Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Elizabeth Adams
Successful internet marketers use various tools to assist web surfers find their web pages. Blogs, article submissions, traffic exchanges--these are just a few tools in the marketer's tool kit. This article will present an overview of how traffic exchanges work.
We all want to maximize traffic to our web sites. There is a large body of web surfers who participate in traffic exchanges in order to do just that. You can guide thousands of new visitors to your targeted web pages by participating in such exchanges.
After registering with a traffic exchange, members can surf the exchange's network. Network members exchange views of ads promoting their pages, products, or services.
Depending on the exchange type, exchange members are able to create banner ads that will be displayed on the exchange network. Members can also list web page URLs that will cause entire web pages to be displayed over the network.
Normally, in order for a member's ads or pages to be shown to other network members, the member must first surf the exchange. After logging onto the exchange, a member begins to earn "credits" for viewing the pages broadcast by the exchange service. The page displays will include the ads or pages of other members. The "credits" earned "pay" for the display of a member's ads and pages over the network.
If you are an exchange member, another member clicking your banner ad will be taken to the web page of your choice: each ad is associated with a target URL. If the exchange is displaying your web page instead of a banner, another member can "stop" or "pause" the display to fully explore your page.
In the discussion so far, a member's ads and URLs are shown to members registered on the same exchange network. Belonging to multiple exchanges can dramatically increase the number of potential visitors to targeted web pages. As an example, if each exchange has 10,000 members, registering with 10 such exchanges would then cause ads and pages to be shown to 100,000 individuals. The odds of getting a click on an ad or a stop/pause on your web page increases dramatically.
The basic operation of a traffic exchange is not difficult to understand, "You look at my ads and I'll look at yours." Traffic exchanges can help guide more visitors to specific web pages. The targeted web pages can be designed to contain interesting content, offer a service, or sell a product.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Adams learned in direct mail how to tweak her sales copy on the run and improve her sales conversion by as much as 400% in only one mailing. She learned how to write a great headline and effective sales copy. Get "Great Headlines — Instantly" today to learn how to do for yourself what Elizabeth learned in the trenches: http://www.elizabethadamsdirect.com/greatheadlines, or learn more about traffic exchanges, also on her website.
|
I will seek to answer those questions here, as well as to provide a Day Planner to enable the new online entrepreneur to navigate the maze of building a successful online business. When I find great advice by other writers, I will include that information as well. --- Clinton Douglas IV, Founder of Vasrue.com |
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Top 7 Secrets for Home-Based Business Success
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Pat Pearson, MSSW
Many home-based business owners, while passionate about the product they market, still struggle to increase sales, grow their downlines and find the right work-life balance in their lives.
According to the internationally recognized, direct sales expert and motivational speaker Pat Pearson, these seven success secrets can make the difference between a home-based business floundering and flourishing:
1. Motivation - What keeps you motivated? Motivation represents a delicate balance between the push of discomfort and the pull of hope. Too much of either can be discouraging, so find the balance that works for you.
2. Overcoming Challenges - Overcoming adversity in business requires resilience-the ability to bounce back quickly. How can you do this? First, decide to change. Second, commit to doing things differently. Third, honor your process as you deal with the challenge. Lastly, learn from your struggles and note what you can do better next time.
3. Stop the Self-Sabotage - Most of us say we want greater success, better health or more loving relationships, but our unconscious limiting beliefs keep us from having those very things. In essence, we "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory." Learn the skills to eliminate these self-defeating barriers.
4. Think Abundantly - Quite simply, this means changing your focus from scarcity to abundance by aiming your thoughts toward what you want rather than on what you don't want. Then, expect that the desired results will be yours.
5. Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence - Self-esteem is unconditional loving and appreciation of yourself for who you are, for "being" you. Self-confidence is conditional acknowledgment for performing, for "doing" something well, such as earning a sales bonus. Both are required to feel that you deserve the very best.
6. Work Smarter, Not Harder - You've no doubt heard this one before, and for good reason. We can all learn to do better in less time. The secret to working smarter is to do what you love and are good at, and then delegate the rest. Remember to break large goals down into small bites...and have fun!
7. Recruiting Magic - Gain an understanding of the four cycles of change-Go For It, Doldrums, Cocooning, Getting Ready-and how they affect your ability to recruit. Also consider, what is the gift your business has given you? Your efforts will be most effective when you start with gratitude and approach recruitment as a gift that you are offering to someone else.
Whether your business is skin care, nutrition or fashion, these insider tips are sure to bring you all the success you can handle-if you follow them!
About the Author:
Pat Pearson, MSSW is an internationally known author and motivational speaker with a passion for inspiring individuals to claim their own personal excellence. A clinical therapist for over 30 years, Pat has given more than 6,000 talks and seminars worldwide and has spoken to over 250,000 direct selling professionals and has worked with more than 300 companies in the U.S. More information on Pat Pearson's approach can be found at: http://www.PatPearson.com
Copyright © 2008 Pat Pearson, MSSW
Many home-based business owners, while passionate about the product they market, still struggle to increase sales, grow their downlines and find the right work-life balance in their lives.
According to the internationally recognized, direct sales expert and motivational speaker Pat Pearson, these seven success secrets can make the difference between a home-based business floundering and flourishing:
1. Motivation - What keeps you motivated? Motivation represents a delicate balance between the push of discomfort and the pull of hope. Too much of either can be discouraging, so find the balance that works for you.
2. Overcoming Challenges - Overcoming adversity in business requires resilience-the ability to bounce back quickly. How can you do this? First, decide to change. Second, commit to doing things differently. Third, honor your process as you deal with the challenge. Lastly, learn from your struggles and note what you can do better next time.
3. Stop the Self-Sabotage - Most of us say we want greater success, better health or more loving relationships, but our unconscious limiting beliefs keep us from having those very things. In essence, we "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory." Learn the skills to eliminate these self-defeating barriers.
4. Think Abundantly - Quite simply, this means changing your focus from scarcity to abundance by aiming your thoughts toward what you want rather than on what you don't want. Then, expect that the desired results will be yours.
5. Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence - Self-esteem is unconditional loving and appreciation of yourself for who you are, for "being" you. Self-confidence is conditional acknowledgment for performing, for "doing" something well, such as earning a sales bonus. Both are required to feel that you deserve the very best.
6. Work Smarter, Not Harder - You've no doubt heard this one before, and for good reason. We can all learn to do better in less time. The secret to working smarter is to do what you love and are good at, and then delegate the rest. Remember to break large goals down into small bites...and have fun!
7. Recruiting Magic - Gain an understanding of the four cycles of change-Go For It, Doldrums, Cocooning, Getting Ready-and how they affect your ability to recruit. Also consider, what is the gift your business has given you? Your efforts will be most effective when you start with gratitude and approach recruitment as a gift that you are offering to someone else.
Whether your business is skin care, nutrition or fashion, these insider tips are sure to bring you all the success you can handle-if you follow them!
About the Author:
Pat Pearson, MSSW is an internationally known author and motivational speaker with a passion for inspiring individuals to claim their own personal excellence. A clinical therapist for over 30 years, Pat has given more than 6,000 talks and seminars worldwide and has spoken to over 250,000 direct selling professionals and has worked with more than 300 companies in the U.S. More information on Pat Pearson's approach can be found at: http://www.PatPearson.com
Online Auctions - An Indirect Branding Strategy
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 T.C. Gaity
While many people use the web for research and education, millions of people still jump online for fun and entertainment. Games and puzzles have long been a popular online activity, and continue to draw thousands of visitors each day; whether people want to test their skills, win prizes, or even develop a new hobby, they can be found visiting the web's top gaming sites on a daily basis.
These high-traffic communities are an attractive platform for online advertising, banner ads, text links, and branding campaigns. With the tremendous shift towards online activities over television and other forms of entertainment, it has become increasingly challenging for advertisers to reach their target market in a unique way.
Any company or brand that sponsors online games or activities is in an ideal position for reaching their target market; the users are happy, engaged, and are much more likely to make a positive connection with the logo or messages presented to them.
Online Gaming Sites: The Community Awaits
High traffic gaming sites are some of the fastest-growing communities on the web, and are made of a wide range of users. Few community websites on the internet can grow as quickly as an online game site, and the snowball effect means any company or brand involved with sponsoring the site can enjoy a significant advantage over competitors.
Building a brand around a game, or vice versa, is an effective way to attract a particular group. Whether players are looking for a new contest, a tournament, or simply a prize drawing, the sponsor of that game is likely to 'stick' with each participant.
The demographic makeup of these sites generally depends on the types of games, themes, and ages of the players on the site. These visitors tend to spend long periods of time on the site exploring, interacting, sharing information, and clicking on banners and links. The important thing to remember with the activity on gaming sites is that visitors are navigating the site voluntarily; they are willingly clicking on links and banners as they explore, and this is a tremendously valuable opportunity for advertisers to present relevant information, links, and products.
