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 Home Business Internet Marketing Strategies
Wed 3rd Nov.'99
Vote for Biz Bits at EzineSeek and support your favorite Ezine!
Click here: http://www.NowSell.com/BBvote.html Thanks!
In this issue:
1. Introduction
==>Bits and pieces, free book excerpt, RealNetworks exposed.
2. Voting Booth
==>This week's quick poll and last week's results.
3. Feature Article
==>"14 BUSINESS BOOSTERS" by Paul Schuch.
4. This Week's Posts
==>A) [New Topic] Recommendations for Online Stores?
- Don Morris
- Azam's Comment
==>B) [New Topic] FFA---what's the buzz?
- Paula Bright
- Azam's Comment
5. Tip
==>Omitted this week to keep size down.
6. Sites to Check Out
==>10 places for you to visit.
====================== SPONSOR'S MESSAGE ========================
Get FREE Internet marketing and promoting tips for your website!
Having trouble getting traffic to your website? Learn from the
"best" on how to promote your website! As a bonus, when you
subscribe to our newsletter "Top Biz News" you will receive over
50 FREE Ebooks that you can download! http://www.topbiznews.com
=================================================================
=====================
+ Introduction +
=====================
Hi,
I'll keep it brief this week as I've already written loads today,
and it's now the wee hours of the morning!
With the major upgrade to Now Sell! now behind me (glad to have a
rest from all that technical stuff!), I've been able to start
thinking about more new content to add to the site, so you can
expect to see new developments in that area over the coming
weeks.
I've also been able to get back into my daily promotion routine
(you do have one, don't you?), which has shown immediate results
on the ezine front, with subscribers to both Biz Bits and Biz
Bits FFA growing substantially over the last week.
This week I was also fortunate enough to get involved in a
promotional project with Teresa Williams, a very nice lady, and
the sponsor of todays issue. Her site is well worth a visit, so I
suggest you pop on over today: http://www.topbiznews.com Be sure
to sign up for her free ezine, "Top Biz News", whilst you're
there (I read a really good article about merchant services in it
yesterday), which will also give you access to the biggest
collection of free ebooks I've ever seen!
<>
Get a free excerpt from Michael Campbell's new book "Nothing But
'Net". I must confess to not having time to read it yet, but it's
been getting good reviews and the excerpt is a worthwhile read.
It's a marketing book based on Michael's experience of generating
$750,000 in internet revenues with virtually no advertising
costs. Send an email to: mailto:nothingbutnet@autobots.net for
your free excerpt
<>
RealNetworks was exposed for collecting information from people
who download and use RealJukebox. They have released a patch
which plugs this hole. But the damage is done. (source:
internetnews.com)
<>
VolumeBuy is offering a new ecommerce service called "buyer
pooling", that enables the grouping of individual purchases
into single aggregated buying pools, maximizing the individual
buyer's purchasing power.
There are buying pools for American Airlines tickets, gasoline,
office and computer products, long distance and cellular service,
utilities, and specialty items such as coffee, gift products, and
artwork. http://www.volumebuy.com
<>
Posts to Biz Bits [mailto:BizBits+topica.com]:
These should be regarding useful information for the group,
questions, comments, or replies to previous posts. The only
advertising allowed is that contained within your signature file.
Posts to Biz Bits FFA [mailto:FFA+topica.com]:
This is where you can send all of your ads, sales letters,
promotion offers, etc. You may post once every day. If you've not
yet joined, you can do so with a blank email to
mailto:FFA-subscribe+topica.com
<>
Tell me what YOU think! Send your feedback, comments, what you
like, what you hate, etc., to me at: mailto:azam+nowsell.com
Keep workin' at it!
TTFN
Azam
PS - Want a free personal consultation with sales Guru Ken Evoy
to improve your site? That's the monthly prize for his
"recommend this site to a friend" sweepstakes. Win that and
you will never look back! http://www.sitesell.com/info.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================
Learn the ONE SECRET that Internet Marketing Expert Rick Beneteau
developed as his ONLY METHOD to build his business, his
reputation and his millions of impressions per month. LEARN with
his Powerful New eBook, The Ezine Marketing Machine, and EARN
whopping 50% Commissions!! Highly Recommended by Marlon Sanders,
Allan Gardyne & many others. Become Rick's Partner! Click here to
LEARN & EARN: http://www.ezinemoney.net/sgx/d.cgi?1869
=================================================================
=====================
+ Voting Booth +
=====================
This is the place where we take a quick poll for a snapshot of
the Biz Bits family's position on a given topic.
