If you take a look around the Internet, you'll find hundreds of thousands of people who are looking for an easy home business. But what exactly does EASY mean? The answer depends on who is answering the question!
In this article, I'm going to show you six things that easy home businesses have in common - things you should look for when starting a low effort easy home business. Picking a business with these features will greatly increase your chance of success in your business ventures.
Here are the six things to look for in an easy home business:
1. A Well-Established Company With A Great Track Record
It's no secret that most so-called easy home businesses fail. There are a thousand reasons why, and it would take a business degree to really understand it all, but one thing that easy home businesses share is a great track record.
If a company is able to survive and thrive for 4 years, it means they have everything in place to run the business - and that means you can join up and hit the ground running.
2. Popular Products
This ties closely with Item 1 - an easy home business must have products that people want! It sounds simple, but many "fast cash" businesses you see being marketed on the Internet have products that you would NEVER buy in a thousand years. Yet they expect you to sell them!
By choosing an easy home business that has products that are easy to sell, it makes everything easier. You don't need to twist arms, or deal with a high percentage of product returns. Everthing goes smoothly when people are calling YOU to order!
3. No Large Up-Front Costs
This might sound surprising, but CASH is in short supply when you start any easy home business. That's right - every easy home business has this problem. It's important to know that the cost of getting into a business is not your only cost - there are marketing costs to consider, for instance. How will you attract new customers and new sales? You'll need to have business cards, a telephone (try not to use your home phone, just in case your business skyrockets or, Lord fordbid, goes bankrupt), and other expenses. You may need to attend teleconferences, or travel to events, and these costs should be considered BEFORE you jump in to any easy home business with both feet.
4 No Inventory to Maintain
We've all seen the easy home business opportunity that lets you get in on their hot opportunity - if you'll fill your garage with products. Those days are gone!
In today's environment, easy home businesses do all the product handling for you - they will produce it, package it, ship it, and even bill the customer on your behalf. Your only requirement is to tell them where to send your earnings!
Be sure that the easy home business you choose has no inventory requirements.
5. An Easy Way to Attract New Customers
A great easy home business is one that has customers coming to YOU. This is achieved by having a system in place that lets customers find you.
6. A Great Marketing System
The best easy home businesses come with a fine-tuned marketing system that you can use. This is a system that you can plug into with minimal effort, and see results in a very short timeframe. Things like replicated websites, co-op advertising, and low cost marketing kits are things that indicate a great marketing engine is in place. You'll need these tools if you are going to attract potential customers quickly.
Summary
If you spend some time looking at easy home businesses, you'll find some that have the six features in this arcticle. Choosing a business with these features is the best way to maximize your chances of success, and gives you a greater likelihood of seeing positive cashflow in a relatively short timeframe. There's no guarantees, but this checklist will really improve your odds of success!
Friday 25 January 2008
6 Easy Ways to Increase your Adsense Revenue
How much revenue do you generate from Google Adsense?
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about people who earn over $10,000 a month just from Adsense. Furthermore, there are rumors of a few individuals who earn over $1 million a year just from using the power of Google advertisements.
So what is Google Adsense and how can you use this program to earn a six-figure income?
About two years ago, Google created this program to help websites to monetize their web-traffic.
Here's how it works:
Webmasters obtain a special code from Google which then displays targeted ads on their website. Whenever a visitor clicks on one of these ads, the webmaster earns a commission. Unlike other online businesses, there is no selling involved. All you need to do is get people to click on the ads.
Although this is an excellent way to generate an income, many websites are not effectively maximizing their Adsense potential. As a result, they are leaving a lot of cash on the table.
The question is how can you increase your Adsense revenue without increasing the number of web visitors?
The key to earning an income with Google Adsense is to have your ads match the rest of the site, making them look like part of your content. Your focus is to avoid having the Adsense blocks look like blatant advertisements.
The following are six ways that you can do this and increase your revenue at the same time:
1) Find the right place- Most website visitors read content that is in the middle of a webpage. As a result, the best place to put your Adsense block is in the top part of the page, at the beginning of your web content. You want to weave the Google Ads into your web content to give the appearance that they are extra links which expand on the information of the page.
2) Use the Large Rectangle-With Google Adsense, you have the option of picking different ad formats. Most of the time people opt to use the Leaderboard (728x90) or Wide Skyscraper (160x600) style ads. Unfortunately, this is the wrong choice, because both look like blatant advertisements. Instead smart webmasters have found that using the Large Rectangle (336x280) yields the best amount of click-thrus.
3) Ditch the border- Many people experience a sharp increase in Adsense revenue when they changing their border. What they change is very simple…they get rid of the border on their Adsense blocks. This is another way to make the advertisements look like useful web content.
4) Adapt the font- Whenever you write content, it should be the same font size and style as your Google Adsense block. This will help make it appear that the advertisements are a natural part of your website.
5) Match the colors- In addition to changing the fonts, you also should match the colors of your website. For instance, if your content is written in black, and your hyperlinks are blue, then the Adsense blocks should also be the same color. Again, this helps the advertisements appear to be normal web content.
6) Don't have too many distractions- On a webpage, it is important to give web visitor a limited number of options. By having too many links and graphics, the web visitor might go to a section that doesn't help increase your profits. While it is important to inform and entertain your web visitor, it is also vital that you monetize your site. So if the main focus of your site is to earn an income through Google Adsense, then get rid of all non-essential links and graphics.
By taking the time to implement these six simple steps, you'll see a dramatic increase in the click-thru ratio of your ads. If added to all of the content of your site, your Adsense income will skyrocket!
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about people who earn over $10,000 a month just from Adsense. Furthermore, there are rumors of a few individuals who earn over $1 million a year just from using the power of Google advertisements.
So what is Google Adsense and how can you use this program to earn a six-figure income?
About two years ago, Google created this program to help websites to monetize their web-traffic.
Here's how it works:
Webmasters obtain a special code from Google which then displays targeted ads on their website. Whenever a visitor clicks on one of these ads, the webmaster earns a commission. Unlike other online businesses, there is no selling involved. All you need to do is get people to click on the ads.
Although this is an excellent way to generate an income, many websites are not effectively maximizing their Adsense potential. As a result, they are leaving a lot of cash on the table.
The question is how can you increase your Adsense revenue without increasing the number of web visitors?
The key to earning an income with Google Adsense is to have your ads match the rest of the site, making them look like part of your content. Your focus is to avoid having the Adsense blocks look like blatant advertisements.
The following are six ways that you can do this and increase your revenue at the same time:
1) Find the right place- Most website visitors read content that is in the middle of a webpage. As a result, the best place to put your Adsense block is in the top part of the page, at the beginning of your web content. You want to weave the Google Ads into your web content to give the appearance that they are extra links which expand on the information of the page.
2) Use the Large Rectangle-With Google Adsense, you have the option of picking different ad formats. Most of the time people opt to use the Leaderboard (728x90) or Wide Skyscraper (160x600) style ads. Unfortunately, this is the wrong choice, because both look like blatant advertisements. Instead smart webmasters have found that using the Large Rectangle (336x280) yields the best amount of click-thrus.
3) Ditch the border- Many people experience a sharp increase in Adsense revenue when they changing their border. What they change is very simple…they get rid of the border on their Adsense blocks. This is another way to make the advertisements look like useful web content.
4) Adapt the font- Whenever you write content, it should be the same font size and style as your Google Adsense block. This will help make it appear that the advertisements are a natural part of your website.
5) Match the colors- In addition to changing the fonts, you also should match the colors of your website. For instance, if your content is written in black, and your hyperlinks are blue, then the Adsense blocks should also be the same color. Again, this helps the advertisements appear to be normal web content.
6) Don't have too many distractions- On a webpage, it is important to give web visitor a limited number of options. By having too many links and graphics, the web visitor might go to a section that doesn't help increase your profits. While it is important to inform and entertain your web visitor, it is also vital that you monetize your site. So if the main focus of your site is to earn an income through Google Adsense, then get rid of all non-essential links and graphics.
By taking the time to implement these six simple steps, you'll see a dramatic increase in the click-thru ratio of your ads. If added to all of the content of your site, your Adsense income will skyrocket!
5 Unique Ways To Get FREE Advertising
1. Give Testimonials
When you purchase a product or service and it exceeds your expectations e-mail the business a testimonial. Tell them in the testimonial the benefits you got from the product or service. Give them permission to publish the testimonial on the web site if they include your sig file at the end.
2. Leave A Message
When you visit a web site with a discussion board leave a message. You could post a question, interesting content or a compliment about their web site. Include your signature file at the end of the message. Some discussion boards let you post your banner ad or text link.
3. Sign Guest Books
When you visit a well designed web site leave a compliment on their guest book. You could give them a compliment on their content, ease of navigation, graphics etc. When you post your compliment include your sig file so other people will see it when they sign the guest book.
4. Write A Review
When you visit a web site you enjoyed a lot write a review for the web site Write about the benefits you gain from the site, the web site design, interesting online services it offers etc. E-mail the review to the web site. Tell them they can publish it on their web site if they include your resource box at the end.
5. Send An E-mail To The Editor
When you read a good article or enjoy a certain e-zine, e-mail a compliment to the editor. Give the editor permission to publish the compliment in their e-zine if they include your signature file at the end. The editor may post it on his or her web site.
When you purchase a product or service and it exceeds your expectations e-mail the business a testimonial. Tell them in the testimonial the benefits you got from the product or service. Give them permission to publish the testimonial on the web site if they include your sig file at the end.
