20 Techniques for Website Explosion

 

Does your website need more action?  More activity?  More traffic?  More interaction?  Listed below are 20 techniques you can implement to increase your website traffic.  Over time you will see drastic increases in website activity.

1 - Build your list.

This is absolutely the most crucial.  It is fundamental to your online business.  Using e-books, free reports, free gifts, free pdf downloads, etc. you must have a list.  Your list is your ultimate tool for online success.  Be creative here.  Offer coupons, discounts, special promos, whatever is necessary to build your list.  Remember, you have to provide great value in exchange for an email address.

2 - Create a Newsletter.

You must stay in touch with your website visitors.  Whatever niche you are in, provide something of 'value' to your subscribers.  It's imperative to stay in touch.

3 - Build you own website.

Build a separate website designed to attract visitors, not for direct sales.  Once again, we are attempting here to build a list, not make a sale.  Keep it simple here, nothing fancy.

4 - Create an affiliate program.

An affiliate program is where total 'explosion' can occur.  It's kinda like not having only one person driving your product or 'free gift' but thousands.  Make sure the affiliate program is geared toward offering a great benefit to the affiliate.  There has to be a huge incentive in order for the affiliate to promote your product.  You can get started at Clickbank, Amazon, Ebay, etc.

5 - Have a niche product with limited availability.

If you have a product with 100,000 units available there is no urgency.  Keep your product availability very limited, targeted and focused.  The less there are available, the more demand you create.  Use plain common sense here.

6 - Develop a unique selling perspective (USP).

In other words, why does your business separate itself from others?  What makes your product or service more desirable?  Here's an example of a great USP that turned around a struggling pizza franchise.  Do you recognize this, "Delivered Hot and Fresh in 30 Minutes or Less...OR IT'S FREE"?  That's right Domino's Pizza.

7 - Sell Content (Not Products).

You are simply building a relationship with your potential customer.  Know, like and trust comes before the sale.  Provide quality content first.

8 - Offer an oppurtunity for customer to purchase on every page of your website.

The thought here is to provide some type of offer on the thank you page when your new subscriber signs up to your offer, newsletter, etc.

9 - Make sure you automate.

Automation is simply using your autoresponder to provide pre-written messages at pre-determined dates and times to your list.

10 - Market Yourself as an Expert.

Your customers may like your  product, but they buy from you.  If they don't know, like and trust you, it doesn't really matter about the product.

11 - Add a signature file to your email.

This is probably the easiest, free way to steadily grow your business.  We all send several emails daily and obviously that person already knows you.  Provide your email reciipient an opportunity to do business with you.

12 - Use Powerful Headlines and Descriptions.

Your headlines and descriptions can make or break your sales.  Simply do a google search for "Words That Sell" and use those.

13 - Devote 30 Minutes per day to your business.

Most internet marketers I know spend a lot more than 30 minutes per day on their business.  However, if you work a 9 to 5 currently, 30 minutes per day is necessary.  Be consistent.

14 - Get on all guru's newsletter.

Sign up for all newsletters and free gifts, offers, etc.  Your internet education is priceless.  Get on the newsletter of the big guru's and do what they do.  You can learn from them.

15 - Create a suggestion box for customer feedback.

You can improve your website, offer, product by getting feedback from your customers.  Find out the ins and outs of what you have to offer.

16 - Offer contests and freebies.

When you offer some type of contest with a free prize, you are creating activity and interaction on your site.  Make sure your prize offers real value.  Ask yourself, "Would I want to win that prize"? If not, offer something your would like to win.

17 - Use Creative pop-ups and exit windows.

Statistics show that pop-ups and exit windows increase your sales by 10-20%.  Be selective here and avoid overuse of pop-ups.  They can be a nuisance if misused.

18 - Use article marketing.

Providing quality content via articles creates quality backlinks to your site and increases your search engine rankings.  If you can't write, hire someone to do it.  (Fiverr.com, vwriter.com, etc.)  There are free article directories and paid submission sites (submityourarticle.com).

19 - Have fun.

Running an online business can be very demanding.  Have fun with it.  With a long-term approach your business will grow over time. Make sure you are having fun.

20 - Build a List.

Oh, I think I've covered that one already.  But it is the most important.

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12 High Readership Content Ideas

 

1. How To Articles: they include detailed step by step
instructions. Examples: how to publish your e-zine,
how to promote your business, how to attract visitors
to your web site.

2. Tips: they are usually small pieces of information
about the size of a paragraph. Examples: tips on using
a product, tips on doing your taxes.

3. Top Lists: they are a group of tips listed in order,
usually numbered from first to last. Examples: top 7
ways to get to the top of search engines, top 10
ways to market your product.

4. News Articles: they can include news about your
industry or company information. Examples: joint
ventures, new product releases, special events,
overseas activity

5. Interview Articles: they could include interviews
from customers, employees and experts. Examples:
interview an employee that won an award, an expert
related to your industry, a satisfied customer, people
profiles.

