Google’s AdSense
Blogging Tips for Freelancer
Blogging is one of the best ways to start a Freelancer business because it is so easy to get going. However, that does not mean that it is easy to make money from your blog. Don’t start a blog and expect to see money rolling in immediately. Blogging is an activity that will take time to build up to a profit level. It’s a good thing to start while you are working on other Freelancer opportunities to let it build to a profitability level. With time and attention, your blog (or blogs) will grow into a business.
When you are blogging for profit, you’ll want to pay close attention to how you present yourself in your blog. There are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, and there may be several hundred blogs that are related to your topic. If your readers can’t understand your blog and have trouble reading it, they’ll just move on to the next one. The following tips can make your blog more user-friendly and help you gain consistent readers.
First, pay close attention to the format of your blog. Readers want to understand how your blog works right from the start. Most blogging platforms have similar formats, with links and tags on the left or right margin, and the most recent post on top. Make sure to use the links wisely. Only put links up for blogs or content that is truly related to your blog’s topic. The point is to give your readers additional information on your topic. Keep the list short and sweet. There is no reason to overwhelm them with links to other sites.
Also, take careful consideration when choosing your blog’s background and font color. Although there are a lot of color choices that blogging programs offer, its best to stick with a light background and dark text. Studies have shown that the human brain can process this type of format better than light text on a dark background. Think about this before you commit to a black background and white text. It might look striking, but readers might not want to stay there for long. Also, use a solid background color instead of trying to use a pattern or design.
Proofread your entries before you post them to your blog. There is nothing that reduces your authority in the eyes of your readers’ more than bad spelling and grammar. The online world is a world of text, so take some time to learn commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors.
Keep your blog fresh and interesting by posting at least once per day. With so much information available on the Internet, your readers may go elsewhere if you aren’t supplying daily content. If you aren’t sure what to write about, try posting a poll, a link to another blog, comment on a news story or post of list of helpful tips. Not every post has to be long and complicated, but you do need to post something everyday.
These tips will help keep your blog readable and interesting to your visitors. The more visitors you get, the more your blog will grow in profitability and importance. Just make sure to present yourself in a professional way and keep your readers coming back for more new content each day. In no time, you’ll have a profitable blog and then you can move on to create two or three.
Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 4
Excellent Customer Service
One of the mainstays of being a top seller on eBay is learning to respond to
your customers in a timely manner.
When you receive an email, answer it promptly. This will help make you a
sale. If you don’t respond, then a buyer may lose interest in your item and
move on to something else.
Learn from your experiences with sales clerks and businesses. If you’re not
responded to, then you’re not happy with your buying experience. Simply
because you don’t have to see your customers face to face or speak to them
on the phone doesn’t mean that you should ignore them. Email your
customers, send them a thank-you email, ask them questions to see how
you could improve their buying experience.
Give your customers excellent service and they will become repeat
customers AND leave you good feedback responses, which will also increase
your overall sales.
Open an eBay Store
If you sell one thing that’s great, but how about selling a LOT of things?
Even better! If you open an eBay store you will enjoy some special perks
given out by eBay that other regular sellers don’t get. You’ll have the option
to add search inventory along with your listings which can lead buyers to
other auctions that you’re holding.
Having an eBay store allows you a central location to sell your items and a
place to send your customers.
EBay stores can net you a tidy sum if handled correctly. EBay makes it easy
for you and will give you tools that include the following:
Extra Marketing features
Allows you to design and customize your eBay store—and gives you
the tools to do it!
Easier listing management tools
Toll-free customer support
Access to a store listing format to make listing your many items easier
Three subscription levels of differing prices, Basic, Premium and
Anchor. Each has different benefits and tools, with the Anchor store
the priciest option.
Buy It Now!
Another great way to become a top eBay seller is to become a seller that is
allowed to offer a fixed-price Buy-it-now price.
This enables you to set a fixed price that you will sell at which a buyer can
then meet and the auction is over! The plus side to this is that you get your
money sooner, rather than waiting for the end of the auction cycle and your
buyers get their items faster.
