Creating A Network That Works

Creating A Network That Works

by: Diane Hughes

Do you ever stand in awe of those people who seem to know everybody and everything? I know I do! Regardless of what you’re looking for, these people have their finger on the pulse of the กNet and know where to find it. Their network of resources and people is incredible! Yours can be, too. Itกs actually very simple to create a network that works to bring you business, offers feedback and provides those resources that we all need to have.
Make A Wish List
The first step in creating a network that works is making a list of what you want. Go ahead, think of the perfect situation where you would have anything you needed at your fingertips. For example, if you have a Web design business you might find it very helpful to create associations with people who offer services that compliment yours. Why? Because if these people are heavily involved with the process of getting a Webbased business up and going, they could send you many leads and that could turn into paying clients.
What else might you want? Perhaps free advertising or publicity to bring more business your way? Sure! Write it down on the wish list.
Making Wishes Come True
Now, the next step is to find the resources you need in order to make those wishes realities. Itกs not as difficult as it sounds. Just expand on your wish list a bit in the following way.
We mentioned needing associations with service providers that compliment our example of Web design. So write down companies that provide: Web hosting, merchant accounts, shopping carts, autoresponders, Internet checks, copywriting, graphic design and scripting/programming.
We also said we needed some advertising or publicity. So add to the list the following: ezine ad swaps, banner ad swaps, local newspapers, local TV and radio stations, Chambers of Commerce.
Finally, itกs time to go to work. The best way to start is to alert your friends and associates of what you are trying to accomplish. Itกs simple to send a quick email that states something to the effect of, กIกm in the process of expanding my resources and find Iกm in need of the following [provide the list]. If you know of anyone who you highly recommend in one of the above areas, please offer them my phone number and email address. I am interested in arranging a joint affiliation with them in order to increase both our businesses.ก
You can also send the same message to any lists or bulletin boards you frequent. Most people are more than happy to refer those they have had pleasant working relationships with.
Final Decisions
Lastly, once you get the results from your search back, contact the ones you feel most comfortable with. Again, honestly explain what you are doing and that you would like to create a joint partnership with them in order to exchange leads, prospects and services.
Even if someone does not suit your needs at the moment, enter them into your database for future reference. I once had a graphic designerกs email address and samples for 6 months before having a need for them. However, because I had already established contact, once my need arose it was smooth sailing!
When you are ready to begin your projects, just contact those on your list who can fill a need. Perhaps you want to advertise your Web design services. You can ask someone in your network (a Web host, a graphic artist, etc.) to participate in joint advertising with you. This will allow you to get excellent exposure for ½ the price because those costs are shared with your กpartnerก.
You can also set up a referral process. I have several arrangements with others in where we exchange referrals. Some do it for a fee, others just do it on a oneforone basis. You and your network member can decide what works best for you.
The results of this simple process are normally tremendous. The majority of small business owners are always looking for ways to expand their businesses. Exchanging leads with one another, creating joint affiliations and bartering are great ways to create a broad network that truly does work!
Copyright 2004 Diane Hughes

About The Author

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

This article was posted on May 31, 2004

by Diane Hughes

Build Your Marketing Muscle

Build Your Marketing Muscle

by: Sopan Greene, M.A.

During a saxophone lesson the other day I realized how much regular practice can help a part time internet marketer. My teacher taught me a long time ago to just play for 15 minutes a day to progress. I was shocked when I first started doing it, but it works. And it works fast.

As Iกve applied that theory to my business Iกve seen the same rewards. If you have a tight schedule, itกs actually better to work on marketing for 15 minutes a day than it is to come up with a block of hours to get a lot done.

The reason why is that a habit to make a little time a day to focus on your business keeps the ideas flowing and consistently builds your marketing muscle. Itกs also a lot easier to find 15 minutes every day than it is to find an hour or more.

Think about it. In 15 minutes you can send out some articles, work on an article or send some emails for ad swaps. All of these activities are building your exposure and your list.

Most internet marketers are part timers for at least 6 months to year depending on how much time they spend on their business. If you can go for a half hour or an hour or more a day go for it. But most newbies are struggling to put in 5 hours on weekdays while juggling a full time job and a busy family life.

The key is to pick an amount of time you know you can do. Commit to spending that amount of time every weekday with longer times on the weekend. If you can do it at the same time every day it works easier. Treat this time like itกs an important appointment with an important person. (You are an important person aren’t you? No one else will build your business.) Don’t let anything break your date with your business.

