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Web Marketing Strategies For Home Business Promotion
Sat 21st Oct '00
In this issue:
1. INTRODUCTION
==>Great offer, iCop, GoTo UK, Ad-free autoresponders.
2. PLACES TO VISIT
==>Web sites for you to visit.
3. TIDBITS
==>Business news and other interesting snippets.
4. TOOLS AT NOW SELL!
==>Useful tools to make your life easier.
5. MARKETPLACE
==>Check out special offers and deals here.
6. FEATURE ARTICLE
==>"E-Marketing: It Doesn't Take a Genius"
by Rob Spiegel.
Scroll to the end for subscription details.
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X INTRODUCTION X
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Hello,
Apologies for my tardiness if you were waiting for me. I was
later than usual getting started on this issue, and a couple of
unexpected interruptions subsequently knocked me way off
schedule. Still, better-late-than-never as they say. I've a few
things I want to mention today, but I've had to keep it brief.
Amber Jalink, President of DIME Consultants, has an excellent
promotional opportunity for 200 people at her new Pathways-
to-Success business directory. I'll come back to Amber's latest
venture again in a future issue. In the meantime, if you're
serious about your online business, and savvy enough to spot a
bargain when you see one, head over the now.
The offer is strictly limited to the first 200 applicants. But
then it has to be: it's exceptionally generous.
Amber is a member of iCop (International Council of Online
Professionals), presided over by jl Scott. So you can be certain
her offer is genuine. iCop assures the integrity of its members
and sets stringent guidelines to protect consumers.
If you think your own business might qualify for the iCop seal of
approval, and want to benefit from the increased consumer
confidence it bestows, you'll find further information at iCop.
BB
Goto's new search service, GoTo UK, is due to launch on the 3rd
of November. If you read my article last week, you will know that
my GoTo strategy revolves around bidding on hundreds of cheap
terms. So I was rather dissapointed to learn that the minimum bid
price on the new service will be 5 pence (£0.05), the equivalent
of US$0.07.
To sweeten the deal for existing advertisers, GoTo will move all
of your current terms into your new account for you. The bids of
all advertisers will start at 5p; just say how much you want to
deposit in your account (min. £25), and GoTo will charge the
credit card they have on file. GoTo don't expect there to be as
much competition on the UK service as there is on the US site.
Hardly surprising with $0.07 as the minimum bid!
BB
A new service, 'Send This Free' is offering fully-featured
'MaxSponder' autoresponders free, and without ads in your
messages. The free autoresponder sends up to 9 automated
follow-up messages and offers the following:
* Delivery under 30 seconds
* Unlimited free autoresponders
* Unlimited message length
* Unlimited message changes whenever you like
* Easy to use Control Panel
* Import and Export email list
* Set up surveys to collect demographic data
* Mail out to select demographic groups
* Set up headers and footers
* Auto remove via Web form and email message
* Design a web based sign up form / thank you page
* Email personalization
Instead of putting ads in your autoresponder emails, Send This
Free will email two solo ads to you each week. A pretty good deal
if you ask me. And much better than the alternative. As Peggy and
Ron Gribbins, owners of the service say, "Using this method you
get a professional automated sales follow-up system with NO Ads
or messages, free of charge!"
There is also a Pro Version, for less than $5.00 per month. The
only differences between the two is that by paying, you can send
up to 20 automated messages, and you won't receive any solo ads.
I'm thinking of testing this for use in sending out Biz Bits. I
can see a couple of potential advantages over Topica. A new
subscriber would get the current issue instantly on joining,
plus, in case I want to go anywhere, or - heaven forbid! - take a
holiday, I should be able to prepare an issue in advance and
preset its delivery. The major disadvantage to me would be having
to use a Web-based interface to send out each issue - with Topica
I send them via email. We'll see.
Send This Free also have an affiliate program where you can earn
free pro responders and Web hosting. Pay a visit now.
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 - I forgot to mention that Ken Evoy has completely reworked
and expanded the Affiliate Masters Course. There's now over
100 pages of great information you can use. Get it. It's
Free. Send a blank email to: mailto:timsinfo@sitesell.net
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Your Privacy:
I greatly value your trust in me. I will never, ever, under any
circumstances give or sell your email address to anyone. Period!
