Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies

by Shannon Belew, Joel Elad

Overview

Start a successful online business—and be your own boss!

Being an online entrepreneur means more than just building a website—and this book breaks down everything you need to know to be successful. Inside, you'll get plain-English explanations and easy-to-follow instruction on online business basics, legal and accounting issues, website design, Internet security, boosting sales, e-commerce, and so much more.

While the ideas and concepts behind starting an online business are tried and true, the tools available to entrepreneurs change and evolve quickly—and often. Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies gets you up to speed on the best new tools, resources, and communities, and shows you how to best leverage them to up your chances of success.

• Discover your niche and create a business plan
• Design your website and storefront
• Increase your reach and market with social media
• Choose the best web host for your needs

If you're a budding entrepreneur with dreams of running your own online business, this book has everything you need to get started and grow your company to extraordinary heights!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781119315520
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/30/2017
Pages:	912
Sales rank:	443,159
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

Shannon Belew currently leads the digital marketing strategy for Digium, a global, open source communications company, and is a frequent guest speaker and freelance writer. Joel Elad is the head of Real Method Consulting, where he provides consulting and advice for e-commerce companies and entrepreneurs.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Book I: Online Business Basics 7

Chapter 1: Starting from Scratch 9

Chapter 2: Turning Internet Dreams into Reality 17

Chapter 3: Getting Real: Creating a Usable Business Plan 31

Chapter 4: Finding Money to Fund Your Online Start-Up 39

Chapter 5: Creating Policies to Protect Your Web Site and Your Customers 57

Chapter 6: Setting Up Shop: Everything You Need for Online Efficiency 67

Book II: Legal and Accounting 83

Chapter 1: Minding the Law 85

Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Foundation — from Partnerships to Corporations 95

Chapter 3: The Trademark-and-Copyright Two-Step 103

Chapter 4: Accounting for Taxes (and Then Some) 111

Book III: Web Site Design 133

Chapter 1: What's in a (Domain) Name? 135

Chapter 2: Designing Customer-Friendly Sites 149

Chapter 3: Building a Site without Spending a Fortune 165

Chapter 4: Finding the Host with the Most 187

Chapter 5: Writing Content that Search Engines Want to See 195

Chapter 6: Lights, Camera, Action! Taking Your Site Live 205

Book IV: Online and Operating 213

Chapter 1: Determining Your Revenue Model 215

Chapter 2: Making Money with Affi liate Programs 239

Chapter 3: Turning Information into Profit, from e-Books to Webinars 249

Chapter 4: Paying with the Right Payment Options 263

Chapter 5: Putting the (Shopping) Cart before the Horse 273

Chapter 6: Taking Inventory 285

Chapter 7: Fulfilling Expectations and Orders 293

Book V: Internet Security 315

Chapter 1: Understanding Security and Your Risks 317

Chapter 2: Developing a Security Plan 329

Chapter 3: Attacked! What to Expect from the Net-Thief 341

Chapter 4: Securing Your Site and Your Business 355

Chapter 5 : Overcoming Security Concerns in the Wireless World 365

Book VI: Boosting Sales 373

Chapter 1: Driving Traffic, Driving Sales 375

Chapter 2: Special-Edition Public Relations for the Web 383

Chapter 3: Web Marketing at Work 397

Chapter 4: Converting Browsers to Buyers 423

Chapter 5: Analyzing and Monitoring Your Customers 445

Chapter 6: Mastering Search Engines, Optimization, and Rankings 469

Book VII: Retail to E-Tail 491

Chapter 1: Knowing When to Put Your Store Online 493

Chapter 2: Understanding the Differences between In-Store and Online Customers 507

Chapter 3: Window Dressing for the Online Display 515

Chapter 4: Making In-Store Customers Loyal Online Shoppers 523

Chapter 5: Expanding Close to Home with Localization and Mobile Marketing 531

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting the Transition to E-Tail 543

Book VIII: Storefront Selling 553

Chapter 1: Instant E-Commerce with Storefronts 555

Chapter 2: Mastering the Amazon 563

Chapter 3: Let's Hear It for Yahoo! 577

Chapter 4: Making eBay THE Way 593

Chapter 5: New Storefronts, New Opportunities 613

Book IX: Fundraising Sites 633

Chapter 1: Raining Donations: Why Not-for-Profit Is Big Business Online 635

Chapter 2: Adding Online Moneymakers to an Existing Site 643

Chapter 3: Getting the Donor Base to Come to You 659

Chapter 4: More Online Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits 669

Chapter 5: Legal Considerations for Nonprofit Organizations 679

Book X: Niche E-Commerce 687

Chapter 1: Discovering Niche Markets 689

Chapter 2: Identifying Niche Markets That Keep Paying: Kids, Boomers, Pets, and More 695

Chapter 3: Blogging for Profit 711

Chapter 4: Learning to Spot and Capitalize on E-commerce Trends 727

Book XI: E-Commerce Advanced 737

Chapter 1: Overhauling Your Business 739

Chapter 2: Redesigning to Win New Customers 749

Chapter 3: Expanding Products to Increase Stagnant Sales 765

Chapter 4: Nurturing (and Bringing Back) Customers 775

Chapter 5: Revisiting Marketing Strategies 785

Chapter 6: Hiring Experts to Get Business Rolling Again 803

Chapter 7: Transitioning a Small Site into Big Business 815

Index 829