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Top 3 Reasons Why Your Business Should Have A Website

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Did you know that an estimated 2.2 billion people from all over the world are already using the Internet? Well, not all of them may become your customers, but it means that the Internet will become more and more part of our daily staple.

Here at Negosyo Builder, we believe that the top 3 reasons why your business should have a website are as follow.

1. Your customers are online.

This is the single best reason I can think of why you should put up a website for your business, especially if you are targeting the following:

  • New customers. These are the ones who have never done any business with you yet. They may know you from someone else, or they don’t know you at all.
  • Customers who are new to your place. A few examples: real estate buyer from another city, business traveler, etc..
  • Customers who are looking for an alternative solution. They may be dissatisfied with their current supplier or they are simply looking for the best bang for their investment money.

put your business online

Fact: Your customers are online. Are you?

These are the type of customers who tend to use the Internet and do their research to find out about the businesses they will be dealing with eventually.

They can be described by a single word: skeptical.

And yes, consumers these days are more skeptical than ever. They refuse to be fooled anymore. They want to know more and more about you before they decide to hand you their money.

Don’t have a website? Any or all of the following could possibly happen:

  • They won’t find you. For them, you don’t exist. Or, you exist in another world. But it’s not the world of your customers
  • They won’t know you. Did you know that the About Us Page is one of the most visited pages in any website? Customers want to know who’s behind a particular website.
  • They won’t trust you. There is no basis of establishing trust in the first place. Remember your mom’s advice about talking to strangers? Like it or not, in the eyes of the customers, you are a complete stranger until they actually start doing business with you.
  • They won’t like you. Did you ever like a movie which you haven’t seen yet? Unless you are blind, I guess you’ll agree that the answer to that question is no. Unless they can see your virtual face, your online customers can’t possibly like you yet.

(Related article: Your Business Website: How to do it right.)

In his book entitled, “Endless Referrals”, Bob Burg mentioned this simple truth that all salesmen should plaster on their foreheads:

“All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.”

2. A website builds your brand and credibility

Would you buy a PC or a piece of software from a vendor that doesn’t have a website? Would you enroll a computer course from a school that doesn’t even have a website?

Ironic as it may seem, but this is happening all the time in the Philippines. There are so many businesses with very low online credibility, and yet have the audacity to ask for your business.

This is like going to the gym because you wanted to flatten your belly, and perhaps put on some abs — though not necessarily six packs since you are not really into boxing. You have all the motivation in the world to lose those belly fats until the front desk staff introduces you to your instructor. Your eyes begin to scan his figure, not because you are gay 🙂 , but because your mind is searching for traces of credibility from someone who is suppose to give you the right instructions. And, oh my, he happens to look like he is 7 months pregnant! Where’s the credibility in that?

That’s what I mean by very low in credibility.

If you are like me, I would raise the following questions:

  • Am I dealing with the right people?
  • Can they deliver what they promise they would?
  • Are they trying to scam me?

In the online world, your own website — not your Facebook Page, or your Twitter account — can build your brand and credibility for you.

(See also: How to build a website: For people with no programming skills.)

The 2012 Nielsen Advertising Survey found out that 58% of the online consumers around the globe are more likely to trust a company that has its own website.

Many of your website visitors may not be buying from you yet, but these people can be looking at your website in search of information. And the more you provide them with the information that satisfies their curiosity, the more you reinforce your online credibility.

3. Your website makes it easy to engage your customer

The same Nielsen Advertising Survey conducted last year found that 92% of the online consumers worldwide say they trust word-of-mouth and recommendations from people they trust more than they trust the traditional forms of advertising.

Your potential customers also rely heavily on customer reviews and feedback from other third-party websites. That’s how intelligent customers are now becoming.

(See also: How to get a PayPal Account in the Philippines.)

Through your website, your potential customers can help you share the good things about your business without you spending a single dime. And with social sharing features in place, you also make it easy for a satisfied customer to recommend your business to his friends and his friends’ friends.

You could be the next business rock star! Who knows? But it has to start somewhere: with your very own business website.

Traditional vs Online Business

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Let’s say you are to start a small business anytime soon, would you go for a traditional business — with an actual physical location — or pick an online business concept?

