by Stephanie Chandler
If you’re running a website or online business, your number one goal should be to build traffic. The following are ten ways to drive traffic away from your site. Make sure you aren’t making these mistakes.
1. Links Open in the Same Window: If links to other sites don’t open in a new window, then you are giving your traffic away. Don’t expect site visitors to use the “Back” button or remember where they started. Once they’re gone, they are most likely gone for good.
2. No Free Content: Sites that are pure sales pitches are missing the boat. You need to establish credibility with your site visitors and give them a reason to come back.
Simply displaying the internet equivalent of an infomercial gives your visitors little chance to get to know you—and many people will need to be exposed to your site a number of times before buying. Offer articles, links, statistics, and other useful information.
3. Poor Design: You don’t have to be a professional web designer to have a quality site. You can purchase an inexpensive template to give your site a uniform and professional appearance.
Stephanie Chandler
10 Ways to Sabotage Your Website and Send Visitors Packing
Stone Evans
Advertising Your Home Business On A Budget
Kendall Summerhawk
5 Marketing Strategies On Using Information Products to Make More Money
Terri Zwierzynski
Becoming a Solo Entrepreneur: 10 Essential Tips
Chase Quinn
Editor's Note
4. Useless Newsletter: If you don’t already have a newsletter, you should. This is an effective and inexpensive way to market your business. Your newsletter MUST provide information your subscribers want.
The best newsletters give free tips and advice—and lots of it. You want your subscribers to enjoy receiving your content and to pass it on to a friend. Survey your readers and ask for feedback. Find out what they want and then figure out how to deliver.
5. Difficult to Subscribe: You should be asking your visitors to sign up for your newsletter or ezine and make it easy for them to do so. Every single page in your site should provide the opportunity to subscribe. Archiving copies of your newsletter also allows visitors the chance to try before they buy. If your newsletter is good enough, subscribers will be in abundance.
6. Weak “About” Info: Too many websites either don’t have an “About Us” page or have one with minimal information. Not only is this page a tool to establish credibility with your customers, it’s a way the media can learn more about your business.
7. Lacking Contact Info: Similar to the “About Us” page, the “Contact Us” page needs to be as thorough as possible. If you don’t include a mailing address or location information, site visitors may question your credibility. If you don’t have a commercial location, you can rent a post office box. You may never even receive mail there, but at least you will be accessible.
8. Too Much Advertising: You want your site to sell, but you will drive potential customers away by advertising too heavily. Avoid becoming a banner farm and balance quality content with related advertising.
9. Using a Hit Counter: There is absolutely no reason to provide a hit counter on your site. Why advertise your site traffic to everyone when you can obtain the statistics through your hosting provider?
10. Broken Links: Not only do broken links hurt your website rankings when crawled by the search engines, but they frustrate visitors. If you provide a lot of links on your site it can be difficult to keep up with them. Make a point of testing your links on a regular basis and let your visitors help you by including an option on each page to “Report a Broken Link.”
If your site is guilty of any of the above offenses, then it’s time to act. Evaluate the web sites you visit and notice which sites look very professional and which sites need help. Virtually anyone can run a successful website by being resourceful and avoiding these mistakes.
About The Author: Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “The Author’s Guide to Building an Online Platform” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur”. She is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which provides custom book publishing and author marketing services for business, self-help and other non-fiction books. For hundreds of resources for entrepreneurs, authors and speakers visit http://BusinessInfoGuide.com.
Source:http://www.weeklytips.com
Thursday, 4 June 2009
5 Marketing Strategies On Using Information Products to Make More Money
5 Marketing Strategies On Using Information Products to Make More Money
by Kendall Summerhawk
When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for the Lillian Vernon catalogues to arrive in the mail. Each page was chock full of items that had no real purpose other than they were fun to look at and buy.
As I thumbed through the pages, I wasn't dreaming about what I wanted to purchase (at fourteen, I didn't have much use for monogrammed teacups and dishtowels). I was picturing how utterly cool it would be to have a mail order business where every day checks arrived, as if by magic, in my mailbox.
