An essential part of running a successful Internet business is quality software. Software will play a major roll in your success. You must be willing to invest in the software you'll need to assist you in running your business.
Email Program
The first and most important software you'll need is a quality email program. Although most Internet Service Providers include email accounts for their customers, these accounts aren't adequate for an Internet business -- especially if you get a large amount of email. Not only do the email addresses contain your ISP's name, but they are also very limited on features and options.
There are many email programs available on the Internet. However, the best program I've found is Thunderbird. Thunderbird is a standalone email program that works with any ISP. It will enable you to easily organize your email by filtering your messages into specific mailboxes. This feature alone can save you a great deal of time. What's more, your email address will be your own domain -- not someone else's.
Mailing List Software
Collecting your visitors' email address is one of the most important steps in developing a successful Internet business. You must develop a database of potential customers if you truly want to succeed.
Publishing an ezine is a great way to accomplish this. In order to do so, you must have a good mailing list program that will enable you to send your potential customers personalized messages. If you're an America Online customer, you won't be able to use a software program that runs on your computer. You'll need to use a program that runs with your web browser.
AutoResponse Plus (Mailing List / Autoresponder): Complete list management including unlimited lists, HTML or plain text mailings, MySQL database, customizable auto-personalization of messages, automatic removal links, unlimited follow-up autoresponses and more.
1-2-All Broadcast: A complete list management system including HTML or plain text newsletters, MySQL database, personalization features, automatic removal links and more.
HTML Editor
Your web site is the storefront of your business and is one of the most important factors in determining your success. In order to design your web site, you'll need to get a good HTML editor like Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage.
Before you begin the actual design process, I highly recommend that you install two web browsers -- Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. These are the two most widely used browsers on the Internet. However, they are not created equally. Your page might look great when viewed through Internet Explorer, but may not display well when viewed through Firefox. It is very important that you view your web site through both browsers, and design your pages accordingly.
Graphics Editor
Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet entrepreneurs. However, most of us must learn some basic design techniques in order to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional designer.
In order to create and/or edit your graphics, you'll need to invest in a good graphics program. The most popular program used by Internet marketers is Adobe Photoshop. This powerful program is the only program you'll need to design professional looking graphics.
Zip/Unzip Program
Zip files are used to compress and transport file archives over the Internet. It is the preferred method used for electronic file distribution, as rather than downloading several different files, you can simply download one Zip file. In addition, the download time will be minimized, as the files within the Zip archive are compressed.
Once a Zip file is downloaded, it can be easily opened and extracted (unzipped) with a Zip/Unzip software program.
Although there are many Zip software programs available on the Internet, WinRar is the most popular. WinRar makes working with file archives simple.
FTP Program
File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to upload and download files to and from your web server.
In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a software program on your computer such as FileZilla.
Text Editor
Text editors have a variety of uses such as writing HTML, editing scripts, and writing ezine articles -- just to name a few. NotePad is an excellent text editor and is most likely already installed on your computer. However, it can't handle large files and is better suited for smaller files. You may find that you'd like an editor that is a little more powerful. I use a great program called NotePad++. This powerful editor will enable you to edit large files, format your text, convert your text to HTML, and even includes a spellchecker and thesaurus.
Although this list of software is far from complete, it will provide you with a basic guideline to get you started.
If you're serious about your business and you really want to succeed, purchasing software is an absolute must. Do your homework and select software that best suits your needs. It will be well worth the investment.
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