By: Donna Gunter
The Internet marketing industry and online business industry is fraught with fraud. There are more "get rich quick" schemes here than in almost any other industry. After all, who doesn't want to sit on home on his rear end and make tons of money by working only a couple of hours per week? The allure of such a promise is quite appealing. However, remember the adage about promises that sound too good to be true--typically such promises will lead you to great disappointment.
Building a business online is neither easy or quick. It's just like any other business. It takes time and dedication to generate the kind of results you desire. Here are 6 "school of hard knocks" lessons that I believe are the "real" secrets to successfully building an online business:
Lesson 1: Acknowledge your expertise. One of the great difficulties of online business owners is their inability to acknowledge their expertise in an area. I, too, suffered from that problem in the early years, thinking, "I'm not really an expert -- everyone knows this stuff, don't they?" It took me years to realize that while others did have a higher level of expertise than me, there was a very large group of people who knew less than me -- and it was to those people I could become an expert! And, better yet, they would pay me to learn it so they didn't have to do through the same trial-and-error method I did. In 2006, I decided to officially declare my expertise by crowning myself as "The Online Business Resource Queen" because I know more about running an online business than just about anybody I know. So, go ahead and crown yourself as an expert!
Lesson 2: Niche your way to riches. Finding the exact market that needs what you have to offer is one of the primary keys to success in any business, but especially when you're trying to do business online. Taking a shotgun approach and foolishly believing that "everyone" needs your product or service is the quickest way to failure. You need to be able to identify and describe your niche market, from determining what problem the niche market is actively trying to solve and what they'll pay for (as well as how much they will pay) to what publications they read, to what groups/associations do they belong, and where they hang out both on- and off-line. The more narrowly focused your niche, the better. So, owners of Golden Retrievers are a better defined niche than dog lovers, and executive female golfers are better than women athletes.
Lesson 3: Build relationships online. Even though an online business is virtual and you meet few of your clients and prospective clients face-to-face, it is still possible to build trusting relationships online. The most important thing to remember is that your personality needs to shine throughout all of your online ventures. So whether you share personal stories about your life or business (these will be very popular with your visitors), or write articles or website text in the same way you speak, you need to give visitors an experience of what it means to do business with you. You can also use audio and video on your website as well as photos of you in action in your business. Remember, most people need to get to know, like and respect you before they'll decide to buy what you have to offer.
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Lesson 4: Create several "stay in touch" devices. An ezine (email newsletter), blog (web log), and autoresponders (series of automated follow up emails) are the quickest and easiest ways to stay in touch with your current clients and to bring prospective clients into the fold. I think the most effective ezines are published weekly -- it gives you one excuse every week to reach out to your contact database. Blogs tend to be attention hogs, so they are most effective as a marketing strategy when you post to them 3-4 times per week. Once you've written the content for a series of autoresponders, they can serve as a personal marketing arm for you, as they can be personalized and give prospective clients the impression that you're writing a personal email just to them. The more "stay in touch" strategies you use, the quicker your prospective client base will get to know you and expect to regularly hear from you.
Lesson 5: Be willing to give your info away for free. Some experts will tell you never to give away your information or expertise ("why buy the cow if the milk is free" theory). I advocate that you should demonstrate what you know, as that is key in helping you build online relationships, and those who are really ready to implement your strategies will seek you out, as most won't or can't do it on their own.
Lesson 6: Don't expect overnight success. Despite what the television ads might state or what the information products might claim, success in the online world doesn't happen overnight. There will be a few who will spot a profitable trend before anyone else does, but eventually the income will fizzle and they'll have to find another profitable trend. Just like any other business, an online business takes a great deal of time and attention. Some of the tasks can be automated, but you still have to pay attention to what's happening so that you can effectively create your marketing and promotion strategy.
By adopting these Internet marketing mindsets into your daily marketing mantra, you'll be well on your way to positioning your online business for many years of success!
Jumat, 21 Desember 2007
How To Write Web Content That Sells Your Company
By: Laurence James
People read differently on the Internet, because they want and expect different things from websites than they do from newspapers or printed corporate literature. For a start, it's 25% harder to read on a screen than it is on paper, (1) and Web readers are also a notoriously fickle bunch, scan reading your pages at best, and ready to leave your site at the click of a mouse.
I'm not usually a fan of generalized ‘catch all' rules, but there is a handy way of structuring your Web copy to attract and retain fickle readers. The rule is encompassed in a simple acronym - ‘AIDA' - that is, ‘Attention, Interest, Desire and Action'. Although this rule is not foolproof, if you make use of the AIDA principle in your Web writing you'll instantly improve your chances of keeping those all important readers. Let's look at each stage a bit more closely.
Attention
Put simply, this is the punchy, emotive title that draws your reader into your body copy. You can use a sub-header too if needed. Both should talk directly to the target reader, and include a benefit that shows the value for them in continuing to read your content. Our headline above is a good example - ‘How to Write Web Content that Sells Your Company'. This shows you exactly what you'll get if you keep reading, and what precise benefit you'll get out of the content as a result. As a further example, a sub-header to this could be - ‘One simple rule to instantly improve your online copywriting'. Headlines are crucial, if people are scan reading your website and the information they want is not immediately evident, perhaps it will be on your competitor's site.
Interest
This is the section where you briefly outline the main selling points of exactly what you're offering, in order to stir the reader's interest. Details here should be punchy and to the point, using short sentences and paragraphs to outline the main features and benefits of your product or service. Let's look at a quick example, complete with title:
‘The Amazing Widget that Saves Water in Your Home'
Since 1995, ACME's ‘Water Widget' has been saving water in homes across the UK. Easily fitted to your water tank, our award-winning device cuts bills by 25%. Sold with a 10-year guarantee, the ‘Water Widget' is the country's leading water management system.
