Building an Online Business Without the Overwhelm
Build Your Online Business One Version at a Time
If you’re an experienced professional building an online business, it doesn’t take long before things start to feel complicated. You need ways to attract potential clients, engage them, develop relationships, make offers, deliver your expertise, and stay connected.
Each of those client experiences requires online assets: web pages, forms, emails, sales pages, checkout pages, automations, videos, courses, event registrations, membership areas, and more.
Then you have to choose and configure the technologies to make everything work together.
Client experiences × online assets × online technologies = overwhelm.
Fortunately, you don't have to build all of it at once.
Think in Versions
Earlier in my career, I led teams that developed complex software systems. We didn't build the entire system before putting it into use. We built a piece, released it, learned from the people using it, improved it, and then added more capabilities in the next version.
Building an online business can work the same way.
First, design the larger business you eventually want. Think through the client experiences you want to create, from attracting someone who has never heard of you through delivering your core and premium offers. But don't try to build that entire future vision all at once.
Design the future business first. Then decide what belongs in the next version.
Don't Automatically Build From Left to Right
Once you've envisioned your client journey, it seems logical to build it in the same order your clients will experience it:
Website → Content → Lead Generator → Entry Offer → Core Offer → Premium Offer
The problem is that you can invest a tremendous amount of time and effort before reaching the part of your business that generates meaningful revenue.
Instead, build your system from the inside out.
Start with the revenue-generating offer. For many expert businesses, that might be a live or online course, group coaching program, subscription program, consulting engagement, or professional service.
You don't necessarily need a sophisticated marketing system to begin. Your first clients might come through networking, referrals, speaking, or direct conversations. Once that offer is working, start building outward.
Perhaps the next version adds a workshop or masterclass that gives prospective clients a meaningful result and introduces them to your core offer.
The next version might add a lead generator and email nurture sequence to bring more people into that workshop. You might also build in the other direction by adding a premium offer for clients who want private coaching, consulting, or additional services.
Notice that your full website may not need to come first. You can start generating revenue without a full website.
The important question to ask yourself is: What does my first or next business version need?
Launch. Learn. Improve.
Building and launching your online business in successive versions also gets your business in front of real people sooner. Instead of spending months building based on assumptions, you can launch a version, operate it, and learn from what happens.
Are people interested in your offer? Are clients getting the result you intended? What could you improve? What capability should you add next? Those lessons help shape the next version.
That's the thinking behind my Online Business Success Operating System™ (OBSOS™):
Design your online business first.
Then build and operate it in focused sprints.
Then improve it with intention.
Your long-term vision may include many client experiences, offers, systems, and technologies. That's okay. Envision and design that future online business.
But start by building the experiences that can generate revenue and deliver meaningful results. Get them working. Learn from them. Then expand your business from the inside out.
You don't have to build your entire future business today. You only have to focus on the next version.
