By Steve McClain

But before you flick switch on your Internet Marketing Machine make sure you've nailed basics and your strategy is fundamentally sound.

While Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator, Ernie Stautner told me "the difference between a Pro and a Non Pro is Professional does basics extremely well". And that I have found to apply to just about everything in life and especially in starting and operating a profitable online business.

The Information Superhighway is littered with road kill. The phenomenal advantages of Internet Marketing vs Traditional Marketing has lured many to jump right in unprepared and you can avoid being hit head on by subscribing to informative publications like this one and seeking help and advise from Pros.

Before you launch make sure your product or service is a proven winner for marketing online. Set up in detail every operation and every procedure and then automate everything. Finally, put in place your marketing strategies to build an ever increasing traffic to your site.

You could have hottest most desired product and latest greatest web site with all bells and whistles but if no one ever sees it your not going to make any sales. Building traffic will be where you'll want to concentrate your efforts, and since there's not going to be much time for setting up operations, do all you can before you launch.

For example; offline products and services crash and burn in cyberspace! How long can you tread water trying to stay afloat against current? You'll want careful strategic planning on what products and services you plan to market, especially if you don't have unlimited resources.

By far easiest to launch and most profitable online business ventures tend to be among three categories. Information Products, Network Marketing and Affiliate Programs.

Think Comfort Studies show that efficiency decreases when we are uncomfortable. Lesson to be learned: don't sacrifice comfort for beauty when selecting your furnishings.

Use Mobile Furniture Reduce grunt work. Few of us enjoy an hour spent shoving and pulling a heavy filing cabinet from one side of room to other. Office furniture with wheels or similar mobility aids will make life much simpler. It's easy to set up, easy to rearrange, easy to move for cleaning or to retrieve lost items.

Remember to take accurate wall measurements before you go shopping for office furniture. Take wallboards, heating ducts and other such items into account.

Some manufacturers are making office furniture with adjustable surfaces so you can work either sitting or standing. Before buying, be sure your home office has adequate space for this feature.

Think Convenience How much fun will it be when you have to crawl under a desk on your belly to attach your new printer to back of computer? Computer makers don't make things easy for us, but with a little pre-planning, you can place your computer so you can actually get at those hookups when you need to.

Check Your Wiring Make sure your home's wiring is adequate to accommodate office machinery and various computer hookups. Ensure you that you can use three-pronged plugs to ground your equipment. Check for electrical hazards -- being especially cautious of hazards to children and pets.

Be Mindful of Wall Outlets and Phone Jacks Stringing a long cord across living room and into your home office isn't a look that Martha Stewart would endorse. If your office area doesn't have outlets, you won't regret cash it takes to have them installed.