This week:
Do you think posting your link on FFA pages is worthwhile?
YES! >>>> mailto:yes+nowsell.com
If properly used they can be quite effective!
NO! >>>> mailto:no+nowsell.com
A complete waste of time and loads of spam for your trouble!
ERR? >>>> mailto:err+nowsell.com
I'm not sure... depends... ?
*** Add any additional comments in the body of your vote mail ***
=====================
Last week:
Do you think the prices of internet stocks are over-inflated?
YES! >>>> 100%
One day the bubble will burst and the prices will come crashing
down!
NO! >>>> 0%
They reflect the real future revenue generating potential of the
companies concerned!
ERR? >>>> 0%
I'm not sure... depends... ?
Keep those votes coming!
Quite a few voters (but we still want more! :-) yet a completely
unanimous response! My thoughts? Exactly the same!
=====================
Voters Feedback:
YES!
...but I wouldn't mind making a profit in the meantime if I had
the cash!
dcd+daviddeeson.co.uk
=================================================================
*** HOW DO YOU SPELL ONLINE SUCCESS? E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E! ***
Why reinvent the wheel ... wasting time and money going it alone
when a bunch of highly-successful webmasters and marketers have
SPILLED THE BEANS at a new Private Web Site?... Learn from our
mistakes and you'll have more time to actually grow your
business! Click here NOW! ===> http://www.nowsell.com/imc.html
=================================================================
=====================
+ Feature Article +
=====================
--------------------
14 BUSINESS BOOSTERS
--------------------
by Paul Schuch
Most home business owners soon realise that starting the business
was the easy part. Attracting and keeping customers can be a bit
more difficult. Fortunately, marketing your product or service
doesn't require a lot of money. What it does require is
inventiveness, vision, and a well considered plan of action. Here
are 14 low-cost, high-impact marketing moves you can use right
now.
1. Get on target
You have to know exactly who your potential customers are, what
motivates them - and where to find them. Without this you cannot
position your product for maximum appeal. Write down a
description of the type of person most likely to want or need
your product. And why they should want to buy from you.
2. Ask - don't tell
What you think a customer wants and what they really want are
usually as different as chalk and cheese. Don't take the risk of
getting it wrong, ask them. Email a questionnaire. Ask everything
which will help you get your sales message directly to them, eg
what they look for from a supplier, why they buy from you, how
you could enhance your offering. You will increase response if
you promise a discount or gift for answering. This can be as
'simple' as a fact sheet, eg How to double your turnover in 12
months, How to add years to your life, How to make your home
secure.
Collate the replies and you will know how and where to attract
your target audience's attention.
3. Do the three-step
Offering complimentary information to potential customers on
topics related to your business is a great way to boost sales and
get some free publicity. Step 1: Offer a free "fact sheet" that
gives information in your area of expertise, publish a free ezine
on a topic related to your business, or set up a telephone hot
line that gives recorded information via a voice mail system (or
your answering machine!). Step 2: Publicise its availability on
appropriate web listings. Step 3: Add respondents' names and
addresses to your mailing list and send them promotional
materials often.
4. Raise your prices
Believe it or not, you might make more money by charging more. A
higher price separates you from the crowd and implies that your
product is better and deserves a premium price. Test different
prices to different segments of your audience. Find what gets the
greatest order rate.
5. Make sure your customers know who you are
Even if you operate on the net, your customers like to see the
faces behind the business. Use your own photo on your web site,
and in your mailings (if you use HTML for emails). A quote from
the person or people pictured conveys friendliness and builds
confidence in your offerings.
6. Speak with one voice
Your web site, ezine, sales promotions, business cards should
speak with a clear and cohesive voice. Use quality design, one
typeface, a professionally designed logo, a uniform sales
message.
7. Email or fax it
Use your email or fax machine for all types of communication.
It's cheaper, quicker, and is more effective than the
telephone/mail, and increases your chance of being noticed by the
right people.
8. Copy the winners
There are very few original ideas in this world, but there are
plenty that work. Is there a company you admire? Analyse its
marketing strategies. Then adopt the ones you can use, improve on
them, and make them your own. Don't waste time and money trying
to reinvent the wheel.
9. Maintain an upbeat manner
You know the saying, "You never get a second chance to make a
first impression." For many people, that first impression is
often made by email.
