Thursday, August 23, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Affiliate Products or Create Your Own? You Decide...
Affiliate Products or Create Your Own? You Decide...
by: Mal Keenan
Every business need products or services to sell and without these you DO NOT have a businesss. Makes sense, right?
If you are thinking of starting an online business you need to decide whether you want to sell your own products or whether you want to do as I do and sell other peoples' for commissions.
I have been making a full-time income from home as an Affiliate Marketer since 2004. I sell other people products and services.
If you are new to online marketing you may not believe it is possible to sell without ones own products. I was convinced when the company checks started rolling in.
Let us first look at some ideas for creating your own product.
Discovering what people need and want is tantamount to finding a lucrative market for your work at home business. There are three things you should look for in determining the profitability of a particular market:
1. How great is the demand? 2. How scarce is the supply? Or restated, how much competition will you encounter? 3. Will you be able to provide for this demand?
If the answer to all the three considerations above are favorable, then you have for yourself a good market that your online home business can cater to.
Of course, there are some tricks and tactics that you could use to find ideal markets. Here are some of them:
* Go to www.inventory.overture.com or www.nichebot.com and type in the type of business you wish to pursue. The results will show how many searches were made, direct or related, for that particular subject over the past few weeks.
* Make a search for the same business type in any of the search engines. These results will show how abundant or scarce your competition will be.
* From time to time, there are special reports that are published which enumerate hot niches waiting to be exploited. Niches, of course, are highly specialized markets that most businesses tend to overlook.
Once you find a market, it's time to come up with a product. Information products, ie. E-books, are the most ideal for your online home business. They can be digitally delivered, and they don't require physical space for stocking.
There are four popular ways by which you could come up with an information product for your online home business:
* You could create these products yourself. Maybe you are an expert in a certain area? Could you write a special report? Don't forget to check out if there is a demand for the info as outlined above.
* You could hire someone to create them for you. Elance.com is a favourite for online marketers to have products created and I have used them on quite a few occasions myself.
* You could use existing products that have been created by others, through the purchase of their resale rights.
Mike Hill is an expert on using Public Domain Works for this purpose. You can check out his site here: http://www.malkeenan.com/offers/publicdomainworks.html
Then there is Affiliate Marketing.....
You can join affiliate programs in 1000s of different markets in almost any topic imaginable and choose to pre-sell any of the products they have to offer. As mentioned above this is my preferred method.
When choosing affiliate products you want something of quality which also offers high commissions. Most quality affiliate programs will also offer tools in the form of graphics and pre-written ad copy to help you make your money.
Some affiliate programs will offer 75% commission to you for selling their service online. I would be looking for at least 50%, especially for low priced products like e-books.
For high priced items, marketing seminars, marketing course etc. I would expect 30-50%.
The benefits of selling affiliate products is that you don't have to worry about payment processors nor product support, which can be a nightmare.
Selling affiliate products frees up a lot of my time. The way I see it, there is no point working at home unless it allows me more freedom to do the things I like to do.
Whether you choose your own product or to go the affiliate route there is a lot of money to be made, IF you do the right things.
I am here to make your decision easier and give you whatever help and advice I can to enable you to proceed.
Contact me anytime for ideas and advice.
I genuinely want to help.
Copyright 2005 Mal Keenan
by: Mal Keenan
Every business need products or services to sell and without these you DO NOT have a businesss. Makes sense, right?
If you are thinking of starting an online business you need to decide whether you want to sell your own products or whether you want to do as I do and sell other peoples' for commissions.
I have been making a full-time income from home as an Affiliate Marketer since 2004. I sell other people products and services.
If you are new to online marketing you may not believe it is possible to sell without ones own products. I was convinced when the company checks started rolling in.
Let us first look at some ideas for creating your own product.
Discovering what people need and want is tantamount to finding a lucrative market for your work at home business. There are three things you should look for in determining the profitability of a particular market:
1. How great is the demand? 2. How scarce is the supply? Or restated, how much competition will you encounter? 3. Will you be able to provide for this demand?
If the answer to all the three considerations above are favorable, then you have for yourself a good market that your online home business can cater to.
Of course, there are some tricks and tactics that you could use to find ideal markets. Here are some of them:
* Go to www.inventory.overture.com or www.nichebot.com and type in the type of business you wish to pursue. The results will show how many searches were made, direct or related, for that particular subject over the past few weeks.
* Make a search for the same business type in any of the search engines. These results will show how abundant or scarce your competition will be.
* From time to time, there are special reports that are published which enumerate hot niches waiting to be exploited. Niches, of course, are highly specialized markets that most businesses tend to overlook.
Once you find a market, it's time to come up with a product. Information products, ie. E-books, are the most ideal for your online home business. They can be digitally delivered, and they don't require physical space for stocking.
There are four popular ways by which you could come up with an information product for your online home business:
* You could create these products yourself. Maybe you are an expert in a certain area? Could you write a special report? Don't forget to check out if there is a demand for the info as outlined above.
* You could hire someone to create them for you. Elance.com is a favourite for online marketers to have products created and I have used them on quite a few occasions myself.
* You could use existing products that have been created by others, through the purchase of their resale rights.
Mike Hill is an expert on using Public Domain Works for this purpose. You can check out his site here: http://www.malkeenan.com/offers/publicdomainworks.html
Then there is Affiliate Marketing.....
You can join affiliate programs in 1000s of different markets in almost any topic imaginable and choose to pre-sell any of the products they have to offer. As mentioned above this is my preferred method.
When choosing affiliate products you want something of quality which also offers high commissions. Most quality affiliate programs will also offer tools in the form of graphics and pre-written ad copy to help you make your money.
Some affiliate programs will offer 75% commission to you for selling their service online. I would be looking for at least 50%, especially for low priced products like e-books.
For high priced items, marketing seminars, marketing course etc. I would expect 30-50%.
The benefits of selling affiliate products is that you don't have to worry about payment processors nor product support, which can be a nightmare.
Selling affiliate products frees up a lot of my time. The way I see it, there is no point working at home unless it allows me more freedom to do the things I like to do.
Whether you choose your own product or to go the affiliate route there is a lot of money to be made, IF you do the right things.
I am here to make your decision easier and give you whatever help and advice I can to enable you to proceed.
Contact me anytime for ideas and advice.
I genuinely want to help.
Copyright 2005 Mal Keenan
Canada and eCommerce
Canada and eCommerce
by: Craig Smith
Canadian eCommerce growth was recently flat but still has an attractive upside…
Recent studies found that Canadian retail e-commerce growth was flat year over year (2003-2004). After further examination however, approximately 60% of the 100 largest non-travel sites succeeded in growing their sales over 20%.
Also interesting is the trending of Canadians from buying at non-Canadian sites to domestic sites (63% domestic, 37% foreign). This “domestic shift” clearly benefits the launching of a new eCommerce business in Canada.
The sales opportunity lies with the “early adopters”, individuals primarily the 18-34 year old age range. This segment is more technologically savvy and more likely to purchase online. In a 2003 to 2004 sampling comparison, this segment’s overall e-commerce spending increased 44%. The 35 to 54 age group increased only 5% and 55+ increased 18% (includes online travel).
Overall Internet Adoption rates still trail the U.S. and come in at approximately 52%. However, with the development of new Internet infrastructures and the maturation of Canadian ISP’s, this number will likely rise in the next 3-5 years. The following quote from the Canadian government re-enforces this theme.
“To reach our new national goal (relating to e-commerce) Canadians will need to develop strategies that build an intelligent infrastructure to serve as the backbone of the e-economy- by encouraging investment, strengthening research, enhancing commercialization and ensuring that all Canadians have access to this infrastructure and know how to use it.” (September, 2004)
Shifting demographics & lack of online competition equal a substantial opportunity…
Forrester Research reports that 48% of Canadian web shoppers are now female compared to 39% in 2003. 74% of web buyers are married and likely are home shoppers, compared to 68% in 2003.
With the gender gap closing, online home retailers have a great opportunity to target their core customer segment: the 30-40yr old female who owns or maintains a residence.
Within this sector, it is rare for U.S. based retailers to have online Canadian stores. Many brands will ship to Canada, for very high costs (customs duty & shipping) but this likely leads to an unpleasant experience for the Canadian consumer. These high costs, compiled with a lack of domestic Canadian retailers providing an e-commerce offering, are driving the stagnant growth of the online sales channel.
By being a “first-mover” in establishing a presence in the online marketplace within Canada, online retailers will facilitate sales from consumers that want to get products shipped from their native homeland after being paid for in Canadian currency.
Similar to the U.S., consumers are exhibiting multi-channel tendencies and embracing the emergence of broadband connectivity…
Canada is the only country in the world in which broadband overtook dial-up access in 2003. Currently 48% of all Canadian consumers have broadband access and they are 67% more likely to have high speed web-access than American consumers.
This impressive penetration may prove to be a strong driver for online circulars and new online merchandising tactics, as product differentiation are established outside of price.
Canadian shoppers are also parallel to U.S. consumers in their multi-channel behavior. 58% of Canadian shoppers have researched a product online and purchased offline, spending an average of $440. An online Canadian strategy must focus on integrating the online and physical store with store locator functionality and other tools to promote cross-channel behavior.
In conclusion, multi-national retailers should closely examine the Canadian eCommerce opportunity. Attractive consumer demographics, an established broadband infrastructure, and a shift in overall shopping tendencies make the Canada a high-growth and un-saturated area for multi-channel retail.
Craig Smith
Trinity Insight LLC
http://www.trinityinsight.com
by: Craig Smith
Canadian eCommerce growth was recently flat but still has an attractive upside…
Recent studies found that Canadian retail e-commerce growth was flat year over year (2003-2004). After further examination however, approximately 60% of the 100 largest non-travel sites succeeded in growing their sales over 20%.
Also interesting is the trending of Canadians from buying at non-Canadian sites to domestic sites (63% domestic, 37% foreign). This “domestic shift” clearly benefits the launching of a new eCommerce business in Canada.
The sales opportunity lies with the “early adopters”, individuals primarily the 18-34 year old age range. This segment is more technologically savvy and more likely to purchase online. In a 2003 to 2004 sampling comparison, this segment’s overall e-commerce spending increased 44%. The 35 to 54 age group increased only 5% and 55+ increased 18% (includes online travel).
Overall Internet Adoption rates still trail the U.S. and come in at approximately 52%. However, with the development of new Internet infrastructures and the maturation of Canadian ISP’s, this number will likely rise in the next 3-5 years. The following quote from the Canadian government re-enforces this theme.
“To reach our new national goal (relating to e-commerce) Canadians will need to develop strategies that build an intelligent infrastructure to serve as the backbone of the e-economy- by encouraging investment, strengthening research, enhancing commercialization and ensuring that all Canadians have access to this infrastructure and know how to use it.” (September, 2004)
Shifting demographics & lack of online competition equal a substantial opportunity…
Forrester Research reports that 48% of Canadian web shoppers are now female compared to 39% in 2003. 74% of web buyers are married and likely are home shoppers, compared to 68% in 2003.
With the gender gap closing, online home retailers have a great opportunity to target their core customer segment: the 30-40yr old female who owns or maintains a residence.
Within this sector, it is rare for U.S. based retailers to have online Canadian stores. Many brands will ship to Canada, for very high costs (customs duty & shipping) but this likely leads to an unpleasant experience for the Canadian consumer. These high costs, compiled with a lack of domestic Canadian retailers providing an e-commerce offering, are driving the stagnant growth of the online sales channel.
By being a “first-mover” in establishing a presence in the online marketplace within Canada, online retailers will facilitate sales from consumers that want to get products shipped from their native homeland after being paid for in Canadian currency.
Similar to the U.S., consumers are exhibiting multi-channel tendencies and embracing the emergence of broadband connectivity…
Canada is the only country in the world in which broadband overtook dial-up access in 2003. Currently 48% of all Canadian consumers have broadband access and they are 67% more likely to have high speed web-access than American consumers.
This impressive penetration may prove to be a strong driver for online circulars and new online merchandising tactics, as product differentiation are established outside of price.
Canadian shoppers are also parallel to U.S. consumers in their multi-channel behavior. 58% of Canadian shoppers have researched a product online and purchased offline, spending an average of $440. An online Canadian strategy must focus on integrating the online and physical store with store locator functionality and other tools to promote cross-channel behavior.
In conclusion, multi-national retailers should closely examine the Canadian eCommerce opportunity. Attractive consumer demographics, an established broadband infrastructure, and a shift in overall shopping tendencies make the Canada a high-growth and un-saturated area for multi-channel retail.
Craig Smith
Trinity Insight LLC
http://www.trinityinsight.com
The Incredible Power of FREE in Internet and Affiliate Marketing!
The Incredible Power of FREE in Internet and Affiliate Marketing!
by: Kanaga Siva
Free Membership, Free Submission, Free eBooks, Free Websites, Free Downloads, Free Classifieds, Free to Join, yes anything Free has an incredible pulling power in both Internet and Affiliate Marketing.
It is simply amazing how this four letter word FREE can capture the imagination of not only the newbies but also the most seasoned and experienced Internet Marketers and Affiliate Marketers.
The Success of your Internet Marketing or Affiliate Marketing Business depends to a great extent on several inputs such as Determination, Dedication and Motivation among others. In spite of possessing these qualities, financial limitations can be a dampening factor in your endeavor to succeed. So an offer of free tools, free eBooks, free classifieds etc. can be just the thing you have been longing for to boost your confidence and help you succeed in your business.
Even if you are not short of funds to operate your Internet or Affiliate Marketing businesses the offer of free items that could be helpful to develop your Internet business is something no sensible entrepreneur wants to ignore. Why pay for something when you can get it for free!
It is important to note that in spite of the prominent display of the word Free, some items are not always Free and some are quite useless; nevertheless the urge and desire to try them out persists.
Capitalizing on this are many scammers who want to make a quick buck. This is where the newbie has to be watchful and not fall prey to scammers.
Many genuine smart Marketers do take advantage of this inherent weakness of both man and woman and offer free items to promote their businesses.
There are of course several great free webmaster tools that are extremely popular with Internet marketers, Affiliate marketers, Internet home based business entrepreneurs and other online entrepreneurs.
Similarly Free eBooks and Articles written sincerely with the sole purpose of educating the audience are also very popular and sought after by webmasters.
There are websites dealing exclusively with Free items that are very popular in the Internet.