If you ask me, I’m bias, of course. I would always pick an online business over the one which is traditional, bricks-and-mortar. It’s the smart choice and later I will elaborate why by comparing the two types of businesses.

First, let me lay down the basis of comparison just to make sure we are comparing an apple to an apple. There are many forms of businesses, but let’s make this simple. Consider a small and familiar retail outlet. It could be a mom-and-pop bookstore, franchised store operation, or anything you are already familiar with.

Let’s start.

1. Location

They say the three most important factors to consider when buying a piece of real estate are: location, location, location. Many traditional businesses like retail stores and restaurants are overly dependent on the location. Being in the wrong location could mean committing financial suicide for your business.

An e-commerce store on the other hand lives in cyberspace. It’s a virtual real estate identified by such things as domain name, IP Address, sub-domain, etc. In a virtual world, location is not the problem. Your problem is being found out by your target customers. (I have more to say on this topic in another article.)

2. Business Or Store Setup

Online vs Traditional BusinessSpace rental, renovation, period maintenance — you have to consider these things in a traditional store setup. Furthermore, you’ll need a signage, furniture or fixtures, display areas, POS machines and other things needed to keep your business in operation.

In an online business setup, your website is your store. Yes, you still have to maintain it, keep it looking good, update your product listings and prices, or run a few articles. But in general, comparatively cheaper to do or buy and you won’t be sweating it out when doing these activities.

(See also: Build a profitable website; no programming skills required.)

3. Manpower

In general, a traditional store requires a much bigger manpower to operate than an online store.

More often than not, the size of the store’s floor area is directly proportional to the number of employees needed to operate the store.

4. Inventory

I once discussed with a medical representative about the possibility of setting up pharmacy. The one thing I can’t forget was his advice on inventories: As much as possible, you have to keep a wide range of different kinds of medicines in your store because once your customer goes there and you don’t carry what he is looking for, he would go to your competitor and might never come back to you again.

Keeping a large amount of inventory is one of the burdens you have to bear for running a traditional store.

With an online business, this one is less of a problem. You can start with minimal or even zero inventories and keep it that way. There are so many ways of doing this.

5. Business Hours

Bricks-and-mortars operate in the usual and standard business hours. Your staff have to go home, too.

An e-commerce store, on the other hand, can accept orders round the clock, 24/7 – even while you sleep. That means, passive income coming your way.

6. Customer-base

Since it is confined to a particular location, a tradition business can only serve a very specific, regional market. The only way to serve more clients and customers is to setup branches in different locations.

This restriction is removed if your business is online. You can choose to serve nationwide or even to do business internationally. As our tagline says, “Earn Global. Live Local.” That’s easily possible with an online business.

How To Turn Your Hobby Into Cash

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Mirriam-Webster defines hobby as “a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.”

Hobbies are as diverse as the people who pursue them.

Apart from keeping his day job, my friend Albert is also into mountain climbing, extreme sports and other outdoor activities that are physically challenging.

On the other hand, my friend Rex takes pride in his collection of tropical fishes that are truly a stress-reliever, which is especially helpful when coming home from work.

Most often than not, a person who is engaged in a particular hobby is doing it out of pure pleasure derived from the activity. Making money is usually out of the equation.

Make money from your hobby

You can make money by telling the world about your hobby. Click the image above or this link to see how people around the world are doing it.

Herein lies the rub: While pursuing a hobby is fun, it can also be a financial drain.

Now, what if you can turn your hobby into a source of extra income or even a full-pledge business? For some hobbyist, it may sound counter-intuitive; perhaps, even defeats the purpose of doing the hobby. But there are those who are thinking along this line: there’s nothing wrong about being compensated for doing something that you love to do so you can do it more.

If you belong to the latter group, the following steps help you get you on the right track:

1. Learn the Art and Science of Selling.

That’s the very first hurdle you have to overcome. You have to accept the fact that selling is an essential part of any money-making endeavor. Whether you are aware of it or not, your everyday activity already involves selling.

Convincing the kid to eat his breakfast; getting everyone in the office to agree with your idea; asking for a raise or promotion — these are all sales activities.

Even churches and non-profit organizations have to sell too in order to get some funding. So why not get comfortable with it and take your hobby to the next level?

