The Productive Entrepreneur

Micro-Blogging - An Explanation

Are you looking for a great way to keep your customers and other business contacts up to date?  Or keep up to date on them?  Or do you just need a quick and easy way to keep up a personal relationship with your contacts over the internet? 

Well, there’s a great new trend picking up called microblogging that may just save you time and even expand your customer base.

Microblogging is similar to regular blogging, but shorter and usually faster and more convenient.  While you can access normal blogs through the internet on your cell phone, many microblogging sites will have applications that automatically update you on your phone.  This makes it easier for you to reach your friends, family, and customers.

Depending on the service you use, you may be able to microblog in forms other than text. Some sites will let you add video and audio as well, as long as it is smaller than a certain size.  This makes it as effective as blogging, but a lot faster and more accessible for you and your contacts.

To microblog effectively, you need to have contacts who receive your posts.  The easiest way to build your customer base and advertise a campaign is to use already existing networks to your advantage.  A friend passes something along to three friends who pass it along to their three friends and so on, and eventually you’ve got a huge network of people to work with.  The beauty of micro blogging is that these sources already have thousands of people who are all interconnected.

Microblogging can be used as a great way to promote your blog.  You can add short comments, then direct them to the blog to hear the rest.  This way, more people read what it’s about because they don’t really have to go out of their way to look at your blog.  Plus, there is software available that will post the microblogs for you.  That way, you get all the benefit without all the work. 

If you don’t have a blog, you can still use microblogs to increase the traffic to your website as well.  Any time you release a product or make an update, you can tell your contacts about it.  This will keep them coming to your website over and over.

Microblogging is a great way to keep in touch with business associates and customers without having to do all the work of emailing.  You can communicate what you’re doing with them, and keep up and their lives and businesses, and it’s all quick and easy.

You can also use microblogging as a way to establish yourself as an intelligent business person and a valuable asset in your field.  You probably already do research on what’s going on with businesses in your field, whether it’s a new idea or an upcoming product release.  Microblogs are a great way to pass along these tips, and an even better way to keep up on them yourself.     

Twitter is a great example of a microblogging platform that is uber-popular.  If you've noticed all the businesses now announcing their Twitter pages, that's no coincidence.

Want to join in?  Pick up my Twitter ebook that's perfect for beginners - it's the perfect resource to get you micro-blogging quickly.

What are YOU willing to do for what you want?

Is entrepreneurship for the timid?  My vote is "Probably Not"!  :)

When I left my own steady paycheck behind for the less certain world of self-employment, there were a lot of people who WISHED that they could do the same, but for many reasons, can't or simply won't.

It takes guts to put your financial livelihood on the line and step out to create a business that you believe in.

For people who haven't met Erin Blaskie, I want to take just a minute to introduce her.  While Erin's business does virtual assistance, SHE is NOT your typical VA.  This is a gal who is PASSIONATE about making her living online and makes no secret of it.  She's up for a "Shorty Award" and is drumming up attention in probably the most unique way I've ever seen.

All I can say is, "You Go, Girl!"   Erin, you positively rock!   I'm voting now and have my fingers crossed for ya!

If, after seeing this video, YOU choose to vote for Erin, here's the link: http://shortyawards.com/ErinBlaskie - when you click on the link, it'll automatically open up her voting page... fill in a very quick sentence about WHY she should win and that's all there is to it. 

The Benefits of Setting Up a Twitter Feed

The main goal in most businesses is to attract as many customers as possible. With Twitter, you have the ability to continue having contact as long as you have either a cell phone with texting ability or an internet connection. And one added perk, it’s a free service!

The signup process for Twitter is pretty much the same as for any other social media or networking service. It requires providing certain information in order to open an account. Once that is accomplished you are able to send short messages or “tweets”.

As an instant communication tool, Twitter can be used for many purposes. We won’t list all of them here, but some include:

* Notifying customers of new products available.

* Directing traffic to your business website by notifying customers of new or upcoming sales.

* Asking for feedback about various items such as the new look for your website, or to get answers to your crucial questions.

* As a business management tool. Not only can you connect your staff to one another, but you are also able to keep certain tidbits of information confidential.

* Setting up meetings on short notice, while finding out within minutes when everyone is available.

And this is just the beginning! There are so many more ways in which you can use Twitter to not only your personal advantage, but that of your business as well.

Twitter can be used with your cell phone. This is again another quick setup to deal with. Once you have signed up for a Twitter account, simply look for the “Phone & IM” link on the “Settings” page to enter your cell phone number with your area code, and hit “Save”. Following this you will check the box beside “It’s okay for Twitter to send txt messages to my phone. Std. rates apply.

Twitter will send you a text message informing you the procedure worked, and you may now start sending Tweets from your cell phone.

It’s the same principle for RSS feeds. Your first step is to sign up for a Twitter account. Once that has been accomplished, it’s time to decide on the direction you want your Twitter account to take before using RSS feeds. You don’t want to be losing your audience as a result of being inconsistent with your posts.

Once this is established, you need to create a Twitterfeed in order to Twitter with any RSS feed. There will be a prompt for you to use “OpenID”. You will find a button to click at the right side of the prompt for logging in. The menu will then expand to show services such as Yahoo or Flicker which will enable this process for you. If you don’t have an OpenID already, you will need to sign up for one at any of the locations found in the menu. If you do have one, paste the URL in the space provided, and then click “My Twitter Feeds”.

In order to start adding feeds to your list, select “Create New Twitter Feed”. Paste in any URL whose feed you wish to follow. This is normally achieved by right-clicking on the RSS Feed icon found on various internet pages. You can now select Copy, and Paste into the URL space as you did before.

With all of these steps accomplished, you will be running with the flow of Twitter. Your business will be synchronized and everyone will be up to date on the important aspects of the day. And they won’t have to be called one at a time, or even be in the same building to do it.

Just getting started with Twitter?   I have a Twitter-related Mini-Marketing Guide that you'll want to check out:

http://www.a25hourday.com/publications.html

 

How to Network the Right Way

Networking is a great way to catapult your business in a short time, if you know how to do it right.  You can find customers, business partners, mentors and more.  The key is how to find people and communicating with them correctly.  Here are just a few tips for how to network effectively to make yourself more successful.

* Be friendly.  If you're at a business conference, you're not going to able to network by being rude, or sulking in the corner like a loner.  The same goes online.  You need to be friendly and pleasant to everyone.  Do ask about business, but that doesn't mean forgetting to ask about their family and how things are going with them. 

* Give and take.  Nothing is more annoying that someone who shows up at a seminar or on a message board, introduces, and immediately starts hounding people for help.  Sure, when you get started, you're going to need a lot of help, but that doesn't mean you need to ask someone to walk you through it and not do any work.  And if you want someone to help you, you need to be willing to help them in return. 

* Keep it up.  Meeting people is great, but in order to be a successful networker, you need to keep the relationships going.  It may be by contacting them about a business deal, or just giving them a call or sending an email to see how they're doing.  Networking is a continuing process, not a one-time thing.

So now that you have some great tips on networking, where do you go to get started?  The easiest way to network is online.  There are hundreds of ways to meet people and maintain positive working relationships from across the country or even across the world.  You just have to learn how to use all the technology available to you.

If you can find quality websites based on the type of business you're doing, they probably have message boards or chat rooms.  This is a great way to network with a lot of people at one time that you know are interested in the same types of business as you are.

Social networking sites are a great way to meet people and stay in touch online.  The problem with these sites is that they can also easily turn off customers and potential business partners.  You need to be careful what you post on your pages and how it makes you look.  If you're serious about your business, try more business-based networks like Linkedln instead of social-based ones like MySpace.

Blogging is another great way to maintain online relationships without having to spend a large amount of time communicating with each person individually.  Blogging is a quick and easy way to keep people updated on what's going on with you and your business.  And you can read and comment on others blogs to keep up with them.

While the Internet provides an unlimited number of networking possibilities, remember that face-to-face networking is still essential.  This is generally done the old fashioned way, at seminars, conferences, and other face-to-face business activities. 

After a conference, it's a good idea to follow up with online networking.  Be sure to send follow-up emails to the contacts you made, telling them how great it was to meet them.  Try bringing up ideas that came up during conversations and suggesting ways to follow up on them.  And be sure to add them as contacts on social networking sites. 

How to Control Overhead Costs

Overheads are business expenses that are not specifically part of a business project.  They're the costs or your business that you're going to have whether you have a customer or not.  For example, you're going to have to pay for electricity, office supplies, and facility rentals whether or not you make a sale.  Costs that are specifically for a project, like shipping costs for final product, are not included in this cost.

In order to keep your costs down, make it a regular part of your routine to monitor, track, and review your overhead costs.  Start by collecting your receipts and recording all your expenses in a ledger or spreadsheet.  Divide them up by category, including project related expenses and overhead costs.

Once you have started tracking and categorizing what you spend, you'll probably start to see some trends.  Maybe you're spending way more than you thought on shipping.  It could be you see that your advertising budget is or isn't being well spent.  By knowing where you're spending you money, you can figure out what expenses are worth keeping and which ones might be reduced by looking elsewhere.  The key is to continue to monitor what you're spending, and make and monitor your budget regularly.

Outsourcing is a great way to keep your overhead costs down.  If you have regular employees, you have to pay to train them and keep them working even if business is slow.  Contractors can be hired when you have something to work on, but you don't have to worry about paying them when your business starts to drop.

Another great way to keep overheads down is to shop around.  Most people do this at start up and then stick with the same provider for many years.  Have you ever noticed that each car insurance company says that they can save you money over other companies?  That's because companies will often offer potential new customers better rates than they do their current customers - it's easier to keep an old customer than to convince another company's customer to switch.  If you look around to different companies every so often, you'll probably find a better deal.

You don't necessarily have to switch to a different provider to get a better price on supplies.  If a company think they might lose your business, they're often willing to cut you a deal.  As you're shopping around to other companies, be sure to try to renegotiate prices with your current supplier.  This way you may be able to get a better deal with a company you already know you can trust.

You hear a lot of talk about going green and saving energy, but cutting energy use is not only trendy and good for the earth, it's also great for cutting costs.  Whether it's investing in low flow toilets or buying energy-efficient light bulbs, making small earth-friendly cuts can make a big difference in your monthly bills.

While overheads can be a big chunk of your business expenses, they're usually something you simply have to live with to run a business.  But just because you have to have them, doesn't mean you can't reduce them with a few simple steps.

How Technology-Savvy Small Businesses Will Succeed

The Internet has been a great leap for everyone, but most of all for businesses.  Businesses small and large have found thousands of new avenues to find new customers and serve them better.  This is great for those who know how to use all the new technologies, but those who don't are being left behind.  That's why it's important for small business owners to learn what technologies are out there and how to use them to their advantage. 

Here is an overview of just a few of the ways you can use modern technologies to your advantage.

Getting up close and personal 

The Internet has made it easier to reach your customers without ever having to see or sometimes even talk to them.  But actually talking to people can help you win over new customers and keep old ones. 

Technology has made it possible to have the convenience of Internet business while still talking and being personal with your customers. You can use technologies like Skype to talk to your customers at the touch of the button and video conferencing to have business meetings, give a business talk, or let your customers or colleagues ask questions in a community forum.  And most of this technology is free or affordable. 

Advertising

There are all kinds of new and unique ways to advertise your business online.  Most people know about advertising methods that have been around for a while like Google ads and online yellow pages, but there are lots of new ways to get your name out online.  You can submit press releases about new products and services.  Social networking sites are a good way to reach new customers and potential business partners.  You can also submit your websites to directories that categories the best sites for people to find. 

Can't afford to pay to air a TV commercial?  Most of us can't, but most small businesses can afford a hand-held video camera.  You can make videos and post them to You Tube.  They may just help you hit home a point of become more personable to your customers, but if your premise is unique enough, you can send your videos viral and hit a whole new base of customers.  An example, thousands of blenders have been sold simply because of the popularity of the "Will it Blend" video series.  If you're creative enough, anything can sell with very little capital behind it. 

Keeping customers up to date

In addition to attracting new customers you can also use the Internet to keep your current customers up to date on product and service updates.  They can visit your blog, subscribe to your RSS feeds, or even sign up for your latest webinar.  All it takes is a little work from you, and your customers will feel your personal touch of service every time they log on. 

In reality, there are many other ways you can use technology to your advantage.  You just have to keep yourself up to date on what's available, then mix in a little creativity.  The best part is, new technology is always available, so there's no limit to how far you will be able to go.  

 

 

 

10 Ways to Get Twitter Followers

When it comes to Twitter, subscribers or “followers” are your key to building popularity. And popularity is a fundamental and very important concept to grab hold of. The idea is that by following someone, they’ll agree to follow you back.

The following are other ideas which can help with subscriptions:

1)  Connect your blog or social network site to your profile. By adding a link to each of your social media profiles to your Twitter profile, and vice versa, you are making sure everyone you know is able to reach you in all the places they have accounts as well.

2)  Ask others to recommend your profile. A blog reader could recommend your social networking page, or other members of your social network could recommend your blog. Word of mouth can go a long way, especially in the world of social networking. Although you may not get every person who hears of you on your Twitter page, you can easily raise the number with a few referrals from friends.

3)  Purchase banner ads which in turn can be linked to your profile. This way, when your website banner ads are clicked on, the link is automatically established to your Twitter page. This will prevent anyone having to search far and wide in order to find you.

4)  Use usernames and avatars which match either your business or other social networking sites. When you sign up for your Twitter account, use the same name you have on other social network sites. If this name isn’t available, try to use something as similar as possible. You can use the same avatar as well. Anyone who is familiar with you from another site will notice when you send out a tweet.

