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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Internet Profits Education presented by Lorenzo Myers,Coach/Consultant

10 Basics for Starting Your Online BusinessLaunching an online business can seem either simple or harrowing,depending on your perception of the Internet. For many, the task at hand willcome naturally because they’re comfortable maneuvering the ‘Net with ease. Forothers, it’s an entirely alien idea requiring heavy guidance.Everyone who has ever sought out legitimate business opportunities onlinehas probably scoured the Internet for sites that offer both direction and devices tomake their journey easier.Most people are looking for a place where Internet Marketers can make asingle stop to gather and implement all of the information they need to carry themfrom A to Z and a turnkey marketing system that supplies everything they needfor success.There are ten basic steps to initiating and cultivating your dream ofstarting of your very own Internet-based business. The steps begin the momentyou first conceptualize your dream and they culminate with continued revenuefrom your customers.1. Motivation and Goal SettingIf you’re reading this book, then you have already instilled some of themotivation needed to be a successful online entrepreneur. But are you ready toinvest the time and money needed to realize your vision?Before you ever start the first formal step of launching your cyberbusiness,you have to have the right mindset and a list of goals that you plan toaccomplish one step at a time.First, you need to gather the support of those who will be closely involvedwith you in your endeavor. It may be a work partner or your spouse and childrenif you’re working solo from home.Even if you’re interested in signing up with an established affiliateprogram, you should still set and try to maintain your own personal goals. Whilesome seasoned marketers have long-term success, those who sustain theirvictories in the marketplace know that they have to put in equal effort to buildinga successful affiliate network.Sit down with a list of things you hope to accomplish with this businessand be as specific as possible. It may help convince others (and even yourself) ifyou map out a simple business plan to show them how your idea will come to life.You can see a small business plan outline at www.sba.gov.If you run into opposition, or self-doubts, then you may want to take sometime to thoroughly review your business plan and try to solve any areas ofconcern before you begin investing too much time or money into your operation.If you’re considering joining an affiliate program, look at it carefully todetermine what its drawbacks are, if any. Then, if you still have concerns, contactthe administrator or a sponsor of the program and open a dialogue so that you canfind out for yourself if these problems really exist, and if so, how they are solved.Along with the plan itself, you should have several stages of goals that youhope to reach and the timeline to accompany them. Too many people sit downone day and decide to start a business with no direction to go. These people windup off the path very quickly, and all the time and funds they devoted to theirbusiness goes down the drain.Don’t bite off more than you can chew with your goals. Start small andremember that goals are to be viewed as a “living list,” and can be altered at anytime depending on the success rate of your business.You might want to set monetary goals – such as hoping to make $2,000per month within the first three months. Remember that most new businessesdon’t even see a profit until after the first year, so don’t despair if yours is slow togrow.On the Internet, your growth rate will be much quicker because youraudience is global, not limited to your physical location. Another bonus withonline selling is that many products are informational, and don’t require thestandard upfront investment that other companies do.When you find a business opportunity that piques your interest, you needto make sure that there is a system in place that offers plenty of member supportand training to get your own enterprise underway.For example, Empowerism is not only a site that houses one of the largestlearning environments on the ‘Net, but it’s also a community where members caninteract with one another and get answers on issues that are important to them.Look for a company that doesn’t stop at just putting the facts and figuresout there. You want one that takes an active interest in your success, offers aturnkey marketing system, and wants to make sure that your growth spurs moregrowth within the industry, which is exactly what a company called Empowerismhas accomplished since 1998.2. Time Management ControlIf you’re working from home or doing this business as a second careeruntil it firmly gets on its feet, then you’ll have to set and meet your schedule inorder to carefully control your online enterprise.You don’t want to fall at one end of the spectrum – investing too much ortoo little time into your business. Instead, you want a healthy balance whereyou’ve spent enough time working toward your goals and plenty of time to spendenjoying family time or recreational life in general.