“I’m not ashamed of selling millions of records. I’m very fortunate to be in that position.” –Chris Daughtry

2. Do your homework.

Identify your target market. Who are your prospective clients? Can you come up with a profile of a typical customer?

Research the competition. Can you identify the known market leader in your area? Competition is not entirely a bad thing. For one, it indicates there is a market to be served.

(See also: Why Start a Business?)

3. Know your price.

How much would you charge for each individual product or services that you offer? A pricing strategy could spell the difference between an amateur and a pro.

Now, this already sounds like real business. Remember that your final price should include all costs incurred, including your own labor, plus profit margin.

4. Identify the level of success that you want.

You have to be clear about the meaning of success and having it all.

Your hobby-turned business could still consume your time and energy. Do you really want to do your hobby all day, every day in order to please your customers? You should strike a balance in order to maintain your sanity and keep the same level of enjoyment you have over your hobby.

(See also: How To Start a Part-Time Business. )

5. Go online.

Having a website brings a lot of benefits for the owner of a hobby-turned business enterprise. Here is a short list:

  • You can share your experiences.
  • You can teach people about your hobby. This is another business opportunity apart from selling your products and services.
  • It establishes you as an expert or authority in that field.
  • You can reach a wider base of audience and clients, even globally.
  • It’s your sales tool. Or, your sales man who never goes to sleep.

I can go on and on with the list, but the point is having a website offers a lot of advantages.

And speaking about going online, here are good articles to read to help you get going further:

How To Build A Profitable Website With No Programming Skills

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A website is your main doorway to the world of online business.

Is your business already online?

If not yet, that’s understandable. A lot of small business owners — I’m talking about traditional, offline businesses — are still taken aback when the thought of going online comes up.

The following are some of the most common hesitations for putting up an Internet presence:

  1. They don’t know how or where to start.
  2. They have no technical background such as programming, HTML, CSS and all that stuff.
  3. It’s expensive.

The last reason is the easiest to solve or justify. I believe that no matter how frugal the entrepreneur is in handling the financial resources of the business, once it’s demonstrated that a website can contribute positively to the bottom-line numbers, he would be convinced to jump right in and invest in having a website.

The Easy Way To Build a Website

SBI has all the right tools you need in building a successful online business.
Click here to see for yourself.

So I think the very first task of the entrepreneur before he embarks on having a website is to really asses the significance of having it in the first place. One of the ways you can do this is to look at your competitors, especially those who are run by the younger breed of entrepreneurs. Are they online already? If so, how was the effect of having that website on their business versus not having it? If you are eating their leftovers as a result of that website, maybe you should be online now before it’s too late already.

As to the first two reasons, consider this: What if I can show you a tool that allows you to build, not just a website, but a real online business, without any programming skills required on your end, would you give it a try?

And if you are concerned about the price, worry no more! Your monthly investment is only less than 1 USD per day!

This tool simply works! Believe me, I’ve never seen anything that compares to this product.

The only requirements on your end, so you can get started, are the following:

  • You can use email. You need an email address and you have to know how you use an email software.
  • You can pay online. That means having a credit card or a debit card. But I highly recommend that you get a PayPal account for better protection.

Enter Site Build It

Site Build It (or simply SBI from now on) is a complete set of online tools that you can use to create a successful online business. SBI is not just your usual online Site Builder. With SBI all the right ingredients are already there at your disposal.

Here are some of the good stuff that comes with the package:

  • Domain Name Registration and Web Hosting
  • Keyword Research Tool
  • Market Research and Competitor Analysis Tool
  • Newsletter management
  • Form Generators
  • Point-and-Click Page Builder
  • Search Engine Optimization

I bet you can’t find those tools bundled in WordPress or Joomla or Drupal!

Click here to compare WordPress with SBI.

SBI is simply amazing!

It works. Period.

And by the way, those are just a few of my favorite tools in the package. There are a lot more. I think you should take a video tour of the product to see what’s in store for you at SBI.


( Click here to watch the Video Tour.)

Perfect for the Newbies and Pros Alike

One of the reasons why SBI is successful as a product is that it is so easy to use. You don’t need any prior knowledge of HTML, CSS, FTP, Scripting, SQL and all those technical stuff just to be able to use the product.

