Starting an Online Business All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies [Paperback]

Shannon Belew (Author), Joel Elad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 2009

If you’ve thought of starting an online business or if you’re already selling online, here’s how to get your share of online customers. This second edition of Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies covers everything from creating a business plan and building a customer-friendly site to marketing with Facebook and MySpace. There’s even a section about setting up shop in the virtual world of Second Life.

Eleven handy minibooks cover online business basics, legal and accounting, Web site design, online and operating, Internet security, boosting sales, retail to e-tail, storefront selling, fundraising sites, niche e-commerce, and e-commerce advanced. You’ll learn to:

• Build a business plan that translates your ideas into a profitable enterprise
• Choose software to help you manage taxes, balance sheets, and other accounting chores
• Create a Web site that helps your business make money
• Fill orders, pack and ship merchandise, and manage stock
• Set up, budget for, and implement a plan to protect vital computer equipment
• Use PR and advertising tools that best promote your business online, including Google AdWords
• Choose what sells best in Second Life and earn real money from your virtual store
• Market through niche communities, find and use special marketing tools for nonprofit organizations, and apply successful mobile marketing techniques

Inside the book, you’ll even find a Google AdWords gift card worth $25 to help spread the word about your online business!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Boost your bottom line with your $25 Google AdWords credit — see inside

Get your share of the online business with the information in this complete, fully updated reference. Learn to create a business plan, build a customer-friendly site, set up shop on Second Life®, keep your books, and promote your business — the free $25 Google AdWords gift card inside will help with that!

• Plan for success — build a business plan that translates your ideas into a profitable enterprise

• Account for taxes — choose software to help you manage taxes, balance sheets, and all that accounting stuff

• Site efficiency — create a Web site that helps your business make money

• All in order — find out how to fill orders, pack and ship merchandise, and manage stock

• Safety first — create, budget for, and implement a plan to protect vital computer equipment

• Spread the word — explore the PR and advertising tools that best promote your business online

• Virtually real — discover what sells best in Second Life and how to earn real money from your virtual store

• Maximize exposure — use m-commerce, Yahoo! Small Business, and other options

Open the book and find:

• Successful mobile marketing techniques

• How to sell through niche communities

• Tips for designing your Web store

• How to get the most benefit from product reviews

• Ten valuable functions of Yahoo! Merchant Solutions

• Special marketing tools for nonprofit organizations

• How to turn Linden dollars into U.S. currency

? Your free $25 Google AdWords gift card

About the Author

Shannon Belew is co-owner of several online businesses including Bizoffice.com, a nationally recognized, award-winning global provider of resources for small and home businesses. Joel Elad is the author of Web Stores Do-It-Yourself For Dummies. He started his first online business in 1993.

Product Details

• Paperback: 840 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (March 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470431962
• ISBN-13: 978-0470431962
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #603,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent- From Basic info to More Advanced all in One! June 17, 2007

By Martin

Format:Paperback

This book was a real surprise. I fully expected to use it as a resource for new Ebay/Web commerce users that we help teach but found it excelled not only in the basics but in pretty much the whole plan of where you would want to be online in the long run. I am particulary fond of books that discuss legal and accounting set up and this one covers a lot of good info like type of organization, record keeping, copyrights and trademarks, a tax overview etc. A great foundation for the new online business. There is a lot of information regarding web site design, internet security and boosting your sales. Usually many books would leave off in this area but not this one. It has information on taking your retail business online , selling from a storefront and covers some important ideas like affiliate marketing and finding a niche. Whether deciding to operate on Ebay or with your own website this book is jam packed with information. Even as an experienced online user I found myself making notes from many of the sections in the book including those with suggestions on what to do to expand sales, deal with changes and other customer issues. Just as a note this is one huge book. Over 800 pages including the index and for the price a bargain. For Ebayers I would recommend this book and a general Ebay book as a package to buy. If working directly on your own e-commerce site I would recommend this book with with a web 2.0 or social marketing book.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even experienced sellers will learn something July 8, 2007

By Wildman Keith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I have bought and sold stuff online for years and this book still had useful information in it. It gives useful, specific sources for many different categories of eCommerce.
I have paid much more for courses and books from so called marketing experts that didn't have near as much information.
So often you will read or hear that you need to do this or that, but they never tell you the specific places that you can go to get it done.
The many different categories of selling advice would at first make you think that it just glosses over them but once you start to read you see that they are one of the strengths of this book... you just keep finding good advice to tweak and improve your online business.
From web site design and boosting traffic to credit card acceptance to keeping your customers happy or even legal advice for people just starting out, it's hard to name just one part that would be considered the best part of this book. Site security to even the basics of chosing a business name are covered.
It doesn't matter if you are only thinking about starting an online business or if you have various web sites and are an experienced eBay user, there will be something in here that will make you glad you bought it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Helped me organize my business April 5, 2011

By D. J. Martinez

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book because I didn't know the first thing about an online business and I wanted to know more. It has helped me to orgnize my time and get everything together to legalize my business. I am not all the way through yet but so far I am impressed.