5)  Avoid spamming your Twitter. If you constantly drop in silly and unproductive comments several times a day, people won’t take you seriously for long. Make sure you are adding something of value when you post. While it’s fine to post your own URL, joining into conversations will show people you are approachable.

6)  Asking questions will show people you are not only looking for input, but you don’t consider yourself a guru either. Who knows - this may result in not only receiving an answer to your question, but with reciprocal following as well.

7)  Be careful when posting URLs in Twitter. If the link is too long, it will be shortened with tinyurl. If this happens, it becomes impossible to see the source link to figure out what the page is before clicking through. Before you post any links, it’s recommended you write a short description or the title of the page.

8)  Follow people from within your personal niche. Not only will you be able to understand what they are talking about, but you may be able to bounce some ideas off them when you get stuck. Having similar concerns and experiences means they are more likely to follow you as well.

9)  The difference between bios and backgrounds is easy. Bios on Twitter are short and to the point, unlike an About Me page found on most blogs. People will get to know you from how and what you tweet, not from a novel written in your bio section.

10)  If at first you don’t succeed, try again. The most experienced in the internet world make mistakes sometimes. It’s part of life. If you find you have made a mistake in one of your tweets, fix it. If you find you have chosen the wrong person to follow, stop following them.

Take the time to work out the kinks on your Twitter page, and you will see how quickly everything else will fall into place.

Just getting started with Twitter?  Pick up a copy of my Twitter Mini Marketing Guide here.

 

4 Ways to Create the Perfect Upsell

Upselling can be a huge profitable marketing effort by your company. The problem is most companies don't perform the action of upselling whole-heartedly. They rely on skimpy ads to do the work for them hoping that customers will just click on them.
 
There is much more involved in getting the customer to want to buy an additional product. The following are a few ways you can implement a successful upselling marketing campaign.

1) If your product is one that needs to be shipped to a customer, put a coupon for the upsell product in with the order. Make it a great deal, or a huge discount and your customer will be more likely to follow up and want to place another order.

2) Once you have established a full-fledged customer, make sure you treat them right by sending them a thank email for their purchase and have the option for them to sign up for a newsletter as well. You could even slip in upsell promotions inside the email and newsletters.

3) Target your customers with emails about special promotions. If you sell electronics, send out an email with a special two for one offer or any new deals or discounts related to the product they purchased in the recent past. This takes serious organization to gather this information, but with a good auto-responder and database it can be done, and done effectively to bring in more sales.

4) If you have specials and deals, display them prominently on your website so the customer cannot miss them. It can be on the front page or before the checkout page. The strategy of placing an upsell item before the completion of the checkout has been known to be the most effective form of marketing. Customers are more likely to consider the product and how it will enhance their initial purchase. 

Letting your customers know that you have valuable products that they need, will actually work to your advantage. They will see this as you being a helpful and honest business that they will want to do business with again and again.

Want help creating the perfect upsell?  Click here for a resource

Ten Ways to balance work and family

Balancing a work life and a home life can be difficult, but with a little knowledge and planning, you can make it work for you.  Here are ten tips that will help you balance your work life and home life.

1.  Set realistic goals.  It's pretty much a given fact that if you want to achieve something big, you have to make some sacrifices.  While the select few can manage, most people can't become a CEO and run a successful household.  When setting your goals, be realistic and don't stretch yourself too thin.

2.  Make schedules.  Keeping track of work and your family can be difficult to plan.  Try to keep a set schedule from day to day and week to week if you can.  Always remember to make a written schedule and give everyone a copy.

3.  Take time for yourself.  It's a natural instinct of many people to sacrifice themselves for the good of their family.  However, it's important to remember that if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else.  Try to schedule in at least a few minutes of "you time", whether it be going for a run, watching your favorite TV show, or just sitting in a room by yourself to relax for a few minutes.  

4.  Work from home.  If you can do your work over the Internet or phone, you may be able to swing working at least part of the time from home, giving you more time to spend with your family.  Just remember that there are a lot more things at home to distract you from getting your work done.

5.  Get some exercise.  Working out is not only a great way to stay healthy and gain energy, it's also a great way to spend time with your kids.  Instead of hitting the gym, go play ball in the park or take them for a walk.

6.  Take advantage of leave.  Most jobs allow you a certain amount of leave, but a lot of us end up not using it.  Make sure you know how much time you have and take it, whether you go on a vacation with your family or just use it to take a well-deserved rest day every so often. 

7.  Prioritize.  When making your to-do lists, figure out the things that are most important for you to do and get them done first.  If there isn't enough time to do everything, you won't feel as bad about what you have to cut.

8.  Take classes.  As many people will tell you, there's no manual on how to be a good parent and have a successful career.  But if you search around your community, you can find classes and seminars from people that have been where you are and managed to do well.  They can give you inspiration along with helpful tips and tidbits to get through your day.

9.  Watch for burn out.  Even if you schedule everything, take breaks, and do everything else above, what you're doing may just be too much for you.  Watch yourself for changes in mood or physical problems.  They could be a sign that you're burnt out and need to make some changes to your plans.  Remember, your health is important too.

10.  Learn to say no.  If you want to have a successful career and family life, you will have to learn to say no occasionally.  If you try to do everything, you're going to burn yourself out and not be able to take care of anyone.  Being a good employee and a good parent doesn't mean you need to do everything you're asked.

How to Get More Traffic from Classified Ad Sites

Classified ad sites are a great way to drive an abundance of targeted traffic to your website. Classified ads are easily searchable by the search engines and the advertisement format enables you to target specific needs and groups within your audience. Couple that with the fact that many classified ad sites are free or very inexpensive, and you can have a winning traffic strategy with unlimited return on investment.

What are classified ad sites?

Classified advertising sites are essentially sites that allow you to post classified ads. One of the more common ones is Craigslist, which people commonly use to post items for sale, jobs and opportunities. You can also use this site to post an ad for your business. It’s free, you can target your geographic area and there’s no limit to the number of ads you post or the number of regions you post your ad in.

To find other classified ad sites, all you have to do is type the term into your search engine. You’ll literally find hundreds of options. To optimize your time, evaluate the site based on usage. If the ad site only draws 100 visitors a day, that’s not a great reach. However if it draws 100,000 visitors a day, you’re in good hands.

The benefits of classified ad sites

Many classified ad sites are free, which means your return on investment is practically guaranteed. Additionally, search engines are extremely fond of classified ad sites because they’re constantly generating new content. This means your ad stands a very good chance of showing up high on the search engine results. It also provides incoming links to your site, which is good for your search engine optimization.

Creating a classified ad

Creating a classified ad for one of these sites take a bit of planning. You want to make sure the site is right for you and your audience first. Make sure the terms of service meet your needs and view other classified ads to see what’s possible and how your ad might look.

Advertising is all about tapping into your prospect’s need, capturing their attention and promising a solution in usually less than 100 words. Study ads that you are compelling and effective, spend some time writing ads and then test ads to see which ones your audience responds to. That’s the great thing about classified ad sites - you can change your ad or post a new one quite easily.

Tips for maximizing your classified ad strategy

There are two essential tips for optimizing your ad strategy. The first is to make sure you write new ads for each site you submit to. This will prevent duplicate content issues and will ensure your classified ad meets the site’s terms and conditions.

Additionally, you can submit them to social bookmarking sites. This is a great way to increase awareness and website traffic.

Classified ads are not a new way to drive traffic to a website; however, it’s a very effective traffic strategy and you can’t beat the return on investment. Add this tool to your traffic generation strategy and watch the numbers grow.

10 Benefits of Launching Your Own Affiliate Program

10 Benefits of Launching Your Own Affiliate Program

There are many benefits to launching your own affiliate program, but here are 10 of the
best reasons to consider implementing this profit-making program.

1. Little to No Startup Cost
It is up to you just how much money you want to invest in launching your own affiliate
program. The only true startup cost that it requires is for you to purchase a reliable
affiliate management software program that will help you to create, implement and grow
your affiliate network.

2. Easy to Manage
An affiliate program can be easy to manage, especially if you set up a well-organized
network and take advantage of helpful software, most of which has the ability to make
your program completely automated. From sign-up to commission tracking, an affiliate
program will leave more time for focusing on your actual business.

3. More time
With advertising your business being handled by your affiliate marketers, and an
automated program that is under control, you will have more time to focus on how to
further grow and develop your business.

4. Free Advertising
Having a team of affiliate marketers is the best way to spread the word about your
business without spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on expensive ads. By
providing your team with links, banners, text ads, sales letters and other marketing
materials, you will gain the exposure you want and need without the exponential price
tag.

5. Increase Visibility
Your affiliate marketers will be doing most, if not all, of the advertising legwork for you.
As your team grows, so will your visibility.

6. More Customers
By reaching more people through your team of affiliates, you will ultimately reach more
potential customers. It’s a pure numbers game. The more recognizable your business
becomes, the greater your customer base will grow.

7. More Subscribers
Not every one who comes across an advertisement for your business will become a
customer, but that doesn’t make them a lost cost. Launching your own affiliate network
will also give you the opportunity to gain more subscribers who have potential to become
a customer later on. Don’t underestimate the power of subscribers. Consider them to be
customers in waiting and it is up to you to reel them in!

8. Search Engine Placement
The more ads and links that carry your business name, the more search engines will pick
up your business, bringing you closer and closer to the top of their lists.

9. Shared Success
You want to be successful and so do your affiliates. By launching your own affiliate
program, you will be giving the opportunity for success to many hard working
individuals who will come to trust and depend on you and your business. When they are
successful, you are successful and that is something to be proud of.

10. Maximize Profits
While it is important to feel good about what you are doing, the bottom line is to make
money. An affiliate program will not only increase but maximize your profits, and that’s
what it’s all about!

 

How To Cope With a Difficult Client

It happens to every business owner at some point in time and chances are, it’ll happen more than once.  You have to cope with a difficult client.  It can be an extremely frustrating and upsetting experience. It can also be a positive experience – really!  Here’s how to take charge of the situation and cope with a difficult client.

Step One.  Determine why your client is unhappy or what is causing them to be difficult.  There are many reasons why a client can be difficult. Do they just rub you the wrong way or are they expecting more than you deliver?  Are they unhappy with your product or service or are they unhappy with their life.  Often, understanding the core issue will help you choose the best approach.

Step Two.  Empathize and apologize.  Regardless of what the core issue is, an apology and an empathetic approach will get you a lot further than being defensive or dismissive.  “I’m sorry you feel that way,” said with sincerity is effective.  Even if you don’t believe you’ve done anything wrong, a carefully worded apology and a bit of understanding can make all the difference.  Sometimes people just want to know that someone cares.

Step Three.  Offer a solution.  In many cases a solution is possible.  Do your best to offer a solution or a choice of solutions.  If you give the difficult client a choice, they’ll feel like they have some power and may back down.  If you’re unable to think go a possible solution to the situation, consider kindly and calming stating that you understand their position and repeat your position and ask them what they think would be a reasonable solution.  You may be surprised by their answer. 

Step Four.  Be ready, and willing, to let go.  Sometimes people are unable to be pleased.  That’s okay.  If you’ve done your best and accommodated the difficult client as much as you are willing to, then it may be time to let go.  If you’re able to approach a situation without expectations or feeling as if you have something to prove, then letting go will be easier and less traumatic for you.  If you do have to release the client and leave them dissatisfied, make the experience as positive as possible for them.  Say something like, “I’m sorry we were unable to come to an agreement.”

Know that often times the most difficult clients can become your best allies and your most loyal customers.  They’ll tell anyone and everyone about you and help grow your business.  They can be a valuable learning experience because you’ll learn more about how to structure your policies and procedures to make sure experiences like this don’t happen again and you’ll learn more about yourself and your ability to handle conflict.  There can be a silver lining when dealing with a difficult client.

 

Are Your Info Products Creating MULTIPLE Income Streams?

You may already be using info products to create passive income – but have you thought about creating multiple income streams?

There are more ways than you may have factored into your sales funnel, when you set out to create that first information product. If that was some time ago, and the product is still bringing in a trickle of money, go back and revisit it.

A Unique Way To Make More Out Of Less

There are several traditional methods to making more info products out of existing ones: however, I’m a firm believer in always looking for the “lone wolf” idea.

My first suggestion: Kill the fear! (That probably wasn’t what you expected me to say, at all…)

Exactly what do I mean by that?

Well, one way to increase your online passive income (especially if you are new) involves taking away the hesitancy factor, when people consider investing in your product. Why spend time creating a video version of your eBook or splitting it into low-cost pay-as-you-go modules – when you can simply increase your conversion rate instead?

People will be less inclined to buy, if you’re not a household name (or at least… not a household name in the internet marketing microcosm!)  To change this and heighten your conversion rate, revisit your sales letter and any associated squeeze pages for your list sign-up, and ask yourself this question as you re-read each one: “Have I removed the risk, and provided social proof?”

4 Ways To Provide Vital “Social Proof”?

This question cuts to the chase because it shifts you sideways, straight to the best path towards removing any “risk” in buying from an Unknown.  By providing social proof, you’re validating yourself, which removes a major buying objection, in your potential customer’s eyes.

Some ways to do this involve:

· Including strong testimonials (check the FTC’s new guidelines on this!)

· Making sure you have a web presence on Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter

· Participate in mastermind group or forum audio seminars – it’s amazing what talking to you in “real time” will do, to enhance your value in your potential market’s eyes!