Too many folks fail because they simply don’t treat their business like itกs a business. A hobby is something that costs you money and you work on when you feel like it. A business is something that makes you money and you work on it even when you don’t feel like it. You deserve to reap the rewards that an online business brings.

The profits are bigger down the road, but treating your business with a business attitude will get you there faster. A 15 minute a day habit can build your marketing muscle and accelerate your progress.

Give it a whirl. What have you go to lose?

About The Author

Sopan Greene, M.A. is a marketing & life coach & editor of the Net Profits newsletter. Grab Your 2 FREE eBooks & a FREE report: กMillion Dollar Emailsก กHow To Start Your Own Traffic Virusก & ‘the 13 Deadly Internet Marketing Mistakes Almost Every Business Is Making…ก mail to: webmaster875956@autocontactor.com

http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com

This article was posted on December 05, 2003

by Sopan Greene, M.A.

About The Artists Of Brücke

About The Artists Of Brücke

by: Blur Loterina

Ever heard of a political art group? Artists who use art, particularly painting, to influence or to move people to action? I have read of those in our history class beforeit was quite boring then. I used to think of it as an exaggeration of a hero’s life. Until I read one of my favorite music artist’s biography. His father was a leader of Chicano artists, the ขLos Fourข. It’s a sort of a mural movement. But this is beside the point. My objective for writing this article is to bring more light into ขdie brückeข, a group of German expressionist artists, which marked the beginning of modern art in Germany.

Since the early part of twentieth century German Expressionism was very popular and it influenced most of the movements to oppose Impressionists.

Die Brücke, German words meaning ขthe bridgeข, was founded in Dresden by architectural students lead by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1905. Erich Heckel, Fritz Bleyl, Karl SchmidtRottluff gathered regularly in Kirchner’s studio. They were later joined by Emil Nolde and Max Pechstein.

The group was called ขbrückeข because the members have common interests and ideology. The bridge also symbolizes link, since one of their objective is to link to the future and to use art to change the society. Through art, they linked German history with their own cultural past. They despised academic traditions and strict constraints of the leading academies, realism and impressionism.

Although, most of the members of the Brücke were not trained artists, they were able to express their feelings and imaginations through harsh and orgiastic colors, particularly the black and white contrasts, distorted shapes and lines, exaggerated forms, and antiillusionistic perspective. The subjects of their artwork include urban cabarets and dancehalls, mostly in the nudes.

Their art works were influenced by the vibrant and emotive works of Vincent van Gough, Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch and the Fauves.

They promoted their works by conducting art exhibits and through innovative patron membership program. To ensure artistic autonomy, the members of the Brücke did not accept conventional gallery arrangement—they produced portfolios instead. The portfolio is a compilation of the art works of one of the members, but the cover was made by the other members of the group. They made seven portfolios, most were singleartist productions. These portfolios featured Brücke V, Bathers Throwing Reeds, Three Bathers at the Moritzburg Lakes, and Dancer with Raised Skirts

About The Author

Blur Loterina

You may wonder why I write articles. Besides from the fact that it’s my job, I used to write short stories when I was younger. I think it would be helpful if I said I’m a big fan of Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. This would explain my own views about a lot of things. Their songs were about national issues, politics and human rights. They support the American Indian Movement and Che Guevara, the face you see on tshirts. Not that it concerns me. I only like their music and idealism.

I like to read anything that contains words in the old English form, though I can’t understand it. You know, the King James Version of the Bible with words like thou, thy, thine, wilst, etc. The words used are different. The construction of the sentence is different, too, which makes sentences sound artistic. I also like gothic metal, a music genre, because most of the lyrics contain such words. It is not only the words that fascinate me; it’s the hidden meaning it contains. It’s like an abstract painting; you don’t get the real picture until you see through it.

I’m not an artist, I’m not a poet. I just love writing anything I want. I wasn’t born a genius, I just want to know and understand something I don’t. I like to find the difference between similar things. It’s like counting birthmarks on each identical twin.

For additional Information about the articles you may visit their website at http://www.brochuresprintingonline.com

joel@brochuresprintingonline.com

This article was posted on February 09

by Blur Loterina

Making Your Purpose Your Business, Step#3

Making Your Purpose Your Business, Step#3

by: Heather J. Tait

Step #3: Organizing Your Resources & Collections

In our previous step, Step 2, you were challenged to get active and network with other professionals in your field. By now you should have an abundant source of resources to reference and help you mold your personal aspirations. You should have a collection of bookmarks of peer’s and organization’s websites.

