Ordering Commercial Printing For Your Company Can

Ordering Commercial Printing For Your Company Can Be Indimidating

by: Robert Kennedy

กI went to see a printer today to get my companyกs stationery printed. They ask too many questions, I can’t answer!ก I feel kinda dumb.

How many times have you felt this way? Itกs kind of like going to the auto garage for a tune up and being told you need a new 02 sensor, your syncro mesh gear has a tooth missing and so on. You know you have to get it done but who can you trust to give you the best quality, price and service. There is a reason why I include all three กquality, price and serviceก

In the 80กs and early 90กs it used to be กquality, price and serviceก…pick 2. These days, with the internet as a resource, buyers and sellers alike can truly benefit from forming bonding relationships with their print and design firm of choice. Location is no longer an issue. In fact, I will bet money you can always find what appears, to be better than what you are getting. It can be overwhelming and too much information, which may lead to a regretful purchase. Neither the buyer or the reputable seller desire this result.

Here are a few tips on what you should figure out before you talk to your printer:

1) Decide how many inks colors you are going to print in. Here are a few links that will help you understand this:

Pantone color chart in RGB and html; http://www.weprintcolor.com/pantone_RGB_convert.htm

Convert from RGB color to CMYK color;

http://www.weprintcolor.com/rgb_CMYK.htm

Explain CMYK, RGB and Pantone Color; http://www.weprintcolor.com/pop_ups/Templ_modificatons_full.htm

2) Have a pretty good idea of the paper and texture of the paper you would like to use. Learn some ‘buzz words’ in your conversions with the printers you speak to. Here is a list of printing terms commonly used by people in the printing industry;

http://www.reprotechprint.com/printing_terms.htm

3) Have a general idea of the quantities you would like to purchase. If you’re not sure don’t be afraid to ask your printer to provide a quotation on several different quantities. In printing, the more you order the cheaper the per unit cost is. Here are a couple of examples of this:

Business Cards;

http://www.weprintcolor.com/businesscardscolour.htm

Postcards;

http://www.weprintcolor.com/postcard_index_4x6.htm

4) Will you provide a ‘print ready’ digital file? When I say ‘print ready’, it is important that you understand this. Many printers will attempt to print from a ‘none print ready’ file. This will sometimes lead to undesirable results. Here is a couple of links to help you with this:

Free digital file inspection; http://www.weprintcolor.com/upload.htm

Specifications for sending files; http://www.weprintcolor.com/SendingFiles.htm

Once you have gathered education with the terms us printers use you will understand , more clearly, what you are getting for your money. You will also appear more educated in your future purchases.The moral of my story? Buyers need to be more armed with knowledge to make an educated purchase and sellers need to be sharp, knowledgeable and willing to share this knowledge…Everybody wins.

About The Author

Robert is an online leader in graphic design and print. Online since 1999, Robert has spearheaded the success of http://www.weprintcolor.com by providing the finest online graphic design system on the web.

This article was posted on December 13, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman

Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman

by: Julie Chance

Many business owners and professionals are appalled at the thought of having to sell their products or services. If you are going to be successful though, regardless of your profession, you are also going to be in the business of selling. But you don’t have to don a plaid jacket and adopt the sales techniques that have made the used car salesman infamous.

If we are uncomfortable ขsellingข our services, it is generally because we are trying to ขsellข before someone has reached the purchase stage of the buying process. While selling may never be the favorite part of your job, by implementing a systematic process you can move potential clients into the purchase phase and increase your comfort level and success with selling.

Imagine that you were in the market to purchase a big screen TV. You had visited a couple of stores to see what was available, done some research on the internet, talked with friends, and narrowed the choice down to 3 models. Now you have a few questions you need answered to help you make your decision. You go to the appliance superstore, a salesperson approaches you as you enter the department and asks if she can be of help. She asks you a few questions about where you plan to put it, your budget, and what the primary use will be. She answers your questions and helps you decide on the model that is best for you. Not only are you not put off by the salesperson, you would have been upset if there would not have been a salesperson to help you.

Contrast this with a situation where you are visiting an appliance superstore with a friend. You decide to go check out the big screen TVs because you’ve been thinking about getting one. The same salesperson approaches you and asks if she can help you. You say, ขNo thanks I’m just browsing.ข As if she hadn’t heard your reply, she starts asking you the same questions as in the scenario above. However, this time you find the questions annoying and the sales person pushy.

The difference in these two scenarios is simply your position in the buying process. How would it have been different if instead of insisting on asking you a series of questions she had simply given you an article reprint from Consumer Reports and a list of 10 questions to consider before purchasing a big screen TV with the store’s name, her name and telephone number at the bottom?

The process people go through in making a buying decision is:

Phase 1: Awareness and Knowledge

Phase 2: Liking and Preference

Phase 3: Conviction and Purchase

The only people you should try to sell your products or services to are those people in the conviction and purchase phase. The problem is many businesses do not implement the necessary steps to move prospective clients to Phase 3 so they are constantly trying to sell to prospects that are in Phase 1.

Think about it like this, you and your products or services are standing at the edge of a chasm on Mount Everest. I call it the Purchase Chasm™. Your potential customers are on the other side. Your job is to get those prospects to cross the chasm on a flimsy aluminum ladder, one step at a time and ultimately purchase your services. At this stage your objective is simply to get them to take that first step out onto the ladder, followed by another until they reach the ultimate decision to purchase. You don’t push, manipulate or cajole them into purchasing. You simply serve as a guide providing information and assistance through the process.

So how can you begin to move your potential customers across the Purchase Chasm™?

Step 1 Awareness and Knowledge: Before someone can purchase your product or service they must be aware of it. They must also be able to picture in their minds the problems the service will solve for them. And that picture must be enticing enough to motivate them to take that first step. At this phase your objective is to make your potential customers aware of your services and give them knowledge about the benefits they will gain from working with you. This is generally done through activities where you can reach a large number of people at one time. A major goal at this stage is to collect contact information so you can continue to provide information to help these prospective clients move across the Purchase Chasm™.

