Starting a Home-Based Internet Marketing Business

So you've decided to start a home-based Internet marketing business and now you're asking the eternal question, "Where do I start?"

My advice is to plenty of research, planning and soul searching before you begin. Most people who start a work-from-home Internet marketing business fail within the first six months. The most common reason for this is a lack of planning. So if you really want your home-based business to succeed, you need to give it plenty of forethought. I'm hoping this article will get you started on the right foot.

Internet Marketing Lessons Learned

I've learned many lessons about running an Internet marketing business, and I'd like to share some of them with you today. I've finally reached a place in my business where I'm happy, but it took a long time and plenty of trial and error to reach this point. So who knows ... maybe you'll find a shortcut to success by reading some of my own lessons learned.

1. Start by finding a niche for yourself.

There are thousands of Internet marketing companies in the U.S. alone, so if you want to enter the market successfully you need a niche. This might be an industry niche, a geographic niche, or a combination of the two.

For example, when I started my SEO firm, I realized it was a crowded industry. So I focused on providing SEO services to (A) small businesses in the Austin, Texas area and (B) real estate companies. It was a lot easier to enter the market this way. If I had tried to be a general SEO consultant for any type of company anywhere in the U.S., it probably would not have worked. Too much competition. Anyone starting a home-based Internet marketing business can benefit from this piece of advice -- find a niche!

2. Create an informative website.

You need a website that explains the Internet marketing services you offer. Not everyone will read through it. Some people will just shoot you an email and ask for help without reading a single word of your website. But you still need to provide sufficient information about your services, for the people who do read carefully.

At a minimum, this information should include:

• A clear explanation of the Internet marketing services you provide, along with the benefits of those services.
• A list of credentials. This can include past projects you've done, training and education, specific accomplishments, any articles you've published, etc.
• Testimonials from past clients, if you have some.
• An overview of how the process works, including the payment side of things.
• You might also want to create an FAQ page.

As you add this information to your website, be sure to optimize it for search engine visibility. This will help people find you online, which makes your marketing efforts a lot easier. You might also want to create an article library on your website, which can help you pull in even more search engine traffic.

3. Beware of time-wasting logistics.

If you spend too much time on logistical tasks like writing proposals, talking on the phone, and invoicing, then you won't as much time for billable works. This will limit the amount of money you can make with your home-based marketing business.

I learned this the hard way. I used to spend way too much time talking to potential clients on the phone. It ate up a lot of my workday, and it didn't always generate business. So I started handling all inquiries by email, until people were ready to move forward. You have to find a system that works for you, and you have to be on constant guard against logistical time-wasters.