If you have a lot of merchandise this is a good way to get it moving and if
you have a product that’s in high demand it boosts your chances of making
more sales in a shorter period of time.
Upgrade and Multiple List
If you want to make more sales on eBay, then you have to take advantage
of their multiple listing categories. This puts your merchandise in front of
more buyers, rather than just setting it up under one category.
It’s also a good idea to use eBay’s feature upgrades, like putting your text in
bold, highlighting your words and even putting up extra pictures to catch the
eyes of potential buyers. Again, use the search options to see what
successful sellers are using to attract more customers. This will increase
your chances of getting a sale, and that’s a good thing.
Use a Shorter Auction Cycle and Offer
Guarantees
The last two tips I have for you to become a top eBay seller is to use a
shorter auction cycle and offer money back guarantees.
Using a shorter cycle, three days instead of five, means that you’ll get your
money faster, potentially make more sales and perhaps reach a larger
customer base. Offering a guarantee will ease a potential buyer’s mind about
whether or not they should make the purchase. They know that if the item
isn’t to their liking, they can return it.
Find YOUR Pot of Gold on eBay!
It’s a matter of record that eBay has revolutionized the online buying
experiences. Some say it’s the world’s biggest garage sale—and on some
level that might be true. But eBay has also become synonymous with
selling, buying, making money and much, much more.
If you’ve ever considered becoming a seller on eBay you should spend some
time visiting there and reading up on their rules and then search for things
that you might wish to sell. Start out part time and build up over time as
you learn from the See what other sellers are doing and how successful they
are at what they do. Take advantage of eBay’s tutorials, you can even
purchase DVD’s to help increase your knowledge and therefore your ability
to become a Top Seller on eBay.
As I said before, knowledge is power and power translates into success as a
Top eBay Seller.
Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 3
Say Cheese!
In order to be a successful seller on eBay, you’re going to have to be able to
take excellent pictures of what you’re selling. Try to get into the minds of
your potential buyers and see what they want to see.
A buyer wants to see the item that they’re purchasing, and so would you.
Make certain that your pictures are clean and close up to the items. Blurry is
bad, clear is good. Crystal is better.
Natural or ambient lighting works best to show the piece that you’re going to
sell.
If you’re selling a digital product, make sure you have a picture that depicts
what the item is. There are programs that can create graphics of eBooks or
CD’s that you can then post next to the item you’re selling. If you’re not a
gifted photographer or graphics artist there are photographers you can hire,
or graphic artists that can add a great deal to your ad.
Remember that most people are impressed by clear, crisp visual depictions
and will be more likely to purchase your items if the picture is compelling.
Make Your Written Description Soar
In order to become a great seller on eBay you’ll have to write a description
of what you’re selling. Browse the categories and see what other sellers
have written. You’ll find some that are brief and to the point, some are dry
and boring and then sometimes you’ll come across a very creative
description that stands out from the crowd. Some will even make you laugh.
Perhaps you’ve gotten emails from friends that have been forwarded a
million times about a certain item for auction on eBay. The reason this
particular ad is getting so much attention is because the seller has gotten
creative in wording the ad. Some ads that get all this attention are selling
unique one-of-a-kind items (like a husband) but that doesn’t mean you can’t
jazz up your copy, even if you’re not selling off your significant other.
Make the description of your item compelling. Describe any and all
characteristics, including any defects it may have. A seller has an obligation
to honestly report on the condition of the item they’re putting up for auction.
Try to anticipate the questions a potential buyer may have about your item
and answer them in the description that you’re going to write.
It’s also a good idea to have someone proof what you’ve written. If there
are grammatical or spelling errors in your copy it will appear less than
professional and may put off those who might have been interested in
purchasing your item.
Most of all be creative. Stand out from the crowd and you’ll do better than
you might think.
Don’t Know What to Sell?
EBay gives you ideas on what to sell! Just check out the WANT IT NOW
tab on eBay’s homepage to see what eBay buyers want but can’t find! If
you can fill that niche you’re in for a selling frenzy!
Got Feedback?
