By Hans Hasselfors
Businesses of all sizes are expanding with ebooks. An ebook is a paperless book in digital format that you can download to your computer, handheld or other reader device. It can be read by using a software program like Adobe (for .pdf formats) or Microsoft Word.
Here are several ways to expand your own business operations with ebooks.
Marketing – An ebook offers an inexpensive means of producing full-color marketing materials complete with graphics and audio components. Find good software or hire someone to help create your ebooks. Grab a digital camera and start snapping shots of your products, people using your products and services, your workers, etc. Then show off your shots, your products and describe your services with awesome power-packed presentations; web pages with interactive links for sound, visual presentations, communications (emails or forum posts) and more.
Education – When your products or services need explained, educate your prospects and clients with ebooks. Have sample or short versions available for trial offers or free downloads. Then include full-fledged detailed editions with product / service purchases. Educate with visual, sound and interactive point-and-click methods. Invite questions and feedback from recipients for improvements on future product and service development.
Communications – How many times do you get an email you with a question - the same question over and over gain it seems – that requires a book-length answer? Maybe questions like, “How do you create a basic website?” or “How can you market on a tight budget?” inspire lengthy replies. Well, now you can write one long reply, turn it into an ebook and send it out – over and over again and free up more time for other things. AND include your own marketing information inside so that readers can look you up on the Internet, pass your information along and give others the opportunity to find you, too.
New Product – Use surveys and take polls for new product creation. Include a link to a web page with a questionnaire and free download for recipients upon completion.
Sales Reps – Arm your sales representatives with professional, top-notch full-color media / product / service information kits presented via your ebooks to share with local newspaper, radio, television and other media reps, visitors and potential clients at trade shows and other events. Set up an introductory page in your ebook, then an index where people can click and quickly find your History, Mission Statement, product and service descriptions and images, Contact information, Testimonials, etc. Then copy the ebooks to disks and CDs to distribute at events. This gives people the opportunity to learn much more about you when they have more time afterwards.
So grab your cyber-pencil or keypad and start writing! Ebooks can definitely enlarge your operations.
Sunday 27 June 2010
Banking on Good Banks: Guidelines to Help You Choose the Right Bank for You
By David Arnold Livingston
More often than not, we make decisions impulsively, without dwelling on too much thought about what we want and without considering other options, guidelines and criteria to base our decisions with. We can always get away with this on small decisions such as deciding on the flavor of Starbucks coffee we want; whether this is decaf or not; medium or large; with cream or without and many other trivial options.
This is okay but this is not applicable when we are considering things that concern the financial aspect of our lives - financing, refinancing, mortgages, insurance, investments and yes, even choosing the bank where we could save and store our money. Here are some guidelines you have to consider when you want to invest portions of your money into banks:
1. Location. When choosing banks, you have to consider their locations. If you see yourself visiting your bank or banks in a regular basis, then the best option would be to look for banks nearest to wherever you conduct your business or in your home.
2. Accessibility of ATM Machines. Choose banks where a sufficient number of their ATM machines are accessible to you.
3. In relation to number 2, check the functionalities offered by the ATM machines of these banks. Check if it has the following features: - Do the banks' ATM machines allow deposits to be made in it? - Do the banks' ATM machines printout statements about your accounts such as your available balance, etc.? - Do the banks' ATM machines enable a client to order a check book?
4. Telephone Banking. If you are one of those people who cannot go to banks during banking hours, then one of the features you have to look for in banks is the availability of telephone banking service. With this, you can make queries and transactions in your banks anytime, anywhere usually 24/7 all year. Telephone Banking allows you to do some of these transactions in your banks: - Transfer your money from your accounts in your banks to pay your bills - Telephone banking in banks enables cancellation and change of current orders - Check the balance of your account - Telephone banking in banks allows you to apply for other products or services from banks
5. Internet Banking. Internet banking features in banks also allows the following services offered by Telephone Banking wherein transactions and inquiries can be done via the Internet through the Internet portals of these banks.
If you are a business person and you need a bank or banks for your small business, here are some other aspects and guidelines you have to consider when choosing the right bank/banks for you:
1. Aside from the first general consideration on the location of the banks, you have to consider if the banks understand the nature of the business you are involved in.
2. Consider also if some of the banks will be able to allow you to deal with the senior employees/executives in the bank. This way, problems concerning your business banking needs will be addressed easily.
3. Check banks that offer SBA - Small Business Administration - Loans. This can help you should different needs arise in your business that will compel you to make a loan.
4. It is good to consider banks where the capitalization rate is greater than six percent. This will ensure you that the banks you will be working with will still be present while you are still in business
5. Consider the competitiveness of the banks by checking how much they charge for every transaction you make.
6. Aside from these, check also the competitiveness of the interests and other fees that come with their credit cards.
7. Check the stipulations on balances for checking accounts that bear interests.
8. Check if the banks you are considering are members of the FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Bank and lastly,
9. Look for banks that are capable of giving service that you and your business might need ahead of time.
Keep all these in mind when considering the right bank/banks and surely, you will never go wrong. Good luck!
More often than not, we make decisions impulsively, without dwelling on too much thought about what we want and without considering other options, guidelines and criteria to base our decisions with. We can always get away with this on small decisions such as deciding on the flavor of Starbucks coffee we want; whether this is decaf or not; medium or large; with cream or without and many other trivial options.
This is okay but this is not applicable when we are considering things that concern the financial aspect of our lives - financing, refinancing, mortgages, insurance, investments and yes, even choosing the bank where we could save and store our money. Here are some guidelines you have to consider when you want to invest portions of your money into banks:
1. Location. When choosing banks, you have to consider their locations. If you see yourself visiting your bank or banks in a regular basis, then the best option would be to look for banks nearest to wherever you conduct your business or in your home.
2. Accessibility of ATM Machines. Choose banks where a sufficient number of their ATM machines are accessible to you.
3. In relation to number 2, check the functionalities offered by the ATM machines of these banks. Check if it has the following features: - Do the banks' ATM machines allow deposits to be made in it? - Do the banks' ATM machines printout statements about your accounts such as your available balance, etc.? - Do the banks' ATM machines enable a client to order a check book?
4. Telephone Banking. If you are one of those people who cannot go to banks during banking hours, then one of the features you have to look for in banks is the availability of telephone banking service. With this, you can make queries and transactions in your banks anytime, anywhere usually 24/7 all year. Telephone Banking allows you to do some of these transactions in your banks: - Transfer your money from your accounts in your banks to pay your bills - Telephone banking in banks enables cancellation and change of current orders - Check the balance of your account - Telephone banking in banks allows you to apply for other products or services from banks
5. Internet Banking. Internet banking features in banks also allows the following services offered by Telephone Banking wherein transactions and inquiries can be done via the Internet through the Internet portals of these banks.
If you are a business person and you need a bank or banks for your small business, here are some other aspects and guidelines you have to consider when choosing the right bank/banks for you:
1. Aside from the first general consideration on the location of the banks, you have to consider if the banks understand the nature of the business you are involved in.
2. Consider also if some of the banks will be able to allow you to deal with the senior employees/executives in the bank. This way, problems concerning your business banking needs will be addressed easily.
3. Check banks that offer SBA - Small Business Administration - Loans. This can help you should different needs arise in your business that will compel you to make a loan.
4. It is good to consider banks where the capitalization rate is greater than six percent. This will ensure you that the banks you will be working with will still be present while you are still in business
5. Consider the competitiveness of the banks by checking how much they charge for every transaction you make.
6. Aside from these, check also the competitiveness of the interests and other fees that come with their credit cards.
7. Check the stipulations on balances for checking accounts that bear interests.
8. Check if the banks you are considering are members of the FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Bank and lastly,
9. Look for banks that are capable of giving service that you and your business might need ahead of time.
Keep all these in mind when considering the right bank/banks and surely, you will never go wrong. Good luck!
Monday 14 June 2010
Business Meeting Etiquette
By Jeff Schuman
What makes up proper business meeting etiquette? How do you have
a meeting everyone can leave feeling good about? Meetings have
become an inevitable part of doing business for almost every
business owner. There are meetings with clients, meetings with
employees and meetings with peers or associates.
Almost everyone has suffered through meetings that take up your
valuable time and accomplish very little.
In fact, you may find that you yourself have now become numb to
that fact that your meetings aren’t as good as they could be.
And everywhere you look, it seems as if somebody has another
idea about how to fix your meetings, and make them more focused,
more productive, and – dare I say it? More fun!
So what can you do about it? Simple business meeting etiquette
can help you put on a quality meeting. Here are a few tips and
ideas for meeting planning –
1. Schedule your meetings at the best times -
2. Make sure your meetings all start on time - (and whenever
possible, avoid scheduling meetings when someone is up against a
deadline, or on a tight schedule).
3. Maintain a consistent focus on what topics will be covered –
(use an agenda).
4. Ensure there is a good level of rapport in the group –
(people can talk to each other and exchange ideas about what is
being discussed).
5. Arrive at a decision - (find new ways to avoid covering the
same ground, and ask for input to help create a plan of action.)
6. Use parliamentary procedures - (so that the correct methods
for amending or making a motion, following the agenda and taking
turns before speaking are being followed).
7. Choose the best location and environment for your meetings -
(for example, trying to fit 15 people into a closet-sized room
that doesn’t have windows or a proper ventilation system is poor
planning on your part.)
8. Do not schedule meetings to go over routine topics - (you can
send a memo or email for this.)
9. Talk to your group and make your meetings interactive -
10. Alwaysr ask for feedback from participants and allow them to
present ideas or get involved.
These ten simple business meeting etiquette tips that
guarantee a better meeting for everyone. Follow these and you
will see results on what you covered as well as a better
attendance at future meetings.
What makes up proper business meeting etiquette? How do you have
a meeting everyone can leave feeling good about? Meetings have
become an inevitable part of doing business for almost every
business owner. There are meetings with clients, meetings with
employees and meetings with peers or associates.
Almost everyone has suffered through meetings that take up your
valuable time and accomplish very little.
In fact, you may find that you yourself have now become numb to
that fact that your meetings aren’t as good as they could be.
And everywhere you look, it seems as if somebody has another
idea about how to fix your meetings, and make them more focused,
more productive, and – dare I say it? More fun!
So what can you do about it? Simple business meeting etiquette
can help you put on a quality meeting. Here are a few tips and
ideas for meeting planning –
1. Schedule your meetings at the best times -
2. Make sure your meetings all start on time - (and whenever
possible, avoid scheduling meetings when someone is up against a
deadline, or on a tight schedule).
3. Maintain a consistent focus on what topics will be covered –
(use an agenda).
4. Ensure there is a good level of rapport in the group –
(people can talk to each other and exchange ideas about what is
being discussed).
5. Arrive at a decision - (find new ways to avoid covering the
same ground, and ask for input to help create a plan of action.)
6. Use parliamentary procedures - (so that the correct methods
for amending or making a motion, following the agenda and taking
turns before speaking are being followed).
7. Choose the best location and environment for your meetings -
(for example, trying to fit 15 people into a closet-sized room
that doesn’t have windows or a proper ventilation system is poor
planning on your part.)
8. Do not schedule meetings to go over routine topics - (you can
send a memo or email for this.)
9. Talk to your group and make your meetings interactive -
10. Alwaysr ask for feedback from participants and allow them to
present ideas or get involved.
These ten simple business meeting etiquette tips that
guarantee a better meeting for everyone. Follow these and you
will see results on what you covered as well as a better
attendance at future meetings.
Friday 4 June 2010
Autoresponders: One simple Trick That Will Improve your Results
By Hamish Hayward
Autoresponders, or responders, are simply programs that allow you to send out pre-written emails which have been pre-loaded into the responder. Prospective customers or recruits either input their email addresses into a signup form on a website or send a blank email to a trigger address. They are then entered into a database and receive your emails at the intervals you specify when you set up the responder.
This is an extremely powerful marketing technique as it allows you to send repeated messages to people who have positively displayed their interest in whatever you're promoting.
Numerous studies have shown that the majority of consumers will not buy, or signup to something, at the first exposure. Prospects typically need to have somewhere between 5 and 12 exposures to the product or service before they feel comfortable enough to commit. The ideal number of follow up contacts is often said to be 7, but this will vary depending upon the individual consumer and the product on offer.
Since the recipient of your emails has given you permission to contact them, you won't be accused of "spamming". You may need to provide full contact details in your emails to be sure of this - it varies from country to country, but err on the side of caution. An added bonus is that you will have their email address in your database - or "list" - so that you can keep them updated with any new offers you may have in future.
Many internet marketers already appreciate the awesome power of automated follow up using an autoresponder loaded with well crafted sales messages. However, there is one enhancement that is often overlooked, even by relatively experienced marketers: The "Thank You" page.
Used properly, this can boost your signup rate by as much as 20%, it can help promote your other programs, products and opportunities and it can even earn you some money.
It's easy to overlook this aspect of autoresponders. After all, you've probably spent a good deal of time crafting your email messages and loading them into the responder. It's only natural that when the last one is input you want to get the messages out to the big wide world ASAP - right? But take just a few minutes - and that really is all it needs - and you could benefit hugely.
First of all, whatever you do, don't use the Thank You page that your autoresponder company so kindly provides for you. Why do you think they provide this? Certainly, it is a service to their customers. Normally it gives a polite (if generic) thank you and contains a few reassurances about spam along with brief details of the opt-out procedure. However, when you look at it closely, it is a full page advert for the autoresponder provider isn't it? A full page advert which you have provided for them.
As an absolute minimum, if you can't be bothered to spend a few minutes to generate your own custom Thank you page, redirect your new signup to one of the other pages on your website, or to the home page of one of your other sites if you have more than one. However, it's much better to take the time and produce your own full page advert.
Some of the items you might want to consider including are listed below:
1. A polite thank you (mandatory).
2. A brief statement that you only send emails with permission, that they may unsubscribe at any time and that you will never pass their contact details to a third party (also mandatory).
3. A link to another website that you own or promote.
4. An advert for another opportunity that you are involved in.
5. A "Tell A Friend" form or link.
6. Adverts from Google Adsense or some other source.
Items 1 & 2 are only common courtesy. Items 3 - 6 could give your performance a real boost.
Remember, this is a page that your viewer will automatically click away from. They are "ready-to-click" so at least give them the option of making a click that will benefit you rather than just clicking on their "favourites" or home page buttons.
Not all of them will click - but some of them will and you need every advantage you can get!
Autoresponders, or responders, are simply programs that allow you to send out pre-written emails which have been pre-loaded into the responder. Prospective customers or recruits either input their email addresses into a signup form on a website or send a blank email to a trigger address. They are then entered into a database and receive your emails at the intervals you specify when you set up the responder.
This is an extremely powerful marketing technique as it allows you to send repeated messages to people who have positively displayed their interest in whatever you're promoting.
Numerous studies have shown that the majority of consumers will not buy, or signup to something, at the first exposure. Prospects typically need to have somewhere between 5 and 12 exposures to the product or service before they feel comfortable enough to commit. The ideal number of follow up contacts is often said to be 7, but this will vary depending upon the individual consumer and the product on offer.
Since the recipient of your emails has given you permission to contact them, you won't be accused of "spamming". You may need to provide full contact details in your emails to be sure of this - it varies from country to country, but err on the side of caution. An added bonus is that you will have their email address in your database - or "list" - so that you can keep them updated with any new offers you may have in future.
