How To Reach And Stay At The Top Of The First Page Of The Search Engines

Everybody is familiar with search engines such as Google & Yahoo. Search Engines have radically changed the Internet. Radically! Over 50% of all consumer purchases of all business purchases are now pursued by searches. That’s what was said months ago and it is obviously going higher. So the majority of people Worldwide who now are on computers, the first place they go to is a Search Engine to find information, for what they are looking for.

The Search Engine technology is now based and what Search Engine is trying to do as they are trying to put out in front of their searchers, the most current relative information possible. Google knows that what it can give you is exactly what you want to see and it’s relative to the current & it’s timely. And you are going to come back to Google over, over and over again.

Why all those Bloggers out there for years have been making a lot of money and how they are promoting for free, and how they getting free publicity and generating MASS traffic to their sites? Because Bloggers took advantage of what Google had determined was the secret to the Internet right now. A WEB SITE THAT CHANGES A LOT GETS MORE RATING WITH A SEARCH ENGINE. So if your website is changing a lot and adjusting a lot and is current, Google will push you up on the rating. That means you are getting closer, closer and closer to the first page. And this is extremely important, particularly if you know how to what is called “games the system.

What those Bloggers do – they “game the system”. And here is how they game the system: They went out and found the websites that have the absolute most change going on in a web site every single day, every single hour, every single minute, and every single second. They are powerful websites that have constant change, constant upgrading going on every minute of every day. Theses website are called “Article Hubs”. These web sites grow out of the whole change in how Search Engines work because people realized that the more websites change, the more powerful website are in searches, they realized there better be constant change. This is particularly true in Media sites & this is particularly true with Bloggers, because they began to figure out that if they have more constant change on their sites every day their Blogs will lift on the searches. And I am going to show you one of those hugs sites. It is an extremely powerful site, 5000-7000 writers, authors, reporters & Bloggers place their articles in this site every day.

Do you understand that that site is not just visited by tens of thousands of writers and author’s who have submitted articles everyday? Do you realize this site is visited by over a million unique visitors every single day? So these sites, these Article Hubs are incredibly potent. And when you put one article in one of these sites, guess what you start to do? You start to dominate keywords. And if you can get on the first page of any major keyword you have hit a Gold Mine! One article! One keyword! Traffic, traffic, traffic! There is one example “Religion and online marketing”, this article was written two years ago and guess where they are.

Do you know when you put a keyword in worldwide there are over 35 millions places on the web that have this constant in here with Religion and Online Marketing? And this article is still having a first result, first page. That was written TWO YEARS AGO! He has been getting traffic every single day for almost 800 days for this article. One Article! One keyword! Traffic, Traffic, Traffic! And if you go page after page, after page you are going to see that article over and over and over … That Company continues to get traffic to this very day.

Inexpensive and Cheap Ways For Getting Website Traffic

You can get a lot of website traffic without having to spend a lot of money. If you want to develop a busy and profitable website for your online business, there are a lot of techniques for getting website traffic without it being expensive. Some of these cheap website traffic techniques include article directories, SEO, blog posting and even forum posting.

Among these methods, one of the most practical and most effective is submitting articles to article directories. These articles should contain a link or two back to your own site, which can help you increase your site traffic from readers who may be interested in seeing more of what you’re offering. There are already several excellent article directories available for your submissions. As long as your articles remain in the directories you submitted them to, this method will be one of the best and cheapest ways to pull in traffic.

Using SEO, or search engine optimization, is another inexpensive yet very effective way for getting traffic to your website. By using proper search engine optimization, your articles and your website’s overall content will become more search engine friendly, as well as your website. Include your keyword in the domain name of the website that hosts your articles. Also include keywords in the first paragraphs of your pages, as well as the title of the page itself. These SEO techniques will help your site get better exposure with search engines, and your articles will rank higher on search results.

Blogging is now becoming more popular than ever before, and you should take full advantage of it. More and more online businessmen are using blogs to promote their products and services, and it just makes perfect sense to follow suit. There are several good blogging sites on the Internet that allow people to sign up and create a blogging account with them for free, such as Blogger or WordPress. Create your blog and link your home page to it. Updating your blog regularly will allow it to become more relevant to search engines, and as a result, it will help to drive more traffic to your site. It would help a lot if your articles and posts contain the appropriate keywords.

Another inexpensive website traffic technique that you can use is to join and participate in forums. Finding a forum that is related to your website’s content is even better. You can then easily post discussions, answers, and even start threads that can be useful to other forum members. You can pull in traffic by making entertaining or informative posts, since you’ll develop a reputation for being an authority on certain subjects. And don’t forget to have a link to your site in your signature file or your member profile.

See? You can get a lot of website traffic without spending a lot of money, just by following these techniques. Remember, effective usage of relevant keywords in your posts and articles, proper SEO methods, article submissions, blogging, and forum posting can all become invaluable but inexpensive tools for driving traffic to your website.

Top 12 Tips To Writing Effective Google AdWords Ads

I’ve been testing the Google pay per click advertising system for a while, with much success. These tips will help you create ads that generate higher click through rates, and lower cost per click.

1. Target The Right Audience

Target the right audience by selecting the language and countries that you want to target. For example, I exclude all countries where English is not understood by a large percentage of the population.

2. Refine Your Keywords

Use square brackets “[...]” around your keyword/s.

For example:

[google]
[google adwords]

Your ad will only show when the search is for the exact keyword phrase you have included within the brackets.

The ad will not show for searches that include other keywords. In our example, this would be for searches such as “google search,” or “google news.”

3. Test Multiple Ads Simultaneously

Always test 2 (or more) ads simultaneously. This is what is known in the print industry as an A/B split test.

Find out which one produces the higher click through ratio. Then replace the weaker performing ad with a new one.

Continue this process in your never-ending quest to get the highest click through ratio possible.

4. Track The Return-On-Investment Of Each Ad

Google tracks the click through ratio of each ad. But it doesn’t track the conversion ratio.

Use a special tracking link in each ad to track its conversion ratio. For example, you could attach each ad with an affiliate tracking system link. Make sure each ad produces a return-on-investment.

5. Include Targeted Keywords In Your Ad

Include the targeted keywords in the headline and the description of the ad. Google will highlight searched keywords in bold in the ad.

When people scan search results, they look for the keywords they have entered. Searched keywords highlighted in bold certainly help to catch the user’s attention. For this reason, ads with searched keywords usually perform better than ones without.

6. Sell The Benefits

Spell out one or more major benefit in your ad. For example, make more money, stay younger looking, lose weight, get healthier, live happier, etc.

7. Include Attention Grabbing Words In Your Ad

Start your headline with an attention grabbing word. For example, “Free:, New:, Sale:, etc.” Make sure you stay within Google’s editorial guidelines.

8. Use Words That Provoke Emotion & Enthusiasm

Use power words or call-to-action phrases that provoke emotion, enthusiasm and a response.

Here are some examples of power words:

free, cheap, sale, special offer, time limited offer, tricks, you, tips, enhance, discover, fact, learn, at last, free shipping, etc.

Here are some examples of call-to-action phrases:

* Buy Today – Save 50%
* Download Free Trial Now
* Sale Ends Tomorrow

Make sure the phrase specific to your business, otherwise Google may reject the phrase.

9. Sell Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

What makes your product or service better, or different, from the competition? Spell them out in your ad.

For example, one of Amazon.com’s first taglines was “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore.” That’s a powerful USP!

10. Link To Relevant Landing Pages

If an ad is for a specific product or service, create a landing page for the ad. Include relevant and useful information to convert the customer. Generally, a well designed landing page will almost always convert more visitors than if you simply sent the visitor to the home page.

11. Remove Common Words

Remove common words, such as “a, an, in, on, it, of, etc.” Remove every word that does not absolutely need to be in the ad. Make every word count.

12. Deter Freebie Hunters

Deter freebie hunters by including the price of the product or service at the end of the ad. This will improve your overall conversion ratio and lower your average customer acquisition cost.

This may reduce your click through ratio, but that’s OK. After all, you’re not trying to target every body, only potential customers. In most cases, freebie hunters will never become paying customers.