The Rise of Online Auction Sites
The most popular online game sites are those that include extra incentives for participating. People enjoy being a part of games they can win frequently, and are much more likely to participate when they can 'cash' in their prizes for something larger. Online lottery sites, word games, puzzles, and skills-based contests are thriving on the internet, but only a few can maintain a high level of users for an extended period of time.
The addition of online auctions makes these games sites even more attractive for participants of all ages because each visitor has an incentive to keep playing. Online auction sites are designed to encourage gamers to cash in their winnings for real prizes - this opportunity is enough to keep visitors coming back, playing regularly, and building their own online gaming identity after just a few plays. Online auctions also help build a community, as users can trade personal goods and cash in their winnings for real merchandise.
The Value of Online Auctions for Marketers
Tournaments, contests, and simple skill-based games can keep people occupied for hours, in an informal, relaxed, and casual setting - and this usually happens in the comfort of the participant's home. Players are relaxed, focused, and paying attention to the website and activities at hand. This is an ideal setting for marketers and advertisers to reach the customer, the same setting that TV advertisers have long profited from.
Any logos, banners, text ads, or even branding messages can easily be weaved into this experience without offending or 'spamming' the user. Online auctions and game sites are an opportunity for advertisers and sponsors to connect with their target market, since people are much more likely to have a favorable impression of a new company or brand when it is linked to something they already enjoy doing. Branding in this form is appealing to many companies who cannot effectively reach their target market with other methods.
As it becomes more and more challenging to reach specific groups on the internet, sponsoring a game or online auction site offers many benefits. Advertisers, sponsors, and marketing campaigns can all reach the rapidly growing games communities using an indirect branding strategy.
About the Author:
T.C. Gaity writes about the Internet. Trader Auction Games (TAG City) is a portal for online games. Whereas most online game sites lets you stroke your ego with your winning streak, Trader Auction Games gives you the opportunity to win real prizes, when you play well. Advertising opportunities are also available for businesses who are interested in bartering products for advertising. Learn more: http://www.traderauctiongames.com
Copyright © 2008 T.C. Gaity
While many people use the web for research and education, millions of people still jump online for fun and entertainment. Games and puzzles have long been a popular online activity, and continue to draw thousands of visitors each day; whether people want to test their skills, win prizes, or even develop a new hobby, they can be found visiting the web's top gaming sites on a daily basis.
These high-traffic communities are an attractive platform for online advertising, banner ads, text links, and branding campaigns. With the tremendous shift towards online activities over television and other forms of entertainment, it has become increasingly challenging for advertisers to reach their target market in a unique way.
Any company or brand that sponsors online games or activities is in an ideal position for reaching their target market; the users are happy, engaged, and are much more likely to make a positive connection with the logo or messages presented to them.
Online Gaming Sites: The Community Awaits
High traffic gaming sites are some of the fastest-growing communities on the web, and are made of a wide range of users. Few community websites on the internet can grow as quickly as an online game site, and the snowball effect means any company or brand involved with sponsoring the site can enjoy a significant advantage over competitors.
Building a brand around a game, or vice versa, is an effective way to attract a particular group. Whether players are looking for a new contest, a tournament, or simply a prize drawing, the sponsor of that game is likely to 'stick' with each participant.
The demographic makeup of these sites generally depends on the types of games, themes, and ages of the players on the site. These visitors tend to spend long periods of time on the site exploring, interacting, sharing information, and clicking on banners and links. The important thing to remember with the activity on gaming sites is that visitors are navigating the site voluntarily; they are willingly clicking on links and banners as they explore, and this is a tremendously valuable opportunity for advertisers to present relevant information, links, and products.
The Rise of Online Auction Sites
The most popular online game sites are those that include extra incentives for participating. People enjoy being a part of games they can win frequently, and are much more likely to participate when they can 'cash' in their prizes for something larger. Online lottery sites, word games, puzzles, and skills-based contests are thriving on the internet, but only a few can maintain a high level of users for an extended period of time.
The addition of online auctions makes these games sites even more attractive for participants of all ages because each visitor has an incentive to keep playing. Online auction sites are designed to encourage gamers to cash in their winnings for real prizes - this opportunity is enough to keep visitors coming back, playing regularly, and building their own online gaming identity after just a few plays. Online auctions also help build a community, as users can trade personal goods and cash in their winnings for real merchandise.
The Value of Online Auctions for Marketers
Tournaments, contests, and simple skill-based games can keep people occupied for hours, in an informal, relaxed, and casual setting - and this usually happens in the comfort of the participant's home. Players are relaxed, focused, and paying attention to the website and activities at hand. This is an ideal setting for marketers and advertisers to reach the customer, the same setting that TV advertisers have long profited from.
Any logos, banners, text ads, or even branding messages can easily be weaved into this experience without offending or 'spamming' the user. Online auctions and game sites are an opportunity for advertisers and sponsors to connect with their target market, since people are much more likely to have a favorable impression of a new company or brand when it is linked to something they already enjoy doing. Branding in this form is appealing to many companies who cannot effectively reach their target market with other methods.
As it becomes more and more challenging to reach specific groups on the internet, sponsoring a game or online auction site offers many benefits. Advertisers, sponsors, and marketing campaigns can all reach the rapidly growing games communities using an indirect branding strategy.
About the Author:
T.C. Gaity writes about the Internet. Trader Auction Games (TAG City) is a portal for online games. Whereas most online game sites lets you stroke your ego with your winning streak, Trader Auction Games gives you the opportunity to win real prizes, when you play well. Advertising opportunities are also available for businesses who are interested in bartering products for advertising. Learn more: http://www.traderauctiongames.com
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Profitable Ads - How To Write Ads That Pull
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Elizabeth Adams
In today's internet environment, ads that do not immediately "grab" a surfer's attention will receive "the click of death" as the visitor leaves your ad. An ad on the Web will often receive only a glance. In that split second, a potential prospect has to be enticed into giving the ad a second, deeper look. Here are some basic guidelines for writing profitable ads that pull.
A successful internet ad consists of three main components:
compelling headline
benefits list
call to action
THE HEADLINE
The function of an ad headline is to pull your visitors deeper into the page. If visitors can be enticed into looking deeper into the page, other page elements, such as a benefits list, can guide them toward the action you want them to take.
Ideally, you should be able to explain what your ad is about with a headline of 40 to 60 characters. You will lose visitors with a headline that is too long and complex.
Your headline should stand alone. If you view your headline by itself, does it make sense and convey your message? An ad which begins with a good headline will be sure to captivate a viewer at a single glance whether it is placed on a web page or a traffic exchange banner ad.
In addition to compelling text, other headline properties, such as color, font size, and punctuation can also determine the effectiveness of a headline. Quotes are good. Red is good. Big is good. Bold is good.
A good headline should "involve" your viewer in some way. If you are targeting visitors interested in home remodeling, for example, this headline will bring "their" home into the picture:
--- Thinking About New Windows or Siding for Your Home?
Ultimately, the effectiveness of your headline can only be measured after testing it in the marketplace. If you use your headline in a banner ad on a traffic exchange or in a safe list ad, you will get immediate feedback as to its effectiveness. A well-crafted headline will "get the clicks." If your headline doesn't get the clicks, revise it.
If you need more text to adequately convey your message, you can optionally use a sub-headline. Use a smaller font-size or color for your sub-headline to make sure that your main headline still dominates the ad. The sub-headline
--- Make Your Home Beautiful with Our Quality Remodeling
serves to develop further interest and pulls the visitor deeper into the page.
BENEFITS LIST
A well-crafted headline "grabs" the attention and interest of your visitors and guides them deeper into the ad to the benefits list. A bulleted or numbered benefits list will help deliver your message even to the visitor who just scans your ad.
After reading through a good benefits list, your visitors will take the action you want them to take because they want the benefits you offer.
In keeping with our remodeling theme, here is a sample benefits list:
Lower Energy Costs
Higher Home Value
Free Project Estimate
When you build your benefits list, you can use a customized bullet, such as a small check-box GIF image. Although you can use an animated GIF for a bullet, it might be too distracting in your ad.
CALL TO ACTION
The "call to action" tells your visitors exactly what to do to get what they want.
So far, you've pulled your visitors in with your headline, enticed them with your benefits list, and now it's time to convert them into buyers.
Here's an example of a simple call to action with a "sense of urgency" to it:
--- Call Now for a Free Estimate
--- (123) 456-7890
CONCLUSIONS
Writing profitable ads for the Web involves paying attention to the way today's web surfers actually view web pages. Often, your ad will only get a glance; and in that single glance, your ad must entice a prospect into looking deeper into the ad. You do this first of all with a captivating headline. Other elements, such as a benefits list, will lead your prospects to the action you want them to take. Putting all of these elements together along with a graphic or two might be all you need for an online ad or sales postcard.