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X PLACES TO VISIT X
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http://www.AffiliateRocket.com/
Real-time price comparison search engine for Web sites that
integrates your affiliate ID codes into the results. Monthly fee.
http://www.BizStats.com/
Business Statistics covering far too many topics to list here,
and all free.
http://www.NetCafes.com/
A guide to cyber cafes worldwide. Handy site if you're going to
be doing some travelling.
http://www.ExportPlan.com/
New business portal for international trade offers access to
online export services and information.
http://www.ExpertCity.com/
Live computer experts on call to answer your questions and
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X TIDBITS X
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NBCI SPINS OFF ALLBUSINESS.COM
Under pressure to turn a profit, NBC Internet Inc. has decided to
step back from the business-to-business online market with the
announcement this week that its AllBusiness.com subsidiary will
be spun off into a stand-alone company. The 2-year-old
AllBusiness, which NBCi bought this spring for $225 million, will
combine with Bigvine Inc., an online barter exchange for small
businesses. It is owned by American Express Co., Kleiner Perkins
Caufield & Byers and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. NBCi will own
49.9 percent of the new AllBusiness.com LLC and Bigvine's owners
50.1 percent. http://www.wh5.com/ncmi/c.cfm?I=3492
PROMOTIONS COMPANIES CONTINUE TO SHRINK
The list of companies that announced layoffs in the Internet
marketing realm this month has been a who's who of promotions and
loyalty firms. The latest to the crying game is loyalty-marketing
provider MyPoints.com. Along with its quarterly earnings report,
the company quietly announced it has given nearly 10 percent of
its employees their walking papers. With this announcement, a
recap of recent downsizings include At MyPoints.com, 76 of its
425 employees went to MagnaCash, which was spun off from the
company, and 47 were laid off; Beyond Interactive, an interactive
agency that handles Internet promotions and media placement,
slashed 63 people from its staff of 225 in the United States
http://www.wh5.com/ncmi/c.cfm?I=3495
ONLINE MARKETING INCREASES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Online marketing budgets are up, as some of the biggest names in
retailing set to do battle for the 55 million consumers who will
use the Internet to fill their stockings this holiday season. A
survey by Intelliquest also found e-mail marketing may play a big
role this year. http://cyberatlas.com/markets/
advertising/article/0,,5941_486681,00.html
INTERNET USE TAKING AMERICA BY STORM
Internet penetration has reached critical mass in 21 of the top
35 Internet local markets during the month of September. Seven
months ago in March, only six Internet local markets had more
than 50 percent penetration, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.
http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/geographics/article
/0,,5911_485901,00.html
EUROPEAN ISPS SUFFER PROS AND CONS OF USER EXPLOSION
PC-based consumer Internet usage in Western Europe is expected to
nearly double, from 24 million households in 1999 to 45 million
households by the end of 2001, according to research by The
Yankee Group. This growth, however, has been a double-edged sword
for European ISPs. http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/
geographics/article/0,,5911_486121,00.html
DOUBLE TROUBLE
After posting a third-quarter loss, DoubleClick watched its
shares hit a 52-week low and said it would restructure operations
within its Abacus Direct data business. DoubleClick shares have
tumbled more than 50 percent since mid-September amid concerns
about the decline in online advertising spending. CEO Kevin Ryan
said consolidation across the Net advertising industry will play
in the company's favor next year. http://www.thestandard.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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GETTING HIGH SPEED
Eleven percent of U.S. online househ olds have abandoned their
slow, dialup connections in favor of high-speed Net access,
according to Statistical Research. Eighteen months ago, only 1
percent of online households had broadband access. Now, 7 percent
of U.S. households get their high-speed connections through cable
modems, and 4 percent of U.S. households connect via digital
subscriber lines. http://www.thestandard.com/
SPENDTHRIFT
Internet ad spending fell in August for the first time this year,
but jumped 13.2 percent to $1.6 billion in September, according
to AdZone Interactive. Despite the overall increase in Web
spending, the top 10 online ad spenders in September decreased
their overall spending by 8.6 percent collectively.
http://www.thestandard.com/
EBAY PROFITS BEAT FORECASTS
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39568,00.html The
auction site posts a slightly better-than-expected profit and
sees its stock soar in after-hours trading. Meanwhile, more
earnings reports roll in from MP3.com, Exodus and others.