Conclusion

Remember that advertising is a never-ending series of tests. Always track your ads. Never stop testing different keywords and ads to improve your conversion ratio and lower your customer acquisition cost.

Advertising in the Google AdWords advertising system works. It may not necessarily produce as many visitors as Overture, but the click through cost is usually lower.

Basics of Affiliate Marketing

Whether you realize it or not, if you’ve been on the Internet today, you have encountered affiliate marketing. If you have ever “clicked thru” one site to order something from another, the first site probably received a portion of the sale. For instance, independent booksellers have limited shelf space for books. But they can offer their customers an almost unlimited inventory of titles by affiliating with companies like Amazon or Powell’s. The more orders, the bigger the affiliate percentage.

Visitors to your site are interested in lots of things that may or may not be related to your product. But when you know your customers well, it’s simply a matter of affiliating yourself with sites that offer what they want. What you receive is just a small percentage of the sale, but it adds up, especially when you consider that all it costs you is a link on your web page. And usually, the more sales your affiliate makes from your “click thru” traffic, the bigger your percentage will be.

The key to success in affiliate marketing is being able to track referred customers. As an affiliate manager, you want a system that reliably tracks what you want, with minimal effort on your part, and without affecting the performance of your site or server. Over the last few years a variety of technologies and strategies have been developed in an attempt to improve accuracy, convenience, and flexibility.

There are at least half a dozen methods, but by far the most preferred method is Cookie Tracking. It’s popular because it makes tracking affiliate-referred sales so convenient, without negatively impacting your site. This system writes a small text file, called a “cookie,” to a user’s browser when they click on an affiliate link. When you are the referring affiliate, the cookie holds your ID, so that at the merchant’s order page, you get credit for referring the sale. One drawback is that many computer users disable cookies, although most choose not to, since their favorite sites require them. One bonus is that the merchant can save the information, so that even if a customer buys long after clicking through your site, you still get credit for the sale.

Affiliate marketing, at its best, is a win-win scenario. It’s an easy way to offer your customers more of what they want, while you benefit, both in terms of building goodwill and making money.

How to Create a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

You have an interview scheduled. This means so much to you because you have been without a job for too long. You have a family and whatever money you had saved for emergencies like this is almost at an end.

On the morning of the interview you ready yourself and dress in your best clothes. You sit in the waiting room and pretend to read a magazine while you hope you don’t sweat too much. You pretend to be mildly interrupted when your name is called. You lay the magazine down and will forget what magazine it was.

The person interviewing you has your resume sitting front of them. They invite you to have a seat while they continue to pour over the contents of your file…

You feel like screaming, but you manage to hold the stress in as you hear the steady tick of the clock.

“So,” the interviewer begins, “what can you bring to this position that would qualify you more than any other candidate?”

“Well, I like football and playing video games with my kids,” you begin. The interviewer looks confused, but you hurry on, “On Saturdays I like to wash my car, except of course when it rains, which of course it always does in April.”

“But we’re here to talk about the possibility of you working for our firm. Why should we hire you?” the interviewer redirects the question.

“I hate vegetables and my favorite color is blue,” you say with a smile. “Is there anything else you need to know?”

, Marin said he saw four houses on a ridge a quarter of miles above his house goes up in flames.The smoke was so thick he could see only about 300 feet in front of him. .
I hope you found this illustration disturbingly strange. It makes no sense for a person who really needs a job to go into the interview and talk about anything other than what the interviewer wants to know. That potential hire will do their best to address every question and answer every concern. Why? They want a job and their words mean something.

Since this is true why do so many email-marketing campaigns follow the same course as our hypothetical interviewee?

Many email marketing campaigns are disjointed and off target. I think sometimes the originator of the message is hoping to develop friendships with potential customers by telling jokes or expressing personal opinions about issues that have little to no relevance to the product they are pitching.

We should take a cue from quality interview preparation techniques.

1) Value other people. No one has to read your email marketing pitch so keep it simple.

2) Stay on target. You are using the email to market a product or business. Don’t stray from that objective.

3) Know who’s in control. The email recipient can easily hit the delete key so work to impress them with the clarity of message and quality of product.

4) Invite feedback. Allow the potential customer to let you know what they think. This may not always be positive, but it does convey that you are interested in a two-sided conversation.

Email marketing can be an effective tool that has the potential of making your product appealing to potential customers – as long as you stay on target.

How To Build an Opt-In List

There are three important, proven steps in building a reliable solid opt in list. When applied to your business you will see that your opt in list will expand faster than a college freshman’s pants size.

The first step to apply is building a trustworthy relationship with your customers and getting them to trust your product. Take the time to write articles on your product, and put yourself in the driver’s seat of expert on the subject. Join forums to post your expert advice, and put a forum on your own site where your customers know they can post and receive information. By doing this you can find out what your customers want and need, and you can meet those needs.

Once you feel that people trust you as an expert in your field, you can then start you r opt in list .

The second step is to find a product that people want or need. You want to find that special product that people are in need of and even desire more so. You will want to do your research, and learn all you can about the product you choose, putting yourself in the position of expert. Remember to provide your list members with promotional material to quip their interest and share with friends.

The third step to a successful opt in list is to make friends with opt in list users. If you find someone who has a successful opt in list you can learn from someone else’s experience. You can read all of the articles you like about opt in list, but talking to someone who has actually been through the process is a grade ‘A’ teacher. Experienced opt in list users will be able to guide you through the trials and tribulations that a cost new opt in list users.

As your list grows, work to maintain the quality of your list. By keeping it organized and manageable you will be able to guarantee your subscribers satisfied and continually willing to buy from you. A satisfied subscriber will be more likely to bring friends on board and help expand your list. As your list grows so will your reputation and soon you will find that your are the list user everyone wants to know, and get advice from.

How to Create your Company Brand

About 95% of what executives in competing companies do is pretty much the same all around. This is good management. If you are CEO’ing a wireless communication services provider, you strive to put up an advanced technological infrastructure with a promising future, cool end-user phones, other devices and accessories, a great service system and competitive prices. Well, this is precisely where your competitors put their efforts as well. The 5% (give or take) that you do differently constitutes your strategy. The CEO of Southwest Airlines, the revolutionary domestic American airline, most of the time does exactly what her colleagues do. But her firm offers Ticketless travel, and serves meals in the airport during waits, and not on the plane.

Doing well what you are supposed to be doing – is a prerequisite for competing. It is definitely not a strategy. Being better – is a deserving effort, yet it is not a strategy either, especially not in the long run. How, then, are you supposed to compete? Well, you could offer your clients more than what your competition offers, for a higher price, for the same price, for a lower price, or – offer them less value for a lower price. All of these options can give you an edge, but usually not for long.

You could also offer something different than what your competition does. You can cater to a need not formerly satisfied by your category. Nokia, for example, did just that when it decided to treat cellphones as fashion accessories and later as entertainment devices. Even this approach could not be considered as an insurance policy. There are no insurance policies in the world of business. But, if it is difficult or impossible to imitate, or it is something not likely to be imitated by your competition – then you might just have created for yourself a mini-monopoly of your own. Well, this is surely an accomplishment that should not be underestimated in a competitive market.

So, what really is a strategy? By definition, a strategy is the way by which you are planning to obtain your goals. In a competitive environment, your goal is that the consumer will prefer you to your competition. That is why the strategy is, in fact, the way by which you plan to achieve an advantage over your rivals – in the eyes of your consumers. Almost always, preference can be achieved only by differentiation, by either doing something other than what your competitors are doing or by doing things in a markedly dissimilar manner.

There are three types of differentiations and only one of them constitutes a strategy (or strategic differentiation). The transient differentiation is often achieved by promotional activities, such as a big sale. The circumstantial differentiation consists of things like a historical monopoly, or some kind of personal connection between the consumer and someone in the firm, or a convenient store location etc’. However, the differentiation we want to focus on is the strategic differentiation, such that provides a long lasting, circumstance-crossing advantage.