With SBI, you focus on the content: your articles and your message. These are the stuff that cement your online relationship with your clients and customers. SBI takes care of the rest.

It’s really like driving a car. If you step on the brake pedal, you know that the car slows down until it stops moving. You don’t care about the exact mechanism of brake system like the auto-mechanics do. You just know it works.

Priceless: Online Business Education

SBI! CTPM Process

I think this is the most important part of the package.
SBI is loaded with educational materials and videos called Action Guide that help you in building a successful online business.

It’s like having an online mentor who will guide you every step of the way.

SBI also follows a proven and tested formula to ensure your success online. If you follow this system, you not only minimize errors, your chances of success also increases.

No Risk To Try: 90-Day Money Back Guarantee

Think about this: your monthly investment with SBI is less than 1 USD per day!

90-Day Money Back Guarantee On top of that, the company also gives you a 90-day money-back guarantee. That gives you three months to try it and study it yourself. If within that time-frame you realize that it’s not the tool for you, you can claim your money back!

When you sign up for SBI, you will be getting a free domain name, too. If you decide to stop using the tool within the 90-day period, the domain name is your… you can do whatever you want to do with it. That’s the company’s way of saying thank you for trying the product!

In conclusion

I am a firm believer in idea that the entrepreneur should not be wasting his time doing the dirty works (e.g.: clerical works, sending fax, etc) of the business, but instead shift his focus on the bigger picture and the overall direction of the business.

When it comes to making a website for your business, you may want to outsource that task to a more capable service provider. That is, if you are willing to invest some money also.

But if you are on a tight-budget, there is a tool that can help you do it and it’s very effective. I would even venture to say that in a lot of times, using SBI is even more effective than hiring a web professional.

I love SBI and once you begin using it, you will love it too!

Domain Name Selection Tips

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It’s possible that you can strike it rich in the Internet with just a domain name alone. Some people called, domainer, are making serious money with domain names: creating them, holding on to them like prime real estate, or trading them for top dollars to interested parties.

Consider the following domains and their corresponding price tags:

  • Sex.com. This is perhaps the most controversial domain name ever. It made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive domain name when it sold for 13M USD in 2007.
  • Insurance.com. Not as sexy as the first, but it sold for 16M USD in 2010. The domain is currently in the good hands of Quin Street.

There are a lot of other examples, but as you can see, a good domain name is already a valuable asset by itself. In fact, it is the single most important resource for your presence in the Internet. Whether it’s for a business website or for your personal use, when crafting your domain name, make it worth your while.
Listed below are some tips to consider.

Tip 1: Domain Name Extension Tips

Domain Name SelectionFirst, get the .com. Make it a priority to get the .com extension first before you get the other extensions. If you are saving a little bit, you can stick with just the .com.

Optionally, buy other extensions also especially .net, .org and other domain extensions which your competitor might try to get and use against you.

Tip 2: On Strings and Characters

Stick with Alphabetic characters. Though it is now possible to use other strange characters from the UNICODE system, you are better off just using the letters of the English alphabet.

Avoid hyphens. I was guilty of violating this one. I own the Davao-Real-Estate.com domain, which I still maintain up to this day. What makes it stupid is when I share this domain verbally to someone: it sounds awkward saying “dash” two times. Note, however, that that is an SEO-value in doing this, which was what I wanted back then.

Avoid Numeric Characters. Numbers on domain names are another things you want to avoid. It makes it difficult to type, especially on Internet-enabled mobile devices.

Tip 3: More Than Words

Keep It Short. They say two heads are better than one. But when it comes to domain names, one word is better than two. As a matter of fact, a single word domain is a rarity these days. I suspect all of the words in the English dictionary have their corresponding domains already. You have to be really creative in crafting one.

Mean what it says. If your domain name includes the word job, make sure your site is related to career and job opportunities. If it has travels in it, then your website should deliver travel-related contents.

Tip 4: Think Branding

Make it sticky. It should not only be easy to remember. It must be difficult to forget also.

Make it easy to type also. Think about users who might be browsing your website using their tablets and smart phones. Some users of these devices don’t know how to switch between QWERTY Keypad and Numeric Pad modes; others are simply too lazy to make the switch

Keep the above tips in mind as you begin to think about the possible domain names for your next online project. You may not be in for domain speculations like the domainers do, but remembering these pointers at least gives your useful insights in coming up with a valuable Internet asset.