Many internet marketers already appreciate the awesome power of automated follow up using an autoresponder loaded with well crafted sales messages. However, there is one enhancement that is often overlooked, even by relatively experienced marketers: The "Thank You" page.
Used properly, this can boost your signup rate by as much as 20%, it can help promote your other programs, products and opportunities and it can even earn you some money.
It's easy to overlook this aspect of autoresponders. After all, you've probably spent a good deal of time crafting your email messages and loading them into the responder. It's only natural that when the last one is input you want to get the messages out to the big wide world ASAP - right? But take just a few minutes - and that really is all it needs - and you could benefit hugely.
First of all, whatever you do, don't use the Thank You page that your autoresponder company so kindly provides for you. Why do you think they provide this? Certainly, it is a service to their customers. Normally it gives a polite (if generic) thank you and contains a few reassurances about spam along with brief details of the opt-out procedure. However, when you look at it closely, it is a full page advert for the autoresponder provider isn't it? A full page advert which you have provided for them.
As an absolute minimum, if you can't be bothered to spend a few minutes to generate your own custom Thank you page, redirect your new signup to one of the other pages on your website, or to the home page of one of your other sites if you have more than one. However, it's much better to take the time and produce your own full page advert.
Some of the items you might want to consider including are listed below:
1. A polite thank you (mandatory).
2. A brief statement that you only send emails with permission, that they may unsubscribe at any time and that you will never pass their contact details to a third party (also mandatory).
3. A link to another website that you own or promote.
4. An advert for another opportunity that you are involved in.
5. A "Tell A Friend" form or link.
6. Adverts from Google Adsense or some other source.
Items 1 & 2 are only common courtesy. Items 3 - 6 could give your performance a real boost.
Remember, this is a page that your viewer will automatically click away from. They are "ready-to-click" so at least give them the option of making a click that will benefit you rather than just clicking on their "favourites" or home page buttons.
Not all of them will click - but some of them will and you need every advantage you can get!
Banking on Good Banks: Guidelines to Help You Choose the Right Bank for You
By David Arnold Livingston
More often than not, we make decisions impulsively, without dwelling on too much thought about what we want and without considering other options, guidelines and criteria to base our decisions with. We can always get away with this on small decisions such as deciding on the flavor of Starbucks coffee we want; whether this is decaf or not; medium or large; with cream or without and many other trivial options.
This is okay but this is not applicable when we are considering things that concern the financial aspect of our lives - financing, refinancing, mortgages, insurance, investments and yes, even choosing the bank where we could save and store our money. Here are some guidelines you have to consider when you want to invest portions of your money into banks:
1. Location. When choosing banks, you have to consider their locations. If you see yourself visiting your bank or banks in a regular basis, then the best option would be to look for banks nearest to wherever you conduct your business or in your home.
2. Accessibility of ATM Machines. Choose banks where a sufficient number of their ATM machines are accessible to you.
3. In relation to number 2, check the functionalities offered by the ATM machines of these banks. Check if it has the following features: - Do the banks' ATM machines allow deposits to be made in it? - Do the banks' ATM machines printout statements about your accounts such as your available balance, etc.? - Do the banks' ATM machines enable a client to order a check book?
4. Telephone Banking. If you are one of those people who cannot go to banks during banking hours, then one of the features you have to look for in banks is the availability of telephone banking service. With this, you can make queries and transactions in your banks anytime, anywhere usually 24/7 all year. Telephone Banking allows you to do some of these transactions in your banks: - Transfer your money from your accounts in your banks to pay your bills - Telephone banking in banks enables cancellation and change of current orders - Check the balance of your account - Telephone banking in banks allows you to apply for other products or services from banks
5. Internet Banking. Internet banking features in banks also allows the following services offered by Telephone Banking wherein transactions and inquiries can be done via the Internet through the Internet portals of these banks.
If you are a business person and you need a bank or banks for your small business, here are some other aspects and guidelines you have to consider when choosing the right bank/banks for you:
1. Aside from the first general consideration on the location of the banks, you have to consider if the banks understand the nature of the business you are involved in.
2. Consider also if some of the banks will be able to allow you to deal with the senior employees/executives in the bank. This way, problems concerning your business banking needs will be addressed easily.
3. Check banks that offer SBA - Small Business Administration - Loans. This can help you should different needs arise in your business that will compel you to make a loan.
4. It is good to consider banks where the capitalization rate is greater than six percent. This will ensure you that the banks you will be working with will still be present while you are still in business
5. Consider the competitiveness of the banks by checking how much they charge for every transaction you make.
6. Aside from these, check also the competitiveness of the interests and other fees that come with their credit cards.
7. Check the stipulations on balances for checking accounts that bear interests.
8. Check if the banks you are considering are members of the FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Bank and lastly,
9. Look for banks that are capable of giving service that you and your business might need ahead of time.
Keep all these in mind when considering the right bank/banks and surely, you will never go wrong. Good luck!
More often than not, we make decisions impulsively, without dwelling on too much thought about what we want and without considering other options, guidelines and criteria to base our decisions with. We can always get away with this on small decisions such as deciding on the flavor of Starbucks coffee we want; whether this is decaf or not; medium or large; with cream or without and many other trivial options.
This is okay but this is not applicable when we are considering things that concern the financial aspect of our lives - financing, refinancing, mortgages, insurance, investments and yes, even choosing the bank where we could save and store our money. Here are some guidelines you have to consider when you want to invest portions of your money into banks:
1. Location. When choosing banks, you have to consider their locations. If you see yourself visiting your bank or banks in a regular basis, then the best option would be to look for banks nearest to wherever you conduct your business or in your home.
2. Accessibility of ATM Machines. Choose banks where a sufficient number of their ATM machines are accessible to you.
3. In relation to number 2, check the functionalities offered by the ATM machines of these banks. Check if it has the following features: - Do the banks' ATM machines allow deposits to be made in it? - Do the banks' ATM machines printout statements about your accounts such as your available balance, etc.? - Do the banks' ATM machines enable a client to order a check book?
4. Telephone Banking. If you are one of those people who cannot go to banks during banking hours, then one of the features you have to look for in banks is the availability of telephone banking service. With this, you can make queries and transactions in your banks anytime, anywhere usually 24/7 all year. Telephone Banking allows you to do some of these transactions in your banks: - Transfer your money from your accounts in your banks to pay your bills - Telephone banking in banks enables cancellation and change of current orders - Check the balance of your account - Telephone banking in banks allows you to apply for other products or services from banks
5. Internet Banking. Internet banking features in banks also allows the following services offered by Telephone Banking wherein transactions and inquiries can be done via the Internet through the Internet portals of these banks.
If you are a business person and you need a bank or banks for your small business, here are some other aspects and guidelines you have to consider when choosing the right bank/banks for you:
1. Aside from the first general consideration on the location of the banks, you have to consider if the banks understand the nature of the business you are involved in.
2. Consider also if some of the banks will be able to allow you to deal with the senior employees/executives in the bank. This way, problems concerning your business banking needs will be addressed easily.
3. Check banks that offer SBA - Small Business Administration - Loans. This can help you should different needs arise in your business that will compel you to make a loan.
4. It is good to consider banks where the capitalization rate is greater than six percent. This will ensure you that the banks you will be working with will still be present while you are still in business
5. Consider the competitiveness of the banks by checking how much they charge for every transaction you make.
6. Aside from these, check also the competitiveness of the interests and other fees that come with their credit cards.
7. Check the stipulations on balances for checking accounts that bear interests.
8. Check if the banks you are considering are members of the FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Bank and lastly,
9. Look for banks that are capable of giving service that you and your business might need ahead of time.
Keep all these in mind when considering the right bank/banks and surely, you will never go wrong. Good luck!
A Crucial Key Factor To Your Online Success: Keywords Research
By Gian Luigi Ruggeri
Let's start from the basics.
Keywords research IS a crucial key factor nowadays for anyone that is already or want to be active in the online business and run a work at home based business.
Maybe back to the end of the 90's it was possible to think to work from home and start a new business oriented website targeted to a broad market and get to have it successful with a relative limited effort, a basic knowledge and an amateurial budget, simply putting a lot of passion in the work, but these times are gone, and it is very difficult that they will come back again.
Hoping that something similar will happen today is just an unreal expectation.
So we arrive to the subject of this article: Keyword Research.
If we make a search on the net to have a DEFINITION of this important concept we can easily find a usuful link like this:
http://marketingterms.com/dictionary/keyword_research/
In brief we can say that "keyword research" means the search of the keywords related to our website, AND the related ANALYSIS to find the most valuable keywords for our online business as well as the ANALYSIS of the COMPETITION for the same keywords.
Well, there is a lot to understand here, isn't it?
Prepare yourself, there is a lot more to do after we have clear the meaning of all this in our minds.
This definition in my opinion takes for granted that we are not building a general website that can show totally unrelated stuff messed up together trying to be interesting for anyone using a PC connected to the internet.
It is a quite technical definition that is addressed to people that already have some knowledge about how online business is going in year 2005, and that have already read, or been taught that it is recommended to build business websites targeted to NICHES, that are fractions, small parts, of a sector of an industry or of a market.
So this important concept can be summarised like this:
"When people wanting to run a home based business working from home start the planning of the building of a new website that is business oriented it is good practice to focus on a niche and to research keywords related to a niche instead of to a wide market in order to have to face a smaller competition and be able to generate value and a positive return on their investment".
Does it make sense? I think so, and so think most of the savvy online marketers and gurus nowadays.
Please note right now that keywords research is also crucial if you run PPC ADVERTISING, both for your own website or for AFFILIATE PROGRAMS that pay you commissions. We will return on this later in this article.
Now that we have understood the meaning and the importance of keywords research it's time to move to the practice.
How is it done the important task of keywords researching?
As experienced internet marketers we are able to provide you with a great SHORTCUT that has a small cost and will be able to save you a lot of time, efforts and also money, but we will provide you also some free resources if you really are on a zero budget and need to make some basic researches.
Here is the recommended resource for keywords research, it is a desktop program called "Keyword Locator" that has excellent features and will complete many tasks from a single software.
http://EarnWithGoogle.com/seo/keywordlocator.html
If you only use free resources you will need to use many of them in order to achieve similar results, or even to have done only a part of the tasks of Keyword Locator.
Let's see what you can do with free resources. The first site we suggest is NicheBot.com:
http://NicheBot.com
This site includes keyword count data from different sources, Overture and Wordtracker (only the first 15 results), and add also figures for number of pages for the researched keyword, competition and a ratio.
More detailed explanations are available on the site of course.
This website is probably the best free resource you can find as it already summarise data that normally would require you to use different websites to be reached.
Another popular free resource is GoodKeywords.com, that offers a free software to download that allows to do basic keywords researching and provide some other search features. You can go there to download the software for free:
http://GoodKeywords.com
And finally a set of free online tools you can use are offered by InstantPosition.com here:
http://instantposition.com/free_tools.cfm
InstantPosition.com is focused on SEO and provides many valid tools you will surely find interesting; amongst them you can find the keyword suggestion tool and the keyword popularity tool.
As you see we have been there with the free resources. Like everyone else we try to find online what can help us with the lower possible cost, and we all know that lower than free there is nothing.
But we also learned to profit of the experience of those who have been there before us and have developped better solutions and offer them for a small price. And sometimes the solutions developped are small gems that can become invaluable.
This is the case with Keyword Locator.
With this software you can do much more than you can do with all the different free resources put together, and of course much easily and quickly.
Keyword Locator is the professional solution to your needs.
In fact you can easily locate in demand niche markets and under exploited keywords in a matter of minutes.
You can complete keywords researching much faster and with less efforts, and pass to the phase of website building much sooner and with more detailed data on your hands.
And you can analyze and expose Your competition as you would not be able to do with only free resources.
All right, do you remember we told you that keyword research is very important also if you advertise in PPC like AdWords or Overture? Well this software is developped to minimise your expense and maximise your revenue from PPC advertising.
There are so many features we cannot report them all here in this article, so here there is again the link to this great software, the best one we have found for keyword researching:
http://EarnWithGoogle.com/seo/keywordlocator.html
We hope this article can be helpful for you and your work at home based business.
Let's start from the basics.
Keywords research IS a crucial key factor nowadays for anyone that is already or want to be active in the online business and run a work at home based business.
Maybe back to the end of the 90's it was possible to think to work from home and start a new business oriented website targeted to a broad market and get to have it successful with a relative limited effort, a basic knowledge and an amateurial budget, simply putting a lot of passion in the work, but these times are gone, and it is very difficult that they will come back again.
Hoping that something similar will happen today is just an unreal expectation.
So we arrive to the subject of this article: Keyword Research.
If we make a search on the net to have a DEFINITION of this important concept we can easily find a usuful link like this:
http://marketingterms.com/dictionary/keyword_research/
In brief we can say that "keyword research" means the search of the keywords related to our website, AND the related ANALYSIS to find the most valuable keywords for our online business as well as the ANALYSIS of the COMPETITION for the same keywords.
Well, there is a lot to understand here, isn't it?
Prepare yourself, there is a lot more to do after we have clear the meaning of all this in our minds.
This definition in my opinion takes for granted that we are not building a general website that can show totally unrelated stuff messed up together trying to be interesting for anyone using a PC connected to the internet.
It is a quite technical definition that is addressed to people that already have some knowledge about how online business is going in year 2005, and that have already read, or been taught that it is recommended to build business websites targeted to NICHES, that are fractions, small parts, of a sector of an industry or of a market.
So this important concept can be summarised like this:
"When people wanting to run a home based business working from home start the planning of the building of a new website that is business oriented it is good practice to focus on a niche and to research keywords related to a niche instead of to a wide market in order to have to face a smaller competition and be able to generate value and a positive return on their investment".
Does it make sense? I think so, and so think most of the savvy online marketers and gurus nowadays.
Please note right now that keywords research is also crucial if you run PPC ADVERTISING, both for your own website or for AFFILIATE PROGRAMS that pay you commissions. We will return on this later in this article.
Now that we have understood the meaning and the importance of keywords research it's time to move to the practice.
How is it done the important task of keywords researching?
As experienced internet marketers we are able to provide you with a great SHORTCUT that has a small cost and will be able to save you a lot of time, efforts and also money, but we will provide you also some free resources if you really are on a zero budget and need to make some basic researches.
Here is the recommended resource for keywords research, it is a desktop program called "Keyword Locator" that has excellent features and will complete many tasks from a single software.
http://EarnWithGoogle.com/seo/keywordlocator.html
If you only use free resources you will need to use many of them in order to achieve similar results, or even to have done only a part of the tasks of Keyword Locator.
Let's see what you can do with free resources. The first site we suggest is NicheBot.com:
http://NicheBot.com
This site includes keyword count data from different sources, Overture and Wordtracker (only the first 15 results), and add also figures for number of pages for the researched keyword, competition and a ratio.
More detailed explanations are available on the site of course.
This website is probably the best free resource you can find as it already summarise data that normally would require you to use different websites to be reached.
Another popular free resource is GoodKeywords.com, that offers a free software to download that allows to do basic keywords researching and provide some other search features. You can go there to download the software for free:
http://GoodKeywords.com
And finally a set of free online tools you can use are offered by InstantPosition.com here:
http://instantposition.com/free_tools.cfm
InstantPosition.com is focused on SEO and provides many valid tools you will surely find interesting; amongst them you can find the keyword suggestion tool and the keyword popularity tool.