2. Leave A Message
When you visit a web site with a discussion board leave a message. You could post a question, interesting content or a compliment about their web site. Include your signature file at the end of the message. Some discussion boards let you post your banner ad or text link.
3. Sign Guest Books
When you visit a well designed web site leave a compliment on their guest book. You could give them a compliment on their content, ease of navigation, graphics etc. When you post your compliment include your sig file so other people will see it when they sign the guest book.
4. Write A Review
When you visit a web site you enjoyed a lot write a review for the web site Write about the benefits you gain from the site, the web site design, interesting online services it offers etc. E-mail the review to the web site. Tell them they can publish it on their web site if they include your resource box at the end.
5. Send An E-mail To The Editor
When you read a good article or enjoy a certain e-zine, e-mail a compliment to the editor. Give the editor permission to publish the compliment in their e-zine if they include your signature file at the end. The editor may post it on his or her web site.
5 Powerful Ways to Make Money Online with a Website
There are many ways to make money online and the best way for you is to simply be creative with your skills, knowledge, and abilities. However, the following five options are powerful ways to make money online with a website and definite something you should consider.
#1 Knowledge
You can always sell your knowledge, which many times is the best way if you are an “expert” of any type or subject matter. People are looking for your knowledge and input, regardless if it is self taught, learned in college, or wherever. People are always looking for answers online, so if you sell your knowledge you can simply make money from what you know.
#2 Affiliate Programs
Become an affiliate for products based on your website theme and then simply promote these programs where you earn money from referrals. It is easier than it sounds and only takes you creating a website full of rich content.
#3 Hard Goods
Selling hard goods is a traditional way of making money and it transfers to the online forum as well. No matter what hard goods you have to sell you can certainly find a buyer online. Create a website that focuses on your goods, have a good shipping plan in place, and then start selling online.
#4 E-books
Selling e-books, articles, and other written materials is also a powerful way to make money online and if you are good at writing it is certainly something you should consider. You can have your own website selling pre-written topics or else you can also write on demand, whatever works best for you and your web business.
#5 Auction Goods
Auction web sites are also very powerful ways to make money. The reason for this is you can sell a wide variety of products, do not necessarily need your own website although it helps, and can change your products from time to time as you need to. Many people enjoy working and selling via auction sites because any number of things can be sold from old personal items to new products as well.
The best way for you to make money online is for you to do something that you like and enjoy. When you do some thing you like and enjoy you will be able to commit yourself to doing it fulltime. The reason for this is working online can be difficult at times and if you do not enjoy it then it will be difficult for you to be successful making money via your website.
#1 Knowledge
You can always sell your knowledge, which many times is the best way if you are an “expert” of any type or subject matter. People are looking for your knowledge and input, regardless if it is self taught, learned in college, or wherever. People are always looking for answers online, so if you sell your knowledge you can simply make money from what you know.
#2 Affiliate Programs
Become an affiliate for products based on your website theme and then simply promote these programs where you earn money from referrals. It is easier than it sounds and only takes you creating a website full of rich content.
#3 Hard Goods
Selling hard goods is a traditional way of making money and it transfers to the online forum as well. No matter what hard goods you have to sell you can certainly find a buyer online. Create a website that focuses on your goods, have a good shipping plan in place, and then start selling online.
#4 E-books
Selling e-books, articles, and other written materials is also a powerful way to make money online and if you are good at writing it is certainly something you should consider. You can have your own website selling pre-written topics or else you can also write on demand, whatever works best for you and your web business.
#5 Auction Goods
Auction web sites are also very powerful ways to make money. The reason for this is you can sell a wide variety of products, do not necessarily need your own website although it helps, and can change your products from time to time as you need to. Many people enjoy working and selling via auction sites because any number of things can be sold from old personal items to new products as well.
The best way for you to make money online is for you to do something that you like and enjoy. When you do some thing you like and enjoy you will be able to commit yourself to doing it fulltime. The reason for this is working online can be difficult at times and if you do not enjoy it then it will be difficult for you to be successful making money via your website.
5 Keys to a Successful Internet Home Based Business !
Creating a successful internet home based business is not as hard as you might think.
An online business is not much different than an offline business, other than the fact that it is cheaper to operate due to low overhead. Another big plus is you can run it from your home in your underwear if you like.
To run a successful business online or off you need a plan or a blueprint for success. I am going to share with you a simple 5 step guide that will allow anyone to establish a successful internet home based business. These 5 keys are essential to winning the internet game. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! There are a ton of crooks out there that are trying to take your money with "get rich quick" promises. Let me tell you from personal experience it just does not happen, unless you hit the lottery or a rich relative dies.
Let's get started building your internet home based business empire, shall we?
1. RESEARCH
This is vital to any business and an internet business is NO different. If you already have a product or service then you are one step ahead of the game. If you do not have a product then think about the things that you have an interest or a passion for. It is always easier to market items that you have an interest in. If you have some ideas then it is time for some keyword research. For you internet "newbies", keywords are the words that people use to search for items and information over the internet.
You can use a free tool from Overture at inventory.overture.com - notice that there is NO http or www in that URL. This handy little tool will tell us how many times a keyword has been searched for on the web in the last month. I am an example person so I will give you one. If you are interested in "health and fitness", then type that into the Overture keyword search tool and it will show you all the other related keywords for "health and fitness" and tell you how many times they have been searched for in one month.
Preferably, you want a keyword that is highly searched for because that means it is in demand. The only drawback to that is it could also be a highly competitive market. What we want to look for are keywords that are heavily searched for, but have very little competition. How many times a keyword is searched for is equal to the demand factor in a supply and demand ratio.
So next you need to go to Google and do some more research. Don't you just love research! After you have pulled up Google, type your main keyword into the search box and find out how many results you get for that keyword. You can equate this number to supply factor in our supply and demand ratio.
The higher the supply (search results=number of competing sites) compared to demand (the number of times a keyword is searched for) the harder it is going to be to become successful in that market. That does not mean that is can't be done it is just going to be tougher. Ideally we want a lower ratio of competing sites vs. keyword search results.
2. KEYWORD DEVELOPMENT
After you have decided on a niche, it is time to build a set of keywords. Let me be straight forward here, the most important thing you will EVER do for your internet home based business is build a set of relevant and targeted keywords. Keywords are how people will find you on the internet. Over time you will want to have an arsenal of around 1000 keywords established for your niche. In the beginning, approximately 100 will be sufficient to start.
You will need to think of every imaginable keyword or phrase that someone would type into the search engines to look for the products or services that you are selling. Use the Overture Keyword Search Tool to see how many times those keywords have been searched for. Use misspellings and abbreviations for your keywords as well. Not everyone is a perfect speller!
I can't stress the importance of keyword development enough. I know it is the most boring part of starting an internet business but it will be the cornerstone of it. If you slack off on this you will be setting your business up to fail, simple as that!
3. CREATE A WEBSITE
If you are going to be marketing goods and services on the internet, then you need a website. I know there are some programs on the web that say you can make money selling this or that by using Pay Per Click Advertising. They're right, you can, but you can sell a whole lot more if you have your own site!
That does not mean that you have to build a huge, expensive web site, but you do need a site. Not just any kind of site, your site needs to be a content rich-information super site. People get on the internet looking for information! So if they want information, what should you give them? I hope you answered information, because if you didn't we need to start all over. After you have found your niche and built your keyword list, it is time to develop a theme for your site.
When you develop your site, you need to keep in mind the people that will be coming to your site. You want to provide an atmosphere that will keep them coming back. The goal is to provide as much relevant content and free information as possible to attract visitors that will become repeat visitors. They need to feel like they are being provided a great service and that your site can be used as a reference for their hobby, career, or lifestyle.
Back to an example, if your site sells health food; don't just have ads for health food products on your web pages! Fill your pages with articles about health food and the importance of a healthy diet. You might want to have a section on physical fitness. Write or find product reviews on health foods and supplements so customers can compare and get educated on products.
If they view your site as a resource they WILL come back time and time again. They will begin to look at you as an expert and trusted partner and will buy the products you recommend. They will tell their friends and family about how they found this great site that has all of this powerful information about health, health foods, and supplements. The key is to provide relevant content and then intertwine your products into that content. You want to make a soft sale and not come off like a pushy salesperson.
The key to remember here is that you can sell more with your own site and make the site a content - rich information highway. Content is King on the internet, it always has been and always will be.
Kill'em with content.
4. FIND AFFILIATE PRODUCTS THAT COMPLIMENT YOUR OWN.
Now that you have your website up and running and are selling a few of your own products, it is time to diversify. There are literally thousands of affiliate programs offered on the internet today. All of the big boys have them; Amazon, Blockbuster Video, Overstock, and even Bass Pro Shop. For those of you who don't know what an affiliate program is, it is nothing more than promoting other peoples' products and services. You get paid if your promotion turns into a sale! Pretty simple stuff really.
What you need to do is find some affiliate products that are relevant to your niche and offer them on your site as well. There are two really good reasons for this. The first is that it will increase your sales and help make you more profitable. Second, it will help diversify your portfolio, so to speak, by providing other avenues of income. When one product starts to slide you have other income sources to fill the void.
To put it bluntly, all of your eggs are not in one basket!
