I want to thank you all that have been following my blog all this while. I want to explain some info on affiliates marketing i think an amateur marketer beginner would benefit from. When it comes to money, people all over the country are trying to find ways of earning extra cash to fund the rising prices of fuel and everyday living costs, this is because of the recession which is affecting people all over the world. People are losing their businesses, homes and more. But one good way to earn extra money is through affiliate programmes. If you don't already know what an affiliate program or marketing is, then here is a quick rundown for you. Basically, the easiest way of explaining what affiliate marketing is, is to use Amazon.com as an example. When you click onto any website such as Amazon, as well as advertising their own products, you might also notice that they also have links and banners to other businesses or merchants. These links can be clicked on by potential customers so that they are able to check out what is being advertised. As an affiliate, you will be advertising somebody else's business or products through your website, email address or search engine. You will then be paid commission for advertising these services on your site.
There are several ways that you can earn affiliate commission through advertising and one of the easiest and quickest ways to make some extra cash is through pay per click. This is just one of the ways that as an affiliate you can make money through advertising somebody else's business and it works simply by each time a potential customer clicks on a link advertised on your website, you will receive affiliate commission as a result of your direct advertising. This is a really simple way to make money, especially if you already have your own website and want to earn money with it; all you have to do is pick the right kind of advertising. In order to make sure that you can earn a substantial amount of affiliate commission then you need to pick your niche very carefully. This is because one of the downsides to affiliate marketing is if you don't pick carefully then you might end up getting very few hits or none at all! Always do some research before you pick the type of advertising that you want on your website.
But how do you get involved in affiliate marketing so that you can earn affiliate commission via pay per click? Well, the best way to do it is to join an advertising website. This is a type of websites where merchant's advertised their businesses and the type of things which they wish to have advertised on other sites. As a member, you can then pick the merchants that you wish to do business with and then you can begin making money almost straight away. When choosing the merchants always make sure that you pick the right ones; this doesn't necessarily mean that they are the highest paying advertisers, although this does help!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Pillar of Any Internet Business!
When I first come online, I had the chance to work with a mentor. Do you want to know one of the very first lessons he taught me?
Internet Marketing Lesson #1: Your Autoresponder Is The First Commandment of Online Business
I was lucky enough to understand that real money should be made in the backend and not in the front end. This is the reason why so many want to start their own online business and end up making no money.
Please bare with me while I explain how autoresponder works and how you need to follow up with your prospects for maximum sales and profits.
1. How autoresponder works
I will give you a quick overview of the whole process. The first thing you need to do is to create a squeeze page and add your optin form. This will allow you to build a list and send them your educational and promotional messages to build trust and make sales.
Please pay attention to what I just said above. Note that trust comes before sales. Don't try to do it the other way, because although you will still be able to make some sales, this will be short lived.
2. How often you you email your subscribers?
Setting up your autoresponder software to send your newsletter once a week is a good rule of thumbs because you don't want your subscribers to forget you or forget the reason why they subscribed to your list.
Don't forget that money is in the backend and that the very first thing you want to do whenever you start a new project is building your list.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
THE BEST FREE SEO TOOLS
Best Free SEO Tools
1. Ranking Checker by SEOmoz.com
This nice SEO tool allows you to check your rankings for up to 5 keywords per day for FREE and it keeps an archive for you. All you need is to sign up for a free SEOmoz account. The coolest part is that you are able to download your archived rankings as CSV. When you install the "browser button" it automatically copies the URL of the page that you are visiting into the tool for a fast ranking check. Since this free tool can handle up to 5 keywords daily, you'll be able to check approximately 150 keywords monthly.
2. MultiRank Checker by iWebtool.com
Let's say that you are interested in checking the Google Page Rank and the Alexa Ranking for one of your clients and also to do the same for 9 of their competitors. You have two options: 1) Go it the manual way and gather the information one by one or 2) just dump the 10 domain names into the MultiRank Checker and copy/paste the results table. I personally like this tool because it checks in bulk and saves a bit of time.
3. Fiddler Web Debugging Tool by Fiddlertool.com
Let's say that you don't like the Charles debugging tool because you have to pay a whole $50 for it. Don't panic, Fiddler does basically the same and yes, it is for free. Currently it's available only for Windows and it needs the .NET framework that you can download from their web site as well. The main benefits of this tool is the capacity to analyze all the background communication that goes on between the browser and the servers. I know what you are thinking about: Why not just use firefox and install Tamper Data? Well yes, that is a possibility. But if you are looking for a tool that won't freeze your browser (seems to be a common occurence with Tamper Data) then Fiddler can become handy. Professional SEOs absolutely need a web debugging tool like this in their toolbox.
4. SEO Analyzer by Sitening.com
The SEO Analyzer is a great tool to start off optimization efforts. It is a report that gives a detailed list of SEO components that might require a closer assessment with a web site. The coolest part is that this tool keeps a copy of your previous reports and you can download them as PDF with a click of a button. This tool is definitely not intended to substitute a complete SEO site analysis though. The interface is very user friendly and it also gives you a score that you can use to quickly assess how much work a site might need.
5. Strongest Subpages Tool by WeBuildPages.com
This tool gives you an organized list of the strongest pages on any web site. This is important because by looking at the results you can easily determine what pages are carrying the most amount of inbound links. This tool is especially useful for webmasters looking at competitor's strongest pages and, at least for us, running this tool on a competitor always spawns some creative ideas for building link campaigns via content additions.
6. Backlink Checker by WeBuildPages.com
Every SEO needs a backlink checker tool. This free tool is an excellent free backlink checking tool. It'll come in useful if you need a place to start with your linking campaigns. You can also analyze competitor backlinks as well as your own using the Neat-O tool.
7. Firefox with the Web Developer Extension by Chris Pederick
Firefox in itself is the most flexible browser out there. But when you pair it with the Web Developer extension Firefox becomes a useful SEO tool. With it you can easily remove the cascading styles (inline, external or both), you can take a fast glance at all the external links in a page, or you can remove all the javascript components at once just to name a few of its features. The nicest part of the extension is that you can add your own SEO tools to the menu (online or desktop).
8. SEO for Firefox by SEOBook.com
There is no other tool out there that could give you the amount of information that this tool does right from either the visited page or the search engine. Perfect for a quicky competitive overview. This tool will give you PageRank, cache date, domain age, backlinks in Yahoo, number of .edu links, the number of cached pages, and many other stats for any given page with a simple right click. The most amazing feature is that you can export your information directly from the SERPs to CSV.
9. Google Analytics / Google Webmaster Console by Google.com
Based on Urchin, Google Analytics is a top analytics tool made available to everybody for free by Google. This analytics tool can give you detailed reports about traffic behavior, content visitation, funnel information and much, much more. On the other hand, the Webmaster Console tool now gives you a good view of what Google "sees" for your site including: crawling rate, crawling speed, backlinks, highest PageRank of your site and more.
This two tools together constitute the fundaments of free search engine marketing but beware because by using either ou are giving Google access to all of your site data.
10. Keyword Selector Tool by Overture.com
This tool is one of the first keyword tools that was available to webmasters. It's still very useful and is still free. Lots of newer keyword tools build over the last few years are based on the Keyword Selector tool. If you use it in conjunction with Google's keyword tool then you could get really crazy. ;-)
11. XENU's Link Sleuth by Tilman Hausherr
XENU is one of those tools that you download for free and keep a copy just in case the owner decides to start charging for it. This tool is basically a spider. And the benefits of having a spider in your SEO toolbox is priceless. Using this tool you can determine if a site has endless loops, broken links, redirect detections and much more. As its name indicates, Xenu is like having a detective look at your site - a free detective that is.
12. Xinu BETA by Miguel Camps Orteza
Yeah the name is similar to XENU but these are two totally different tools. This excellent SEO tool will give you detailed stats about any site including rankings, syndication, social bookmarkings, validation, indexation and backlinks from several major search engines: ALL IN ONE PAGE! Also the best part is that it is open source, so not only you can use the tool, you can download it an install it in your own server.
13. Keyword Density & Prominence Tool by Ranks.nl
This tool allows you to crawl a particular page and analyze the density of keywords not only in the content of the page but also in the tags.
14. Visual PageRank by iWebTool.com
If you are a graphic person, then checking page rank in your site is probably as boring as watcing Home Shopping Network on a saturday night. Well now you can check your page rank visually with sweet tool. This tool gives let's you see your web page and overlays that page rank for each one of your links.
15. GeoTargeting Detection Tool by SEOmoz.com
This tool helps you determine if you have optimized a site for country-specific search engines. SEO can be valuable for many industries if applying local or geographic optimization. Nice tool!
Did I leave any other free SEO tools out of the list? Please feel free to share it here. Thks.
1. Ranking Checker by SEOmoz.com
This nice SEO tool allows you to check your rankings for up to 5 keywords per day for FREE and it keeps an archive for you. All you need is to sign up for a free SEOmoz account. The coolest part is that you are able to download your archived rankings as CSV. When you install the "browser button" it automatically copies the URL of the page that you are visiting into the tool for a fast ranking check. Since this free tool can handle up to 5 keywords daily, you'll be able to check approximately 150 keywords monthly.
2. MultiRank Checker by iWebtool.com
Let's say that you are interested in checking the Google Page Rank and the Alexa Ranking for one of your clients and also to do the same for 9 of their competitors. You have two options: 1) Go it the manual way and gather the information one by one or 2) just dump the 10 domain names into the MultiRank Checker and copy/paste the results table. I personally like this tool because it checks in bulk and saves a bit of time.
3. Fiddler Web Debugging Tool by Fiddlertool.com
Let's say that you don't like the Charles debugging tool because you have to pay a whole $50 for it. Don't panic, Fiddler does basically the same and yes, it is for free. Currently it's available only for Windows and it needs the .NET framework that you can download from their web site as well. The main benefits of this tool is the capacity to analyze all the background communication that goes on between the browser and the servers. I know what you are thinking about: Why not just use firefox and install Tamper Data? Well yes, that is a possibility. But if you are looking for a tool that won't freeze your browser (seems to be a common occurence with Tamper Data) then Fiddler can become handy. Professional SEOs absolutely need a web debugging tool like this in their toolbox.
