Yesterday I talked about affiliate programs as a way to start-up your online business. Now I want to focus on building customer relationships. In the first blog of this series of 10, I mentioned the importance of list building and the need to get people to visit your web site or sales page but I did not really offer any suggestions on how to get them there.
These next few blogs will concentrate on recognised ways of driving customers to you web site. This can be done online as well as offline. The decision on which is best for you lies in the niche your business occupies, where most of your prospective customers are located and the type of product or service you offer.
Let us consider a few offline methods. Certainly the tactic of placing short advertisements that include your web site address (known as a URL or universal resource locator) in relevant newspapers and magazines has worked well for some. Another idea is the use of automobile bumper stickers or the magnetic equivalent placed on the side of your automobile. What you need is a catchy slogan that summarises your offering plus your URL. And do not forget the obvious one as part of your voice mail system – be sure to include your URL with your message.
Now I have to mention the first important online method – blogging. Blogging has moved on a great deal since a man with a mission (and it usually was a man who was often a techie) told the world what was on his mind. Life changed enormously with the arrival of search engines such as Yahoo and Google who started to rank key words and phrases. And with the possibility of linking these keywords or phrases back to your web site this was manor from heaven. When you enter a search word or phrase into a search engine it displays organic links and content on the main left side of the screen and sponsored (paid for) links on the top and right hand side of the screen. Through blogging and a good web page your aim is to be positioned on page 1 of the organic links in your chosen niche. It is hard work but it can be done without cost other than time.
And if you write good or useful material then people will subscribe to your list assuming that you have a subscription form on your page. Once people have subscribed then you need to maintain their interest with interesting articles or offers on a periodic basis. In this way you are building a relationship with them.
Following my practice of always giving an example of what I am talking about I offer two blog URLs.
Example 1 – visit http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/ this blog offers a serious commentary on topical issues and is excellent. Note the consistency of the blogs over time.
Example 2 – visit http://www.4internetmarketingreviews.com/ this blog is one of my early attempts to start blogging.
Note the inconsistency. At the time of writing this email the last posting to my blog was in April 2008. However, I did a search on 2nd October 2008 using the phrase “doing internet marketing” and I was positioned top of the 5th page on organic links to my surprise. Of course I will be remedying this by posting more blogs henceforth.
Previously I talked about products and / or services that you can deliver to your online customers. But what if you have no products or services to offer for now and want to become an online entrepreneur? This calls for some out of the box thinking.
Think for a moment about the business world around you. In many towns and villages there are local markets where the trader buys items in bulk and sells the goods to passers-by. The trader lives on his ability to attract potential customers, display his goods in an attractive manner and persuade customers to part with their money ie, selling. Hopefully the sale is at a higher price than cost price resulting in a profit.
Effectively, this is what happens online. Your display of goods or services is done on your web or sales page. This has no purpose unless you can drive potential customers to these sites. The selling process takes the form of you describing the benefits that the customer is likely to get from your product or service on the web or sales page. If you have been sufficiently persuasive, the customer has a need for your product or service and your price is right then the customer will click on the Buy Button ie, part with their cash.
As in the local market, you need to build up trust between you and your customers. That is why honesty and ethical behaviour are so important. Perhaps you have heard the expression that “the money is in the list”. Perhaps this needs to be revised to “the money is in the relationship (or goodwill) that you have with your list”.
Now back to my earlier question. So you are still determined to be an online entrepreneur but have no product or service to offer. The answer may sound obvious but you can sell other people’s products online. You join an organization’s affiliate program. Amazon has such a program. Bella-Italia has one see http://www.bella-italia.com/affiliate.html. eBay has one – visit https://www.ebaypartnernetwork.com/files/hub/en-US/index.html . So does American Express if you visit their website and click on affiliates at the bottom of the page. If you surf the web you may just be surprised at who offers affiliate programs. And many of them are big household names. Unlike the market trader, you have no direct cost of the product you sell. You attract commissions from each person that purchases online as a result of your efforts.
An alternative way is to join an organization through payment of an entry fee. Here you usually get a set of digital products to sell, a web site and a choice of sales pages complete with payment system. Some also have a recruitment element where you are paid a sizeable fee. This is the approach I adopted to get started and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of online training of all kind that was available. Visit http://Phrontis.LGNRevolution.com and explore the numerous pages. If you are new to internet marketing (that is really what online entrepreneurs do) this is a good entry point.
Yesterday I talked about the sales page with its two aspects of copywriting and payment systems. Today I will start to introduce products and / or services that you can deliver to your online customers.