You can really gather a lot of information in a short amount of time when you are dealing with the internet. So I recommend keeping organized with your information right from the start. If you are keeping track of your information in a notebook, adopt a method to keep it orderly. Maybe have your notebook sectioned into topics, for example, ‘references,’ ‘organizations,’ ‘peers.’ If you are bookmarking your reference information through your browser, organize your list by assigning them to folders. This option is usually listed under your favorites menu, typically called ‘organize favorites.’ Do whatever makes sense to you and will help you easily retrieve the information you need in the future.

Organization doesn’t just stop at notebooks and bookmarks. It goes much deeper than that. Make sure you are personally organized before you start our next challenge. Clean up your workspace. Take care of your priorities or any tasks you may have been procrastinating. The key here is to not just clean out your physical space, but mental space as well.

Now we can start working on creating your collection. Your ‘collection’ is going to be the foundation of your purpose. If you are creating art for example, it would be your artwork. If you are a writer, it would be a collection of your writings. If you are intending on being a merchant of other sorts, it would be your product.

So the first question to ask yourself would be: do you have a collection? If you do, now is the time to organize your work. Again, maybe break your collection into groups, organize your work by likeness or by time frame. This can be done by simply creating categories and assigning your work to the appropriate heading. This will help you set the stage for your web presence. Now is the time to keep in mind some of the sites you went on in our previous step. Think about what sites were easy to navigate and what sites were not. Did you like how a particular site was organized? What did you like about it? Apply your answers to your own concept of organization.

If you don’t have a collection, then now is the time to work on acquiring one. Establishing a collection does not happen over night. So be patient with yourself and set realistic goals. My very first website was created by a friend of mine when I lived in California, before I started designing my own site. The first collection was composed of only 13 works of art, but it was a start. Now seven years later, I have a collection of around 160 paintings. You don’t have to have an extremely large collection of works or products to get started. One of the best things about opening a store on the web unlike a brick and mortar store, you don’t have to have a large product line. Granted it helps, but it is not always necessary. The key here is quality not quantity.

Once you have your collection created or organized you can now work on the information side of your collection. Assign your collection or product names, titles, or SKU numbers. Write up descriptions for each piece or group. Be as informative and descriptive as you can. Put yourself in the consumer or viewer’s place and think about what information you would need to know in order to make a proper buying decision. You do not want to be vague here at all. Your description not only aids your buyer, but it also protects you as a seller. Describing your product or service honestly, prevents any likelihood of surprise to your buyer. As a result you should have less returns and refunds and more customer satisfaction.

Once you have developed your collection or product sheet, make a column for pricing. Pricing can often be the most challenging task of designing a web front mainly because you are being asked to place a price on yourself and your own value. This is especially true if the services you provide are rendered creative. A normal or typical marketing tactic is to research your competitors and get an idea of the market value of your product. If you are working in a creative field or freelance field you can search for guilds that offer pricing guidelines.

After you get an overview or others’ pricing then you need to realistically figure out what it will cost you to perform your services. You want to consider the amount of time you spend on a project, the cost of materials, the tax you will have to pay, and the cost of shipping and or transportation. Your cost may be very different than your competitors. Pricing is a personal choice and decision, so base it on what you believe the item to be worth. You want competitive prices, but worthy prices. The biggest mistake I see creative people make is under pricing themselves. Buyers believe they get what they pay for, so make your pricing valuable to them.

Develop a confidence in your work, but back that confidence with experience and knowledge. Believe that what you are creating has a value to more people than just yourself. Most importantly, be excited! Your enthusiasm will be conveyed in every area of your work. If you are not excited, then you need to go back to step 1 and reevaluate what your purpose is.

Your challenge for this month is to get organized in your personal and mental space, organize or create your collection, and then write effective descriptions for your works or products. During this process, continue to network and continue to learn and you will develop your path… your purpose.

By Artist & Inspirational Writer Heather J.Tait

About The Author

Silence Speaks http://www.silencespeaks.com

read more articles from this author at Silence Speaks Inspirations

Artist and inspirational writer Heather J. Tait began her career as a professional artist back in 1997 in Morgan Hill, CA. Her style combines simplicity and complexity. She uses bold lines with the aid of her Sharpie Marker and completes the process with splashes of bright watercolors.

