8 Successful Online Entrepreneurs You Should Be Following Spark some inspiration from these individuals' real-life business experiences.
By Thomas Smale Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There isn't a single entrepreneur out there that can't benefit from some extra inspiration and motivation. We can all learn something by following successful individuals. It sparks inspiration and learning from their real-life business experiences can help us all on our own entrepreneurial journeys.
I have put together a list of eight online entrepreneurs that I personally follow and have worked with -- individuals that all entrepreneurs can learn something from, especially those interested in starting or growing an online business.
1. Jeff Taylor
As CEO of DEVISE, Jeff Taylor has extensive experience building profitable online businesses. What began as a web design and marketing firm eventually transformed into an entity that creates, markets, monetizes and then eventually sells websites. Taylor and his partner Evan Lisabeth have the ability to grow online businesses at an incredible rate.
I have first hand knowledge of his success, as my company brokered the sale of a seven-figure website Taylor's team created.
Taylor stresses the importance of taking action immediately, stating, "I've had thousands of ideas, but unless you put action behind them, nothing will come of the idea. There's no reason to wait for the perfect time to start a project. Start working on it today."
Related: 7 Entrepreneurs You Should Start Following Now
2. Tim Seidler
Tim Seidler is a husband and father of two children that used online entrepreneurship to completely turn his life around. He was once in a place that many individuals find themselves -- utilities turned off and bills he couldn't pay. He did something that many don't have the courage to do -- Seidler quit his job and put 100 percent of his time and effort into creating an online income, recently selling a portfolio of websites for six figures!
Through his website, Get Niche Quick, Seidler blogs about the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial journey. His transparent approach is beneficial, as entrepreneurs will see that there are good days and bad days in any business. Seidler shares his current and future projects and also openly discusses his income -- sharing both his best monthly earnings as well as daily earnings. There definitely isn't a lack of inspiration and I highly recommend following Seidler's online business journey.
3. Dom Wells
Affiliate marketing is a huge business, but the truth is that many entrepreneurs quit because they get discouraged when they don't see instant results. It takes time and a well thought out strategy to make sizeable earnings through affiliate marketing. Dom Wells, a highly successful online marketer, offers guidance to entrepreneurs that want to learn how to make money online.
His website, Human Proof Designs, offers training through its blog to those who want to learn how to start a niche website the correct way -- everything from niche research to monetization is covered. Wells doesn't just talk the talk. He walks the walk, constantly creating new niche sites to add to his portfolio and turning his experiences into case studies for his readers.
4. Steve Rendell
Steve Rendell is the man behind Texfly, an online resource for entrepreneurs who are interested in creating profitable niche websites and ranking them high in search results using the power of private blog networks. Rendell's website stands out because he isn't afraid to talk about what really works.
Several SEO professionals will dance around the topic of private blog networks, instead just saying that quality content should be the main focus. Well, private blog networks rank websites and many of the elite SEOs use the same methods -- they just don't openly discuss it. The blog and private blog network blueprint that Rendell makes accessible on Texfly are well worth the read and something anyone with an online presence will benefit from greatly.
5. Stuart Walker
An entrepreneur that specializes in online niche marketing, Stuart Walker shares his insight and knowledge on his website, Niche Hacks. Walker is an under-30 entrepreneur that travels the world and makes money from a wide variety of online assets. He is living the dream many aspire to reach through online businesses.
Since so many people fizzle out and give up before reaching their potential, Walker decided to start a blog that focuses on niche research and the shortcuts he personally uses to create a sizeable full-time income while living location-independent. His best information is free and something that all online entrepreneurs can find value in -- and his blog posts about growing traffic and promoting content is something that every business owner will learn from.
Related: What Type of Entrepreneur Are You? (Infographic)
6. Tung Tran
To be successful online you have to have a strong understanding of how to rank organically in the search results. This is beneficial to entrepreneurs that want to start their own online-based businesses as well as those that want to rank their brick-and-mortar business websites. Tung Tran is an online entrepreneur that documents his success and strategy on Cloud Living.
Tran discusses how to start an online business and how to drive traffic using several strategies. I hear so many people talk about how they would love to earn a living through an online business but they aren't sure where to start. It's entrepreneurs like Tran that provide the inspiration and hand-holding that helps numerous people become successful online business owners.
7. Alistair Gill
With an online presence being such a crucial part of every business's marketing and promotional strategy you can never learn enough about content management systems, search engine optimization and web analytics and metrics. I follow Alistair Gill to stay current with SEO trends and because I enjoy his in-depth analytical posts on his personal blog.
Gill's blog posts are packed of useful information and he likes to put together pieces of content that feature several months of data and research. I really like reading case studies and guides with data -- these are the types of blog posts that you can read and take the findings and apply them to your own business.
8. Melanie Duncan
Melanie Duncan is a true inspiration to entrepreneurs around the world. She cites the following as a problem many of us have: "If you don't learn how to effectively work 'on' your business, instead of 'in' your business, you will never be able to strategically grow and you'll sacrifice the quality of life you deserve."
For those of you still grinding out 80 hours a week, that quote will resonate deeply with you.
Follow Duncan closely and you'll learn all about growing your online business. With a weekly newsletter and regular blog posts, there is just the right amount of content to properly digest and apply before moving onto the next!
While these are my suggested online entrepreneurs to follow, there are certainly a lot more. Do you have any to add to this list? I would love to hear your suggestions in the comments section below.
Related: 5 Reasons Why You Should 'Think Colossal' When It Comes to Your Dreams