The written word projects an astounding range of emotions. If you
sound angry or brusque, you start things off on the wrong foot -
at the very least. At worst, you may drive away a potential
client.
10. Never, ever forget that your existing customers are your best
customers
Since it's generally easier to keep old customers than attract
new ones, make sure they stay on board. That includes ensuring
that they know you appreciate their custom (always thank a
customer for each new order, never take them for granted), and
that you continually tempt them with new offers. That way they
will continue to buy from you month in, year out.
11. Deadlines boost sales
Make sure you put a time limit on any promotional offer. That way
you will increase sales. Also, reward prompt action with
discounts, ‘3 for 2s’, or freebies.
12. Repeat your message again and again and again!
A message must be repeated to be remembered. Don't just do one
emailing to people who have expressed an interest in your
offerings (no spamming!); send at least five more emailings to
the same people before you scrub them from your hit list. Use an
auto responder (check-out the www.NowSell.com site for guidance).
One shot promotions don't work: its frequency, not size that
matters.
13. Use testimonials
If you have been in business more than a few weeks, you probably
have satisfied customers. Let them help you promote your
business. Email for comments about your products and services.
Select the best quotes and request the customers’ permission to
use in your publicity material: state where, and how.
14. Don't try to make money!
Instead, try to offer your customers genuinely useful products or
services that make you and your customers happy. Remember the old
adage: "Do what you love, the money will follow." It really
works.
Article contributed by Paul Schuch, a European writer
specializing in business start-ups. Paul may be reached by email
at mailto:P.Schuch+nowsell.com
=================================================================
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Learn the Insider Internet marketing secrets that can explode
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marketing courses on the Net today.
Secrets To Making Money On The Information Super-Highway:
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=================================================================
=====================
+ This Week's Posts +
=====================
A) [New Topic] Recommendations for Online Stores?
- Don Morris
- Azam's Comment
From: mrtoner+pe.net
To: BizBits+topica.com
Subject: [New] Recommendations for Online Stores?
I've been wanting to put up a store on my website for quite some
time, but I just don't have the time to design it and get it
running. If it's going to be on my site, I want it to fit in with
everything else, plus I have my own ideas about how it should
work. Unfortunately, that means that I still don't have it up.
Option two is to have my store hosted on another site, at least
for now. Amazon.com has its zShops and Yahoo! has its Store. Are
these good options, and are there other shops that y'all
recommend?
--
Don Morris........mrtoner+lasermedic.com
.....Supplies, Parts and Support For Your Laser Printer.....
..support+lasermedic.com. http://www.lasermedic.com/?BB ..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Azam's Comment*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know anything about Amazon or zShops, but I have read a
couple of different reviews suggesting that the Yahoo service is
quite a poor option compared to others.
iCat offer a very good service and seem to receive consistently
good reviews (I've seen them ranked as the best in at least 2
independent articles), but as an affiliate I am probably biased
anyway. <g>
They also offer a free trial: http://www.Nowsell.com/icat.html
Charles Kessler of tricksandtrinkets.com recently requested that
if appropriate, I mention in Biz Bits a free ecommerce store
offered by a client of his. After receiving Don's post, I decided
to go and check it out.
I can verify (as far as possible without actually using it) that
the "ezstore" service offered by ASPRE.com, appears to be both
easy to set up and of quality. This is what they say themselves
about their service:
Showcase up to 10 products or services
User friendly Shopping Cart Application
Pick from a number of professionally designed templates
Integrate your own company logo or banner
Customer reports and analysis
Sales reports and analysis
Advanced selling features
Email notification for customers and merchants
Here's the Url: http://ezstore.aspre.com
*Note: This service is limited to 10 items. If you wish to sell
more than that, you'll have to pay.
In terms of integrating with the look and feel of your existing
site, Nexchange probably offer one of the best services. They
allow you to upload your own page header and footer to their
server. If you use a table-based page layout, by breaking the
page between the TD and /TD tags of the main content cell,
the items can appear within the central content area of your
page, surrounded by your standard layout.
Nexchange's is an affiliate store however, meaning you are
limited to earning commissions on the sale of their own (quite
wide) range of products. http://www.nexchange.com
If anyone can provide any further information on this topic,
please send in your post (hit "Reply" to post).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=================================================================
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=================================================================
B) [New Topic] FFA---what's the buzz?
- Paula Bright
- Azam's Comment
Subject: FFA---what's the buzz?
