New Google Adwords Policy Benefits Affiliates

New Google Adwords Policy Benefits Affiliates

by: Rosalind Gardner

Until recently, if you did a search on the term กsatellite dishก at Google, and then surveyed the URLกs in the Adwords listings, you were bound to see that most of the ads linked to just one company. Youกd also note that most listings ended with the กaffก (affiliate site) designation.

Eight ads all linking to the same site. How useless and frustrating was that?

Well, Google has just introduced a new affiliates Adwords policy that finally addresses that problem.

However, the new policy has been met with much whining on various affiliate and Internet marketing forums.

Why?

กCause affiliates who link directly from Adwords to their merchant partnersก sites will have to get to work or go home.

Well, maybe.

There seems to be a loophole in the new policyกs wording.

Hereกs how the new affiliate policy reads:

กWith this new affiliate policy, weกll only display one ad per search query for affiliates and parent companies sharing the same URL. This way, users will have a more diverse sampling of advertisements to choose from.ก

กAffiliates or advertisers using unique URLs in their ads will not be affected by this change. Please note that your Display URL must match the URL of your landing page, and you may not simply frame another site.ก

Did they mean to say กdomainก, not กURLก?

If Google did indeed intend กURLก, then there is no problem for those who engage in the กGoogle Cashก method of affiliate marketing, as each affiliate URL is unique.

Hereกs an example.

These are URLกs for 3 affiliate marketers promoting the กFriendFinderก dating service.

http://friendfinder.com/go/p1234

http://friendfinder.com/go/p5869

http://friendfinder.com/go/p3468

Each URL is unique, ergo it should be no problem to for affiliates to link directly to Friendfinderกs site with their affiliate links.

However, if in fact Google meant กdomainก, thatกs quite a different kettle of fish.

Because each URL above points to the กfriendfinder.comก domain, only one listing will be displayed, and chosen on the basis of Ad Rank.

Hereกs the official wording from within the policy.

กFor instance, if a user searches for books on Google.com or anywhere on the Google search and content networks, Google will take an inventory of ads running for the keyword books. If we find that two or more ads compete under the same URL, weกll display the ad with the highest Ad Rank.ก

Ad Rank is determined by a combination of an adกs maximum costperclick and clickthrough rate.

Less competition is great news for affiliates who have always linked back to their own sites… as Super Affiliates always do.

One more benefit to affiliate marketers in Googleกs new Adwords policy is that you no longer need to identify yourself as an affiliate in your ad text. That means no more กaffก at the end of the ad… and 4 more spaces to add content to your listing.

I figure consumers had no idea what กaffก meant anyway, so Google just wanted to get rid of what looked like garble in the listings.

However, your current ad text will continue to display your affiliate status until you change it.

Assuming Google DID mean กdomainก, this new policy is good news for affiliates… genuine affiliate marketers.

Iกve always taught that affiliates with content sites enjoy much higher conversion rates.

Itกs simple. Spend an hour writing an endorsement, upload it to your web site, then advertise that link on Google Adwords.

Why waste advertising dollars on a .5 percent conversion, when it only takes an hour to double or even quadruple that rate?

© Copyright Rosalind Gardner, All Rights Reserved.

About The Author

Article by Rosalind Gardner, author of the bestselling กSuper Affiliate Handbook: How I Made $436,797 in One Year Selling Other Peopleกs Stuff Onlineก. To learn how you too can suceed in Internet and affiliate marketing, go to: http://NetProfitsToday.com.

This article was posted on March 30

by Rosalind Gardner

Chicken Little and the Disintermediation Myth

Chicken Little and the Disintermediation Myth

by: Paul Shearstone

If Chicken Little were alive today he wouldn’t be running around forewarning us of the sky that was about to fall. He’d be too preoccupied alerting everyone about another potential disaster which may in the end prove to be just as erroneous as his first prediction. Nevertheless, if the conversations around the office water coolers are any indication, he’d still get the attention of many nervous corporate omnismarts. So what’s the new buzz? Disintermediation!

If you haven’t heard the word already, you’re going to hear it ad nauseum.

For those unfamiliar with the term; Disintermediation is a groovy way of saying; ขSoon there won’t be a need for a Middleman.ข That is to say, thanks to things like the Internet, ecommerce, global attraction and fulfillment, manufacturers will no longer require the services of the ขMiddleman in the Channelsข [resellers] to reach end users or customers.

It would seem today’s prognosticating Chicken Littles are quite convinced the death of the middleman is in fact, imminent. But like the chicken that went before them, that doesn’t mean they’re right!

The incredible rise and untimely fall of many of the mighty dotcom’s should serve in no small way to highlight much of what we thought the internet was going to do, it didn’t and probably won’t. And you don’t have to bring up the name, Peter de Jager, to know there is no shortage of redfaced futurists still hiding under rocks looking for ways to get out of town. Fortunes were made and lost especially in hightech resulting from, let’s call it; bad information concerning things like Y2K and the forecasted unavoidable changes to the traditional business landscape, thanks to the Internet.

But to be fair, de Jager wasn’t in a bomb shelter when the clock struck twelve, he was in a plane and as far as I know, he never told anyone to stock up on Tang! We can save that discussion for another time as it is – at the risk of sounding a little ironic – history.

Nevertheless, the argument regarding whether ecommerce will entrench itself as the กpreferredก way of doing business continues. From my perch, I’ll go out on a limb and say, ขIt won’t! At least not totally.ข

Simply put, there are two fundamental transactiontypes that culminate in a sale. One is Tactical and the other is Strategic. Few would argue the implementation of a new ITnetwork or specialized software requires a strategic approach that can only be satisfied in person employing a B2B strategy. Most sales requiring specializations all but eliminate – at least for now – an ecommerce solution.

Tactical sales, however, are entirely different and Amazon.com is a perfect example. For products like books,a bar of soap or an airline ticket, ecommerce has a far better chance of becoming the time and moneysaving fulfillment process of choice – but even that, as we have seen, has no guarantees!

