MLM The Easy Way - FEs Update http://www.blogmoneymiracle.com en-us EasyRSS
by Kirk Bannerman

For reasons that I no longer remember, I kept sort of a diary during my first full year of working at a home-based business. It was nothing close to being a complete daily diary. It was more just a collection of scribbles about things that I felt were worthy of note at the time.

Since several years have passed since I wrote that diary, I decided to revisit these notes, out of curiosity.

In no particular order, here are some of the things that I made note of:

Choosing the path...

in the beginning, my enthusiasm was very high (perhaps too high?) and I was chasing off on several different home-based business opportunities at the same time (exhibiting the "dog in a meat market" syndrome, I suppose) and not focusing my efforts enough to be successful at any one of them.

I finally reigned myself in and focused on a single work at home business opportunity.

In other notes, I find reference to emotional and/or psychological issues that I experienced and are probably typical for most people when starting a home based business. When working at home a person can, at times, experience a feeling of isolation which is probably brought on by the lack of interaction of a work force environment.

There were also periods of doubt in the early going ... did I pick a viable business opportunity? ... am I doing the right things to develop my business? ... when will I start making a profit?, and
so on.

Many of the entries in my so-called diary had to do with the proverbial "two steps forward and one step backward" thing and the ever-looming temptation to become discouraged. Although I
didn't appreciate it at the time, it is now obvious that as long as you have more steps forward than backward, you will eventually get ahead!

Isn't hindsight wonderful?

Other entries reflect the fact that relatively minor events can seem huge in the early stages of developing a work at home business and can really contribute to an emotional roller coaster ride. For example, if you are just starting out and you have two customers/clients and you lose one ... that's a 50% drop! However, if you fast-forward in time to the point where you have hundreds of customers/clients and you lose one ... that's just a mere fraction of 1%! Same event, just at a different point in time.

Looking back on it now, some of the stuff I recorded now seems humorous, but I'm pretty sure that was not the case at the time I made the notations.

Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. Visit his Website at http://www.business-at-home.us for more details.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Maria Markella

One thing is certain in this cruel Internet marketing world: Competition is huge. Especially when trying to write that classified ad to promote a sale, or that adwords ad. Here are some things to keep in mind when writing ads. Follow these rules and make your ad stand from the rest.

Before I begin, I'm sure you've heard that you've only got a few seconds to capture a prospects' attention and make the sale.

Is that enough time to convince someone that your product or ad has something special about it? It's not. That's why you should be extra careful when writing those small ads. Not only do you have to capture your reader's attention, but you have to convince them that your ad will lead them to what they're looking for.

Here are some tips:

Writing killer ads tip#1: The headline.

Maybe you've heard that when it comes to small ads, the headline is the most important part of your ad. Try to keep your headline to 6-8 words. Try to present what your product will help the customer do in a clear and concise way.

Do not capitalize your headline or you'll scare your customer. Many people will even think you yell at them. Instead, capitalize the first letter of every word. Also, use descriptive words to make a clever call to action through the rest of your ad.

Writing killer ads tip#2: Do you have something free to offer?

Maybe a report or an ebook to help you grow your prospect list. This is important. Try to use this free offer to grab your reader's attention. Mention the free offer when writing your ad.

We all like free stuff. I don't know about you, but when I see a small ad with a free offer, I could easily click on it. That's also the case for most Internet users.

Writing killer ads tip#3: Unless you are a successful copywriter or Internet marketer or someone who is otherwise exceptionally talented at writing ads, you need to imitate the successful players.

There are thousands of ads all over the Web. Almost any Website utilizes Google adsense. Those ads are Google adwords ads and they have been approved by the Google staff. Take some time to look at what others are writing and how they choose to promote their products. Pay attention to those ads that are pointing to popular Websites or big companies. How do they write their ads?

Writing killer ads tip#4: Always test the results of your ads. Over and over again.

Don't just write an ad and wait for customers to click and purchase the product. Sometimes, ads needs revising. Try to make small changes and re-test. If you get better results, then use that change you've made to revise your other ads, too.

It's a good idea to test and make changes to one ad at a time. That way you'll easily spot the magic change that made the difference.

Writing killer ads tip#5: Always proof-read what you write. Also, make sure the links are working correctly.

We all hate careless spelling mistakes and non-working links. Even if your ad is really eye-catching and convincing, there's no way to disappoint a reader more than to send him to a "Page Not Found" link and, even more, to the wrong address. Always pay attention to those small details.

Detail matters.

Happy ad writing! I hope you write the killer ad that will make you stand from the rest of the millions of ads out there.

Here's an unusual way to create and test your ads without going through the pain of proof-reading, revising and testing over and over again. This unique ad writing software (http://www.digitalstarproducts.com/star/-detail-60.html) will help you write killer ads and instantly test their effectiveness. It will help you proof-read your ads and allow you to compare them in milliseconds with thousands of other similar ads written by others. It will then tell how much your ad scored. That way you'll know how your ads will perform before you even publish them!

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Wendy Betterini

Have you ever had a really great idea and then later saw someone else putting it into action? Even more perplexing is when you never told anyone about the idea, yet somehow, someone discovered it and acted on it before you could.

Maybe you had an idea for a blockbuster new ebook that would make all your financial dreams come true, or you came up with a great home business model that would have had reps flocking to your door - and now someone else is sucking up all the glory.

It's an awful, sinking feeling to see someone else profiting from your idea - I know, I've been there! However, don't let it discourage you into hanging up your entrepreneur hat. Here are three ways to turn the situation around:

1) Vow to take action. The worst thing about seeing someone else put your idea into action is knowing that you could have done so too, if only you'd been more proactive. Maybe you were struggling with an overloaded schedule so you put the idea on the back burner for awhile, or you were uncertain about your own ability to do a good job with it - and someone else saw the potential and swooped in on the opportunity.

The first step to salvaging the situation is acknowledging that you could have done better, and vowing to do better next time. While it's impossible to act on every single idea you have, you can make a stronger effort to take even small actions on the really good ideas. Remember that small actions done consistently add up to great results.

2) Take a different angle. Even if someone put your idea into action, they probably didn't do it exactly the way you would have. Give some thought to different angles you could take on the same idea. This works especially well with information products, because there are so many facets to each topic. Open your mind and think about opposing views and unique perspectives you can use to turn your idea around and make it fresh again.

3) Make it bigger and better. Think about ways to build on your original idea and expand it. Think about great sequels to best-selling ebooks (or print books, for that matter). Think about improvements and modifications that could refine the idea and take it to a new level of success. Consider alternative marketing techniques that could make all the difference in the popularity of your product or idea. Whatever you do, don't limit yourself. Push past your doubts and be willing to aim higher in your goals.

The truth is, there are limitless numbers of ideas just floating around, waiting to be realized. If you open your mind, more than a few good ones are bound to fall right in. Begin keeping an idea journal so you can record the great ideas as they come. Engage in frequent brainstorming sessions to see if you can either come up with more ideas, or improve upon the ones you already have.

Create a detailed plan for the ideas you want to work on first, so you won't feel overwhelmed or confused by how to proceed. A good way to do this is by considering the outcome you're trying to achieve, and then working backwards. Which action steps will be needed to accomplish the outcome? Make a list of these steps, and put them in a logical order of progression. You'll then have a detailed roadmap leading to the success you're trying to create.

Finally, and most importantly, begin taking action! Even if you can only spare 15 minutes a day, you will feel more productive and make steady progress on the tasks you've set for yourself. Simply focus on taking one step at a time and, before you know it, you'll be the one sucking up all the glory, while someone else slaps their forehead and says, "Hey, that was MY idea!"

Wendy Betterini: learn more about home business, telecommuting, balancing a career and family under one roof, and all aspects of working at home at http://www.CreativeWorkAtHome.com .

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Kirk Bannerman

Working at home in your own home based business has sort of a natural appeal for an ever increasing number of people.

The reasons people express for wanting to work from home are many and varied, but most home based business owners cite the ability to set their own hours as a major factor in their decision to work at home. However, many people that have work at home businesses often fall into a trap that flies directly in the face of their stated desire for time flexibility.

The strong growth in home based business activity continues and, according to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, fifty-two percent of ALL small businesses are home-based.

Some home based business owners have been known to become "workaholics" because their office is so accessible. Don't become a slave to your business ... get out of your home office regularly to renew and revitalize yourself.

Close the door to your office or otherwise remove yourself from your designated "work area" and go into your "home" area to live your personal life. If your business involves the use of the telephone and you find it difficult to ignore a ringing phone in the office, simply turn the ringer off and turn the volume on the answering machine way down. If your business is Internet-based, just turn off your computer (or at least get away from the monitor and keyboard).

As a work at home business entrepreneur, you certainly aren't required to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week just because your business is located in your home. After all, your office or workspace is just an area in your home ... its not your home itself!

Working and living under the same roof has a host of advantages, but it can present some challenges (in addition to the workaholic syndrome mentioned, above) and stress factors.

Here are four ways to create a less stressful home business environment:

1). Remember why you wanted to become involved with a home-based business (i.e. more time for family, work schedule flexibility, etc.)

2). Have discussions with your family members and get their input about the working arrangements and the amount of time they want with you.

3). Use good time management techniques. Keep a list of tasks by order of importance. There are many low-cost and effective "day planners" or "organizers" readily available today.

4). ALWAYS take a little time to "smell the roses."

While not experiencing the negatives common to a corporate office working environment, the home-based business owner may occasionally experience stresses and frustrations that are unique to working at home. Networking with other home-based and small business owners provides an opportunity to connect with others who may be experiencing the same stresses/frustrations that you are. Sharing stressful and/or frustrating issues with someone else in the same situation can relieve your stress and may bring you good advice from a different point of view.

As a final note, remember to observe Home-Based Business Week each year (it is always the week of October that includes the second Tuesday).

Kirk Bannerman operates his own successful home based business and also coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. For more information, visit his Website at Legitimate Home Based Business (http://www.business-at-home.us/) .

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Deon Melchior

Have you been thinking about breaking into the online business world? Don’t yet have a product and aren’t sure what products you should carry? Have you thought about becoming an information publisher on the Web?

Maybe you're wondering what the heck an information publisher is. It’s exactly what it says. It’s a Website that publishes information, quality information that is a valuable resource for your readers.

The problem with starting a product site is that they require a great deal of your time and the investment can be rather high since you will need secure checkouts, and a method of processing credit cards. The learning curve for this type of site is also rather steep. It can be difficult to choose a product that will do well online. You're going to have to spend some time doing your research if you take the physical product route.

It is generally believed that the products that do best online are products that consumers do not need to see, touch, or smell in order to make a purchase. So -- products such as books, CD’s, or DVD’s will usually do better than clothing.

