What is this one step? This may sound extreme, but let me explain WHY this step is so vital to your online success... It isn't a mystery or a little known secret to success. In fact, it's known by almost everyone.
That's what makes this so unfortunate, because everyday, many, many people are letting great opportunities slip right through their fingers.
OK, what is this big deal fact?
It's well known throughout the Internet marketing world that there are literally tens of thousands of aspiring online entrepreneurs who want to make money on the Internet. They buy lots of "how to make money" e-books, get-rich-quick schemes, turnkey software and everything else that arrives in the old e-mail box.
In other words, everyone is looking for a SHORT-CUT to ONLINE RICHES and almost everyone of these people NEVER even use the informational products and moneymaking tools that they've purchased.
In fact, a large survey of people who were trying to make money on the Internet reported that over 80% of them NEVER even launched their first web site.
Maybe it's just human nature. We're too busy, or too lazy, or we just get overwhelmed with all this stuff that we forget what we were intending to do in the first place.
While there are a lot of shady get-rich scams out there, I can tell you firsthand that Internet marketing has produced some extremely successful, valid income-producing strategies. People have made millions exclusively through Internet marketing. So, if you make the commitment, you can be a millionaire too.
Maybe you have a good business idea. But, if you never get around to launching a web site, your "big idea" will bring no return on investment, and no positive change to your life.
Discouraged?
Don't Be!
I don't want you to be one of the people who dreams, but never does. I want you to take action and become one of the Internet's great success stories.
Internet Marketing has allowed me to enjoy a comfortable life style and really enjoy my family. I'm pretty happy and I want YOU to have the same chance for personal and professional success.
The first step in reaching this goal is to get at least one web site up and running as soon as possible. Like today!
No matter what business you are in - online or off line - if you don't have a web site, you are hindering your business and, most certainly, your profits.
A web site makes you look like an established professional. We live in the information age and the Internet is the vehicle of information. How many times have you checked out a business on the Internet? Don't you expect to find information about the products and services they provide. How do you feel about a business that doesn't have a web site? The costs for registering a domain and building and hosting the web site are very inexpensive. Without a web site, your business looks second rate.
Another reason why you need a web site is so people can find you. For example, if someone is sitting at home trying to find a good copywriter, they probably search the Internet. If you are a copywriter and don't have a web site, nobody will find you. If they can't find you, they can't hire you.
Even if you decide to build your business locally, you need a web site. You can distribute resumes, business cards, and flyers with your phone number, and you may receive some phone calls. However, if you have a web site where people can get a glimpse of what you do, you will earn more business. These days, more and more people would rather visit your web site and e-mail you instead of calling you on the phone. These days, if I call my customers, I may not get a return call for days, or maybe never. These same people reply to my e-mails in a few minutes or hours.
Your web site will also let people know exactly what type of services you offer and how much you charge. People won't wait for that information. We are an instant response society. By including samples of your work and, even more importantly, favorable testimonials on your web site, prospective customers can learn about you without your lifting a finger. Before you know it, they are no longer prospects, but excited customers.
More and more web sites let you buy their products online. The great thing about online shopping is there are no store hours and everyone in the world with Internet access can shop at your store. Nothing is more satisfying than to wake up in the morning and realize you made several hundred dollars, while you were sleeping. As the youngsters say. "It's Way Cool".
Having a web site, even a simple one, only helps your business grow and prosper. Without one, you are going to miss out on many prospective clients and profitable sales. And when it comes to making money ON THE INTERNET.. having a web site is really the only way to build your successful business.
Most people waste months and years looking for the "perfect formula", and they never even get around to actually launching a web site. If they had only focused on setting up a web site in the first place, they would have been up, running and making money. Instead, they lost their focus and decided to quit. They took their unused products and money making secrets, offered it up to experience and simply quit trying to make money online.
You don't want to do that, do you?
If not, let's get started.
In order to get your web site up and running, you only need two simple things:
1) A name for your web site (domain). This is called a Domain Name
2) Web Hosting
If you've never launched a web site before, this can be a little confusing. Even if you have launched web sites before, you know it can still be difficult to find the best web host, with the best value and features for your site.
This can become even more complicated, as, eventually, you will need many web sites as you grow your online empire. It's not hard to change domain names, but changing a web host can be both annoying and difficult.
Let's GO FOR IT!
Read on to learn about a step-by-step approach designed to get you up and running.
I'll walk you through the process of getting your own domain and hosting for your site.
Not only that, but I'll show you how to save money and get the absolute best deal on the web while you're doing it.
On the remainder of this page, you'll find step-by-step instructions to show you how to get set up with your own web site within the next 20 minutes.
Okay so let's start by registering a domain...
1) Register a domain.
If you've already registered a domain that you intend to use, you can skip this step and go down to #2 below..
What is domain name?
