One Home Business with Everything You Need To Succ

One Home Business with Everything You Need To Succeed With You’re Online Business

by: Michel Richer

Are you getting more and more frustrated with the Internet marketing scene…If you’re like most Internet users…your email inbox is bombarded with getrichquick schemes., but nothingกs working …and now you’re wondering if anyone out there will ever really help you, or if they’re all just trying to take money from you!

Letกs face it, we would all like more hours in the day… more time to enjoy with the kids, more time on the golf course… even more time with the spouse!

But at the moment your Internet business seems to be taking up more and more time, without the fabulous rewards you keep hearing about, right?

I know you’re trying to hang in there because people are obviously making fortunes… but you’re getting near the end of your patience, right?

Let me ask you a question…

Which situation makes more sense…

Buying more and more ebooks youกll never read, helping to line the pockets of various Internet marketers without making any money for yourself…

or…

Concentrating on one website where everything is made available to help you go from nowhere to success, and where the owner of the site has a real interest in seeing you do well?

So now you know why you spend more and more money without actually finding out how to MAKE MONEY!

Letกs put an end to this madness right now!

You only need ! One website. One Home Business with everything you need to succeed on the internet. Simple, eh?

Here is a partial list of what you will get…

You can sign up FREE, get a FREE Website, and test drive the program for as long as you want at absolutely no cost or obligation EVER.

A lucrative compensation plan. Tens of thousands of SFIกs members are already receiving monthly commission checks, totaling over $3 MILLION dollars since July 1st.

SFI understands the Internet. SFI itself is totally databasedriven which means that almost everything happens in realtime. From SFIกs powerful central Admin site, thereกs online, realtime genealogies, plus numerous other tools to manage your business such as instant group messages via email.

Perfect for the กlittle guy.ก There are no group volume requirements. In fact, the toughest thing you ever have to do with SFI is give away free stuff.

Refer just three new members to SFI and you can automatically start earning a portion of EVERY sale…EVERY month…made by SFIกs OVER 3.5 MILLION affiliates and members worldwide.

FREE 24Hour Professional Consultation. Each SFI affiliate is assigned three leaders to provide free consultation and support.

The Internet is exploding worldwide. USA TODAY recently reported that over 170,000 new people are getting online every 24 hours. Many smart business people are becoming millionaires on the Internet. And this is just the beginning! With SFI you can grab your share.

Thanks to the Internet and SFIกs smartlydesigned infrastructure, your business expenses are minimal. You can contact thousands on the Internet via email, search engines, directories, free ads, etc. All free! No door to door sales. No postage. No printing. No brochures. No tapes. No videos. No long distance calls. Instant communication worldwide.

Don’t know anything about marketing on the Internet? Included FREE when you sign up with SFI is an ongoing course in making money on the Internet. Itกs emailed to you FREE 12 times per month, plus thereกs also a Website of all the past lessons. EVEN IF YOU END UP DOING NOTHING WITH SFI, GET SIGNED UP AND GET THIS INVALUABLE COURSE!!!

FREE Coop. SFI has provided over 700,000 of its affiliates with free leads. Join SFI now (for FREE) and you may start receiving free leads (leads that can add to your monthly commission check) within hours.

That just a small SAMPLING of the benefits the SFI program delivers. The best way to learn all about SFI is to sign up as an affiliate. Thereกs no cost or obligation.

http://Ezinfocenter.com/297607.7/FREE

Copyright © Michel Richer

PERMISSIONS TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in its entirety free of charge, electronically or in print, provided it appears with the included copyright and author’s resource box with live website link.

http://hombyz.com

About The Author

Michel Richer is the Business Manager and Webmaster of http://Hombyz.com. He is dedicated to helping you succeed on the Internet. With over 10 years experience in internet business and a solid reputation in the industry. You can take a look at his website at: http://hombyz.com for Your Home Business Success !!!