Related Links

  1. Learn how to create your own website in 5 easy steps.
  2. Check out my recommended Domain Name Registrars: GoDaddy and NameCheap
  3. Get free domain name when you host with Fatcow. Click here to know their on-going promos.

Your Website In 5 Easy Steps

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I already mentioned in one of my past articles that it is so easy to create a website these days. Given the right tools and guidance you too can make your own website in no time. In this article, I’m going to show you the process on how to have your website up and running.

But before we proceed, let me just be clear that it is not my intention to fool into thinking that you can create a website like Facebook and eventually compete with them. There are a lot of companies out there that are trying to do that, with their million-dollar backing, but just could not make it. And Google Search, as simple as it may appear on the surface, actually follows a set of very complicated Mathematical algorithms — the kind that would make your head spin.

The website that we are trying to build here is one that would become useful in getting the word out about your business. It’s your online Marketing Tool. Think about an online brochure.

So prepare your credit card or, if you already have a PayPal account, that’s even better. You are going to buy two essential resources: a domain name, and a hosting account.

Let’s start.

Step 1: Play With Words — Brainstorm Your Awesome Domain Name

Simply stated, a domain name is the name of your website. People will type this name ( yourcompany.com ) into the address bar of a browser to be able to access your website.

The following pointers will help you:

  • Make sure the name is easy to remember.
  • Make sure it is easy to pronounce.
  • As much as possible limit the name to a combination of 3 words, maximum.
  • Try to get the .com domain.

The domain name must be available. You can check the availability using this tool.

So play around until you can come up with the good domain name for your website.

(See also: How To Name Your Business.)

Step 2: Buy A Domain Name

You buy a domain name from a company called domain registrar. I’m recommending the following companies:

  • NameCheap.com — Don’t be deceived by the name. We normally associate cheap with mediocre service. Not this company. Their support has been very excellent, I’ve stick with them for a couple of years now.
  • GoDaddy.com — This is perhaps the most popular domain name registrar around. Some people love them, some hate them. Personally, I think I am in the middle of this love-hate affair with GoDaddy. One thing to note is that, when you buy, expect a lot of upsell offers from them.

GoDaddy Deals

Check out the link below for promo GoDaddy is currently running:

Go Daddy Deal of the Week: Get 20% off your order! Offer expires 7/17/12

Step 3: Get A Web Hosting Account

This is the company that will keep the files, scripts and databases necessary for you to serve the contents of your website. Essentially, they store (or host) your files, text, images, videos and other related resources.

There are a lot of hosting companies out there. And I’ve tried a number of them. The one which I’m recommending highly for starters is the company named FatCow for one reason: Simplicity.

You don’t have to choose from a variety of hosting plans, because they offer only one simple web hosting. But for most purposes, this one plan is already more than enough. With Fatcow, you get unlimited everything – well, almost. Just consider:

  • Unlimited Web Space
  • Unlimited Bandwith
  • Unlimited MySQL Databases
  • Unlimited Ad-on Domains

Well, go check their latest offer of unlimited stuff by clicking here.

Note: Though getting a web hosting account with FatCow already comes with a free domain name, I don’t recommend that you do it. Remember what they say in Mutual Fund investment? Right, spread your eggs in different baskets. Suffice it to say, that the same advice applies here, too.

Step 4: Point The Domain Name to Your Hosting Account

Take note that your domain registrar and your web hosting company are two different companies. Their computer servers don’t know each other, too. For your website to be properly setup and become visible to the world, you must tell the domain registrar that your web server is located someplace else.

Technically, you do this by changing the Name Server settings from your domain name control panel so that it points to the name servers provided by your hosting company.

Luckily this one is easy to do.

Step 5: Install WordPress

Trust me, setting up WordPress from Fatcow is as easy as clicking a mouse. It should just take 5 minutes, maximum to get your WordPress based up and running.

Watch this video to know what I mean.

Easy WordPress Installation with FatCow

In conclusion

Easy, right? If you are serious about having your own website for fun, profit or whatever, you should at least try doing what I’ve just shown you.

