There are several aspects that must go into creating a successful website and they include the design and graphics of the website, the sales page presented on it, the customer tracking or follow-up capabilities, and finally the use of other types of technology on your website to encourage sales and grab attention.
Website design-if you've spent any amount of time at all searching on the Internet you've probably seen some pretty flashy websites. Some of the blinking lights and flashing designs that jump out at you almost make you think you're visiting the strip on Vegas. All too often, people assume that they must make their website as bold and graphically intense as possible but this just isn't necessary. Your website is designed to do one thing and one thing only: convert visitors into buyers. There is no specific rule that states that you must have a ridiculous amount of loud graphics in which to do this and oftentimes a simple website will work even better than one that is flashy. Having said that, you don't want a website that contains nothing but words either because your visitor will quickly become bored and click away. A good combination of attractive graphics that are specific to your product as well as a decent amount of content designed to help sell it is what is required. You'll certainly want to have a logo of some sort and may choose to incorporate this in a header, which is a graphical bar that will go across the top of your website. In addition, pictures of the product you are selling as well as any other pictures that pertain to the product are often helpful. Don't be too concerned with graphics at this point because if you are a complete beginner there are plenty of graphic and website creation services available that can handle the process from start to finish for very reasonable fees.
Creating your sales page-when someone hits your website it is your job to make sure that the message offered is compelling enough to encourage them to purchase the product. This is done through the use of the sales page.
Basically, the content, at least on the front page of your website, will be a part of the makeup of the sales page. You'll want to include all of the features and benefits concerning your product as well as testimonials from satisfied customers. Creating a sales page that really does an effective job of converting website visitors to purchasers is somewhat of an art form. Many successful copywriters charge thousands of dollars to create such sales letters but there are much cheaper alternatives available for you. One way is simply to create the sales letter yourself. If you take the time to include the compelling reasons of why someone would be interested in purchasing your product you can have great success doing this on your own without spending any money at all. If you choose to go it alone there are some great resources on the web to help you out, just search for how to write a sales letter on the Internet to get a hold of all of the free information you need to help you on your journey to completing your first sales letter. In addition, there are some web and software applications that will help you with this process.
Customer Tracking and follow up-once you get to the point where people are actually visiting your website you want to make sure that you capture some of their information because if they don't buy the very first visit, you have no way to follow up with them if they leave. The best way to do this is through the use of an auto-responder. An auto-responder is simply a type of software that will allow you to load prewritten messages into it and send them out to your potential prospects at regular intervals. You can encourage the visitors to submit their name and e-mail address in a small form located on your front page by enticing them with free offers if they do so. The free offers associated are the follow-up messages you will send using the auto-responder that are in the form of tips and valuable information pertaining to the subject of the product you're selling. These follow-up messages won't be necessarily sales messages, but they will allow you to stay on the mind of the prospect and remind them that your product is available. Offering any helpful tips and information pertaining to the subject they're interested in is often valued by the prospects and they may stay on your mailing list for some time and eventually buy the product you are selling when they signed up, or maybe choose to purchase something else you begin selling at a later date.
Taking Payments - Your website must have the ability to process customer's payments in order to deliver the product they wish to purchase. There are two main ways to do this, one being a traditional merchant account, and the other being online payment processors like PayPal. In order to make the most money from your website you want as many payment options as possible so choosing both of these options is the best way to do this. If you're brand new to the world of making money online, using a PayPal account provides an extremely easy option to get started.
With PayPal, you simply have to register and add your bank account information and have it verified. Once you've set up your account, you can install a buy now button directly on your website that once clicked allows the customer to make a payment that will be sent directly to your PayPal account.
Showing posts with label Online Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Online Business. Show all posts
How to Create a Strong Email Marketing Campaign
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Steps
Determine the purpose of your email marketing campaign. Common reasons for undertaking such a project include introducing a new product or service, offering discounts to boost sales or to move excess products, or further constructing your brand and getting your name out to more and more potential buyers.
Put together a mailing list of possible customers. Since the foundation of the campaign's success rests on the extent of customers it can reach, this is a key step in how to create a strong email marketing campaign. There are a variety of ways a mailing list can be constructed. To tackle this step yourself, set up an area of your company website where visitors can enter their email addresses to receive special offers, discounts and breaking news. You may also employ a third-party service that sells mailing lists, saving you a lot of time and work for a nominal fee.Decide which of the 2 main types of email marketing campaigns you want to utilize. Promotions and newsletters are the most popular email campaigns. A promotion advertises your product or service and typically involves a special deal or discount to email recipients. Promotions are less frequently sent out than newsletters, which are a regular form of communication that keeps your customer base informed of new products, offers, and company news.
