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Web Marketing And Promotion Strategies For Small Business
Fri 25th Aug '00
In this issue:
1. INTRODUCTION
==>Newbie help at last, news.
2. PLACES TO VISIT
==>Web sites for you to visit.
3. TOOLS AT NOW SELL!
==>Useful tools to make your life easier.
4. VIEWPOINT
==>What's your opinion? Plus "Net Lessons from the Monster Girls"
5. MARKETPLACE
==>Check out special offers and deals here.
6. FEATURE ARTICLE
==>"Old Dogs and New Tricks"
by Gary Lockwood.
Scroll to the end for subscription details.
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Is Your Internet Advertising a deadly Howitzer or a Harmless
Pop-Gun? Do You Know for Sure or Do You Just "Feel Lucky"?
To learn the answer to this question and to get a free trial tool
that will automatically track all of your advertising for you,
click here
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X INTRODUCTION X
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Hi,
I've mentioned Joe Robson a couple of times recently in
connection with his new book, "Make Your Words Sell!" (click for
more) co-authored by Ken Evoy and the best guide to web
copywriting I've ever read.
Well Joe's been busy in other areas too, and has teamed up with
PC whizz Tom Glander to create a revolutionary new Website called
The Newbie Club http://www.newbieclub.com .
Tired of newbies being made to feel like patronized, second class
citizens, Tom and Joe decided it was time to change the way
tutorials are written. And boy what a difference! They've created
a unique Learning System that will amaze you with its simplicity
and Jargon-Free language, and which treats you with the respect
you deserve.
Already described as the best PC and Internet Newbie Site ever to
hit the Web, The Newbie Club is designed to totally transform the
way you use your PC and the Internet. It offers Free Tutorials, a
Free Magazine and a Free eBook - the '29 Tutorials' - that's
actually worth having!
If you are confused by techie-speak, frustrated with Help Files
that don't help, or get lost on the Web, The Newbie Club is
especially for you. No Jargon. No Geek-Speak, and the most
revolutionary Newbie Learning System ever to hit the Web. Head on
over to join in the fun: http://www.newbieclub.com Enjoy!
BB
There seems to be a discrepancy between the number of
subscription forms I am receiving and the numbers reflected at
Topica. The only way I can check is by manually adding the
addresses to see how many are duplicates.
Biz Bits has a low rate of attrition, but if you have
unsubscribed recently, I may have inadvertently added your
address back to the list. If this is the case, please accept my
apologies. I'm not spamming you, nor do I want to keep you as a
Biz Bits subscriber against your wishes. Thanks.
BB
I'm including the news bits here again today. If you remember,
last week I asked you to vote and tell me if you would like to
see it as a regular feature. The 'yes' votes won the day, but I
felt there weren't enough votes overall for me to base a decision
on. So I'm giving you a second chance. There's a YES/NO vote at
the end of the news items if you'd like to register your opinion.
BB
Lower-Income Households Moving Online. While the number of
Internet users with annual household incomes of less than $25,000
has grown nearly 50 percent, outpacing the growth of total
Internet users, they still only represent 9.7 percent of the
overall online population, according to a study by Media Metrix.
http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/demographics/
article/0,,5901_442041,00.html
Online Shopping Slows in July. Total online sales increased by
less than 1 percent in July of 2000, from $4.01 billion in June
to $4.03 billion, according to the NRF/Forrester Online Retail
Index. http://cyberatlas.com/markets/retailing/
article/0,,6061_441711,00.html
Web-Ready Cell Phones Flying Off Shelves. There may not be too
many mobile Internet users in the US, but people seem to be
gearing up for wireless access. The NPD Group has found an
increase in sales of Web-enabled phones, and that may help fuel
an m-commerce explosion predicted by Datamonitor.
http://cyberatlas.com/markets/wireless/
article/0,,10094_441471,00.html
Predicted Ad Explosion Will Add to Clutter. Online advertising
revenue is expected to reach $16.5 billion by 2005, according to
research by Jupiter Communications, but the rapid growth will,
understandably, lead to an explosion in clutter.
http://cyberatlas.com/markets/advertising/
article/0,,5941_440981,00.html
The U.K. is the European leader in the online advertising market,
according to a report from Forrester Research. U.K. ad spending
amounts to $186 million, compared to Germany's $139 million. The
report contradicts optimistic speculation by German media firms
and ad agencies suggesting that this year's expenditures might
approach $232 million.
http://www.nua.ie/surveys/?f=VS&art_id=905355986&rel=true
According To The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA):
Americans will spend $104 billion dollars on catalog purchases
this year.; Internet shoppers spend more time online than those
who do not make purchases via the Internet (mean of 11.2 hours
vs. 7.8 hours).