Consistently good ads that pull do not happen by accident. Once you get the hang of the basic three requirements of a successful ad, you are well on your way to designing good squeeze pages or landing pages, as well as "full-blown" sales pages.
Sincerely Yours,
Elizabeth Adams
About the Author:
Elizabeth Adams has been writing direct sales copy since the early 1990's, when she employed several people to handle mailings and product fulfillment for her postcard marketing business. Elizabeth learned in direct mail how to tweak her sales copy on the run and improve her sales conversion by as much as 400% in only one mailing. She learned how to write a great headline and effective sales copy. Get "Great Headlines — Instantly" today to learn how to do for yourself what Elizabeth learned in the trenches: http://www.elizabethadamsdirect.com/greatheadlines
Copyright © 2008 Elizabeth Adams
In today's internet environment, ads that do not immediately "grab" a surfer's attention will receive "the click of death" as the visitor leaves your ad. An ad on the Web will often receive only a glance. In that split second, a potential prospect has to be enticed into giving the ad a second, deeper look. Here are some basic guidelines for writing profitable ads that pull.
A successful internet ad consists of three main components:
THE HEADLINE
The function of an ad headline is to pull your visitors deeper into the page. If visitors can be enticed into looking deeper into the page, other page elements, such as a benefits list, can guide them toward the action you want them to take.
Ideally, you should be able to explain what your ad is about with a headline of 40 to 60 characters. You will lose visitors with a headline that is too long and complex.
Your headline should stand alone. If you view your headline by itself, does it make sense and convey your message? An ad which begins with a good headline will be sure to captivate a viewer at a single glance whether it is placed on a web page or a traffic exchange banner ad.
In addition to compelling text, other headline properties, such as color, font size, and punctuation can also determine the effectiveness of a headline. Quotes are good. Red is good. Big is good. Bold is good.
A good headline should "involve" your viewer in some way. If you are targeting visitors interested in home remodeling, for example, this headline will bring "their" home into the picture:
--- Thinking About New Windows or Siding for Your Home?
Ultimately, the effectiveness of your headline can only be measured after testing it in the marketplace. If you use your headline in a banner ad on a traffic exchange or in a safe list ad, you will get immediate feedback as to its effectiveness. A well-crafted headline will "get the clicks." If your headline doesn't get the clicks, revise it.
If you need more text to adequately convey your message, you can optionally use a sub-headline. Use a smaller font-size or color for your sub-headline to make sure that your main headline still dominates the ad. The sub-headline
--- Make Your Home Beautiful with Our Quality Remodeling
serves to develop further interest and pulls the visitor deeper into the page.
BENEFITS LIST
A well-crafted headline "grabs" the attention and interest of your visitors and guides them deeper into the ad to the benefits list. A bulleted or numbered benefits list will help deliver your message even to the visitor who just scans your ad.
After reading through a good benefits list, your visitors will take the action you want them to take because they want the benefits you offer.
In keeping with our remodeling theme, here is a sample benefits list:
When you build your benefits list, you can use a customized bullet, such as a small check-box GIF image. Although you can use an animated GIF for a bullet, it might be too distracting in your ad.
CALL TO ACTION
The "call to action" tells your visitors exactly what to do to get what they want.
So far, you've pulled your visitors in with your headline, enticed them with your benefits list, and now it's time to convert them into buyers.
Here's an example of a simple call to action with a "sense of urgency" to it:
--- Call Now for a Free Estimate
--- (123) 456-7890
CONCLUSIONS
Writing profitable ads for the Web involves paying attention to the way today's web surfers actually view web pages. Often, your ad will only get a glance; and in that single glance, your ad must entice a prospect into looking deeper into the ad. You do this first of all with a captivating headline. Other elements, such as a benefits list, will lead your prospects to the action you want them to take. Putting all of these elements together along with a graphic or two might be all you need for an online ad or sales postcard.
Consistently good ads that pull do not happen by accident. Once you get the hang of the basic three requirements of a successful ad, you are well on your way to designing good squeeze pages or landing pages, as well as "full-blown" sales pages.
Sincerely Yours,
Elizabeth Adams
About the Author:
Elizabeth Adams has been writing direct sales copy since the early 1990's, when she employed several people to handle mailings and product fulfillment for her postcard marketing business. Elizabeth learned in direct mail how to tweak her sales copy on the run and improve her sales conversion by as much as 400% in only one mailing. She learned how to write a great headline and effective sales copy. Get "Great Headlines — Instantly" today to learn how to do for yourself what Elizabeth learned in the trenches: http://www.elizabethadamsdirect.com/greatheadlines
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Beware of the Online Business Minefield
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Paul Marshall
"Thar's gold in them thar hills," was proclaimed around the world in 1849, when gold was discovered in the hills of northern California.
More than 100,000 people descended upon California to find their own wealth in the hills and the streams of California. Fast-forward 150 years, and people are saying the same thing about the Internet today.
"Thar is gold in them thar web pages," for the person who doesn't get their clock cleaned by the snake oil salesmen of the Internet.
Early Victors in the Online Business Success Story
In 1994, Stanford students Jerry Yang and David Filo created the Yahoo web directory. One year later, they co-founded Yahoo, Inc., which remains one of the largest, most profitable websites on the Internet today.
In 1998, Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin created and launched the Google search engine, the largest and most popular search company on the Internet today.
In 2005, three former PayPal employees joined forces to create YouTube. The three founders of YouTube were Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim. Only 21 months after the launch of YouTube, Google purchased the website for $1.65 billion in Google stock.
True Friends For Life and in Business
The success stories behind Yahoo, Google and YouTube had similar foundations for success.
In each of these three cases, the founders of these companies were friends going into the process and they will likely remain friends for life.
The friends each brought with them unique qualities and skills to ensure that they could bring together their ideas without having to employ outside companies to help them to get where they wanted to go.
All of these companies had computer programmers among their founders, so these companies were able to get started and build upon their early successes, through their own wit and skills.
As friends, they all trusted in one another, and that trust enabled them to build powerhouse websites on the Internet. And as the websites grew in size and influence, all of these founders became very rich people.
One Does Not Have to be "On Leave from the Stanford Ph.D. Program"
It's amazing when you look at the biographies of the Who's Who in Internet business startup success. Many on the list have as part of his or her biography, "currently on a leave of absence from Stanford's ... Ph.D. program."
This reference is actually an inside joke, pointing to the fact that nearly all of these people dropped out of college to start their Internet businesses.
The founders of Yahoo, Google and Apple were all college dropouts. The founders of YouTube were simply paid staff of PayPal before striking out on their own with YouTube.
The point is that if college dropouts can make it online, then we can too, if we only choose to learn from those who came before us.
Creating Online Business Success Today
There are many companies online offering business-building services to others. Some are good, some are bad, and others may be good, and yet, they may not be the right service providers for your company.
Take for example the Google AdWords pay-per-click advertising system. Millionaires have been made through the Google AdWords system.
Just to put this into perspective, through June of 2007, eBay had been spending $25 million every quarter with Google AdWords.
When major businesses spend $100 million per year in advertising with one advertiser, you can believe that the company is making that much back and more from the advertising provider.
It had been estimated that Google was delivering 12% of eBay's traffic, which is a very sound investment, since eBay generated $7.67 billion in revenues in 2007.
In theory, eBay was earning nearly $920 million per year from its $100 million investment into Google's AdWords advertising model. That is a very sound profit indeed.
For Every Online Success, There Are Dozens of Failures
Not all of us will create the next Yahoo, Google, eBay or Amazon. But, good money can be made online if you don't fall into the traps where many before you have fallen.
AdWords is a powerful advertising model. It can make millionaires and it does every year.
But the thing is that AdWords may not be the right advertising model for you to follow. It may not be the right advertising for you now and it may not be right for you ever.
If you understand that, it is less likely that you will fall into the poor house using Google AdWords.
Unfortunately, too many people have mortgaged their homes and driven themselves into bankruptcy using Google AdWords and other online companies to promote their online businesses.
I know of one person who threw tons of money into advertising, only to go $100,000 into debt, because he did not properly track his advertising and ROI (return-on-investment). In effect, he was spending $1.10 to get one person to his website, and he was getting one sale for every 200 people that visited his website.
So, he spent $220 to get one sale valued at $45. As you can imagine, he just went deeper and deeper into debt until one day he woke up and realized that he was on the road to ruin.
Had he properly tracked his advertising and ROI from the beginning, he would have been able to adjust his sales copy to see if he could turn a bad situation better.
If he could have simply improved his sales conversion rate to get five times as many sales (from half a percent conversion to two-and-a-half percent conversion), then he could have ridden the same bullet to mass profits.