Design the components of your email. In learning how to create a strong email marketing campaign, you can use a few different approaches to design. You can present the recipient with a standard-style email that is simple in appearance and form and straightforward in approach. Alternately, you can design a more flashy campaign, using HyperText Markup Language (HTML) or special design software to craft bold styles that can be eye-catching and present your company or service in an unforgettable manner.
Draw your customers in from the very beginning. Use a "hook" to appeal to your
readers and grab their attention the second they open the email. This might include posing a question, the use of memorable language, the promise of a discount, or the sharing of a powerful story. A hook ensures your customers read the entirety of the email and learn about the offer you are presenting.
Tips
• Be sure to allow your email recipients to opt-out if they so choose. This allows a recipient to decline further email marketing campaign material from your business. It is not a personal attack on your company but a way for a recipient to keep his or her inbox free of promotions and offers that may not be of interest to them.Warnings
• Avoid sending spam to your potential customers. Most email recipients have spam filters in place, so they won't even see your email marketing campaign to begin with. Filters identify spam by detecting the number of recipients of an email, so be sure to send out your email marketing campaign in small batches or to a list of undisclosed recipients.Get the secret software the Guru's use to rank their sites
How to Start a Successful Online Business
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Do you want to help the economy? Do you dream of working at home? Then learn how to create wealth and get that idea you have been sitting on for a long time out there.
1. Choosing your Market and Products
When deciding to start an online business a target market must be chosen. These are the people the LLC will reach. Does the LLC want to sell manufactured products that were patented and created? Does the company want to sell products bought directly from manufacturers and wholesalers? Does the company want to be large? Does the company want to offer a large variety of products or only a single product? What kind of competition is out there? How can the company's make the product(s) better than the competition? What are the company's strengths and weaknesses? Most businesses require a team. This is because one person cannot wear every single "hat." There is no I in team. A team is needed in a company because this is what makes it strong. The CEO is there to guide the team but is not always strong in all areas of the company's structure. The CEO should be a solid leader, be able to spot weaknesses, and have a vision for the company for which all are on board.
2. Where to get products
Depending on what you are trying to sell there are several options. Note that many more business-to-business transactions take place than business-to-consumer. In essence, the retailer will have an easier time finding the products needed at the price they need to effectively resell them to the consumer. Wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors will be more apt to work with you as long as you have the proper documentation in place, which can be filed for and received online within 24 hours for free. At this point begin a search online for what you want to sell and look for wholesalers of that product. Then register for a state tax ID, and a federal tax ID which is also know as an employer identification number. Now manufacturing your own products is another wonderful idea.
Very key: businesses need products. Will the company make them? Is this is a small business that is a one man/woman show and the product can be manufactured at home? Believe it or not there are large manufacturers in the USA as well. If you want to be big and have your item mass produced, have a reputable manufacturer in your city make the product for it. There are companies that will make a prototype first. Patenting is important if the product is the company's and a prototype is required in this case. Lawyers are very helpful in getting the patent process moving fast.
Writing a Business Plan Many people skip this because they think it's not needed. Especially if they are financing their own business. However this is a map of your company. Eventually you will need investors but more importantly it's something you need for yourself and other executives. It describes in detail every single little piece of your business. It's not something anyone other than the CEO should write. It should never be outsourced. And depending on the complexity of your business it should be between 15-30 pages and include everything from marketing to financial projections. Use charts that are easy to read. Describe every aspect of your company in detail: management structure, employees, marketing, incentives, and more. Look online for business plan templates or I highly recommend reading the ABC's of Writing a Winning Business Plan.Very key: businesses need products. Will the company make them? Is this is a small business that is a one man/woman show and the product can be manufactured at home? Believe it or not there are large manufacturers in the USA as well. If you want to be big and have your item mass produced, have a reputable manufacturer in your city make the product for it. There are companies that will make a prototype first. Patenting is important if the product is the company's and a prototype is required in this case. Lawyers are very helpful in getting the patent process moving fast.