A toy is a toy is a toy. Right? So why did Toys.com go under? Surely their business model personified the quintessential Tactical sale for which ecommerce was designed. It did! Yet it still failed. Why?

Why also do studies conducted by USbased firms like Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath report ecommerce has not – as of yet replaced or significantly reduced traditional channel operations to any significant extent?

I personally am reasonably esavvy but, to date, I have only bought a couple of small items over the net. Not because I haven’t tried to buy more.

Giving out my credit card information has never frightened me. My bank assumes all responsibility for purchases by my card should it fall into the wrong hands. [Note: I, like you, pay handsomely for this privilege].

On several occasions I did try to make a small epurchase. Each went something like this. Step 1: Name / Address / Phone Number / [No problem with that].

Step 2: Date of Birth / [SAY WHAT?] SIN Number / [NOT A CHANCE!]

The fact is; I, like most people, will, not under any circumstances give out sensitive, personal information over a faceless Internet regardless of how secure the connection is. And therein lies one of the major stumbling blocks for even the simplest epurchase. Misuse my credit card; I am inconvenienced. Misuse my personal information; I am potentially devastated for life. A few bars of soap or a new toner cartridge for my printer are in the end, not worth the risk.

What about larger purchases? Not too long ago, the Auto Industry was bracing for what it thought would be a groundbreaking way to sell cars – over the Net. After all, it did meet the Tactical Sale Model ecommerce was designed to satisfy. And when that didn’t happen, they were quick to ameliorate their expectations by saying; customers will purchase cars in three steps. First: They will shop the net for exactly the car they want. Second: They will physically test drive one. Finally: They will again shop the net for the very best price and purchase. … So how come so few buyers have done this?

There is an obvious [predictable] answer and it isn’t so difficult to understand.

Educated salesspecialists know there is an Art and a Science to selling. Both the Art and the Science are timetested and proven and are well rooted in things like Psychology, Human Behavior and Motivation. Ecommerce, although quick to offer a potentially new and better way to buy, has fallen miserably short in its ability to offer the human factor still expressly integral in allowing traditionalists to make the leap of faith from the real world to the eworld. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a computer part, a bar of soap or a new car. A better strategy is still needed to achieve synchronicity between the two buyingmodels thereby bringing credibility or a speedy end to the argument about Disintermediation.

ขIs Disintermediation real? Or is it a Myth?

For the answers to this and strategies you can use [already embraced by successful emanaged companies], go to >www.success150.com/theanswer

About The Author

Paul Shearstone aka The ‘Pragmatic Persuasionist’ is one of North America’s foremost experts on Sales and Persuasion. An International Keynote Speaker, Author, Writer, Motivation / Time & Stress Management Specialist, Paul enlightens and challenges audiences as he informs, motivates and entertains. To comment on this article or to book the Pragmatic Persuasionist for your next successful event we invite to contact Paul Shearstone directly @ 4167285556 or 18668554590

www.success150.com or [email protected].

This article was posted on March 21, 2003

by Paul Shearstone

ECommerce Is Back On The Fast Track

ECommerce Is Back On The Fast Track

by: Craig Neidel

How much holiday shopping did you do online this year? If you are reading this, then chances are good that you made at least one purchase online. Over 54% of all Americans did it [1]. A much higher percentage (>80%) of Internet users did it.

Not only did you do it, you liked it! Less than 7% of online shoppers reported a bad experience with 88% reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied [2]. It is clear that online shopping has come of age with such a high level of participation and satisfaction. It appears that past issues of trust, security, and bad ecommerce websites are replaced with good ecommerce sites, higher trust, better security, and just plain better execution and service by online retailers. Quick, easy, and convenient shopping overcomes the concerns people have had in the past.

With a whopping 35% increase in online holiday sales this year, up to $18 billion [3], one analyst calls it ขa fantastic season for online retailers.ข [4] This is the third straight season of record growth for online shopping. This year, 2004, is expected to follow the trend. US online sales are expected to grow from $55 billion in 2003 to $73 billion in 2004 [5].

In searching for some bad news, it was hard to find. The worst news was that 3.6% of online shoppers had a very bad experience where either the merchandise was not delivered on time or was delivered in poor condition. This is a small fraction even compared to traditional retail sales.

Can the news and trends about ecommerce retailing really be that good? The answer seems to be a resounding YES! Some of the more popular online markets have double digit penetration now. That means some online retailers are reaping over 10% of total market share in their industries with a rising trend. In addition, more online retailers are showing profits. In 2002, about 50% of online retailers showed a profit from their online operations while 70% did in 2003 [5].

So, if you are one of those 70% of online retailers making profits in 2003, sit back, breathe a big sigh of relief, and relish the moment. There won’t be much time to relax and enjoy your successes. New business is right around the corner.

If you are a business and don’t yet have an online sales presense, then itกs never too early to get started. To get ready for the 2004 holiday season, itกs best to start now.

Create ecommerce plan – 4/15/04

Select ecommerce software & consultant (NetSource can help) – 5/15/04

Build the website – 7/15/04

Put the website into operation, start selling 8/15/04

Create online marketing plan – 8/15/04

Execute the marketing plan 9/15/04

Ready for holiday sales – 11/15/04

It can be done quicker than the schedule suggested above, but, to do it right requires thought, planning, and time.

References:

[1] Nashville Business Journal, 12/4/03

[2] ASD/AMD Marketwatch ENewsletter, 12/24/03

[3] eSpending Report, Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive, Nielsen/Netratings, 1/5/04

[4] Abha Bhagat, Nielsen/NetRating, COMPUTERWORLD, 1/6/04

[5] ASD/AMD MarketWatch ENewsletter, 10/16/03

About The Author

Craig Neidel has worked for NetSource Communications Inc. for 6 years and has experience in web development, ecommerce solutions and web marketing. NetSource Communications creates custom ecommerce solutions and web applications. http://www.ntsource.com.

