I’m still waiting for the first interview questions to come back (successful online business women are v. busy) so thought I’d post up a personal profile to give you a bit more of an idea about me and my business.

Q) Can you tell me a little bit about the story so far?

I’ve been working on the Internet since 2001. I studied Communication Design at QUT and graduated in late 2000.  I come from an entrepreneurial family and have always wanted to start my own business.

I’ve spent the last eight years working in businesses of different sizes and styles and have learnt from what worked for them and what didn’t. I’m busy starting up a website strategy, creation and marketing agency called Dot Marketing.

Q) How would you describe your business?

It’s a small website agency that offers website strategy, creation and marketing for solo and small businesses.

I develop smart websites that deliver qualified customer leads/sales from the Internet, creating a business asset that works 24/7 and sells even while you’re sleeping.

Q) What was your motivation behind starting Dot Marketing?

There were a few things, the time was right in the industry – Australian small businesses are starting to understand the revenue potential that can be found through the Internet.

The time was right for me, I felt like I’d gained the experience I needed to start and had the desire to live life according to the design that I’d created and go after my dreams.

I started my blog to help, inspire and be inspired by other Australian women who were going after their dreams and striving for the freedom that an online business can create.

Q) When did you launch your website?

It will launch officially in January 2009.

Q) What was the toughest part about getting your website online?

Beating my perfectionist tendencies that caused many a redesign!  If I did it again, I would have created a thoughtful website plan (like I do for all my clients) and stuck to it.

Q) Do you have any advice about how to get visitors to your website?

First make sure your website offers your visitors something that they would want, be that interesting information, a special offer, a discount, tips, guides, reviews or interesting links. Then, get out and talk about it, online and offline.

Use Twitter, Linked in, Facebook and create a blog that you keep updated, follow other people’s blogs and comment on them (with a useful comment of course).

Offline, make sure you send a personal email to everyone who should know about your website, make sure your website is on all of your stationary, write and distribute press releases.

Most importantly look into email marketing and make sure your website is search engine optimised.

Q) What kind of expertise/experience did you have before starting your business?

I studied multimedia including website design/development at Uni (QUT), then started my career as a search engine optimization specialist for a small online marketing agency. I’ve worked online my entire career, since 2001.

Q) What’s the number one piece of advice you could give other women thinking of starting an online business?

Define what success means for you.

Once you know this, you can work back and figure out the steps you’ll need to get there, including your financial targets. Not everyone wants to be a millionaire, it’s a good idea to decide what you want to achieve so that you know it when you get there!

My number two piece of advice would be you have to believe you can do it.

Q) What are your biggest hopes for the future of Dot Marketing?

I hope that as the business grows I’ll be able to continue to work with inspiring business owners and websites all over the world and provide inspiration to other women as a successful business owner making a living from the Internet. I would also like a sunny studio with a view to some water and a dog to keep me company!

Ultimately I’d like Dot Marketing to allow me to follow my dreams and live a balanced free life.

Related posts:

1. Exciting times
2. What is a dream hunter?

Filed under: Behind the Scenes, Interviews