ProBizTips Newsletter
** ISSUE #229 **

February 10th, 2003

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Hey!

Good Day to you and I hope your day is going well so far! :)
Welcome to all our new subscribers this week and I hope you grow
to love us as so many have ... we couldn't do this without you!

I have to tell ya ... I have been SO DRAINED lately! I took the weekend off and although it felt great to rest, I have a TON of work to do now. I seem to be overextending myself but there isn't one thing I am involved in that I want to let go! I have thought about selling off some of my sites and businesses but I love all of them and don't know which ones I could let go of and be OK about it. One thing is for sure, ProBizTips will always be my "baby" and I will never let it go. I've been offered some big buckaroos for it and always decline. It's my therapy, so to speak ... I'd go insane if I didn't have you to "talk" to ... :)

I got some well-deserved "reprimanding" on my comment last week about the space program being for technology's sake ... I did NOT mean that was the only reason it was around and fully support it, but it didn't come out that way and I apologize. I DO know they choose and dream of going into space so at least their dreams were fulfilled unlike the Challenger disaster. The memorial was heartbreaking and I continue to pray for the families. I DO appreciate everyone's comments about it, though ... it shows you ARE listening, at least. :)

Also, I have a great special contest today. Gavin of http://www.expertmakeovers.com (who made over the ProBizTips site as well as a few of my others) is willing to offer 5 subscribers a HUGE discount and lifetime support to make over your existing website. Yes, you must have your own website on your own host ... you will be responsible for the uploading after they are done with the new design. This is not done from scratch, so you have to have an existing design and text that they can plug into your new design.

The regular price for a makeover is $297. He is willing to give 5 of you the price of $147 ... this is an AWESOME deal! Just check out the site above and you will see the quality of their designs and graphics. The only stipulation will be that you pay via PayPal in advance before they start.

So here's a breakdown of the rules:

1. Must have an existing website
2. $147 must be paid via PayPal in advance.

The 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th person to email me with SITE MAKEOVER in the subject line will be the winners. You must have SITE MAKEOVER in your subject line or I will overlook it. Please do not email for the makeover if you are not willing to pay the $147 by PayPal within the next few days. I will give you all the details if you are one of the winners. :)

In the meantime ... sit back, relax and enjoy today's issue!

Your Friend,

Diane Hughes
ProBizTips Weekly

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Boost The Size Of Your List By Creating The Right First Impression!
by Brian Terry

If your website had a good looking, easy to read PopUp window do you think you'd get more subscribers than a rough one containing just a few lines of text and nothing else?

The sad fact is there are so many people putting up some very "shoddy" looking PopUps. Are they getting subscribers? Sure they are, but not as many as they could be getting!

It stands to reason doesn't it, everyone is influenced by the way things look, just pick up any fashion magazine then choose any page you like. I guarantee it will look pleasing to your eye! If you're the target audience then there's a very good chance you'll be pulled further into the magazine, who knows maybe you'll be reaching for your credit card to buy that "cool" looking watch, if not today then sometime soon. Good targeted design works!

Creating the "right image" for your site is paramount to gaining extra sales and pulling in more subscribers into your list, don't you agree?

Wherever I turn these days the top Internet marketers are beginning to talk more about the importance of creating the right image to gain extra sales.

No longer is it enough just to put up a site that looks like a bunch of well written words, you need something extra... something that helps to stir people's emotions some more, something that gives your potential customer more confidence in you and what you're offering.

Do you notice it's all about how you make people feel when they arrive at your site? It's a well known fact that people buy based on their emotions, so use this to your advantage.

I could go on about this some more but I think you get the picture. Good copy sells, good targeted design helps to sell even more... period.

Now take this idea and apply it to building the size of your opt-in list.

We all know that PopUp and PopUnder windows are superb ways to build your "priceless" list. So how would you like to make yours work even harder and boost the size of your list?

I knew you would say yes!

As luck would have it I've created 5 PopUp windows for you to use that follow the basic principals of good design. Of course it's up to you how you customize them, but the framework is there.