Her work can best be described in its entirety as inspirational. She has over 160 pieces of all original works with inspirational quotes that correspond to each piece.

Her art as well as articles are syndicated internationally. Her work has been featured in the Spire Press (New York, NY), the Gutenburg Litegraphic Society (Salt Lake City, UT), Tony Awards (Atlanta,GA) and the FOX Theater (Atlanta,GA) to name a few.

She was also recently inducted into the Who’s Who of American Women 20042005the definitive biographical resource featuring the most accomplished women in all areas of human endeavor.

She is also the founder of Silence Speaks International Artist Association and Intrigue Magazine which works to promote artists and writers.

contact@silencespeaks.com

This article was posted on September 13, 2004

by Heather J. Tait

Finally New Spam Prevention Product That Works!

Finally New Spam Prevention Product That Works!

by: Lee Traupel

Businesses and consumers are drowning in a neverending deluge of Spam (junk mail) according to reports just released by Quris, Inc. Spam has increased 450% from June of 2001 to now. Furthermore, 70% of respondents indicated they are receiving so much email in the form of Spam that itกs negating their acceptance and responsiveness to legitimate optin email messages (permission based). The average business user is forced to spend 2030 minutes a day wading through Spam clogged email inbox es trying to separate legitimate email from the junk in order to delete the latter.

Many companies have tried to offer Spam solutions that are based primarily on filtering technology. But, most of these products and services have not worked well in practice the ingenious spammers have learned work arounds by constantly changing their fake email addresses and text to avoid the blocking filters. Itกs been a war of attrition to date and the spammers have been wining so far!

I am pleased to report that one company has developed an elegant but simple solution that has blocked 100% of the Spam that was sent to me during a test period of five days. The company is DigiPortal Software, Inc. www.digiportal.com and their Spam killer application is called ChoiceMail. It works extremely well, is easy to setup and only costs $29.95 (introductory price) and they even offer a fourteenday trial period for no charge to test drive the product. And, the solution runs on your desktop and does not necessitate your working with a third party server and doesn’t require any service charges. Most importantly, it puts the burden of proof on the Spammers, forcing them to have your permission to contact you.

Here is how DigiPortalกs clever solution and software work: You download or purchase the software and install it on your PC (sorry PC version only right now) and setup your approval list by exporting your address book. From that point forward ChoiceMail automatically assumes all inbound email is Spam and it blocks any email that is not on an approved list that you have created.

If the email sender is on your approved list it makes it through to your inbox; if not, then ChoiceMail blocks the mail address and adds it to a rejection list and sends the sender a notification that you’re on a กpermission networkก and that he/she has to click through to a web site and send you a message by filling out a form that automatically forwards the personกs message to you, so you can elect to receive it or not.

DigiPortal is effectively acting as a trusted middleman in a process that reminds me of PGP (กPretty Good Privacyก) the defacto industry standard email security application that incorporates a similar process via a key held by a trusted third party. You’re ostensibly guaranteed never to receive any Spam based email as spammers will never receive your email, let alone reply to it most use automated systems that have no human intervention in the process. Itกs relatively painless for you to manage new contacts if you’re receiving inbound emails from a new a person (contact) that you have no existing relationship with, itกs easy to accept his/her request to reach you and the software also automatically updates your permission list.

ChoiceMail is an elegant solution that works well, is easy to use and solves a problem very cost effectively. There are a few hiccups with the software but, these are minor when you consider the significant benefits of the product and assuming the company will broaden its support for other applications in the near term. At present DigiPortal only works with standard ISPs such as Earthlink, ATT, etc. and with specific desktop clients including Outlook Express and Eudora no webbased email services (HotMail or Yahoo mail) work with the software yet and there is no support for AOL at present. My biggest complaint is that they don’t support a standard Outlook email you have to manually import your contact list from Outlook, which can be painstaking depending on the number of recipients in your address book. And, their initial focus is on the small business user or consumer, as they offer no support at present for the corporate enterprise.

About The Author

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc. www.intelective.com, a marketing services company. Lee@intelective.com. Reprinted with permission from Intelective Communications this article may be reprinted freely, providing this attribution box remains intact. (c) 20012002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.

