1. People tend to click more often when specifically told to do so.
CLICK HERE to download the secret to my success! No, really. Please... One day when talking to a friend of mine through removing some spyware from his computer, I asked how he thought he got it. "I don't know..." he quickly replied..."I guess I clicked on something that told me to click on it."... I do recall reading somewhere that 10% of us turn our brains off when we get online. If you want someone to buy something, don't just tell them to buy it, tell them exactly how to buy it.
2. Most people can't remember more than seven things at once
There is a reason US phone numbers are 7 digits long - 10 if you include the area code... Humans are pattern driven creatures. We like 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 4 weeks in a month, 12 months in a year... and so on. The more patterns we make as humans, the more our mind can relate different things. However, for the most of us, the patterns cannot be too complex. Don't confuse your customers. Give them details. Allow them to form the pattern in their mind. Then tell them to buy your product.
3. Research shows that web readers scan pages before they read anything, meaning they may leave your site if it doesn't grab their attention.
In the dial up days, I used to tell people they had 30 seconds to make an impression on a visitor. Now, it's a micro-fraction of that. The latest study indicated that a website had 3 seconds to deliver the content to the user, and that a user would make up their minds within 1 second. 1/2 second if that user was a female - seriously. It's what I call the "ummm". A site loads, a user says, "Ummm..." and that's followed by a "yes" or a "no". As soon as that scan is done with, the user knows if they feel comfortable on your site. If you use highlighting and bolding of keywords on your site - say about 7 of them per fold - and you tell the customer what to do within those 7 highlighted or bolded words... your site has more of a chance of converting a visitor into a customer.
4. Most buyers complete their purchase-related search engine research two or more weeks before they buy.
Two weeks. 14 days. 2 sets of 7 days. If your site doesn't make a lasting impression with the user - even visually - they won't be back. And if they don't come back, you don't make the sale.
Not too long ago, I was doing some reasearch on a particular subject. I had found a very good source, and shared it with a colleague of mine. About two weeks later, we were discussing the subject again. I hadn't book marked the page, and couldn't recall the name of the site. What I did recall was the pattern of the layout. I remembered the red and blue colors, with the yellow highlighted price. When I again found that pattern, I recalled more information about that website.
Had that site not grabbed my attention, and given me a few key items to remember, they would have lost a sale. Needless to say, they got my business.
5. People are more likely to read a headline that is followed by a blurb
This week I was driving by a steak house. I thought, "yeah.. I might like a steak tonight... but, there are some other restraunts on this road..." As I got closer to the steak house, the smell of that wood burning grill assaulted my senses... "Wow, I gotta have a steak, right now!" Was my next thought.... What changed my mind? The blurb after the headline. The restraunt itself wasn't enough to get the sale - but those guys aren't fools - they know how to get a customer in the door. The same holds true for any attention grabbing headline - without any more information, it's just a headline. Without that smell, a steak is just a piece of dead cow.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
E-Commerce - Perception Versus Reality
Electronic commerce over the Internet is predicted to grow at an ever-increasing rate over the next few years, with on-line sales already heading for several billion. Yet, instant gratification is still the current perception of e-commerce on the Internet to the world at large. A profusion of web-sites announce, "Three steps to build your website" - "Use our Shopping Cart Wizard and be selling on the Internet in a few minutes" - "Free templates" - "Free Hosting" - "Complete web-sites 'Only $199' - "Four million e-mail addresses only $24.95" - "Search engine submissions to 2,000 search engines only $19.95". So, the myth is perpetuated.
One would think the numerous Dot.com's that consumed millions of investment dollars to no avail on the flawed premise that "build it and they will come" would have blunted this perception but no. It persists. Supported by large commercial entities selling their version of Dot.com heaven in volume. The very latest in digital direct marketing. Display 'x' messages and 'y' viewers will buy. Good old-fashioned marketing math for deep pockets and an infrastructure plus investors that still support such an approach. And like digital lemmings other web-sites with smaller pockets blindly follow.
Particularly in the building of e-commerce web sites, automation reigns. Each competing player offering fewer and fewer steps to build and establish an e-commerce presence using readily available templates. Be on-line and selling within "Minutes or Hours" is the cry.
These automated efforts designed by programmers and technical gurus cheerfully suspend business reality. Corporate identities become blurred, merchandising fragmented, marketing messages distorted and expectations enhanced. In effect the perfect recipe for corporate disaster.