One of the things that a potential buyer will look at, besides your item, is
your feedback rating.
A feedback rating is what others have said about you as a buyer and as a
purchaser. You want the best possible rating because this tells buyers that
you are a person that can be trusted to sell and purchase in an honest
manner.
One way to get a fast feedback rating is to purchase penny items from eBay
sellers. There are a great number of low-priced items on eBay, from eBooks
to toys. Even if you don’t particularly need the item, you DO need a good
feedback rating to instill trust in your potential clients.
Make sure you treat your customers right and hopefully they will reciprocate
by leaving you an excellent feedback rating. In this way you’ll be building a
solid reputation in the eBay community and word of mouth (feedback)
means a great deal there.
Naturally you cannot please all the people all the time, but do your best and
soon you’ll have a reputation as someone that can be purchased from with
peace of mind.
So put potential buyer’s minds at ease by keeping your feedback rating high
and you’ll make a lot more sales.
Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 2
Do Your Homework
According to eBay, 90% of top sellers online do some form of market
research before they list their items. Doing a Completed Listing Search will
only give you two week’s worth of data. If you want to go more in depth,
and if you want to become a top seller on eBay, then you’re going to have to
engage in some homework. You remember homework, right? It’s what
helped you get good grades in school. Now it’s going to help you earn a
lucrative income on eBay.
EBay offers a paid service which allows you to do the following:
Access 90 days of Completed Items information
View and analyze everything from top search data, starting prices,
average starting prices and average selling prices
You can track items that you want more information on and see what
the sale price was
View graphs with average buying and selling trends
This service comes in three flavors, FastPass, Basic and Pro. You’ll be
charged a graduated fee for each one. Since the best sellers are using this
method of market research you may want to jump into it as well. But only if
you want to become a Top eBay Seller!
Use Seller’s Central
EBay makes it easy for those who wish to become top sellers—because it’s a
win-win for them in fees. Seller Central is an excellent resource. Just click
on the SELL tab located at the bottom of the SELL page. This will send you
to a page that offers you search tools and the following:
What’s Hot tab will show you what items are selling well and are in
high demand on eBay right now so you can get in on that trend.
Merchandising Calendar will give you advance notice of which items
eBay is going to be spotlighting on their home page and their
promotions.
Category Tips will give you an edge when you’re working on your ads
because eBay will show you exactly which keywords are in demand in
your category. By using the most in-demand keywords buyers will be
more likely to find your auction and click on it. If they click on it,
they’re more likely to buy it.
Click on the What’s Hot to find the link to eBay Pulse. That
will show you what items are red hot and selling fast! Use the category
selector and that will give you the Pulse report for any category you are
researching. This will also allow you to delve deep into subcategories, give
you the top ten searches for a category and will give you a list of the five top
stores in that niche. This will help you see how successful these sellers are
and give you an idea on how you can do what they do. Make money!
Use any of the searches to take you right to the search results and then you
can click on store names to check out the stores, and see sellers’ profiles or
feedback scores.
Another search option offered by eBay are from third party vendors that
offer research services. These third-party vendors can tell you when the best
time is to list your auction and they’ll instruct you on the features that the
Top Sellers are using. Click on the Sell tab, go to Sell Hub and click on Third
Party Services located towards the bottom of the page, then click on eBay
Solutions Directory and go to the Marketplace Research link located under
Other Solutions.
Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 1
It’s an eBay World
Did you know that you can find nearly anything and everything that you’d
want to purchase on eBay? From used cars to a pepper grinder made from a
stuffed raccoon—eBay has become the world’s marketplace. From high class
and high priced to trailer trash chic and selling for pennies, anything you
want is at your fingertips. Some say it’s like a world-wide garage sale and
that’s not far wrong.
People come to eBay by the millions.
Do you see where I’m going with this? Are you selling on eBay yet? You’re
not?
Not smart. There is money to be made on eBay—big money. It’s there for
the taking and if you’re not there you’re missing out on one of the biggest
gold rushes of this century.
You need to become a Top eBay Seller and I’m about to show you how.
