Module 1: The Internet –
Why Use it for Business?
Let’s start out with a question. . .
How do you, as a First Stepper, become an entrepreneur in any genre or niche?
You need to know and understand your industry, its market, its potential, specific methods and strategies, and the positives/negatives of the road ahead.
In the online world, the industry is content, promotion and sales; the market is the internet; the potential is the scope and size of the online world and the vast opportunities it offers; the positives/negatives are the success stories of people who improved their lives and lifestyles contrasted with the pitfalls, barriers, challenges, scams, and frauds thrust upon you by unsavory characters. (Sounds like the basis for a good action movie!)
In order for you to begin an online venture, you must know the world where you’ll be working, living, eating and sleeping. To become successful in this relatively new field, you’ll need to immerse yourself in its nuances, its character, its platform and technologies, its methods and strategies, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
If you take the time to educate yourself, learn these methods and strategies, put them into practice, and then engage them, you’ll find ever growing and lasting success. There are no shortcuts and “Get Rich Quick” schemes designed for the long term. Online success and progress, whether fast or slow, depends upon each individual. It depends on you, and how much time, effort, or finances you invest in your dreams.
So what are the benefits of doing business on the internet?
1. The internet is open 24/7/365.
The internet provides you the freedom to operate at any hour of the day or night – seven days a week! Orders can come in at any moment of the day or night, and you’ll have no worries about paying employees overtime or employee benefits. Customers, likewise, have the freedom to shop whenever they are in the mood, on their own schedule.
2. Internet marketing is cost effective.
Marketing products through a physical retail outlet is much more expensive than marketing on the internet. Monthly internet expenses and fees are minimal compared to a “brick and mortar” business. Except for investing in a few programs and applications, no cost is required for putting products on the shelf or creating attractive window displays. And your inventory costs are kept low by only producing products as orders come in.
3.You don’t have to buy land or construct a building.
The face of consumerism changes each year. These days, brick and mortar companies are closing due to declining sales and escalating costs while internet and online sales are skyrocketing. Online sales in 2017 for the United States alone surpassed $450 billion dollars and continue to climb. More people are making purchase decisions online due to the increasing ease of purchase, the vast selections available, and lower than local pricing.
4. Your clients enjoy a customized shopping experience.
You can view your customers’ buying habits, history and profiles. This valuable information helps you provide products and services that satisfy your customers’ wishes and desires. Your clients feel good because they are receiving attentive, personalized care from you and your company.
5. Social media continues to expand… no… to explode!
Internet marketing allows you to engage with social media for new customers and clients. The direct link between increasing online income and social media engagement has been tested and proved. Many customers’ first research features and price for their intended purchase online, as well as read what their friends (and the rest of the people in the world) are saying about it on social media sites. Your future sales will come from online customers looking for your products and services, so why would you not go where the customers are? A practical example? Fisherman go where the fish are! Hunters go where the deer and the antelope play! Your customers are online and this is where you should be.
6. Internet business enhances relationship building and communication.
Not only can your customers view your products wherever they are, in their own time and pace, but they also have the means to ask questions and interact with you or your company. This builds trust and confidence, which will compel them to return and make more purchases. Through various techniques and applications, the internet gives you many opportunities to follow-up with your clients: an immediate “thank you” email, a request for feedback or a review, plus send additional sales information and promotions.
7. Internet marketing gives you access to a huge market.
Distance means nothing on the internet. Your product or service can be sold and sent anywhere in the world. If you think your store or business is limited by its location, the internet can broaden your exposure and increase your market significantly. Your local business could become an international export company simply by access to and a presence on the internet.
8.The internet is a gigantic community. Get in on the action.
It crosses language barriers, national borders, culture and customs, race, creed, religion or political affiliations. Millions of websites cater to our every need, whim, or desire – and they clamor for everyone’s undivided attention for further engagement of sales.
9. Think of it as a multifaceted, magnificent, magical tool.
It can provide information to improve your life and lifestyle, give you information you normally would not have access to, help you locate and connect with family and friends, assist in buying the perfect gift for a loved one, and entertain you while you’re relaxing.
For the individual who needs information, the internet is a university-level library with a wealth of knowledge and data you can enter at any moment. For the mother who needs help with a health issue, the internet can provide immediate counseling and remedies to easy a family member’s suffering.
For companies and business people who need to expand, the internet presents a worldwide audience, an immense pool of customers and potential sales, and a means of communicating their message, vision, products, and services to international markets through savvy marketing, sales, and e-commerce.
This is a feature/benefit list without end. As you become intimately involved with the internet, you’ll write ten more points of your own!
Warning! I don’t want to dim your desire, but…
I feel that I must give you fair warning of the darker side of the internet. To only speak of the great and noble opportunities on the internet would be, in my heart, false advertising. As the old Latin proverb goes, “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” I like to think of it as being aware and prepared.
The internet reminds me of the ancient Greek tale, “The Sirens” – it calls sweetly and pleasantly, beckoning seductively with its opportunity for wealth, riches, instant gratification and notoriety. Yet once anchored within its arms, can wring the very life and livelihood from your soul until you lay exhausted and financially spent with nothing to show for it.
The internet has also become a haven for those who would deprive you of your hard-earned money, reputations, and self-worth. Illegal, immoral, and unethical activities can easily run rampant before any watchdog or monitoring authorities step in to halt such operations. You must take care to protect your online privacy and personal information. (You’ll get more about this subject later.)
Unfortunately, statistics don’t favor the internet marketer for success in the same manner as startups with brick and mortar businesses. According to recent data, it is estimated nearly 95% of those working on the internet never make more than $100 per month, yet end up spending thousands of dollars before they slink back into their previous comfort zone to lick their wounds and heal.
For hearty and adventurous souls, this journey (and the destination) might keep changing and morphing into an adventure unlike what was originally planned. For you, it may take months, perhaps years, before profitable strategies make their mark on your life.
But don’t be discouraged! Keep moving forward!
To exit, click the small “x” at the top right of this pop-up box.
Thousands of others have walked the path you are walking, and found their own personal heaven while working in the online space. The internet provides everyone equal opportunity to create online wealth and prosperity through diligence, ingenuity, and perseverance. If you are willing to invest your time to learn new skills, gain experience with those skills, and then engage and leverage those skills, you may very well realize success beyond your wildest dreams.
Whether you think you are or not, I’ll bet you have a better understanding about how this amazing world-wide platform is changing how business is done, how lives are lived, and how online marketing has the potential to drastically and fantastically alter your life and lifestyle!
Are you ready to begin?
To complete this Module, please take the time to do the following:
1. Watch my introductory video below, “The Difference between an Online Business and Offline.”
2. Read my article/blog, “Mansion or Dog House?” Click HERE
3. Join my Facebook group, “Online Income Strategies.” Click HERE (Come and say hello and tell us where you’re from!)
4. Join my website membership list for updates on new training and products, free resources, good marketing ideas, and funny stuff! Join Now!
5. Grab the following resource: “Boost Your Productivity.” Click HERE