Is differentiation absolutely necessary? In any case where the consumer must choose between options – the answer is definitely yes. Why? Because the consumer chooses between alternatives on the basis of the differences as he or she perceives. Zoom-in on that sentence for a second. Do not fall into the most common trap of all: the consumer makes choices according to his perception of differences between alternatives, and not on the basis of what he values most in a product of that kind.

Competitive strategy is always a simultaneous answer to two questions.

The first one is: in which consumer group do you identify a potential for buying your product? By ‘group’ I do not mean necessarily shared socio-economic and demographic characteristics or even a similarity in personality or life style. What I mean is that they have in common some factor, enabling you to make them an offer, which will be more attractive to them than the options they already have, or at least a refreshingly new one. The second question is: what could you offer them that would help you realize that potential?

The goal is not to reach a consensus, nor is it to be OK by everyone. Experience has taught us that the key is to make a specific group of consumers, even a small one, think that you are irreplaceable. They will act as your success engine, even amongst consumers who are not as definite in their attitudes. BMW fans do not believe that Mercedes is a bad car; it’s just that it is not a BMW. For them, Mercedes is simply incomparable to BMW. That’s how Apple fans feel about IBM.

What has all this to do with branding? A brand is the consumer’s anticipation for a unique and defined experience, or for a certain unique benefit obtainable solely through consuming/owning a specific product/service manufactured/offered by a specific company. Thus, the anticipation from a trip to Paris would be to experience a romantic vacation. The anticipation from Ikea would be “state of the art design at a reasonable price”. It is fair to say that a brand is really a brand only when there exists, among its consumers, such anticipation. If this anticipation is both exclusive and attractive, you might say that it is a strong brand. A familiar name or logo – do not suffice to make for a strong brand.

This consumer anticipation is evoked and upheld by the marketer’s consistent execution of a business concept providing the consumer with a unique benefit or with a unique/novel way to deliver a benefit. This concept is the brand strategy, its promise and its commitment to its target consumers. The “third place”, the neighborhood place you frequent in between work and home offered by Starbucks – is a brand strategy. But, wait a minute! It is also the differentiation – the competitive strategy itself! These ARE the 5% that executives do differently in order to gain an advantage. This is why the brand IS the strategy. Or more accurately, the brand strategy is the translation of the competitive strategy into a language of promises made to the consumer.

The brand’s role in the realm of marketing has changed dramatically during the past decade. Today, brand building no longer constitutes a mere manipulation of the consumer’s perceptions and desires, but it is a creation of a system that on the one-hand makes promises and arouses anticipations, while on the other-hand it delivers and realizes the promises that it makes.

Five Ways to Make Your Small Business Appear BIG to the Public

It takes a lot of hard work to start a business on a limited budget, but never fear; most companies are started with less than optimum funding. When small businesses begin, so many fail within a year or two, because they simply overlook a few certain things that will help boost and promote them. If you don’t promote yourself, how will people know about your business? Business failures are tragic because there are many simple and cost effective ways to boost your image. If you have the right plans, your small business can appear BIG to the public, and that in turn will make your ‘micro’ business a smashing success.

1. IMAGE

Small businesses need to relay a very strong message to the world to develop public relations and a strong customer base. Your image and logo are vital to establish name recognition and inspire your customers trust. A logo is a representation of your business and it creates brand awareness.
Look at the most recognized brands today; they don’t always produce the best products. But what they have done is excel in brand awareness. Your logo and business name should easily distinguish you from a crowd of competitors. Even though you won’t have the millions in advertising budgets that the big boys have it, is still just as important to convey professional image and to promote brand awareness. If you are trying to project a professional image, using a free piece of clipart is not going to do the job. There are so many online companies that specialize in logo design and creation that if you know what you want your company to symbolize, they can make something unique just for you. If you are on a really tight budget, visit your local university graphic arts students. They will be happy to attain the work experience, and it will be a lot cheaper. Keep in mind that whatever logo you choose needs to state clearly what you are and it needs to be able to be easily branded on items for promotion such as baseball caps, pens, letterhead etc.
Another good idea to have is a tagline for your company. A tagline may consist of only 3 words, but it will illustrate what you offer to your clients. Generally they inspire a visionary concept of the company. Make a tagline personal to the customers, and show them that YOU are there for them.

2. WEBSITE
The internet is an ever-growing part of our society. A website in today’s world is essential for a small business to expand. You must create a web presence whether your business is high tech, a local delivery service, or anything in-between. There are plenty of web hosting, domain companies out there providing a cheap service. This may work well if you do not have a lot of traffic to your site. But avoid build it yourself websites. These can cost you money in the long run from not allowing customers onto your site once a certain traffic quota has been reached per month. Small companies with websites should employ methods to improve the quality of the design. Even a tiny budget will substantially improve a site’s business value. As for developing a website and its content, take a look at your competitor’s websites and make note on the following things.

• Why do people visit this site?
• Why should you buy from them?
• Why should you trust them as a company? Are they legitimate?
• What is the overall presentation?
• Is the site informative and easy to use?

If you can answer these questions, they have a good marketing site. These are the key issues that you need to put forward on your site to encourage your customers that your company is the right one for them to do business with. People like to know about who they are doing business with. The ‘about us’ section is an ideal place to promote yourself and your company’s’ expertise! Another great quality to have on your website is an online chat system. You can get these for free from many companies. How many times have you visited a website and wanted info right then? Your customers will think the same way. One online company that offers free services is boldchatplus.com They are easy to use and it is simple to set up an account with them. Provide your customers with excellent service all day long.

3. TELEPHONE TECHNOLOGY
Communication is a cornerstone to providing excellent service and presence to all potential customers. As a small business you should definitely consider setting up a first-class voicemail system. Get a toll-free number. These are very inexpensive and easy to set up with your local provider and will show that not only you care about customers, but are also larger than you are. You should also hire an answering system. For approx $10-20 per month, you can have a professional menu of options for your clients. With this option, you can also let your customers know your online website address and state if you provide real-time chat for assistance. Whether it is with an answering system or an employee answering the phone for you, I will not be able to stress this enough… Your phones must be answered professionally! Another great product to have is VOIP. Most VOIP companies today offer pbx systems and voice conferencing. These are also inexpensive and a great outreach tool. Try looking at www.packet8.com to see what they can offer you. VOIP is a must have tool for national or international business to business operation. This can also help to reduce travel expenses, which in turn could provide you that saved money to perhaps pay for a better logo and website development.

4. MARKETING TOOLS

The way you market your business and present yourself is the key to success in any small business. Using marketing tools such as business cards, invoicing systems, brochures and letterheads can all make your company appear larger and more reputable. Marketing paraphernalia can be your best friend or a liability it’s all up to you. Many times not much thought is taken when the design of these items are made. This is a very dreadful mistake that can cost your business lost contacts and sales. With a logo and your company image in hand, it is time to choose a printing service. A few key points to remember is, choose a good designer, avoid small printers and always make sure to see their work. Simplicity is very important, but the more information you can put on the cards, brochures, and invoices, the better off you are. Just don’t over crowd it or make it hard to read. Color can also be one of your most valuable friends as they can get your card seen quickly.
When deciding what paper to use, keep it generic and classic. No matter what kind of company you have, never use the invoice and billing slips you can buy from your local office supply store. Make sure you use a print version with all of the clients’ information on it. They will appreciate it, and you will too when it comes time to go through your yearly taxes. Brochures can really make your business seem professional and ready to work. The copy needs to be precise and easily read. Don’t throw fancy wording into it. Keep it basic and to the point. If you are not great with designing a brochure, you might think to hire a copywriter. Generally, they are not too expensive and can get the words you want to say to your clients out in the fashion you need it to be. Whatever you do get printed; make sure it has your URL on it, including your letterheads, invoices, forms, business cards, and so forth. Another thing to always have on hand is fact sheets, and press kits if applicable give to prospective clients. These might include such things as your general rates, any specialized contact information and examples of your work or where to obtain recommendations. Printing your marketing tools can be very affordable. For under $1,000 you can have great printing work and that will project you to be the big name you want to be.