Desire
This is where you make the reader really want what you're selling, where you use emotive ‘benefits' based reasoning to create real ‘desire' for your product or service. This section is all about solving your reader's problems, giving them examples of how the features of your product or service can provide tangible benefits to them in their daily life. At this point it's a good idea to get into the mindset of your target reader, and imagine a situation where your product or service could help them. You can then write this as a ‘mini-story'. Let's consider an example, put together with the other text above:
‘The Amazing Widget that Saves Water in Your Home'
Since 1995, ACME's ‘Water Widget' has been saving water in homes across the UK. Easily fitted to your water tank, our award-winning device cuts bills by over 25%. Sold with a 10-year guarantee, the ‘Water Widget' is the country's leading water management system.
Despite leaking mains and hosepipe bans, water companies just keep raising bills. But your family still needs showers and baths. You have to water the garden and wash the car. It's easy to resent rising prices.
There is a solution. By simply fitting the ‘Water Widget' to your existing water tank, you can maintain your current level of water usage while saving money.
Our unique patented system means your water usage is constantly monitored, efficiently managing flow rates based on what you need. And with proven cost savings of over 25% a year, this is good news for your bills and bad news for the water company.
(Certainly not Shakespeare, but you get the idea).
Action
The final stage of this Web writing process is to get your reader to act on the information you've given them. The last thing you want after all your hard work is to lose them at the end. If you don't give people a strong direction on what to do next - a ‘call to action' - they will simply say to themselves ‘that's nice, what do they expect me to do about it?' - and leave your website. So create a sense of urgency for your reader, and tell them clearly what to do with the information you've presented to them. Here's an example:
‘For further details on the ‘Water Widget' phone ACME now on 0845 123456, or email waterwidget@acme.com. Alternatively, visit our online store to order your Water Widget now.' (The italic text would obviously be links on a real site).
Try using the ‘AIDA' rule on all your web pages, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Sources
1&2 - Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton, ‘Content Critical', Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2002
People read differently on the Internet, because they want and expect different things from websites than they do from newspapers or printed corporate literature. For a start, it's 25% harder to read on a screen than it is on paper, (1) and Web readers are also a notoriously fickle bunch, scan reading your pages at best, and ready to leave your site at the click of a mouse.
I'm not usually a fan of generalized ‘catch all' rules, but there is a handy way of structuring your Web copy to attract and retain fickle readers. The rule is encompassed in a simple acronym - ‘AIDA' - that is, ‘Attention, Interest, Desire and Action'. Although this rule is not foolproof, if you make use of the AIDA principle in your Web writing you'll instantly improve your chances of keeping those all important readers. Let's look at each stage a bit more closely.
Attention
Put simply, this is the punchy, emotive title that draws your reader into your body copy. You can use a sub-header too if needed. Both should talk directly to the target reader, and include a benefit that shows the value for them in continuing to read your content. Our headline above is a good example - ‘How to Write Web Content that Sells Your Company'. This shows you exactly what you'll get if you keep reading, and what precise benefit you'll get out of the content as a result. As a further example, a sub-header to this could be - ‘One simple rule to instantly improve your online copywriting'. Headlines are crucial, if people are scan reading your website and the information they want is not immediately evident, perhaps it will be on your competitor's site.
Interest
This is the section where you briefly outline the main selling points of exactly what you're offering, in order to stir the reader's interest. Details here should be punchy and to the point, using short sentences and paragraphs to outline the main features and benefits of your product or service. Let's look at a quick example, complete with title:
‘The Amazing Widget that Saves Water in Your Home'
Since 1995, ACME's ‘Water Widget' has been saving water in homes across the UK. Easily fitted to your water tank, our award-winning device cuts bills by 25%. Sold with a 10-year guarantee, the ‘Water Widget' is the country's leading water management system.
Desire
This is where you make the reader really want what you're selling, where you use emotive ‘benefits' based reasoning to create real ‘desire' for your product or service. This section is all about solving your reader's problems, giving them examples of how the features of your product or service can provide tangible benefits to them in their daily life. At this point it's a good idea to get into the mindset of your target reader, and imagine a situation where your product or service could help them. You can then write this as a ‘mini-story'. Let's consider an example, put together with the other text above:
‘The Amazing Widget that Saves Water in Your Home'
Since 1995, ACME's ‘Water Widget' has been saving water in homes across the UK. Easily fitted to your water tank, our award-winning device cuts bills by over 25%. Sold with a 10-year guarantee, the ‘Water Widget' is the country's leading water management system.
Despite leaking mains and hosepipe bans, water companies just keep raising bills. But your family still needs showers and baths. You have to water the garden and wash the car. It's easy to resent rising prices.
There is a solution. By simply fitting the ‘Water Widget' to your existing water tank, you can maintain your current level of water usage while saving money.
Our unique patented system means your water usage is constantly monitored, efficiently managing flow rates based on what you need. And with proven cost savings of over 25% a year, this is good news for your bills and bad news for the water company.
(Certainly not Shakespeare, but you get the idea).
Action
The final stage of this Web writing process is to get your reader to act on the information you've given them. The last thing you want after all your hard work is to lose them at the end. If you don't give people a strong direction on what to do next - a ‘call to action' - they will simply say to themselves ‘that's nice, what do they expect me to do about it?' - and leave your website. So create a sense of urgency for your reader, and tell them clearly what to do with the information you've presented to them. Here's an example:
‘For further details on the ‘Water Widget' phone ACME now on 0845 123456, or email waterwidget@acme.com. Alternatively, visit our online store to order your Water Widget now.' (The italic text would obviously be links on a real site).
Try using the ‘AIDA' rule on all your web pages, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Sources
1&2 - Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton, ‘Content Critical', Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2002
5 Simple Steps to a Website that Makes Sales
By: Alicia Forest
Is your website producing leads for you or is it just sitting out there in cyberpace looking pretty? Obviously, you want your website to work for you to generate leads and make sales, not just be a pretty brochure for your business.
Here are 5 simple ways you can make your website make more sales for you.
1. A Professional Look
It needs to LOOK professional - which is different that it being created by a professional (although that is certainly an option). By looking professional, I mean that there are NO ADS, especially anything that flashes, jumps around, or otherwise looks like a casino.