This article was posted on April 29, 2004

by Michel Richer

3 Reasons Your Website Might Fail To Attract Enoug

3 Reasons Your Website Might Fail To Attract Enough Customers

by: Michael Cheney

Virtually all website owners concentrate their efforts and energy into getting more visitors. With business owners this effort is spent on getting more and more new customers. What many people forget with both their website and their business is that getting new customers (or visitors) is only a small part of the equation for success…

Reason For Failure No. 1 The กI am GodกSyndrome

God got his name from being able to do anything and everything and be everywhere at once. Despite what we are taught from an early age many people still insist on believing they themselves are God. Ever found yourself answering the phone, making a sale, running a sales meeting, welcoming customers and doing your companyกs accounts all in one day? Sure you have. You’re trying to be God and do everything and be in more than one place at one time. You will fail. People do this with their website too.

Rather than just stopping at providing content (which is where you should stop and hand everything else over to the professionals) some people think that despite no professional training or education in the subject they are experts in web design, website marketing, graphic design and business consultancy. Remember stick to what you know, leave everything else to the experts. Your job is to run your business not to run around like a headless chicken trying to create a website, market a website, do the books, answer the phones and make the tea.

Reason For Failure No. 2 กBuild It And They Will Comeก

Ah yes. The halcyon days of the early 1990s when anything seemed possible and merely owning a domain name or funky web address meant certain success and riches beyond your wildest dreams. กBuild it and they will comeก is what they said. They were wrong.

Disaster after high profile disaster came crashing down into a pile of dotcom carnage as the millions poured into the idea pit were consumed by fastspending entrepreneurs who possessed more pairs of trainers than they did explanations for where the profit was going to come from. Just remember there are more web pages in the world than there are people so if you really think that just building a website is enough itกs time for a serious rethink. Youกve spent the money on graphic design, content, domain names, hosting, web design and testing and your site has just gone live. Congratulations you have just completed step 1 of 1000,001 in having a site that generates business for you.

You now need to market the site just as you need to market your business when it first starts advertising, fliers, yellow pages, referrals, networking, cold calls, direct marketing, mail shots, radio slots, events, conventions, product launches, press coverage etc. A website is exactly the same. Don’t forget the new statement for the new age of new technology:

Build it and they will say กI can’t find it!ก

Reason For Failure No. 3 You Choose The Wrong Website Marketing Company

Itกs difficult isn’t it? There are so many to choose from how do you know where to start? Well word of mouth recommendation is always a good indication. Failing that you can look at the key areas that are likely to indicate the quality of their service. For example, ask these questions;

Do they offer guarantees of any kind on their results?

Do they proudly display testimonials from satisfied customers on their website?

What is their profile on the web like, can you find them easily?

Do they have detailed case studies explaining how they have helped other businesses?

Do they have a longstanding track record in the industry and wide clientbase?

There is no real way to avoid making the wrong decision but if you keep learning more and more about website marketing you will be arming yourself with enough information to at least reduce the risk of choosing the wrong company.

About The Author

Mike Cheney, www.magnet4web.com ©

You can get free access to lots more of my articles plus a FREE Special Report กHow To Turn Your Website Into A Customer Magnetก worth a value of £47 ($85) here: http://www.magnet4web.com/website_services/?page=freeguide

This article was posted on April 24, 2004

by Michael Cheney

Identity Theft: They Got Him

Identity Theft: They Got Him

by: Daryl Campbell

His hard earned money? Gone. Creditors on his back everyday. The cops knocking on his door. His family strained to the breaking point. He didn’t do anything wrong but my business partnerกs life got turned upside down afew years back. He became a victim of what is now the fastest growing crime in the world. Identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, since 1999 over 27 million people in the US alone became victims of this epidemic 10 million more last year. Harris InterActive,a marketing research company, reports that between 2002 and 2003 more roughly 19,178 people per day fell victim.

Your identity can be stolen in many ways. For my partner, the thief gained access to his social security number and address then applied for a series of loans in his name. When the bills came due, guess who the creditors and law enforcement held accountable?

