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 Internet Marketing Strategy For Home Business Promotion
Thur 12th Aug. '99
In this issue:
1. Introduction
==>A new list, new software and a new vote.
2. Feature Article
==>"THE HEAT IN HOTLINKS" by John C. Ebert.
3. This Week's Posts
==>A) [Continuing] Sending out an Ezine
- Julie Jordan Scott
- Azam's Comment
4. Tip
==>Referral URLs
5. Pause For Thought
==>Demosthenes, Tolstoi, Alistair Cooke.
6. Voting Booth
==>This week's quick poll and last week's results.
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=================================================================
=====================
+ Introduction +
=====================
Hi,
Deborah Colvais's comments regarding 'safe lists' in the first
issue got me thinking (happens sometimes!). After some recent
experiments of my own, I decided to create the "Biz Bits FFA"
list, exclusively for subscribers of Biz Bits.
Here you can advertise your products, services and opportunities,
etc. Though subscription is by request, non-subscribers can also
read Biz Bits FFA on the web at topica:
http://www.topica.com/lists/FFA
Unlike Biz Bits, the list will not be moderated. Each member may
post up to once a day. That's one post per Email address - you
may not post more often just because each post is for a different
promotion! I will be relying on you to inform me of any abuse.
The idea is that by getting to know each other through your posts
to Biz Bits, you will be able to make a more informed decision as
to the reliability of offers advertised. Those that have earned
the respect of other members through informative posts here will
get a better response to their ads there.
Restricting membership of the FFA list in this way should ensure
that spammers - who generally like to remain anonymous - find it
simply not worth the effort. On the other hand, those that
consistently share their knowledge to the benefit of others will
get the rewards they deserve.
It's early days yet and until we have more members don't expect
too much. However, the potential is great!
To request a subscription (must be from the same address that you
use for Biz Bits) mailto:FFA-subscribe+topica.com
<>
A while back I came across a handy piece of free software called
Gator that I've been meaning to tell you about ever since. This
Windows only application automatically fills out forms for you
and remembers your passwords.
When you arrive at a web page that has a form to be filled, or
requires your account number or password, Gator pops up and
completes the information required without you having to type a
thing!
All of your personal data is safely stored by Gator in an
encrypted file on your own hard drive, so there should be no
worries there.
For more information and a quick 3 minute download go to:
http://www.nowsell.com/gator.html
<>
On another subject, I've decided to dedicate today's Voting Booth
to finding out exactly how YOU feel about Biz Bits. Please vote!
Without your feedback, I can't be sure to give YOU what YOU want.
You can add any additional comments in the body of your vote
mail.
<>
Lastly, I want to remind you that I'm giving away a Free Ad
insertion for every post published in Biz Bits throughout August!
Include your ad at the foot of your post and title it
"My free ad". I will insert it in the same or following issue
depending on available space.
Get your post in now!
Azam
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=====================
+ Feature Article +
=====================
----------------------
THE HEAT IN HOTLINKS
---------------------- by John C. Ebert
Our company's marketing strategy revolves around Web marketing
in a big way, but the single most powerful tool to have netted
us results has been the building of hotlinks into related web
sites of vendors. As an Internet telephony service, our
business revolves around the selling of long-distance talk
time or credits, much in the way one would purchase a $10,
$20 or $50 phone card. In test launching our software,
Conductor, which enables a PC user to make calls to any
telephony device anywhere in the world, we garnered almost
800 software downloads in the first month, with virtually
no advertising other than the Web. However, the initial
sign-up in percentage terms was under 10%! Although, our
service guaranteed superior voice clarity and white noise
reduction against our competition, a piece of the puzzle
was missing.
By the second month, we had worked up a number of strategic
partnerships with vendors of Internet telephony accessories.
We established vendor hotlinks to our site. These provided
users with the hardware they needed to assemble what our
company coined, the Internet Phone Voice Station concept.
This included sound cards, quality headsets, microphones/
speakers and even handsets. By month end, we had a
significantly higher number of downloads but the percentage
sign-up was approaching 20%, a doubling of the rate of
accounts opened! Upon analysis of our server logs and
general feedback from customers, we were able to understand
more clearly why this had happened. There were essentially
three reasons, all stemming from the hotlinks we built for
our vendor partners.
(1) A Holistic Solution.
Focusing only on the sale of our services blinded us from the
needs of our customers. There were hardware requirements that
greatly multiplied the capability of our service. A full duplex
sound card with white noise reduction, or a supersensitive
headset that performed at twice the capacity at half the cost of
similar headsets, were examples of helping your customer's
accessory needs and bank book. We basically re-organized our web
site to direct and educate customers on all possible accessories
they might need, even linking our sites directly into order pages
prepared specifically by our vendors for customers' orders.
(2) Mutual Promotion.
Edification of our service by the vendors who had tried and
tested our software to their satisfaction before entering a
strategic partnership, was a great confidence booster! Moreover,
that edification was mutual. Not only did we ensure that
customers knew where to go for accessories, but they were
directed to companies whose products we could stand by. We used
every one of our vendors' products before we started to promote
them.
(3) The Synergy of Size.
Despite hotlinking with our vendors, we were never resellers of
the telephony accessories. In fact, on more than a couple of
occasions, we ended up connecting our vendors directly with
overseas agents and resellers of our services, thereby solving
vendor issues of shipping costs. However, the genuine effort made
by all parties to ease the customer's concerns and direct them in
a convenient fashion, and this commitment to reciprocate support
created a larger-than-life image of corporate size and stability.