2. A Way For Prospects to Contact You
You want to make sure you give your visitors a way to contact you, preferably in the upper top right corner or sidebar on the left - but still above the fold (no scrolling down to try to find out how to hire you!). Include your dedicated email address* and your business phone number. Add a physical address at the bottom of your page to solidify your existence.
*You need to have a dedicated email address - which means that your email is something like alicia@clientabundance.com and not allyoop@yahoo.com. A dedicated email address comes with your web host. Follow their instructions on how to set one up.
You don't want a potential client slipping away because he or she can't locate your email address or phone number.
3. Your Enticing Copy and Sign-Up Form for Your Free Taste
You need to have a way to capture your visitors. By this, I don't mean the number of people who visit your site (your web host's stats can tell you this if you want to know). I mean that you need a way to capture your visitors email addresses so you can continue to build a relationship with them.
Put a sign-up form to join your email list in exchange for a 'free taste' of what it is that you're offering in a prominent place on your homepage (and every other page, for that matter, as you never know where someone will "enter" your site first).
4. Connect with Your Visitor on Multiple Levels
Do this by adding a picture of you, if possible. This is not necessary, but it truly does lend credibility when people can see the person behind the text. You don't have to have a professional photo taken, but again, do try to look professional in it.
You can also add an audio welcome if you desire. This will appeal to your visitors who prefer to hear your voice and it adds to your credibility as well.
5. Your "yes" Questions Prominently Displayed...
...followed by your call to action, which is the offer to sign up for your Free Taste. Your yes questions are a way that your visitors resonate with what it is that you're offering. In other words, when they read them, in their mind they are answering "yes, that's me" and nodding their heads.
There's much more that you can do to tweak your website to make sure that it's giving you a return on your investment, but this will get you started. Take a look at your website today and see which of the 5 strategies above you can implement now to start creating more sales for you today.
Is your website producing leads for you or is it just sitting out there in cyberpace looking pretty? Obviously, you want your website to work for you to generate leads and make sales, not just be a pretty brochure for your business.
Here are 5 simple ways you can make your website make more sales for you.
1. A Professional Look
It needs to LOOK professional - which is different that it being created by a professional (although that is certainly an option). By looking professional, I mean that there are NO ADS, especially anything that flashes, jumps around, or otherwise looks like a casino.
2. A Way For Prospects to Contact You
You want to make sure you give your visitors a way to contact you, preferably in the upper top right corner or sidebar on the left - but still above the fold (no scrolling down to try to find out how to hire you!). Include your dedicated email address* and your business phone number. Add a physical address at the bottom of your page to solidify your existence.
*You need to have a dedicated email address - which means that your email is something like alicia@clientabundance.com and not allyoop@yahoo.com. A dedicated email address comes with your web host. Follow their instructions on how to set one up.
You don't want a potential client slipping away because he or she can't locate your email address or phone number.
3. Your Enticing Copy and Sign-Up Form for Your Free Taste
You need to have a way to capture your visitors. By this, I don't mean the number of people who visit your site (your web host's stats can tell you this if you want to know). I mean that you need a way to capture your visitors email addresses so you can continue to build a relationship with them.
Put a sign-up form to join your email list in exchange for a 'free taste' of what it is that you're offering in a prominent place on your homepage (and every other page, for that matter, as you never know where someone will "enter" your site first).
4. Connect with Your Visitor on Multiple Levels
Do this by adding a picture of you, if possible. This is not necessary, but it truly does lend credibility when people can see the person behind the text. You don't have to have a professional photo taken, but again, do try to look professional in it.
You can also add an audio welcome if you desire. This will appeal to your visitors who prefer to hear your voice and it adds to your credibility as well.
5. Your "yes" Questions Prominently Displayed...
...followed by your call to action, which is the offer to sign up for your Free Taste. Your yes questions are a way that your visitors resonate with what it is that you're offering. In other words, when they read them, in their mind they are answering "yes, that's me" and nodding their heads.
There's much more that you can do to tweak your website to make sure that it's giving you a return on your investment, but this will get you started. Take a look at your website today and see which of the 5 strategies above you can implement now to start creating more sales for you today.
Kamis, 20 Desember 2007
How To Compete In the Cut-Throat World Of Online Freelancing
By: Martin Pavion
If you are competing for work of freelance websites such as Scriptlance, Elance or Rent a Coder then you'll be bidding against many equally qualified freelancers. Please take this advice if you plan on staying competitive and justifying a higher price for your work.
Ask Questions. I get really upset when I put an advert out for a Freelancer and I get bids which begin with "I understand everything and can do this job". It's insincere and the people who write this usually haven't read what I want at all. I prefer people who bid with phrases such as "I have read your requirements and before bidding would like to ask you a few questions so that I can be certain to deliver what you need ...". Even if you don't have any questions you can ask them to assure the employer that you have understood what's required.
NEVER start your bid with "I have read and fully understood your requirements". This is the most cliched line you will see on freelance sites. 99% of people who've written it have made far too many assumptions about the work to understand what's needed. I put a joke project online a while ago. I asked for a freelancer to relocate Australia for me a few kilometers to the west. A handful of people recognized that I was joking but I still received at least 5 bids from freelancers who had supposedly "read and understood my requirements".
If you plan on telling a potential customer something then there is no reason at all why they should believe you. You need to 'show' proof. To show that you have read and understood a project, re-phrase it in your own words and ask questions about it. Your bid will be much more credible if you are realistic and admit to not understanding something (and asking to clarify it) rather than being overly confident that you know what you need to do.
Don't just bid on every project in a category. You'll soon get overwhelmed with work and you'll probably end up doing projects that you cannot do efficiently. Pick projects that you believe you'll do a good job of and take the time to communicate with the employer rather than look for more projects.
Show enthusiasm for the project. I once received a bid which began "wow, your website idea is excellent and I'm certain you'll do well with it". It made me feel good and I hired him.
Offer a free sample before being asked. If you are bidding on a writing or a design project then you can give the person a sample design or the first paragraph of an article to help them decide. By getting the sample to the employer before other bidders get a chance you have a huge advantage over them.