· Make your guarantee rock solid. Instead of the standard, legal 30-days, offer them 90.  If you dare to take the risk, offer them a full year! This shows your reader that you really believe in your product – and also “cues” him to spend time working with it at committed length (the subliminal message being “this is a packed info product that’s really going to become one of your long-term, valued tools”).

· Provide “proof” in your sales letter. This is difficult to do, if you’re “nobody” – so put other experts and reliable sources to work for you. Quote facts, figures and stats. You can get them from government agencies, research companies and experts you might know. (And if all else fails – ask your local librarian! You’ll most likely find she’s a great source in helping you find the facts you need.)

 

When you’re sure you’ve applied all these powerful actions, and your conversion rate has started to rise – then it’s time to maximize your info product by creating extra videos or DVDs as upsells, or adding fresh bonuses and cross-sell affiliate offers.

After all, why make 3 sales on your new side-offers – when you can boost each 3 to an automatic 33?

 

Do You Offer Flexible Payment Options? Here's why you should...

In order to understand why online payment security and flexibility is important, you only need to do one thing: put yourself in your customer’s shoes.

When you’re online, what are YOU concerned about?

Perhaps you or someone you know has had their identity stolen. It’s something that happens to more than 80% of the population. Scammers and thieves get a hold of your credit card number in a variety of ways. They hack sites, they steal it from the mail and they snatch it right from thin air if you’re on an unprotected and unsecure site.

So when you’re shopping online, do you look for SSL, Secure Socket Layer, certification? Your customers do. They look for that little padlock, certification symbols and the https:// on your site. And if you don’t have them, they’re not going to take a risk and give you their financial information. Can you blame them? Fighting identity theft is a real pain and it can take months if not years to get your money and your identity back.

The good news is that SSL certificates can be purchased from certificate registrars, or if you’re lucky from your website hosting package. Having that little padlock show up when you’re starting to make a transaction, gives your customers a sense of trust and reliability that will offer shoppers peace of mind. This, in turn, will boost the bottom line.

However, you’re not done once you obtain certification. You want to make sure your ecommerce package updates certification and keeps your site up to date against new threats and technological improvement.

But how does this all relate to payment flexibility?

The truth of the matter is, we each have our preference when it comes to how we pay online. Some people do not have credit cards or they have them but they don’t use them. They’re a cash only person. That means they need to be able to pay by debit card or electronic check. Other people have a loyalty to one type of credit card, American Express for example, and if you don’t take that credit card, you’re not getting their business.

It’s too big of a hurdle to jump - if you don’t offer payment flexibility, you’re not going to overcome this obstacle. People want to pay with their chosen method and if you don’t take it, they’re going to go somewhere else. It’s just good for business to offer as many payment options as possible.

When it comes to online shopping, there are two things you can do right. Offer your customers options and protect them from thieves. It shows you respect and appreciate your customers and it’s the best way to ensure repeat business and a good business image.

Why Videos on Ecommerce Sites Attract More Customers

If you’re looking for a way to drive traffic to your site and keep them there, look no further than video. No other tool gives your audience the ability to see inside the company, experience your brand of personality and take a virtual product test drive. Let’s take a look at why video is so powerful.

Video Triggers Purchases 

Liking - It’s pretty simple; we buy from people we like. Video enables you to share your personality, which is subconsciously applied to your business. In the minds of your prospects, your personality is your company personality. This is particularly true of smaller businesses and is a tremendous asset. In fact, many experts agree that a small business owner’s biggest asset to branding their business is their personality. Use video to brand your business by placing your wonderful self in front of the camera and speaking to your audience.

Usability - Product demonstrations are a great way to showcase the usability of a product. You can use the video content to demonstrate both features and benefits, much like a well-written sales letter only in a more accessible format.

Authority - People buy from people or companies they consider to be an authority in their industry. You can use video to demonstrate authority by voicing or demonstrating your knowledge, by providing ‘how to’ content, and by sharing your company’s success through video updates.

Social Proof - Interview an expert or post video testimonials and reviews on your website and you’re tapping into the “social proof” trigger. We often make purchasing decisions based on the opinions of others, particularly if those “others” are celebrities or experts.

Video Encourages Sharing and Interactivity

People love to share videos they find both entertaining and informative. They forward videos from their cell phone, via social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, via email and even forward links verbally.

Social networking sites like Facebook also offer thousands of user created widgets, all designed to enhance sharing of videos and posts.

Video Helps Your Search Engine Optimization

Proper tagging, descriptions and incoming links all help enhance your page ranking, which in turn helps boost traffic. Additionally, all the incoming links from social networking will also help boost your SEO.

Video is one of the most powerful marketing tools an ecommerce business owner has access to. Once you understand how to use this powerful tactic, you will be able to provide valuable content to your audience, drive traffic to your website and increase your bottom line. To an internet marketer, it just doesn’t get better than that. 

 

Tips on How to Be Connected to Your Customers Online 24/7

The advantage to being an internet entrepreneur is you earn money around the clock. Technology enables you to bill and even respond to people while you’re sleeping, hanging out with your family, planning your business and simply enjoying life. However, in order to earn money around the clock and build your business, it’s important to be connected to your customers around the clock.

Here are seven tips to be connected to your customers online 24/7.

1. Automate blog posts. Blogging is a great way to connect with your audience on a very personal level. Unlike articles, blog posts can be written in first person and create a connection no other medium allows. The great thing about blog technology is that you can write your blog posts in advance and schedule them to be posted each day, thus enhancing your customer contact.

2. Incorporate RSS. RSS technology enables customers and website visitors to subscribe to your online content. You can utilize RSS for your website and blog to notify your audience each time new content is added. It’s a great way to connect to your customers on a regular basis.

3. Automate Twitter posts (but don’t forget to interact too). Twitter is a handy social marketing tool because it can also be set up to post on Facebook. And with one of any number of tools, like Seesmic, you can write your posts in advance and schedule them just like a blog. This give you double the opportunity to market your new content, promotions and business-related news, and also provides you with an ongoing opportunity to connect with your customers around the clock.

4. Consider outsourcing 24/7 customer service if you sell products. Customer service is a valuable tool if you sell products. It enables your customers to ask questions right away and enhances the possibility that they’ll actually make a purchase. You can outsource this type of customer service or utilize a software solution. Services like Live Chat have improved conversion rates for some businesses by as much as 20%.

5. Autoresponders for inquiries. There’s nothing more frustrating for a customer than to send a question or comment and not know whether your comment has been received. Autoresponders can be set up quite easily to confirm receipt and to let your customer know how soon they’ll be hearing from you. It’s just good business to respond to customers immediately and autoresponders enable you to do this even when you’re away.

6. Autoresponders for purchases and opt-ins. Another great use for autoresponders is to set up thank you messages for purchases and opt-ins. Let your customers know you appreciate them automatically. You can also use this opportunity to up-sell or to provide more value by offering them something like a coupon on their next order. You can set up a series of autoresponders to be emailed weekly to stay in touch with customers too.

7. A consistent flow of valuable information. While e-newsletters have diminished over the past few years as blogs and social networking has taken off, newsletters, report clubs, and a consistent flow of valuable information is still appreciated by your online customers. Consider using regular emails to stay in contact with your customers on a regular basis and provide them with content and promotions they’ll appreciate.

As the internet becomes more and more competitive and customers become more and more demanding, it pays to be available to them 24/7. Use technology to help you get the job done. A bigger, better bottom line will be the reward.

Overcoming Time Management Obstacles in Easy Steps

Time management can be the single biggest challenge to working from home and being a successful entrepreneur. Learning to overcome these obstacles can be the key to managing and leading a successful business.

What are time management obstacles and what causes them? Many things cause time management obstacles including:

1. Perfectionism - Many people use perfectionism as a crutch; a way to stay busy doing what they know how to do and to let the rest slide. For example, you’re a skilled writer but detest accounting, which means you spend days on a sales letter and your books are so messed up you don’t know who owes you what or how much money you’re making or losing.

2. Procrastination - This happens for a number of reasons. If you’re facing burnout, then you’ll likely feel like avoiding anything related to your business. However, if you’re facing a task you don’t want to do it’s much easier to procrastinate.

3. An inability to say no - Guess what; not only should you not be doing everything – you can’t! And if you try to, something’s going to give. You’re not going to be able to devote your full attention to your business-related tasks, they’ll suffer and your bottom line will suffer.

4. Lack of planning - It’s easy to become caught up in tasks like

* Social networking
* Email
* Phone calls
* Checking stats and website analytics (This is important but you don’t need to obsessively watch the numbers)
* Surfing the net, reading blogs and industry information

One quick email check can turn into a full hour of back and forth email correspondence and before you know it, your entire schedule is off for the day. Planning, and sticking to your plan, helps you stay on track.

To overcome time management obstacles, consider these four steps:

#1 - What’s stopping you?

Look at what’s holding you up. Is it procrastination? Perfection? A lack of planning? What’s getting in your way?

#2 - Prioritize and set goals

Prioritizing and goal setting are two very important components of time management. Goal setting is easiest to accomplish when you set a goal that is attainable and measurable and when you break it down into smaller manageable goals.

Creating a task list is another item that, as strange as it may sound, needs to become a scheduled part of your day and your week. You’ll want to spend a bit of time prior to Monday morning creating a list of tasks and goals for the upcoming week. Keep in mind that some days may be set aside as planning days, days off or meeting days.

#3 - Schedule your day, week and month

Make sure you have time to accomplish the goals, tasks and priorities you’ve established. Set aside the time you need by planning your days, weeks, and even your month out.

To make this process easier, and to lighten your load, there are time management tools like a PDA, desktop scheduling software and the good old fashioned paper calendar, which can help you establish and maintain time management success.

#4 - Get help

Finally, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, it may be time to seek outside help. Consider hiring someone to manage the tasks that seem to get in the way. Often these are the administrative tasks. You can outsource them to a virtual assistant to lighten the load. You can also hire a housekeeper if daily chores are a distraction from your business. And don’t forget about technology. Many tasks can be automated.

Overcoming your time management obstacles is easy when you are able to acknowledge what they are and why they exist. From there it’s merely a process of planning how to overcome them and using the right tools to get the job done.

Strategies to Lure Social Media Traffic to Your Website

Social media is all the rage. Websites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace have become a daily part of mainstream culture. Celebrities tweet, have Facebook pages and everyone seems to be connecting via these online mediums. Business owners are smart to tap into these tools to drive traffic to their sites, yet many are missing the mark. Here's how to lure social media traffic to your website.

1. Offer insight about your industry. When you’re online at your social networking site of choice it’s absolutely important to participate, but how you participate can make all the difference. If you’re merely commenting about what you had for dinner and your new car, then you’re not optimizing the site or your time. Instead, make sure to offer insight about your industry. This doesn’t mean every post has to link to an article or post of yours.

You can link to relevant content on other sites, offer quotes and data. So while it’s great to share your personality on these sites, it’s also important to establish your credibility and authority. Provide relevant and useful information, and people will automatically go to your site to learn more about you and what you have to offer.

2. Use attention-grabbing headlines. Embrace copywriting techniques and post curiosity-driven headlines. Use questions - for example, “Do you want to know how to make $100 in 5 minutes?” You can also use comments, controversy, how-to statements and other attention-grabbing headlines. Don’t forget scarcity and urgency too. “Only one day left to grab your copy of________” 

3. Offer giveaways. People still like getting something for free and you can promote your freebies and giveaways on social networking sites. Reports, online courses or tutorials, blueprints, ebooks and video and audio content are all great ways to motivate traffic to your site.

4. Use special promotions for your unique social media audience. If you have Facebook fans, consider offering them special promotions for signing up and for being a fan. You can do the same thing if you have a twitter account and so on. Consider giving each new friend/follower a coupon via a direct message to them. That coupon will motivate them to at least visit your website and may turn them into a customer or subscriber.

Be willing to test and track to see what works. You can create a special webpage to drive social networking traffic to. You can even duplicate that page and use a unique URL for each site you participate on. This way you can track your traffic from each post and from each social networking site to see what works. It’s a great way to gain insight to your audience and to ensure you’re optimizing your time and efforts.

Planning Pays off

When you're working on a big project, it's easy to get daunted.  By planning the project, and breaking it up into smaller, easy to achieve "mini-goals" you make it seem much less daunting and more achievable.  Plus, whenever you reach one of your smaller goals, you get that extra boost of confidence needed to keep you going.

When you focus really hard on a project, it's really easy to gain a lot of focus and get "on a roll".  The problem is, sometimes you get off track while your focus is so narrow and you end up wasting your concentration on something that doesn't need to be done, or will need to be redone.  By having a clear, written plan, you can always check back to it while you're working to make sure what you're doing serves the ultimate purpose of your project.

While the idea of planning is easy, actually making a plan can take some effort.  Start by breaking down everything that needs to get done into "bite sized" tasks.  You don't need to plan everything down to the minute, but break it down logically by what needs to get done, who needs to do it, and what they need to get it done with.

Once you're done breaking things down, organize them into an ordered list depending on what order things need to be done in, when people and materials are available, and when certain parts just have to be done by.  You can then fit this to a reasonable timeline for getting everything done.

Once you get your plan and get started, you can use it to motivate yourself.  Why not plan small incentives for getting parts of the plan done?  This could be anything from a night out to bringing donuts into the office - whatever motivates you or your team.  If small incentives aren't working, try motivating yourself and others by remembering your ultimate goals, like a better work title or a new car.  Thinking about these objectives will help motivate you until the end.

While it's great to have a plan, always be prepared to revise the plan if needed.  Constant revisions are generally a waste of time, but if there are major changes you didn't anticipate, it will be worth your time to take a second look at your plan and make changes if needed (or verify that everything is as it should be).