Knowledge is Power
Now that you know eBay can make you a fortune—how will you do it? It’s all
well and good to set up an account on eBay, list a few items and sell them,
but anyone can do that. Wouldn’t you rather become a TOP SELLER on
eBay? Wouldn’t you like to bring in thousands and thousands of dollars a
month?
Who wouldn’t?
The first thing that you have to do is understand the way eBay works, the
way a buyer’s mind works and what attracts them and how to make your
offers irresistible to them.
Don’t just look around your house, see something that you’re not using any
longer and decide that would be a nice thing to get rid of. Unless that’s
exactly what you want to do.
Wouldn’t you rather discover what eBay buyers are buying? You need to
know what items to sell, what to charge for them and how to sell them. In
order to do this you’re going to have to put in a little study time—but that’s
ok, because it’s going to help you get an edge over other eBay sellers.
The first thing you need to do is look at past sales trends. eBay makes this
easy for you by providing a Completed Listings search tool. By using this
tool you can see what items sold for, what percentages were sold, and
discover selling strategies that worked the items you’re planning on selling.
Go to eBay and click on the Advanced Search at the top of the page. Enter
the items that you want to know about. Say you’re planning on selling used
cell phones. Enter those keywords, check the Completed Listings Only box
and click on the search button. Pages of items that have sold will load for
you and you’ll be able to view what other sellers listed their used cell phones
for, what types, brands, with what features and how they sold.
Used cell phones (our example item) that sold are marked in green. The
ones that didn’t sell are in red. Because you don’t want your potential item
to be marked in red (unsold) you’re going to study the successful sales
groups. What was the final selling price for the item? What’s a usual starting
price?
Study the ads of those that sold versus the ones that didn’t: how did they
phrase their ad? Did they use bold titles? How did they describe their
product? Look at the pictures they used and see how they presented their
item for sale. Was the item featured using subtitles, bolded text or more
photos from the gallery? Top sellers often use the upgraded features to
showcase their wares—to garner more attention and thus make more sales.
If your ad stands out it’s more likely to get noticed and bid on.
Did the seller have a posted guarantee or return policy? Check their
shipping rates and features. Did the seller upgrade to What kinds of
payment did the seller accept?
Your item is more likely to sell if you offer more payment methods. EBay
allows you to accept certain kinds of payment options and decline to use
others.
The options available for being paid on eBay are the following:
Paypal
Credit cards
Cashier’s Checks
Money Orders
Bank Checks
Most sellers on eBay take paypal and some take paypal and credit card
payments.
It stands to reason that the more payment methods you accept, the more
likely you are make a sale. The problem lies in the fact that some people
who purchase on eBay are not always scrupulous. Although there are plenty
of honest buyers who prefer to purchase on eBay with money orders and
cashier’s checks, there are also many who use those methods of payment
fraudulently and you’re opening yourself up to some risk. Fake money
orders are a real problem and you will have to decide if you’re willing to take
on that issue.
Back to our search on how items have sold before.
In order to understand what’s going on with supply and demand for used cell
phones (or any item that you’re looking to sell) do an active listings search.
This will show you how many are for sale, asking prices and give you ideas
on how to word YOUR ads.
Web Site Copy-writing Tips Part 2
26. Load the product descriptions with the relevant info on the
product.
27. Add a link to each product description that will take the reader to
other copy that goes into more detail. People who are really hooked
are likely to follow.
28. Always go for closure with your copy. Invite the client to
purchase now rather than later.
29. Set reasonable pricing. If what you charge is out of line with
similar products, you won’t get much in the way of sales.
30. Compare your prices with similar products. This will help keep
you competitive.
31. Consider installing a translator for your copy. It will open up new
markets for the product.
32. Never publish copy after your first draft. Set it aside and go back
the next day for a second look. Chances are you will see things that
were not obvious at first, and you can correct or improve them.
33. Ask a friend to read your copy. A different set of eyes may spot
things you don’t see.
34. Optimize your content. Use online tools to find relevant
keywords that people are using for Internet searches and work
them into your text. Avoid using the same phrase or keyword too
often, as that can actually hurt your ranking.