“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” You’ve heard the saying.It rings true for many whose lives are consumed by their business. Don’t let thishappen to you! If you fall into the trap of working yourself to death, yourbusiness will suffer in the end because you’ll become too frustrated to thinkclearly and make sound business decisions.If your online business is your only job, then you can afford to spend 8-10hours a day working toward its success. But if you’re working at home, those 8-10 hours a day might be marred by constant interruptions and personal pauses thatso easily take precedence over your work life.If you have a family at home, remind them that you’re going to be puttingin formal work hours and that even though you might be available to temporarilystop and help them when they need it, they must respect your efforts to build yourbusiness.Your time is important! You know the saying, “Time is Money” and youwill find that to be especially true online where you can spend hour after hour onrepetitive tasks that deliver marginal results. Don’t fall into the trap of doing thesame thing over and over again without results. Look for a true “turnkey system”that finds, sorts, and sells to your prospects, while you’re spending time doingthings that contribute to the long haul, like building relationships with yourcustomers.How many affiliate programs on the ‘Net have you found who promise aturnkey investment? Just set it up and it runs itself. When it comes down to it,not many make the grade – then you eventually end up unwilling to spend thenecessary time – and failure closes in.Empowerism knows the difference between hype and truth, and makespromises that are kept by providing actual step-by-step instructions and a turnkeysystem that will help you make the most of your time.3. Product ConceptionMany people go through life wishing they could sell something andbecome instant millionaires. It rarely works this way, but the possibility still tugsat us and we’re always looking for the “magic solution” to our financial stresses.In order to develop a good product line, you have to look at themarketplace. What are consumers buying? What’s being heavily advertised?You know it takes money to market your products, so the successful companieswill be advertising greatly because they can afford to.Is there a need that’s not being met? Many success stories come out ofregular consumers who couldn’t find a particular product to solve their ownproblems, so they invented one themselves to help others!Many thriving online businesses do nothing but sell information on the‘Net. Information is the hottest commodity, and almost anyone can do it withvery little upfront investment of money.Think about your own personal experiences. What skills do you have thatcause people come to you for help? Are you a wiz at writing? Do you have aknack for investing or real estate solutions?You can write an eBook to sell on the ‘Net and rake in a lot of money –just for sharing your knowledge with others! Why are eBooks so popular? Forseveral reasons, including the fact that they can be purchased and read in secondsfrom the comfort of your own home.No bookstores. No traffic. No-hassle returns on most sites. Plus, eBooksusually come with a package deal, so customers get bonus materials just forordering. This can be an extra eBook, a teaser eBook (a shorter version of thesame book, highlighting a few excerpts), or a membership to a free Ezine.If you aren’t confident in your writing skills, but have an idea you’d liketo see in print, consider hiring a professional to do it for you. Writing consultantscan research and write about topics quickly and gear them toward consumers forabout $20 per page.Products that are already created can be sold in affiliate programs. Theadvantages of marketing someone else’s products or services are many, includingtime savings, low monetary investment (and risk), and less work. If that appealsto you, at least as a stepping stone to “bigger and better,” then the perfect startingplace is Empowerism.4. Site StructureThe structure of your website can mean the difference between a stalledbusiness and a flourishing one. If your website isn’t built for the consumer, thenthe consumer will steer clear.Have you ever ventured into a store and found it messy or crowded andhard to maneuver? Did you ever go back to that place? Probably not. The samething goes for your online business.Some websites are not built for the average customer. They use largegraphics that take hours for a 56K modem to download, or their links don’t work.If you don’t know how to build a website yourself, then hire a professional whoknows how to do it for you.Your site needs to be user-friendly so that customers keep coming back –not only for their first purchase, but also for follow-up sales once they’vedevoured your initial product.Some basic tips for building a better website include using professionalcolors and fonts. You don’t want a rainbow site with happy faces and flowerylettering trying to sell your serious eBook on Investing for Seniors.You also want to make sure you have a separate domain for your business.You can register your very own dot com at GoDaddy.com for only $8.95 per year,and the investment is well worth it for the professionalism it gives your business.Once the designer drafts your site and your content is in place, ask a fewfriends or family members to make a test run through it and tell you if they noticeany areas where the user would run into problems, like dead links or layouttrouble.Sometimes, something as simple as the browser the customer is using willdistort the website and make it appear as if an amateur has launched an onlinebusiness. Any reputable designer knows how to appeal to the masses, so youshouldn’t run into any trouble if you check references and hire someone who’sbeen in the business for at least 5 years.If you’re not quite ready to hire a website designer, there are companiesthat offer low-cost, ready-made templates that you can customize. Empowerismwill give