Chapter 1: Developing Your Web Presence

In This Chapter

  • Embracing the idea of web presence
  • Finding and choosing your space online
  • Deciding on the perfect website name
  • Registering the perfect name

Your eBay store is important to your business, but it doesn't replace a website (hopefully an e-commerce site). You should establish your own presence on the web, outside of eBay. And although you should link your site to eBay, don't miss out on the rest of the Internet population.

You don't have a website yet? Perhaps you're spending all your spare online time on Facebook? (I suspect that may be true.) You might also consider a blog to back up your online selling efforts. Even if you don't sell directly from anywhere other than eBay (although I wish you would), a blog can help build your reputation as an online seller.

You do have a website? Have you taken a good look at it lately to see whether it's up to date? (I recently gave my site a facelift and love the new look.) Does your site link to your eBay listings or have its own online store? I hope so.

Whether or not you have a website or blog, give this chapter at least a once over. I provide a lot of detail about websites, from thinking up a name to choosing a host. If you don't have a site, I get you started launching one. If you already have a site, read the pointers about finding the best host. For the serious-minded web-based entrepreneur (that's you), I also include a few important marketing tips.

Knowing Why Web Presence Is ...

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