Another Free item extremely popular with low budget business entrepreneurs are Free classifieds.
There are also several very much sought after Free to join affiliate programs that are long standing, safe and secure and global in nature, who provide you with free tools, free web sites and a great support systems.
Thus the Internet abounds with all kinds of free items. Some have hidden charges, Some lead you to scams, Some have both free and paid versions, Some are totally free with no strings attached.
Regular visits to the Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and Altavista and studying these various free items will help you to weed out the Good from the Bad and the Ugly.
Great people do exist out there in the Internet World who are prepared to share their knowledge and expertise with the rest of the Internet fraternity for Free. Webmasters and Online Entrepreneurs should indeed be grateful to these Individuals and Organizations who are constantly making the Internet experience much easier, cheaper, pleasant and enjoyable for millions of Internet users.
The Incredible Power of the word FREE will without doubt continue to captivate the hearts and minds of the Internet Marketing and Affiliate Marketing world till a a more powerful substitute is discovered.
by: Kanaga Siva
Free Membership, Free Submission, Free eBooks, Free Websites, Free Downloads, Free Classifieds, Free to Join, yes anything Free has an incredible pulling power in both Internet and Affiliate Marketing.
It is simply amazing how this four letter word FREE can capture the imagination of not only the newbies but also the most seasoned and experienced Internet Marketers and Affiliate Marketers.
The Success of your Internet Marketing or Affiliate Marketing Business depends to a great extent on several inputs such as Determination, Dedication and Motivation among others. In spite of possessing these qualities, financial limitations can be a dampening factor in your endeavor to succeed. So an offer of free tools, free eBooks, free classifieds etc. can be just the thing you have been longing for to boost your confidence and help you succeed in your business.
Even if you are not short of funds to operate your Internet or Affiliate Marketing businesses the offer of free items that could be helpful to develop your Internet business is something no sensible entrepreneur wants to ignore. Why pay for something when you can get it for free!
It is important to note that in spite of the prominent display of the word Free, some items are not always Free and some are quite useless; nevertheless the urge and desire to try them out persists.
Capitalizing on this are many scammers who want to make a quick buck. This is where the newbie has to be watchful and not fall prey to scammers.
Many genuine smart Marketers do take advantage of this inherent weakness of both man and woman and offer free items to promote their businesses.
There are of course several great free webmaster tools that are extremely popular with Internet marketers, Affiliate marketers, Internet home based business entrepreneurs and other online entrepreneurs.
Similarly Free eBooks and Articles written sincerely with the sole purpose of educating the audience are also very popular and sought after by webmasters.
There are websites dealing exclusively with Free items that are very popular in the Internet.
Another Free item extremely popular with low budget business entrepreneurs are Free classifieds.
There are also several very much sought after Free to join affiliate programs that are long standing, safe and secure and global in nature, who provide you with free tools, free web sites and a great support systems.
Thus the Internet abounds with all kinds of free items. Some have hidden charges, Some lead you to scams, Some have both free and paid versions, Some are totally free with no strings attached.
Regular visits to the Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and Altavista and studying these various free items will help you to weed out the Good from the Bad and the Ugly.
Great people do exist out there in the Internet World who are prepared to share their knowledge and expertise with the rest of the Internet fraternity for Free. Webmasters and Online Entrepreneurs should indeed be grateful to these Individuals and Organizations who are constantly making the Internet experience much easier, cheaper, pleasant and enjoyable for millions of Internet users.
The Incredible Power of the word FREE will without doubt continue to captivate the hearts and minds of the Internet Marketing and Affiliate Marketing world till a a more powerful substitute is discovered.
Get to Know Your Competitors Using Alexa
Get to Know Your Competitors Using Alexa
by: Megan Corwin
All great marketers know that in order to be the top in your field you need to know your competitors. But researching each one can be time consuming and a treasure hunt at best. Using Alexa (www.alexa.com) can be an invaluable tool for you to find out what your competitors are up to on the web.
What is Alexa?
Alexa is an Amazon.com company that maintains information about website traffic.
You can find out the most popular sites in a variety of categories such as business, sports, recreation, and shopping.
How do I use Alexa?
To access this tool, simply go to http://www.alexa.com. From there you can browse the topic of your business or type in a specific website in the 'Search the Web' box.
Let's use the gift basket business as an example. First, go to Alexa's home page and type in 'gift baskets' as a search. When your search results appear, look at the end of the description for the link titled 'Site Info.' This is where you will find your research gold.
What can I learn about the top ranked site?
When you click on the 'Site Info' link, lots of valuable information is displayed. The first thing to note is the traffic ranking of the website. The top gift basket site is ranked 119,370. Not bad considering there are millions of pages online at any given time.
Other useful information listed on this site info page is other websites that visitors also went to and the number of sites that link to this website. Other sites that link to the site can be very valuable - what search engines is the site listed in? Where are they advertising?
Next, click on the 'See Traffic Details' link near the top of the page. Look at the traffic for the site and note that in the last week the number of visitors has increased by almost 100,000. Wow! What could be the reason? The holidays? A contest? Their keywords and titles? An advertising campaign? Take a look at the site and see if there is a spectacular giveaway or something very attractive going on.
Summary
Alexa is a very powerful tool for researching your competitors. Also, be sure to look at your site's listing to find out how well it is doing compared to others in your industry. As you analyze your competitors, look for their strengths so that you can emulate them and also their weaknesses so that you can set your business apart.
by: Megan Corwin
All great marketers know that in order to be the top in your field you need to know your competitors. But researching each one can be time consuming and a treasure hunt at best. Using Alexa (www.alexa.com) can be an invaluable tool for you to find out what your competitors are up to on the web.
What is Alexa?
Alexa is an Amazon.com company that maintains information about website traffic.
You can find out the most popular sites in a variety of categories such as business, sports, recreation, and shopping.
How do I use Alexa?
To access this tool, simply go to http://www.alexa.com. From there you can browse the topic of your business or type in a specific website in the 'Search the Web' box.
Let's use the gift basket business as an example. First, go to Alexa's home page and type in 'gift baskets' as a search. When your search results appear, look at the end of the description for the link titled 'Site Info.' This is where you will find your research gold.
What can I learn about the top ranked site?
When you click on the 'Site Info' link, lots of valuable information is displayed. The first thing to note is the traffic ranking of the website. The top gift basket site is ranked 119,370. Not bad considering there are millions of pages online at any given time.
Other useful information listed on this site info page is other websites that visitors also went to and the number of sites that link to this website. Other sites that link to the site can be very valuable - what search engines is the site listed in? Where are they advertising?
Next, click on the 'See Traffic Details' link near the top of the page. Look at the traffic for the site and note that in the last week the number of visitors has increased by almost 100,000. Wow! What could be the reason? The holidays? A contest? Their keywords and titles? An advertising campaign? Take a look at the site and see if there is a spectacular giveaway or something very attractive going on.
Summary
Alexa is a very powerful tool for researching your competitors. Also, be sure to look at your site's listing to find out how well it is doing compared to others in your industry. As you analyze your competitors, look for their strengths so that you can emulate them and also their weaknesses so that you can set your business apart.
An Article
An Article
by: Margaret McAlister
People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you have to say much more easily if you tell them an anecdote that relates to your subject matter.
The danger in using this method is that you can lose your way. Interminable, zig-zagging stories are just as boring in print as they are in real life! Keep your story under control, and it will speak to your reader.
THE RECIPE
1. Choose your subject
2. Tell your story
3. Identify the problem
4. Offer a solution
5. Draw a conclusion or call to action
6. Give your article a catchy title
7. Decide on the length. (Most ezines like articles of around 500 - 800 words.)
THE FINISHED ARTICLE
Title: From Chaos To Contentment: The Pocket Organizer
Like most people, I'm fighting a constant battle to stay organized. I have a range of clients both online and offline and projects due at different times. I'm surrounded by to-do lists, stacks of print-outs, address books, phone lists and folders. Finding something quickly is more of a challenge every day.
I was beginning to despair of ever clearing the decks - or even seeing a glimpse of the deck! Then I stumbled across a solution. Browsing around an electronics store looking for a label-maker, I walked past a display of Palm products. The Palm Zire 71 caught my eye immediately (okay, I'm a sucker for a nice-looking piece of electronic gadgetry). There it was, in an attractive blue casing with a bright, colorful screen... begging me to play!
So I played.
After ten minutes I was hooked. Yeah, I know... all of you Palm devotees are yawning and muttering: "Where has she been the last few years?" - but hey, I had one of the early Palm Pilots. The screen was hard to read and the graffiti option didn't work too well. I went back to notebooks and a rolodex.
This one was totally different. It won me in no time at all. I wandered out of the store to "think about it" - and was back within fifteen minutes handing over my credit card.
How ever did I manage without it? Now I have - all in one pocket-size organizer - a date book that stretches *decades* forward and back from today's date, an address book with customizable lists, an expense record, a calculator, a memo pad, a note pad, a to-do list, a world clock... and this little beauty even has a built-in camera. (With an expansion card it could also be an MP3 player.) I've tossed six different items out of my handbag and replaced them with just the Palm. Bliss. (Oh, and did I mention I can sit it in the accompanying cradle and back up everything to my computer?)
Don't worry, this is not an advertisement for Palm products! I'm sure there are other organizers that do all this and more. (You can now get phones that do it all, come to think of it.) The point is, since I don't work in the corporate environment, I just hadn't realized what timesavers these all-in-one products can be. Now, wherever I go I have an incredible amount of information at my fingertips. I don't sort through various folders and files in search of contact information. Heck, I don't even have to carry family snaps around in my wallet - they're all stored in the Palm!
The lesson? There are several. One: personal organizers are not just for so-called "business professionals". They can streamline anyone's life. Two: If you're losing time (and patience) because you're not organized, take the time to sit down and see what can be done. Look for a method that is easy to use and combines a number of functions. Three: browsing through electronic gadgetry is not only fun - it pays off!
=== Analysis Of The Completed Article ===
The Subject: Personal organization
The Story: How a pocket-sized organizer changed my life
The Problem: Too many diverse and unwieldy systems to store information
The Solution: A pocket-sized electronic organizer
Call to Action: Analyze your needs - choose an easy, effective method to get organized
A Catchy Title: "From Chaos to Contentment: The Pocket Organizer". The alliteration of "Chaos" and "Contentment" sounds good; the first part of the title summarizes the rewards, and the inclusion of "The Pocket Organizer" signals the subject matter.
Word Length: The finished article is 511 words: a good length for most ezines (yours or someone else's). You need to be strict with yourself here. If your article is too long, CUT IT!
Copyright 2004 Margaret McAlister
by: Margaret McAlister
People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you have to say much more easily if you tell them an anecdote that relates to your subject matter.
The danger in using this method is that you can lose your way. Interminable, zig-zagging stories are just as boring in print as they are in real life! Keep your story under control, and it will speak to your reader.
THE RECIPE
1. Choose your subject
2. Tell your story
3. Identify the problem
4. Offer a solution
5. Draw a conclusion or call to action
6. Give your article a catchy title
7. Decide on the length. (Most ezines like articles of around 500 - 800 words.)
THE FINISHED ARTICLE
Title: From Chaos To Contentment: The Pocket Organizer
Like most people, I'm fighting a constant battle to stay organized. I have a range of clients both online and offline and projects due at different times. I'm surrounded by to-do lists, stacks of print-outs, address books, phone lists and folders. Finding something quickly is more of a challenge every day.
I was beginning to despair of ever clearing the decks - or even seeing a glimpse of the deck! Then I stumbled across a solution. Browsing around an electronics store looking for a label-maker, I walked past a display of Palm products. The Palm Zire 71 caught my eye immediately (okay, I'm a sucker for a nice-looking piece of electronic gadgetry). There it was, in an attractive blue casing with a bright, colorful screen... begging me to play!
So I played.
After ten minutes I was hooked. Yeah, I know... all of you Palm devotees are yawning and muttering: "Where has she been the last few years?" - but hey, I had one of the early Palm Pilots. The screen was hard to read and the graffiti option didn't work too well. I went back to notebooks and a rolodex.
This one was totally different. It won me in no time at all. I wandered out of the store to "think about it" - and was back within fifteen minutes handing over my credit card.
How ever did I manage without it? Now I have - all in one pocket-size organizer - a date book that stretches *decades* forward and back from today's date, an address book with customizable lists, an expense record, a calculator, a memo pad, a note pad, a to-do list, a world clock... and this little beauty even has a built-in camera. (With an expansion card it could also be an MP3 player.) I've tossed six different items out of my handbag and replaced them with just the Palm. Bliss. (Oh, and did I mention I can sit it in the accompanying cradle and back up everything to my computer?)
Don't worry, this is not an advertisement for Palm products! I'm sure there are other organizers that do all this and more. (You can now get phones that do it all, come to think of it.) The point is, since I don't work in the corporate environment, I just hadn't realized what timesavers these all-in-one products can be. Now, wherever I go I have an incredible amount of information at my fingertips. I don't sort through various folders and files in search of contact information. Heck, I don't even have to carry family snaps around in my wallet - they're all stored in the Palm!
The lesson? There are several. One: personal organizers are not just for so-called "business professionals". They can streamline anyone's life. Two: If you're losing time (and patience) because you're not organized, take the time to sit down and see what can be done. Look for a method that is easy to use and combines a number of functions. Three: browsing through electronic gadgetry is not only fun - it pays off!
=== Analysis Of The Completed Article ===
The Subject: Personal organization
The Story: How a pocket-sized organizer changed my life
The Problem: Too many diverse and unwieldy systems to store information
The Solution: A pocket-sized electronic organizer
Call to Action: Analyze your needs - choose an easy, effective method to get organized
A Catchy Title: "From Chaos to Contentment: The Pocket Organizer". The alliteration of "Chaos" and "Contentment" sounds good; the first part of the title summarizes the rewards, and the inclusion of "The Pocket Organizer" signals the subject matter.
Word Length: The finished article is 511 words: a good length for most ezines (yours or someone else's). You need to be strict with yourself here. If your article is too long, CUT IT!
Copyright 2004 Margaret McAlister
Data Backup for Beginners
Data Backup for Beginners
by: Niall Roche
It's 10pm. Do you know where your data is?
Data. Small bits of information clustered together to make Word files, documents,pictures, MP3s, HTML etc. We work on our computers every single day never sparing a thought for all those millions of chunks of data spread all over our hard disks. The data is there and it does it's job.
