| If you're just starting out in internet | | | | matter how small at first.You Need More Than |
| marketing, you probably feel overwhelmed by | | | | Two Cans and a StringPromotion: people enter |
| the sheer volume of information available. | | | | your world (the internet) via a browser. |
| The learning curve is less like a hill and | | | | Since "the internet" is intangible, many |
| more like a cliff! If you've been at this | | | | people confuse the vehicle (AOL or Yahoo!, |
| business for a while, you may be frustrated | | | | for example) with the destination itself, the |
| that you're still not making any money, or | | | | internet. So let's be gentle with our |
| not enough money. You may be wondering why no | | | | potential visitors and make their journey |
| one is reading your ads, or why all those | | | | from landing pad to your neighborhood as |
| visitors to your site are not buying anything | | | | effortless, pleasant and convenient as |
| and not returning. Where do you start? How do | | | | possible.If they are interested in buying |
| you convert the casual visitor to a return | | | | widgets online, they will soon realize that |
| customer?Relax and breathe. None of us was | | | | there are a million widget salesmen out |
| born an internet marketer. We all have to | | | | there. So they start narrowing down their |
| start someplace. A great place to start is by | | | | search, and they comparison shop. First and |
| looking at something you already DO know, | | | | foremost, they are information gatherers. |
| offline business. We all shop somewhere. Pick | | | | Where do they go first? Probably to a search |
| a store you're familiar with, maybe the | | | | engine. Then they start exploring. They visit |
| grocery store where you shop at least once a | | | | a site; if it fits their needs, they may |
| week. Pick a small store to focus on, not a | | | | bookmark it before they move on. When they |
| huge supermarket. Now pretend that's just an | | | | move on, they may return to their Google or |
| empty lot or building, and you're an aspiring | | | | Yahoo! search results, or they may follow a |
| grocer. What do you need to do?There's 3 big | | | | link off of the page they visited.So getting |
| steps you need to take. | | | | yourself listed in the search engines is |
| | | | important. This does not require your own |
| | | | domain name, although it's the best route to |
| | | | go, but a website where you can control your |
| First you have to have a crystal clear | | | | page content is essential. A search engine |
| picture in your mind of exactly what you want | | | | will not list a replicated affiliate website, |
| to do. What do you want to sell, and what do | | | | such as but it will gladly list Search |
| you want your store to look like? Spend some | | | | engines want new, original information, so |
| time dreaming, so you can see everyone who is | | | | write something original on your website |
| in your store and what they are buying. Your | | | | about every program you join. Link your |
| store needs four walls, a floor, doors and | | | | articles, etc. to your web page, then link |
| windows, and a roof. You need to decide on | | | | that page to your affiliate program.Your own |
| size, the first step is to figure out what | | | | domain name, carefully chosen, will help to |
| you want to sell. You think about what people | | | | brand either your name or your website name, |
| in your town need and buy regularly, the | | | | such as etc. If you get a free website with |
| availability of these products in other well | | | | finitesite.com, your url will be |
| established stores, and decide on your niche | | | | finitesite.com/wallywalton or something like |
| and your location. Maybe it's bread, canned | | | | that. It might be finitesite.com/member |
| goods, cereals, candy, ice cream, soda, milk, | | | | wallywalton -- I forget, it's been a while |
| and cigarettes on a busy corner near a | | | | since I had a site with them :) With some |
| residential area with no other store in | | | | work, you can get a site with a url like this |
| walking distance. Maybe it's a natural food | | | | into the search engines. It's a great way to |
| store in a yuppie neighborhood. Maybe it's | | | | start if you can't afford domain name, |
| gas and snack foods near a highway.Secondly, | | | | hosting etc.Sooner or later, your site |
| you have to understand what you need to have | | | | visitor will be ready for a purchase. Maybe |
| in place to make that dream come true, and | | | | they will drive off to the nearest hardware |
| how you're going to do it. What does your | | | | store armed with all their new information |
| store need by way of infrastructure? You need | | | | and buy a widget there. If they found your |
| shelves, freezers and refrigerated cases, a | | | | site in the search engine, visited and |
| counter and a cash register. Probably you | | | | bookmarked it, maybe they'll return and buy |
| need a small office and bathroom as well. You | | | | from you. Maybe they'll buy from the site |
| need electricity, lighting, heat, air | | | | they went to after your site. But 9 times out |
| conditioning, desk, chair, phone, fax, maybe | | | | of 10, once they've left your site, they're |
| some music, paint, flooring, security cameras | | | | gone forever.And Now the Quiz, Purely Common |