4. SEO Analyzer by Sitening.com
The SEO Analyzer is a great tool to start off optimization efforts. It is a report that gives a detailed list of SEO components that might require a closer assessment with a web site. The coolest part is that this tool keeps a copy of your previous reports and you can download them as PDF with a click of a button. This tool is definitely not intended to substitute a complete SEO site analysis though. The interface is very user friendly and it also gives you a score that you can use to quickly assess how much work a site might need.
5. Strongest Subpages Tool by WeBuildPages.com
This tool gives you an organized list of the strongest pages on any web site. This is important because by looking at the results you can easily determine what pages are carrying the most amount of inbound links. This tool is especially useful for webmasters looking at competitor's strongest pages and, at least for us, running this tool on a competitor always spawns some creative ideas for building link campaigns via content additions.
6. Backlink Checker by WeBuildPages.com
Every SEO needs a backlink checker tool. This free tool is an excellent free backlink checking tool. It'll come in useful if you need a place to start with your linking campaigns. You can also analyze competitor backlinks as well as your own using the Neat-O tool.
7. Firefox with the Web Developer Extension by Chris Pederick
Firefox in itself is the most flexible browser out there. But when you pair it with the Web Developer extension Firefox becomes a useful SEO tool. With it you can easily remove the cascading styles (inline, external or both), you can take a fast glance at all the external links in a page, or you can remove all the javascript components at once just to name a few of its features. The nicest part of the extension is that you can add your own SEO tools to the menu (online or desktop).
8. SEO for Firefox by SEOBook.com
There is no other tool out there that could give you the amount of information that this tool does right from either the visited page or the search engine. Perfect for a quicky competitive overview. This tool will give you PageRank, cache date, domain age, backlinks in Yahoo, number of .edu links, the number of cached pages, and many other stats for any given page with a simple right click. The most amazing feature is that you can export your information directly from the SERPs to CSV.
9. Google Analytics / Google Webmaster Console by Google.com
Based on Urchin, Google Analytics is a top analytics tool made available to everybody for free by Google. This analytics tool can give you detailed reports about traffic behavior, content visitation, funnel information and much, much more. On the other hand, the Webmaster Console tool now gives you a good view of what Google "sees" for your site including: crawling rate, crawling speed, backlinks, highest PageRank of your site and more.
This two tools together constitute the fundaments of free search engine marketing but beware because by using either ou are giving Google access to all of your site data.
10. Keyword Selector Tool by Overture.com
This tool is one of the first keyword tools that was available to webmasters. It's still very useful and is still free. Lots of newer keyword tools build over the last few years are based on the Keyword Selector tool. If you use it in conjunction with Google's keyword tool then you could get really crazy. ;-)
11. XENU's Link Sleuth by Tilman Hausherr
XENU is one of those tools that you download for free and keep a copy just in case the owner decides to start charging for it. This tool is basically a spider. And the benefits of having a spider in your SEO toolbox is priceless. Using this tool you can determine if a site has endless loops, broken links, redirect detections and much more. As its name indicates, Xenu is like having a detective look at your site - a free detective that is.
12. Xinu BETA by Miguel Camps Orteza
Yeah the name is similar to XENU but these are two totally different tools. This excellent SEO tool will give you detailed stats about any site including rankings, syndication, social bookmarkings, validation, indexation and backlinks from several major search engines: ALL IN ONE PAGE! Also the best part is that it is open source, so not only you can use the tool, you can download it an install it in your own server.
13. Keyword Density & Prominence Tool by Ranks.nl
This tool allows you to crawl a particular page and analyze the density of keywords not only in the content of the page but also in the tags.
14. Visual PageRank by iWebTool.com
If you are a graphic person, then checking page rank in your site is probably as boring as watcing Home Shopping Network on a saturday night. Well now you can check your page rank visually with sweet tool. This tool gives let's you see your web page and overlays that page rank for each one of your links.
15. GeoTargeting Detection Tool by SEOmoz.com
This tool helps you determine if you have optimized a site for country-specific search engines. SEO can be valuable for many industries if applying local or geographic optimization. Nice tool!
Did I leave any other free SEO tools out of the list? Please feel free to share it here. Thks.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Secret of Marketing in a Recession
Though it seems to make sense to cut expenditures in lean economic times, 80 years of data proves that cutting marketing to save money is a losing proposition.
Way back in 1927, the Harvard Business Review published a report tracking 200 companies from the 1923 recession on. The results were clear. The companies that didn't cut back on marketing - those that advertised the most during that period - enjoyed the biggest sales increases.
Another later study measuring the effects of business-to-business advertising looked closely at the recessions of 1949, 1954, 1958 and 1961. In these tough times, sales and profits dropped for companies that reduced their advertising. In addition, when the recovery came about (as it always will) those same companies lagged behind those that did NOT cut back.
That was proven again by McGraw-Hill Research when examining the financial performance of 600 companies in 16 industries during the recession of 1981-1982. The report, published in Laboratory of Advertising Report 5262, showed that sales for companies which aggressively marketed during the recession rose 256% over those that cut back - and stayed growing for up to three years AFTER the economic downturn.
A Cahners Publishing Company study in 1980 and a Center for Research and Development study in 1990 both concluded that those companies which maintain or increase their advertising during recessionary times stand to gain the most market share during that period (an average of 1.5 points.)
Coopers & Lybrand and Business Science International put it this way in their joint report published by Penton Media in 1993: "Businesses that maintain aggressive marketing programs during a recession, outperform companies that rely more on cost cutting measures. A strong marketing program enables a firm to solidify its customer base, take business away from less aggressive competitors, and position itself for future growth during the recovery."
There is a book of such research findings entitled Advertising in a Recession by Bernard Ryan, Jr., published in 1999. But these examples will probably suffice to tell the story.
The word "recession" has its origins in the Latin for "move backward." In an economic recession, when those around them "move backward," smart marketers do just the opposite. They STEP FORWARD.
I brought this article from one of my mentor's teaching (BBlackwood - Longtime creative director and marketer). He send it to my box... So i think it might be helpful for we online and offline marketers.
Ifeanyi....
Way back in 1927, the Harvard Business Review published a report tracking 200 companies from the 1923 recession on. The results were clear. The companies that didn't cut back on marketing - those that advertised the most during that period - enjoyed the biggest sales increases.
Another later study measuring the effects of business-to-business advertising looked closely at the recessions of 1949, 1954, 1958 and 1961. In these tough times, sales and profits dropped for companies that reduced their advertising. In addition, when the recovery came about (as it always will) those same companies lagged behind those that did NOT cut back.
That was proven again by McGraw-Hill Research when examining the financial performance of 600 companies in 16 industries during the recession of 1981-1982. The report, published in Laboratory of Advertising Report 5262, showed that sales for companies which aggressively marketed during the recession rose 256% over those that cut back - and stayed growing for up to three years AFTER the economic downturn.
A Cahners Publishing Company study in 1980 and a Center for Research and Development study in 1990 both concluded that those companies which maintain or increase their advertising during recessionary times stand to gain the most market share during that period (an average of 1.5 points.)
Coopers & Lybrand and Business Science International put it this way in their joint report published by Penton Media in 1993: "Businesses that maintain aggressive marketing programs during a recession, outperform companies that rely more on cost cutting measures. A strong marketing program enables a firm to solidify its customer base, take business away from less aggressive competitors, and position itself for future growth during the recovery."
There is a book of such research findings entitled Advertising in a Recession by Bernard Ryan, Jr., published in 1999. But these examples will probably suffice to tell the story.
The word "recession" has its origins in the Latin for "move backward." In an economic recession, when those around them "move backward," smart marketers do just the opposite. They STEP FORWARD.
I brought this article from one of my mentor's teaching (BBlackwood - Longtime creative director and marketer). He send it to my box... So i think it might be helpful for we online and offline marketers.
Ifeanyi....
10 Tips On How To Sell Your Product
It’s not just about the product you know.
I realised maybe there was going to be a problem with my ability to run a decent business when I found that I was buying more products than I was selling! So I vowed to not buy the next product that I saw advertised, and stop to analyse why I wanted to buy it instead.
I used to think a good product sells itself. Well, it doesn’t. Others have sold the same products I tried selling with far greater success.
Here’s what I’ve learnt.
1. It’s all about marketing. Would you buy glue that doesn’t stick very well? What if you put the same product on the back of little pieces of paper and call them post-its? What about an anti-bacterial solution that isn’t strong enough to kill germs on furniture surfaces? No? What if the seller changed it to an antiseptic mouthwash that cures bad breath and called it Listerine?
2. Target your audience! You may win some new converts by trying to get as many people to see your products as possible. But if you have a limited budget, it helps to try to market to those who are already looking for your kind of product. Notice most ads have very positive, hyped up words that target hopes, dreams, greed etc? You are selling a want, not a need. You have to turn the want into a need.
3. Give a call to action. Do not let them just read the advertisement and move on.
4. Give a free gift, or bonus.
5. Notice most ads have very positive, hyped up words that target hopes, dreams, greed etc? You are selling a want, not a need. You have to turn the want into a need. Can’t expect to sell millions of products by saying please buy, you don’t really need it but have pity on me, I have 12 kids to feed. Please, please please. Help me.
6. Learn to face rejection. I hate this part. I’d really rather not even try. But then, I’d have failed before I’ve even started. Oh, and learn why you got the rejection and how you can change that into a yes, rather than blame the grumpy lady who told you off.
7. Articles are to entertain first, not to provide information. You have to write what the customers want to read, not what you want to write. They can find information very easily these days.
8. Sell yourself. It’s all about you. The seller. You make the product look good and convince people why they need it too. Your reputation is at stake as well. I always thought a model’s job was to look good. It isn’t. I learnt it from America’s Top Model. The model’s job is to make the product look good.
9. It’s all about building up a relationship. Robert Kiyosaki uses himself to teach his lessons and sell his products. People buy Rich Dad Poor Dad because of him. He always said he was a best-selling author. Not a best-writing author!
10. Keep bugging them. Get an email contact or something. Send regular updates. Eventually they will buy something. Don’t spam though. Turns people off. And if emails keep bouncing, it may be an abandoned account. Don’t waste your time.
Ifeanyi believes we all have it in us to be rich - ridiculously rich. We just need to learn to unleash the potential.
I realised maybe there was going to be a problem with my ability to run a decent business when I found that I was buying more products than I was selling! So I vowed to not buy the next product that I saw advertised, and stop to analyse why I wanted to buy it instead.