Step 2 Liking and Preference: Awareness alone is not enough. Potential customers must also have a positive disposition regarding your services. During this phase it is important to maintain consistent contact. Consistency builds credibility. You also want to let prospective clients ขsampleข your service in order to minimize the perceived risk of purchase. You can do this by sending out a regular newsletter (email or hardcopy); sending out a monthly tip related to the service you provide; offering free or low cost introductory trainings; participating in selected networking events on a regular basis; and offering teleclasses. The important thing is that you are consistently in contact with these potential clients. After all, you don’t want to leave them out on the middle of the ladder over a deep chasm without a guide.

Step 3 Conviction and Purchase: The final step in the process is getting those potential customers who have begun the journey across the chasm to actually make the decision to purchase. Now it is time to sell. And if you have developed a relationship with the potential client throughout their journey, this step should be as simple as reaching out to take their hand as they reach the end of the ladder, reassuring them they have made the right decision by embarking on the journey and asking when they would like to get started. At this point, it is critical that you ask them for their business. If you don’t, they will wonder why you had them take the journey. They’ll feel like the person in the appliance superstore who is ready to make a purchase and can’t find a salesperson.

It may take as many as five to 15 exposures to your product or service for a potential client to move through the process and cross the Purchase Chasm™ from lead to loyal customer. The key is to build those exposures so each one matches the level of the process where the potential customer currently is (i.e. direct mass media activities to potential customers in the awareness phase and use personal selling with prospects in the conviction and purchase phase).

Writing, speaking and networking are activities that many coaches and consultants enjoy. By systematically using these activities as marketing tools you reduce the time you actually have to spend selling, you focus your selling activities to people who are actually ready to buy, and it becomes a natural ending to the relationship building process.

© 2004 STRATEGIESBYDESIGN. May be reprinted with credits and contact information

About The Author

Julie Chance is president of StrategiesbyDesign, a Dallasbased firm that helps businesses from independent professionals to specialty retailers Map A Path to Success by bridging the Purchase Chasm™ from Lead to Loyal Customer. StrategiesbyDesign provides a unique combination of consulting, coaching and training to help clients improve the return on their investment in marketing and promotional activities. For more information or to signup for their marketing tips newsletter, go to www.strategiesbydesign.com or call 9727019311.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 20

by Julie Chance

6 Tips To Improve Your Business Website

6 Tips To Improve Your Business Website

by: Mike Moorefield III

There are six important characteristics that can play a major role on the impact your website has on prospects. Outlined below is the importance of each characteristic and tips on how to maximize your potential. It is always important to tailor everything you do to what your customer is expecting, doing so will help keep you one step ahead of the competition.

Convenience – Allowing your customers to make decisions at their convenience is a very powerful element. Nobody wants to feel pressured or hurried into making a buying decision. When a customer can go to your website, browse your products and services, and make a purchase at their convenience, you are satisfying a crucial consumer obstacle time. They don’t have to keep returning to your storefront every time they wish to evaluate your value. In fact, most customers do not buy something the first time they see it. Instead, they must see and consider it several times before they finally talk themselves into purchasing. A website allows customers to quickly review their reasons to purchase something, leading to a greater number of impulse buys.

Information – A website can allow you to communicate much more information about a product or service than an instore display or advertisement. You can also control the way the information is presented. Supplying information in an orderly stepbystep process can greatly improve the chance of a purchase.

Evaluation – Many customers will not purchase something without searching for the best value. The internet allows your customers to obtain the information they need to feel like they are making an educated buying decision. Make sure you are using your website to take advantage of this opportunity. Inform your customer why your product or service is of the best value compared to their other options. Always acknowledge the competition instead of acting like your product or service is the only one out there.

Guidance – The pages of your website should guide the customer towards the specific solutions they are looking for. They should serve to help them quickly locate what they came to find. Think of it as a store map located at the entrance of a department store. The customer can use this directly upon entering the store to get to the department they are interested in, instead of wandering around looking for it. Get their relevant information in front of them quickly while they are still the mood to purchase. People buy on impulse. If they have to spend 15 minutes searching for what they are looking for, that impulse may very well fade away.

Contact – The internet also allows for another form of contact with your customer. Some people can be hesitant about talking to a representative in person or on the phone if they don’t feel very knowledgeable about the product or service. Email allows them to carefully collect their thoughts before sending them. They feel less awkward about their lack of knowledge. Again, use this opportunity to gain an edge over the competition. Go out of your way to educate them about the product or service.

Entertainment – Use the informal atmosphere of the internet to entertain your customer. The internet is used by more people as a means of entertainment than as a means of business. If used effectively, entertainment can significantly improve the business relationship. Provide clever facts, amusing presentations or even a witty character or mascot to assist them. However, be sure that the entertainment is used appropriately. Be sure that is does not obstruct the information or value you are trying to bestow upon them.

Always use your competition to your advantage. Research how your competition uses these characteristics to improve their customer relations. Your website does not have to be boring just because it is informative. Create an appeal that will set you above the competition. The internet can be an extremely powerful tool for your business, reaching a greater audience than ever before. A successful business uses a complete arsenal to reach its market.

Copyright 2004 Mike Moorefield III

Michael Moorefield is one of the founders of ThirdWeb Solutions, a digital multimedia company specializing in creating and improving the internet presence for small businesses. Working with a range of businesses to establish a prosperous web presence keeps Michael up to date with online trends not only in a design & development aspect, but a business aspect as well. Visit http://www.thirdweb.com for more info.

About The Author

Michael Moorefield is one of the founders of ThirdWeb Solutions, a digital multimedia company specializing in creating and improving the internet presence for small businesses.