This article was posted on July 31, 2002

by Lee Traupel

Creating a Virtual Art Gallery

Creating a Virtual Art Gallery

by: Cynthia Houppert

To the online artist, it might seem a paradox, at first glance, to hear a recommendation to hold back work. The artist on the Internet often overproduces and displays their entire body of work. In essence, by placing it for casual viewing, known as กshoppingก the work, devalues its worth by defying the Law of Supply and Demand.

How can the artist benefit by applying the advantages of the Internet with the successful business practices of the traditional gallery? Letกs look at the traditional galleryกs sales structure.

At the Preview, in an inner gallery, and by invitation only, previously unviewed works are presented to the galleryกs selected collectors. The works are tagged as sold, but left for viewing. An aspect of human nature, wanting what one cannot have, has been accommodated as well as a relationship to supply and demand.

To paraphrase Israel A. Kirzner, the, almost, universally accepted theory of supply and demand shapes production and consumption, and is, not only the skeleton, but the flesh and blood of the economic system which determines the artistกs survival in the marketplace.

[‘the Law of Supply and Demandก, by Israel Kirzner At the time of publication Kirzner was an economist at New York University. http://www.libertyhaven.com and The Freeman, a publication of The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc., January 2000, Vol. 50, No. 1.]

The show opens to the general public. As the show closes, unsold works are then considered shopped, since the public has viewed them. Then, they are placed in an outer gallery for the casual onlooker. Those traditions have held true, stemming from the basic nature of human beings and how market prices are determined.

This brings us back to the question of how might the traditional practices be adapted to the Internet? The artist could, for instance, set up a number of galleries.

The Inner Gallery would contain works previously unseen. A collector might pay a onetime fee, the purpose of which is to discourage windowshoppers. The fee could then be applied to their purchase. Those who purchase are the collectors who go into your special Guest Book to receive Preview invitations, thus, eliminating the major pitfall of current Internet based galleries, the windowshopper.

How does one structure a Preview Page? Obviously, for your Preview Page you wouldn’t want just anyone dropping in. This could be accomplished through a member login given only to your private collectors. By closely monitoring their login dates, you can determine when the Preview is over and itกs time for the show to be opened to the general public.

A Middle Gallery is for works that didn’t sell in the Preview, but are only available to those who have registered in the Guest Book and agree to receive future newsletters and updates. Finally, there is an Outer Gallery, that is for browsers and only contains images that have been sold, their price, but never to whom it was sold.

Although there will be many windowshoppers, as the exclusive nature and as the reputation of the site grows, the more exclusive collector will come to the site, sign the Guest Book, and come to the Preview ready to collect.

Perhaps Museum Directors, Curators, Critics and Reviewers could be contacted as well. Given passwords, they could actually look at the work online, without the artist having to physically move the works as in a landbased gallery. Their reviews could be then added to the Preview Page and the artistกs resume for future use.

Anyone with experience on the Internet knows you can’t just create a web site and expect people to show up. The site must be properly marketed as well as have something the web surfer desires. Go to ARTNews and see how the ads are structured. Ask yourself what it is about that ad that makes you want to visit that gallery. What makes it desirable?

Look at the size of the images in the ad. Are they thumbnails or fullsize images and details? Collectors want to see brushstrokes and have the monitors to do so. Remember, that the majority of the nationกs assets lie in the hands of those over fifty years of age. Many of them wear eyeglasses. Accommodate their eyesight. Bigger is better.

Of course, not all artists who put up a web site are going to be worth collecting, just as galleries will not find all artists suitable. Not all collectors will want a given artistกs work. Without demand there are no sales.

Therefore, critical analysis of the web statistics should be carefully monitored. If you get a lot of hits and no sales then the problem is not in the marketing. Conversely, no hits, or very few, would indicate poor marketing. At some point you have to figure whether or not you’re no good at marketing or the work is not collectible.

As for meeting with the artist, the web cam, if not a personal visit, makes for an enjoyable time. With the development of Japanese graphic technology, one day soon the collector and others members of the art community will view the minute details of the artistกs work in truly a virtual gallery without defying the laws of human nature which drives all mankind.

About The Author

Cynthia Houppert is an art consultant in Atlanta, Georgia and the author of กArt Gallery Safari: Bagging the Big Oneก

(c)2003

cyndij@cowboyenterprises.com

This article was posted on December 05, 2003

by Cynthia Houppert

What Our CAT Taught Me About Marketing!

What Our CAT Taught Me About Marketing!

by: Cathy Bryant

Toby is one of our two family pets (both cats). He is quite astute, and he has learned one of the most basic tenets of selling stick with what works!

