Basic Six-Month Plan to Start an Online Business

Here's a six-month plan to start a web business with WordPress.

Who doesn’t want to start an online business nowadays? Unlike the commercials, it is so much more complicated than any web service company (and some providers) will have you believe.

Starting an online business requires careful planning and execution. I’ve written about all the variables, but today, I will provide a simple 6-month plan outline for you to follow. Here’s a basic six-month plan of tasks divided into the three months before and after your launch.

You need to know and accept that these items must be nailed down. This is not my opinion—it is the reality of what is involved. To help you, I’ll also include links to other articles on my site for further reading.

Three Months Before Launch:

Research & Validation (Weeks 1-2):

Business Model: Decide on your revenue model (e.g., subscriptions, direct sales) and finalize your business plan.
Market Research: Identify your target audience, analyze competitors, and understand market trends.
Idea Validation: Test your business idea by conducting surveys, creating focus groups, or offering a minimum viable product (MVP) to a small audience.

Branding & Identity (Weeks 3-4):

Brand Development: Create a strong brand identity, including a logo, color scheme, and brand voice.
Domain & Social Media: Purchase a domain name, set up social media profiles, and establish a consistent online presence.

Website Development (Weeks 5-8):

Platform Selection: Choose the right platform (e.g., WordPress & WooCommerce) based on your needs.
Website Design: Work on user experience (UX) and interface (UI) design. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for conversions.
Content Creation: Develop content for your website, including product descriptions, blog posts, and landing pages.

Marketing Preparation (Weeks 9-12):

SEO Setup: Implement on-page SEO strategies like keyword optimization, meta tags, and alt text.
Content Marketing: Prepare a content calendar with blog posts, videos, and other pieces to be released after launch.
Email Marketing: Build an email list and create a series of pre-launch emails to generate excitement.
Paid Advertising: After launch, plan to activate your PPC campaigns, including Google Ads and social media ads.

Three Months After Launch:

Launch & Immediate Follow-Up (Weeks 1-4):

Launch Day: Announce your launch on all channels (social media, email, press releases). Consider special promotions to attract initial customers.
Monitor Performance: Use analytics tools to track website traffic, user behavior, and sales. Adjust strategies based on early data.
Customer Feedback: Actively seek feedback from initial customers and make necessary improvements.

Marketing & Growth (Weeks 5-8):

Content Marketing: Regularly publish blog posts, videos, and other content to drive organic traffic and engage your audience.
SEO Refinement: Analyze SEO performance and optimize based on rankings and traffic sources.
Social Media Engagement: Build a community by engaging with followers, running contests, and sharing user-generated content.
Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers or bloggers in your niche to expand your reach.

Scale & Optimize (Weeks 9-12):

Paid Advertising: Scale your PPC campaigns based on performance data. Experiment with retargeting ads.
Email Campaigns: Segment your email list and create targeted campaigns to upsell, cross-sell, and retain customers.
A/B Testing: Continuously test different aspects of your website (like landing pages, product pages, and CTAs) to improve conversion rates.
Customer Service: Enhance customer service by adding live chat, FAQs, and responsive support.

Ongoing:

Performance Monitoring: Monitor KPIs such as traffic, conversion rates, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and lifetime value (LTV).
Adaptation: Be flexible and ready to pivot your strategy based on market trends and feedback.

Using this outline as your guide ensures a structured approach to launching and scaling your online business while maximizing your chances of success. Every single item noted is of equal importance and attention.

Don’t skip the difficult tasks; dot the i’s and cross the t’s, and be consistent in your efforts. Only then can you hope to have the online success you desire.

At your service,