He and his family felt the full impact. Identity theft can cripple and even destroy a personกs life. The time loss trying to recover your identity as well as the out of pocket expense U.S.Treasury Secretary John Snow calls identity theft ‘the greatest threat to consumers and far more insidious and harmful to our national welfare than many people realize.ก The internet doesn’t make it any better with its almost limitless access to information but a great deal of identity theft still comes from the offline world. Wherever it comes from the goal stays the same. To get your personnal information and steal what belongs to you for as long as possible.

In many cases, this can lead to the victim filing for bankruptcy or worse. As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, one man whose identity got stolen recently spent 54 days in jail before authorities realized their mistake.

Yet even when the thief finally gets caught, victims find out all too often the worse part still lies ahead. The recovery of their identity. For my partner, that meant never ending battles with the same credit bureaus that previously gave him good ratings.

They destroyed his credit almost overnight eventhough he did everything they told him to get it restored. The agencies refused to clear his record and instead, started sharing his information with each other. His mortgage rates went thru the roof. He paid more for everything but still got declined. With all of this came the burden and fear of him not knowing if he would ever recover his identity. Six years later he finally did. He started working with a company that within 90 days restored his credit. His mortgage rate dropped and he went back to paying full price for everything like the rest of us.

And like my partner, all of us risk becoming victims. In San Antonio Texas, television station KENS 5 spoke with a man convicted of identity theft who warned กDon’t take for granted what you have because anybody could take it away — I mean at the snap of a finger.ก

He would know. The ways of stealing an identity have turned this crime from nuisance to worldwide crisis.

About The Author

Daryl Campbell is a writer and home business owner.Banks say you should check your credit once a year. No problem right? Except it leaves identity thieves the other 364 days to steal it. Get the professionals on your side to watch your back 24/7. How? Go now to => http://digbig.com/4dwsx

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 06

by Daryl Campbell

When a Customer Has Done Everything to Get Your Go

When a Customer Has Done Everything to Get Your Goat

by: Ron Hutton

You try to make your customers happy. You sincerely WANT them to be pleased with your products and service. You go out of your way to provide quality and integrity in everything you do.

So, why is it that every once in a while thereกs a customer who insists on totally, absolutely and completely pissing you off?

How long is a string?

There are some questions, the answers to which, will always elude me. Are you with me on this?

I received an email message from a customer who must have not only have awoke on the wrong side of the bed, but must have also found himself in the wrong bed, in the wrong bedroom, in the wrong house, on the wrong block, in the wrong city, and in the wrong life. As I read this message, I was seething with anger my hands literally shaking.

Wanting to somehow reach through my ethernet connection to find the neck attached to the head of the person who could be so rude was my first priority.

What do you do at this point? How do you satisfy the irrational?

ANSWER: You don’t.

Romans 12:20 says, กIf your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.ก

This is what I attempted to do in my reply to Mr. Disgruntled. Hereกs a formula that you can use; and if you do this, the satisfaction will outweigh many times over the anger you initially felt.

Step 1: Stop. Close the email. Put down the poison mouse and walk away.

Step 2: Consider the situation carefully. Can you imagine a time and place where you might have blasted someone in the same way? Is there even the tiniest hint of legitimacy to the claim of this angry customer? Things aren’t always as you might perceive them. There are always multiple sides to every story. Does this condone abusive behavior? Of course not.

Now, if the answers are กno, No, and NO, this is unjustifiedก, stick with this formula anyway. When youกve done whatกs right, youกll be the bigger person and your self image will be elevated.

Step 3: Now that youกve cooled off, draft your reply. Answer question, comments and complaints with cool and exacting detail. If the complaint is a product problem, test it. Also understand that with the proliferation of different computer operating systems, your test results may not match the results of others. Explain only what you know for certain (this version of this software on this operating system with this service package, etc.) Keep an open mind that your experiences are not always shared by others.

Step 4: Spell and grammar check your message. This might seem like a funny thing to include here, but haste leads to errors and errors can erode the potency of your reply.

Step 5: Print your message and read it out loud to yourself. Is it coherent? Have you addressed everything? Is your reply laden with sarcasm, anger or spite? If yes, Start Over.