6. Publications: they include information that's bundled
together to take with the person. Examples: ebooks,
reports, software, auto responder information.

7. Business History Articles: they include information
about your business. Examples: years in business,
goals your business has accomplished, community
affairs, financial information.

8. Product Articles: they include information about
your product or services. Examples: new products,
improvements to existing products, new accessories.

9. Visual Content: they include visual helpers that help
explains, shows or supports an example. Examples:
charts, photos, graphics, graphs.

10. Entertaining Content: they include humorous and
off beat information. Examples: contests; quizzes,
trivia, puzzles, games, cartoons.

11. Excerpts: they include information used from other
resources for different purposes, but can also support
your business. Examples: journal articles, transcripts
of seminars, reprints, speeches, press releases.

12. Technology Content: they are new technologies
you can use to present your content. Examples: audio
clips, streaming video, MP3 files.

Quote of the Day:

"We learn by doing." -- Aristotle

Plants Not Pills

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How To Use Database Marketing To Skyrocket Your Online Profits

 

Database Marketing is the gathering and storing of specific information
about your prospects or customers. This information is usually stored in
a database program on your computer. You would then use the information
to market and advertise to them. It can save you time and money because
you can target your promotional efforts to your best prospects or
customers.

The Types Of Information To Collect

The information will vary depending on the product or service you're
selling. If you're selling a product that costs $2 you wouldn't collect
information about their yearly income. If you're selling web space you
wouldn't collect information about what type of books they read. The
basic information you need would be all their contact information,
purchase history, and birthday. You will need to decide what other
information would benefit your business.

How To Collect This Information Online

It's pretty easy to collect this information online but the hard part is
getting people to give it you. The best way to collect this information
is to give them something FREE in return. Ask them to fill out an e-mail
survey before subscribing to your free e-zine. Tell everyone who visits
your web site they will get a free e-book when they fill out your online
questionnaire form. Ask them this information before they sign up for a
free contest at your web site. Sometimes you have to give a little
something to get a little information online.

Beneficial Uses For Your Database
Find out your customers purchasing habits. Use the information to
improve the design of your web site. Use it to write all your
advertising material more persuasively.

Find out the things they like or dislike about your business. Use the
information to target your best prospects.

Find out how much money your prospects or customers make. Use it to
improve your customer service.

Find out what new products or services they need or want. Use it to test
ideas before launching a total sales campaign.

Find out how to your improve your existing products or services. Use it
to build your customer loyalty.

Find out which benefits or features they like most about your products
or services. Use it to send electronic greeting cards on holidays or on
your customer's birthdays.

The list of beneficial uses are endless. Do you see the importance of
collecting this information? The Internet makes the process of
collecting this information quicker and cheaper than offline methods.
Take advantage of database marketing and watch your online profits
skyrocket.

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Why Use Twitter For Your Online Home Business?

 

Twitter is an online social networking website and microblogging service that allows users to post and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters, known as 'Tweets'. A Tweet is an expression of a moment or idea. It can contain text, photos, and videos.

Although Twitter only gives you 140 characters to work with, that's plenty of room to post a concise sentence and include a link to your online home business. You can build you list by Tweeting a link to your squeeze page with a note about the free report that you are giving away or to your latest blog post that also includes your opt-in form.

To get started building a subscriber base on Twitter, set up an account with an image, ideally your photo. Don't stick with the default egg graphic. You can also create a layout for your background design that includes your online home business website address and insert a direct hyperlink in your bio section.

Getting Started On Twitter.

You can start following people in your niche when you're all set up. Follow a mixture of potential customers for your online home business and your competition as you want to interact with both. Generally, when you follow someone, they will follow you back.

When you start sending Tweets, look for hashtags that you can use in your niche. People use the hashtag symbol at the front of a relevant keyword or phrase in their Tweet so that they can show up in a Twitter search. When you click on a hashtagged word it shows you all other Tweets marked with that keyword. Don't over use hashtag. Nobody likes to see a Tweet filled with a few words and loads of hashtags.

Build Relationships.

Don't use Twitter for your online home business as a medium just to send out product offers. Engage in conversations with your audience by offering advice, motivation and your experiences. If people like your Tweets, they'll click on your name to learn more about you. When they see what your online home based business is all about, that's when they'll sign up for your list to get your free report.

Twitter is a great viral hot spot for your online home business. Your followers can easily send out your Tweets to their followers by Retweeting what you've posted. You can also give people rewards for sharing your info on Twitter. You can use a system like paywithatweet.com to enable people to download a report of yours in exchange for Tweeting it!

