Blogged To The Eyeballs

The truth is I read a lot of randomness, blogs on turtles, ‘how to’ self help manuals, ‘Big Booty Rocks,’ (free subscription) and the ins and outs of Start ups. This got me thinking well if they can do it then I’ll scribe a mash up of words myself and see what comes out of it. My verbal diarrhoea was whittled down to this little gem of a blog, if I say so myself. It’s not the Holy Grail to all your questions; it’s more like the do's and don’ts I’ve experienced and mentally bookmarked in my years of creating online businesses.

This one’s a given!

Your online business must add value to your customer.

Personality counts!

I’m not sure about you but I definitely prefer working with like-minded people that enjoy working and playing hard. When generating content for your website try not to use standard business jargon and stock photography. Don’t be afraid to add a touch of you in everything you do and your online business will automatically by unique. At the end of the day it’s the team that will make an online business succeed.

Don’t forget about the online business model

Surprisingly quite a few people that have asked me to create a website for their business or person have over looked the importance of modelling their online business. They’d have spent ages writing up their business plan but would have forgotten about how to model it to sell online. If done correctly a business could generate a great return from applying some simple pyramid models. Create online registration forms, payment gateways & lead capture programmes to capitalise on customers that prefer to register & pay online - this will generate you a quick return with little human input. You can then focus man/lady power on the big financial guns or the ‘Kobe steaks’ as I like to call them. Take time to work through their goals without compromising yours because a few Kobe Steaks will make an online business highly profitable.

Head count, 1, 2 & 3

If you're a start up company or are simply exploring ideas for an online business try starting off with 3 people and work together for free. For online purposes this could be a designer, web programmer and networker. Make sure that your selected 3 add value to the initial vision because when it comes to investment the investor will immediately spot the weak links and inevitably ask the poignant question of the necessity of individuals within the team moving forward. That could get messy!

Lead from the front

Someone once told me that 'creating a new online business is like running with arrows in your back.' Lead the market with your ideas and watch others follow. If you find yourself developing an idea that has already been launched online then you may well end up playing catch up. There’s nothing worse than chasing dust.

The Free loss leader

It's not rocket science, no online visitors means no business. Getting customers to use your online business is key to its success so if it’s financially viable offer your core service/product for FREE, it should attract a good number of visitors. You can then commercialise your online business on a percentage conversion of paying customers from subscription fees and premium services or reap the rewards from online advertising.

If possible base your payment model on re-occurring monthly costs which will give you the freedom to financially forecast your business and build on existing funds. One-off fees will only mean more work to get new customers through the door.

Get Beta’d

Beta testing is key to perfecting your online business because it allows the team to correct any programming or user experience/interface design aspects of their online business without getting a wet slap to the face. In most circumstances start-ups will start off by registering a select few Beta Participants. If you’ve got the connections preferably use a mixture of public members and possible partners who may want to invest in your business. Make sure their feedback doesn't fall on deaf ears.

User Experience design

Use technology to automate everything and use UED (user experience design) to humanize everything. People buy people; portray your person and business vibe by writing blogs and use bespoke pictures because they’re a great way to evoke a sense of personality and a channel to communicate your ideas informally.

Frienemies

Check out your competitors and learn from their mistakes and unique selling points. Absorb, disrupt or work with their product/service to benefit yours.

Develop APIs for 3rd Party Web Apps

It’s all the craze at the moment, with Twitter, FaceBook and Apple iPhone all leading the way it’s hard not to recognise the importance of opening your platform for others to plug in to your market to help boost your brand and customer base. If you can develop a versatile online business that will allow others to utilise and build a product of their own on top of yours then get on it. It could mean more money and brand exposure at no expense to yourself.

Evolve & communicate my brave friends

Creating something new online is a fluid process. Accept the fact that the idea you start off with may evolve into something completely different. Don't be afraid of change, embrace it and question where it will lead you before you jump in feet first.

I say no!

I’ve seen many a good team fall apart by the destructive nature of leading a team on false promises. You’ll only succeed in de-motivating your team if you get busted. If you say you're going to deliver something, deliver it! If you can't then stand up and say out loud, ‘I can't do it!’ There is no failure in admittance only strength of character. Raise the alarm early enough and together the team can sweep up and move forward. For the love of the angels never accept a task that's beyond your capabilities. Working to each other's strengths will lead to success; a jack of all trades is as they say the master of none.

Let’s get together?

The most fruitful meetings are the ones that can be done 'on the fly.' This encourages spontaneous creativity and a drive to resolve any issues instantly within the team. If you have a question or find a problem call in your team to sit around your desk and hack it through, 9 out of 10 times you'll come to a satisfactory conclusion.

If the problem can't be resolved by your desk then organise, book and plan a meeting with topics to execute within a 30 minute period. Appoint a chairman for guidance. Everyone must have an opportunity to add their input, no idea is poop, it's a possibility, write it down and explore it. If possible add all the tasks to your project plan as you agree them - this will save additional time of a sole person taking minutes and then having to add them to the project plan at a later date. Everybody in the meeting must take responsibility to remember their tasks as discussed and agreed.

The Sales Team vs the Web 2.0 website.

There are 3 fundamental steps to making a sale:

1) Exposing the right customer (decision maker) to your service/product

2) Generating interest from the right customer (decision maker) in your product/service

3) Courting & Closing the deal

The majority of Web 2.0 websites have all been modelled to automate the 3 steps above online to generate business and this trend hasn’t gone unnoticed. Incorporating this approach into your online business model will streamline your business practice and efficiency by reducing expenditure & time in man power. Check out Wikipedia’s business model - do you know how many people the charity employs? 10. Ten people to keep the servers ticking over and to maintain and police the site - the rest are volunteers. Contract the right user experience/web designer, programmer, networker, business development guru and you’ll be surprised as to what you can achieve with so little a head count.

Factual planning

Planning is everything. Keep a helicopter view on your vision and move swiftly with facts collected from research (not 'hear say') with your final goal as your definite guide. Create milestones and 'quick wins' throughout your project roadmap and the team will stay motivated and focused. If you enjoy what you do, you'll inevitably be successful. Most of all have fun!

Funding

This is a big topic and won’t go fully into it now. The route you take depends on quite a few variables but if you’re pitching an idea that hasn’t been created - I will say for now, look for investment that’s close to home. Jumping in with VC’s with an idea that isn’t up and running is risky for numerous reasons. I’ll be discussing the topic of funding in more detail in a future blog currently on the burner.

The final scribe

If you want to find out how we can put all of what you've read into practice then get in touch. I'm always working on ideas night and day.

 

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