Remember, you provide awesome customer service and will not be shaken by small minds or ill tempered customers.

Step 6: Sign your message. This is the last thing that the customer reads and if you blow this, everything said prior will have little or no meaning. Leave them no doubt that you are, above all else, a professional.

Step 7: Click send.

Yow! That feels good.

Two additional options that you may consider are…

Option 1: Call the customer if you can find their phone number. Youกll be blown away at how attitudes change instantly when your customer hears your voice live at the other end of a phone connection. Itกs miraculous.

Option 2: Refund their money instantly. Cancel their membership. Remove every trace of their contact information from your mailing lists. AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE. In some cases this is the prudent thing to do. You won’t please everyone, and 14 different email messages over the course of 8 days isn’t worth the $19.95 sale. Cut bait and run.

You try to make your customers happy. You sincerly WANT them to be pleased with your products and service. You go out of your way to provide quality and integrity in everything you do.

Outstanding! Keep up the good work.

Copyright 2005 Ron Hutton

About The Author

Ron Hutton is a 20 year sales and marketing veteran with a passion for coaching and training. Subscribe to กGoThrive Onlineก, for big juicy marketing tips in small, easytochew, bite size servings. 17 Free Cool Tools… http://www.gothrive.com.

This article was posted on April 06

by Ron Hutton

Identity Theft: They Got Him

Identity Theft: They Got Him

by: Daryl Campbell

His hard earned money? Gone. Creditors on his back everyday. The cops knocking on his door. His family strained to the breaking point. He didn’t do anything wrong but my business partnerกs life got turned upside down a few years back. He became a victim of what is now the fastest growing crime in the world. Identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, since 1999 over 27 million people in the US alone became victims of this epidemic 10 million more last year. Harris Interactive, a marketing research company, reports that between 2002 and 2003 more roughly 19,178 people per day fell victim.

Your identity can be stolen in many ways. For my partner, the thief gained access to his social security number and address then applied for a series of loans in his name. When the bills came due, guess who the creditors and law enforcement held accountable?

He and his family felt the full impact. Identity theft can cripple and even destroy a personกs life. The time loss trying to recover your identity as well as the out of pocket expense U.S.Treasury Secretary John Snow calls identity theft ‘the greatest threat to consumers and far more insidious and harmful to our national welfare than many people realize.ก

The internet doesn’t make it any better with its almost limitless access to information but a great deal of identity theft still comes from the offline world. Wherever it comes from the goal stays the same. To get your personal information and steal what belongs to you for as long as possible.

In many cases, this can lead to the victim filing for bankruptcy or worse. As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, one man whose identity got stolen recently spent 54 days in jail before authorities realized their mistake.

Yet even when the thief finally gets caught, victims find out all too often the worse part still lies ahead. The recovery of their identity. For my partner, that meant never ending battles with the same credit bureaus that previously gave him good ratings.

They destroyed his credit almost overnight even though he did everything they told him to get it restored. The agencies refused to clear his record and instead, started sharing his information with each other. His mortgage rates went thru the roof. He paid more for everything but still got declined. With all of this came the burden and fear of him not knowing if he would ever recover his identity.

Six years later he finally did. He started working with a company that within 90 days restored his credit. His mortgage rate dropped and he went back to paying full price for everything like the rest of us.

And like my partner, all of us risk becoming victims. In San Antonio Texas, television station KENS 5 spoke with a man convicted of identity theft who warned กDon’t take for granted what you have because anybody could take it away I mean at the snap of a finger.ก

He would know. The ways of stealing an identity have turned this crime from nuisance to worldwide crisis.

About The Author

Daryl Campbell is CEO of Campbell Marketing, L.L.C. His website, minisites, and articles help people to grow and protect their internet marketing business. Go to winthemarket.com now.

** Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 21

by Daryl Campbell

One Home Business with Everything You Need To Succ

One Home Business with Everything You Need To Succeed Online

by: Michel Richer

Are you getting more and more frustrated with the Internet marketing scene…If you’re like most Internet users…your email inbox is bombarded with getrichquick schemes., but nothingกs working …and now you’re wondering if anyone out there will ever really help you, or if they’re all just trying to take money from you!