you 35 templates and teach you what to do with them. You will have awide variety of options so that your enterprise is created with a personal slant –designed however you choose. These types of tools reduce the usual worries thatplague other first time cyberpreneurs. Turnkey!5. Constructive ContentContent can make a big difference if you fail to urge the audience to takeaction on your site. You have to create words that provoke the reader to continuereading until they are convinced to buy your product or sign up for something onyour site.Some websites run on for pages, causing the reader to scroll forever.Others use a mere paragraph or two to make their point and hope for the bestresults. What length you require depends on the product you’re selling and howmuch convincing needs to be done to make the sale.Many websites are sheer sales propaganda, and it often works! Your salesstrategy should reflect the customer and how they approach buying on theInternet. Many people like and expect to see testimonials sprinkled throughoutyour home page, for instance.Whenever you work on your content, make sure that you answer the 5W’s: Who (who the product is for and who you are as well); What (what theproduct is exactly, along with any other bonus materials included); When (whenthe offer expires – an often crucial element in making the sale tonight as opposedto never); Where (where they can reach you in case they have any questions orneed assistance); and Why (why they need your product above any others sellingon the ‘Net).You might want to write your online sales content like a personal letter,complete with an image of your signature at the bottom of the page. Don’t forgetyour Postscripts (P.S.) – you can have up to five Postscripts where you sum up theimportant facts and urge the client to purchase now or miss out on the dealaltogether.You content will play a key factor in your search engine placement, so youwill need to learn how to “write for the search engines” and incorporate thatwhenever possible. If that’s something you’re not familiar with, Empowerismoffers a full training module on keyword and keyphrase integration for searchengine optimization.Content isn’t confined just to your website! Email marketing is a vitalaspect of Internet Marketing, and the content of your communications to yourprospects and customers must be professional, with a good blend of relationshipbuilding,soft-sell, and hard-sell copy. This is also something that Empowerismexcels at, in fact you can pick up a complimentary Email Marketing Course ontheir website, which addresses email content, among other critical topics. The lastthing you want to do is offend a prospect or appear amateurish in yourcommunications!6. Search Engine SupportWithout aiming for a decent search engine ranking, you might havedifficulty in achieving the kind of sales results you’re after. In addition tocontent, addressed in the previous section, there are several tools you can use tohelp you increase your search engine placement.While many engines have their own criteria for developing their uniqueranking system, most rely on a combination of keywords, relevancy, and evenlink reciprocation. In order to move into the top ten, most coveted positions, youhave to know how to play their game.First, sit down and brainstorm the keywords most used to describe yourproduct. Google has a keyword tool that helps you determine the most widelyused search terms for your business. You can find it at:https://adwords.google.com/select/main?cmd=KeywordSandbox.For example, if you enter “investing,” the tool will return the followingterms to you: Real estate investing, online investing, socially responsibleinvesting, value investing, stock market investing, stock investing, investingonline, gold investing, drip investing, & investing money – and these are only thetop 10 out of 50+ terms it returns.How do you use these search terms? You use them both behind the scenesand on center stage. Your web developer will want to include many of them inyour META tags, which allows search engine spiders to classify your site moreeasily.You’ll also want to use them in your keyword content when crafting thehome page of your website. When the spider crawls onto your site, it scans thekeywords to make sure the site is really relevant to that particular subject matter,and not just a scam to get traffic in the door.You will need to continue recreating your search engine strategy, sincemany engines change their formula to keep everyone on their toes. Google andothers, for instance, now factor into the ranking formula the number of other siteswho have a link to your site. This is known as link reciprocation.Don’t have a web developer? It’s easy to learn this from Empowerism.Not only will you learn about issues such as link reciprocation, but you’ll see howto generate targeted traffic to your website using search engines and free toolsreserved especially for subscribers. Or you can always use their turnkey systemand never have to worry about anything related to search engines again!7. Advertising IssuesAdvertising will be the lifeblood of your business, so this is where themajority of your time, money, and effort will be spent. Your goal is to build adatabase (list) of prospects and customers you can sell to time and time again.In the ever-changing (and challenging) world of online advertising, thereare two primary categories: Free and Paid. The basic rule of thumb is that if youhave much more time than money, Free advertising may be your most logicalchoice. However, if you have even just a little room in your budget foradvertising, Paid advertising, combined with effective