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Online Business: The New Retirement Package

By now, we’ve all heard the unhappy news that retirement ages are on the rise.  And while it may be nice to know 70 is the new 55, it’s not such a pleasant thought when considered in light of the fact that many of us are now fated to work well into our twilight years.  With living expenses increasing daily and the economy continuing to flounder in 2013, the prospect of living off a pension and a meager savings account is fast becoming unrealistic.  So those hoping to enjoy their retirements in comfort must come up with creative solutions for boosting income.  Fortunately for us, we live in an age where self-employment and low-capital entrepreneurship are easier than ever before.  The Internet is a remarkable resource for those willing to invest the time to master it.  By launching an online business, you can increase wealth, boost savings, and establish a steady source of income to sustain you through your golden years.

The Options

When it comes to making money online, you have a number of options.  You can launch an affiliate site, where you promote companies and their products and get paid on a traffic-based or Pay-Per-Click basis.  You can launch a site where you sell a product directly.  (This is a particularly good option for those with a passion for arts-and-crafts or who travel frequently and bring back interesting merchandise.)  Or you can make money selling advertising or doing paid product reviews on your site.

Getting Started

The first step is finding a focus.  Don’t choose a market based simply on the fact that it is popular or seems lucrative.  Understand that launching an online business is going to consume a considerable amount of time and be something you invest yourself in for many years.  So choose a topic you are passionate about that will hold your interest and motivate you to keep working.  Though it helps to pick something you happen to know a lot about, you might find that choosing something new is even more rewarding.  It will be slow starting, but as your business grows so will your knowledge, resources, skills, and understanding.  You’ll be investing in yourself while investing in your business.

Most importantly, find a niche.  Be specific!  Developing a dedicated base of users with a particular interest is far more valuable than having high traffic from visitors whose interests you can’t classify.  Whether you are selling a product on your site, advertising, or doing affiliate marketing, success depends on knowing the people who visit your site.  A targeted site draws a targeted audience, allowing your sales campaign to always hit its mark.

Next, you’ll need to choose a host, buy a keyword-rich domain, install a template platform like WordPress, and lay the foundation of your site.

The Road To Success

Have no illusions, this is a long road.  You need to build traffic, gain SEO ranking, cultivate a base of consistent visitors, and network.  You’ll need to learn the basics of HTML coding, and develop an understanding of web design.  So it pays to get the ball rolling long before you plan to retire.  Start learning the basics and building the site as a part-time job.  Spending a couple hours a day will yield big results in a year; and the longer your site is online, the more money you will often be able to make.  But before you rush into anything, conduct market research, and always research keywords to learn what people are searching for and hone in on the areas with least competition.

Connecting with bloggers and other sites in your market is also essential for drawing in the niche users you’ll need.  So offer to do guest posts, invite others to guest post on your site, and dedicate time to pursuing a quality link-building campaign.

One of the best aspects of online business is that you get out what you put in.  It allows anyone––particularly those without capital to invest––to start a successful business.  Of course, it means building a business from the ground up.  But this also means you’ll have control over every aspect of your professional image and style.  Despite what you may have heard, online business is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  But it is a viable option for expanding your wealth and preparing for retirement.  All you need is a bit of time and dedication.  So what are you waiting for?  Why not start today?

Written By

Kirsten works for vouchercloud.com. In her role she works alongside a wide range of online businesses, some of which started as small ventures.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. myles

    February 22, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    Haha , dod notthink about retirement. Nice post though 😉

  2. Vianney

    February 27, 2013 at 12:59 am

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge.I’ve been worrying about my parents who are about to retire soon, and although they do have pension and the like, I still think that it won’t be enough. Now I know what I can suggest to them for getting additional income in the future.

  3. Arianne

    February 27, 2013 at 11:09 am

    I don’t think that there is a ‘retirement’ when you do online work. After all it’s not as demanding as going to a four-walled office everyday.

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