3.Financing Your Business
A good business plan and spending time with a venture capitalist is the number one way to finance your business. A second option is to setup meetings with personal networking contacts. Your job is to help him/her see what you see and show him/her that this company will be profitable.4. Choosing a Domain Name and Web Hosting
There are many options out there for one to purchase a domain name. First let's explain what a domain name is. A domain name is what is typed at the top of your browser that tells it where to go. For example www.google.com. That is a domain name. Web Hosting is where the information for webpage(s) are stored. Godaddy.com offers hosting. Hostgator.com offers hosting and domain registration. Lunarpages.com is another good resources for registration of a domain and hosting. A list of the best hosting and registration companies can be found at hostaz.com. Just go into google and type in domain name registration and hosting and many options will pop up. A business will need both the registration of the domain and hosting to start.Choose a name that relates to the company's product or brand.
5. Blogging
Blogging has become the trend nowadays. People want to be heard and want an outlet. This is also a good place to write about a business as it develops. Anything that comes to the mind about a business should be here. Make one for the business. Talk about opening day, what's going on, and just what's running through the CEO's mind (which should be a lot).
6.Top Search Engines
Seventy Five Percent of Search engine inquiries come through google. You can tell google is a large company because it's name is synonymous with search. Just like when someone says xerox it (make a copy), or I need a Kleenex (tissue). The 2nd largest search engine is bing. Yahoo is a close 3rd. The rest hit around 2-3 percent of the search market.Search Engine Optimization Also Known As SEO
This is where your company will either fail or succeed. Most new customers will come from where your site is placed in the search results thus increasing the relevance of its importance.
- Here are some simple tips for SEO:
1. On Page Optimization Techniques There are many things a business can do online to increase its presence.
This takes up about 15% of SEO criterion but it is still important. It includes things such as a good meta description (see website design section), using alt tags on images, and having a variety of quality products on the pages of the business website.
2. Article Marketing.
Article marketing is another SEO method that has been around for some time and has had much success. Essentially, write articles that focus on a keyword or two and have a link back to the business website. You then upload those articles to article directories that publish them for free.
3. Trusted Site Backlinking This is simply using other sites to advertise for yours.
This is sometimes paid advertising and sometimes you can make a trade with another start up company or small business with an online presence. One business advertises yours and you in return advertise theirs. Making a trade with a start up is especially convenient with smaller businesses who are willing to trade advertisement for advertisement. However the add should never be placed on every single page of the site. Google actually penalizes this and brings your ranking down. Your best bet is to setup an affiliate program where all ads can be placed on their own individual website page. Or you can place banners on certain pages of your site. The home page is often the most desired location for a banner advertisement.
4. Social Media: Using it Wisely
Social media is a phenomenon in this day and age. Also a very good place for some free marketing. Blog content can be promoted here. Your company blog can be promoted here. And a good company page on facebook or digg surely helps. You basically want to create a ring of all your social media sites and company website linking each other together. For example on your blog you have a link to your website as well as articles you have written. On Linkdin you have a link to your blog and site. On Digg you have links to everything you have on the net. Everything links together. This is also a creation of backlinks and sources of traffic to your site.
5. Viral Marketing - This is one person spreading the word to the next and that person spreading it to their friends and eventually millions of people hear about it. This is the basic definition of viral marketing.
In Viral Marketing, just as in social media and backlinking, the goal is to spread the word out and draw people to you. Especially in your target market. Have business cards handy at all times. If as the owner passion for the business shows then conversations will take place. Business cards should include not only contact information, but a little about the business as well.
Business Structure
Any business starting out wants to register as an LLC. What does LLC Stand for? Limited Liability Corporation. It basically creates the business as its own entity rather than falling back on the person creating it. It is structured to affect the businesses credit, not yours. It has all the parts of a major Corporation: Public or Private Stock, CEO, CFO, President, Board Of Directors, Private Shareholders, and Public Shareholders if you choose. An LLC is perfect for small business. There are many benefits of an LLC in which major Tax Breaks are the most desirable. Everything that you do from a meeting to purchasing equipment for your small business can be written off. Going out to dinner, home office space, business trips and/or retreats, and more can be written off. Business is not a one player game although it can be, but a team is suggested. Any successful business has a successful team.Tips
• Do your homework when it comes to litigation, Search Engine Optimization (If you are not savvy when it comes to technology outsource this to a local company in your area). Read as many books on subjects pertaining to your project, wealth creation, business, SEO, and anything you can get your hands on. If you can't design websites, have someone do it for you.Warnings
• Be Patient. Any successful entrepreneur lives and dies by the code that the desire of Instant Gratification will kill a business. It takes time. You will experience setbacks. You will have to climb many hurdles...but don't take your eye off the prize.Get the secret software the Guru's use to rank their sites
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