ProBizTips Newsletter
** ISSUE #320 **

Tuesday, October 18th, 2005

A Word From Diane

ProBizTips Mid-Sponsors

ProBizTips Feature Article
Whose Site Is It Anyway?

ProBizTips Business Tidbit
10 Nitty-Gritty Ways To Increase Your Orders

ProBizTips Guest Article
The No #1 Reason Why People “Getting Started”
In Internet Marketing Are Getting It Wrong

Discount Mania

Weekly F*R*E*E*B*I*E
* Underground Interviews *
Rebecca Hagel

Is your website paid-to-join?
Are you struggling to get customers?

With our Guaranteed Referral packages we send quality 100%
USA customers to all paid business opportunities websites
and programs. Our websites generate 100,000+ potential
customers each month waiting to join our clients' business
opportunities. These are prospects who have actually filled
out our forms asking for more information about business
opportunities.

Get your first 1000 here:
http://www.21webmedia.com/trk/probiztips/

Back to Top

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!

=======** ON A PERSONAL NOTE **=======

Halloween is coming up soon and we're gearing up for that... this neighborhood is wonderful for Braden since there are so many kids for him to play with -- but not so wonderful for Kevin and me on Halloween. You literally have to buy garbage cans full of candy just to have enough!

Kaylen is going to be a bunny -- the costume is too cute! I just hope it fits by then. The girl is only 8 months old and already 20 pounds! Thankfully, she's long too -- proportioned... just a big girl. Braden is going to be a Ninja Warrior. He's excited about that. He's been in Taekwondo for a year or so and thinks he can really bring justice to a ninja costume. ;)

I'm a black belt in Taekwondo myself but I've never had to use it. I've been out of practice for many years. Who knows if I could ever actually defend myself if something ever happened... LOL... :D

Feel Free To Comment....
http://www.DianeHughes.net

====** FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE **====

Did you know? If you're a new subscriber or you've simply forgotten, I run a very affordable membership site that you might want to take a peek at... it's growing fast and there will be some heavy promotion by a heavy hitter or 2 soon so I would get in while you can!

http://www.netprofitsecrets.com

Without further ado -- sit back, relax and enjoy today's issue!

Your Friend,

Diane Hughes
ProBizTips Weekly

P.S. Just a reminder -- you can check out all the special deals,
business ventures, and the Tidbits Issues on our Online Archive.

P.S.S. Also don't forget to check out the *FORUM*... :)

FREE REPORT: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ===>> Don't Miss It!

Back to Top

Fastest money-maker with a killer product
The next BIG thing I am about to tell you is going to shock,
amaze and thrill you...... ohhh yes....I GUARANTEE THAT...
Click here now: http://moneymarker.net/amazingoffer.html

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

Claim your FR'EE content now!
How to Get Your Hands On All The *Private Label*
Articles & Information Products You'll Ever Need...
For Little Or Even NO Cost!
http://www.probiztips.com/go/infogo/

***********************************

Please take the time to visit our sponsors.
They make it possible to keep ProBizTips FREE!
Sponsor the next issue of ProBizTips Newsletter

Back to Top

Whose Site Is It Anyway?
by Diane Hughes

I spend a lot of time emailing with online business owners. Since that’s my specialty, I find a lot of people asking me questions about my success. What amazes me is that many of those people are asking the wrong questions!

The questions I’m talking about come from site owners who want to know how to make themselves look good online. These site owners want to write copy that is all about *their* company. They want to have a flash home page because *they* like it. They want to use *their* favorite colors in the design. <Some of you might be thinking, "So?">

The problem is, it isn’t *their* site! Let me explain....

Think about it a minute. Why do you believe most department stores now willingly offer refunds? Years ago they didn’t. In fact, it was a well-known fact that, if you bought it, you owned it for life. Yet, in just the last 15 years or so, that way of thinking has been completely reversed. The reason? Customer demand.

Retailers recognized a customer need, and they filled it. They understood that customers were the ones who made the purchases and, therefore, the ones who kept their retail stores in business. The smart thing to do? Reverse the refund policy and keep customers happy.

Was it the store’s idea to offer refunds? No. If it were up to the stores, no money would ever be returned. After all, it’s *their* store, isn’t it? They can do what they want. Yeah, right! Not if they want to stay in business.

The same principle applies to your website. Sure, *you* may want to use certain colors on your site, but what would your customer prefer? Your favorite thing in the online world may be flash intros, but your customers might despise them. You may not like the idea of offering a guarantee, but what about your customers? Whose site is it, anyway? Yours? No, not really.

Before you get too entangled in making your site everything you want it to be, consider your customers’ wants and needs.

ACTION STEP 1
Make Your Copy Customer Focused - Go back to your site and read your copy. Does it say anything similar to this? "Welcome to my website. My company does this, that, and the other thing. I am the best company of my type on the Internet. My site has been online since 1999. Buy from me." If so, you have some work to do.

Focus on your customers. What are their needs/wants? Rather than copy that says, "Me, me, we, us, I, I, I," you want copy that acknowledges visitors, makes a connection with them, defines their needs, and offers solutions to their problems.

ACTION STEP 2
Turn Your Site Into An Invitation, Not An Eviction – Do you have a flash home page? If you check your stats, I’ll bet you’ll find more people who skip the flash intro of your site than people who actually view it.

Flash is extremely popular with Web designers, but it is extremely unnerving to site visitors. Don’t force flash on your customers.

ACTION STEP 3
Check Your Navigation – Can your visitors find their way around your site easily? How would you know? The best way to find out for sure is to ask a few people who have never seen your site before to surf on over and take a look around. Ask them to spend 10 or 15 minutes browsing. Then ask them to tell you about their experiences.