As you see we have been there with the free resources. Like everyone else we try to find online what can help us with the lower possible cost, and we all know that lower than free there is nothing.
But we also learned to profit of the experience of those who have been there before us and have developped better solutions and offer them for a small price. And sometimes the solutions developped are small gems that can become invaluable.
This is the case with Keyword Locator.
With this software you can do much more than you can do with all the different free resources put together, and of course much easily and quickly.
Keyword Locator is the professional solution to your needs.
In fact you can easily locate in demand niche markets and under exploited keywords in a matter of minutes.
You can complete keywords researching much faster and with less efforts, and pass to the phase of website building much sooner and with more detailed data on your hands.
And you can analyze and expose Your competition as you would not be able to do with only free resources.
All right, do you remember we told you that keyword research is very important also if you advertise in PPC like AdWords or Overture? Well this software is developped to minimise your expense and maximise your revenue from PPC advertising.
There are so many features we cannot report them all here in this article, so here there is again the link to this great software, the best one we have found for keyword researching:
http://EarnWithGoogle.com/seo/keywordlocator.html
We hope this article can be helpful for you and your work at home based business.
A Critical Review of Metastock 8.0: Is Upgrading Worth the Money
By David Jenyns
If you are like many other traders, you have been eagerly waiting for the release of Metastock 8.0 for one reason, and one reason only, the reportedly redeveloped system tester. Metastock`s one major flaw has always been its lack of back testing capabilities, though previous versions of Metastock are head and shoulders above the competition on other fronts.
But whatever criteria you use to trade with, be it moving averages, candle sticks, fibonacci retracements, or any other trading system, you`re going to need to back test it. Everyone needs to thoroughly back test, or simulate, their trading system in ways that can match the conditions you will be trading in. It`s something all serious traders do.
Consequently, when Equis International (the makers of Metastock 8.0) announced "an all-new type of exploration that emulates running system tests over an entire database of securities", I could hardly wait to get the Metastock 8.0 release.
While waiting to receiving my copy of Metastock 8.0 I began building trading systems. By the time my copy of Metastock 8.0 finally arrived, I had around 20 systems ready for testing, and couldn`t wait to try them out.
However, when I loaded up the software, I was in for a surprise. It looked like nothing had changed. I thought maybe Equis International had kept the same interface and added in greater flexibility and some more features, but after searching in every nook and cranny, I found next to nothing that was new. It looked the same and, except for a couple of small changes, it was the same!
Then I came to the System tester - now called the "Enhanced System Tester". This was my major reason for upgrading from version 7.22. This is what appeared to be only real difference between Metastock 7.22 and Metastock 8.0.
After fiddling around with the Metastock 8.0 Enhanced System Tester for a few hours, and testing my 20 systems, I reached the verdict that I wasted my money on the new version of Metastock 8.0. Despite the supposed improvements to the Enhanced System Tester it, like it`s predecessor, left a lot to be desired.
Even though the Metastock 8.0 Enhanced System Tester tests multiple securities in one batch, it treats each security independently of the others. Therefore, when Metastock 8.0 tests the first security, it uses your predefined float and takes the trade over the test period selected. Once that is completed, it repeats the same process for the second security, using the same initial float, with no reference to the first security.
In the end, you receive the same result that you would have if you simply tested each security individually and added the results together. Not only is this process dreadfully slow, but the entire reason for testing your system is side-stepped. When your finished all the explorations, the performance of your trading system is still unknown!
The moral of the story is that if you already own Metastock 7, don`t worry about upgrading to Metastock 8.0. Simply stick with the version you have and keep your fingers crossed that Equis International gets it right for Metastock 9.0
If you are like many other traders, you have been eagerly waiting for the release of Metastock 8.0 for one reason, and one reason only, the reportedly redeveloped system tester. Metastock`s one major flaw has always been its lack of back testing capabilities, though previous versions of Metastock are head and shoulders above the competition on other fronts.
But whatever criteria you use to trade with, be it moving averages, candle sticks, fibonacci retracements, or any other trading system, you`re going to need to back test it. Everyone needs to thoroughly back test, or simulate, their trading system in ways that can match the conditions you will be trading in. It`s something all serious traders do.
Consequently, when Equis International (the makers of Metastock 8.0) announced "an all-new type of exploration that emulates running system tests over an entire database of securities", I could hardly wait to get the Metastock 8.0 release.
While waiting to receiving my copy of Metastock 8.0 I began building trading systems. By the time my copy of Metastock 8.0 finally arrived, I had around 20 systems ready for testing, and couldn`t wait to try them out.
However, when I loaded up the software, I was in for a surprise. It looked like nothing had changed. I thought maybe Equis International had kept the same interface and added in greater flexibility and some more features, but after searching in every nook and cranny, I found next to nothing that was new. It looked the same and, except for a couple of small changes, it was the same!
Then I came to the System tester - now called the "Enhanced System Tester". This was my major reason for upgrading from version 7.22. This is what appeared to be only real difference between Metastock 7.22 and Metastock 8.0.
After fiddling around with the Metastock 8.0 Enhanced System Tester for a few hours, and testing my 20 systems, I reached the verdict that I wasted my money on the new version of Metastock 8.0. Despite the supposed improvements to the Enhanced System Tester it, like it`s predecessor, left a lot to be desired.
Even though the Metastock 8.0 Enhanced System Tester tests multiple securities in one batch, it treats each security independently of the others. Therefore, when Metastock 8.0 tests the first security, it uses your predefined float and takes the trade over the test period selected. Once that is completed, it repeats the same process for the second security, using the same initial float, with no reference to the first security.
In the end, you receive the same result that you would have if you simply tested each security individually and added the results together. Not only is this process dreadfully slow, but the entire reason for testing your system is side-stepped. When your finished all the explorations, the performance of your trading system is still unknown!
The moral of the story is that if you already own Metastock 7, don`t worry about upgrading to Metastock 8.0. Simply stick with the version you have and keep your fingers crossed that Equis International gets it right for Metastock 9.0
Accounting Methods – Cash and Accrual
By Richard A. Chapo
When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.
Cash Method
If you are looking for simplicity, the cash method is probably your best accounting choice. Generally, income and deductions can be claimed when payment is actually received or made. This is best shown with an example.
I open a small business and have to order business cards and stationary. I receive the products and pay the invoice on November 18, 2005. Under the cash method, I can deduct the cost on my 2005 tax return.
Some businesses are restricted from using the cash method. C corporations may only use the cash method if they have less than $5 million in gross revenues for a particular year. Professional Service Corporations can use the cash method without limit, while farming corporations can due so if gross revenues are less than $25 million. Tax shelters are prohibited from using the cash method.
Accrual Method
The Accrual Method of accounting is a bit more complex. Under this method, the focus in on the date the expense is incurred, not paid. Although this may seem a small difference, it can play havoc with your books and piece of mind.
Using our previous example, assume I order business cards and stationary on the December 18, 2005. I receive the products on December 30th, but don’t pay the invoice until January 20, 2006. When can the expense be claimed? It depends on when economic performance occurred.
Generally, economic performance occurs when goods or services are provided to you. In the above example, economic performance would arguably occur when the business cards and stationary were delivered with the invoice on December 30th. Thus, I would be able to deduct the expense for the 2005 tax year.
In Closing
As you can see, the cash method is the easier of the two accounting methods. To determine the best method for your business, speak with a tax professional.
When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.
Cash Method
If you are looking for simplicity, the cash method is probably your best accounting choice. Generally, income and deductions can be claimed when payment is actually received or made. This is best shown with an example.
I open a small business and have to order business cards and stationary. I receive the products and pay the invoice on November 18, 2005. Under the cash method, I can deduct the cost on my 2005 tax return.
Some businesses are restricted from using the cash method. C corporations may only use the cash method if they have less than $5 million in gross revenues for a particular year. Professional Service Corporations can use the cash method without limit, while farming corporations can due so if gross revenues are less than $25 million. Tax shelters are prohibited from using the cash method.
Accrual Method
The Accrual Method of accounting is a bit more complex. Under this method, the focus in on the date the expense is incurred, not paid. Although this may seem a small difference, it can play havoc with your books and piece of mind.
Using our previous example, assume I order business cards and stationary on the December 18, 2005. I receive the products on December 30th, but don’t pay the invoice until January 20, 2006. When can the expense be claimed? It depends on when economic performance occurred.
Generally, economic performance occurs when goods or services are provided to you. In the above example, economic performance would arguably occur when the business cards and stationary were delivered with the invoice on December 30th. Thus, I would be able to deduct the expense for the 2005 tax year.
In Closing
As you can see, the cash method is the easier of the two accounting methods. To determine the best method for your business, speak with a tax professional.
Accepting Credit Cards Payments For Offline Businesses
By Keith Baxter
Any smart business owner knows that accepting credit cards as a payment option will dramatically increase revenues. Not only do credit cards offer customers the convenience and ease of not having to carry around cash or checks, it lends a sense of professionalism to your establishment as well. The process of applying to become a credit card merchant can be a bit confusing and frustrating, so let's take a look at how it all works.
The Credit Card Account
The credit card account that you will use is called a merchant account. These accounts are different from a regular business checking account in that they are accounts that have been secured through a bank that offers credit card processing. This account enables you to process your credit card transactions through their banking establishment. This is a safe and secure process which provides both you and the buyer security and protection from the beginning of the transaction right through to the end.
Since most of the merchant accounts are offered by a third party vendor, you are not obligated to use any specific bank or institution. You are free to choose the one that offers the options that will work best for you and your company.
What you do need to pay attention to are the fees. These fees will come in three different forms. First, the initial setup fee (pretty self-explanatory), moving on to the percentage fee (the provider will take a percentage of each transaction based on amount of sale), and then ending with the monthly service fee. Read the fine print of any contract before signing it. Pay attention to all three fee categories, not just one.
Also, look for contract obligations. Some providers will offer you great deals but will want you to sign on with them for a long period of time. You need to be aware of what, if any, penalties will be charged for getting out of the contract if things don't work out.
How Do I Actually Get Paid
Obviously, this is pretty important. If a customer has used a credit card, no money has actually changed hands. Since more and more customers are now using credit cards, how that money gets into your account and how fast has become vitally important.
Any of the reputable merchant account providers will provide the business owner with payment into their account within the first 24 to 48 hours of the initial transaction. Whether that customer has a balance on that card is not a concern of yours. The bank will pay you anyway.
If the customer disputes the said transaction, the bank is usually under no obligation to pay the business owner, especially if that dispute has been deemed acceptable. If a business owner has a high number of legitimacy claims against them, the provider may just drop them.
The majority of the time, though, things go as planned and the money shows up in your account within a day or two.
Any smart business owner knows that accepting credit cards as a payment option will dramatically increase revenues. Not only do credit cards offer customers the convenience and ease of not having to carry around cash or checks, it lends a sense of professionalism to your establishment as well. The process of applying to become a credit card merchant can be a bit confusing and frustrating, so let's take a look at how it all works.
The Credit Card Account
The credit card account that you will use is called a merchant account. These accounts are different from a regular business checking account in that they are accounts that have been secured through a bank that offers credit card processing. This account enables you to process your credit card transactions through their banking establishment. This is a safe and secure process which provides both you and the buyer security and protection from the beginning of the transaction right through to the end.
Since most of the merchant accounts are offered by a third party vendor, you are not obligated to use any specific bank or institution. You are free to choose the one that offers the options that will work best for you and your company.
What you do need to pay attention to are the fees. These fees will come in three different forms. First, the initial setup fee (pretty self-explanatory), moving on to the percentage fee (the provider will take a percentage of each transaction based on amount of sale), and then ending with the monthly service fee. Read the fine print of any contract before signing it. Pay attention to all three fee categories, not just one.
Also, look for contract obligations. Some providers will offer you great deals but will want you to sign on with them for a long period of time. You need to be aware of what, if any, penalties will be charged for getting out of the contract if things don't work out.
How Do I Actually Get Paid
Obviously, this is pretty important. If a customer has used a credit card, no money has actually changed hands. Since more and more customers are now using credit cards, how that money gets into your account and how fast has become vitally important.
Any of the reputable merchant account providers will provide the business owner with payment into their account within the first 24 to 48 hours of the initial transaction. Whether that customer has a balance on that card is not a concern of yours. The bank will pay you anyway.
If the customer disputes the said transaction, the bank is usually under no obligation to pay the business owner, especially if that dispute has been deemed acceptable. If a business owner has a high number of legitimacy claims against them, the provider may just drop them.
The majority of the time, though, things go as planned and the money shows up in your account within a day or two.
30 Different Ways To Promote And Advertise Your WebSite
By Andrew Wroblewski
There are literally thousands of things you can do to promote and advertise your website, here are just a few I have found to work for me.
1- Tell your audience what kind of support they'll get after they buy. It could be free consulting, tech support, free servicing, etc. This may also answer some of their buying questions ahead of time. People don't want to buy products without knowing you will be there to help if they have problems.
2- Ask people at the end of your copy why they decided not to buy. This will give you new ideas on how to produce ad copy that’s more profitable. Have a web form or e-mail link in place so they can answer you. You may find out they don't like your guarantee or graphics. It could be anything.
3- Think of ways to get your site or business in the the news. You could sponsor a fundraiser, break a world record, hold a major event, etc. Simply write a press release about what you’ve accomplished, then send it to media outlets that cater to your target audience.
4- Hold a contest on your web site. Give other web sites the option of offering it to their visitors. This'll multiply your advertising all over the Internet. It would become a viral contest. Of course the contest must either be ongoing or held regularly so you could allow other online publishers to offer it to their visitors or subscribers.
5- Tell your potential customers that your ordering system is highly secure. Also reassure them that you take every effort to protect them. People want to feel they are safe online. They want to know that you care about their well-being. Tell them all about what you currently do for them to make them feel more secure.
6- Carry business cards with you wherever you go. Have your web address printed on them. You can hand them out to anyone you meet. Just think of all the people you meet on a regular basis: grocery clerks, post office workers, bag boys, family members, friends, salesmen/women, etc.
7- Contact national radio stations to ask them if they are looking for guest speakers. Tell them your area of expertise; maybe they'll book you for a show. Of course you would want to contact targeted stations and shows which would want to know more about you and your area of expertise.
8- Join clubs related to your area of business. You could trade leads with other businesses. Learn new ways to run your business and sell your products. You could also create your own online business club. You could provide private chat rooms, message boards, articles, etc.
9- Think of a domain name for your web site that's easy to remember. It should be related to what your business does, sells or provides. If there aren’t any business names available, use your actual birth name. You could at least brand yourself. Your own name will give you credibility.
10- Position your web site at the top of pay-per-click search engines. You will only pay your set amount for each click-through you get to your web site. Just make sure your profits will pay for your advertising cost. If they won't, maybe you could share a web site with another related business and split the costs.
11- Allow your visitors or customers to increase your traffic or sales. Ask them how you can improve your business, web site or product. You can ask them at your web site, in your e-zine, on your message board, in your chat room, in your guest book, in your product packages, etc.
12- Team up with other e-zines that have the same target audience. Combine subscriber bases and then publish one e-zine together to increase subscribers. You could all include your ads and announcements in the e-zine. You could also take turns for the top advertising space.