I used to think a good product sells itself. Well, it doesn’t. Others have sold the same products I tried selling with far greater success.
Here’s what I’ve learnt.
1. It’s all about marketing. Would you buy glue that doesn’t stick very well? What if you put the same product on the back of little pieces of paper and call them post-its? What about an anti-bacterial solution that isn’t strong enough to kill germs on furniture surfaces? No? What if the seller changed it to an antiseptic mouthwash that cures bad breath and called it Listerine?
2. Target your audience! You may win some new converts by trying to get as many people to see your products as possible. But if you have a limited budget, it helps to try to market to those who are already looking for your kind of product. Notice most ads have very positive, hyped up words that target hopes, dreams, greed etc? You are selling a want, not a need. You have to turn the want into a need.
3. Give a call to action. Do not let them just read the advertisement and move on.
4. Give a free gift, or bonus.
5. Notice most ads have very positive, hyped up words that target hopes, dreams, greed etc? You are selling a want, not a need. You have to turn the want into a need. Can’t expect to sell millions of products by saying please buy, you don’t really need it but have pity on me, I have 12 kids to feed. Please, please please. Help me.
6. Learn to face rejection. I hate this part. I’d really rather not even try. But then, I’d have failed before I’ve even started. Oh, and learn why you got the rejection and how you can change that into a yes, rather than blame the grumpy lady who told you off.
7. Articles are to entertain first, not to provide information. You have to write what the customers want to read, not what you want to write. They can find information very easily these days.
8. Sell yourself. It’s all about you. The seller. You make the product look good and convince people why they need it too. Your reputation is at stake as well. I always thought a model’s job was to look good. It isn’t. I learnt it from America’s Top Model. The model’s job is to make the product look good.
9. It’s all about building up a relationship. Robert Kiyosaki uses himself to teach his lessons and sell his products. People buy Rich Dad Poor Dad because of him. He always said he was a best-selling author. Not a best-writing author!
10. Keep bugging them. Get an email contact or something. Send regular updates. Eventually they will buy something. Don’t spam though. Turns people off. And if emails keep bouncing, it may be an abandoned account. Don’t waste your time.
Ifeanyi believes we all have it in us to be rich - ridiculously rich. We just need to learn to unleash the potential.
Driving Traffic to your Site
You have probably seen all of the articles and ebooks on line that you can purchase to show you how to make money on the internet from your home. Well it is true you can make some money on line with your web site but you first need traffic. It doesn't matter how great of a web designer you are, if you don't know how to draw traffic to your web site no one will see it. Traffic is the key to making money on line, whether you use that traffic to sell something, get people to click on your AdSense links, or just to get their name and email address so you can do email marketing. You need to drive traffic to your web site and there are a few different ways to do it. There are paid ways of driving traffic to your web site and there are free ways to drive traffic.
Paid ways of driving traffic are quick and you see results right away but the once you stop paying the traffic stops as well. Where free traffic will take a little longer for you to generate the traffic but it is traffic you will continue to get 3 months from now. We will talk about different ways to generate traffic for free in this article.
Google web master tools is a great set of tools to see how your website ranks with Google in terms of search results, errors in your code, and other things you can do to improve your listing. I suggest signing up for free Google web master tools and creating a sitemap for your web site that google can look at. This will help google to index your site properly especially if you use database driven web sites. It will take a little while for all of the information to populate in the different areas but once your information starts to populate it will become very helpful information for you to use.
Article writing is by far my favorite way to draw traffic to my web site because it allows me to do something I love and helps me to draw traffic. I simply write articles about what I know and what is related to my web site. Then I post those articles on the hundreds for free article sites on the internet which gives me free link backs to my site. Then if people like my articles they can take them from the article site and use them on their own site again adding to my link backs. I have found this to be the most effective form driving traffic to your web site because it put free information out there and creates links to your site that will remain there for months. But there is one thing about article marketing, you may right an article that generates traffic for a few months but that article will eventually stop generating as much traffic as it did before. So you need to continue to write new articles about new topics to keep everything fresh.
Blogging is another great way to generate traffic to your site and create back links. Check out blogs that are relevant to your web site and comment on different posts where you can add important information. When you post on a blog you will put in your name, email address, web site, and your comment. The blog will usually use your name as who posted the blog and make your name a link to your web site which again helps create unique back links to your web site that other search engines will pick up on and rank your site higher. A lot of blogs entries are being checked by the administrator to filter out spam and any one using vulgar language but most are not doing that and are posting entires immediately. So with that being said we want to keep blogging a great traffic generating tool so spamming is something we don't ever want to do. This will actually cause you to be banned from a lot of blogs and will also cause your website to lose credibility.
Paid ways of driving traffic are quick and you see results right away but the once you stop paying the traffic stops as well. Where free traffic will take a little longer for you to generate the traffic but it is traffic you will continue to get 3 months from now. We will talk about different ways to generate traffic for free in this article.
Google web master tools is a great set of tools to see how your website ranks with Google in terms of search results, errors in your code, and other things you can do to improve your listing. I suggest signing up for free Google web master tools and creating a sitemap for your web site that google can look at. This will help google to index your site properly especially if you use database driven web sites. It will take a little while for all of the information to populate in the different areas but once your information starts to populate it will become very helpful information for you to use.
Article writing is by far my favorite way to draw traffic to my web site because it allows me to do something I love and helps me to draw traffic. I simply write articles about what I know and what is related to my web site. Then I post those articles on the hundreds for free article sites on the internet which gives me free link backs to my site. Then if people like my articles they can take them from the article site and use them on their own site again adding to my link backs. I have found this to be the most effective form driving traffic to your web site because it put free information out there and creates links to your site that will remain there for months. But there is one thing about article marketing, you may right an article that generates traffic for a few months but that article will eventually stop generating as much traffic as it did before. So you need to continue to write new articles about new topics to keep everything fresh.
Blogging is another great way to generate traffic to your site and create back links. Check out blogs that are relevant to your web site and comment on different posts where you can add important information. When you post on a blog you will put in your name, email address, web site, and your comment. The blog will usually use your name as who posted the blog and make your name a link to your web site which again helps create unique back links to your web site that other search engines will pick up on and rank your site higher. A lot of blogs entries are being checked by the administrator to filter out spam and any one using vulgar language but most are not doing that and are posting entires immediately. So with that being said we want to keep blogging a great traffic generating tool so spamming is something we don't ever want to do. This will actually cause you to be banned from a lot of blogs and will also cause your website to lose credibility.
Top 7 Reasons Why Your Small Business Should Use Twitter
If you run a small business and aren't using Twitter, I have to ask, why not? It seems that just about everyone else on the planet with access to the web or a cell phone is.
Twitter seems to be following the same pattern that blogs did. First a few, and just for personal use – (please!) Then a lot more and an expansion of uses. And then a belated awakening by businesses that something is happening over there and it might be worth getting in on it.
Remember Letterman's reverse lists? Well this is one of those, listing the reasons you'll want to get twittering from least to most important. Something is happening over there at Twitter and it's well worth getting in on.
Your small business should be using Twitter because:
7) Everyone else is doing it.
The guy who runs the convenience store down the street. The landscape architect. The shoe store owner. And lots of big companies, such as Dell, HP, AT&T and Microsoft. Having your business on Twitter is hot.
6) Twitter is good optics.
Using Twitter is evidence that your small business is participating in this whole social media thing and obviously a "with-it" kind of outfit that people might be interested in doing business with. It's just not enough to have a website anymore.
5) Twitter is a fast way to get the message out.
Assuming your potential and existing customers are on Twitter, you can instantly let them know your news, whether it's an announcement or a new product, a special deal, or an upcoming event they may be interested in.
4) Twitter will help you stay on top of your industry and/or market segment.
Twitter lets you hear what other people are saying. Using http://searchtwitter.com Twitter Search you can find out what people are saying about a particular topic, enabling you to keep your ear to the ground about your company and the competition.
3) Twitter will help you refine your brand.
By participating in Twitter (that is, using it to communicate with others, rather than just spamming product announcements) you can present and develop the kind of image that attracts your potential customers, and refine your brand. (Remember; communication is a two-way thing.)
2) Twitter is a great networking tool.
Being on Twitter will give you opportunities to meet and talk to oodles of people, some of whom you would never get the chance to talk to otherwise. And some of those people might be the very business contacts you've been seeking, people you want to start projects with, source product from or even hire.
1) And the most important reason your small business should use Twitter – because Twitter lets you engage your customers.
Posting information about your products and/or services is the obvious use. But Twitter also gives you another channel for listening to and finding out about your customers – what they like or dislike about your company, how they feel about your brand, what suggestions they have for improvement, what their favourite products are and why... all kinds of nuggets that you can use to make your business more successful.
So there you have it. In a nutshell, Twitter can provide your small business with another channel to inform and engage your current and potential customers – and every opportunity to do that is worth exploring.
You will want to make sure, though, that you're following the Twitter promotion rules for small businesses. If you don't use Twitter properly, you can end up being seen as a spammer and damaging your small business' reputation.
Twitter seems to be following the same pattern that blogs did. First a few, and just for personal use – (please!) Then a lot more and an expansion of uses. And then a belated awakening by businesses that something is happening over there and it might be worth getting in on it.
Remember Letterman's reverse lists? Well this is one of those, listing the reasons you'll want to get twittering from least to most important. Something is happening over there at Twitter and it's well worth getting in on.
Your small business should be using Twitter because:
7) Everyone else is doing it.
The guy who runs the convenience store down the street. The landscape architect. The shoe store owner. And lots of big companies, such as Dell, HP, AT&T and Microsoft. Having your business on Twitter is hot.
6) Twitter is good optics.
Using Twitter is evidence that your small business is participating in this whole social media thing and obviously a "with-it" kind of outfit that people might be interested in doing business with. It's just not enough to have a website anymore.
5) Twitter is a fast way to get the message out.
Assuming your potential and existing customers are on Twitter, you can instantly let them know your news, whether it's an announcement or a new product, a special deal, or an upcoming event they may be interested in.
4) Twitter will help you stay on top of your industry and/or market segment.
Twitter lets you hear what other people are saying. Using http://searchtwitter.com Twitter Search you can find out what people are saying about a particular topic, enabling you to keep your ear to the ground about your company and the competition.