Don't send people many different examples of your previous work unless it's truly relevant. Employers are not going to look at every work you've ever done so just provide them with a small sample that's the most relevant to what you are bidding for.
Use formal and professional language. Don't use slang or casual language until you've been accepted for a project. Understand that phrases such as "Cheers dude", "catch ya later" do not impress employers.
Suggest that you telephone them to discuss a few details. Some employers really prefer telephone contact but because freelance websites are online, Freelancers never consider the value of a telephone chat.
Offer some free research. I put a project up for an application that integrated with Amazon.com. One bidder replied to me that he'd telephoned Amazon that day and was being emailed some technical information that we'd both need. I was very impressed.
And Finally ' create a portfolio as your work develops. This doesn't have to be on a website, you could create a portfolio using PowerPoint, word or Photoshop and provide it to employers. I would try to avoid doing something with PowerPoint though as its possible that not everybody will have it. You need to make your portfolio as accessible as possible
If you are competing for work of freelance websites such as Scriptlance, Elance or Rent a Coder then you'll be bidding against many equally qualified freelancers. Please take this advice if you plan on staying competitive and justifying a higher price for your work.
Ask Questions. I get really upset when I put an advert out for a Freelancer and I get bids which begin with "I understand everything and can do this job". It's insincere and the people who write this usually haven't read what I want at all. I prefer people who bid with phrases such as "I have read your requirements and before bidding would like to ask you a few questions so that I can be certain to deliver what you need ...". Even if you don't have any questions you can ask them to assure the employer that you have understood what's required.
NEVER start your bid with "I have read and fully understood your requirements". This is the most cliched line you will see on freelance sites. 99% of people who've written it have made far too many assumptions about the work to understand what's needed. I put a joke project online a while ago. I asked for a freelancer to relocate Australia for me a few kilometers to the west. A handful of people recognized that I was joking but I still received at least 5 bids from freelancers who had supposedly "read and understood my requirements".
If you plan on telling a potential customer something then there is no reason at all why they should believe you. You need to 'show' proof. To show that you have read and understood a project, re-phrase it in your own words and ask questions about it. Your bid will be much more credible if you are realistic and admit to not understanding something (and asking to clarify it) rather than being overly confident that you know what you need to do.
Don't just bid on every project in a category. You'll soon get overwhelmed with work and you'll probably end up doing projects that you cannot do efficiently. Pick projects that you believe you'll do a good job of and take the time to communicate with the employer rather than look for more projects.
Show enthusiasm for the project. I once received a bid which began "wow, your website idea is excellent and I'm certain you'll do well with it". It made me feel good and I hired him.
Offer a free sample before being asked. If you are bidding on a writing or a design project then you can give the person a sample design or the first paragraph of an article to help them decide. By getting the sample to the employer before other bidders get a chance you have a huge advantage over them.
Don't send people many different examples of your previous work unless it's truly relevant. Employers are not going to look at every work you've ever done so just provide them with a small sample that's the most relevant to what you are bidding for.
Use formal and professional language. Don't use slang or casual language until you've been accepted for a project. Understand that phrases such as "Cheers dude", "catch ya later" do not impress employers.
Suggest that you telephone them to discuss a few details. Some employers really prefer telephone contact but because freelance websites are online, Freelancers never consider the value of a telephone chat.
Offer some free research. I put a project up for an application that integrated with Amazon.com. One bidder replied to me that he'd telephoned Amazon that day and was being emailed some technical information that we'd both need. I was very impressed.
And Finally ' create a portfolio as your work develops. This doesn't have to be on a website, you could create a portfolio using PowerPoint, word or Photoshop and provide it to employers. I would try to avoid doing something with PowerPoint though as its possible that not everybody will have it. You need to make your portfolio as accessible as possible
How To Profit From Google Adwords
By: Pawel Reszka
Making money with Google Adwords has become very popular. It's the new trend that took the Internet by storm. Affiliate marketers are constantly researching new niches, keywords and competition to monetize the traffic from Adwords. Profiting from the "Google Gash" game was much easier just a few years ago. Cost per click keeps going up each and every month. Below I have listed some Adwords strategies that can help affiliate marketers maximize their earnings.
1. Bidding On The Exact Name Of The Product
This method is very effective and can bring substantial profits very quickly. Basically, affiliates can bid on the exact name of the product and profit from other affiliates advertising efforts. When a product is popular there are a lot of people searching for it on Google to find out more information, read reviews, or even bonuses offered by affiliates. If you choose to try this method, you should research other affiliates to see what exactly they are doing and what bonuses they are offering. Next construct a review page of the product and offer a better bonus package. Using this method you are going to pay more per click, because the traffic is highly targeted.
2. Creating Site-Targeted Campaign
With this method you can target the exact pages where you want your ads to appear. Of course the publisher must display Adsense ads on their site. First of all, you need to find websites relevant to the product or service you are selling. Do a search on Google for the keyword phrases that would potentially bring in sales. Next make a list of all the web pages that display Adsense on the first and second page of the search results. This ensures that the website you are going to display ads receives high quality traffic. Next create a "site targeted" campaign targeting the pages you just researched. With this method you could end up paying less than 0.05 per click if your CTR is performing very well.
3. Using Huge Keyword Lists
Using this strategy you must create a big list of relevant keywords for your product or service. The key to making this method work is to find many low searched keywords with little or no competition. Utilizing the method you could get away with paying cents per click instead of dollars. You should get yourself a keyword research tool that will help you find relevant keyword phrases. I highly recommend Keyword Elite software for this project.
4. Monetizing On Big Product Launches
This is probably the easiest way to make money using Google Adwords. Basically, you will need to watch for next big product launches by some of the big marketers. Some of the product launches generate a ton of searches on Google on the day of the launch. Once you spot one, you should bid only on the name of the product on that exact date. You could also give away some bonuses to increase your sales. This method can bring quick and easy profits due to the fact that there is almost no competition on the date of the launch.
