The Birth of a
Successful Internet Business
Part three of ten -- Essential Software
By Shelley Lowery
An essential part of running
a successful Internet business is quality software. Software will play a
major roll in your success. You must be willing to invest in the
software you'll need to assist you in running your business.
Email Program
The first and most important software you'll need is a quality email
program. Although most Internet Service Providers include email accounts
for their customers, these accounts aren't adequate for an Internet
business -- especially if you get a large amount of email. Not only do
the email addresses contain your ISP's name, but they are also very
limited on features and options.
There are many email programs available on the Internet. However, the
best program I've found is Eudora. Eudora is a standalone email program
that works with any ISP. It will enable you to easily organize your
email by filtering your messages into specific mailboxes. This feature
alone can save you a great deal of time. What's more, your email address
will be your own domain -- not someone else's.
Eudora
http://www.eudora.com
Mailing List Software
Collecting your visitors' email address is one of the most important
parts of developing a successful Internet business. You must develop a
database of potential customers if you truly want to succeed. Publishing
an ezine is a great way to accomplish this. In order to do so, you must
have a good mailing list program that will enable you to send your
potential customers personalized messages.
Mailloop
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=ml
Group Mail
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=gm
If you're using a software program that resides on your computer, you'll
also need a good form processing script to enable your visitors to
subscribe:
Master Form
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=wm2
If you're an American Online customer, you won't be able to use a
software program that runs on your computer. You'll need to use a
program that runs with your web browser.
1-2-All Broadcast Email
http://www.activecampaign.com/
Subscribe Me
http://www.siteinteractive.com/subpro/
HTML Editor
Your website is the storefront of your business and is one of the most
important factors in determining your success. In order to design your
website, you'll need to get a good HTML editor.
Coffee Cup
http://www.coffeecup.com/editor/
DreamWeaver
http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/
HotDog
http://www.sausagetools.com/
HomeSite
http://www.allaire.com/Products/HomeSite
Microsoft Frontpage
http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage
Before you begin the actual design process, I highly recommend that you
download and install two web browsers -- Internet Explorer and Netscape
Navigator. These are the two most widely used browsers on the Internet.
However, they are not created equally. Your page might look great when
viewed through Internet Explorer, but may not display well when viewed
through Navigator. It is very important that you view your website
through both browsers, and design your pages accordingly.
Internet Explorer
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp
Netscape Navigator
http://home.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html
Graphics Editor
Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet
entrepreneurs. However, most of us must learn some basic design
techniques in order to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional
designer.
In order to create or edit your graphics, you'll need to invest in a
good graphics program. The most popular program used by Internet
marketers is Paint Shop Pro. This powerful program is the only program
you'll need to design professional looking graphics.
Paint Shop Pro
http://www.jasc.com/
Zip/Unzip Program
Zip files are used to compress and transport file archives over the
Internet. It is the preferred method used for electronic file
distribution, as rather than downloading several different files, you
can simply download one Zip file. In addition, the download time will be
minimized, as the files within the Zip archive are compressed.
Once a Zip file is downloaded, it can be easily opened and extracted
(unzipped) with a Zip/Unzip software program.
Although there are many Zip software programs available on the Internet,
WinZip is the most popular. WinZip makes working with file archives
simple.
WinZip
http://www.winzip.com/download.htm
FTP Program
File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to
upload and download files to and from your web server.
In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a software
program on your computer. The most widely used FTP program is WS FTP
Pro.
WS FTP
http://www.wsftp.com
Text Editor
Text editors have a variety of uses such as writing HTML, editing
scripts, and writing ezine articles -- just to name a few. NotePad is an
excellent text editor and is most likely already installed on your
computer. However, it can't handle large files and is better suited for
smaller files. You may find that you'd like an editor that is a little
more powerful. I use a great program called NoteTab Pro. This powerful
editor will enable you to edit large files, format your text, convert
your text to HTML, and even includes a spellchecker and thesaurus.
NoteTab Pro
http://www.notetab.com/
Ad Tracking
Testing and tracking your marketing strategies is an essential part of
your success. I recommend using a great script called LnkinLite. It's
simple to use and will assist you in tracking all of your strategies.
LnkinLite
http://www.dtp-aus.com/cgiscript/lnkinlte.shtml
Financial Management
In order to keep track of your business financial matters, you'll need
to invest in a good financial management software. The best program I've
found is Quicken. However, as this program is very difficult to use and
understand, you may want to use a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft
Excel, and set up your own system.
Quicken
http://www.quicken.com
Tax Program
Filing your taxes and keeping up with the ever-changing tax laws can be
very intimidating. However, if you keep good records and use a good tax
program, you can file your taxes with ease. I highly recommend using
Turbo Tax. This great program will make the process a lot easier and
even enable you to file your taxes electronically. What's more, it will
even allow you to import your Quicken files.
Turbo Tax
http://www.turbotax.com
Although this list of software is far from complete, it will provide you
with a basic guideline to get you started.
If you're serious about your business and you really want to succeed,
purchasing software is an absolute must. Do your homework and select
software that best suits your needs. It will be well worth the
investment.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web
Design Mastery.
http://www.webdesignmastery.com And, Ebook Starter - Give Your
Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book.
http://www.ebookstarter.com Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a
complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed
ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies."
http://www.web-source.net
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,
in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author
bylines are included.
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