13- Swap endorsement advertisements with other web sites. Endorsement ads usually pull more sales and traffic than regular advertisements. People have taught themselves to ignore advertisements because they see hundreds of them every day. Endorsements usually don't look or sound like normal ads.
14- Outsource part of your workload to save time and money. You can spend more of your time and money promoting your business. You'll save money on employee costs, space costs, training costs, etc. Keep the work you enjoy doing to keep you motivated and ship out the work you don't like.
15- Include a signature file on all the e-mails you send out. Provide your business name, phone number, e-mail and web address, etc. Also include a brief blurb for your business or the product you're selling. For example, you could say, "How To Wash Your Car In Two Minutes or Less!"
16- Use pictures or graphics on your web site that support the product you're selling. They could give your visitors a clearer vision of your product, the benefits of the product, people's emotion when they own the product, etc. You could also use ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures.
17- Create a friendly, long-term relationship with all your customers. Practice good customer service and follow-up with them on a regular basis. You could follow-up with gifts, greeting cards, free things, coupons, special offers, reminders, your e-zine, helpful advice, etc.
18- Create strategic alliances with other web sites. You could exchange banner ads, sell each other's products as back-end products, cross-promote, etc. You could also create a web site together and promote it on your separate web sites. You would both just split the costs and profits.
19- Increase the perceived value of your product to skyrocket your sales. Add on free bonuses, after- sale services or an affiliate program. Other factors that would help are: your own domain name, a professional web design, a good-looking product graphic and persuasive ad copy.
20- Give customers a discount on their total order to increase sales. You could give them a discount for ordering over a set dollar or product amount. For example, you could say, "Buy over $39 worth of products and get a 20% discount on your order!" Another example, "Get a 15% discount if you order 3 or more products!"
21- Allow your visitors to reprint the content on your web site. Just ask them to include your resource box and a link to your site in exchange. This will turn your content into a traffic machine and the external links will help increase your ranking in some search engines.
22- Provide a free contest or sweepstake at your web site. It's a fact, people like to win things. If you can fulfill that need, people will visit. You can also attract them to revisit by holding one every week or month. You could also start an opt-in list for people who enter your contest or sweepstake so you can follow-up with them regularly.
23- Save time and money by using ad submitters. You will reach a larger part of your target audience far more quickly than by manually submitting your ad. You should manually submit your ad to the most popular web sites so you have a better chance of being listed or placed in a good position.
24- Create a good first impression. You will not be able to sell very many products if your visitors think your web site looks unprofessional. Use crisp graphics, attractive color combinations, a readable text size, even spacing, even margins, bold headlines, indent benefits, etc.
25- Stop procrastinating and start finishing all your business tasks. Do one at a time. Don’t get caught up thinking that you can never get them all done. Make a list. Do the easiest or most crucial one first and move down the list. Cross off each task as you complete it.
26- Develop a relationship with all your visitors and customers. Tell them how much you appreciate them visiting your web site or buying your product. Invite them to online and offline events like free chat room classes, parties, dinner gatherings, business events, etc.
27- Hire a business coach to help improve you and your business. That could help increase your sales, motivate you, balance your workload, etc. It would be like renting an extra brain. You would have double the thinking power.
28- Stay away from being too comfortable with your income or life. You should always be making new goals for yourself and developing new sales ideas. The world keeps changing and if you pause too long, you might miss out. You only live once.
29- Make sure you don’t become a workaholic. Your mind needs time away from your business life. This will help your brain think clearly while working. The best time to get profitable ideas is when you’re not thinking about them. They just pop into your brain.
30- Create and follow short/long-term goals for your business. The short-term goals can create early success and the long-term goals can create future success. Design each goal so they all add up to your ultimate goal. Don't make your goals too unrealistic otherwise depression and frustration could move you farther away from them.
Good Luck and get busy promoting!
There are literally thousands of things you can do to promote and advertise your website, here are just a few I have found to work for me.
1- Tell your audience what kind of support they'll get after they buy. It could be free consulting, tech support, free servicing, etc. This may also answer some of their buying questions ahead of time. People don't want to buy products without knowing you will be there to help if they have problems.
2- Ask people at the end of your copy why they decided not to buy. This will give you new ideas on how to produce ad copy that’s more profitable. Have a web form or e-mail link in place so they can answer you. You may find out they don't like your guarantee or graphics. It could be anything.
3- Think of ways to get your site or business in the the news. You could sponsor a fundraiser, break a world record, hold a major event, etc. Simply write a press release about what you’ve accomplished, then send it to media outlets that cater to your target audience.
4- Hold a contest on your web site. Give other web sites the option of offering it to their visitors. This'll multiply your advertising all over the Internet. It would become a viral contest. Of course the contest must either be ongoing or held regularly so you could allow other online publishers to offer it to their visitors or subscribers.
5- Tell your potential customers that your ordering system is highly secure. Also reassure them that you take every effort to protect them. People want to feel they are safe online. They want to know that you care about their well-being. Tell them all about what you currently do for them to make them feel more secure.
6- Carry business cards with you wherever you go. Have your web address printed on them. You can hand them out to anyone you meet. Just think of all the people you meet on a regular basis: grocery clerks, post office workers, bag boys, family members, friends, salesmen/women, etc.
7- Contact national radio stations to ask them if they are looking for guest speakers. Tell them your area of expertise; maybe they'll book you for a show. Of course you would want to contact targeted stations and shows which would want to know more about you and your area of expertise.
8- Join clubs related to your area of business. You could trade leads with other businesses. Learn new ways to run your business and sell your products. You could also create your own online business club. You could provide private chat rooms, message boards, articles, etc.
9- Think of a domain name for your web site that's easy to remember. It should be related to what your business does, sells or provides. If there aren’t any business names available, use your actual birth name. You could at least brand yourself. Your own name will give you credibility.
10- Position your web site at the top of pay-per-click search engines. You will only pay your set amount for each click-through you get to your web site. Just make sure your profits will pay for your advertising cost. If they won't, maybe you could share a web site with another related business and split the costs.
11- Allow your visitors or customers to increase your traffic or sales. Ask them how you can improve your business, web site or product. You can ask them at your web site, in your e-zine, on your message board, in your chat room, in your guest book, in your product packages, etc.
12- Team up with other e-zines that have the same target audience. Combine subscriber bases and then publish one e-zine together to increase subscribers. You could all include your ads and announcements in the e-zine. You could also take turns for the top advertising space.
13- Swap endorsement advertisements with other web sites. Endorsement ads usually pull more sales and traffic than regular advertisements. People have taught themselves to ignore advertisements because they see hundreds of them every day. Endorsements usually don't look or sound like normal ads.
14- Outsource part of your workload to save time and money. You can spend more of your time and money promoting your business. You'll save money on employee costs, space costs, training costs, etc. Keep the work you enjoy doing to keep you motivated and ship out the work you don't like.
15- Include a signature file on all the e-mails you send out. Provide your business name, phone number, e-mail and web address, etc. Also include a brief blurb for your business or the product you're selling. For example, you could say, "How To Wash Your Car In Two Minutes or Less!"
16- Use pictures or graphics on your web site that support the product you're selling. They could give your visitors a clearer vision of your product, the benefits of the product, people's emotion when they own the product, etc. You could also use ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures.
17- Create a friendly, long-term relationship with all your customers. Practice good customer service and follow-up with them on a regular basis. You could follow-up with gifts, greeting cards, free things, coupons, special offers, reminders, your e-zine, helpful advice, etc.
18- Create strategic alliances with other web sites. You could exchange banner ads, sell each other's products as back-end products, cross-promote, etc. You could also create a web site together and promote it on your separate web sites. You would both just split the costs and profits.
19- Increase the perceived value of your product to skyrocket your sales. Add on free bonuses, after- sale services or an affiliate program. Other factors that would help are: your own domain name, a professional web design, a good-looking product graphic and persuasive ad copy.
20- Give customers a discount on their total order to increase sales. You could give them a discount for ordering over a set dollar or product amount. For example, you could say, "Buy over $39 worth of products and get a 20% discount on your order!" Another example, "Get a 15% discount if you order 3 or more products!"
21- Allow your visitors to reprint the content on your web site. Just ask them to include your resource box and a link to your site in exchange. This will turn your content into a traffic machine and the external links will help increase your ranking in some search engines.
22- Provide a free contest or sweepstake at your web site. It's a fact, people like to win things. If you can fulfill that need, people will visit. You can also attract them to revisit by holding one every week or month. You could also start an opt-in list for people who enter your contest or sweepstake so you can follow-up with them regularly.
23- Save time and money by using ad submitters. You will reach a larger part of your target audience far more quickly than by manually submitting your ad. You should manually submit your ad to the most popular web sites so you have a better chance of being listed or placed in a good position.
24- Create a good first impression. You will not be able to sell very many products if your visitors think your web site looks unprofessional. Use crisp graphics, attractive color combinations, a readable text size, even spacing, even margins, bold headlines, indent benefits, etc.
25- Stop procrastinating and start finishing all your business tasks. Do one at a time. Don’t get caught up thinking that you can never get them all done. Make a list. Do the easiest or most crucial one first and move down the list. Cross off each task as you complete it.
26- Develop a relationship with all your visitors and customers. Tell them how much you appreciate them visiting your web site or buying your product. Invite them to online and offline events like free chat room classes, parties, dinner gatherings, business events, etc.
27- Hire a business coach to help improve you and your business. That could help increase your sales, motivate you, balance your workload, etc. It would be like renting an extra brain. You would have double the thinking power.
28- Stay away from being too comfortable with your income or life. You should always be making new goals for yourself and developing new sales ideas. The world keeps changing and if you pause too long, you might miss out. You only live once.
29- Make sure you don’t become a workaholic. Your mind needs time away from your business life. This will help your brain think clearly while working. The best time to get profitable ideas is when you’re not thinking about them. They just pop into your brain.
30- Create and follow short/long-term goals for your business. The short-term goals can create early success and the long-term goals can create future success. Design each goal so they all add up to your ultimate goal. Don't make your goals too unrealistic otherwise depression and frustration could move you farther away from them.
Good Luck and get busy promoting!
16 Vital Traits Shared by Successful Entrepreneurs
By Michael Brassil
The first step in deciding whether to start a business is to ask yourself this important question: "Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?" A variety of experts have documented research that indicates that successful small business entrepreneurs, whether male or female, have some common characteristics. How do you measure up? It will be up to you -- not someone else telling you - to develop projects, organize your time and follow through on details.
Contrary to conventional opinion, an entrepreneur can be either an introvert or an extrovert. The basic difference is, introverts tend to focus their energy internally and often work better by themselves. Extroverts focus their energy externally. They usually work better in groups, or teams. Very few people are completely one way or the other. Most fall somewhere in between. True entrepreneurs:
1. Have a passion for what they do.
2. Have "street smarts." They don’t stay locked up in their ivory towers.
3. Have the capability of excelling in at least one area of business.
4. Become an authority on what they do, and monitor the progress of their endeavors.
5. Are team builders. They excel at bringing people into the enterprise who are smarter and more skilled in specific areas.
6. Ask for what they want and need and are relentless and tenacious at problem solving.
7. Realize the need for the help and support of others.
8. Understand that success rarely comes without total commitment. The only limitations they face are the ones they impose upon themselves.
9. Have high energy.
10. Have extraordinary self-confidence.
11. Set long-term goals.
12. Perceive money as a measure of accomplishment.
13. Persist in problem-solving and have a knack for getting more accomplished with less.
14. Take initiative and moderate risks, learn from failure, and seek and use feedback.
15. Accept personal responsibility, and use all available resources.
16. Believe that success or failure lies within their personal control or influence.
The most successful entrepreneurs are certainly not the most intelligent or the most highly educated. But they are creative, highly motivated, intuitive and possess the ability to recognize opportunities when they spot them.
The first step in deciding whether to start a business is to ask yourself this important question: "Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?" A variety of experts have documented research that indicates that successful small business entrepreneurs, whether male or female, have some common characteristics. How do you measure up? It will be up to you -- not someone else telling you - to develop projects, organize your time and follow through on details.
Contrary to conventional opinion, an entrepreneur can be either an introvert or an extrovert. The basic difference is, introverts tend to focus their energy internally and often work better by themselves. Extroverts focus their energy externally. They usually work better in groups, or teams. Very few people are completely one way or the other. Most fall somewhere in between. True entrepreneurs:
1. Have a passion for what they do.
2. Have "street smarts." They don’t stay locked up in their ivory towers.
3. Have the capability of excelling in at least one area of business.
4. Become an authority on what they do, and monitor the progress of their endeavors.
5. Are team builders. They excel at bringing people into the enterprise who are smarter and more skilled in specific areas.
6. Ask for what they want and need and are relentless and tenacious at problem solving.
7. Realize the need for the help and support of others.
8. Understand that success rarely comes without total commitment. The only limitations they face are the ones they impose upon themselves.
9. Have high energy.
10. Have extraordinary self-confidence.
11. Set long-term goals.
12. Perceive money as a measure of accomplishment.
13. Persist in problem-solving and have a knack for getting more accomplished with less.
14. Take initiative and moderate risks, learn from failure, and seek and use feedback.
15. Accept personal responsibility, and use all available resources.
16. Believe that success or failure lies within their personal control or influence.
The most successful entrepreneurs are certainly not the most intelligent or the most highly educated. But they are creative, highly motivated, intuitive and possess the ability to recognize opportunities when they spot them.
12 Great Reasons to Know Your Target Market
By Greg Beverly
I was speaking with a potential client the other day and asked THAT question…”Who is your target market?” As a provider of telecommunications equipment, his response was, “Anyone who has a phone!” While that may seem like a good answer, the reality is that it is completely unfocused and undoubtedly wastes thousands of dollars in marketing costs and tens of thousands of dollars in opportunity costs. After all, would you rather spend your valuable time with a prospect who buys 70% of the time, or one who buys 15% of the time?
The reality is that no matter what business you are in, no matter what product you sell, you can take a look back at your customers and very quickly determine the characteristics of those most likely to purchase your product or service. Why is this important? Let’s say you do sell telecommunications equipment like my prospect. When you examine your sales history, you find out that 80% of your customers have between 10 and 20 million dollars in sales, have more than 15 employees and are sole proprietorships. So you now know with indisputable proof that for whatever reason, a sole proprietor with $12 million dollars in sales and 20 employees is much more likely to buy from you than a partnership with $5 million in sales and 10 employees. How important can that be when planning your lead generation and conversion tactics?
Let’s briefly discuss defining some prime market segments, specific geographic markets, sizes and trends, characteristics of people and 12 very important reasons to profile your target customers.
1 – You will know how to communicate your message with a minimum of confusion when you basically know who your customers really are and deliberately set out to attract them.
2 – You will better able to decide how to market your product or services, if it’s going to be direct mail, newsletter, direct sales, cold calls etc.
3 – You will know what additional services that your potential prospective customers or clients will want and expect from you.
4 – You will know basically what your target customers are willing to pay.
5 – You will know what your target customers will expect in terms of quality.
6 – You will know where large groups of target customers are located so you can market directly to them.
7 – You will know who else is after your target customers business.
8 – Your customer will help you define your true market.
9 – It will identify where it’s possible to survive and prosper.
10 – When human needs aren’t being met, you’ll find a widening gap in the market and the key to opportunity.
11 – You will learn simple techniques that will help you gain insight into consumer behavior.
12 – It will be very important because you’ll be able to conceptualize your overall market.
