The advent of the internet has redefined the way business is conducted globally. The early users of the internet, used it primarily to exchange information and source ideas. However, the coming of the World Wide Web and the attendant coding/graphics programming languages associated with it (e.g html, .NET, java, vbscript etc) has made the internet more than just an information resource tool. With possibilities such as interactivity, social networking, online payment, shopping carts, increased security and privacy policies etc the usage of the internet has moved to the next level.

The internet user-base has grown in leaps and bounds and cuts across territorial and language barriers. This, therefore, translate to hundreds of millions (if not billions) of business prospects and customers. It is in recognition of these possibilities that the internet offers, that companies such as Amazon, Dell, Google, Walmart, Yahoo etc having harnessed these possibilities, now run websites that earns them billions of dollars in revenue generation annually. The use of the internet as a business and income generating tool is what is known as e-commerce.

The awareness and usage base of the internet has increased appreciatively worldwide in the last few years. The consciousness of the internet as a veritable source of income generation is emerging gradually. Also, third world economies are recognizing these potentials and various efforts to bridge the "digital divide" has been undertaken by governments of these economies. Nigeria is a typical example of a country that is quickly becoming a leader in the quest to bridge this "digital divide". Although these efforts have been undermined severally by scams perpetuated by 'miscreants' and 'anti-progress' elements, the Nigerian government has shown increased commitment to establishing Nigeria as a "Digital Super Power" and to carve a niche for itself as an 'e-commerce' nation. No wonder, various state governments have embarked on various IT projects seeking to educate its indigenes on the usefulness of the Internet.

However, be that as it may, over 85% of business owners in emerging economies such as Nigeria are yet to explore the e-commerce potential that the Internet offers. Infact, the average business individual in such emerging economies feel that the internet is mainly for the 'big' corporations and the only way to make money online is through involvement in scams or fraudulent acts such as that perpetuated by a group of young men popularly known as "Yahoo Yahoo" in Nigeria. This is an erroneous assumption and may be a costly one in the long run. One has to accept the submission that 'for every FAKE, there must be an ORIGINAL'. Just as they can't be a FAKE 3 dollar bill or 7 Naira note coz there's there's no original of that note in existence.

The reason for this is clear: The internet is the FUTURE of business transaction even in such emerging economies like Nigeria. With the emergence of integrated ATM and online international payment processors such as eTranzact, InterSwitch, Graphcard, Vpay etc, e-commerce in these emerging economies is here to stay. The Question now is

WHAT ARE YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO BUY INTO MICROSOFT BEFORE IT BECAME WHAT IT IS TODAY, WOULD YOU HAVE HESITATED? OR WOULD YOU HAVE GONE AHEAD (AS YOU WOULD DO AT THE END OF THIS) TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORN AND GET SET FOR THE FUTURE?

Whatever your answer is to the above, will determine whether you are a go-getter or a spectator. There's a popular reason why many from these emerging economies are reluctant to embark on business opportunities online - the fear of cost. Most business individuals operate a budget which seeks to minimize expenditure and maximize income. However, they spend so much on offline adverts such as newpaper ads, posters, etc and can't really keep track of whether these are producing required results or not.Why? coz there's no way of tracking the ad results. However, online, this is a piece of cake. With a website, and integrated tools, you can track your ad results, know your customers and their demographic details etc. You can even Advertise for FREE. To get started is so cheap. Sometimes even free.

What do you Need to get started?
First, before you can put your business online, you must first have a website which is like your online store or business office. To do this, you must register for a domain and hosting package. What this does, is like getting an office space online and your domain name is like your office address. That is how people will locate you online. for example (http://www.yourcompanyname.com). This is essential because this is the way people can find you online. If you need a cheap domain and hosting package, you can visit this site (http://opsilonlimited.ws/resources) or H2Limited (http://www.h2limited.com). Packages offered by these companies include site tracking, search engine optimization and submission (to increase your website exposure).

When you get your domain and hosting package, the next thing is for you to to promote your site. Now this is to bring traffic (people) to your site. If you have an office, you must let people know about it and what you do. That's the only way you can make sales and get customers. So what do you do? The internet offers various means of advertising your products. From paid advertisements to Free ads. One of the best tools is the Google Adwords (pay per click). However, you must make payments through a verified credit/debit card. This can become a limitation. But there's good news. Adlandpro is an innovative traffic generation outfit which offers FREE exposure for your business/personal websites. To get your free adlandpro membership, please go to this site (http://opsilonlimited.ws) and click on Adlandpro banner.

Finally, Now your site is up and running and you are getting customers, how do you MAKE money from them. One of the ways of making residual (continuous) money from your site is the use of pay per click ads. These are tiny ads that appear (as you can see on the right hand of this page) by Google. It is called the Google Adsense PPC programme. It is free to register. Just visit the google adsense homepage and get started. Also, Adlandpro offers a pay per click programme that allows you to make money while giving exposure to your website. It overs up 400% profitability as compared to google. Visit http://opsilonlimited.ws for more info on this.

Another means of generating money from your website is through Affiliate programmes. Infact, this is the Internet's Number 1 income generation tool. What is Affiliate programme. This is a programme run by various companies that offers you (the affiliate) an opportunity to partner with the company by marketing and reselling THEIR products and services and they pay you commissions on each sale that comes from you. Your affiliate commissions are tracked through the use of unique affiliate identification numbers issued to you on signup. Its free to join most Affiliate programmes. However, caution must be exercised when joining affiliate programmes as scams are out there. Be that as it may, you can get great affiliate programmes from my site at http://opsilonlimited.ws/resources

In conclusion, the internet is a goldmine of opportunities and possibilities waiting to be harnessed. True success goes to those who are willing to tread where others dread. As an emerging economy business owner, at home or living in the diaspora, you can't afford to ignore the opportunities and potential prospects the internet offers. With the right information and marketing, you can turn your business into a global player of the 21st century. You can become the Next Microsoft. If you need help to get stated, please send me a mail and i'll endeavour to reply as soon as possible.

To Your successs


Maxwell E. Praise
Marketing Consultant and CEO
Opsilon Limited
web:http://www.opsilonlimited.ws
Email: maxpraise@opsilonlimited.ws

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