Planning projects is a great way to successfully finish them and feel accomplished, but if you really want to make waves, you need to take planning a step further and start planning your business as a whole.  You can use the same concepts of determining your ultimate goals, breaking it into steps, determining who and what you need and developing a timeline.  A life goal probably needs a bit more thought and revision than a project, but the reward is that much sweeter. 

 

How to Start Up Your Own Membership Site

Adding a membership site to your current business is a great way to increase that bottom line and make more money. And just about any business model or type of website can benefit from a membership site. Let’s take a look at how to set up your own membership site.

#1 - Understand how membership sites make money. Members are the ultimate captive audience. Better than a lead list, your members have proven they’re interested; they’ve practically committed themselves to being loyal customers. That means each and every new product or service you offer is going to have a stronger conversion rate with your members.

In addition to being able to sell your product and services to a focused group of people, you’re now able to profit from their subscriptions as well – assuming you charge for membership. Some people choose to make membership free and that’s still a profitable business because again, they’re a captive audience that is essentially presold.  

#2 - Decide how you’re going to make money from your membership site.  In short, will you charge a membership or subscription fee? While many membership sites are free, some make hundreds, even thousands, from subscriptions. And you can stagger subscriptions so you’re receiving passive income year round. Additionally, you can offer various levels of subscriptions. For example, you can offer free memberships which allow access to a portion of your site, silver level memberships and access to a little bit more of the site, gold memberships, and platinum memberships that allow access to your entire site.

This way you’re appealing to all income levels and all levels of commitment.

Once you have a membership site up and running you have the opportunity to generate multiple streams of income. You can sell affiliate products and profit from AdSense, advertising sales, and by selling information.

#3 - If you don’t already have a business website or chosen niche, get one. First, consider what you like to do, what you’re interested in, and what you’re good at. Membership sites fit almost any business model and industry. For example, if you love to cook then you can have a membership site that offers recipes and shopping lists.

#4 - Decide how you’re going to market to your membership site. When you offer varying degrees of membership, you can market to each segment differently. You can create high end products geared specifically for the customers that you know can afford it and appreciate it. And you can offer incentives to upgrade membership.

#5 - Choose your membership site software, decide on a membership fees and how you’re going to facilitate the billing process (shopping cart software with recurring billing features should do the trick) and get your website up and running. Of course, don’t forget to create and implement marketing strategies to let the world know about your wonderful new membership site.

Membership sites are a great way to boost profits for an ongoing business or to start a new business. People enjoy the scarcity of belonging to a site which gives them special privileges, and they like being part of a community. Capitalize on these buying triggers with your own membership site.

Outsourcing: Expand Your Workforce

When it comes to starting your own business, you'll likely eventually need other people to do work for you.  Instead of hiring employees, you might consider finding contractors to outsource your work to.  This will not only save you money, it has a lot of other benefits as well.

When you hire your own employees, you have to pay a lot more than just their salary.  Employers have to pay employee benefits like health and accident insurance, paid vacation, social security, and other additional expenses.  While most of these are small costs, over time they add up to quite a bit of money out of your pocket.  If you hire contractors instead of employees, they pay for their own benefits, so you don't have to worry about the expenses.  The only downside is that, because they incur these expenses themselves, they generally add these expenses into their fees.

In addition to paying for benefits for your employees, you also pay for training.  Even if someone comes into your business with experience, they still don't usually know exactly how your business works and it takes time for you to get them up to speed.  If there is a new program or style you want them to use, you need to train them on it.  A contractor does their own training so you don't have to worry about it.  Plus, if you don't like the quality of work you're getting from a contractor, you can just get a new one.  When you get a new employee, you have to go through the hassle and expense of training a whole new person. 

Another financial benefit to hiring contractors is that you only pay them when they work, and they only work when you have business, and therefore profits.  If you lose a client or have less work to go around, you can simply stop using a contractor.  If someone is your employee, you either have to pay them even though they don't have work to do, or lay them off, which is a financial drain as well. 

Contracting out work decreases your overhead costs in addition to not having to pay salaries.  Keeping employees also requires you to have a place for them to work.  This includes the costs of owning or renting space, computers and other equipment for them to work on, office supplies, bathrooms, and a whole slew of other things required to run an office, all of which cost you money.  You can avoid all these costs when you hire out work; however, remember that contractors factor this into their charges.  At the same time, you avoid these costs altogether when work is slow. 

While outsourcing is a great way to save money, it has other positives.  Outsourcing helps your reduce your business risk. Since you're not obligated to hire anyone when you don't have business, you can procect yourself in case of hard times.  It's easy to lean down your business and survive until work picks up again.  Outsourcing also adds a degree of flexibility to your business.  If you decide to head in a different direction with your work, you can simply hire new contractors instead of retraining employees.  This lets you be adaptable and makes you much more likely to survive and turn a profit.

Outsourcing can be a great way to expand your workforce without breaking the bank.

Wanting to hire your first VA or other virtual professional?  Be sure to check out our Marketing Mini-Guide on Online Outsourcing. 

You'll find it here:  http://www.a25hourday.com/publications.html

 

iGoogle’s “What’s Popular” Gadget – What Is It and How Can I Use It?

Google is always innovating and adding new tools for both business owners and general people to utilize. One of the more recent additions is an iGoogle gadget called “What’s Popular.” 

This gadget provides users with the ability to see what’s popular. It works a bit like Digg in that it displays links, titles and a one or two sentence description of popular items of interest. Users can also add URLs to the list displayed on the page.

The great thing about iGoogle for website owners is that you don’t need a login, username or account to vote on the popularity of a website. And as just stated, you can add URLs to the list. That means you can submit your own web pages to be included without any penalty from Google.

Now if you want to submit your URL using your Google account, you can edit the title and description of the page. This is useful because you may be able to create a more interesting description, tap into keywords you know your audience is looking for and tap into needs and desires your target audience has.

Users vote by simply clicking on the up or down arrow to indicate if they agree or disagree with the URLs popularity. And of course they can search, because what’s a Google gadget if you can’t search the web? 

iGoogle’s “What’s Popular” gadget also offers bookmarking functions in the gadget so you can see the items you’ve voted for and the URLs you’ve added. You can also filter results by stories, videos, images and date added.

Unfortunately, Google doesn’t provide any information on how they determine if something is popular or not, so it’s difficult to optimize your site for inclusion. However, with other Google search tools and algorithms, they typically take the following factors into consideration:

* Links pointing to a page
* The number of times a page has been submitted to the gadget
* User votes 
* Relevancy - is the topic on the page relevant to the website itself?
* Newsworthiness - if your topic is relevant to today’s headlines, you have a better chance of being listed.

To utilize this gadget you must have an iGoogle account. That means visiting iGoogle and signing up for an account and then simply visiting http://www.google.com/ig/directory, searching for the “What’s Popular” gadget and installing it on your chosen iGoogle page. Once it’s on, then you’re able to begin using it, ranking websites, and adding URLs.

iGoogle works much like other social bookmarking tools and enables browsers and webmasters to become an active part of what’s  popular and notable online. Browsers feel empowered and quality websites and web content are recognized for their worth.

How to Persuade and Influence Others

The ability to influence and persuade others is a highly coveted skill. When you can accomplish it, you’re able to build your business quickly, you’re able to work better with others and you’re able to attain your goals with less struggle. The good news is that influencing and persuading others is actually less complicated than you may think. Let’s take a look at how to do it.

#1 - Empathize

The only way, and this is important, to be able to persuade others is to first understand where they’re coming from. For example, let’s say you sell cars and someone comes to your lot looking for a car. They’re looking at the minivans and you assume it’s because they have children and start to talk about all the benefits of minivans for families.

If they’re looking at minivans because they like car camping, well then you’ve completely missed the mark and all your persuasive talk is going to fall flat. So the very first thing to do is to understand your audience but more importantly, to be able to put yourself in their shoes. What do they want, need and hope for? What are their struggles and how can you solve them?

#2 - Learn to listen

Listening is more than half of the persuasion equation. Everyone wants to be heard and understood, and that begins by simply asking a few questions and actually listening to the answers. In fact, give it a try. The next time you are introduced to someone new, ask them a question or two and then sit back and listen. People love to talk so you’ll learn a ton about them. And they’ll be so darned pleased that you cared enough to engage them in conversation and actually listen to them that they’ll be happy to listen to you when you have something to say or something to ask for.

#3 - Know what you’re talking about

People have a tremendous respect for experts, people skilled and knowledgeable in their industry or niche topic. When you know what you’re talking about and can communicate that effectively, people will be open to listening to how you can solve their problems.

#4 - Reciprocity

Reciprocity is a buying trigger. It says that when we get something from someone, we’re more inclined to give them something. For example, when you get a free ebook from someone, you’re more inclined to give them your email address. Reciprocity also helps you persuade and influence others.

#5 - Timing

Finally, sometimes you have to wait for the right moment. They say timing is everything and it’s why internet entrepreneurs spend so much time building a list and contacting customers regularly – eventually hoping that the timing will be right. This again goes back to knowing your audience and understanding or empathizing with them. When you know your audience, you can better predict the right time to sell to them.

Persuasion and influence, like many other skills, are improved by practice. Practice empathizing, listening and the other tips we’ve offered and notice what works for you and what areas you could use some work on. It’s worth the effort! Imagine what being better able to persuade and influence others could do to your business and your family life!

How to Get More Traffic from StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon is a search tool for internet surfers. By using a toolbar, users can give the thumbs up or down on recommended sites. StumbleUpon pays attention to your preferences and suggests pages based on your reaction and the reviews of others to sites. As an internet marketer, this is a great way to drive traffic to your site. Here’s how:

Embrace standard SEO procedures. For example, it’s important to tag your site in a relevant category so StumbleUpon can find you. Additionally, you’ll want to insert the StumbleUpon integration code to pages in your site. However, you also want other people to stumble your pages, so don’t list every page yourself.

Embrace standard copywriting procedures. People are going to stop and review your site if you have attention-grabbing headlines and relevant and valuable content. Some experts suggest making sure your site is extremely content rich with information that cannot be read in one sitting. That way you’ll receive repeat visits from StumbleUpon.

Build a community. In addition to becoming actively involved with StumbleUpon so you know how it works and how better to optimize your content for the site, you’ll want to build a community around your website. This way you’ll be able to actively promote StumbleUpon on your website and in your communications, and visitors will naturally visit StumbleUpon, install the toolbar and start giving you the thumbs up!

Always give something away for free. You know the drill - to build your opt-in list and traffic to your site, give them something for free. This technique drives traffic from visitors that come to you via any medium, and StumbleUpon is no different. And they’re more likely to give you a thumbs up if they’re getting something for free – reciprocity.

Embrace standard website procedures. For example, make sure your site URL is easy to remember. Make sure your site is easy to navigate and make sure it’s also appealing to the eye. People sometimes give a thumbs up just because they like the way your site looks.

Finally, ask people to rate your site. Ask friends and family to give you a StumbleUpon thumbs up. Ask current list members, customers and even associates to get on StumbleUpon and rate your site and actively promote StumbleUpon on your website(s).

StumbleUpon is a great social tool to build your website traffic, community and profits.  Use it, promote it, and follow general optimization, content and website design recommendations. Once you’re doing well on StumbleUpon, experts say your traffic can increase by as much as 800-1000 visitors each day. That’s nothing to stumble over!

Want FREE Marketing? Here's How to Write, Distribute & Get the Media to Pick Up a Press Release

If you’re wondering how to get more exposure for your business – without spending a lot of money – you are not alone. It’s one of those tough questions all small business owners face. 

Sure you can advertise, but that gets pricey. And your returns are never guaranteed. Besides, people are so bombarded with advertising. they look at ads with scepticism and even downright suspicion. That’s no good for small business owners on a budget. 

So what are your options?

Most major newspapers won't really let you advertise on the front page, but one major US paper will charge you $3813.45 to run a 5"x3" black and white 1 time run ad in their business section. You'll find similar rates with other large publications. OUCH!

You might get yourself on the front page of a small, local paper, but they'll still charge you a bunch of cash for a tiny ad. One such tiny US paper will give you a 4-1/4" x 1-3/4" ad on the front page and run it for you once for $150 a pop.

But what about Online Advertising?

Online advertising tends to be a bit more affordable and it's easier to track your results, but consider if you buy banners, you'll still be paying up to 10 cents per IMPRESSION or even more. This means you'll pay something like 2 to 10 cents every time your banner is shown -- forget about how many times someone clicks through to view your offer.

Or you can make a relatively safer investment in pay-per-click search engines because you only pay when someone clicks to view your offer. But click prices are going through the roof. It's tough to find those highly effective 10 cent bids. You can expect to pay $1, $2 or even $10 for some very highly competitive keyword phrases.

Don't get me wrong. These are viable options for promoting your business, but there is a way to gain plenty of exposure for your business that's even better than advertising and it's free.

That free tool is simply PRESS RELEASES.

Did you know that you can get stories about your company on TV, on the radio, in newspapers, in magazines & on the Internet just by writing about what's new with your company? And remember, these are stories about your company. They are not ads. People read and believe stories. They don't look on them with suspicion as they do with advertising.

You can't BUY exposure like that.

If you'd like to add Press Release Marketing to your toolkit for 2009, I have TWO resources for you.

First, I just set up a FREE 15-day tutorial that walks you through the process of writing, distributing and getting the media to pick up your press release campaign.