Until of course the data is not there anymore.
72 hours ago I suffered from massive data loss. There were no hackers involved. No power surges or lightning strikes. Just wear and tear on my hard disk. 20 Gigabytes of business and personal information gone forever. Passwords, HTML files, ebooks all gone. I didn't lose any sleep though. Why? Simply because this was my secondary hard disk that was only used as a backup drive. All my critically important data is safely stored elsewhere.
Picture this scenario. You sit at your computer, turn it on and nothing. Dead. You've just lost everything you've worked on for the last 12 months. All your Adwords campaigns, website templates, ebooks, Excel files. Everything. How do you feel? How do you go about recovering?
============================================
70% of companies who suffer serious data loss go out of business within 12 months.
============================================
The truth is that most people never recover from losing all their data.
What can you do to prevent this happening to you? Backup.Backup. Backup. Use a backup system.
How do I backup my data?
You could use a zip drive, a CDR/DVD writer, a USB drive or an secure online storage service. Using any of the above is far better than using nothing at all and hoping for the best.
============================================
Data loss cost US businesses in excess of 18 billion dollars in 2003.
============================================
How often should I backup my data?
You should backup all important data on your PC at least once a week. An easy way to do this is to use a rotating backup system. Get 4 blank disks . Label these disks Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4. At the start of the month make a fresh copy of all your critical data on the Week 1 disk and continue this process on Week 2, 3 and 4. Following this procedure ensures that no matter what happens your stored data will never be more than 1 week old and you'll also have 3 other copies of your data stored away that are less than a month old. Simple. Effective.
What software do I need?
Microsoft Windows has its own backup software included. Apple Mac users can take advantage of Apples Backup software and iDisk backup service.
How soon should I do this?
Now. Even using floppy disks start the process of backing up your data today. The sooner you start the safer your data is.
============================================
Human error and hardware failure account for 76% of all data loss.
============================================
The cost of recovering from a major hardware failure such as a hard disk crash can be massively reduced by keeping a backup of your data.
You're worked hard to build up your business. Don't throw all that hard work away by not taking the proper steps to safeguard your critical information.
For more information on keeping your data safe visit visit the Data Backup Guide on Affiliate-Advocate.com.
by: Niall Roche
It's 10pm. Do you know where your data is?
Data. Small bits of information clustered together to make Word files, documents,pictures, MP3s, HTML etc. We work on our computers every single day never sparing a thought for all those millions of chunks of data spread all over our hard disks. The data is there and it does it's job.
Until of course the data is not there anymore.
72 hours ago I suffered from massive data loss. There were no hackers involved. No power surges or lightning strikes. Just wear and tear on my hard disk. 20 Gigabytes of business and personal information gone forever. Passwords, HTML files, ebooks all gone. I didn't lose any sleep though. Why? Simply because this was my secondary hard disk that was only used as a backup drive. All my critically important data is safely stored elsewhere.
Picture this scenario. You sit at your computer, turn it on and nothing. Dead. You've just lost everything you've worked on for the last 12 months. All your Adwords campaigns, website templates, ebooks, Excel files. Everything. How do you feel? How do you go about recovering?
============================================
70% of companies who suffer serious data loss go out of business within 12 months.
============================================
The truth is that most people never recover from losing all their data.
What can you do to prevent this happening to you? Backup.Backup. Backup. Use a backup system.
How do I backup my data?
You could use a zip drive, a CDR/DVD writer, a USB drive or an secure online storage service. Using any of the above is far better than using nothing at all and hoping for the best.
============================================
Data loss cost US businesses in excess of 18 billion dollars in 2003.
============================================
How often should I backup my data?
You should backup all important data on your PC at least once a week. An easy way to do this is to use a rotating backup system. Get 4 blank disks . Label these disks Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4. At the start of the month make a fresh copy of all your critical data on the Week 1 disk and continue this process on Week 2, 3 and 4. Following this procedure ensures that no matter what happens your stored data will never be more than 1 week old and you'll also have 3 other copies of your data stored away that are less than a month old. Simple. Effective.
What software do I need?
Microsoft Windows has its own backup software included. Apple Mac users can take advantage of Apples Backup software and iDisk backup service.
How soon should I do this?
Now. Even using floppy disks start the process of backing up your data today. The sooner you start the safer your data is.
============================================
Human error and hardware failure account for 76% of all data loss.
============================================
The cost of recovering from a major hardware failure such as a hard disk crash can be massively reduced by keeping a backup of your data.
You're worked hard to build up your business. Don't throw all that hard work away by not taking the proper steps to safeguard your critical information.
For more information on keeping your data safe visit visit the Data Backup Guide on Affiliate-Advocate.com.
How to Avoid the Death of Your Business
How to Avoid the Death of Your Business
by: Paul Barrs
Hello and welcome to this, our final tutorial, in our series, "101 Ideas to Improve your Business."
Administration and Management!
What is it?
It is simply the most overlooked are of any micro or home based business?
Why?
Because most home business operators think that they can build their business successfully, without the infrastructure of a traditional business.
Without doubt, that is not the case.
If you are one of those who do not attend to the finer details of administration and management practices, you could very well see the closure of your business without any warning what so ever.
Maybe you're beginning to feel the strain now. Does it feel at times that things are getting a little out of control? Do you know exactly how many sales you need to make this week to not only pay your bills, but set some aside for the next rainy day also?
If you don't we can show you.
This tutorial will focus on each of the different areas of management that you need to implement in your business to assure it's future success. You'll learn how to track and measure, how to foresee potential threats and how to over come them before they arrive.
This tutorial will cap off all the previous and bring them all together.
This si a must see (or must hear)!
You'll need to be Online, plus have a copy of Real Audio installed on your system.
If you don't have Real Audio, you can download a free copy at http://www.real.com
Then simply click on the link following, and enjoy. If for some reason the link does not work from your e-mail client, please cut and paste it into your browser.
(Oh yeah, grab a pen a paper as well.)
Click Here: http://www.paulbarrs.com/tutorials/administration.ram
Hope you enjoy it and please, feel free, to send me some feedback at paul@paulbarrs.com
by: Paul Barrs
Hello and welcome to this, our final tutorial, in our series, "101 Ideas to Improve your Business."
Administration and Management!
What is it?
It is simply the most overlooked are of any micro or home based business?
Why?
Because most home business operators think that they can build their business successfully, without the infrastructure of a traditional business.
Without doubt, that is not the case.
If you are one of those who do not attend to the finer details of administration and management practices, you could very well see the closure of your business without any warning what so ever.
Maybe you're beginning to feel the strain now. Does it feel at times that things are getting a little out of control? Do you know exactly how many sales you need to make this week to not only pay your bills, but set some aside for the next rainy day also?
If you don't we can show you.
This tutorial will focus on each of the different areas of management that you need to implement in your business to assure it's future success. You'll learn how to track and measure, how to foresee potential threats and how to over come them before they arrive.
This tutorial will cap off all the previous and bring them all together.
This si a must see (or must hear)!
You'll need to be Online, plus have a copy of Real Audio installed on your system.
If you don't have Real Audio, you can download a free copy at http://www.real.com
Then simply click on the link following, and enjoy. If for some reason the link does not work from your e-mail client, please cut and paste it into your browser.
(Oh yeah, grab a pen a paper as well.)
Click Here: http://www.paulbarrs.com/tutorials/administration.ram
Hope you enjoy it and please, feel free, to send me some feedback at paul@paulbarrs.com
Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs
Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs
by: Marty Foley
Time is money in your online business, just as in the offline business world.
Problem is, the typical Internet entrepreneur is in a race against time: Often snowed under with many things to do, trying to achieve maximum results (income) within the precious, very limited time available.
Especially if you're holding down a full-time job while trying to launch or expand your Internet business in your spare hours, you've got precious little time to waste.
If care isn't exercised in the way we spend time online, our personal and family life can suffer, not to mention bad financial consequences.
To add to that pressure, family members may resent the amount of time spent on our venture, versus the limited income it may initially earn.
As the author of an audio program on time management, I'm going to share with you some proven time management tips, which have been adapted to running a business online. I can't promise you more than 24 hours in your day, but I'll share practical tips to help you work smarter and more profitably online - instead of longer or harder.
Two primary keys to making the most of the time we spend online are:
A) Being selective, and
B) Staying focused.
We must be SELECTIVE, because there are an infinite number of things we can spend our online time on, which will not yield productive results.
We must stay FOCUSED, because any of an infinite number of things can easily distract us from getting more important things done.
That brings us to the first step of effective online time management...
1) Set Goals
If you don't know what your final destination is, how can you ever take action toward getting there? Hence, the need to set goals.
The goals you set for your online business will vary, based on which stage you're at and which direction you want to go from there. It helps to write your goals down and periodically review them. Many feel that this better enables your subconscious mind to help you work toward your goals.
2) Keep and Use a Prioritized To-Do List
Keeping lists may seem simplistic, but the most productive top-achievers are typically methodical users of To-Do lists.
Be sure to rank each task on your To-Do lists by priority, such as high, medium or low. As you tackle the items on your list, always tackle the highest priority tasks first, and those of lower priority as time allows. Obviously, your highest priority tasks will correspond with the achievement of your highest priority goals.
I've found that a 3-ring binder kept near my computer is a good place for organizing To-Do lists, project notes, and other frequently used online information, within easy fingertip reach.
Once your goals are set, you'll know exactly where you're going (and what to stay focused on), and when you use a prioritized To-Do list, you'll have a step-by-step plan for reaching your destination.
3) Exercise Self-Discipline
The best time management system in the world is worthless if we don't exercise self-discipline.
It's so easy to log on to the Net, just planning to "check your email," and before you know it, get distracted by other things and end up spending much more time on things we hadn't planned, and wonder where the time went.
I know, I know: It's easier said than done, but exercising self-discipline will help us stay focused and avoid wasting time or getting distracted on less important activities. If you can stay focused on the most important tasks (which you've identified by setting goals and prioritizing your To-Do list), you'll see greater results from your time and effort.
4) Automate Where Possible
I have written much more on this topic than the limited space in this article allows, but let me mention a few tools that aren't new to online marketers, but whose time-saving value is often overlooked:
*Autoresponders
Autoresponders are very useful tools for automatically filling your prospects' requests for information on your products and services, non-stop, 24 hrs of every day of the year.
*Email Filters
The "filters" feature of good email programs such as Pegasus and Eudora Pro make the automation of many email activities a snap. If you're not using them, you don't know what you're missing.
~ Pegasus: http://www.pmail.com/
~ Eudora Pro: http://www.eudora.com
5) Periodically Analyze Your Business
In our quest for more value from the time we spend in our online businesses, it helps to stand back and periodically analyze which activities have been working - and which haven't.
From there, we can give more attention to expanding what's been working, and tweak, change, or eliminate what hasn't. We can thus progressively see more profitable results from the time spent online.
Conclusion
If you want to get maximum benefit from the limited time you have to accomplish things in your online business, or any other area of life, you must manage your time well.
When you do, you'll achieve more, and you'll look back on your work with the satisfaction of knowing that you got the most important things done, instead of looking back with regret.
As Benjamin Franklin said: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."
by: Marty Foley
Time is money in your online business, just as in the offline business world.
Problem is, the typical Internet entrepreneur is in a race against time: Often snowed under with many things to do, trying to achieve maximum results (income) within the precious, very limited time available.
Especially if you're holding down a full-time job while trying to launch or expand your Internet business in your spare hours, you've got precious little time to waste.
If care isn't exercised in the way we spend time online, our personal and family life can suffer, not to mention bad financial consequences.
To add to that pressure, family members may resent the amount of time spent on our venture, versus the limited income it may initially earn.
As the author of an audio program on time management, I'm going to share with you some proven time management tips, which have been adapted to running a business online. I can't promise you more than 24 hours in your day, but I'll share practical tips to help you work smarter and more profitably online - instead of longer or harder.
Two primary keys to making the most of the time we spend online are:
A) Being selective, and
B) Staying focused.
We must be SELECTIVE, because there are an infinite number of things we can spend our online time on, which will not yield productive results.
We must stay FOCUSED, because any of an infinite number of things can easily distract us from getting more important things done.
That brings us to the first step of effective online time management...
1) Set Goals
If you don't know what your final destination is, how can you ever take action toward getting there? Hence, the need to set goals.
The goals you set for your online business will vary, based on which stage you're at and which direction you want to go from there. It helps to write your goals down and periodically review them. Many feel that this better enables your subconscious mind to help you work toward your goals.
2) Keep and Use a Prioritized To-Do List
Keeping lists may seem simplistic, but the most productive top-achievers are typically methodical users of To-Do lists.
Be sure to rank each task on your To-Do lists by priority, such as high, medium or low. As you tackle the items on your list, always tackle the highest priority tasks first, and those of lower priority as time allows. Obviously, your highest priority tasks will correspond with the achievement of your highest priority goals.
I've found that a 3-ring binder kept near my computer is a good place for organizing To-Do lists, project notes, and other frequently used online information, within easy fingertip reach.
Once your goals are set, you'll know exactly where you're going (and what to stay focused on), and when you use a prioritized To-Do list, you'll have a step-by-step plan for reaching your destination.
3) Exercise Self-Discipline
The best time management system in the world is worthless if we don't exercise self-discipline.
It's so easy to log on to the Net, just planning to "check your email," and before you know it, get distracted by other things and end up spending much more time on things we hadn't planned, and wonder where the time went.
I know, I know: It's easier said than done, but exercising self-discipline will help us stay focused and avoid wasting time or getting distracted on less important activities. If you can stay focused on the most important tasks (which you've identified by setting goals and prioritizing your To-Do list), you'll see greater results from your time and effort.
4) Automate Where Possible
I have written much more on this topic than the limited space in this article allows, but let me mention a few tools that aren't new to online marketers, but whose time-saving value is often overlooked:
*Autoresponders
Autoresponders are very useful tools for automatically filling your prospects' requests for information on your products and services, non-stop, 24 hrs of every day of the year.
*Email Filters
The "filters" feature of good email programs such as Pegasus and Eudora Pro make the automation of many email activities a snap. If you're not using them, you don't know what you're missing.
~ Pegasus: http://www.pmail.com/
~ Eudora Pro: http://www.eudora.com
5) Periodically Analyze Your Business
In our quest for more value from the time we spend in our online businesses, it helps to stand back and periodically analyze which activities have been working - and which haven't.