From: "Paula Bright" dowbright+macconnect.com
To: Azam Corry azam+nowsell.com
Hi, Azam,
This is a sincere question, but if perchance you felt it would be
good info for others---of course you may use....PLEASE use my
sig, if you do! If not---I still would really appreciate even a
brief idea....
I'm curious---now that the site is up--full of html messes of my
own making, but I'm fixing them, piece by tiny piece--hey, this
stuff is not easy to learn from scratch!---
can you teach me a little about what FFA means? Or at least help
me know where to go for good advice? I'm scared of thousands of
spams--but know that I need to spread the word on the site...and
that will take time to do in the "quality" way. I'm working on
that daily. In the meantime, I'm looking for interim anything ---
am I on the right track?
I know nothing about this biz, as well you know!
Paula Bright, for
========================================================
George Lee, Jr. & the Crazed Cowboys
"We play country different!" WELCOME TO HIP HOP COUNTRY!
Curious? Listen now--free! http://www.crazedcowboys.com
mailto:paula+crazedcowboys.com
========================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Azam's Comment*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FFA stands for 'Free For All' and originally referred to web
pages (Free For All Links) that allowed a visitor to add a link
to their own site, using a title they composed themselves. The
idea was that other surfers would come along, and attracted by
your description, click on your link to visit your site.
This worked well for a while, but gradually the novelty of
browsing FFA links began to wear off, plus lots of
"auto-submitters" started to appear. These will post your link to
many FFA sites at once, thus removing the need for you to visit
each page yourself. This development drastically reduced the
number of people visiting FFA pages, and therefore the chance of
anyone actually clicking on your link.
FFA link pages are usually split up into several categories like
"Business", "Computers", etc., with a preset maximum number of
links in each (usually 100). As the use of auto-submitters
mushroomed, FFA pages began to be bombarded with submissions,
with the result that a posting to a popular page may only be
visible for a very short time, possibly less than an hour or so
(as each new link is added, yours moves further down the list
until it drops off).
By this time the focus of FFA pages as a marketing tool had
changed; instead of hosting an FFA page to generate many visits
to a site, marketers began to host them simply to collect the
email addresses of those posting links (you have to provide a
valid address in order to post), so that they could send them
their own sales messages.
Many of these consist of a fairly innocuous single mailing, but
there are others that add you to their mailing list, forcing you
to *unsubscribe* (I use the term loosely!). Some make it very
hard to get off their lists (or near impossible), whilst the
worst kind make a profit from selling your address (together with
those of thousands of others) to spammers, or to the unsuspecting
as 'safe lists'.
You may of course choose to reply to these emails with your own
sales message, but be warned, this can be dangerous. Doing just
that resulted in well known e-marketer, Rick Beneteau, being shut
down by his host, upon their receipt of a spam complaint
from an individual whose message Rick had replied to!
//-----------Side Note------------//
Rick's new book "The Ezine Marketing Machine" is out. It details
how he made a fortune using free ezine advertising and teaches
his methods. It's been getting rave reviews from the likes of
Marlon Sanders, Allan Gardyne & many others. Details at:
http://www.NowSell.com/emm.html
//---------End Side Note----------//
If you do wish to reply to any of these emails, make sure you
quote a substantial portion of the original message in your
reply, including their signature. That should serve to make it
clear that they contacted you first.
Some people are of the opinion that responding to the messages
sent to you as a result of an FFA posting is "bad netiquette",
their argument being that the host of the FFA page is providing a
service by allowing you to post your link, and that this is their
'payment'.
That particular viewpoint doesn't hold water with me. Whilst it
may have been true in the early days of FFA pages, these days the
host generally benefits far more than those posting their links,
with the majority of webmasters setting them up solely for the
opportunity of sending out their sales letters.
However, the time it will take for you to (safely) reply to each
message, means that this is not a very effective marketing
method. In addition, many of your replies are probably never
read, being filtered and deleted or going to an autoresponder
that simply sends you another message.
Having said all that, a *sustained* program of *regular* postings
to FFA pages may bring in some visitors and therefore be
worthwhile. Plus, if several of the sites that your link appears
on are popular and well listed in the major search
engines/directories, it can improve your site's ranking in the
SE's that measure link popularity.