Just in case you need some more help here are a few basic design rules for you to follow when creating a PopUp window.

1. Direct Mail research has shown the eye reads from top left to bottom right then across the bottom and back to the top again, like a triangle. Take advantage of this by placing your headline at the top of the page and your subscription box on the bottom right.

2. Keep your design structure simple, the rule of thumb to follow is to keep the design to 3 basic elements i) the headline ii) the 3D cover of your ezine/course iii) the call to action.

3. Use no more than 3 colors including black for the body text in your call to action.

4. Use no more than 3 font sizes.

5. Use 1 font but with no more than 3 styles for example bold, regular and italic. (Remember though italic is harder to read on a computer screen at smaller sizes).

6. When possible keep the background white, this makes your copy easier to read.

7. Keep the text on your PopUp window to a minimum, the more text you have the less chance there is for it all to be read, remember this is a PopUp window so it only has a few seconds to get your visitors to take action.

As promised here is a Zip file containing 5 PopUp window templates, plus 3 types of PopUp JavaScript you can use to help you create the right first impression and boost the size of your email list.

All you need to do is add your own text and graphics and you're away!

Just follow this link and the download will start straight away:
http://www.ebookwow.com/go/go.php/SamplePopUps

I hope this helps!

At your service,

Brian Terry

P.S. Here's a little tip for you... to make your PopUp Window load just that bit faster I usually use this excellent no cost award winning HTML compression program.
http://www.serpik.com/ahc/index.htm

Compress your final HTML code using this essential program and you can usually shave off a good few seconds on the load time of your PopUp window.

---------------------------------

Brian Terry is the Creative Director and owner of EbookWow:
http://www.ebookwow.com/go/go.php/art Discover more techniques
and strategies for design and marketing by subscribing to his
online Newsletter called "EbookWow Insider Secrets", just send
a blank email here: mailto:insidersecrets@ebookwow.com

Add popular internet marketing and online business
content to your website with just a snippet of code!

If you like my articles and the other great articles
I use, add them to your site for FREE! This is GREAT
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How Prospects Decide

Before people buy from you, they consider a couple of things. The first thing a prospect looks at is YOU. As you're trying to sell them your product or service, a customer is deciding whether they like you or if they will even listen to you. Remember, it has been said that people make a decision about you in less than seven seconds.

Another important element prospects consider is trust. Studies have shown that 71% of the purchasing decision is based on trust between the salesperson and the prospect. So, what things can you do to help make a good impression in less than seven seconds and help build trust? Here are a few ideas:

Be sure you speak slowly. If you speak too quickly you will give the impression that you are unsure of yourself or nervous. Also remember to keep eye contact. This will help assure the prospect that you are confident and are paying attention them.

Make sure that you talk about THEM, THEIR company and THEIR goals. Ask questions, listen, and don't interrupt. People don't listen as closely when you talk about yourself.

Get to the point quickly. People are in a big hurry these days. Don't take more of their time than you have to. It's a good idea to ask them if it is a good time to speak. They will appreciate the fact that their needs are being considered.

------------------------------

Kevin WRITES your professional copy--web site copy, sales
letters, ads, press release and more! See http://DrNunley.com.
Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 801-253-4536.

Stupidman Still Believes In "Santa Claus"

I do believe, I do believe, I do believe....... oops, I didn't hear you come in.........

Most of us have or will get scammed sometime in our lives and if it hasn't happened to you yet.......welcome to the Internet.

From what I've seen, most of the claims made on the 'Net are bogus. Let's face it, if you knew the secrets to great riches would you tell a stranger? That would be like sharing the "genie's" three wishes. Not only would I not share the third wish, I'd use it to get more wishes.

Unlike the "gurus", if I felt guilty about having too much wealth I would contribute cash to a charity. I certainly wouldn't give up my wishes. (If you gave up your last wish it might be used to take all of the stuff you received from previous wishes.)

Where was I? Oh yeah, the secret/wish analogy. No matter how good our resistance, sooner or later we're going to get sucked in. We can't help ourselves. (Maybe we can sue someone.) Growing up with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy was too much conditioning.

