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 2002. All Rights Reserved
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of several successful ebooks including Web Design Mastery -
An in-depth guide to professional web design. Ebook Starter - A Complete Ebook Design Kit,
and eZines: A Complete Guide to Publishing for Profit. Subscribe to Etips and receive a
free copy of her highly acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies."
http://www.web-source.net
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