Many of Tobyกs days are spent perched on the top of my monitor as I work here on my computer. As a matter of fact, heกs here right now as I write this article. Toby is a very personable creature. He enjoys being in the company of humans, and he knows just what buttons to push to get us to do what HE wants us to do!

For example, two of his very favorite pastimes which of course involve human interaction are playing the กbathtub gameก (don’t ask I still don’t know all the rules!) and hitching a ride all over the house in the laundry basket.

How does he manage to get otherwise perfectly sane, intelligent adults to drop what they’re doing when he decides itกs playtime? Well, Iกm not really sure, but I do know one thing he learned the secrets by trial and error. In other words, he has tested the waters and found what works and he uses only those tactics that produce results!

We can all learn something from Toby. In order to really be successful in our businesses, we need to learn what methods we’re using that work best and get the most response. The only way to do that is to try different methods and analyze the results. Iกm not going to go into the mechanics of coding ads to determine which are pulling better, the best web design techniques, or other technical aspects of your marketing efforts. That information is easily available. What I want you to really learn from this is that you DO have to test your methods, record the results, and STICK WITH WHAT WORKS!

Toby does and he is always successful!

About The Author

Cathy Bryantกs newsletter, HomeBizJunction Herald, is your source for information about how to generate an income from home. Product and opportunity reviews, as well as her own original articles, are a regular feature. And you won’t be distracted by outside advertising it doesn’t have any! Subscribe today at http://www.homebizjunction.com

This article was posted on March 22, 2003

by Cathy Bryant

Advertising Approach For The Firsttime Webmaster

Advertising Approach For The Firsttime Webmaster

by: Royan Shaw

For the first time internet entrepreneur [newbie] the best ways to promote your website at first instance are :

1. Express inclusion of your website for the usual 12 months offered by most of the major search engines. You can choose express inclusion for askjeeves, inktomi, altavista,msn etc but keep in mind to have your site submitted to the local index of your region.

For example if you reside in Toronto, Canada and you are submitting for express inclusion in the DMOZ or Canada.com search engine/directory you must ensure that your site is indexed in the Torontoกs business and economy directory. Get your site in the local index first things first.

If your submission listing includes the regional version of the DMOZ directory then thats good enough to go.

One point to note is that many of the major search engines and directories actually interrelate that is they search across each otherกs database therefore submitting to only one major engine or directory will satisfice for the Internet Marketing beginner.

2. Next, the most overlooked approach for the firsttime website owner is the maximisation of the benefit of offline marketing methods.

Promote your website in exactly the same way you would have promoted a normal business by telling everyone about it.

Word of mouth is still the best way to promote a new business.

Put your motto and logo along with your url address on everything from a pin to an anchor. From stationery, pens, letterheads, postcards, flyers,posters, in your usual email, the list goes on…

You may consider placing classified ads in the local newspapers.

Run other programs such as sponsoring quizzes, prize competitions, trivia and other participating programs with your website address. You might ask readers to submit the answer to a quiz by visiting you website. Anything that gets the local community to know that your website exists. You can do it !!

FACT : You have to make it local before you go global.

Most startup webmasters usually make the mistake on concentrating on those numerous ways to promote their site and become confused on deciding what works best. What works best can only be determined by careful evaluation of each and every advertising scheme in use on the web today :

Publisher/advertisers programs

Banner exchanges

Exit ads

PayPerClick

Link Exchanges

Search engine blasting

FFa, classified ad posting

Rotator pages

_JavaScript based popups etc

10.Express submit to search engines

11.Search Engine Optimisation

12.Adwords by Google

13. Others

Its interesting to note that no seller of the above services except for Google and the other search engine services has ever took the time to evaluate your website to decide whether or not your site is most suitable to fit the advertising package they are offering.

The best approach is to evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Not everything out there works for everybody in every instant. Test your website across every platform say 10000 visitor package each and assess the outcome one by one.

Some will work better than others but the ones returning the higher rate of response doesn’t necessarily mean they are the most profitable unless they each cost exactly the same per 1000 visitor.

What I had recommended in the first two paragraphs above should work best for the firsttimer and is the most prudent approach.

Be careful when trying to find the best way of advertising, Don’t be caught up in the Internet Marketing clutter out there as every you come in contact with will tell you the advertising method they sell is the best.