Again here are the companies I’m recommending:

  • Fatcow — The affordable web hosting company that’s perfect for your starter website.
  • Namecheap — The also provide FREE Whois Guard protection, which you have to pay from other domain registrars.
  • GoDaddy — For Premium domains. They run promos every now and then.

I’ve actually done business with all of these companies so I can attest to their respective credibility.

And in case you run into some problems following the steps outlined above, feel free to contact me. I’ll be glad to extend a helping hand.

Update: NegosyoBuilder.com is now offering a web hosting and domain registration for locally based businesses in the Philippines. Get an Unlimited Shared Webhosting Account for as little as USD 5 per month. Contact us for details.

Your Business Website: How To Do It Right (Part 2 of 2)

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In the previous article on this series, I mentioned about some of the benefits your business can derive by having a website. You can reap those benefits if you know how to do it right.

However, not all entrepreneurs are technology savvy. Some of them have only a basic understanding of the Internet technology and how to take advantage of this. If you belong to this group, you need not worry. This website is created for business owners just like you who want to learn how to utilize the Internet and related technologies and who don’t want to be bothered by the lesser important details.

It’s true that technology is getting more and more complicated as it advances forward. On the other hand, companies that offer high-tech products and services to their clients are also striving to make it as simple to use and possible for users to be able to adopt and take full advantage of the features and benefits. I’m not sure if you have observed it, but most tech products that thrive in the marketplace are those that are also the most user-friendly even your non-techie grandma can use. Building a basic website is about the same: it’s becoming simpler than ever. Given the right tools and with proper guidance, you can be up to speed in no time.

I believe that there are only three primary skills you need to have for you to be able to utilize these Internet-related technologies into your business. These skills are the following:

  1. Using Email.
  2. Using Desktop Applications.
  3. Ability to Read English.

That’s it. Once you have developed those skills, you are in a position to follow what we are about to show you here. That is, how to develop your business website and how to do it right.

Note: You don’t have to do the actual website building yourself. You can hire other professionals to do it for you or you can buy those off-the-shelf packages. I believe that as a business owner, you should only focus on the core competencies of your business, and leave the nitty-gritty stuff to other people.

So ready? Read the rest of the topic.

What You Need To Get Started

The first two items are a little bit technical, but they are easy to understand. It’s important to remember that you should be the one to buy, control and manage these two important resources. We’ll have more of that in other articles, but right now you all you need is a short introduction to know what they are. The third item is the simplest and easiest to understand.

1. A domain name. It’s the one that appears on the Browser’s Address box as http://www.yourdomain.com. This is your online identity, your address in cyberspace, your single most important online resource.

It’s your name. How good does it sound?

Like your business name, your domain name should also be sticky: Easy to remember and hard to forget.

2. A Web Hosting Account. Remember disk drives, USD flash drive and DVDs? They are digital devices that you primarily use to store files. A web hosting account is a lot like those file storage devices, but it’s actually a whole lot of package which includes, a database server, web server, lot of software, and more. You access it over the Internet and located in a place called the data center, which your web host provider maintains. When it comes to web hosting, you need to get it from a reliable company. You can’t afford a down time.

3. Text, Graphics, Audios and Videos. From your visitors’ point of view, these are the stuff that they see, read or hear. Once assembled together, it’s the doorway to your online business. It’s your chance to make an impression. Make every page count.

Web Pages That Count

Business Website Guide

Your Online Business: Do It Right The First Time

Your actual website should contain as many text and informative articles as possible. But for a start, the following pages should be considered as essential:

  • Home Page – When people visit you from your URL, say www.yourbusiness.com, the home page is very page that they see. Otherwise called as the main page, it should provide links to the most important pages on the website.
  • About – This section should have the essential info about your business or your organization. Highlight the following: Company Background and History, Management Team, Vision and Mission Statement, etc.
  • Products And Services – What do you have to offer? Put them here and make this module very accessible from the main navigation.
  • Contact – Put your contact information here. Email Address or Contact Form, Physical Office Address with Map, Phone and Fax numbers are among the most important information visitors will be looking for.
  • Blog – Blogging is not just for kids who are ranting about everything there is to rant. It’s an effective way of giving your faceless company some form of personality. Here’s a two-way communication medium between you and the customer.