But why not skip the whole hassle of product Web pages and become an information publisher? But you might be wondering how you choose a topic and how you're going to make any money.

The first thing you need to do is figure out what you are an expert in. By expert, I don’t mean you need to be a doctor or an engineer. I mean what subject do you know lots about? Do you have a hobby that you are a real pro at -- perhaps your job or career has made you an expert on a specific topic.

If you are an expert in more than one area, then you have options and you should do some research to see which topic generates the most traffic or interest. To make money, you need targeted traffic and, in a minute, I’m going to explain how you're going to make money.

Once you’ve decided what your site is going to be about, you need to design it. The layout you choose should be easy for your readers to navigate and it should use colors that are easy on the eyes. You’ve probably come across those psychedelic sites that make your eyes hurt and quickly hit the back button. Your Web site needs to provide an environment that is inviting and comfortable for the reader.

If you have no Website experience, that’s okay. Most Web hosts offer a range of templates that you can use to design your site and they also do not require you to have any html programming skill. You type it like you want it and the software converts it to a language that computers can read. It’s really quite simple.

You still could be wondering -- what the point of information publishing is and how you are actually make any money. After all, that’s what this venture is all about right?

The answer to your question lies in two words – Google and Affiliates.

Providing you design a site that is rich in content and keywords, you’ll be able to make money using both Google and affiliate programs. Of course, you’ll need to be patient. It takes some time to earn your page rank and to get traffic to your site, but once you're rolling, you’ll be generating income.

Google offers a program called Adsense. You need to sign up for the program and then you need to place some code on your Website that will allow Google to display ads that are related to the topics on your site. When visitors arrive at your site, if they click on one of the ads being displayed, you get paid.

You’ll want to take some time to learn what ads work best, what type of flexibility you have, and how to earn the most income. There are some excellent free resources online and there are some very good E-books available.

Affiliate programs are a little different. You need to look for companies that offer affiliate programs that you think would do well on your Web site. Each affiliate program offers its own set of rules and commissions that it pays. When you find an affiliate program that you think would do well, you need to apply to their program. There are Web sites like Linkshare or Commission Junction that host many companies that offer affiliate programs. They are a good place to start.

Make sure you read all the terms and conditions that the affiliate program has set out. Once accepted, you will be provided with both text and banner links that you display on your Website. If a reader clicks one of your affiliate links and purchases a product from that company, you earn a commission.

An information site is a lot less work than a product site. Don’t get me wrong -- an information site still needs your time and attention. Contrary to what you may have heard, you don’t get rich on the Web just by putting a Web site up.

But -- why not work smarter rather than harder? An information site allows you to do just that.

Before you begin, you should also take some time to understand how keywords work and their relevance to your site. The result will be success in generating good ad placements and income. You’ll be a pro in no time.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - http://www.articleclick.com .

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Judith A. Wentzel

Do you have all the money you desire? Are you just making ends meet, living from paycheck to paycheck?

You can have a life of abundance. It can easily come to you, if you know how.

Having a job I adore, a loving relationship, and the life I desire allows me to lead through example. It enables me to show you how to attract what you desire into your life, just as I am doing in mine.

My life wasn’t always this great. I have had a lot of hard times and experienced more than my share of tragedy and heartache. It wasn’t until after my children had grown and moved away that I would discover what many other people already knew.

If you desire abundance, you must see abundance already in your life. Sound a bit ridiculous? It really isn’t. Let me explain.

In order to attract abundance, you must first have an abundance mindset. If you change your thoughts, you can change your life.

You may be thinking that you have an abundance mindset and have been focusing on more money, landing a better job, etc. Have you been thinking about having enough money to pay your bills off or get out of debt? If that has been your focus, it’s no wonder you haven’t attracted the money you desire. I’d bet you have continued to struggle with bills and incur debt. By simply placing these two negative thoughts (bills, debt) into your focus, you have subconsciously attracted more of the same types of issues/events to you.

An abundance mindset focuses on the lifestyle you would have living with abundance. Instead of thinking about the lack, focus on having plenty of money to manage all of your needs. Focus on having more than enough money for the things that you want.

Perhaps one of your desires is to be able to take a vacation. Focus on taking that vacation. Feel how wonderful it would be to do the things you desire. By thinking about taking a vacation and having more than enough money for the entire trip, you are focusing on what you truly want and developing a mindset that is in harmony with your desires.

Developing an abundance mindset may not be easy at first, but with a little practice, it will become your normal way of thinking. You will soon begin to see little signs of abundance coming into your life.

I suggest you take note of everything you experience, no matter how small, and be appreciative of it. For example, finding a penny on the sidewalk or getting a great parking space would be two examples of abundance. Having someone treat you to lunch is another.

When you begin to notice and appreciate the small things in your life, it will also help place you in a more receptive and allowing mindset. Keeping an abundance or gratitude journal is a great way of reminding yourself of all the abundance in your life.

Besides, if all of us would take just a few minutes out of our day to reflect on the nice things we have experienced, we would soon realize the abundance already present in our lives. It would brighten our outlook, raise our emotions, and allow us to be more of a magnet for attracting more of the same things to us.

Having a life coach can be extremely beneficial when it comes to learning how to attract your desires -- especially if they are trained in the Law of Attraction. Even Tiger Woods has a coach. Many coaches, myself included, offer complimentary consultative sessions so that people can experience the many benefits that working with a life coach has to offer.

Why not take that next step? Discover for yourself how easy it is to change your thoughts and change your life. You won’t be disappointed.

©2007 Judith A. Wentzel – Law of Attraction Coach, Life & Business Coach, EFT Practitioner & Image Smarter Marketing Specialist. Assisting individuals and small business owners to unleash the power within and skyrocketing their lives and business since 1997.
http://www.JudithWentzel.com
http://www.UsingLawOfAttraction.com
http://www.ImageSmarterMarketing.com

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Chiun Masters

It's the 21st century, and you're already aware of the rapid changes and development that your industry is going through, almost on a daily basis. It's becoming more and more competitive, and you need to grab every advantage that you can possibly get over your competitors.

The Internet seems like a good way to reach out to more customers and close bigger sales, but how would your small company stack up against the hundreds, or even thousands of companies selling products and services similar to yours online?

If you want to grab yourself a piece of real estate on the Web, you basically start by creating your company's Website. Your Website serves as your company headquarters, in a virtual sense, and just like in the real world, it is where your potential customers go to visit and learn more about your company and what it has to offer.

It's also commonplace for businesses to closely monitor their competitors' Websites, to see what they're up to and to learn anything they can.

In short, it's all about information. The Internet isn't called the "Information Superhighway" for nothing, you know.

But, having a company Website is one thing; promoting your business and marketing your products and/or services is a whole different matter. People need to know that your company is on the Internet; otherwise your Website would be pretty useless. Even so, you need to remember that almost everyone, from billion-dollar Fortune 500 conglomerates down to a tiny florist in Idaho, is bent on making its presence felt on the Web.

So -- how can a small company like yours compete?

One of the most widely-used and most effective methods that Webmasters and Net-savvy businessmen use is link-building. Used effectively, it can be one of the single best techniques you can have for getting people to your Website, and thus promoting your company's products and/or services.

First, it's important to know that 85% of the people looking for a particular type of business look for it using a search engine like Yahoo!, MSN and Google. It's like the equivalent of a phone directory. And -- those people usually don't bother looking for companies beyond the first three to four pages of the search results. That's why it is most critical for a company to be listed in the first few pages following a keyword search.

Because major search engines now consider link quality and link popularity as part of their ranking algorithms, link building has become more critical than ever. Simply put, if you don't have links, you won't rank well for competitive keywords.

Links are one of the most useful, and therefore one of the most important ways, for visitors and potential customers to find your site. With quality and efficient link building, the search engines can find your company faster and rank you higher on their search results, so people can find you easier.

It's all about getting traffic to your Website. By traffic, I mean people.

If a Website is new and needs immediate traffic, they can get advertising with one of the three biggest search engines, Google, Yahoo! or MSN. Each search engine offers a unique program in which Websites appear in search results for specific keywords. This is the fastest way to get immediate traffic.

But, just getting advertising on these search engines won't be enough to get you the results you need. If you're serious about getting the most out of link building, it's recommended that you find a good, reliable SEO or link building company to handle these jobs for you. These companies already have the experience and the expertise to produce quality links for your Website, and some of them also provide advertising for the major search engines as part of their package, so you'll be getting the most out of your money.

Another good reason to outsource this part of your online business is the savings. Companies routinely outsource payroll processing, accounting, sales and marketing tasks -- just to name a few -- in order to cut costs. Outsourcing converts fixed costs into variable costs, releases capital for investment elsewhere in your business, and allows you to avoid large expenditures in the early stages of your business.

Aside from reducing labour and training costs, companies can also get new projects started faster with outsourcing. Experienced businessmen already know that companies who do everything themselves -- research, marketing, manufacturing, distribution -- have higher expenses, all of which have to be passed on the customers.

To sum it up, link building is one of the better and more reliable methods of getting traffic to your Website. However, more traffic doesn't necessarily mean more sales. It all depends on the quality of the links you have. Outsourcing link building jobs to reputable and experienced companies will help your company get permanent, legitimate and relevant links for your targeted traffic, and will also help your site achieve higher search engine rankings.

All this for a fraction of the cost it will take for your company to handle the job on its own, plus the obvious benefits of having knowledge and expertise on the job. If you're serious about putting your smaller company on a more even stage with the big guys, this is one great way to go.

Chiun Masters is a contributing writer and researcher for MaxWeb, www.HelpWeNeedGifts.com, and other assorted Websites. He loves searching the Net for unusual gifts, aside from spending time with his other interests such as blogging and lurking around in forums.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Stone Evans

Many people think that starting an Internet home business is hard. In fact, there is no business in the world that is faster or easier to launch. If you have 15 minutes and a connection to the Internet, I'll show you how to launch your own Internet business right away.

Before you launch your first Internet home business, you need to understand the basics. The first step of having a business on the Internet is having your own Website. This is the major stumbling block for most people. They think getting a Website is expensive or difficult. It's neither of those things. Actually, it's free and it's easy. In fact, let's go ahead and get your first Website setup right now.

To do this, I recommend using a free tool called Blogger. Blogger is used for creating blogs on the fly, but a blog is nothing more than a fancy name for a Website. To set up your blog Website now, visit: http://www.Blogger.com

Once you arrive, click the "Create Your Blog Now" button on the page. On the next page, enter a user name, password, display name and email address. Then click "Continue." On the next page, enter a blog title and blog address. These can be anything you want. Then enter the word verification code and click "Continue." On the next page, choose a template for your blog (this is what your Website will look like) and click "Continue."

Voila... Your blog/Website has been created!