Just click here to hop over to that page now

In the tutorial, you'll find info about the SECOND resource - essentially a FULL Home Study Course focusing on how to use Press Releases effectively in your business.  You get a step-by-step manual, audio program, press release template, 10 sample press releases for your swipe file and 3 Quick Study Guide Bonuses:  How to Use Press Releases for Affiliate Marketing, How to Use Press Releases for Niche Marketing and How to Use Press Releases for Search Engine Optimization.

For both resources, I make a special offer - simply send me your completed press release, along with a testimonial about how the tutorial or Home Study Kit helped you get the job done - and I'll help you distribute it through my personal online connections.  I'm happy to do that for anyone who is willing to push up their sleeves and really give the strategy a try.

Full details can be found here

Common Mistakes In Upselling

Upselling exists simply to make you more money after having already sold a product. With the right tools and training, anyone can learn how to upsell and make a decent profit. However, there some common mistakes that sales people make when trying to upsell a product and all of them mean a loss in revenue for your business if not addressed and corrected. 

So what are the common mistakes?

Being Too Pushy - This is definitely a turn off to a potential customer. All too often the salesperson is so eager to make the sale that they get way to ahead of themselves and push the customer into a corner. This can make the customer feel almost attacked or pressured to buy the product. You don't want this to be the outcome of your sales tactic. You want the customer to be at ease when they are being pitched to and more importantly, receptive.

Offering the Wrong Type of Upsell - When offering an upsell to a customer it is important that the upsell is something that is in relation to the sale you just made on the bigger ticket item. This can be in the instance of person who just bought a digital camera, offering a memory card will fit perfectly in with the initial sale and is something they will need. You want them to want to have this service and be aware of all the reasons they need it. You don't want to upsell something that has no relation to the product at all, it has to relate in some fashion.

Not Being Persistent - Yes there is a way to upsell and be persistent without being pushy. It all relies on the information you are relaying. It needs to be convincing and something the customer believes. If you go out and just start spouting off some sales pitch, it could seem unconvincing and forced. You want to have conviction in your speech so the customer believes what you are saying and ultimately wants the product.

Need a little help perfecting your upsell?  click here for a resource

Fear of Failure Can Hold You Back

Are you struggling to get started living your dreams and accomplishing your goals because you’re afraid you’re going to fail?  It’s a natural feeling. Even the most successful people fear failure. However, the difference between successful folks and those who haven’t achieved their dreams and goals is what they let fear control.

Fear of failure can hold you back or it can help you grow

Accepting that fear is a natural and human response is only the beginning. What you do with that fear is the key to success. If you take that fear and forge ahead regardless, then you learn how to quieten your fear. This makes you stronger the next time it creeps up. You’ve learned that fear is just an emotion - useful if a bear is chasing you but not so useful in business.

You can also let the fear hold you back. Then you learn that fear is stronger than you are, holding you back from achieving any goal that feels risky.

Failure means you’re trying

Failure is something that happens only if you’re trying. No trying to achieve any goals and there’s no failure, right? Ask anyone who’s achieved a respected level of success how they got there, and chances are they’ll tell you it took perseverance, a lot of failures and the determination to look failure in the eye and continue on. No one achieves any level of success without failing, often many times. The difference between them and others is that they have the ability to manage their fear.

Getting beyond your fears

There are two types of people in the world, it seems. There are those who dive right into the cold swimming pool and those who must start by dipping their toe in first. What type of person are you? If you’re a dive right in sort of person, then the best way to get over your fear of failure is to establish a goal, a goal that’s risky and you might not achieve, and then to just do it. Acknowledge your fear and then shove it aside.

If you’re a dip your toe in type of person then the best way to overcome your fear is with a bit of analysis. Take a look at exactly what it is you’re afraid of. Are you afraid you’ll lose money? Look ridiculous? Do a bad job?  Once you’ve analyzed exactly what it is you’re afraid of, ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen. If you’re afraid of doing a bad job, what’s the worst that could happen? Generally, the worst, unless it’s certain death, is so much more insignificant than our fears.

Take a look at your business goals

What’s the worst that could happen if you don’t achieve them? Now, ask yourself what’s the best thing that can happen when you do achieve them? It’s worth the risk, right? Whether you’re a toe dipper or a dive right in, there is a way to manage fear of failure. Know that it’s human, it serves a purpose and you’re stronger than your thoughts and emotions. Go out there and take a few risks!

Expand Your Opportunities by Thinking “Outside the Box”

Do you ever think, “I wish I’d thought of that?”  Chances are you have. We have all from time to time recognized a great idea for its value, and of course wished we’d been the one to have the idea. The truth is, you can have great ideas of your own. All you have to do is think outside of the box.

What does outside-the-box thinking mean?

Inside the box is where we live 99% of the time. It’s where the rules are. It’s where our habits, beliefs and limitations keep us. Inside the box is safe because it’s what we know. We can therefore predict with a certain level of certainty, the potential success of any thought or action inside the box.

Outside the box, it’s a free-for-all. There are no rules, no limiting beliefs and no preconceptions. It’s total and wonderful chaos. When we allow our thoughts to travel to where there are no rules or guidelines, where anything is possible, the world opens up. This is where true innovation happens, creativity inspires us and growth has a chance to occur.

What was once impossible

The internet was definitely an outside-the-box leap. Someone took the concept of linking computers together and the idea grew. Where would you be today without the internet?

Airplanes wouldn’t exist either. When you think about what those Wright Brothers conceived, it is both mind-boggling and inspiring. At the time the only things that flew were birds and kites. Who could imagine that you could put thousands of pounds in the air and keep it up there for hours?

Now think about what outside-the-box thinking could mean for your business

Innovation is really the only way to really grow a business. And innovation doesn’t mean you have to create the next life-changing invention. Outside-the-box thinking means pondering the possibilities of what could be, without restrictions based on what is. Outside-the-box thinking can be:

* A new perspective on how to perform a task
* A new way to market or sell an opportunity
* Finding a new value for a product or service 
* Forging a new partnership
* And of course creating a new product or service

When you allow yourself to think outside the box, your business opportunities really take off.

How to think outside the box

This is actually the hard part, because it’s difficult to know where to start. One place to start is to identify problems and then brainstorm solutions - the more absurd the better. Make a game of it and try to come up with 50-100 potential solutions. This will challenge you to get creative with your answers. Many of them will be downright ridiculous. However, if you step back and take a look at your solutions and examine your assumptions and why you believe they’re ridiculous, then you may come up with a new and innovative way of doing things.

Outside-the-box thinking can be an invigorating and motivating practice. Add it to your regular planning sessions and watch the inspiring and creative ideas flow.

 

Does It Pay Off to Outsource Your SEO?

Search engine optimization is a must for a business to grow online. Regardless of your business model, the more website visitors you have, the more conversions you’ll have. Thus, SEO is essential to grow your bottom line. However, it can be a time-consuming process and if you don’t know SEO from your elbow, then there’s a bit of learning to do. So should you outsource your SEO? Does it make smart business sense?

What does an SEO company do?

Before you can decide whether to outsource your SEO tasks, it’s important to know what most SEO companies do. Most search engine optimization companies, whether they’re a one-person show or have several employees, offer the following services:
 
1. Website audit. The first thing most SEO companies will do is analyze your site as it stands today. Is it being indexed?  What is working and what isn’t?

2. Keyword research. The next step many companies will take is to conduct keyword research. That means researching the keywords your customers are using to find you.

3. Recommendations. The third step is typically for a SEO company to provide you with a strategy. They may include manual submission to search engines for indexing as part of the services they provide, or they may not. They will most definitely have outlined a content and link building strategy for you. What happens next is where firms begin to differ.

They’ll almost always provide HTML coding service to tweak your site optimally for the search engines. Then they’ll either provide all of the services to you, including content writing, or they may simply offer to make sure the links are properly inserted and you’ll have someone else write the content. They may tell you how they suggest you build incoming links, or they may offer to handle the process for you. They may also offer tracking and maintenance to ensure the SEO efforts are working.

So one of the ways to evaluate if a service is worth hiring is to compare the services they offer with your needs. Here are a few other factors to compare them by:

* Their reputation in the industry. It’s important to make sure the SEO company has a good reputation, not only for knowing what they’re doing and getting results but also for using legitimate and respected techniques.

* The policies and procedures. When and how will they communicate with you?  How long will the processes take?  How often do they evaluate their results? These are just some of the questions to consider when evaluating a potential provider.

* Finally, what does it cost to hire them?  Remember, you get what you pay for so hiring a dollar store SEO expert will likely not get you the results you’re looking for. The most expensive SEO jobs — costing up to $10,000 to $20,000 a month – are only required if you have hundreds of product pages. Many experts charge by the page and prices average around $100/page but can certainly be higher or lower.

Analyzing ROI

One of the questions you’ll want to ask yourself before outsourcing your SEO is how much it’s worth to you. In this calculation, you’ll want to consider your hourly value. If it takes you four hours to accomplish what an SEO expert can accomplish in an hour and you’re losing $50/hour trying to code your site when it would have cost you $100 to use an SEO expert, then yes - it might be worthwhile to outsource this task.

That being said, SEO is something you can most certainly accomplish yourself. If you do a bit of research and are willing to experiment with the results then it can be quite satisfying, and profitable, to watch your website grow in the page rankings.  So, does it pay to outsource your SEO?  It depends on where you value your time and money and the SEO expert you hire.
 

Design Tips to Improve Your Advertising and Direct Mail

 
Direct mail and advertising are two extremely powerful marketing tools when they’re done correctly. And there are key steps you can take to ensure not only that you’re getting the best conversion rate, but that you’re maximizing your response. These keys rest in the design of your piece. Let’s take a look at ten design tips to improve your advertising and direct mail.

#1 - Make sure any graphics you use assist the sale rather than detract from it. Graphics in your advertising piece or direct mail piece serve two main purposes, they are there to elicit an emotional response and they’re there to pull your reader into the copy. If the graphics distract, get rid of them!

#2 - Make sure the fonts are easy to read. Body copy generally should be a serif font and the headlines and subheadings should be a bold serif or a sans serif. Make sure the font color you choose is easy to read on the background you’ve chosen as well. A white font on a light gray background is going to be clicked away from almost immediately. People don’t want to strain their eyes to read your ad.

Test for colors in your headlines too. For example, it’s often found that red headlines draw more conversions. That may or may not be the case for your audience; test it.

#3 - Use special handwriting and formatting to draw the reader’s attention to certain aspects of your letter. Many copywriters have found that a personalized signature help the reader feel connected. Additionally, rather than using standard bullets in your direct mail piece, what about stars, checkmarks or other unique symbols.

#4 - Photographs can really boost conversions. What photos do you use?  Photos of people who represent your audience are the best bet. It helps the message connect to your reader. For example, if you’re marketing to moms, then you could include a picture of a mom with her child.

#5 - Who is your audience?  If they’re an older generation then they’re probably not going to relate to or appreciate a piece that’s graphically heavy. However, if you’re marketing to a younger crowd then they do appreciate lots of graphics.

#6 - Show the product.  If you’re marketing a product, by all means show it. That includes digital information products. Have a cover designed and use it in your sales copy.

#7 - Use real stamps instead of a postage meter. They’re less inclined to dismiss it as junk mail if you use a real stamp.

#8 - Address your envelope personally, or at least make it look like it’s addressed personally so they don’t dismiss your direct mail piece as junk mail.

#9 - Place a teaser on the outside of the envelope. A teaser is a bit of tantalizing copy that makes your direct mail piece irresistible.

#10 - Consider the envelope itself. One of the most successful envelopes is a standard white #10 envelope. However, be sure to test the success rate. You may want to change the color of the envelope, use a window envelope or change the size of the envelope depending on your market.

Direct mail and advertising is as much a science as it is an art. There are tried and true methods for reaching an audience and converting them; however, your audience might be unique. Track and test what works until you have a proven recipe for success.

Don’t Let Criticism Stop You From Achieving

There’s a saying that says if you’re not receiving criticism, you’re not trying very hard. Criticism comes in many forms and from many directions. There are of course two ways to handle criticism; you can let it derail you or you can deal with it. Here’s how to deal with criticism effectively.

Step One: Take a deep breath and adjust your perspective.

It’s easy to get defensive and to automatically feel attacked when you receive criticism. However, if you can adjust your perspective as you’re receiving the negative feedback, it’s easier to actually hear what the person is saying.

Step Two: Allow yourself time to evaluate the criticism.

Now, here’s the key. If you’re in the middle of a project or task that requires your full attention, you’ll want to cultivate the ability to set the criticism and your reaction to it aside until you can think about it clearly and without emotion. Once you’re able to give the criticism space in your thoughts, try to separate your emotional response from your logical one. Sometimes, criticism has validity. No one’s perfect and even if you’re darn close, there’s probably room for improvement.

Step Three: Be conscious of your thoughts.

So here’s the deal: we’re great as emotional beings at letting our thoughts take over. After receiving criticism, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed with negative emotions. We can feel angry with the person who criticized us and frustrated that our efforts weren’t received better. Our self-esteem can plummet and we may feel as if our goals and dreams are never going to be attained.

However, as emotional beings we also have control over our thoughts. The key is to become conscious of them first, to acknowledge the thoughts we’re having and then to change them. You can decide to focus on the positive. You can decide that your dreams and goals are worth achieving and you can decide that even though you received some criticism, it doesn’t have to ruin your day. It doesn’t even have to ruin the moment.

Finally, take that criticism and put it where it belongs.