Deep Pockets Are Not the Solution, But Wise Choices Are
First and foremost, a business must design itself to make a profit on its activities.
I know people who have developed businesses online that did well financially in the sales column, but the business owner failed in the quest to turn that income into a profit.
Imagine being the website owner who generated his first $120,000 year and then nearly went under because his prices were too low for the kind of service being offered.
After having been a successful sole proprietor online for five years, my friend said that his first six-figure year nearly put him out of business. He is just now beginning to recover financially from his mistakes, 18 months later.
Personal Business Mentors Could Help You Avoid The Landmines
When starting an online business, there are people who have been down the road you are getting ready to travel. They know where the potholes are in the road and they know where the landmines are buried.
To add a person of this caliber to your contact list could mean the difference between success and failure online.
It is a real added-benefit for online business people to have someone to turn to for advice, regarding how to overcome the hurdles they may face in their online business.
A good business mentor is an invaluable asset for many online businesses today. After all, as individual business owners, we can't be expected to know everything we need to know about running our online businesses.
We might have the basics covered, but there is always going to be a time when the experiences of others can help light the path in front of us.
None of us can know everything, especially in today's complicated world.
There are affordable business mentors and marketing coaches offering their services to online business owners.
What if you could benefit from their experiences -- both good and bad -- without having to spend the money and the time they did?
Think of their services as being like an insurance policy, helping ensure your success.
Over my many years online, I have learned a lot from the school of hard knocks. After having gone through SEO training and AdWords Professional training, one of my SEO mentors told me that people should never invest in Search Engine Optimization, until after they have spent six months doing another important task.
By utilizing that one very important piece of information, I was able to stop wasting my limited advertising resources and to start making a profit more quickly.
If you would like to know what this advice was, I would be happy to mentor your success as well.
You can even start with my Free Online Business Success and Marketing Course, available at my website.
ID: BP SWM 001 08.04.10
About the Author:
Are you considering starting your own online business? Have you been struggling with making money with your first business venture? Paul Marshall has been where you are now. Paul is a Strategic Marketing Coach, who has formal training and experience as a SEO Target Marketing consultant. To learn more about how Paul can assist you or to obtain his Free 7-Day Online Business and Marketing Course, please visit: http://strategicwebmarketing.net
Copyright © 2008 Paul Marshall
"Thar's gold in them thar hills," was proclaimed around the world in 1849, when gold was discovered in the hills of northern California.
More than 100,000 people descended upon California to find their own wealth in the hills and the streams of California. Fast-forward 150 years, and people are saying the same thing about the Internet today.
"Thar is gold in them thar web pages," for the person who doesn't get their clock cleaned by the snake oil salesmen of the Internet.
Early Victors in the Online Business Success Story
In 1994, Stanford students Jerry Yang and David Filo created the Yahoo web directory. One year later, they co-founded Yahoo, Inc., which remains one of the largest, most profitable websites on the Internet today.
In 1998, Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin created and launched the Google search engine, the largest and most popular search company on the Internet today.
In 2005, three former PayPal employees joined forces to create YouTube. The three founders of YouTube were Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim. Only 21 months after the launch of YouTube, Google purchased the website for $1.65 billion in Google stock.
True Friends For Life and in Business
The success stories behind Yahoo, Google and YouTube had similar foundations for success.
In each of these three cases, the founders of these companies were friends going into the process and they will likely remain friends for life.
The friends each brought with them unique qualities and skills to ensure that they could bring together their ideas without having to employ outside companies to help them to get where they wanted to go.
All of these companies had computer programmers among their founders, so these companies were able to get started and build upon their early successes, through their own wit and skills.
As friends, they all trusted in one another, and that trust enabled them to build powerhouse websites on the Internet. And as the websites grew in size and influence, all of these founders became very rich people.
One Does Not Have to be "On Leave from the Stanford Ph.D. Program"
It's amazing when you look at the biographies of the Who's Who in Internet business startup success. Many on the list have as part of his or her biography, "currently on a leave of absence from Stanford's ... Ph.D. program."
This reference is actually an inside joke, pointing to the fact that nearly all of these people dropped out of college to start their Internet businesses.
The founders of Yahoo, Google and Apple were all college dropouts. The founders of YouTube were simply paid staff of PayPal before striking out on their own with YouTube.
The point is that if college dropouts can make it online, then we can too, if we only choose to learn from those who came before us.
Creating Online Business Success Today
There are many companies online offering business-building services to others. Some are good, some are bad, and others may be good, and yet, they may not be the right service providers for your company.
Take for example the Google AdWords pay-per-click advertising system. Millionaires have been made through the Google AdWords system.
Just to put this into perspective, through June of 2007, eBay had been spending $25 million every quarter with Google AdWords.
When major businesses spend $100 million per year in advertising with one advertiser, you can believe that the company is making that much back and more from the advertising provider.
It had been estimated that Google was delivering 12% of eBay's traffic, which is a very sound investment, since eBay generated $7.67 billion in revenues in 2007.
In theory, eBay was earning nearly $920 million per year from its $100 million investment into Google's AdWords advertising model. That is a very sound profit indeed.
For Every Online Success, There Are Dozens of Failures
Not all of us will create the next Yahoo, Google, eBay or Amazon. But, good money can be made online if you don't fall into the traps where many before you have fallen.
AdWords is a powerful advertising model. It can make millionaires and it does every year.
But the thing is that AdWords may not be the right advertising model for you to follow. It may not be the right advertising for you now and it may not be right for you ever.
If you understand that, it is less likely that you will fall into the poor house using Google AdWords.
Unfortunately, too many people have mortgaged their homes and driven themselves into bankruptcy using Google AdWords and other online companies to promote their online businesses.
I know of one person who threw tons of money into advertising, only to go $100,000 into debt, because he did not properly track his advertising and ROI (return-on-investment). In effect, he was spending $1.10 to get one person to his website, and he was getting one sale for every 200 people that visited his website.
So, he spent $220 to get one sale valued at $45. As you can imagine, he just went deeper and deeper into debt until one day he woke up and realized that he was on the road to ruin.
Had he properly tracked his advertising and ROI from the beginning, he would have been able to adjust his sales copy to see if he could turn a bad situation better.
If he could have simply improved his sales conversion rate to get five times as many sales (from half a percent conversion to two-and-a-half percent conversion), then he could have ridden the same bullet to mass profits.
Deep Pockets Are Not the Solution, But Wise Choices Are
First and foremost, a business must design itself to make a profit on its activities.
I know people who have developed businesses online that did well financially in the sales column, but the business owner failed in the quest to turn that income into a profit.
Imagine being the website owner who generated his first $120,000 year and then nearly went under because his prices were too low for the kind of service being offered.
After having been a successful sole proprietor online for five years, my friend said that his first six-figure year nearly put him out of business. He is just now beginning to recover financially from his mistakes, 18 months later.
Personal Business Mentors Could Help You Avoid The Landmines
When starting an online business, there are people who have been down the road you are getting ready to travel. They know where the potholes are in the road and they know where the landmines are buried.
To add a person of this caliber to your contact list could mean the difference between success and failure online.
It is a real added-benefit for online business people to have someone to turn to for advice, regarding how to overcome the hurdles they may face in their online business.
A good business mentor is an invaluable asset for many online businesses today. After all, as individual business owners, we can't be expected to know everything we need to know about running our online businesses.
We might have the basics covered, but there is always going to be a time when the experiences of others can help light the path in front of us.
None of us can know everything, especially in today's complicated world.
There are affordable business mentors and marketing coaches offering their services to online business owners.
What if you could benefit from their experiences -- both good and bad -- without having to spend the money and the time they did?
Think of their services as being like an insurance policy, helping ensure your success.
Over my many years online, I have learned a lot from the school of hard knocks. After having gone through SEO training and AdWords Professional training, one of my SEO mentors told me that people should never invest in Search Engine Optimization, until after they have spent six months doing another important task.
By utilizing that one very important piece of information, I was able to stop wasting my limited advertising resources and to start making a profit more quickly.
If you would like to know what this advice was, I would be happy to mentor your success as well.
You can even start with my Free Online Business Success and Marketing Course, available at my website.
ID: BP SWM 001 08.04.10
About the Author:
Are you considering starting your own online business? Have you been struggling with making money with your first business venture? Paul Marshall has been where you are now. Paul is a Strategic Marketing Coach, who has formal training and experience as a SEO Target Marketing consultant. To learn more about how Paul can assist you or to obtain his Free 7-Day Online Business and Marketing Course, please visit: http://strategicwebmarketing.net
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Opt-In Form - Easily Get More Quality Leads
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Elizabeth Adams
The opt-in form must make it easy for a prospect to provide two critical pieces of information: an email address, and a name. The form must be carefully designed to get this information effectively.
