First, there was the DotCom boom. Then, there was the Dotcom Crash. And now, cyber-preneurs are getting excited once again in a possible Dotcom Bloom, according to this article by Jennifer Dorroh in American Journalism Review. And, Ms. Dorroh writes:
Finally, after an awkward adolescence, online advertising has come of age, giving hope to those who believed that Gates was right about content all along. Advertising revenue online is now growing at the robust rate of 20 percent to 30 percent per year. This boost, coupled with falling barriers to entry for Web publishers as software becomes cheaper and easier to use, is spurring enterprising journalists to create fresh news destinations online–and to build viable businesses in the process. These efforts range from single-author news blogs to publishers who aim to create diversified media companies rooted in online news. And many offer an added twist: They’re bringing unprecedented interactivity to the Web in the form of readers-turned-citizen journalists.
But, with the excitement and enthusiasm comes the warning:
[snip]… the key to success isn’t simply getting your site up on the Web, it’s getting people to read it. “The barrier to entry in this new business isn’t getting published; anyone can do that. The barrier to entry is finding an audience,” she wrote on the blog Pressthink.
The new sites will have to market themselves intensely, either formally or by word-of-blog; spend money to optimize their sites (so they appear higher in search engine results); and stay current on publishing technology while keeping content fresh and accurate so that visitors will return. Those that do succeed may help online journalism fulfill some of its early promise by bringing a wide variety of fresh, independent voices to the Web.
So, there you go. If you’re a newcomer with a fresh blog or website, you need to do more than just put things up online to make money. You definitely need to do these Top 3 Things To Gain Business Online:
1) Market/promote yourself or your business (create buzz, buy advertising, etc.);
2) Get your sites optimised (either learn SEO or hire someone to do it for you); and
3) Make sure you have good, fresh content (especially if you rely on advertising or if you’re offering services). Otherwise, you must have good, new products (if you rely on sales).
Also See: Promotions and SEO
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