This article was posted on October 26, 2004

by Craig Neidel

2005 Super Bowl Ads… Winners & Losers

2005 Super Bowl Ads… Winners & Losers

by: John Jordan

Well, Super Bowl XXXIX is history. Too bad for the folks who consider themselves the alwayspullinกfortheunderdog type. The Bandwagon team won.

But, as far as Super Bowls go, the losers played well. For those who care, the Eagles actually covered the 7point spread. T.O. is the deal, too. At least on the field, anyway.

They had a chance late in the game, but poor field position and bad clock management did them in. Scoring from 95 yards out with 48 seconds left? Thatกs a tall order.

So is getting/maintaining ad recall 48 hours after the final gun. Whose $80,000 per second ad was worth it? Who wouldกve done better by writing me a fat check for $2.4 million?

Read on, and find out. True to school yard rules: Suckers Walk. Losers are up first.

Losers:

Sorry, Donovan, but your three picks lands you in with GoDaddy.com, Quiznoกs, and Silestone. I don’t care if you were ill.

GoDaddy.com had a decent concept that quickly went bad. OK. Boopsie talking to a Senate subcommittee on CSPAN about indecency. Good start if they cut out any hint to last yearกs halftime debacle. But… they couldn’t resist. So the buxom wench wearing a GoDaddy.com tshirt has a near wardrobe malfunction. One of the craggy senators has to hit the oxygen mask.

This ad was supposed to run again, but Fox pulled it midgame. Good idea. I bet their stomachs were in as many knots as Donovan McNabbกs.

The Quiznoกs ad was mediocre at best. This talking baby concept is tiresome. As cliché as it may be, itกs still 80% less annoying than those whack rodents in pirate hats from a couple of years ago.

The one stinky Bud Light ad was one that the ESPN crowd really dug the parachuteless pilot heading out the door for the six of Diet Bud. Dumb. The desert island one with Cedric the Entertainer was iffy, too.

Speaking of stinky… what was up with Napster’s ad? Ugh! It could wind up doing more to shut them down than the Supreme Court.

This bad concept was in stark difference to their introductory spots featuring Flash animation based around their logo. Those were welldesigned and entertaining. This one was as fat and ugly as the seven shirtless blops they decided to show with a letter on each of their overdeveloped beer guts to spell NAPSTER. It was done in house and, boy, did it show.

The manufactured ขrealityข of the game and its atmosphere was lame and no one bought it. An ad taking place at the Super Bowl should be IN the Super Bowl done real time. And… trying to take on Apple’s iTunes on price? That was the second dumbest decision of this ad. No wonder it finished dead last in likability and recognition.

Now… Silestone. Valiant effort of an ad featuring Chicago sports legends. Voice over was good. It was shot nicely. But, it was a little too jumpy in the cuts to get the whole picture the first time through. The quick cut style hurt the name recognition of the line of counter tops.

Silestone and Diana Pearl are not exactly household names. And Dennis Rodman slurred his line. It sounded like กDinah Pearl, rather than, กDiana Pearl.ก Iกm sure the director or writer got dissed when they said, กUh, Worm… itกs กDiA naก.ก

กSure. Dinah.ก

As a side note, why were only Chicago Bears in it until Dennis Rodman at the end? No Scottie Pippen or Slammin’ Sammy?

On to the good กuns…

Winners:

This year, the game was nearly as good as the ads, as there were a surprisingly good number of breaking spots. Leading the pack was Career Builder, FedEx, Mastercard, and AnheuserBusch.

FedEx likes to make ads relating to advertising on advertisingกs biggest stage. They did it again patching together 10 ‘tried and trueก Super bowl ad conventions to great results.

Career Builder put a great spin on a stale category with the best work since Monsterกs กI Wanna Be…ก [a brown noser, forced into retirement, etc.] from ก98. Three ads featuring a hapless chump working for chimps managed to put their name into mind share largely dominated by two others.

MasterCard got a bunch of animated branded food icons together for a meal and a nice touch of nostalgia. Ad fans and agency folks dug this one.

AB hit emotional hot buttons with a nearpublic service ad saluting troops retuning home. Yes, they were real military not actors. Their uniforms just did not have any insignias, so the common soldier would be represented. For their light beer category, the ad with the head on the wall and the designated driver spot were the best for Bud Light.

Pepsi’s second year of an iTunes promotion kicked off well. They ran a humorous spot featuring people opening winning bottles for a free song. When the bottles were opened, a song reflecting the drinker’s taste in music would play. Although the spot was humorous and worked, Pepsi could’ve really hit a home run by involving the older ขauthority figureข more into the ad. But, keeping with brand tradition, they kept the focus young.

AmeriQuest had two entertaining spots revolving around the themes of misunderstanding and jumping to conclusions. Their message was, ขWe don’t prejudge.ข The ad featuring spaghetti sauce, a cat, and knife will certainly make some ‘Best Ofข reels this year.

Decent work also included Hondaกs new pickup/SUV product introduction. Good detail with benefit highlights. Left the กHondaก out until the end. Cadillac and Volvo had solid ads. Volvo should have bought another ad, if not two, as many people missed the early run. The audience also may have missed the details on their unique contest. But they did follow up with some net portal ads the day after. Fordกs F150 Biker spot was OK. Their line that กit makes YOU tough,ก really undercut the effectiveness.

About The Author

John is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He publishes a free monthly ezine focusing on branding, advertising, and marketing from his web site http://www.brandedbetter.com. Speaking with both agency and inhouse experience, he knows the most valuable asset of a business is its brand.

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 10

by John Jordan

The Secret to Success!