If there’s some validity to it, then find out what you need to do to improve. If you’re unsure if the criticism has any truth to it, then seek a second and even a third opinion – but only if the criticism is important. If the criticism is totally off base, toss it in the garbage can like moldy cheese and let it go.

Because if you’re receiving criticism, it means you’re taking action. You’re doing something daring, worthwhile and challenging. And that’s always a good thing!

 

How to Balance Your Work Schedule during the Holidays

Once the holidays come around it seems schedules and staying on task fly right outside the window. Not only do you have your regular business tasks which may increase due to the holiday season, but family is often off work and out of school. And then of course there are the holiday festivities, which means preparation time. Is balance possible, or do you just throw up your arms and give into chaos? Don’t give up! Here’s how to balance your work schedule during the holidays.

Set realistic goals

No matter how you might like it to be otherwise, there are only 24 hours in a day, and it may seem like there are actually much less. While a standard week’s goals might be to implement a marketing strategy, hire a contractor, and bill 20 hours of work, during the holidays you’re going to want to cut back and focus on the essential tasks, the tasks that make money. And your goals may need to be reduced. If you normally bill 20 hours of coaching, for example, then you may need to cut back during the holidays and bill only 10 or 15.

Alter your schedule

With family in town, or if you're traveling out of town and have holiday outings to tend to, it’s likely that your schedule is going to have to change. If for example, you normally work from 9-1 during the day, then you may want to shift your hours to when family members are asleep or are less active.

Automate and seek outside help

While the holidays isn’t a great time to try a new contractor, it is a great time to hand off some work to someone you’re familiar with. Hiring a new employee during the holidays only makes it harder on you and they may not be as available as you’d like. And remember how wonderful technology is.

You can schedule your blog posts and email marketing in advance. And you can use a voicemail and an email autoresponder to let customers and prospects know you’ll get back to them. This means you won’t miss potential business and you can enjoy family time without having to be chained to the phone.

Balancing your work schedule during the holidays can be difficult. However, it is possible with a little planning and dedication. You’ll want to cut back, focus on specific and attainable goals, goals that are directly related to your bottom line. You may also need to adjust your schedule and of course take advantage of technology and your contractors – they’re there to help! Lighten your load as much as possible and enjoy the holiday season. You deserve it!

Common Mistakes That Stifle Entrepreneurial Success

Entrepreneurs are no different from other people in that we all make mistakes. The difference is that when an entrepreneur makes a mistake, their business suffers. The good news is, many of these mistakes can easily be avoided. Let’s take a look at the five most common mistakes that stifle entrepreneurial success and how to avoid them.

Common mistake #1: Operating without a plan

Planning and having a business plan are your primary roles as an entrepreneur. In fact, business experts recommend you spend at least 25% of your time as a business owner planning. To begin a business without a plan, and to continue without analyzing and changing your plan as you grow, is a sure way to struggle to succeed. It’s like heading out for a drive and not knowing how to get where you’re going. 

So what’s the cure? Plan! Start with a business plan that outlines your audience, competition, vision and mission, product or service and marketing strategy. Once you have a plan, schedule time into each and every week to plan your business. Analyze what’s working, what isn’t and where you’re going to go from here.

Common mistake #2: Managing your business instead of leading it

As a small business owner just getting started, it makes sense that you may be the one person who does everything. However, as you grow that practice isn’t going to continue to make sense; you’re going to run out of hours or end up eliminating tasks that are necessary to grow your business.

You don’t, for example, spend all your time invoicing and bookkeeping if your time could be better spent coaching clients and bringing in profits. Leading your business means knowing that it’s better to focus on your specialized skills and hire or outsource to others for their specialized skills. Leading means building a team of people to help you grow your business rather than trying to do it all yourself.

Common mistake #3: Not having a system

The most successful entrepreneurs have a system that keeps them productive. It may be something as simple as using Outlook to prioritize your tasks and then not closing the door to your office until they’re all completed. It may be something more complicated. The point isn’t what system you use - that's going to be personal to you - the point is to have a system that helps you stay organized and productive.

Common mistake #4: Overextending yourself

It’s so easy to have your fingers in too many cookie jars. When you start experiencing business success, you want more - it’s only natural. So you start other businesses, you launch new products or services and you partner with others. Unfortunately, all this activity pulls your focus in many directions. The result is that you’re only able to devote a small part of your attention to each project rather than your full attention to a single project, and that affects your success.

The cure? Make sure, before you take anything new on, that you can devote your full attention to the project and give it the focus it deserves.

Common mistake #5: Trusting the wrong people

Trusting the wrong people doesn’t mean you’re susceptible to scammers, it means that you’re putting your faith and commitment into people who are not going to help you grow your business. This includes partners, employees, contractors and even services.

Before you take any steps to forge a relationship with anyone, assess whether it’s going to help you grow your business, set goals for the relationship and establish measures to track and evaluate your success.

If you’ve already made one of these mistakes, not to worry. They’re survivable and may even lead to bigger and better opportunities. Don’t be hard on yourself. Mistakes means you’re actually pushing yourself and striving to achieve your goals, and that in and of itself is a wonderful thing.

How to Holiday Prep Your Website

One of the best ways to ensure your business website capitalizes on holiday sales is to take extra care to prep your website before the holiday season is upon you. Not sure what a holiday website prep entails? Simple, just follow these five easy steps.

Step #1 - Holiday Search Engine Optimization
 
Assuming your search engine optimization is effective and running smoothly, website holiday preparation involves creating a separate search engine optimization strategy for the holidays. Spend some time researching the keywords and keyword phrases your customers might use during the holiday season to find your information. Optimize your site and new holiday content for these holiday keywords and keyword phrases. Add the required HTML coding and create a strategy to build incoming links for this seasonal strategy.

Step #2 - Make your website more user friendly

Broken links, graphics that take a day and a half to upload, and difficult navigation are all ways to lose a potential holiday customer. Make your website experience as positive as possible for your visitors. Give them every reason to want to stay on your site. Give them every reason to recommend your website and to come back often. This includes making your site searchable, enhancing navigation, adding holiday graphics and products or services, and offering a wealth of valuable content.

Step #3 - Is your server up to speed? 

Are your website, software, and server, prepared for a rush of traffic and transactions?  Find out how much traffic your website and supporting software can support and make sure it’s more than enough to cover you during those peak buying times. Additionally, take some time to back up your site just in case it crashes. You’ll be glad you did.

Step #4 - Protect your customers

In addition to making sure your policies, procedures and privacy statements are easy to find and up to date, make sure your customers’ transactions are secure and protected. Update your SSL and only participate with vendors who do the same. Identity theft is scary and customers will be more likely to purchase from you if they know they’re protected.

Step #5 - Is your shopping cart functioning optimally?

Spend some time running through test transactions so you see what your customers see. How can you improve the user experience and make shopping on your site, and paying for products or services, as easy and enjoyable as possible?  One of the most common causes of lost sales are abandoned shopping carts. If you need to get some new shopping cart software or tweak the process, do it now before the holidays hit.

The holidays are an optimal time to boost annual sales and to capitalize on an increase in website traffic. Making sure your website is ready for the influx of visitors and sales is the best first step you can take. Come December, you’ll be glad you took the time to perfect your customer experience and website now.

 

Strategies to Avoid Wasting Time Online

Whether you're starting your own business, working at an established company, or just trying to get things done around the house, there's a good chance there's one thing intent on keeping you from getting things done: the Internet.  It's especially difficult if your work requires you to be at the computer, hovering over your temptation.  They key to getting things done is to not stop fighting.  Here are some tips for keeping yourself on track.
 
* Schedule breaks.  While distracting yourself all the time is obviously bad, you can't concentrate all the time.  Taking scheduled breaks will let your mind reset and leave you refreshed to be more productive during your working time.  
 
The key is getting back to work once the break is done.  Set specific time limits on your breaks and be strict about keeping yourself to them.  Try to limit your break time activities to ones you know you can stop doing once your time is up.  If you're addicted to a computer game, that's probably not the best thing to do during your down time.
 
* Get a buddy to back you up.  If you have trouble with self-discipline, why not borrow someone else's.  If you've set time limits on how long you can take a break, have them check on you to make sure you're gotten back to work.  They can also check up on you at unscheduled times so you never know when they might be coming.
 
It's important too make sure your buddy is someone dependable and that you value their opinions and advice.  Otherwise their help might not be as helpful as you'd like.
 
* Is there a particular website that causes you problems?  You can go into your Internet permissions and block this website so you cannot get to it.  Sometimes, going through the extra step of unblocking the website to use it is enough extra effort for you to regain willpower and keep yourself from giving in.  If not, get someone else to block the website and not give you the password.  Be sure to set up an agreement for using the website before setting up the password.  For example, you can only use the website after a specific project is done or goal is met.
 
* Work offline.  Even online and computer-based businesses have work that can be done offline.  If you find you keep switching to distracting websites, leave the computer and work on something else for a while.  If you need to get work done on your computer, do it at times when you are more able to concentrate and not stray around online.  
 
If you need to do work on the computer, but don't need the Internet, try unplugging your connection.  If you have a laptop, you can go somewhere without Internet so you wont be tempted to reconnect.
 
While the Internet can be a big distraction, with a little effort you can turn it back into being just a great work tool.

Ten Ways to balance work and family

Balancing a work life and a home life can be difficult, but with a little knowledge and planning, you can make it work for you.  Here are ten tips that will help you balance your work life and home life.

1.  Set realistic goals.  It's pretty much a given fact that if you want to achieve something big, you have to make some sacrifices.  While the select few can manage, most people can't become a CEO and run a successful household.  When setting your goals, be realistic and don't stretch yourself too thin.

2.  Make schedules.  Keeping track of work and your family can be difficult to plan.  Try to keep a set schedule from day to day and week to week if you can.  Always remember to make a written schedule and give everyone a copy.

3.  Take time for yourself.  It's a natural instinct of mothers (and fathers) to sacrifice themselves for the good of their family.  However, it's important to remember that if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else.  Try to schedule in at least a few minutes of "you time", whether it be going for a run, watching your favorite TV show, or just sitting in a room by yourself to relax for a few minutes.  

4.  Work from home.  If you can do your work over the Internet or phone, you may be able to swing working at least part of the time from home, giving you more time to spend with your family.  Just remember that there are a lot more things at home to distract you from getting your work done.

5.  Get some exercise.  Working out is not only a great way to stay healthy and gain energy, it's also a great way to spend time with your kids.  Instead of hitting the gym, go play ball in the park or take them for a walk.

6.  Take advantage of leave.  Most jobs allow you a certain amount of leave, but when we become small business owners, a lot of us fail to give ourselves any time off.  Whether you use such leave to go on a vacation with your family or just use it to take a well-deserved rest day every so often, do it. 

7.  Prioritize.  When making your to-do lists, figure out the things that are most important for you to do and get them done first.  If there isn't enough time to do everything, you won't feel as bad about what you have to cut.

8.  Take classes.  As many people will tell you, there's no manual on how to be a good parent and have a successful career.  But if you search around your community, you can find classes and seminars from people that have been where you are and managed to do well.  They can give you inspiration along with helpful tips and tidbits to get through your day.

9.  Watch for burn out.  Even if you schedule everything, take breaks, and do everything else above, what you're doing may just be too much for you.  Watch yourself for changes in mood or physical problems.  They could be a sign that you're burnt out and need to make some changes to your plans.  Remember, your health is important too.

10.  Learn to say no.  If you want to have a successful career and family life, you will have to learn to say no occasionally.  If you try to do everything, you're going to burn yourself out and not be able to take care of anyone.  Being a good employee and a good parent doesn't mean you need to do everything you're asked.

How to Use “Yelp” Successfully

When it comes to making your business known, there are a lot of ways to establish yourself online and off.  Businesses are becoming successful using social networking and blogging, but Yelp is a somewhat less known, but powerful way to make yourself known online and expand your business.

Yelp is a newer website, but the concept behind it has been around as long as businesses have.

Yelp has several different webpages, all for different cities.  It’s a listing of businesses, but it also includes the ability to rate and review the businesses.

When it comes down to it, word-of-mouth advertising is generally better than an everyday, average advertising campaign.  The reason?  Anyone can make a claim about their business.  But no matter how good that claim is, there’s no real guarantee that it’s true because the business owner is making it themselves.  With word-of-mouth advertising, someone else is telling the consumer that the claim is true. 

Whether it’s someone they trust, or simply someone who doesn’t profit from what they’re saying (or even if they do), this is taken as a much more trustworthy source.  This way, you’re not only getting your name out there, you’re also getting your reputation out there.

So how can you use Yelp to your advantage?  First, make sure your business is in there.  That way, even if there are no reviews, at least you’ve got your name out.  You can then use your Yelp page to add details, pictures, and even updates, and special offers about your business. 

That way, new customers know what to expect, and have some extra incentive to come in along with previous customers' experiences that assure them they’re getting what you advertise.

Once you’re listed, make sure you’ve got quality reviews.  While some people may get family and friends to plant positive reviews, these are often easy to spot to the trained eye.  Why not just encourage customers to go online and write a review?

Yelp is not only good for finding new customers, you can also use it to communicate with current customers to keep them coming back.  You can talk to them privately, or communicate with them publicly so other customers can not only get answers, but also see that you take care of your customers even after you’re done providing services.

Another advantage of Yelp is that it allows you to recommend other businesses and more importantly, allows them to recommend you.  You can offer reciprocal links to local businesses, or provide them some other incentive for promoting you.  The more successful the other businesses, the better the links you’ll get from them.

The best part about Yelp is that once you set up your listing, it’s fairly easy to maintain.  You’ll need to update when you make business changes and keep up communication, but it only takes a few minutes and is well worth the benefit.

