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5 Tips For A Successful Home Website
When you think about building your home based business website there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before jumping off into the deep end. Here are 5 things that make a successful home business website.
1. Navigation is crucial - if your surfers have to search around for the information they seek, game over. People want easy info quickly. Don't make them jump through hoops to gather the information they seek. Put obvious links right on the main page to your other products and services and make it stand out at them.
2. Professional site design - there are a lot of ugly looking websites out there. Which would you trust more, a site that looked like a professionally designed business or something that's run out of someone's garage? Of course your business might be run out of your garage, but you don't want to appear that way. Having personal touches is not less personal but invest the money to have your site designed - you won't be sorry!
3. Marketing is the key - tell your surfers how they benefit from your product or service and why they can't live another day without it! Get into the mind of your potential customer and justify to yourself why they should fork out their hard earned dollars to buy your product. Also be their friend, don't sound too commercial. Most people will trust a friend, but they don't trust a salespitch.
4. Start an email newsletter - collect your surfers' addresses so that they can join your newsletter. Send it out weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly and make it full of real content - not just a bunch of links trying to sell something to them. People will see right through that and opt out. Make it very beneficial to your list members so that they eagerly await your next mailing.
5. Allow interaction with your guests - list your email address visible so your site surfers can contact you. People don't trust businessmen and women whom they can't get ahold of! It builds up trust that they are able to give feedback and get their questions answered. These are the basic things you must keep in mind while having your new website constructed. "Dumb" your site down and make it very user friendly! Put all of your relevant links right out in the open where your surfers can easily get to them. While those Flash spinning animations are cool to look at for about 5 seconds, they are really only beneficial if your surfers were 3 years old. Keep these simple principles in mind and you are on your way to online website success!
About the Author-
Jennifer Clason is the site owner and operator of http://www.mommyjobs.com. She has been running a full-time home-based Internet business for 7+ years now and owns more than 10 different Internet Sales websites.
The Key to Balancing Your Family and a Home Based Business
by Melinda Clinton
So you finally took the leap and started your own home based business. Congratulations to you. You may find yourself busier now than ever before. So how do you balance working at home and your kome life? It is easier than you think.
First of all, ask yourself exactly why you wanted to work from home. It could be a new baby, to spend more time with your spouse, to make enough money for a new boat, or a million other things. Identify your reason and write it down. Put it in a place near your work area so that you will see it every day. Add pictures if you like. Looking at your reason will help to keep you motivated on those days that you just don't feel like it.
Next, set your business hours and stick to them. It will save you many, many headaches as your business grows. Let your friends and family know that you are working even though you are at home. Call them back after the close of your business day. It may take more than once, but eventually they will figure out that you are serious. When they do, they will respect your business the same way they would respect an outside job.
Finally, get yourself a good day planner and a set of different colored highlighters. The planner needs to have the day broke down to at least hourly, preferably into 15 minute increments. These are your most valuable organizational tools.
Go through your planner and fill in the mandatory every day family tasks such as taking the kids to school. Now go back and add the occasional family tasks such as a dentist appointment. Highlight them in one color. Now you can see your familial obligations with just a quick glance.
Now, write in your mandatory business tasks. If you have set an appointment with a client, put it in. Clients and other business contacts take priority once you have set that appointment. Highlight them using a second color.
Last, write in your flexible business tasks. Use a third color for these. This list may include calling your contacts, finishing paperwork, or anything that needs to be done but doesn't have a specific time. Be sure to put these on your schedule though or you may find yourself cleaning your desk at midnight!
Here is an example of my planner from the morning of October 27, 2006.
7:30 am-wake up and get it together
7:45 am-
8:00 am-breakfast
8:15 am-
8:30 am-kids to school
8:45 am-
9:00 am-Appt. Karla Rice
9:15 am-
9:30 am-email campaign
9:45 am-
10:00 am-Appt. Laura Davis--no show
10:15 am-call leads
10:30 am-
10:45 am-
11:00 am-training call
11:15 am-call Laura Davis to reschedule
11:30 am-lunch break
Now you will be able to look at it and see where and when you have an important task, a family must-do, or some flexible time without having to search to long. That could make a big difference between getting the appointment for the big sale and sounding unsure so you lose it.
After you have written it all out, stick to it as well as you can. Remember, you wrote it so it is yours to change as the day progresses. Not all of your appointments will show up, so use the time for something else. Someone will call at the last minute for an appointment, so move the training call unless you are the one doing the training. Don't clog up the schedule so that there is not room for these little changes that will happen every day.
Even though you are at home, possibly still in your pajamas, this is a business. Treat it seriously, put in the time you set to work, and taking your time off won't seem so hard.
About the author-
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