It’s More Than Having WordPress!

Because of the economy, I probably get at least one call each day from someone who just wants to “put up a WordPress site” and start making money. They’ve seen those commercials with folks standing in front of mansions and expensive cars touting everything is on auto-pilot.

Many even asking me if I have any ideas for an online business! To which I respond, “so many I don’t have enough time to implement them all!” Notice what I said — I don’t have time. Successful sites take time — tons of it, bushels full, mass quantities — more than most folks have or are willing to commit.

We then naturally start getting into a conversation about their ideas and what their plan is. Nine out of ten callers don’t even have a plan! They just know they want to have a Web site, on WordPress because they’ve heard it’s “free and easy”, and make money. As though having a WordPress Web site is all that is required to start raking in the coin.

It simply doesn’t work that way. Online business is business; basically the same as off-line with the same considerations and issues that need to be addressed — before you even think of getting a WordPress Web site.

Don’t be like the many I talk to that literally disregard the concepts necessary to running a serious, healthy business as though they don’t matter. If you are serious about producing an income, of any kind you had better be informed about:

• How will you do your accounting? What software?
• What is best for your business S-Corp or Sole Proprietor and what are the tax implications of both?
• What legal issues do you need to cover? Trademarks, copyrights or patents? Minimally every site owner should be concerned about trademarking their brand and copyright issues.
• What is your marketing plan? Pay Per Clicks, eZines, forums and what off-line advertising can you benefit from? How do you expect to get exposure for your site and what are the costs involved?
• What is your USP? Your Unique Selling Proposition. What sets you apart from anyone else doing something similar to you online?
• If you want to Blog your way to riches, what are you going to Blog about that is interesting, engaging and that you can type about at least once every day?

If you are selling tangibles (yes, you can do eCom on WordPress), you have to then determine:

• Shipping and handling fees.
• Will you will track inventory and if so how?
• Policies: Ordering, Customer Service, Returns, Data Collection, Privacy
• Payments: PayPal, Checks, Money Orders, Credit Cards through a Merchant account? How will you process these payments securely online?

No matter how great WordPress is; and I think it is in fact one of the best equalizers online for small business, online is not a build it and they will come. In today’s environment you will not get found by virtue of simply putting a Web site online on WordPress or any other platform. You have to have a plan!

From investigating your market to ensure you have a product, service or topic that is needed/desired and not already being offered by millions of other Web sites in the first place, to making sure you have an viable business plan that covers all these issues in detail.

Make sure you get your new business idea off to the best start possible in this rabidly competitive environment. Do your due diligence and cover all the bases, then and only then should you start working on your WordPress Web site.

At your service,
Judith

Tags: business startups