You can find affiliate programs at sites like http://www.cj.com and http://www.clickbank.com. They are affiliate networks and work as a middle man between the company and their affiliates. They help put potential affiliates looking for products to promote together with companies that need products promoted.
Weaving in relevant affiliate products can boost your profit and help diversify your income streams.
5. PROMOTE, PROMOTE, AND PROMOTE SOME MORE
The last key to a successful internet home based business is promotion. There is not a business around online or off that can survive without promotion. Let me dispel the myth that you can build a web site and put it on the internet and that magically thousands of people will begin going to it. It does not happen so don't expect it to!
There are tons of ways to advertise your website too much for me to discuss it in great detail in this article. Below are some ways that I generate traffic to my web site that I am sure will work for you.
- Pay Per Click Advertising - The quickest and most predictable way to generate
traffic to your site.
- Articles - Write articles pertaining to your niche and submit them to article directories and ezine publishers. This is a great way to establish your reputation and get targeted traffic. Another plus with articles is that it can help you get incoming links to your site; the search engines love incoming links.
- Linking Strategies - Reciprocal linking plays a huge role in page rank with the search engines, especially Google. Reciprocal links can also be a great way to get traffic from other sites that are similar to yours in content.
- Ezines - Advertising in Ezines are an excellent way to get your website in front of a large, captive audience.
- Forums - Getting involved in forums that are related to your niche is another cheap and effective form of advertising.
- Develop Your Own Opt-in List - The money on the internet is still in the list. It will be very important that you develop your own list of willing people to send information to. You never want to spam, but those people that willingly provide you their emails to be sent a newsletter or other free promotional materials are invaluable to your online success.
This simple 5 step guideline is the same one that I have used to create more than one successful website. I am certain that it will work for you too. Just remember that building a successful internet home based business takes a solid plan that is well thought out. Each of these 5 keys are vital to your profitability and by implementing them effectively you will be successful.
Creating your own internet home based business can be gratifying and profitable. Good luck on the journey!
An online business is not much different than an offline business, other than the fact that it is cheaper to operate due to low overhead. Another big plus is you can run it from your home in your underwear if you like.
To run a successful business online or off you need a plan or a blueprint for success. I am going to share with you a simple 5 step guide that will allow anyone to establish a successful internet home based business. These 5 keys are essential to winning the internet game. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! There are a ton of crooks out there that are trying to take your money with "get rich quick" promises. Let me tell you from personal experience it just does not happen, unless you hit the lottery or a rich relative dies.
Let's get started building your internet home based business empire, shall we?
1. RESEARCH
This is vital to any business and an internet business is NO different. If you already have a product or service then you are one step ahead of the game. If you do not have a product then think about the things that you have an interest or a passion for. It is always easier to market items that you have an interest in. If you have some ideas then it is time for some keyword research. For you internet "newbies", keywords are the words that people use to search for items and information over the internet.
You can use a free tool from Overture at inventory.overture.com - notice that there is NO http or www in that URL. This handy little tool will tell us how many times a keyword has been searched for on the web in the last month. I am an example person so I will give you one. If you are interested in "health and fitness", then type that into the Overture keyword search tool and it will show you all the other related keywords for "health and fitness" and tell you how many times they have been searched for in one month.
Preferably, you want a keyword that is highly searched for because that means it is in demand. The only drawback to that is it could also be a highly competitive market. What we want to look for are keywords that are heavily searched for, but have very little competition. How many times a keyword is searched for is equal to the demand factor in a supply and demand ratio.
So next you need to go to Google and do some more research. Don't you just love research! After you have pulled up Google, type your main keyword into the search box and find out how many results you get for that keyword. You can equate this number to supply factor in our supply and demand ratio.
The higher the supply (search results=number of competing sites) compared to demand (the number of times a keyword is searched for) the harder it is going to be to become successful in that market. That does not mean that is can't be done it is just going to be tougher. Ideally we want a lower ratio of competing sites vs. keyword search results.
2. KEYWORD DEVELOPMENT
After you have decided on a niche, it is time to build a set of keywords. Let me be straight forward here, the most important thing you will EVER do for your internet home based business is build a set of relevant and targeted keywords. Keywords are how people will find you on the internet. Over time you will want to have an arsenal of around 1000 keywords established for your niche. In the beginning, approximately 100 will be sufficient to start.
You will need to think of every imaginable keyword or phrase that someone would type into the search engines to look for the products or services that you are selling. Use the Overture Keyword Search Tool to see how many times those keywords have been searched for. Use misspellings and abbreviations for your keywords as well. Not everyone is a perfect speller!
I can't stress the importance of keyword development enough. I know it is the most boring part of starting an internet business but it will be the cornerstone of it. If you slack off on this you will be setting your business up to fail, simple as that!
3. CREATE A WEBSITE
If you are going to be marketing goods and services on the internet, then you need a website. I know there are some programs on the web that say you can make money selling this or that by using Pay Per Click Advertising. They're right, you can, but you can sell a whole lot more if you have your own site!
That does not mean that you have to build a huge, expensive web site, but you do need a site. Not just any kind of site, your site needs to be a content rich-information super site. People get on the internet looking for information! So if they want information, what should you give them? I hope you answered information, because if you didn't we need to start all over. After you have found your niche and built your keyword list, it is time to develop a theme for your site.
When you develop your site, you need to keep in mind the people that will be coming to your site. You want to provide an atmosphere that will keep them coming back. The goal is to provide as much relevant content and free information as possible to attract visitors that will become repeat visitors. They need to feel like they are being provided a great service and that your site can be used as a reference for their hobby, career, or lifestyle.
Back to an example, if your site sells health food; don't just have ads for health food products on your web pages! Fill your pages with articles about health food and the importance of a healthy diet. You might want to have a section on physical fitness. Write or find product reviews on health foods and supplements so customers can compare and get educated on products.
If they view your site as a resource they WILL come back time and time again. They will begin to look at you as an expert and trusted partner and will buy the products you recommend. They will tell their friends and family about how they found this great site that has all of this powerful information about health, health foods, and supplements. The key is to provide relevant content and then intertwine your products into that content. You want to make a soft sale and not come off like a pushy salesperson.
The key to remember here is that you can sell more with your own site and make the site a content - rich information highway. Content is King on the internet, it always has been and always will be.
Kill'em with content.
4. FIND AFFILIATE PRODUCTS THAT COMPLIMENT YOUR OWN.
Now that you have your website up and running and are selling a few of your own products, it is time to diversify. There are literally thousands of affiliate programs offered on the internet today. All of the big boys have them; Amazon, Blockbuster Video, Overstock, and even Bass Pro Shop. For those of you who don't know what an affiliate program is, it is nothing more than promoting other peoples' products and services. You get paid if your promotion turns into a sale! Pretty simple stuff really.
What you need to do is find some affiliate products that are relevant to your niche and offer them on your site as well. There are two really good reasons for this. The first is that it will increase your sales and help make you more profitable. Second, it will help diversify your portfolio, so to speak, by providing other avenues of income. When one product starts to slide you have other income sources to fill the void.
To put it bluntly, all of your eggs are not in one basket!
You can find affiliate programs at sites like http://www.cj.com and http://www.clickbank.com. They are affiliate networks and work as a middle man between the company and their affiliates. They help put potential affiliates looking for products to promote together with companies that need products promoted.
Weaving in relevant affiliate products can boost your profit and help diversify your income streams.
5. PROMOTE, PROMOTE, AND PROMOTE SOME MORE
The last key to a successful internet home based business is promotion. There is not a business around online or off that can survive without promotion. Let me dispel the myth that you can build a web site and put it on the internet and that magically thousands of people will begin going to it. It does not happen so don't expect it to!
There are tons of ways to advertise your website too much for me to discuss it in great detail in this article. Below are some ways that I generate traffic to my web site that I am sure will work for you.
- Pay Per Click Advertising - The quickest and most predictable way to generate
traffic to your site.
- Articles - Write articles pertaining to your niche and submit them to article directories and ezine publishers. This is a great way to establish your reputation and get targeted traffic. Another plus with articles is that it can help you get incoming links to your site; the search engines love incoming links.
- Linking Strategies - Reciprocal linking plays a huge role in page rank with the search engines, especially Google. Reciprocal links can also be a great way to get traffic from other sites that are similar to yours in content.
- Ezines - Advertising in Ezines are an excellent way to get your website in front of a large, captive audience.
- Forums - Getting involved in forums that are related to your niche is another cheap and effective form of advertising.
- Develop Your Own Opt-in List - The money on the internet is still in the list. It will be very important that you develop your own list of willing people to send information to. You never want to spam, but those people that willingly provide you their emails to be sent a newsletter or other free promotional materials are invaluable to your online success.
This simple 5 step guideline is the same one that I have used to create more than one successful website. I am certain that it will work for you too. Just remember that building a successful internet home based business takes a solid plan that is well thought out. Each of these 5 keys are vital to your profitability and by implementing them effectively you will be successful.
Creating your own internet home based business can be gratifying and profitable. Good luck on the journey!
5 Hidden Resources For eBay Users
Many thousands of people making a living both buying & selling on eBay. Currently ranked as the 37 biggest site on the net (according to Alexa figures) eBay shows no signs of slowing down, even fortune 500 companies are opening eBay shops to sell surplus & unwanted stock. The following are five resources that I use personally & encourage you to use them to increase your eBay profits with ease.
Reports show that over 90% of searches on eBay are done using the search facility. What users do not know about eBays search factility is that by default it only searches the item titles - not the descriptions of the items. Remember this fact as it will show the significance of some of the resources listed below.