free methods, will save youbundles of time and is the most direct route to success.The entire goal of your advertising efforts should be to drive targetedtraffic to your website, where visitors are encouraged to add their name and emailaddress to your database. Plain and simple. Database Marketing 101.Free online advertising methods include (but are not limited to) posting tofree safelists, engaging in message board discussions and including your taglineon each post, posting to free classified ad sites, using traffic generators(surfing/clicking for credits), submitting your website to search engines, bannerexchanges, reciprocal linking with similar sites, submitting free ezine ads, writingarticles and including your byline at the end, and writing a press release about thelaunch of your site or a new product and submitting to online news media.These methods can be tedious and frustrating, but when you’re startingoff, with no extra funds, if you can choose two and stick with them religiously,you will most likely generate enough profit to form a Paid advertising plan.Empowerism can help you get started with any of these, as well as teach you howto test and track your results, which is vitally important to your sanity!Paid advertising methods are virtually endless. Some of the most popularinclude renting opt-in lists, buying opt-in leads, placing ads in reputable ezines,using pay-per-click search engines, buying banner ad space, and buying targetedtraffic. When using a completely turnkey system like the one Empowerismsupplies, your opt-in leads, delivery method, and content are automaticallyincluded, leaving you free to try other advertising venues to complement theseefforts.Just because you have an online business, that doesn’t mean all of youradvertising has to be on the Internet. However, online advertising is usually lesscostly than offline avenues. You don’t have to pay for pricey prime timeplacement, but you do have to spend more time figuring out where your prospectsare so that your dollars are not wasted in your efforts.8. Customer ServiceEveryone knows that keeping a customer is ten times harder than gettingone initially. We can all recall numerous times when we’ve purchased somethingand vowed never to return.You don’t want to be labeled one of those businesses that doesn’t seem tovalue its customers. Word on the Internet spreads rapidly. If you burn onecustomer, he or she might post that experience on an online message board ormention it in an email discussion list, and no one else will want to do businesswith you, either.What does customer service mean? Does it mean the customer is alwaysright? If you want it to! But more often than not, it means that you are willing tolisten to a customer’s complaints and work toward a mutual resolution.Sometimes the only resolution that will work means a full money-backguarantee. Yes, even if you know the consumer is only doing this to scam youout of your money.But other times, the customer is lodging a legitimate complaint, and thiscan be very helpful to you when it comes to satisfying the needs of othercustomers. Say a customer emails you with a request for a refund because manyof the links in your eBook were dead links (they no longer worked).First of all, you need to thank this customer profusely because he’s justdone you a big favor. He’s saved you money. How? Because you can instantlyrefund his money, fix the dead links, and avoid dozens of other returns.Then you should happily refund the money for this sale and promise himthat you’ll be repairing the problem and ensuring it never happens again. As aresult, you might have salvaged his business for your release of the next edition ofyour informational eBook.No matter what the situation, always be courteous and friendly whendealing with a customer – even those who are furious with you for no good reason(that you can see). Remain calm and gently take care of the problem.The biggest complaint online consumers have in working with customerservice departments is their slow reply. To combat this problem, make sure youstay on top of customer contact so that you can resolve any issues before theygrow into larger ones.By aligning yourself with a company with an unprecedented reputation forintegrity and fast, friendly service, you will garner the experience to serve yourclients with the respect they expect.9. Recurrent Marketing EffortsDon’t think that once you launch a single ad campaign, your efforts arefinished. Marketing your products is a never-ending task that has to be factoredinto the continued growth of your business. Even after you’ve made the sale, theshow must go on – your goal is to keep these customers for life, if not longer!Whenever you create a product to sell on the Internet, you must have away to capture and store the contact information of your customer – preferablythrough email – and let them know they will hear from you from time to time. Solong as you provide a way for them to opt out of receiving your emails, this isstandard procedure.When someone becomes your customer, the next time he hears from youwill be right after his first purchase – thanking him for becoming a valuedcustomer. From that point on, you can occasionally contact him to alert him toother special offers, upgrades, or complementary products that are available tohim at a special discount because he’s an existing customer.Your new best friends will be an auto-responder and your mailing listsoftware. Auto-responders usually come with a mass mailing function, which isvery convenient. With auto-responders, the “after-the-sale” marketing is done foryou automatically – contacting the customer