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Self-Starters Weekly Tips
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Welcome
New Subscribers & Faithful Readers ~ I’ve got some GREAT Do-It-Yourself
e-business tips for you in this issue! Feel free to forward this issue to your
friends and colleagues. As always… Happy Monday ;-)
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
1)
Highlight Your Text… you’ve seen it, here’s how you DO
IT!
2)
Accepting Your Success Stories & Tips – Free Advertising For You
3)
Start Your
Own Internet Business With These Free Product
Ideas…
4)
Promoting Your Info Products,
5)
Update on Affiliate Programs that PAY – And one that doesn’t…
You
can now view tips from past issues online at:
http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com
==========================
1)
Highlight
Your Text… you’ve
seen it, here’s how you DO
IT!
==========================
Does
This Get Your Attention?
Of
course it does! Use this handy snippet of code to grab the attention of YOUR
newsletter or website viewers:
<span
style="background-color: #FFFF00"> Text Here
</span>
Simply
Copy the above line, Paste it into your HTML Editor, and Edit the “Text Here”
text ~ That’s it! Happy
Highlighting!
==========================
2)
Accepting
Your Success Stories
& Tips – Free Advertising
For You
==========================
Free
Advertising is the best kind! Send in your Online Business Success Story,
Business or Marketing Tips, or
http://www.webservicenetwork.com/lynn.htm
==========================
3)
Start
Your Own Internet Business
With These Free Product
Ideas…
==========================
I had to chuckle when
I recently came across this great quote by Ken Hakuta
("Dr. Fad", creator of the 1980's "Wacky Wallwalker"
craze, and founder of AllHerb.com)…
"Lack of money is no
obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle."
How incredibly true! Here at
the
A hot selling, in-demand product
or service *idea*!
I'm always telling people that you
don't need a million-dollar advertising budget to be successful on the
Internet. The truth is, you can easily
get started and begin earning a serious income with a budget of less
than a few hundred dollars if you're prepared to do a lot of the work yourself.
But how can you get started
without that first spark of an idea? Good
question!
If you
are…
A)
Interested in starting your very
own, profitable Internet business, but at a loss for product
ideas…
Or
B)
An online business owner looking
to expand your product base…
… then
LISTEN UP! I'm about to give you 5
powerful strategies for easily finding in-demand product and service
ideas.
However, before we get to that,
it's critical that you take a moment to seriously consider the following
questions. If you don't want to do this, don't bother reading the rest of
this article. It will be a waste of your time.
I want you to stop for a moment
and think…
1)
What are you interested
in?
2)
What are you passionate
about?
3)
What subject or topic do you have
a lot of knowledge about?
4)
What are people always coming to
you for advice about?
It's extremely important that you consider
these questions very carefully.
If there is one key lesson that
I've learned, it's that the greatest success comes when you're pursuing
something that you're passionate about.
So the product or service that you
develop should be related to something that you really enjoy or have a sincere
interest in. (Plus, this way, whatever you're doing will feel less like
work, and more like fun!)
And don't worry if your area of
expertise seems too obscure or specialized! The beauty of the Internet is
that it is the perfect medium for niche
marketing!
(For those of you who are
unfamiliar with the phrase "niche market," I am referring to a specific,
targeted group of individuals who need or want what you have to
offer.)
Here is a
little secret that you may not know…
Most successful entrepreneurs get
their ideas for their businesses by: (1) Studying
niche markets and then (2) Developing a product or service
that meets their needs or solves common problems!
It makes sense, doesn't it?!
Not only are you guaranteeing the
success of your product or service -- people are already actively looking for
what you are about to develop -- you will also be able
to…
Efficiently
focus both your time and money on marketing to
those people most likely to buy from
you!
Once you know where your niche
market is and what they want, all you need to do is put yourself in their line
of fire and your profits will explode! Seriously!
So choose your area of interest or
expertise… and let's move on to the good
stuff!