1) FatFingers
How professional a seller are you? Do you check your listings before submitting them or even does someone else proof read them for you? With millions of listings on eBays networks of sites at any one time, a small proportion of these listings contain errors - & a misspelt word is about the biggest error you can make.
Imagine your selling a Sony Television for example. What if you misspell the item as Sony Televisoin. Anyone who searches for the term "Sony Television" simply isn't going to be presented with your item. Only those eBayers who search manually though the category will find your items. Needless to say that if people can't find your item, they're unable to bid on them.
FatFingers is a service you can use to find all misspelt variations of a term. Why would you need such a service?
Well obviously if an item has low visibility on eBay it's also likely to have zero or few bids enabling you to snap yourself up a bargain. I've known people use this service to make a full time living, purely buying items cheaply and relisting them without errors.
Details at: Fatfingers.com
2) eBay Pulse
Back to the search facility eBay pulse shows you the top 10 searched keywords in every category. It's a real gem of a service, obviously by looking at the most widely used search terms you can see what eBayers are after. And if your selling in this category, by inserting some of these keywords within your title your items will be seen by more users.
The only thing to watch out with this service is make sure the keywords are relevant to your item, IF NOT DON'T USE THEM. How many times have you saw listings such as "SONY PANASONIC LG WIDESCREEN DIGITAL TELEVISION GUIDE", - listings such as these are well thought out to earn high visibility from the way users search. Anyone searching for the items with any of the keywords will uncover your listings.
While it may lead to a high number of views, firstly fellow users will get annoyed if they find your item completely unrevealed to what they searched for, Secondly keyword spamming as it is known, is against eBay policy and will lead to your item being pulled. I use pulse daily with all my listings but make sure it's relevant to your item first.
Details at: pulse.ebay.com
3) Keyword-Pro
Keyword-Pro is a commercial subscription service which is similar to eBay pulse. However, the main difference is Keyword-Pro offers a much more in depth list of relevant keywords. It lists the top 50 keywords for every category for both eBay.co.uk & eBay.com. This is a great addition, especially if any of the terms found in eBay pulse are not relevant to your item.
Keyword-Pro is available as both a web service or as a small program that downloads the list onto your P.C. It's data is updated weekly to keep you informed of the latest search terms.
Details at Trading-Web-Solutions.com/keywords
4) Selling Manager
When you first open a selling account on eBay, options listed under the sell tab of eBay are enough to get you by. However, you can upgrade to a more in depth service known as Selling Manager. As eBay describes the service "eBay Selling Manager is our online sales management tool for medium to high volume sellers". It allows you to track every eBay sale, customise your feedback comments, print shipping labels & much more. It saves me about four hours a week tracking orders and watching my sales.
Selling Manager is FREE on eBay.co.uk & has a small monthly charge of on eBay.com (after one a month trial free). Once I moved over to Selling Manager, there's simply no way I would go back.
Details at: Click on services once you've logged into your eBay account.
5) eBay Popular Products
Here you can see, directly from eBay, what the most popular products are in several categories. an invaluable tool for an eBay seller.
Details at: http://product-index.ebay.com/best_selling_1.html
I hope you find these services useful & time saving in your goal for a successful home business on eBay. Remember, your most important resource is your time when your starting or building up an online business & if you discover any site, person or opportunity that can save you time give it the attention & serious consideration it deserves. Every top Internet marketers constantly educate themselves by purchasing & reviewing almost every new product released. The way I look at it, if an ebook costs $197 and the information within the ebook saves me this or allows me to make an additional $197 it's well worth it - once you can do it once you'll be able to repeat the exercise over and over again making repeated profits. If you discover a precious eBay related resource let me know & I'll consider revising this list for future editions.
Good luck with your eBay selling.
Reports show that over 90% of searches on eBay are done using the search facility. What users do not know about eBays search factility is that by default it only searches the item titles - not the descriptions of the items. Remember this fact as it will show the significance of some of the resources listed below.
1) FatFingers
How professional a seller are you? Do you check your listings before submitting them or even does someone else proof read them for you? With millions of listings on eBays networks of sites at any one time, a small proportion of these listings contain errors - & a misspelt word is about the biggest error you can make.
Imagine your selling a Sony Television for example. What if you misspell the item as Sony Televisoin. Anyone who searches for the term "Sony Television" simply isn't going to be presented with your item. Only those eBayers who search manually though the category will find your items. Needless to say that if people can't find your item, they're unable to bid on them.
FatFingers is a service you can use to find all misspelt variations of a term. Why would you need such a service?
Well obviously if an item has low visibility on eBay it's also likely to have zero or few bids enabling you to snap yourself up a bargain. I've known people use this service to make a full time living, purely buying items cheaply and relisting them without errors.
Details at: Fatfingers.com
2) eBay Pulse
Back to the search facility eBay pulse shows you the top 10 searched keywords in every category. It's a real gem of a service, obviously by looking at the most widely used search terms you can see what eBayers are after. And if your selling in this category, by inserting some of these keywords within your title your items will be seen by more users.
The only thing to watch out with this service is make sure the keywords are relevant to your item, IF NOT DON'T USE THEM. How many times have you saw listings such as "SONY PANASONIC LG WIDESCREEN DIGITAL TELEVISION GUIDE", - listings such as these are well thought out to earn high visibility from the way users search. Anyone searching for the items with any of the keywords will uncover your listings.
While it may lead to a high number of views, firstly fellow users will get annoyed if they find your item completely unrevealed to what they searched for, Secondly keyword spamming as it is known, is against eBay policy and will lead to your item being pulled. I use pulse daily with all my listings but make sure it's relevant to your item first.
Details at: pulse.ebay.com
3) Keyword-Pro
Keyword-Pro is a commercial subscription service which is similar to eBay pulse. However, the main difference is Keyword-Pro offers a much more in depth list of relevant keywords. It lists the top 50 keywords for every category for both eBay.co.uk & eBay.com. This is a great addition, especially if any of the terms found in eBay pulse are not relevant to your item.
Keyword-Pro is available as both a web service or as a small program that downloads the list onto your P.C. It's data is updated weekly to keep you informed of the latest search terms.
Details at Trading-Web-Solutions.com/keywords
4) Selling Manager
When you first open a selling account on eBay, options listed under the sell tab of eBay are enough to get you by. However, you can upgrade to a more in depth service known as Selling Manager. As eBay describes the service "eBay Selling Manager is our online sales management tool for medium to high volume sellers". It allows you to track every eBay sale, customise your feedback comments, print shipping labels & much more. It saves me about four hours a week tracking orders and watching my sales.
Selling Manager is FREE on eBay.co.uk & has a small monthly charge of on eBay.com (after one a month trial free). Once I moved over to Selling Manager, there's simply no way I would go back.
Details at: Click on services once you've logged into your eBay account.
5) eBay Popular Products
Here you can see, directly from eBay, what the most popular products are in several categories. an invaluable tool for an eBay seller.
Details at: http://product-index.ebay.com/best_selling_1.html
I hope you find these services useful & time saving in your goal for a successful home business on eBay. Remember, your most important resource is your time when your starting or building up an online business & if you discover any site, person or opportunity that can save you time give it the attention & serious consideration it deserves. Every top Internet marketers constantly educate themselves by purchasing & reviewing almost every new product released. The way I look at it, if an ebook costs $197 and the information within the ebook saves me this or allows me to make an additional $197 it's well worth it - once you can do it once you'll be able to repeat the exercise over and over again making repeated profits. If you discover a precious eBay related resource let me know & I'll consider revising this list for future editions.
Good luck with your eBay selling.
5 Core Skills To Build Before Starting Internet Marketing
It kinda bugs me that there are people who are constantly writing about the things that do well in Internet Marketing. I think that’s real silly. People want the real stuff. They want to know the exciting stuff, but they want the truth too.
Why have internet marketers hidden from you, the costs of getting to where they have gotten? Because it is the one thing that separates the real players and the suckers. If you do not know how much time and effort they spent, don’t think that internet marketing is a walk in the park.
My business partner was so excited after a conference, he started up a mini-site that was selling a set of products we already had in existence. It was a great plan, except that for the kind of product we put up, he sold the package at a drop dead price of $97. Now, I operate from Singapore, and we know that most of the people who would buy this product would come from the other side of the world. Without verifying the shipping charges, he happily took orders from the internet. The first one had him jumping up and down… only to realize that the cost of shipping took about 90% of that $97. We couldn’t cover the production costs. Straight away, it was a loss.
But everyone talks about shipping their products as if it were a simple thing. Most people have forgotten completely about the people living on this side of the world and what it takes to sell something. This means that there are a few things that most beginners in internet marketing need to be careful about and learn.
#1 – Learn Copywriting.
Copywriting is the most important skill ever to be taught to marketers and business people alike. If you don’t have the ability to write your own sales letters, it will be easy for people to tell you to outsource the writing. My advice: DON’T. You are letting them develop the skill that you should be building up. No one ever gets to be an expert copywriter overnight. Learn it, and learn it well.
#2 – Understand Business Models
There are about 7 or 8 different business models on the internet. Because I need to make sure that people really understand about business per se, I’ve put it in the form of a freely downloadable format at http://www.stuarttan.com/affiliate/bizmodel.pdf
Go grab it - no holds barred.