Common Sense Web Design Tips

In closing, I’d like to share two timeless web design tips that you can implement anytime.

First, keep it simple. Make it easy for your visitors to navigate your contents. The website is not a showcase of the graphical abilities of the designer. It is a means of delivering your message across. Your important pages should be accessible from any page of your website. Remember to put your audience first. Give them what they are looking. Your website is not for you to visit every day. It’s for your visitors so they can do business with you. Observe that the most popular websites also have the simplest designs.

Finally, make it fast. Avoid fancy graphics and flash animations like you would a contagious disease. I know and I regret it that most website owners love to have kinds of flashy stuff. Do you really think your visitors are there on your website so they can be entertained by your flash animations and to watch your photos? Think about it.

Your Business Website: How To Do It Right (Part 1 of 2)

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During the Internet Boom one of the most hard-to-forget marketing pitches I’ve ever come across went like this: “If your business is not in the Internet, your business will soon be out of business.” The message, of course, is over-exaggerated, but it is an invitation for businesses to go online and claim their respective spot in virtual space by putting up a website. Essentially, the message is saying, “get your website now before the competitor gets there first.”

build a website or online business

Building a website can be fun.

Here’s my take: The part where it says, “being out of business if you’re not online”, that’s not true at all. From the period covering of the dot-coms-turned-dot-gones to the when everyone was talking about Web 2.0 (whatever that means) and until now when mobile apps are the “in things”, there are businesses which never had an online presence. Quite surprisingly here in the Philippines, a good number of these businesses are doing just fine and some are remarkably thriving even without having their own websites. What I’m trying to say is, if you are a business owner, you don’t have to jump to the Internet-bandwagon. In fact you should NOT get a website under the following circumstances:

  1. If it’s not essential to the operations of your business
  2. If it can’t bring in the money to your business.
  3. If you can’t do it right.

I can’t help you with the first item. You have to figure it out for yourself.

NegosyoBuilder.com is here to help you with the second item. So I’d like to invite you to subscribe to our email list (thanks to Google Feedburner) or like us on Facebook or connect with us on Google+.

This article is intended to address the third item. When it comes to your online business, your attitude should be: “Do it right, OR don’t do it at all.”

Read the rest of the material if you want to have a business website and do it right.

The Benefits of Having A Website

First, let’s put things in proper order. It’s always good to have an attitude that goes like this: “A website? What’s in it for my business?

It’s good that you ask. But, you should also ask why you are in business in the first place.

Here’s how your business benefits by taking your dose of online multi-vitamins:

1. It’s good for your image. Your website serves as an electronic equivalent of your printed brochures and people can view them anytime, anywhere. It means you are keeping up with times and you are at pace with technology. It reinforces your reputation and enhances your credibility.

2. It makes you visible. A business is no good if your customers and clients can’t find you. Having a website is like passing out your business card to several people. And since most website visitors come to a website through search engines, it would be good if you rank high in Web search results.

3. It communicates your message. A website can be a powerful and cost-effective communication tool. You can send out updates, good news, special promotions, product introductions, and similar information to your target audience.

4. It’s a feedback tool. You can hear from your customers and how they feel about your business.

5. It makes you money. Depending on how good you are at turning site visitors into paying customers, your website indeed can positively affect your bottom-line. If you believe that your business can make you rich, your website only makes it a little bit easier.

We’re only talking about a simple website here. Bear in mind that not all websites are created equal. Some have a lot of advanced features like those e-commerce websites that accept online payments, or those from the banks that allow you to perform Internet Banking 24/7.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we discuss main ingredients you need to prepare so you can have a killer website.

Update: Part 2 of this series of articles is now ready. Click here to read it.

PayPal For Business: What Every Entrepreneur In The Philippines Should Know

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If you are a Filipino Entrepreneur and you want to learn about PayPal and how essential it is in our business, you have come to the right place.

Let me introduce to you… PayPal Philippines. This article is presented in a form of Question-And-Answer, where I ask myself, and then I answer my own question. 🙂

Ready? Here we go.

What Is PayPal?

