I’ve been an Entrepreneur for many years, having run several offline businesses, and one thing that I have come to realize about online businesses, the techniques for success are pretty much the same.

Makes me wonder why so many have made the process so difficult, including yours truly.

For some reason many view online businesses as different, requiring some other approach, something besides what has been proven to work.

I ran a couple of static websites many years ago, But when I returned to the online life to become a blogger I fell into some of the very same traps as other Entrepreneurs and Marketers.

Sometimes knowing better is just not enough, we get caught up and distracted and the next thing you know you’re on the wrong track.

In this article, I will cover some of the more common mistakes made while building an online business, particularly in the early days of development when the tone is really set and you’re just coming out.

The lost time and productivity can be staggering over the long haul, so the sooner you recognize then take action, the better.

If you recognize some of these, don’t feel bad, I’ve made my share as well. The thing is, take corrective action right away and move toward a better path to success.

The list below is in no particular order of importance, but they are all critical mistakes to avoid.

1. Following Your Passion – Unless you are blogging for a hobby, you should carefully consider what your blog’s topic will be. It is always an easier path to success if you are following your passion and doing something you absolutely love to do. Otherwise, it becomes a job, the very thing many people are trying to escape. It’s never really work when you’re doing what you love. Your main product (content) will be the least of your worries as the topic you are most passionate about flows naturally.
2. Niche Too Broad – Be a specialist and narrow your niche to a specific topic. A topic within a topic may present an opportunity to claim your own specialty.
3. Failure to build a mailing list – This is a big mistake, you should begin this process as soon as you launch your blog or very shortly thereafter. The longer you put this off, the more subscribers and potential future customers you leave on the table. You could someday come to regret this mistake.
4. Failure to provide an incentive to subscribe – Unless you provide a free incentive like a report, an ebook or an ecourse, your subscriber rate will suffer. You have to give people a reason to want to subscribe. Solve a problem or provide information that benefits the readers in a positive way, be helpful. Think about what’s in it for them.
5. Your Site’s Purpose Is Unclear – When a new visitor arrives on your site, you have about 15 seconds to deliver your site’s purpose, telling them what it’s about. If this is unclear, they may move on without really knowing what you have to offer.
6. Most Critical Information Not Above The Fold – Viewing your site as a newspaper, the area that’s visible without having to scroll down is known as “above the fold” and is where your most important information is to be placed. You must assume that most readers are somewhat lazy and will not scroll or search your site to find the information they want or need.
7. Set Expectations From Day One – If you plan to monetize your blog, offer something from Jump Street. Let the readers know that you will provide plenty of helpful content, but products are in the works as well.
8. Poor Site Design – KISS Keeping it simple is a big plus here. Avoid the bells and whistles that distract and really only serve as eye candy, providing no real value to the experience. Your blog must be easy to navigate and easy to read and locate information.
9. Ineffective Social Networking – One of the main components of establishing an online business is directly related to the connections you make through networking activities. Get out there and expand your brand’s reach, make some friends and contribute to the betterment of the community you frequent. It may sound a bit like a popularity contest but it’s really about those who will step to the challenge and produce. It’s about the action takers.
10. Too May Outpost – it is so easy to sign up for or join a host of sites and forums, spreading yourself too thin to cover the spread. Guarding against this is crucial. You could end up with sites that have gone too long without updates, leaving an appearance of untidiness. At some point you’ll have to go back and clean these up, work you could do without as this is not the best investment of your time.
11. If You’re In Business Be In Business – My man Jordan Cooper of Not A Pro Blog said it best. Why open a Pizza Store and talk about the damn pizza for six months? (paraphrasing) Sell a slice from the very beginning; you are in business aren’t you? When you think about this you know it is so true, yet this plays out on the daily.

In Closing

By no means are these the only mistakes and missteps to avoid, there are too many to cover in this post. But keeping as many of these pitfalls out of your path as possible will serve to advance your efforts tremendously.

Building a business and a reputable brand requires a great deal of dedication and hard work. It’s what we want, our lifestyle, our way. That’s what makes it all well worth the effort.

Everyone wants to create and build their own Digital Empire, but only through hard work and action will that be achieved.

Have you had to fight through similar challenges?

Stay Updated by subscribing via RSS

Keep Blogging!