#3 – Drive traffic
I’ve included a list for those of you newbies out there, the multiple ways to drive traffic over the internet. There are over 100 ways you can use to drive traffic and I would highly recommend you hop over to learn about these. I directly credit people like John Reese, Jeff Johnson and Yanik Silver for their invaluable knowledge that I have gotten from them. If you don’t know about them, please begin today! They are great people and I highly recommend that you visit them at www.trafficsecrets.com, www.searchenginevoodoo.com and www.surefiremarketing.com respectively. Download my traffic generation chart on www.stuarttan.com/affiliate/Traffic Boosters.pdf
.
#4 – Learn New Internet Technology Fast
You need to be learning really fast. I’ve discovered that there are a large number of new internet technologies that keep coming up and they can be very powerful, provided you know how to use them. If you don’t know how to use them, it will most definitely be to your disadvantage. For instance, most people still don’t know how to use RSS and Blogs. In addition, some people are clueless about XML feeds and how that helps to create massive content sites and increase search engine rankings. You need to learn fast. The only way for you to master your learning is to read about them. I highly recommend that you visit www.stuarttan.com/learning/ for more information that I can’t deal with here.
I am going to give you something good, though. If the entire internet marketing world is doing it, DON’T. If you just follow, you will not be at the breakthrough point of technology usage. Start innovating and think creatively to solve a problem. Sometimes, even the simplest things can bring about massive profits online!
#5 – Keep Relationships Going
Keeping relationships going on the internet is a difficult thing. But it is essential. You need to be able to do autoresponse messages, personalized. However, most people miss the point. Automatic isn’t going to build relationships. You need to keep them warm. Call them. Give them ideas. Give them free stuff (learnt this from Yanik). More importantly, ask Jeff Johnson’s single most asked question – ‘Can I help you?’.
I’m all for making money – but if it is at the expense of friendships and relationships, I think it is going to be really stupid to continue making money. Give yourself a chance to put back, in your heart, what many poor, scammy internet marketers have taken away – quality and the desire to help people.
Why have internet marketers hidden from you, the costs of getting to where they have gotten? Because it is the one thing that separates the real players and the suckers. If you do not know how much time and effort they spent, don’t think that internet marketing is a walk in the park.
My business partner was so excited after a conference, he started up a mini-site that was selling a set of products we already had in existence. It was a great plan, except that for the kind of product we put up, he sold the package at a drop dead price of $97. Now, I operate from Singapore, and we know that most of the people who would buy this product would come from the other side of the world. Without verifying the shipping charges, he happily took orders from the internet. The first one had him jumping up and down… only to realize that the cost of shipping took about 90% of that $97. We couldn’t cover the production costs. Straight away, it was a loss.
But everyone talks about shipping their products as if it were a simple thing. Most people have forgotten completely about the people living on this side of the world and what it takes to sell something. This means that there are a few things that most beginners in internet marketing need to be careful about and learn.
#1 – Learn Copywriting.
Copywriting is the most important skill ever to be taught to marketers and business people alike. If you don’t have the ability to write your own sales letters, it will be easy for people to tell you to outsource the writing. My advice: DON’T. You are letting them develop the skill that you should be building up. No one ever gets to be an expert copywriter overnight. Learn it, and learn it well.
#2 – Understand Business Models
There are about 7 or 8 different business models on the internet. Because I need to make sure that people really understand about business per se, I’ve put it in the form of a freely downloadable format at http://www.stuarttan.com/affiliate/bizmodel.pdf
Go grab it - no holds barred.
#3 – Drive traffic
I’ve included a list for those of you newbies out there, the multiple ways to drive traffic over the internet. There are over 100 ways you can use to drive traffic and I would highly recommend you hop over to learn about these. I directly credit people like John Reese, Jeff Johnson and Yanik Silver for their invaluable knowledge that I have gotten from them. If you don’t know about them, please begin today! They are great people and I highly recommend that you visit them at www.trafficsecrets.com, www.searchenginevoodoo.com and www.surefiremarketing.com respectively. Download my traffic generation chart on www.stuarttan.com/affiliate/Traffic Boosters.pdf
.
#4 – Learn New Internet Technology Fast
You need to be learning really fast. I’ve discovered that there are a large number of new internet technologies that keep coming up and they can be very powerful, provided you know how to use them. If you don’t know how to use them, it will most definitely be to your disadvantage. For instance, most people still don’t know how to use RSS and Blogs. In addition, some people are clueless about XML feeds and how that helps to create massive content sites and increase search engine rankings. You need to learn fast. The only way for you to master your learning is to read about them. I highly recommend that you visit www.stuarttan.com/learning/ for more information that I can’t deal with here.
I am going to give you something good, though. If the entire internet marketing world is doing it, DON’T. If you just follow, you will not be at the breakthrough point of technology usage. Start innovating and think creatively to solve a problem. Sometimes, even the simplest things can bring about massive profits online!
#5 – Keep Relationships Going
Keeping relationships going on the internet is a difficult thing. But it is essential. You need to be able to do autoresponse messages, personalized. However, most people miss the point. Automatic isn’t going to build relationships. You need to keep them warm. Call them. Give them ideas. Give them free stuff (learnt this from Yanik). More importantly, ask Jeff Johnson’s single most asked question – ‘Can I help you?’.
I’m all for making money – but if it is at the expense of friendships and relationships, I think it is going to be really stupid to continue making money. Give yourself a chance to put back, in your heart, what many poor, scammy internet marketers have taken away – quality and the desire to help people.
4 Ways of Increasing Your Profits Using Images
Images not only can create an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for users, but they can also (and more importantly) help you gain credibility, and ultimately sales if done correctly. Here are some great ways to increase your credibility:
1. Self Portraits/Customer photos
Having a photo of yourself on your sales page will help your customers feel more at home, and that they're dealing with a real person, and not just a machine. This increases your credibility in the viewer's eye because it adds a personal touch, and you will see your sales increase when you employ such methods. A great place to place a self portrait is in an 'about me' section of your site or newsletter. If you don't have a section like this, you should consider creating one because this, just like the image will increase your credibility and your conversion rate.
Another way of using pictures to increase your conversion rate is by using customer photos. You should place these on customer testimonials, and when people view them, they will see that this is a real customer that is satisfied with your product, and they will carry much more weight this way. Testimonials alone are a great way to increase conversions, so don't hesitate to make them even more effective by adding customer photos. The only problem here is acquiring the photos themselves, since many people do not have a self portrait, but that shouldn't stop you from asking your customers for them, and maybe even offer them discounts for some incentive! The choice is yours.
2. Product Packaging
Product packaging images - this means, regardless of what you're selling, be it tangible or intangible, to offer images of your product. If you're selling an ebook, create an ebook cover. If you're selling an actual book, show a photo of it. What this does is explain to the viewer of your site that your product is 'real' and that they're really getting something when they're spending their money. It's been proven that simply showing an ebook cover on a sales page can increase conversion rates by over 50%! You can't afford to miss out on something so simple that will increase your sales this much, so make it a point to have some product packaging!
3. Physical Evidence of Product's Success
This can mean an infinite number of things depending on what you're selling, but in a nutshell, try to include a photo of something that lets your site's visitors know that the product you're selling actually works. Some examples: If you're selling a book on internet marketing, show a picture of a check you've received while using the techniques explained in your book. If you're selling a book on bodybuilding, show before and after pictures of someone who has practiced the methods explained in the book. These kinds of things will drastically increase the viewer's excitement in your product and will get them itching to whip out their credit cards!
4. Soothing, Pleasant Graphics
You want your site's look to be welcoming just like a big soft sofa, so your viewers are visually relaxed and not constantly being annoyed. Things to avoid are animated icons and bright/flashy/uncomplimentary colors as these are very unprofessional, leading your visitors to believe your product may also be unprofessional. Plus, these things may turn away some visitors altogether, so do your best to avoid them. Train yourself to use softer colors, softer gradients, softer backgrounds, etc. And you (and your visitors) will reap the benefits.
If you practice some or all of these methods you will see great improvements in your conversion rates, so don't take them lightly. People will read interesting copy, but nothing builds credibility like a bit of positive imagery. Hope you've learned something!
1. Self Portraits/Customer photos
Having a photo of yourself on your sales page will help your customers feel more at home, and that they're dealing with a real person, and not just a machine. This increases your credibility in the viewer's eye because it adds a personal touch, and you will see your sales increase when you employ such methods. A great place to place a self portrait is in an 'about me' section of your site or newsletter. If you don't have a section like this, you should consider creating one because this, just like the image will increase your credibility and your conversion rate.
Another way of using pictures to increase your conversion rate is by using customer photos. You should place these on customer testimonials, and when people view them, they will see that this is a real customer that is satisfied with your product, and they will carry much more weight this way. Testimonials alone are a great way to increase conversions, so don't hesitate to make them even more effective by adding customer photos. The only problem here is acquiring the photos themselves, since many people do not have a self portrait, but that shouldn't stop you from asking your customers for them, and maybe even offer them discounts for some incentive! The choice is yours.
2. Product Packaging
Product packaging images - this means, regardless of what you're selling, be it tangible or intangible, to offer images of your product. If you're selling an ebook, create an ebook cover. If you're selling an actual book, show a photo of it. What this does is explain to the viewer of your site that your product is 'real' and that they're really getting something when they're spending their money. It's been proven that simply showing an ebook cover on a sales page can increase conversion rates by over 50%! You can't afford to miss out on something so simple that will increase your sales this much, so make it a point to have some product packaging!