5. INCORPORATE YOUR BUSINESS
You can incorporate any business. Why not incorporate yours? There are so many advantages to having this done, and it does not take a lot of effort to do. Once you make the decision to incorporate your small business, the process is fairly straight forward as long as and family members will own all stock and none will be sold to the public. You will be charged a registration fee which runs between $200 and $1,000, depending on the state.You also need to write your Corporate Bylaws. The purpose of these is to put down in writing such details as when annual shareholder meetings will be held, who can vote and the manner in which shareholders will be notified if there is need for a special meeting. As long as you have not sold stock to the public, conducting corporate business is primarily recording key corporate decisions and holding an annual stockholders’ meeting.

The benefits to having an incorporated business are enormous. First off, it shows consumers and customers that you are not a one man show, but rather a company that cares for its clients, and meets all legal requirements to run as a proper business. Even if you are running a one-person show, use “we” instead of “I” to offer your services. Secondly, people generally trust businesses with the ‘inc.’ attached to the end of their name for one simple reason, they appear to be more established. Lastly, the benefits to you as owner of the company is simple. It will protect you legally and financially. An incorporated business is its own identity. You are not reliable as an individual. So, if anything catastrophic does happen and the business has to fold or be held liable for something, it is the company, and not you personally. This can be especially helpful for new businesses just starting out. On top of all of this, give yourself the well deserved title of President, or Director for your company. Customers who see that will automatically be driven to your company.

Other ideas to help your small business be the giant you want the public to think it is, are to send out send out press releases. Press releases are free publicity. When your releases appear somewhere, include them in your marketing material. This will make the clients look at you in a different light. Also, dress the part. Looking smart whether you have a cleaning business or you are starting the next computer technology company, will make anyone think you are professional and better yet, successful.

Being a micro-business can be really rough! But, if you start applying these few very easy ways to promote yourself and your company, before you know it, you will have many new customers knocking at your door!

Best Marketing Advice

This is how we, marketers, usually think: “Find out what they want, give it to them nicely wrapped and with a big shiny smile, and let the surveys show that they are satisfied.” Good old Satisfying Marketing, right? Well, not any more. Consistent data from all over the globe indicates that even the most satisfied customers tend to keep an open mind towards other offers.

We live in the “post customer loyalty era” and guess what? Customers simply do not want to be loyal any more. Forsaking all other options – is no longer an option. So yes, it is important to keep them satisfied (otherwise they will be gone in a split second) but do not expect them to be loyal.

So, what do you do? Get an alternative thinking cap. Electrifying Marketing is the new marketing philosophy I want to offer you. Its roots stem from the realization that marketing today is no longer about satisfying unsatisfied needs. More often than not, it is about re-satisfying already satisfied needs – with better, more exciting solutions. The major idea is that you are not here to “please” anyone, but rather to tap on your target consumers’ needs in a new and surprising way which is geared to eventually become their future desires, while gaining a competitive advantage as a result.

The next question you will probably ask is: how? Following you will find an outline of central principles of Electrifying Marketing, that constitute different ways to implement this new marketing approach.

Do Not Mess with Quality

First and foremost, you need a high quality product and service. Nothing in the world will change this necessity. No marketing or branding “hocus pocus” will cover for a poor product.

Play Hard to Get

Put deliberate and challenging limitations on availability or accessibility of your product:

* A limited number: the “now-or-never” factor
* A limited time, for example a special summer edition, or event-tied
* The “don’t-call-us-we’ll-call-you” approach. Some brands never give out their contact information. If you want to talk to them you must first surrender your own!

Play and Have Fun

Playfully incorporate elements of fun and entertainment. When you do so, do not take yourself too seriously, do not be heavy, and remember that, hey, this is only marketing after all.

Be Delightfully Devious

Play around with your consumers – mislead them in some positive way (funny and inoffensive), manipulate them, play a joke on them, do something which appears to be one thing at first, but turns out to be something else.

Give them Something to Talk About

Use a “viral” element: a Cool, a Twist or a Wow!, giving your consumers conversation openers, scripts and lingos – starring your brand.

Your third question, I’m guessing, will be: When? My answer is: definitely now. Satisfying marketing is no longer a charged enough course of action to bring you the results you need in order to gain market leadership. From now on don’t satisfy your customers – electrify them – results will follow!

Email Marketing Campaigns- Does It Work?

Email marketing works because there are opportunities to personalize messages to each person on your list. It also works because it’s possible to set up an auto-responder so that the messages that you want your prospects to receive is sent out at specified intervals (you didn’t really think that all of the email that you receive from online marketers was written personally, right?).

Are you interested in using email marketing to enhance the traffic and sales of your website? It can be a confusing process if you don’t know where to start. You will need to establish your goals before you send the first email. What are you hoping to accomplish? Make sure these goals are clear and realistic.
This will help you measure the success of the email marketing campaign. This is a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t for future email marketing campaigns. While your particular goals will vary, some common ones include increasing sales, getting more traffic to the website; improve awareness of about your company and what products or services you offer, and building a solid relationship with your customers.

As you start measuring the success of your email marketing campaign, make sure you are comparing the data only against your own information not that of the industry. For example did your
sales increase by 10% and traffic to your site increase by 25% after your email marketing campaign rather than discovering the rate that sales and traffic increased for the entire industry you are in.

Make sure you take the time to update your email listings.

Some businesses like to use an email marketing template. Don’t get too comfortable with a successful marketing campaign though! his is because customers become bored easily with the same
format. You need to keep their interest by mixing things up a bit in future email marketing campaigns. Opt in email marketing software collects email addresses from your website. This is a great method that is simple for getting you a data base started. As your data base grows you can choose to send your future email marketing campaigns to everyone on the list or just a select target group based on their purchasing history.

You will need to design your email marketing campaign very well. It needs to be attractive to hold the attention of the consumer long enough for them to decide it is worth reading. You don’t want your efforts to be mistaken for common spam or junk mail right? Make sure all the content is spelled correctly. Keep the text short and to the point. You want them to open it, be captivated, and read it.
The first sentences need to identify your company and what you are offering. Place the important information first. Give them a sense of urgency for responding by clearing stating the day the promotional offers expire.

Email marketing is an effective tool if you take the time to use it properly. It is anticipated to be the most used method of advertising on the internet by 2008. While this means you will have lots of opportunity to market your business, it also means there is going to be a great deal of competition trying to get consumers to look at their business. You will have to be creative and work hard to develop effective email marketing campaigns that are attractive, informative, and encourage the
consumer to take action.

In the Beginning…

Good marketing tips seem to be a dime a dozen.

OK- so who am I? My name is Elliot Edwards and I have forever been in internet marketing…well- for the past 10 years but it feels like forever with all the new things that have developed such as social networking, instant messaging, squeeze pages and so forth. Everything I do is behind the scenes and I assist businesses get the ooomph they need to get notice on the world wide web.

However, I have come up with some very important information, techniques and ideas for online marketing that really work throughout the years. This blog is going to show you how to market your business online. It doesn’t matter if you sell a service or a product or just want to inform people of your event, seminar, webinar or get them to sign up for something. I will teach you free and really cheap ways to get mass exposure for your company.

Become a reader of my blog and I guarantee you will have traffic to your website!

Top Ten On Line Advertising Ideas

In today’s day and age, there are a number of different ways to advertise your product or service on the Internet. Some of them are tried and true and others are a bit on the experimental side. This list is simply a basic overview. I will be posting in depth looks at each along with some others to give you ways of marketing your business online in a way that will really work for you.

