Guest post by Michelle Meine

Starting an internet business may sound simple and easy, but it's not exactly like that. It takes a lot of time and effort to succeed and get to that "flowing" mode. If you're thinking about starting an internet business, you'll have to do several things in order to lay a healthy base, which is crucial in the development process of your business.

1. Find your niche

There is a million of niches, and it's not just that simple to choose one of them. You'll have to do some analysis before you pick your niche. Basically, it's the best to choose a niche that you're interested in, so it doesn't get boring for you. Ideally, it's the best to find a niche that interests you and that is profitable. Analyze your competition and see if you'll be up to competing with them.

2. Analyze the market

It's of huge importance to analyze the market thoroughly before getting into this venture. You have to check other sites in that market, you have to check the supply and demand, you have to check what approach will work the best.

3. Great domain name

Don't settle for any domain name. Go for, if not the best, then one of the best in that niche. Ideally, you will choose a dot com, with your keyword(s) in it. Don't choose a domain name with too many dashes, because search engines don't like that. Choose a domain name that is short, brandable, easy to remember and contains your keywords.

4. Cool design

If you're not a designer, hire a designer to design your website. It's really worth it. A website with a great design will be much more pleasing for the eyes of your visitors, thus making them to remember your site and they may even come back.

5. Clean code

If you're not a coder, hire a coder to code your design. Demand valid XHTML/CSS and compatibility with all browsers. That way you'll be safe, both with your visitors and search engines.

6. Invest in content

Content is king, they say. And it's really true... The more content you have, the better your site will look in the eyes of the search engines. Add more and more content each day and you will have no worries.

7. Invest in advertising

Don't think that you don't need to spend money on advertising and link building, because you have to. You have to let everyone know that your site is alive and online, and awaiting visitors.

Note that you will not earn money in the beginning, but if you keep on working, you will get there. Just have patience!