you are contemplating setting up a small online business you should realise it is simply to down to a numbers game.
The difference between businesses that succeeded and ones that do not is down to their conversion ratios, meaning the ratio of visitors who actually become paying customers.
If one in 50 of your visitors become a paying customer, then you will have a conversion ration of 2%. All businesses should aim to increase this ratio, simple things like using enticing tactics such as a sale can help.
The trouble is nowadays people seem desperate for visitors, they panic and pay for batches of visitors. Unfortunately these systems rarely increase your conversation ratio at all; in fact all they do is give you a false perception of your business.
A lot of online small business owners make 3 mistakes:
1. They put Google Adsense/affiliates everywhere, in my opinion these are good systems but they do detract from your core business.
2. They make their websites too complicated, when marketing to a worldwide audience; keep your website simple and easy to follow.
3. They get greedy, their prices are too high.
These points may seem obvious but it is often the most obvious things that people miss.
Here are some general guidelines for small business owners.
1. Spend time researching your website development.
2. Have an understanding of ‘Keywords’ and how they benefit your site.
3. List with the main search engines and directories.
4. Have patience, especially in the first year.
5. Be imaginative
6. Don’t be greedy, don’t scare potential customers away.
Remember do not get carried away by the amount of visitors to your site, simply work on improving your conversation ratio, by doing this year on year you will be well on your way to running a successful business.