The Secret to Success!

by: Fernando Soave

I must tell you about a rich manกs son at Niagara Falls. He was an indescribable specimen of anthropologic potency. He had a skullcap on one side of his head, with a gold tassel in the top of it, and a goldheaded cane under his arm with more in it than in his head. It is a very difficult thing to describe that young man. He wore an eye glass that he could not see through, patent leather boots that he could not walk in, and pants that he could not sit down indressed like a grasshopper. This human cricket came up to the clerkกs desk just as I entered, adjusted his unseeing eyeglass, and spake in this wise to the clerk. You see, he thought it was “Hinglish, you know,กก to lisp. “Thir, will you have the kindness to supply me with thome papah and enwelophs!กก The hotel clerk measured that man quick, and he pulled the envelopes and paper out of a drawer, threw them across the counter toward the young man, and then turned away to his books. You should have seen that young man when those envelopes came across that counter. He swelled up like a gobbler turkey, adjusted his unseeing eye glass, and yelled: “Come right back here. Now thir, will you order a thervant to take that papah and enwelophs to yondah dethk.กก Oh, the poor, miserable, contemptible American monkey! He could not carry paper and envelopes twenty feet. I suppose he could not get his arms down to do it. I have no pity for such travesties upon human nature. If you have not capital I am glad of it. What you need is common sense, not copper cents.

The best thing I can do is to illustrate by actual facts wellknown to you all. A. T. Stewart, a poor boy in New York, had $1.50 to begin life on. He lost 87 cents of that on the very first venture. How fortunate that young man who loses the first time he gambles. That boy said, “I will never gamble again in business,กก and he never did. How came he to lose 87 cents? You probably all know the story how he lost itbecause he bought some needles, threads, and buttons to sell which people did not want, and had them left on his hands, a dead loss. Said the boy, “I will not lose any more money in that way.กก Then he went around first to the doors and asked the people what they did want. Then when he had found out what they wanted he invested his 62 cents to supply a known demand. Study it wherever you choosein business, in your profession, in your housekeeping, whatever your life, that one thing is the secret of success. You must first know the demand. You must first know what people need, and then invest yourself where you are most needed. A. T. Stewart went on that principle until he was worth what amounted afterward to forty millions of dollars, owning the very store in which Mr. Wanamaker carries on his great work in New York. His fortune was made by his losing something, which taught him the great lesson that he must only invest himself or his money in something that people need. When will you salesmen learn it? When will you manufacturers learn that you must know the changing needs of humanity if you would succeed in life? Apply yourselves, as manufacturers or merchants or workmen to supply that human need. It is a great principle as broad as humanity.

Fernando Soave

Editor and Publisher

http://www.cuttingedgemlm.tk

Free Cutting Edge MLM Newsletter. mailto:[email protected]

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as needed. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes and to be sure that the web site address http://www.cuttingedgemlm.tk and mailto:[email protected] is hyperlinked correctly.

About The Author

Fernando Soave is the author of กCutting Edge MLM News.ก He has been in marketing for 20 years and is helping individuals succeed online. Visit his site to find out how you can get free reports. http://www.cuttingedgemlm.tk

[email protected]

This article was posted on May 07, 2004

by Fernando Soave

Internet Marketing Seminars: Prepare to Meet Your

Internet Marketing Seminars: Prepare to Meet Your Mentor

by: Rosalind Gardner

During my early twenties, while stationed in the frigid northern Canadian town of Timmins, Ontario, I took a number of University of Waterloo correspondence courses, with the hope of earning my degree and a way out of that frozen wasteland.

Did I learn a lot? Absolutely!

Did I benefit from the information? Again, absolutely! What would you like to know about Christallerกs กCentral Placeก theory?

Did I get my degree? Errr?no, I did not.

For me, the distance learning process was difficult and sorely lacking. I found it hard to motivate and discipline myself to study on my own schedule.

After listening to an audiotaped lecture, I couldn’t simply raise my hand to get answers to my questions.

Indeed, who were those people who were spouting their infinite wisdom? Were they graduate students, or bonafide experts with practical experience in their field?

Getting feedback on submitted assignments took weeks by snail mail. There were no other students with whom to share ideas and concerns. More importantly, where were the rabblerousing allnight parties that were supposed to be part of my University experience?

Oncampus university students usually take 4 or 5 courses per semester to earn a degree in 3 or 4 years, but a correspondence student with a fulltime job is hardpressed to complete just 2 courses per semester. Taking ten years to complete one degree wasn’t likely to impress potential employers in the Sunny South.

All in all, I felt like I was going to freeze to death in the vacuum of distance learning.

Trying to build a successful Internet or affiliate marketing business by studying ebooks is a little bit like trying to earn a business degree by correspondence.

Sure, you can do it, and I highly recommend that you take advantage of all educational material relevant to your online ventures.

However, while some students do very well with distance education, most of us learn faster and more easily when we can see and hear our teachers, and get answers to our questions as they come up.

For example, how many books would you have to read to equal the value of two or three days of multimedia presentations, on a variety of related topics, in an environment where you can ask questions and exchange ideas with both teachers and students? Three, four even five?

How long would it take you to read five books?

A week? A month? More?

No, really. You’re a busy person. Youกve probably got a fulltime job, a family, friends, a home to take care of and other pressing obligations.

After spending 10 hours commuting to and from work, 40 hours at work, 49 hours sleeping, 20 hours with your family and friends, 15 hours eating, 7 hours maintaining your home and another 10 hours maintaining your muscles; thereกs not much time left in the week to do your ‘required readingก ? IF you have the discipline.

And have you ever met the person who wrote the ebook that you’re currently reading about copywriting? Do they really practice what they preach?

Wouldn’t you rather learn marketing, sales, and copywriting strategies firsthand from selfmade millionaires who use those same techniques everyday; than from กpick and shovel sellersก who sell only moneymaking guides?

Instead of spending months and months learning on your own, what if you could spend just two or three days at a seminar learning about every topic that is important to you as an Internet entrepreneur? How much more quickly would your business become profitable?

The truth is that กpick and shovel sellersก don’t and can’t speak at seminars because they can’t answer your tough questions?and you need answers to your tough questions.

Do you ever wonder, กHow do I build a huge optin list?ก กHow do I find Super Affiliates to promote my online business?ก กWhat does it take to become a super affiliate?ก กWhich search engine optimization strategies work best?ก กWhat tools do successful Internet marketers really use in their businesses?ก กAre there easy ways to find a profitable niche or make money using payperclick advertising?ก

You can get all of your questions answered in the space of a weekend. All you have to do is show up, listen and ask.