//-----------Side Note------------//
It should be understood that in terms of how the SE's rate link
popularity, not all links are equal. A link to your site from a
page listed in Yahoo, for example, is worth far more than
hundreds of links from other less popular sites like "Bob's Free
Links Page"
//---------End Side Note----------//
Here are a few links to FFA submitters:
http://www.jimtools.com/submit.html
http://hotyellowlinks.com/
http://findme.as/freesubmit/index.html
http://www.linkplace.com/submit/?
http://www.global.gr/mtools/linkstation/
http://www.icestorm.net/linkchain/
http://www.wealth-connection.com/freesubmit.html
I strongly advise you to set up a suitable free email
account/forwarding address *before* you post to any FFA pages
(you have been warned!).
It was perhaps due to FFA pages focusing more on the email side
of the operation that led to the growth in opt-in email based FFA
lists like Biz Bits FFA. mailto:FFA-subscribe+topica.com
These offer the advantage of safe 2-way communication with many
other subscribers at once; you read their sales messages and they
read yours (assuming the subject line is suitably appealing).
Additionally, since the list acts as a central pool, you only
have to send one email for it too be received by many.
As to Paula's particular needs:
Paula, with your site focusing on quite a unique niche, you might
find you do better with selective link swaps. Unless you can find
suitable FFA pages that particularly target your niche, IMHO you
probably won't do that well with FFA links (excepting the email
based "list announce" kind), because they are dominated by
'marketing types'.
Still I could be wrong, so it's worth trying to be sure. Maybe
the novelty of your message will work in your favor, though I
doubt it :-( I reckon there's probably a ratio of something like
1000 posters to every 1 browser of web based FFA links pages! (I
never visit them, do you?)
Do an "advanced" search on several SE's for sites in your niche,
adding "+links" (and variations) to the search criteria. You may
find somewhere particularly worthwhile to post.
Are you in the directories? Your site looks professional, it's
fast loading, and your fairly unique subject matter aught to
assist you to get in without too much difficulty.
Think long and hard about titles, descriptions and keywords
before you submit though. You don't want to get listed and yet
still receive no traffic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Send your information, question or comment to appear here next
week and start advertising yourself. mailto:BizBits+topica.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=====================
+ Tip +
=====================
Omitted this week to keep size down.
=================================================================
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/
=================================================================
======================
+ Sites to Check Out +
======================
http://www.internetemaillist.com/
Comprehensive directory of free E-mail service providers,
featuring over 3,000 free E-mail domain names. FREE!
http://www.gifwizard.com/
Optimize images and check for broken links. Online application
can be used with any browser. FREE!
http://www.search-engine-tactics.com/
Collection of tips for preparing your site and submitting to the
search engines. FREE!
http://www.metaspy.com/
Shows you in real time the searches actually being performed on
MetaCrawler. FREE!
http://www.ureach.com/
Offer free 'Toll Free' numbers for which you can record your own
personal greeting, receive voice mail/faxes and download them as
a file attachment. FREE!
http://www.statmarket.com/
Real time source of Internet statistics and user trends. FREE!
http://desktopPublishing.com/template/web/sitekits.html
Free, prepackaged web site templates. FREE!
http://www.webopedia.com/
Encyclopedia of web terms. FREE!
http://www.beyond.com/AF29220/PKIN147917/prod.htm
Microsoft's Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 free after rebate.
Save $39.95 off retail price. FREE!
http://new-list.com/
Announce your lists on this heavily subscribed service. FREE!
=====================
OK, that's it for this week! Below you'll find the info section.
*****************************************************************
Do you find Biz Bits useful?
Make it even more useful by forwarding a copy to your friends!
If you know anyone that should be part of our family, be sure to
invite them - the more the merrier!
*****************************************************************
//---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.
To post to the list, just hit "Reply" on your email program or
mailto:BizBits+topica.com
//-----End Guidelines-----//
=================================================================
To subscribe to Biz Bits, send a blank email to:
BizBits@NowSell.com
Should you ever wish to unsubscribe (hopefully not!):
BizBits-unsubscribe@topica.com
To subscribe on the Web please go to:
http://www.NowSell.com
=================================================================
Information on sponsoring Biz Bits: mailto:bbads+nowsell.com
=================================================================
Biz Bits is Copyright © 1999 Azam Corry. All Rights Reserved.
No part of Biz Bits may be reproduced in whole or in part without
written permission, though it may be freely redistributed in its
unedited form. All guest articles are copyright their respective
owners and are reproduced with permission.
Biz Bits is an internationally registered weekly publication.
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Last Modified: 12:48, Monday November 29, 2004. Copyright © 1999-2008 NowSell.com. All rights reserved.
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