Products, in an online sense, can be either physical or digital. Physical products are those that you can touch and are made from some material that is natural or processed / manufactured. Examples include: books purchased from Amazon; a car bought over eBay; and groceries sourced from your online retailer. A logistics process is involved where either the product is brought to you or you have to collect the product. Digital products are those that can be delivered over the internet and often this delivery process is automated. Examples include: music paid for and downloaded from iTunes; eBooks or reports. Quite often, you will make your online purchase of digital products from a sales page which includes a payment system – the topic of my previous email to you.
With fast internet access that comes with broadband connectivity, many services can be provided remotely. This has given those who have appropriate skills the ability to work for themselves from the comfort of their homes. Examples include: web designers; search engine optimizers; publishers; editors working on journals and other publications; data entry; telephone reception services; personal assistants; accounting services; mentoring and coaching; online learning systems and content developers, and the delivery of such training.
For the would-be online entrepreneur, offering a product and/or service is definitely a viable proposition provided that you are fairly confident that there is a market for what you are offering.
As in my previous emails, I believe that there is nothing better than concrete illustrations that demonstrate what I have just explained. Here think Amazon or iTunes. Further examples are: Software from LGN; and eBooks from LGN.
But what if you do not have any products or services to offer for now and want to become an online entrepreneur? That is the topic for tomorrow. That’s all for now.
Yesterday I talked about the need for list building. Today I will introduce one type of selling process – the sales page. The sales page combines two aspects: copywriting (as in advertising) and payment systems.
Copywriting is one of those creative skills that are acquired from hard work and practice. It combines good writing skills with an understanding of buyer psychology. In the case of the sales page, the purpose is to describe the features of the product or service and then to go on to define the benefits – why you need it – in such a compelling way that you are inclined to agree and want to take action now, such as, pull out your credit card and make the purchase.
Many of us have bought something online – a book, DVD, music or even our groceries. And in most cases we have paid for the item by credit or debit card. So if you have an online business you need to have some way of getting paid. Most will go to their banks and work with their online merchant services. But there are alternatives for the small business or entrepreneur. PayPal is one that many are familiar with especially if you have bought anything on eBay. SafePay and AlertPay are others; and it might be worth checking what Google has to offer.
Once again, the best way to see this in action is through an example or two. Do click the Buy Now button and you will be taken to a secure web site where you will be asked for your credit card details. DO NOT give your card details unless you really want the item.
Example 1 – click on http://tinyurl.com/3kjoat What “tricks” did you note on the sales page? Remember, only enter your credit card details if you really want the item.
Example 2 – click on http://tinyurl.com/3qkvwp Here I want you to watch the video and look at the rest of the sales page afterwards. Note the benefits, followed by the features (highlighted in blue) and the testimonials from satisfied customers followed by the ORDER NOW button.
That’s it for now.
Over the next 10 days or so I would like to share with you some of the Must Know aspects of Internet Marketing. This takes the form of a total overview of online business in plain language before you begin to delve in deeper as you will need to. If you plan to or have just started running an Online Business then this is for you. Of course you may already be familiar with some of the techniques but may I suggest you read further and click on the links where appropriate – you may just learn something from an alternative approach.
In any business, you need customers, and I assume that you have identified your specific customer niche. Next you need a product or service to offer. Then you need a payment system in place. And of course a virtual presence – a website that tells your customers what you’ve got to offer and how to get it. Then you’ve got to promote your business. Simple!
At the beginning, the key reason to do promotions is to build your potential customer base – internet marketers call this “list building”. Remember, the value of your business lies in your list or better still the relationship you have with this list. Your list contains potential or actual customers who will buy from you on a regular basis provided you continue to offer products or services they need.
So how do you build your list? You have to give your potential customer or prospect a compelling reason to follow your request of clicking a link. The link takes them to a web page or sales page where at some point they are required to give at least a name and an email address. This data is captured in a database and you have a prospect / potential customer. Most quality database systems or email marketing systems will comply with anti-spam regulations and will then send the customer an email asking them to opt-in (by clicking on a link in the email) or ignore the email. Of course if the potential customer chooses to ignore the email then the prospect does not get what they are after.
An example is the best way to illustrate this. If you follow through to completion I will give you a gift at no charge. At anytime thereafter you will be able to unsubscribe. So CLAIM YOUR GIFT – click on http://tinyurl.com/4hx9ay
That’s all for now.
Part 1 of this article introduced the idea that many of the issues facing internet marketers and office workers were very similar and proposed that diet and exercise had a fundamental part in maintaining a healthy body. If you missed the article go to www.4InternetMarketingReviews.com . This article elaborates on the issues of technology induced problems leading to stress, the need to learn continuously and to network.
