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Web Marketing And Promotion Strategies For Small Business
Sat 23rd Sept '00
In this issue:
1. INTRODUCTION
==>1000 FREE clicks from GoTo
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. VIEWPOINT
==>What's your opinion?
6. MARKETPLACE
==>Check out special offers and deals here.
7. FEATURE ARTICLE
==>"What the Merchant Service Companies Don't Want You to Know"
by Denise Maling.
Scroll to the end for subscription details.
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X INTRODUCTION X
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Hi,
Sorry I'm a day late. Something unexpected came up and I 'lost'
the last two days. It also meant I didn't have time to write a
new article. Still, I've got some good news to make up for it:
BIZ BITS SUBSCRIBERS CAN GET UP TO 1000 FREE CLICKS FROM GOTO!
The other day, Dan Scholnick, VP of Client Services at GoTo,
wrote authorizing me to make you this special, time limited
offer:
Sign up with GoTo between now and October 31, 2000
and you will get $10 credited to your account - free!
At $0.01 per click, that's 1000 FREE clicks! Great for driving
visitors to your site or ramping up your affiliate commissions.
There are two rules:
1. You have to use this URL:
http://www.nowsell.com/go/to.cgi?l=goto
(I've redirected it through Now Sell! because the GoTo URL is too
long. But yes, I'll get something added to my account too! ;-)
2. You must have received at least one click, on any of your
listings (to make the account 'active') by midnight (PST) on
November 1st.
Note: It usually takes 3-5 business days for listings to be
approved, so don't leave it until the last minute. :-)
If you've been reading Biz Bits for any length of time, you'll
know that I think pay-per-click search engines are one of the
most cost effective means of online promotion. Where else can you
get targeted traffic for as little as $0.01 per visitor?
I personally have accounts at five PPC search engines. GoTo is
the best performer. It brings me more traffic - and sales - than
all the rest put together.
This is largely due to the extensive partner network which
displays GoTo's search results. It includes America Online,
Internet Explorer Search, EarthLink, CNET, Netscape and many
others, not to mention the thousands of affiliates that offer
GoTo search on their sites. According to Goto, they now reach 75%
of all Internet users.
Sure, bid prices can be high on very popular keywords. But most
advertisers *only* bid on these obvious terms. They ignore
THOUSANDS of other keywords, where you and I can get a good
listing for just a cent or two!
Of course, the less popular keywords aren't searched for as
often. But that *does not* matter. Play smart. Bid on LOTS of
keywords (I have almost 1000 keywords in my GoTo account, most at
just $0.01 or $0.02 per click). Here's an example:
No. Keywords No. Times each Keyword Number of Times
in Account Searched per Month Your Ad is Seen*
------------ ----------------------- ----------------
20 1000 20,000
200 100 20,000
*Assume all listings have the same ranking, say the #3 spot.
As you can see, listing under 200 keywords, each of which is only
searched for 100 times a month, can bring you the same amount of
traffic as 20 listings for much more expensive keywords that are
searched for 1000 times each month.
If you've not yet made the leap to paid advertising, now is the
time to do it. I guarantee you won't regret it. Why? Because you
only get targeted traffic. If a search term you submit isn't
relevant to your site (or an affiliate product you're promoting)
Goto will reject it. That makes it a foolproof system!
Here's another good reason to sign up now: You get unlimited
access to the GoTo Keyword Suggestion Tool. As I mentioned a
couple of weeks ago, GoTo have removed this valuable research
tool from their public site.
It tells you how many times input keywords and their variations
were searched on in the previous month. That's not only useful
for GoTo listings. The tool is great at helping you select the
best keywords to use in your web pages - to get both targeted
traffic and higher rankings at the regular search engines. It's
reservation for account holders only has frustrated many!
Here's the URL again:
http://www.nowsell.com/go/to.cgi?l=goto
If you're interested, do it NOW before you forget!
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 - Have you downloaded Mike Enlow's "Stealth Marketing" ebook
yet? It's 14-chapters on the best and most overlooked ways
to profit on the Internet. Valued at $49, you can get it
FREE from: http://www.NowSell.com/downs/stealth.pdf.zip
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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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"POWERFUL ADS AND SALES COPY MAKE MORE SALES!"
Get "Make Your Words Sell!" The definitive guide to writing copy
for the web. From the essentials before you write a single word
to the polishing of your final draught, "Make Your Words Sell!"
covers it all. In DETAIL and in lanuage you understand. Learn how
to think like your visitor, with your visitor, and ahead of your
visitor. Read it NOW ... BEFORE your competition does!
Click Here!
