How to Start a Business

Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Web Sites That Work

Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Web Sites That Work aims to demystify the often-confusing world of e-commerce. Whether you plan to hire a consultant or create a business Web site yourself, Web Business Success gives you the information you need to avoid wasting a whole lot of time and money getting your business online. Authors James Byrd and Susan Daffron share practical tips and strategies to help business owners make good choices when they put a Web site online.

Web Business Success is for: – People planning on starting an online business – Business owners trying to extend their business with an online presence – Anyone who is completely mystified by the hype and confusion surrounding ecommerce

If you’ve thought about starting an online business or augmenting your existing business with an online presence, you’ve probably been assaulted by hype. Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Web Sites That Work cuts through the clutter with the proven strategies and techniques you need to know to earn a decent income online. It’s like having your own ecommerce consultant right by your side, explaining things in straightforward terms, without a lot of “geek speak.”

The authors have been creating Web sites professionally since 1997 and understand that dealing with Web site designers can be a challenge; many business owners have had bad experiences. Web Business Success contains practical information on how to get a business online and save time and money in the process. The book is based on the authors’ real-world experience developing Web sites and is filled with the same common-sense advice they have been giving their own clients for years.

From the Publisher

Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Web Sites That Work gives business owners the tips, techniques, and information they need to get an effective Web site online. When it comes to ecommerce, knowledge is your best defense. If you understand the basics of how a Web site works, the developers, designers, and financial institutions you’re dealing with in the process can’t talk you into buying technology or services that you don’t need or won’t do the job.

In Web Business Success the authors explain: how to decide when it is better to take the “do it yourself” approach and when it’s time to outsource; how to screen Web developers; how to plan a sales-generating Web site before spending money on design or development; the ins and outs of online payment; and how to market the site and keep visitors coming back. Authors Susan Daffron and James Byrd wrote “Web Business Success” after years of working with clients who had negative experiences with prior Web developers. After re-developing many sites, the authors realized that their clients had made these costly mistakes earlier simply because of lack of information.

Susan Daffron has been a writer and graphic designer since 1989. She taught herself HTML and hand-coded her first Web site around 1996. Susan is the author of more than 70 articles that have appeared in national magazines, 250 newspaper articles, online software training, software books, a cookbook, and book chapters.

James Byrd has been a programmer since 1985. Along with his work for his own company, he also was a Senior Internet Developer and then Internet Development Manager for a $100 million ecommerce Web site (and several back-end systems) at women’s clothing retailer Coldwater Creek. During his tenure he managed a team of programmers, developed customer loyalty and credit card programs, and helped keep Coldwater’s ecommerce site (spanning four server farms) up, running, and making sales for several years.

“Web Business Success” explains the basics of how a Web site works in easy-to-understand terms. It teaches readers how to communicate and negotiate when dealing with Web developers and designers so they do not get talked into buying technology or services that they do not need, or will not do the job. It also includes a complete index and a glossary of terms.

How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Web-Based Business Description

With e-commerce expected to reach $40 billion and online businesses anticipated to increase by 500 percent through the year 2010, you need to be a part of this exploding area of Internet sales.

If you want to learn about starting a Web business, how to transform your brick and mortar business to a Web business, or even if you’re simply interested in making money online, this is the book for you.

You can operate your Web-based business from home and with very little start up money. The earning potential is limitless. This new book will teach you all you need to know about getting started in your own Web-based business in the minimum amount of time. This book is a comprehensive, detailed study of the business side of Internet retailing. Anyone investigating the opportunities of opening a Web-based business should study this superb manual.

You will learn to:

• Build your Web-based business through keywords
• Generate free advertising
• Use search-engine strategies
• Market through e-mail
• Build Web communities
• Find products
• Drop ship
• Deal with zoning issues
• Create your Web site, HTML, graphics programs, domain names, and templates
• Use Web hosting, bandwidth, e-mail, shopping carts, and affiliate programs
• Develop merchant accounts
• Use PayPal, e-checks, search engine submissions, pay per click ads, and co-branding
• Make more money through auto-responders, Google and banner advertising
• Establish your own eBay storefront, Web-design information, search-engine registration
• Be a part of directories
• Get real-world examples of successful strategies

While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author teaches you:

• how to draw up a winning business plan ( The Companion CD-ROM has the actual business plan you can use in MS Word ),
• basic cost control systems,
• pricing issues,
• legal concerns,
• sales and marketing techniques, and
• pricing formulas.

You will learn how to set up computer systems to save time and money, how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, meet IRS reporting requirements, plan sales, provide customer service, track competitors, do your own bookkeeping, monthly profit and loss statements, media planning, pricing, and copywriting.

You will develop the skill to hire and fire employees without incurring lawsuits, motivate workers, apply general management skills, manage and train employees, and generate high profile public relations and publicity. You will have the advantage low cost internal marketing ideas and low and no cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales. Learn how to keep bringing customers back, accomplish accounting, do bookkeeping procedures and auditing, as well as successful budgeting and profit planning development.

This manual delivers literally hundreds of innovative ways demonstrated to streamline your business. Learn new ways to make your operation run smoother and increase performance, shut down waste, reduce costs, and increase profits. In addition, you will appreciate this valuable resource and reference in your daily activities and as a source of ready-to-use forms, Web sites, and operating and cost-cutting ideas that can be easily applied to your operation.

From the Back Cover