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HBNaturals

Finish First In Sales

 

Recently I listened to one of my CEO clients give a sales meeting pep talk. His theme was the psychology of the sale--perhaps the most important factor in moving toward the close. Unfortunately, many salespeople overlook the psychology behind the sale and instead repeat the same mistakes and get the same result: no sale.

1. Expertise in the factors that determine the impact of your sales message:

• Body language -- 55% • Voice quality -- 38% • Words -- 7%

Start with the external, physical presentation. Is your body language open? Does it express your confidence in your product or service?

Your voice quality comes in a close second to your body language, and is particularly important to those of you who sell over the phone. Do you remain sitting when you make calls, or do you stand up? Standing up projects your voice.

You can also increase your effectiveness by proper pitch, pace, and articulation. If you make most of your sales through calling, the quality of your presentation is all in your voice.

Words have little influence on the impact of your message, yet salespeople continue to use words without support from the two most important elements in presentation: body language and voice quality. Make sure those elements are most effective to make sure you sell.

2. Recognize and focus on the four personality styles of your customers:

Every day, every salesperson encounters people with these styles, yet rather than adjust the presentation to the client, the salesperson sells the way he or she wants to be sold. You may be already familiar with Meyers-Briggs, DISC, or McQuaig, yet do you know how to recognize the client's personality style and then present to that style? Probably not.

You need to start: you can increase your profits at least 10% simply by closing clients using this technique.

Once you learn the styles, you can customize your presentation to the client. For instance, some clients want bullet points, some want to talk about their family first, some want a team environment, and some want only logic. Imagine the advantage you have when you recognize their style, then present to that style to access their needs or wants.

3. Use of first, second, or third-party platforms to increase your credibility:

Most salespeople live in the first-party world: they tell their clients about the product or service from a first-person point of view, such as "tell the client and then tell them what you told them." Pitching this way will rarely move you toward the close. Storytelling salespeople use a second-party platform--a more effective, indirect approach that makes points with clients

The third-party platform is more effective because it offers credible evidence from another reliable source. Using specific testimonials, a sales tool with graphics, or even a website written from a third-party point of view increases your clients' confidence in your product or service.

Check out these examples:

First Party: My product can clean carpets better than anything else on the market today!

Customer Response: Yeah. Right. First Party: No, really! I use it myself, and it does the job better than that stuff my wife bought last week.

Customer Response: Sure. Prove it.

First Party: Certainly! See? Right here on my label it says "Sudso cleans carpets better than anything else on the market. I wouldn't lie to you.

Second Party: Our new puppy made quite a mess on our carpets. Fortunately, I work for Sudso, and with only one application all the stains and scent came right out. Do you have a dog?

Customer Response: Yes, but she's housebroken already.

Second Party: Good for her! Allow me to show you the before-and-after pictures of our living room rug after Mugsy made her mess and then after my wife cleaned it up with Sudso.

Customer Response: How do I know it's the same rug? Besides, pictures can be altered, can't they?

Third Party: Consumer Reports' study on carpet cleaners proved Sudso outperformed the others by 25%.

Customer Response: Consumer Reports, huh? Are they really independent of manufacturers' influence? They don't have any connection to manufacturers?

Third Party: Absolutely. They have no connection to manufacturers. If you want more information, you can visit their website and see the results of their product tests. And I'll be happy to show you test results from other independent laboratories.

Customer Response: Wow! Let me look at those pictures and I'll go to the website later. What was that web address again? Never mind--this is good enough. Let me have the economy size. I have a BIG dog.

Words have minimal impact, but when you add the third-party telling the story, backed up by photos and a website, the story becomes real and the credibility increases.

4. Knowledge of the prospective clients/customers' rating process of your product in their decision-making process:

The four things prospects/clients consider and score consistently before making a purchase are company, product, price, and salesperson.

In each sales event, the person with whom you are speaking evaluates your every action and every word. The customer considers the salesperson the most important element of the sales. Clients buy the salesperson first, then the company, product, and price.

Unfortunately, companies spend millions of dollars on the image, quality, and value of their product or service without considering the element that determines the sale: the person doing the selling.

You need an innovative solution to meet the challenges presented by these four elements and become a top-notch communicator, presenter, and seller. Learn to recognize and sell to all four personality styles to receive the clients' best evaluation--and business.

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Common Myths About SSL Certificates And Their Security

 

SSL Certificates are becoming a popular trend for popular websites and blogs. Although there is more ignorance and hype being circulated about the whole web encryption system, webmasters and visitors feel psychologically more secure when they have an HTTPS URL. You may call it the placebo effect or overzealous security, but all in all, SSL does no harm even if it is not required. Encrypting URLs and internet traffic goes a long way in making the internet feel safer and deter the bad guys. This article explains some common myths about the magic or misconceptions attached to having a secure HTTPS URL.