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X PLACES TO VISIT X
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http://www.FeedbackTime.com/
Free service allows individuals and organizations to give or
receive anonymous feedback on any subject and track responses.
http://www.OnlineCityGuide.com/
Guide to America's cities and towns for both business and leisure
users. Portal lists 31,000 Communities.
http://inta.org/basics/tmsrchng.shtml/
Guide to free web-based trademark search services from the
International Trademark Association.
http://searchpdf.adobe.com/
PDF documents are ignored by most search engines. Here you can
search through over a million across the web.
http://www.eprompter.com/
Free application can automatically check up to eight free
web-based and POP3 email accounts simultaneously.
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TAKE CREDIT CARDS ONLINE, HANDS FREE!
Confused on how to accept credit cards at your website? Click
here to learn about e-commerce and a company that can set up
EVERYTHING for you. Increase YOUR sales by as much as 317% or
more! http://www.marketingtips.com/creditcards/
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X TIDBITS X
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NEW WEB-BASED PAYMENT ALTERNATIVE
ec-Finance (ECF) announced that it will provide VolumeLink and
its customers FASTLC(TM), the first online Letter of Credit (LC)
product for B2B exchanges. This Web-based financing option allows
buyers and sellers on B2B exchanges to complete financing of
their transactions online in an efficient and secure environment.
http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=16764&cat=te
THE ART OF GLOBAL RECRUITING
So your US-based company is ready for overseas expansion. Be
careful -- what many Americans consider standard hiring practices
can be irksome or downright rude outside the United States.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,18353,00.html
DOT-COM DOOM SITE IS, UM, DOOMED
dotcomfailures.com is dead. As its last newsletter archly notes:
"Three months and $2.6 million later dotcomfailures.com is
closed. To our investors: Thanks for the good times...we'll see
you in court." http://www.emarketer.com/enews/bizbits/bizbit.html
DISAPPOINTING NEWS
One in five surfers visiting an online news site leaves unhappy,
according to a recent survey by cPulse. Difficulty in finding
articles quickly was the major gripe of Net surfers - 70%
abandoned a news site for this reason. Customer satisfaction with
news sites has declined 9% since the beginning of the year, while
satisfaction with general content sites has increased 3%.
http://www.thestandard.com
TAX DOLLARS AT WORK?
Seventy-eight percent of 1,716 government Web sites studied offer
no services online, such as the ability to register a vehicle,
file taxes or apply for a fishing license, says a survey from
Brown University. Only 7 percent of these government sites posted
privacy policies. http://www.thestandard.com
ONLINE DOWN UNDER
One-third of Australian households - 2.3 million - have Internet
access, up from 22 percent in 1999, according to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics. http://www.thestandard.com
FRAUD IN THE U.K.
In a survey of 800 U.K.-based online retailers by Experian, 70
percent said the Internet is more risky for conducting commerce
than traditional retail due to fraud. Two-thirds of e-retailers
polled said it takes at least a month for credit card fraud to be
detected and 4 of 10 companies surveyed have been hit by the same
fraudulent customer more than once. http://www.thestandard.com
FEDS: DIGITAL CASH CAN THWART US
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38955,00.html
A confidential Treasury Department report wants to force insurers
and travel agents to report 'suspicious' financial activities.
The feds fret that the Net and e-cash will interfere with agents'
ability to monitor Americans' activities.
APPLE LICENSES AMAZON'S 1-CLICk
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38871,00.html
Apple Computer becomes the first company that is not an Amazon
partner or affiliate to license the e-tailing giant's patented
purchasing technology.
PUBLISHERS YEARN TO E-LEARN
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,38771,00.html
Some of the biggest players in textbook publishing are placing
their bets on e-learning, hoping to lead the growing space by
instilling technology-based learning tools in the classroom.
ONLINE OPPORTUNITY WAITING FOR VIDEO GAME MARKET
As many as 65 percent of consumers with Web access may purchase
an electronic gaming product online during the next six months,
according to a report by The NPD Group, Inc. and Media Metrix.
http://cyberatlas.com/markets/retailing/
article/0,,6061_457071,00.html
SMALLER ISPS THREATENING DOMINANCE OF BIG BOYS
A study by J.D. Power and Associates looked at consumer
satisfaction with ISPs and found that regional providers are
using broadband to their advantage. The study also found that
cable modem subscribers are more satisfied than their broadband
counterparts with DSL or ISDN. http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture
/hardware/article/0,,5921_458021,00.html
MORE THAN 8.6 MILLION ONLINE IN BRAZIL
According to Media Metrix, 8,650,000 people in Brazil used the
Internet during August and portals were among their favorite
online destinations. http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/
geographics/article/0,,5911_463041,00.html
YOUNG AMERICANS TAKE THEIR SPENDING ONLINE
Surveys by Harris Interactive found that young people in the US
are spending at a projected rate of $164 billion per year, and
e-commerce has become one of the avenues by which they spend. In
fact, e-commerce spending among those ages 18 to 24 is more than
four times the rate of e-commerce spending among all adults.
http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/demographics/
article/0,,5901_463961,00.html
ONLINE FRAUD: HOW BAD IS IT?
