About the Authors
Shannon Belew has been championing the benefits of online businesses and digital marketing for more years than she cares to admit. A passionate advocate for small businesses and start-up entrepreneurs, she loves using social media to spread the word about how to use an online presence to grow your business. She has owned several online businesses and currently leads content and digital brand strategy for a global telecommunications company. A freelance writer, Shannon has written for many online websites, magazines, and newspapers; she also has written several books about online marketing, e-commerce, and social media, including The Art of Social Selling, Finding and Engaging Customers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Other Social Networks. Shannon is a frequent guest speaker on webinars, radio shows, and other events, discussing topics such as digital marketing, content strategy, and social media marketing. As a former marketing and PR consultant, she has helped clients share their stories in such venues as Inc. Magazine and CNN. Never one to sit still for too long, Shannon most recently has brought all her years of experience together and is sharing it with others on her website, OnlineMarketingToGo.com, where you can keep up with the latest online trends and tips to keep your business growing. She also hopes you’ll help her keep the conversation about online marketing going by following her on Twitter @ShannonBelew and connect with her on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/shannonbelew).
Joel Elad has authored or coauthored seven leading books in the fields of e-commerce, social media, and technology, including LinkedIn For Dummies, Facebook Advertising For Dummies, and Starting an iPhone Application Business For Dummies. He is the head of Real Method Consulting, where he provides consulting and advice for e-commerce companies and entrepreneurs. He sells online as a PowerSeller on eBay and runs several websites that focus on e-commerce and upcoming educational products. Through institutions such as the University of California, Irvine, the University of San Diego, and the Learning Annex, he has trained thousands of people on e-commerce and how to start a small business. He’s a past contributor to Entrepreneur magazine, AuctionBytes, and SmartBiz.com.
Dedication
Shannon: This book is lovingly dedicated to my two favorite people of all time, my children, who are filled with an entrepreneurial spirit of their own: my son, Holden, and my daughter, Wiley. A very special thanks to two other people who were the first to show me that life is full of possibilities and to explain that I, alone, hold the power to determine those opportunities: my parents, Ron and Janice Sanders. Finally, I also share dedication of this book with the next generation of entrepreneurs, all of you out there who are thinking up and creating the next wonderful business idea that may change the world.
Joel: This book is dedicated to the hardest-working man I will ever have the privilege of knowing — my father. Thank you for showing me the value of planning, discipline, and love. You will always be my inspiration.
Authors’ Acknowledgments
Shannon: My sincere thanks to the entire team at Wiley Publishing for making this book a reality, including Amy Fandrei, who challenged and empowered me to make this book even better than previous editions; Jim Kelly, for his extensive technical knowledge and charming editing notes; and my coauthor, Joel Elad, who is always the first person to jump in and help when needed. Special thanks goes out to another Wiley team member, Katharine Dvorak, a wonderfully kind and spirited soul, who was instrumental in guiding me through the revision process and who became an important sounding board during it all. It’s an honor to work with this entire team. Thanks also to all those who choose to read this book and who aspire to become entrepreneurs. Your entrepreneurial spirit and dream for a brighter future makes this world go ’round, and your enthusiasm and energy for new endeavors continue to inspire me.
Joel: My biggest round of thanks has to go to the team at Wiley Publishing for their constant and amazing support of this title: Amy Fandrei, my coauthor Shannon Belew, James Kelly, and definitely Katharine Dvorak, whose patience and guidance helped make this book, in all its editions, possible. Thanks to my friends and contacts, including Anthony and Yvonne Choi, Lorelei Bunjes, Kris Tabar, Lynn Dralle, James Ninness, Shannon Forrey, and Greg Goldstein, for the contacts, information, and support I needed along the way to fill in the gaps. Finally, I have to give a special acknowledgment to my usual coconspirator, Michael Bellomo, who put me on the path of being an author and keeps me going with a bizarre sense of humor mixed with a powerful dose of inspiration.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Acquisitions Editor: Amy Fandrei
Project Editor: Katharine Dvorak
Copy Editor: Katharine Dvorak
Technical Editor: James Kelly
Editorial Assistant: Serena Novosel
Production Editor: Vasanth Koil Raj
Project Manager: Mary Corder
Cover Image: © studiovin/Shutterstock