If the other ad components, such as the ad headline, have been crafted properly, your visitors will already be presold on what you are offering them. The opt-in form must eliminate any misgivings a visitor might have about filling out the form and hitting the submit button. The basic components of the opt-in form work together to accomplish this.
The basic components of an opt-in form are:
Call to Action
Contact Collection Fields
Privacy Statement
CALL TO ACTION
At the top of the opt-in form, you remind your prospects what you are offering and what they need to do to get it. Here is a sample call to action:
--- To get my FREE 5-part report about creating effective squeeze pages, enter your name and email below. I'll send the first part to you immediately.
The submit-button text can also be used as an additional call to action. For example, the text could be changed to something like, "Send the Report Now."
CONTACT COLLECTION FIELDS
For lead capture, the minimum required information should be a prospect's first name and primary email address. Asking for just a first name allows the prospect to maintain some anonymity and is less threatening. If required to enter a last name, some prospects will shy away from completing the form.
As marketers, we tend to want as much contact information as we can get. However, you will lose prospects if you try for too much information too soon. You must gain their trust first before asking for more personal information. By asking for a phone number or, much worse, making a phone number a required field, you will drastically reduce the number of your opt-in prospects.
Internet savvy prospects understand that email is commonly used to collect additional information but might resist initially providing this information on the opt-in form. The simple rule is to keep the opt-in form simple. Follow-up emails can build the trust and interest your prospects need to provide additional information.
Just below the email collection field, I like to include a little reminder as to the importance of entering a "primary" email address to ensure that my future emails to the prospect will be delivered. You can include your privacy statement with this. Here is a sample reminder:
--- To insure immediate delivery, please use your "primary" email address. I will never disclose it to anyone.
PRIVACY STATEMENT
Before prospects fill in an email collection field, they need to know that this will not result in the distribution of their email address to others. Some opt-in forms go overboard on this. A simple statement telling your prospect that their email address will remain private is enough. A somewhat lengthy privacy statement might be ...
--- We hate SPAM as much as you do and will make sure you never get any from us. If at any time you feel our emails are no longer serving you, you may unsubscribe by clicking a single link in all emails we send to you. We will never disclose your email address to anyone.
A privacy statement such as the one above will help to build trust with your prospect and will more likely result in a valid name and email address.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
The layout and appearance of your opt-in form is important.
I like to put a red, dashed border around the opt-in form. Using an appropriate background color for the form will make it easy to read and any colored text within the form will show to advantage.
As a trust-building measure, I like to include my contact information at the bottom of the form. This lets prospects know that they are dealing with a real, reachable person.
USING MULTIMEDIA
The primary function of a graphic in an opt-in form is to draw the eye to important, nearby text. In the opt-in form above, I used the image to draw the eye close to my contact information. My photo also serves as an additional trust-building measure.
Adding multimedia doesn't always make an ad or opt-in form more effective. The only way to be sure if the multimedia helps is to run a split-test in the marketplace: run the ad or form with and without the multimedia and keep the one that works best.
CONCLUSIONS
Three basic components must be carefully designed into an effective opt-in form: call to action, contact collection fields, and privacy statement.
Asking for too much information in the opt-in form will discourage prospects from submitting the form and becoming a lead for your information, product, or service. Keep the form simple and utilize the trust-building techniques outlined above.
Sincerely Yours,
Elizabeth Adams
About the Author:
Elizabeth Adams has been writing direct sales copy since the early 1990's, when she employed several people to handle mailings and product fulfillment for her postcard marketing business. Elizabeth learned in direct mail how to tweak her sales copy on the run and improve her sales conversion by as much as 400% in only one mailing. She learned how to write a great headline and effective sales copy. Get "Great Headlines — Instantly" today to learn how to do for yourself what Elizabeth learned in the trenches: http://www.elizabethadamsdirect.com/greatheadlines
Copyright © 2008 Elizabeth Adams
The opt-in form must make it easy for a prospect to provide two critical pieces of information: an email address, and a name. The form must be carefully designed to get this information effectively.
If the other ad components, such as the ad headline, have been crafted properly, your visitors will already be presold on what you are offering them. The opt-in form must eliminate any misgivings a visitor might have about filling out the form and hitting the submit button. The basic components of the opt-in form work together to accomplish this.
The basic components of an opt-in form are:
CALL TO ACTION
At the top of the opt-in form, you remind your prospects what you are offering and what they need to do to get it. Here is a sample call to action:
--- To get my FREE 5-part report about creating effective squeeze pages, enter your name and email below. I'll send the first part to you immediately.
The submit-button text can also be used as an additional call to action. For example, the text could be changed to something like, "Send the Report Now."
CONTACT COLLECTION FIELDS
For lead capture, the minimum required information should be a prospect's first name and primary email address. Asking for just a first name allows the prospect to maintain some anonymity and is less threatening. If required to enter a last name, some prospects will shy away from completing the form.
As marketers, we tend to want as much contact information as we can get. However, you will lose prospects if you try for too much information too soon. You must gain their trust first before asking for more personal information. By asking for a phone number or, much worse, making a phone number a required field, you will drastically reduce the number of your opt-in prospects.
Internet savvy prospects understand that email is commonly used to collect additional information but might resist initially providing this information on the opt-in form. The simple rule is to keep the opt-in form simple. Follow-up emails can build the trust and interest your prospects need to provide additional information.
Just below the email collection field, I like to include a little reminder as to the importance of entering a "primary" email address to ensure that my future emails to the prospect will be delivered. You can include your privacy statement with this. Here is a sample reminder:
--- To insure immediate delivery, please use your "primary" email address. I will never disclose it to anyone.
PRIVACY STATEMENT
Before prospects fill in an email collection field, they need to know that this will not result in the distribution of their email address to others. Some opt-in forms go overboard on this. A simple statement telling your prospect that their email address will remain private is enough. A somewhat lengthy privacy statement might be ...
--- We hate SPAM as much as you do and will make sure you never get any from us. If at any time you feel our emails are no longer serving you, you may unsubscribe by clicking a single link in all emails we send to you. We will never disclose your email address to anyone.
A privacy statement such as the one above will help to build trust with your prospect and will more likely result in a valid name and email address.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
The layout and appearance of your opt-in form is important.
I like to put a red, dashed border around the opt-in form. Using an appropriate background color for the form will make it easy to read and any colored text within the form will show to advantage.
As a trust-building measure, I like to include my contact information at the bottom of the form. This lets prospects know that they are dealing with a real, reachable person.
USING MULTIMEDIA
The primary function of a graphic in an opt-in form is to draw the eye to important, nearby text. In the opt-in form above, I used the image to draw the eye close to my contact information. My photo also serves as an additional trust-building measure.
Adding multimedia doesn't always make an ad or opt-in form more effective. The only way to be sure if the multimedia helps is to run a split-test in the marketplace: run the ad or form with and without the multimedia and keep the one that works best.
CONCLUSIONS
Three basic components must be carefully designed into an effective opt-in form: call to action, contact collection fields, and privacy statement.
Asking for too much information in the opt-in form will discourage prospects from submitting the form and becoming a lead for your information, product, or service. Keep the form simple and utilize the trust-building techniques outlined above.
Sincerely Yours,
Elizabeth Adams
About the Author:
Elizabeth Adams has been writing direct sales copy since the early 1990's, when she employed several people to handle mailings and product fulfillment for her postcard marketing business. Elizabeth learned in direct mail how to tweak her sales copy on the run and improve her sales conversion by as much as 400% in only one mailing. She learned how to write a great headline and effective sales copy. Get "Great Headlines — Instantly" today to learn how to do for yourself what Elizabeth learned in the trenches: http://www.elizabethadamsdirect.com/greatheadlines
Friday, April 4, 2008
Online Advertising Is Meant to Increase Your Web Presence
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 T.C. Gaity
While saying that online advertising is meant to increase your web presence seems - very much - to be stating the obvious, it is something that's important for businesses to keep in mind. When you are able to focus on attracting customers to your website, by meeting them where they are, your online advertising campaigns are going to be far more effective.
That's why it is so important for businesses to focus on doing more than just placing banner ads on random websites. That's why it's essential that the links that you have back to your website are relevant - and that they encourage your prospective customers to click through and to get more information. If your business is not able to forge relationships with your prospects, online advertising is not going to serve its desired function.
So what can you do to make sure that your online advertising is effective?
One step that you can take is to look for those online advertising opportunities that will allow you to become a member of a community. For example, joining communities where people come together to play online games can enable you to create a smaller site that lets you tell community members a bit about you and your business or to post a blog. Some go further and upgrade from a basic membership so that they will be able to take advantage of advertising on the site with banner ads and with text link ads.