Next, click the "Start Posting" button. A new page will appear giving you the option to add content to your new Website. Write a title for your page in the "Title" field and then write whatever you want that page of your Website to be about in the larger data entry field below the "Title" field on that page. You can use the tools on that page to change your fonts, make links, format your text, add pictures, etc.

When you're happy with what you've entered into the page, click the "Publish Post" button. You just created a new page on your Website! On the next page displayed, you'll see a link that says: "View Blog". Click that link and you'll see your Website live on the Internet. Pretty easy, right?! ;-) Now you can wash, rinse, repeat and create as many new pages on your Website as you want.

But, let's turn your Website into a business first. After all, Websites are a lot more fun once they are making money for you.

Here's how:

Get back into your Blogger account and click the "Template" tab. Then click the "AdSense" link near the top of the page. AdSense is a simple but powerful program that allows you to earn advertising revenue from your Website. Follow the easy instructions on that page to launch your AdSense account instantly. On the next page, click the "Save" button to save AdSense into your Website. Then, on the next page. click the "Republish" button. Your Website will instantly be rebuilt, now showing a Google AdSense ad at the top of each page on your Website. Every time someone visits your Website and clicks one of those ads, you earn money from AdSense.

You now have a moneymaking business setup on the Internet. How long did that take? 15 minutes! ;-)

The only thing you need to do now to start the cash flowing in is get people to visit your new Website. One way to do this would be to tell your friends and family about your site. Here are two more easy things you can do to drive an unstoppable flow of traffic to your new Website:

Traffic Strategy 1: Tell all the major blog directories about your new blog/Website. To do this, visit http://www.PingoMatic.com and enter your blog name, blog URL (that's the link to your Website generated by Blogger), check all the boxes on that page and click the "Send Pings" button. This will tell all the blog directories about your new blog/Website and you'll start getting some traffic from interested visitors to those directories. Do this each time you add a new page to your blog.

Traffic Strategy 2: Go back to your blog URL/home page and click the "Next Blog" button at the top of the page. This will take you to another blog of another Blogger user. Read through a post or two on that person's blog and look for a link that says "Comments" and click it. On the next page, you'll be able to type your comments and a link back to your blog inside a form. Once you've added your comments, click the "Login and Publish" button; and a link to your site along with your comments will be added to that blog. Repeat this process as many times as you want with other blog Websites. This will "link you in" to a network of sites all over the Internet helping you drive a steady stream of traffic to your blog.

Blogger is a great tool to launch your Internet home business, but it's not the only tool you should be using. To build a solid Internet home business that you can rely on, you need to register your own domain name and Website hosting account. A domain name is your unique home on the Web that you own and control. Example: domain names are yahoo.com, ebay.com, google.com, etc.

You could either register your own name as a domain or a keyword of something related to the topic of your business. Either way, if you are going to have a legitimate long-term home business on the Internet, a domain name and Website hosting account are required. When choosing a domain name and hosting account, it's important to select a company that has a track record for success. The company I host all my Websites with is at: http://www.PlugInProfitHost.com

This top-rated Website hosting company also provides several turn-key Internet home businesses called "Plug-In Profit Sites" such as the one described at: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com which is a very popular and easy way to start earning multiple streams of income on the Internet. In fact, in addition to the blog you launched a few moments ago, you can get a Plug-In Profit Site setup in the next 24 hours and add another 5 easy streams of income to your Internet home business.

Alternatively, there are other turn-key Internet home business systems such as the one described at: http://www.HomeBusiness.org which provides a proven formula to start making money online within minutes of signing up. In fact, I earn an extra 5-figures every month using the above mentioned system myself.

As you can see, starting an Internet home business is actually a very fast and easy thing to do. Now that you know this, there should be nothing stopping you from earning a little extra income from home on the Internet. Persevere and you can make it your living just like myself and countless others have done.

Stone Evans (articles@home-business.com), The Home Biz Guy, is an Internet home business authority who has helped thousands of people launch a successful Internet home business. To learn more about Stone Evans and find an Internet home business that is right for you visit http://www.Home-Business.com .

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Jeff Mulligan

The other day, I was talking to a guy at the health club I just joined. (Never had time when I was working for someone else.)

We started talking about our personal trainers. If you aren't familiar with the term, these are fitness experts who are educated to design work-out routines based on an individuals strengths, needs and goals.

Anyway, Rick said something that struck me right between the eyes. "I got so confused reading all the books and fitness magazines. Everyone has a different opinion of what works the best. I finally figured if I was going to work out, I might as well pick one expert, listen to them and follow their program."

Later, as I was driving my sore body home, I thought about how appropriate Rick's comment was to Internet Marketing.

Everyone's an expert. (Even people who have yet to sell their first eBook.) And there are a million programs, books, secrets, techniques and tactics that will work for you.

The problem is, you can easily fall into what my favorite business school professor called, "Analysis Paralysis".

That's where a lot of people are stuck.

They keep reading, and it gets in the way of actually doing something.

***** I was guilty *****

I was guilty of this, too. I must have bought several hundred dollars worth of books and courses before I found what worked for me.

Fortunately, the expert I decided to follow was, in hindsight, an excellent choice. And by following his advice and listening to his ideas, I have built up a couple of successful income streams.

My point isn't that my "guru" is the right one for everyone.

The point is to pick one or maybe a couple of people you really respect, and model them. Of course, make sure they are actually successful in their own businesses first.

But, when you find someone you respect and whose style you like, listen to their advice and follow what they recommend in their writings.

***** Save Your Brain *****

Following this strategy can save lots of brain cells that you would spend switching strategies and tactics. It avoids confusion and gives you a good point of reference from which to work.

You don't have to keep reading and searching for the latest eBooks. Assume your guru knows the latest tactics and will advise you of how well they work.

I'm not saying you never look at another eBook or eZine again, but, when you have one primary star you follow, it's that much easier to find your way.

Jeff Mulligan has an MBA and 20+ years of marketing experience as an ad agency Senior VP and VP Marketing for two software companies. Jeff owns CBmall, a site that provides 15 different ways for ClickBank affiliates to earn income on 1,997 ClickBank InfoProducts. http://www.myownmegamall.com .

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Willie Crawford

One of the newest buzzwords in the Internet marketing niche is co-reg leads (short for co-registration leads). The recent release of a very good product called Pipeline Profits has started a lot of open discussion about something that seasoned Internet marketers have long known about, but also rarely openly discussed.

My definition of generating a co-registration lead is "capturing the permission to send someone more information on a topic in the process of them doing something else."

Examples of generating a co-registration lead include:

1) You register a piece of software and, in the process, you check a box on the form asking for information on the products and services of the company or its associates.

2) You download a free piece of software or other gift and, in the process, you check a box requesting any of several ezines offered on the order form.

3) You enter an online drawing or prize contest and, in the process, you check a box requesting more information on building an online business.

4) You sign up for a free email account, or to use an online service and, in the process, you check boxes asking for more information on a variety of niche topics that can range from business, to health, to pets, to... “you name it.”

5) You subscribe to an ezine on a webpage and, in the process (or on the confirmation page), you are invited to subscribe to any of several other related ezines.

Number five is a technique that I have used with success. You and your partners jointly grow each other’s lists.

All of these are examples of generating a co-registration lead. In the process of taking one action, your prospect can also "co-register" for something else.

The process has been in-place for a very long time and is used by some VERY big companies. The recent product release that dealt with the topic focused on using co-reg leads to generate Website traffic. In that system, leads are generated using techniques similar to the ones outlined above, and then, in the follow-up process, the person who obtains the leads drives them to a Website and, eventually leads them to make a purchase.

The recently released Pipeline Profits is something that I checked out thoroughly, and saw as worth adding to my Web business arsenal. They have eight different videos posted on their Website that do a great job of explaining what their system is. You can watch all of those videos via "inner circle" connections at: http://TheInternetMarketingInnerCircle.com/co-regs/ Scroll to the very bottom of this page for the links to each of those free videos.

My first in-depth understanding of the nature of co-reg leads was from conversations with Edward Thorpe. Ed is now an old and treasured friend. Ed wrote an ebook, that he most recently updated December of 2006, which is entitled "Co-reg Secrets." Co-reg Secrets is available at: http://CoregistrationMasters.com

In his ebook, Ed asserts that "all co-reg leads are junk." That's a pretty bold statement in an ebook that teaches you how to use co-registration leads to build a list and grow your business.

Ed explains that this is true because, until you build a relationship with the individuals behind those "leads," they are worthless. They don't know who you are, don't trust you, and aren't even certain how you got their names and email addresses.

As Ed explains in his ebook, and Buck and Brock explain in Pipeline Profits, there are different qualities of co-reg leads. Some of the factors that distinguish one batch from another are:

1) Whether or not the box confirming that they want to receive the additional information was pre-checked. If it's pre-checked, realize that, since no conscious opt-in action is required on the subscriber's part, they may inadvertently subscribe.

2) Whether or not they are incentivized to join as many lists as possible. If they get some kind of points or prize just for joining lists, then there's a higher probability that they have no real interest in the topics of the lists.

3) How fresh the co-reg leads are. There are systems that deliver the leads to your autoresponder system as soon as the form is filled in. This is what is advocated by Pipeline Profits. There are many "list brokers" who sell lists that are anywhere from hours old to MONTHS old.

Generally, the older a list, the more "dangerous" it is for an online marketer to use it. The problems with older leads are that the person may not remember having requested information on the topic, AND the person has probably been contacted by so many others that they are now ready to "choke" the next online marketer who contacts them.

There are numerous other factors that determine the quality of co-registration leads and how useful they are in building your online business. There are numerous ways of using them in your business, and some of them can very quickly cause your business to get shut down, or can generate lawsuits from businesses that feel you have tarnished their images.

Seeing all the confusion in the marketplace on the topic of co-reg leads, I tracked down Ed Thorpe, who is semi-retired, and talked him into doing a recorded teleseminar with me. In the teleseminar, I grill him on a topic that he first wrote about at the turn of the century :-)

Like me, Ed has spent a decade online building a very successful business by teaching others what actually works. Like me, Ed believes that you benefit the most by giving. In fact, one of Ed's email signature files reads, "He who helps the most people - wins." That's the person I want in my corner, and when it comes to a topic as confusing as using co-registration leads in your online business, he is the person you should learn from. I consider him "the grand master of co-reg leads knowledge."

You can access the teleseminar with Ed at: http://CoregMasters.com

Hopefully, we have cleared up the confusion of exactly what a co-reg lead is, how it might fit into your business model, and where to learn more on this fairly complex topic.

co-reg lead, co-registration lead, lead generation

Willie Crawford (http://www.WillieCrawford.com) has been uncovering and teaching real internet marketing insider information for more than 10 years. Don't miss his in-depth recorded discussion of co-registration leads (or "co-reg leads") with Ed Thorpe, author of "Co-Reg Secrets." Get the truth about co-reg leads at: http://CoregMasters.com .

