10 Tips to Create and Succeed an Online Business

Probably you’ve browsed some blogs or websites before coming here, your goal is to find a recipe to succeed in your online business. But first, you should know that there is no such thing as called ”secret” to a successful business. But, you can succeed if you think, and make the relevant changes before starting.

This won’t make a successful business only, but it will save you time and money. So, let’s start talking about the following simple tips for online business success.

Tips for starting an online business and succeed

1. Think before starting your online business

online business tips
Photo By Rockdonia on Flickr

If you really want to build a successful business online. You should make it in your mind, the real project will come later. This is the most important step, it will save you time in the future.

To find your own steps to starting an online business, you have to take a pen, and paper, and start writing a list of things about your project. What’s your business name? How much time do you need to create your project? And what do you need for that project? These are just simple examples that come to my mind now.

You may include people you know who will have a job or can help you in your business. This will help you to find new ideas that you didn’t think about before, it comes naturally when you start linking things with each other.

Example: I think about an online job agency. So, I’ll start writing these ideas:

  • People, students, moms, disabled, journalists…
  • Magazines, newspapers, media, Radio stations…
  • Work from home, easy work, work by category, freelance, hire someone…

Your list of words or things that you think are in direct, or indirect relation with your business, will give you a clear map of your project. It seems unclear at first, but then, you will understand why this step is important.

2. Make a clear goal

Take your time to know your project, it’s one of the most important tips for running a successful business. You should define your goal, and what you want from your project. And what you need to make that goal achievable. This will show you all the things and resources that you need.

Don’t make limits to your dreams, but stay in the real world. You have to know your budget, but this is not the most important thing. You can start with a small budget and make a multi-billion business, investors will come if your project attracts them later.

If your project is to sell cars online in your country, for example, why not sell cars worldwide? It needs work to make it real, but, it’s achievable. That’s how to have a successful online business, these days.

3. Expect the bad to bring the best

You don’t have an idea about the future. Today, things are changing every day, if not every minute. You may have the strongest business in the world. But, you can lose all that with a human mistake.

If you really love your project, you should find things that can destroy it. Of course, in your mind, play the role of your business’s enemy. That will stimulate the future and change things or replace others.

Example: Let’s say that you have a powerful web hosting business; you should expect people who upload viruses, and others who want to host a spam website, etc… So, simulate a situation where all your servers stopped working, and you have electrical power issues, at the same time. You don’t think that this can happen? So, think again.

4. Play two roles

To understand what your customers or visitors (or call it what you want), you should put yourself in their places. If you have a business project about software, you should switch the role to “customer” and forget that you’re the owner. Thus, you will understand things that business owners can’t see from their own angle, and make the relevant changes.

5. The right people for the right project

succeed an online business
Photo By Kevin Dooley

The main engine to create your online business is human and not software. The software won’t work without you. If you guess that you will work with others, like your friends or people in general, then you should have criteria to select them. But, don’t use old stupid criteria like higher degree or experience to select them.

NASA has thousands of scientists without a master’s degree or other graduations, but, they have powerful brains. Many things and machines that you’re using every day are the results of Michael Faraday, who has a basic education, but, his brain is worth millions of useless people.

Select people who can innovate and create new things, you don’t need people with promises. Your business needs building not saying things, and stopping there. If you know someone in your family or public regulations who is educated and can help in making your project successful, select him and tell him what you want.

Ask me what things I can’t do and I will tell you things that I can do

Ask a person “What things he can’t do, honestly?”, then, you can ask things that he can do the right way. That will protect your business from dangerous mistakes. People won’t reject your work. They take their work and living into consideration. They will lie, even, if they’re good people.

So, help them to reject things that are not for them, and select the right person who can do that task. This simple tip will build good relations with people who work with you.

6. Say hello to Google

To make your business online you should think about Google. It will be your best friend after launching your project. So, prepare a plan to get your online business to appear on the first page of Google. Don’t think about keywords only, but, build relations with a similar website. You may collaborate with some software owners or companies, they can help you in the future.

7. Locate your business on the map

Google itself says that listing your business on its Maps will rank your business higher. People use Google Maps to find regional services and find companies in their countries or regions. You can stay focused on international business, and show your location on the maps for local searches. Bing also, can also help you to get more traffic through Bing Maps.

8. Investigate everything

If you don’t know the truth about things in your project, you should ask and find answers and tips. You can search for a question that comes to your mind using Google. You will find new and unexpected great ideas that can help your business grow.

If you have a health project, for example, you can join some forums about health. There, you can find people who are interested in the same topics. So, a new easy way to hire people.

9. Make your project Social

Social networks have a higher impact on your online business growth. People will recommend your product to each other. You remember the one billion video views of “Gangnam Style”, that a historical number of views couldn’t be done without YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. In that case, create social accounts for your business. This will be a free advertising way.

There are many places that teach how to be successful in network marketing, and even how to do things the right way. Just search for them.

10. Don’t make comparisons

You should know that many popular companies are successful by chance. You may think the opposite, but yes, some of these popular companies started as small agencies. But, Billionaire investors have skyrocketed them because they’ve found the idea great. Don’t compare your business to others. At the same time, don’t wait for that chance to come; just work, and work again.

The Final Word

To start your online business and succeed, you have to think about everything before starting. That will protect your business against problems. If you take your time on this step, you will succeed, even, with some issues. Your project building is not planning only, you have to know and learn other useful things. I hope that I helped to find tips to succeed in your online business.

Avatar for Fathi Arfaoui
About Fathi Arfaoui

Fathi Arfaoui is a Physicist, Blogger and the founder of Trustiko.com. He shares Business, WordPress and Blogging tips to build a better blog and succeed online.

Disclosure: The recommendations on this page are my own based on my tests and analysis. We may earn a small commission from web hosts and other partners if you use my referral link to make a purchase. That’s what helps us to maintain the site and add fresh content, Thanks for your support.

Leave a Comment