Does this mean that we sell ONLY to our target market? Of course not! And does it mean that you give up on those outside your market? Again, a resounding NO! What it does give you is a place to start. When you aren’t sure WHY people outside your customer base aren’t buying, the first thing to do is to target prospects that have the same characteristics of your current customers.
The second, later thing to do is to find out WHY those outside your base are not buying and see if you can change that. It may be as obvious as no one under 30 buying your wrinkle reducing cream, but most likely it will be much more complicated. Once you are able to determine the reason for a particular group ignoring your sales message, you can address that issue.
I was speaking with a potential client the other day and asked THAT question…”Who is your target market?” As a provider of telecommunications equipment, his response was, “Anyone who has a phone!” While that may seem like a good answer, the reality is that it is completely unfocused and undoubtedly wastes thousands of dollars in marketing costs and tens of thousands of dollars in opportunity costs. After all, would you rather spend your valuable time with a prospect who buys 70% of the time, or one who buys 15% of the time?
The reality is that no matter what business you are in, no matter what product you sell, you can take a look back at your customers and very quickly determine the characteristics of those most likely to purchase your product or service. Why is this important? Let’s say you do sell telecommunications equipment like my prospect. When you examine your sales history, you find out that 80% of your customers have between 10 and 20 million dollars in sales, have more than 15 employees and are sole proprietorships. So you now know with indisputable proof that for whatever reason, a sole proprietor with $12 million dollars in sales and 20 employees is much more likely to buy from you than a partnership with $5 million in sales and 10 employees. How important can that be when planning your lead generation and conversion tactics?
Let’s briefly discuss defining some prime market segments, specific geographic markets, sizes and trends, characteristics of people and 12 very important reasons to profile your target customers.
1 – You will know how to communicate your message with a minimum of confusion when you basically know who your customers really are and deliberately set out to attract them.
2 – You will better able to decide how to market your product or services, if it’s going to be direct mail, newsletter, direct sales, cold calls etc.
3 – You will know what additional services that your potential prospective customers or clients will want and expect from you.
4 – You will know basically what your target customers are willing to pay.
5 – You will know what your target customers will expect in terms of quality.
6 – You will know where large groups of target customers are located so you can market directly to them.
7 – You will know who else is after your target customers business.
8 – Your customer will help you define your true market.
9 – It will identify where it’s possible to survive and prosper.
10 – When human needs aren’t being met, you’ll find a widening gap in the market and the key to opportunity.
11 – You will learn simple techniques that will help you gain insight into consumer behavior.
12 – It will be very important because you’ll be able to conceptualize your overall market.
Does this mean that we sell ONLY to our target market? Of course not! And does it mean that you give up on those outside your market? Again, a resounding NO! What it does give you is a place to start. When you aren’t sure WHY people outside your customer base aren’t buying, the first thing to do is to target prospects that have the same characteristics of your current customers.
The second, later thing to do is to find out WHY those outside your base are not buying and see if you can change that. It may be as obvious as no one under 30 buying your wrinkle reducing cream, but most likely it will be much more complicated. Once you are able to determine the reason for a particular group ignoring your sales message, you can address that issue.
11 Proven Sales Strategies to Help You Close The Deal
By Abe Cherian
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on
your web site as long as the byline is included and the
article is included in it's entirety. I also ask that you
activate any html links found in the article and in the
byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you
publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com
----------------------------------
11 Proven Sales Strategies to Help You Close The Deal
By Abe Cherian
Copyright ? 2005
There are a number of sales closing strategies that you can
learn with different ones applied in different situations.
Each salesperson might be more comfortable with one or
another. As a business owner, you want to be certain that
you and your salespeople become exposed to a number of
different strategies so they can choose the one they prefer
depending on different situations.
First you must understand that before you can assist your
prospect in identifying the advantages of buying your
products or services, you must also instruct them of the
disadvantages.
Then you and the prospect analyze the items on your list
and identify the strengths and advantages while overcoming
the disadvantages.
The goal here is for the advantages to outweigh the
disadvantages and close the deal.
The take it with them close- This allows the prospect to
actually take the product home or try out the product. The
idea is that once this happens, the prospect will be unable
to part with the product and must have it.
There is a story about a salesmen who sold pet dogs. The
salesman said "Here, take this home and give me a call in a
week. If you don't want it, I'll come and get it". Once
that dog was there and the young son fell in love with it,
there was no way that dog was going back.
Subject To Approval Close- This allows a salesperson to
actually close a sale, but do so subject to certain
contingencies. In other words, it's up to the salesperson
at this point to really do some work when possible to
assist the prospect in removing contingencies thereby
making the sale official. .
Take Away Close- I prefer this one. It's human nature to
want what one can't have. The salesperson says things like,
"This product isn't for everyone. It's a certain kind of
person who can appreciate this service."
The Standby Feel Close- This approach is intended to
establish empathy with your prospect's situation in an
effort to persuade them that you or a prior customer has
actually dealt with their situation.
The Order Form Close- Sometimes the prospect might need a
little encouragement and It's useful to actually take your
order form or contract and put it in ftont of your
prospect. Tell them to complete a section and you'll
complete the rest.
Never say, "Sign the contract", which has a very negative
connotation. It appears too binding and rigid to your
prospect
If they haven't heard enough reason to buy, you then say
""If We Do This, Will You Buy?" you must identify what it
will take for the prospect to break down and buy.
Presumptive Close- Under this method you actually go on the
assumption or presumption that the prospect has already
decided to buy. You might talk about how a prospect will
enjoy the product or service or how the benefits might be
enjoyed.
When the prospect gets in the habit of talking, feeling and
thinking like they already have the item, the sale is
almost all but completed.
Informational Close- If your products or services is such
that your prospect needs more information in order to make
up their mind, then the more relevant information you can
share the more likely the prospect is to buy.
Overcoming Objectives Close- You can identify the
prospect's specific objections to buying and focus on ways
to overcome those objections. As you successfully
accomplish this task, the close will follow right
afterwards.
Instructional Close- If the close requires the buyer to
know how to use your products or services, it is critical
that you provide detailed instructions where applicable.
Directive Close- This is when you actually talk to your
prospect and tell them exactly what to do. Direct Them to
go over and sign up. They will respond by buying when told
to do so. It's one of the easiest ways to make a sale.
Exclusive Close- You indicate in all the marketing you do
that your products or services are very exclusive. Lock the
doors and only allow customers and referrals to enter. Soon
you'll find they want it because everyone wants in.
Whatever the strategies you and your employees learn and
implement, all awareness that sales strategies are
available is essential to go a long way in your business
sales efforts.
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on
your web site as long as the byline is included and the
article is included in it's entirety. I also ask that you
activate any html links found in the article and in the
byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you
publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com
----------------------------------
11 Proven Sales Strategies to Help You Close The Deal
By Abe Cherian
Copyright ? 2005
There are a number of sales closing strategies that you can
learn with different ones applied in different situations.
Each salesperson might be more comfortable with one or
another. As a business owner, you want to be certain that
you and your salespeople become exposed to a number of
different strategies so they can choose the one they prefer
depending on different situations.
First you must understand that before you can assist your
prospect in identifying the advantages of buying your
products or services, you must also instruct them of the
disadvantages.
Then you and the prospect analyze the items on your list
and identify the strengths and advantages while overcoming
the disadvantages.
The goal here is for the advantages to outweigh the
disadvantages and close the deal.
The take it with them close- This allows the prospect to
actually take the product home or try out the product. The
idea is that once this happens, the prospect will be unable
to part with the product and must have it.
There is a story about a salesmen who sold pet dogs. The
salesman said "Here, take this home and give me a call in a
week. If you don't want it, I'll come and get it". Once
that dog was there and the young son fell in love with it,
there was no way that dog was going back.
Subject To Approval Close- This allows a salesperson to
actually close a sale, but do so subject to certain
contingencies. In other words, it's up to the salesperson
at this point to really do some work when possible to
assist the prospect in removing contingencies thereby
making the sale official. .
Take Away Close- I prefer this one. It's human nature to
want what one can't have. The salesperson says things like,
"This product isn't for everyone. It's a certain kind of
person who can appreciate this service."
The Standby Feel Close- This approach is intended to
establish empathy with your prospect's situation in an
effort to persuade them that you or a prior customer has
actually dealt with their situation.
The Order Form Close- Sometimes the prospect might need a
little encouragement and It's useful to actually take your
order form or contract and put it in ftont of your
prospect. Tell them to complete a section and you'll
complete the rest.
Never say, "Sign the contract", which has a very negative
connotation. It appears too binding and rigid to your
prospect
If they haven't heard enough reason to buy, you then say
""If We Do This, Will You Buy?" you must identify what it
will take for the prospect to break down and buy.
Presumptive Close- Under this method you actually go on the
assumption or presumption that the prospect has already
decided to buy. You might talk about how a prospect will
enjoy the product or service or how the benefits might be
enjoyed.
When the prospect gets in the habit of talking, feeling and
thinking like they already have the item, the sale is
almost all but completed.
Informational Close- If your products or services is such
that your prospect needs more information in order to make
up their mind, then the more relevant information you can
share the more likely the prospect is to buy.
Overcoming Objectives Close- You can identify the
prospect's specific objections to buying and focus on ways
to overcome those objections. As you successfully
accomplish this task, the close will follow right
afterwards.
Instructional Close- If the close requires the buyer to
know how to use your products or services, it is critical
that you provide detailed instructions where applicable.
Directive Close- This is when you actually talk to your
prospect and tell them exactly what to do. Direct Them to
go over and sign up. They will respond by buying when told
to do so. It's one of the easiest ways to make a sale.
Exclusive Close- You indicate in all the marketing you do
that your products or services are very exclusive. Lock the
doors and only allow customers and referrals to enter. Soon
you'll find they want it because everyone wants in.
Whatever the strategies you and your employees learn and
implement, all awareness that sales strategies are
available is essential to go a long way in your business
sales efforts.
10 Ways To Make More Money In Network Marketing
By Noah Ulrich
Network Marketing is an excellent way for the "average Joe or Jane" to make an extra income. This business concept has been around for decades, and it will not disappear any time soon. The reason for its popularity is simple... It Works! It does however, require lots of work and most importantly, dedication and persistance to get the job done. The best part is, once you are able to set up a solid network, your business becomes MUCH less time intensive. Almost like going on "autopilot". The key is to get there as fast as possible.
Here are just a couple of tips I have found to be helpful in maximizing your Network Marketing Business:
1. Use your products regularly. This is Number 1 for a reason, this is the most ignored part of ANY network marketing business. How do you expect your business to succeed if you will not even use your own products? It does seem silly to even have to bring this up, but there are many who are not using their own products, and wonder why they are not making any money. Make a commitment to use your products for a year, and see where your business goes.
2. Educate yourself constantly. This is very important! You must rid yourself of negative ideas, sometimes referred to as "stinkin thinkin". This can be done in a variety of ways. I recommend reading at least 15 minutes a day, but try to shoot for 30. Business and self-help books are a great way to start. Don't forget your Multi-level magazines, as they are full of tips and advice. Lastly, listen to cassette tapes on multi-level tips from top earners in your business.
3. Spend as much time as possible with your upline. Your upline should have only one goal in mind, To Help You Succeed! They are a vast source of knowledge and information. Mingle with top distributors in your group, or other groups, and ask how they made it. Most everyone should be more than happy to provide you with excellent tips and advice.
4. Present your products and marketing plan personally to at least one person daily. Remember above when I said you are going to have to work, well here it is. Now here is the key, the prospects to whom you present your plan, do not have to be yours personally. Show the plan for your downline, and not only will you create "security" by placing members in your downlines' downline, it will also give you a boost in your personal income! I can guarantee if you were to follow this rule for 6 months, you would create a downline with enough width and depth to create an income to sustain you and your family for life.
5. Care for your downline. An entire book can be written on this topic. Usually, it's the little things that show you really care. Try to maintain regular contact, and always praise your distributor's accomplishments. You can even offer incentives for specific achievements, such as money, travel, recognition, or other rewards, to help motivate your group.
6. Duplicate yourself by making distributors independent of you. This will help to multiply your time, thus making you and your group more effective. Always lead by example. Never stop recruiting, training and retailing. Remember the KISS formula - "Keep It Simple, Sweety" I know, I know, I changed the last word, but it maintains the meaning. This can be done my conducting simple, brief, yet dramatic presentations, and teaching your downline to do the same.
7. Create a large customer base. This is another largely ignored, yet very important, piece of your network marketing business. Many try so hard to build a huge downline, that they forget how much profit they could also make by selling their products to retail customers. Some people will just not want to become part of your downline, no matter how great a product/system you may have. This does not mean they will not be personally interested in your product. Try to make everyone your customer. Once you earn their trust, they will come to you more, and perhaps even join your downline later. Always "leave the door open", as people's needs do change.
8. Focus on your customers needs. You must give customers more than they expect, and always satisfy your customers complaints immediately. Try to listen 80% of the time, and talk only 20%. As stated above, your customers can be a huge source of future referrals and/or business. You must earn and maintain their trust. Once you have their trust, you can always ask for referrals, which leads to even more business and a larger downline.
9. Set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals - and Write Them Down! You may have heard the expression, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Breaking up a larger goal into smaller easily attainable goals, is the key to success. You cannot just jump to the end, you have to make progress everyday. Writing them down is another largely ignored, important tip to help you succeed. A goal is just a "passing thought", or "wish" until you put it in writing. That is when it becomes concrete and real. It is also a great idea to keep a business journal of your daily activities, as it will help you to become more productive and time-conscious.
10. Get Out There And Do It Now! All of the knowledge in the world is useless and unprofitable, until you put the most important ingredient of them all in place. This "secret" ingredient should come as no surprise at all, but this is the #1 reason for failure at anything in life. It is ACTION! Remember, knowledge is useless without action.
Thank you for reading this, and I truly hope this has provided you with valuable information to help you and your business grow and succeed.
Noah Ulrich is a top producing network marketer and webmaster of http://www.informativeresources.com He maintains a profitable internet business and has done so since 2001.
Network Marketing is an excellent way for the "average Joe or Jane" to make an extra income. This business concept has been around for decades, and it will not disappear any time soon. The reason for its popularity is simple... It Works! It does however, require lots of work and most importantly, dedication and persistance to get the job done. The best part is, once you are able to set up a solid network, your business becomes MUCH less time intensive. Almost like going on "autopilot". The key is to get there as fast as possible.
Here are just a couple of tips I have found to be helpful in maximizing your Network Marketing Business:
1. Use your products regularly. This is Number 1 for a reason, this is the most ignored part of ANY network marketing business. How do you expect your business to succeed if you will not even use your own products? It does seem silly to even have to bring this up, but there are many who are not using their own products, and wonder why they are not making any money. Make a commitment to use your products for a year, and see where your business goes.
2. Educate yourself constantly. This is very important! You must rid yourself of negative ideas, sometimes referred to as "stinkin thinkin". This can be done in a variety of ways. I recommend reading at least 15 minutes a day, but try to shoot for 30. Business and self-help books are a great way to start. Don't forget your Multi-level magazines, as they are full of tips and advice. Lastly, listen to cassette tapes on multi-level tips from top earners in your business.
3. Spend as much time as possible with your upline. Your upline should have only one goal in mind, To Help You Succeed! They are a vast source of knowledge and information. Mingle with top distributors in your group, or other groups, and ask how they made it. Most everyone should be more than happy to provide you with excellent tips and advice.
