HERE this!!!online business superb tips

1. Do something you love.

If you are in a business that you hate, then it's a good bet you won't be successful. Find where your true passion, talents and skills lie and get in a business that exploits them. The saying, "Do what you love and the money will follow" is true. Remember success is more attitude than aptitude and never forget
that failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.

2. Believe in yourself and think positive.

Although it certainly helps to have an in-demand product, its more important that you believe in your product whole-heartedly. If you have a positive frame of mind going into your venture, if you believe you will be successful, your energy and enthusiasm will communicate itself to others and you will be successful! It won't happen overnight, but it will happen if you plan and promote to the very best of your ability.

3. Even though it's home-based, it's still work.

One of the hardest aspects of owning your own business is maintaining the discipline or motivation to work each day. It's so easy to get distracted and put off the essential tasks that need to get done. Don't sleep late or watch daytime TV during work hours. It's tempting sometimes, but successful businesses
are built on the days that you don't feel like it, not on the days that you do. Develop a to-do list EVERYDAY. Set goals for the week. We all struggle with this and it's one of the key elements of success.

4. Only fools rush in - don't be one of them.

The first and most important thing you need to acquire in order to succeed in a small business is... knowledge. Talk to any succeessful marketer and he or she will tell you that one of the primary reasons for their success is their passion for learning all there is to learn about their business - and about the
business of conducting their business. From my own experience (I was one of the fools) I'd advise you to do all the research you can and learn as much as you can about how business operates on the internet before you take the big plunge. There are thousands of resources you can use - the best of which are all organized and categorized for you right at websuccessmaker.com.

5. Your computer is your lifeline, make sure it's reliable.

If you're planning on conducting the majority of your business on line, don't count pennies when it comes your computer set-up. Plan for success by paying a little extra up front for the fastest modem, the most memory, the speediest processor, a printer with fax, etc. It may cost a bit more up front, but you'll be grateful you did down the line.

6. Don't jump the gun in deciding what you're going to sell.

The cart and the horse thing - in essence, strategize backwards. Instead of trying to find customers for your product, look to your customers to determine your product. Target a market and find out what that market wants by joining mailing lists and networking online in discussion groups and newsgroups.
Get a feel for what your potential customers like and dislike; what they are looking for that they aren't getting. Then, after you've pinpointed exactly what it is that they're lacking or looking for, figure out a way to give it to them. Either develop the product yourself, join an affiliate program or joint venture
with an established company that has what you want to offer.

7. Plan, plan... and then plan some more.

Don't confuse tactics with an overall strategy. Tactics are day-to-day actions. A strategy is an overall plan or goal for exactly what you want your business or Website to accomplish for you and for your potential customers. You must develop a powerful strategy to both guide and empower all your marketing efforts.

8. Stand out from the crowd.

This can't be emphasized enough! Not only should you make your offer irresistible, but you should make it irresistible in a novel way. You need to develop a USP or Unique Sales Position. Visit the websites of your potential competitors and make lists of what they have and don't have. Check out how they're doing
things and figure out how you can do them better. Make a list and then narrow it down to one sentence that describes your uniqueness. This is your USP.

9. Design a content rich, customer-friendly site around your USP (or have one designed for you).

Bear in mind that most of your prospects are inherently impatient and selfish - not mine, but yours. They want to know, "what's in it for them" right up front. Fact is, you have less than a minute, perhaps only than 30 seconds, to hook your prospect into exploring your site further. Stick to the KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) principle. Every aspect of your site from your title to your ordering process should be simple and strait-forward. Explain the Who, What and Why of what you are about right up front, forget about fancy design gimmickry and concentrate on developing your content first and foremost. When
you get right down to it, that's all your prospects are really interested in.

10. Pick a domain name that is catchy and easy to remember.

Better yet, pick one that contains a searchable keyword relating to your business. Nowadays the key success factor is not so much about gaining market share as it is about gaining "mind share." This means brand recognition. Your name needs to be catchy and meaningful - to express a feeling or image in the
mind of the consumer - one that will stick with them.

11. Don't scrimp when it comes to selecting a hosting service.

It can make you look good, or it can make you look bad. Your hosting service (along with your computer) is your lifeline to your business. Pick a reputable one that offers secure server and tracking options if you plan on being in business for any length of time. A good hosting service will more than pay for itself with all the extras they provide. If you want to be taken seriously, you must take every aspect of your web business seriously.

