The journey starts here. You’ve got that entrepreneurial spark, that yearning to create something that’s yours. The online world is vast, a sprawling digital landscape rich with opportunity, but in order to take advantage of that opportunity you need to understand the process.
This “success” journey is a 4-step process, and if you understand this and you have the proper training/tools to help you implement this process, you are going to have a bright future ahead of you. First, let’s look at the process…and then let’s look at how you can get started with your very own niche business just a few minutes from now.
OK, onto the first step and the fun part…choosing a direction of your business.
STEP 1: Carving Your Path: Choosing a Niche for Your Online Business
To carve out your own corner in this expansive market, the first and most pivotal step is choosing a niche.
Think of a niche as your business’s focal point, the audience that you are going to be helping. I always recommend that you fill in the following phrase:
I want to help people that _____________.
If you fill in that “blank”, you have yourself a niche. There are millions of audiences, and through time you can be involved in many different niches.
To get this right, you must not only look outward to the market but also inward to your passion and expertise. That’s going to be your sweet spot.
There’s no shortage of passion in the world, but is there a market waiting? Almost certainly yes, as there are 5.5 BILLION people online. ALL niches are profitable, so irrespective of the direction that you choose there will be opportunity.
So, how do you hone in on the right choice of niche? There are tools available to help you with this, one which is completely free is within the Wealthy Affiliate Hub Creator, which is going to get you up and running with a niche in seconds (giving you insights into the most popular ones).
So the first step as you build your online business, is choosing the direction of yours.
STEP 2: Laying the Foundation: Building a Website for Your Business
Starting an online venture without a website is like opening a store without a front door. A website sets the stage for your brand and is a non-negotiable in the digital marketplace. If you want to succeed, you need a website. Simple as that.
Choosing a platform for your website is your first tech decision, but one you shouldn’t really need to give much thought. WordPress and Shopify are the most popular ones. Cost, customizability, and ease-of-use should drive your choice. WordPress is the most widely used website platform and is ideal for affiliate marketing in the world (and is cost efficient) whereas Shopify is geared towards e-commerce and comes with high initial and ongoing operating costs.
The hosting service is the next choice you make, but with services like Wealthy Affiliate where your website platform/hosting is included, it is a moot issue and something that you shouldn’t really need to give much though….and you can have your own niche website up and running a few minutes from now.
In other words, you shouldn’t need to be techie to build great looking websites these days, and highly successful ones at that).
A winning business website isn’t accidental. It communicates your brand through design. It ensures visitors find their way with intuitive navigation. It engrosses with valuable content, it helps your users, and it recommends products/services (where you make $$$) that can further help them.
Next up, the people. The helpful content you create on your website is going to lead to rankings, traffic, and in many cases your content being shared and going viral. The “traffic” is where all the opportunity lies.
STEP 3: Driving Digital Foot Traffic: Strategies for Attracting Visitors
Traffic. It’s the lifeblood of any online business. Without it, even the most visually stunning and content-rich websites is going to be a ghost town. If you don’t have any people, you don’t have opportunity.
So how do you get this initial traffic coming to your website? The answer: mastering the art of ranking on Google.
Now, ‘mastering’ may sound daunting – like something reserved for tech savants or marketing gurus. But really, it’s about embracing the basics. Google’s ranking system behaves almost like a matchmaker, connecting users with the most relevant, high-quality and helpful content. If your website meets this criteria they will reward you with ranking.
And creating content with efficiency has never been faster, or more efficient with the invent of AI and platforms like the SiteContent Article Designer that you get immediate access to within WA. This can help you build entire article outlines in a matter of seconds, saving you hours on research and then prepping you with SEO ready outlines.
As for the ideas? You don’t have to think of those either. Platforms like Business Hubs within Wealthy Affiliate will fill that void. It will offer you 100’s of low competition, high reward search terms that you can target with your content to efficiently build out your business.
The building of your business starts the minute you start helping others..and this is done initially through the content on your website.
STEP 4: Cashing In: Monetizing Your Online Presence
Step by step, you’ve seen how it all connects. From the initial “idea” of choosing a niche to the process of building a website. We’ve talked about the initial strategy of getting traffic, and now for the monetization
It’s turning those clicks and visits into something tangible: THE MOOHLAH!
There are many ways that you can earn revenue through your website, but the most common are:
- Affiliate Marketing (HIGH POTENTIAL). This is the core model that you should be focusing on, basically you can promote ANY product/service in the world in exchange for a percentage commission (3% – 75% typically). This ranges from Nike, to Amazon, to Walmart, to all independent products/services. There are over 550 MILLION products you can promote through affiliate programs. Affiliate programs are free to join and easy to implement into your website.
- Advertising on Your Site (HIGH POTENTIAL). You can host ads on your website, and you can generate a full time income this way. Companies like Google will
- Dropshipping (MEDIUM POTENTIAL). Though this business model is being sold as low overhead, it typically ends with you promoting “knock off” products, within very competitive landscapes. You also have to deal with the headache of the transactions, customer support, and refunds (which happen at a high rate).
- E-commerce (MEDIUM POTENTIAL, HIGH COST). This is selling your own products/services on your website. You typically need an e-commerce store, inventory, and will need to handle the shipping, customer service, and returns. It is usually much more expensive to utilize this model.
But let’s be real. A solo trying to do all of this on your own, and connecting all the pieces can be tough.
Navigating the complexities of online business often calls for a guide. A compass. And that’s where Wealthy Affiliate enters the picture. Think of it as your digital mentor. It’s a platform designed to tackle this entire 4-step process with efficiency, allowing anyone to take their idea/passion and build a successful business online. You will have all the tools, training and mentorship you need under one roof to thrive online.
The beauty of Wealthy Affiliate lies in its simplicity. Literally 10 minutes from now you can have your niche chosen, brand decided upon, and your website up and running through their state of the art AI Business Hubs Wizard. And the best part, is it’s free to get rolling and test drive the platform.
On top of this, when you create your free Starter account you are going to get direct access to MOI. Yes, I will be there lean on for expert help and support if you ever need it…I have been at this for 21 years, and I will be able to walk you around the platform or serve as your sound board if you ever have any questions or want to bounce any ideas by me.
After you create your account, and set-up your hub, I will be immediately reaching out to you through your profile…or you can contact me directly on my profile.
There are Premium memberships available to you if you decide you want more power and speed in your business, but decide on that later. In the meantime, get your free account, get rolling, get connected with me, and I know you will welcome this brand new world at WA.
Time to transition from “dreaming” to “doing”. From planning to profiting. With Wealthy Affiliate as your ally, the trajectory of your online business is poised to succeed. You can get my full Wealthy Affiliate Review here. Let’s make it happen.
As with any page on this website, if you ever have any questions at all or need a hand with anything related to your business, reach out within the comments below and I will be happy to help you out.