INCUBATORS SEE INFERTILE MARKET
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39577,00.html
Incubators -- companies that help startups start up -- sprung up
at the height of the Internet stock boom but quickly went out of
vogue with investors. A scrapped IPO by industry leader Idealab
is the latest sign that the sector has fallen out of favor.
CASHING IN ON BOGUS PATENTS
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39528,00.html A new
company encourages people to dig up pre-existing technology that
helps debunk bogus patents. And guess who's funding it Bezos and
the man who claims Amazon's 1-Click Shopping patent is a crock.
POLICE TREATY A GLOBAL INVASION
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39519,00.html Civil
liberties groups say a proposed treaty that will grant more
surveillance powers to U.S. and European police agencies runs
roughshod over Internet freedom.
COURT: NET SPEECH ISN'T ALL FREE
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39485,00.html Internet
service providers must divulge the identities of people who post
defamatory messages on the Internet. So says an appeals court in
Miami, leaving free-speech crusaders shocked, angry and worried.
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X FEATURE ARTICLE X
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"E-Marketing: It Doesn't Take a Genius"
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By Rob Spiegel
When was the last time you clicked on a banner ad? Can you
recall the last time you responded positively to spam email? If
you're like most Internet users, the answer is either, "Never,"
or "During my first three days on the Internet." On the other
hand, when was the last time you welcomed an email from a site
that covers a favorite topic such as Bob Dylan or hot sauces?
When was the last time you popped into a niche site just to see
what's new in both their information and the products after
receiving a simple email that did little more than remind you the
site still exists?
The do's and don't's of Internet marketing are getting clearer by
the day. Internet promotion shares the simple beauty of direct
marketing: you can measure it. And because you can measure it,
it evolves quickly as marketers discover almost instantly what
works and what fails. You don't have to be a genius to get good
at Internet marketing; you just have to do some measuring, or
copy those big-budget marketers that are taking precise
measurements.
Using the Internet as a tool for marketing is like playing with a
Swiss army knife for the first time. You know that it can be
used for dozens of tasks, but when you first hold it, you're not
even sure you can figure out how to use it as a knife. To use a
more convoluted metaphor, the Internet is like an elephant to a
group of blind marketing pros. One marketer grabs email and
says, "The Internet is direct marketing." Another marketer uses
a banner ad on a travel site and claims. "A Web site is a
magazine." A third tries a rich media ad and declares the
Internet is a television. A public relations professional uses a
Webcast for a news briefing and exclaims the Web is a press
conference.
At first, marketers tried to move their traditional marketing
concepts directly to the Internet, just as retailers tried to
make Web sites into storefronts. These attempts were less than
fruitful. Just as magazine ads are ineffective as direct mail
pieces and television commercials bomb in movie theaters, offline
marketing concepts fail on the Internet. Online advertising
works best when it takes advantage of the Internet's powers on
interconnectivity and personalization.
On the Internet, you can go to a consumers' niche interests and
create a direct link to products and services related to the
niche subject. There is no equivalent to this in the offline
world. You can also create a stream of information that flows to
your customers, at your customers' request in the form of emails.
And if you surround your marketing message with quality content,
the customer will actually anticipate your emails, viewing them
as positive communication. You can even personalize it to the
point where your customer is choosing the content and frequency
of the messages.
Permission marketing is the tag given to this opt-in marketing.
In the past it was often called relationship marketing. Small
retail stores have been doing it for hundreds of years. The
difference with the Internet, however, is that you can develop a
one-to-one relationship with your customers on a mass level.
This one-to-one marketing has the same effect online and in
mom-and-pop retail stores; it promotes loyalty and gives the
merchant to present specials, sales and new product introductions
to an market that is eager to listen.
Advertising on the Web is coming of age. Gone are the days when
advertisers mistook email for a cheap direct mail alternative.
Another myth that has hit the garbage heap is the belief that
banner advertising can be effective without the support of a
whole program of Web promotion efforts. If you want create an
effective marketing mix on the Internet, be prepared to put
together a coordinated effort to give your customer high-value
content related directly to your products or services
Rob Spiegel is the author of The Shoestring Entrepreneur's Guide
to the Best Home-Based Businesses (St. Martin's Press) and The
Complete Guide to Home Business (AMACOM Books). You can reach
Rob Spiegel at spiegelrob@aol.com.
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