The reality of e-commerce on the Internet is that it mimics business in the real world. The Internet is a different sales medium with direct sales and retail characteristics, yet it still requires strategic business planning, budgeting, clearly defined expectations and a realistic return on investment.
A reality-based question must be asked. Would you expect to open a retail store overnight with little or no planning? Especially when the store came in only eight colours, five window display types, potentially insufficient shelf space and was located in a new sub-division, unknown, unfinished and unmapped. Mmm!.. No!
So! Why suspend reality when choosing to conduct business on the Internet? Perhaps many business managers not fully understanding the technicalities of the Internet allow technical consultants with little business background to guide them.
Why should an e-commerce website not be carefully integrated into any existing or future business with the same attention to detail that any other business operation would require?
It is absolutely necessary that reality be enforced if companies wish to be successful utilizing this new business medium. As more businesses understand that the Internet is an extension of their marketing strategy and an effective business solution to increase revenues, reduce certain costs and increase bottom line profitability, current perceptions will more closely match reality.
Remember! The technical considerations of conducting business on the Internet must support your business decisions not the reverse. Plan your business and then build your Internet operation to support that plan, budget and objective. Determine your consultant's business experience. Their perception could distort your reality. - John Shenton
One would think the numerous Dot.com's that consumed millions of investment dollars to no avail on the flawed premise that "build it and they will come" would have blunted this perception but no. It persists. Supported by large commercial entities selling their version of Dot.com heaven in volume. The very latest in digital direct marketing. Display 'x' messages and 'y' viewers will buy. Good old-fashioned marketing math for deep pockets and an infrastructure plus investors that still support such an approach. And like digital lemmings other web-sites with smaller pockets blindly follow.
Particularly in the building of e-commerce web sites, automation reigns. Each competing player offering fewer and fewer steps to build and establish an e-commerce presence using readily available templates. Be on-line and selling within "Minutes or Hours" is the cry.
These automated efforts designed by programmers and technical gurus cheerfully suspend business reality. Corporate identities become blurred, merchandising fragmented, marketing messages distorted and expectations enhanced. In effect the perfect recipe for corporate disaster.
The reality of e-commerce on the Internet is that it mimics business in the real world. The Internet is a different sales medium with direct sales and retail characteristics, yet it still requires strategic business planning, budgeting, clearly defined expectations and a realistic return on investment.
A reality-based question must be asked. Would you expect to open a retail store overnight with little or no planning? Especially when the store came in only eight colours, five window display types, potentially insufficient shelf space and was located in a new sub-division, unknown, unfinished and unmapped. Mmm!.. No!
So! Why suspend reality when choosing to conduct business on the Internet? Perhaps many business managers not fully understanding the technicalities of the Internet allow technical consultants with little business background to guide them.
Why should an e-commerce website not be carefully integrated into any existing or future business with the same attention to detail that any other business operation would require?
It is absolutely necessary that reality be enforced if companies wish to be successful utilizing this new business medium. As more businesses understand that the Internet is an extension of their marketing strategy and an effective business solution to increase revenues, reduce certain costs and increase bottom line profitability, current perceptions will more closely match reality.
Remember! The technical considerations of conducting business on the Internet must support your business decisions not the reverse. Plan your business and then build your Internet operation to support that plan, budget and objective. Determine your consultant's business experience. Their perception could distort your reality. - John Shenton
Make Money Online - The Perfect Method
There are a multitude of ways an individual or company can utilize the Internet for earning revenue. Many of which require developing your own web site, attracting traffic, processing payments and other tasks required for generating revenue. One method does not require any of these and just may be the perfect method for making money online.
The method I am referring to is trading foreign currency, also known as forex. Other acronyms include 4X and FX.
I don't want to be misunderstood. Trading forex is not easy if you are unfamiliar with it. There are many things to learn before you trade real money. How do foreign currency prices work, how to choose the right broker, how does the daily news affect prices, what do technical indicators (price charts) tell you about price movement, proper money management and other information must be learned.
The good news is that there is a wealth of information that can be found on the Internet regarding forex. You can learn the basics first, then advance to more difficult concepts simply by researching the Internet at your own pace.
After learning the information you need regarding forex, you will need to then begin developing a trading strategy. You can develop your own strategy based on what you learned, or you can use a strategy developed by another trader. But be very careful, there are many unscrupulous people trying to promote strategies that may simply not work. Once again, do your research before purchasing any trading strategies.
Once you have decided on a trading strategy, be sure you test and re-test the strategy before using real money. That's one of the many great benefits of trading forex is that you get to test your strategies with fake money (demo account) before committing any real money. Nearly all forex brokers offer a free demo account in exchange for your e-mail address that utilizes the same procedures as a real account.