This article was posted on February 16, 2004

by Mike Moorefield III

Boost Your Selling Power With Your CallToAction

Boost Your Selling Power With Your CallToAction Phrases

by: Vanessa Selene Williams

Look at your marketing material. Now, is there something missing? If you’re missing a phrase or paragraph requesting your customer’s business, your copy is lacking an essential component. You can’t assume that your customers will know why they should act, how they should, or when they should act.
Still unsure of what ขcalltoactionข is. Look at late night infomercials. Notice how they emphasize calling the tollfree number with your check and/or credit card number handy. How they say if you call now, you’ll receive a free gift with your purchase, but only if you call within the next few minutes.
There’s a reason why most infomercials follow this formula – it works of course. It’ll also work for you, whether you’re including it in your web copy or a print ad.
A calltoaction can be as simple as saying ขorder todayข or as elaborate detailing a sevenstep process. A good calltoaction ties in with the goal of your copy. If you’re goal is to sell, don’t ask them to call you for more information, ask them to purchase your product today.
Other essentials elements include:

Tell your customers when and how to contact you. Can they call? Email? Fax?
Explain why they should buy. More money? Easier life? Pride?
Instill a sense of immediacy. Since most customers will likely forget if they wait, the sooner you can get them to respond, the better. What’ll happen if they purchase today? Will they get a free gift? Will they receive the product immediately? Will they save time and money?

Another helpful hint, don’t save your calltoaction phrase for last. Place them throughout your copy. Incorporate phrases like: Purchase our product today and…. Pick up the phone and call and you’ll learn….
Already have a decent calltoaction? Pump it up. Include every possible way customers can contact and buy from you. Give an example of how you’ll make their life better and easier. This could be. Buy this power broom today and it’ll cut your cleaning time by 75%. Imagine what you can with an extra three hours each week.
Want some more examples? Here are some courtesy of my mailbox.
ขHurry! This ขfree sample invitationข & FREE GIFT offer won’t last long. Just mail back the FREESAMPLE certificate today. So you don’t miss it.ข
ขClasses begin throughout the year, so there’s no better time to start than now. Call 1xxxxxxxxxx todayข
ขDo it today. Enroll online. Mail your RiskFree Trial Certificate. Or call 1xxxxxxxxxx nowข See how easy they made it to respond.
Get an unbeatable 0% APR FOR LIFE on transferred balances with the xxxxxxxx Platinum Card. It’s easy – just fill out the Application below and mail it today!
So, what are you waiting for? Go plant those calltoaction phrases in your copy and watch your business grow…right now.

About The Author

Vanessa Selene Williams an independent writer who writes for businesses and corporations. Visit her online at http://corp.vswilliams.com or email her at [email protected] to learn more.

This article was posted on July 31, 2004

by Vanessa Selene Williams

How to Create a Professional Website In Less Than

How to Create a Professional Website In Less Than a Week

by: Andre Grisby

Hereกs a really simple way… any novice can create a fully functional website in less than a week.

Websites are the wave of the future. Although many companies are using an online presence to drive business to their brick and mortar stores, many hobbyists also tend to have a bit of interest in developing their own online presence as well. Developing a website from scratch can be rather expensive, but armed with the right tools, and given a little instruction, anyone can develop a professional website in less than a week.

One thing you must always remember is that anyone trying to do a particular job should be armed with the right tools. Having the right tools will definitely make your project a bit easier to complete.

I guess you are scratching your head wondering what type of tools I would be talking about. You see when you are developing a website, you become a builder, a painter, or an artist. You are taking an idea from your head and transforming it into a digital image so to speak. Just as if you were going to build a home from the ground up, take a paint brush and create a masterpiece painting, or take a piece of clay and create a winning statue, you need the right tools to do the right job.

The tools Iกm referring to are web graphics software, web design software, and ftp (file transfer protocol)software. These are tools are a must if you want to get off on the right foot. There are so many of these types of programs that you must really do your homework in order to purchase the one the best fits your needs. Some of these programs can even be downloaded for free. Each program focuses on a particular task. The graphics software helps you create images for your website from scratch. The web design software in short helps you to design and build a website from scratch. The file transfer protocol software is you link to sending your completed web pages from you computer to the internet.

Day one should be focused on purchasing cyber ‘real estateก, and purchasing a name for that real estate.

Building a website is like building a new house. You have to purchase the land and then you can purchase the materials to build the home on the land. Letกs take a look at this. Every website has a so called name. Example www.1234.com. This is called the domain name. There are many places that you can purchase cheap domain names. They usually run under $10 dollars and are good for about a year. Once you have the domain name you can start looking for a place to host you website. There are many hosting companies that are popping up on a daily basis. Hosting can be dirt cheap or it can be rather expensive. It all depends on the quality of service you receive from the company. Hereกs another area you should consider researching before you make a purchase.

Day two should be focused on the whole planning aspect of your website.

The planning aspect of your website should be focused on the objective of your website, the audience you are trying to target, and how your competition is doing in the market. Focusing on the objective simply means to think about what you are trying to accomplish with your website. Your goals and accomplishments should fall into this category. You should also be trying to focus on a target market. Many internet marketers feel that you should focus on a niche market. Remember that the internet is a big playing field. A beginner will get lost in the crowd trying to cover several areas. Instead, try and focus on something with less competition but enough competition to stay in business. Targeting a specific market or niche market is basically the audience you are trying to win over.

Day two should also be focused on the look and feel of your website. For example, you should have a mental image of how you want your website should look. It would be safe to say that you could even sketch out a raw diagram of how you want things to look. Pay attention to the color scheme as well. remember that all colors do not coordinate with one another.

Day three should be focused on the type of graphics you plan on using.