12. Make it easy for your prospects to purchase from you.

Let's face it. E-Commerce is here to stay. According to Forrester Research, Online retail sales will hit $108 billion by 2003. Your site must have a fully-functional E-commerce system built into it. It's expected if you want to actually make sales through the Web. Visitors need to be able to purchase your
product or service at any time with just a click of a button. Your site needs to make shopping a fast, fun and easy experience. Cater to the impulse buyer and provide a simple yet effective shopping cart or ordering system. How else do you expect to make any money on the Net?

13. Keep your site up-to-date.

One way to insure that your customers or prospects return to your site on a regular basis is to keep updating it. Add new products or services or fresh content regularly. (Or have so much valuable content that it's impossible for your visitors to get through it all on a single visit.) The important thing is to
regard your business as an ongoing project that you continually revise and update. This includes regularly expanding your product or service line, which is where affiliate programs come in handy!

14. Establish your presence online.

Advertise! Promote! Tell the world about your site! Make use of every internet promotional resource to get the word out about your venture. Register with search engines, indexes, directories, guides and yellow pages. Form affiliations and exchange links. Write classifieds ads, press releases, articles, participate in discussion forums and newsgroups, use targeted opt-in lists and other online promotional tools. When you can afford it, advertise offline as well - with flyers, posters, business cards, direct mailings and newspaper classifieds (small, local papers are very effective and far less expensive than the big guns). You have to let everyone know that you exist and that you mean business.

15. Keep track of your successes and failures.

Diligently track all your advertising so you'll know which ads or promotions are working and which aren't. Scrap the ones that aren't and continue the ones that are. Keep trying out new ads and headlines and different techniques. Cyberspace is in a constant state of flux. What works well one day will not
necessarily work well the next.

16. Build your own opt-in list.

If you can't get a prospect to sign up on your opt-in list, you aren't going to get them to order anything from you. Period. So do whatever it takes to get your prospects to leave their e-mail addresses. Promise them a special report, product samples, free ads, anything to get them to leave their name and contact e-
mail, so you can mail them follow up information in the form of tip sheets, product updates or newsletters. This way your prospects will get to know you and begin to trust you.

17. Consistently follow-up with all your customers.

Find out how they like your product or service and if there is anything else you can do for them. Remember it's a lot easier to sell to a repeat customer than it is to sell to a new one. And
be sure to practice good e-mail ettiquette. Get into the habit of checking your e-mail every day, several times a day! Nothing puts off customers more than feeling that they don't matter. Don't let any e-mail inquiry or complaint go un-addressed for more than 24 hours! Be prompt and courteous your responses, and make sure you address your customer's by name in all your correspondence. Remember, it's all about customer service.

18. Be patient and consistent in your promotional efforts.

You have to be patient and think long-term. It takes a lot of work to be successful and it won't happen overnight. Plan ahead. Focus on your strategy and develop the right moves for the right time. The more thought and energy you put into promoting your business, the better your business will do. The sooner you begin attracting serious traffic to your site, the sooner you'll see your efforts and expenses validated. Take your business step by step and you'll be greatly rewarded.

19. Don't rest on your laurels.

Be prepared to always learn and change. Keep up to date with everything that's happening in your field and in the online marketing world in general. No one accomplishes all of the above key factors without substantial know-how. Keep trying novel approaches. Look for things to do more efficiently or how to improve your offering or product. Constantly evaluate your competition and benchmark yourself
against them.

20. Above all, stay committed to your plans and goals -regardless of how long it takes to realize them.

Keep your goals in mind and don't let discouragement bog you down. Remember, you learn as much from failure as from success. Building a reputable business and cultivating a customer base takes time, online or off. Realistically, it often takes six months to a year before you actually start turning a profit. If it happens sooner, great, but don't count on it. And don't slacken off too much when things are going well, as doing business online is an ongoing process, one in which you will always be fine-tuning your efforts.

Bottom line: IF YOU BELIEVE IN SUCCESS, YOU WILL ACHIEVE IT!

(c) 2002 by Gail Buckley

Gail Buckley, author of Plan To Succeed Online, a brand new, all encompassing online business planning course, offers a FREE, internet marketing opportunity & resource coordination service at http://www.websuccessmaker.com. Visit this unique entrepreneurial "HUB* site to get up to speed with all the cutting-edge tools, information & resources you'll need to succeed online.