The 10 things you need before getting your Online Business.........online

1. Ensure you have a domain name registered. This is usually your site or company name with .com or .com.au following it. You will also need a host to display your web site. 
2. Give some thought to what you want the site to look like and do. 
3. Find a few examples of sites you like to get ideas on pages/content, colours, layout and features.
4. Be specific - list things what you want the site TO DO.......eg I want the site to be able to capture people's email address for inclusion into a newsletter or subscription.....OR......I want to sell my products online and allow people to purchase with a credit card.....OR......I want a video of me and my products to to be on the front page so visitors see it as soon as they visit the site................OR............I just want a basic site to display my services, some simple graphics and advertise my contact details.
5. Brainstorm some ideas - just about anything is possible. 
6. Have your content ready - any images or blocks of text for your pages in a Word doc or similar.
7. Give some thought to paid online advertising via Google and other Search Engines. This will add immensely to the site's success.
8. Have some type of measuring system to let you know how many people come to your site and what they do while they are there.
9. Let the offline world know too. Advertise on your business cards, letterhead, stickers, cars, everywhere you can. Commit yourself to making this an integral part of your business - the web is starting to develop beyond just simple websites. 
10. Be nice to your web guy - your biggest advantage is not that he can make your website look pretty or perform well, but that he is your information source to let you know of the latest trends in internet marketing, technologies, and trends that can make a good site into a great site.