In all honesty, web graphics can make or break the success of your online presence. The internet is all about information and speed. Itกs like going to a fast food restaurant. You go their because you something quick to eat. The internet is similar. A fast loading website will beat out any other website hands down any day. In order to have a fast loading website you must keep your image graphics file size down to a minimum. The more clutter or bells and whistles you add to your site, the faster it will take to load. There are several website design programs out their that will let you know how long it would normally take for you page to load up. Shrinking the file size, saving it in different formats, and even cropping the image can cut seconds off your loading time.

If you want to save money, you can purchase a graphics program and make images and logos on your own. If you are a bit scared of the venture, you have the option of hiring someone to do the job for you. Whatever choice you make, always do your research for the best details and outstanding customer support.

Here we are on day four. Only one day left. Creating your web pages.

This is basically the meat and bones of any website. For the most part, an easy way to build a website is to use what is called a template. Basically a template is a preset model used to create a number of different pages. It saves you time and headaches. Once you find the look and feel of your website, you use that interface as a preset model to help you move along more smoothly. There are many html editors that can help you do this quicker than usual. One thing to remember is that using an html editor prevents you from dealing with actual html coding. Basically what Iกm getting at is you don’t really need to know html when using an html editor.

You want to focus on building links, inserting and formatting text, and focusing on building your other pages throughout your site. Day four is the day where everything starts coming together. Take your time on this day. Don’t rush anything. Make sure you are satisfied with one step before moving on. Your website is basically a mirror image of what you stand for. It will reflect on your work ethic and personality.

Congratulations you made it to day five. Give yourself a pat on the back. This day is spent publishing your website to the world.

This is where all you work is tied together and presented in a nice package. In order to do this you need some type of ftp software. In technical terms itกs called File Transfer Protocol. This is how you transfer your web page files and graphics from your computer to your hosting company. The procedure is rather simple. You basically use a point and click interface. You highlight the file you want to transfer and hit upload or send. The software is rather selfexplanatory. Once the site is up on the web, check for links that are not working, or slow download times. Way to go, you have completed your first website without all the technical wisdom. There are a few more details that you will run into, but this is like a crash course of something that is really rather simple.

(c) Copyright 2003 by R. Grisby

When you decide to tackle this task, just remember to take your time and plan everything out in advance. Do your research, and learn the basics of the three main software tools that are required. The tools are only as good as the user. If you become stuck or confused on a certain function, seek help. Customer support, chat rooms, or newsgroups. Remember the internet is a world of information. Use it to your advantage.

Follow these steps and you can impress your friends and family. Completing this will eventually get you labeled as a genius or whiz kid.

About The Author

R.Grisby distributes ebooks dealing with various topics. Selfhelp, motivation, website design, and how to manuals are some of the areas that are covered. Visit www.buildmyesteem.com and also www.grisbynovels.com/5daywebsite.htm

This article was posted on September 24, 2004

by Andre Grisby

Freebies

Freebies

by: Robert J Farey

FreebeesFreebeesFreebees
WHY PAY, WHEN กYOU CAN HAVE IT FOR FREE?ก
There are all sorts of things that we would like to have but we cannot always afford them. That is where Freebees come into play.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People will tell you that there is no such thing as a กfree lunch.ก
I don’t know who first said it but it is as true now as it was then.
You can bet your boots that every thing that is on offer for free has a hidden catch.
Internet marketers use freebees in the hope that you will remember who gave it to you and purchase something from them at a later date.
I can’t see any thing wrong with that. Itกs just good business practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I said, there is a reason that they are offered for free. In almost every one of them you will find one or more links to other products or services that the person is promoting.
You are under no obligation to purchase any of these offerings. It is just another form of advertising.
Instead of being bombarded with demands to buy this or buy that, you are given something of value in the hope that you will click on one of their links and purchase something at a later date.
Don’t decry the goods just because they are for free.
If they don’t give good value, you are not likely to go back and buy from them later.
If you are selling information from your website and you haven’t tried it yet, you are probably passing up on one of the strongest marketing strategies available to you.
There are thousands of ebooks, reports and various other items out there that are available to you, all for free.
Collect a selection that are compatible with your product and offer them for free when someone buys your main product. Be sure to include a link to another one of your products towards the end of the package. Someone who has purched from you once, is most likely to purchase a 2nd or 3rd item if they were satisfied with the first transaction.
Make sure that they are of real value. Not just a selection of outofdate trash that is of no use to anyone.
Every thing has a sales value. Let your customers know the retail value of the freebees you are offering. Be honest. There is no need to exaggerate the price.
Over sell. For instance: If you are selling something for $49.99. Offer a bundle of freebees worth $69.99 to go with it. It will cost you no more to offer a big bundle than a small one.
Don’t overdo it. A product worth $30.00 with a bundle of freebees worth $150.00 is a little bit over the top.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P S. There have been a number of surveys on pricing, with some interesting results. It would appear that the number seven has a particular magic. People are more likely to purchase an item with a seven at the end. ie. $39.97 rather than $29.99.
I don’t know if it is true but I am going to try it.
Robert J Farey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About The Author

Robert earns his crust by targeting the thousands of newcomers to internet trading. He aims to cut their learning curve to enable them to start earning money from the word go.
He learned the hard way. You can learn the easy way.
Checkout his website. Itกs not posh. Itกs not perfect, but it is effective. http://www.learnandearnnow.co.uk/
[email protected]

This article was posted on November 01, 2004

by Robert J Farey

10 Persuasive Triggers To Plug Into Your Ad

10 Persuasive Triggers To Plug Into Your Ad

by: Larry Dotson

1. Most people want to win over others. Tell your prospects how their family or friends will admire them if they buy your product.

2. Most people want to associate with others that have the same interests. Give your prospects a free membership in a private chat room just for them.

