To start any website you need a name or URL, you need to host your website somewhere, you need the ability to design and edit web pages with software, and you need a shopping cart and merchant account.
To go with these products and services, you also needed to know html programming. Not to mention, all the other stuff that goes with a website, like marketing and advertising, etc…
How much does this cost? Well, a domain name is the cheapest at around $10/year, hosting is about $10/month or $120/year, programming software like Dreamweaver costs around $399, and shopping carts can range from $100 to $500 and higher.
As you can see, a standard website when you add in marketing and advertising, can run you into the thousands.
After the nuts and bolts, what else does every online business need?
First, if you want to make money online, you need a laser tight niche. A specific market where you solve a problem or find a need and fill it.
Second, You need to be able to design a simple website and know how to edit it, and update it or make changes to existing pages. This is really important. You cannot rely on someone else to do it for you.
Third, you need to have an email list service. You can sell them things later! First, you need to build a relationship, then, when you try to sell them something, they will be responsive. Research shows that most sales are made after 5 – 10 contacts, not on the first one. You need to get people to come back and a list is the best way. Most online businesses will tell you the money is in the list.
The fourth thing you need is to make money. Money is made two ways online, either through advertising or selling.
Then fifth, you need information, lots of information. People surf the net for information not products, so provide it for them. Remember, CONTENT is King!
Lastly, you need traffic. If people don’t come you cannot build a relationship, so get them there.
In the end, when it comes to starting a website, you just cannot see everything.
Most days you are going to come up against obstacles, the key is that you do not give up, just figure it out and make those course corrections. That is just business… the road is not always easy, but that is what makes it exciting, right?
Those that succeed in an online business do not allow anything to get in their way. Like Cortez in history, they burn their ships and just keep going forward. Each day you will gain momentum and those obstacles will become easier. Not because it actually is easier, but because you will have changed and become better.