3. Physical Evidence of Product's Success
This can mean an infinite number of things depending on what you're selling, but in a nutshell, try to include a photo of something that lets your site's visitors know that the product you're selling actually works. Some examples: If you're selling a book on internet marketing, show a picture of a check you've received while using the techniques explained in your book. If you're selling a book on bodybuilding, show before and after pictures of someone who has practiced the methods explained in the book. These kinds of things will drastically increase the viewer's excitement in your product and will get them itching to whip out their credit cards!
4. Soothing, Pleasant Graphics
You want your site's look to be welcoming just like a big soft sofa, so your viewers are visually relaxed and not constantly being annoyed. Things to avoid are animated icons and bright/flashy/uncomplimentary colors as these are very unprofessional, leading your visitors to believe your product may also be unprofessional. Plus, these things may turn away some visitors altogether, so do your best to avoid them. Train yourself to use softer colors, softer gradients, softer backgrounds, etc. And you (and your visitors) will reap the benefits.
If you practice some or all of these methods you will see great improvements in your conversion rates, so don't take them lightly. People will read interesting copy, but nothing builds credibility like a bit of positive imagery. Hope you've learned something!
Thursday 17 January 2008
4 Ways of Increasing Your Profits Using Images
Images not only can create an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for users, but they can also (and more importantly) help you gain credibility, and ultimately sales if done correctly. Here are some great ways to increase your credibility:
1. Self Portraits/Customer photos
Having a photo of yourself on your sales page will help your customers feel more at home, and that they're dealing with a real person, and not just a machine. This increases your credibility in the viewer's eye because it adds a personal touch, and you will see your sales increase when you employ such methods. A great place to place a self portrait is in an 'about me' section of your site or newsletter. If you don't have a section like this, you should consider creating one because this, just like the image will increase your credibility and your conversion rate.
Another way of using pictures to increase your conversion rate is by using customer photos. You should place these on customer testimonials, and when people view them, they will see that this is a real customer that is satisfied with your product, and they will carry much more weight this way. Testimonials alone are a great way to increase conversions, so don't hesitate to make them even more effective by adding customer photos. The only problem here is acquiring the photos themselves, since many people do not have a self portrait, but that shouldn't stop you from asking your customers for them, and maybe even offer them discounts for some incentive! The choice is yours.
2. Product Packaging
Product packaging images - this means, regardless of what you're selling, be it tangible or intangible, to offer images of your product. If you're selling an ebook, create an ebook cover. If you're selling an actual book, show a photo of it. What this does is explain to the viewer of your site that your product is 'real' and that they're really getting something when they're spending their money. It's been proven that simply showing an ebook cover on a sales page can increase conversion rates by over 50%! You can't afford to miss out on something so simple that will increase your sales this much, so make it a point to have some product packaging!
3. Physical Evidence of Product's Success
This can mean an infinite number of things depending on what you're selling, but in a nutshell, try to include a photo of something that lets your site's visitors know that the product you're selling actually works. Some examples: If you're selling a book on internet marketing, show a picture of a check you've received while using the techniques explained in your book. If you're selling a book on bodybuilding, show before and after pictures of someone who has practiced the methods explained in the book. These kinds of things will drastically increase the viewer's excitement in your product and will get them itching to whip out their credit cards!
4. Soothing, Pleasant Graphics
You want your site's look to be welcoming just like a big soft sofa, so your viewers are visually relaxed and not constantly being annoyed. Things to avoid are animated icons and bright/flashy/uncomplimentary colors as these are very unprofessional, leading your visitors to believe your product may also be unprofessional. Plus, these things may turn away some visitors altogether, so do your best to avoid them. Train yourself to use softer colors, softer gradients, softer backgrounds, etc. And you (and your visitors) will reap the benefits.
If you practice some or all of these methods you will see great improvements in your conversion rates, so don't take them lightly. People will read interesting copy, but nothing builds credibility like a bit of positive imagery. Hope you've learned something!
1. Self Portraits/Customer photos
Having a photo of yourself on your sales page will help your customers feel more at home, and that they're dealing with a real person, and not just a machine. This increases your credibility in the viewer's eye because it adds a personal touch, and you will see your sales increase when you employ such methods. A great place to place a self portrait is in an 'about me' section of your site or newsletter. If you don't have a section like this, you should consider creating one because this, just like the image will increase your credibility and your conversion rate.
Another way of using pictures to increase your conversion rate is by using customer photos. You should place these on customer testimonials, and when people view them, they will see that this is a real customer that is satisfied with your product, and they will carry much more weight this way. Testimonials alone are a great way to increase conversions, so don't hesitate to make them even more effective by adding customer photos. The only problem here is acquiring the photos themselves, since many people do not have a self portrait, but that shouldn't stop you from asking your customers for them, and maybe even offer them discounts for some incentive! The choice is yours.
2. Product Packaging
Product packaging images - this means, regardless of what you're selling, be it tangible or intangible, to offer images of your product. If you're selling an ebook, create an ebook cover. If you're selling an actual book, show a photo of it. What this does is explain to the viewer of your site that your product is 'real' and that they're really getting something when they're spending their money. It's been proven that simply showing an ebook cover on a sales page can increase conversion rates by over 50%! You can't afford to miss out on something so simple that will increase your sales this much, so make it a point to have some product packaging!
3. Physical Evidence of Product's Success
This can mean an infinite number of things depending on what you're selling, but in a nutshell, try to include a photo of something that lets your site's visitors know that the product you're selling actually works. Some examples: If you're selling a book on internet marketing, show a picture of a check you've received while using the techniques explained in your book. If you're selling a book on bodybuilding, show before and after pictures of someone who has practiced the methods explained in the book. These kinds of things will drastically increase the viewer's excitement in your product and will get them itching to whip out their credit cards!
4. Soothing, Pleasant Graphics
You want your site's look to be welcoming just like a big soft sofa, so your viewers are visually relaxed and not constantly being annoyed. Things to avoid are animated icons and bright/flashy/uncomplimentary colors as these are very unprofessional, leading your visitors to believe your product may also be unprofessional. Plus, these things may turn away some visitors altogether, so do your best to avoid them. Train yourself to use softer colors, softer gradients, softer backgrounds, etc. And you (and your visitors) will reap the benefits.
If you practice some or all of these methods you will see great improvements in your conversion rates, so don't take them lightly. People will read interesting copy, but nothing builds credibility like a bit of positive imagery. Hope you've learned something!
4 Tricks For Lightning Fast Indexing
The biggest problem that most are running into seems to do with getting INTO the search engines. Rankings aside, you need to first get them to index you. Here are the four main ways to assure yourself fast indexing:
Indexing Tip #1:
Never launch a new site with a lot of back links. Build natural links over weeks and months.
Let's face it, there is no guaranteed method of getting indexed by Google fast, and buying links from high-ranking sites does not guarantees anything either.
The most immediate red flag you should watch out for is your number of incoming links. According to Google, it takes time to get link popularity and sites should not have more than 100 incoming links.
It's okay to launch with a quality link or two. But beyond that, you are pushing it!
Here is the scoop! It takes 30-45 days for Google to deep index new sites. Instead of sitting around during “sandbox” time, use that period to build a strong set of natural back-links with a variety of sites.
Indexing Tip #2:
Register your domain name at least four months before you plan to launch the site.
No I am not kidding! Whether you agree with it or not, history shows that Google takes older URLs far more seriously than newer ones. So register your domain name as soon as you plan on developing a site.
Indexing Tip #3:
Blog and ping carefully.
Blogging & pinging is one of the fastest ways to get into the Yahoo index - it can literally get you into Yahoo overnight - helps with MSN as well.
Will blogging and pinging help get you into Google? Maybe. But over-pinging can set off red flags on the ping servers, and if you're using automated blogging software, overdoing it can cause Blogger.com and other services to shut down your blog.
Blogging and pinging intelligently can get your blog indexed in Yahoo quickly, but ping carefully.
Does Yahoo de-index junk blogs? Absolutely. Especially since the creation of all this software, the search engines are watching closely for red flags (use software wisely).
So what can you do about Yahoo Search? Not much… You can be smart about blogging and pinging or even better, you can create real (not by software) blogs. You still have to be careful with pinging though.
In the end, blogging and pinging should be part of every beginner's indexing strategy.
Indexing Tip #4:
If you build bulk directory/portal sites - keep them in the 200-300 page range.
We know it's such a blast to build those monster 1000-5000 page sites, even with growing evidence of Google bots' tendencies to stall after indexing the first 200 pages or so…
So if you're into blasting out those gigantic directories and sick of waiting months for them to get indexed, experiment with building smaller sites around more targeted niches.
In a nutshell: Divide those mega-keyword lists, spend a little time grouping your sub-lists, and build smaller sites.
All in all, the best way to get indexed, stay indexed and eventually get ranked is to recruit incoming link partners. See, blogging and pinging could be gone tomorrow. But, linking is an integral part of how the internet works - it will never go away.
Concentrate on building sites and recruiting links - the links get you indexed, ranked and even bring you free traffic from those who click the links!
Indexing Tip #1:
Never launch a new site with a lot of back links. Build natural links over weeks and months.
Let's face it, there is no guaranteed method of getting indexed by Google fast, and buying links from high-ranking sites does not guarantees anything either.
The most immediate red flag you should watch out for is your number of incoming links. According to Google, it takes time to get link popularity and sites should not have more than 100 incoming links.