SSL Certificates are expensive

SSL Certificates are available in different varieties for different prices. There is a type which is sure to fit each type of person and each organizations requirement. After Facebook made it compulsory to use an https:// URL to setup Facebook Apps, SSL certificate sales got a boost. A basic SSL Certificate with Domain validation costs a couple of dollars a year. An extended validation one will cost a few hundred dollars a year. This cost excludes the cost of a Dedicated IP Address and the hosting space of course. The Dedicated IP Address can cost anywhere between $20 to $100 per year. While the cost of an SSL Certificate directly may not be expensive, you must factor in overheads like Bandwidth, CPU / Memory Resources and Web Server limitations to

SSL Certificates will prevent hacking

SSL Certificates will not prevent or deter a hacker from exploiting weak code or vulnerable software on your website. SSL Certificates simply act as a secure pipe or secure tunnel through which data flows, preventing any middle-man to intercept the traffic and identify what is being sent. SSL does not keep a check on both the ends of the pipe or tunnel and does not cover protection of a browser at the client end or database at the server end. Hence, if your passwords are stored in an un-encrypted manner in your MySQL database, and for some reason your database is compromised, then having SSL will have no effect in protecting your database information.

SSL will not have any effect on SEO

You must note that SSL may make the website marginally slower especially when loading a page for the first time. This may exponentially be a problem and may require the tweaking of settings on your web server. However, Google recently announced that it will give preference to URLs starting with HTTPS, in its search results, in an endeavor to make the internet a safer and secure place and encourage online merchants to secure the flow of data and sensitive information. If you consider giving both these factors equal weightage, then they both cancel out each other, leaving the impact on Search Engine Rankings (either positive or negative) to be negligible.

You need a separate IP Address for every https subdomain

SSL Certificates are of many types and with many different features to suit your budget. Usually an SSL Certificate will cover only 1 fixed URL i.e. https://your_domain.com. The normal SSL Certificates will not even cover https://www.your_domain.com . To encrypt a sub domain or even a URL with www. you will need to take an additional certificate and register that URL with the Certificate issuing company (Certifying Authority). The problem arises when you have multiple sub-domains and want to encrypt the traffic on all of them. Well, in that case you will need to take a WildCard Certificate. The Wildcard certificate, as the name suggests, will encrypt all traffic for the primary domain and also traffic on every sub-domain of that primary domain i.e. *.your_domain.com. It is called a WildCard certificate, because it represents the wildcard character * which indicates anything and everything.

SSL Certificates are difficult to manage or migrate

SSL Certificates may be a tad bit confusing to install at first, but most web hosting control panels have a GUI interface to allow you to generate and import new public and private keys with ease. Change of your web hosting server or change of your dedicated IP Address invalidates your certificate. You can always request a re-issue of the certificate by visiting the Certifying Authority's website and completing their online form. Most providers instantly issue a fresh certificate which you can put in to your new server and resume business as normal.

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5 Reasons Why Email Marketing Has Its Disadvantages

 

Even though email marketing does get results, it does have its disadvantages. As a result, many people are wasting their time sending out emails and not getting the results they want. Below we'll look at the 5 most common issues that business owners face with email marketing and how you can overcome them.

1. You Have No Email List

Clearly, you cannot start email marketing if you don't have anyone on your email list. Therefore, your main priory is to start building a list of people who have given you their permission to email them. To achieve this, you have to provide something of value in return for their email. This could be a free report, video, tutorial or newsletter that is relevant to your industry.

2. Your Emails Are Not Getting Opened.

If nobody is opening your emails, you need to take action. Open and click rates vary greatly from industry to industry and campaign to campaign but most of your subscribers will base their decision to open your email primarily on what is written in your subject line. It's like an advert headline and if it does not attract the attention and interest of the reader, it will be ignored. Test different subject lines and see what works best.

3. You Can Get Reported As Spam.

Legitimate and effective email marketing is based upon people giving you their permission to send emails to them. This will avoid you from becoming labelled as a spammer. Do not send emails about your products or services unless somebody has asked for information from you. If somebody on your list decides that they no longer want to receive your emails, make it easy for them to unsubscribe. If they don't want to receive your emails anymore, it is very unlikely that they will ever become a customer anyway.

4. People Get Too Many Emails.

People buy from people, companies and brands they like and respect. Provide useful information that is of benefit to your audience and they will start to look forward to reading your emails. Inject your personality into your messages and build a relationship with your subscribers so they see you as a real person, not just a hard sell salesperson. If you would not send one of your business emails to somebody that you know personally, don't send it to the people on your list.

5. You Cannot Do It Manually.

As your email database grows it becomes impossible manage your email marketing without any software. As you list grows in to the hundreds and then the thousands of subscribers, you would have to spend all your time trying to manage enquires, remove people from your list who want to unsubscribe, send out messages to new subscribers as soon as they join your list and segment your list so that the right person receives the right email. That is why investing in reliable email marketing software is one of the best decisions you can make.

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