From there, we can give more attention to expanding what's been working, and tweak, change, or eliminate what hasn't. We can thus progressively see more profitable results from the time spent online.
Conclusion
If you want to get maximum benefit from the limited time you have to accomplish things in your online business, or any other area of life, you must manage your time well.
When you do, you'll achieve more, and you'll look back on your work with the satisfaction of knowing that you got the most important things done, instead of looking back with regret.
As Benjamin Franklin said: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."
The Perfect Internet Product - A Cookbook?
The Perfect Internet Product - A Cookbook?
by: Willie Crawford
So you've decided to go into business for yourself on the internet. You've heard it's the perfect way to supplement your income with little or no investment. But what will you market to achieve fame and fortune?
Actually it all depends upon your goals and interests. You do need to offer something for which there is a proven demand. You need something that can be delivered cost effectively over the internet. You need something that you can easily locate the market for.
Why not write you own cookbook?
Why a cookbook?
Everybody eats.
People are constantly looking for new ways to prepare their favorite foods.
Many people are avid cookbook and recipe collectors.
You can create an ebook that has practically no delivery cost.
You can print hardcopies later from the profits of your ebook or you can use print-on-demand to have copies printed as needed.
Most people have or can compile a collection of their favorite recipes.
Writing a cookbook involves pulling together some recipes, some photos or illustrations, and organizing your collection. You need some specialized theme to write your cookbook around. You can create a cookbook around a single food, a style of cooking, or around a purpose such as a charity.
Once you've written your cookbook, then your challenge may be in marketing it. As a seasoned cookbook author here are the elements I consider essential:
A website to use in attracting visitors interested in your topic. Ideally, this website will contain content that gets you great search engine listings and traffic. A website can cost under $10 per month.
A mailing list to discuss your cookbook or the type of food covered by your cookbook (to create interest in your cookbook). You can run your mailing list at no cost spending only an hour or so a week.
A system on your website for taking orders. This can be as simple as a free Paypal account or more elaborate such as a shopping cart that can handle a variety of products. You can even have an affiliate program where you pay other webmasters for sending you referrals.
Putting together a cookbook is really little more than planning, getting organized, and then just doing it!
But can you really make big money selling your own cookbook? The answer to that very important question is that you can if you can generate enough interest or attract enough attention. That is where the majority of your work will come in. You will need to learn effective internet marketing techniques and implement them.
Since writing and publishing a cookbook does involve so little work, it can prove profitable even if you don't sell a million copies a year. Your overhead will be so low that if you only earn a few thousand dollars a month, you will be doing great. The cookbook will sell for a long time, while requiring no additional work.
One of the secrets of many successful online entrepreneurs that I know is that they don't try to make a fortune from just one product. Instead, they have several... perhaps a dozen products each generating a nice income. Combined, these products, generating multiple streams of income, allow these entrepreneurs to reach their online income goals.
Of all of the products that you could create and market online, a cookbook is one of the few requiring no specialized knowledge or training. So for many internet beginners, it makes sense to make their first product a cookbook. Start generating some quick income. Then focus on other related or unrelated products.
If you'd like to learn more of the step-by-step details on writing your cookbook, you need to learn from someone who's done it. A good place to begin is by visiting the site http://writeacookbook.com At this site three experienced cookbook authors explain everything involved. Their cookbooks range from German cooking, to soul food and Southern cooking, to recipes for your dog. That gives you an idea of the possibilities.
------------------------------
Copyright 2004 Willie Crawford
Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build an on-line business since late 1996. Frequently featured in radio, magazine and newspaper articles and interviews, Willie teaches the average guy what the top marketers are doing but seldom talking about. For example, Willie demonstrates the power of automated residual income through his system at: http://ProfitAutomation.Com Visit now for a business boost.
by: Willie Crawford
So you've decided to go into business for yourself on the internet. You've heard it's the perfect way to supplement your income with little or no investment. But what will you market to achieve fame and fortune?
Actually it all depends upon your goals and interests. You do need to offer something for which there is a proven demand. You need something that can be delivered cost effectively over the internet. You need something that you can easily locate the market for.
Why not write you own cookbook?
Why a cookbook?
Everybody eats.
People are constantly looking for new ways to prepare their favorite foods.
Many people are avid cookbook and recipe collectors.
You can create an ebook that has practically no delivery cost.
You can print hardcopies later from the profits of your ebook or you can use print-on-demand to have copies printed as needed.
Most people have or can compile a collection of their favorite recipes.
Writing a cookbook involves pulling together some recipes, some photos or illustrations, and organizing your collection. You need some specialized theme to write your cookbook around. You can create a cookbook around a single food, a style of cooking, or around a purpose such as a charity.
Once you've written your cookbook, then your challenge may be in marketing it. As a seasoned cookbook author here are the elements I consider essential:
A website to use in attracting visitors interested in your topic. Ideally, this website will contain content that gets you great search engine listings and traffic. A website can cost under $10 per month.
A mailing list to discuss your cookbook or the type of food covered by your cookbook (to create interest in your cookbook). You can run your mailing list at no cost spending only an hour or so a week.
A system on your website for taking orders. This can be as simple as a free Paypal account or more elaborate such as a shopping cart that can handle a variety of products. You can even have an affiliate program where you pay other webmasters for sending you referrals.
Putting together a cookbook is really little more than planning, getting organized, and then just doing it!
But can you really make big money selling your own cookbook? The answer to that very important question is that you can if you can generate enough interest or attract enough attention. That is where the majority of your work will come in. You will need to learn effective internet marketing techniques and implement them.
Since writing and publishing a cookbook does involve so little work, it can prove profitable even if you don't sell a million copies a year. Your overhead will be so low that if you only earn a few thousand dollars a month, you will be doing great. The cookbook will sell for a long time, while requiring no additional work.
One of the secrets of many successful online entrepreneurs that I know is that they don't try to make a fortune from just one product. Instead, they have several... perhaps a dozen products each generating a nice income. Combined, these products, generating multiple streams of income, allow these entrepreneurs to reach their online income goals.
Of all of the products that you could create and market online, a cookbook is one of the few requiring no specialized knowledge or training. So for many internet beginners, it makes sense to make their first product a cookbook. Start generating some quick income. Then focus on other related or unrelated products.
If you'd like to learn more of the step-by-step details on writing your cookbook, you need to learn from someone who's done it. A good place to begin is by visiting the site http://writeacookbook.com At this site three experienced cookbook authors explain everything involved. Their cookbooks range from German cooking, to soul food and Southern cooking, to recipes for your dog. That gives you an idea of the possibilities.
------------------------------
Copyright 2004 Willie Crawford
Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build an on-line business since late 1996. Frequently featured in radio, magazine and newspaper articles and interviews, Willie teaches the average guy what the top marketers are doing but seldom talking about. For example, Willie demonstrates the power of automated residual income through his system at: http://ProfitAutomation.Com Visit now for a business boost.
The Truth About Starting an Online Business
The Truth About Starting an Online Business
by: Donna Gunter
What happens when your Internet marketing empire doesn't take off that quickly or isn't that profitable? Yyou feel like a miserable failure. So, then you invest more time and money to get more information, with similar results. Who really gets rich here? The people selling the information on how to get rich. It begins to feel like a hamster wheel in which you run and run and run but never get anywhere.
I've had a virtual online business since 1999, and it's neither quick nor easy. What I've discovered is that some people can exploit a particular strategy for a short time until someone or something shuts them down, and then they're on to exploiting the next newest strategy until it no longer works, and then they move to yet another new strategy. It's tiring just to write about this process!
As I reflect on my 7 years in business, I really wish I'd known then what I know now. Since I get a number of questions and inquiries every week from "newbies", or business owners new to the Internet marketing world, about how to get started in an online business, here's my list of 10 things I wish I'd known about Internet marketing when I started my online business:
1. Niche your way to riches. Finding the exact market that needs what you have to offer is one of the primary keys to success in any business, but especially when you're trying to do business online. Taking a shotgun approach and foolishly believing that "everyone" needs your product or service is the quickest way to failure. You need to be able to identify and describe your niche market, from determining what problem the niche market is actively trying to solve and what they'll pay for (as well as how much they will pay) to what publications they read, what groups/associations do they belong to, and where they hang out both on- and off-line. The more narrowly focused your niche, the better. So, owners of Golden Retrievers is a better defined niche than dog lovers, and executive female golfers is better than women athletes.
2. Acknowledge your expertise. One of the great difficulties of online business owners is their inability to acknowledge their expertise in an area. It took me years to realize that while others did have a higher level of expertise than me, there was a very large group of people who knew less than me -- and it was to those people I could become an expert! And, better yet, they would pay me to learn it so they didn't have to do through the same trial-and-error method I did.
3. Create a content-packed web site. Content relevant and useful to your target market, embedded with keywords that your target market might use to find you, are the magic wands that enable you to be found on search engines. For years, my web site was simply an online brochure with details of my service offerings. It was not until I regularly started writing articles for my target market and posting those to my web site and blog did I see a noticeable increase in both the amount of traffic to my web site as well as in my number of newsletter subscribers. If you've been in business for awhile, you've got a good idea of the problems that your customers face. Your articles can serve as the solution to the common problems and questions of your target market.
4. Build relationships online. Even though an online business is virtual and you meet few of your clients and prospective clients face-to-face, it is still possible to build trusting relationships online. The most important thing to remember is that your personality needs to shine throughout all of your online ventures. So whether you share personal stories about your life or business (these will be very popular with your visitors), or write articles or web site text in the same way you speak, you need to give visitors an experience of what it means to do business with you. You can also use audio and video on your web site as well as photos of you in action in your business. Remember, most people need to get to know, like and respect you before they'll decide to buy what you have to offer.
5. Discover reputable sources of technical and Internet marketing "how-to" information. Online technology and Internet marketing strategies change from moment to moment, and it's tough to keep up with the latest and greatest innovation. You'll need to read lots of ezines and visit lots of web sites each week just to stay on top of things.
6. Create several "stay in touch" devices. An ezine (email newsletter), blog (web log), and autoresponders (series of automated follow up emails) are the quickest and easiest ways to stay in touch with your current clients and to bring prospective clients into the fold. I think the most effective ezines are published weekly -- it gives you one excuse every week to reach out to your contact database. Blogs tend to be attention hogs, so they are most effective as a marketing strategy when you post to them 3-4 times per week. Once you've written the content for a series of autoresponders, they can serve as a personal marketing arm for you, as they can be personalized and give prospective clients the impression that you're writing a personal email just to them. The more "stay in touch" strategies you use, the quicker your prospective client base will get to know you and expect to regularly hear from you.
7. Provide a clear call to action. Web site visitors generally want some direction in what action they should take next. Whether they visit your web site, attend your speaking engagement, read an article you've written, or listen to one of your podcasts, they want to know what to do next to stay in touch with you. The call to action I always recommend is to get people subscribe to one of your "stay in touch" devices, whether that's your ezine, an autoresponder series, or your blog. In most businesses, your contact database is the asset with the greatest value. It's no different in an online businesses, where the the name and email address of your visitor is gold. Make it simple for someone to decide to initiate a business relationship with you -- have your call to action in your brochure, on your business card, on every page of your web site or blog, and in the audio of your podcasts.
8. Immediately create information products. Creating information products, like ecourses, ebooks, CD or DVD series, workbooks, or audio downloads will help you immediately establish your expertise, create multiple revenue streams for your business, as well as give you a good understanding of the problems faced by your niche market. I've been quite slow to jump on the info product bandwagon, as I've just been unwilling to carve out the necessary time to create them. The creation process is time-consuming, but once something has been created, it can be a revenue stream for many years. In my early business years, I didn't think I had any useful info to share with anyone, and now I realize that all the stuff I attributed to "common sense" should have been packaged and sold as information products. So, what info do you think is common-sense in your industry? What format will be most attractive to your target market?
9. Develop a marketing funnel. Creating a marketing funnel of products and services priced from free to expensive, as well as a way to get visitors through that funnel via a marketing plan will give many more people access to your expertise at different price points. Many business owners make the mistake of offering just one thing -- their service -- and miss out on other ways to sell to and educate prospective customers. Brainstorm on other ways you might deliver your expertise to prospective clients -- an ecourse, ebooks, teaching workshops, holding teleclasses, sponsoring mentor groups, etc.
10. Don't expect overnight success. Despite what the television ads might state or what the information products might claim, success in the online world doesn't happen overnight. There will be a few who will spot a profitable trend before anyone else does, but eventually the income will fizzle and they'll have to find another profitable trend. Just like any other business, an online business takes a great deal of time and attention. Some of the tasks can be automated, but you still have to pay attention to what's happening so that you can effectively create your marketing and promotion strategy.
It is possible to make a decent living from online sources. However, to be successful, you'll need to do your research, be willing to invest your time, and persevere when the going gets tough.
Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
by: Donna Gunter
What happens when your Internet marketing empire doesn't take off that quickly or isn't that profitable? Yyou feel like a miserable failure. So, then you invest more time and money to get more information, with similar results. Who really gets rich here? The people selling the information on how to get rich. It begins to feel like a hamster wheel in which you run and run and run but never get anywhere.
I've had a virtual online business since 1999, and it's neither quick nor easy. What I've discovered is that some people can exploit a particular strategy for a short time until someone or something shuts them down, and then they're on to exploiting the next newest strategy until it no longer works, and then they move to yet another new strategy. It's tiring just to write about this process!
As I reflect on my 7 years in business, I really wish I'd known then what I know now. Since I get a number of questions and inquiries every week from "newbies", or business owners new to the Internet marketing world, about how to get started in an online business, here's my list of 10 things I wish I'd known about Internet marketing when I started my online business:
1. Niche your way to riches. Finding the exact market that needs what you have to offer is one of the primary keys to success in any business, but especially when you're trying to do business online. Taking a shotgun approach and foolishly believing that "everyone" needs your product or service is the quickest way to failure. You need to be able to identify and describe your niche market, from determining what problem the niche market is actively trying to solve and what they'll pay for (as well as how much they will pay) to what publications they read, what groups/associations do they belong to, and where they hang out both on- and off-line. The more narrowly focused your niche, the better. So, owners of Golden Retrievers is a better defined niche than dog lovers, and executive female golfers is better than women athletes.