It's okay to launch with a quality link or two. But beyond that, you are pushing it!
Here is the scoop! It takes 30-45 days for Google to deep index new sites. Instead of sitting around during “sandbox” time, use that period to build a strong set of natural back-links with a variety of sites.
Indexing Tip #2:
Register your domain name at least four months before you plan to launch the site.
No I am not kidding! Whether you agree with it or not, history shows that Google takes older URLs far more seriously than newer ones. So register your domain name as soon as you plan on developing a site.
Indexing Tip #3:
Blog and ping carefully.
Blogging & pinging is one of the fastest ways to get into the Yahoo index - it can literally get you into Yahoo overnight - helps with MSN as well.
Will blogging and pinging help get you into Google? Maybe. But over-pinging can set off red flags on the ping servers, and if you're using automated blogging software, overdoing it can cause Blogger.com and other services to shut down your blog.
Blogging and pinging intelligently can get your blog indexed in Yahoo quickly, but ping carefully.
Does Yahoo de-index junk blogs? Absolutely. Especially since the creation of all this software, the search engines are watching closely for red flags (use software wisely).
So what can you do about Yahoo Search? Not much… You can be smart about blogging and pinging or even better, you can create real (not by software) blogs. You still have to be careful with pinging though.
In the end, blogging and pinging should be part of every beginner's indexing strategy.
Indexing Tip #4:
If you build bulk directory/portal sites - keep them in the 200-300 page range.
We know it's such a blast to build those monster 1000-5000 page sites, even with growing evidence of Google bots' tendencies to stall after indexing the first 200 pages or so…
So if you're into blasting out those gigantic directories and sick of waiting months for them to get indexed, experiment with building smaller sites around more targeted niches.
In a nutshell: Divide those mega-keyword lists, spend a little time grouping your sub-lists, and build smaller sites.
All in all, the best way to get indexed, stay indexed and eventually get ranked is to recruit incoming link partners. See, blogging and pinging could be gone tomorrow. But, linking is an integral part of how the internet works - it will never go away.
Concentrate on building sites and recruiting links - the links get you indexed, ranked and even bring you free traffic from those who click the links!
Monday 14 January 2008
3 Quick and Easy Steps to Earn Money Online!
Do you own a web site that is continually failing to make you any money? Don't feel alone because 90% of the web sites on the internet are just like yours. So, what if I told you that you could earn money online, practically overnight!
You might not believe me but the facts are you can. I am about to show you 3 quick and easy steps to earn money online, fast.
These are proven techniques that will send fast cash into your bank account, even while you sleep. Put them to work for you and watch the money come rolling in.
Follow these 3 quick and easy steps and you will be able to earn money online like the pros.
1. Market Someone Else's Product - If you have your own web site, or even if you don't, you can find an affiliate product that is relevant to your market and sell it for a commission. Many of these affiliate programs pay as much as a 75% commission on sales.
Here is an easy tactic you can use to sell your affiliate product. If you have your own site then put a text link in a highly visible area on your website. The middle of the page, top right, or bottom right seem to be prime web site real estate.
Make sure to use a text link instead of a banner, they convert better! When you write your text, do so in the form of a recommendation for the product. This technique usually works the best because the people that come to your website consider you an expert on your market.
Put more than one text link on your web pages. What draws the attention of one person may not another. So always write two to three text link ads and put them on various places on each of your web pages.
2. Use a Joint Venture to Jumpstart your Sales - Maybe you have a product but are new to the internet and don't have a list. You are interested in increasing your web site traffic and building your credibility to increase your sales. No problem, what you need to do is find someone in your niche market that has an established web site and a list of customers.
Use the search engines and references from other site owners to locate someone that might be interested in recommending your product to their customer list in return for a share of the profits. You need to make this a win-win situation for them. Understand that you are the one needing help, not them. So when you approach them have the attitude of how this venture can benefit them and not you.
Tell them that you think your product would be a valuable benefit for their customers. Give them a FREE copy of your e-book or your product to let them see for themselves. Make sure that you provide all of the marketing materials they will need, like ezine ads, articles, text links, and banners.
Most importantly, make it worth their time by giving them a minimum of 50% of the profits for utilizing their list. You need to understand that their list is the heart and soul of their business and that they will only recommend products to their customers that they feel will benefit them. As a list owner you can not afford to risk your reputation on low quality products.
A joint venture is a great way to jumpstart your sales and will lead to more profitable joint ventures in the future!
3. Give Something Away to Profit in the Future - One of the best ways to secure huge amounts of profits is to give something away to your web site visitors. This does two things, the first, it is a great way to get their trust and secondly, by giving them a taste of what you have to offer many of them will end up buying the whole meal.
A great technique to use, especially if you have an information product like an e-book, is to give away a free report or mini-course related to the topic of your information product.
This will allow you to get their email address so you can send them follow up emails promoting your product, or other people's products like in example 1. You are also building a list of people that have an interest in your niche market. If they like your material they will come back for more!
So give away a free email report or mini-course, you can even put links to your products or affiliate products in the free report, so it becomes an income stream. If you will give away something to get their interests peaked and their trust heightened it will lead to greater sales in the near future.
You might not believe me but the facts are you can. I am about to show you 3 quick and easy steps to earn money online, fast.
These are proven techniques that will send fast cash into your bank account, even while you sleep. Put them to work for you and watch the money come rolling in.
Follow these 3 quick and easy steps and you will be able to earn money online like the pros.
1. Market Someone Else's Product - If you have your own web site, or even if you don't, you can find an affiliate product that is relevant to your market and sell it for a commission. Many of these affiliate programs pay as much as a 75% commission on sales.
Here is an easy tactic you can use to sell your affiliate product. If you have your own site then put a text link in a highly visible area on your website. The middle of the page, top right, or bottom right seem to be prime web site real estate.
Make sure to use a text link instead of a banner, they convert better! When you write your text, do so in the form of a recommendation for the product. This technique usually works the best because the people that come to your website consider you an expert on your market.
Put more than one text link on your web pages. What draws the attention of one person may not another. So always write two to three text link ads and put them on various places on each of your web pages.
2. Use a Joint Venture to Jumpstart your Sales - Maybe you have a product but are new to the internet and don't have a list. You are interested in increasing your web site traffic and building your credibility to increase your sales. No problem, what you need to do is find someone in your niche market that has an established web site and a list of customers.
Use the search engines and references from other site owners to locate someone that might be interested in recommending your product to their customer list in return for a share of the profits. You need to make this a win-win situation for them. Understand that you are the one needing help, not them. So when you approach them have the attitude of how this venture can benefit them and not you.
Tell them that you think your product would be a valuable benefit for their customers. Give them a FREE copy of your e-book or your product to let them see for themselves. Make sure that you provide all of the marketing materials they will need, like ezine ads, articles, text links, and banners.
Most importantly, make it worth their time by giving them a minimum of 50% of the profits for utilizing their list. You need to understand that their list is the heart and soul of their business and that they will only recommend products to their customers that they feel will benefit them. As a list owner you can not afford to risk your reputation on low quality products.
A joint venture is a great way to jumpstart your sales and will lead to more profitable joint ventures in the future!
3. Give Something Away to Profit in the Future - One of the best ways to secure huge amounts of profits is to give something away to your web site visitors. This does two things, the first, it is a great way to get their trust and secondly, by giving them a taste of what you have to offer many of them will end up buying the whole meal.
A great technique to use, especially if you have an information product like an e-book, is to give away a free report or mini-course related to the topic of your information product.
This will allow you to get their email address so you can send them follow up emails promoting your product, or other people's products like in example 1. You are also building a list of people that have an interest in your niche market. If they like your material they will come back for more!
So give away a free email report or mini-course, you can even put links to your products or affiliate products in the free report, so it becomes an income stream. If you will give away something to get their interests peaked and their trust heightened it will lead to greater sales in the near future.
3 Business Models For Creating Wealth On The Internet
The Internet has the potential to make you rich! I am sure you have heard it over and over again. Everybody knows you CAN get rich using the Internet, but HOW?
Over the last 8 years, I have researched hundreds of Internet business opportunities... I have purchased dozens of Get-Rich Information packs... I have listened to over 100 audiobooks on how to prosper using the Internet... I've been to countless seminars, some costing as much as $3,400 to attend! And I've tested all the tips, tricks and techniques to find out what works and what doesn't.
What I discovered was that there are three distinct business models that you can use to create wealth with the Internet. I've used all three to create an income stream of over $1 million dollars per year.
And I do it all from the comfort of my home... with no employees...
Would you like to learn how?
In this article I will give a brief overview of each of the three business models. Then, in upcoming articles I will discuss each model in greater detail along with direct links to resources I have used that are working for me RIGHT NOW!
*** ONE SECRET That All 3 Models Have In Common ***
As you learn about all of the models, you will notice one thing that they all have in common. That one thing is called "leverage."
What is leverage?
J. Paul Ghetty once said, "I would rather have 1% of the efforts of 100 men than 100% of my own efforts."
J. Paul understood leverage. Some of the models that I will present will leverage the efforts of hundreds and even thousands of other people to produce an income for you...
In other business models we'll use computers and technology to create leverage.
In either case, leverage allows you to earn money while you sleep... while you vacation... while you spend time with your family....
Leverage is the secret to financial freedom!