Hot Product
Idea #1:
Research potential competitors in
your area of interest to find out what their best-selling product is… and find ways to improve on it!
What is their angle? What
kind of solutions are they offering? Are they successful? Can you
find some way to improve on their solutions? Are they missing
something?
Why reinvent the wheel if you can
find a way to significantly improve on it? Think of all the industries
that make millions of dollars simply by improving on existing
products…
… I could literally go on for
pages and pages, but I'm sure that you get the
picture.
Your competitors may be your
greatest source of inspiration. So once you have chosen your area of
interest, start doing some market research.
Get to know your competitor's
products inside out, and then improve on them to develop a strong Unique Selling
Proposition (USP) that appeals to your target
market.
Make it faster, shinier, louder,
quieter, safer, more cost efficient… whatever it takes to make customers want
your product or service over your competition's!
Hot Product
Idea #2:
Check out the newsgroups,
discussion boards, and chat rooms where your target market hangs out. Sit
back and listen, and you'll discover what they like, what they don't like, and
what they're looking for.
People regularly visit these areas
seeking advice, and by monitoring these discussions you will begin to notice
that certain questions appear again and again.
This is a great
way to locate potential product or service ideas! I
guarantee that if you see the same questions repeated in a forum or discussion
group, there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of other people out there
wondering the exact same
thing!
You see, only a small percentage
of the online community participates in forums and discussion groups. So
if the question is popular among these people, you can be sure that there are
many others surfing the web, searching for the same
thing!
Some good places to start looking
for discussion boards and newsgroups related to your area of interest include…
http://www.deja.com
http://www.talkcity.com
http://www.insidetheweb.com
http://www.theglobe.com
http://www.forumone.com
… but a
quick search in any major search engine should also produce good boards and chat
rooms to check out.
Hot Product
Idea #3:
If you already have an existing
customer base, do an e-mail survey!
Surveys are not only a great way
to improve on any existing product or service you may offer (so that you can
start closing even more sales!), they are also a great way to discover fresh
product or service ideas.
Once you've
sold something to people once, it is extremely easy to
sell to them over and over again.
In fact, statistics have shown
that your current client base is a gold mine… and that as many as 36% of the people who have bought something from you
previously will buy again if you have something similar to offer.
Think of the potential here. This
is how you can start earning a much larger
income… very
quickly!
So take advantage of this highly
profitable relationship, and find out what your previous customers are asking
for with an e-mail survey.
Think about it -- an e-mail survey
isn't going to cost you anything but your time!
Hot Product
Idea #4:
Check out consumer review web
sites to find out what people like and dislike about your competitor's
products.
People go to these sites to either
rave or complain, and that makes them great places to learn exactly what the
public thinks about your competitors -- or even
you!
Some good sites to check out
include:
http://www.consumerreview.com
http://www.consumersearch.com
http://www.consumersdigest.com
Hot Product
Idea #5:
Join an Associate Program and
promote someone else's product for a referral fee.
(Just to clarify, Associate
Programs are also called Affiliate Programs, Re-seller Programs, Commission or
Pay-Per-Sale, Pay-Per-Click and Click-Through
Programs.)
Joining an Associate Program is a
great way to start earning a nice income on the Internet… without many of the
hassles that come with running your own business.
All you do is refer someone else's
product or service, and then get paid a "referral fee" for every sale that is
made. (You are assigned a special URL that tracks all of the visitors you
send to their web site -- and all of the sales that you
generate!)
It's extremely easy to do!
You just post a link, a banner, or a short recommendation letter on your web
site… or perhaps recommend the product or service in your newsletter or e-zine… and then collect a
percentage of the profits when a sale is made!
You don't ever worry
about…
… or anything else for that matter! You
just do the promotion and collect your referral fee from the resulting sales!
