The basic of internet marketing:Internet connection, domain, hosting, website, blog, affiliate and shopping cart

Every successful online business should have their basic tools to run the business on the internet.Creating a website and blog can provide a basic foundation for your online business and both methods are very popular now a days. Does your business really need a blog?

Internet connection
Internet access is the first step to think about. Fast internet connection or broadband(256Kps till 8Mbps)is more advantage compare with a dial up connection 56Kps).Choosing the right internet provider will maximize the business output.

Domain name (DNS)
Once internet connection in placed, next think about the suitable domain name. Domain name just like your name and can be easily subcribe from any telco company and internet provider. Domain name also called as DNS (Domain name server). Domain name (example, www.google.com) actually represent by IP address after translate by DNS (Domain Name Server). The domain ending with .com is belong to US, .uk is belong to United Kingdom, .com.my or .my is belong to Malaysia and so on. Choosing a right domain name will represent a good look and professional of your business.Domain name must not have taken by anybody and maybe difficult to get domain name you want it. Remember to register the domain name under your name otherwise you will not have full control and easily can lost the ownership of the domain. Please consider this when choosing the domain name.
1. Choose domain name that is easy to remember by customer - Domain name similar to your business will be better
2. Make it short and simple - The shorter name will easy to remember compare to the longer and easy to remember,less miss type when typing into URL link and look more professional.
3.Avoid suffix, prefixes and numerals - Suffix (example birds,opened,books); hyphens (example five-hundred, miss-world, etc).
4.Use Top level domain name - Use a top level domain name that your customer are likely to be used. Generally, .com,.my or .org. Avoid .biz,.info,.cc although it look like a business terms but customers don't like it.
5. Register more than one domain name - If possible try to get more than one domain because it worth it to get domain ending with .com.my to represent your country and also for global (International).

Hosting Company or Web Hosting
Next is to choose the web hosting company with good package web space for your domain. A good web hosting company will provide:
1.Web space - Amount of space on the server hosting for your use.Don't look for a bigger space because it easily can be upgraded and few megabyte is more than enough.
2.Windows or Linux Server - Windows is commonly use for web hosting company since almost people prefer windows base. Unix or linux will basically use for professional who would like to custom the script due to demand for a large business. Doesn't matter which one you use but consider the price and the availability.
3.Database - Database like MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL are commonly use to store details information, query, structured and can be easily access. If you require the database, please consider choose at least MySQL since now a days a lot of application require MySQL to work perfectly.
4.Bandwidth limit - High bandwidth allowed your website offer variety such as download option, picture storage but remember the bandwidth an be upgraded if needed.
5.Allow scripting - Scripting is very important to make your website elegant and run smoothly. Make sure your web hosting allow the script to be run. Comman use of script (example PHP,ASP.net, PERL).
6.E-Commerce and Shopping Cart - Make sure all shopping software that you use are include the security (SSL, https). SSL (secure socket layer) will protect the data send and encrypt during transmission. The SSL very important if your website deal with credit card payment.
7. Customer service and after sale support - Web hosting company should provide a customer service feature since the domain you have bought require setting and you may need some help from them.
8. Free web hosting - Free web hosting is advisable since it look unprofessional but if you really concern about money, you can get it free from various source. Listed below the pro and cons having free web hosting :
-The web services may temporary and you will lost all the information you uploaded in case the web hosting close their business.
-There is no technical support and after sales services. No guide provided in case you really need guidance especially for beginner.

Website or Web page (Both are the same)
The main laguage of the web site HTML (Hypertext Markup Language. It consist of special tags which are used to indicate line, paragraph, border, link, image, column and so on). Learn on how to create a web site tutorial can be found at www.w3schools.com. Creating a website gives your company high reputation and make your business look professional and give special customer attraction to visit your website. No hassle work since customer will get all the information directly without calling you up all the time. Please make sure all the basic item were include (such as products, how to contact, support, help etc).Create your checklist
1. How complex your website - Start simple contains of overview and short description of your business. It should staright forward of your company and products or services that you offers.
2. How many e-mail do you need to configure ? - If you have a lot of staff, it is important to include all the help desk email but email policy should clearly stated otherwise it could cause a big problem to your company due abuse of company e-mail
3. Who is your audience ? - What kind of visitor you would like target (student, old, young, tanager, male, female)
4. What is your website target ? - Your main target might be to give after sales support to your existing customer or to explain the information of your products hence customer will buy your products or services from you.
5. How often the website updated - In regular basis (everyday or every week) depends on contents (products change, news and so on).
6. Will there be online order and credit card payment ? - Now a days, most of the website include this feature who want to order online by using their credit card

Blog
A blog work like a journal that normally updated in regular basis (daily or weekly. It have become popular recently and work perfectly for up to date information. With new browser (Internet Explorer 7.0) a feature called RSS is integrated to allow visitors to subscribe to a blog's feed.

Affiliate
Is affiliate suitable for your business ?. Affiliate means having another page (the affiliate)from your same website and give third party website owner to share your revenue that result from customer clicking or buying on the provided link

Shopping Cart
Shopping cart work similar like you buying a product in the shopping complex and put it in the trolley and checkout to the cashier but online shopping cart will record all the items which your customer is interested in, finalize and ready to pay it. Every shopping online business should have this to managing the order online. Advantage of shopping cart include:
1. Low operations cost and looks professional
2. No need physical company set up
3. Very easy to maintain and less main power or staff
4. Buying and selling 24/7
5. International business - there is no theoretical geographic limitations.