The Birth of a Successful
Internet Business
Part three of ten -- Essential Software
An essential part of running a successful Internet business is quality software. Software will play a major role in your success. You must be willing to invest in the software you'll need to assist you in running your business.
Email Program
The first and most important software you'll need is a quality email program. Although most Internet Service Providers include email accounts for their customers, these accounts aren't adequate for an Internet business -- especially if you get a large amount of email. Not only do the email addresses contain your ISP's name, but they are also very limited on features and options.
There are many email programs available on the Internet. However, the best program I've found is Mozilla Thunderbird. Thunderbird is a standalone email program that works with any ISP. It will enable you to easily organize your email by filtering your messages into specific mailboxes. This feature alone can save you a great deal of time. What's more, your email address will be your own domain -- not someone else's.
Email List Service
Collecting your visitors' email address is one of the most important parts of developing a successful Internet business. You must develop a database of potential customers if you truly want to succeed. Publishing an ezine is a great way to accomplish this. In order to do so, you must have a good email list service, such as Aweber, that will enable you to send your potential customers personalized messages.
HTML Editor
Your website is the storefront of your business and is one of the most important factors in determining your success. In order to design your website, you'll need to get a good HTML editor, such as Coffee Cup or DreamWeaver.
Web Browsers
Before you begin the actual design process, I highly recommend that you download and install the most popular web browsers -- Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. These are the most widely used browsers on the Internet. However, they are not created equally. Your page might look great when viewed through Internet Explorer, but may not display well when viewed through Chrome. It is very important that you view your website through different browsers, and design your pages accordingly.
Google Chrome
http://www.google.com/chrome/
Internet Explorer
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/download-ie
Mozilla Firefox
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/products/
Graphics Editor
Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet entrepreneurs. However, most of us must learn some basic design techniques in order to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional designer.
In order to create or edit your graphics, you'll need to invest in a good graphics program. The most popular program used by Internet marketers is Paint Shop Pro. This powerful program is the only program you'll need to design professional looking graphics.
Zip/Unzip Program
Zip files are used to compress and transport file archives over the Internet. It is the preferred method used for electronic file distribution, as rather than downloading several different files, you can simply download one Zip file. In addition, the download time will be minimized, as the files within the Zip archive are compressed.
Once a Zip file is downloaded, it can be easily opened and extracted (unzipped) with a Zip/Unzip software program.
Although there are many Zip software programs available on the Internet, WinZip is the most popular. WinZip makes working with file archives simple.
FTP Program
File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to upload and download files to and from your web server.
In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a software program on your computer. The most widely used FTP program is WS FTP Pro.
Text Editor
Text editors have a variety of uses such as writing HTML, editing scripts, and writing ezine articles -- just to name a few. NotePad is an excellent text editor and is most likely already installed on your computer. However, it can't handle large files and is better suited for smaller files. You may find that you'd like an editor that is a little more powerful. I use a great program called NoteTab Pro. This powerful editor will enable you to edit large files, format your text, convert your text to HTML, and even includes a spellchecker and thesaurus.
Ad Tracking
Testing and tracking your marketing strategies is an essential part of your success. I recommend using a great script called LnkinLite. It's simple to use and will assist you in tracking all of your strategies.
Financial Management
In order to keep track of your business financial matters, you'll need to invest in a good financial management software. The best program I've found is Quicken. However, as this program is very difficult to use and understand, you may want to use a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel, and set up your own system.
Tax Program
Filing your taxes and keeping up with the ever-changing tax laws can be very intimidating. However, if you keep good records and use a good tax program, you can file your taxes with ease. I highly recommend using Turbo Tax. This great program will make the process a lot easier and even enable you to file your taxes electronically. What's more, it will even allow you to import your Quicken files.
Although this list of software is far from complete, it will provide you with a basic guideline to get you started. Visit your favorite search engine to search for the software you'd like.
If you're serious about your business and you really want to succeed, purchasing software is an absolute must. Do your homework and select software that best suits your needs. It will be well worth the investment.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design
Mastery.
http://www.webdesignmastery.com
And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book.
http://www.ebookstarter.com
Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips
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