Learning As I Go

As we studied PayPal and different payment options this week my thoughts once again returned to selling things on my website. At first my blog was specifically going to be information based, but I think slowly that plan is evolving. A few weeks ago I mentioned that maybe we could sell things on this site that were related to athletic apparel. Products my husband has used and tested. But, this week as my thoughts turned to summer and "living a little better" in that department, I began thinking about sunscreen. There has been a debate lately about which kinds of sun screens to use - Mineral vs. Chemical, if SPF higher than 50 is worth while etc. I then began researching the topic and chose which sunscreens I would apply on myself and my children. Anyway, all of this randomness leads to the idea to sell sunscreen on my site. And I can add different products along the way after I've researched and written articles on them.  I plan on looking into wholesale companies that se...

This week as we reviewed different site builders and hosts I appreciated the practical questions given so we could reflect on which site works best for us. I also appreciated the brief history provided on various web builders to help us find the right fit. Discovering drag/drop sites like Weebly, Wix, and Webstarts was exciting! In the past I have looked into Wordpress mostly and it was difficult for me to use, and a little overwhelming. I loved learning about these other options. Before this class I didn't really even know what a web builder site was. I thought I had to learn code and then create my site from scratch. Silly, right? I'm so relieved that isn't the case and that people are smarter than me. When researching various host companies in the past I hadn't considered things like: Do they have good customer service? Will this host support my web builder? Do they have ad credits? Etc. Knowing the right questions to ask is empowering and makes me feel more c...

I initially took this class because I had just changed my major to web design and also because my husband and I were interested in creating a blog about health. Our hope was that this blog would eventually earn income, and with my future knowledge of web design it could possibly be a success. Now, three weeks into the course I'm discovering a real interest in business. I feel the combo of web design mixed with business could be very promising. I had never heard of drop shipping before this week and I'm loving it. I had considered an affiliate model for our blog, but I'm thinking that drop shipping could be useful as well. I hadn't even really considered selling anything at all, but my husband and I have some products that we love to help us stay healthy and it would be great to try to get those products out to people. I'll have to research sites further like Product Sourcing and Kole Imports to see what they have to offer. Knowledge is cool.

I mean, I guess I did, but I think I envisioned my sky a bit smaller. I have been blown away by the different business ideas that have popped into my mind since this class began. After reading through the case studies, and after trying to help the characters determine different business models and product ideas, businesses that I've never even contemplated keep surfacing in my head. Factor in Adwords, which is an amazing tool, and I'm realizing that actually creating a business online is something that I am capable of. That maybe it's something I'm really excited about. This involves planning though, which is a talent I definitely need to develop. I'm not a good planner. Not at all, really. But Adwords is reminding me that research is crucial in part of a good plan and planning is necessary for a successful business. I look forward to learning more about the tools that are available to aid me in creating my online business.