The sum of the parts was indeed greater than the sum of the
whole.
The long and short of the situation was that every company
needs friends. Customers can more readily trust five or six
companies working in tandem instead of just one singing its
own praises. This is nothing new, but in practice, it is
still a little applied concept.
-------------------
Article by: John C. Ebert, Marketing Director. Pairit.com
Pairit.com is a global provider of business and personal
communications for long distance calling over the Internet.
Based out of Walnut Creek, California, pairit.com, provides
the industry's first end-to-end Internet telephony solution
to its customers and partners worldwide through its own
virtual network enabled gateways.
To contact, call (510)944-8937 or fax (510)943-2970.
Email: mailto:jcebert+pairit.com. Web site: http://www.pairit.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Azam's Comment*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you think you can't apply the strategy outlined by John
because you don't sell your own products, you're wrong!
This is a technique that can be used on almost any web site.
Essentially, what John is talking about is providing something
extra for your visitors, something that they are likely to be
interested in, but which you can't or don't provide yourself.
The concept can be applied equally well to partner with sites
that offer free or paid services, specialist information or
advice, as it can with product vendors.
What we mean here is not just exchanging links in the regular
fashion. Nor is it web rings. It's much more than both. It
involves employing those links (or even content), as an integral
part of your site and viewing them as such. A solid relationship
with carefully chosen partners will bring the benefits John
outlines above.
I myself have been considering implementing something along
similar lines at Now Sell! and for the last couple of months I've
been keeping an eye out for potential partners. Unfortunately
having so many things going on right now, an acute shortage of
time is preventing me investigating this option more fully...
But that doesn't stop you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=====================
+ This Week's Posts +
=====================
A) [Continuing] Sending out an Ezine
- Julie Jordan Scott
- Azam's Comment
From: julieja+lightspeed.net
To: BizBits+topica.com
Subject: CONTINUING: Sending Out Ezines
Hello Adam and Everyone!
I just started my own "Family of Ezines"....and how I send them
out is this:
I use Onelist, and have not run into any problems with them as
of yet. I participate in a number of groups with them already,
and do not notice their advertisements to be obtrusive or
anything.
I created my own template....following similar formats to what
I have seen around the web, and I put it onto my Notepad, which
makes me take note of margins since I do not want the content
to have too many characters thus making for an ugly presentation!
(Heaven forbid! LOL!)
When new editions are due, I do some quick editing, I SAVE AS and
I send off to Onelist....and my subscribers mailboxes!
I suppose when the Subscriber base grows, I may have to change
my method of operation, but for now this is very simple and fits
the bill.
I also run a discussion email list at onelist, which has been a
blast!
Hope this is at least somewhat helpful!
Julie Jordan Scott
Julie Jordan Scott is a Freelance Writer and Public Speaker,
but her favorite role is that of Mommy! Visit her website at
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Grove/3361/5passions.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Azam's Comment*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for your post Julie. I wouldn't think you'd need to
change your method of operation due to a greater number of
subscribers. Though you may find it necessary if the format of
your Ezine grows more complex.
Hmmm... Adam is a nice name isn't it? Though unfortunately June,
it's not mine! :-) (Or am I being too presumptuous?)
What are YOUR thoughts on sending out an Ezine? How do YOU do it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=================================================================
DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR REVENUES Through Quick, Strategic
Positioning on the Internet. Internet marketing guru and
affiliate program builder for the big boys, Declan Dunn, reveals
his inside secrets that successful affiliates use to make the
most money from their programs. Tap into a tested, proven system
today by visiting: http://winning.cjb.net It's a Winner!
=================================================================
//---Posting Guidelines---//
Put the subject of the post in the subject line and to make life
easier for me, please prefix it with "NEW" or "CONTINUING". Try
to keep your posts on topic as much as possible. Due to the
obvious limitations on the number of topics we can discuss at
once, postings relating to new topics may be held back for later
release.
Also please don't send the whole issue of Biz Bits back to me. If
you use the reply function, please cut out everything except the
post you're replying to.
Only useful, informative posts or questions will be published.
You're encouraged to include your signature file, but
self-serving gratuitous ads disguised as posts will be weeded
out.
Note to spammers: You will never be published in Biz Bits! Your
subscription will be cancelled if you violate again after being
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want to learn - DON'T SPAM!
//-----End Guidelines-----//
=================================================================
Learn from the best. Corey Rudl does 2.6 MILLION DOLLARS in sales
online EACH YEAR... all from his one small office! He reveals all
his unconventional tips, trick and techniques with examples so
you can learn the most efficient and fastest way to make money on
the Internet. http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/20370/
=================================================================
=====================
+ Tip +
=====================
When you join any kind of affiliate program, you'll be given a
unique referral URL. Usually this is in the form of:
http://www.AffiliateCompany.com/BlahBlah?LongNumber
This poses no problem on a web site. However if you're
advertising in Ezines or Email lists, an URL like this can look
messy and take up too much space (some are even longer than
my example).
It also announces to the world that you're an affiliate;
something you may wish to avoid in certain circumstances.
Even worse, the reader may copy and paste the URL into their
browser, and intentionally or not, omit your referral ID.
If you have a web site with your own domain name there's a very
quick and easy workaround: set up a redirect page in the root
directory of your own site using the meta "refresh" tag.
To do this, create a new page containing the following code:
<----Start Code---->
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Last Modified: 12:47, Monday November 29, 2004. Copyright © 1999-2008 NowSell.com. All rights reserved.
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