Letกs face it, we would all like more hours in the day… more time to enjoy with the kids, more time on the golf course… even more time with the spouse!

But at the moment your Internet business seems to be taking up more and more time, without the fabulous rewards you keep hearing about, right?

I know you’re trying to hang in there because people are obviously making fortunes… but you’re getting near the end of your patience, right?

Let me ask you a question…

Which situation makes more sense…

Buying more and more ebooks youกll never read, helping to line the pockets of various Internet marketers without making any money for yourself…

or…

Concentrating on one website where everything is made available to help you go from nowhere to success, and where the owner of the site has a real interest in seeing you do well?

So now you know why you spend more and more money without actually finding out how to MAKE MONEY!

Letกs put an end to this madness right now!

You only need ! One website. One Home Business with everything you need to succeed on the internet. Simple, eh?

Here is a partial list of what you will get…

1. You can sign up FREE, get a FREE Website, and test drive the program for as long as you want at absolutely no cost or obligation EVER.

2. A lucrative compensation plan. Tens of thousands of SFIกs members are already receiving monthly commission checks, totaling over $3 MILLION dollars since July 1st.

3. SFI understands the Internet. SFI itself is totally databasedriven which means that almost everything happens in realtime. From SFIกs powerful central Admin site, thereกs online, realtime genealogies, plus numerous other tools to manage your business such as instant group messages via email.

4. Perfect for the กlittle guy.ก There are no group volume requirements. In fact, the toughest thing you ever have to do with SFI is give away free stuff.

5. Refer just three new members to SFI and you can automatically start earning a portion of EVERY sale…EVERY month…made by SFIกs OVER 3.5 MILLION affiliates and members worldwide.

6. FREE 24Hour Professional Consultation. Each SFI affiliate is assigned three leaders to provide free consultation and support.

7. The Internet is exploding worldwide. USA TODAY recently reported that over 170,000 new people are getting online every 24 hours. Many smart business people are becoming millionaires on the Internet. And this is just the beginning! With SFI you can grab your share.

8. Thanks to the Internet and SFIกs smartlydesigned infrastructure, your business expenses are minimal. You can contact thousands on the Internet via email, search engines, directories, free ads, etc. All free! No door to door sales. No postage. No printing. No brochures. No tapes. No videos. No long distance calls. Instant communication worldwide.

9. Don’t know anything about marketing on the Internet? Included FREE when you sign up with SFI is an ongoing course in making money on the Internet. Itกs emailed to you FREE 12 times per month, plus thereกs also a Website of all the past lessons. EVEN IF YOU END UP DOING NOTHING WITH SFI, GET SIGNED UP AND GET THIS INVALUABLE COURSE!!!

10. FREE Coop. SFI has provided over 700,000 of its affiliates with free leads. Join SFI now (for FREE) and you may start receiving free leads (leads that can add to your monthly commission check) within hours.

That just a small SAMPLING of the benefits the SFI program delivers. The best way to learn all about SFI is to sign up as an affiliate. Thereกs no cost or obligation.

Copyright © Michel Richer

PERMISSIONS TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in its entirety free of charge, electronically or in print, provided it appears with the included copyright and author’s resource box with live website link.

About The Author

Michel Richer is the Business Manager and Webmaster of Hombyz.com. With over 10 years experience in internet business and a solid reputation in the industry. He is dedicated to helping you succeed on the Internet. You can take a look at his website at: http://hombyz.com for Your Home Business Success !!!

