Showing posts with label website builder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label website builder. Show all posts

Friday, July 12, 2019

Start an Online Business as a Solopreneur

Just because I am a "Graphic Designer", most people assume that I make, code, and design websites...This is simply not true. Back when computer screens were green, before Photoshop, Wordpress, or any Social Media Sites, Graphic Designers physically created advertising, mostly for print, using Exacto blades, and rubylith. They measured with RULERS. They didn't CODE anything. There was no complicated computer science involved.

So, when I started my online journey in 2008, I had no idea what hex colors, or css or html was. Sure, now, I can probably tell you the definition, and change a few simple lines of code -- IF I REALLY HAD TO, and -- IF SOMEONE WALKED ME STEP BY STEP, but, that's not what I do.

Web Design Plan Thumbnails
Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash
These days an online presence is so easy.

In addition to my website, I blog, I'm on Social Media, I run an Etsy shop, and several Zazzle stores. But I don't own these! These companies allow me to promote my designs on their pages, but they could decide at any moment and for whatever reason to close my store/shop/pages.

I also do not have control over my customer list. A perfect example of this is, the other day I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if I could email the customers who bought my Dog Photo Mug on Zazzle, and let them know about my World's Best Dog Mom tee-shirt I just finished." NOPE! Zazzle doesn't allow that.

Etsy allows a little more freedom with customer correspondence, but, I am responsible for designing, making, packing, shipping the products, and all customer service.

My website, www.Aruba-Sunsets.com, allows me true freedom to manage my business. I monetize the way I feel is best, and have even built an email list of readers that I control.

I felt compelled to write this post today after a crafter friend of mine wanted to break away from Etsy and looked seriously hurt and confused when I turned down the $500 she offered me to design her website (from scratch, using one of those "free" hosting sites.)

Uuugh! I hate those things. Sure they say they are free, but after you add your own domain, email add-on, security, a customizable template, SEO, social media buttons... the list goes on and on... those "free" websites will cost you a fortune. AND there is no guarantee that you will even have purchased the right tools to create a successful business. I know. I've seen it happen more than once to friends.

I know that web designers charge 10x more than that, but it wasn't about the money. I told her, that, even if she had offered to pay "real" web designer wages, and I actually knew how to code a website from scratch, I would never use anything else besides SBI.

She said, "But, YOUR travel website is doing so well!"

She is not the only one who thinks my mad design skills include computer coding! Ugh!

*Shouting in my very best Dr. Leonard McCoy voice* "Damit Jim, I'm an ARTIST, not a Web Designer!"

I explained that I built it using all the tools offered in Solo Build It. Any technical stuff I needed, was learned along the way and was explained simply and easily, even I could understand it. Everything else my business needed to thrive was provided, including, research/brainstorming tools, modern RESPONSIVE deigns, and the most important ingredient --The step by step Action Guide!

10 Key Components for Your Business Success 👍 | Start an Online Business, Part 5

To start an online business successfully, you have to be ahead of your competition. What makes you stronger than the rest? The POWER OF ONE 👉 https://tools.sitesell.com Solo Build It! members consistently outperform their competition. What's the secret behind their online business success? They get everything they need, all in one place and for one affordable price.


This video above is part 5 of a series called The Whole Story about starting an online business using Solo Build It. In less than 8 minutes you will know the 10 key ingredients that have enabled solopreneurs like me to build financially stable online businesses with Solo Build It!

You can watch the other parts to Start an Online Business with Solo Build It (SBI) video series here.

I hope that if any of you have a hankering to own your own website, you don't waste time with those "free" sites that charge "additional fees" for every necessary add-on needed to run a business, or those who sell you their hosting services with little to no instruction or help. Do your research. You'll see that SBI is the easiest, most complete, best, and ONLY way to go!

I hope you found this information useful.

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