2. Acknowledge your expertise. One of the great difficulties of online business owners is their inability to acknowledge their expertise in an area. It took me years to realize that while others did have a higher level of expertise than me, there was a very large group of people who knew less than me -- and it was to those people I could become an expert! And, better yet, they would pay me to learn it so they didn't have to do through the same trial-and-error method I did.
3. Create a content-packed web site. Content relevant and useful to your target market, embedded with keywords that your target market might use to find you, are the magic wands that enable you to be found on search engines. For years, my web site was simply an online brochure with details of my service offerings. It was not until I regularly started writing articles for my target market and posting those to my web site and blog did I see a noticeable increase in both the amount of traffic to my web site as well as in my number of newsletter subscribers. If you've been in business for awhile, you've got a good idea of the problems that your customers face. Your articles can serve as the solution to the common problems and questions of your target market.
4. Build relationships online. Even though an online business is virtual and you meet few of your clients and prospective clients face-to-face, it is still possible to build trusting relationships online. The most important thing to remember is that your personality needs to shine throughout all of your online ventures. So whether you share personal stories about your life or business (these will be very popular with your visitors), or write articles or web site text in the same way you speak, you need to give visitors an experience of what it means to do business with you. You can also use audio and video on your web site as well as photos of you in action in your business. Remember, most people need to get to know, like and respect you before they'll decide to buy what you have to offer.
5. Discover reputable sources of technical and Internet marketing "how-to" information. Online technology and Internet marketing strategies change from moment to moment, and it's tough to keep up with the latest and greatest innovation. You'll need to read lots of ezines and visit lots of web sites each week just to stay on top of things.
6. Create several "stay in touch" devices. An ezine (email newsletter), blog (web log), and autoresponders (series of automated follow up emails) are the quickest and easiest ways to stay in touch with your current clients and to bring prospective clients into the fold. I think the most effective ezines are published weekly -- it gives you one excuse every week to reach out to your contact database. Blogs tend to be attention hogs, so they are most effective as a marketing strategy when you post to them 3-4 times per week. Once you've written the content for a series of autoresponders, they can serve as a personal marketing arm for you, as they can be personalized and give prospective clients the impression that you're writing a personal email just to them. The more "stay in touch" strategies you use, the quicker your prospective client base will get to know you and expect to regularly hear from you.
7. Provide a clear call to action. Web site visitors generally want some direction in what action they should take next. Whether they visit your web site, attend your speaking engagement, read an article you've written, or listen to one of your podcasts, they want to know what to do next to stay in touch with you. The call to action I always recommend is to get people subscribe to one of your "stay in touch" devices, whether that's your ezine, an autoresponder series, or your blog. In most businesses, your contact database is the asset with the greatest value. It's no different in an online businesses, where the the name and email address of your visitor is gold. Make it simple for someone to decide to initiate a business relationship with you -- have your call to action in your brochure, on your business card, on every page of your web site or blog, and in the audio of your podcasts.
8. Immediately create information products. Creating information products, like ecourses, ebooks, CD or DVD series, workbooks, or audio downloads will help you immediately establish your expertise, create multiple revenue streams for your business, as well as give you a good understanding of the problems faced by your niche market. I've been quite slow to jump on the info product bandwagon, as I've just been unwilling to carve out the necessary time to create them. The creation process is time-consuming, but once something has been created, it can be a revenue stream for many years. In my early business years, I didn't think I had any useful info to share with anyone, and now I realize that all the stuff I attributed to "common sense" should have been packaged and sold as information products. So, what info do you think is common-sense in your industry? What format will be most attractive to your target market?
9. Develop a marketing funnel. Creating a marketing funnel of products and services priced from free to expensive, as well as a way to get visitors through that funnel via a marketing plan will give many more people access to your expertise at different price points. Many business owners make the mistake of offering just one thing -- their service -- and miss out on other ways to sell to and educate prospective customers. Brainstorm on other ways you might deliver your expertise to prospective clients -- an ecourse, ebooks, teaching workshops, holding teleclasses, sponsoring mentor groups, etc.
10. Don't expect overnight success. Despite what the television ads might state or what the information products might claim, success in the online world doesn't happen overnight. There will be a few who will spot a profitable trend before anyone else does, but eventually the income will fizzle and they'll have to find another profitable trend. Just like any other business, an online business takes a great deal of time and attention. Some of the tasks can be automated, but you still have to pay attention to what's happening so that you can effectively create your marketing and promotion strategy.
It is possible to make a decent living from online sources. However, to be successful, you'll need to do your research, be willing to invest your time, and persevere when the going gets tough.
Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
Philippines Catching up with India in the Outsourcing Industry
Philippines Catching up with India in the Outsourcing Industry
by: Winston Pepito
India, the dominant player in outsourcing touted as the “back office of the world,” would soon have to contend with a third-world rival—the Philippines.
A highly skilled English-speaking labor force. A reliable telecommunications infrastructure. Low cost of qualified personnel. These are some significant reasons for choosing India or the Philippines for outsourcing support.
IT OUTSOURCING IN INDIA
India, a former colony of the British Empire for almost two centuries, has the second-largest IT talent pool in the world, a result of its Britain-influenced education system that places great emphasis on science and mathematics. With 120,000 trained IT professionals added to the Indian workforce yearly, India is gearing to be an IT giant in the third world and is ranked as the first choice of U.S. companies for software outsourcing. According to Nasscomm, a conglomerate of India-based software and services companies, Indian companies are software solution provider to more than half the Fortune 500 companies.
The launch of India’s first private undersea cable has tremendously improved the international bandwidth situation. In addition, considerable bandwidth is available with the state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, partially owned by India’s largest business conglomerate. The privatization of telecom industry has also resulted in a significant drop in telecom rates. Observers predict that the entry of newer industry players will see a further drop in telecom prices. In the last ten years, telecom costs in India have dropped by 85 percent.
Over the years, India has built a strong brand equity as an attractive destination for software development and support. India is host to established IT companies such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Sun, HP, and Alcatel.
OFFSHORE DESTINATION: PHILIPPINES
But the Philippines—one of the world’s second-largest English-speaking populations—is fast catching up to India.
With a literacy rate of 94%, the Philippines has a large pool of information technology professionals and a cost-competitive telecoms infrastructure. The country ranks third in Knowledge and Information-based jobs in the 2002 Global Technology Index research done by the META Group. Three million college graduates join the workforce each year, providing a tremendous source of talent.
An American colony for close to 50 years, the Philippines has a Western-influenced culture, a unique trait that clearly distinguishes the country from other offshore destinations. Although Asian in orientation, Filipinos watch American TV and are thus able to communicate effectively in American English.
PHILIPPINES: CALL CENTER HUB
In recent years, the Philippines has become the offshore destination of choice for call center outsourcing, specializing in customer support services. Because of the Filipinos’ high level of English proficiency and strong customer orientation, many leading multinationals have used the Philippines as a global center for customer service. American OnLine, the largest U.S. Internet service provider, maintains a staff of 600 at its call center in Clark, Pampanga. Caltex, Procter & Gamble, Barnes and Noble, among others, have built large-scale service centers in the Philippines.
One very promising industry that has sought outsourcing support in the Philippines is the medical transcription business. The Philippines boasts a large talent pool of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical technologists. The demand for medical transcription has risen as U.S. hospitals are now required by federal regulations to convert medical records into data format. Seventeen medical transcription companies are now in operation, employing 1,200 Filipinos.
GIVING INDIA A RUN FOR ITS MONEY
While the Philippines may not be as a huge an offshore provider of web and software services as India, it holds great promise in the customer service industry. Although India does charge lower than the Philippines—for data encoding work, India charges around $4 (U.S.) versus $10 in the Philippines—more multinationals are choosing the Philippines because of the high quality of work. Moreover, Filipinos make good customer service agents not only because they are fluent in American English but also because of their helpful and friendly nature.
More companies are choosing the Philippines for offshore support. Among the services offered in Philippine-based outsourcing companies are copyediting and indexing; web design and maintenance; data conversion, data warehousing, data capture and data entry; OCR and scanning services; proofreading; encoding and keyboarding; imaging services and graphics design; call center and customer service; abstracting and document conversion; typesetting; and tagging, among others.
by: Winston Pepito
India, the dominant player in outsourcing touted as the “back office of the world,” would soon have to contend with a third-world rival—the Philippines.
A highly skilled English-speaking labor force. A reliable telecommunications infrastructure. Low cost of qualified personnel. These are some significant reasons for choosing India or the Philippines for outsourcing support.
IT OUTSOURCING IN INDIA
India, a former colony of the British Empire for almost two centuries, has the second-largest IT talent pool in the world, a result of its Britain-influenced education system that places great emphasis on science and mathematics. With 120,000 trained IT professionals added to the Indian workforce yearly, India is gearing to be an IT giant in the third world and is ranked as the first choice of U.S. companies for software outsourcing. According to Nasscomm, a conglomerate of India-based software and services companies, Indian companies are software solution provider to more than half the Fortune 500 companies.
The launch of India’s first private undersea cable has tremendously improved the international bandwidth situation. In addition, considerable bandwidth is available with the state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, partially owned by India’s largest business conglomerate. The privatization of telecom industry has also resulted in a significant drop in telecom rates. Observers predict that the entry of newer industry players will see a further drop in telecom prices. In the last ten years, telecom costs in India have dropped by 85 percent.
Over the years, India has built a strong brand equity as an attractive destination for software development and support. India is host to established IT companies such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Sun, HP, and Alcatel.
OFFSHORE DESTINATION: PHILIPPINES
But the Philippines—one of the world’s second-largest English-speaking populations—is fast catching up to India.
With a literacy rate of 94%, the Philippines has a large pool of information technology professionals and a cost-competitive telecoms infrastructure. The country ranks third in Knowledge and Information-based jobs in the 2002 Global Technology Index research done by the META Group. Three million college graduates join the workforce each year, providing a tremendous source of talent.
An American colony for close to 50 years, the Philippines has a Western-influenced culture, a unique trait that clearly distinguishes the country from other offshore destinations. Although Asian in orientation, Filipinos watch American TV and are thus able to communicate effectively in American English.
PHILIPPINES: CALL CENTER HUB
In recent years, the Philippines has become the offshore destination of choice for call center outsourcing, specializing in customer support services. Because of the Filipinos’ high level of English proficiency and strong customer orientation, many leading multinationals have used the Philippines as a global center for customer service. American OnLine, the largest U.S. Internet service provider, maintains a staff of 600 at its call center in Clark, Pampanga. Caltex, Procter & Gamble, Barnes and Noble, among others, have built large-scale service centers in the Philippines.
One very promising industry that has sought outsourcing support in the Philippines is the medical transcription business. The Philippines boasts a large talent pool of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical technologists. The demand for medical transcription has risen as U.S. hospitals are now required by federal regulations to convert medical records into data format. Seventeen medical transcription companies are now in operation, employing 1,200 Filipinos.
GIVING INDIA A RUN FOR ITS MONEY
While the Philippines may not be as a huge an offshore provider of web and software services as India, it holds great promise in the customer service industry. Although India does charge lower than the Philippines—for data encoding work, India charges around $4 (U.S.) versus $10 in the Philippines—more multinationals are choosing the Philippines because of the high quality of work. Moreover, Filipinos make good customer service agents not only because they are fluent in American English but also because of their helpful and friendly nature.
More companies are choosing the Philippines for offshore support. Among the services offered in Philippine-based outsourcing companies are copyediting and indexing; web design and maintenance; data conversion, data warehousing, data capture and data entry; OCR and scanning services; proofreading; encoding and keyboarding; imaging services and graphics design; call center and customer service; abstracting and document conversion; typesetting; and tagging, among others.
Affiliate Marketing is TOO Expensive
Affiliate Marketing is TOO Expensive
by: Rosalind Gardner
I received an email this week from a gentleman who asserted that affiliate marketing as a business simply wasn't for him.
Why?
Because it is too expensive!
Huh? Too expensive? WHAT's too expensive?
Let's assume that because he sent an email, he already has the basic equipment and software that he needs to start an affiliate marketing business - that being a computer, email software and an Internet connection. I'll also assume that he has a desk on which to store that stuff, a chair on which to perch and a telephone line. Nothing extra to buy or lease there.
Perhaps it was the huge initial outlay of $8.95 at godaddy.com to register a domain name? He must have overlooked the discount. You can save two bucks a year when you register for ten years in advance. That's got to be it.
Then again, there are those ongoing monthly $9.95 web hosting and $17.95 autoresponder charges. That's $27.90 a month. Yup, that's pretty steep.
What about all those products to buy and stock?
Oh ya, you don't have to buy SONY's TV's or Dell's computers to sell them as an affiliate. Not having to buy them will also save a big chunk of change in storage fees at the warehouse as well. Hmmm.... that ALSO means that as an affiliate, you don't have to ship those heavy items.
Actually, those affiliated merchants are pretty good guys all around. Not only don't you have to buy, store or ship the product, you also don't need to deal with those pesky customers. Just send them from your site to the merchant's site, and the company will handle all the sales details. They'll take the customers' money, figure out your share and send you a check.
Pretty sweet deal.
Maybe it was the cost to build a web site that bothered him. Yes, graphics programs and HTML editor software can get pretty expensive, but there are plenty of low and no-cost options available. If building the site yourself proves too time-consuming, there are also excellent graphic designers who sell beautifully designed web site templates for less than twenty bucks.
Oh, I know! It must have been the cost to advertise. Hmmm... the last time I checked one of those national magazines, it cost about $1200 to get a 1/12th of a page ad in black and white. Your ad could be seen by up to three quarters of a million people. But how many of those readers would actually be interested in your message?
By contast, that $1200 could buy up to 120,000 clicks from a targeted audience on the Internet.
What method do you think would be more worthwhile in terms of return?
Furthermore, when you use Internet pay per click advertising, you don't have to spend the whole $1200 in one shot. You could try a $50 test ad. Analyze your ROI, return on investment. If it's not satisfactory, rework your ad and try another test. In the worst case scenario, you'll gain a few subscribers to your newsletter to whom you can promote other products later.
I personally work and rework my ads and aim for a 100% return on my advertising investment. Where else are you going to get that kind of return on your money nowadays? The stock market? Your bank account? The race track? The latter probably has the best odds of the three.