3. Most people want a clean environment. Tell your prospects that youกll donate a percentage of your profits to help clean the environment.

4. Most people want to eat good food. Give your customers free coupons to a nice restaurant when they purchase your product.

5. Most people need or want new information to absorb. Give your customers a free ebook or tip sheet when they purchase your product.

6. Most people want to avoid or end pain. Tell your prospects how much pain and problems they will avoid or end if they buy your product.

7. Most people want to gain pleasure. Tell your prospects how much pleasure or the benefits they will gain, if they purchase your product.

8. Most people don’t want to miss out on a major opportunity that they could regret in the future. Tell your prospects youกll be raising the price shortly.

9. Most people want to have good health and live longer. Give your prospects free coupons to a fitness club when they buy your product.

10. Most people want to belong to something or a select group. Give your prospects a free membership into your club when they buy your product.

About The Author

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://advmarketing.com/business

This article was posted on January 20, 2002

by Larry Dotson

5 Tips for Online Shopping

5 Tips for Online Shopping

by: Melanie Breeze

Shopping online has become more and more popular in America as we are all looking to save a little time and money. Ecommerce sales are growing at astronomical numbers ranging from 2025% per year. And according to Forrester Research, 40% of households are using coupons in their web shopping. The huge increases are obvious: the online savings and discounts are impossible to match by traditional stores constrained by the overhead costs of employees, rent, and insurance. By using some of the tips and tricks mentioned below, you’ll be able to take further advantage of a new American pastime: saving with online shopping!

Tip #1: Don’t buy Ebay. We all know online auctions seem like such a great deal, and it’s easy to get caught up in the emotion of auction. Thing is, auction sites like Ebay and Ubid have become saturated with buyers AND sellers, so virtually any discount found is quickly sought by redistributors who then add their own markups to your purchase. The online marketplace has enough people out there that you can end up spending hundreds of extra dollars for the same things found in your local mall! Don’t let your emotions get involved – these are not the right places for the aware shopper.

Tip #2: Never pay retail. Take this scenario: You find something you want to buy, maybe the latest craze or fad such as the Ipod. Should you really pay the price that Apple is offering? No! You can find many deals and coupons for the same purchase just by typing, for example, ขipod couponsข into Google. Spend a little time searching through the top ten to twenty results, you’re sure to find the same product for a significant discount. Sometimes, by filling out a survey or signing up for an email list, you’ll get additional savings and many times you can even get your product for free!

Tip #3: Get over your instant gratification desire. Just admit it, buying something always gives you a good feeling and you can’t wait to take pleasure in that new purchase. Anything you’re buying at the mall for that same good feeling can usually be found for a huge discount online. You just have to be willing to wait for the short 25 days that it takes for shipping. It’s definitely worth the savings to able to control your emotions and hold off until it arrives via UPS!

Tip #4: Watch out for excessive shipping charges. Many times retailers slash their costs to get the sale but then charge more for shipping. Make sure to check the final cost to ensure you didn’t receive any unwarranted charges. You should also find a free shipping deal at any of the online coupon sites. Sometimes the shipping can cost more than your purchase!

Tip #5: Online Coupons: Were you aware of online coupon websites like www.couponchief.com that have discount and promotion codes to nearly all internet stores? These types of websites always have up to date discount offers arranged by category or store, so you can always find something on sale. It’s not only a way to get a good deal but you can also find some of the free shipping offers listed in tip #4. Just be careful to check for a coupon code before making any internet purchase. It’s a simple way to find extra savings.

About The Author

Melanie Breeze

http://www.couponchief.com provides free online coupons, deals, and discount offers to hundreds of internet stores. They update their coupons daily and offer a free newsletter to savvy shoppers.

This article was posted on April 25

by Melanie Breeze

The Secret Of How I Got GoogleCash For Free With 1

The Secret Of How I Got GoogleCash For Free With 1 Minuteกs Extra Effort.

by: Michael Lever

Hi, my name is Michael and I’m about to share an amazing discovery with you.

Don’t bother scrolling down to see the price. There is none. I am giving you this information free. Why? Because as you are about to discover, the strategy I’m going to teach you is dependent on a growing community of participants who partner to derive winwin outcomes. A bit like online dating services, the more members there are the better the results for all. I therefore encourage you to recommend this strategy to relevant friends and colleagues in your circle of contacts.

Before I explain exactly how I got GoogleCash for free, you need to understand the background of what makes this ingenious purchase strategy work.

The strategy is not specific to GoogleCash. I have simply chosen GoogleCash because it is the product in my testimonial. The strategy can be used for any purchase, and you can purchase from any of your favourite online stores that you normally trust to shop at. The benefit is that you will now be subsidised a cash amount so large that it may even surpass the cost of your purchase, making it absolutely free. The fact that you can purchase anywhere is partly what makes the strategy work.

There are three core things you need to understand about the strategy.

Firstly, the websites you are intending to purchase from do not miss out on any payment. You are not breaching any of their agreements, terms or conditions. In fact, from their perspective you’re a 100% normal customer with all the normal privileges. You will even receive a purchase receipt that may contribute to a tax deduction.

Secondly, there are no losers with this strategy. It is 100% legal and does not involve pyramid schemes, purchasing matrix, or anything of that nature. No scams here. Everybody wins.

Thirdly, you are still receiving the product you want direct from the merchant of your choice. So you can expect the same product quality, customer service, and shipping that you are accustomed to. You’re simply getting what you had already decided to purchase at a massive discount.

ขSo what makes it work?ข

The secret ingredient is a process known as ‘customer reciprocation’ facilitated by a ‘customer acquisition exchange’. Customer reciprocation fundamentally relies on the customer acquisition efforts of merchants, primarily through affiliate programs.