Ignore whatever testimony you see written on these webpages, use these services under a trial based approach before you order that 100000 package or start paying that monthly subscription.

Any method you are interested in should be test and proven in quality. Careful tjought and consideration should be given in order to plan, make decisions and control your business operating expenses.

What works for seasoned campaigners of Internet Marketing doesกnt necessary works in the same way for the starter.

Your website is unique just like your fingerprint and its now your duty to determine the most economic,effective and efficient approach in promoting it.

About The Author

R. Urien Shaw

Webmarketing Financial

http://www.royanopia.co.uk/

R. Urien Shaw is a contributor to the WebMarketing Financial Newsletter and the developer of the 4321 Budgeting Strategy. He is currently a final year student reading for the B.sc in Applied Accounting in London.

marketingfinancial@royanopia.co.uk

This article was posted on November 27, 2003

by Royan Shaw

You Can’t Just Build A Website And Hope It Works!

You Can’t Just Build A Website And Hope It Works!

by: Peter Simmons

Like any area of business your website needs some effort from you if its going to be successful. Youกd be foolish to just build any old website and hope it works. Yet this approach, or rather lack of approach, is still widespread on the internet. Businesses still dont seem to understand what the internet can do to benefit them and their customers. They just dont get it.

This is not a new criticism, people have been saying it for years. Notice i used the word people, because thats exactly who suffers. You, me and the millions of people like us who are visiting those sites during our virtual travels. Many of these businesses do actually have great products and services to offer us, its just that they havent put the effort in to find out what we, their customers want. They havent bothered to find out about us, about our needs, about our wishes. They have other more pressing priorities it seems. So they just present them to us any old way and hope we dont notice or are too stupid to notice. Dont they understand they are losing sales, customers, repeat customers, referrals and more?

Whether your business has a whole team working on your website or just you, its going to take some effort and commitment to get to a point where your website is satisfying your customers. A website where you have a direct conversation with your visiting potential customers. A conversation where they feel you are talking directly to them. A conversation where they feel you understand them. You understand their needs and wishes like no other business has done before. In short, a place where you connect with your customers and they connect with you. A place where you are entirely focused on them, NOT on you. Not on your products, not on your credentials or ego, not on anything else about you.

For example, instead of just detailing information about your products, present your information in a way that is valuable to them. Of course, they will want to know what your product does and some key information about how it works, etc. But present it to them so that they know instantly and precisely how they benefit from it: How much money they will save with it. How much time they will save with it. How it will make their life better. How it will make their life easier, etc.

Focusing wholeheartedly on your customers is not easy, it takes time, motivation, commitment and innovation. Which i suspect is ultimately why it doesnt always get done. Dont let this happen to your site. Do it well and you will see the results. But be sure about it, youกve got to take on the responsibility to do as much as you possibly can if you want to see those golden results. Ensure your customers visit is a positive one that will stay fresh in their mind for some time.

How can you tell how well your site is doing? Answer the following questions to get an indication:

Do you regularly promote your website to carefully targeted customers?

Do you know exactly how your customers benefit from your website?

Are you getting the sales figures and incomes you want?

Are you getting new customers regularly?

Do you get regular positive customer feedback?

Do you get regular positive website feedback?

Can you describe your customer and their needs and wants easily?

Are you regularly looking at ways to improve your site and products for your customers?

Does the text on your site speak to an individual person?

Is it easy to contact you via the site?

Generally, the more questions you answered yes to, the more successful your website can be. You should of course aim for 90100% (910 yesกs). Lower than 90% (9 yesกs) indicates that you need to improve.

One of the great things about the internet, unlike other more traditional media, is its ability to be updated immediately. You can change anything on your website at anytime and as often as you like. Use it to experiment with offers and products. Experiment with the way you present them to find out what works and what doesnt. Use this great feature to improve your site for the better. Better for your customer that is.

Tips:

Listen to your customers.

Dont be too precious about your site content and products.

Dont become too attached to anything on your site. Change or remove it if it doesnt work.

Ask for honest feedback.

See the bigger picture.

Good luck!