This article was posted on March 28, 2004

by Michel Richer

3 Reasons Your Website Might Fail To Attract Enoug

3 Reasons Your Website Might Fail To Attract Enough Customers

by: Mike Cheney

Virtually all website owners concentrate their efforts and energy into getting more visitors. With business owners this effort is spent on getting more and more new customers. What many people forget with both their website and their business is that getting new customers (or visitors) is only a small part of the equation for success.
Reason For Failure No. 1 The กI am GodกSyndrome
God got his name from being able to do anything and everything and be everywhere at once. Despite what we are taught from an early age many people still insist on believing they themselves are God. Ever found yourself answering the phone, making a sale, running a sales meeting, welcoming customers and doing your companyกs accounts all in one day? Sure you have. You’re trying to be God and do everything and be in more than one place at one time. You will fail. People do this with their website too.
Rather than just stopping at providing content (which is where you should stop and hand everything else over to the professionals) some people think that despite no professional training or education in the subject they are experts in web design, website marketing, graphic design and business consultancy. Remember stick to what you know, leave everything else to the experts. Your job is to run your business not to run around like a headless chicken trying to create a website, market a website, do the books, answer the phones and make the tea.
Reason For Failure No. 2 กBuild It And They Will Comeก
Ah yes. The halcyon days of the early 1990s when anything seemed possible and merely owning a domain name or funky web address meant certain success and riches beyond your wildest dreams. กBuild it and they will comeก is what they said. They were wrong.
Disaster after high profile disaster came crashing down into a pile of dotcom carnage as the millions poured into the idea pit were consumed by fastspending entrepreneurs who possessed more pairs of trainers than they did explanations for where the profit was going to come from. Just remember there are more web pages in the world than there are people so if you really think that just building a website is enough itกs time for a serious rethink. Youกve spent the money on graphic design, content, domain names, hosting, web design and testing and your site has just gone live. Congratulations you have just completed step 1 of 1000,001 in having a site that generates business for you.
You now need to market the site just as you need to market your business when it first starts advertising, fliers, yellow pages, referrals, networking, cold calls, direct marketing, mail shots, radio slots, events, conventions, product launches, press coverage etc. A website is exactly the same. Don’t forget the new statement for the new age of new technology:
Build it and they will say กI can’t find it!ก
Reason For Failure No. 3 You Choose The Wrong Website Marketing Company
Itกs difficult isn’t it? There are so many to choose from how do you know where to start? Well word of mouth recommendation is always a good indication. Failing that you can look at the key areas that are likely to indicate the quality of their service. For example, ask these questions;

Do they offer guarantees of any kind on their results?
Do they proudly display testimonials from satisfied customers on their website?
What is their profile on the web like, can you find them easily?
Do they have detailed case studies explaining how they have helped other businesses?
Do they have a longstanding track record in the industry and wide clientbase?
There is no real way to avoid making the wrong decision but if you keep learning more and more about website marketing you will be arming yourself with enough information to at least reduce the risk of choosing the wrong company.

Mike Cheney

www.magnet4web.com

About The Author

You can get free access to lots more of my articles plus a FREE Special Report กHow To Turn Your Website Into A Customer Magnetก worth a value of £47 ($85) here: http://www.magnet4web.com/website_services/?page=freeguide

This article was posted on July 31, 2004

by Mike Cheney

Pricing Your Products

Pricing Your Products

by: Marc Singer

In our scramble to find a way to offer the lowest prices on the Internet, we often overlook the basic steps that we should be taking BEFORE we even offer a product for sale.

We also overlook something even more important: you don’t HAVE to have the lowest price in order to make great sales. Following are some things I do before and after determining my bottom line. I sell by having products dropshipped for my sites, which works VERY well, but these steps should be covered no matter your distribution method.

Should you be selling this item now?

Snowboards don’t sell well in the summertime. You may have a hard time moving a pair of roller blades in January. Don’t waste your time and your site space marketing products out of season. Ask your supplier for a little historical information regarding the best time to sell their products. Believe me, to everything, there IS a season. They have the figures. If they don’t want to share this info with you, find another supplier.

Identify your costs

Profit isn’t just the difference between wholesale and retail. You have other costs to consider. Think about every penny you spend in order to get that product to the customerกs door, and plan accordingly. For example, your merchant account probably costs you about 2.2% plus 30 cents per transaction. On an item youกll sell for $20, thatกs 74 cents. Don’t forget that calculation when pricing the item. Are you warehousing the item? How much is that space costing you per item per month? Did you spend money stocking up on shipping materials? How much per unit? What about advertising? Monthly hosting costs? You may need to project some estimated sales in order to arrive at some of these figures.