ขConfused? Don’t worry, I was too.ข

Basically, merchants with online stores pay people like you and me sales commission to find them customers. You can join the merchant’s affiliate program generally for free, and commence earning commission as an affiliate marketer immediately. You earn by directing potential customers through a unique web link called a ‘referral URL’. The link identifies you to the merchant so they know that you are the referrer who must be paid commission.

In essence, whenever you are intending to purchase something, there’s an affiliate marketer out there trying to catch your attention and transparently direct you to your chosen merchant through their referral URL. If you purchase something, the affiliate marketer will earn upwards of 50% in commission.

Customer reciprocation is the process of two parties (affiliate marketers) partnering to become each other’s customer. ขI’ll be your customer, if you’ll be mineข. When you want to purchase GoogleCash like I did, why not purchase it through an affiliate marketer who is willing to purchase at one of your affiliated merchants?

ขCan you see the obvious benefit?ข

You will earn an instant commission when your partner purchases from your affiliated merchant. The commission may be more than the cost of GoogleCash or it may be less. But it is beyond doubt an instant subsidy. Your merchants will love you for bringing them a customer, and you’ll have a legally acquired copy of GoogleCash and extra money to use on anything you like.

ขSo where do you find affiliate marketers ready to shop at your merchant’s online store?ข

Affiliate marketers are already seasoned Internet shoppers who’ve overcome the trust hurdle and embraced online purchasing. There are so many around that you need only do a search for anything in Google or MSN to find them fighting over the highest positions in the search results.

The trick is finding someone affiliated with the merchant you intended to shop with, who is intending to purchase from your merchant. (Customer reciprocation).

This is where a ขcustomer acquisition exchangeข comes into play. (See the references at the bottom of this article or search for ขcustomer acquisition exchangeข in your favourite search engine.).

A customer acquisition exchange allows you to manage your portfolio of referral URLs. I am a member of five different affiliate programs even though I only actively market one of them. Whenever you want to purchase something you simply submit your purchase intention (in the form of the merchants website address) to the customer acquisition exchange.

In my case I wanted to purchase from www.googlecash.com. The system immediately commenced searching for affiliate marketers of GoogleCash who had a purchase intention for one of my merchants. This submission process literally took me less than one minute. I received an email containing my exchange partner’s referral URL and proceeded to click on it and was taken to www.googlecash.com, where I purchased my copy.

When I returned to the customer acquisition exchange I noticed that my portfolio showed a sale at one of my affiliated merchants. ขFantasticข, I thought. My commission report from my affiliated merchant revealed that my exchange partner had indeed purchased something. In fact, the commission I earned from the sale totalled $12 more than what GoogleCash cost me. Meaning I got GoogleCash for free and received $12 for my oneminute effort.

So now that you too know this simple norisk strategy, I hope that you will use it to your advantage and derive previously unheard of discounts. I trust that you can see the benefit of recommending customer reciprocation to your peers, because as the community grows there will be more participants partnering rather than viciously competing for new customers.

Regards

Michael Lever

Copyright 2005 Michael Lever

About The Author

Michael Lever is a cofounder and CEO of SpinningTornado.com, an independent company offering unbiased tools and services to help affiliate and network marketers build profitable online businesses.

http://www.SpinningTornado.com

Partnering affiliates the world over.

This article was posted on August 31

by Michael Lever

How Much Should You Pay for a Click

How Much Should You Pay for a Click

by: Andy Quick

You have a web site ready for action. Your product catalog, order tracking, credit card payment system, and fulfillment process are all in place. Now all you need is traffic! Many web entrepreneurs have learned that the magic nut to crack is attraction: get a steady flow of customers who explore your site and eventually purchase goods. The overhead costs of most web businesses are minimal relative to brick and mortar stores. However, the variable marketing costs can over shadow sales revenues by orders of magnitudes. Unfortunately, unlike the saying in the movie Field of Dreams, กIf you build it, they will not come!ก Luckily, the industry has learned this lesson; some the hard way, and others in spite of the losers. Dotcoms are clearly not the darlings of the capital markets any longer; however, there is still money to be made! If you plan to start a web business or already have one but are not sure how to increase traffic and make money at the same time, you should consider a sciencedriven approach. What does that mean? Read on…

How to Lose $500 in 12 Hours

One weekend, my business partner and I created an affiliate commerce site. The site comprised a list of links to other online retailers. People go to our site, pick a link to a jewelry store for example, buy something, and in turn we receive a commission from the sale. The process of creating the site, signing up the affiliate agreements, and turning it on was a cinch. The cost was virtually nothing. We, being new to this whole web business concept, thought we had an incredibly smart marketing idea: pay to have our site come up in an ad box on a major search engine (Google) every time someone searched on the word กgiftsก. The word gifts is searched for 49,000 times per day! We figured we would have a good flow of visitors and the money would start rolling in. For certain, we would at least break even. We sunk $500 in one day and let it rip. Hereกs what happened:

Our investment in Google $ 500

Number of times our ad was displayed (impressions) 36,964

Number of times people actually clicked on our ad when they saw it (clickthroughs) 429

Number of times a person visiting our site made a purchase 10

Our total sales revenue $ 77

Our total gross profit $ (428)

The whole process took less than 12 hours. At least we learned a lesson quickly at a relatively low cost. Letกs look at this event from a slightly different perspective, putting the costs in terms of number of visitors:

Our investment in Google $ 500

Number of times our ad was displayed (impressions) 36,964

Number of times people actually clicked on our ad when they saw it (clickthroughs) 429

Ad cost per visitor $ 1.17

Number of times a person visiting our site made a purchase 10

Average sale per purchase $ 7.70

Average revenue per visitor $ 0.18

Average gross profit per visitor $ (0.99)

We were basically giving $1 away for each visitor that came to the site. Not a winning business model. However, taking this information, we can assess which marketing techniques can work best for the business. Letกs add 2 additional critical data points to our table:

Our investment in Google $ 500

Number of times our ad was displayed (impressions) 36,964

Number of times people actually clicked on our ad when they saw it (clickthroughs) 429

Percentage people who clicked on our ad (clickthrough rate) % 1.16

Ad cost per visitor $ 1.17

Number of times a person visiting our site made a purchase 10

Percentage of visitors who purchased something (conversion rate)% 2.3

Average sale per purchase $ 7.70

Average revenue per visitor $ 0.18

Average gross profit per visitor $ (0.99)

Running the Numbers

Putting this all together, you can create a formula for estimating the gross margin per visitor for a specific marketing campaign:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = Average revenue per visitor Advertising Cost per Visitor

Advertising Cost per Visitor = Campaign Costs /(Impressions x Clickthrough rate)

Average revenue per visitor = Conversion rate x Average sale per purchase

Putting it together:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (Conversion rate x Average sale per purchase) – (Campaign Costs / Impressions x Clickthrough rate)

Using our Google example, the average gross margin per visitor would be calculated as:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (0.023 x $ 7.7) $500 / (36,964 x 016) = (0.99)

Remember, this formula can only be used for a single type of campaign. Depending upon your target audience and the type of campaign, all of the above variables can change. When we launched our Google campaign, we used impressionbased advertising, that is, we paid Google a certain amount of money for every 1,000 impressions of our ad (about $15 per 1,000 impressions in our example). However, just because our ad was displayed inside someoneกs browser did not mean they would click on the ad itself.

Enter payperclick advertising. This advertising model allows you to pay for an ad only when a person actually clicks on it. In this model, you are guaranteed to get visitors. However, the cost per click is usually much higher. Let us assume we ran our same Google campaign except we used payperclick advertising. Payperclick also factors in position which will drive the amount you pay per click (the higher the ad position on the screen, the higher the price per click will be). Letกs say we pay google $0.50 per click and based on Googleกs traffic for the word gifts, we receive 170 clicks per day (or visitors), or in total 1000 visitors over the life of the campaign (we still only put in $500, so $500/$0.50 = 1000). Using our same ratios, let us recompute our Average Gross Margin per Visitor, modifying our formula slightly (notice the formula is simpler):

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (Conversion rate x Average sale per purchase) – (Campaign Costs / Visitors)

Plugging in the numbers:

Average Gross Margin per Visitors = (.023 x $ 7.7) ($500 / 1000) = (0.32)

If we used a payperclick advertising model, we could have saved $100. Either way, we would have lost money, but imagine if we had started with $5,000 instead of $500. The nice feature of payperclick is that you know ahead of time how many visitors you will receive. If you know your conversion rate and your average sale, you can modify the formula to determine the most you should pay for a payperclick campaign:

Max Payperclick = (Conversion rate x Average Sale per purchase)

In our Google example, our maximum payperclick should be $0.18. For every penny we pay less than our maximum payperclick, we’re making money! Unfortunately, as of this writing, the minimum payperclick cost for the word กgiftsก on Google is $0.37. The ultimate lesson is that for this particular site, the Google marketing campaign will not generate sales revenues. But is that really true? We could increase our conversion rate and our average sale per purchase. We could increase our conversion rate by optimizing the design of the web pages. We could increase our average sale per purchase by entering affiliate agreements that offer higher commissions. Letกs say we used the $0.37 payper click model on Google for our gift site. In order to make money we would have to get our average revenue per visitor to at least $0.38. If we just focused on our conversion rate, we would need to increase the percentage of visitors who make a purchase to 4.9%. If we left conversion rate alone, we would need to increase the average sale per purchase to $16.50. Alternatively, we could try and increase them both.

Not All Ad Models Are Created Equal

Using the same model, letกs look at a different type of campaign: newsletter advertising. This form of advertising involves placing an ad embedded in a newsletter that is distributed to a subscriber base via email. The model for calculating average gross margin per visitor is exactly the same as impression based, except your target market is different. For example, let us say we spend $1,000 to place an ad in an email newsletter about shopping tips. And letกs say the newsletter reaches 500,000 subscribers. If we used the same clickthrough rates and conversion rates, our average gross margin per visitor would be:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (.023 x $ 7.7) – $1000 / (500,000 x 0116) = $0.004

We’re making money!! (not much, but the margin is positive). Translation: this campaign brings us under a half a penny per visitor. Another helpful ratio is to calculate the return on your advertising dollar:

Return of Advertising = [(Impressions x Clickthrough rate x Conversion rate x Average sale per purchase) – Campaign Cost] / Campaign Cost

Or in our case:

Return of Advertising = [(500,000 x .0116 x .023 x $ 7.7) – $1000] / $1000 = 2.7%. Translation: you’re making 2.7 cents in gross revenue for every dollar of advertising you spend. Also keep in my mind that this newsletter reaches a different target audience. While people on Google may casually look for gifts, the recipients of a shopping newsletter may have a higher tendency to buy (i.e. your conversion rate may be higher). If your conversion rate were higher, letกs say 3%, your new average gross margin per visitor becomes $0.05!! or a 34% return on our dollar.

The Bottom Line

Using formulas to compute the success of marketing plans is extremely helpful and reduces the risk of throwing away precious advertising dollars. However, understand that each marketing campaign will differ based on cost per click, conversion rates, target audience, and average sales per purchase. I encourage you to track all the data available about your marketing campaigns so you can realize profits instead of losses.

Marketing on the web can be difficult. Predicting the behavior of surfers is an art unto itself. Before you begin spending a lot of money on advertising, experiment with different types of campaigns, track all of the results, and make future marketing decisions based on real customer behavior. Also keep in mind that there are other, free forms of advertising. Writing articles, participating in newsgroups, print advertising, and email marketing are other examples. Remember that all of these marketing techniques will have different clickthrough rates, conversion rates, and revenues per visitor.

