18 Sep
In a previous post, I mentioned how simply having an idea and motivation (and using it as the driving force to develop your solution) is part of how you can establish a successful business. It doesn’t take much to get your business up and running, as long as you stay faithful with your original idea and you have a winning team working with you. Little do people know that there is a huge difference between online businesses and regular businesses and most often, entrepreneurs like myself wonder how to start an online business.
Now that several aspects of society can be done online, including how business is conducted, one might wonder: what if I turn my idea into a purely online business venture? It’s an idea that crossed the minds of several budding entrepreneurs, though it doesn’t always translate to success.
I am, of course, speaking from experience. I’m actually pursuing a couple of online businesses, one of which was actually established within a month. With that said, the question remains: what’s the secret ingredient on how to start an online business?
If you’re reading this because you’re dead set on learning about how to start an online business, keep this in mind: your proposed solution must answer to whatever need your target market might have. Remember that nine out of ten startups fail, and having a lack of a market for their solution emerged as the top reason behind their failures.
Looking for a market for your business can be difficult, but the trick is to find a group in need of a solution to a particular problem. This can be done by conducting keyword research or visiting online forums. You can even scout out potential competitors and find out how your solution can do better.
It’s also ideal that you test your potential solution with others, especially those in your target market. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, their feedback is valuable in helping you determine whether or not your solution will strike a chord among consumers.
If you’re confident that your solution has a sizable niche market, it’s time to move forward to the next step: developing your business.
This stage isn’t simply about developing the actual solution that you’ll be fielding out into the market. It also involves developing an online presence - a website - to make your solution known to the market and attract potential clients. This will require the help of a developer.
Sure, there’s an abundance of online tools available to help you make your own website. You can even have total control of what goes into its pages. Keep in mind, though, that your website will be the bread and butter of your online business, and it’s a platform where you can actively promote your own work. Your best bet is to have your website professionally designed and developed by professional developers.
It’s understandable that you’ll want your website developed by capable professionals. That’s why you can utilize tools like Kandio, which allows you to test the skills of potential candidates. Kandio not only provides you feedback on a pass-or-fail basis, but also gives you a deeper insight into a candidate’s own set of strengths and weaknesses.
At the core of it all, starting an online business isn’t different from establishing a physical business. In this case, you’ll want to have a team of developers on your side to make sure that your online solution goes smoothly. Here’s to all the best for your upcoming online business!
Kasper is a serial entrepreneur who is on a mission to disrupt technologies and industries. In his spare time, he joins marathons and enjoys adventures in the great outdoors. As the CEO and Founder of Kandio, he is laser-focused on designing user experiences to make hiring a lot easier with Kandio’s growing library of assessment tests.
Kasper Dam