Probably more than the copious amounts of great information that youกll take away from a seminar, is how inspired you will feel after hearing กordinaryก people tell their extraordinary success stories.

There is incredible power and motivation that comes from meeting selfmade millionaires in person and being able to see that they are as ‘realก as you or I. Learning that they too worked hard, made mistakes, and yet achieved the dream of true financial freedom will fuel a fire within you that burns long after the seminar is over.

Meeting your mentors and making friends at these events is another valuable benefit. How great would it be to just pick up the phone and talk with someone who understands your business? Can you do that now?

Attending a seminar isn’t cheap, however. It often costs several hundred to a couple thousand dollars just to get in the door, and that doesn’t include your airfare or accommodation. Though in many cases, you should be able to write off those expenses against your future earnings.

If you’re worried about the price of going to a seminar, consider what Nigel Botterill of Solihull, West Midlands, U.K. had to say about his experience during and after attending one of Yanik Silverกs seminars.

กI came across from the UK for the event knowing nothing about กInformation Marketingก…I want you to know just how bloody useful the whole thing was. Iกm very grateful to you for putting it all together. Within five weeks of the event I had launched my first product.

กWithin nine months of the event, using the techniques and tips that I learned from all the fantastic speakers at your Birthday Bash, I have generated well over one million dollars in sales from that single product. It has been incredible. All this with no previous experience just the education I got from three days in Florida!

กIกve closed down my กoldก business, changed my entire way of life, and am having so much fun.

กScary to think how different things would be if I hadn’t ‘taken the plungeก and booked on your event…ก

So, will YOU earn a million dollars from your fledgling Internet business in the next nine months, or even just a few thousand? Or will you still be struggling to figure out how to build your first web site?

Thatกs entirely up to you.

But if you want to put yourself on a fasttrack to success, attend a weekend seminar and meet your mentor today!

© Copyright Rosalind Gardner, All Rights Reserved.

About The Author

Article by Rosalind Gardner, author of the bestselling กSuper Affiliate Handbook: How I Made $436,797 in One Year Selling Other Peopleกs Stuff Onlineก. To learn how you too can suceed in Internet and affiliate marketing, go to: http://NetProfitsToday.com.

This article was posted on March 30

by Rosalind Gardner

The Damn Truth About Network Marketing

The Damn Truth About Network Marketing

by: Scott Lucas

The Damn Truth About Network Marketing:

How I Was Wrong and How You Can Learn From My Mistakes

by Scott Lucas

© 2003, http://www.WebCashLeads.com/2894

It’s interesting to hear people’s opinions about Network Marketing. There are some people that think it’s a pyramid scheme, a scam, not a profession, or that it does not work. SHAME ON THEM! If only these same people got educated about the industry, they would think differently.

The people I’m referring to are the people who have been exposed to our industry either directly, they’ve been approached in the past or indirectly, they know of someone who was in Network Marketing, or was also exposed.

This is sickening! Uncle Harry tells you it’s illegal and that you’ve been brainwashed into thinking you can be successful in Network Marketing. Your landlord thinks it’s one of those ขpyramid thingsข and that Network Marketing doesn’t work, and your friend Marty says, ขYour doing one of those things AGAIN?!ข

Two of the above situations happened to me. No, I don’t have a Uncle Harry. First of all, my landlord is closedminded and doesn’t care to know the truth. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that to poke fun but to illustrate how there are other people like my landlord. I once heard that the truth shall set you free. Lets just hope they accept the truth.

As for Marty, that was a legitimate question. I’ve been in the marketing industry off and on for 5 years. My first experience was direct marketing traveling the East Coast, business to business, selling an all natural degreaser. I spent 3 months BROKE, living and mooching off the company, and only sold 1 case of 12 bottles the entire time. It was a very interesting experience and one I will never forget.

I did direct marketing again selling vacuums for about two months and sold NOTHING, then I tried once more selling a pendant and ID card that was used to retrieve personal and medical information electronically. I sold NOTHING.

So I tried Network Marketing. The first company I was with is over 30 years old and is on the NYSE. First I was a customer then I became a distributor, and I still use the service today. I have saved money using this service and will continue to do so. For about 7 months, I only sold one plan to my motherinlaw and that was that. It was with this company that I was introduced to selfdevelopment or self help. The training, support and resources were ALL there but one thing was missing my REASONS! So I ended up QUITTING.

During my next venture in Network Marketing, I was going to college to earn an Associates Degree in Computer Networking. I was learning to become a MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer). I was doing great, fantastic and on my way until I let myself get DISTRACTED. Four months before the end date of college, I came across another company. The pay plan was awesome… the people were great and supportive… I paid a total of $600 to attend three seminars and I felt great. But something happened. I had a lot of products in my basement and was using the products, but I lost BELIEF.

I was off the path! Oh my God! I also had thousands worth of products that were just sitting there collecting dust! What the hell was I going to do? Well, I did NOTHING.

In between companies, I dabbled with Internet Marketing. Buying courses, ebooks, programs, websites, audios, videos, reports and almost anything learning how to have a profitable home based business. There were so many ขgurusข and selfproclaimed ขwho donersข (those who said they’ve done it, but really haven’t).

Within a 5 year period I had invested $15,000 and felt lost, confused, aggravated, frustrated but more importantly shame. I was ashamed of myself because I was a FAILURE. I felt as if I failed myself, and others were there NOT to boost me up but to say, ขI told you soข (in a nutshell). Though very few of my family and friends knew about my experiences, the few who knew was enough.

I was wrong!! I should not have felt ashamed even though I was confused, aggravated, lost and frustrated. With so many Network Marketing companies and Internet Marketing courses, how could ANYONE make an educated decision to learn ONE system and stick with it? Multiple streams of income? Which ones do I choose? The ad copy looks great and is compelling me to buy but should I buy ANOTHER ebook, program or course when I haven’t even APPLIED what I’ve learned from all the others? That’s if I took the time to read it.