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Karen Hurd

If you are marketing online, it's essential that you know how to write effective ad copy. If you can string two sentences together, you can learn to write effective ad copy.

Best advice -- "Enter the conversation already going on in your prospect's head."

People don't care what you're selling. They care if you can solve their problem, or meet their need. Talk about what they want to buy, not what you want to sell.

1. Use a hand written letter on your ad copy instead of text. Write the ad on a piece of paper, scan it and publish the ad on your Web page. Adding a personal touch will always increase your sales.

2. Publish a list of famous and respected customers who have bought from you on your ad copy. People are more likely to think that, if these people bought from you, they should also trust your business and purchase your products. Make sure to get their permission first. Local personalities and celebrities count!

3. Show "before" and "after" photos for your products on your Web page copy. Show the problem picture and then, beside it, show the picture of the resolution to the problem when they use your product.

4. Need more testimonials? Hold a contest: the top five people with the best testimonial get their product order for free. Boost your sales!

5. Include an article or review that has been written about you or your business with your ad copy. This will show people that your business is respected and will increase your credibility. To get the article, send press releases with pictures to the local paper. Make sure your press release is in the paper's best interest, not yours!

The paper won't do a story on your business, unless they think it will matter to their readers. Getting published will get you the publicity you need.

6. When you offer free bonuses in your ad copy, also list the dollar value beside each bonus. People will feel they're getting a good deal and it will increase the value of your product. Keep it honest. The good feelings and excitement of the bonus will turn to cynicism and distrust if your customer feels the value of the bonus was inflated just to get the sale. Would the bonus truly excite you?

7. Include your own picture on your ad copy. This will show people that you're not hiding behind your ad copy and will increase their trust. Also, include your contact information below the picture and a brief statement or quote. Got kids and pets? Include a family picture too.

8. Tell your potential customers on your ad copy that you will donate a percentage of their purchase price to specific charity. This will show them you really care about the people. They may just buy your product to donate to the charity.

Speaking of donating to charity, set up a program where customers can refer charities.

9. Ask your potential customers plenty of "yes" and "no" questions in your ad copy. The questions should remind them of their problem and make them think about what will happen if they don't purchase your product.

10. Tell your potential customers they will receive a free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer you can keep someone reading your copy the greater chance of them purchasing.

And -- test, test, test. Keep making adjustments until you are getting the result you want. You can write the cleverest copy, but if you ain't getting the action, the copy is a waste of time. You'll be surprised at how the simplest changes can sometimes increase results significantly.

Karen Hurd is a former Marketing executive. She's been a top producer in network marketing since 1988. She is a writer, teacher & wellness educator. She lives in Virginia, with her husband & 5 children. Karen built her business while her children slept, and now she makes money while she sleeps. Home business ideas (http://www.squidoo.com/ezmoney) MLM Maniac:

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Ken Chee

WIIIFM stands for "What Is It In For Me?"

This is an extremely important marketing concept when you want to market or sell yourself, an idea, a product, a company, a partnership or whatever you wish to sell to anyone. Here's the truth -- with compassion, because no one cares about what you do or how good your concepts/products are but, rather, how can you benefit them.

Let me show you two real-life examples:

1. I received this email from a blog, in my mailbox, earlier this week,

"Hi Ken,

Long heard about your stories from rags to riches. I'm very interested in your way of skills, interested to share some experiences with me. I'm interested in getting rich myself and being a speaker/presenter.

Any means of contacting you apart from email?

Thanks

Regards XXX"

Notice how this person phased the question? "I am interested to...", "I want to...", "I'm interested in getting rich myself..." etc.

I'm happy that this particular individual has such aspiration and desire. Great! But, where is the win/win situation here? WIIIFM?

Seriously, why should I help, apart from humanitarian reasons?

One of my young friends, Adam Wong, understood this marketing concept. Instead of asking his mentor, Adam Khoo, to coach and guide him to become a millionaire, he went to Adam Khoo and offered to help him market his IP materials online, because Adam Wong is keen in Internet Marketing himself.

In the process, he gets private time with his mentor and observes and models after his mentor, while making money online for his mentor and for himself. Smart chap.

Warren Buffett understudied and worked for his mentor, Benjamin Graham, to gain mastery on value investing.

One of my ex-staff, Jimmy Han, came to me one day and said this, even after I told him that we are not hiring because of budget: "Ken, I'm willing to work for you for $500 a month plus commissions, for a year, because I want to learn about marketing and advertising." He did. Now, he's running a start-up business using his new-found marketing and advertising insights, with another EAP graduate, Mike Sim, dealing with laptop computer accessories.

This is his email to us:

"...I would like to thank both Azhar and you for being my mentors during my stay in Just Media. Thank you and I have learnt a lot from you guys.

Cheers, Jimmy Han Qiyong"

2. I receive a phone call and an email marketing proposal today!

Happy new year.

I'm a EAP graduate of Executive Directions 2006. It's great to know you at the boot camp.

I've set up a company named XXX International Pte Ltd. We conduct events, such as conferences, forums, seminars etc., that build on 'People' through engaging people in the public, private and people sectors.

We are planning to launch a 'people action forum,' to kick off the platform for people in the corporate and community to learn, network and exchange, to further develop in their own organisational and community initiatives.

XXX International will be featuring presentations by professional speakers or trainers, keeping with the theme 'People for Success.' Speakers are invited for presentations that share real insights,experiences, knowledge and expertise. We aim to promote people engagement to foster and strengthen community relations and engagement with corporate groups in furthering organisations' objectives through the network exchange platform.

The program includes an opening performance from people sector at the forum and a dinner after the forum, to bring light moments to participants.

The event is targeted to see a gathering of 200-350 performance managers and leaders from corporates (public and private) and people sector.

As this is a newly incorporated company, I would be pleased to have your views or suggestions of how we can work from here with your expertise and resources.

The areas that we're looking forward to besides, event organisation are: a. sourcing for speakers, invitation of Guest-of-honour. b. marketing communication or advertising to carry messages across effectively, in reaching public, speakers, potential partner organisations. c. building up of teams and subsequent programs and activities.

More information of the company is at website: www.xxx.com.

I would be glad to answer your queries moving forward and any recommendations.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Have a good day.

Best Regards

XXX XXX International Pte Ltd tel: XXXX XXXX>

Now, my intention is to support EAP network and we grow together. One of my key secret of securing big deals successfully: I ALWAYS LISTEN AND ASK QUESTIONS FIRST!

In fact, ask good marketing and personal questions. I will explore and understand the pain/ desire/ challenges that my partners and clients are facing. I will then evaluate whether my company service or marketing/advertising expertise can add value to them.

I am sorry to say that this particular graduate email did not trigger my interest, however, because he/she did not even attempt to understand my needs! The above email is what I call features/data dumping.

Now, before you approach and market your great idea/product to your partners or clients, next time, pause and ask: What Is In It For them? I'm sure you will achieve a better result!

Ken Chee is the Group CEO of Integrated Media Group Pte Ltd. The companies specialize in ROI (Return on Investment) marketing and have spearheaded regional and local campaigns in Asia. Visit www.kenchee.com for IDEAS THAT SELL!

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Dave Starner

The beauty of E-zine advertising is that it's the most targeted form of advertising on the Internet. If, for example, someone has subscribed to an E-zine about fishing, then they are expressing a strong interest in fishing equipment, tips on improving their skills, travel packages, and an endless list of other possibilities.

This is why E-zines are such a good choice. As long as your ad relates closely to the theme of the E-zine, the person reading your ad is already halfway toward buying what you have to offer.

There are three types of ads that you can place in your chosen E-zine: a classified ad, a sponsor ad, and/or a solo ad.

The classified ad is the smallest and least expensive. This three- to five-line ad is often run in a block with other classified ads, one on top of another, similar to a page of classified ads in your local newspaper. These ads contain just a brief description with an E-mail or link to your Web site. They cost a few dollars, generally about half the cost of a sponsor ad.

A sponsor ad is placed at the top of the E-zine, often under a heading like: "Please support our sponsor." This ten- to fifteen-line ad will draw more attention since it is the first thing the reader sees when the E-mail is opened.

Sponsor ads are generally priced around twenty dollars.

The most effective, and naturally the most expensive, is the solo ad. This is not part of the E-zine, but instead goes out as an E-mail to everyone on the E-zine mailing list. The message is all about you and your product or service. This ad can be as long as 700 words, allowing you to go into great detail, and will cost in the neighborhood of forty to fifty dollars -- about twice the cost of a sponsor ad.

Some of the larger E-zines may ask for hundreds or even several thousand dollars for a solo ad.

Once you've written your ad and chosen an E-zine, the best way to proceed is to think like an educator. The most effective teaching method is repetition. Experienced teachers will cover the same information in several different ways. They might lecture one day, followed by a reading assignment and discussion, and then an essay, all on the same topic.

Very few people learn something thoroughly the first time they see it. And few people respond to an ad the first time they see it. Since you are trying to educate and motivate your target audience, you want them to see your ad more than once.

This is best done by first running a solo ad, then running a sponsor ad in the next two or three issues of the same E-zine. Finally, for the next five to seven issues, run a classified ad. The readers will see your ad for many weeks and begin to understand the message and warm up to your offer. They need time to mull it over, compare products and prices, and decide if they really need it.

Give them time, educate them, and they will buy.

Dave Starner is a former teacher and coach who markets E-books and software. Visit the Internet's #1 infoproduct site at www.ebooksnet.com and instantly download great E-books and software on Internet advertising and hundreds of other topics.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Julia Gulevich

You own an online business and you know that, to make money, you need a list of people, a list of passionate buyers who are hungry for your offer and will devour it when you send it out.

How do you create such a list? And, even more important, how do you maintain your list of prospects? It's not as easy as you probably thought at first.

You must have a "squeeze page" where people opt-in to your list. On that page, you should tell your prospects that the information they provide will be kept private and that they will receive only the newsletters they subscribe to, but not a whole lot of spam from different sources.

Don't forget to use the double opt-in model, because people may not remember that they opted in to your list. Using the double opt-in method, you ensure that all people on your list gave you the permission to send them your E-mails.

Your auto-responder E-mail messages should be mini-sales letters, including a solid content, to keep your list subscribed. And, finally, you want to send the E-mails at a regular basis, but not too often, so your subscribers don't forget who you are or get overwhelmed by your messages -- even worse!

It requires time, testing and measuring to choose the right E-mail marketing strategy and set it up in the right way, but it is well worth the effort in the end.

Here are three simple-but-incredibly-important rules, to set you on the right path with an E-mail newsletter:

1. Keep the line width up to 65 characters.

Most people read many E-mails every day. Your purpose is to compose your E-mail message so that it is not boring or fatiguing to read. The last thing your recipient wants to do is scroll his eyes from one side of the screen to the other. No matter how good your content is, if it is fatiguing to read, it risks being abandoned after just a few lines.

