Goals and Models for Your Online Business
Part of the Starting an Online Business For Dummies Cheat Sheet
The place to start with your online business is to indulge in some brainstorming. Envisioning the type of business you want to operate is a creative way of asking the all-important questions: Why do I want to go into business online? What are my goals?
The following table illustrates some possible goals and suggests how to achieve them. Your options include sales, advertising, self-promotion, special interest, and product sales. By envisioning the final result you want to achieve, you can determine your online business goals.
| Goal | Type of Web Site | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Make big bucks | Sales | Sell items/gain paying advertisers |
| Gain credibility and attention | Marketing | Start a blog; start Twittering; put your resume and samples of your work online |
| Promote yourself | Personal | Promote yourself in discussion groups or on your Web site so that people will hire you or want to use your goods or services |
| Turn an interest into a source of income | Hobby/special interest | Invite like-minded people to share your passion, participate in your site, and generate traffic so that you can gain advertisers |