3) Twitter will help you refine your brand.
By participating in Twitter (that is, using it to communicate with others, rather than just spamming product announcements) you can present and develop the kind of image that attracts your potential customers, and refine your brand. (Remember; communication is a two-way thing.)
2) Twitter is a great networking tool.
Being on Twitter will give you opportunities to meet and talk to oodles of people, some of whom you would never get the chance to talk to otherwise. And some of those people might be the very business contacts you've been seeking, people you want to start projects with, source product from or even hire.
1) And the most important reason your small business should use Twitter – because Twitter lets you engage your customers.
Posting information about your products and/or services is the obvious use. But Twitter also gives you another channel for listening to and finding out about your customers – what they like or dislike about your company, how they feel about your brand, what suggestions they have for improvement, what their favourite products are and why... all kinds of nuggets that you can use to make your business more successful.
So there you have it. In a nutshell, Twitter can provide your small business with another channel to inform and engage your current and potential customers – and every opportunity to do that is worth exploring.
You will want to make sure, though, that you're following the Twitter promotion rules for small businesses. If you don't use Twitter properly, you can end up being seen as a spammer and damaging your small business' reputation.
Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Business Web Site (PART 2)
11. Provide a subscription box, to your e-zine or business announcement list, on your most viewed business web site pages.
12. On large business web sites, create a "What's New Page" or even better, ask your web designer to design a "Site Map" for your visitors. Much of your business web site traffic will come from search engines. Here are some search engine submission tips to keep in mind.
13. Search engines look for certain things - titles, headings, meta tags - so it is crucial to make sure your site is "search engine friendly". Visit the Search Engine Optimization and Submission page on this site for additional resources on search engines and search engine submission tips.
a. TITLE tags: Title tags should be 60 or so characters and include some keywords.
b. Header tags are numbered from 1 to 7: some search engines recognize Header tags. So make sure you use these tags for each of the titles on your page.
c. Keyword Meta tags: Add no more than 15 to 20 keywords to keep the search engines from flagging your site for keyword spamming. Prioritize your words. The best way to submit to search engines is to submit to each search engine individually.
d. Use keywords in the text area of each page. They are especially important at the beginning of sentences and higher up on the page.
e. To learn more about meta tags and choosing keywords, read "Effective Search Engine Optimization" (from About Small Business: Canada).
14. Search engines do not find your site unless you submit your site's information to them. Below are four ways to submit your Web site to search engines:
a. It is recommended that you submit to search engines individually (this is also the way I do it and it works great, but is time consuming)!
b. Since some people prefer to use a free service to submit their sites to search engines, I recommend that they open a free e-mail address to use when you do "anything" for free on the World Wide Web. Two good search engine submission services are Submit It!, and Scrub The Web. You can pay for a program that will assist you to submit and critique your site such as WebPosition Gold.
c. Hire a Search Engine Optimization Expert to handle your search engine submissions.
15. Visit these search engine information sites: Search Engine Watch and Search Engine Guide.
But search engine submission is only one way to drive traffic to your business web site. Continue on to the next page to read other tips for web site promotion.
Making sure your business web site is search engine friendly is only one aspect of Web site promotion. Here are some other web site promotion tips:
16. Find easy and secure ways for your clients to pay you. A shopping cart and a secure way to accept checks and/or credit cards work very well.
17. Check your business web site's links regularly to make sure they all work. Use a free link checker such as Xenu's Link Sleuth.
18. Provide monthly chats or bulletin boards (forums) to build relationships and community.
19. Conduct periodic contests and announce the winners on your site.
20. Offer a free e-book or e-report on your site. Its size doesn’t matter if you’re providing it for free and it’s specifically for your ideal client. Provide permission for the e-book to be forwarded to others for their personal use.
21. Write articles, post them to your business Web site, and submit them to article banks.
22. Design some quizzes or surveys. Statistics show that visitors love quizzes and assessment tools.
23. Participate in online forums as an expert. You get to "quietly" promote your business in your three or four line signature.
24. Place your business web site address on all your printed literature -- business cards, brochures, newsletters, letterhead, e-mail signature, ads - everything!!
25. Promote your web address in your signature for e-mails (change it regularly to highlight something new you're promoting).
26. Teach classes or speak to groups about subjects relating to your products.
27. Network locally to bring people to your site.
28. “Permission Market” by gathering, in writing, the e-mail addresses of students, or an audience as part of your evaluation forms. Create index cards so that you can invite your friends, networking partners or associates to join your list. Keep any papers involved in this process for at least a year or two.
29. When your business web site is launched, updated, or you write a free e-book, send a Press Release to the media, your clients, and friends and associates, too.
30. Want to know more about Internet Marketing? Click on post on the right hand side to get more hints.
12. On large business web sites, create a "What's New Page" or even better, ask your web designer to design a "Site Map" for your visitors. Much of your business web site traffic will come from search engines. Here are some search engine submission tips to keep in mind.
13. Search engines look for certain things - titles, headings, meta tags - so it is crucial to make sure your site is "search engine friendly". Visit the Search Engine Optimization and Submission page on this site for additional resources on search engines and search engine submission tips.
a. TITLE tags: Title tags should be 60 or so characters and include some keywords.
b. Header tags are numbered from 1 to 7: some search engines recognize Header tags. So make sure you use these tags for each of the titles on your page.
c. Keyword Meta tags: Add no more than 15 to 20 keywords to keep the search engines from flagging your site for keyword spamming. Prioritize your words. The best way to submit to search engines is to submit to each search engine individually.
d. Use keywords in the text area of each page. They are especially important at the beginning of sentences and higher up on the page.
e. To learn more about meta tags and choosing keywords, read "Effective Search Engine Optimization" (from About Small Business: Canada).
14. Search engines do not find your site unless you submit your site's information to them. Below are four ways to submit your Web site to search engines:
a. It is recommended that you submit to search engines individually (this is also the way I do it and it works great, but is time consuming)!
b. Since some people prefer to use a free service to submit their sites to search engines, I recommend that they open a free e-mail address to use when you do "anything" for free on the World Wide Web. Two good search engine submission services are Submit It!, and Scrub The Web. You can pay for a program that will assist you to submit and critique your site such as WebPosition Gold.
c. Hire a Search Engine Optimization Expert to handle your search engine submissions.
15. Visit these search engine information sites: Search Engine Watch and Search Engine Guide.
But search engine submission is only one way to drive traffic to your business web site. Continue on to the next page to read other tips for web site promotion.
Making sure your business web site is search engine friendly is only one aspect of Web site promotion. Here are some other web site promotion tips:
16. Find easy and secure ways for your clients to pay you. A shopping cart and a secure way to accept checks and/or credit cards work very well.
17. Check your business web site's links regularly to make sure they all work. Use a free link checker such as Xenu's Link Sleuth.
18. Provide monthly chats or bulletin boards (forums) to build relationships and community.
19. Conduct periodic contests and announce the winners on your site.
20. Offer a free e-book or e-report on your site. Its size doesn’t matter if you’re providing it for free and it’s specifically for your ideal client. Provide permission for the e-book to be forwarded to others for their personal use.
21. Write articles, post them to your business Web site, and submit them to article banks.
22. Design some quizzes or surveys. Statistics show that visitors love quizzes and assessment tools.
23. Participate in online forums as an expert. You get to "quietly" promote your business in your three or four line signature.
24. Place your business web site address on all your printed literature -- business cards, brochures, newsletters, letterhead, e-mail signature, ads - everything!!
25. Promote your web address in your signature for e-mails (change it regularly to highlight something new you're promoting).
26. Teach classes or speak to groups about subjects relating to your products.
27. Network locally to bring people to your site.
28. “Permission Market” by gathering, in writing, the e-mail addresses of students, or an audience as part of your evaluation forms. Create index cards so that you can invite your friends, networking partners or associates to join your list. Keep any papers involved in this process for at least a year or two.
29. When your business web site is launched, updated, or you write a free e-book, send a Press Release to the media, your clients, and friends and associates, too.
30. Want to know more about Internet Marketing? Click on post on the right hand side to get more hints.
Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Business Web Site (PART 1)
In 1998, promoting your business web site was a very easy process. You placed 3 lines of code called "meta tags" on the top of your home page and submitted the page to free search engines or directories. Fast forward to the present.
Web site promotion has become a time consuming project and a new position in the web design industry, Search Engine Consultants, has been created. Use the list below to find ways that your business web site will be found by your ideal client, is user friendly and is visited often.
1. Build a strong, solid business foundation. Design a business plan, marketing plan, ideal client profile and 30-second elevator speech.
2. Be consistent and “brand” your company. Use the same colors, logo, motto, etc. everywhere on your business web site!
3. Make your business web site trustable.
4. Create policies that build trust: customer service, code of ethics and newsletter privacy policy.
5. Ask your web master to name each of your pages using a keyword you have supplied them with.
6. Offer added values on your business web site that make sense to your business and ideal client. This can include affiliate programs, books, and recommended links to web sites.
7. Add a “favorites or bookmark this site” script to some of your business web site pages.
8. Add a "Recommend This Site" on your site. If someone visits your business Web site and knows someone else who may appreciate it, this feature will e-mail the page's link to a recipient.
9. If you have pages on your business web site that you update monthly (like an articles page or recommended links page) say so on the page.
10. Join a few Web rings. For additional information, visit WebRing and Bravenet.
11. Provide a subscription box, to your e-zine or business announcement list, on your most viewed business web site pages.
12. On large business web sites, create a "What's New Page" or even better, ask your web designer to design a "Site Map" for your visitors.
Web site promotion has become a time consuming project and a new position in the web design industry, Search Engine Consultants, has been created. Use the list below to find ways that your business web site will be found by your ideal client, is user friendly and is visited often.
1. Build a strong, solid business foundation. Design a business plan, marketing plan, ideal client profile and 30-second elevator speech.
2. Be consistent and “brand” your company. Use the same colors, logo, motto, etc. everywhere on your business web site!
3. Make your business web site trustable.
4. Create policies that build trust: customer service, code of ethics and newsletter privacy policy.
5. Ask your web master to name each of your pages using a keyword you have supplied them with.
6. Offer added values on your business web site that make sense to your business and ideal client. This can include affiliate programs, books, and recommended links to web sites.