Is fraud a bigger problem for online retailers than their offline
counterparts? It depends on who you ask. The Gartner Group says
online fraud is higher and credit card companies are killing
e-tailers. ActivMedia says it's no worse online than offline.
http://cyberatlas.com/markets/retailing/
article/0,,6061_464841,00.html
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YOU CAN WRITE A PROFITABLE EBOOK!
Yes - *even if* you've never written before!
Turn everyday knowledge into a product in demand ... and Sell It!
Comprehensive hands-on guide to Writing, Publishing & Marketing
ebooks. Detailed, step-by-Step instructions. Surprise yourself!
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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
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* Simple CSS template
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This week:
~~~~~~~~~~
What do you consider is the most important part of your online
business?
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 about the changes made to Amazon.com's privacy
policy? Is it important, or a big fuss about nothing??
Reader Comments:
Hi,
I think it's a big fuss about nothing!
Thanks,
Gracina
gracina1@excite.com
[Azam: This was the only response I received last week! Lots of
people have written saying they like to read these comments.
That's great, but you have to get involved for it to work!]
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Marketplace Available In Email Version Only.
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"What the Merchant Service Companies Don't Want You to Know"
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by Denise Maling
Today, there are thousands of merchant service providers and
hundreds of thousands of Internet entrepreneurs looking for the
right provider. In your endeavor to establish the best
processing solution for your company and wallet, you need to know
what goes on behind the scenes.
The sales pitch starts on the web site. If rates are not listed,
you probably shouldn't bother with the site. It is a ploy to get
you to call at which time the high-pressure sales pitch begins.
Once you have decided to fill out an express application or
inquiry, don't be alarmed by the disclaimer that states your
credit may be checked. No one can do that without your
signature.
Okay, so you've filled out a couple of applications and hopefully
someone has called you to discuss your business. Keep in mind
that merchant service providers make their money a couple of
different ways:
* Acquisition of account, i.e. set up and application fees.
* Sale of processing software/hardware or virtual terminal.
* Some may share in the revenue produced monthly by your
processing fees.
The bottom-line? Most of the money is made up front, especially
for the person selling you the solution. Again, there may be
high-pressure sales tactics used. So when you speak with a
representative of the provider, the following are things they
don't want you to know:
* There is a monthly minimum-processing fee that you must pay.
* The bank fees cannot be waived.
* You may be required to pay a reserve, either by giving up 5-20%
of each sale or paying cash to the bank. The reserve is
typically 33-50% of your monthly volume.
* Your credit affects whether you are required to pay a reserve,
put up cash or even get the merchant account.
* Your credit history cannot increase your gateway fee,
transaction fee, or discount rate. If your rep tells you
differently, keep shopping.
* The refundable deposit is refundable only if the bank declines
you, not if you decline because you no longer want to go
through with it.
Why wouldn't you want to go through with it? Although you've
done all the research, the following are a few suggestions to
take into consideration before signing the paperwork:
* Quoted rates are often based on a question answer formula.
When you have signed your application and it is forwarded to
the bank, the fees change based on your credit history.
* When you lease your software/hardware or virtual terminal, the
monthly fee may change as a result of an actual credit review.
* A reserve is required.
Now you have your account and it is time to make money. The
following are the top five complaints by merchants once they have
been set up:
1. A card from outside of the processors country results in what
is called a non-qualified rate, a whopping 3.75% of the sale.
2. Processing more than your limit, resulting in held funds. The
length of time the funds are held depends on the risk factor
and the bank with which you deal.
3. If you don't batch out every day, you pay additional discount
fees.
4. Should you surpass the limit that the bank is willing to allow
for more than three months, you may receive an immediate
termination letter.
5. If you receive more than 3% in chargebacks, your bank may
terminate the account, at which time you will find it very
difficult to get another one.
Lastly, many of the representatives on the Internet work from
home and may not have the resources to deal with issues that may
arise. As a result, the service isn't the best.
As you can see, you really need to do your homework. Make sure
to get all of your questions answered and, of course, buyer
beware.
Article by Denise Maling, VP of Sales for AIS Media Denise is
responsible for achieving AIS Media's sales and customer support
objectives. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Marketing and an Associates degree in Merchandising.
If you want to find out more about merchant services, go to:
http://www.aismedia.com/x/cc.cfm?MC10749xwhat
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"Submit URLs Fast and Safely from your PC!"
Unlike other auto-submitters, our revolutionary "smart" software
submits and monitors daily like a person, following search engine
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