The optimum width of the line is around 65 characters.

You just type 65 symbols, for example, asterisks or dashes, across the top, and then measure your text returns against this. MS Outlook Express, NoteTab and some other E-mail programs allow you set the line wrap to any character width you require, so you don't have to hit "enter" every time you think you need to.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some E-mail programs force line-wrapping at 60 to 65 characters on E-mails received. So, if you send an Email wrapped at 100 characters, your reader will receive an E-mail that is broken down and looks strange. This makes it look unprofessional.

2. Don't write in ALL CAPS.

It's bad E-mail etiquette. It's like you're shouting at your reader. Nobody likes to be shouted at and, if you are trying to sell something at the same time, you won't make any sales. Even worse, you may lose some subscribers.

Some caps, underlining and bolding is necessary -- but don't abuse it! Too many caps, exclamation points, underlining and bolding work against you. An E-mail all in caps would destroy the reader's confidence very quickly.

3. Check your spelling and grammar.

Have you ever seen a Website, sales page or E-mail with spelling mistakes? What do you think about the professionalism of the owner or E-mail sender?

Some people may not pay attention to the mistakes, but for some people, one spelling mistake will completely destroy the credibility of the message.

It is very important to spell check your messages before sending them. If you have someone else to proofread your message before you send them out it's even better. A fresh look always helps discover the slips and mistakes that you might miss.

Your reputation and sales are in direct proportion with your messages. The better your message is, the higher the credibility of your readers and, thus, more sales you make. So, take the time to get it absolutely right.

Julia Gulevich is a technical expert associated with development of email marketing program: Email Marketing Utilities. Did you find those tips useful? You can learn a lot more here HTML Email Newsletter Guide (http://www.htmlemailguide.com/).

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Mike Potter

"The domain name is 21st century real estate," says Warren Adelman, president of GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest domain name registrar. "The economy is being increasingly driven by the Internet sector." The smart investors with big money are now jumping into this market. Major investors like Ross Perot and Howard Schultz (Chairman of Starbucks Corp.) are investing millions of dollars in the domain market.

You know these guys are not going to put millions of dollars into some fly-by-night idea. How can the average investor get started in domain investing even when it looks like all of the “good names” have already been bought up?

The secret to investing is not buying up domain names hoping that someone is going to type your name into their browser window. Instead, to make money with domain names, the secret is buying expired domain names.

Every day, around 30,000 domains expire, for one reason or another. Often, the Webmaster just doesn’t have the time to update his Website, or he's just lost interest. Sometimes, the Webmaster simply forgot to renew.

Many of these Webmasters have put considerable work into developing their Websites and domains. They've created a large link structure with thousands of links, they've achieved Google page rank, they've listed with Yahoo or DMOZ, or they've invested into other forms of off-line marketing.

The average investor is able to leverage the work already put into a domain to create large profits.

One place to find expiring domain names is etrafficwiz.com. Here, you can find traffic indicating information about the domain (links, Alexa rank, etc) and register to purchase the domains in a private auction before they go into the public market. The program is easy enough that the average person is able to evaluate and purchase these expiring domains and turn them into cash!

There are several ways to make money from an expired domain that gets traffic. Redirecting targeted, profitable traffic to other sites you own is one. If a domain name has traffic already, you can redirect it to one of the sites you already own.

Buying domains relevant to the topic and keywords of a previously-made site is a quick, easy, and cheap way to increase your Website traffic.

Or, you can use parking services for passive income. If you don’t have an existing Website you can still make money from domain investing. The parking services host your site for free and display ads on your site. When a visitor clicks on an ad, you get paid. It's that simple. One example is Sedo.com.

You can also resell domains for fat profits. Just like in real estate, you can buy a domain name under market value in a private auction, then sell it for a profit in the open market. Find a great name like FunnyAds.com and you could be cashing in on a $100,000 paycheck.

Another trick is to build a site to take advantage of the current traffic. Imagine how much easier it is to launch a Website when you are already receiving traffic from an existing link structure or a domain that is already listed with the major search engines. You would be able to save a ton of time, money, and energy.

Another way to cash in: redirect traffic to affiliate programs. Affiliate programs will supply you with links to existing Websites. When someone makes a purchase, you get paid. Just redirect the traffic the Website is already receiving to an affiliate program and watch the cash roll in. Commision Juncion (cj.com) is one of the top affiliate program directories and it's free to join.

Or, you can hold onto domains while they increase in value. You can simply hold onto your domain while you watch prices, demand and value rise and supply go down. Don’t forget to park your domain in a free parking house, to make money while you hold your domain.

The fact is, domain names are becoming a limited resource. Domains are like virtual real estate: as the supply goes down, the value of the real estate goes up.

Smart investors are buying domains that have great potential and are making a nice paycheck while waiting for the value to increase. Check out etrafficwiz.com for more information of how you can invest smartly in domain real estate.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
By: Paul Wolbers

Here is a simple guide for getting started with PPC advertising. You should find it to be complimentary to your overall marketing program and a good start to finding traffic while you continue to build your natural search engine placement.

- Research Your Keywords -

Don't waste your money bidding on words or phrases that will attract the wrong audience or too broad of an audience or you will quickly go through your advertising budget with very little return on your investment.

Use a program like Wordtracker that can assist you in creating a list of keywords and phrases that will relate to your topic. You can easily find out which words have a large amount of competition as well as the current bids for those words.

When you have made your keyword and phrase list, develop a simple Ad that is both clear and descriptive. Use proven advertising copy words like "How to..., "Discover", "Save", "Free" and "Easy" in your description. Create curiosity while providing enough information that you will not attract under qualified traffic.

Use each keyword or phrase you are bidding on in its own description rather than giving the same ad copy to every word. Test your campaigns and stick to your budget.

Figure out how many customers you need in order to make a sale and based on that figure, you can work out how much you are willing to spend to attract customers through pay per click advertising.

If your product sells on average for $20 and it takes 100 visitors to make a sale, you can afford to spend 20 cents per visitor to make a sale. Obviously you would want to spend less in order to make a profit, so by bidding 10 cents per key phrase, you would spend $10 to make a $20 sale with a $10 profit. This is just a rough example.

Remember, PPC is only one piece of your marketing strategy, so while you may spend more using pay per click when you first start, eventually your content and hyperlinks will attract free visitors organically, which will offset your cost per sale ratio.

Paul Wolbers is an Affiliate SEO Marketer. Visit his website for more great tips, tricks and tactics designed to help you succeed online. http://www.PaulWolbers.com

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Chad McDonald

Successful businesses have many things in common. Let's look at the big 'R' of recognition and how a digital advertising network may help.

Recognition can be illustrated by two individuals entering a crowded room at a party. Both walk to the far side of the room. One of them slips through the crowd easily and unnoticed as they reach the far side. The second person takes much longer to reach the far side, because they are engaged in conversations along the way as they continue to meet acquaintances and friends down the path.

Which type of person would you like to model your business after?

Your business is in a continual battle for your customers' recognition, whether you know it or not. If you happen to be fortunate enough to be in a marketplace with very few competitors, that will not last for long. You need your business to be at the forefront of your client's minds so, that when they require your products or services, you are the go-to people.

Marketing your business is a necessity. Putting your name and logo out there and keeping it there is a must. This lets clients know that you are "still around" and in business. Frequency is a good way to achieve the "stand-out factor" in recognition.

I'm reminded of television and radio ads I've heard or seen in the past. They run continually, with a catch phrase or musical jingle, over and over again on the radio or television, until you are absolutely sick of hearing it. You also cannot get it out of your head.

Although this type of advertising is expensive, it can be very effective, and the recognition factor is quite high. Television and radio can reach a large audience, and they are broad in their appeal. In a brief sentence, you are paying to market to both those that are your potential customers and to a large segment of those who are not now and probably never will be your customers.

There are more economical ways to pursue frequency. The point is to define your target market demographic, and invest your marketing funds into the locations that will best be seen by them.

Another factor to consider: "Can I market myself in a place where I will stand out from my competition, or where my competition does not have a presence?" Why would you market yourself in a flyer or newspaper right beside your competition and risk blending into a crowd, and ultimately being ignored?

Another issue to look at is diversification. As the saying goes, "don't put all your eggs in one basket."

When you look at your advertising budget for the year, try to find the affordable solutions that will continue to reap during the full year of your advertising budget. An expensive radio or television promotion may give short-term gains for that weekend sale, but what about the rest of the year? Your clients may end up wondering, "Where did they go, I haven't seen or heard anything about them for so long."

Don't always look for the old stand-bys in marketing, but keep your eyes and ears open for the latest and greatest ways to market your business. With the costs of technology coming down dramatically, new options such as digital advertising on LCD and Plasma screens are becoming more and more affordable, and the paper billboards and posters are becoming a thing of the past.

With the flexibility, and curb appeal of full color and motion video footage with computer-generated graphics available to you, this is an option you don't want to pass by without a good look.

Ultimately, recognition is required if you want to get people "in the door" of your business (or on your Website for the new E-businesses). This is going to cost you money, time and effort up-front, any way you look at it. But, if you have successfully reached your target market, the payoff will be worth it.

Chad McDonald of ETA, a Canadian dynamic signage business with a digital signage advertising network (www.procontentsite.com/Digital_Advertising_Network.html) of LCD and Plasma screens.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Shrinivas Vaidya

Do you know that all you need is 95 characters to survive on the Internet? The online world is not at all different from the usual offline world -- what we call the real world. Google, the busiest search engine on the Internet, started to sell advertising space on the search engine result pages in March, 2002. Instead of talking about this system, I'd like to try to answer a few questions.

* How does the system work?

It's very simple to understand. You go to Google.com, do a search and, when the search results show up, apart from the normal search results, Google also shows the ads of those advertisers who have decided to pay for that particular keyword to Google. The "paying" process in this case is a "bid" because pricing and position are determined on an auction basis.

* How much are the bids on keywords?

This is very difficult to answer. It's like real estate rates ... they entirely depend upon demand and supply of information for which the keyword is associated to.

But, one very important point here is that Google AdWords is a Pay Per Click system. This means it costs nothing to just show your ads on the Google search results pages. But, if someone clicks on your ad, Google will charge your credit card the bid mount that you have selected.

* What kinds of ads can I write?

These are normal text ads, limited to 25 characters for the title, 35 characters for the first description line, and 35 characters for the second description line. These total just 95 characters (including spaces). That's it. You get just 95 characters to show your creativity and drive traffic. Below these words, Google will also display the Website address you're advertising.

* How much time does it take to show up the ads on the search result pages?

