How to Create an Online Business in 4 Simple Steps

Being an entrepreneur used to be a title that was reserved for a chosen few. Fast forward to today, and 63% of 20-somethings either own a business or want to own one day. We can thank the internet for democratizing the world of business, but also for many entering the field without being properly equipped. You then have those who move too quickly and end up poorly executing an otherwise viable business model. However, anyone can start a successful business online if they take the proper steps and have a solid plan. Here’s how you can create an online business in 4 steps. 

Choose Your Model

There are tons of ways that you can start a business online. The model you choose will depend on things like your skills and interests, your starting capital, and the level of involvement. For instance, you could either decide to manufacture and sell your own products online, start a dropshipping business, or become an affiliate. All of these involve retail, but have different levels of involvement and responsibility. They also offer different profit margins.

Some of the most common online businesses involve selling a service of some kind. This is a great way to test the waters, and usually requires nothing but a small initial investment. And they don’t require a huge marketing budget either.

The next step will be to create a website. But before you do, you will need a logo. Thankfully, there are tons of services like Turbologo that allow you to get a great logo for free. Here’s how it works.

How to Make a Logo with Turbologo

Turbologo is one of the best tools for creating professional logos online, and you can create a logo in minutes with no graphic design experience whatsoever. To create a logo, all you need to do is input some basic information about your business, choose a color theme, icons you would like for your logo, and the system will generate some suggestions. You will then be able to choose from a list of potential logos and use them for your site or your marketing material.

Create a Website

Getting a domain and creating your website will be the next step in building your online business. Registering your domain can be done in minutes, and will usually cost you around $10; even less if you can find a deal. Some of the main domain registrars include GoDaddy, BlueHost, and NameCheap just to name a few.

As far as building a website goes, there are many options you can choose from. If you decide to go the ecommerce route, you can go with hosted solutions, content management systems like WordPress, do it yourself, or hire someone to build one for you.

If you decide to offer services, WordPress is usually a good option. The platform has many pre-built templates made for service providers, and it’s pretty simple to use. Other services you can check include Wix and Squarespace. These are even simpler than WordPress, but offer less flexibility as well.

Start Advertising

Now that your business is live, all that is left is to start advertising and spreading your brand. Start getting active in related online communities, create powerful content, and get known as an authority in your niche. Also start exploring different marketing techniques such as SEO (both global and local), pay per click, and social media. Look into the details of each, and start with baby steps so you can test each method and see which ones work the best for you.

Conclusion

This is really all you need to  have an online business in 2020. The next step is having the determination necessary to pull through challenges and mistakes, and the knowledge needed to constantly fine tune your efforts.