| and so on.Once you decide on the layout of | | | | SenseHow do you get them to come back? Here's |
| the store, you will know what size of a | | | | a pop quiz for you, choose the best answer |
| building you need to build, buy or rent. How | | | | (it's a no-brainer):a) offering so much |
| are you going to finance this, and how will | | | | valuable information, they bookmark your site |
| you afford to stock your store, from savings | | | | and return on their own;b) building so much |
| or from a loan?Assuming that you now have a | | | | trust and familiarity that, when they think |
| fully-stocked and operational store, how will | | | | of widgets, or of asking for an opinion, or |
| you get people to shop there? You could | | | | for buying anything widget-like, they think |
| advertise in newspapers, radio and tv; put up | | | | of you (that's called branding your name);c) |
| signs; offer door prizes and/or sales; offer | | | | promoting your website so much that, when |
| free advice and information (recipes, menus, | | | | they think of widgets, they automatically |
| shopping lists, health and nutrition | | | | think of your website (that's also branding, |
| information, diet information); sponsor | | | | the name of your site in this case)d) have a |
| events (a booksigning by a famous cookbook | | | | mailing list they can subscribe to (this |
| author, co-sponsor a food related festival); | | | | might be the online equivalent of a guest |
| build familiarity and trust by joining | | | | book in a store) and receive updates on |
| social, charity or business clubs, or | | | | information on your website;e) have contests |
| volunteering at local events. | | | | on your site;f) endorse other people's sites |
| | | | and products, with an appropriate byline |
| | | | including your own url;g) give away things;h) |
| | | | hang out in places online that your potential |
| Fine and good, you say, but I still don't | | | | visitors frequent (forums, bulletin boards, |
| know how to make money online. Let's take the | | | | chat rooms, conferences, seminars) and make |
| example we just developed and convert it to | | | | friends, give away free information and |
| online business.Gazing Into Your Crystal | | | | helpful links and tools, include your url in |
| BallFirst the concept. What do YOU want to | | | | your signature where allowed;i) blogging and |
| do? What do the people that frequent the | | | | using RSS feeds to keep people thinking of |
| internet want? First and foremost, right | | | | you and your widgets;j) being a part of the |
| behind email, people online are looking for | | | | search engine revolution and exploring the |
| information. There are places online you can | | | | world of tagging, or social bookmarks |
| go to research hot topics, such as Overture's | | | | (creating your own search engine with other |
| Keyword Selector Tool. Here you can see how | | | | like-minded anarchists :)k) all of the |
| many times a word or phrase was searched in | | | | above.Each of these concept, infrastructure, |
| the last month. You can do a Google search | | | | and promotion ideas could be an article in |
| for these terms to see how many websites are | | | | its own right; but this is your basic outline |
| already available sharing that information. | | | | for building your online business. The |
| As you keep narrowing down your focus, | | | | ultimate power of the internet is to level |
| balance between your passion, what other | | | | the playing field for both major |
| people want, and what's already available. A | | | | corporations, little ol' you, and everyone in |
| very small niche with very little competition | | | | between. A business that fully utilizes the |
| with targeted promotions can become a very | | | | internet can throw away the purchased leads |
| lucrative business.Your Shopping ListNow the | | | | list, because cold calling and cold emailing |
| infrastructure, the Short List:a) internet | | | | is a thing of the past. Using the internet to |
| real estate = a website. This can be an | | | | its fullest business potential means putting |
| affiliate site or your own. You can get a | | | | your message where your potential customers |
| free website with no outside advertising | | | | can find it, and letting them come emailing, |
| here: products: No matter what your | | | | looking and calling for you.Be sure to take |
| interests, there's an affiliate program with | | | | advantage of the unique power of the |
| products that fit; you may want to sell | | | | internet, and keep the "internet" in your |
| related ebooks, books, etc. Clickbank is a | | | | internet marketing.Kathryn Beach has been |
| good place to find electronic information | | | | building websites and businesses online since |
| products.c) tools: you will need a tracking | | | | 1998. She shares knowledge from personal |
| system (known as a link tracker); an | | | | experience, about getting started in |
| autoresponder; a link rotator.d) knowledge: | | | | affiliate marketing on her website, Affiliate |
| you will need a splash page program and/or | | | | Marketing Tips To receive her newsletter |
| some basic html and advertising knowledge. A | | | | visit and fill out the online subscription |
| free html tutorial: an expense budget, no | | | | form. |