I know that it has been a little while since we have last posted on the Industrial Strength Internet Marketing blog. I have been busy with some recent online projects of my own. I’ll tell you about them later. But first, I just wanted to talk for a minute about three tools that I have found to be very helpful in my own online marketing efforts. Why I use them and why you should too. Continue reading ‘Three tools to help you boost your online business’
Archive for the 'All' Category
If you’re like me then you have registered domain names for internet business projects that you think are awesome and you want to develop that online business idea. If that is the case then you have domain names registered that you’re not doing anything with so what are your options?
- Park your domain name with RevenueDirect.com. Earn a little bit of revenue with by ‘parking’ your domain name with several parking service providers and they will put ads on that domain that you could earn some revenue from. For an example of a parked domain, go to www.seattlestuff.net.
- But Why Park your domain when you can quickly and easily turn it into a full website filled with automatically updated content and articles. This is exactly what you can do with an account at WhyPark.com and earn revenue though text ads and adsense. Go to www.woodworkerreview.com
- Sell your domain name. If you have scrapped your online business project and you have a good domain name then get it professionally appraised so you know what it’s worth then see what you can do about selling it. Sell your domain with Sedo.com, GoDaddy Auctions, or even on eBay! Let someone else use the domain name if you know that you’re not going to.
So now that you know what you can do with those domain names that are just lying around. You may want to try your luck with purchasing up some domain names then using them for adsense, articles, or try ‘flipping’ them by putting them up for auction.
I’ve been using DomainsBot.com to help me find some awesome domain names. It is a domain name search engine that also makes some automated suggestions for available domain names based on your ‘keywords’.
To finish up, here is a list of a few domain names that I’ve purchased in the past and decided not to do anything with them (as of now.) If you are interested in any of these then leave a note in the comments section.
- www.seattlestuff.net
- www.woodworkerreview.com
- www.collegebox.net
- www.freelancepros.net
- www.jeepads.net
- www.prizemonkey.net
- www.project-jeep.com
- www.scriptpros.net
- www.turnkeypros.net
- www.utah-events.net
- www.utahautos.net
- www.utahjobfinder.net
- www.utahstuff.net
The title of this blog post says it all! I consider myself an “underground” internet marketer. I have not yet branded myself as a well-known internet marketer. This week, I am launching a ‘new’ website, Lifetime Internet Coaching. This is going to be a website for complete online business and internet marketing education for those that want to learn how to create multiple streams of revenue on the internet. So I was going through some pre-launch marketing last week and I contacted some “mainstream” internet marketing gurus to see if they would be willing to help promote this new website. I probably contacted a dozen of them through email and some even on Facebook that accepted to ‘be my friend’. I did not hear back from any of them. One of them did have their assistant reply to my email saying that “his plate was full and couldn’t take on any more projects.” I guess they’re not interested so I’m going at the marketing alone, at least for now. When the website gains popularity then I might be contacted by them (emphasis on “might”).
At first it really irritated me that these “gurus” that make money telling people how to make money online won’t help an internet marketer like me make money online. I do want to clarify that a Joint Venture Partnership with me on this website project would be just as beneficial for them as it would be for my business. It still bothers me a little bit but I can’t dwell on it. I have failed plenty of times when it comes to making money online (a few years back). I have learned a lot since then and one of the most important lessons is, you can’t count on anyone else but yourself when it comes to this type of business. I wouldn’t mind getting into the “mainstream” internet marketing sphere because I think that it really helps your credibility when trying to convince someone to buy your ’system’ because you can consistently make “$50,000 per month” and so on and so forth.
Another “secret” that internet marketing “gurus” don’t want you to know. For a long time, there really hasn’t been any new, revolutionary technique to making money online.
It all comes down to selling.
- Selling your products (ecommerce)
- Selling information (information marketing)
- Selling other people’s products (affiliate marketing)
There are new methods for the main types of an online business. In my opinion, the best method to sell in any of these business models is through your own opt-in email list. We’ll talk about building a list later.
I want to wrap up now by saying that I sort of expected the lack of acknowledgement from those internet marketing “gurus” and I don’t blame them because I know what it’s like to have a lot of projects to work on. If you’re reading this and you want to get involved in Lifetime Internet Coaching then please leave a comment on this blog or visit this page to find out more.
I am an entrepreneur and I love what I do. I have a lot of internet projects going on right now and they have kept me quite busy recently. Today is Saturday and I have been in my pajamas all day! I don’t have anywhere to go. This, by any means, doesn’t mean that I’m lazy, it just means that I like to be comfortable.