OK, so let's do a tally to see how much, or how little, it could cost to start an affiliate marketing business on the Internet. The expenses are as follows: domain $8.95, hosting $9.95, web site template $14.95 and $100.00 for a test ad. Total outlay for the first month equals $133.85. Assuming a 100% return on your advertising investment, you'll have earned $200.00.
In the first month you'd already be in the black - $66.15 richer.
Affiliate marketing on the Internet is one of the least costly businesses to start, and one of the very few that contains the possibility of profit in the first month.
If a C-note is too big an investment in a business that has brought financial freedom to thousands, then perhaps it's best to stick with 'the day job'. Of course, I didn't even touch on all the money and time you'll save by working at home. Next time.
by: Rosalind Gardner
I received an email this week from a gentleman who asserted that affiliate marketing as a business simply wasn't for him.
Why?
Because it is too expensive!
Huh? Too expensive? WHAT's too expensive?
Let's assume that because he sent an email, he already has the basic equipment and software that he needs to start an affiliate marketing business - that being a computer, email software and an Internet connection. I'll also assume that he has a desk on which to store that stuff, a chair on which to perch and a telephone line. Nothing extra to buy or lease there.
Perhaps it was the huge initial outlay of $8.95 at godaddy.com to register a domain name? He must have overlooked the discount. You can save two bucks a year when you register for ten years in advance. That's got to be it.
Then again, there are those ongoing monthly $9.95 web hosting and $17.95 autoresponder charges. That's $27.90 a month. Yup, that's pretty steep.
What about all those products to buy and stock?
Oh ya, you don't have to buy SONY's TV's or Dell's computers to sell them as an affiliate. Not having to buy them will also save a big chunk of change in storage fees at the warehouse as well. Hmmm.... that ALSO means that as an affiliate, you don't have to ship those heavy items.
Actually, those affiliated merchants are pretty good guys all around. Not only don't you have to buy, store or ship the product, you also don't need to deal with those pesky customers. Just send them from your site to the merchant's site, and the company will handle all the sales details. They'll take the customers' money, figure out your share and send you a check.
Pretty sweet deal.
Maybe it was the cost to build a web site that bothered him. Yes, graphics programs and HTML editor software can get pretty expensive, but there are plenty of low and no-cost options available. If building the site yourself proves too time-consuming, there are also excellent graphic designers who sell beautifully designed web site templates for less than twenty bucks.
Oh, I know! It must have been the cost to advertise. Hmmm... the last time I checked one of those national magazines, it cost about $1200 to get a 1/12th of a page ad in black and white. Your ad could be seen by up to three quarters of a million people. But how many of those readers would actually be interested in your message?
By contast, that $1200 could buy up to 120,000 clicks from a targeted audience on the Internet.
What method do you think would be more worthwhile in terms of return?
Furthermore, when you use Internet pay per click advertising, you don't have to spend the whole $1200 in one shot. You could try a $50 test ad. Analyze your ROI, return on investment. If it's not satisfactory, rework your ad and try another test. In the worst case scenario, you'll gain a few subscribers to your newsletter to whom you can promote other products later.
I personally work and rework my ads and aim for a 100% return on my advertising investment. Where else are you going to get that kind of return on your money nowadays? The stock market? Your bank account? The race track? The latter probably has the best odds of the three.
OK, so let's do a tally to see how much, or how little, it could cost to start an affiliate marketing business on the Internet. The expenses are as follows: domain $8.95, hosting $9.95, web site template $14.95 and $100.00 for a test ad. Total outlay for the first month equals $133.85. Assuming a 100% return on your advertising investment, you'll have earned $200.00.
In the first month you'd already be in the black - $66.15 richer.
Affiliate marketing on the Internet is one of the least costly businesses to start, and one of the very few that contains the possibility of profit in the first month.
If a C-note is too big an investment in a business that has brought financial freedom to thousands, then perhaps it's best to stick with 'the day job'. Of course, I didn't even touch on all the money and time you'll save by working at home. Next time.
Problems With Availability Time?
Problems With Availability Time?
by: Dijana Dimitrovska
Many companies do want to interact with online customers and use their feedback, but they lack the personnel or time to do that. It is really important to have the will, anything else can be settled out. If you are one of those, read further and you might get some ideas.
Some companies place the "chat button" on their website, but rarely are available for support. Some of the others adore the concept, but are unable to organize the website support issues because the lack of time or personnel. In any case, you must carry out whatever you start doing and keep your promises to your website visitors. Inconsistency and false information can make your interactions with customers worse.
Although the solution lies in analyzing and using the most of your resources in the situation, here are some starting ideas to help you decide:
• You can place an expert in the field to answer the questions of your website visitors in appointed hours. For example: If you are a website for diet products, you can put expert in nutrition available 2-3 hours per day at stated hours on the website. That would lead to increasing the amount of your website visitors, as well as your credibility and reputation.
• You can state smaller interval of "availability hours" each day, by writing: "Operators are available from 12:00 until 15:00 each day. We are glad to answer any of your personal questions, requirements and doubts".
• If you sell standardized products, you can state availability hours for receiving customized orders from your customers. You can place your sales and technical staff online in appointed hours and inform your current and potential customers about the service.
• Put your current employees to serve online customers while their working time interchangeably. They already know everything about your products and the company and probably don't need additional training. For example: If you have a store, you can setup your shop assistants as receptionists on your website. They can split the support time into smaller intervals and provide support rotating.
• If you already have a phone-support personnel, you can also use them to serve online visitors. They all have the knowledge and availability of new streams of information and can adapt and start almost immediately.
Depending on the situation, these solutions can become very creative. We will be glad to receive some of yours.
by: Dijana Dimitrovska
Many companies do want to interact with online customers and use their feedback, but they lack the personnel or time to do that. It is really important to have the will, anything else can be settled out. If you are one of those, read further and you might get some ideas.
Some companies place the "chat button" on their website, but rarely are available for support. Some of the others adore the concept, but are unable to organize the website support issues because the lack of time or personnel. In any case, you must carry out whatever you start doing and keep your promises to your website visitors. Inconsistency and false information can make your interactions with customers worse.
Although the solution lies in analyzing and using the most of your resources in the situation, here are some starting ideas to help you decide:
• You can place an expert in the field to answer the questions of your website visitors in appointed hours. For example: If you are a website for diet products, you can put expert in nutrition available 2-3 hours per day at stated hours on the website. That would lead to increasing the amount of your website visitors, as well as your credibility and reputation.
• You can state smaller interval of "availability hours" each day, by writing: "Operators are available from 12:00 until 15:00 each day. We are glad to answer any of your personal questions, requirements and doubts".
• If you sell standardized products, you can state availability hours for receiving customized orders from your customers. You can place your sales and technical staff online in appointed hours and inform your current and potential customers about the service.
• Put your current employees to serve online customers while their working time interchangeably. They already know everything about your products and the company and probably don't need additional training. For example: If you have a store, you can setup your shop assistants as receptionists on your website. They can split the support time into smaller intervals and provide support rotating.
• If you already have a phone-support personnel, you can also use them to serve online visitors. They all have the knowledge and availability of new streams of information and can adapt and start almost immediately.
Depending on the situation, these solutions can become very creative. We will be glad to receive some of yours.
Make Money Online: Work from the Comfort of Your Own Home
Make Money Online: Work from the Comfort of Your Own Home
by: Harley Darby
With so many ways to make money online, what is the best way to work from the comfort of your own home without breaking a sweat?
To make money online requires skill and patience. This article will reveal the essentials required to work from home as a full time "Megapreneur."
Quick riches lead to quick losses -- therefore the term "Megapreneur" relates the mindset required to analyse short, medium and long term goals required to accumulate wealth and build lasting profitable relationships on and off the web.
The key points to make money online start with capturing leads generated by promotional activites and following up with those leads. If this is not done traffic to your site is unlikely return. Some people may make the impulse buy, but most require adequate information to complete thier purchase. Repeat visits and repeat customer follow ups are essential for longevity of any work from home e-business venture.
To find customers, customers need to be able to find you. This can be achieved by being ever present at customer meeting spots and drawing thier attention. Pay per click, Search engine optimization, Free offers, Article writing and Press releases such as this one provide the opportunity to present goods and services to cater to a prospective customers needs and wants.
Copyrighting skills help to convey critical points and features to the prospect . The copy should also aim to overcome objections and to persuade readers at the same time. This same copy should also invoke feelings in the reader. The two most common are curiousity and urgency.
Risk reversal is also another powerful tool which can gain sceptical readers trust. Using the above tactics have been proven to turbo charge conversion rates. At the time of conversion an opportunity also arises for cross selling and upselling which further increases profits.
Next step is to start an affiliate program to reward people who can give you even more sales than would have otherwise been achieved. Offer a generous commission so your affiliates remember you as the best person to compensate them for thier efforts.
Joint venture partnerships can be forged if you are able to create a synergy which is mutually beneficial to both parties. What can you offer somebody that they are unable to achive without you? What can you gain by having them onboard your campaign? Answer these questions and your chances of making a JV deal will increase greatly.
This is just a sample of the actions required to be a successful "Megapreneur". And with the rise of information products comes the opportunity for common marketing techniques to be applied to an unlimited number of niches, so that people from all walks of life can make money online, if they have the staying power to succeed.
Copyright 2005 Harley Darby
by: Harley Darby
With so many ways to make money online, what is the best way to work from the comfort of your own home without breaking a sweat?
To make money online requires skill and patience. This article will reveal the essentials required to work from home as a full time "Megapreneur."
Quick riches lead to quick losses -- therefore the term "Megapreneur" relates the mindset required to analyse short, medium and long term goals required to accumulate wealth and build lasting profitable relationships on and off the web.
The key points to make money online start with capturing leads generated by promotional activites and following up with those leads. If this is not done traffic to your site is unlikely return. Some people may make the impulse buy, but most require adequate information to complete thier purchase. Repeat visits and repeat customer follow ups are essential for longevity of any work from home e-business venture.
To find customers, customers need to be able to find you. This can be achieved by being ever present at customer meeting spots and drawing thier attention. Pay per click, Search engine optimization, Free offers, Article writing and Press releases such as this one provide the opportunity to present goods and services to cater to a prospective customers needs and wants.
Copyrighting skills help to convey critical points and features to the prospect . The copy should also aim to overcome objections and to persuade readers at the same time. This same copy should also invoke feelings in the reader. The two most common are curiousity and urgency.
Risk reversal is also another powerful tool which can gain sceptical readers trust. Using the above tactics have been proven to turbo charge conversion rates. At the time of conversion an opportunity also arises for cross selling and upselling which further increases profits.
Next step is to start an affiliate program to reward people who can give you even more sales than would have otherwise been achieved. Offer a generous commission so your affiliates remember you as the best person to compensate them for thier efforts.
Joint venture partnerships can be forged if you are able to create a synergy which is mutually beneficial to both parties. What can you offer somebody that they are unable to achive without you? What can you gain by having them onboard your campaign? Answer these questions and your chances of making a JV deal will increase greatly.
This is just a sample of the actions required to be a successful "Megapreneur". And with the rise of information products comes the opportunity for common marketing techniques to be applied to an unlimited number of niches, so that people from all walks of life can make money online, if they have the staying power to succeed.
Copyright 2005 Harley Darby
Increase Your eBay Profits the Easy Way
Increase Your eBay Profits the Easy Way
by: Doug Feiring
Sometimes the simplest things can boost the number of visitors and bids to your auction listings and increase your eBay profits.
Robert G. Allen, author of Multiple Streams of Internet Income, writes, "If you are going to play online, then act like your life depended on it. Embed your web address and e-mail address in your off-line brochures, on your business cards, in every marketing message, and in every advertisement you place."
This advice rings true for online auction sellers as well. You need to make it easy for web-surfers to find your current auction listings. The more visitors your auctions have, the higher your eBay profits.
Create a signature file and add a link to your auctions with every e-mail that you send. Most e-mail programs will allow the reader to click on any phase that begins with http://. Your signature should include a short marketing message that directs the reader to your current auction listings. Here's an example:
STAR WARS COMIC BLOWOUT! - All auctions open at 99 cents with NO RESERVE
Click --> http://auctions.yahoo.com/user/fearlessdf
To create a signature file in Microsoft Outlook Express 6 simply:
>On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Signatures tab.
>To create a signature, click New and then either enter text in the Edit Signature box or click File, and then find the text or HTML file you'd like to use.
>Select the Add signatures to all outgoing messages check box.
AuctionLink -- http://www.AuctionLink.to -- is a handy and free tool for creating an effective signature file. This service provides a short, memorable web address that forwards visitors to a seller's current eBay listings.
Additionally, you should consider promoting your auctions by including a link with every post you make on bulletin board discussions (such as Yahoo! eGroups), news groups, and in the various free classified ad listing services around the internet. According to Allen, these venues can often create the opportunity "to reach huge numbers of people, multiple times, over a long period of time."
Make sure you include the web address to your auction listings on the thank-you note you include in the package sent to your winning bidders. A repeat customer is much easier to develop than a new customer.
It's a waste of time and money to post an elaborate auction listing if you are the only one who knows that it is there. Don't overlook or underestimate these powerful grassroots marketing campaigns when you are looking to drum up bids on your online auctions and increase your eBay profits.
by: Doug Feiring
Sometimes the simplest things can boost the number of visitors and bids to your auction listings and increase your eBay profits.
Robert G. Allen, author of Multiple Streams of Internet Income, writes, "If you are going to play online, then act like your life depended on it. Embed your web address and e-mail address in your off-line brochures, on your business cards, in every marketing message, and in every advertisement you place."
This advice rings true for online auction sellers as well. You need to make it easy for web-surfers to find your current auction listings. The more visitors your auctions have, the higher your eBay profits.
Create a signature file and add a link to your auctions with every e-mail that you send. Most e-mail programs will allow the reader to click on any phase that begins with http://. Your signature should include a short marketing message that directs the reader to your current auction listings. Here's an example:
STAR WARS COMIC BLOWOUT! - All auctions open at 99 cents with NO RESERVE
Click --> http://auctions.yahoo.com/user/fearlessdf
To create a signature file in Microsoft Outlook Express 6 simply:
>On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Signatures tab.
>To create a signature, click New and then either enter text in the Edit Signature box or click File, and then find the text or HTML file you'd like to use.
>Select the Add signatures to all outgoing messages check box.
AuctionLink -- http://www.AuctionLink.to -- is a handy and free tool for creating an effective signature file. This service provides a short, memorable web address that forwards visitors to a seller's current eBay listings.