*** Business Model #1 - Network Marketing ***
Network Marketing, or Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) has bloomed into a multi-billion dollar business. Even with all of this success, we still run into people today that call it a pyramid-scheme....
Network Marketing allows you to start a business at home that is similiar to a franchise. However, there is no franchise fee of millions of dollars. Instead, you pay a small entry fee, some as low as $35 to become a distributor. However, you get the backing of a major corporation to support you and to help you build your own home business.
You also get the opportunity to go International with your home business with some network marketing companies reaching into 60 or more countries!
MLM has come a long way, baby!
The unique thing about Network Marketing is that your upline is actually motivated to help you succeed. (Unlike a BOSS who doesn't want you to know what he knows - or you'd take his job!)
I have been (and still am) involved with 3 different network marketing companies... I will tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly in an upcoming article on Network Marketing.
*** Business Model #2 - Affiliate Programs ***
Affiliate programs have become very successful over the years. In fact, we started our own affiliate program several years ago, and saw it grow to over 3,000 affiliates in less than a year.
Basically, affiliate programs are ways that you can promote somebody else's product or service and get paid for it.
This is usually done by a banner ad, or announcement to a customer or other specialized list.
If you currently have a high traffic website, you should be participating in at least several different affiliate programs. Nowadays, there are networks of affiliate programs that take the threat of not being paid out of the picture. (It used to be a problem when everyone was running thier own...)
If you have a lot of time on your hands, and no money at all to get started in Network Marketing, than this is a great option to start out with.
I will tell you where to find these networks and how to get started in an upcoming article on Affiliate Programs.
*** Business Model #3 - Information Marketing ***
This is the model I am currently using to build my next million dollars, while my business partner spends his time building our Network Marketing businesses...
What is Information Marketing?
Basically it is taking something that you love doing and writing articles, ebooks and even creating teleseminars and live seminars.
It might sound like a lot of work, but you start small and work your way up.
I will be showing you how EVERYBODY has at least one special skill or ability that can be turned into an ebook and sold online... Really!
I recently attended a seminar that cost $3,400 to attend. This 3-day seminar was packed full of hundreds of tips and techniques to build an Information Marketing business.
I will be passing what I learned onto you through several upcoming articles....
All of the business models that I have presented have the power to create six and even seven digit incomes in as little as 9 months!
Over the last 8 years, I have researched hundreds of Internet business opportunities... I have purchased dozens of Get-Rich Information packs... I have listened to over 100 audiobooks on how to prosper using the Internet... I've been to countless seminars, some costing as much as $3,400 to attend! And I've tested all the tips, tricks and techniques to find out what works and what doesn't.
What I discovered was that there are three distinct business models that you can use to create wealth with the Internet. I've used all three to create an income stream of over $1 million dollars per year.
And I do it all from the comfort of my home... with no employees...
Would you like to learn how?
In this article I will give a brief overview of each of the three business models. Then, in upcoming articles I will discuss each model in greater detail along with direct links to resources I have used that are working for me RIGHT NOW!
*** ONE SECRET That All 3 Models Have In Common ***
As you learn about all of the models, you will notice one thing that they all have in common. That one thing is called "leverage."
What is leverage?
J. Paul Ghetty once said, "I would rather have 1% of the efforts of 100 men than 100% of my own efforts."
J. Paul understood leverage. Some of the models that I will present will leverage the efforts of hundreds and even thousands of other people to produce an income for you...
In other business models we'll use computers and technology to create leverage.
In either case, leverage allows you to earn money while you sleep... while you vacation... while you spend time with your family....
Leverage is the secret to financial freedom!
*** Business Model #1 - Network Marketing ***
Network Marketing, or Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) has bloomed into a multi-billion dollar business. Even with all of this success, we still run into people today that call it a pyramid-scheme....
Network Marketing allows you to start a business at home that is similiar to a franchise. However, there is no franchise fee of millions of dollars. Instead, you pay a small entry fee, some as low as $35 to become a distributor. However, you get the backing of a major corporation to support you and to help you build your own home business.
You also get the opportunity to go International with your home business with some network marketing companies reaching into 60 or more countries!
MLM has come a long way, baby!
The unique thing about Network Marketing is that your upline is actually motivated to help you succeed. (Unlike a BOSS who doesn't want you to know what he knows - or you'd take his job!)
I have been (and still am) involved with 3 different network marketing companies... I will tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly in an upcoming article on Network Marketing.
*** Business Model #2 - Affiliate Programs ***
Affiliate programs have become very successful over the years. In fact, we started our own affiliate program several years ago, and saw it grow to over 3,000 affiliates in less than a year.
Basically, affiliate programs are ways that you can promote somebody else's product or service and get paid for it.
This is usually done by a banner ad, or announcement to a customer or other specialized list.
If you currently have a high traffic website, you should be participating in at least several different affiliate programs. Nowadays, there are networks of affiliate programs that take the threat of not being paid out of the picture. (It used to be a problem when everyone was running thier own...)
If you have a lot of time on your hands, and no money at all to get started in Network Marketing, than this is a great option to start out with.
I will tell you where to find these networks and how to get started in an upcoming article on Affiliate Programs.
*** Business Model #3 - Information Marketing ***
This is the model I am currently using to build my next million dollars, while my business partner spends his time building our Network Marketing businesses...
What is Information Marketing?
Basically it is taking something that you love doing and writing articles, ebooks and even creating teleseminars and live seminars.
It might sound like a lot of work, but you start small and work your way up.
I will be showing you how EVERYBODY has at least one special skill or ability that can be turned into an ebook and sold online... Really!
I recently attended a seminar that cost $3,400 to attend. This 3-day seminar was packed full of hundreds of tips and techniques to build an Information Marketing business.
I will be passing what I learned onto you through several upcoming articles....
All of the business models that I have presented have the power to create six and even seven digit incomes in as little as 9 months!
2 Keys To "Manual Surf Traffic Exchange" Success
Do you use Manual Surf Traffic Exchanges to drive traffic to your websites or affiliate links?
In case if you are a new internet marketer and do not know what is a Manual Surf Traffic Exchange, here is a short explanation:
"Manual Surf Traffic Exchange is a online service, where members can show their websites to other members, by viewing (surfing) other members websites."
This is a very easy way to receive traffic, especially if you have limited budget, but have time to view other websites. And if you don't want to pay your time, you can purchase traffic directly from traffic exchange programs.
However, you should know that these type of traffic is "ineffective" traffic. Ineffective means the conversion rate of your product or service from traffic exchanges will be lower than other highly targeted traffic sources like PPC visitors.
Note, this does not mean using traffic exchange is not profitable. This is because the cost of each traffic exchange hit is greatly cheaper than other traffic sources.
And if you do it right, the ROI (Return On Investment) will be positive.
Many marketers claim that Manual Surf Traffic Exchange is not useful. They are completely wrong because they missed some very important keys when using traffic exchanges.
Now let me expose two of the secret keys that will turn your traffic exchange failure to success:
1. Method - Capture Leads And Do Not Sell Directly
Every traffic exchange user is busy at surfing. They do not have time and intention to read your long webpage. So NEVER put your sales page. Instead, put a lead capturing page with a "Attention Grabbing Headline", "Amazing Benefits" and a "Opt In Form". Remember, your purpose is to capture email addresses and then follow up with additional sales materials.
2. Target - Webmasters Who Want Traffic
Do you notice the common purpose of the traffic exchange users? Yes they are webmasters or affiliates who want to promote their own websites. Remember, these people is your target market, not kids, not elders. If you are promoting high quality advertising related product or service, then I can guarantee you will convert them to sales very well!
Now it is your time to make money by using traffic exchanges! Here is the number one manual surf traffic exchange that I would like to recommend - TopSurfer.
In case if you are a new internet marketer and do not know what is a Manual Surf Traffic Exchange, here is a short explanation:
"Manual Surf Traffic Exchange is a online service, where members can show their websites to other members, by viewing (surfing) other members websites."
This is a very easy way to receive traffic, especially if you have limited budget, but have time to view other websites. And if you don't want to pay your time, you can purchase traffic directly from traffic exchange programs.
However, you should know that these type of traffic is "ineffective" traffic. Ineffective means the conversion rate of your product or service from traffic exchanges will be lower than other highly targeted traffic sources like PPC visitors.
Note, this does not mean using traffic exchange is not profitable. This is because the cost of each traffic exchange hit is greatly cheaper than other traffic sources.
And if you do it right, the ROI (Return On Investment) will be positive.
Many marketers claim that Manual Surf Traffic Exchange is not useful. They are completely wrong because they missed some very important keys when using traffic exchanges.
Now let me expose two of the secret keys that will turn your traffic exchange failure to success:
1. Method - Capture Leads And Do Not Sell Directly
Every traffic exchange user is busy at surfing. They do not have time and intention to read your long webpage. So NEVER put your sales page. Instead, put a lead capturing page with a "Attention Grabbing Headline", "Amazing Benefits" and a "Opt In Form". Remember, your purpose is to capture email addresses and then follow up with additional sales materials.
2. Target - Webmasters Who Want Traffic
Do you notice the common purpose of the traffic exchange users? Yes they are webmasters or affiliates who want to promote their own websites. Remember, these people is your target market, not kids, not elders. If you are promoting high quality advertising related product or service, then I can guarantee you will convert them to sales very well!
Now it is your time to make money by using traffic exchanges! Here is the number one manual surf traffic exchange that I would like to recommend - TopSurfer.
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