Now we have the lottery, the Pick Six and frivolous lawsuits. You and I both know we deserve the big score. It's just a matter of time.

Unfortunately, I'm sure there is a way to use the Internet to make some serious money. Even worse, I actually believe the hard work is in finding the "way" and once found, I can collect the money on "autopilot".

(Long pause to enable readers to quit laughing.)

In order to create a theme for several articles (possibly a chapter in my next book) and to add to your amusement I thought I would share my experience with my latest "magic lamp" quest for Santa Claus.

I have budgeted $50 and 15 hours of time over the next three months. During the first ten days I have spent $12.95 and 3 hours in getting set up. The marketing plan is idiotically simple, in fact, it's called the Simple System and is a series of Free Reports that tout simplicity and were written by someone else. I don't know how this is going to turn out so I'm not going to recommend that you invest any money. If you want to play along you can sign up for the Free Reports at http://www.stupidmanok.com/ss.html but keep your wallet in your pocket or purse.

Tomorrow or the next day I'll be running an article for Valentine's Day in Stupidman's Occasional Newsletter. I have a genetic fear of Valentine's Day so it should be amusing. If you hurry you can be a subscriber before I deliver it. http://www.stupidmanok.com/or.html

--------------------------------------------

If you haven't signed up for Stupidman's Occasional
Newsletter you can at www.stupidmanok.com/or.html

Haven't read the book? It's a MUST!
Copyright 2002 Stupidman LLC

The Basics Of Marketing eBooks
by InfoProductLab

Does the marketing of digital goods present the entrepreneur, web site owner or self-publisher with problems not inherent in the marketing of physical goods?

The professional methods of marketing never change. It's the mechanics of marketing, the medium of the message that change: Instead of billboards, it's banner ads; letters sent through the post are now emailed; web sites replace brochures and full-color catalogues; live chat with customer service representatives replace 800 numbers, etc.

Eugene (Gene) M. Schwartz, the copywriter that helped Marty Edelson launch Boardroom Reports, said marketing is like playing the stock market or being an atomic scientist. Marketing, speculation and science are all alike- they all deal with immense natural forces, thousands of times more powerful than the men who use them. In science, the forces are the fundamental energies of the universe. In speculation, the forces are the billion-dollar tides and currents of the market place.

In marketing, the forces are the hopes, fears and desires of millions upon millions of men and women, all over the world. The men who use these forces did not create them; they can't turn them or shut them down; neither can they diminish them or add to them in any way. All they can do is harness them!

So what works? How can you and I harness this immense power? Gene's answer: Innovation. Continuous, repeated innovation. A steady stream of new ideas- fresh new solutions to new problems. Created above all not by the impossible route of memory- but by analysis. And what is analysis? It's a series of measuring rods, checkpoints, benchmarks and signposts that show you where a particular force is going, and enable you to get there first.

So how do we innovate or be creative in the process of selling ebooks?

Books, just like other types of products, do not sell themselves. It takes people with skill and knowledge to sell them. That's why most professional marketers are more prosperous than writers. The US Department of Labor reports that writers (as an occupation) earn an average of $7,500 per year. Most writers are not able to earn a living from writing alone. Even 'published' authors will find it difficult to make a living with a single book.

The first question an author is asked upon signing a contract for a first book is, "What else do you have?" The publisher knows that 'one book' authors will never be able to sell enough copies of their first book to make any real money for them or the author. It takes several books, within the same genre, to build the author's presence in the marketplace.

Speaking to yourself, "What else do you have?" should be your mantra as a publisher or content developer/entrepreneur online.

There are some writers who hit it big with a single book, but that's very unusual.

My own experience writing, publishing and marketing books on the Internet proves this. One book made me some money. Five books made me even more money. The more books I offered to my web site visitors the more profits I made. Many other publishers and content entrepreneurs will confirm this phenomenon.