It's extremely easy to set up…
there is really very little work involved… and once the link is there, you are
guaranteeing yourself an extremely easy
source of income for years to come! These "Pay-Per-Sale"
programs are usually really easy to join. Just make sure you pay attention and
read the terms and conditions, because they can vary from program to
program.
I should also mention that there
are a number of Associate Programs out there that don't actually "pay-per-sale"
but actually "pay-per-lead" or "per-click".
In a pay-per-lead program, you are
paid every time your customer fills out a survey, asks for more information, or
gets a quote on a product (in other words, you are paid for giving the company a
"lead"). You may even get paid every time your customer downloads trial or
demo software.
Pay-Per-Click is very similar.
Basically, you get paid every time someone "clicks" through the link from your
site to the Associate Program owner's web site (whether it be a text link or graphic link).
On that note, make sure that you do business with a reputable
company. I know many people who have worked really hard, made a lot
of sales for a company, and then have never been paid for the sales they
generated (or have been forced to wait months and months to get their
money).
These companies often don't take
their Associate Program seriously, aren't using the proper software, and are
wasting time and money doing tedious chores by hand when they need to get
automated. So while there ARE some really fantastic Associate Programs out
there that can earn you a sizeable income, you need to do your homework.
Our own Associates tell us that
there are only a handful of reputable Associate Programs like ours that offer
"the full meal deal"! In fact, the
We work very, very hard to make
our Program the BEST, which is why we have thousands and thousands of very happy
associates! (If you'd like to learn how you can join our associate program and
start profiting from products that are earning current associates thousands of
dollars every month, click here.)
Anyway, if you are interested in
starting your very own Internet business, but want to avoid developing your own
product or service, then joining an Associate Program may be a great option for
you.
Two really good sites to visit to
find high quality Associate Programs that pay excellent referral fees are:
http://www.associateprograms.com
http://www.refer-it.com
In my opinion, if you want to
avoid the heartache and frustration of the scams and frauds out there, peddling
their "Get Rich Quick" Associate Programs, you should only deal with the
Associate Programs which these two sites rate high or
recommend.
Final
Note:
Just in case you have not yet read
the "Insider Secrets to Marketing
Your Business on the Internet" course, I wanted to let
you know that it contains an entire section devoted to hot selling product
ideas.
And I'm not just talking about
places where you can find ideas… I'm talking about exact ideas that absolutely
anyone can use to start their very own Internet business. (Some of the ideas are
so easy to start, you could be up and running by the end of next week!)
Anyway, it's a great resource if
you are interested in starting an Internet business, but don't have a product or
service to offer yet. Click here now if you would like more
information.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
Corey Rudl is the owner of four highly
successful online businesses that attract more than 6 million visitors and
generate over $5.2 million each year. He is also the author of the #1
best-selling Internet Marketing course online.
To
check out his site that's JAM-PACKED WITH THE EXACT INFORMATION YOU NEED to
start, build, and grow your very own profitable Internet business, I highly
recommend visiting his website - The Internet Marketing Center.
Click here!
This guy
really knows what he's talking about!
==========================
4)
Promoting
Your Info Products,
==========================
Let’s
start with the obvious… Add links to your website! Incorporate them into your
front page, your main navigation menu, and into your articles. For example, if
you publish a newsletter, don’t add your affiliate link as just a link…
Add it as part of the content! See this example: http://www.waybelowwholesale.com/Newsletter/09082002.htm
Also See: Write For
Publicity
If you're
looking for a powerful way to get free publicity and build your credibility at
the same time, then writing articles may be your answer. This article is jam-packed with great tips and information
and excellent resources to set you on the road to publishing your work right
away! http://www.webservicenetwork.com/articles/WriteForPublicity.htm
Publishing your own ebook is a great promotional tool. You can include affiliate
links & product resources (Clickbank links)
etc - and then give it away for free! Offer it to webmasters everywhere for free
so that they can give it away as an incentive to their newsletter subscribers,
visitors, etc - it could get seen by a huge market fairly quickly that way. This
one (free) ebook is the absolute BEST thing to read if
you even halfway consider publishing your own:
http://www.webservicenetwork.com/ebooks/SelfPublishing.htm
For even more (free) information
and great resources on creating your own Viral Marketing Ebook, also see:
http://www.webservicenetwork.com/articles/ViralMarketingEbook.htm
Add your links to your Sig Line - I change mine every week. If you participate in
Email Discussion Groups, post often (keeping the content relative to the list,
of course) and always be sure to include your Sig
File. You can also post product reviews*, recommendations, reply to others who
have posted with questions on methods or products that are relative your
products/affiliate programs. Be sure you have filled out your “Member Profile”
on any sites or discussion groups in which you participate as
well!