Additionally, you should consider promoting your auctions by including a link with every post you make on bulletin board discussions (such as Yahoo! eGroups), news groups, and in the various free classified ad listing services around the internet. According to Allen, these venues can often create the opportunity "to reach huge numbers of people, multiple times, over a long period of time."
Make sure you include the web address to your auction listings on the thank-you note you include in the package sent to your winning bidders. A repeat customer is much easier to develop than a new customer.
It's a waste of time and money to post an elaborate auction listing if you are the only one who knows that it is there. Don't overlook or underestimate these powerful grassroots marketing campaigns when you are looking to drum up bids on your online auctions and increase your eBay profits.
Internet Marketing Success With Joint Ventures
Internet Marketing Success With Joint Ventures
by: Hans Hasselfors
There are many ways to make money on the internet. All methods however, come with a price-tag. For starters, you will probably need to purchase basic business software and relevant learning materials. Planning and developing your ideas will definitely require dedication and perseverance all along the way.
One of the best methods for getting started is to partner with other internet marketers so that you can reach larger target audiences.
These joint ventures or "JV's" can take-on many different forms. Some are as simple as promoting each other's newsletters, while others may be more complex partnerships with cross-promoting of complimentary products. Some JV's even involve starting entirely new projects from scratch.
Joint Ventures are a powerful tool for expanding business in many areas. So, what is stopping 'you' from using this technique to expand your business?
For many new internet marketers, starting a JV can be a frightening task, especially when it comes to contacting other internet marketers.
Too often, many internet marketers appear to be "spamming," when they are really just seeking other JV partners. Here are some tips that may help you along the way:
1. Get to know your potential JV partners.
If you start emailing everyone on your list of potential partners, chances are you will be considered a common spammer. You won't get the partners you want, or even worse, may destroy your reputation in the process.
Instead, subscribe to your potential partner's newsletter and check out their websites and blog. Get to know them a little bit before approaching them with a proposal.
2. Go slowly when approaching potential partners.
Let's face it, everyone likes a little flattery. When contacting your potential JV partner, treat them like your "first date." Be courteous and complimentary. Tell them the things you like about their business. Join their newsletter and tell them you think it is awesome, and why. You will be surprised at how much attention you receive by using a little well placed flattery as you proceed to develop your relationships with potential JV partners.
3. Your financial estimates should always be realistic.
Don't promise what you can't deliver. Be honest with your potential partners. Explain your proposal and benefits in realistic terms, but don't hype. Be honest, open and sincere.
Getting a Joint Venture off the ground doesn't have to be scary if you start by following the three simple steps given above.
Get going and get growing today!
by: Hans Hasselfors
There are many ways to make money on the internet. All methods however, come with a price-tag. For starters, you will probably need to purchase basic business software and relevant learning materials. Planning and developing your ideas will definitely require dedication and perseverance all along the way.
One of the best methods for getting started is to partner with other internet marketers so that you can reach larger target audiences.
These joint ventures or "JV's" can take-on many different forms. Some are as simple as promoting each other's newsletters, while others may be more complex partnerships with cross-promoting of complimentary products. Some JV's even involve starting entirely new projects from scratch.
Joint Ventures are a powerful tool for expanding business in many areas. So, what is stopping 'you' from using this technique to expand your business?
For many new internet marketers, starting a JV can be a frightening task, especially when it comes to contacting other internet marketers.
Too often, many internet marketers appear to be "spamming," when they are really just seeking other JV partners. Here are some tips that may help you along the way:
1. Get to know your potential JV partners.
If you start emailing everyone on your list of potential partners, chances are you will be considered a common spammer. You won't get the partners you want, or even worse, may destroy your reputation in the process.
Instead, subscribe to your potential partner's newsletter and check out their websites and blog. Get to know them a little bit before approaching them with a proposal.
2. Go slowly when approaching potential partners.
Let's face it, everyone likes a little flattery. When contacting your potential JV partner, treat them like your "first date." Be courteous and complimentary. Tell them the things you like about their business. Join their newsletter and tell them you think it is awesome, and why. You will be surprised at how much attention you receive by using a little well placed flattery as you proceed to develop your relationships with potential JV partners.
3. Your financial estimates should always be realistic.
Don't promise what you can't deliver. Be honest with your potential partners. Explain your proposal and benefits in realistic terms, but don't hype. Be honest, open and sincere.
Getting a Joint Venture off the ground doesn't have to be scary if you start by following the three simple steps given above.
Get going and get growing today!
Direct Marketing Strategies for Holiday Email Promotions
Direct Marketing Strategies for Holiday Email Promotions
by: Richard Cunningham
Tis the season to leverage customer interest data for successful email marketing.
All of the information gathered throughout the year from customer purchases, customer feedback surveys, and other behavior offers direct marketers necessary direction for conceptualizing a successful email campaign.
Further, these customer data strengthen email promotions, ensuring the best possible message targets each individual customer. In the audio book, “Sound Advice on Email Marketing,” author Peter McCormick sites the example of a sporting goods retailer that uses customer knowledge to devise a series of successful promotions. Offers for discounts on golf clubs, golf vacations, and pro golfer apparel specials speak to a particular set of customers’ affinity for golf.
As with any direct mail campaign, one key to optimizing customer response is compelling each customer to open the email. Here, McCormick says attention to the email subject line is crucial, and suggests one winning strategy is to incorporate the call-to-action – what you want your customer to do – into the subject line. McCormick says, “Don’t let your message get lost on the customer. The key to making the message obvious to the customer begins with a dynamic call to action in the email subject line that is carried throughout the body of the email.”
For the golf fanatic, combining knowledge of recent purchases with a call to action might result in a subject line, ‘John, pack your new clubs for these golf vacation discounts’. Within the email promotion, the body content would reinforce taking specific action on these discounts – from clicking to learn more about the featured golf resorts to reserving accommodations and tee times.
According to McCormick, “Leveraging this [customer] data with the correct promotion is the key to a successful email campaign.”
Peter McCormick offers advice on email marketing strategies each week in the free audio newsletter from What’s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92
by: Richard Cunningham
Tis the season to leverage customer interest data for successful email marketing.
All of the information gathered throughout the year from customer purchases, customer feedback surveys, and other behavior offers direct marketers necessary direction for conceptualizing a successful email campaign.
Further, these customer data strengthen email promotions, ensuring the best possible message targets each individual customer. In the audio book, “Sound Advice on Email Marketing,” author Peter McCormick sites the example of a sporting goods retailer that uses customer knowledge to devise a series of successful promotions. Offers for discounts on golf clubs, golf vacations, and pro golfer apparel specials speak to a particular set of customers’ affinity for golf.
As with any direct mail campaign, one key to optimizing customer response is compelling each customer to open the email. Here, McCormick says attention to the email subject line is crucial, and suggests one winning strategy is to incorporate the call-to-action – what you want your customer to do – into the subject line. McCormick says, “Don’t let your message get lost on the customer. The key to making the message obvious to the customer begins with a dynamic call to action in the email subject line that is carried throughout the body of the email.”
For the golf fanatic, combining knowledge of recent purchases with a call to action might result in a subject line, ‘John, pack your new clubs for these golf vacation discounts’. Within the email promotion, the body content would reinforce taking specific action on these discounts – from clicking to learn more about the featured golf resorts to reserving accommodations and tee times.
According to McCormick, “Leveraging this [customer] data with the correct promotion is the key to a successful email campaign.”
Peter McCormick offers advice on email marketing strategies each week in the free audio newsletter from What’s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92
Why You Should Use (Not Abuse) Forums to Increase Your Traffic
Why You Should Use (Not Abuse) Forums to Increase Your Traffic
by: Tinu AbayomiPaul
There are dozens of reasons why you should look up the forums that are related to your market and post to them often. Here are 3 to get you started.
1- Get to Know Your Market as both an Associate and An Expert
The research alone is a good enough reason to at least sign up to some forums and read. Just by reading posts in forums, you can hear what your market concerns are, straight from consumers. You'll be able to find what their pains are - look particularly for frequent questions that don't appear to have solutions.
For example, if you sell timeshares, and you join travel communities, you may often hear questions asking for the best times of year to visit a certain region or locale. With this information you could start a section at your site for every listing that tells the cheapest time to travel for that area, the best time of year for good weather, and other special bits of information a traveler might want.
When you're comfortable enough to begin posting, after watching the conversation for a few days, or perhaps even a week, you might find that new people have questions that you can help them with. By consistently becoming the go-to person, you increase your credibility as a knowledgeable expert, and people begin to trust your ability to provide information.
2- Increase Your Site's Visibility With More Targeted Links Back to Your Site
Many forums are run by hobbyists who aren't so much concerned with marking money from their visitors, as having an established community for discourse on certain issues. These forums will often allow you to leave a link to your site in every post. The ones that are open to public viewing for visitors are also frequently spidered by search engines.
If you set up your link correctly, you'll then have topical links back to your own forum. Even if the search engine spiders can't see these links at forums that can be viewed by registered users only, you will also find that once you become a part of the community, other members will click your link out of curiosity or because they're looking for something specific that you may have at your site.
Even forums that exist to gain more sales of their own products often allow you to post your link, especially if it isn't to a competing site. For example, internet marketing forums run by people who sell do-it-yourself SEO products may allow infopreneurs who sell a different type of product, such as an autoresponder service, to post their link freely.
The focus here, at all times, is to help other members, not just to promote your product. Your link is in your signature, so unless someone asks you a specific question, you get far better results from being helpful than you do by posting forum spam that gets deleted anyway.
3- Lurk, Listen and Learn
If you've been around forums at all, you already know that there are often 8 to ten times more people registered and not posting than there are people who actually visit and participate.
Reading without ever posting is commonly known as "lurking". I usually suggest that at least for the first week, you should monitor the community you wish to join in this way, just reading posts, and learning the personality of the forum you'd like to post in - this keeps you from committing any faux pas that might have you corrected by another member, or even worse, banned.
Sometimes you'll find a forum that is appropriate to read, but doesn't seem like the right place for commercial posting. Or you might find that you're there to learn and not to teach - or maybe you just don't have the time to post as you'd like to. You can still learn a lot by being a lurker.
When lurking in forums, your primary job is to listen (figuratively speaking) and learn. Again, pay attention to questions that come up repeatedly over the course of a month or so. Be on the look out for rumored product or technology developments. Find out who is the resident expert - maybe this is the key person for an interview you want to do, or an affiliate program you can join.
The most important thing you can learn from this exercise is what annoyances your market is experiencing. If you sell cat furniture, and you find out that a common complaint is availability in remote markets, maybe you can change your shipping policy to add international ordering and increase the scope of your business.
Anywhere you can fit a solution to a problem can bring you the sales you need. You may find out that you need to change your product, to enhance it, or perhaps to take out features your prospects just aren't interested in.
This is a good solution when you have the time to visit forums and post or read. As you become more busy, you'll find yourself at the forums less and less as a poster, so this isn't necessarily a permanent solution. However, if you follow these steps correctly, you'll soon have the traffic to foster more community relations at your own site as well.
Copyright 2005 Tinu AbayomiPaul
by: Tinu AbayomiPaul
There are dozens of reasons why you should look up the forums that are related to your market and post to them often. Here are 3 to get you started.
1- Get to Know Your Market as both an Associate and An Expert
The research alone is a good enough reason to at least sign up to some forums and read. Just by reading posts in forums, you can hear what your market concerns are, straight from consumers. You'll be able to find what their pains are - look particularly for frequent questions that don't appear to have solutions.
For example, if you sell timeshares, and you join travel communities, you may often hear questions asking for the best times of year to visit a certain region or locale. With this information you could start a section at your site for every listing that tells the cheapest time to travel for that area, the best time of year for good weather, and other special bits of information a traveler might want.
When you're comfortable enough to begin posting, after watching the conversation for a few days, or perhaps even a week, you might find that new people have questions that you can help them with. By consistently becoming the go-to person, you increase your credibility as a knowledgeable expert, and people begin to trust your ability to provide information.
2- Increase Your Site's Visibility With More Targeted Links Back to Your Site
Many forums are run by hobbyists who aren't so much concerned with marking money from their visitors, as having an established community for discourse on certain issues. These forums will often allow you to leave a link to your site in every post. The ones that are open to public viewing for visitors are also frequently spidered by search engines.
If you set up your link correctly, you'll then have topical links back to your own forum. Even if the search engine spiders can't see these links at forums that can be viewed by registered users only, you will also find that once you become a part of the community, other members will click your link out of curiosity or because they're looking for something specific that you may have at your site.
Even forums that exist to gain more sales of their own products often allow you to post your link, especially if it isn't to a competing site. For example, internet marketing forums run by people who sell do-it-yourself SEO products may allow infopreneurs who sell a different type of product, such as an autoresponder service, to post their link freely.
The focus here, at all times, is to help other members, not just to promote your product. Your link is in your signature, so unless someone asks you a specific question, you get far better results from being helpful than you do by posting forum spam that gets deleted anyway.
3- Lurk, Listen and Learn
If you've been around forums at all, you already know that there are often 8 to ten times more people registered and not posting than there are people who actually visit and participate.
Reading without ever posting is commonly known as "lurking". I usually suggest that at least for the first week, you should monitor the community you wish to join in this way, just reading posts, and learning the personality of the forum you'd like to post in - this keeps you from committing any faux pas that might have you corrected by another member, or even worse, banned.
Sometimes you'll find a forum that is appropriate to read, but doesn't seem like the right place for commercial posting. Or you might find that you're there to learn and not to teach - or maybe you just don't have the time to post as you'd like to. You can still learn a lot by being a lurker.
When lurking in forums, your primary job is to listen (figuratively speaking) and learn. Again, pay attention to questions that come up repeatedly over the course of a month or so. Be on the look out for rumored product or technology developments. Find out who is the resident expert - maybe this is the key person for an interview you want to do, or an affiliate program you can join.
The most important thing you can learn from this exercise is what annoyances your market is experiencing. If you sell cat furniture, and you find out that a common complaint is availability in remote markets, maybe you can change your shipping policy to add international ordering and increase the scope of your business.
Anywhere you can fit a solution to a problem can bring you the sales you need. You may find out that you need to change your product, to enhance it, or perhaps to take out features your prospects just aren't interested in.