By doing this, these businesses are able to take their online advertising to the next level. Here's why: first, when you are able to create a web page that focuses on the types of products that you offer and on those needs and interests that your product addresses, other members of the community will be able to find out more about your company. Second, with an image or two of your product and links back to your primary website, you will be able to take the initial interest that prospective customers have in your company and your products and encourage them to visit your website where they will be able to learn even more about what you have to offer.
By including multiple text links back to your website - each with a different landing page - you will be able to increase the number of relevant, one way links to your own site, which will help to boost the search engine ranking of your company website. An improved search engine ranking will, obviously, help you to increase the presence that your business has on the web.
Of course, becoming a member of communities focused on online games is not all about adding links and information along with advertisements for your products or website. Additionally, when you take your online advertising to this level, you will discover that you are able to offer your products within auctions that site members use their winnings from online games to bid on. In other words, contributing items to online auctions will enable you to have members of the community challenging one another to "win" your company's product.
If you are able to increase an awareness of your company through your individual web page and banner ads and text links ads to your website, and you are able to get your prospective customers on the site competing to get your products, you're likely to discover that there's a great deal of interest generated. That interest will lead to more people learning about your company and the other products that you have to offer. Increased interest - coupled with an increased web presence - will serve to grow your business.
Online advertising can be one of the most effective ways for business owners to get a new product launched or to generate a broader interest in what they have to offer. Everything that you put into online advertising for your business should pay off - multiple times over. By becoming a member of a community, by participating and attracting attention to your products and your company, you'll find that you are able to establish relationships; it's these relationships that will help to improve sales and the effectiveness of your business advertising.
About the Author:
T.C. Gaity writes about the Internet. Trader Auction Games (TAG City) is a portal for online games. Whereas most online game sites lets you stroke your ego with your winning streak, Trader Auction Games gives you the opportunity to win real prizes, when you play well. Advertising opportunities are also available for businesses who are interested in bartering products for advertising. Learn more: http://www.traderauctiongames.com
Copyright © 2008 T.C. Gaity
While saying that online advertising is meant to increase your web presence seems - very much - to be stating the obvious, it is something that's important for businesses to keep in mind. When you are able to focus on attracting customers to your website, by meeting them where they are, your online advertising campaigns are going to be far more effective.
That's why it is so important for businesses to focus on doing more than just placing banner ads on random websites. That's why it's essential that the links that you have back to your website are relevant - and that they encourage your prospective customers to click through and to get more information. If your business is not able to forge relationships with your prospects, online advertising is not going to serve its desired function.
So what can you do to make sure that your online advertising is effective?
One step that you can take is to look for those online advertising opportunities that will allow you to become a member of a community. For example, joining communities where people come together to play online games can enable you to create a smaller site that lets you tell community members a bit about you and your business or to post a blog. Some go further and upgrade from a basic membership so that they will be able to take advantage of advertising on the site with banner ads and with text link ads.
By doing this, these businesses are able to take their online advertising to the next level. Here's why: first, when you are able to create a web page that focuses on the types of products that you offer and on those needs and interests that your product addresses, other members of the community will be able to find out more about your company. Second, with an image or two of your product and links back to your primary website, you will be able to take the initial interest that prospective customers have in your company and your products and encourage them to visit your website where they will be able to learn even more about what you have to offer.
By including multiple text links back to your website - each with a different landing page - you will be able to increase the number of relevant, one way links to your own site, which will help to boost the search engine ranking of your company website. An improved search engine ranking will, obviously, help you to increase the presence that your business has on the web.
Of course, becoming a member of communities focused on online games is not all about adding links and information along with advertisements for your products or website. Additionally, when you take your online advertising to this level, you will discover that you are able to offer your products within auctions that site members use their winnings from online games to bid on. In other words, contributing items to online auctions will enable you to have members of the community challenging one another to "win" your company's product.
If you are able to increase an awareness of your company through your individual web page and banner ads and text links ads to your website, and you are able to get your prospective customers on the site competing to get your products, you're likely to discover that there's a great deal of interest generated. That interest will lead to more people learning about your company and the other products that you have to offer. Increased interest - coupled with an increased web presence - will serve to grow your business.
Online advertising can be one of the most effective ways for business owners to get a new product launched or to generate a broader interest in what they have to offer. Everything that you put into online advertising for your business should pay off - multiple times over. By becoming a member of a community, by participating and attracting attention to your products and your company, you'll find that you are able to establish relationships; it's these relationships that will help to improve sales and the effectiveness of your business advertising.
About the Author:
T.C. Gaity writes about the Internet. Trader Auction Games (TAG City) is a portal for online games. Whereas most online game sites lets you stroke your ego with your winning streak, Trader Auction Games gives you the opportunity to win real prizes, when you play well. Advertising opportunities are also available for businesses who are interested in bartering products for advertising. Learn more: http://www.traderauctiongames.com
When Networking Events Feel Like A Drag
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Mark Silver
Going to networking events is kinda one of those things you are 'supposed' to do for your business. Some people love'em, some people hate'em. But, the truth is, especially for a new business, making face-to-face and heart-to-heart contact with people is incredibly powerful.
Unfortunately, networking events can seem like pretty gross, low-energy, artificial affairs, with people glad-handing left and right, and business cards so thick in the air you can't even see where the complimentary bottled water is.
Let's take another look at networking, and see if we can find the heart in it, so that your business can actually benefit without you feeling yucked out.
The truth about networking.
What is a 'network'? According to the Oxford American Dictionary, a network is "a group or system of interconnected people or things."
If you're thinking of a networking meeting as a smash-n-grab raid, where people are just out to get immediate business, with all the friendliness of a shark tank... well, that's not really what a network is.
Spiritually, everything is connected. We are all One. As we see in the ecosystems around us, everything depends on everything else to really thrive. No one is an island.
Networking, from the heart, is really about discovering who else is a part of your business' ecosystem. Who are the close friends and colleagues, and who are the more distant acquaintances, each of which is still saying "attagirl/boy" rooting you and your business on.
Going to networking meetings isn't about getting a new client right then and there (although that does happen.) It's about creating a long-term support network for your business.
Hmmm... kinda strange... can that really be true?
Oh, yes it can. But only if.
Bring your authentic intention.
Instead of thinking you need to have just one single intention for every networking event you go to: "Must make valuable contacts," what if you could just be authentic? And I don't mean floppy authentic, meaning you show up and cry on everyone's shoulder (although I wouldn't rule that out.)
What if you could identify your true heart needs/emotional state, and show up with an intention that fit where you were?
You want a 'fer instance?' Okay, here's a fer instance.
Fer instance:
Wow, I'm feeling a little tender today, and I'm needing to not feel so alone. I'll go to that meeting with the intention of finding 2-3 people and asking their advice and feedback.
Another? Sure. Fer instance:
I notice I'm feeling a little low energy and shy, and I'm needing some depth. I'll go to the meeting with the intention of finding just one person to have a real conversation with about something important, business or not.
It could even be like this. Fer instance:
I'm feeling kinda energetic and adventurous, and the networking meeting seems not exactly my cup of tea. But, I'll go with the intention of finding 2-3 people who might be 'adventure buddies' to go with me to check out the wildflowers by the river at the park.
But that's not business networking.
Oh, yes, it is. You can find people that you have an authentic connection with, without betraying your emotional state to try to be in 'networking mode.' You can be your real self, and build trust with them.
And I bet you quite naturally end up telling each other about your businesses. And with that trust established at a deeper, more authentic level, there's a much better chance that they'll refer potential clients to you.
Is there more to it than that? Well, sure, there's always more. Let me share a couple of tips with you.
Keys to Heart-Centered Networking.
* Don't go for clients, go for referrals.
If someone you meet at a networking event is a potential client, they'll self-identify, or it will become obvious during a conversation.
So, take the pressure off you and them, and instead look for people to whom you would refer clients, and who would refer clients to you, too.
* Find your genuine curiosity in humanity.
The other person is a human being. Ask them questions about themselves. Ask questions about their business, about their family, about anything that's genuinely interesting to you.
And listen. Asking and listening seem like no-brainers, but when you get into 'networking mode' when you're only focused on 'getting business' it can be easy to forget to connect and learn about the person in front of you.
* Backend. Backend. Backend.
Networking is about building a long-term connection with people, not about immediate gratification. So, do yourselves a favor and get a good contact manager that will help keep track of the people you meet, and remind you to send thank you cards and 'nice to meet ya' emails.
I'm horrible at sending cards and emails- but if the contact manager 'bing' pops up in my face with a task to send an email or a card, I'll do it. Make it easy.
I have a favorite contact manager myself, and it's web-based. It's by a company called 37 Signals, and it's called Highrise: http://www.highrisehq.com
I happen to like it because it's web-based. Which means that our assistant can access it, and support me with tasks really easily. And I can access it even from a hotel while at a conference, or other event.
Networking can be fun, and it can fit who you are. You don't have to leave yourself at the door to have networking benefit your business, and your heart.
