In this section, I want to share some great links to tools and resources that can help you get started with your drop ship business. These are my personal recommendations and are not in any way exhaustive. I hope you find them helpful! Of course,
Worldwide Brands, Inc. should be your first stop. Knowledge is power!
For more helpful articles and
information, visit
The Small Biz Blog
Finding a good host for your web site
I will always strongly recommend a paid host rather than one of the many free ones out there. They leave your site looking unprofessional and cheap and people will look at your site as a reflection of the person behind it.
SiteSell - This company is an all-in-one solution. Their way of doing things
is so unique, I think you'll be as intrigued as I was. So much so that I purchased a Site Build It! site from them.
HostGator - This is the company that I use to host all my web sites. They are very stable, have great customer support, have a large selection of options for your site (many of them FREE!) and are inexpensive (some plans starting as low as $2.95 a month!)
Tools to help you build your web site
Microsoft Expression - A very in-depth, WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web site editor from Microsoft. For those who don't know or are just starting out learning HTML, this is a terrific tool! Great for the advanced users, too.
Web Graphics Optimizer -
Extremely useful for optimizing graphics for the Web. Always
remember that if your page isn't loading in quickly, you're probably
losing customers!
Keyword Selector/Bid Tool
A nice little tool where you can not only find the demand for certain keywords, but you can see what advertisers are paying for them.
For More Great Tools and Resources, visit MyBizTools.net
Search engine/directory submission
This is where you should submit your web site URL (address) so that you can get listed on the search engines and the online directories
DMOZ - A massive directory continually expanded by volunteers. What sets this directory apart is that it makes its database of indexed documents available to other directories & search engines. A listing here results in the page automatically being listed in many other directories and search engines. The model of using volunteer editors is fairly ambitious - and surprisingly successful. It is a mammoth achievement and an asset to the online world. Submission here will eventually get you listed on the largest and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of others. In other words, if your site provides quality content and gets accepted into the directory your site will eventually trickle down into all the other major search engines too. Getting listed in DMOZ is not an easy task, but once you're in, you're reaping large benefits for the life of your web site.
Google - Anyone even slightly familiar with the Internet knows Google. Go here to submit your web site URL to one of the world's best-known search engines.
AltaVista - Major, very popular search engine
Yahoo Search Index - You definitely want to try your best to get yourself listed here!
For More Great Tools and Resources, visit MyBizTools.net
Marketing your web site
Get some great tips on using Google Adsense to bring about higher click-thrus.
You can find other marketing tools at http://www.mybiztools.net
For great help on these tools, resources and so much more, tune into
Entrepreneur Magazine's E-Biz Radio Show. You will find a wealth of information from both sources! Be sure to stop by
The Small Biz Blog and share your successes so that we can celebrate with you! There is nothing more encouraging to others than someone who made it out of the rut!
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