Instantly. The moment you save your ad in the account panel, your ad becomes "active" and, depending upon the demand for the keywords you have selected, you start receiving traffic to your Website.

* How many keywords can I bid on for a given ad.

It entirely depends upon how much targeted traffic you want to your Website. It's quite obvious that bidding on more keywords will expose your ad to more search results and, thus, you can expect more traffic.

The AdWords system has a facility to create ad groups within your account and each ad group can take up to 1000 keywords.

This was a simple overview of the Google AdWords system for beginners. I hope it will help encourage you to study, in depth, more AdWords strategies that can create wonders for your online business.

Copyright, Shrinivas Vaidya

AdWords is the registered trademark of Google Inc.

Learn how ordinary people are earning a loads of cash with AdWords. Subscribe to a FREE 5-day FREE e-course and get the insiders secrets that can double your Website traffic by spending less even on highly competitive keywords. Visit http://www.PayPerClickWonders.com to start TODAY.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
By Ken Mathie

There is only one 'right' way to use email lists for marketing purposes and that is to use it with a list of prospects who have contacted you first. This is what is called an Opt-In list. What it means is the consumers have opted to include their email address in a mailing list which means that your mails are not considered spam because they were 'opted' for.

Here's why:

Your contacts will not complain about receiving valuable information from you. They welcome the opportunity to receive many different types of emails such as:

* last minute' reminders
* special offers
* hot information about new products
* news 'from the very hub' of their industry
* product/website updates
* even links to affiliate 'like' sites

Here are some more key tips to keep in mind when trying to build your own email hot list.

1. Capture Addresses

You can only email your customers if you have their addresses, so start collecting them now. Make sure there is a prominent place for an email address on all customer response forms you use both online and offline. It helps when you use software that is designed to hold multiple email hot lists, so you will only have to input the information once.

2. Use ASCII Text Only

Keep it simple. Include lots of white space in your messages. Use headlines and sub-headlines. Don't overuse words that are in all capitals. Make it easy for the readers to scan and to read.

3. Use Wide Margins

Limit yourself to 55/60 characters or less per line, because it is simply more attractive to the reader and it helps you to point out anything that you want to draw attention to.

4. Deliver Your Most Important Information First

Key benefits and sales points must be communicated in the first screen people read because many readers do not read an entire email, whether they opted in for it or not. If you save the good stuff for the end of the email, or try to capture a reader's attention by leading into it, you will do nothing except lose business.

Think about it; would you want to have to hunt around for the best part?

5. Make The Subject Line Your Headline, Too

This is what people are going to see first. If your headline is strong, crisp, and compelling, they'll open your email. Concentrate on this all-important element. For example, if you are offering a free gift with purchase, your subject line could read "FREE gift for you!" I don't know about you, but this would get my attention if it is from a web source that I signed up for.

6. The Shorter the Better

Unlike other kinds of sales writing, where long copy outsells short copy, the standard for email sales letters are different. Think about the way you sort through email, especially when you have a backlog of messages. The time you spend online is generally short. Respond to this new business medium by keeping your emails just as short.

7. Test

Keep a good record of your responses by testing one element of your email at a time. Start with the subject line. Test headlines, body copy, layout, and the PS at the end. Successful marketing copy is always tested, one element at a time, to make sure those things are running smoothly and to get rid of the stuff that is not working.

Today, the largest companies online,including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and many, many more are using acceptable and responsible commercial email. If they can do it, YOU can do it too.

Start building your opt-in email lists today! I would suggest that you keep it simple to begin with, and build a growing text file of email addresses. But, ultimately, you will want to personalize your messages, because it substantially increases your response. Gather as much information as you can when people contact you, such as the reader's name, and apply it
to the email, but, at a minimum, capture their name and email address. In time, this list will become highly profitable for you. The list is the most important aspect of any successful email marketing campaign.

8. Use Autoresponders

When you are contacting your clients through emails that require a reply from the reader or a sign up or order form etc. you should be sure to include an autoresponder that will let your client know that their email was received. You can find many different types of software that will do this for you. If for no other reason; than so that you can free up some of your time.

Writing an Autoresponder Message that Gets Results!

The autoresponder is fast becoming the hardest worker of Internet marketing. With theautoresponder, you can deliver your sales message or other information to all of your clients very quickly. And you can deliver it 24 hours a day to any Internet email user in the world. This must sound awesome, right? But, you might be wondering how you can create an
autoresponder message that gets real results.

Here are some methods of power communication that will give you the success that you crave. I know this because I have used them. It is great for emails, letters, mailbot copy, World Wide Web content, ads and more.

1. Focus on the reader, not yourself

Your message should be about the customer's needs and how your product will fulfill those needs, not about how wonderful you are and how great your product is, because, in the end, it is all just your own opinions and it turns people right off.

Don't focus on yourself and your life too much. Take a look at my first few paragraphs above. How many times did I talk about "you" and "your" as opposed to "I" and "me"?

2. Make it personal.

As with any sales letter, you have to write your autoresponder message as if you were having a one-to-one conversation. Pretend you're sitting down to talk to a friend. Allow your message be friendly, animated and informal. You can even use some slang, if it's appropriate.

3. Be sure to Emphasize the benefits.

Rather than thinking of yourself as selling a product or a service, think of yourself as providing real services to your clients. You want to know what the benefits to these services really are here. This is what you should be asking yourself:

"What does the customer get out of my product?"

The answer should be something like "more time," "more money," "more fun," "an easier life," "better health," or "greater safety."

Benefits and features are two different things. Feature are: "This computer has a Pentium 4 processor." A benefit is more like this: "Lightning-fast Pentium 4 processor means you get more work done in less time."

4. Include a "Call to Action" in your response

You need to know exactly what you want the reader to do after reading your message and then tell them to do it. Ask yourself these questions:

What do you want? Do you want a reply by email? A visit to your Web site? An order called in to your toll-free number?

Let the user know what responses you want, and let them know in a compelling, urgent, benefits-oriented way. Include complete contact information, and triple-check it for accuracy.

5. Offer useful information.

One good autoresponder strategy is to offer a free report that offers useful information but including a sales message and an "advertorial" approach.

For an example, distribute a report, "10 Tips for Selling on the Internet and the Web." Tell the user how to order your book on the subject, etc. You can even include an order form. Readers will not resent your pitch because they got so much value from the report.

6. Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

You tell the world whether you're a professional or an amateur by the quality of your marketing communications. Take the time to edit your autoresponder message for errors. If you're terrible at grammar etc. get someone who can edit it for you.

7. Create a better layout to make it easier to read.

Since a mailbot message is delivered in plain ASCII text, your design capabilities are going to be very limited. Here are a few tricks you can use to make your message a bit more readable:

* For a headline, use ALL-CAPS and insert a blank line before and after it.

* Use short paragraphs, say 5-7 lines at the most (100 words).

* Set out all of your material in bulleted lists -- its easier to read.

* Use "white space with catchy headlines" to center important material and call attention to it, like the following does:

Now available:
Solid strategies for "Affiliate Marketing"!
Send any message to ken@profitdot.net

Warning: Don't get fancy with your script fonts because not all computers are the same.

8. Don't Break the law.

False advertising is still illegal, even if you're on the Internet. In many countries, pyramid schemes (MLM) and chain letters are illegal. You should assume that all tax and licensing laws in your town, state, province, country and so forth still apply. If you're not sure about something, check.

9. Read feedback people send to your autoresponder.

A good autoresponder system will send you a copy of the request every time someone sends for your report. With most systems, the user doesn't have to type anything in the body of their message when they send in the request; however, they usually do. By reading the message and replying to the user personally, you may increase your chances of selling to that person because it shows that you are listening.

If you create a strong, well-written, persuasive message, your autoresponder can help you increase your sales and fulfil any and all of the goals of your email marketing effort, which will certainly make it a whole lot more worth while.

PMCezine.. Home Biz News & Tips. Weekly up-to-date powerful strategies to outsmart, out market and outsell even your toughest competition. Receive your six free egifts when you subscribe. http://www.pmcezine.comet/

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
By: Elizabeth Gordon

Are you looking for ways to get people talking about your brand? An increasing frustration with traditional media has driven businesses and marketing firms to start employing more creative means of getting customers attention beyond the traditional media outlets. You may hear this referred to as viral, word-of-mouth or buzz marketing and this method is attaining broad popularity as an inexpensive and highly effective marketing method.

What is Viral Marketing, Word-of-Mouth, or Buzz Marketing?

Viral Marketing is a way of capturing attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes interesting conversation. Generating a buzz is based on either customers' personal experience with brands or what other people have told them about these brands. When this experience becomes interesting, your brand and what your company is doing become a source of entertainment, and your brand becomes newsworthy.

Basically, it's unconventional, it's economical and it's powerful. Buzz marketing is about starting conversations. In a nutshell, buzz marketing is about getting people talking and getting the media writing about your brand. With Buzz Marketing, you stop talking at consumers, and start talking to them.

Why does buzz work?

Today's noisy advertising environment has forced marketers to become more creative and some say even slightly devious with their methods. Consumers are subject to constant information overload and are wary and distrustful of companies due to scandals and scams they have heard about or been victims of in the past.

All of that buyer's remorse from past bad purchase decisions has built up and created a wall of sales resistance that they psychologically throw up whenever faced with something that appears to be a marketing message or sales pitch. Conversely, consumers like to rely on friends and peers for product and service recommendations and will do less shopping around and are more apt to act based on recommendations of people the know. This has long fueled efforts to increase customer referrals for companies.

Another way to enter a customer's mindshare is through buzz marketing, which is simply the process of sharing information through the natural social networks of your target market that helps them in the decision-making process. That way, instead of coming from a faceless and distrusted corporation, the marketing message instead seems to emanate from the most powerful endorser possible: your coolest friend.

How is it different than traditional advertising?

Most marketing, advertising, and PR employs a push strategy, where you push your message out into the marketplace at people, typically when they are not seeking it. Many people do not enjoy or appreciate this approach. Good marketers know that using a pull strategy to market their products and services can result in close rates at least twice as high as a traditional push strategy. Doubling your marketing effectiveness is certainly worth paying attention to. Buzz marketing is powerful because it gets customers to seek you out.

Why is this a good time for Buzz?

Marketing today is in a state of turmoil. Industry leaders say traditional marketing campaigns, based on mass media advertising, are not working anymore. And the facts back them up. A 2004 study into advertising effectiveness by Deutsche Bank in the US consumer packaged goods sector found that only 18 percent of television advertising campaigns generate a positive return on annual investment, while the Harvard Business Review reports that for every dollar invested into traditional advertising for consumer packaged goods, the short-term return on investment is just 54 cents.

Marketing in the business-to-business sector fares no better. An astonishing 84 percent of B2B marketing campaigns actually result in a fall in market share and brand equity. Word of mouth connections are highly influential.