Fast forward thirty-plus years and I STILL think it's utterly cool to receive orders. This is why I created an information product in the first year of my success coaching business.
What I've learned business coaching is that practically any business can create an information product. All it takes is branding, creativity, and an eye for how to turn what you do into a marketable product.
The other thing I've learned is that if you don't have an information product yet, now is the time to focus on creating one.
Why?
Stephanie Chandler
10 Ways to Sabotage Your Website and Send Visitors Packing
Stone Evans
Advertising Your Home Business On A Budget
Kendall Summerhawk
5 Marketing Strategies On Using Information Products to Make More Money
Terri Zwierzynski
Becoming a Solo Entrepreneur: 10 Essential Tips
Chase Quinn
Editor's Note
Here are my top 5 strategies for how you can use your own information product to create a straight "as-the-crow-flies" line to putting more money in your pocket.
Strategy 1: You're now THE expert. Nothing catapults you into expert status faster than an information product. The reason is simple. Now you're an author and an author is an authority.
Once prospective clients find out you're an author, they immediately believe you're worth more and will seek you out for speaking and interviews, as well as purchasing your services.
Here's a business coaching tip: you don't even have to wait until you have your product to say you're an author. You can start adding, "Author of the soon to be released XYZ Home Study Course" to your email signature and other marketing materials. This WILL get you more business and instant prestige!
Strategy 2: Give away your product. I know, this sounds like a backwards way to make more, but it works. Giving away your product to the right people can get you media exposure, speaking gigs, requests for interviews and new clients.
The key to making this strategy work is: don't be chintzy! Your product doesn't cost that much to produce, yet the lifetime value of a client is worth thousands of dollars. I've sent my book to magazines for reviews, given copies to key people I meet, sent it as a "thank you" to guests on my Ask the Expert Salon teleseminars , donated it to charity auctions, and given it to different businesses to have in their waiting rooms.
I recommend that my success coaching clients set a goal to give away 100 copies of their information product. It's tangible, valuable marketing that costs little and pays off big time.
Strategy 3: Bundle your product with other services. Once you have an information product, you can use it as a bonus to another service, or you can make owning it a prerequisite for your high-priced workshop (see 4 below.) Either way, you're leveraging your product to help sell more expensive services.
Strategy 4: Create a signature workshop or training program around your information product. Just because someone buys your product doesn't mean that's all they want. In fact, statistically, you'll have an easier time selling your more expensive workshops or programs to existing clients than to strangers.
For example: my book, Brilliance Unbridled, nearly paid for itself in the first three months of publication. Success coaching clients began signing up for both private and group HorseWise Brilliance Unbridled -- just from reading the book.
Strategy 5: Get others to include your product in THEIR training, product, or service. A few years ago, my Marketing Makeover Kit was included in a training program for interior re-designers. The training organization purchased copies in bulk from me every couple of months.
I passed this business coaching tip to a colleague who immediately implemented this strategy. Now her eBook is included in the new-student package for a monthly training program. Not only is she making money on the sale of ten copies of her eBook each month, she's been asked to speak at an upcoming training event.
Did you notice that none of my top five strategies included selling your information product? Of course, selling your product is an excellent way of bringing in the bucks, but I wanted to prove how lucrative an information product is, even before you sell your first copy!
About The Author: Award winning small business expert Kendall SummerHawk is the "Horse Whisperer for Business." Kendall delivers simple ways entrepreneurs can brand, package and price their services to quickly move away from "dollars-for-hours work" and create more money, time, and freedom in their businesses. For free articles, free resources and to sign up for her free audio mini-seminar "7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price Your Services for More Money, Time and Freedom in Your Business" visit www.KendallSummerHawk.com
Source: http://www.weeklytips.com
by Kendall Summerhawk
When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for the Lillian Vernon catalogues to arrive in the mail. Each page was chock full of items that had no real purpose other than they were fun to look at and buy.