Most people that think about making money online generally relate to having an online business where you sell products or services. The reason I chose to include trading forex in the 'make money online' category is because everything you need to learn can be found on the Internet, communication with forex brokers is done via the Internet, currency prices are served over the Internet, and trade execution is performed using your broker's software interface over your Internet connection.
Because there are no sales to make, no traffic to generate, and no payments to process makes trading forex, in my opinion, the perfect method to make money online.
The method I am referring to is trading foreign currency, also known as forex. Other acronyms include 4X and FX.
I don't want to be misunderstood. Trading forex is not easy if you are unfamiliar with it. There are many things to learn before you trade real money. How do foreign currency prices work, how to choose the right broker, how does the daily news affect prices, what do technical indicators (price charts) tell you about price movement, proper money management and other information must be learned.
The good news is that there is a wealth of information that can be found on the Internet regarding forex. You can learn the basics first, then advance to more difficult concepts simply by researching the Internet at your own pace.
After learning the information you need regarding forex, you will need to then begin developing a trading strategy. You can develop your own strategy based on what you learned, or you can use a strategy developed by another trader. But be very careful, there are many unscrupulous people trying to promote strategies that may simply not work. Once again, do your research before purchasing any trading strategies.
Once you have decided on a trading strategy, be sure you test and re-test the strategy before using real money. That's one of the many great benefits of trading forex is that you get to test your strategies with fake money (demo account) before committing any real money. Nearly all forex brokers offer a free demo account in exchange for your e-mail address that utilizes the same procedures as a real account.
Most people that think about making money online generally relate to having an online business where you sell products or services. The reason I chose to include trading forex in the 'make money online' category is because everything you need to learn can be found on the Internet, communication with forex brokers is done via the Internet, currency prices are served over the Internet, and trade execution is performed using your broker's software interface over your Internet connection.
Because there are no sales to make, no traffic to generate, and no payments to process makes trading forex, in my opinion, the perfect method to make money online.
OS Commerce - Helping Out the Little guys
eCommerce platforms are being commoditized. Enterprise level solutions are coming down in price and new open source solutions are being made available to anyone with an internet connection for free.
The most robust of these open source solutions is OS Commerce (OSC) – a community driven eCommerce solution that is flexible, scalable, and user friendly. As eCommerce becomes even more a part of mainstream retail, OSC will provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the functionality and capabilities of the big boys. This brief examines some of the advantages of OS Commerce and provides insights into how it can help your business.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.Now that sounds complicated, but really anyone can do it with some concentrated effort. Much of the documentation online regarding OS is very thorough and provides step by step plans on how to get your store up and running. Any newbie to this type of work will likely come across some roadblocks, but the OS Commerce community forums are only a click away to start trouble shooting.
The solution is community driven, meaning that like minded OSCers are ready to help out their peers with answers to posted questions. Yes, at times this can be extremely frustrating waiting for an answer, but it is very rewarding to overcome a technology bug on your own.
Contribute to the Cause
The best part of OSC is the number of contributions that can be added to your site at any time. Again, there is no cost for these enhancements and upgrades – just the need to be patient in your installations. In most cases, contributions are located on the OS commerce community section and are downloadable via zip files. After opening the file, read the “read me” file which will walk you through the file additions, subtractions, and code changes needed to make your enhancement work properly. If you explore the OS platform be sure to upgrade with the following contributions.
Ultimate SEO URL’s by Chemo
This cool contribution allows the site owner to create static URL’s out of a database driven site. This will dramatically help in search saturation as more pages are able to be indexed. Its no secret that search spiders like traditional urls better than ones that are dynamic and this contribution helps achieve that.
The most robust of these open source solutions is OS Commerce (OSC) – a community driven eCommerce solution that is flexible, scalable, and user friendly. As eCommerce becomes even more a part of mainstream retail, OSC will provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the functionality and capabilities of the big boys. This brief examines some of the advantages of OS Commerce and provides insights into how it can help your business.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.Now that sounds complicated, but really anyone can do it with some concentrated effort. Much of the documentation online regarding OS is very thorough and provides step by step plans on how to get your store up and running. Any newbie to this type of work will likely come across some roadblocks, but the OS Commerce community forums are only a click away to start trouble shooting.
The solution is community driven, meaning that like minded OSCers are ready to help out their peers with answers to posted questions. Yes, at times this can be extremely frustrating waiting for an answer, but it is very rewarding to overcome a technology bug on your own.