I have been spending a lot of time recently promoting several niche products from Clickbank.com using the Craigslist Blackhat System that I’ve recently seen. I know that this Craigslist System has been out for a few months but just recently, I am spending more time with free classified ads and I’m finding Craigslist to be a good source of finding leads for your opt-in list or affiliate products.
Craigslist is a great system to use if you know how to use it and the Craigslist Blackhat System is an awesome resource to use. I am really excited to continue using this System to promote affiliate products and my own opt-in lists. I will keep you updated as to my progress and the success that I am having with this System.
Today was a particular interesting day. I went to lunch with one of my brothers. We went to lunch at Wendy’s; probably because those annoying commercials on television had a subliminal affect on me. But that’s beside the point.
I don’t go to lunch too often with this particular brother only because he lives away and was in town only for a few days. He is a great guy and is an internet business newbie. I was able to chat with him about making money online and the great benefits of setting up and running an online business. He is quite a bit older than me and somehow missed the huge craze a few years back about using the internet to generate multiple streams of revenue. We talked about something that would interest him as far as earning a living online. After the conversation was all said and done, he said something that stuck in my mind the rest of the day. He said, “I just need to find my niche.”
That was it! That is the missing piece of the puzzle for most people when they want to get started with an online business. I have some experience with this topic and I want to share the information that I have with all of you.
When starting to think of a niche or something to center your online business around, you need to focus your thoughts on what you’re interested in or something that you could become interested in. Asked yourself these few questions.
- What are your interests and hobbies?
- What professional experience do you have?
- When someone asks you for advice; what do they ask you and how do you answer them.
Also, when deciding on a niche, you need to think about what type of online business that you want to focus on. Briefly, here are the few different types of online businesses.
- Online Retail: Selling physical or tangible products through the internet.
- Affiliate Business: Earning an income by promoting other people’s products.
- Information Based Business: Selling information products or digital goods.
These are the main types of businesses conducted over the internet. Some niches work better with some internet business models than others. Find what fits you – both the internet business model as well as the right niche.
Always remember the old adage: “Do what you love and love what you do.” This certainly applies to an online business as well.
Today, I’m going to talk a little bit about having an eBay business online. eBay is a great way to start if you are just beginning your online business. This is so for two reasons – First, eBay already has a system in place. A system of selling online through eBay’s marketplace. This makes it easy to get setup with an online selling platform. Secondly, eBay is popular and attracts millions of people per day to find items and products at great prices. So many of those people could be your potential customers if your online business has a presence on eBay.
A lot of you listening to this podcast episode may already be very familiar with eBay for one reason or another but I hope that this podcast episode proves to be a great refresher or reminder to the advantages of eBay for your online business.
I’m going to spend the next few minutes going through an eBay overview and talking about “eBay economics”
1 – eBay is primarily an auction website. The auction format is such that the more interested parties that you have in any particular product, the more bids that you will receive for that product. So the ‘product demand’ is what drives the price up. Makes sense doesn’t it? You will be the most successful on eBay if you offer for auction the products that are in ‘demand’. Beware of doing this though because the more demand that a product has, the higher that the competition will be. That is business basics. Other sellers see that any particular product is selling well and they want a piece of the action. That creates more competition for that product. Let’s take the Apple iPod for example. It’s a very hot selling item. So many people think that they can get rich quick just being able to sell the iPod. But how many other places on the internet can a consumer purchase an iPod? eBay is such a successful online marketplace because it offers consumers “great deals” on consumer goods and products.
2 – eBay is an eCommerce platform. An eBay store can be your own online store. The eBay store can be the center of your online sales efforts. An eBay store can work a little differently than regular eBay auctions. First of all, an eBay store can carry your inventory for 30 days then can be automatically updated instead of the regular eBay auctions lasting up to 10 days. Other differences include selling your products at a fixed price instead of an auction format. Regular eBay listings can be set to run as a “fixed price” or a Buy-It-Now listing.
3 – eBay is an online community. eBay has a feedback rating system that is designed to offer credibility to eBay’s users. eBay also has the eBay MyWorld which is the center of eBay’s online community. MyWorld includes a blogging platform, article directory (Reviews and Guides), social networking (Neighborhoods). Participating the eBay’s online community can help you establish credibility and promote products in your eBay store.
Basic eBay Tools:
- eBay Research – Terapeak
- Photo Hosting – Photobucket, Flickr
- eBay Auction Management – Auctiva
- Professional Auction Templates – vFlyer
**This is only Part 1 of a multiple part Series on eBay.
It has been a few weeks since my last post on this blog. Today we are going to talk about this time of year. I love Spring and everything that Spring represents. Spring is a common time that people are getting out all of the junk in their garage and either donate it to a thrift store they have a yard sale. If you are one of those people that goes through your garage or basement in this fashion just to give items away or sell them for super cheap at a yard sale then why not list those items for sale online. Specifically, eBay or Craigslist! It will take a little bit of time to list those items on eBay but you could have some extra cash laying around that you could sell online and make some extra cash. I know of someone that sold a first edition of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling on eBay for over $100! These same people was able to sell over 20 other items that they had laying around their home and they made over $700! Not bad for stuff that’s just filling up your basement or garage.