35. Once your content is live, find places to bookmark your site.
Include a small sample of the text to intrigue readers to click over
and take a better look.
36. Consider offering volume discounts on your product, if
appropriate. Everybody likes a bargain.
37. Make sure the copy flows from one page to the next. Ideally, the
reader should be able to see a logical progression as he or she
keeps reading the pages. Include hot links just below the text on
one page to take the reader to the next one.
38. Run your text through a plagiarism tool. This will help you
determine if there are phrases and other parts of the text that are
too much like the text on some other web page. Too much
duplication will result in lower ranking.
39. Add to your copy regularly. It will keep your site fresh and also
give search engines another reason to take a second look.
40. Allow visitors to leave comments or submit them privately. You
may get some inspiration for new copy, or get feedback that helps
you make some existing copy a little more user friendly.
41. Start every article with a thesis statement. Remember those? It
helps tell the reader up front what you are going to talk about. As a
way to motivate people to keep reading, this is a great tool.
42. Limit your paragraphs to three to five sentences. Longer
paragraphs are visually tiring and may discourage readers.
43. Focus on one benefit or relevant fact per paragraph. Cramming
too much in too little space will overwhelm readers and cause them
to move on before they finish.
44. Always write a summation. A good summation reinforces the
more important points in the mind of the reader.
45. Avoid awkward phrases. If it doesn’t look right, even if your
grammar tool passes it, change the wording a bit.
46. Read your text aloud. Articulating the text will often point out
little defects that would not come to light otherwise.
47. Write more than you need, then pare it down to a word count
that is right for your purposes. It is much easier to edit than it is to
create extra text on the back end.
48. Hang on to that extra copy that you edit out of the one article. It
may be the basis for another bit of copy you can use on the site or
in your advertising.
49. If you feel stumped, get away from the word processor for a few
moments. A break can give you fresh perspective and get the flow
of ideas started again.
50. Always check your facts. Nothing hurts good copy like poor
documentation.
Web Site Copy-writing Tips Part 1
People who know anything about marketing and promotions know that
you need good copy to attract and hold the attention of potential
customers. It is not different when it comes to the copy that you place
on your web site. Without coherent and informative text, your site will
soon die, no matter how good your product happens to be.
Here are some tactics you can use to make your web copy be all it can
be:
1. Keep the copy on your home page simple. Write your copy as if the
individual coming to your site knows absolutely nothing about the
subject matter, and wants to learn.
2. Make the copy scannable. Using short paragraphs, bulleted lists,
and other visual devices will make the text seem less daunting.
3. Keep it upbeat. Use your space to point out what is right with your
product, not what is wrong with everybody else’s.
4. Use different fonts. Going with one font for the titles and headers,
while using a different one for the text, helps to break up the
monotony and keep interest levels higher.
5. Use different colors. Just remember to use a color that makes the
text stand out from the background, and is perfectly legible. Yellow
text on a white background doesn’t make things easy for the
reader.
6. Don’t go overboard with fonts and colors. If you think there is too
much of either on a given page, you’re probably right.
7. Put some thought into your headlines. Keep them short, but
interesting. People are more likely to read what follows.
8. Use keywords in your headlines. This will help with the page
ranking as much as the words in the body of your copy.
9. Ask a question in your headline. Questions invite people to engage
with the text, rather than simply read it.
10. Stay away from all capital letters in your headline. It rarely looks
good and sometimes looks contrived.
11. Forget extra characters in your headline. They add nothing to it
and will likely obscure the words, something you don’t want to
happen.
12. Don’t include hot links in the headlines. You’ll get more mileage
if you keep the links in the body of the copy.
13. Revise the headline slightly now and then. It can help old copy
attract new attention.
14. Keep the font size of the headline in proportion with the rest of
the page. You loose valuable space when it is too big, and it is lost
on the page when it is too small.
15. Add an image to enhance the look of your text. Just make sure it
is relevant; not any pretty picture will do.
16. Start paragraphs with a verb. This implies action, which can
draw people into what you are trying to convey.