Contribute to the Cause
The best part of OSC is the number of contributions that can be added to your site at any time. Again, there is no cost for these enhancements and upgrades – just the need to be patient in your installations. In most cases, contributions are located on the OS commerce community section and are downloadable via zip files. After opening the file, read the “read me” file which will walk you through the file additions, subtractions, and code changes needed to make your enhancement work properly. If you explore the OS platform be sure to upgrade with the following contributions.
Ultimate SEO URL’s by Chemo
This cool contribution allows the site owner to create static URL’s out of a database driven site. This will dramatically help in search saturation as more pages are able to be indexed. Its no secret that search spiders like traditional urls better than ones that are dynamic and this contribution helps achieve that.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
5 Reasons You Should Shop Online
Online shopping has increased in popularity the last few years and it will continue to increase in popularity as time goes on. Even with the that said, many people are still reluctant to purchase goods online for many different reasons. Some of them being high shipping costs, fear of credit card theft and lack of security. Below I will list 5 reasons why people that are not shopping online should start.
1. Lower prices. Due to the fact that e-commerce store owners have lower operating costs, they can often offer products at a lower cost than brick and mortar retailers.
2. Free shipping. Many websites offer free shipping on purchases over a certain amount to be competitive.
3. Larger selections. On the internet you can find a lot of items that you would not see at your local retail stores.
4. Convenience. Shopping online is a lot more convenient, especially around the holidays. You do not have to worry about finding a parking space or fighting through crowds and long lines.
5. The internet is safe. there are a lot of things that shoppers can do to insure that their credit card information is being sent successfully. If the padlock at the bottom of the screen is locked, that means the website is secure. Also many websites use third-party companies to verify that they are safe.
1. Lower prices. Due to the fact that e-commerce store owners have lower operating costs, they can often offer products at a lower cost than brick and mortar retailers.
2. Free shipping. Many websites offer free shipping on purchases over a certain amount to be competitive.
3. Larger selections. On the internet you can find a lot of items that you would not see at your local retail stores.
4. Convenience. Shopping online is a lot more convenient, especially around the holidays. You do not have to worry about finding a parking space or fighting through crowds and long lines.
5. The internet is safe. there are a lot of things that shoppers can do to insure that their credit card information is being sent successfully. If the padlock at the bottom of the screen is locked, that means the website is secure. Also many websites use third-party companies to verify that they are safe.
Post Launch Laundry List - Did You Know You Should Have One? Part Deux
With your autoresponders on set and forget, and your product flying off your virtual shelves you’d think this project was done wouldn’t you? Nope, not by a long shot. There are a number of things you should consider when you are running a marketing campaign to maximize your monetization of that campaign.
To take shortcuts is simply leaving money on the table. The fact of the matter is that most products have a relatively short shelf life because people are fickle and will quickly move on to “bigger and better”. This truth is even more evident with digital products. There’s a little secret amongst many in the Internet Marketing community that goes a little something like this, “If you can’t afford something you want, wait four months and it’ll be free”. Shhh, don’t tell.
So, what does that have to do with you and your campaign? Well, it means you have a limited window in which you can capitalize on your product or program that you so brilliantly developed. And you need to make the best of that window or you will lose money.
One way that you can additionally leverage your product or program’s existing popularity is with the One Time Offer. I’m sure many of you have seen them and didn’t even know that was what you were looking at. The One Time Offer comes in many different shapes and sizes but they all do the same thing, they add new revenue and fully leverage the popularity of your campaign.
Let’s revisit Part 1 of this series and combine it with Part “Deux” to see how this all ties together-
1) You advertise your newsletter or free giveaway in return for prospect’s information
2) Prospect gets freebie and or begins receiving newsletter
3) Prospect is redirected to your main sales page and views your offer. If he/she makes the purchase, they are then directed to your One Time Offer for additional monetization. If prospect clears out and makes no purchase they continue onto number 4.
4) Your autoresponder begins to market the prospect with a series of well written and well timed messages promoting your original offer.
5) If your prospect does purchase as a result of one of your 10-15 follow up messages they are then directed to…what? Yes, your One Time Offer.
Let’s hit on key components of a One Time Offer that will increase your chances of success with it. Don’t call it a “One Time Offer”. People like personalization, and One Time Offer has been used to death…so call it Franks Special Deal…Today Only!, or Sam’s Super Sale, Now or Never!…you get the gist. Just be certain to emphasize that this deal is only available while the prospect is on that page; and if they leave without dropping the hammer it will be available for much more elsewhere.