Oh, and one more resource: Biznik
You know, I've been thirsting for a real way for online and in-person networking to really work together. It rarely does. And yet, it can, and does, on Biznik.
Biznik is specifically for indie business owners, with this tagline: "Business networking that doesn't suck." How great is that?
I've been really impressed with the quality of the people there, and I've met the co-founders, Dan and Lara, and they are very cool, all about supporting people to get what they need.
I wrote a blog post about it, come and read it.
Or check Biznik out directly. (This is not an affiliate link. It does keep track of how many people I've sent their way, but I get no financial compensation whatsoever.
The best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
About the Author:
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line. He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the globe succeed in business without losing their hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com
Copyright © 2008 Mark Silver
Going to networking events is kinda one of those things you are 'supposed' to do for your business. Some people love'em, some people hate'em. But, the truth is, especially for a new business, making face-to-face and heart-to-heart contact with people is incredibly powerful.
Unfortunately, networking events can seem like pretty gross, low-energy, artificial affairs, with people glad-handing left and right, and business cards so thick in the air you can't even see where the complimentary bottled water is.
Let's take another look at networking, and see if we can find the heart in it, so that your business can actually benefit without you feeling yucked out.
The truth about networking.
What is a 'network'? According to the Oxford American Dictionary, a network is "a group or system of interconnected people or things."
If you're thinking of a networking meeting as a smash-n-grab raid, where people are just out to get immediate business, with all the friendliness of a shark tank... well, that's not really what a network is.
Spiritually, everything is connected. We are all One. As we see in the ecosystems around us, everything depends on everything else to really thrive. No one is an island.
Networking, from the heart, is really about discovering who else is a part of your business' ecosystem. Who are the close friends and colleagues, and who are the more distant acquaintances, each of which is still saying "attagirl/boy" rooting you and your business on.
Going to networking meetings isn't about getting a new client right then and there (although that does happen.) It's about creating a long-term support network for your business.
Hmmm... kinda strange... can that really be true?
Oh, yes it can. But only if.
Bring your authentic intention.
Instead of thinking you need to have just one single intention for every networking event you go to: "Must make valuable contacts," what if you could just be authentic? And I don't mean floppy authentic, meaning you show up and cry on everyone's shoulder (although I wouldn't rule that out.)
What if you could identify your true heart needs/emotional state, and show up with an intention that fit where you were?
You want a 'fer instance?' Okay, here's a fer instance.
Fer instance:
Wow, I'm feeling a little tender today, and I'm needing to not feel so alone. I'll go to that meeting with the intention of finding 2-3 people and asking their advice and feedback.
Another? Sure. Fer instance:
I notice I'm feeling a little low energy and shy, and I'm needing some depth. I'll go to the meeting with the intention of finding just one person to have a real conversation with about something important, business or not.
It could even be like this. Fer instance:
I'm feeling kinda energetic and adventurous, and the networking meeting seems not exactly my cup of tea. But, I'll go with the intention of finding 2-3 people who might be 'adventure buddies' to go with me to check out the wildflowers by the river at the park.
But that's not business networking.
Oh, yes, it is. You can find people that you have an authentic connection with, without betraying your emotional state to try to be in 'networking mode.' You can be your real self, and build trust with them.
And I bet you quite naturally end up telling each other about your businesses. And with that trust established at a deeper, more authentic level, there's a much better chance that they'll refer potential clients to you.
Is there more to it than that? Well, sure, there's always more. Let me share a couple of tips with you.
Keys to Heart-Centered Networking.
* Don't go for clients, go for referrals.
If someone you meet at a networking event is a potential client, they'll self-identify, or it will become obvious during a conversation.
So, take the pressure off you and them, and instead look for people to whom you would refer clients, and who would refer clients to you, too.
* Find your genuine curiosity in humanity.
The other person is a human being. Ask them questions about themselves. Ask questions about their business, about their family, about anything that's genuinely interesting to you.
And listen. Asking and listening seem like no-brainers, but when you get into 'networking mode' when you're only focused on 'getting business' it can be easy to forget to connect and learn about the person in front of you.
* Backend. Backend. Backend.
Networking is about building a long-term connection with people, not about immediate gratification. So, do yourselves a favor and get a good contact manager that will help keep track of the people you meet, and remind you to send thank you cards and 'nice to meet ya' emails.
I'm horrible at sending cards and emails- but if the contact manager 'bing' pops up in my face with a task to send an email or a card, I'll do it. Make it easy.
I have a favorite contact manager myself, and it's web-based. It's by a company called 37 Signals, and it's called Highrise: http://www.highrisehq.com
I happen to like it because it's web-based. Which means that our assistant can access it, and support me with tasks really easily. And I can access it even from a hotel while at a conference, or other event.
Networking can be fun, and it can fit who you are. You don't have to leave yourself at the door to have networking benefit your business, and your heart.
Oh, and one more resource: Biznik
You know, I've been thirsting for a real way for online and in-person networking to really work together. It rarely does. And yet, it can, and does, on Biznik.
Biznik is specifically for indie business owners, with this tagline: "Business networking that doesn't suck." How great is that?
I've been really impressed with the quality of the people there, and I've met the co-founders, Dan and Lara, and they are very cool, all about supporting people to get what they need.
I wrote a blog post about it, come and read it.
Or check Biznik out directly. (This is not an affiliate link. It does keep track of how many people I've sent their way, but I get no financial compensation whatsoever.
The best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
About the Author:
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line. He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the globe succeed in business without losing their hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Will the REAL Exclusive Buyer's Agent Please Stand Up?
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Julie P. Tuggle
What exactly is an "Exclusive Buyer's Agent"?
A: An agent who represents only buyers, never sellers, with no risk to their buyers of dual or designated agency on any home they want to buy.
B: An agent who represents their buyers as a designated agent if they want to buy a home that is an in-house listing.
C: An agent who gets paid regardless of whether the agent finds their buyers the home they want to buy or not.
The correct answer is "It depends on who you ask". Let's discuss each of the scenarios above:
A: An exclusive buyer's agent is an agent who represents only buyers, never sellers, with no risk to their buyers of dual or designated agency on any home they want to buy.
This is the definition you would find in "Don't Risk It! A Broker's Guide to Risk Management", published by the National Association of Realtors in 2000: "Exclusive Buyer Representation - Also called exclusive buyer agency, this the practice of representing only buyers, never sellers. The company never lists a seller's property and thus never has a seller as a client."
The definition above is also the definition used by the news media in articles written for the benefit of home buyers who are looking for consumer advice in preparation for the purchase of real estate. Internationally acclaimed finance specialist Suze Orman endorses the National Association of Exclusive Buyer's Agents in the "Finding a Buyer's Agent" section of her popular web site, www.suzeorman.com. Consumer advice columnists Ilyce Glink and Robert Bruss recommend exclusive buyer agency as an alternative to buyer agency to consumers who want to avoid the risk of dual agency - when one broker represents both parties. Ilyce Glink advises: "If you're trying to eliminate potential conflicts in your deal, you may want to try (exclusive buyer agency). Exclusive buyer's agents never represent sellers. They only represent buyers, and they typically will take buyers wherever they want to go in a metro area.". Robert Bruss differentiates between the different types of buyer agency services in his article Do Home Buyers Need Their Own Agent?: "Any real estate agent can be a buyer's agent to help locate your home purchase. In addition, there are a few exclusive buyers' agents who represent only home buyers, never accepting listings from home sellers."
And June Fletcher from the Wall St. Journal.com writes: "Exclusive buyers agents can focus on their customers and their needs in a way many sellers agents can't. They don't have to spend their time holding open houses, staging properties, or doing all the other marketing tasks that consume much of a listing agent's time. They can concentrate on previewing homes, investigating comparable houses, helping the buyer understand financing options, negotiating the deal and making sure all the inspections and escrow items are done in a timely manner.
What's more, home shoppers who use exclusive buyers agents don't run the risk of falling in love with one of their agent's own listings. When that happens, the agent becomes a dual agent -- beholden to both the seller and the buyer, and thus, beholden to no one. Because this limits the amount of advocacy and advice the professional can give either party (for instance, a dual agent can't tell the seller the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay), it's illegal in some states.": www.realestatejournal.com
B: An exclusive buyer's agent is an agent who represents their buyers as a designated agent if they want to buy a home that is an in-house listing.
The news media is doing a great job of advising consumers to ask for an exclusive buyer's agent in order to avoid the the conflict of interests that exists with dual and designated agency (which legally is "dual agency" in NC, since the same broker represents both parties.) But the problem is now that consumers have started asking for an exclusive buyer's agent, listing agents are representing themselves to consumers as "exclusive buyer's agents," and are advising consumers they can provide exclusive buyer agency representation - even on in-house listings! The reason for this is that the NC Real Estate Commission does not recognize the definition for exclusive buyer's agent published by NAR in 2000, and since then, picked up and popularized by the mainstream news media. As a result, many real estate agents who practice designated agency on in-house listings regularly advertise themselves to consumers as "exclusive buyer's agents."