I was blaming everything and everyone for MY failure! I fell VICTIM to the myth that all I had to do is position myself in front of a trend and the money would come to me. That all I had to do was sit in my underwear, on the couch, send some postcards every now and then and watch the money roll in. My victim mentality was getting me, my family, my dreams, my hope and future in Network Marketing NO WHERE!

Do not make the same mistakes I have made. If you are still reading this, thank you and god bless you. That tells me one of three things:

You have the victim mentality and you’re still doing what I’ve done for the past 5 years.

You’ve been there and done that and have found the path.

You’re looking for a way out of the victim mentality and have not found the path.

If you’re still confused, aggravated, lost and frustrated then I know how you feel. If you’ve been there and done that and have found the path, you’re a good student! If you have the victim mentality but are looking for a way out but have not found the path, this is what I’ve found out.

I used to feel that the more I knew, the more money I would make. What I found is that it’s NOT TRUE. The more you know about marketing from more than ONE PERSON, the more likely you are to be confused, aggravated, frustrated and lost. Why? Because you’re learning from more than person about the same subject when both of them give you completely different answers. How else would you explain buying all those ebooks, courses and programs about Internet Marketing? Have you read all of them? I was guilty of doing this to.

To be a good student, one must find a teacher or mentor and MODEL what they did to reach their GOALS. Notice I said ขaข teacher or mentor. This means ONE person, not two or more.

Very few people understand the concept of modeling and goal setting when it comes to a profitable business, whether it be Network Marketing or Internet Marketing. I know I did because I just wanted to know how to make money.

The SECRET to making money in Network Marketing, Internet Marketing or any business is a mandatory law that very few marketers know, or will share with the masses because this law will break their business or will change your victim mentality into a success mentality.

ALL successful people had a MENTOR and those who want to be successful in marketing, have to have a mentor. This is a law, a mandatory principle to your success. If you continue breaking this law, as I once did, you will have similar results in your marketing career as I once did.

For the sake of your confusion, frustration, aggravation and DEBT, either change what you’re doing RIGHT NOW or STOP what you’re doing all together because you will not succeed.

Scott Lucas

Elizabethtown KY

2707376187 (anytime)

mailto:[email protected]

About The Author

Scott Lucas is an upandcoming entrepreneur that knows the mandatory law the Internet is trying to steal from you, but you don’t even realize it. If you feel the Internet could be your goldmine, now is your chance to take back the 93.5%! http://www26.brinkster.com/abnormalthinker/stolensuccess.htm

* This article is copyrighted and all rights are reserved. *

This article was posted on May 18, 2003

by Scott Lucas

Does Your Marketing Plan Need Changing?

Does Your Marketing Plan Need Changing?

by: Joy Gendusa

Change is good, right? Not always. But when is it bad? Is it a question of good or bad? Sounds philosophical. Maybe it is.

Philosophize on this…why would one take something that is going good – no.. great – and change it? Obvious answer is to make it better. Not!

In business or in marketing, change is not always good. When you have certain promotional actions that are in place making things happen, or in better terms, making you money – don’t change them! Why do I say this? Because I see it time and time again. Someone has a marketing campaign that is bringing in a good return on investment and they up and decide to change their postcard! What?!?!?!?!? Change your postcard – why??????? ขEr uh, we just decided to do something different.ข

And then some three or four months down the road, they call back with their tail between their legs and ask – no demand to have everything back the way it was before. In this latter case – change is good.

I am not just saying that to say that one should always keep their postcard marketing campaign the same and never change it. Quite the contrary. Change your marketing, change your habits, change your way of life when it warrants it. There is really some truth to the old adage ขIf it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.ข Maybe it is human nature to want to change everything once something gets going just the way they planned it. Who the heck knows? All I can say is step outside the humannature box. Change only when things are drastic or when change is warranted.

Drastic circumstances deserve drastic measures. But how do you determine drastic? Sometimes that is really easy. Your company’s income is crashing. Do something! Change! Or better yet, figure out what you changed and get it back to what was working.

How about a plateau? Does that deserve change? Depends on how long that plateau lasts. I have never seen things leveling off and staying level forever. It either goes one of two ways – up or down. I know an optometrist who had a very successful practice in small town USA. He never really marketed. He never really had to. People knew of him from miles around. Mainly he did PR stuff – a fundraiser here, networking there, etc., etc. His good works made him well known and respected and the community ooo’ed and ah’ed over him so much the paper loved printing it.

But things changed. Malls started opening up. People started shopping out of smalltown USA and into the bigger cities. The environment changed. But he didn’t. He still kept a good practice, but you could see something interesting – his gross income started to plateau. And over time – many years – that plateau gradually started to show where it was really going. I actually don’t have to say where – you’ve got the picture.

Now, would that demand drastic measures? Taking into account inflation, cost of living and other factors that are on the rise – yes, I would say that would demand drastic measures. Did he take them? Not until the direness became all too apparent. But yes, he finally did take them. He started postcard marketing his youknowwhat off!

I have another client that is just a dream. They have had the same list for the past 5 years, ever since they have been in business – thirty thousand physical therapists they mailed to over and over and over and over and … They never changed. They figured if it was bringing in the income it was the thing that was working. And it worked and it still works. And today – they made Entrepreneur’s 100 Hot List for 2005.

So, next time you think about changing your marketing plan, look to see if it needs it. Look at your numbers. Are they improving? Declining? If your income is going up – don’t change one single thing. But if it is going down or flat lining – for heaven’s sake, change!

About The Author

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998, her only assets a computer and a phone. By 2004 the company did $9 million in sales and employed over 60 people. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. As an Expert Author, she is always willing to share her marketing advice through articles, interviews and speaking engagements; visit www.postcardmania.com.

This article was posted on September 07

by Joy Gendusa

How Did You Get Here?

How Did You Get Here?

by: Michael Hopkins

When marketing your website, itกs important to know which of your efforts are producing results and which of them are a waste of time.

You can learn a lot about this by analyzing your websiteกs statistics (assuming your webhost offers this service).