A recent look into this has turned up the following list… some of these may surprise you:

1. Search Engine Marketing: Being at the top of Page 1 in a search for a specific keyword that’s related to your business is the most effective advertising there is. Most people know what they want when they go on line. You just have to be there waving your hands madly and shouting” hey look at me!” to offer it to them.
2. Email Marketing: Email Marketing, particularly opt-ins, is second only to search marketing in conversion numbers. There are several companies out there where you can buy email lists to hit your target market. Be sure not to spam- We all HATE spammers don’t we?
3. Craig’s List: Learn to use this powerful tool and you are guaranteed to get good quality hits that convert. This can also improve your page rank. Google loves Craig’s List. (my personal favorite)
4. My Space: For a broad audience and huge volume. Typically this will work best for a younger audience- but as with almost anything- it takes all kinds!
5. Facebook: Similar to My Space but more geared towards professionals. This works great when you are teaming up with others in your industry type that can benefit from you and also B2B type sales.
6. Pay per Click: If you choose the right keywords, PPC and paying for lead advertising like Google Adwords can bring you traffic and increase your page rank with the search engines.
7. Link Swaps: Connect with people that sell products that compliment yours and trade links with them. Think of it as an accessory. What will your clients need that you cannot offer?
8. Article Directories: Write something about yourself or your company and submit it to an article directory. Interested parties will contact you or visit your website.
9. Forums: What business are you in? There are others out there who market similar services to yours. Don’t underestimate the power of teaming up. Forums about your industry are effective tools to bring in new business especially when you offer a service.
10. Blogs: Blogs are an effective tool to compliment a website, but they require all of the above tools to be effective. Your blog can be a link to your product or service but you need to drive traffic there for it to be effective.

Web Traffic NOW- How to get started quickly with the most favorable results

So you have a great idea and you want to turn it into a web based business….right? How do you go about doing it? What is the trick to getting everything up and ready fast and generating traffic to make sales? Here’s a simple step-by-step way to start your own enterprise and make money right away.

1. Register a domain name and sign up for the indexing service. This will get you indexed on all the major search engines.
2. Design a simple user friendly website that explains in detail exactly what you have to offer. Include detailed information about who you are and where you’re located. Write an FAQ that answers all the questions that you don’t want to answer over and over again.
3. Once your website is live, place an ad on all of the major classified sites: Craigs List, Backpage, Kijiji, etc. Some of these will bring you business immediately and some will just create links that will improve your page rank with the search engines. You can also try using posting service if you don’t have the time to place ads yourself. I highly recommend Total Traffic Solutions. I use them myself for all my advertising needs.
4. Open an account with Ezine (It’s free) and set aside a little time every day to write an article about yourself and your business. Every acceptance is a link.
5. Go to Google Adwords and use the keyword tool on your website. Pick five keywords and write ads that promote your site. Establish an affordable daily budget and let it run. This will get you in the search engine sidelines in a hurry.

Once all of these steps have been followed, you can start networking and swap links with other businesses. You can also look into email marketing (opt ins are the best) and putting banner ads out in different locations. These are generally methods that cost a few dollars and can be done as your business grows. The most important thing to remember is to be steady with whatever you initiate. Stick to your program and the sales will come.

How to get people to Opt In and why it is such a good idea

Opt In Lists are the Holy Grail of Online Marketing. Opt in emails are the second most effective way to create conversions on your website, trailing behind only search engine marketing. So how do you get people to opt in? The best way to do it is to offer something free in return for their permission to put them on the list.

For example: Sign up to Elliot’s Free Marketing Tips. I will send out a weekly email full of great marketing tips and ideas on how to make your business explode online. And I PROMISE never to spam you or share your email address with anyone! Common- you know you want too!

Maximize your sales force

Here’s a trick to create your own opt in list: Create an email sign in for your website to collect addresses from visitors. You can generate the traffic by posting free ads on classified sites. Even if these visitors don’t purchase anything on their first visit, you can still keep in contact with them with a regular series of emails. OR, if you have a brick and mortar shop- notifications of upcoming sales through their email addresses can coax internet savvy consumers into supplying you with the information you need.

You can also buy targeted lists that are specific to your industry and send out survey forms. Keep the surveys general to the industry itself and ask each participant if they would be agreeable to receiving additional emails from you. If you make the surveys product specific, you will have a list of people that shop in your niche market and you’ll know exactly what they are shopping for.

Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods today simply because almost all people use email. With Opt In Lists- your marketing target just got a bit bigger! Bullseye!!!

Post Ads On Craigslist and Other Classified Sites

Making Yourself Known with Craigslist and Other Classified Sites

Making yourself known on the worldwide web is a simple matter of positioning your product or service in a place where consumers who are shopping in your niche market can see you. This may sound complicated to some, but it is really not. The traffic is already there. You don’t have to create it, you just have to tap into it.

Here’s one way to do it: Craigslist. CL postings are separated into categories that can target your potential buyers for you and they already get more visitors than you could possibly generate on your own. There’s an old expression about re-inventing the wheel. Don’t bother, build the car and put the wheels on it so it will drive. Craigslist and other classified sites like Backpage and Kijiji have created the perfect venue for you to advertise your product or service for free. All you have to do is post an ad, link to your website and make your site flow well and more importantly SELL so it will convert visitors.

Targeted traffic is the key to success for any web based business. And hands down- classified sites are ideal for this. Whether you have a specific service to offer or a product, property, car or are holding a seminar or event, classified sites will help you get the numbers that you need. Your conversion rates will be higher and your ROI will be astronomical, even if you have to pay someone to do the posting for you.

I have always used Total Traffic Solutions for my posting and advertising. They post to over 20 websites for just dollars a day! I highly recommend that you check them out if you are like me- with no time to market your business!

Social Networking for Web Exposure

So you’ve just completed this really cool website design; you have a product that’s definitely going to sell, and you know who you want to sell it to. Now what? How do you get the word out that you’re out there? You could have the cure for cancer and it wouldn’t do any good if no one knows about it.

There are areas on the worldwide web where the people that you want to reach are hanging out every day just waiting for the right thing to come along. These areas are known as social networks, millions of Internet users talking to each other about their wants and needs, likes and dislikes. They’re just sitting there waiting for you with credit card in hand. All you have to do is put your product in front of them.

MySpace is a social network. So is Facebook. The former will get you general traffic and the latter is more geared towards professionals, but both get millions of visitors a month and offer companies like yours an opportunity to get exposure on the web.

Getting yourself listed on a social network is easy. Membership is generally free and you can build your own page and even personalize it to suit your needs. Or you can add My Space and Facebook to PPC campaigns and have regular ads running all the time. You can also make it a part of an integrated marketing plan along with other methods like classifieds and banner ads. Seek out the best option for you and don’t be afraid to spend a few dollars to hire a professional who knows how to get the best results with social networking. Isn’t your business worth it??

Using Shopping Networks to Gain Web Exposure

Remember that childhood game where you had to put the different shaped blocks into the right hole? Did you ever try to put the star shaped piece into the triangle hole? They look somewhat similar but it’s obvious after the first try that it doesn’t work. Yet some people keep trying it over and over again thinking it will somehow be different.

This is the trap that a lot of newbies to Internet Marketing fall into. They continue to try to force products and services onto markets that simply don’t want them. There are consumers out there who are actually looking for what you have to offer and they’re already shopping on networks like E-Find, E-Bay and Lycos, so why would you want to try to create your own small niche in a sea of millions of unqualified prospects?

Online shopping networks work like classified sites. Your product or service is categorized and portrayed only to prospects that are searching for something in your particular market. Exposure is not about getting everyone on the web to look at your website, it’s about getting interested consumers to buy a product that they want. Those consumers have already been separated into groups for you by the search engines and the shopping networks themselves. All you have to do is put your ads, links and photos of your products in the right place. Then, sit back and watch the revenue stream grow while you develop new products and services.

How to Drive Traffic to Your Website

So…. What is the secret?

That’s the question that everyone who has a web-based business asks when they first start out. How do you drive traffic to your website? The answer is probably a lot simpler than you imagined. You need to take your product or service and put it in front of the people that have an interest in buying it. Easy, right?

Ask yourself a few simple questions first. The most important of these is, “What are you selling and who would want to buy it?” If you’ve set your company up properly, you already know the answer to this. Most new businesses do a little market research before they launch a venture and there is probably someone else out there who is offering the same thing you are in a different package.

So now you know what you have and what the niche market is that you need to get to. Maybe it’s men or women, old or young, in a specific industry, or perhaps just those who have an interest in your particular field of expertise. Whatever your target demographic is, they are already out there on the Internet. Driving traffic to your website is a matter of tapping into the existing flow. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

Try using classified sites like Craigslist to advertise your product or service directly. Classified sites already have the categories that you need to separate potential buyers. Go back to that first big question and put what you have in front of those that actually want it. This is one of the most direct ways to drive traffic to your website.