Your objective is to create a sense of urgency that adds new revenue to your bottom line. There are definitely things your do NOT want to do…don’t offer products irrelevant to your primary campaign. If your campaign is horse shampoo and your One Time Offer is for “The Surefire Blackjack Beater” you’re not gonna sell squat, and you’ll lose all your subscribers just as fast as you get them.
Also, never offer garbage. Don’t just slap together 5 reseller items that your buyer can get anywhere else for free or for next to nothing. Lastly, don’t go ballistic on price either. You’re a marketer, so you are looking to profit, but you don’t need to get obscene with it.
With this technique you completely leverage your relationships with your subscribers and you are monetizing your campaign to the best of your abilities. However, let me throw in a twist on this that I haven’t seen anywhere else and which has been working quite well for me…again, Shhhh. “The New Subscriber One Time Offer…it looks a lot like the post-purchase One Time Offer, but not exactly.
With this technique you will actually redirect your recent newsletter or free giveaway subscribers to a One Time Offer sales page once they have registered. Your pitch would read something like this, “As a subscriber you are entitled to special offers that you cannot find anywhere else. Right now, and right now only, you can get such and such for only $X” Get it?
You will be able to monetize brand new subscribers in a way that’s not being done anywhere else. And here’s the really cool part. If you are double opting your subscribers, you already know that 10-30% will never complete the confirmation. If you get a One Time Offer in front of them, you will be able to cash in on some of those which you never would have been able to before. If they don’t complete the second opt-in then you can’t mail them. No mail, no money. Well, here’s your opportunity to benefit from their first opt.
So, now you truly have leveraged your existing customer base and you learned how to leverage those cats that just couldn’t seem to complete their double opt confirmations. You’ve done this with the One Time Offer or its twisted sister, “The New Subscriber One Time Offer”. You are the epitome of leverage and monetization. Tune in next week when we discuss one other “hot” item on your Post Launch Laundry List.
To take shortcuts is simply leaving money on the table. The fact of the matter is that most products have a relatively short shelf life because people are fickle and will quickly move on to “bigger and better”. This truth is even more evident with digital products. There’s a little secret amongst many in the Internet Marketing community that goes a little something like this, “If you can’t afford something you want, wait four months and it’ll be free”. Shhh, don’t tell.
So, what does that have to do with you and your campaign? Well, it means you have a limited window in which you can capitalize on your product or program that you so brilliantly developed. And you need to make the best of that window or you will lose money.
One way that you can additionally leverage your product or program’s existing popularity is with the One Time Offer. I’m sure many of you have seen them and didn’t even know that was what you were looking at. The One Time Offer comes in many different shapes and sizes but they all do the same thing, they add new revenue and fully leverage the popularity of your campaign.
Let’s revisit Part 1 of this series and combine it with Part “Deux” to see how this all ties together-
1) You advertise your newsletter or free giveaway in return for prospect’s information
2) Prospect gets freebie and or begins receiving newsletter
3) Prospect is redirected to your main sales page and views your offer. If he/she makes the purchase, they are then directed to your One Time Offer for additional monetization. If prospect clears out and makes no purchase they continue onto number 4.
4) Your autoresponder begins to market the prospect with a series of well written and well timed messages promoting your original offer.
5) If your prospect does purchase as a result of one of your 10-15 follow up messages they are then directed to…what? Yes, your One Time Offer.
Let’s hit on key components of a One Time Offer that will increase your chances of success with it. Don’t call it a “One Time Offer”. People like personalization, and One Time Offer has been used to death…so call it Franks Special Deal…Today Only!, or Sam’s Super Sale, Now or Never!…you get the gist. Just be certain to emphasize that this deal is only available while the prospect is on that page; and if they leave without dropping the hammer it will be available for much more elsewhere.
Your objective is to create a sense of urgency that adds new revenue to your bottom line. There are definitely things your do NOT want to do…don’t offer products irrelevant to your primary campaign. If your campaign is horse shampoo and your One Time Offer is for “The Surefire Blackjack Beater” you’re not gonna sell squat, and you’ll lose all your subscribers just as fast as you get them.
Also, never offer garbage. Don’t just slap together 5 reseller items that your buyer can get anywhere else for free or for next to nothing. Lastly, don’t go ballistic on price either. You’re a marketer, so you are looking to profit, but you don’t need to get obscene with it.