17. Ask questions throughout the text. They make people think and
motivate them to keep reading.
18. Keep questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no"
to a minimum. Those wrap things up to easily and don’t entice the
reader to continue.
19. Spell things correctly. Nothing kills good copy like a bunch of
spelling errors.
20. Go with proper grammar. You’ll come off looking like an
authority on the subject matter.
21. Avoid big words when and as possible. Try to shoot for
sentences composed with words people use every day; it will make
the copy more accessible to your audience.
22. Focus on benefits of your product. People need to know how it
will make life easier for them.
23. Include simple data on the features. A bulleted list of features,
followed with a short paragraph or two on the two main features
should be enough.
24. Try writing copy with an outline. It can help you stay on track
and avoid rambling.
25. With product descriptions, keep them short and simple. People
are more likely to read the entire description.
Upsell Tactics Part 2
26. Ask questions along the way. This helps you to clear up
miscommunications before they can grow into something too big to
overcome.
27. Make it easy for the customer to say yes. This means they can
always stop you to accept the deal.
28. Make it hard for the customer to say no. Be prepared to respond
to every objection with a benefit.
29. Always affirm the thoughts of your client. Then turn them around
to why they need the product you are recommending.
30. Never argue with a client. It closes a door that will never open
again.
31. Don’t say no to a client. If they want something you can’t
deliver, tell then what you can do instead.
32. Make it clear you have the best interests of the customer at
heart. If it is obvious you just want to make a sale, you’ll lose them
in a short period of time.
33. Always appreciate the past business from the customer. Make it
a point to mention it. They’ll feel special because you remembered.
34. Say the client’s name now and then. One’s own name is the
sweetest sound many people ever hear.
35. Even in email correspondence, always address the customer by
name from time to time.
36. Ask the client for ideas on what they could do with the additional
product.
37. Follow up on those ideas by exploring them a little further; it
helps the client build a stronger affinity with the product.
38. Ask how the customer would handle those same situations
without the product.
39. Point out how solutions would be so much easier with the
product than without.
40. Ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand what the
customer is saying. It lets them know you are listening and want to
get it right.
41. Keep the purchase options simple. Too many options could lead
to confusion, then to frustration for the customer.
42. Walk the customer through the process of purchasing if
necessary. A little handholding to complete a sale is a good thing.
43. Close the sale whenever you get the idea that the client is ready
to make a decision. A second later may be too late.
44. Confirm the terms of the order. You want to make sure
everything is exactly as it should be.
45. Thank the customer for the order now, even if another form of
thanks will take place letter (such as in a confirmation email). It is
not overkill to do it twice.
46. Always ask for referrals. They can lead to additional
opportunities for new sales and subsequent upsells.
47. Follow through and make sure the order is fulfilled according to
terms. If there is any type of delay, make sure the client knows
about it in advance.
48. Confirm the delivery of the order.
49. Schedule a follow up contact with the client to get feedback. This
can be done with a phone call or an email.
50. Always schedule that follow up for a few days after the customer
receives his or her order. It is not only a chance to get feedback on
the latest purchase, but also a chance to secure permission to
contact the client about future offers.
Upsell Tactics Part 1
Upselling is simply the process of selling an additional or an upgraded
product to a customer. In order to keep the money coming in, you
always want to go for this little extra, whenever the opportunity
presents itself. Here’s how to go about it:
1. Include a discount for a related product in the body of your
informational product. If they like what they have already bought,
they are more likely to come back for more.
2. Make the discount part of the payment process. Offer a combined
discount if they order two or more products.
3. Send a discount authorization number in the "thank you" email that
acknowledges the placement of an order.
4. Build a mailing list of "preferred" customers who get a fixed
discount on all future purchases, as well as special advance pricing
on new products.
5. Add a button you’re your home page that takes readers right to the
discounts.
6. Suggest an additional product based on what the customer has
already purchased.
7. Explain why that additional product would make life so much easier
for the customer.
8. Point out what types of problems the additional product could help
the customer avoid.