However, even with the best statistics programs, it can be difficult to determine where exactly your visitors are coming from. Did they arrive on your product page by clicking a link in your newsletter or did they get there by clicking the banner youกve paid to have displayed on Yahoo?

The best way to answer this question is to track your links. You can do this by buying link tracker software or by employing a thirdparty service to do it for you.

However, if your budget is tight, thereกs one way you can track your links without spending a dime.

This can be done by tagging a question mark followed by a piece of text at the end of your hyperlinks. This will not affect the way the link works, but will help you identify that link in your websiteกs statistics.

For example, http://www.yoursite.com/page1.htm?linka will point simply to http://www.yoursite.com/page1.htm as if the ก?linkaก were not there at all.

However, when you analyze your statistics, you will have separate results for both links. That way you can determine how many people visited page1.htm and how many people visited page1.htm by clicking the link marked ก?linkaก.

You can use this to test the effectiveness of any or all of your links. For example, if you want to know how many people are arriving on your product page from your newsletter, your banner ad and your home page, you could set up your links as follows:

The link from your newsletter: www.yoursite.com/product.htm?newsletter The link from your banner on Yahoo: www.yoursite.com/product.htm?yahoobanner The link from your home page: www.yoursite.com/product.htm?home

When you analyze your visitor statistics you can clearly see how each of these links are performing and then act accordingly.

As there is no limit to the amount of distinct links you can create, you can easily track all your links at no cost.

About The Author

Michael Hopkins is owner of BizzyDays eBook Publications.

Download Brand New Original eBooks for FREE at:

http://www.bizzydays.com

Download The eBook Publishing Success Package at:

http://selfpublishingebooks.htm

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 11, 2002

by Michael Hopkins

How My New Internet Business Achieved Truly Explos

How My New Internet Business Achieved Truly Explosive Growth From A Standing Start in Less Than 6 Weeks!!

by: Chris Billington

I don’t know about you but personally I always fancied the idea of getting in on some of that internet action. I was often in awe of some of those sites I discovered when I was browsing, you know the ones how to gain your own independence, run your own internet business, be your own boss. These people were living their dream, working from home, carving out their own piece of the internet but I soon found that they all had one thing in common. They never really gave away how they were doing what they were doing; they never revealed their ขreal secrets to successข. Sure they wanted to sell me something but they didn’t really want to help me.

OK, I did find a solution, hire a website designer, marketing consultant and copywriter to design an internet based business from scratch for me. After four weeks of making enquiries, gathering quotes – a lot of companies did not even bother to respond – I soon realised that some of the rates they wanted to charge me would have sent the cost spiralling. I could easily have spent $1000’s and to me, and a lot of other people I am sure, this was ridiculous. Also the hassle factor of trying to get all the individuals to work on the same project would have been a logistical nightmare, and the results would have been far from guaranteed.

There was another alternative of course, I could build my own website, learn some copywriting techniques, embark on some fastback study course in marketing……..now don’t get me wrong, I am all for self learning and doing things myself but to be honest this stuff takes many months and sometimes even years to master, years that I would rather be ขearning while learningข.

So what did I do? Well, completely by accident I stumbled across somebody offering a website building service based around a proven online money making system. Furthermore this website runs on autopilot and it is working right now 24 hours a day seven days a week pulling in profits and, even more incredibly, the person behind the concept is always on hand to help me.

At 49 years old, and being fortunate enough to have retired twice in my forties I know a good thing when I see it. I carried out an initial evaluation and soon realised that what was on offer was a real chance, to make real money and all with unparalleled support from the business originator. I fully understand the power of following a successful formula so I immediately set the wheels in motion.

During the last week in August I set off into the World Wide Web with no previous internet business or marketing experience but full of expectation and here I am writing this on October 3rd because I just had to let you all know how it’s going.

Now look at this Truly Explosive Growth!!

During that last week in August I was really pleased to say that my new project received 13 hits from 10 unique visitors, boy was I pleased to see it working and what a great feeling it is to know that visitors are coming to your website. But wait, it gets better, during the month of September my site had received 9,920 hits from 1651 visits, whew! But look at this in the first two days of October my website has seen 8,389 hits from 1414 visitors – yes you read that right, that’s 8,389 hits in two days!!!!!!!! This breakthrough has been achieved in less than 6 weeks and all from a standing start.

Do I sound thrilled, you bet I am, wouldn’t you be thrilled if you were in my shoes? Well the good news is you can be.

Sometimes some things are hard to believe and this may seem like one of them but trust me these results go way, way beyond my wildest dreams.

Why am I telling you? Because I have discovered that the easiest way in the world to earn a full time monthly income on the internet is from affiliate programs. I was offered the chance to copy a simple system that helps me to produce as much income as possible as quickly as possible in multiple affiliate programs at one time by becoming a ขsuperaffiliateข. Now that I have proof that it works I am sharing this great opportunity with you.

Click the link to see how easy it to become a ขsuperaffiliateข with your own powerful, profit generating high traffic content site; www.bizStore24.com/pluginprofit.

One final point, you will be amazed when you see how much it costs to have your own personal website built – absolutely nothing – it’s free!!

Get one for yourself and then drop me a line in a few weeks, once you start pulling in those massive residual profits, I would love you to share your success story with me,

About The Author

Chris Billington, cornwall, uk

[email protected]

http://www.bizstore24.com

MSN Messenger: [email protected]

Yahoo Messenger: ChrisBillingtonGB

Successful entrepreneur, twice retired before age 49 now personally helping ordinary people to make EXTRAORDINARY money WORKING FROM HOME on the internet at www.bizStore24.com. Get FREE info by email.Send your request to: [email protected].

