Starting an online business as a beginner is not as difficult as you may think. All you need is a proper plan with a few simple steps. With consistent efforts and constant improvement, you will be on your way to success.
Before getting into how to start an online business, let's get some of the common questions answered:
Which online business is best for beginners?
Knowing what kind of business to start is important, as it gives a head start and helps you set your goals.
If you have a passion for fashion, then an online fashion store might be the best option for you. If you are interested in starting an online business that will involve more creativity, then a website design company might be your best bet.
As a beginner, always start with something you know about. That will give you the confidence to keep going. It will also make your learning curve easier and faster.
How do I start an online business with no skills?
Starting an online business with no skills can seem daunting. However, it is important to know that there is no one unskilled in this world. You just need to be one or two steps ahead of others in order to take the leap.
For example, to start a skincare business, you do not have to be an expert in the field. You can start by simply providing the skincare solutions that worked for you while continuing to expand your knowledge as you go along.
Taking up online courses for skill development also helps tremendously. Online course platforms such as Udemy and Coursera, for example, have ample courses on almost anything for you to develop your skills. Make use of these courses to upskill yourself. Some courses are even free!
Also Read:
How do I start an online business with no experience?
To start an online business with no experience, the best ways are to:
Learn from mentors and coaches
Study someone who is ahead of you in your own business line and try to implement their strategies
Learning from mentors and coaches will give you a blueprint and provide a sense of direction. Without mentorship, it might be a long road to success. Researching how your competitors are winning their game can also give you valuable inputs as to how to take your business forward.
What is the easiest business to start online?
The easiest online business to start for beginners is to sell products that they can create with their existing skills. Remember that if you can make $10 online, you can develop your skills and increase it to $100 and so on.
If you are unsure of creating a product as a beginner, Selling Private Label Rights (PLR) products is a great idea. PLR products are digital products that are sold or given away with the right to resell it. They can be any type of digital product such as an e-book, video course, software etc.
All you need to do is purchase the PLR products relevant to your business idea, edit and rebrand them, then sell them under your brand. How cool is that a way to start a business!
How To Start Online Business Step By Step:
While it may seem like the easiest way to make money online is by creating your own product and selling it, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered when you start.
In this section, I will outline the steps you need to take in order to start your online business as a beginner:
Step 1: Find your niche
Niche is a key factor in the success of any business. It is what defines your product and is what sets you apart from the competition.
The first step in finding a niche is to identify what problem you can solve. It is recommended to start with what you know. Jot down your skills, knowledge and experience and answer these questions:
What can you talk about for 30 minutes without preparation?
How can your knowledge, skills and experience be matched to solve a problem?
Who can your skills and experiences help/serve?
What activities give you energy and what activities drain you?
Once you come up with a generic idea, the next step is to do some research on what people are actually searching for on Google.
For example, if you want to sell pet products, search for "pet products" on Google and see which websites are ranking at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). Similarly, search for similar terms in e-commerce platforms like Etsy and Amazon.
Analyze the niches of these search results. Study them and figure out if you can incorporate your ideas into these niches.
Also Read:
Step 2: Do market research
When starting an online business as a beginner, your initial focus should be on finding a niche that is profitable and has demand for what you are selling. That is why market research is important.
Market research can help to ensure that your business will have the best chance of succeeding and making money.
To understand if your online business idea has the potential to make money, look up for your idea in Google and analyze the search results.
See what kind of products are top ranking. If you can create a similar product which is better than that of your competitors, that is the niche you need to go with.
You can also make use of Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner and Pinterest Trends to get an idea of what is currently trending and what might in near future.
Step 3: Identify your target audience
It is common knowledge that someone suffering from toothache on a particular day will not be ready to listen about an earthquake that happened far away. That is, your audience is concerned about their own problems.
That is why finding the right audience to whom your products would be valuable is vital for success.
Do some research on who benefits the most from your products and services. Try answering these questions to identify the avatar:
Whose problems are your products and services solving?
Who is your ideal customer?
Fill this up: I help ______ (who) with _____ (what).
Step 4: Decide what products to sell
A product line can be a business's best friend. A product line is simply a group of products that are related to one another in some way. They can either be related by price, style, use or function.
Choose which products you want in your product line. When you have a niche product line, your customers will be more likely to buy from you because they know that if they like one item from your line, they will likely like other items as well.
The most important thing is that your product must solve your customers' problem and should be valuable enough for them to pay for.
To find out what products you should choose, look up for the top ranking products related to your business in e-commerce platforms such as Etsy and Amazon.
Read the review comments for these products. What issues do the customers face with these products? See if you can create a better product that solves the customers' needs.
Think about how you can position yourself differently for these products. That is the key to deciding on what to sell online.
Step 5: Name your business
Choosing a business name that represents your brand values is another key factor for success in your business. Struggling to find an apt business name? Websites such as BusinessNameGenerator, Namelix and Looka can help you find the best one easily and for free!
Step 6: Get your initial set of products to sell
Create your products or find suppliers for those products. The easiest way to start your digital products business is by purchasing Private Label Rights (PLR) products, rebranding them and selling them under your brand name.
Step 7: Price the items in your product line appropriately
Think about how much you would be willing to pay for your own products. This is a good starting point for pricing.
Always remember to charge based on the value your product brings to your customers and not the time it took to create it. For example, your latest digital product may have taken much less time to be created. That doesn’t mean it should be underpriced.
Depending on whether your product helps your customers save time, save money or make money, it should be priced accordingly.
Step 8: Decide where to sell them
Research where your potential customers are hanging around, then decide on your retail strategy. Start selling your products on online platforms such as Etsy, Amazon and Gumroad. Social media is also a great place to start selling once you have an established audience.
In parallel, create your own website or blog with your personal store. You can do this by using Wix, WordPress, Squarespace or any other website builder.
This will allow you to start selling and promoting your products without having any coding knowledge at all!
Step 9: Build your own brand
Branding is important to make your product stand out. The following steps are essential to building your own brand:
1. Define Your Brand
2. Create a Brand Identity with colors and fonts
3. Create a Unique Logo Design
4. Make sure your branding reflects your Unique Value Proposition (USP)
Step 10: Market and promote your business
Some of the ways to easily market your products are:
Affiliate Marketing
Email Marketing
Social Media Posts
Social Media Ads
Coupons and Freebies
Referral Bonuses
Collaboration with related businesses
Word-of-Mouth
Final Thoughts On How To Start An Online Business For Beginners:
To summarize, when starting an online business, you need to:
- Define your goals and objectives
- Research your idea thoroughly
- Create a plan to execute your idea
- Identify what products to sell online and create them
- Market and promote your products
Remember that nothing is set in stone when it comes to business. Your business must constantly evolve. At the beginning you might feel like you are being all over. It might look like you don’t even know what you are doing. Nevertheless, be courageous and start now. With persistence, you will certainly reach heights you did not even dream of!
Commenti