9. Make the customer feel special, i.e. not everyone gets a discount
like this.
10. Suggest specific products to go with the purchased product, and
explain why the two go together so well.
11. Don’t leave the offer on the table too long – limited time only
often works well for many situations.
12. Combine different mediums. You can sell an ebook along with a
video. Mixing and matching can create some appealing choices for
customers.
13. Rotate the combinations. This will give customers something to
look forward to, and they’ll come back more often.
14. Announce new products and pair them with an older product for
a one-time special purchase.
15. Do promotional campaigns that demonstrate how two products
can work together to create superior results.
16. Collect and use testimonials in your upselling. Hearing what a
good deal this is from another customer sometimes will close the
deal when you can’t.
17. Keep it low pressure. When this happens, you become the friend
rather than the adversary.
18. Know your stuff. Nothing kills an upsell attempt like not being
able to answer questions or overcome objections.
19. If you honestly don’t know an answer, be honest, find out, and
get back with the customer. It will be appreciated and will keep the
rapport positive.
20. Target your upselling attempts. Not every customer is ripe for
this type of activity. Go for the ones who are ready today, and
revisit the others at a later date.
21. Keep it short. No one likes a long-winded salesperson.
22. Keep it real. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
23. Keep it on topic. Don’t prevaricate, hoping to weaken the client.
It backfires most of the time.
24. Keep it honest. Stand by everything you tell the customer.
25. Be enthusiastic about the products you upsell. If you aren’t, then
the customer won’t be.
Traffic Tactics Part 2
26. Issue press releases. If they get picked up and mentioned in
sales blogs or print publications, the publicity can lead to wider
recognition of your web site.
27. Participate at Yahoo Answers. Look for questions that are related
to the subject matter of your information product and respond; be
sure to include a link to your home page.
28. Create a video and publish it online. Even a simple five-minute
video in the form of a newscast will generate interest. Post it on
sites like YouTube.
29. Set up profiles at auction site. You can also direct sell your
product there, as well as include your site’s URL in your profile.
30. Distribute a free ebook. Just like the free mini-course, make sure
the content includes links back to your products.
31. Have a contest. People love them, and will spread the word to
other people they know.
32. Use social bookmarking sites. Post links to your blog and your
web site, so people can follow them and buy your product.
33. Sign up for Twitter. You can follow and be followed, and posting
an entry takes no time. You can also include links.
34. Don’t forget social networking sites. Places like FaceBook, and
MySpace are great ways to connect with people and generate some
business.
35. Sign up with business networking sites. Sites like LinkedIn can
put you in front of people who would be interested in your product.
36. Set up some link exchanges with sites offering products that
complement but do not compete with your products. The cross
promotion will help everyone.
37. Add an RSS feed to your home page. When you add more copy,
people who subscribe to the feed will know immediately.
38. Sell on Amazon.com. Just like the auction sites, you can move
product and direct people to your web site.
39. Set up a reference system on your site. Consumers can register
and get credit for any referrals to the site that lead to a sale.
40. Buy email lists and launch a marketing campaign. Make sure the
list is qualified, and keep your copy for the email slick, clean, and
with at least two links back to your home page.
41. Add a translation button to your home page. This will make it
possible to broaden your potential client base, since your site is
user friendly to a wider range of people.
42. Use online classifieds. Many of them cost absolutely nothing.
43. Set up splash pages. These simple one page web sites are great
for directing traffic back to your main web site.
44. Consider a snail mail campaign. These are still effective and can
generate interest. Include specific instructions on how to get to
your web site.
45. Partner with another entrepreneur. By combining resources, both
of you can cover more ground and market both your sites to better
advantage.
46. Write an eHow article. Make the subject matter something to do
with your ebook and then include links back to your page. You’ll
also earn a little money from ads as a bonus.
47. Join online entrepreneurial groups. You can pick up some good
tips on how to present yourself and your product while also
increasing your visibility.
48. Join a local chamber of commerce. Have your web site address
appear in the chamber directory.
49. Add an "About Us" page to your site. Search engines love these
and index them fairly quickly.
