Proven Techniques 7 Steps to Starting a Small Business Online 2025
Follow this plan to drive traffic to your small business website and get them to buy.
When starting a small online business, you can follow a set of proven steps to guarantee your success. I've seen thousands of people start and build successful businesses by:
Find a need and meet it.
Write a copy that sells.
Design and build an easy-to-use website.
Use search engines to drive traffic to your website.
Build an expert reputation.
Track your customers and subscribers via email.
Start a business that fills a need
Most people who are just starting out make the mistake of finding the product first and then the market.
Start with the market to increase your chances of success. The trick is to find a group of people who are looking for a solution to a problem but haven't found many results. The Internet has made this type of market research easy:
- Visit online forums to find out what questions people are asking and what they are trying to solve.
- Do some keyword research and find keywords that a lot of people are searching for but have little competition with other sites.
- Check out your potential competitors by visiting their website and noting what they are doing to meet demand. You can then apply what you've learned and develop products for existing markets -- and do it better than the competition.
Write copy that sells
There is a proven sales copy formula that guides visitors through the entire sales process, from to purchase:
- Spark interest with catchy headlines.
- Describe the problem your product solves.
- Demonstrate your credibility as a problem solver.
- Add testimonials from people who have used your product.
- Talk about the product and how it benefits users.
- Make a price.
- Make a strong guarantee.
- Create a sense of urgency.
- Ask about sales.
Throughout the writing process, you need to focus on how your product or service uniquely solves people's problems or improves their lives. Think like a client and ask, "How does this benefit me?"
Design and build your website
Once you've found your market and products, and established your sales process, you're now ready for your small business web design. Remember to keep it simple. You have less than five seconds to get someone's attention - otherwise they're gone and never seen again. Some important tips to remember:
- Choose one or two normal fonts on a white background.
- Make your navigation clear, simple and the same on every page.
- Use graphics, audio or video only to reinforce your message.
- Add opt-in offers so you can collect email addresses.
- Make buying easy - no more than two clicks between lead generation and checkout.
- Your website is your online storefront, so make it customer-friendly.
Use search engines to drive targeted buyers to your site
Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a brand new website. It has two advantages over waiting for organic traffic. First, PPC ads appear instantly on search pages, and second, PPC ads allow you to test different keywords, as well as headlines, pricing, and sales methods. Not only can you get instant traffic, but you can also use PPC ads to discover your best, highest converting keywords. You can then distribute keywords throughout your site's text and code, which will benefit your organic search rankings.
Establish an expert reputation for yourself
People use the Internet to find information. Give this information to other sites for free and you will see more traffic and better search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your website in every bit of information.
Give away free expert content. Create articles, videos or other content that people find useful. Distribute this content through online article directories or social media sites.
Add a "Send to a Friend" link to valuable content on your website.
Become an active expert on industry forums and social networks frequented by your target audience.
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You reach new readers. But even better, every website that publishes your content will link back to yours. Search engines love links from relevant pages and will reward you in rankings.
Use the power of email marketing to turn visitors into buyers
When you create an opt-in list, you create one of the most valuable assets in your online business. Your customers and subscribers have given you permission to email them. this means:
- You give them what they ask for.
- You develop a lifelong relationship with them.
- Responses are 100% measurable.
- Email marketing is cheaper and more effective than print, TV or radio because it is highly targeted.
- Anyone who visits your website and subscribes to your list is a very hot tip. There's no better tool to keep track of these leads than email.
Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling
One of the most important internet marketing strategies is to develop the lifetime value of each customer. At least 36% of people who have bought from you will buy from you again if you follow them. Closing the first deal is by far the hardest part — not to mention the most expensive. So use backend selling and upselling to get them to buy again:
- Offer products that complement their original purchases.
- Send electronic loyalty vouchers to redeem on your next visit.
- Offers related products on the "Thank You" page after purchase.
- Reward your customers for their loyalty and they will become even more loyal.
The internet is changing so fast that one year online is about five years in the real world. However, the principles of how to build and grow a successful online business have not changed at all. Follow this sequence if you are just starting a small online business. If you've been online for a while, quickly see if there are any steps you overlooked or didn't even complete. You can't go wrong with the basics.