7. Add a “favorites or bookmark this site” script to some of your business web site pages.
8. Add a "Recommend This Site" on your site. If someone visits your business Web site and knows someone else who may appreciate it, this feature will e-mail the page's link to a recipient.
9. If you have pages on your business web site that you update monthly (like an articles page or recommended links page) say so on the page.
10. Join a few Web rings. For additional information, visit WebRing and Bravenet.
11. Provide a subscription box, to your e-zine or business announcement list, on your most viewed business web site pages.
12. On large business web sites, create a "What's New Page" or even better, ask your web designer to design a "Site Map" for your visitors.
Top Secrets For Driving Traffic Directly to Your Blog
When you are have created your website you probably feel as proud as a new parent. After all you have just watched the birth of your own idea and now it's time for the first few toddling steps. Driving the traffic to your blog is next on the agenda and this is a crucial step to ensuring the success of your site. You have to hook the public with your content and ideas. You may have decided on a self-hosted site, or perhaps you opted to use WordPress or Blogger. The platform you choose really won't matter that much, as far as generating traffic goes, because there are some specific guidelines that are always going to be used to bring the traffic to your blogging doorstep.
The majority of bloggers will know that SEO is critical when it comes to getting the exposure and online visibility that is necessary to succeed. After all the basic reason a blog exists is to attract readers and generate customers. Search engine optimization can not be ignored and there are some great resources for you to use to help you get your online blog off to a blazing hot start.
When you are first getting interest generated about a blog you can count on Squidoo and Hubpages to give you a hand. This gives you a place to create your own lenses and hubs that deal with your particular blog niche. Once you have taken this step it is easy to create the links to your blog site with either the direct link connections or by using the RSS feed. These link modules are available on both Squidoo and Hubpages.
Do not overlook the help that other blogs can give you. If you leave some comments on a number of closely related blog sites it can mean a big boost to your own traffic. Make your comments informative, even if they are not very lengthy. A one or two word comment will not catch the eye of anyone, but a more relevant remark can provoke interest from a number of readers. Avoid using those overworked, repetitive comments that pop up so frequently because they are not being read by anyone. In other words, be at least a little creative in your posting.
For successful traffic you need to take advantage of the benefits that you can gain when you use social bookmarking. It will probably work to your advantage to be a little choosy and begin by bookmarking a limited number of these sites with your posts. If you cast your net too wide it will come across as SPAM, which is a definite no-no. Reddit and Stumble Upon are a couple of prime places to begin your bookmarking tactics. In addition to the limited posts, make sure that you bookmark for others because this will make it seem that you are really part of the social network and not circling the community like a shark in the ocean.
You can also reap some rewards for your blogging efforts by connecting with the social networking sites that are currently in high demand. Facebook and Twitter are two good choices to focus your efforts on. Remember that you need to keep your niche in the forefront of your mind as you build a profile and start creating your own interconnected community. Once more you need to keep communication as important as your task of creating links to your own site and products.
Forums with related ideas and information can help you gain exposure and create a familiarity with the public. The more familiar your name and site becomes the more likely people will want to do business with you. To get your name moved to the top of the list in your niche markets try searching Google by typing in "the name of your niche + forum". This should provide you with the target listings that you will need to begin this plan of attack.
What you want to do is to use these methods to build trust and familiarity with a large network of people on the Internet. This will help you create friendships and generate some much needed exposure online. As people begin to feel comfortable with your name and site, it will make them more inclined to purchase products from you, which is good for your online business.
The majority of bloggers will know that SEO is critical when it comes to getting the exposure and online visibility that is necessary to succeed. After all the basic reason a blog exists is to attract readers and generate customers. Search engine optimization can not be ignored and there are some great resources for you to use to help you get your online blog off to a blazing hot start.
When you are first getting interest generated about a blog you can count on Squidoo and Hubpages to give you a hand. This gives you a place to create your own lenses and hubs that deal with your particular blog niche. Once you have taken this step it is easy to create the links to your blog site with either the direct link connections or by using the RSS feed. These link modules are available on both Squidoo and Hubpages.
Do not overlook the help that other blogs can give you. If you leave some comments on a number of closely related blog sites it can mean a big boost to your own traffic. Make your comments informative, even if they are not very lengthy. A one or two word comment will not catch the eye of anyone, but a more relevant remark can provoke interest from a number of readers. Avoid using those overworked, repetitive comments that pop up so frequently because they are not being read by anyone. In other words, be at least a little creative in your posting.
For successful traffic you need to take advantage of the benefits that you can gain when you use social bookmarking. It will probably work to your advantage to be a little choosy and begin by bookmarking a limited number of these sites with your posts. If you cast your net too wide it will come across as SPAM, which is a definite no-no. Reddit and Stumble Upon are a couple of prime places to begin your bookmarking tactics. In addition to the limited posts, make sure that you bookmark for others because this will make it seem that you are really part of the social network and not circling the community like a shark in the ocean.
You can also reap some rewards for your blogging efforts by connecting with the social networking sites that are currently in high demand. Facebook and Twitter are two good choices to focus your efforts on. Remember that you need to keep your niche in the forefront of your mind as you build a profile and start creating your own interconnected community. Once more you need to keep communication as important as your task of creating links to your own site and products.
Forums with related ideas and information can help you gain exposure and create a familiarity with the public. The more familiar your name and site becomes the more likely people will want to do business with you. To get your name moved to the top of the list in your niche markets try searching Google by typing in "the name of your niche + forum". This should provide you with the target listings that you will need to begin this plan of attack.
What you want to do is to use these methods to build trust and familiarity with a large network of people on the Internet. This will help you create friendships and generate some much needed exposure online. As people begin to feel comfortable with your name and site, it will make them more inclined to purchase products from you, which is good for your online business.
HOW TO PING YOUR WEBSITE TO GET MORE TRAFFIC
I was shocked to see how much traffic my blog generated when I did my first ping. It's almost like my site was blasted on the radio a couple of times. If you are not pinging you should definitely start.
So what is pinging? Pinging is an Internet program used to test a connection by sending a ICMP or an Internet control message protocol. Basically it lets the engine robots know that you have updated the content on your site. The best part about pining is that if done right you will see almost an immediate growth sprout in your traffic. If you want a service that will do the pinging for you, you can pay and they will automatically update for you.
If you choose to go the free route. Checkout Pingoat.com they will do this for no charge. You can't ping back to back but they give you a reasonable amount of time to be able to start pinging again.
Pingomatic is another one of my favorites. They actually sell the service but they let you ping for free. I think the service is like $17.00 or something low like that. It's definitely worth it.
You can also ping yahoos servers. You can do this by doing a copy and paste in your browser. Use this address:
http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping?u=(http://youraddresshere.com)
Put your address in the "your address here section" and then press enter. This will automatically tell yahoos robots that your site has been updated.
So what is pinging? Pinging is an Internet program used to test a connection by sending a ICMP or an Internet control message protocol. Basically it lets the engine robots know that you have updated the content on your site. The best part about pining is that if done right you will see almost an immediate growth sprout in your traffic. If you want a service that will do the pinging for you, you can pay and they will automatically update for you.
If you choose to go the free route. Checkout Pingoat.com they will do this for no charge. You can't ping back to back but they give you a reasonable amount of time to be able to start pinging again.
Pingomatic is another one of my favorites. They actually sell the service but they let you ping for free. I think the service is like $17.00 or something low like that. It's definitely worth it.
You can also ping yahoos servers. You can do this by doing a copy and paste in your browser. Use this address:
http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping?u=(http://youraddresshere.com)
Put your address in the "your address here section" and then press enter. This will automatically tell yahoos robots that your site has been updated.
Twitter Money - Tips to Make Money With Twitter
So you want to make money with twitter? Well who doesn't. Twitter appears to be one of the most popular social networking machines around, and you can quickly get twitter followers that you can make money of. But how to do it. Here are a few ideas.
First, there is direct selling. You can send tweets to your followers about this great offer you have, or this great affiliate product that of course you earn commission on. You put the link to the offer in your tweet and hope that your followers will click on it, and even better, buy the product so you earn commission.
It's a little tricky to do all this in 140 characters (the maximum length of a 'tweet'), but it's possible if you shorten your affiliate or product link by using one of the many shortening tools available online, such as bit.ly, budurl.com or tinyurl.com. Check them out.
You can also mention the link in your public profile that people get to see. I'm not totally sure if all this works. I do, however, have some evidence for myself that direct sales work, albeit not with overwhelming success. It's modest. But still, modest free money is still pretty good!
The second way to make money with twitter is to send people to a freebie opportunity. You put a link in your tweet to a CPA (=Cost-Per-Action) offer. CPA might be a whole new topic for you, and you may need to read up on it.
With CPA offers you can promote offers that would earn you a small amount, say a dollar. The good thing is that for these offers people often just have to leave an email address or ZIP code, and then they get a chance to win an iPod, or win a certain amount of money for free shopping or whatever.
This stuff can do well for you, especially if the offer is related to your interest. This method is similar to the one above, but the offer is attractive as it doesn't cost anything for your twitter followers.
The third and last tip I'll give you is perhaps the best: make money with twitter by giving away a free gift, a report, ebook, video etc. when people enter their email address in your opt-in box on your website. So you send a tweet with a link to your freebie, and build an email list. Then you can market to that list later. Making money from your list is much more lucrative than direct sales to twitter traffic, even though that has also worked for me.
First, there is direct selling. You can send tweets to your followers about this great offer you have, or this great affiliate product that of course you earn commission on. You put the link to the offer in your tweet and hope that your followers will click on it, and even better, buy the product so you earn commission.
It's a little tricky to do all this in 140 characters (the maximum length of a 'tweet'), but it's possible if you shorten your affiliate or product link by using one of the many shortening tools available online, such as bit.ly, budurl.com or tinyurl.com. Check them out.
You can also mention the link in your public profile that people get to see. I'm not totally sure if all this works. I do, however, have some evidence for myself that direct sales work, albeit not with overwhelming success. It's modest. But still, modest free money is still pretty good!
The second way to make money with twitter is to send people to a freebie opportunity. You put a link in your tweet to a CPA (=Cost-Per-Action) offer. CPA might be a whole new topic for you, and you may need to read up on it.