A domain name is basically the web address of a particular web site. "Yahoo.com" or "redcross.org" are examples of domain names.
If you are serious about an online business, you absolutely NEED your own domain name.
Why do you need a domain name?
A web site is the online equivalent of "real estate". And if that's the case, then a domain name is like the title deed to your web site.
There are plenty of free web hosts out there who will let you host your site on their server without owning your domain. Typically they'll put it on a sub domain of their own domain. Ever seen http://yourdomain.theirdomain.com? That's a sub domain. All you have done is tag along, with very little protection. You don't own the domain name or the web site. THEY DO.
What if the free host suddenly goes out of business? Or, they decide to stop offering free hosting and they redirect all the traffic to their own site. If you don't have control, sooner or later you are going to be a loser. It's just reality.
You must have your own domain. This allows you to build some equity in your own little bit of virtual real estate. If you don't own your domain, it's kind of like renting a home instead of buying it. All you're doing is building equity in someone else's property.
By building your own online equity, your domain becomes an asset. Now, you can keep it for the long term, or sell the domain to an investor.
Now let's talk about what type of domain you should register.
Domain Extensions
First, which domain "extension" should you choose? Of course you're familiar with the ".COM" extension, but when you go to register a domain you'll see several different options. What about those?
It really depends on what you're going to be using the domain for. If it's going to be primary domain for your business, I'd settle for nothing less than a ".COM". For example, yourbusinessname.com.
The reason for this is that .COM's have long been considered the "gold standard" of the domain name industry. It is the most memorable extension for most of the general public, and could be viewed more favorably by potential investors if you should choose to sell your business someday.
However, if the domain is not intended to be the central identifying address for your business, there are some other good options available. The next best domain extensions are generally considered to be .NET, .ORG, and sometimes .INFO and .BIZ. Be creative and find a good .COM name. Try not to settle for anything else. More on this below.
If your web site is going to be an information source designed to help people, the .ORG extension can actually be preferable to the .COM. The reason for this is that the .ORG extension is generally associated with non-profit organizations and other helpful groups. When a web user sees your web site listed on a search engine, a .ORG extension might create an element of trust which causes them to be more likely to click onto your site (for example, this site is a .ORG, because I want you to know you can trust me... because I'm a trustworthy person!).
Now that we've talked about extensions, let's look at what your domain name should be...
Choosing a Domain Name
If you're choosing the main domain for your online business, there are several strategic marketing factors that can come into play. Often the best web site names are "made up" words (eBay.com, Xanga.com, Flickr.com, etc), while others are more straight forward (facebook.com, digitalpoint.com, etc).
However, when it comes to selecting a domain for a content-based informational site it is generally far-and-away best to choose a name that concisely describes exactly WHAT the site is about.
So if your web site is about mountain bikes, the best domain would probably be MountainBikes.com. If those were not available, look at adding another word to the domain. Most people would start by trying combinations like MountainBikesOnline.com, TheMountainBikeStore.com. Try a feature or benefit like QualityMountainBikes.com or CoolMountainBikes.com etc. You can also find a unique domain name by adding a personal touch. For example if your name was Jim, you could register JimsMountainBikes.com, or if you're marketing locally you could register SaratogaMountainBikes.com.
As a last resort, you could look to see if other extensions are available (such as MountainBikes.net or MountainBikes.org.
What about hyphens?
This is a very common question that I am asked. Traditionally, a domain is less valuable when hyphenated. For example, mountain-bikes.com would be worth less than mountainbikes.com. That's probably because it's more difficult to remember a domain with a hyphen in it, or to advertise it on the radio, on TV, etc. Also, somebody is also using that domain name and you could well end up losing business to an unknown competitor.
Nothing's easy and here is where decisions have to be made.
Some people believe hyphens may help with search engine optimization (SEO) by getting your web site higher rankings for key words like mountain bikes. Not many people search for mountainbike.
While it is hard to draw any concrete conclusions, because there are so many factors involved in SEO, some believe the success and top ranking of many hyphenated domains would lead me to believe that they may have an advantage.
Some people have also speculated that the search engines could penalize or "sandbox" hyphenated domains due to the proliferation of spam sites using hyphenated domains. I have not seen this to be the case, but it is something to be mindful of.
I believe good SEO is focused on good original content that is rich in keywords and getting good links back to your web site. If you do these things well, the hyphen issue is not a very big deal.
If you want to cut the cards, a good strategy would probably be to build your virtual real estate (VRE) empire using some hyphenated domains and some non-hyphenated domains. See what works best for your Internet SEO strategy.
Here are some domain name pitfalls to avoid
DON'T use intentional misspellings (you can use misspelled domains to capture traffic, but you should NOT build a full fledged site on one).
DON'T use abbreviations.
DON'T use numbers (digits), unless you have a really good reason.