The above strategies are just some of the most popular ways to easily monetize on the traffic from Google Adwords. You should always monitor your CTR (click through ratio), Cost Per Click, and conversions.
Making money with Google Adwords has become very popular. It's the new trend that took the Internet by storm. Affiliate marketers are constantly researching new niches, keywords and competition to monetize the traffic from Adwords. Profiting from the "Google Gash" game was much easier just a few years ago. Cost per click keeps going up each and every month. Below I have listed some Adwords strategies that can help affiliate marketers maximize their earnings.
1. Bidding On The Exact Name Of The Product
This method is very effective and can bring substantial profits very quickly. Basically, affiliates can bid on the exact name of the product and profit from other affiliates advertising efforts. When a product is popular there are a lot of people searching for it on Google to find out more information, read reviews, or even bonuses offered by affiliates. If you choose to try this method, you should research other affiliates to see what exactly they are doing and what bonuses they are offering. Next construct a review page of the product and offer a better bonus package. Using this method you are going to pay more per click, because the traffic is highly targeted.
2. Creating Site-Targeted Campaign
With this method you can target the exact pages where you want your ads to appear. Of course the publisher must display Adsense ads on their site. First of all, you need to find websites relevant to the product or service you are selling. Do a search on Google for the keyword phrases that would potentially bring in sales. Next make a list of all the web pages that display Adsense on the first and second page of the search results. This ensures that the website you are going to display ads receives high quality traffic. Next create a "site targeted" campaign targeting the pages you just researched. With this method you could end up paying less than 0.05 per click if your CTR is performing very well.
3. Using Huge Keyword Lists
Using this strategy you must create a big list of relevant keywords for your product or service. The key to making this method work is to find many low searched keywords with little or no competition. Utilizing the method you could get away with paying cents per click instead of dollars. You should get yourself a keyword research tool that will help you find relevant keyword phrases. I highly recommend Keyword Elite software for this project.
4. Monetizing On Big Product Launches
This is probably the easiest way to make money using Google Adwords. Basically, you will need to watch for next big product launches by some of the big marketers. Some of the product launches generate a ton of searches on Google on the day of the launch. Once you spot one, you should bid only on the name of the product on that exact date. You could also give away some bonuses to increase your sales. This method can bring quick and easy profits due to the fact that there is almost no competition on the date of the launch.
The above strategies are just some of the most popular ways to easily monetize on the traffic from Google Adwords. You should always monitor your CTR (click through ratio), Cost Per Click, and conversions.
How to Make Money From Google Adsense
By: Alan Payne
Have you ever tried or wondered how to make lots of money at home online?
If so, you may or may not of heard of Google Adsense, if not then it is true that many thousands of people throughout the world make Lots of money from the Google Adsense programme each and every month.
How does this work? Simple, you place a small snippet of code on a webpage using a free blog or free website template widely available on the web and when someone clicks on a Google ad on your web page you get paid. A purchase through your adverts is not necessary and you still get paid.
To get you started I have added below the main Four Steps on how to get started making money from Google Adsense.
Step 1:
To start making money from Google Adsense you need to join up for a free account. This account is totally free to join and after a few days you will be accepted and sent your log in passwords and advert code so you can display adverts on any webpage.
Step 2:
Grab yourself a free blog from the official Google blogging site found on the internet under blogger.com
Step 3:
Follow the simple instructions given on blogger on how and where to place your advert code to maximize your potential earnings.
Step 4:
Use any tips available on the web on how to get a steady stream of traffic to your blog which will greatly increase the chance of people clicking on your adverts.
It is really that simple, you get paid monthly to your bank account or by cheque which ever way you prefer. There are in the world today a few adsense Millionaires, if you don’t believe me then just google the words adsense millionaire and see for yourself.
I thought I would make a website dedicated to making money from google adsense with lots of free tips and advice that anyone can use, if your interested in learning more about how to make money from google adsense, click on the link provided here – Good Luck!
Have you ever tried or wondered how to make lots of money at home online?
If so, you may or may not of heard of Google Adsense, if not then it is true that many thousands of people throughout the world make Lots of money from the Google Adsense programme each and every month.
How does this work? Simple, you place a small snippet of code on a webpage using a free blog or free website template widely available on the web and when someone clicks on a Google ad on your web page you get paid. A purchase through your adverts is not necessary and you still get paid.
To get you started I have added below the main Four Steps on how to get started making money from Google Adsense.
Step 1:
To start making money from Google Adsense you need to join up for a free account. This account is totally free to join and after a few days you will be accepted and sent your log in passwords and advert code so you can display adverts on any webpage.
Step 2:
Grab yourself a free blog from the official Google blogging site found on the internet under blogger.com
Step 3:
Follow the simple instructions given on blogger on how and where to place your advert code to maximize your potential earnings.
Step 4:
Use any tips available on the web on how to get a steady stream of traffic to your blog which will greatly increase the chance of people clicking on your adverts.
It is really that simple, you get paid monthly to your bank account or by cheque which ever way you prefer. There are in the world today a few adsense Millionaires, if you don’t believe me then just google the words adsense millionaire and see for yourself.
I thought I would make a website dedicated to making money from google adsense with lots of free tips and advice that anyone can use, if your interested in learning more about how to make money from google adsense, click on the link provided here – Good Luck!
How To Choose A Domain Name
By: Daniel Moro
Choosing a good domain name is one of most important steps in setting up your online business. And with more web sites being launched every day, it is certainly not getting any easier to find good domain names that are still available. So what exactly makes a good domain name?
Easy to Remember – Your domain name should be memorable and easy for visitors to recall and type into their browser.
Relevant – Your domain name should be relevant to your business and to the content on your web site.
Short Name – Although domain names can be up to 67 characters, your domain name should be shorter, preferably seven characters or less. Shorter domain names are easier to remember, easier to type and less susceptible to mistakes. Domain names with seven characters or less are harder to come by these days, so you may have to settle for a domain name that is slightly longer.