4. Present your products and marketing plan personally to at least one person daily. Remember above when I said you are going to have to work, well here it is. Now here is the key, the prospects to whom you present your plan, do not have to be yours personally. Show the plan for your downline, and not only will you create "security" by placing members in your downlines' downline, it will also give you a boost in your personal income! I can guarantee if you were to follow this rule for 6 months, you would create a downline with enough width and depth to create an income to sustain you and your family for life.
5. Care for your downline. An entire book can be written on this topic. Usually, it's the little things that show you really care. Try to maintain regular contact, and always praise your distributor's accomplishments. You can even offer incentives for specific achievements, such as money, travel, recognition, or other rewards, to help motivate your group.
6. Duplicate yourself by making distributors independent of you. This will help to multiply your time, thus making you and your group more effective. Always lead by example. Never stop recruiting, training and retailing. Remember the KISS formula - "Keep It Simple, Sweety" I know, I know, I changed the last word, but it maintains the meaning. This can be done my conducting simple, brief, yet dramatic presentations, and teaching your downline to do the same.
7. Create a large customer base. This is another largely ignored, yet very important, piece of your network marketing business. Many try so hard to build a huge downline, that they forget how much profit they could also make by selling their products to retail customers. Some people will just not want to become part of your downline, no matter how great a product/system you may have. This does not mean they will not be personally interested in your product. Try to make everyone your customer. Once you earn their trust, they will come to you more, and perhaps even join your downline later. Always "leave the door open", as people's needs do change.
8. Focus on your customers needs. You must give customers more than they expect, and always satisfy your customers complaints immediately. Try to listen 80% of the time, and talk only 20%. As stated above, your customers can be a huge source of future referrals and/or business. You must earn and maintain their trust. Once you have their trust, you can always ask for referrals, which leads to even more business and a larger downline.
9. Set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals - and Write Them Down! You may have heard the expression, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Breaking up a larger goal into smaller easily attainable goals, is the key to success. You cannot just jump to the end, you have to make progress everyday. Writing them down is another largely ignored, important tip to help you succeed. A goal is just a "passing thought", or "wish" until you put it in writing. That is when it becomes concrete and real. It is also a great idea to keep a business journal of your daily activities, as it will help you to become more productive and time-conscious.
10. Get Out There And Do It Now! All of the knowledge in the world is useless and unprofitable, until you put the most important ingredient of them all in place. This "secret" ingredient should come as no surprise at all, but this is the #1 reason for failure at anything in life. It is ACTION! Remember, knowledge is useless without action.
Thank you for reading this, and I truly hope this has provided you with valuable information to help you and your business grow and succeed.
Noah Ulrich is a top producing network marketer and webmaster of http://www.informativeresources.com He maintains a profitable internet business and has done so since 2001.
10 Sure-Fire Steps to take the Fear out of Public Speaking
By Alan Fairweather
Do you "feel the fear" when asked to do some Public
Speaking?
Public Speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it
turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere
thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our
internal plumbing to act up and turns our knees to jelly.
Well, there's no need for all of this because help is at
hand. All you need to remember are your P's and Q's. Let's
start with the P's
Preparation -
When you sit down to write what you're going to say, bear in
mind who you'll be speaking to. Will they understand what
you're talking about; will they understand the technical
stuff and the jargon? If in doubt remember the old saying -
"Keep It Simple Stupid".
Make sure that what you say has a beginning, middle and an
end. Think of some anecdotes that help reinforce your story.
People think visually so paint verbal pictures for your
audience. And always remember, people want to know what's in
it for them - so make sure you tell them!
Place -
Have a look at the venue before the event if you can. It's
not always possible, however, even if you get there half an
hour before, you can check out where you'll be speaking.
Stand at the point where you will deliver from, imagine
where the audience will be and check that they can see and
hear you. You may even wish to place a glass of water where
you'll be able to find it.
Personal Preparation -
Before any Public Speaking event, think about what you are
going to wear; when in doubt dress up rather than down. You
can always take things off for a more casual look. Men could
remove their jacket and their tie. Women could remove items
of jewellery.
Part of your personal preparation should include some mouth
and breathing exercises. Practise saying some tongue
twisters to give your speaking muscles a good work out. Take
a deep breath and expand your diaphragm. Then breathe out,
counting at the same time; try and get up to fifty and not
pass out.
As part of your personal preparation, write your own
introduction. Write out exactly what you want someone to say
about you, large font, double-spaced and ask the person
introducing you to read it. Believe me they won't object and
will probably be pleased and impressed.
Poise and Posture -
Whenever you're called to speak, stand up or walk to the
front quickly and purposefully. Pull yourself up to your
full height, stand tall and look like you own the place.
Before you start to speak, pause, look round your audience
and smile. You may even have to wait until the applause dies
down. Remember, you want the audience to like you, so look
likeable.
Pretend -
I'm suggesting you pretend you're not nervous because no
doubt you will be. Nervousness is vital for speaking in
public, it boosts your adrenaline, which makes your mind
sharper and gives you energy.
The trick is to keep your nerves to yourself. On no account
tell your audience your nervous; you'll only scare the
living daylights out of them if they think you're going to
faint.
Some tricks for dealing with nerves are:
Before you're called to speak, get lots of oxygen into your
system, run on the spot and wave your arms about like a
lunatic. It burns off the stress chemicals.
Speak to members of your audience as they come in or at some
time before you stand up. That tricks your brain into
thinking you're talking to some friends.
Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. One word of
warning - do not drink alcohol. It might give you Dutch
courage but your audience will end up thinking you're
speaking Dutch.
The Presentation -
Right from the start your delivery needs to grab their
attention.
Don't start by saying - "Good morning, my name is Fred Smith
and I'm from Smith Associates."
Even if your name is Smith, it's a real boring way to start
a presentation. Far better to start with some interesting
facts or an anecdote that's relevant to your presentation.
Look at the audience as individuals; it grabs their
attention if they think you're talking to them personally.
Talk louder than you would normally do, it keeps the people
in the front row awake and makes sure those at the back get
the message. Funnily enough, it's also good for your nerves.
PowerPoint -
And for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a
software programme that's used to design stunning graphics
and text for projection onto a screen.
As a professional speaker, I'm not that struck on
PowerPoint. I feel that too many speakers rely on it and it
takes over the presentation. After all, you're the
important factor here. If an audience is going to accept
what you say then they need to see the whites of your eyes.
There needs to be a big focus on you, not on the technology.
Use PowerPoint if you want but keep it to a minimum and make
sure you're not just the person pushing the buttons. Why
not get a bit clever at using the faithful old Flip Chart,
lots of professionals do.
Passion -
This is what stops the audience in their tracks. This is
what makes them want to employ you or to accept what you're
proposing. Couple this with some energy, enthusiasm and
emotion and you have the makings of a great public speaker.
Give your presentation a bit of oomph and don't start
telling me - "I'm not that kind of person." There's no need
to go over the top but you're doing a presentation to move
people to action, not having a cosy little chat in your
front room.
That's the P's finished, so let's look at the Q's.
Questions -
Decide when you're going to take them and tell people at the
start.
In a short speech it's best to take questions at the end. If
you take them as you go then you may get waylaid and your
timing will get knocked out.
Never - never - never finish with questions; far better to
ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end. Deal
with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish.
Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole
thing goes a bit flat.
When you're asked a question, repeat it to the whole
audience and thank the questioner. It keeps everyone
involved, it gives you time to think and it makes you look
so clever and in control.
Quit -
Quit when you're ahead. Stick to the agreed time; if you're
asked to speak for twenty minutes, speak for nineteen and
the audience will love you for it. Remember, quality is not
quantity.
One of the most famous speeches ever - "The Gettysburg
Address", by President Lincoln, was just over two minutes
long.
Right, that's my cue to quit when I'm ahead.
Now that you're armed with this information you too can
minimise your fear of Public Speaking.
Do you "feel the fear" when asked to do some Public
Speaking?
Public Speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it
turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere
thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our
internal plumbing to act up and turns our knees to jelly.
Well, there's no need for all of this because help is at
hand. All you need to remember are your P's and Q's. Let's
start with the P's
Preparation -
When you sit down to write what you're going to say, bear in
mind who you'll be speaking to. Will they understand what
you're talking about; will they understand the technical
stuff and the jargon? If in doubt remember the old saying -
"Keep It Simple Stupid".
Make sure that what you say has a beginning, middle and an
end. Think of some anecdotes that help reinforce your story.
People think visually so paint verbal pictures for your
audience. And always remember, people want to know what's in
it for them - so make sure you tell them!
Place -
Have a look at the venue before the event if you can. It's
not always possible, however, even if you get there half an
hour before, you can check out where you'll be speaking.
Stand at the point where you will deliver from, imagine
where the audience will be and check that they can see and
hear you. You may even wish to place a glass of water where
you'll be able to find it.
Personal Preparation -
Before any Public Speaking event, think about what you are
going to wear; when in doubt dress up rather than down. You
can always take things off for a more casual look. Men could
remove their jacket and their tie. Women could remove items
of jewellery.
Part of your personal preparation should include some mouth
and breathing exercises. Practise saying some tongue
twisters to give your speaking muscles a good work out. Take
a deep breath and expand your diaphragm. Then breathe out,
counting at the same time; try and get up to fifty and not
pass out.
As part of your personal preparation, write your own
introduction. Write out exactly what you want someone to say
about you, large font, double-spaced and ask the person
introducing you to read it. Believe me they won't object and
will probably be pleased and impressed.
Poise and Posture -
Whenever you're called to speak, stand up or walk to the
front quickly and purposefully. Pull yourself up to your
full height, stand tall and look like you own the place.
Before you start to speak, pause, look round your audience
and smile. You may even have to wait until the applause dies
down. Remember, you want the audience to like you, so look
likeable.
Pretend -
I'm suggesting you pretend you're not nervous because no
doubt you will be. Nervousness is vital for speaking in
public, it boosts your adrenaline, which makes your mind
sharper and gives you energy.
The trick is to keep your nerves to yourself. On no account
tell your audience your nervous; you'll only scare the
living daylights out of them if they think you're going to
faint.
Some tricks for dealing with nerves are:
Before you're called to speak, get lots of oxygen into your
system, run on the spot and wave your arms about like a
lunatic. It burns off the stress chemicals.
Speak to members of your audience as they come in or at some
time before you stand up. That tricks your brain into
thinking you're talking to some friends.
Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. One word of
warning - do not drink alcohol. It might give you Dutch
courage but your audience will end up thinking you're
speaking Dutch.
The Presentation -
Right from the start your delivery needs to grab their
attention.
Don't start by saying - "Good morning, my name is Fred Smith
and I'm from Smith Associates."
Even if your name is Smith, it's a real boring way to start
a presentation. Far better to start with some interesting
facts or an anecdote that's relevant to your presentation.
Look at the audience as individuals; it grabs their
attention if they think you're talking to them personally.
Talk louder than you would normally do, it keeps the people
in the front row awake and makes sure those at the back get
the message. Funnily enough, it's also good for your nerves.
PowerPoint -
And for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a
software programme that's used to design stunning graphics
and text for projection onto a screen.
As a professional speaker, I'm not that struck on
PowerPoint. I feel that too many speakers rely on it and it
takes over the presentation. After all, you're the
important factor here. If an audience is going to accept
what you say then they need to see the whites of your eyes.
There needs to be a big focus on you, not on the technology.
Use PowerPoint if you want but keep it to a minimum and make
sure you're not just the person pushing the buttons. Why
not get a bit clever at using the faithful old Flip Chart,
lots of professionals do.
Passion -
This is what stops the audience in their tracks. This is
what makes them want to employ you or to accept what you're
proposing. Couple this with some energy, enthusiasm and
emotion and you have the makings of a great public speaker.
Give your presentation a bit of oomph and don't start
telling me - "I'm not that kind of person." There's no need
to go over the top but you're doing a presentation to move
people to action, not having a cosy little chat in your
front room.
That's the P's finished, so let's look at the Q's.
Questions -
Decide when you're going to take them and tell people at the
start.
In a short speech it's best to take questions at the end. If
you take them as you go then you may get waylaid and your
timing will get knocked out.
Never - never - never finish with questions; far better to
ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end. Deal
with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish.
Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole
thing goes a bit flat.
When you're asked a question, repeat it to the whole
audience and thank the questioner. It keeps everyone
involved, it gives you time to think and it makes you look
so clever and in control.
Quit -
Quit when you're ahead. Stick to the agreed time; if you're
asked to speak for twenty minutes, speak for nineteen and
the audience will love you for it. Remember, quality is not
quantity.
One of the most famous speeches ever - "The Gettysburg
Address", by President Lincoln, was just over two minutes
long.
Right, that's my cue to quit when I'm ahead.
Now that you're armed with this information you too can
minimise your fear of Public Speaking.
10 Dynamic Traits of Over-Achievers
By Michael Brassil
Are you a successful over-achiever? Considerable research has been done about the characteristics that typify the successful business owner. Most experts who have studied the subject tend to agree that the most important single factor is an overpowering need to achieve. In other words, a person's attitude seems to be the main determinant of success in business, more so than education, intelligence, physical attributes, or having a pleasing personality. The key characteristics that have been found to be part of the makeup of all successful over-achievers are:
1. Powerful need to achieve -- which should not be confused with a mere need to exercise power or be liked or admired; the way in which different entrepreneurs "keep score" in assessing their level of achievement varies, and may range from accumulating great wealth to creating a better mouse trap;
2. Perseverance -- the characteristic trait of following through on commitments and not abandoning objectives when difficulties are encountered;
3. Positive mental attitude -- the self-confidence in one's abilities that allows a person to remain optimistic in new, unfamiliar and unexpectedly difficult situations;
4. Objectivity -- an ability to accurately assess the risks associated with a particular course of action, including a realistic understanding of one's own capabilities and limitations. This includes being willing and able to abandon an ill-advised project without having ones' ego get in the way.
5. Foresight -- the ability to anticipate developments and be proactive, rather than constantly having to react to problems after they arise;
6. Well-developed personal relations skills -- being cheerful and cooperative and able to easily get along with people, but often without being close to employees and associates;
7. Strong communication skills -- the ability to communicate well in written form and in making effective oral presentations, either one-on-one or before groups;
8. Resourcefulness -- an ability to solve one-of-a-kind problems in unique or creative ways, including the ability to handle problems for which you might not have had previous training or experience to call upon;
9. Technical knowledge -- broad and well-rounded technical knowledge and understanding, especially with regard to the nuts-and-bolts physical processes of producing goods and services
10. A respectful attitude towards money -- a tendency not to look upon it as an end in itself, but to view it as a means of making things happen and accomplishing business goals, or as a type of objective feedback from the outside world, which lets the entrepreneur know if is on the right track with the business.
So, there you have it...10 successful business traits. If you see yourself in this list, then we will be seeing you at the top!