A similar method is shopping networks. Regardless of how big a network is and how lost you think your item will be in the sea of millions of sellers, shopping networks on the web can be valuable to you. You’ll get direct hits and also have another link for your site that will improve your page rank with the search engines.

Another direct approach is email marketing. Email marketing is rated the most effective way to drive traffic to your website behind only search marketing. Targeted opt in lists can be purchased or generated using squeeze pages, email sign-ins on your site, and webinars. Put something interesting out there for free and encourage people to sign up to be on an email list. Even if they don’t buy the first time out, you can establish communications and stay in touch with regular emails.

Getting quality traffic is all about being in the right place at the right time. The web is a global market, so there really is no wrong time, but the right place is where you can most likely find those who are looking for you. Social networks, another good way to drive traffic, can be a good place to find out who some of those people are. The broad prospect base on sites like MySpace and Facebook can give you traffic from demographics you never considered, opening up new markets for you to target. Whatever route you choose- take the time and plan it properly and results will be yours.

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Selling Autos and Houses Online via Classifieds

If you are an auto dealer or real estate broker, chances are that you are always looking for effective ways to get the word out about what you have available. Reaching potential buyers is a full time job and requires the use of massive advertising budgets and a mix of print and television media. At least, that’s the way it was in the past. Today, there are more options available and a wonderful tool called the Internet that is not only more effective, but more affordable.

Classified directories like Craigslist, Kijiji, and Backpage have given auto dealers and real estate brokers a targeted method of reaching prospects that costs little or nothing to implement. Placing a listing on one of these sites with a photo and description of the auto or home will bring you instant results. The traffic is already there and the prospects that reply to your ad are actually looking for what you have to offer.

Each of these classified sites is free to use but may not allow you to post in multiple locations. In order to get the most out of them it may be necessary to seek out a posting service which can run and manage your ads. Craigslist, for instance, now requires phone verified accounts to post in certain categories and limit the number of postings per account. An ad posting professional will generally have multiple accounts set up and be able to give you more exposure.

Let’s look at the automotive industry. If you own a car dealership in a certain community, chances are you get fairly good walk-in traffic form your immediate neighborhood. Of course, you want to advertise sales and incentive plans, but the real key to success is to bring in business from outside your normal range. Advertising on a classified site can do that for you. Being able to post in multiple locations will just increase those numbers even more. Not every customer who walks through the door will be a qualified buyer, so you need to attract as many as possible.

The same can be said for the real estate industry. With the recent fluctuations in the economy and the collapse of many funding sources for new homeowners, it has become more difficult to buy and sell houses. Cutting advertising budgets and expanding your range at the same time could be the difference between success and failure. Classified sites allow you to do both and can provide you with a large number of prospects from areas where you may not have exposure otherwise.

Difficult financial times require innovative and cost effective marketing strategies. In the automotive and real estate industries, two businesses that require a large number of prospects to be successful, classified advertising is the key. The Sunday paper alone is not going to cut it anymore. Financing for your customers is harder to come by and the amount of money being spent by consumers has declined. Classified sites on the web are for the most part free. Why wouldn’t you use them?

Webinars and Squeeze Pages

Putting together a qualified list of prospects has always been the key to higher sales numbers even before the dawn of the Internet. Many companies over the years have used direct mail response advertising to get new prospects and customers to sign up for a regular mailing list. A good example of this in the pre-web world was the use of post card mailers advertising free information for those who wrote back. Post cards were fairly cheap to mail in bulk and response rates were high enough to justify the cost.

The equivalent of the mailing list today is the e-mail list and getting prospects to sign up for it requires slightly different techniques. Two of the most effective are webinars and squeeze pages. These are the modern equivalent of the direct mailer from years past. Webinars are free information and squeeze pages are direct requests on a website for visitors to sign up for an email mailing list. Both methods are highly effective and very affordable. Once they are in place, they cost next to nothing to maintain. Webinars can even improve your positioning with the search engines if you include a backlink to your site.

Webinars can be utilized by companies that offer a product or service in a specific industry to distribute valuable free information to potential clients. They are very similar to web casts but generally cover only a specific subject related to your target market. A generic example would be a company that sells a certain food product putting a webinar together to advertise the health benefits of specific ingredients of that product. You give your audience a little of what they are looking for and offer an email sign-up if they want additional information. This puts them on your opt-in list and gives you permission to email them offers and information about your company.

Squeeze pages are even more direct. A squeeze page specifically states that submitting your email address will put you on a mailing list. Many websites have squeeze pages where your only option is to enter your information or leave the website. These work very well because your visitors already have an interest in your product or they wouldn’t be there in the first place. The squeeze page guarantees you further communication with them even if they don’t purchase on the first visit.

So, do webinars and squeeze pages work? Absolutely.

The reason that they work is that they are placed in the path of traffic that is seeking to do business in your industry. They’re not random. A webinar will show up in a search for a specific keyword and a squeeze page is offered to a visitor to your website. These are the types of prospects that you are looking for. Every visit to your site is a potential sale just because they are looking for something in your industry. Capturing a prospect’s email address ensures that you won’t lose them without a second chance to communicate with them.

Go ahead.. try em’ out- I dare ya!

Really Great Online Marketing Tips Part Deux

Online marketing is all about common sense and intelligent decisions. The beautiful thing about the Internet is that the market you need to reach has already been separated for you. Those who know what they are looking for can put a keyword into a search box and get a list of sites that offer that product or service. You just need to make sure that you are at or near the top of that list. This process is known as search engine marketing and can be done using a number of affordable tools that do not require the employment of expensive SEO services.

The search engines use algorithms that determine the rank that they will assign to your website. These mathematical formulas take into account the quality of your site, the number of visitors you receive, and the number of links, or backlinks, that go back to your website from other sites. This is an area that you can control. Establishing links does not have to be an expensive process. It just requires a little bit of planning.

First, you need to determine who it is exactly that wants to buy what you have to offer. If you are marketing a product, go on line to different shopping networks and see where your competitors are advertising and what they are charging. Set your prices to be competitive, but don’t give away the farm. If you’re selling below industry standards you will be costing yourself profits and losing credibility. Post your product on the same sites and take advantage of the traffic that already exists there.

A similar step would be to look at classified sites like Craigslist and Kijiji. These are ideal for any new or even established business because the offers are already categorized and the traffic you receive from them will be specifically targeted at your industry. Listings on these sites also create links back to your site that weigh favorably with the search engine algorithms. Classified sites also have service directories so you can advertise on them even if you don’t offer a product.

Another factor to look at is the number of actual visitors you get to your website. This may seem backwards but you have to have a lot of visitors to get a lot of visitors. Hits directly from the search engines are the number one source of business for most web based businesses but you need to do some work to get them. Purchasing a good opt in email list will drive large amounts of traffic to your website and add another element to your search engine algorithm. These prospects can also be captured by adding a squeeze page to your site which will help you develop your own qualified list of prospects.

Using each of these tools properly will create a steady flow of traffic that will generate sales for you. Each link and each visitor will improve your positioning and generate more visitors. If you’re looking for real numbers, hire a posting service that can set up the classifieds and shopping networks for you. Many of them also do e-mail marketing and they’re a lot more affordable than SEO companies, which basically do the same thing but charge more money for it.

Are You Serious About Selling Online?

Why Should You Post to Online Classifieds??

(I know I repeat myself… but online classifieds really work!)

Are you serious about selling online? If you are, you really should check out posting to online classified sites. The traffic that you’re looking for is already there and you can position yourself in front of buyers who are actually looking for the type of product or service that you have to offer.

What is the key to being successful in any business? The answer is profit. If you are involved in any kind of venture that requires sales and marketing then you are in it to make money. On the Internet, the way to do that is to make sure that you reach the best potential prospects in your market. Sites like Craigslist and Kijiji have already separated the buyers for you. If you sell houses, there’s a section. Autos, there’s a section. Services of any kind, there’s a section. You don’t have to search for customers in a vast ocean of uninterested parties. You advertise specifically to those who want your product. It is really easy- but let me guess- you don’t have the time! There are NUMEROUS ad posting companies out there that offering posting services for next to nothing for what their ads will bring you sales wise!

