So you’re starting a new business and your products and/or content are ready to show the world. Congratulations! You could spend all day doing SEO and working on fine tuning your business, but you have a family to care for. I know your time is a limited resource, so here are 5 high-value steps that will take your venture to the next level.
Step 1: Professional Website
This is absolutely necessary to look like a legitimate business and to ensure you have freedom in the way you monetize. Your methods for earning money may evolve and it’s important not to be constrained as your business evolves. After trying several platforms, I personally use Bluehost and WordPress.org to host every website I make now. I find them to be the most compatible, easiest to use, and the best price. Siteground is another comparable option. I like Bluehost because of how simple it is to get everything done at once.
You can check off these tasks by setting up in Bluehost:
- Domain name
- Hosting
- WordPress
- Professional email address
If you’re starting from scratch, here are some instructions on setting up a blog or WordPress website. There are faster hosting options available that may be a better fit down the road as your business grows but for starting out, I would recommend Bluehost or Siteground. Services like AWS will require more technical knowledge and cost more.
Step 2: Pinterest
Pinterest is the best place to bring traffic to a blog or new website. The platform let’s you reach thousands of people for a little effort. If you have an ecommerce store, you can integrate it with a Pinterest business account and have pins created for new products, automatically. I once had a business that brought in more traffic from free pins than paid Facebook ads!
Step 3: Professional Visuals
Assuming you aren’t a professional photographer, you will likely need some professional images for your website, content, etc. There are many places where you can get images for free. You can also create your own branded, custom graphics using Canva.
If you just can’t find the right pictures, you can even try generating AI images. Beware, the computers don’t have everything 100% figured out yet. Be sure to check the details, especially if you’re generating images of people.
Step 4: Monetizing Your Website
When you’re first starting out, it’s great to monetize what you’re already writing about on your blog or website, in addition to anything you’re selling. There are ways to create passive income that will grow as your traffic increases. The best way to concentrate your efforts and reach many brands is by joining affiliate and ad networks.
You don’t need a lot of traffic to get accepted into the affiliate networks, just make sure you do have your business or blog up and running first with some content. Once you’re in the network, you can apply to relevant brands. Prepare yourself for rejection because some of the brands will have traffic requirements BUT some will be happy to partner with you. For most companies, you’re able to reapply later so there’s no harm in shooting your shot and seeing where you can get in!
Even if you don’t have any applicable products to link from in your content, you can place relevant ads from your affiliate partners. You can also apply to Google Adsense and other ad networks that will place ads on your site automatically. The ad networks typically won’t accept you until you have consistent traffic.
Affiliate Networks to Join First:
Step 5: Network
Participate in communities, ask to be featured in blogs, create partnerships with other bloggers or business partners. I’d love to have you join our supportive community at Fly Moms. You can also participate in places like Reddit and LinkedIn to bring awareness to your brand.
Weather you’re brand new or you’ve been working hard at your business for a year, you can achieve success by focusing your efforts on the highest value tasks. Fly Moms is here for you every step of the way to cheer you on!