DON'T make it too long. Shorter domains are more memorable, and generally more attractive in your advertising and search engine listings. It's okay to include multiple keywords if your site warrants it (low-cost-life-insurance.com), but don't go overboard (buy-your-low-cost-term-life-insurance-here.com) because it will make you look like a spammer.
Okay, so now that you know how to choose a domain, let's look at exactly how to register one...
Registering your domain
There are literally hundreds of places on the Internet where you can register a domain. Some are clearly better than others.
If you've already found a good and reliable registrar, feel free to stick with them.
One of the most important features is having a registrar that allows you to QUICKLY and EASILY change your DNS (nameservers) by yourself. You will need to use that feature right away. I also suggest using one that allows you to easily create your own name servers. We won't be using that feature today, but it's a good one to have in case you want to use it in the future.
| If you need a good registrar, here's the best and cheapest one that I use:
www.jamisonwebworks.com (opens in a new window)
|
After you've registered your first domain name, let's...
2) Get Web Hosting.
If you want to have a web site, you NEED web hosting. It's simply impossible to have a web site without it.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is where you put your web site so it can be visited on the Internet.
It's pretty simple. A web host puts your web site (all the pages you made or were made for you) onto a computer (called a web server). The server has a dedicated connection to the Internet. The web server, "serves" your web pages to visitors when they go to your web address (the domain name that you registered in the previous step).
Why is it important to choose a good host?
It's a big deal...
There's good web hosts, and then there's "not-so-good" web hosts. The problem is if you pick a bad host, it can really get your web site started on the wrong foot.
I could talk about some of the web hosting "horror stories" that I've heard and personally experienced, but I'll spare you the gruesome details. Let's just say it's no fun to invest your time and money into launching a web site, and then experience constant problems because of an inadequate web host.
That's why I want to get you started on the right foot by getting you set up with a reliable web host...
Which web host should you choose?
HostGator is a web host with the qualifications you should look for in a web host...
They have the TOOLS necessary to succeed with your web site
They have the SUPPORT available when you need help
They have the RELIABILITY needed to keep your site online and making money
They have the PRICE to make it affordable and keep more money in your pocket.
Some of the features that I have found to be extra helpful include...
One-step WordPress installation
One step phpBB installation So if you've been worried about how you're going to set up a blog or forum, this is the way to go.
They also have very generous resources in terms of storage space and monthly bandwidth usage. Even the smallest plan is more than most people would need for any web site.
Which hosting plan should you choose?
As I mentioned, even their smallest plan is plenty big for most sites. However, there are a couple of factors that you may want to take into consideration.
The most important question to ask yourself is how many web sites you plan on launching.
If you plan to launch only one site and focus on making it the best it can be, then a small hosting plan is probably adequate. You could go with the "Hatchling" (the smallest plan) or the "Baby", which is probably a little better value because it has more resources.
On the other hand, if you plan on launching multiple sites, your best value is going to be a "Reseller" account. The thing that many people don't understand about reseller accounts, is they think they are designed only for reselling web hosting. However, you do NOT have to sell any hosting. They are perfect for hosting your OWN web sites.
Instead of having to buy another hosting account each time you want to launch a new web site, you can simply launch as many as you want and never pay any extra. HostGator's reseller accounts allow you to host an unlimited number of domains! Of course you still have to pay to register the domains (just go back and repeat step one above to register more domains), but you don't have to buy more hosting.
It's also great because you have the freedom to launch sites whenever you want. You don't have to wait for the web host to set up a new account every time you want to launch a new site. You simply add the domain to your hosting list, and upload your site!
Their smallest reseller plan (the "Aluminum") is probably enough for most people. If you plan on hosting a lot of big media files (like video and stuff) then you might want to go for one of the bigger reseller plans, like the "Copper". On the other hand, you can upgrade at any time, so if you're unsure, then you might as well start out with the "Aluminum".
We use a reseller account to host over 100 web sites. It's a great value.
Remember, HostGator is the most reputable web host in the business, and if you need any help they will be happy to assist you at their help desk:
They also have a wide variety of video tutorials that you can watch.
| Click the link below to check out each hosting plan and choose the one that is best for you
HostGator (opens in a new window)
|
AFTER you get your domain and hosting as described above, here are some more resources that you may wish to check out.
If you do not have software to help you edit your adsense templates, then here is a link to download a free html editor called My Free Website Builder:
Click here for MY Free Website Builder
Then you can create your own content for the site, or you could take another shortcut and have it done for you. Here's a site where you can get new web content delivered to you each month:
Click here for Monthly Web Content
Software to help you re-write your content delivered to you montly or any PLR articles
Secret Article Converter
If you would like an easy way to write your own articles, there is a very intuitive software program that enables you to write new articles in a matter of minutes.
Amazing article writing software
Thank you for checking out my free report.
I sincerely wish you the best of success!!
Professional Adsense Templates | Become an Affiliate