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Links and Resources for
WAHM's and Online Businesses
Recommended
Books for Online & WAHM Success!
Hosting
Every web page needs a
home and there are many hosting options out there ranging in price from
FREE to expensive! When you're looking at a free host, you can be
sure that there will be some kind of advertising on the site whether it
be a pop-up banner or a banner that stays on your page at all times or
other. It's always an option to start with a free host and
then move to a "banner-free" host when sales start rolling in!
Before you get started, here's a site with a very helpful Web
Hosting Check List and Glossary.
Here are some hosting options to check out:
Free Hosting:
For Fee Hosting:
We highly
recommend Jennifer at www.rtsweb.net
for all your hosting
needs. Our sites as well as the packages we offer are hosted via her!
Here's a directory of Web
Hosts and other related services
WebHostList.com
Still haven't registered for
your domain name?
000domains.com will
register your name for $13.50/year! Jennifer at www.rtsweb.net
can also arrange for your domain name when she sets up your hosting account.
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eCommerce
I did a lot of
tire-kicking before I chose my eCommerce/shopping cart program. It
took me a while to grasp what exactly the flow of transactions were,
from the customer to me. There's a very helpful eBook you can
download here.
(It's in the center of the page).
If you're not ready for eCommerce, there is
the option of a printable order form or adding a shopping cart that tracks
orders only. I've done these for clients who were "testing the
waters" before applying for their merchant accounts and credit card
processing.
There are also 3rd party type payment
processing options:
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Promotion
OK... you have your web page, now what?
You need to tell the world about it! I find new ways of
advertising (for free and for fee) every day. Here are some spots
that I've used or have been recommended to me for advertising:
** STOP THE
PRESSES!!! **
This has been a recent
discovery... and what a JACKPOT of promotional information and resources
Kim has at her site! There are tutorials that are easy to
understand and a newsletter to sign up for that covers all aspects of
site promotion!
Check out Cre8pc
Website Promotion
TODAY!
* * *
* *
Ok...back to our
regularly scheduled PROMOTION Section! :o)
Paid Promotion/Advertising:
Place Free Classified Ads:
(Most of these sites also have
added exposure advertising for a fee)
Search Engine Submittal (Most
are Free!):
We try to run our site through
AddMe.com every month or
when we've made a significant change to it. It's free and easy and
many online business owners swear by it!
Spider Engines/Directories you can
submit your url to:
(Note: if there are
instructions and/or recommendations for submitting your site... READ
THEM! It can make a big difference! Especially take the time
to read the instructions at Yahoo! I was listed in 2 weeks!)
1st... here's a helpful
Search Engine Resource & Directory Site:
AllSearchEngines.com
Online Malls:
Articles & Misc.:
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Networking
I have found networking (word
of mouth) to be the most beneficial
method of advertising, gaining new resources, meeting other business
owners with whom I can work... well, the list goes on and on. It's
also the most time-consuming. You could be online 24/7, visiting
people's sites, making introductions, asking for help and responding to
other's inquiries. There is one online group in particular
however, whose members are helpful, friendly and supportive. It's
the gang at Creative
Enterprises, headed up by Carol Daly. I really recommending
you stopping by her site and seeing everything there is to offer online
businesses. Below are other groups that I've also found helpful
and worth a visit.
Online Business Groups:
(Need help with networking? Check out your Schmooze-Ability
!)
For help and support,
both online and off!
See if there's a group in your area and if there isn't, start one!
I've listed some banner exchange
sites below. Most work on a 2 for 1 basis (every
2 times a banner is viewed on your site, yours shows up on someone
else's site in the exchange, once).
You don't want to bog down the loading of your pages by cluttering them
with bunches of banner ads (they
need to be on main pages if it's going to be worth the effort)
but you can also consider banner swapping with other online businesses
as a way to get exposure and bump up the number of links to your site.
(They say the more links there are
TO your site, the better your showing in some search engine results.)
I set up the "Friends
of TakeAStroll" pages as a way to display links to other
business sites, who in exchange, have a link to me.
Exchanging links takes time to build on... making personal introductions
and inquiring if owners are interested in the swap. I've found
most people eager to exchange and are grateful for the reciprocal link.
Once you're up and running, I'd be happy to swap links with you!
:o)
Banner Exchanges:
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Miscellaneous
Click HERE
for helpful and entertaining
WAHM and Small Business articles
(that are automatically updated with new content
so check back often for new tips and advice!)
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In addition to
business cards being a great way to share your online business
with family, friends and just about anyone else you meet... when
you start to swap literature with other MomPack members
(mentioned above) you'll need LOTS of business cards! I
order cards for my own business, 1,000 at a time, from
VistaPrint and have always been VERY happy with the quality and
service! |
Recommended
Books for Online & WAHM Success!
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Disclaimer:
These sites are listed here in an effort to provide resources for
you to conduct your own research and thus make your own decisions
about what is right for you and your business. The comments
are my own opinions and based on my own personal experience and I do
not promise that your experiences will be the same. I do not
receive any compensation from these companies, nor do I make any
warranties or commitments on their behalves. Take
information from here that you find helpful, and leave the rest!
Thanks, and Good Luck with your online venture! :o)
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* DON'T
FORGET TO BOOKMARK!! *
This page is being
updated frequently with additional resources, tools, and money-saving
information!
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