Internet marketers, and office workers, are highly dependent on information and communication technologies (ICTs). As a minimum, they must have a computer with (preferably broadband) connectivity to the internet, a telephone and suitable software. Some knowledge / skills in the use of ICTs are also desirable. With the accelerating change in the pace of innovation, regulation and new product launches in ICTs, keeping abreast of the required skills and knowledge can in itself be a full time occupation if you let it. For many, ICTs are a source of sometimes significant stress. Examples of technology induced stress include: information overload (including spam) particularly in the form of emails; being overcome by technology (what to do when your computer crashes or a new software program proves overwhelming); expectations of quick responses particularly from email leading to an increase in the pace of doing business; email communication (or often miscommunication) resulting in the need for multiple emails to ensure total comprehension; health problems from incorrectly using technology eg, repetitive strain injury and eye strain.
Gone is the mantra of jobs for life; it is now skills for life. So if you are not continuously learning to keep up with the pace of your chosen career path, you will be left behind. In the same way that office workers, as a minimum the professional and management cadre, have to ensure that they undergo continuous professional development so do internet marketers have to continuously update their skills to stay in “the game”. Much of the stress referred to above results from lack of knowledge or skills such as: how to use the main functionality of your computer and related software – technical skills; knowing how to sit properly in front of your computer with your screen correctly adjusted for line of vision, support for your wrists and accepting the need for regular breaks away from your computer – health and safety knowledge; and skills relating to communication, planning and prioritisation – management skills. Many of these skills can be acquired through training. In the corporate world, organizations will generally pay for their workers to acquire or update their skills. Being self-employed working from home, you have the choice of paying to attend courses or acquiring the skills through online sources and / or reading books of particular interest. In the case of internet marketers, there are a few excellent affiliate programs to help you acquire the necessary skills. Details of such a program can be found at 4lgn.com where you have the opportunity to attend many hours of live training online per week plus several hundred hours of training available for viewing in the archives. The entry cost of the program is less than the equivalent cost of training elsewhere.
Until now the issues have been about mind and body development through skills acquisition. But there is another dimension that is vital for success – the ability to network effectively. This is perhaps a heart and mind skill directly related to your personality. We all need to network. Research has revealed that: “It’s not what you know but who you know.” Networking, especially in the early days, is essential to avoid the feeling of isolation – man is a social animal – and from the start helps to “build your list”. Entrepreneurs are naturally gifted networkers. Sites such as Ecademy and LinkedIn are useful for professionals – you will find me there – but it is also essential to get on social networking sites. In the last few years we have seen the introduction of Web 2.0 which has spawned numerous social networking sites such as YouTube, FaceBook, Bebo etc. Interestingly, Charlene Li wrote an article on 9th November 2007 in Conversation Starter, the blogging site for Harvard Business School Press, entitled “Why Your Company Needs To Be on Facebook”. Charlene’s comments hold true for internet marketers as well. Consider Charlene’s statement: “So we as business people already engage in social networking every day, primarily through phone calls, emails, meetings, and events. The same activities take place on social networking sites – people share the tidbits and moments that build relationships.” That is the bottom line: internet marketers are as successful as the extent of the social relationships – on- and offline – that they have built. As the gurus of internet marketing, such as Armand Morin and Craig Garcia, keep repeating: the value (of your business) is in the list. In the office, people learn the latest news around the water fountain or coffee-machines; for internet marketers it is your networks that perform a similar function.
In short, to maintain a healthy mind you have to keep learning and networking. To maintain a healthy body you need to know what to eat and drink plus a routine of exercise. And do not forget to put your heart into networking. With this combination you have magic plus a good quality of life.
Tony Gill
Successful and budding internet marketers are likely to spend several hours in front of a computer screen each day. If you are achieving some $50k per month in a program such as EDC Gold or EDC Diamond, that is what you need to do to continue enjoying such success. If you are a rookie starting out in internet marketing, you have much to learn while you earn so you are also likely to put in long hours in order to realise your dreams. As an internet marketer, you are likely to be self employed and often working from the comfort of your home, so you can choose how many hours you want to work each day. But in reality how different are many of the issues and challenges facing the internet marketer compared to the typical employed office worker / manager?
Issues in common between internet marketers and office employees include: obesity; lack of exercise; technology induced problems leading to stress; the need to network especially in the early days to avoid the feeling of isolation – man is a social animal. (Part 2 will elaborate on the last two issues.) Of course one must acknowledge the key advantages the internet marketer working from home has over the office based worker: no time lost or stress caused by commuting; easier decision on what to wear; and no boss to hassle you. On this latter point though the internet marketer is fully responsible for what he or she earns, so there is the need for self management.