C: An exclusive buyer's agent is an agent who gets paid regardless of whether the agent finds their buyers the home they want to buy or not.
The NC Real Estate Commission allows NC real estate agents to call themselves an exclusive buyer's agent if their buyer client signs an "Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement." The NC Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement is a contract which states that the buyer's agent gets paid no matter who finds the home, and restricts the buyer to the buyer agency services of the agent/firm with whom the buyer has the buyer agency agreement. The NC Real Estate Commission acknowledges this usage of the term is pervasive throughout the industry in NC, but does not consider it a deceptive practice because no legal definition for this term exists in NC. The following terms: "Buyer's Agent, Seller's Agent, Dual Agent, and Designated Agent" are all defined in the state mandated Consumer Disclosure Brochure called "Working With Real Estate Agents," but the definition for "Exclusive Buyer's/Seller's Agent" is a glaring omission from the agency options that are disclosed to consumers in this brochure.
In many states including NC, "Buyer Beware" remains the adage for consumers who want an exclusive buyer's agent to represent them in their next real estate purchase transaction. A refreshing exception is Ohio, where their state legal disclosure, "Consumer Guide to Agency Relationships," was developed jointly by the Ohio Association of Realtors and the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. Under Ohio license law, each brokerage must disclose which of five agency policy options their company practices and offers to consumers, including an option for exclusive buyer agency: "Under this policy, your brokerage only represents buyers, and does not take listings, practice subagency or dual agency."
Real Estate industry expert and columnist Peter Miller sums up the argument best for including exclusive buyer agency as an additional agency option in the NC Consumer Disclosure Brochure: "Brokerages should always include listing brokers and buyer brokers, exclusive or not, so that individual professionals can pick the practice strategy they prefer while consumers can find the widest array of services. Exclusive buyer brokers changed the marketplace by popularizing the core concept of buyer brokerage. That's a transition which now helps millions of purchasers get a better deal in the marketplace - and that is a significant accomplishment."
Since no legal regulation for exclusive buyer agency exists in NC, before proceeding with a self-proclaimed "Exclusive Buyer's Agent," consumers are advised to question their real estate agent's interpretation of this loaded real estate term.
About the Author:
Julie P. Tuggle is broker-owner of Carolina Buyer's Agent, an exclusive buyer agency in Charlotte, North Carolina that represents only buyers, never sellers, on the purchase of Charlotte homes with no risk to their buyer-clients of dual or designated agency representation on any home they want to buy. Julie can be reached at: juliet@charlotte-eba.com
Copyright © 2008 Julie P. Tuggle
What exactly is an "Exclusive Buyer's Agent"?
A: An agent who represents only buyers, never sellers, with no risk to their buyers of dual or designated agency on any home they want to buy.
B: An agent who represents their buyers as a designated agent if they want to buy a home that is an in-house listing.
C: An agent who gets paid regardless of whether the agent finds their buyers the home they want to buy or not.
The correct answer is "It depends on who you ask". Let's discuss each of the scenarios above:
A: An exclusive buyer's agent is an agent who represents only buyers, never sellers, with no risk to their buyers of dual or designated agency on any home they want to buy.
This is the definition you would find in "Don't Risk It! A Broker's Guide to Risk Management", published by the National Association of Realtors in 2000: "Exclusive Buyer Representation - Also called exclusive buyer agency, this the practice of representing only buyers, never sellers. The company never lists a seller's property and thus never has a seller as a client."
The definition above is also the definition used by the news media in articles written for the benefit of home buyers who are looking for consumer advice in preparation for the purchase of real estate. Internationally acclaimed finance specialist Suze Orman endorses the National Association of Exclusive Buyer's Agents in the "Finding a Buyer's Agent" section of her popular web site, www.suzeorman.com. Consumer advice columnists Ilyce Glink and Robert Bruss recommend exclusive buyer agency as an alternative to buyer agency to consumers who want to avoid the risk of dual agency - when one broker represents both parties. Ilyce Glink advises: "If you're trying to eliminate potential conflicts in your deal, you may want to try (exclusive buyer agency). Exclusive buyer's agents never represent sellers. They only represent buyers, and they typically will take buyers wherever they want to go in a metro area.". Robert Bruss differentiates between the different types of buyer agency services in his article Do Home Buyers Need Their Own Agent?: "Any real estate agent can be a buyer's agent to help locate your home purchase. In addition, there are a few exclusive buyers' agents who represent only home buyers, never accepting listings from home sellers."
And June Fletcher from the Wall St. Journal.com writes: "Exclusive buyers agents can focus on their customers and their needs in a way many sellers agents can't. They don't have to spend their time holding open houses, staging properties, or doing all the other marketing tasks that consume much of a listing agent's time. They can concentrate on previewing homes, investigating comparable houses, helping the buyer understand financing options, negotiating the deal and making sure all the inspections and escrow items are done in a timely manner.
What's more, home shoppers who use exclusive buyers agents don't run the risk of falling in love with one of their agent's own listings. When that happens, the agent becomes a dual agent -- beholden to both the seller and the buyer, and thus, beholden to no one. Because this limits the amount of advocacy and advice the professional can give either party (for instance, a dual agent can't tell the seller the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay), it's illegal in some states.": www.realestatejournal.com
B: An exclusive buyer's agent is an agent who represents their buyers as a designated agent if they want to buy a home that is an in-house listing.
The news media is doing a great job of advising consumers to ask for an exclusive buyer's agent in order to avoid the the conflict of interests that exists with dual and designated agency (which legally is "dual agency" in NC, since the same broker represents both parties.) But the problem is now that consumers have started asking for an exclusive buyer's agent, listing agents are representing themselves to consumers as "exclusive buyer's agents," and are advising consumers they can provide exclusive buyer agency representation - even on in-house listings! The reason for this is that the NC Real Estate Commission does not recognize the definition for exclusive buyer's agent published by NAR in 2000, and since then, picked up and popularized by the mainstream news media. As a result, many real estate agents who practice designated agency on in-house listings regularly advertise themselves to consumers as "exclusive buyer's agents."
C: An exclusive buyer's agent is an agent who gets paid regardless of whether the agent finds their buyers the home they want to buy or not.
The NC Real Estate Commission allows NC real estate agents to call themselves an exclusive buyer's agent if their buyer client signs an "Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement." The NC Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement is a contract which states that the buyer's agent gets paid no matter who finds the home, and restricts the buyer to the buyer agency services of the agent/firm with whom the buyer has the buyer agency agreement. The NC Real Estate Commission acknowledges this usage of the term is pervasive throughout the industry in NC, but does not consider it a deceptive practice because no legal definition for this term exists in NC. The following terms: "Buyer's Agent, Seller's Agent, Dual Agent, and Designated Agent" are all defined in the state mandated Consumer Disclosure Brochure called "Working With Real Estate Agents," but the definition for "Exclusive Buyer's/Seller's Agent" is a glaring omission from the agency options that are disclosed to consumers in this brochure.
In many states including NC, "Buyer Beware" remains the adage for consumers who want an exclusive buyer's agent to represent them in their next real estate purchase transaction. A refreshing exception is Ohio, where their state legal disclosure, "Consumer Guide to Agency Relationships," was developed jointly by the Ohio Association of Realtors and the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. Under Ohio license law, each brokerage must disclose which of five agency policy options their company practices and offers to consumers, including an option for exclusive buyer agency: "Under this policy, your brokerage only represents buyers, and does not take listings, practice subagency or dual agency."
Real Estate industry expert and columnist Peter Miller sums up the argument best for including exclusive buyer agency as an additional agency option in the NC Consumer Disclosure Brochure: "Brokerages should always include listing brokers and buyer brokers, exclusive or not, so that individual professionals can pick the practice strategy they prefer while consumers can find the widest array of services. Exclusive buyer brokers changed the marketplace by popularizing the core concept of buyer brokerage. That's a transition which now helps millions of purchasers get a better deal in the marketplace - and that is a significant accomplishment."
Since no legal regulation for exclusive buyer agency exists in NC, before proceeding with a self-proclaimed "Exclusive Buyer's Agent," consumers are advised to question their real estate agent's interpretation of this loaded real estate term.
About the Author:
Julie P. Tuggle is broker-owner of Carolina Buyer's Agent, an exclusive buyer agency in Charlotte, North Carolina that represents only buyers, never sellers, on the purchase of Charlotte homes with no risk to their buyer-clients of dual or designated agency representation on any home they want to buy. Julie can be reached at: juliet@charlotte-eba.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)