*See this example of a Product
Review:
http://www.webservicenetwork.com/ebooks/ebookstarter_review.htm
Most newsletters accept
submissions if they are valuable to their particular content - for example, I
accept Tips from my readers and post them in my newsletter each week for free
(and add the persons name & website link with their Tip) - this can be
anything related to running an online business efficiently and affordably. Many
publishers offer the same.
Everywhere you go, everything you do - POST POST
POST <smile>.
If you are interested in a great
Ad Blaster
program – which includes all the goodies such as Newspapers and
magazines Search Engines and Directories, Ezines, Link
Pages, Classified Ad Pages, Websites, Banner Exchanges, Hit
Exchanges, Web-based Optin Blasters, ETC then Click
Here!
==========================
5)
Update
on Affiliate Programs that PAY
– And one that
doesn’t…
==========================
Okay,
here goes <sigh>… I rarely ever give a negative Review on anything, but I
thought I’d give you fair warning while I’m discussing Affiliate Programs.
Commission Junction is very popular, and some of you may have had much success
with them – but I personally have not. My first complaint would be that they do
not email you when you have received a commission, or when you have been
rejected or ‘dropped’ from one of their programs. You actually have to log in to
their affiliate site to make sure everything is running smoothly. How many of us
actually have time for that? My personal feeling, after promoting a link to an
affiliate that had dropped me – without my knowing it – was just pure
frustration. Also, they frequently drop your affiliates, for reasons which I
still am not sure I understand. Its hard to know when
you are earning commission and when you are not. For those of you who write
articles that include affiliate links, and then post them for long term use…
this is not a program to use. **Personal Opinion, of
course**
(Email
me if you HAVE had success with them – I would love to post your review as
well!)
I
LOVE MY CLICKBANK CHECKS!
You
can bet I am skipping all the way to the bank with a happy little smile on my
face when I get my ClickBank commission checks! You’ve
heard me recommend and rave about this program… and I imagine I will continue to
do so considering my success with them. If you haven’t already signed up, Click Here To Sign Up Now – and after reading my Weekly
Tips by email and reviewing the Archives of SSWT, you still aren’t sure how to
promote your clickbank links… email me and I will help
you personally!
WOW
– Now That’s COMMISSION!
I
have also had great success with The Internet Marketing
Center . They pay a generous $65.00
commission for their main product, and have several others to promote as well.
This is a multi-tier program (meaning you also earn commission from affiliates
that join under you!). Those checks can get FAT real quick!
And let’s face it – everyone has heard of Corey Rudl,
and his stuff just plain sells itself… Click Here To Sign Up Today!
******************
IN
CLOSING…
******************
It
is my personal mission to bring you an assortment of resources for your internet
business each week in an easy-to-use format. Most of the resources found in each
issue are a result of years of research that I have done for my own internet
business and others, and are shared with you with my positive recommendation.
You can view tips from past issues online at http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com.
As always, feel free to share this issue with your friends or
colleagues!
~ HAPPY MONDAY
~
Lynn
Terry, Editor & Owner
Web Service
Network
http://www.WebServiceNetwork.com
===============
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