Quite simply, PayPal is an online payment solution that allows you to securely send and receive money over the Internet. You can think of it as a virtual Credit Card machine that sits next to the point-of-sale terminal, but minus the cute cashier and without the actual card swiping action. The widespread acceptance of PayPay all over the world makes it advantageous if you have a global operation or your business is operating 24/7.

Naturally, it fits well with businesses that have their own websites. But having a website is not even necessary for you to receive money. All you ever need to accept online payment via PayPal is an email address – not a website. That is, you can simply direct your paying client or customer to your account on the PayPal.com website and PayPal will take care of the rest.

Of course, there are other alternative online payment solutions available like 2Checkout, Authorize.net, iTransact and Google Checkout. But the primary advantage of PayPal is that it has a large number of user-base worldwide. It is available in more than 190 countries around the globe. And it is very popular here in the Philippines, particularly to the young generation of Internet users. Moreover, it has gained the respect of top calibre online businesses and it is the preferred method of payment on EBay.

Can I Accept Credit Card Payments with My PayPal Account?

PayPal is meant for that kind of business transaction.

It is a payment gateway that allows you to accept online payments from people using their credit cards, debit cards or their own PayPal Accounts.

What Are the Benefits of Using PayPal?

PayPal For Business in the Philippines

Power Your Online Business with PayPal

Aside from the ones already mentioned above, here are the reasons why you should use PayPal:

  1. PayPal is very secure. Their website says Paypal “uses the latest anti-fraud technology.”
  2. PayPal hides your financial information. If you have ever used your credit card to purchase online, you remember that they require you to provide at least three things: your card number, your name, and the Card Security Code. That exposes you to a potential credit card fraud especially if the website saves your financial data in its database. With PayPal, you only provide your PayPal credentials using your email address and your account password, nothing more.
  3. PayPal for Money Transfers. You can use it for money transfers and remittances to the Philippines, within the country, or anywhere in the world.
  4. Paypal supports multiple currencies. PayPal has a built-in Forex System that allows you to do business transactions using multiple currencies including our very own Philippine Peso and the ever mighty and universally accepted US Dollar.

What Is PayPal Account For Business?

There are three types of PayPal accounts, namely: Personal, Premier and Business.

If you are to use PayPal for business transactions, it is only appropriate to get the Business Account since it has special features that are not available on the simple Personal Account (individual shopper) or Premier Account (individual, non-business, occasional seller).

I Want To Set Up A PayPal Account. What Are The Requirements?

There are four things you need to have.

  1. An Email Address. Make sure you are using this one for business only. You don’t want to mess this up with your personal email account, newsletter subscriptions and things like that.
  2. A Bank Account. It can either be a Savings Account or a Checking Account (sometime called Current Account) preferably in the local Philippine Currency and in name of the business. This is needed so you can withdraw your money from PayPal and deposit it to your bank account. I would recommend getting one where Internet Banking is allowed.
  3. PayPal Bank Code. This is a Numerical Code assigned by PayPal to identify your bank. You can get this one from your bank or from this website. (See further explanation below.)
  4. A Credit Card or Debit Card. Get this one from a credit card company or check out with your favourite bank. I recommend that you use a credit card here. That would provide an added security on your part.

Special Note: A lot of local bankers in the Philippine are not even aware of PayPal. Don’t be surprised if they give you a blank stare when you ask about setting up a PayPal Account using your account with them.

The easiest way to tell if PayPal has a tie-up with a particular bank in the Philippines is to check its respective Bank Code from this URL:

http://pages.ebay.ph/bankwithdrawal/bank_codes_ph.html

That is the official website of eBay Philippines; PayPal is an eBay Company. That is the most reliable source there is. Don’t ever get it from any other websites.

I Want To Sign Up Now, Tell Me How

Remember to sign up for a Business Account. Click here to reach the sign up page from the website.

Alternatively, you can click on the image shown below.

Sign up for PayPal and start accepting credit card payments instantly.

Again, it’s for your business so get the Business Account.

If you should first try to get an account for personal use, I would recommend that you sign up for the Premier Account instead of the Personal Account. Who knows? You might have some stuff you want to sell personally so you can test your new-found PayPal Powers. 🙂

This article is intended to provide you with the essential information about PayPal as it relates to your business. As an entrepreneur, this is one of those important things you have to be aware of.

Hopefully, this article gets you up to speed already with PayPal.