This is a good solution when you have the time to visit forums and post or read. As you become more busy, you'll find yourself at the forums less and less as a poster, so this isn't necessarily a permanent solution. However, if you follow these steps correctly, you'll soon have the traffic to foster more community relations at your own site as well.
Copyright 2005 Tinu AbayomiPaul
How To Start A Business Online
How To Start A Business Online
by: Thomas Lemay
If you are a beginner, don't be scared everybody out there started where you are. If you want to build your own internet business, start by determining what you would like to sell online or what you think you could help people with.
If you are selling a product or service first you should start by getting a paypal account which is free and perfect for new businesses because you dont have any up front fees or monthly fees, you only pay a percentage of your profits. To move on to your website, get a program like microsoft front page, I know programs like this look a bit complicated at the beginning but trust me if you just play around with it copying and pasting stuff a few hours a day, you will see it is just as easy as using microsoft word. Make yourself a nice banner at the top using photoshop, again just playing around with the simple tools of these programs you can do some really cool stuff.
When ever you encounter a problem, go to Google and make a search with your question and most likely you will find a forum or a website that will help answer your question or lead you to someone that can. Your website has to look attractive, so start by determining what colors you want your background to be and the text etc... Go to other websites selling similar products as yours to get some ideas. Get a program like AAA Logo, you can make all sorts of cool clipart with this program that you can add to your site to make it look more professional. Another thing you should keep in mind is that your website will never be perfect it takes constant attention to continue increasing the look and effectiveness of it so be patient. You can even create your first website using one of those free hosting and website building companies, it's a good way to practice and get the look you want your website to be.
Try to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to make cool little designs to put onto your website. Once you have your product and you've learned to create web pages, just go ahead and find a hosting company like godaddy for example, it costs as little as $40 per year including you domain name. Take your time picking your domain and make sure it has your product name in it because your website adress is important in achieving top rankings in google for that keyword. In order to put your website live you need to upload you web pages, it's as easy as copying and pasting files into a folder, you just need a login name and password wich the hosting company provides you with. The reason I am writing this article is to boost you to do it, so many people including me did'nt know how to do all this, have a positive attitude and keep in mind that nothing will block you from your goal. If you have any questions or need help with any of these steps I would be more that happy to help you out.
Need A Logo Design For your New Business?: http://www.pwcwebmasters.com
by: Thomas Lemay
If you are a beginner, don't be scared everybody out there started where you are. If you want to build your own internet business, start by determining what you would like to sell online or what you think you could help people with.
If you are selling a product or service first you should start by getting a paypal account which is free and perfect for new businesses because you dont have any up front fees or monthly fees, you only pay a percentage of your profits. To move on to your website, get a program like microsoft front page, I know programs like this look a bit complicated at the beginning but trust me if you just play around with it copying and pasting stuff a few hours a day, you will see it is just as easy as using microsoft word. Make yourself a nice banner at the top using photoshop, again just playing around with the simple tools of these programs you can do some really cool stuff.
When ever you encounter a problem, go to Google and make a search with your question and most likely you will find a forum or a website that will help answer your question or lead you to someone that can. Your website has to look attractive, so start by determining what colors you want your background to be and the text etc... Go to other websites selling similar products as yours to get some ideas. Get a program like AAA Logo, you can make all sorts of cool clipart with this program that you can add to your site to make it look more professional. Another thing you should keep in mind is that your website will never be perfect it takes constant attention to continue increasing the look and effectiveness of it so be patient. You can even create your first website using one of those free hosting and website building companies, it's a good way to practice and get the look you want your website to be.
Try to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to make cool little designs to put onto your website. Once you have your product and you've learned to create web pages, just go ahead and find a hosting company like godaddy for example, it costs as little as $40 per year including you domain name. Take your time picking your domain and make sure it has your product name in it because your website adress is important in achieving top rankings in google for that keyword. In order to put your website live you need to upload you web pages, it's as easy as copying and pasting files into a folder, you just need a login name and password wich the hosting company provides you with. The reason I am writing this article is to boost you to do it, so many people including me did'nt know how to do all this, have a positive attitude and keep in mind that nothing will block you from your goal. If you have any questions or need help with any of these steps I would be more that happy to help you out.
Need A Logo Design For your New Business?: http://www.pwcwebmasters.com
Dispelling Fears About The GoogleBomb Algorithm Update
Dispelling Fears About The GoogleBomb Algorithm Update
by: Bill Platt
Google algorithm updates always bring the fears of webmasters to a boiling point. In the aftermath of an algorithm update, some people come out swinging, making claims that Google is trying to put them out of business. Others look at their Google rankings and pat themselves on the back for having survived another "algo" update.
It has been known in search engine optimization (SEO) circles for quite some time that one could successfully implement what is referred to as a GoogleBomb. The best example was a search on the phrase "miserable failure". A search on those words within Google would show George W. Bush's biography at the White House website, in the top three or four results of the search results. This would occur, despite the fact that neither word in the search criteria resides on the White House website. At one time, Bush's biography had been in the #1 spot, but counter-bombing campaigns moved Bush's listing down the page a bit.
Many people have written about this phenomenon in time's past. I have even written about it myself. When I wrote about it, my point was to show the importance of anchor text in a link to build the value of a web page in the Google search engine result pages (SERPS).
The "miserable failure" GoogleBomb came to exist within a loophole within the Google algorithms. Google puts a lot of value on the anchor text that point to a particular web page. It is part of their "one link – one vote" philosophy as to the value of a web page.
Bloggers joined forces to create thousands of links pointing to the White House website with the words "miserable failure" in the anchor text. The shenanigans of the George W. Bush bashers were eventually countered by their fellow bloggers on the other side of the political aisle. Eventually, the search phrase "miserable failure" would also bring up the Michael Moore and Jimmy Carter websites in the top few results for that search phrase.
The average person who did not understand the nature of the SEO game would occasionally stumble across these esoteric search phrases and get him or herself into a huff, because they thought that Google was stating their own political views. Of course, Google really does not have an opinion, at least not one that would ever appear in their search results.
The GB Update...
In this case, the GB Update is not so-named because "George Bush" disappeared from the "miserable failure" search results. Instead, it is so-named because it is the "GoogleBomb" update, which Google implemented in January of 2007.
Once the update was implemented, the "miserable failure" search began to only return pages that talked about GoogleBombs from a technical standpoint.
With the GB update officially rolled out (http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/01/quick-word- about-googlebombs.html), people began the standard Google-update panic process.
Hundreds of posts began appearing on forums concerning the GB updates and the fear that link-building efforts undertaken by search engine marketing (SEM) companies and webmasters would be hurt as well.
So, I did a bit of research. I have run several linking campaigns on my own behalf, and on the behalf of clients. Those campaigns were put together with a mix of keyword phrases nestled in the anchor text of links to our websites. I checked the status of all of the websites I represent, and without fail, our linking campaigns had not been hurt by the GB update.
Interesting Changes From The GoogleBomb Update
According to Matt Cutts of Google, the changes in the GB update were all completed within the Google algorithm. Cutts has always said that Google does not like to manually rearrange the search engine results, so an algorithmic solution to the GoogleBomb was in order. A few of the Google engineers worked together to find a solution to the GoogleBomb issue.
In an attempt to understand what had changed, I looked at a few of the more notorious GoogleBombs of past and discovered some interesting facts.
Broken Google Bombs:
* "Miserable failure" no longer returns George W. Bush, Michael Moore, or Jimmy Carter websites. * "Worst president ever" now only returns pages that make the claim the GW Bush has earned that title. * "Waffles" no longer returns results that point to the John Kerry website. * Tony Blair's homepage no longer comes up under the search term "liar".
Unchanged Google Bombs:
* A search for "Scientology" still has the "Operation Clambake" listing in the #2 spot (2007-01-31). Operation Clambake is a website that is critical of Scientology. * "Click here" still points to the Adobe website (although this was not actually a GoogleBomb). * "French military victories" still goes to the same page on Albino Black Sheep when you hit "I feel lucky" on Google's search page. (I still get a kick out of this one.) * The "great president" GoogleBomb survived. It still points to Bush's bio on the White House website.
The Question On Everyone's Mind
Everyone seems to be asking the same question. How does Google defuse Google Bombs?
Well, Google isn't saying, so we are left to figure it out on our own. Based on what I was able to uncover in my study of Google Bombs, I came up with a theory.
What I have been able to take from the results shown above is that Google may have targeted only "negative links". If you want to review what is shown above, all of the Google Bombs that are now gone had negative connotations to them. All of the Google Bombs that survived can be construed as having positive, or at least non-negative, connotations to them.
If my assertion is correct, then average, ordinary webmasters will have nothing to fear from the Google Bomb update. My sites and my client's websites also reflect that the Google Bomb update did not have any affect on us.
Maybe I am just grasping at straws, but I don't think so. You be the judge... "Worst president" is gone, and "great president" survived. To me, that says a lot.
The Google Bombing Legacy Continues...
Following my logic, Google Bombing is still a possibility for those who Google Bomb with a positive set of anchor text keywords. So, some Google Bombs will continue to live well into the future.
In 2004, Search Engine Watch suggested that Google Bombs are better defined as Link Bombs, since they can affect all of the major search engines, including Yahoo and MSN.
Google has finally addressed link bombing in a positive way, but Yahoo and MSN are still prone to link bombing attacks. For example, as of this writing, MSN still has George in the top spot for "miserable failure" in the MSN Live results.
by: Bill Platt
Google algorithm updates always bring the fears of webmasters to a boiling point. In the aftermath of an algorithm update, some people come out swinging, making claims that Google is trying to put them out of business. Others look at their Google rankings and pat themselves on the back for having survived another "algo" update.
It has been known in search engine optimization (SEO) circles for quite some time that one could successfully implement what is referred to as a GoogleBomb. The best example was a search on the phrase "miserable failure". A search on those words within Google would show George W. Bush's biography at the White House website, in the top three or four results of the search results. This would occur, despite the fact that neither word in the search criteria resides on the White House website. At one time, Bush's biography had been in the #1 spot, but counter-bombing campaigns moved Bush's listing down the page a bit.
Many people have written about this phenomenon in time's past. I have even written about it myself. When I wrote about it, my point was to show the importance of anchor text in a link to build the value of a web page in the Google search engine result pages (SERPS).
The "miserable failure" GoogleBomb came to exist within a loophole within the Google algorithms. Google puts a lot of value on the anchor text that point to a particular web page. It is part of their "one link – one vote" philosophy as to the value of a web page.
Bloggers joined forces to create thousands of links pointing to the White House website with the words "miserable failure" in the anchor text. The shenanigans of the George W. Bush bashers were eventually countered by their fellow bloggers on the other side of the political aisle. Eventually, the search phrase "miserable failure" would also bring up the Michael Moore and Jimmy Carter websites in the top few results for that search phrase.
The average person who did not understand the nature of the SEO game would occasionally stumble across these esoteric search phrases and get him or herself into a huff, because they thought that Google was stating their own political views. Of course, Google really does not have an opinion, at least not one that would ever appear in their search results.
The GB Update...
In this case, the GB Update is not so-named because "George Bush" disappeared from the "miserable failure" search results. Instead, it is so-named because it is the "GoogleBomb" update, which Google implemented in January of 2007.
Once the update was implemented, the "miserable failure" search began to only return pages that talked about GoogleBombs from a technical standpoint.
With the GB update officially rolled out (http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/01/quick-word- about-googlebombs.html), people began the standard Google-update panic process.
Hundreds of posts began appearing on forums concerning the GB updates and the fear that link-building efforts undertaken by search engine marketing (SEM) companies and webmasters would be hurt as well.
So, I did a bit of research. I have run several linking campaigns on my own behalf, and on the behalf of clients. Those campaigns were put together with a mix of keyword phrases nestled in the anchor text of links to our websites. I checked the status of all of the websites I represent, and without fail, our linking campaigns had not been hurt by the GB update.
Interesting Changes From The GoogleBomb Update
According to Matt Cutts of Google, the changes in the GB update were all completed within the Google algorithm. Cutts has always said that Google does not like to manually rearrange the search engine results, so an algorithmic solution to the GoogleBomb was in order. A few of the Google engineers worked together to find a solution to the GoogleBomb issue.
In an attempt to understand what had changed, I looked at a few of the more notorious GoogleBombs of past and discovered some interesting facts.
Broken Google Bombs:
* "Miserable failure" no longer returns George W. Bush, Michael Moore, or Jimmy Carter websites. * "Worst president ever" now only returns pages that make the claim the GW Bush has earned that title. * "Waffles" no longer returns results that point to the John Kerry website. * Tony Blair's homepage no longer comes up under the search term "liar".
Unchanged Google Bombs:
* A search for "Scientology" still has the "Operation Clambake" listing in the #2 spot (2007-01-31). Operation Clambake is a website that is critical of Scientology. * "Click here" still points to the Adobe website (although this was not actually a GoogleBomb). * "French military victories" still goes to the same page on Albino Black Sheep when you hit "I feel lucky" on Google's search page. (I still get a kick out of this one.) * The "great president" GoogleBomb survived. It still points to Bush's bio on the White House website.
The Question On Everyone's Mind
Everyone seems to be asking the same question. How does Google defuse Google Bombs?
Well, Google isn't saying, so we are left to figure it out on our own. Based on what I was able to uncover in my study of Google Bombs, I came up with a theory.
What I have been able to take from the results shown above is that Google may have targeted only "negative links". If you want to review what is shown above, all of the Google Bombs that are now gone had negative connotations to them. All of the Google Bombs that survived can be construed as having positive, or at least non-negative, connotations to them.
If my assertion is correct, then average, ordinary webmasters will have nothing to fear from the Google Bomb update. My sites and my client's websites also reflect that the Google Bomb update did not have any affect on us.
Maybe I am just grasping at straws, but I don't think so. You be the judge... "Worst president" is gone, and "great president" survived. To me, that says a lot.
The Google Bombing Legacy Continues...
Following my logic, Google Bombing is still a possibility for those who Google Bomb with a positive set of anchor text keywords. So, some Google Bombs will continue to live well into the future.
In 2004, Search Engine Watch suggested that Google Bombs are better defined as Link Bombs, since they can affect all of the major search engines, including Yahoo and MSN.
Google has finally addressed link bombing in a positive way, but Yahoo and MSN are still prone to link bombing attacks. For example, as of this writing, MSN still has George in the top spot for "miserable failure" in the MSN Live results.
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