task and it can be without a little focus. Simplify the process by pinpointing the direction you want to go. Break down the four basic ways to create an online business. Once you get familiar with the basics, you may find that you want to create a combination of the four. For now, we will just focus on them as four separate simple options.

How to Create an Online Business from Scratch - Creating your own product to sell can turn into a very lucrative business. Whether you make handmade crafts, offer a specific service, or write informational products such as ebooks, you can use your own creativity to provide an endless supply of products and services.

Market Products through Affiliate Programs - This business option allows you to promote someone else's products and receive a commission for each sale. This is done by marketing the product with the use of websites, pay per click campaigns, forums, article marketing, or other Internet marketing techniques.

Develop an Online Business with Direct Sales- An online business with direct sales offers the structure and support of the company you are promoting. You are considered an independent representative and are taken under the wing of your sponsor. You can sell a large variety of items including cosmetics, crafts, and dietary supplements.

Resell Products from Other People - This is done by reselling products from a wholesaler, drop shipper, or another individual. Online auctions are a popular platform in this type of online business.

The first step in creating an online business is to decide which type of business you want to start. With the breakdown of each of the four basic online businesses, you should be able to simplify the process and start working towards the next step of how to create an online business.

Social Networking

One of the most important steps to start online business procedures is social networking. It gives online business owners a platform to communicate with customers on a more personal level. It also offers the opportunity to reach out to a new audience of prospective clients.

Social networking is performed by making a presence on a social networking site. This is done by creating a profile about yourself and your online business and "hanging out" with people who share an interest in what your business has to offer.

Some of the most popular networking sites include MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Although networking with as many people as possible is good, networking with a specific targeted audience is even better. The emphasis should be on quality when participating in a social network. It is set up for two way communication and should be treated as such. Become a "familiar face" by offering advice and making suggestions. Take the time to really get to know others in your online social circle.

Social networking will give you an idea of what others are doing to start their online store or business which will help you with your own business. You can also participate in discussions to find out what your target audience wants. What problems are they having? What are their likes and dislikes? In addition, being a member of an online networking site will help your rankings in the search engines.

All of the steps to start online businesses are important. The social networking step is one of the newer trends in marketing an online business and if done correctly, it could be a valuable asset. In addition to attracting potential customers, it can also help in brainstorming for new ideas and developing lifelong business partnerships.

You have gone through all of the blood, sweat, and tears in order to start online business transactions only to find that no one is visiting. As tough as it may have been to start your online store, getting visitors is even tougher especially if you do not know what you are doing.

There is so much competition these days because it is so easy for anyone to create an online store in a matter of minutes. It is crucial that you get familiar with Internet marketing and search engine optimization to succeed.

If you started your online store through companies such as Ebay or Cafepress, you have the advantage of riding on the marketing and advertising coattails of their campaigns. Those companies also have a huge customer base and are known as being the "go to" place for consumer products.

If your online store is solely your creation, then it is up to you to bring in your own customer base. This can be done through internet marketing. Internet marketing will start online business transactions more quickly. It is made up of free and paid marketing. Free marketing consists of writing articles, optimizing your website with keywords, and social bookmarking to name a few. Paid marketing can include paid per click campaigns and outsourcing.

Without some form of Internet marketing, your website will most likely show up on the last page of millions of the search engine results pages. Even learning a few simple marketing tips will increase your chances of being found on the Internet and significantly increase your visitor count.

You need a trustworthy source

Sure, everyone suddenly becomes an online guru when it comes to selling you a product that will supposedly show you how to create an online business. But, their expert status is only as good as the product you buy and not the promises they make. Make sure you obtain a trustworthy source when learning how to create an online business.

Gain the trust of the product or mentor before shelling out the big bucks for anything that "guarantees" to help you create an online business that will make you a millionaire, especially if the luxurious lifestyle comes as the result of little or no work.

Finding a trustworthy source is not as hard as you think. Look for a source that focuses on helping you instead of making promises. You will be able to tell the difference almost immediately. The great thing about the Internet is that it bridges the gap between big business and your everyday average Joe. If you do not get the warm fuzzies from researching the product, service, or mentor, chances are you will not get them after you buy the product either.

Researching a trustworthy source includes reading their blogs, reviews, forums, or testimonies. Go straight to the sources of past buyers and current users. They will tell you the true story. Sure, there may always be at least one unhappy customer for whatever reason, but you will get the overall feeling by reading through all the information available to you.

Also, ask questions. If you are not learning enough through the mentioned sources seek out more information straight from the source. A trustworthy source would be happy to answer questions on how to create an online business if they truly care about helping you out.

Joy Swearingen writes articles on a variety of subjects including encouraging others to turn their passion, patience, and persistence into profits. Learn how to create an online business step by step with a trustworthy source.

Steps to Start Online Business Ventures

How to create an online business is a question many people hope to find the answer to. If only you could find the steps to start online businesses, you could start online store websites to make extra money. You could even pave your way to the freedom of quitting your day job and work for yourself at home on your own schedule.

The steps to start online business are only as large or small as you make them. How to create an online business is the easy part. DOING the “How” is where people run into problems. Once you learn the steps in creating an online business, the sky is the limit. Whether you start online stores, affiliate products from online stores, or create new products, once you have the basic steps to start online business down you will know how to create an online business as big as small as you want it to be.