A 2004 UK survey of 10,000 consumers by consultants CIA:MediaEdge found that 76 percent cite word of mouth as their main influence on their purchasing decisions, compared with traditional advertising's mere 15 percent. In the US, NOP (now GfK) research shows that 92 percent of Americans cite word of mouth as their preferred source of product information. Studies show that when it comes to generating excitement about products, word of mouth is 10 times more effective than TV or print advertising.

Younger consumers, who are still forming their brand preferences, are among the most coveted by marketers. These days, they spend less time planted in front of the tube and are more skeptical about the messages they receive there. Therefore, a recommendation for a product or service from a trusted friend is more memorable and convincing than the cleverest television ad and more likely to be turned into action.

What are the benefits?

Many are saying that buzz represents the future and will surpass traditional ads in regards to maintaining consumer brand-interest. "If I can involve one person really deeply in my brand in 50 cities, vs. 50 people in one city, I'll take the former every time," says Mark Hughes, author of Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff. Jon Berry of research company Nop World, and author of The Influentials, argues that word of mouth is worth more than twice what it was in the 1970s in affecting consumer purchases, and it's 150 percent more influential than newspaper and magazine advertising or articles.

Another benefit of buzz marketing is the ability to break through customers' natural defense mechanisms that they typically have up when receiving marketing messages. Customers think of you more like a friend and less like a business trying to sell them something, and that is a great place to be.

You're speaking face-to-face, which gives you attention and mindshare. Another reason word of mouth works so well is credibility. When your friend, neighbor, co-worker or a family member tells you about a great movie, product or service, you believe them. They're not being paid to pitch the item and so you give them full credibility. That's why having a great product matters so much: If you can really wow people, they will tell their friends and neighbors.

Such face-to-face attention creates superior memory retrieval. In a study of two groups presented with advertising information with the brand removed, only 49 percent of people recalled advertising based on a visual cue, while 70 percent recalled advertising from a thirty-second musical cue. Given the right context of attention, audio stimuli can be far superior to visual.

Buzz marketing is one of the hottest trends in marketing today. By applying these 18 techniques in your business you'll see people buzzing about your brand.

Here's how to do it:

1. Start with your initial or existing base of satisfied customers. While enrolling new consumers, a successful buzz marketing strategy bases itself on the impact these consumers could have on the next potential customer. Providing a positive customer experience establishes trust. This trust is rewarded with consumers acting as buzz marketing agents, literally working for brands free of charge. The consumers who are first to climb aboard then become evangelists of your brand.

2. Pick a target market you can find. Where does your target market hang out? If you're selling hot pink lipstick, you might find that your main customers are at the corner of Pine and Main Street, wearing stilettos and pleather. Make them easily definable and be able to name the specific areas where they go, so you can target your target market.

3. Find the thought leaders. Every social culture has its thought leaders. Building a successful buzz campaign hinges on finding the right carriers for the message: influencers who are obsessed with staying one step ahead of their peers. You must find, connect, and collaborate with the people who influence your brand, lead opinions, and spread word of mouth. Look for opinion-leading individuals who frequently offer or are elicited for category-related advice. Thought leaders are the 10 percent of society that help influence the majority of all purchasing decisions. They are not necessarily the customers who spend the most money with you, but they are the most important people you can reach, because your target market takes their advice from them. They hold a social power that will amplify the affect of your word of mouth campaign.

After finding influencers, make sure that you develop ongoing, two-way relationships with them, from giving them a trial before the product is available to the mass market, to going back a step and getting them involved in your research and development. Try to give them experiences that exceed expectations. This will generate goodwill and advocacy that will go a long way toward kick-starting positive word of mouth and wider interest in your product, service, or campaign.

4. Again, find the influences and give out freebies. Think outside of the box. Rather than blitzing the airways with expensive TV commercials, give out freebies to select people who are trendsetters. Targeting the influential people you will get more visibility for your product or service by others who are their friends or assistants and who will buy based on the trendsetters. It is worth it to give out what you can for free that will allow customers to experience how great your brand is.

5. Use fake shoppers. One way to get closer to your customers is to show up right under their noses without them even seeing you. Often, buzz marketers cover their tracks, at least initially. Slip into the conversational pathways of the target market and those who heavily influence their peers.

6. Work at a grassroots level. Get out there and hit the streets. Buzz requires manpower, whether it's volunteers, paid representatives, or evangelists that just can't stop talking. Create a culture around your brand, something that people can stand for, support and be proud of. Get into their neighborhoods. The most successful buzz marketers start on the streets, in the places people live, eat, work, socialize, etc..

7. Piggyback off an existing trend or cause. Look for a trend that your target audience is currently interested in, such as environmentalism. If you can show them that you are interested in the same things that they are, you'll make fast friends and get them talking.

8. Go to the point of sale. Stage an impromptu demonstration, create a display that will attract your customers or have actors put on a show around your product. If you are going to get people talking, get them talking as close to the point of purchase decision as possible.

9. The more unusual and shocking the better. Traditional ad campaigns have lost some of their punch while quirkier campaigns have generated huge grassroots followings for their brands with laughably low marketing expenditures. Use what people naturally like to talk about by creating a messages that contain one or more of these 6 elements.

The taboo (sex, lies, bathroom humor, etc.)
The unusual
The outrageous
The hilarious
The remarkable
Secrets (both kept and revealed)

10. Be completely believable. When you have your consumer do marketing for you, it is credible, less expensive and enormously believable.

11. Make it personal. Using the viral strategy on a humdrum product category will not yield your best results. Buzz marketing still seems to work best for the relatively narrow range of products and services that consumers care deeply about because of their physical intimacy, technical complexity or status-enhancing potential.

12. Create a sense of scarcity. Lure those key consumers with coveted items -- whether hot news, loaner cars, or cool gadgets -- that are in short supply, and let the buzz begin.

13. Be bold and extreme. Companies that play on the extremes of being either totally authentic or blatantly unoriginal are memorable and different. Although a buzz campaign may have fictional elements, the premise should be true to the brand. Make sure your buzz campaign fits with your overall ad strategy. Similarly, being totally irreverent can get people talking as well; just make sure consumers don't feel duped. Be sure to test your humor out on a sample of your target market first.

14. Leverage the Internet and buzz with blogs. From large corporations such as GM and Microsoft to entrepreneurs, businesspeople of all kinds are using blogs as a tool to connect with customers and internal audiences in new ways. They're generating unprecedented buzz, and exponentially amplifying word of mouth marketing. A single successful blog can attract tens or even hundreds of thousands of visitors. Done right, they can give back loyalty, goodwill, and valuable feedback. The best part is they often spread that message to others within their sphere of influence through blogs, instant messenger or e-mail.

15. Don't overlook quality and customer service. Make sure that your product, service or brand is of a quality level that stands out next to competitors. The last thing you want is to have all this talk you generated turn into complaints. Customer service should be given extra attention while you are working a buzz campaign. Good service and superior quality are so unique they create an inherent buzz of self-propelling word of mouth and customer recommendations.

16. Do something innovative. Buzz is great for anything new and innovative, but if your product is not innovative in itself, then put extra creativity in the execution to generate that buzz.

17. Measure as much as you can. Connected marketing is not about control; it's about management. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. The initial contact may look spontaneous, but it's anything but, and the back end of your campaign should be meticulously planned and the results carefully measured. Marketers are even attempting to quantify how often their message will be passed along and how many downstream consumers they need to influence before a fad is born. Obviously, using online capabilities will make this kind of measurement more easily and precisely monitored. At the very least it will show you whether or not your efforts paid for themselves. Best case scenario: you can determine the exact ROI.

Figure out what types of data do you want to collect, the measurement of recommendation rates, what specific actions should be taken post-measurement, and what influences the recommended rate and how marketers improve recommendation rates.

18. Integrate the campaign with the overall marketing strategy. It is time to develop internal and external connected marketing strategies that integrate product development and marketing activities in innovative ways, enabling consumers and businesses to connect and collaborate with each other as respected partners in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Don't fall into thinking that, if you get buzz, you don't need any marketing. Buzz marketing should be one part of an overall integrated marketing communications plan. Good buzz is the best thing you could wish for. But, in most cases, distribution, advertising, promotion and other traditional concepts are essential to translate the goodwill surrounding your product into sales.

The focus should be not on whether something is classified as traditional or guerrilla, mainstream or viral, but on whether it works. Focus on results, and don't get caught up in any single marketing ideology. It is best to start little fires in lots of places and fan them afterwards.

Implement these techniques and watch the buzz get started. For more information about how you can create a marketing buzz, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Trenton Moss

A higher search ranking is what many Website owners dream of. What they don't realize is that optimising their sites for the search engines, if done correctly, can also optimise it for their site visitors.

Ultimately, this means more people finding your Website, increased sales and increased lead generation.

But -- are search engine optimisation and usability compatible? Aren't there trade-offs that need to be made between giving search engines what they want and giving people what they want?

Read on and find out!

1. Keyword research carried out

Before you even begin building your Website, you should carry out keyword research to identify which keyword phrases your site should target. Using publicly available tools such as Wordtracker (http://www.wordtracker.com), you can discover which keywords are searched for the most frequently and then specifically target those phrases.

Doing keyword research is also crucial for your site's usability. By using the same keywords in your Website that Web users are searching for in search engines, you'll literally be speaking the same language as your site visitors.

For example, you might decide to target the phrase, "sell toys", as your Website does in fact sell toys. Keyword research would undoubtedly show you that Web users are actually searching for, "buy toys" (think about it - have you ever searched using the word, "sell", when you want to buy something?). By placing the phrase, "buy toys" on to the pages on your Website, you'll be using the same words as your site visitors and they'll be able to find what they're looking for more easily.

2. 200-word minimum per page

Quite simply, search engines love content - the more content there is on a page, the easier it is for search engines to work out what the page is actually about. Search engines may struggle to work out the point of a Web page with less than 200 words, ultimately penalising that page in the search rankings.

In terms of usability, it's also good to avoid pages with very little content. A page with less than 200 words is unlikely to contain a large amount of information, so site visitors will undoubtedly need to click elsewhere to find more detailed information.

Don't be afraid to put a reasonably large amount of information on a page. Web users generally don't mind scrolling down and, provided the page provides mechanisms to aid scanning (such as employing sub-headings - see point 6 below), it shouldn't be too difficult for site visitors to locate the information they're after.

3. 100kb maximum HMTL size

If 200 words is the minimum page content size, then 100kb is the maximum, at least in terms of HMTL file size. Anything more than this and search engines may give up on the page as it's simply too big for them.

A 100kb HMTL file will take 20 seconds to download on a 56k dial up modem. Add on the time it takes for all the other parts of the page to download, such as images and JavaScript files, and you're looking at a highly un-user-friendly download time!