50. Keep your site free of popups. People don’t like them and will
leave your site and never come back. Instead, use links to help
people navigate around your site.
Traffic Tactics Part 1
The fact is that nobody is going to find your website if you don’t promote it. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to accomplish this task and generate traffic to your site. If you already have a website, try using these tactics:
1. Get a memorable domain name. If people can remember the name
of your site without having to look it up, the chances of them
passing it on to others is greater.
2. Make the site easy to load. This is especially important if you plan
on marketing to segments of consumers who still get by with dialup
services.
3. Buy alternate domain names and point them to your home page.
The different domain names will increase the chances of someone
doing a search and having the domain show up on search engines.
4. Optimize your content. Search out keywords that are used to
search for the type of products you have to offer and work them
into the text on your site. This can help your standing on various
search engines.
5. Pick good meta tags for your content. You can get some good ideas
for metatags as you look for keywords and keyword phrases to
work into your text.
6. Use Alt Tags for Images. This is just as important as tagging the
text if you want search engines to notice you.
7. Put some thought into how you title your pages. As with the domain
name itself, make these as relevant and easy to remember as you
possibly can.
8. Change up your web content now and then. Adding a little
something here and there, tweaking the color scheme of the text,
and adding or exchanging images will keep your site looking fresh
and generate additional interest.
9. Watch your spelling and grammar. Nobody likes to see words that
are spelled incorrectly, or deal with sentences that are hard to
understand.
10. Submit to search engine directories. Don’t overlook the smaller
search engines; they may reach a niche market that is ideal for
what your site has to offer.
11. Set up a blog. Include a link or two in your blog text, making it
easy for readers to link to your site and possibly purchase
something in your product line. Just make sure your blog entry has
some relevance to the links, or you will lose your audience quickly.
12. Participate on message boards that allow links in your signature.
This is a subtle way of reaching audiences that may be interested in
your products without directly pitching them.
13. Include those links in any online profiles you have. Just make
sure that the site hosting those profiles has no problem with the
inclusion of business links.
14. Use article directories to promote your website. Anyone reading
the article will see the links you insert and possibly follow them to
your site, leading to a sale.
15. Involve others in your site content. The fact is that when people
feel included, they come back again and again, often bringing
people with them. Even a simple page where questions and
comments can be posted will make a big difference.
16. Offer a mini-course related to your products. It can be offered
free of charge. Use the mini-course to make it easy for people to
get to a page where they can order one or more of your products.
17. Put a link to your home page in your email signature. Another
subtle way of keeping your web site in front of everyone you
correspond with.
18. Do regular maintenance on your links. Nothing drives traffic
away like a broken link, as it tells consumers you are no longer in
business, and they forget about you quickly.
19. Use a reliable hosting company. It may cost a little more, but
use a host who is up for as close to a hundred percent of the time
as you can manage.
20. Make sure your host provides ample bandwidth. When a
customer experiences a time out when trying to load your page,
there is very little chance of them coming back for a second try.
21. Add a forum to your site. A forum will build up a nice social
community that will draw in a lot of support in terms of word of
mouth.
22. Print business cards with your web address included. Business
cards today are cheap. They are also portable; people can stick
them in their pockets for use later and pass them on to someone
who might be interested.
23. Use flyers. Many supermarkets and other stores have community
bulletin boards where customers can hang up information about
product offers. Most of the time, it’s free.
24. Go with low cost print advertising. Like the business cards and
flyers, it gets your web site in front of all sorts of people.
25. Get interviewed. A short interview in a local newspaper can
generate interest that can turn into sales.
Labels
Blog Archive
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2010 (41)
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10/03 - 10/10 (12)
- Google’s AdSense
- Blogging Tips for Freelancer
- Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 4
- Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 3
- Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 2
- Become An Ebay Top Seller Part 1
- Web Site Copy-writing Tips Part 2
- Web Site Copy-writing Tips Part 1
- Upsell Tactics Part 2
- Upsell Tactics Part 1
- Traffic Tactics Part 2
- Traffic Tactics Part 1
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10/03 - 10/10 (12)