As I thumbed through the pages, I wasn't dreaming about what I wanted to purchase (at fourteen, I didn't have much use for monogrammed teacups and dishtowels). I was picturing how utterly cool it would be to have a mail order business where every day checks arrived, as if by magic, in my mailbox.
Fast forward thirty-plus years and I STILL think it's utterly cool to receive orders. This is why I created an information product in the first year of my success coaching business.
What I've learned business coaching is that practically any business can create an information product. All it takes is branding, creativity, and an eye for how to turn what you do into a marketable product.
The other thing I've learned is that if you don't have an information product yet, now is the time to focus on creating one.
Why?
Stephanie Chandler
10 Ways to Sabotage Your Website and Send Visitors Packing
Stone Evans
Advertising Your Home Business On A Budget
Kendall Summerhawk
5 Marketing Strategies On Using Information Products to Make More Money
Terri Zwierzynski
Becoming a Solo Entrepreneur: 10 Essential Tips
Chase Quinn
Editor's Note
Here are my top 5 strategies for how you can use your own information product to create a straight "as-the-crow-flies" line to putting more money in your pocket.
Strategy 1: You're now THE expert. Nothing catapults you into expert status faster than an information product. The reason is simple. Now you're an author and an author is an authority.
Once prospective clients find out you're an author, they immediately believe you're worth more and will seek you out for speaking and interviews, as well as purchasing your services.
Here's a business coaching tip: you don't even have to wait until you have your product to say you're an author. You can start adding, "Author of the soon to be released XYZ Home Study Course" to your email signature and other marketing materials. This WILL get you more business and instant prestige!
Strategy 2: Give away your product. I know, this sounds like a backwards way to make more, but it works. Giving away your product to the right people can get you media exposure, speaking gigs, requests for interviews and new clients.
The key to making this strategy work is: don't be chintzy! Your product doesn't cost that much to produce, yet the lifetime value of a client is worth thousands of dollars. I've sent my book to magazines for reviews, given copies to key people I meet, sent it as a "thank you" to guests on my Ask the Expert Salon teleseminars , donated it to charity auctions, and given it to different businesses to have in their waiting rooms.
I recommend that my success coaching clients set a goal to give away 100 copies of their information product. It's tangible, valuable marketing that costs little and pays off big time.
Strategy 3: Bundle your product with other services. Once you have an information product, you can use it as a bonus to another service, or you can make owning it a prerequisite for your high-priced workshop (see 4 below.) Either way, you're leveraging your product to help sell more expensive services.
Strategy 4: Create a signature workshop or training program around your information product. Just because someone buys your product doesn't mean that's all they want. In fact, statistically, you'll have an easier time selling your more expensive workshops or programs to existing clients than to strangers.
For example: my book, Brilliance Unbridled, nearly paid for itself in the first three months of publication. Success coaching clients began signing up for both private and group HorseWise Brilliance Unbridled -- just from reading the book.
Strategy 5: Get others to include your product in THEIR training, product, or service. A few years ago, my Marketing Makeover Kit was included in a training program for interior re-designers. The training organization purchased copies in bulk from me every couple of months.
I passed this business coaching tip to a colleague who immediately implemented this strategy. Now her eBook is included in the new-student package for a monthly training program. Not only is she making money on the sale of ten copies of her eBook each month, she's been asked to speak at an upcoming training event.
Did you notice that none of my top five strategies included selling your information product? Of course, selling your product is an excellent way of bringing in the bucks, but I wanted to prove how lucrative an information product is, even before you sell your first copy!
About The Author: Award winning small business expert Kendall SummerHawk is the "Horse Whisperer for Business." Kendall delivers simple ways entrepreneurs can brand, package and price their services to quickly move away from "dollars-for-hours work" and create more money, time, and freedom in their businesses. For free articles, free resources and to sign up for her free audio mini-seminar "7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price Your Services for More Money, Time and Freedom in Your Business" visit www.KendallSummerHawk.com
Source: http://www.weeklytips.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