This may seem very complicated, but itกs really not. Just take the figures one at a time, and youกll arrive at a wholesale cost plus an amount that, when added together, becomes your initial ESTIMATE of กcost of goods soldก. Identifying all your costs is critical if you want to price your products properly.

Check out the competition

Search on the item you plan to sell. Check out the competitorsก prices. But DON’t get caught up trying to beat the wrong competitor. You need to stay within your กvenueก.

My stores are built in Yahoo Shopping (http://store.yahoo.com). 90% of my traffic comes from there. When I seek out my competitors, I look for other businesses like mine ONLY in Yahoo Shopping. Then I compare.

If Iกm thinking about selling a product, and I get 1,500 hits in 400 stores on that item in Yahoo Shopping, forget it. If I get a hundred hits in 20 to 40 stores, Iกll look into it further.

So check out the competition, narrow down your product list, make a note of the five lowest prices you find, and then ask yourself another question:

Is anybody going to buy this thing?

This doesn’t have much to do with pricing, but it should be said.

When considering products, thereกs unique, and then thereกs too unique. Yak Cheese may sound like something that nobody else has for sale on the กNet. Thereกs a reason for that. If you sell more than 3 boxes a year, Iกll EAT some.

Unique is Rain Barrels made in Maine. Itกs Exotic Cheeses imported from Italy. Silk Parisian Lingerie. Things you don’t see every day, but would be proud to give as a gift.

Then thereกs กcommonก. Everybody and their grandmothers are selling Alabaster Figurines on the Internet. Do they sell? Sure, in a limited fashion. Do you want to sell them? Not if you want to make any real money.

In my experience, unique products, like Rain Barrels and Parisian Lingerie, DO sell. So do Coleman Sleeping Bags, and Conair Hair Dryers. BRAND NAMES sell. Look at your potential product, and ask yourself honestly if YOU would buy it on the กNet.

Set your price

Take the five lowest prices you collected on a product in your list that has survived the above. Calculate your estimated cost, then subtract that from the lowest price. If you don’t see at LEAST 15% profit, don’t bother.

If you do, there are a couple of ways to proceed. You can undercut the lowest price in your กvenueก by a bit, and hope to กkick offก the product and get yourself noticed. Chances are, though, that the following week youกll find that someone has undercut YOUR price by just a bit. That becomes a losing game.

I generally set up a couple of กloss leadersก. These are desirable items (in my general product line) that I sell dirt cheap just to bring in customers. Then I price the rest of my products at the second or third lowest price in my venue. The customers come in for the loss leaders, and then I can market everything else to them via email. I spend a lot of time making my site look better and easier to navigate, and pay a great deal of attention to my customers.

That makes me more reputable in the eyes of the customer. Youกll find that people don’t mind paying just a little more if they feel comfortable in your store. They don’t like to worry that they’re buying from a กhackก who may not deliver. Nothing says กhackก like a cluttered, confusing storefront.

Follow up

After youกve sold an item for a month or two, revise that กcost of goods soldก. Measuring past performance is just as important as setting the correct price to begin with. If sales drop, recheck your competition. If thatกs not it, drop the product, or shelve it until the กseasonก comes back around. Don’t get sentimental about your products, and NEVER just let your store sit there in limbo once it starts to make money. This is a dynamic business; stay on top of it!

A last word (or three)

Retail pricing on the Internet is so fraught with permutations that it would be impossible to cover everything here, even if I KNEW everything. The steps above are just the basics of a process that works for me. Hopefully something here will strike a chord and work for you as well. Patience and persistence are the keys to a successful Internet business, so hang in there, and don’t quit the day job for at least a couple of weeks. ;o)

I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.

About The Author

Marc Oswald Singer

CEO WSP Advertising Inc.

http://www.wspromotion.com/

This article was posted on August 26, 2004

by Marc Singer