Top Level Domain If your business is in the US or if your web site is targeting a global audience then you should use .com as your top-level domain. Generally .net and .org domains are not perceived as being as professional as .com domains. If however you are marketing to a local audience in another country, for example in UK or Australia, then using the local .com domain such as .com.uk or .com.au may make it easier for visitors to recognize that your site is local.
Keyword Optimized – If possible your domain name should contain popular keywords relating to your topic. This will help your site to rank high in the natural rankings of search engines. Use a keyword tool such as Good Keywords to check which keywords are searched more frequently.
Consider Hyphenated Names - If you are having trouble getting the name you want, consider a hyphenated domain name, e.g. barbecue-grills.com. However the downside of this approach is that some people will forget the hyphen when typing your domain name.
How Does it Sound? - If you tell a friend your domain name over the phone, will they easily be able to spell it correctly the first time?
No Trademark Conflicts - Make certain that your domain name is free of legal conflicts due to trademarks belonging to other businesses. Your new site at GoogleSecrets.com might attract a lot of traffic but it will probably attract even more after your court case is in the headlines for breaching Google’s trademark! Stay clear of other companies’ names and trademarks.
A good place to check if a domain name is available is Whois.org. Keep these tips in mind, and you will be well on your way to choosing a good domain name.
Choosing a good domain name is one of most important steps in setting up your online business. And with more web sites being launched every day, it is certainly not getting any easier to find good domain names that are still available. So what exactly makes a good domain name?
Easy to Remember – Your domain name should be memorable and easy for visitors to recall and type into their browser.
Relevant – Your domain name should be relevant to your business and to the content on your web site.
Short Name – Although domain names can be up to 67 characters, your domain name should be shorter, preferably seven characters or less. Shorter domain names are easier to remember, easier to type and less susceptible to mistakes. Domain names with seven characters or less are harder to come by these days, so you may have to settle for a domain name that is slightly longer.
Top Level Domain If your business is in the US or if your web site is targeting a global audience then you should use .com as your top-level domain. Generally .net and .org domains are not perceived as being as professional as .com domains. If however you are marketing to a local audience in another country, for example in UK or Australia, then using the local .com domain such as .com.uk or .com.au may make it easier for visitors to recognize that your site is local.
Keyword Optimized – If possible your domain name should contain popular keywords relating to your topic. This will help your site to rank high in the natural rankings of search engines. Use a keyword tool such as Good Keywords to check which keywords are searched more frequently.
Consider Hyphenated Names - If you are having trouble getting the name you want, consider a hyphenated domain name, e.g. barbecue-grills.com. However the downside of this approach is that some people will forget the hyphen when typing your domain name.
How Does it Sound? - If you tell a friend your domain name over the phone, will they easily be able to spell it correctly the first time?
No Trademark Conflicts - Make certain that your domain name is free of legal conflicts due to trademarks belonging to other businesses. Your new site at GoogleSecrets.com might attract a lot of traffic but it will probably attract even more after your court case is in the headlines for breaching Google’s trademark! Stay clear of other companies’ names and trademarks.
A good place to check if a domain name is available is Whois.org. Keep these tips in mind, and you will be well on your way to choosing a good domain name.
The key to Successful E-tailing is Understanding Why Individuals are Reluctant to Buy Online.
By: Michael Francis
When the commercial potential of the internet was first realised there was much speculation that traditional retail would not be able to survive. Many investors believed that established retailers were unable to respond to the changing environment and they would be powerless to compete with internet based companies, who benefited from lower overhead costs.
Early predictions of the decline of the high street were based on overly optimistic projections of consumer’s willingness to adopt the new distribution channel. However, in reality online sales only accounted for an estimated 3% of total retail sales in 2006. It appears that experts underestimated the factors that make individuals reluctant to buy online. These include: high delivery costs, problems returning items, difficulty judging product quality and security concerns.
A more recent concern is that by buying online consumers are contributing to the amount of delivery vehicles on the road and thus contributing towards global warming. This issue has received attention in a number of national UK newspaper and across the world.
However it is not all bad news for e-tailers, research suggests that online sales are growing rapidly. The author suggests that this may be because e-tailers are taking action to overcome the issues that make individuals reluctant to buy online. Amazon for example has taken the following action:
• High delivery costs – Offers free delivery for orders over £15 in the UK.
• Problems returning items- 30 day return policy
• Security concerns – communicates the company’s security policy across the website. Amazon will also cover the maximum liability fee that consumers might be charged by their bank in the event of the unauthorised use of their bank cards.
E-tailers should consider how they can implement any of the above examples of best practice. If they can do this successfully they may find that the conversion rate on their website increases significantly, increasing the likelihood of business success.
When the commercial potential of the internet was first realised there was much speculation that traditional retail would not be able to survive. Many investors believed that established retailers were unable to respond to the changing environment and they would be powerless to compete with internet based companies, who benefited from lower overhead costs.
Early predictions of the decline of the high street were based on overly optimistic projections of consumer’s willingness to adopt the new distribution channel. However, in reality online sales only accounted for an estimated 3% of total retail sales in 2006. It appears that experts underestimated the factors that make individuals reluctant to buy online. These include: high delivery costs, problems returning items, difficulty judging product quality and security concerns.
A more recent concern is that by buying online consumers are contributing to the amount of delivery vehicles on the road and thus contributing towards global warming. This issue has received attention in a number of national UK newspaper and across the world.
However it is not all bad news for e-tailers, research suggests that online sales are growing rapidly. The author suggests that this may be because e-tailers are taking action to overcome the issues that make individuals reluctant to buy online. Amazon for example has taken the following action:
• High delivery costs – Offers free delivery for orders over £15 in the UK.
• Problems returning items- 30 day return policy
• Security concerns – communicates the company’s security policy across the website. Amazon will also cover the maximum liability fee that consumers might be charged by their bank in the event of the unauthorised use of their bank cards.
E-tailers should consider how they can implement any of the above examples of best practice. If they can do this successfully they may find that the conversion rate on their website increases significantly, increasing the likelihood of business success.
