The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Starting a Web-Based Business teaches aspiring web entrepreneurs everything they need to know about starting and running their own small-scale online business. Whether they intend to sell goods, services, subscriptions, or advertising, this book provides them with the nuts and bolts of planning, designing, building, hosting, marketing, and operating their online businesses. Specific coverage includes:
* Understanding different online business models and their corresponding revenue streams.
* Selecting and registering a domain name.
* Creating a website around the expected user experience.
* Choosing among various web hosting options.
* Accepting payments and fulfilling orders.
* Generating website traffic.
* Converting clicks into customers.
* Building and maintaining customer relationships
* Using accounting tools.
* Tracking success with website analytics.
The number of worldwide internet users continues to grow at a steep rate. In 2006, there were just over 1 billion internet users. In 2008 that number climbed to 1.4 billion, and by 2010 the number of internet users is expected to exceed 1.7 billion. Online businesses benefit from the increasing number of internet users-not just in terms of there being more potential customers for online goods and services, but increased traffic for subscription, advertising, and affiliate program revenue.