4. CSS used for layout

The Website of Juicy Studios (http://www.juicystudio.com) saw a six-fold increase in site visitors after switching from a table-based layout to a CSS layout. Search prefer CSS-based sites and are likely to score them higher in the search rankings because:


* The code is cleaner and therefore more accessible to search engines
* Important content can be placed at the top of the HTML document
* There is a greater density of content compared to coding

Using CSS for layout is also highly advantageous for usability, as it leads to significantly faster download times.

5. Meaningful page title

If you know anything about search engine optimisation, you'll know that search engines place more importance on the page title than any other attribute on the page. If the title adequately describes the content of that page, then search engines will be able to more accurately guess what that page is about.

A meaningful page title also helps site visitors work out where they are, both within the site and within the Web as a whole. The page title is the first thing that loads up, often quite a few seconds before the content, so a descriptive, keyword-rich page title can be a real aid to help users orientate themselves.

6. Headings and sub-headings used

Search engines assume that the text contained in heading tags is more important than the rest of the document text, as headings (in theory at least) summarise the content immediately below them.

Headings are also incredibly useful for your human site visitors, as they greatly aid scanning. Generally speaking, we don't read on the Web, we scan, looking for the information that we're after. By breaking up page sections with sub-headings that effectively describe the content beneath them, scanning becomes significantly easier.

Do be sure not to abuse heading tags, though. The more text you have contained in heading tags within the page, the less importance search engines assign to them.

7. Opening paragraph describes page content

We've already established that search engines love content, but they especially love the first 25 words or so on each page. By providing an opening paragraph that adequately describes the content of the rest of the page (or the site, if it's the homepage), you should be able to include your important keyword phrases in this crucial area.

As Web users, whenever we arrive at a Web page, the first thing we need to know is whether this page has the information that we're after. A great way to find this out is to scan through the first paragraph, which, if it sufficiently describes the page content, should help us out.

8. Descriptive link text

Search engines place a lot of importance on link text. They assume that link text will be descriptive of its destination and as such, they examine link text for all links pointing to any page. If all the links pointing to a page about widgets say 'click here', search engines can't gain any information about that page without visiting it. If, on the other hand, all the links say, 'widgets' then search engines can easily guess what that page is about.

One of the best examples of this in action is for the search term, 'miserable failure'. So many people have linked to George Bush's bio using this phrase as the link text, that now, when miserable failure is searched for in Google, George Bush's bio appears top of the search rankings!

As Web users, we don't generally read Web pages word-for-word - we scan them looking for the information that we're after. When you scan through text, you can't take any meaning from the word 'click here'. Link text that effectively describes its destination is far easier to scan and you can understand the destination of the link without having to read its surrounding words.

9. Frames avoided

Frames are quite an old-school Web design technique and, although they aren't as commonplace as they once were, they do still rear up their ugly head from time to time. Using frames is one of the worst possible things you could do for your search engine ranking, as most search engines can't follow links between frames.

Even if a search engine does index your pages and Web users find you through a search engine, they'll be taken to one of the pages within the frame. This page will probably be a content page with no navigation (navigation is normally contained in a separate frame) and, therefore, they will have no way to navigate to any other page on the site!

Frames are also disadvantageous for usability as they can cause problems with the back button, printing, history and bookmarking.

Put simply, say "no" to frames!

10. Quality content provided

This may seem like a strange characteristic of a search engine optimised Website, but it's actually crucial. Search engines, in addition to looking at page content, look at the number of links pointing into Web pages. The more inbound links a Website has, all other things being equal, the higher in the search rankings it will appear.

By providing creative, unique and regularly updated content on your Website, Webmasters will want to link to you, as doing so will add value to their site visitors. You will also be adding value to your site visitors.

Conclusion:

Optimising your Website for both search engines and people needn't be a trade-off. With this much overlap between the two areas, you should easily be able to have a Website that Web users can easily find in the search engines and, when they do find it, they can find what they're looking for quickly and efficiently.

Trenton Moss is crazy about Web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own Web usability and accessibility consultancy (Webcredible - http://www.webcredible.co.uk) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Donald Lee

Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad fails to attract the attention you desire? There should be dozens -- no, hundreds of perspective buyers swamping your E-mail inbox with offers. After all, you are offering a mint baseball card, a vintage coat, pristine used car, those wholesale-priced sporting goods, and whatever other attractive items are in your inventory.

Instead, you only have a slow trickle of questions, a handful of sales.

What gives? More than likely, your sales are slow because you have not mastered the three techniques of writing a classic classified ad.

Give yourself credit for recognizing one important facet of today's selling world. You decided to sell your stuff at an online classified site. As anybody in the business knows, online classified ads get you more privacy, a broader selection of buyers, and a wealth of tools to help you keep tabs on your transactions.

When compared to a newspaper, cyberspace is also a wee bit more spacious. There are billions of pages on the Web, and only a few dozen in your typical neighborhood rag. For you, that means a lot more space for your ad to say the least.

With that space, however, comes great responsibility and great potential. The extra room gives you the freedom to include as much product description and sale copy as you want. You can't just slap together a whole bunch of information, though. You need to use the three special ad writing techniques that will attract buyers and seal the deal: attention, interest, and action.

Attention

Make sure the buyer stops at your ad instead of the thousands upon thousands of others out there in cyberspace. Your ad's title is the first lure to grab his or her attention, and the first component of a catchy title is the item's best feature, whether it's the price, the item's rarity, or its popularity.

Next, be sure the title includes keywords or other synonyms for your item that a buyer might use in a search. For instance, a buyer could search for "automobile" instead of "car," "pullover" instead of "sweater."

Interest

Once you have the buyer's attention, hook them with details. There is a direct relationship between the amount of information you provide and the number of sales you'll make. Describe the item as completely as possible -- size, color, material, designer, model -- and provide a clear, digital photo to finish the job where your words leave off.

Offer your prospective customer the item's history, if possible.

Also, try to list as many possible benefits that your sale item could offer the buyer. Come up with some that the buyer probably wouldn't think of on his or her own. And zone in on specific benefits.

Use what you already know about your target. For instance, if you were selling a car, you know that whoever is looking at your ad is in need of a vehicle. If your car is compact, perhaps the buyer is in search of great gas mileage. Or perhaps it's power he or she wants, if your car is a sports model.

Action

Finish your ad strongly. Don't just suggest to the buyer that you offer a great deal. Tell them it's a fantastic offer that they can't pass up. Use phrases like "Call me now, before someone else does" or "Buy now, this opportunity won't last long."

Be cordial while you're pressing the issue. Thank them for reading your ad and make sure they know you appreciate their business.

Most importantly, your customers will also value your honesty throughout the whole ad. Whether it's the attention, interest, or action you're shooting for, never lie or exaggerate. Go so far to include any defects, if your product is not in mint shape.

Your honesty will build trust, and trust, above all else, makes an ad work. What's more, it makes for repeat customers.

Remember, if you use all three of these elements -- or four, if you include honesty -- when you're finished with it, it should read something like the two examples below.

Example 1:

Discover the beauty of a Forest Hill Home
2500 sq. ft. home, 4 bedroom, 3 baths, double garage, upgraded kitchen, 12 ft. ceilings
This open concept house is situated in a historical landmark district of Rhode Island. It's a wonderful neighborhood to raise your family, with nearby schools and amenities.

(Insert your image or photo here.)

Call for an on-site appointment. Thanks for looking!

Example 2:
Looking for an inexpensive used car that drives well? Only $4,950.
2003 Honda Civic, Limited Edition, 65,000 miles, manual transmission, CD, AM/FM radio, power steering, low maintenance. Great on gas - this car will save you $$$ on high gasoline prices.

(Insert your image or photo here.)

Send me a message now. Thanks for looking!

Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services for individuals and businesses to market their products and services online. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com -- Free Buy and Sell Classifieds.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php
by Martin Lukac

Most of us been there when it comes to duplicate pages. You may have news, or articles from news companies that provide you with the news feed. Or you might have your Website designed by a third party that uses the same tools on all of their clients' Websites.

But, did you know that this duplicate content can LOWER your search engine rankings? In today's SEO (Search Engine Optimization)-driven Website world, it is important to avoid duplicate content as much as possible.

What are duplicate pages for search engines?

It is obvious that duplicate means the same as something else. For search engines, this means the same exact page, the same exact title, the same keywords etc. Search Engines send spiders -- for example Google's spider is called "googlebot," Yahoo has "yahoo slurp" -- to crawl your Website looking for and gathering content or information.

These spiders look for certain information: What is this page about? Is it relevant to your Website? etc.

If any of these search engines find the same content on a different Website, they start to compare the content. First they look when this content was indexed and from which Website it was submitted first to the search engines.

Then they start to look for links.

Are there any links on these pages that point to the same source? This way, search engine can determine who is the priority Website and they assign a higher rank to that site.

But -- what about rest of the Web-sites? What will happen to them?

If you have articles or news that are duplicate content, you Website will go lower in search engines. It may take some time until the search engines actually visit your Website and assign a duplicate content filter. But, eventually, the search engines will simply filter your Website out of their search.

What if you pay a licensing fee for these articles?

The only way for search engines such as Google to understand this, is when you E-mail them and explain your content. To do this, you will need to do a re-inclusion request.

What if you like free articles published on different article sites?

No matter what you do, the search engines will hit you with duplicate content, however, you can teach search engines about your content.

First, reduce the number of articles that you have copied. Get some new fresh well-written articles. Make sure that the majority of your content is your own and the rest is articles from other sources.

Second, articles must be related to your field. If you write about real estate, make sure you stick with real estate and finance articles only. Show search engines that you have categories and your readers benefit from these articles.

Third, do a re-inclusion request and wait.

In few weeks, you should see some movement in your site rankings. If it is not improving, reduce the number of articles again.

With free articles, it's a cat-and-mouse game all over. It's hard to figure out as how the algorithms are set in Google, for example, for duplicate content, in addition to the way Google deals with re-produced articles that you can freely post anywhere.

What if you have a Website that was designed by third party company?

Most Website companies use the same templates or similar templates. That's what they give you and rest of their clients -- the same and exact FAQ pages, About Us pages, etc.

You want to avoid this as much as possible. Always re-write these text blocks by yourself. This way, you will create unique pages for your Website.

Duplicating content is one of the biggest mistakes many Webmasters make when it comes to creating their Websites. Always try to create your own posts and, if you really want to expand your article base, make sure you provide valuable content to your users, not just another article Website.

Engine Promoter, (www.EnginePromoter.com) is a search engine marketing Website for search engine optimization and Website submission. Promote your Website and get top rotating positions on over 250+ search engines, including a niche Website submission. Engine Promoter also operates #1 Shopping Online and www.RateEmpire.com.

]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_FEs_745/user/index.php