periodically with various “drive ‘emback” messages. You can either write these messages or hire a professional.Your mailing list software (or the mass mail feature of your autoresponder)allows you to contact your customers “on the fly” with up-to-theminuteinformation that would not typically be loaded into an auto-responder.This can be in the form of special reports or a newsletter you send out regularly.Keep your eye on the media – newspapers, television, even radio – andsend your customers a message whenever you find information that could benefittheir lives in some way, relevant to their relationship with you. These reports canbe drafted in a matter of hours, and can be anywhere from one to five pages long.For example, if you sell an eBook on lowering telecommunications costs,and you see a story about it on the 5 o’clock news, whip up a short report andsend it to your customers. They will appreciate knowing you’re on top of thesituation and looking out for their best interests. At the same time, you’ll bepositioning yourself as an expert in your field.Out of all the tools you’ll want to use, one clever tool Empowerismprovides its members is the ability to plug your name and URL into existingmaterial that you can give away to future prospects and customers. The data isalready there – you just substitute your contact information, and you’ve instantlyproduced a quality product.10. Necessity of ReinventionFrom time to time, once your business becomes an established entity,you’ll want to reinvent your methods or your products. If your approach inselling begins to weaken, and you notice a decline in sales, try something newbefore you change your entire product line.It may be that your audience is now gathering somewhere else online andyou have to find them so that you can begin your new marketing campaign. Itcould be that your marketing efforts themselves need a boost or a facelift!If so, you can find a professional to help you create an ad campaign –banners, killer content, auto-responders, and more. What if all of those effortsstill don’t reap any rewards? Then it’s time to reassess your products.Is what you’re trying to sell outdated? Has technology taken over anddemanded a newer approach to solving a problem than what you’re touting as the“next big thing?” Is your product or service overpriced when compared to thecompetition? Stay abreast of current events in your industry and begindeveloping a strong affinity to continuing education.Are you simply tired of selling eBooks based on real estate options andwant to tackle a fresh subject matter? You can do it, but that doesn’t mean youhave to throw away your current enterprise. In fact, if you’ve built a formidablereputation on the ‘Net as an honest businessperson who provides excellentinformation to his or her customers, that will aid you in any endeavors you pursueonline!Finding your groove in the online community will eventually comenaturally as your products and selling mechanisms begin to harmonize with yourcustomers’ needs. To keep your business fluid (changing with the times) andgrowing, your challenge is to stay organized, focused, and in tune with hot topicsemerging on the Internet.Keep in tune? How? The best way is by having conversations withpeople who are doing the same thing you are! Network with fellowentrepreneurs, customers, service providers, gurus – ask questions, solicitopinions, be a sounding board, don’t stop learning. You never know whatcontacts you might make or information you’ll learn that could be the key totaking your business to the next level. Even the shyest among us can send anemail to another business owner to strike up a conversation! No phone required!This eBook has outlined and described the basics of successful onlineentrepreneurship. Now it’s up to you to take the next step. No matter who youare, your level of formal education, or your financial situation – armed with thetools available to you, you can be as successful as you are committed to being.Start NOW – don’t waste another day!SummaryI hope you feel you have benefited from the time you spent reading thiseBook. The material presented here was written and supplied by Empowerism,which was the first Internet-based company to offer subscriptions to high-qualityonline marketing training and mentoring.This eBook is just the beginning. After you check out the Empowerismsite and see the magnitude of the tools and guidance available to empower yoursuccess, you will, like tens of thousands before you, be convinced that the trainingand turnkey system is second to none.Our mutual goal is to lead you to a level of accomplishment where you notonly empower yourself to succeed, but you have the opportunity to lead the wayfor others to prosper in your footsteps.Go ahead – take a look, check it out. Plug into the turnkey system and seefor yourself that a business on autopilot is a beautiful thing. It will leave you freeto focus on the future, rather than being bogged down in the daily grind of stayingafloat.Here’s to your success!Sincerely,Lorenzo Myershttp://www.empowerism.com/e/214098P.S. Picture your business having more customers than ever possibly doubling ortripling its size in months. Imagine having more free time to do the things youenjoy. Think about spending more time with your family and experiencing thefiner things in life. How can you do this? Subscribe TODAY to Empowerismand you’ll learn the premier marketing strategies the pros are using, plus you cantake advantage of a turnkey system to put your business on autopilot. You mayfind yourself achieving more of your business goals this year than you expected!http://www.empowerism.com/e/214098