So what do we need to do to tackle these issues head-on whether we work from home or in an office doing a desk bound job? This article focuses on the issues of obesity and lack of exercise.
The increase in obesity levels in the developed world is extremely alarming. And, as we are constantly reminded by the media, obesity leads to diabetes and often an increase in the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. Terri Coles of Reuters, Toronto, reports: “There is little debate that obesity presents a public health issue in North America — obesity rates have more than doubled over a generation in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” There are two things that really need to be addressed here: diet and exercise. In terms of diet, we need to reduce our consumption of harmful ingredients such as saturated fats, trans-fats (also known as hydrogenated fats eg, margarine), sugar, refined carbohydrates and salt. The reality is that we must become more knowledgeable about the foods that we eat. During the last decade or longer, research has indicated that we should reduce our weekly consumption of red meat and in fact choose lean cuts of meat so as to minimise consumption of saturated fats. We should also be eating more oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna. Bottom line is we must eat more fresh fruit and vegetables while cutting out the candy/sweets and harmful fast foods. A useful knowledge base on food and its effect on health can be found at www.PatrickHolford.com .
Exercise can be a challenge. The trouble for many of us is that our lives are crammed full of activities and with a culture of long working hours in many organizations there just does not seem to be any time left for exercise. For many people in work, sport or exercise seems to be an ancient memory or something you watch others do on TV or seated in a sports stadium and for the more senior management team from hospitality boxes while lavishly entertaining clients. We may get away with this until our mid to late thirties. After 40, health related problems can slowly begin to surface.
In terms of exercise, we need to do any sport or activity that will cause us to increase our rate of breathing for at least 20 minutes four times per week. A brisk walk will do just fine as a start. The notion that you should stop strenuous exercise as you age is now seriously challenged. ScienceDaily ( www.sciencedaily.com ) on 4th May 2007 reported: “The old adage “use it or lose it” is truer than ever. People who maintain a vigorously active lifestyle as they age gain less weight than people who exercise at more moderate levels, according to a first-of-its-kind study that tracked a large group of runners who kept the same exercise regimen as they grew older.” Of course it is better to be exercising throughout one’s life but it is never too late to (re-)start.
To keep motivated, it makes sense to participate in a sport that one enjoys. The choice of sport is as large as ever for both male and female. Naturally one has to be cautious of contact sports where injury levels can be high but if you have been a keen rugby or football player it does not mean that you have to stop all forms of sport. And of course there is the social side of sport. But more importantly, active sport will help to keep the weight down and that can only be good for your health and lead to greater quality of life in old age. Make time for exercise now or regret it in later life. Be sure to read Part 2 of the article at www.4InternetMarketingReviews.com . And yes, internet marketers have the same problems of diet and exercise.
Tony Gill
So you’ve heard about the significant sums of money you can get from doing internet marketing. It’s true. At the higher end there is Armand Morin who declared recently that he is on track to earn about $20 million in 2008; at the other end is the rookie who has much to learn and is likely to earn very little in the first few months. Yes there are the exceptions such as the rookie who earned $10k + in his first month but there are not many of these. You have to earn your spurs through trial and error as Armand Morin did at the beginning with nobody to guide you through the technological pitfalls. It is 12 years since Armand started. So what has changed?
It’s all different today: you have Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines to help you find answers to your problems in doing business online. A culture of purchasing things online is well entrenched and probably helped by the likes of Amazon and eBay. Digitised products and knowledge in the form of pdfs or eBooks abound on the internet confirming the view that we have indeed moved from the industrial age to the information age. The search for information on the internet seems to know no bounds.
Originally an internet marketer would create a digital product or service and set up a system to promote and sell it, receive payment and deliver the product electronically. The pioneering internet marketers who did this include Ellie Drake, Jeffery Combs, Armand Morin, John Reese, Jeff Walker, Mark Widawer, David Garfinkel, Mark Gabel, Michael Rasmussen and many others. As you would expect, many of these pioneers specialised in niche areas within internet marketing, such as copywriting in the case of David Garfinkel. In recent years, affiliate programs have significantly added to the numbers of people engaged in internet marketing. The essential difference is that you no longer need to create your own digital product or service; you could promote someone else’s work and earn a comfortable living from doing so and often there is the chance to earn from growing your team in addition to the sale of digital products. So, many people are trying their luck at internet marketing. And you may imagine this will reduce the attraction of internet marketing both from the view of the internet marketer and the recipient of his or her communications.