http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=15385&cat=te
iMustLotto.com Applies For Patent On The New "Guaranteed Winner
Lotto" Game. David Sanders, President, said, "We are pleased to
be the first lotto site on the Internet to guarantee a winner. In
fact, the concept is so radical that we have filed for a patent
on it." http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=15371&cat=te
Inventor Roger Heath announces the pending release of a new
privacy tool. It's called ActivatorDesk, and with it you may
automatically block advertisers from snooping on you as you
browse. Also view and manage cookies you collect as you browse.
http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=15214&cat=te
Online retailers are still struggling to please consumers,
according to new research from cPulse. Research shows that nearly
one quarter of online retailer customers - 24 percent - are
extremely dissatisfied when surfing retail sites.
http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=15253&cat=te
'Pocket' Virus Targets Kids
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,38412,00.html
Parents, do you know what your kids are clicking on? Not Pikachu,
the cuddly Pokemon character now posing as an email attachment
that's actually a worm. The first one targeted to children.
Big Funds Dumped MS Shares
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38389,00.html Fidelity,
Janus, and Putnam were among the big mutual fund groups that
opted to slice their holdings in Microsoft during the second
quarter, mainly because of the antitrust proceedings.
Contending with COPPA Confusion
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38332,00.html The FTC
is having a heck of a time getting sites to comply with COPPA, in
part because the new children's privacy law sounds similar to a
legally challenged anti-pornography law called COPA. Lynn Burke.
Only News That's Fit to Link
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38360,00.html Web news
sites may have to watch where they link A recent ruling barring a
website from even linking to DeCSS sites has wide-reaching
consequences for online content purveyors. By Declan McCullagh.
Europe Voices Merger Concerns
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38365,00.html The
European Commission gets merger anxiety, sending out letters
voicing concerns over the pending AOL-Time Warner merger and the
planned EMI-Time Warner venture.
Russia, Others Lag in E-Readiness
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38364,00.html New
report: Estonia is far ahead of Russia, among others, in having
the infrastructure necessary to compete in the electronic world.
Top Guns Want to Probe Carnivore
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38329,00.html A
top-flight, independent group of security experts wants to review
the FBI's Carnivore surveillance system, but at least one Justice
Department official isn't impressed. Declan McCullagh reports.
Indonesia Reopens Net to World
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38325,00.html Relenting
to pressure both at home and abroad, the Indonesian government
decides to allow foreign investors to invest in its Internet
industry.
BB
As I said earlier, I'd like your opinion. Would you like to have
news items similar those above in every issue?
YES! >>>> mailto:yes-nowsell.com
I would like news items in every issue.
NO! >>>> mailto:no-nowsell.com
I would not like news items in every issue.
ERR? >>>> mailto:err-nowsell.com
I'm not sure... whatever ...?
Send an email to the address corresponding to your answer. You
don't have to write anything - no subject or body, as the mail is
automatically filtered (of course I like to read anything you do
want to write).
BB
Tell me what YOU think! Send your feedback, comments, what you
like, what you hate, etc., to me at: mailto:azam-nowsell.com
TTFN
Azam
PS - Did you remember to get your 21 FREE Net Profits audio files
and course notes?
Declan Dunn tells you what works and shows how to do it.
Click Here to Get Your Free Course Now!
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X PLACES TO VISIT X
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http://www.businessplansoftware.org/qidemo/qidemo.asp
Software tests new business ideas for success potential.
Determine which new product or service will succeed. FREE Demo!
http://www.2bobs.com/
Latest release of BobMarks browser add-on bookmark manager. Can
import into either Netscape or Explorer. FREE!
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New, real-time travel auction web site. FREE!
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Free online training, with over 200 technical courses to choose
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X TOOLS AT NOW SELL! X
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Promotion Tools: Click Here
* Keyword Research Tool
* Meta Tag Maker
* Free Automatic Search Engine Submit
* Rapid Manual Search Engine Submit Tool
* Position Analyzer to check site rank in the SEs
* Link Generators
* Multi Search Tool
HTML Tools: Click Here
* Multiple Pop-up window code generator
* Multiple MouseOver image generator
* Frames code generator
* Simple CSS template
* 216 Web color palette and codes
* HTML Special character codes
* Useful cut & paste Javascript, and more
Free Business Consulting: Click Here
Best paid to surf, read email, etc. programs: Click Here
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This week:
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If you could wish for 3 things to help you in your online
business, what would they be?
Send your comments to: mailto:viewpoint-nowsell.com
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Do Your Bit!
If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue
to one or two of your friends or colleagues. Thanks so much!
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Last week:
~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think is the most important ingredient of success
online?