Are you a successful over-achiever? Considerable research has been done about the characteristics that typify the successful business owner. Most experts who have studied the subject tend to agree that the most important single factor is an overpowering need to achieve. In other words, a person's attitude seems to be the main determinant of success in business, more so than education, intelligence, physical attributes, or having a pleasing personality. The key characteristics that have been found to be part of the makeup of all successful over-achievers are:
1. Powerful need to achieve -- which should not be confused with a mere need to exercise power or be liked or admired; the way in which different entrepreneurs "keep score" in assessing their level of achievement varies, and may range from accumulating great wealth to creating a better mouse trap;
2. Perseverance -- the characteristic trait of following through on commitments and not abandoning objectives when difficulties are encountered;
3. Positive mental attitude -- the self-confidence in one's abilities that allows a person to remain optimistic in new, unfamiliar and unexpectedly difficult situations;
4. Objectivity -- an ability to accurately assess the risks associated with a particular course of action, including a realistic understanding of one's own capabilities and limitations. This includes being willing and able to abandon an ill-advised project without having ones' ego get in the way.
5. Foresight -- the ability to anticipate developments and be proactive, rather than constantly having to react to problems after they arise;
6. Well-developed personal relations skills -- being cheerful and cooperative and able to easily get along with people, but often without being close to employees and associates;
7. Strong communication skills -- the ability to communicate well in written form and in making effective oral presentations, either one-on-one or before groups;
8. Resourcefulness -- an ability to solve one-of-a-kind problems in unique or creative ways, including the ability to handle problems for which you might not have had previous training or experience to call upon;
9. Technical knowledge -- broad and well-rounded technical knowledge and understanding, especially with regard to the nuts-and-bolts physical processes of producing goods and services
10. A respectful attitude towards money -- a tendency not to look upon it as an end in itself, but to view it as a means of making things happen and accomplishing business goals, or as a type of objective feedback from the outside world, which lets the entrepreneur know if is on the right track with the business.
So, there you have it...10 successful business traits. If you see yourself in this list, then we will be seeing you at the top!
7 Ways To Avoid A Dot-Con Work At Home Scam
By Khemal Dole
If you are one of millions of people who are looking to find a work at home job online then you simply MUST learn to spot a scam. Online work at home scams
are now frequently referred to as “Dot Cons” after the term “Dot Coms”. When you are desperately seeking a work at home job, most often that not you
tend to "buy" into an opportunity without doing much research. Hundreds of dollars later you'll find out the hard way that you were a victim of a scam! Here are 7 ways to identify a scam and how to avoid them.
1) Extravagant Claims
Many websites or work at home opportunities will promise you that you can make "millions" in a matter of days. Many will display their so called "proof of income" on their websites, which often turn out to be touched up pictures of fake checks or bank statements. Don't fall for these "gimmicks" If you
feel that these claims to riches are extravagant, then guess what? They are. Get all claims and promises in writing before you sign up or pay to join at any of these websites. Remember that if the claims are real then these companies will have no reason to deny you real proof on request. If they refuse, you KNOW it's a scam.
2) Read The Fine Print
Many fraudulent websites bury the fine print in tiny letters at the bottom or their webpage or on another page with a link to it that's hard to find. Make sure that you read these fine prints for any clauses that can come back to bite you if ever you want your money back. Click on all the links that provide more information and make sure you read them completely. Do not simply assume that the website is legitimate. Assume that it's a fake and let it prove to you that it's real.
3) Look For Privacy Information
Many websites collect your personal information like your name and email address. Make sure that these website tell you exactly what they intend to do with it. If they don't tell you what they will do with it, it's time to move onto another website because the chances are that your personal information might be shared - or worse - SOLD to others. Make sure you don't volunteer information such as your SSN or Credit card information unless you are absolutely sure of what the website will do with it.
4) Look For Business Name, And Contact Details.
Legitimate businesses and websites will always display their business name, address and other contact information clearly on their websites. If you do not see any contact information, then be very skeptical about that site. Shady websites won't display this information since they don't want you to contact them. Do you really want to do business with suck a website?
5) Know What You Are Getting Before You Buy
Many websites refuse to tell you what they will provide you with until you pay for it. This is unacceptable. You, as a consumer, MUST know before hand what you are getting before you buy. I'm not talking about knowing the exact details of a work at home job, but you should at least get SOME idea of what to expect after you pay. If a website does not clearly state what you will receive once you pay, you might end up getting scammed. So be weary and always make sure you know what you are buying.
6) Refund Policies
Some websites clearly provide refund policies. You should be able to return the goods or ask for your money back within reasonable terms. Many legitimate websites will let you get your money back as long as you ask for it within 30 days. But some plainly state that you simply WILL NOT receive your money
back. Be weary of these types of web sites. The reason they are afraid of refunding your money is because they anticipate many refund requests. This is a BIG reason for you to NOT do business with this type of website.
7) Beware of MLM type websites.
MLM or multi level marketing websites are related to pyramid schemes. These scams can be easily spotted since their claims to riches are made purely on mathematical probability and nothing else. These schemes are almost always a scam and their claims to riches are simply unrealistic in real life. If a website depends heavily on mathematical probabilities of you making money and if that is the ONLY proof they offer you, you might be about to get ripped off by an MLM scam. It's time to move on!
The bottom line is that you simply must use common sense when looking for an online work at home job. Think of it as looking to buy a new car or a house. Use the same attitude, even though the price tag is much smaller. Remember that the risk involved is almost the same since you are investing your hard earned money or lifetime's savings on ONE website. So you better make 100% sure that you aren't the next victim of "Dot Con" scams.
If you are one of millions of people who are looking to find a work at home job online then you simply MUST learn to spot a scam. Online work at home scams
are now frequently referred to as “Dot Cons” after the term “Dot Coms”. When you are desperately seeking a work at home job, most often that not you
tend to "buy" into an opportunity without doing much research. Hundreds of dollars later you'll find out the hard way that you were a victim of a scam! Here are 7 ways to identify a scam and how to avoid them.
1) Extravagant Claims
Many websites or work at home opportunities will promise you that you can make "millions" in a matter of days. Many will display their so called "proof of income" on their websites, which often turn out to be touched up pictures of fake checks or bank statements. Don't fall for these "gimmicks" If you
feel that these claims to riches are extravagant, then guess what? They are. Get all claims and promises in writing before you sign up or pay to join at any of these websites. Remember that if the claims are real then these companies will have no reason to deny you real proof on request. If they refuse, you KNOW it's a scam.
2) Read The Fine Print
Many fraudulent websites bury the fine print in tiny letters at the bottom or their webpage or on another page with a link to it that's hard to find. Make sure that you read these fine prints for any clauses that can come back to bite you if ever you want your money back. Click on all the links that provide more information and make sure you read them completely. Do not simply assume that the website is legitimate. Assume that it's a fake and let it prove to you that it's real.
3) Look For Privacy Information
Many websites collect your personal information like your name and email address. Make sure that these website tell you exactly what they intend to do with it. If they don't tell you what they will do with it, it's time to move onto another website because the chances are that your personal information might be shared - or worse - SOLD to others. Make sure you don't volunteer information such as your SSN or Credit card information unless you are absolutely sure of what the website will do with it.
4) Look For Business Name, And Contact Details.
Legitimate businesses and websites will always display their business name, address and other contact information clearly on their websites. If you do not see any contact information, then be very skeptical about that site. Shady websites won't display this information since they don't want you to contact them. Do you really want to do business with suck a website?
5) Know What You Are Getting Before You Buy
Many websites refuse to tell you what they will provide you with until you pay for it. This is unacceptable. You, as a consumer, MUST know before hand what you are getting before you buy. I'm not talking about knowing the exact details of a work at home job, but you should at least get SOME idea of what to expect after you pay. If a website does not clearly state what you will receive once you pay, you might end up getting scammed. So be weary and always make sure you know what you are buying.
6) Refund Policies
Some websites clearly provide refund policies. You should be able to return the goods or ask for your money back within reasonable terms. Many legitimate websites will let you get your money back as long as you ask for it within 30 days. But some plainly state that you simply WILL NOT receive your money
back. Be weary of these types of web sites. The reason they are afraid of refunding your money is because they anticipate many refund requests. This is a BIG reason for you to NOT do business with this type of website.
7) Beware of MLM type websites.
MLM or multi level marketing websites are related to pyramid schemes. These scams can be easily spotted since their claims to riches are made purely on mathematical probability and nothing else. These schemes are almost always a scam and their claims to riches are simply unrealistic in real life. If a website depends heavily on mathematical probabilities of you making money and if that is the ONLY proof they offer you, you might be about to get ripped off by an MLM scam. It's time to move on!
The bottom line is that you simply must use common sense when looking for an online work at home job. Think of it as looking to buy a new car or a house. Use the same attitude, even though the price tag is much smaller. Remember that the risk involved is almost the same since you are investing your hard earned money or lifetime's savings on ONE website. So you better make 100% sure that you aren't the next victim of "Dot Con" scams.
7 Strategies For Feeding Success Thoughts To Your Brain
By Juanita Bellavance
Copyright 2005 Juanita Bellavance
How many times have you heard it before? Talk to yourself in positive, affirming language. Does it work? One thing I’ve learned is that when you keep hearing the same thing over and over in various ways and by various successful people, there must be something to it so take the coaching and apply the strategies.
7 strategies for shifting your mind to its positive power:
1. Write your own affirmations and read them aloud every morning and night.
2. Read positive books.
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
4. Listen to success tapes or cd’s.
5. Begin a physical fitness training regimen.
6. Get a coach.
7. Clear the clutter around your home and office.
So now you have it. It’s simple. Just apply these strategies and everything will turn out fine, right? Now that you know what to do, how do you fit it all into your schedule?
Streamline the list:
1. Listen to Brainspeak for your affirmations. You can listen while doing other things and even while listening to other informational cd’s or tapes. It’s subliminal and gets through to your subconscious faster than you can on your own.
2. Get a coach for consistent positive support as well as entrepreneurial mentoring. This gives you an accountability system as well as access to getting unstuck when obstacles pop up.
3. Arrange your life so you can walk to work or ride a bicycle. I’ve read recently that in Oregon there are even incentive programs for people who do this.
4. Hire an organizer for keeping the clutter cleared periodically and a virtual assistant for your more repetitious tasks that don’t need your talent to produce effectively.
Follow this streamlined approach and you now only have two daily items to schedule – that is, listening to information cd’s or reading books AND an exercise regimen. The rest gets handled seemingly behind the scenes and effortlessly on your part by your VA and through Brainspeak.
As an entrepreneur you probably want control over your time as well as your income. Next thing you know you find yourself swamped with disciplines to keep yourself on track and focused. You suddenly feel like you’re still not free from the repetition of the work-a-day life.
Follow the streamlined guide above and you will soon begin to increase focus, productivity and energy while decreasing the amount of time to keep yourself in the mental state that provide those standards.
Copyright 2005 Juanita Bellavance
How many times have you heard it before? Talk to yourself in positive, affirming language. Does it work? One thing I’ve learned is that when you keep hearing the same thing over and over in various ways and by various successful people, there must be something to it so take the coaching and apply the strategies.
7 strategies for shifting your mind to its positive power:
1. Write your own affirmations and read them aloud every morning and night.
2. Read positive books.
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
4. Listen to success tapes or cd’s.
5. Begin a physical fitness training regimen.
6. Get a coach.
7. Clear the clutter around your home and office.
So now you have it. It’s simple. Just apply these strategies and everything will turn out fine, right? Now that you know what to do, how do you fit it all into your schedule?
Streamline the list:
1. Listen to Brainspeak for your affirmations. You can listen while doing other things and even while listening to other informational cd’s or tapes. It’s subliminal and gets through to your subconscious faster than you can on your own.
2. Get a coach for consistent positive support as well as entrepreneurial mentoring. This gives you an accountability system as well as access to getting unstuck when obstacles pop up.
3. Arrange your life so you can walk to work or ride a bicycle. I’ve read recently that in Oregon there are even incentive programs for people who do this.
4. Hire an organizer for keeping the clutter cleared periodically and a virtual assistant for your more repetitious tasks that don’t need your talent to produce effectively.
Follow this streamlined approach and you now only have two daily items to schedule – that is, listening to information cd’s or reading books AND an exercise regimen. The rest gets handled seemingly behind the scenes and effortlessly on your part by your VA and through Brainspeak.
As an entrepreneur you probably want control over your time as well as your income. Next thing you know you find yourself swamped with disciplines to keep yourself on track and focused. You suddenly feel like you’re still not free from the repetition of the work-a-day life.
Follow the streamlined guide above and you will soon begin to increase focus, productivity and energy while decreasing the amount of time to keep yourself in the mental state that provide those standards.
7 Powerful Sales Copy Writing Techniques
By Samuel Indrajaya
By Samuel Indrajaya
Copy writing is a million dollars industry and copy writing
skill is something you can also mastered, it requires a lot
of practices to write an effective sales letter, yes! You
can also learn how to write a good compelling sales letter!
In this article you will discover how to generate more
sales significantly simply by using these 7 powerful sales
copy writing techniques!
Your sales letter is the most important component in your
web site or marketing campaign. It will introduces your
products or services to your visitors and how people react
(buy, bookmark, leave) is 80% entirely depends on your
sales letter.
Below, I will show you how to make you sales letter a
Compelling, Non-stop, 24/7 cash generating machine!
1. Tell a good story in your sales letter.
Every body loves a good absorbing story, with a good story
you will create empathy with them.
Give story that relates to your reader’s situation, Tell
people about how you get started in your business, put
yourself in your visitors’ shoes and show them that you
know, understand about their problems and how your product
or service can help them solves their problem.
2. Put your main benefit in your headline.
It is easy to sit back for a while and write down all your
Product’s benefits on a piece of paper, after that you can
Choose which benefit to put on your headline. Combine your
product’s benefit with power words such as discover,
amazing, Secrets, guarantee, exposed, secure, love, etc.
Remember that people are overloaded with information, this
Is why you need to put some quick attention grabbers so
people will stay and read the rest of your sales letter. If
your Headline doesn’t get read then everything else may go
unread.
3. Focus on one product or service.
You need to focus on one product only, don’t offer too many
things to your visitors, if you want to sell other product
you can have different page on your web site or create a
new mini site to sell it.
4. Put testimonials on your sales letter.
A Good, believable testimonials from real people will help
Increase your sales dramatically, put their photos,
highlight their main satisfactions with using color,
bolding key sentences, italic, underlining, etc.
5. Put women, babies, pets attributes in your sales letter.
Tie your product with one of these trio because they can
deliver more attention responds to your product or service.
Insert a women’s picture in your web site header, e-book
cover will increases your sales response.
6. Create some urgency for your visitors to order.
You need to make people take action and order your product.
e.g. “For a very limited time only”, “Until the end of this
month”, “Only for our first 100 customers”
7. Tell people what they are going to lose if they don’t
buy your product or service.
It’s true that people will react more to what they are
going to lose instead of what they are going to have.
e.g. “Order now before you competitors catch on!” “You will
save hundreds of dollars using this product!”
By Samuel Indrajaya
Copy writing is a million dollars industry and copy writing
skill is something you can also mastered, it requires a lot
of practices to write an effective sales letter, yes! You
can also learn how to write a good compelling sales letter!
In this article you will discover how to generate more
sales significantly simply by using these 7 powerful sales
copy writing techniques!
Your sales letter is the most important component in your
web site or marketing campaign. It will introduces your
products or services to your visitors and how people react
(buy, bookmark, leave) is 80% entirely depends on your
sales letter.
Below, I will show you how to make you sales letter a
Compelling, Non-stop, 24/7 cash generating machine!
1. Tell a good story in your sales letter.
Every body loves a good absorbing story, with a good story
you will create empathy with them.