“Are Internet marketers today’s used car salesmen?” asks Terry Brock from Business First of Louisville on 30th November 2007. He goes on to say: “Are you as disgusted as I am with all the hype about Internet marketing? It seems that every day there is another flashy piece of e-mail touting a new breakthrough for reaching customers and making money.” There is money to be made in doing internet marketing. If this was not the case, top earners would quit the affiliate programs. Why give up $50k + per month? In the better programs, top earners stay and rise to be leaders passing on their skills.
But money will draw in all types of people – a Wild West scenario. So what Terry Brock is complaining about are those unscrupulous people making unsubstantiated claims about their products and services. It is all about providing a caring and ethical service. For this you need to find out about your prospect’s needs and desires. Listen to your prospect! You need to develop an ongoing trusting relationship that results in mutual advantage. From the prospect’s point of view, Terry recalls: “Like Warren Buffet advocates, learn about the management before you buy a company’s stock.” Can you trust the person you are communicating with? Does s/he appear to be a genuine caring, sharing and ethical person? Does s/he should like a person that can motivate, lead and teach you or as Terry Brock suggests a “used car salesman” reading from a script?
So budding internet marketers need to do their due diligence checks before joining any affiliate program – assuming that they do not have their own product or service to offer online. And beware of copycat affiliate programs. A good affiliate program must have the following attributes: a product or service for which there is a demand; a reward system that recognises both the individual and the team development efforts; training, training and more training, especially for the early stages of the rookie; a sense of community; the owners must be personally available to speak to the current or potential affiliates; a flawless back office must be in place; access to help on an ‘as needs’ basis at least during normal office hours; immediate rewards with payments directly into your bank account; new product development or additions; the founders’ ability to re-invent the program to keep ahead of the competition; and good ethics. Beware if the program has not changed in the last 12 months. Look at 4LGN.com for an example of an affiliate program that meets all the above criteria.
(originally posted 26th October 2007)
In business perhaps the greatest form of flattery is the phenomenon of copycats. In the Online Business Market, many things are transparent including your business model which your competitors will try to copy if it is perceived to work. The Online Business Market is fast moving and fast changing especially since the technologies surrounding Web 2.0 have emerged. Perhaps the Darwinian notion of only the fittest survive is more appropriate.
(originally posted 31 October 2007)
During the last few years when interest rates were low, the banks have loaned record sums of money to people in many parts of the world. With seemingly low repayments on mortgages many were convinced that it gave them a good chance to own their own home or even upgrade their homes. Bankers had loan targets to meet and consequently were happy to accept greater risk – after all as the small print says: “your home may be repossessed if you fail to make regular payments”.
But with chance comes risk. Many predicted it then and hindsight now confirms that interest rates do rise eventually. To cover themselves and reduce their exposure to high levels of risk, many banks with risky loan portfolios sold them on in the market and these loans were often bundled into what are referred to as Structured Investment Vehicles (SIVs) and sold onto many of the better known financial institutions world-wide. These SIVs were bought “cheaply” with the expectation of moving them on and making a quick turn. It became difficult to assess risk levels of these SIVs and credit rating agencies appear to have been caught out initially. Now financial institutions around the world have been hit. The latest reported by CNN.com on 31st October 2007 is “$160M parachute may soften (Stan) O’Neal’s fall” as Chairman, CEO of Merrill Lynch. According to the Financial Times 29th October “The bank (Merrill Lynch) stunned investors last week by revealing it had lost almost $8bn in its mortgage-backed securities business.”
So what can your average ‘Joe’ do about this changing environment where interest rates are rising and banks are becoming more risk averse in their lending criteria? And people are starting to feel this credit crunch. Reuter 10th October quotes Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve Chairman as saying: “The credit crunch that has troubled financial markets in recent months will eventually take its toll on the U.S. economy.” Home repossessions are up and likely to rise. An obvious solution is that people should live within their means. This is easier said than done. Rational thinking might suggest selling up but you could loose money and even find yourself in a negative equity situation. And then you still need somewhere to live. So what else can you do? Cut back on expenses or perhaps seek a second income working from home on a part time basis. Working from home to earn a second income certainly is a viable option.
Get your copy of my “Special Report: Some of the Best Kept Secrets of Home Based Businesses” by filling in the form on the top right of your screen. Craig Garcia co-founder of EDC maintains that “We have created MORE people earning six-figure incomes per month than all the direct competition combined.” There is a lot of interest currently in EDC due to the imminent launch of EDC Diamond. The new program of setting yourself up in business part-time or full time combines the best of commission and MLM schemes. If you are prepared to put in the time and effort this could ease your subprime blues. Also be sure to bookmark and read more of my blogs at www.4InternetMarketingReviews.com Tony Gill
PS: In April 2009, Craig Garcia sold EDC to James Ward – CEO of LGN Revolution.