Readers Comments:
Honesty
dcd@daviddeeson.com
Hi Azam,
In answer to this question, it would appear (I say 'appear' since
I am not one of those successful netpreneurs, yet) that the most
successful people are innovative and have a distinct product
which they market through viral marketing methods. In other
words, they make money by creating a product or service and then
getting other people to sell it for them. I like it! Talk about a
win-win situation.
Patty Lee
Manager of HerIdeas, a fun place for crafters and hobbyists.
Release your creativity! http://www.herideas.com
[Azam: Where was everyone last week? Hope to see more responses
to today's question! Back to the subject at hand, I think Patty
and David both have valid points. Purely by chance, in his latest
article, Rob Spiegel draws on the experiences of a mother and
daughter team to give his opinion on the most important
ingredient of online success. He's right too, so I've added it as
a bonus article below.]
Net Lessons from the Monster Girls
By Rob Spiegel
What's the most important trait of an entrepreneur who wants to
succeed with an Internet business? Guts and Net-savvy?
Certainly these qualities are necessary, but they're not at the
top. A pocket full of venture capital? That helps, but money's
not everything. How about a plan with a path to profitability?
Clearly that's an advantage (If you have one, please pass it on
to Jeff Bezos at Amazon.com)/ But that's not the answer either.
The most important characteristic for an Internet entrepreneur is
a passion for learning.
I was recently reminded of this lesson by a business duo who
attended one of my Internet seminars. During the "introduce
yourself" opening, I found out that Ellen and Mary Fitzpatrick
were quite special. This mother and daughter entrepreneurial
team told their story of how they ran a ten-year-old auto
after-market company selling car mats, covers and whathaveyou
from a print catalog and Web site (caraccessories.com).
They told their blow-by-blow story of how they learned the
catalog business, step-by-step. Mom and daughter took turns
explaining how they added a Web site, using a designer here and a
marketing consultant there. With each step they took it upon
themselves to get educated, slowly taking back design from the
design expert and marketing from the marketing pro.
"You're monsters!" I blurted as Mary and Ellen revealed their
road to Internet self-education. They accepted the tag proudly.
The Monster Girls grew their business by eating up the knowledge
of each expert who came their way. Part of the passion for
learning was fueled by natural curiosity about how the Net works.
The other part of their desire came from an appropriate
defensiveness. The didn't want their business held hostage the
consultants who purported to know the Internet yet delivered
questionable results.
The Monster Girls carry a healthy suspicion about experts. They
are well-aware that consultants to the small biz end of the
Internet market are often only one or two steps ahead of their
clients, whether it be in design or in shopping for shopping-cart
technology. Each step of their way, Mary and Ellen took classes,
attended seminars, read magazine and combed the Net for the truth
that could set them free from the clutches of experts.
There are certainly some great consultants out there helping
small companies get the most from their Internet initiatives.
But there are also design and marketing pros whose desire to
exact a living through consulting exceeds their knowledge base.
I can't tell you exactly how many entrepreneurs I've known who
have moved frustratingly from one consultant to the next,
cobbling together an Internet strategy that ends up looking like
some nightmarish Web quilt. An expensive one at that.
To the Monster Girls, the solution was simple. Learn it
themselves. Their Web strategy was too important to put in the
hands of experts with questionable knowledge. Instead, they
decided to become their own experts. You may wonder why they
didn't simply hire better consultants. How? In a world as young
as the Internet, it's hard to discern a good consultant. Even if
you check the references of prospective experts, you'll end up
speaking with fellow entrepreneurs who are not really sure
whether the expert in question actually helped their business.
The Monster-Girl solution comes with its own pain. How many
entrepreneurs do you know who have the spare time to set off on a
time-consuming self-education path? Yet the importance of your
company's Net strategy is now too important to leave in the hands
of consultants who may know a lot about Java but have little
experience with entrepreneurial business.
Small business owners need to learn Internet business directly.
When Web sites were just brochures, it didn't matter much if you
got it slightly wrong. But when you set off on Mary and Ellen's
road to making the Net an integral part of your company's revenue
mix, you better make sure you get it right. And the only way to
make sure you really get it is to become your own expert.
Rob Spiegel is the author of The Shoestring Entrepreneur's Guide
to the Best Home-Based Businesses (St. Martin's Press) and the
upcoming Net Strategy (Dearborn). You can reach Rob Spiegel at
spiegelrob@aol.com.
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"Old Dogs and New Tricks"
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by Gary Lockwood
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
How many times have you heard this old saying as an excuse for
not trying something new or avoiding a fresh approach?
The expert animal trainers say that a dog of almost any age can
learn new tricks. It's the human animal that makes choices
regarding when and how much to learn.
I'm constantly amazed at how frequently I hear one of my CEO
clients say, "I'm too old to change."
Nonsense! This is simply an excuse to sidestep the effort
required to learn or experiment.