With this technique you completely leverage your relationships with your subscribers and you are monetizing your campaign to the best of your abilities. However, let me throw in a twist on this that I haven’t seen anywhere else and which has been working quite well for me…again, Shhhh. “The New Subscriber One Time Offer…it looks a lot like the post-purchase One Time Offer, but not exactly.
With this technique you will actually redirect your recent newsletter or free giveaway subscribers to a One Time Offer sales page once they have registered. Your pitch would read something like this, “As a subscriber you are entitled to special offers that you cannot find anywhere else. Right now, and right now only, you can get such and such for only $X” Get it?
You will be able to monetize brand new subscribers in a way that’s not being done anywhere else. And here’s the really cool part. If you are double opting your subscribers, you already know that 10-30% will never complete the confirmation. If you get a One Time Offer in front of them, you will be able to cash in on some of those which you never would have been able to before. If they don’t complete the second opt-in then you can’t mail them. No mail, no money. Well, here’s your opportunity to benefit from their first opt.
So, now you truly have leveraged your existing customer base and you learned how to leverage those cats that just couldn’t seem to complete their double opt confirmations. You’ve done this with the One Time Offer or its twisted sister, “The New Subscriber One Time Offer”. You are the epitome of leverage and monetization. Tune in next week when we discuss one other “hot” item on your Post Launch Laundry List.
Welcome to the Exciting World of Ecommerce
The simple word ecommerce means many different things to many different people. To some of us, ecommerce means the ability to buy that great new book at 4 in the morning from our favorite online bookstore. To others, ecommerce means cleaning out the closet and making some money by putting those unwanted treasures up for sale at our favorite online auction house. To others, ecommerce means the ability to have different businesses connect seamlessly and cost efficiently, and the business to business world of ecommerce is one of the fastest growing segments of the market.
Ecommerce allows suppliers to easily connect with buyers of finished products, and business people to easily compare prices and quality among different suppliers. The Internet also provides a wealth of information, and this information is an integral part of the ecommerce solution.
When the Internet first emerged on the scene, it was used by government agencies as a secure way to communicate with one another. Even when the Internet became the province of ordinary users, it was mostly a playground for college students and computer geeks. It took quite some time for the commercial potential of the Internet to be exploited, and the first ecommerce companies were quite primitive by today’s standards. Some of those first ecommerce companies are still around and stronger than ever, while others failed to make a profit. Anyone interested in opening an ecommerce business of their own would do well to study the history of ecommerce and the Internet for important lessons.
Despite the bursting of the Internet bubble, ecommerce continues to have nearly unlimited potential for smart entrepreneurs. In fact, the world of ecommerce offers so many advantages over traditional brick and mortar businesses that it simply cannot be ignored. While a brick and mortar business needs to rent space and hire employees, a start up ecommerce business can be run from a single computer as a one man or one woman operation. Many of the most successful ecommerce businesses got their start in just such a manner, and more and more ecommerce startups are born every day.
There have been a great many changes in the world of business over the last couple of decades, but perhaps no change has been more important than that of the Internet. The World Wide Web has become so important in our lives that many of our children could not conceive of a world without it. Business has been changed in many ways by the power of technology, affecting everything from the way we get hired to the way we do our jobs.
Ecommerce allows suppliers to easily connect with buyers of finished products, and business people to easily compare prices and quality among different suppliers. The Internet also provides a wealth of information, and this information is an integral part of the ecommerce solution.
When the Internet first emerged on the scene, it was used by government agencies as a secure way to communicate with one another. Even when the Internet became the province of ordinary users, it was mostly a playground for college students and computer geeks. It took quite some time for the commercial potential of the Internet to be exploited, and the first ecommerce companies were quite primitive by today’s standards. Some of those first ecommerce companies are still around and stronger than ever, while others failed to make a profit. Anyone interested in opening an ecommerce business of their own would do well to study the history of ecommerce and the Internet for important lessons.
Despite the bursting of the Internet bubble, ecommerce continues to have nearly unlimited potential for smart entrepreneurs. In fact, the world of ecommerce offers so many advantages over traditional brick and mortar businesses that it simply cannot be ignored. While a brick and mortar business needs to rent space and hire employees, a start up ecommerce business can be run from a single computer as a one man or one woman operation. Many of the most successful ecommerce businesses got their start in just such a manner, and more and more ecommerce startups are born every day.
There have been a great many changes in the world of business over the last couple of decades, but perhaps no change has been more important than that of the Internet. The World Wide Web has become so important in our lives that many of our children could not conceive of a world without it. Business has been changed in many ways by the power of technology, affecting everything from the way we get hired to the way we do our jobs.