About The Author

Andy Quick is cofounder of Findmyhosting.com (http://www.findmyhosting.com), a free web hosting directory offering businesses and consumers a hassle free way to find the right hosting plan for their needs. Feel free to contact Andy at [email protected] in case you have any questions or comments regarding this article.

This article was posted on May 2, 2002

by Andy Quick

How Affiliates Can Subsidise All Their Purchases U

How Affiliates Can Subsidise All Their Purchases Using Customer Reciprocation

by: Michael Lever

Imagine if you had received a subsidy for every online purchase youกve ever made?

As an affiliate marketer, how would you like to earn sales commission each time you purchase from any website?

How many commission payments have you put in someone elseกs pocket?

Did you know that anyone can now be subsidised in the form of a guaranteed sale at their own or affiliated merchant site, whenever they purchase any product, service, membership or program from any website?

If you did, then you would have heard of กcustomer reciprocationข, the new buzzword taking root in the world of affiliate marketing and customer acquisition.

It describes two of the newest services around namely affiliate directories (not to be confused with affiliate program directories) and customer acquisition exchanges. These are in effect an evolutionary improvement on link exchanges in that they provide paying customers instead of potential traffic (leads, clickthroughs, or visitors).

From a merchantกs perspective, imagine selling more of your own product each time you purchase anything online. For merchants running an affiliate program, you will make additional sales each time any of your affiliates shop online.

However, the ultimate benefit customer reciprocation brings to merchants is that their products become exponentially more appealing. This is because a customer acquisition exchange will subsidise the cost of the purchase to their customers with no loss of profit to the merchant.

If you are an affiliate marketer, imagine partnering with other affiliates in a way that allows each of you to gain the commission for personally referring each other. With กcustomer reciprocationก, this happens automatically each time you purchase anything online.

A customer acquisition exchange allows all affiliate and network (MLM) marketers to leverage off each otherกs commission and downline potential. It also allows merchant website owners to leverage off each otherกs profit potential.

The beauty of customer reciprocation is that it can be exploited without risk!

Merchants just need to list their sites for free while affiliate and network marketers just enter their referral URLs for free.

I sincerely hope you consider making customer reciprocation work for you.

Regards

Michael Lever

Copyright 2005 Michael Lever

About The Author

Michael Lever is a cofounder and CEO of SpinningTornado.com, an independent company offering unbiased tools and services to help affiliate and network marketers build profitable online businesses.

http://www.SpinningTornado.com

Partnering affiliates the world over.

This article was posted on August 14

by Michael Lever

Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner

Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges

by: Larry Andrew

Are you getting tired of the high cost of printing? You’re not alone. Many consumers are up in arms. For example, they believe paying $22 per ounce for printer ink and $150 to $300 (or more) for a toner cartridge is way too much.

Most of the major printer manufacturers have adopted the same marketing model as the razor blade, TiVo and cell phone industry. Simply stated, they sell you the printer for cost or less in order to sell you printer ink and toner cartridges at huge markups. In many instances, they charge seven to ten times what it costs to manufacture these products.

In addition, these major companies spend thousands of dollars trying to convince you to purchase only their products. They strongly criticize printer ink and toner cartridges offered by third party companies. However, did you know that many of these major companies are now selling their own recycled cartridges… and you’re still paying full retail price for them! As someone once said, to get a real education, read the fine print on the label.

With the advent of online marketing, consumer have more choices than ever. There are a large number of reputable companies that sell printer ink and toner cartridges at significant savings. It is very common to save 5085% when purchasing your printer supplies. In addition to substantial savings, youกll get a money back guarantee and your order is normally shipped the same day.

Ok, here’s ten ways (plus 1) to save on printer ink and toner cartridges:

1. Purchase a compatible inkjet cartridge. These are cartridges made from new parts and manufactured to meet or exceed the OEM specifications for you exact printer.

2. Purchase a remanufactured inkjet cartridge. Third party companies collect empty printer ink cartridges. They refill them with ink and test them vigorously to make sure you get exactly the quality and quantity you expect from your inkjet cartridge.

3. Purchase an ink refill kit. You’ll get stepbystep instructions, the tools and printer ink you need to refill your ink cartridge in just a few minutes. On the average, you can refill an inkjet cartridge ten times.

4. Your inkjet cartridge will eventually wear out. Instead of purchasing a brand name cartridge, purchase a compatible or remanufactured cartridge. Then, when compatible cartridge is empty, refill it with printer ink just as you did your original.

5. When you’re printing, always use draft mode until you’re ready for your final print.

6. Whenever possible, select black and white print. If you’re final product is to be in color, your draft can be done in black and white until you’ve doublechecked everything. Then, print your final copies in color.

7. Purchase a compatible toner cartridge. Third party companies make these toner cartridges from brand new parts. They are manufactured to be equal to or better than your original toner cartridge.

8. Purchase a remanufactured cartridge. Many companies collect empty toner cartridges. They empty any toner waste and then refill the cartridge. They quality check the drum and other parts of the cartridge to insure maximum performance for the consumer.

9. Purchase a toner refill kit. These kits include the tools and instructions necessary to refill your own toner cartridge. On the average, you can refill a toner cartridge about three times.

10. When you toner cartridge is not producing the quality of print you expect, check to see if you can replace the drum, instead of the entire cartridge. This will keep money in your pocket.

11. Purchase multiple ink and toner cartridges if you can. You will save substantially over the already discounted cost, plus you will probably get Free shipping.

By ordering your printer ink, toner or ink cartridge online, you’ll experience the best service, the best warranty, and the best products available, for all your printing needs.

About The Author

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of www.ezprinterink.com. Purchasing printer ink, toner and inkjet cartridges on line should be fast, convenient and costeffective.

This article was posted on November 08, 2004

by Larry Andrew