Paying due attention to your customers and their needs is one of the best things you can do to improve your online business. Put yourself in your customers’ place. When you turn your site into a welcoming environment specifically designed for your visitors, they can’t help but want to return again and again.

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

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

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
for repeat traffic and search engine listings for content!

http://www.probiztips.com/syndicate.html

Back to Top

10 Nitty-Gritty Ways To Increase Your Orders

1. Express the same views as your target audience. Bring up common likes and dislikes in your ad. This will create instant rapport with your audience.

2. Add viral marketing into your promotional plans. Allow your visitors to give away your free stuff, just include your ad somewhere on all the freebies.

3. Design your web site to be less confusing. Don't use a lot of graphics, links and anything that takes away from your sales message.

4. Give your visitors the option of viewing your web site by autoresponder or printing it out. They might not have the time right then to look it over.

5. Increase your opt-in e-mail list quickly by giving away a product at no cost. Just require people to subscribe to your e-zine in exchange.

6. Joint venture your web business with other offline businesses. Look for businesses that have the same target audience and create a win/win deal with them.

7. Expand your target audience by adding a new product line or packaging your main products with other ones. You could also add-on extra services.

8. Persuade your visitors to like you. People buy from people they like. You could tell them a joke, give them a compliment, give them a freebie, etc.

9. Submit the free stuff you offer to online freebie directories. They usually get tons of traffic because people like to get things for free.

10. Use headlines and sub headlines that are aimed directly at your audience. If you're selling things to lawyers use a headline like "Attention All Lawyers!".

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

Larry Dotson Is Just Plain NUTS!
http://probiztips.com/go/larrysdeal

Back to Top

The No #1 Reason Why People “Getting Started”
In Internet Marketing Are Getting It Wrong
by Jo Han Mok

It’s tragic.

Statistical data from survey results have shown that the No #1 problem that people face in Internet Marketing is “getting started”.

And what’s really sad about this is that the people who are actually “getting started” are getting it all wrong!

As a coach and featured speaker at Internet Marketing events, I’ve seen and heard it all firsthand, and sometimes people can be as stubborn as mules.

Here’s the typical mindset of a person getting started:

“I’m starting out, so where do I get my domain name, hosting, autoresponders, how do I design a webpage and get it live on the Internet, how do I process credit cards…”

Then this misguided individual will go all out to find out how to do all these things, and still go on to fail anyway.

And my definition of “failure” in this case, is simply being unable to bring home the dough.

There is a good reason behind this…

Misguided individuals like are simply asking the wrong questions. If you examine the nature of their questions, you’ll understand that they have a “quest” and burning desire to become what Michael Gerber, the author of the E-myth calls “technicians”.

They’re interested in the whole “technical process” of running an Internet business. The nuts and bolts, and this spells D-E-A-T-H for the entrepreneur, because a technician works in the business, not ON the business.

Does a world class chef necessarily know how to run a successful restaurant?

Does a hairstylist necessarily know how to run a successful hair salon?

Does a “web competent” person necessarily know how to create a successful Internet business?

A technician is NOT an entrepreneur.

The entrepreneur works ON the business. The technician works IN the business.

Whatever happened to the building blocks of a world class business like vision, leadership, management, lead generation, customer retention and most importantly, the MARKETING?

It’s just common sense. Anyone looking to become a successful Internet Marketer, should get the “marketing” part right first before even THINKING about doing anything else.

If you do not know how to market effectively, if you do not know how to go about generating revenue for your business, why do you even bother to think about stuff like autoresponders, hosting and all those knick knacks when you do not even established a framework for them to fit into.

So if you’re reading this article and you’re “guilty” of trying to become a technician, reinvent your business by asking yourself the CORE business questions instead.

Questions like:

* Have I worked my business around my lifestyle?
* Is there room for growth with the business model I’ve conceived?
* Have I identified my target market?
* Do I know their biggest problem?
* Have I created a unique web position?
* Have I done research for setting up potential strategic alliances?
* Have I created a proper funnel and lead generation mechanism
* Have I done the proper keyword research?
* Have I outsourced enough to allow me to concentrate on revenue generating activities?
* Have I developed or at least figured out CRM issues like offering adequate support, and how to increase customer retention?
* What kind of ancillary products can I offer to my customers?

Make a commitment to the process of entrepreneurship, think like one, and entrepreneurship will commit to you.

Your goal is to build an Internet business. It is a business. You run the business. Don’t let it run you.

Ask the right questions, get the right answers, and you’ll build the right business.

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

Jo Han Mok is a frequent guest and featured speaker at
Internet Marketing bootcamps and conferences on subjects
such as copywriting and Joint Venture Marketing. Discover
his hardcore six-figure pulling secrets of 'salesmanship
in print' at: http://www.MasterWordsmith.com

Back to Top

50% OFF!
ProBizTips Members take advantage of this exclusive discount offer!

The Classified Ad Factory Is A New Software Package That
Will Walk You Through Profitable Classified Ad Creation
PLUS...Generate Classifieds Quick-As-A-Whip. It's like
having your own professional copywriter on staff!

http://sdcwebbiz.com/x.php?adminid=1047&tid=7413

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

Do YOU have a product YOU'D like to offer to over 30,000
subscribers? If you are willing to give a discount to your
product or service, why not get some F*R*E*E exposure? :)

Back to Top

>> Underground Interviews (Rebecca Hagel)

** AUTHORIZATION INFO IN EMAIL **

Back to Top