Do You Earn What You Are Worth?

In today’s economy, everyone is looking to make more money if possible, and many businesses need to cut prices to get business.  But, are you making what you should be making?

To find out what you’re worth, you can start by shopping around to other people who do the same things.  There are lots of sites that people can use to hire businesses, and often they let you see competitor’s prices.  You may also speak to potential clients and ask for what they normally pay, though many will be tempted to give you a lower rate to get a better price.

Remember, just because someone does the same job as you, doesn’t mean you should charge the same as them.  A writer who is a native English speaker is generally much more valuable than one who isn’t.  Someone with twenty years experience often makes more than someone with two (but not always), and someone with proven results can make more than someone who is just starting out.

Just because you know what you’re worth doesn’t mean you can necessarily make that.  When it comes to making what you’re worth, good marketing is key.  There will always be people who can charge lower rates than you so it’s important that you don’t compete on price alone.

Let potential clients know what makes you different and why you’re worth more.  The key is letting people know how good you are and convincing them that paying more for your services is going to help them make more money in the end. 

Here are a few things to help you make your case:

* Samples – Samples of your work will help potential clients know that you’re good at what you do.

* Customer testimonials. This is one of the best ways to let potential clients know that your services are worth what you’re charging.  If other previous clients have good things to say about you and your services, it will really vouch for you.

Charging what you’re worth can be scary, particularly during difficult times. However, with a little thought and planning there’s no reason why you can’t stand out from the competition – even with higher rates.

Why Honesty and Good Business Ethics Pay Off

Honesty in business is important. In the small business world, news quickly gets around about business owners who value their customers and conduct themselves in an ethical way – the same holds true for businesses that are not so ethical.

In a competitive world where small businesses need to stand out in order to survive, honesty is even more important. Here are a few tips for running an ethical and honest business:

# Treat people with respect – You’ve probably been taught to treat people how you’d like to be treated. The same holds true in business. Customers will notice when they are being treated fairly and respectfully. If a customer has an issue or is upset, it’s even more important that we listen to them and ensure they are properly taken care of. Your customer’s reaction is simply a sign that they are frustrated and angry.

# Honesty is the best policy – Whether it comes down to a testimonial for your website or deciding what fee to charge for your service, it pays to be honest and fair in all you do. Misuse of information or a testimonial can come back and bite you, and it’s just not worth the hassle in the first instance.

You can always start out with testimonials from family members or friends which are still honest. When it comes to fees for services, it’s not to say you should undercharge for your services or necessarily use other businesses as a guide, but do think about your customers and whether or not you feel your fees are truly fair all around.

# Don’t cut corners – If a customer is paying good money for a set service then they will expect to receive that service to a high level. It’s important to maintain a high standard and not cut corners – whether it’s in regards to products or services. Taking shortcuts can lead to business disaster and a not so positive reputation.

# Give back – Not everyone will agree that all businesses inherently have a responsibility to their communities and those less fortunate, but wouldn’t the world be a better place if perhaps they did? Not every person can manage to start a profitable business or work at a high-paying job. Giving back to the community, even in the smallest of ways, can make a difference to all involved. 

And you don’t have to be a large business to give back; a little goes a long way. Donating to a book fund at your local school or helping to build a community garden, giving back can take ways in many forms and is beneficial to everyone. If financially it’s not viable for you to give back, how about offering an entrepreneurship to a local teen who would like to start a business? With a little thought, it’s easy to find a way to make a difference.

# Stick to your word – This is a fundamental part of good business ethics. Whether it’s meeting your deadlines or following through with a venture you agreed to, sticking to your word is always the best policy. People will come to respect you for your dependability and honesty. Customers are more likely to want to do business with someone they know they can rely on and you’ll feel better for accomplishing something that is often not easy for many.

Sometimes things happen and it’s difficult for us to follow through but wherever possibly try your best. It will pay dividends in the long run. Not to mention it simply being the right thing to do.

 

 

The Pros and Cons of Working From Home

Many people dream of working from home. Some may imagine working in their PJs or perhaps on a sun-drenched terrace with birds singing around them. But is this the reality of working from home?

Let's look over the pros and cons of being your own boss and calling home your workplace:

Pros:

Flexibility – The ability to set your own hours and work around your needs is a definite plus for home workers. There’s nothing like being able to take time off when necessary or work to your own rhythm.

Less expenses – Working from home may help you save on fuel, clothing, food and all those other extras that creep in when you work outside the home. At home, you can make your own lunches and your wardrobe can consist of jeans and a t-shirt if you wish.

Earning potential – If you’re a self-employed home worker, then you have control over your earnings too. This means that if you need extra money, you can take on extra projects. Or if you simply need a little extra cash, you take on less. The bottom line is you control your earnings. This would be difficult to do if you worked at a standard nine to five job.

More room for creativity – Working for yourself means that you have more leeway with your creativity. You’re in charge of your marketing, website and whole company brand. There are no pre-set limits and you don’t have to get your ideas approved before you go for it.

Cons:

Staying focused – Many of us lack the willpower and focus to work on our own. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re at home: the phone rings, the laundry pile calls, the book on the shelf calls out longingly to be read. All of these distractions can be hard to overcome.

Meeting deadlines – If you have trouble staying focused and on track, you may have trouble meeting your deadlines. With no boss to wag their finger if things go wrong, you’ll need to ensure you can meet your deadlines without anyone breathing down your neck.

Loneliness – For some people this isn’t an issue, but for others the loneliness of working from home can be too much. If you’re a particularly social person, you may struggle to work on your own. 

Working from home definitely has its good and bad points. For most the benefits far outweigh the bad points. It’s important to look at both the good and bad sides of home working before deciding which is the right choice for you.

Do You Have an Upsell Page?

If you own an online business you may be missing out on a valuable marketing tool needed to bring more money and sales into your business. I am talking about an upsell page. An upsell page is simply that, a page listing items you are trying to upsell. 

When you create an upsell page for your business, it is important to make sure your upsell products are in direct relation to the product the customer would be purchasing. If you put a totally unrelated product on your upsell page, it is more likely that your customer will close that page and move on to their initial purchase out of disinterest.

Think of Amazon when you think about an upselling page and that will help you better understand the technique. Amazon will offer a suggestion to the customer about a product that would pair well with the one they are looking at. Like another chapter in a book series, nine times out of ten, if a customer is buying a book from a series they will by the next book in the series as well.

Amazon also uses the upsell technique when they show your product by saying on the page "people who purchased this also purchased this." This creates an interest fore the customer to want to see what other's have bought.

Do you send out newsletters? If so, this is another great way to market your upsell in a way that may seem passive and not too forward. This is a different form of an upsell page, but if done tight can be very profitable. You can even add your order form right into the newsletter for quicker access to ordering.

The key to getting people interested is to make the offer seem irresistible and one that is a special one time only offer. Customers will be more likely to buy something they think they won't have the opportunity to buy in the future.

Enticement is the way to go with your upsell page, make it something the customer won't be able to resist and you will find your sales booming in no time.

Need a quick resource to help you design the perfect upsell?   click here

 

The Balance Challenge for Women Entrepreneurs

Not all that long ago, many women didn’t work outside the home. Nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly common, particularly as children get older. This creates new challenges that women in past generations didn’t face.

These new challenges include balancing children and work, making time for yourself, making time for your partner, dealing with the responsibilities of running a household... The list goes on an on.

And even with a completely supportive partner, families may still find it difficult to juggle so many responsibilities. And women may feel that they’re falling short at all times, which in turn can lead to unhappiness and even ill health.

So how do we take back control as women entrepreneurs and stop ourselves from coming up “short” all the time?

Here are a few tips to help you stay sane and avoid these negative feelings:

#1 – Avoid Supermom Syndrome – There’s a negative trend in our society for women to be “supermoms” – you know, the do it all types who juggle a thriving business with baking cookies, being active in charities, being active on the school PTA AND still have time to work out and look great. You may be surprised to hear the word “negative” when the description listed sounds so positive, but the reality is that people weren’t really cut out to handle so much at any one time.

Many moms are stressed and overworked as a result. They end up feeling depressed when they can’t meet an ideal which quite frankly set them up for failure in the first place. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a different trend? One where moms are cut a bit of slack and not expected to achieve this image of “perfection” at all times.

You can start this trend within yourself. Give yourself a break and realize your situation is unique to you and your family. Don’t compare yourself to your best friend’s family or the family next door – no two families are the same. Do the best with what you’ve got and stamp out the guilt. Guilt used inappropriately is a negative emotion that stops us from moving forwards by keeping us cemented in the past.

#2 – Say NO – No is not a dirty word; in fact, it’s a word that can help you stay sane and feeling more human. You couldn't possibly do it all if you tried. The more you say “no” the more empowered you’ll feel. Don’t worry about what people will think, instead prioritize what’s important to you and say not to anything that does not fit the bill.

#3 – Guilt is a dirty word – Used properly, guilt helps us to do the right thing and be productive, rule-following members of society. But if you don’t have a sociopath issue to deal with then over-use of guilt becomes a negative emotion. And many of us, particularly moms, get too caught up in the guilt trap. 

Although some guilt does come as standard with the package of being a mom, avoid feeling too guilty at all times. You’re juggling a lot of balls which means you’re going to drop some once in a while; don’t feel guilty and instead see this as a fact of life – what goes up must come down. If you juggle too much, some things will come thumping down once in a while.

#4 – Don’t compare – This is one of the worst things you can do. We don’t really know what goes on behind the closed doors of anyone’s life. The “perfect” mom who seems to breezily get through her days while doing it all, may in reality be struggling or having a really hard time keeping up. Whatever the case, comparison only leads to feeling inadequate – particularly when we compare ourselves to the unrealistic.

Instead, be happy with yourself and don’t worry about anything else going on around you. Perhaps Jane can do it all, great for her, but you’d prefer to only do ten things instead of twenty. It doesn’t really matter who does what; what matters most is that you don’t compare yourself to anyone else because no two situations are ever the same. And who knows, Jane may have a gardener or part-time nanny you’re unaware of. 

Juggling a family and being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, but these strategies can help you overcome the feelings of having to do it all and help you stay sane in the process. These are things that emotionally you can do right now to change your situation. Couple these tips with good organizational skills, getting your family to pitch in and help, building a support structure around you, and having a clear routine. This will go a long, long way to helping you achieve that ever-important balance between life and work. Good luck!

 

 

 

Persistence – A Sure Way to Success

Calvin Coolidge once said:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Who can disagree with that?

Many, many successful people have touted that persistence and dedication is what has led to their success. Success doesn’t come without pitfalls and when we hear about a successful entrepreneur we often don’t realize that a lot of the times their outcomes have been more negative than positive - they’ve simply been persistent and “pressed on” until they achieved their dreams.

If you’re stuck in a rut or are finding that your persistence is starting to wane a little, these tips will help you build it up once again.

# Visualize your goals – When you’re stuck it’s often difficult to see beyond your current place. But simple visualization can help you “see” into what the future may hold and keep you on the persistence track. Take a few minutes each day (preferably at the start or end of the day) and visualize where you’d like your business to be in a year or two years’ time. Be realistic but also positive in your visualization.

Imagine what your improved business will mean to your life. See yourself as a successful entrepreneur achieving your goals. Visualization techniques have worked for many entrepreneurs and can help you move forwards in your business.

# Design a vision board – A vision board is a back-up to your visualization. Many of us have difficulty imagining a situation which isn’t tangible at the moment; this is where a vision board comes in. All you need to create one is a simple pegboard and pictures of your ideal situation. These can include your dream home, perhaps something representative of being debt free, motivational quotes, pictures of your family – anything that will help you stay on track and motivated.

# One step at a time – When you drive in the dark you can only see at most two feet in front of you at anytime, but eventually you’ll end up at your destination. Just like driving in the dark, you don’t need to see much further ahead in your business. If you concentrate on the big picture too much, you may struggle and feel overwhelmed. Instead concentrate on small manageable goals that you can achieve one step at a time. Once you achieve a small goal, then go on to the next one – slowly, a few feet at a time until eventually, like the car driving in the dark, you end up at your destination.

# Attack from all angles – Persistence can slip even the most dedicated entrepreneurs at times, and to gain it back you may need a full-force attack. This means placing yourself in the very best possible position to achieve success.

# Look after your physical health. Take time out to avoid burnout. Do the things you love in order to stay positive. And appreciate what you currently have in life.

All of these things will help to put you in a state of mind that is open to success. Staying committed and persistent as an entrepreneur is not an easy feat and the healthier you are overall, the easier achieving that goal will become.

 

Is Your Marketing Vanilla?

If your marketing campaign just isn’t working, or you’re just getting started, take a long look at what you’re trying to do.  Is it exciting?  Is it eye catching?  Is it unique?  If not, you’re campaign is likely too bland to get anywhere. 

It used to be that simply advertising your business could get you more than enough customers, but this is normally no longer the case.  Look around you.  There are advertisements EVERYWHERE. 

There are commercials, print ads, billboards; your mind is overrun with images every day.  And if you run the same old marketing campaign, you’re just going to blend in with everyone else.  If you want to get business, you need to get noticed, which means you need to stand out from the crowd.  And just being good at what you do is probably not enough to get that done.

The trick to getting noticed is being creative.  It may be how you advertise, what your ads look like, or the deal or gimmick you’re offering.  Whatever it is, something has to stand out if you want to get noticed.  Coming up with a great idea doesn’t always happen in an instant.  It takes thinking, research, and lots of brainstorming.  Whether it’s taking a few days to work on it, or simply setting aside some time at the end of every day, you have to put some oomph behind it if you want to get results. 