The Importance of Overdelivering
By: Bhuvadon Surophan
As an online merchant, your customers cannot see your face. They cannot hear your voice when you are recommending your products, and they cannot see the emotions on your face when you are telling your customers what benefits they can derive out of your products.
The Internet is a level playing field for every Internet marketer and merchant out there. The sheer connectivity means that you can reach every individual in the world. You are not limited by geographic constraints and anyone can be your customer or client.
This is precisely why you should overdeliver. When every competitor of yours has access to everyone in the market, your only way of winning the battle is to overdeliver, again and again. When you overdeliver, you present yourself as a person with the customer’s interest at heart. You become a trusted friend and not a greed-driven marketer out looking for their money. Overdelivering is simply your only way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
You can start overdelivering by providing superb support for your customers. How many times have you been turned away with rude answers when asking about a certain product you purchased? Compare that with the number of times you have been provided very good service, as if you're being helped by a personal friend. The ratio is just off balance, proving how scarce good customer support is. By providing excellent support to your customers and answering to their every needs patiently, you will gain customers that are fiercely loyal to you because they know you have their best interest at heart.
When you provide excellent customer support, you're already ahead of most of your competitors. Take it a step further and think: in what other ways can you over deliver to your customers?
One very good way is to give your customers a pleasant surprise when they make a purchase from you. For example, if a customer buys your cooking utensils, you might throw in a bonus recipe book for them. However, do not use the bonus as an incentive for the customer to buy your products. Your products must be good enough to make the customer buy it in the first place, and the bonus must serve as a surprise element; you must not announce it in the product catalogue.
The final way is to build a long-lasting relationship with your customers. If a customer buys regularly from you, you should send greeting cards during birthdays and on every holiday, be it Christmas, New Year, Easter, even Chinese New Year! Your customer will again remember you as a friend, not a business associate, and will favour you above other merchants because of the warm relationship.
As an online merchant, your customers cannot see your face. They cannot hear your voice when you are recommending your products, and they cannot see the emotions on your face when you are telling your customers what benefits they can derive out of your products.
The Internet is a level playing field for every Internet marketer and merchant out there. The sheer connectivity means that you can reach every individual in the world. You are not limited by geographic constraints and anyone can be your customer or client.
This is precisely why you should overdeliver. When every competitor of yours has access to everyone in the market, your only way of winning the battle is to overdeliver, again and again. When you overdeliver, you present yourself as a person with the customer’s interest at heart. You become a trusted friend and not a greed-driven marketer out looking for their money. Overdelivering is simply your only way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
You can start overdelivering by providing superb support for your customers. How many times have you been turned away with rude answers when asking about a certain product you purchased? Compare that with the number of times you have been provided very good service, as if you're being helped by a personal friend. The ratio is just off balance, proving how scarce good customer support is. By providing excellent support to your customers and answering to their every needs patiently, you will gain customers that are fiercely loyal to you because they know you have their best interest at heart.
When you provide excellent customer support, you're already ahead of most of your competitors. Take it a step further and think: in what other ways can you over deliver to your customers?
One very good way is to give your customers a pleasant surprise when they make a purchase from you. For example, if a customer buys your cooking utensils, you might throw in a bonus recipe book for them. However, do not use the bonus as an incentive for the customer to buy your products. Your products must be good enough to make the customer buy it in the first place, and the bonus must serve as a surprise element; you must not announce it in the product catalogue.
The final way is to build a long-lasting relationship with your customers. If a customer buys regularly from you, you should send greeting cards during birthdays and on every holiday, be it Christmas, New Year, Easter, even Chinese New Year! Your customer will again remember you as a friend, not a business associate, and will favour you above other merchants because of the warm relationship.
Avoid Common Mistakes In Online Store Set Up
By: Deam Rass
One mistake that many make is trying to incorporate a flashy design in your store. The fact is that keeping your online store simple is one of the best tools for you and for your customers. When you have too many graphics, the end result is that you confuse and overwhelm your visitors. They are also too heavy meaning that the visitor has to wait longer to see your page. Instead, keep it simple.
To help you to do that, use ready to use templates and be sure that the ecommerce solutions that you use are ones that are able to be integrated properly. Design integration is essential here. You will either need to have a set of templates that are specially created for your ecommerce solution or you will have to change the html code in your store to match that which you have in your graphics file.
When having these features is too costly, do consider a free design or even a low cost template. Put more of your money towards marketing now and later you can make changes if you need to. The bottom line is that great custom design means expensive money but not necessarily more customers.
To find a good design for your store, consider TemplateMonster. Whatever you do, do not consider flash templates as they take a long time to load, they are very expensive and they also can decrease your search engine ranking. By far it is important to consider only software and programs that you know you can trust such as XCart for your ecommerce shopping cart.
Display Your Information
Many make the mistake of not providing enough of their contact information to their visitors. If you just want to leave an email address, do not expect customers to be placing many orders. You need to create a sense of professionalism by providing your visitors with your full contact information including your company address and phone numbers. This builds trust. When they trust you, you will increase your visitor to order ratio considerably.
For those that do not have an office and do not want to use their home address, there are solutions you can use. One of them is to sign up for a Post Office Box or even a UPS Store box. With the UPS Store, you will even get a suite number and avoid the PO Box problem. You should also supply a phone number on every page of your site. Ecommerce shopping carts are not the only place to provide this information. If you do not have a number, use a service like GotVmail as a virtual phone system.
The fact is that you need to consider this for improving your level of customer service. Respond to each and every phone inquiry and email that you receive within 24 hours. You can also consider having a live chat feature or live support button on your website. This is helpful with any software program including XCart because it allows your customers to ask questions and for you to offer help as you monitor their actions on your site. Due carefully consider the offline button though. You may not want to have it shown at all because this often is a drawback when a customer can not find a time when you are actually online. For those that have a busy store, consider an online support board to help. This allows you to track a ticket history, solve any unresolved problems and it helps you to hand inquiries quickly.