The other reason you should use online classifieds is even better. It’s free. You can post on any of these sites for nothing and get instant results. If you want even better numbers, pay a professional posting company and have them manage the ads for you and some companies like the linked one that actually allow for fully manageable campaigns- change them as you need to! The cost will still be minimal and your prospect list will grow exponentially with the amount of advertising you do. The conversion rates for classified sites are higher than anywhere else on the web. The question shouldn’t be, “Why should you post to classifieds?” Why wouldn’t you?

Online Classified Posting Companies

With the documented effectiveness of classified sites on the Internet and the increase in regulations and safeguards by the sites themselves, there are now a number of posting companies out there which specialize in creating classified campaigns for product and service providers. Finding one of these that can get the job done for your business is a process and you should be aware of what to look for along the way. I personally am fond of totaltrafficsolutions.com and postadsoncraigslist.com

Look at a few different posting services and find one that offers variety and the type of managing that you need. Perhaps you want to manage the campaigns yourself, perhaps you need something cheap without the frills- they are all out there. Posting companies that are established and get BIG results will speak with you about your needs and offer different options. Others can make it quick and easy and something you don’t have to think about once you start with them. Craigslist is the king when it comes to classified postings but Kijiji is on the rise as are so many others, so make sure your posting company offers a wide variety to extend your advertising bucks.

A good classified posting company should become a partner in any business venture online. It is important to establish a trusting relationship with a representative that is sensitive to your needs, not just determined to fulfill theirs. You can usually tell when a company is trying to push something on you that you don’t need or that won’t get you good results. Make sure that your posting company explains why certain sites are a good idea when they recommend them, especially in the beginning. If they do it right, you’ll see traffic within a few days. If you don’t, find another posting company.

Real Estate Investing and Networking

A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.
- Everett Dirkson

Well that certainly would be nice to say… and the great thing is that multiplying your investment is the way to protect it at the same time and in the long run… your wealth will multiply to keep you rolling in your hard earned fortune!!!

It really is true that you can run a real estate investment business in your spare time and earn a residual income from it. The undreamed riches that Dirkson speaks of is just as possible! If you market your business and properties cleverly online you too can succeed!

Proven online marketing methods are currently being utilized by thousands of individuals just like you who are craving for success. So what are the best methods to network in the real estate world? There are a few golden rules you should know and if you follow them correctly you will be networking right!
Get to know people… Be calm, confident and suave, and above all speak with success. Honesty and being genuine can get you far. Use your business smarts and be yourself. That way, you will meet the people you want to network with easier and it will have the most benefits all around later on.

The question now is… do you have what it takes to outperform your competition? How serious are you at investing? There are many like you that are striving to do what seems like an impossible task. But seriously, who has what it takes to see it thru and build real estate portfolio that racks up the profits? You do! Online advertising and classified marketing is your first step on your ladder to a real estate fortune. Posting your ads on places like Kijiji, Backpage and the like alongside of networking with others and building opt-in lists will get your business hopping!

Give yourself a goal for the next month- how many deals can you complete and close all without ‘multi-tasking?’ Yea… remember that idea… ?? Double, triple and even quadruple your wealth by advertising your real estate business via online classifieds! And do remember, be the first to extend a hand… Networking is all about building relationships with the right people and the right marketing companies.

Email Marketing Campaign Tips and Ideas

How do you successfully set up an email marketing campaign? Here are some great tips you should always remember to ensure that the most amount of recipients take the time to read your email and act on it.

Take some time to think before typing: Decide where you want to go and how you want to get there
• Make things easy for your reader and try to place yourself in their place
• Write as you speak
• Plan a beginning, middle and end for your letter
• Start a new sentence for each new idea
• Keep your sentences and your paragraphs relatively short
• Engage your reader by challenging, questioning or directly addressing them
• Focus on your purpose
• Get to the point – “I’m writing to you today because…” or “I’m writing today to invite you to join me” – clearly convey what you want, why and when
• Make the opening sentence to a paragraph enticing and intriguing
• Try to end on a high note and with something people will remember
• When you are finished, read your email aloud and see how it sounds or read it to a friend and ask them for feedback.

URLs: Repeat your URL more than once. Include it close to the top of the message and at the end. If you use an offer, link directly to the section of your site that lists the specifics of the offer. For example, if you offer a free newsletter, link directly to the page where they can sign up for it.
Keep it short: The most successful messages are no longer than one screen of text. Reading text on a screen is more difficult than reading printed text. Many people will delete long messages without even reading them. Use short sentences and action verbs to reach your point quickly. Email writing tends to be informal, so don’t include headings, addresses, and greetings. Use only 4-6 lines per paragraph, and the entire message should be no more than 15-20 lines.

Focus on one point: Develop your message around one strong point or offer. Trying to convey more than one point can easily confuse your readers.

Keep it personal: People relate and respond to words like “you” and “your.” When they see these words, they identify with the message better.

Write to inform, not to sell: People want information, not advertisements. Offer them relevant and useful information, and they will have a good reason to click through to your site.

Use a catchy subject line: Using strong action words in your subject line will increase the number of people who actually read your message. Boring subject lines can lead to the automatic deletion of your message. Include your point/offer in the subject when possible, but don’t use the word “free.” If the recipient sets up filters in their mail program to catch SPAM (unsolicited email), the filter will often automatically delete messages with the word “free” in the subject line.

Call to action: Always include a direct call to action. Some popular tactics include asking the prospective donor or supporter to sign up for a newsletter, visit your site, send a fax to their congressional representative, or offer you feedback. Example: Visit Total Traffic Solutions website today and speak with a customer service support rep.

Proofread carefully: Words are your best chance to create a lasting impression on potential customers. Never send a targeted message without having it proofread first.

Trendy Marketing Tips

Yesterday’s marketing ideas simply aren’t dynamic enough for today’s marketplace. Hot new marketing trends are popping up so quickly that we hardly get a chance to see what will work best for our business. Which one of these marketing ideas will work for your business, and how can you ensure that you have the best branding, ads, and sales tools to measure up and knock-out the competition? I give you two word- NICHE MARKETING.

Many people are now turning to niche markets as they realize that generalized marketing is quite expensive, where niche marketing is cheaper and provides much better results. This type of marketing, actually studies into how certain customers decide to choose a certain service or product. Then a niche marketer works to understand this specific group and tailor make promotions to sell their product. So, if you are involved in niche marketing no doubt you can use some niche marketing tips to increase your profit.

Tip #1 – Use the Language of Your Niche Market – There are many great niche marketing tips; however, one of the most important is to make sure that you use the language of your niche market. When you are writing sales letters or web content directed towards your niche market, you will need to use their language. Using the language of your niche market helps you to approach your market as a peer instead of an outsider. If you can’t speak their language, they won’t hear you, so keep the language true to the market.

Tip #2 – Have a Unique Selling Proposition – Having your own unique selling proposition is another important niche marketing tip that you’ll need to use as well. Market saturation is continuing to increase, which means that more and more consumers are not becoming jaded. There are more advertisements in the market and they are bright and loud, which can cause ads to all start looking the same to the consumers. To stand out among the rest of the marketers in your niche, you’ll need to have a very unique selling proposition to draw customers.

Tip #3 – Research Your Consumer Base – If you are not familiar with your consumer base, there is no way you can successfully market to them. Another of the many important niche marketing tips is to make sure that you research your consumer base. You need to know everything you can about the consumer base and you may want to learn about any additional services that they want as well. This can help you avoid stagnation if you can develop other products for your niche market.

Tip #4 – Develop a Sub-Niche – Last of all, another helpful niche marketing tip is to develop a sub-niche. Believe it or not, developing a sub-niche can actually help you to expand your consumer base. For example, while women are a niche, a sub-niche could be women under the age of 30.