With CPA offers you can promote offers that would earn you a small amount, say a dollar. The good thing is that for these offers people often just have to leave an email address or ZIP code, and then they get a chance to win an iPod, or win a certain amount of money for free shopping or whatever.
This stuff can do well for you, especially if the offer is related to your interest. This method is similar to the one above, but the offer is attractive as it doesn't cost anything for your twitter followers.
The third and last tip I'll give you is perhaps the best: make money with twitter by giving away a free gift, a report, ebook, video etc. when people enter their email address in your opt-in box on your website. So you send a tweet with a link to your freebie, and build an email list. Then you can market to that list later. Making money from your list is much more lucrative than direct sales to twitter traffic, even though that has also worked for me.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Email Marketing Do's and Don'ts
The Internet is just about the largest free and open marketplace there is, and it is showing us a glimpse into a future of total connectivity and personalized information. The problem lies in the fact that since anyone can put just about anything online, the marketplace quickly becomes saturated, and potential customers end up drowning in a flood of products and services, not knowing which one to choose.
Of course, one can put up banner ads and the like, but there is no guarantee that potential customers will see them. Worse, those buyers who trust your company may not learn of new products when they do come out. Email marketing is the way to go here.
Email marketing is the activity of promoting a company's products or services via electronic messages, or emails, sent to potential buyers or brand-loyal customers. It is not an uncommon practice, but there are many pitfalls to be aware of as a marketer. These failures can be avoided by understanding a few things about how users would like to receive advertising messages in their email inboxes.
No spam, please
The first mistake one can make is to send unsolicited messages. This is called spamming, and is the bane of many email marketers and Internet users. This is basically the sending of advertising emails en masse to people who have not asked to be informed in such a manner. This clutters up inboxes, causes massive loads on mail servers, and worse, serves as a vehicle for computer viruses and malware for the unscrupulous or careless marketer. This will seriously reduce the popularity of one's product or service. Though there may be some who do take up the offer, most people will simply delete the message without even glancing at the subject matter. Avoid spamming at all costs.
A trickle, not a flood
Next, email marketing should not be obtrusive or too pushy, in terms of selling a product. People tend to have trust issues towards marketing via electronic means, since they have no real guarantee that what they see is what they will get. Thus, avoid hyping up the products or services too much, or they may think that it is too good to be true and end up not buying at all. Additionally, this applies to the frequency of email updates to subscribers to your marketing service. Once a day is excessive, yet once a month would not be very useful in pushing up the profit line. As a general guideline, once a week or once every two weeks should be good, except if you have a special message on limited offers. Remember not to flood inboxes, and you're good as gold.
Options for trust
Finally, it should be possible for users to unsubscribe from your email marketing service. This is often overlooked by marketers, and scares away the more Internet-savvy users. The fact that they can opt out of your informational messages is a good foundation for trust, since they will feel that you are simply offering a service with no strings attached. Building trust in the informational phase will translate into more purchases and of course better profits later on, so take note.
Of course, one can put up banner ads and the like, but there is no guarantee that potential customers will see them. Worse, those buyers who trust your company may not learn of new products when they do come out. Email marketing is the way to go here.
Email marketing is the activity of promoting a company's products or services via electronic messages, or emails, sent to potential buyers or brand-loyal customers. It is not an uncommon practice, but there are many pitfalls to be aware of as a marketer. These failures can be avoided by understanding a few things about how users would like to receive advertising messages in their email inboxes.
No spam, please
The first mistake one can make is to send unsolicited messages. This is called spamming, and is the bane of many email marketers and Internet users. This is basically the sending of advertising emails en masse to people who have not asked to be informed in such a manner. This clutters up inboxes, causes massive loads on mail servers, and worse, serves as a vehicle for computer viruses and malware for the unscrupulous or careless marketer. This will seriously reduce the popularity of one's product or service. Though there may be some who do take up the offer, most people will simply delete the message without even glancing at the subject matter. Avoid spamming at all costs.
A trickle, not a flood
Next, email marketing should not be obtrusive or too pushy, in terms of selling a product. People tend to have trust issues towards marketing via electronic means, since they have no real guarantee that what they see is what they will get. Thus, avoid hyping up the products or services too much, or they may think that it is too good to be true and end up not buying at all. Additionally, this applies to the frequency of email updates to subscribers to your marketing service. Once a day is excessive, yet once a month would not be very useful in pushing up the profit line. As a general guideline, once a week or once every two weeks should be good, except if you have a special message on limited offers. Remember not to flood inboxes, and you're good as gold.
Options for trust
Finally, it should be possible for users to unsubscribe from your email marketing service. This is often overlooked by marketers, and scares away the more Internet-savvy users. The fact that they can opt out of your informational messages is a good foundation for trust, since they will feel that you are simply offering a service with no strings attached. Building trust in the informational phase will translate into more purchases and of course better profits later on, so take note.
Why Email Marketing Works For Any Business
The most valuable asset of your online business is your "opt-in" list - the list of people who have completed your opt-in form and given you permission to send them email.
Using email to sell products or services online is so easy that literally ANYONE can do it! In fact, getting started with email marketing will probably bring you the easiest profits you've ever been able to generate with your business, and here's why:
• Your "opt-in" email list is made up of people who want to hear from you. They've visited your site, or they've come into your shop, and they've decided that they like what they see enough to give you their email address. They are actually inviting you to sell to them!
• You are giving your customers and subscribers something they've ASKED you for. When someone gives you their email address, they understand that you'll be using it to send them information that they actually want to receive - meaning that your opt-in list will be highly responsive to your email promotions.
• You are developing valuable lifetime relationships with your customers and subscribers. Email allows you to contact the people on your list over and over again, so you can build genuine relationships with them. There's simply NO 47 WAY you could do this offline without spending a fortune on printing and postage!
• Every time you send a mailing, the response is 100% measurable. Unlike other forms of marketing and advertising, email allows you to evaluate the success of your campaigns within just a few hours. This will save you thousands in wasted advertising dollars!
• Opt-in email marketing is effective... instantaneous... and FREE! This is our favorite thing about email marketing: You can contact your customers and subscribers whenever you want, with whatever offer you want, and it never costs you one single dime!
In fact, the use of email as a marketing strategy shows no signs of abating, with spending on email marketing expected to jump from $885 million in 2005 to $1.1 billion by 2010, according to Jupiter Research.
But we've been profiting from email marketing for so long that we sometimes take it for granted! So we want to get you thinking about how YOU can use email to start generating extra cash immediately...
a. How your offline business can use email marketing
If you're wondering how on Earth your offline business can use email marketing - if you don't even have a web site yet - here's a great example: Suppose you own a hair salon and business is slow. You aren't getting many clients, and you are afraid that the coming months are going to be even worse.
If you'd been collecting your clients' names and email addresses (with their permission) when they came up to the cash register to pay for their haircuts, this is all you'd need to do:
1. Spend about 10 minutes writing an email message stating that for this month only, you are offering 20% off all services.
2. Send the message out to your list of clients.
Do you know what will happen within about 12 hours of sending that email? Your phones will start ringing off the hook! What was looking like a slow month will soon be booked solid - and all you had to do was put together a simple email message, which took you 10 minutes to write and cost you NOTHING to send.
Of course, you don' t need to sit down and actually send a separate email to each and every one of your customers. That could literally take you days!
But with computers, you have the power to send out an email promotion to your entire list automatically.
As you collect the names and addresses of your contacts, you just add them to a database. Your email management program will merge the email addresses with your message and sends it out to your whole list at the click of a mouse. It can even personalize each message with the person's first name... or with whatever personal information you want to include!
When you're ready to mail, you just have to write the letter once, and the program will insert the personal details for each person into each email, so it looks like you wrote each one individually.
b. How your online business can use email marketing
If your business already has a web site, you've got a great head start on your competitors who might not have a web presence yet. However, if you aren't combining the power of email marketing with your web site, you're probably generating only a fraction of the profit you could be making.
The real power of email marketing for online businesses is that it gives you a way to drive qualified buyers to your site... whenever you want... at the touch of a button... for FREE!
Think carefully about this concept for just a moment. Imagine having the ability to send a swarm of highly targeted visitors to your site at the exact moment you are featuring a product that you KNOW they'd be interested in purchasing.
This is exactly what email marketing will do for your business! Anyone who comes to your site and gives you their email address - in exchange for a free newsletter subscription or a free report - is a very hot lead. And as you'll see, there's no better tool than email to let you effortlessly follow up with those leads.
And once you've written your emails, the whole process of sending out personalized emails can be completely automated. You don't have to lift a finger. You don't even need to be awake!
Using email to sell products or services online is so easy that literally ANYONE can do it! In fact, getting started with email marketing will probably bring you the easiest profits you've ever been able to generate with your business, and here's why:
• Your "opt-in" email list is made up of people who want to hear from you. They've visited your site, or they've come into your shop, and they've decided that they like what they see enough to give you their email address. They are actually inviting you to sell to them!
• You are giving your customers and subscribers something they've ASKED you for. When someone gives you their email address, they understand that you'll be using it to send them information that they actually want to receive - meaning that your opt-in list will be highly responsive to your email promotions.
• You are developing valuable lifetime relationships with your customers and subscribers. Email allows you to contact the people on your list over and over again, so you can build genuine relationships with them. There's simply NO 47 WAY you could do this offline without spending a fortune on printing and postage!
• Every time you send a mailing, the response is 100% measurable. Unlike other forms of marketing and advertising, email allows you to evaluate the success of your campaigns within just a few hours. This will save you thousands in wasted advertising dollars!
• Opt-in email marketing is effective... instantaneous... and FREE! This is our favorite thing about email marketing: You can contact your customers and subscribers whenever you want, with whatever offer you want, and it never costs you one single dime!
In fact, the use of email as a marketing strategy shows no signs of abating, with spending on email marketing expected to jump from $885 million in 2005 to $1.1 billion by 2010, according to Jupiter Research.
But we've been profiting from email marketing for so long that we sometimes take it for granted! So we want to get you thinking about how YOU can use email to start generating extra cash immediately...
a. How your offline business can use email marketing
If you're wondering how on Earth your offline business can use email marketing - if you don't even have a web site yet - here's a great example: Suppose you own a hair salon and business is slow. You aren't getting many clients, and you are afraid that the coming months are going to be even worse.