Post Launch Laundry List = Did You Know You Should Have One?
You pre-notified your opt in list of your upcoming product and put together an incredible army of JV partners and super affiliates and now the sales are coming in like you could have only imagined. What else is there to do but move onto your next project? After all, this baby’s on auto-pilot. Wrong.
You’re in this Internet Marketing game to make money right? So, it would seem logical that once you have launched a product successfully and the money’s coming in, you should decide what you want to do next. Well, that is just plain leaving cash on the table...and lots of it.
It’s relatively common knowledge that it takes 6-10 views of a marketer’s message to entice folks to seal the deal, and open their wallets. In addition to that, almost 98% of folks that see your page the first time will not buy. If you think these stats don’t matter because you are already rolling in it, think again.
Ever heard the phrase “the money is in the list” before? Actually, that’s not entirely true. People with the money, are in the list. The money is in the follow up! You need to make sure you have a 10-15 message autoresponder series (more could amount to overkill and a silly unsubscribe rate) plugged in and ready to go to every new person registering for your list.
If done right you will absolutely see a noticeable increase in click thru to sales rates, sometimes into the double digits. And what does “done right” actually entail? There are a few things you should focus on when creating an autoresponder series.
1)Make sure there’s a logical chronology to your series. I am a subscriber to many lists and read my emails avidly...for one I want to always be learning and for another I just like to see what my competition is up to.
What’s amazing is the number of autoresponder series I’ve registered for where there is no clear and concise path. One day the mail is about this and the next day it’s about that. This is a surefire way to negatively impact your bottom line.
2)Personalize the messages as much as you possibly can. Yes, that includes utilizing code to automatically input the first name of the recipient but it goes deeper than that. People can smell mass production and are typically adverse to blatant pitches...especially when repeated through a series of emails.
So, how do you get your message across and yet still market your wares to your list? Share information about yourself...utilize your experiences and your personal histories to your benefit. Give people a glimpse into your life and they will feel an “attachment” to you and will be better able to relate. Once you have endeared them to you they will be more open to buying from you.
Now don’t go making stuff up and certainly don’t give them every intimate detail you have...but subtle references to you and your family as it specifically relates to what you are selling is a good thing.
3)For the love of all things holy don’t “slam” your list with back to back to back pitches and every affiliate offering under the sun. That just seems like common sense but I get so many messages from marketers where it’s a daily event and a new product each day...all the “best opportunity I’ll ever see”.
Be sure to space out your autoresponder series over the course of at least two to three weeks. You’ll want a Day Zero message which will arrive as soon as someone registers, then a Day One message to follow that up...from there consider a Day Three message for a little breathing room...then a Day Five or Six. You get the gist.
And never try to “product dump” your list. Think about lists that you are on. Do you really enjoy getting tons of email messages from the same person every day which all pimp different products? Kind of annoying, don'tcha think?
So, before moving onto your next big project you’ll want to make sure that you have completely leveraged your existing customer base and that you maximize the monetization of that base. You can help do this by creating a personalized, logically sequenced, consistent, and staggered autoresponder series. Tune in next week when we discuss some other “hot” items on your Post Launch Laundry List.
You’re in this Internet Marketing game to make money right? So, it would seem logical that once you have launched a product successfully and the money’s coming in, you should decide what you want to do next. Well, that is just plain leaving cash on the table...and lots of it.
It’s relatively common knowledge that it takes 6-10 views of a marketer’s message to entice folks to seal the deal, and open their wallets. In addition to that, almost 98% of folks that see your page the first time will not buy. If you think these stats don’t matter because you are already rolling in it, think again.
Ever heard the phrase “the money is in the list” before? Actually, that’s not entirely true. People with the money, are in the list. The money is in the follow up! You need to make sure you have a 10-15 message autoresponder series (more could amount to overkill and a silly unsubscribe rate) plugged in and ready to go to every new person registering for your list.
If done right you will absolutely see a noticeable increase in click thru to sales rates, sometimes into the double digits. And what does “done right” actually entail? There are a few things you should focus on when creating an autoresponder series.
1)Make sure there’s a logical chronology to your series. I am a subscriber to many lists and read my emails avidly...for one I want to always be learning and for another I just like to see what my competition is up to.
What’s amazing is the number of autoresponder series I’ve registered for where there is no clear and concise path. One day the mail is about this and the next day it’s about that. This is a surefire way to negatively impact your bottom line.