Give story that relates to your reader’s situation, Tell
people about how you get started in your business, put
yourself in your visitors’ shoes and show them that you
know, understand about their problems and how your product
or service can help them solves their problem.
2. Put your main benefit in your headline.
It is easy to sit back for a while and write down all your
Product’s benefits on a piece of paper, after that you can
Choose which benefit to put on your headline. Combine your
product’s benefit with power words such as discover,
amazing, Secrets, guarantee, exposed, secure, love, etc.
Remember that people are overloaded with information, this
Is why you need to put some quick attention grabbers so
people will stay and read the rest of your sales letter. If
your Headline doesn’t get read then everything else may go
unread.
3. Focus on one product or service.
You need to focus on one product only, don’t offer too many
things to your visitors, if you want to sell other product
you can have different page on your web site or create a
new mini site to sell it.
4. Put testimonials on your sales letter.
A Good, believable testimonials from real people will help
Increase your sales dramatically, put their photos,
highlight their main satisfactions with using color,
bolding key sentences, italic, underlining, etc.
5. Put women, babies, pets attributes in your sales letter.
Tie your product with one of these trio because they can
deliver more attention responds to your product or service.
Insert a women’s picture in your web site header, e-book
cover will increases your sales response.
6. Create some urgency for your visitors to order.
You need to make people take action and order your product.
e.g. “For a very limited time only”, “Until the end of this
month”, “Only for our first 100 customers”
7. Tell people what they are going to lose if they don’t
buy your product or service.
It’s true that people will react more to what they are
going to lose instead of what they are going to have.
e.g. “Order now before you competitors catch on!” “You will
save hundreds of dollars using this product!”
6 Reasons You Must Submit Articles To E-zines
By Anik Singal
Writing articles to promote your website is, hands-down, one of the best ways to get targeted traffic to your website. The best part is that this strategy builds itself over long-term.
One article you write today will continue to get you business for years and years!
Now, most people know that they need to submit that article to directories (or if you did not, you know it now). However, too many marketers miss the biggest golden nugget of them all!
Ezine publishers!
Others who publish newsletters NEED your content and are looking for it. They are looking for good material for their readers. This means that your article could get featured in a huge newsletter! Imagine having a newsletter of 50,000 subscribers or even more feature your article…
Can you imagine the kind of traffic that would bring you!
Besides the traffic generation, here are 6 critical reasons you need to start submitting to Ezines immediately if you really want to build your internet business.
1. You'll brand your web site, business and yourself by submitting articles to E-zines. This is done through the resource box that is added at the end of your article – this resource box allows you to have a biography of yourself and a link back to your website.
2. You will become known as an expert on the topics you write about. This will give you and your business extra credibility which will help you compete against your competition. The more credibility you get, the more joint ventures and affiliates you can recruit to sell your products.
3. Your article might also be placed on the publisher's home page. If they publish each issue on their home page this will give you some extra exposure. This will also help other websites find your article to re-publish.
4. You might get extra exposure if the e-zine publisher archives their e-zine on their site. People might want to read the back issues before they make the decision to subscribe. This can be great if their website is search engine optimized and your article starts to come up for good keywords!
5. It is possible that other e-zine publishers will publish your articles in their free e-books. Once your article is known as a re-printable article, it can start ending up everywhere!
6. Are you thinking about launching a second facet to your business of consulting? Consulting is a great way to add extra income to your online ventures. When you have your articles being spread around the internet, your credibility is huge and getting great consulting clients is easy.
These are all the benefits just from submitting articles to publishers. If you can combine that strategy with submitting your articles to article directories as well, then your articles will go much further!
The benefit of submitting to directories is that the publishers come find YOU. You don’t even have to beg them or “bother” them to publish your article.
Most publishers are actively looking for material for their newsletter, when they like what you write – most will contact you to let you know that they are about to publish your article.
This is the best time to reply to them and send them more of the previous articles you have written. It is not unlikely at all to have the same publisher feature you as an author multiple times a month!
So, if you have not started using articles yet – get to it! They are one of the best ways to build short-term AND long-term traffic to your websites.
About the author:
This article is written by Anik Singal, Founder of MarketingSelfHelp.com
Anik Singal has developed his own industry leading 7 day course to starting your own internet business – The course is 100% FREE, just visit the link below and sign-up!
http://www.MarketingSelfHelp.com
Writing articles to promote your website is, hands-down, one of the best ways to get targeted traffic to your website. The best part is that this strategy builds itself over long-term.
One article you write today will continue to get you business for years and years!
Now, most people know that they need to submit that article to directories (or if you did not, you know it now). However, too many marketers miss the biggest golden nugget of them all!
Ezine publishers!
Others who publish newsletters NEED your content and are looking for it. They are looking for good material for their readers. This means that your article could get featured in a huge newsletter! Imagine having a newsletter of 50,000 subscribers or even more feature your article…
Can you imagine the kind of traffic that would bring you!
Besides the traffic generation, here are 6 critical reasons you need to start submitting to Ezines immediately if you really want to build your internet business.
1. You'll brand your web site, business and yourself by submitting articles to E-zines. This is done through the resource box that is added at the end of your article – this resource box allows you to have a biography of yourself and a link back to your website.
2. You will become known as an expert on the topics you write about. This will give you and your business extra credibility which will help you compete against your competition. The more credibility you get, the more joint ventures and affiliates you can recruit to sell your products.
3. Your article might also be placed on the publisher's home page. If they publish each issue on their home page this will give you some extra exposure. This will also help other websites find your article to re-publish.
4. You might get extra exposure if the e-zine publisher archives their e-zine on their site. People might want to read the back issues before they make the decision to subscribe. This can be great if their website is search engine optimized and your article starts to come up for good keywords!
5. It is possible that other e-zine publishers will publish your articles in their free e-books. Once your article is known as a re-printable article, it can start ending up everywhere!
6. Are you thinking about launching a second facet to your business of consulting? Consulting is a great way to add extra income to your online ventures. When you have your articles being spread around the internet, your credibility is huge and getting great consulting clients is easy.
These are all the benefits just from submitting articles to publishers. If you can combine that strategy with submitting your articles to article directories as well, then your articles will go much further!
The benefit of submitting to directories is that the publishers come find YOU. You don’t even have to beg them or “bother” them to publish your article.
Most publishers are actively looking for material for their newsletter, when they like what you write – most will contact you to let you know that they are about to publish your article.
This is the best time to reply to them and send them more of the previous articles you have written. It is not unlikely at all to have the same publisher feature you as an author multiple times a month!
So, if you have not started using articles yet – get to it! They are one of the best ways to build short-term AND long-term traffic to your websites.
About the author:
This article is written by Anik Singal, Founder of MarketingSelfHelp.com
Anik Singal has developed his own industry leading 7 day course to starting your own internet business – The course is 100% FREE, just visit the link below and sign-up!
http://www.MarketingSelfHelp.com
5 Ways To Explode Your Viral Marketing
By Anik Singal
We all know that viral marketing can be a very effective way to drive targeted traffic to your website, but do all viral marketing tools have to be ebooks or little reports? Absolutely not.
Before we start, let’s refresh our memory on exactly what viral marketing is. Viral marketing is a form of marketing where you get someone else to spread the word for you, just a virus works.
For example, if you give someone a free report, they like it, they pass it on to their friends and their friends pass it on to their friends. Basically the report has become a virus and is spreading exponentially.
You can see the power that this form of marketing has – over time it can really build up. But, if you really want yours to move fast, then you have to be unique.
Just giving away a free report has become too common – everyone is doing it!
So, here are 5 other great tools you can make viral while keeping the unique edge.
1. Freeware.
Freeware is software with that has your marketing message in it – a banner, URLs, etc. If you are not a programmer but like the idea of giving away some simple software, type "freeware +your niche" into Google, and look at the results.
If you find a program that interests you, contact the creator, and see if you can get him/her to add your marketing messages in exchange for actively promoting the software.
Simple, that way you don’t even have to make your own program. Or, if you want, just go to any freelance website and hire an inexpensive programmer to build you a small little program (this is very inexpensive).
2. Surveys and polls.
Many people love to share their opinions on anything and everything. Come up with a provocative poll question or interesting survey for your niche, then use it to drive traffic to your site.
If you can find a “controversial” topic you will get the most viral effect.
3. Tell a friend forms.
Especially effective in niche marketing. Simply adding a tell-a-friend form to your web site can, over time, significantly increase your traffic.
Many think that these forms do not work anymore, but I know from personal experience that they still work. A neat trick to get someone to use it is to offer them something for free in return – maybe another free report!
4. Your own forum or bulletin board.
Adding a forum or bulletin board to your site can be a great way to spread the word about your product or service. In fact, if there's no forum or newsgroup for your niche, you can create one - and reap the benefits of having targeted prospects come to your site regularly.
People get their friends to come participate in forums – it’s a great source of word-of-mouth advertising.
5. Blogging.
Creating a blog just for your niche is a way to get people to bookmark your site and come back over and over again. People also tend to spread the word about blogs they like rapidly. Offering your viral products on your blog gives them a reason to spread the word - plus it helps you get valuable traffic.
What will you write about? Progress reports and advice seem to be popular, as well as humorous blogs and running commentary on current events.
Blogs help build a community and communities are great word-of-mouth networks!
Well, there you have it – viral marketing can once again be a bit more exciting than just giving away free reports. Think outside the box, do something unique and viral marketing could be your next big traffic generator!
We all know that viral marketing can be a very effective way to drive targeted traffic to your website, but do all viral marketing tools have to be ebooks or little reports? Absolutely not.
Before we start, let’s refresh our memory on exactly what viral marketing is. Viral marketing is a form of marketing where you get someone else to spread the word for you, just a virus works.
For example, if you give someone a free report, they like it, they pass it on to their friends and their friends pass it on to their friends. Basically the report has become a virus and is spreading exponentially.
You can see the power that this form of marketing has – over time it can really build up. But, if you really want yours to move fast, then you have to be unique.
Just giving away a free report has become too common – everyone is doing it!
So, here are 5 other great tools you can make viral while keeping the unique edge.
1. Freeware.
Freeware is software with that has your marketing message in it – a banner, URLs, etc. If you are not a programmer but like the idea of giving away some simple software, type "freeware +your niche" into Google, and look at the results.
If you find a program that interests you, contact the creator, and see if you can get him/her to add your marketing messages in exchange for actively promoting the software.
Simple, that way you don’t even have to make your own program. Or, if you want, just go to any freelance website and hire an inexpensive programmer to build you a small little program (this is very inexpensive).
2. Surveys and polls.
Many people love to share their opinions on anything and everything. Come up with a provocative poll question or interesting survey for your niche, then use it to drive traffic to your site.
If you can find a “controversial” topic you will get the most viral effect.
3. Tell a friend forms.
Especially effective in niche marketing. Simply adding a tell-a-friend form to your web site can, over time, significantly increase your traffic.
Many think that these forms do not work anymore, but I know from personal experience that they still work. A neat trick to get someone to use it is to offer them something for free in return – maybe another free report!
4. Your own forum or bulletin board.
Adding a forum or bulletin board to your site can be a great way to spread the word about your product or service. In fact, if there's no forum or newsgroup for your niche, you can create one - and reap the benefits of having targeted prospects come to your site regularly.
People get their friends to come participate in forums – it’s a great source of word-of-mouth advertising.
5. Blogging.
Creating a blog just for your niche is a way to get people to bookmark your site and come back over and over again. People also tend to spread the word about blogs they like rapidly. Offering your viral products on your blog gives them a reason to spread the word - plus it helps you get valuable traffic.
What will you write about? Progress reports and advice seem to be popular, as well as humorous blogs and running commentary on current events.
Blogs help build a community and communities are great word-of-mouth networks!
Well, there you have it – viral marketing can once again be a bit more exciting than just giving away free reports. Think outside the box, do something unique and viral marketing could be your next big traffic generator!
5 Steps To Creating Your Own Money Machine Online
By Martin Franzen
If you want to set up a business on the Internet, there are several steps you need to get right in order to get maximum results from your efforts, and missing any one of them could destroy your odds of being successful.
This report will help you get everything right from the start, with the least amount of work. Here's what you should do:
1. You Must Find A Good Target Market
You must focus on a group of people you can relate to and understand. A good target market is a group of people who share common problems, have money to spend, and have a proven history of buying products related to your topic. When you find such a group, you can be sure they are ready to buy.
2. You Must Find Out What They WANT To Buy
You should only sell what people want to buy. Never guess. Instead, let them tell you what they want. Research related products and ask people in forums what they are looking for. When you have a good idea of what your target market WANTS, you'll easily be able to create a winning product quickly and KNOW that it will be profitable.
3. You Must Create A Winning Sales Letter
Once you have your product ready, you should create a simple sales letter that shows exactly what benefits people will get by buying from you. Tell them exactly what problems they will solve, promise specific, instant end results - and finally make an offer that's too good to turn down.
4. You Must Drive Massive Traffic To Your Sales Letter
When you have your sales machine ready, it's time to start selling. Find out where your target market is, and advertise in these places. If you can generate at least $0.50 per unique visitor, you have a winner. Then roll out to thousands of people a day. Otherwise, refine your sales letter and test again.
5. You Must Create A Back-End Strategy
You should maximize the lifetime value of your customers. The front end sale is just to eliminate your marketing costs. Then your profits start. You should now continually introduce new products and services that they want to buy. Create your own, or set up joint venture deals with other people. Send out a new offer at least once per month.
That's it. Make sure that you include all these steps, in the right order. These tips will let you take a shortcut and have that money machine up and running as quickly and easily as possible. Use them now and make your dream a reality, starting today!
If you want to set up a business on the Internet, there are several steps you need to get right in order to get maximum results from your efforts, and missing any one of them could destroy your odds of being successful.
This report will help you get everything right from the start, with the least amount of work. Here's what you should do:
1. You Must Find A Good Target Market
You must focus on a group of people you can relate to and understand. A good target market is a group of people who share common problems, have money to spend, and have a proven history of buying products related to your topic. When you find such a group, you can be sure they are ready to buy.
2. You Must Find Out What They WANT To Buy
You should only sell what people want to buy. Never guess. Instead, let them tell you what they want. Research related products and ask people in forums what they are looking for. When you have a good idea of what your target market WANTS, you'll easily be able to create a winning product quickly and KNOW that it will be profitable.
3. You Must Create A Winning Sales Letter
Once you have your product ready, you should create a simple sales letter that shows exactly what benefits people will get by buying from you. Tell them exactly what problems they will solve, promise specific, instant end results - and finally make an offer that's too good to turn down.
4. You Must Drive Massive Traffic To Your Sales Letter
When you have your sales machine ready, it's time to start selling. Find out where your target market is, and advertise in these places. If you can generate at least $0.50 per unique visitor, you have a winner. Then roll out to thousands of people a day. Otherwise, refine your sales letter and test again.
5. You Must Create A Back-End Strategy
You should maximize the lifetime value of your customers. The front end sale is just to eliminate your marketing costs. Then your profits start. You should now continually introduce new products and services that they want to buy. Create your own, or set up joint venture deals with other people. Send out a new offer at least once per month.
That's it. Make sure that you include all these steps, in the right order. These tips will let you take a shortcut and have that money machine up and running as quickly and easily as possible. Use them now and make your dream a reality, starting today!
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