If you'd been collecting your clients' names and email addresses (with their permission) when they came up to the cash register to pay for their haircuts, this is all you'd need to do:
1. Spend about 10 minutes writing an email message stating that for this month only, you are offering 20% off all services.
2. Send the message out to your list of clients.
Do you know what will happen within about 12 hours of sending that email? Your phones will start ringing off the hook! What was looking like a slow month will soon be booked solid - and all you had to do was put together a simple email message, which took you 10 minutes to write and cost you NOTHING to send.
Of course, you don' t need to sit down and actually send a separate email to each and every one of your customers. That could literally take you days!
But with computers, you have the power to send out an email promotion to your entire list automatically.
As you collect the names and addresses of your contacts, you just add them to a database. Your email management program will merge the email addresses with your message and sends it out to your whole list at the click of a mouse. It can even personalize each message with the person's first name... or with whatever personal information you want to include!
When you're ready to mail, you just have to write the letter once, and the program will insert the personal details for each person into each email, so it looks like you wrote each one individually.
b. How your online business can use email marketing
If your business already has a web site, you've got a great head start on your competitors who might not have a web presence yet. However, if you aren't combining the power of email marketing with your web site, you're probably generating only a fraction of the profit you could be making.
The real power of email marketing for online businesses is that it gives you a way to drive qualified buyers to your site... whenever you want... at the touch of a button... for FREE!
Think carefully about this concept for just a moment. Imagine having the ability to send a swarm of highly targeted visitors to your site at the exact moment you are featuring a product that you KNOW they'd be interested in purchasing.
This is exactly what email marketing will do for your business! Anyone who comes to your site and gives you their email address - in exchange for a free newsletter subscription or a free report - is a very hot lead. And as you'll see, there's no better tool than email to let you effortlessly follow up with those leads.
And once you've written your emails, the whole process of sending out personalized emails can be completely automated. You don't have to lift a finger. You don't even need to be awake!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Learn More About Drop Shipping Process
The business of drop shipping has really picked up in a big way. The immense profits that this business has to offer to an enterprising entrepreneur have made the whole process look really lucrative. With the whole world talking about the benefits of drop shipping, it is time we learnt the basics involved in this field.
Drop shipping basically involves a wholesale seller and a customer along with us. Whenever we advertize on websites as a drop shipper offering our services to customers, the customers contact us for goods and specify the quantity and type of goods that they require. We, then search for a good and reliable wholesale seller with the help of websites like Salehoo where a complete listing of all the wholesale sellers dealing in different products is provided.
After choosing a wholesale seller, we need to pass on the order that we received from the customer to the wholesale seller. The wholesale seller takes over the entire process from now on. He then gets all the required goods and then ships the entire consignment to the customer, however with tags that indicate our business profile. In this way, we can take orders from customers and simply search for wholesale sellers who can meet the requirement and can carry the process efficiently.
Sometimes we can get orders from customers from different parts of the world and different locations. Then, we can search for wholesale sellers who offer the facility to ship products throughout the world or who can arrange for them to be shipped by an alternate source.
Thus, the entire process of drop shipping is a really simple and attractive one and involves a lot of profits to the drop shipper. There are no problems that are usually associated with inventory control and management and we also need not worry about the shipping part of the process as the wholesale seller will take complete responsibility of the process.
Thus, by understanding the principles involved in the field of drop shipping we can confidently pursue the entire process and engage in a god number of profit making deals in a very easy and confident manner.
Find out more about where you can get access to 5,347 Pre-Screened Legitimate Wholesale Dropshippers of High Quality Products that Have Decent Profit Margins! Over 50,000 other online sellers, retailers and bargain hunters have discovered the best place to find legitimate, pre-screened wholesalers, dropshippers, liquidators and manufacturers for every type of product imaginable.
Drop shipping basically involves a wholesale seller and a customer along with us. Whenever we advertize on websites as a drop shipper offering our services to customers, the customers contact us for goods and specify the quantity and type of goods that they require. We, then search for a good and reliable wholesale seller with the help of websites like Salehoo where a complete listing of all the wholesale sellers dealing in different products is provided.
After choosing a wholesale seller, we need to pass on the order that we received from the customer to the wholesale seller. The wholesale seller takes over the entire process from now on. He then gets all the required goods and then ships the entire consignment to the customer, however with tags that indicate our business profile. In this way, we can take orders from customers and simply search for wholesale sellers who can meet the requirement and can carry the process efficiently.
Sometimes we can get orders from customers from different parts of the world and different locations. Then, we can search for wholesale sellers who offer the facility to ship products throughout the world or who can arrange for them to be shipped by an alternate source.
Thus, the entire process of drop shipping is a really simple and attractive one and involves a lot of profits to the drop shipper. There are no problems that are usually associated with inventory control and management and we also need not worry about the shipping part of the process as the wholesale seller will take complete responsibility of the process.
Thus, by understanding the principles involved in the field of drop shipping we can confidently pursue the entire process and engage in a god number of profit making deals in a very easy and confident manner.
Find out more about where you can get access to 5,347 Pre-Screened Legitimate Wholesale Dropshippers of High Quality Products that Have Decent Profit Margins! Over 50,000 other online sellers, retailers and bargain hunters have discovered the best place to find legitimate, pre-screened wholesalers, dropshippers, liquidators and manufacturers for every type of product imaginable.
How to Profit on eBay in Hard Times on EBAY
If you want to make sales on eBay, even in tough economic times like these. take heart. In any economy, even the Great Depression of the 1930s, there are people spending money. And fortunately, eBay has a reputation as a bargain site which makes it even easier to profit on eBay.
The real estate market is in big trouble and it's clear that it will not be recovering any time soon. Yes, that's bad news ... but it does offer an opportunity for those who can see clearly. The real estate crisis means that most people can't sell their homes and buy new ones so they will chose to stay put. But for eBay sellers, this is an opportunity:
* Just like people, homes need tender loving care. Next week I'm having trees trimmed back, the paint pressure washed and the windows reglazed. Many, though, are doing this kind of repair work themselves, folks who in the past would have called a home repair service. They need tools, 'how to' instructions and supplies for this kind of work. Home repair and maintenance is currently my company's biggest money maker on eBay, Amazon & Google.
* Our neighbors are having upgrades done to their homes. Since they can't sell (at least, not profitably) they are painting, adding space and generally fixing up their current home. Many are buying new furniture and accessories, as well.
Let's look at a few sites on the more "decorative" side of this business.
1. Furniture: Eddy West
Eddy West has a large collection of furniture available at wholesale prices. In a typical wholesale site, the casual looker cannot see prices and Eddy West is no exception. They have a wide selection, though, and will dropship any furniture to the buyer. This means that if you sold their furniture, you would:
+ Not have to pay for it in advance, but would order it after your buyer has paid you. Therefore, you have no financial risk.
+ You would not be responsible for shipping whatever is sold. Instead, Eddy West would handle that for you.
2. Home Accessories: Just Got To Have It
Just Got To Have It represents a long list of designers and retailers. They have "uniquely designed gadgets and accessories for the home and office", but just like above, you cannot see prices unless you are an authorized reseller.
3.Bath Accessories: Commonwealth Soap & Toiletries
Commonwealth, in Fall River, MA., offers the kind of 'luxury spa' goodies made popular on HGTV and in high end magazines. Anything "spa" is definitely popular these days.
4. Infant and juvenile furniture and decorative accessories: Green Frog Art
Green Frog has artwork, bedding, changing tables, cradles, cribs, gifts & accents, lighting, step stools, tables & chairs and very popular 'green' items - meaning environmentally friendly. One of their descriptions reads "... green Earth cradle bedding is made from 100% certified organic cotton fabric grown, harvested, finished and dyed without harmful chemicals or pesticides. Our rich colors and beautiful prints are achieved with natural and low-impact pigments. Production is in conformance to the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). Each cradle bedding set is packaged in a reusable and recyclable tote bag."
Note the website heading that says, "For The Trade". This is typical on many retail sites and it means that they have both a 'public' site, with the prices you see pictured - and a 'private' area, where the prices are considerably less and unavailable to those who don't have the proper credentials.
How Can I See The Wholesale Areas Of These Sites?
What you will need to become a wholesaler, who has access to any and all sites, is a reseller tax ID. These can be obtained from your state. Most of them are free or cost a very small fee. Don't be the least bit intimidated by this requirement - it's simple. It's just a matter of filling out a form. If in doubt, contact a site you're interested in and ask them about their requirements.
Sales on eBay aren't hard - IF you're careful and pay attention to what's selling in our current economy. If you want to profit on eBay, keep up with the news and buying trends because what's selling today might be a dud tomorrow. Fortunately, one of the huge advantages of being a home-based entrepreneur and eBay seller is our flexibility. We can shift direction in a day, unlike larger companies which are slow to change. Lucky us!e
The real estate market is in big trouble and it's clear that it will not be recovering any time soon. Yes, that's bad news ... but it does offer an opportunity for those who can see clearly. The real estate crisis means that most people can't sell their homes and buy new ones so they will chose to stay put. But for eBay sellers, this is an opportunity:
* Just like people, homes need tender loving care. Next week I'm having trees trimmed back, the paint pressure washed and the windows reglazed. Many, though, are doing this kind of repair work themselves, folks who in the past would have called a home repair service. They need tools, 'how to' instructions and supplies for this kind of work. Home repair and maintenance is currently my company's biggest money maker on eBay, Amazon & Google.
* Our neighbors are having upgrades done to their homes. Since they can't sell (at least, not profitably) they are painting, adding space and generally fixing up their current home. Many are buying new furniture and accessories, as well.
Let's look at a few sites on the more "decorative" side of this business.
1. Furniture: Eddy West
Eddy West has a large collection of furniture available at wholesale prices. In a typical wholesale site, the casual looker cannot see prices and Eddy West is no exception. They have a wide selection, though, and will dropship any furniture to the buyer. This means that if you sold their furniture, you would:
+ Not have to pay for it in advance, but would order it after your buyer has paid you. Therefore, you have no financial risk.
+ You would not be responsible for shipping whatever is sold. Instead, Eddy West would handle that for you.
2. Home Accessories: Just Got To Have It
Just Got To Have It represents a long list of designers and retailers. They have "uniquely designed gadgets and accessories for the home and office", but just like above, you cannot see prices unless you are an authorized reseller.
