Building a successful Web BusinessBuilding a successful Web Business

SW Learning Series November 2011

© 2011 SOWEB Inc. 1

Why Business Planning?

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and thenwhile defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

Sun Tzu – The Art of War

Questions every Entrepreneur must answer

PersonalLevel

StrategicLevel

TacticalLevel

Source: Harvard Business Review, Amar Bhidé

A Basic Business Plan Outline

Executive Summary

Market Analysis

Competition

SWOT Analysis

Development and Productionp

Marketing

Marketing Strategy

ProgramsPrograms

Financial Data

Organization and Management

Ownership

Critical Risks and Problems

Summary and Conclusionsy

Appendices

12 Step Quick Guide to start a Web Business

1. Develop an Idea for Business

2. Develop a Business Planp

3. Choose a Business Structure

4. Open a Business Checking Account

5 Choose a Domain Name and Web Hosting5. Choose a Domain Name and Web Hosting

6. Build your website

7. Setup a payment method to accept credit cards

8. Web Optimization (SEO/UX/CO/CM)

9. Web Analytics

10. Accounting and Financial Managementg g

11. Marketing and Sales

12. Protect your Brand Name as Intellectual Property

Lessons learned from the Dot Com Meltdown

Entrepreneurship is hard work that requires both creativity and rigor

Too much money is as dangerous as too littley g

The 1st Mover’s Advantage is an Urban Legend

The Evolution: Web 1.0 … Web 2.0…. Web 3.0

??Web 1.0

Read-only content (eBrochures)

St ti W b it

Web 2.0Read-write content

D i W b it

Web 3.03D Virtual Worlds

Ubi it C tiStatic Websites

One-way communication

Passive

Dynamic Websites

Two-way communication

Active

Ubiquitous Computing

Semantic Web

Social Business

Closed environment

Centralized approach

Collaborative environment

Crowdsourcing

Play by the (New) Rules of Marketing, PR and Sales

Companies MUST drive people into the purchasing process with great, valuable online content, not just advertising and support them at each stage

Blogs, news releases, eBooks, webinars, podcasts and other forms of onlinecontent let organizations communicate directly with buyers in waysthey appreciate

Marketing is about your company WINNING BUSINESS

People want PARTICIPATION and AUTHENTICITY

Marketing is now about delivering the right content, at the right time whenyour audiences need it, NOT one-way interruption

Evolve from maintream marketing to reaching many underserved audiences

Content, content, content…You are what you publish!

PR is now a global audience

Website or Online Presence?

Multiplatform Cross-Promotion through selected Channels

The new Website components

Main FeaturesBusiness & Marketing Strategy-based

Good web-design based on standards (W3C)

Usability, Conversion and User Behavior-optimized

Content content contentContent, content, content

Scalable CMS

SEO/SEM

Social Media powered

Integrated to offline marketing, PR and sales initiatives

Measurable

Main Goal: Turn Browsers into Buyers and Prospects into Leads

10 Key Qualities of a successful Cyberpreneur

Determination

Perseverance

Adaptability

Focus

Learner

Knows when to say NO

MotivatorMotivator

Great Communicator

Innovator

“People Person”

Remember…

About SOWEB

SOWEB is a full service interactive marketing agency dedicated to helping businesses grow by connecting them with the new digital consumers We blend strategygrow by connecting them with the new digital consumers. We blend strategy, technology and creativity to create memorable customer experiences that deliver results. With over 15 years experience and solid knowledge of “what works for what” in the digital world, our mission is to help businesses take advantage of the highly interactive and social nature of the New Webinteractive and social nature of the New Web.

For more information, visit: sowebinc.comtwitter com/sowebinctwitter.com/sowebincfacebook.com/sowebinc