From a marketers point of view, the only job of that first book you wrote is to get your readers to buy your second book, and the only job of the second book is to keep the reader hooked enough on your writing to buy your third book, and on and on -- because that's where the money is.

The question then is, "How do I, as an e-content marketer, stand apart from the rest or innovate?"

By asking yourself which ctagory your ebook fits into:

CUSTOMERS FIRST REACTION / INITIAL RESPONSE TO YOUR BOOK

1) "Don't need to know - no time - not interested enough to care";
(customer response: "I'll pass")
2) "Nice to know - looks interesting, but --";
(customer response: "ho hum", *insert yawn here*)
3) "This looks great - just what I've been looking for!"
(customer response: "Where do I pay?")

When I'm looking for info (especially on-line) I ask myself these questions.

For example, one morning while surfing the net I went to a web site that had a service I wanted. The service looked interesting (in the "nice to know" category) so I took the time to sign up for a free demo of their service.

I was ready to leave the site when I noticed a link to a free report they were offering too. The link said "download now", and since I was at their demo sign-up 'success' page I thought the link would take me directly to the report. Instead, when I clicked on the link, I got a page with a "registration form"... asking me all the stuff I just answered when I signed up for the free demo.

Suddenly I'm in the "Don't need to know - no time - not interested enough to care", category. I simply didn't have the time to enter all my information again - so I passed on their free offer. Too bad they didn't link the report with the free demo offer. That would have made a lot of sense and it would have been a nice 'bonus' for signing up for the free demo.

If you want people to buy or download your e-book you have to answer the critical question your target audience is asking, " Why do I need this info?" - their response will fall into category 1, 2 or 3 mentioned above.

If it's in category 1 or 2, chances are you need to re-think your e-book's title or the headline and/or ad for your e-book. You need to determine the e-book's "appeal", its' primary benefit to the reader and make that clear to your reader.

This is where Gene Schwartz's idea of marketing as 'innovation and analysis' is so important. You may need to test several titles in subtle ways to your target audience before you find one that works well. One way to do that is by writing an article about your upcoming book (what it's about, etc.) and put the proposed titles as a link to your article. Put the title on your home page. Rotate and change the title once a week and try several different titles. See which one gets the most click-throughs to your article by using a counter on your page with the article or by 'coding' the link. For example:

One title might be: The Sleep Walking Murders

Your link to your article would look like this:
http://www.yoursite.com/article.html

Your 'coded' link would be:
http://www.yoursite.com/article.html?sleep_walking

When someone clicks on the 'coded' link it registers a 'hit' in your server logs. The REAL URL for the article is everything before the "?"- your 'code' is "sleep_walking". Everything after the "?" will not affect the visitor clicking on the link to get to your article. Count the number of hits you get for each title. Just be sure to change the code to correspond with your titles every time you make a change!

If one performs better than all the others, then you have a successful title. And as we all know, a good title sells books.

----------------------------------

© Copyright 2003 by InfoProductLab

Hi Diane,

I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your newsletter very much and I think it was very kind/humanitarian of you to mention our lost astronauts.

However, as a point of education, I want to remind you that those brave men and women don't risk their lives simply for the sake of "technology" in the way you might believe.

Many of the innovations created by NASA and tested by our astronauts have done more to advance modern civilization and save lives than you can imagine. And, I'm not talking about things that are relatively trivial like microwave ovens... although my children didn't know you could cook any other way until we went to Grandma's for Thanksgiving! ;->

Kevlar that protects our police officers, pain relieving medication for the terminally ill, equipment that has saved the lives of countless premature infants, cancer treatments and other advancements to our lives, our health and our well-being have all been initially developed in the NASA labs for the space program.

You can find a list of some of the extraordinary contributions NASA has made to the world by visiting: http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/

So yes, they do risk their lives for technological advances, but they are advances that save lives and protect the people we love. The men and women of NASA perform the noblest duty imaginable - their lives were not in vain.

Please keep writing your wonderful newsletter and helping us all do better business! Thanks for letting me "say my piece"!

Dana Hood
Internet Business Consultant
1st Austin Web Design

--------------------------------------------

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