On the other side of the fence, if you are a barterer and a yard sale junkie then you can buy things for really cheap and list those items to resell online. Be a bargain hunter and frequently visit those yard sales and thrift stores. That just might turn into a regular additional stream of revenue.
The future of customer service is here. Technology has made seeking out support faster and easier than ever. But, has your digital age company sacrificed true service in the name of automation?
Today, finding customer support is as simple as writing an e-mail or picking up the phone. But, even though you’re not face-to-face with your customers, you still leave a lasting impression. Do you come across as caring and competent, or menacing and mechanical?
Offering stand-out service on the Internet isn’t as hard as it is rare. Take these simple steps towards old-style service in the digital age:
Give Each Customer a Personal Response
Be Clear, But Sincere
Offer Live Customer Support
Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All the Answers
Give Each Customer a Personal Response
When a customer sits down to e-mail your company, it’s because he needs help. He chooses e-mail because it’s quick, but his request still warrants a satisfying and personal response!
Companies eager to save time and money often take automation too far in their customer support. Each customer has a unique question, and deserves a unique answer. Even if you save time by copying and pasting stock replies, change the opening and closing to make the message sound less robotic.
Be Clear, But Sincere
When responding to customers’ e-mail, be sincere and to the point. Before sending a message, try turning the tables. Ask yourself, “Would this answer satisfy me if I were the customer?”
Take that extra moment to give your customer the help he deserves. It might mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a credit card chargeback!
Offer Live Customer Support
E-mail has become an acceptable form of communication. But, live customer support is still necessary. The plethora of information available online can be overwhelming to customers, especially those new to the Internet!
Single your company out from the crowd by providing customers with a real person to talk to. Live phone support is an invaluable way to foster trust. When your customer has reached the end of his Internet rope, and just needs help, your toll free number is the answer he’s looking for.
Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All The Answers
The presence of phone support will do no good if your staff doesn’t know your product! Customer support reps should be warm and friendly, and willing to help with any aspect of your product.
What a good feeling it is to talk to someone who feels confident in his product. It’s even better if he’s knowledgeable enough to solve your problem without transferring you all around the company!
Provide Stand-Out Service; Gain Lifelong Customers
Too many e-businesses skimp on customer service, hiding behind web sites and message boards. Customer support is an integral part of every company, even those operating solely online. Be one of the few to offer stellar service, and gain customers for life!
I get asked this question a lot. What is the magic product? Before we get into that I just want to clear a few things. If your just starting out and learning about running an internet business. My advice is to learn as much as you can. You have a couple of options. You can learn from someone who already has experience running an internet business or spend the time to surf the internet and do continuous searches with Google.
The magic product is your own knowledge and experiences. What I mean about that is talking about creating your own information product. You don’t have to be a “professional writer” or even consider yourself an expert on a certain topic. But as long as you are willing to learn about something, you can create an information product within that niche market.
Begin by deciding on a niche to go after. There are hundreds, if not thousands niches and micro-niches. Start a brainstorming session. Ask yourself these questions -
- What is it that you are interested in?
- What could you become interested in?
- What do you do in your spare time?
- What do people ask you about?
Use these questions for a basis of your brainstorming session. Create a list of 10 to 15 ideas of things that you know a lot or even a little about. Begin doing the research for that niche online and see if it’s marketable. Most all niches will be marketable, some more than others, but the internet is so vast and people use it to find everything that they’re looking for. You could be their resource for that specific topic. What you want to create your information product about is up to you.
Advantages to selling an information product online:
- It is a low-cost product to create. It does take time to do the research for your info product but it won’t cost a lot of money.
- You can sell your information product online at any time, day or night! You don’t have to be online or even sitting at your computer to sell the info product.
- You can automate the selling process. You customers can pay you online and they will be able to download the info product automatically.
- Instant product fulfillment. Your customers don’t have to wait to be able to receive your info product.
- Forget about shipping. Because your information product is in electronic format, you will not need to worry about shipping a physical product to your customer, saving you time and money!
- There is a very low-overhead from this info product. You pay small fees to accept payments online, i.e. PayPal, as well as some advertising costs but the rest of the payment will be your profit, i.e. extremely high profit margins!
Start brainstorming today and take the first steps to offering the Magic Product. Keep reading my blog to continue to learn all about information products!