About The Author

Need to get your business online? contact me now to find out how you can do it for less mailto:peter@dynamiq.co.uk You can see more of my articles to help you get results online at www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine.

peter@dynamiq.co.uk

This article was posted on August 28, 2002

by Peter Simmons

Powerful Direct Marketing Numbers

Powerful Direct Marketing Numbers

by: Larry Brophy

Direct Marketing works!
Why? It works because itกs personal. It carries a message, answers questions and gets orders. Direct Response Marketing works because it is กconversation in writingก.
It works because, no matter what you have heard, read or believe … most people look forward to personal communication. They like being treated as a person as an individual.
So, if Direct Response Marketing is so powerful, how can we as marketers use it effectively? To keep the business we have … to find new business?
As with most disciplines, these powerful กDirect Marketing Numbersก are common sense. Hereกs a list of a few กNumbersก to make your Direct Response Marketing work for you:
60 30 10
A full 60% of your Direct Marketing success is making certain your message gets to the person who can buy what you have to sell. Itกs very easy for the wrong person to say กnoก.
An offer will be 30% of your Direct Marketing success.
Whatกs an offer? It is a reason for your prospect to do business with you. Itกs the urge to action. Itกs an incentive to get your audience to raise their hand. To indicate a willingness to talk with you. Itกs a reason to respond.
The 10% remaining is creative. Not unimportant … certainly less important. And although it is the fun part of marketing without a clearly identified audience and a sound offer your creative has little chance of giving you a winner.
Now, once youกve clearly identified your marketplace and put together an offer of interest how DO you get your Direct Marketing message read, heard, seen, understood and acted upon?
A few more กPowerful Numbersก
Lucky 13
Write your message for a 13 year old reading level.
Television news, the morning newspaper and by far the majority of our conversation is at a 13 year old reading level.
Exceptions? Sure. The Wall Street Journal is written at a 17 year reading level.
11
Keep your opening paragraph to 11 words or less.
Yes, I did say paragraph!
Why? Because, by opening quickly you slip your reader into your full message. Make your letter, your brochure, the print advertisement everything you write easy to read. A quick beginning helps.
14
All your sentences should average 14 words or less.
The best way to write short: use a period. Yes, every so often insert the กdotก. It works. And it will help you get read.
1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Use words of 5 letters or less. About 70% of all your words should be 5 letter words, or less.
Why? Because they are easy to read easy to understand. Your message will be quickly absorbed.
The 500 most common words in English have 13,000 meanings. No wonder we have trouble with basic communication. One answer is to go short. It pays with results.
7
Keep ALL paragraphs to a maximum of 7 lines. Never more than 7…and sometimes just 1 or 2. i.e., short paragraphs.
Again, why? Because a large block of copy looks tough, even if it is not. The tactic of short makes your message look more inviting.
1
A postscript (P.S.) is mandatory in every direct mail letter. Because 4 of 5 of your readers will read the P.S. first … before they read anything else in your letter.
5
Indent every paragraph 5 spaces.
This กNumberก is really physiology not marketing. Our eyes pull us กinก when we see indents. They pull us to a point and while we’re there, we read. It works. Indent all paragraphs.
On the other side of the paragraph the right side use the ragged right design. Do not justify margins! Do not proportionally space your sentences. Ragged right increases readership.
1/2
Whenever you go to a second page in a letter split the last sentence in half.
Begin it at the bottom of the first page…end it at the top of the next page. Why? To pulllll the reader with you. กMakeก them turn the page. Keep them reading.
The same tactic works in anything printed with columns. Such as brochures, reply forms, print ads…anything. Split the last sentence…the last paragraph in two. And move the reader to the next column.
481
Be specific. The number 481 is much more specific and much more believable! than saying กalmost 500ก.
Odd numbers get more attention than even. Use 3 5 7 9 and you are more likely to be noticed. A list of 11 is better than a list of 10. 99 or 101 ideas is better than an even 100.
One more thing on numbers; use the number not the word. As I have done in this article. The number 3 or 7 is easier to see, read and understand than the word three or seven.
30
Offers with a date work to get more action more response. Try a Limited Time Offer.
Good for only 30 days…or better yet, ‘this offer good only until August 31ก gets action. Test making your offer a Limited Time Offer. It can increase your response.
There are many more กPowerful Numbersก in Direct Marketing. This list will get you going to make your mail, your print, your collateral materials all your written communication just that much better. Good writing!

About The Author

Larry Brophy has helped thousands of businesses find more buyers for their products and services the past 20+ years. Heกs the resident webmaster at: http://findmorebuyers.com, your TOP source of targeted sales leads.
Read additional marketing articles by Larry Brophy at http://findmorebuyers.com/page.cfm/15

This article was posted on June 17, 2004

by Larry Brophy