When you try something new, you often feel uneasy about it, and
frequently pull back. The security feels good. You are in your
"comfort zone"
Your personal "comfort zone" is where you are comfortable in what
you are doing in your job, your life and your experiences. It is
when you have no feelings of risk or anxiety. Some would call it
"being comfortable". You could also call it "a rut".
The downside of always staying in your comfort zone is that it
can be very limiting.
Why is this significant?
The past few decades have seen enormous and accelerating changes
in technology and social structure, in geopolitics and especially
in the organizations in which we work. The pace of change is
staggering and daunting. The mass of information available to
humankind is doubling every 20 months.
The world passes us by as we stand still. Complacency, in our
fast-paced competitive world, can be fatal to business and
severely limit personal and professional growth. If you are not
learning, trying new things and growing, your job or business may
be deteriorating.
Having a positive attitude toward learning and changing may be
one of the most important characteristics of successful people.
In my years as a Business Coach, I have observed many successful
CEOs and entrepreneurs. With very few exceptions, those who are
successful and happy have developed and maintained a positive
outlook about change and continuous improvement.
This positive attitude is not accidental. Successful business
people know how to create a positive attitude and positive
motivation for themselves. They don't just wait for it to happen.
They purposely create positive change.
All change implies learning and vice versa. They are inseparable,
one impossible without the other. If you learn, you change.
Effective learning must be conscious vs. unconscious, active vs.
reactive. It must be something you seek, not just ělet it
happenî. If learning is not conscious, it canít be improved. It
just becomes ěanother taskî without effective application to the
circumstances in your business (and personal) life.
Learning in todayís fast-paced and ever-changing environment
canít be left to chance. Make a conscious effort to capture your
experiences and learn from them or be doomed to repeat your
mistakes. Worse yet, you may habitually keep doing those things
that are working for you, while your competition is actively
seeking new ideas, innovation and growth.
The competitive advantage of the future is your adaptability to
learning and change.
"There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are
far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable
inaction." - John F Kennedy
How do you learn new tricks and <-- e x p a n d --> your personal
comfort zone?
Before you just throw all caution to the wind, try simple things.
** Drive home a different route.
** Shop at a different grocery store.
** Order something from the menu you've never tried before.
** Sleep on the other side of the bed.
Make a conscious effort to experiment.
Let yourself feel the adrenaline level rise a bit. Allow your
anxiety level to increase. Feel your heart rate and breathing
going faster.
The adrenaline is your body's natural drug that, in moderation,
makes you sharp, creative, and quick. It creates the feeling of
excitement and exhilaration that comes from trying something new.
Recognize that it also can be scary and stressful. Some stress is
useful. Too much can be harmful. Some stress provides energy. Too
much stress causes distress and can lead to burnout if done to
extreme.
Why would you want to give yourself the stress of stepping
outside your comfort zone?
Because that's where growth takes place.
Just like a muscle gets stronger when you exercise it outside its
normal range of use, you get stronger when you get out of your
rut. And just like your muscles, once you stretch beyond your
current capabilities, you don't ever go back to your original
dimensions.
As you try new things, you gain confidence. Confidence makes you
feel powerful and good. And when you are confident that you can
survive new ideas, you allow yourself to try even more new
things.
What's the limit?
Obviously, you need to be realistic in your risk management. Most
successful people think through the possible outcomes of taking a
risk. Then they prepare for how they would deal with each
potential outcome. Successful people take risks, but they are not
foolhardy or stupid.
What are some higher level activities that could add to your
personal and professional growth?
Here's my challenge to you.
Make a list of 50 things that, if you really were successful in
doing them, you would be a better person or a better company.
Consider a few new tricks such as:
Give a speech
Write and publish an article
Start an exercise program
Meditate daily
Teach a class
Feed a homeless person
Volunteer
Climb a mountain
Learn to play a new musical instrument
Sign up for a dance class
Try for that promotion
Then choose one or two that you are willing to do within the next
90 days. Schedule those new activities, then go for it.
Afterward, choose one or two more and do it again.
Make personal and professional growth a lifelong habit. You will
not become an old dog as long as you keep learning new tricks.
© Copyright 2000 BizSuccess All rights reserved. No duplication
About the Author...
==== ++ ==== ==== ++ ======== ++ ======== ++ ======== ++ ====
Gary Lockwood is Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the
Lives of CEOs, business owners and professionals. Get the CEO
Success Report at http://www.topica.com/lists/CEOSuccess
Get the Free BizSuccess newsletter at
http://www.bizsuccess.com/newsletter.htm or send a blank email to
mailto:subscribe@BizSuccess.com Email: mailto:Gary@BizSuccess.com
Web: http://www.BizSuccess.com
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