If you are involved in niche marketing today, you know how profitable it can be; however, there is always some room for improvement. Take these niche marketing tips and put them to use so you can increase your profits and become an even better niche marketer.

Make Your Landing Page SELL

In order to get ahead of their competitors, most people spend so much time, money, and effort for pay-per-click campaigns, promo emails, and newsletters. Many online marketers give too much attention on convincing readers to click on links indicated in their ads, while very little focus is given to the structure and content of the web pages where those links lead to. To the reader’s disappointment, some linked sites barely contain significant amount of quality information.

If you would like to earn a bandwagon of prospect buyers, you need to create a landing web page that has good design and quality content. So how are you going to do this?

• Keep your articles clear and concise. Aside from their short attention span, most people who research online have limited time to spend in front of their PCs. Present your point in just two to three sentences, or you can write your points in bulleted lists instead of long and tedious paragraphs.

• Use the landing page to provide general product information. Include product photos, item descriptions, and price per product quantity or length of service. Short testimonials from your existing customers can also help.

•Do not direct visitors to your homepage if you are advertising for a specific offer. In this way, you’ll prevent your prospect buyers from wandering away from the possible purchase or sign-up actions that you want them to take.

• Utilize one landing page for every product or service. If you have enough resources, it’s best that you design a separate landing page and campaign for each product or service. If you offer a wide range of products or services, you can group them according to product or service type and then create a single landing page for each type.

• Indicate your clear call to action. Always place an “Add to Cart” link beside the item description and price list of each product or service. “Enter email to subscribe” can work for promo emails and newsletters, or “Click here to download” if your service includes access to files or software.

• Don’t ask too many personal details from your readers. Unless they’re making a credit card purchase for your products, asking for the users’ name and email address is enough. You need to assure the users that the information will be kept confidential.

• Don’t overdo your web design. Avoid flashy signs as they can pull your readers’ focus away from the articles in your web page. Keep a consistent look and feel to your site – it helps if you use the same colors, fonts, lay-outs, and navigation buttons all throughout your website.

Landing pages play an important role in maximizing your pay-per-click ads or email campaigns, so you need to dedicate a thorough effort to keep your landing pages clean and usable. It can be a rigorous procedure to go through, but it eventually pays off by increasing your site traffic and sales.

How to Host a Webinar

Great webinars generate qualified sales leads that lead to increased sales. They take planning, practice and consistent follow through. Here are 11 tips that are sure to work for you.

1. Plan everything. Create a webinar plan that includes schedules, potential speakers, a registration process, budget, promotion, success metrics and follow through.

2. Build your list. Your opt-in email list is your #1 source for future sales. Be creative in capturing the email address of every potential attendee to your webinar.

3. Promote it. If you build it, will they come? That depends. Do they know about it? Do they care? Study your key audience and develop a targeted marketing strategy. Know exactly what it is that your audience wants. Test different messages and ad sources. Be creative. See what works. Activate networks. Word-of-mouth is key, so include an “invite-a-colleague” link in all exchanges with potential attendees.

4. Timing is everything – Schedule your webinar when the greatest number of people can come. If your audience is national, run the webinar in the mid-afternoon. That way, people from all times zones can attend. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically the best. People are not just starting or ending their week.

5. Capture the attention of your audience. E-mail, the web, to do lists and the phone are just some of the many distractions that your speakers have to contend with. Make sure content is informative and your speakers are interesting. Get input from your sales team. Involve all of your marketing staff.

6. Webinars don’t happen in a vacuum. Make sure your webinars are integrated into your overall marketing strategy and will help to reach your business goals..

7. Market research. Don’t miss out on a chance to ask your audience their opinions. Use your webinar to learn more about your audience and what they care about.

8. Pre-plan for possible problems. Coach your speakers. Presenting at a webinar is very different from presenting in person. Don’t forget: All speakers need to use conventional phone lines with headsets and have a hard copy of their presentation in front of them. Technology isn’t foolproof. Prepare for all calamities. Schedule at least one run through that covers web conferencing technology, webinar presentation and timing and how to handle a loss of audio or web access.

9. Pick the best conferencing vendor. There are many web conferencing vendors out there. Can the one you choose handle your volume and support you when there’s a problem?

10. Maximize the registration process. Every time someone registers for your event, you have a chance to learn more about their unique interests and needs. Include different touch points like demos and white paper downloads in all registration emails. Don’t Forget to automate the registration process as much as possible and make sure your system captures what happens for further study.

11. Above all, Respect Your Audience. People take time out of their day because they are interested in solving a problem. Hard sell doesn’t work. Soft sell provides the value that your audience is looking for. To ensure the success of your current webinar along with all future ones, design your presentations to provide superior value to the end-user: your customer.

Marketing your Home Based Business Online

A major concern of all Home Based Business Entrepreneurs is to get Traffic to their websites. Most people who have searched for a suitable home based Internet Business opportunity complain about a common illness: They are sick and tired of websites that promote best home based Internet Business opportunities… sick and tired of the false promises, the over-hyped sales pitches, and the downright SCAMS that lurk behind most Internet Business opportunities. Millions of people around the world have had the dream of finding the perfect home based business and being able to fire their boss.

Starting a home based internet business can be a run away success if the website comes up within the first 20 results of organic searches. Promoting your Internet Business Offline is a great way of getting over this problem and at the same time creating an image for yourself and your Home Based Business. Hence SEO is one of the main tools for your websites promotion as well as marketing, when starting a home based internet business.

Looking at the above statistics and statements, you must have gathered a basic picture in your mind on how important SEO can be to your starting a home based internet business. If you are new to the Internet business, you might feel that you would prefer to remain anonymous because you are still learning the trade and have no expertise to share. Once you’ve decided what you are going to sell on the internet and how, you venture online to search for profitable home based business opportunities that appeal to you.

In addition to diversifying your online business, you should also take a few other things in account that are unique to the problems that home based business owners face. These are just a few of the reasons that you should consider diversifying your business. Promoting an home business calls for 3 things: increasing traffic to your website, selling goods/services that are worth the money and retaining/adding to your customer base.

In order for your internet home business to be successful, your website must well set up so that it attracts the traffic you need, and so that the visitors who will come to your website will make you some money. For your business to be successful, it is important that you constantly improve your website or products/services, and you can achieve this by having a feedback form on your website.

Online marketing companies to build your home based business and earn a substantial income.

How to Market Your Website

Website Marketing Companies provide effective techniques to establish and enhance your online business. When developing a website for your business, your objective is to create an internet presence. This online visual determines long- term success for any web business. Regardless of your choice of internet marketing strategy, your web site must contain powerful content along with a reliable marketing company.

A successful web page promotion campaign can be obtained through an efficient website marketing company. It is important that any online business that invests in online marketing companies must devote extensive time and effort to analyze the return on their investment. More so, because a number of online businesses are relatively new, it is recommended that you recruit your marketing strategy and immediately move to the next step of analyzing. Many effective and affordable tools are available to monitor and analyze your sites traffic. The website marketing companies are the best tool to assist you with sub sequential evaluation of the ultimate production of your marketing efforts. Specifically, if you are investing a great deal of money into search engines and keyword buys, you need to know which one is meeting your goals.

Search engines may or may not be your greatest source for traffic. Website marketing tools will also track where your traffic is coming from and why. Sometimes all it takes is marketing your business to online classifieds and targeting consumers that are looking for you. Furthermore, it is important to know if your efforts to generate new customers and sales leads are effective.

Website marketing and online classified posting companies can provide tools that can show you who directs the traffic your way while also monitoring your sites most requested pages. They will identify the most common entry pages as well as any exit pages. If your strategy is working effectively, then you can optimize your site to distribute more of the same. In the worst case scenario; you may need to reconstruct your web pages to present something more intriguing or compelling.

Finally, web marketing companies are beneficial as they provide techniques that allow a small business owner to understand their customers and your targeted audience. Any technology associated with the internet that provides a marketing strategy for your small business helps to develop methods to achieve high ranking and enhance the marketing tools that helps you sell your product. Basically, website marketing begins with a well- written and organized website and concludes with a successful web page promotion.