More Products More Orders
Another potential problem that many face is the belief that having more products helps to increase the orders that you have. The problem is that this is simply not the case but an unfortunate costly problem. A store that has ten items that are well priced and that are targeted to a specific group well is likely to have more orders and a better customer to order ratio. Using your XCart or ECommerce solutions software, do your best to organize and display your products, too.
For example, consider using several ways to get the best images including thumbnail images, product images, and then detailed images. You want to avoid small and images that are not clear. Not only does this hinder customers from placing an order, but it will also hurt your search engine rankings as well. You should invest the time in finding the best organization for your products as well. Your XCart software can help you to do this.
Terms And Conditions
Another error that people make with their ecommerce solution is not providing a terms and conditions element on their store. You should also provide detailed shipping information as well. Customers want to know what they are getting and that the company they are working with is a professional trusted one. This comes in the form of offering and honoring guarantees and return policies. In addition, give customers an approximate cost of the shipping. Even when this is displayed without a discount, you are likely to get a better result.
Marketing Well
Yet another mistake happens by those that believe that if they will simply get the website up and running that people will simply come and take advantage of it. Even with the best XCart program or ecommerce solution, the end result is the same. You need marketing. Actively promote your store to see the results you need. Do not focus on just one type of advertising either. More so, be sure to invest in onsite search engine optimization until you are ready for a full scale search engine company.
Learn about your company by watching the elements used. For example, be sure to use follow up marketing and analyze your data from each sale. XCart can help you to accomplish this.
Not The Right Hosting
Finally, a problem that many have is not having the right hosting. For your eCommerce solution, invest in good hosting! Anything less will just cause problems such as slow speed and the dreaded time outs. You will likely not be using a secured server and you may even have a shared SSL certificate which does not do well with customers that notice the difference in the domain name during the checkout process.
For all of these mistakes, be sure that every decision that you make for your ecommerce shopping cart is a smart one. Consider what XCart can offer to you as an exciting ecommerce solution.
One mistake that many make is trying to incorporate a flashy design in your store. The fact is that keeping your online store simple is one of the best tools for you and for your customers. When you have too many graphics, the end result is that you confuse and overwhelm your visitors. They are also too heavy meaning that the visitor has to wait longer to see your page. Instead, keep it simple.
To help you to do that, use ready to use templates and be sure that the ecommerce solutions that you use are ones that are able to be integrated properly. Design integration is essential here. You will either need to have a set of templates that are specially created for your ecommerce solution or you will have to change the html code in your store to match that which you have in your graphics file.
When having these features is too costly, do consider a free design or even a low cost template. Put more of your money towards marketing now and later you can make changes if you need to. The bottom line is that great custom design means expensive money but not necessarily more customers.
To find a good design for your store, consider TemplateMonster. Whatever you do, do not consider flash templates as they take a long time to load, they are very expensive and they also can decrease your search engine ranking. By far it is important to consider only software and programs that you know you can trust such as XCart for your ecommerce shopping cart.
Display Your Information
Many make the mistake of not providing enough of their contact information to their visitors. If you just want to leave an email address, do not expect customers to be placing many orders. You need to create a sense of professionalism by providing your visitors with your full contact information including your company address and phone numbers. This builds trust. When they trust you, you will increase your visitor to order ratio considerably.
For those that do not have an office and do not want to use their home address, there are solutions you can use. One of them is to sign up for a Post Office Box or even a UPS Store box. With the UPS Store, you will even get a suite number and avoid the PO Box problem. You should also supply a phone number on every page of your site. Ecommerce shopping carts are not the only place to provide this information. If you do not have a number, use a service like GotVmail as a virtual phone system.
The fact is that you need to consider this for improving your level of customer service. Respond to each and every phone inquiry and email that you receive within 24 hours. You can also consider having a live chat feature or live support button on your website. This is helpful with any software program including XCart because it allows your customers to ask questions and for you to offer help as you monitor their actions on your site. Due carefully consider the offline button though. You may not want to have it shown at all because this often is a drawback when a customer can not find a time when you are actually online. For those that have a busy store, consider an online support board to help. This allows you to track a ticket history, solve any unresolved problems and it helps you to hand inquiries quickly.
More Products More Orders
Another potential problem that many face is the belief that having more products helps to increase the orders that you have. The problem is that this is simply not the case but an unfortunate costly problem. A store that has ten items that are well priced and that are targeted to a specific group well is likely to have more orders and a better customer to order ratio. Using your XCart or ECommerce solutions software, do your best to organize and display your products, too.
For example, consider using several ways to get the best images including thumbnail images, product images, and then detailed images. You want to avoid small and images that are not clear. Not only does this hinder customers from placing an order, but it will also hurt your search engine rankings as well. You should invest the time in finding the best organization for your products as well. Your XCart software can help you to do this.
Terms And Conditions
Another error that people make with their ecommerce solution is not providing a terms and conditions element on their store. You should also provide detailed shipping information as well. Customers want to know what they are getting and that the company they are working with is a professional trusted one. This comes in the form of offering and honoring guarantees and return policies. In addition, give customers an approximate cost of the shipping. Even when this is displayed without a discount, you are likely to get a better result.
Marketing Well
Yet another mistake happens by those that believe that if they will simply get the website up and running that people will simply come and take advantage of it. Even with the best XCart program or ecommerce solution, the end result is the same. You need marketing. Actively promote your store to see the results you need. Do not focus on just one type of advertising either. More so, be sure to invest in onsite search engine optimization until you are ready for a full scale search engine company.
Learn about your company by watching the elements used. For example, be sure to use follow up marketing and analyze your data from each sale. XCart can help you to accomplish this.
Not The Right Hosting
Finally, a problem that many have is not having the right hosting. For your eCommerce solution, invest in good hosting! Anything less will just cause problems such as slow speed and the dreaded time outs. You will likely not be using a secured server and you may even have a shared SSL certificate which does not do well with customers that notice the difference in the domain name during the checkout process.
For all of these mistakes, be sure that every decision that you make for your ecommerce shopping cart is a smart one. Consider what XCart can offer to you as an exciting ecommerce solution.
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