"If you're not on the internet, you don't exist"—does that phrase sound familiar? A few years ago, it might have made you laugh. But today, it's practically a reality because almost everyone uses the internet to search for what they need, even when it's right around the corner. That's why so many people are creating websites and pages, but how do you start an online business that truly has a future and doesn't end up closing down after six months or a year?
Nobody, and we repeat, nobody can guarantee that your business will prosper when you have finished it. If someone does it, run away. And it is that, sometimes, we lose common sense because of the story of the milkmaid (and we already know how it went). But what we can tell you is that there are a series of steps that it would not hurt to take into account in order, with a cool head, to start an online business that is maintained over time. Do you want to know what those are?
The super important steps to start an online business
Whether you're launching a business, creating an eCommerce site, or anything related to the internet, the first thing to keep in mind is that it doesn't happen overnight. To give you an idea, building your personal brand—the one that will give you authority and make you known—can take between one and three years (and most of the time it's closer to three than one). In the case of a business or an eCommerce site, this can extend to five years. And would you be willing to endure the potential losses during that time? Most likely not.
For this reason, decisions cannot be made lightly, it must be studied very well. And these steps can help you do it.
analyze your idea
It's not enough to think that your idea is brilliant, that everyone will want it, that you're going to succeed with it. Ask yourself why it's so good, why other people will want to buy it.
You have to analyze what your product or service is like, if it has a future, if it is scalable... All of this must be answered before even starting any procedure.
Our recommendation is that you try to find an idea that is not very exploited (right now almost everything is invented) or at least that supposes a revolution of what is known. It is the way to stand out from the rest.
Analyze the competition
Now you know your idea perfectly, you know its strengths and weaknesses. You can say everything that implies to this one. But what about your competitors?
Today everyone has competitors and you have to analyze them too, firstly because they may have the same product as you, and you need to know how you will differentiate yourself from the rest; and secondly because if there is a lot of competition, it may not be as profitable a business as you might initially think.
Create your business plan
Even if your goal is to create an online business, it's crucial to have a business plan that outlines your short, medium, and long-term actions , including market research, target customer, competition, distribution methods, advertising strategies, resources, and everything else you need to launch your project.
When you have it "physically" it is easier to see that it takes shape and that it can have a future. If you don't, you risk having to deal with problems and not having a "cushion" to get around obstacles.
Design your website
Be careful, design well, it is not worth doing anything because if that is the case, they will not enter your page and you will not have good positioning or SEO to get visits. If you don't know how to do it, it's better to hire a professional to do it.
It's true that many websites and even hosting companies offer tools to create your own website in minutes , even without any technical knowledge. But do you really expect to stand out with that? Keep in mind that you'll face many limitations, and SEO-friendly sites aren't the most user-friendly or easy to rank for.
To get a website you will need the following:
- A domain: It is the url of your website, the address that people will have to enter in their browsers for your page to appear.
- A hosting: It is the hosting where all the files that make up your website will be. It is important to choose a quality one so that it is visible and operational 24 hours a day and does not give you any problems.
- An SSL certificate: It is essential now, the security of your website and for Google to see you as a safe business.
Once you have your website, there won't be much else to do.
How to start an online business and formalize it
Before launching your online business, it's important to have all your legal obligations in order. For example, you should be self-employed, or at least registered with the tax authorities to declare VAT and any profits you earn, consider other legal structures, have an accountant or advisor to help you with these matters, and so on.
Start an online marketing strategy
It is something essential because your “market” is really going to be the Internet network and that is where you need to attract customers to be able to retain them and make them buy from you. That is why you have to know how to carry out this process (which we already told you is not overnight) and how to get the most out of it as soon as possible.
And be aware that a marketing strategy encompasses not only SEO and website positioning, but also content, social media, email marketing… If you don't define these elements well, no matter how good your business is, it will eventually fail.
A visibility strategy can also help with this, as it will make your business better known (through advertising, agencies, etc.).
Once everything is up and running, all you have to do is work and make an effort to make your business known online and be able, in time, to make a living from it if you've done everything right. Do you have an online business that you created from scratch? Can you tell us how was your experience?