3.Bath Accessories: Commonwealth Soap & Toiletries
Commonwealth, in Fall River, MA., offers the kind of 'luxury spa' goodies made popular on HGTV and in high end magazines. Anything "spa" is definitely popular these days.
4. Infant and juvenile furniture and decorative accessories: Green Frog Art
Green Frog has artwork, bedding, changing tables, cradles, cribs, gifts & accents, lighting, step stools, tables & chairs and very popular 'green' items - meaning environmentally friendly. One of their descriptions reads "... green Earth cradle bedding is made from 100% certified organic cotton fabric grown, harvested, finished and dyed without harmful chemicals or pesticides. Our rich colors and beautiful prints are achieved with natural and low-impact pigments. Production is in conformance to the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). Each cradle bedding set is packaged in a reusable and recyclable tote bag."
Note the website heading that says, "For The Trade". This is typical on many retail sites and it means that they have both a 'public' site, with the prices you see pictured - and a 'private' area, where the prices are considerably less and unavailable to those who don't have the proper credentials.
How Can I See The Wholesale Areas Of These Sites?
What you will need to become a wholesaler, who has access to any and all sites, is a reseller tax ID. These can be obtained from your state. Most of them are free or cost a very small fee. Don't be the least bit intimidated by this requirement - it's simple. It's just a matter of filling out a form. If in doubt, contact a site you're interested in and ask them about their requirements.
Sales on eBay aren't hard - IF you're careful and pay attention to what's selling in our current economy. If you want to profit on eBay, keep up with the news and buying trends because what's selling today might be a dud tomorrow. Fortunately, one of the huge advantages of being a home-based entrepreneur and eBay seller is our flexibility. We can shift direction in a day, unlike larger companies which are slow to change. Lucky us!e
5 great Ideas to Improve your Online Business Profits
Here are five ideas to help you improve your online business profits.
1. One of the most tried and tested ways of improving online business profits is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is common knowledge that most traffic to websites are a direct result of customers visiting a search engine like Google and using certain keywords to narrow down the search for what they want. By keeping your eye on the keywords that your customers are most likely to enter into a search engine, you could customize your website and your content to contain those keywords in relevant places. This is important as when a search engine like Google is in the process of deciding where which website gets placed on its Search Engine Results Page (SERP) one of the elements it takes into consideration is the number of times certain keywords are present on the site, so as to optimize results for the traffic to their search engine. Search engine optimization helps you draw only relevant and genuinely interested traffic to your website.
2. Blogging and social networks like Facebook and MySpace are also proven ways to increase your online business profits. Targeting a specific customer segment that is most relevant to your product category means that you need to have a tangible presence in social media favored by your target market. If your online business deals with power tools, then you need to make your presence felt by starting a blog on construction, or do-it-yourself ideas that might appeal to middle-aged men who are looking at home improvements. Or you could join a power tool based community on Facebook or MySpace and get to know the members there.
3. Online magazines provide a great platform for you to publish content relevant to your target market and validate yourself as an expert in the industry, lending credibility to your website in the bargain, which could only lead to profit.
4. Keeping your website simple and easy to navigate is also a good way to improve your online business profits. Complicated websites, with constant pop-ups and mandatory plug-in downloads only serve to drive away traffic, not convert them into sales.
5. Creating a sense of urgency around the purchase of your product or service and offering incentives for traffic that are willing to convert are also ways that many online entrepreneurs have used to improve their online business profits.
1. One of the most tried and tested ways of improving online business profits is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is common knowledge that most traffic to websites are a direct result of customers visiting a search engine like Google and using certain keywords to narrow down the search for what they want. By keeping your eye on the keywords that your customers are most likely to enter into a search engine, you could customize your website and your content to contain those keywords in relevant places. This is important as when a search engine like Google is in the process of deciding where which website gets placed on its Search Engine Results Page (SERP) one of the elements it takes into consideration is the number of times certain keywords are present on the site, so as to optimize results for the traffic to their search engine. Search engine optimization helps you draw only relevant and genuinely interested traffic to your website.
2. Blogging and social networks like Facebook and MySpace are also proven ways to increase your online business profits. Targeting a specific customer segment that is most relevant to your product category means that you need to have a tangible presence in social media favored by your target market. If your online business deals with power tools, then you need to make your presence felt by starting a blog on construction, or do-it-yourself ideas that might appeal to middle-aged men who are looking at home improvements. Or you could join a power tool based community on Facebook or MySpace and get to know the members there.
3. Online magazines provide a great platform for you to publish content relevant to your target market and validate yourself as an expert in the industry, lending credibility to your website in the bargain, which could only lead to profit.
4. Keeping your website simple and easy to navigate is also a good way to improve your online business profits. Complicated websites, with constant pop-ups and mandatory plug-in downloads only serve to drive away traffic, not convert them into sales.
5. Creating a sense of urgency around the purchase of your product or service and offering incentives for traffic that are willing to convert are also ways that many online entrepreneurs have used to improve their online business profits.
Make Money on The Internet - 2 Excellent Ideas to Get You Started
Use of the internet has increased significantly. Each year, more and more people are becoming part of the information highway. In addition, many more are discovering that there are some great ways to make money on internet marketing.
Fortunately, it is still all so relatively new that you can still become part of this amazing revolution. As people continue to turn to their computers to search online for all sorts of information, you can turn this into a fantastic business opportunity for yourself.
In order to do this though, you need to find a method that actually works to make money online. Here are a couple of ideas:
1. Write an E-book - If you have an information topic that you can write on that would be of use and interest to others on a particular topic, put it in downloadable form for them.
2. Do Affiliate Marketing - A lot of businesses pay people like you and me for referring others to their products. When they purchase through your affiliate links, you earn a commission on that sale. What is best about this is that you can make money on internet sales even while you sleep!
Now in order to advertise your e-book or affiliate products, the best way to do this is by making a website where you can market the products.
The best way to do this is by making your website using blogging methods. Luckily, the thought of learning how to develop a blogging site does not have to stop you dead in your tracks. Moreover, if the thought that blogging was only those making online journals, think again. By having a blog that contains useful information, your affiliate links, and/or your e-book, and a way that potential buyers can find you, you can be on your way to make money on internet sites.
So if you'd like to make money on the internet, there are some very good ways on how to do this. The two ideas mentioned above will get you started on this journey of online money making.
Fortunately, it is still all so relatively new that you can still become part of this amazing revolution. As people continue to turn to their computers to search online for all sorts of information, you can turn this into a fantastic business opportunity for yourself.
In order to do this though, you need to find a method that actually works to make money online. Here are a couple of ideas:
1. Write an E-book - If you have an information topic that you can write on that would be of use and interest to others on a particular topic, put it in downloadable form for them.
2. Do Affiliate Marketing - A lot of businesses pay people like you and me for referring others to their products. When they purchase through your affiliate links, you earn a commission on that sale. What is best about this is that you can make money on internet sales even while you sleep!
Now in order to advertise your e-book or affiliate products, the best way to do this is by making a website where you can market the products.
The best way to do this is by making your website using blogging methods. Luckily, the thought of learning how to develop a blogging site does not have to stop you dead in your tracks. Moreover, if the thought that blogging was only those making online journals, think again. By having a blog that contains useful information, your affiliate links, and/or your e-book, and a way that potential buyers can find you, you can be on your way to make money on internet sites.
So if you'd like to make money on the internet, there are some very good ways on how to do this. The two ideas mentioned above will get you started on this journey of online money making.
5 Quick Ways For College Students To Make Money Online
I received an email the other day from a College Student wanting to know how they could make extra money online. The email stated they didn’t have a lot of time because of their studies. So after giving it some thought, I came up with a list of 5 quick ways college students could make extra money online.
Here are my suggestions to the emailer.
1. Read Emails - Taking Online Survey’s, etc: In my opinion, this isn’t as easy as Project Payday, but it’s real close. There are companies that receive thousands of emails every day that need to be read. Obviously the CEO or other employees can’t spend every day reading emails, so they outsource this. There are several companies where they outsource this type of work as well as other tedious, time consuming chores such as product testing, online surveys, online mystery shopping and other. Send Earnings is one such company that other companies outsource to. Consumers such as you sign up and are normally paid on a per assignment completed basis. The pay varies by what type of assignment you choose. You choose where you want to make money. Click Here to learn more or to sign up for this opportunity.
2. Become a Freelance Writer - Can you Write a sentence? Then you may have what it takes to make money as a Freelance Writer. You don’t have to have a degree in English either. In fact, if you can write in an easy to read manner, you have what it takes to make money writing Web content, short stories and other media. You can sell articles on Forums like DigitalPoint and SitePoint, but don’t expect to make a whole lot. Or you can sign up for a service like Freelance Home Writers. Basically this is a job board for Writers where Companies and Individuals needing Writers post their offers. You can either accept or reject them, it’s up to you. Click here for more information about the Freelance Home Writer program and learn how to make money as a Freelance Writer.
3. Ebay - Yes, ebay. As long as there are College Students, there’ll be some students who need money and those who are making money. You could easily sell stuff for other Students and take a small commission from them. A better way would find Dropshippers and Wholesalers. This is how many Power Sellers make their living from eBay. Back when I made money with Ebay, I visited Garage Sales and Estate Auctions to buy stuff to resell. It wasn’t until I got the FREE Ebay For Dummies starter kit (I think I had to pay 2 bucks for shipping) that I really started making some good money. This starter kit is full of tips and advice for people wanting to make money with ebay. It also has lists of Dropshippers and Wholesalers that you can use. Click here for more information on this free starter kit.
4. Become an Online Tutor - I’m not sure what this pays, but I’ve known people in the past who have worked with companies like e-Tutor, SmartThinking and Tutor.Com. Online tutoring is an in-demand service and growing all the time. If you like helping others learn, this could be just the ticket for you. You will have to set aside a certain number of hours per week, anywhere from 2 hours on up on average depending upon which service you go with.
5. Give eLessons - Do you know MS Word inside and out? Can you make an Excel spreadsheet scream for mercy? Can you work magic with Quicken? Well, there are thousands of people who just want to know the basics of these programs or are looking for some updating. You can advertise on places such as Craigslist and Kijiji or even the local newspaper. You’d be surprised at the number of people just wanting to learn the basics on operating a computer and who are willing to pay someone to teach them!
I hope this will help.
Ifeanyi.
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