2)Personalize the messages as much as you possibly can. Yes, that includes utilizing code to automatically input the first name of the recipient but it goes deeper than that. People can smell mass production and are typically adverse to blatant pitches...especially when repeated through a series of emails.
So, how do you get your message across and yet still market your wares to your list? Share information about yourself...utilize your experiences and your personal histories to your benefit. Give people a glimpse into your life and they will feel an “attachment” to you and will be better able to relate. Once you have endeared them to you they will be more open to buying from you.
Now don’t go making stuff up and certainly don’t give them every intimate detail you have...but subtle references to you and your family as it specifically relates to what you are selling is a good thing.
3)For the love of all things holy don’t “slam” your list with back to back to back pitches and every affiliate offering under the sun. That just seems like common sense but I get so many messages from marketers where it’s a daily event and a new product each day...all the “best opportunity I’ll ever see”.
Be sure to space out your autoresponder series over the course of at least two to three weeks. You’ll want a Day Zero message which will arrive as soon as someone registers, then a Day One message to follow that up...from there consider a Day Three message for a little breathing room...then a Day Five or Six. You get the gist.
And never try to “product dump” your list. Think about lists that you are on. Do you really enjoy getting tons of email messages from the same person every day which all pimp different products? Kind of annoying, don'tcha think?
So, before moving onto your next big project you’ll want to make sure that you have completely leveraged your existing customer base and that you maximize the monetization of that base. You can help do this by creating a personalized, logically sequenced, consistent, and staggered autoresponder series. Tune in next week when we discuss some other “hot” items on your Post Launch Laundry List.
E-commerce Success: Is it too Late?
A large percentage of people that started online businesses before 1998 have become very successful. Many are in the top ten on search engines for their respective keywords, they have a large amount of links pointing to their website, and a high page rank on Google. Many receive millions of visitors each month and make millions of dollars each year.
Some people that started businesses in the years 2001 or 2002 have also been able to achieve success, even some companies like Adbrite in 2004 have done it, but is it to late for e-commerce success? Can an e-commerce website compete in 2006?
I believe that an e-commerce website can compete in 2006. The key to a successful website is offline and online advertising, search engine optimization, publicity, an affiliate program, and good customer service. In essence, things are more technical now than they were before. In the nineties if you were first to market you were bound to make a lot of money, search engine optimization and things like that did not matter that much then, but now they are the most important things to a successful website.
Any new e-commerce website that focuses on those things can achieve success, it may take a little while, especially the search engine optimization but it will be worth it once the sales start to roll in.
Some people that started businesses in the years 2001 or 2002 have also been able to achieve success, even some companies like Adbrite in 2004 have done it, but is it to late for e-commerce success? Can an e-commerce website compete in 2006?
I believe that an e-commerce website can compete in 2006. The key to a successful website is offline and online advertising, search engine optimization, publicity, an affiliate program, and good customer service. In essence, things are more technical now than they were before. In the nineties if you were first to market you were bound to make a lot of money, search engine optimization and things like that did not matter that much then, but now they are the most important things to a successful website.
Any new e-commerce website that focuses on those things can achieve success, it may take a little while, especially the search engine optimization but it will be worth it once the sales start to roll in.
Retail Stores Dying a Slow Death as More People Shop Online
When most potential business owners think of opening a retail store they are most likely considering an online store rather than a bricks and mortar store. The main reasons for that are cost and more people are shopping online. Everyone knows that it is a lot less risky to open an online store; you don’t need to sign a long lease, deal with utilities, or employees. That cuts costs down a lot. Most e-commerce websites start as one and two man shows and grow over time. A retail store cannot start small like that.
Another thing that entices people to sell goods online rather than in a traditional retail store is the fact that they can reach a worldwide audience. With a brick and mortar store you can only sell goods locally.
Shopping on the internet is growing every year as the internet becomes more secure and more convenient. A majority of people would much rather shop online because they don’t have to deal with the crowds and parking, and in most cases they can save a lot of money. If you plan to open a bricks and mortar store please keep in mind that people love to shop online, and that love is only going to grow.
Another thing that entices people to sell goods online rather than in a traditional retail store is the fact that they can reach a worldwide audience. With a brick and mortar store you can only sell goods locally.
Shopping on the internet is growing every year as the internet becomes more secure and more convenient. A majority of people would much rather shop online because they don’t have to deal with the crowds and parking, and in most cases they can save a lot of money. If you plan to open a bricks and mortar store please keep in mind that people love to shop online, and that love is only going to grow.
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