Believe it or not, while it may take some creativity and crazy thinking, you may find that the crazy thinking has already been done for you.

An example?  Instead of sending out a boring old mailer, there are companies that make unique mailers like messages in a bottle and coconuts.  Sure, other people have access to buy this stuff and use it too, but if you’re doing a mailing campaign, what are the changes you’re competing in the same market with someone who uses the same product?  Slim to none. 

Plus, if you get two coconuts in the mail, are you really going to read what’s inside one and ignore the other?

When it comes to marketing, flashy isn’t always better.  Sure, you don’t want to be boring and blend in, but the key to standing out isn’t different fonts, bright colors, or making claims you can’t back up or keep. 

The real key is being unique and different.  Often a simple eye-drawing headline is enough to get people to notice your ad, catching their attention without blinding the customer.  People want to do business with someone they can trust, not just someone who can yell the loudest.

While it may take effort and some amount of investment, if you come up with a good marketing campaign, the end results will likely be more than worth the effort.

Successful Communication Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

Small businesses don’t have the same marketing muscle as large businesses. A small business simply doesn’t have the advertising budget needed to build a “big” brand and to gain recognition in the market through that brand.

So how is a small business to compete with the “big guns?” 

The answer is by utilizing effective communication strategies with their customers.

As a small business owner, communicating with your customers should be at the top of your agenda. Your customers will give you feedback which may help you improve the business. And if you use the right communication strategies you can also cement your business in their minds so that they become repeat customers.

Unfortunately, all too often small businesses miss this step and conduct themselves in a manner more reminiscent of large corporate companies. This can spell disaster for the small business owner.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid this trap and communicate effectively with your customers.

#1 – Ask for feedback. Good or bad, feedback from customers can be the saving grace for any small business. It will help you improve, tweak, keep what’s working and get rid of what isn’t working within the business. You can ask customers to fill in a simple survey card or a fun poll about their preferences and so on. It may help to make the feedback anonymous to make it easier for the customer to state their true feelings about the business.

#2 – Stay in touch. Even if the customer was impressed with your business in the first instance, it’s easy for them to forget about it or go somewhere more convenient when they’re in a rush. However, if you stay at the forefront of your customer’s mind then you’ll up the chances of them becoming repeat customers.

Send your customers reminders about your business and news about special offers which will benefit them. You can also offer repeat customers a discount voucher and other incentives to get them to come back to you. But keep in mind that the best incentive for customers to return is often a simple “thank you” and great customer service.

You can do this by treating each and every customer as though they are your only customer and making them feel special. Send out birthday or Christmas cards to your customers. Let them know you appreciate them by sending a simple thank you letter, perhaps with a discount voucher inside. And in some cases a small thank you gift may be a worthwhile investment.

Treating customers well is one sure way to stand out from the competition.

#3 – Get creative. Many businesses use the same old boring marketing strategies. Why not stand out from the crowd by “juicing” up your marketing? Humor goes a long way in marketing – come up with a funny campaign that will grab your customer’s attention.

What may seem “crazy” to some can catch the eyes of potential customers or clients and get them interested in your business. The first step is always getting the customer through the door – a creative marketing campaign will help you do this. Once they’re in the door it’s up to you to wow them with your services.

Communicating effectively with customers doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s all about connecting with people on a more personal level and setting up your business to help you customers and to provide value. A few simple strategies can help you achieve this and stand out from the competition.

 

Make Your Website a 24-Hour Sales Engine

Unlike the traditional business model, an online business gives you 24-hour presence which anyone from around the world can access.

This is an exciting and fantastic opportunity for business owners who know how to make the most of this powerful sales engine.

Here are a few tips to help you create a website that really sells:

#1 – Keep it simple. A great website doesn’t have to include tons of graphics or flash images; in fact, this can work against you. A website with clean lines that’s easy to read and navigate will usually have a better conversion rate. Your visitors aren’t really interested in all the bells and whistles - what really matters most to them are the answers you have to their problems. You can achieve this by offering genuine great information.

Avoid music, flashing images and too many graphics. A few well thought out graphics can enhance the look of your website but anything else may be confusing and look too “busy” to your visitor. If in doubt keep it simple, and let your words shine.

#2 – Content is king. Great content solves problems and offers solutions. When people search on the internet they’re looking for information first and foremost. If your website offers solid information, people are more likely to visit you again and trust your product recommendations too. Quality content will also attract the search engines and you’ll stand a better chance at achieving that all-important top ten ranking for your keyword phrases.

Always concentrate on creating value through quality content, and you’ll build a business that will pay you back for years to come. You really can’t go wrong with providing good content.

#3 – Get their information. Even with a great website it’s likely that your visitors won’t buy from you the first time around. It takes time to build confidence and trust on the internet. This is why it’s important that you have a method of collecting their name and contact information when they first land on your site. You can then communicate with them through emails and start to build a relationship which will bring them back to your website.

To get the highest number of subscribers, place an opt-in box in a prominent position on the home page of your website. But don’t stop there; make sure the opt-in box is prevalent throughout the site so that visitors can access it from any page. Include a catchy headline to draw their attention to the area.

And don’t forget to give your visitors an incentive for signing up. People really don’t give their names and email addresses out as freely as they once did due to the high levels of spam on the internet. Give them an incentive to sign up by offering a free report or other great offer.

Building a great website is not difficult. Always think about your visitors first and help them by providing a website that’s clean and easy to navigate. Then add great content as a solution to their problems, and finally get their information so that you can keep helping them further in the future. Concentrate on these three basics and you’ll design a website that truly is a 24-hour sales engine.

 

The Importance of Basic Website Maintenance

Web maintenance isn’t something a lot of online entrepreneurs think about. In fact it can be quite a mundane task for most. However, it is important to keep your website ticking over smoothly.

Here are a few reasons why maintaining your website is important:

# Attracting the search engines – Search engines are important to the livelihood of your online business, but they don’t like “dead” websites. Websites which have been left static without updates or fresh content are a no-no in the online world. Another thing search engines don’t like is broken links.

As you build your web pages it’s easy to miss broken links. A good strategy is to double check every link you add to your website. Inevitably you may miss some or some may become broken with time (as web addresses change and so on). Regular maintenance and “check-ups” for your website will help you spot these broken links and keep your customers and search engines happy in the process.

# Updating information may increase your sales – Regularly looking over your website will also help you make changes and adjustments as necessary. For example, you may have started promoting what was a great product two years ago but now that product may be outdated and not so great anymore. By updating your website you may find products and promotions which are a better match for your visitors. This means more money in your pocket and more satisfied visitors.

Look through your old web pages to see if there are any promotions which can be updated or given a little extra “oomph.” Times change and on the internet time moves at a faster speed – keeping up with the times is important and you can do this by simply looking over your pages and tweaking as you go along.

# Keeping track of your stats is important – Another part of your basic web maintenance is keeping on top of all your visitor statistics. It makes sense to regularly go through your website and check how many visitors you have on a monthly basis, where they’re coming from, how they’re finding you, what pages they’re accessing and so on.

A running log of these statistics will help you quickly identify any potential problems such as loss of traffic or reduced income from sources such as Google AdSense and so on.

Regular web maintenance for your website is important. It can help you keep up with changing times, help to attract more visitors and ultimately make you more sales. If you find this task difficult to squeeze in, try scheduling it in for a set time each month or every few weeks. It shouldn’t take long and the time investment may make all the difference to your business. And finally, if you don’t have time to do the web maintenance yourself you can always think about hiring an assistant to help you with this task.

What You Should Know about Intellectual Property

Modern technology has made it so much easier to get your materials out there.  You can share ideas and pictures with the whole world and use it to make money.  But just as it’s easier to share, it’s also easier to steal.  That’s why it’s important to know the laws and protect yourself. 

Before we talk about the laws behind intellectual property, we should probably talk about what intellectual property is.  Intellectual property is anything that comes out of your head, whether it be an idea, writing, art, or a picture. 

Just because someone can reproduce what you make doesn’t mean it’s legal for them to do so.  Intellectual property can usually be divided into four categories: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. 

While you’re likely heard all these terms, here’s a quick breakdown of exactly what they mean.

* Copyright. This protects items that are produced by the imagination, but are tangible, like books and songs.  To be protected, you must apply for a copyright, which requires you to fill out forms, pay a fee, and provide a copy. 

A current copyright lasts 78 years after the author’s death.  This is how families still make money off of their relatives after they pass away.  Courts can impose severe financial penalties if a copyright is violated.

* Trademark.  This protects names and logos that identify a specific brand.  They keep people from getting confused between two products.  While many things can be trademarked, general terms and images cannot.  You can apply for local trademark protection through your state, but you can get better protection federally.

* Patent.  These are used to protect inventions and processes that someone creates.  The idea is that they reveal how to make the product, and the government prevents other people from making it in exchange.  A patent lasts generally 20 years, but can also take a long time to get one.  The application process is more extensive than the others and should include a detailed description of how to make the item.  A patent also gives you the ability to sell the right to produce the item you’ve patented.

* Trade Secrets.  These are things a business uses that it needs to keep secret in order to succeed.  It might be a secret recipe or how a product is made.  Whether or not something can be protected as a trade secret is decided in court and is based on a variety of factors, but most importantly, whether something is public knowledge or not.  There isn’t a time limit to this kind of protection, but it can be voided if information is revealed to others.

Just because something fits into one category, doesn’t mean it can’t fit into another.  They often overlap, which can make it more difficult to protect yourself. 

Just because a law exists, doesn’t mean that there won’t be people out there who will not break them.  Unfortunately, the lines can get even more blurred when your business is online.  Knowing your rights is the first step and then taking appropriate measures to protect your content will lead you in the right direction.

How to Repurpose Your Content

Repurposing your content makes good business sense. It’s a good way to squeeze out as much value as possible from your current content. And repurposing also helps your customers by providing fantastic content in a variety of ways.

Here are a few ideas to help you repurpose your content:

Recycle. There’s no need to just use great content once. Recycling your content benefits everyone in a positive way. A good way to do this is to think about each piece of content and how you can reuse it.

A few ideas may be:

#1 - Take a special download report and use the content for article distribution. The report is only available for download on your website but you can use several articles within the report to distribute to article directories. That content will then work to bring you new subscribers to your site.

#2 - Use product content to create an autoresponder series. If you have an info product available for sale (or a free one) you can take snippets of that content and turn it into an autoresponder series. This way your customers can preview the content through the AR series and the AR series can promote the actual product.

#3 - Use the content on your website for a product. If you have articles on your website or blog you can easily turn these into a product. Simply choose a collection of articles you’ve previously written and make them available in download format for customers.

You can choose to use this content as a free giveaway to gain more subscribers, or you can turn it into an actual product for purchase. Not everyone is likely to look through your whole website or blog to find the content. Also, people will often pay for the convenience of having the information at their fingertips without having to search for it.

#4 - Use your newsletter to attract search engines. If you have a regular newsletter which you send out make sure you also add it to your website or blog pages after sending. This will help you attract more search engine traffic and will give customers an archive to view previous newsletters.

#5 - Turn your audios into content. If you have audios on your website, use them to get more free search engine traffic. Have the audios transcribed and place them on your website or blog pages. This also gives your customers options, as some people will prefer to read rather than listen to an audio.

With a little thinking and planning you can make your content go a long way.

How to Respond To Negative Customer Feedback

If you are a business owner, you’re eventually going to get some negative feedback from your customers or other people you work with or for.  While your initial reaction is probably to get mad or upset, negative feedback is actually a good thing.  It means that your customers are giving you an opportunity to improve your business.

The most important thing to remember when getting negative feedback is to not get mad.  Sure, getting mad may give you an energy burst to be more effective and get more things done, but it’s more likely going to get you worked up over nothing and make you waste time. 

There are two things you can do instead of getting angry or upset, and which one you choose depends on what kind of negative feedback you got. Negative feedback can pretty much be divided into two categories: useful and mean spirited.

If someone sends you feedback that simply says they disagree with you and says nothing more than that, your next step is simple - ignore it.  There’s nothing you can do to change their opinion and acknowledging them is simply going to waste both your times.  Just forget about it and move on.

Just because feedback is negative doesn’t mean it’s bad.  Negative feedback should be looked on as an opportunity for improvement.  And while this person may have been upset and not have been the nicest person in sending their feedback, the first thing to do is thank them. 

It doesn’t have to be big, just a quick email letting them know that you value their opinion and will look into the issue.  If you already know, you can let them know how you’re going to fix the issue at hand.  This will not only help you keep a customer (and possibly make more by referrals), it will also encourage them to send more feedback so you can make further improvements in the future.

Once you have helpful negative feedback, the first step is to analyze whether or not it matters.  Just because a suggestion gives a good idea, doesn’t mean it’s worth the time and money you have to put in to it.  If a problem is difficult to fix but only affects a few of your customers, it’s probably not worth it to spend your resources making it better. 

After you’ve decided you need to take action, it’s time to brainstorm what action to take.  This could take a few minutes, or even a few weeks.  If you are getting stuck, you can even ask customers (or the person who gave you the feedback) what they think would be a good fix.

For each possible action, also go back and weigh it based on how much the negative effect matters.   While you may agree that the problem needs fixing, you may not agree that you need to make a substantial investment to fix it and opt to go for a cheaper, but less effective fix.  Once you have all your options laid out, it should be much easier to choose a solution.

Once all this is done, you can finally implement your solution, but don’t forget to let your customers know about the changes - particularly the one who inspired the changes in the first place.