This article was posted on October 17, 2004

by Chris Billington

Profiting From Writting Your Own Ebook

Profiting From Writting Your Own Ebook

by: Greg Hayes

As you might have heard, the Internet is all about information. Millions of people logon to the Internet each day searching for information. They’re searching for everything from health and wellness to love and relationships. People crave information and will pay to get the info they want.
Thatกs why ebooks are the hottest products on the Internet. Itกs digital information thatกs downloadable and therefore brings instant gratification to the user. In just a matter of minutes, you can have expert knowledge saved on your hard drive that you can read at your leisure. It can be printed out and made into a regular book. Itกs an incredible medium for writers and experts who would have before the Internet needed a publisher or magazine to print and sell their knowledge in book form.
The good news is just about anyone can write an ebook and sell it on the internet with virtually no cost. If you happen to be an expert on a particular subject then thatกs a definite plus but you need not be an expert on a subject to write an ebook. If you think that sounds ridiculous, just think back to your school days. How many times were you given an assignment to write a lengthy report on a subject you knew nothing about? I remember writing several reports in high school and college on subjects I knew nothing about. The end result was always a report that read like an expert on the subject had written it. How did I do it? Research of course. Thatกs how we all did it. That was the whole purpose of the assignment. It was teaching you to conduct your own research and fact finding and then compiling that research into a report. You can use this same technique to write an ebook.
Iกm going to reveal my age here. I remember way back in the 70กs seeing an ad in a magazine for this rather interesting book. It was titled กHow to Pick Up Women.ก It could only be bought through mail order. Unlike most books of the time the author of this book had an idea for a book that contained valuable information. Well, it was valuable to a whole lot of young men. The problem was that he was no expert on picking up women. So how did he write the book? Once again, research. Only this time the research involved conducting actual interviews with young women. Thatกs right. He just went out and started interviewing the average woman on the street. He asked questions like กwhat attracts you to a man?ก and กwhat characteristics to you find sexy in a man?ก Interestingly enough, there were plenty of women who were willing to give a few minutes of their time to answer questions for a book.
After completing the interviews, he compiled the information into a book and then preceded to print copies of the book himself using an old printing press he had purchased. No publisher wanted to publish his book. They of course changed their minds when they saw how many of the books were selling. The author couldn’t keep up with the orders. It seemed there were many thousands of men who wanted this information.
Now, 30 years later nothing has really changed. People are still in search of information. The good news is that you need not purchase a printing press to publish a book. You just need a computer and the power of the Internet. You can write your own ebook and start profiting almost right away. You can sell your ebook over and over again at almost 100% profit.

About The Author

Are You Tired of the scams and the getrichquick schemes? Greg Hayes is founding editor of http://www.mammothprofits.com/. Mammothprofits is the website devoted to helping others filter out the scams and become successful in a home based business.

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 11, 2004

by Greg Hayes

$1148 in One Day with Plants? You Bet!

$1148 in One Day with Plants? You Bet!

by: Michael McGroarty

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm

HOW TO MAKE $1148 IN ONE DAY WORKING WITH PLANTS This article is actually an example of a simple yet, excellent marketing plan. Pay close attention to how I went out and found new business at a time of the year when things are normally slow, and not only did I make $1,148.00, my friend Franky also made $1,060.00.

Because I chose to keep myself out of the rat race of landscaping new homes, I went after a market that was more of an impulsive type market. New home landscaping is almost a necessity, since new homes don’t have any shrubs or grass. Not only that, many housing developments actually require people to have their landscaping done within a certain number of months from the time they move into their new homes. Therefore, when the house is done, people are anxious to get it landscaped.

Since I wasn’t in that market, and most impulsive gardening decisions are made in the spring, my business typically slowed down during the very hot summer months. So one year I decided to do a little test marketing, to see if I could muster up some work during the summer.

I decided to do a test mailing to 350 homeowners in an area where I knew the people could afford landscaping services, but were not extremely rich. I mailed a letter to these 350 homes, and the letter basically said I could help them with any landscaping project that needed done, and because my business was slow during the summer I could give them a really fair price.

Of the 350 people that received the letter 3 called me. I immediately sold two jobs, and the third job was still open for discussion. On one of the first two jobs I made about $350. and on the other I made about $700. That’s net profit. That’s how much I got to keep. Since the mailing cost less than $175., my immediate profit on the mailing was $875. Not bad at all considering this was only a parttime business for me. But don’t forget about that third caller. I had not even met this person yet.

The reason he called is because he happened to own a 60 unit apartment building in the Cleveland area, and he needed some trees or shrubs planted around the parking lot. The architect that he had been working with suggested Taxus Hicksi, which is an evergreen that is easily trimmed and maintained to a certain size. However, all the landscapers he had spoken with in Cleveland wanted about $44.00 each to install these plants. Although a fair price, that amounted to $4,664.00 because he needed 106 plants.

He contacted me because he was hoping I could find a less expensive plant to use. After visiting the job site I realized that Taxus Hicksi actually was about the best choice for this situation, so I told him I would see if I could get a better price on the plants. I showed in a wholesale catalog that the wholesale price was $22.00 per plant, but mentioned that I might be able to find another source.

I knew that my friend Franky did at one time grow this particular plant, so I gave him a call. Turns out he did have 106 plants available, and was anxious to move some of them, he quoted me $10.00 each, balled in burlap. I called my customer and told him that I found good plants at a lower price, and that I could actually deliver and plant them for $22.00 per plant, which is exactly half of what others had quoted him. He was delighted, and I did the job. As a matter of fact he actually asked me to install some additional plants while I was there.

I hired 3 guys to help me do the job, and we had it done in one day. After I paid for the plants, and paid my help, I actually made $1,148.00 on that one day job. My customer was so happy with the work we did that he asked me to come back the following week and do about another $700.00 worth of work. I made another $350.00 The following spring he hired me to relandscape an older home that he had purchased, and I made another $600.00.

Remember the $175.00 that I spent to mail those 350 letters? The net profit on that mailing turned out to be about $2,973.00!!! And my friend Franky picked up $1,060.00 for the plants I bought from him. Were these 350 people I selected special? No they weren’t. Every town in America has at least 350 people just like them, probably thousands more.

There are many different ways to make money with plants, this is just one of them, I can show you plenty more. I’ve been making money with plants for over 25 years.

About The Author

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 14

by Michael McGroarty