At the end of the day, having a successful website or web presence means different things to different people. If you’re in the world of advertising, the name of the game is TRAFFIC. If you get a lot of traffic, people will PAY YOU to place their ads on your site. They may not pay a fortune… but they will pay. I have one such site myself. Let me tell you, it took a long time to get a lot of advertisers. I’ve developed a few sites using this business model, but I would hate to have to do it again. It’s a lot of work. There are other business models that I’ve found much easier to develop.

If you asked the people advertising on my site what their definition of success is, you’d get a different answer. For them, success is having people noticing their ads, clicking on them and most importantly – making a purchase.

Many of my clients own “brick and mortar” businesses. For them, success is all about having people coming to their physical locations and making a purchase.

If you’re selling a product that’s downloadable like an eBook or software product, your success is determined by the number of downloads you sell.

If you’re not selling anything and are simply blogging or writing about a topic as a hobby, at the very least you want to know there are more than just a handful of people who are following what you’re doing and looking forward to your updates.

HOW TO “NOT BE” A STATISTIC

Over 90% of online businesses fail. The statistics are really no different than that of offline businesses. I learned from experience what NOT TO DO ONLINE as well as what I needed to do in order to be successful. Was it easy? Nope. I wish I had someone to guide or mentor me through the process. When I started, there wasn’t such a thing as online mentors or coaches! There was only testing, testing and more testing. Here’s a simple outline for you to help you get started in the right direction in the world of Internet marketing. Realize this, no matter what your business, once you step into the online world – you’re an Internet Marketer as well.

1. Make a decision. What do you want to accomplish with your website? If the answer is EVERYTHING, you’re on your way to becoming a negative statistic. In order to get established you have to have focus. In order to have focus, you have to make a decision of who you want to reach… which brings us to the next point.
2. Have an action plan. What kind of plan? If you’re selling a service (as many of my friends do), your plan might involve using your website as a tool for directing people to call and schedule an appointment. People still buy from and connect with other people. Make it easy for them to do so!
3. Network with others who can do what you can’t. I knew of a guy in one community who was very involved in creating community-oriented events and projects. Unfortunately, the projects never went very far because he couldn’t get the cooperation of very many people within the community. Others talked about him as being arrogant and unlikeable. In life, it’s important to be able to work with others, even if you don’t see eye to eye with them on every little thing. Today, perhaps more than ever before, it’s important to network with other people, companies and organizations who can do “what you can’t.” Likewise, there will be others who will come to you for the same reason. Being a part of the right network of people probably won’t happen overnight… but unless you realize its importance… it won’t happen at all.
4. Don’t spend money until you have to. I heard this advice a long time ago. I ignored it. Well, it wasn’t so much that I ignored it… it’s just that there were so many “cool things to buy” I could hardly help myself at the time. That was then. This is now. Some lessons are more expensive than others. Keeping your overhead as low as possible is the kind of strategy that will help you continue to move forward when tough times come. Believe me… sooner or later, tough times come. Even squirrels store up for the winter time when the food supply becomes scarce. If you don’t have something left over at the end of the month, after all the bills are paid, now’s as good a time as any to reevaluate your plan.

Is there more? There is. First, however, you need to make the four steps I’ve mentioned above a part of you. Once you do, the rest of the steps will come a lot easier.

Marketing your business, yourself or both online is a must if you want reach your clients, customers, fans, etc. EVERYONE markets online, from the big shots to the little shots and everyone in between. Today, just about every niche, industry or market you can identify is SUPER COMPETITIVE.

Now, before you get depressed, let me tell you why you shouldn’t be. It’s fairly simple. Most people haven’t figured out how to market themselves or their businesses effectively online yet. When I say “effective,” I’m talking about achieving ongoing, bankable results. Most businesses are leaving a lot of money on the table because they don’t really understand how online marketing works.

Understand this; marketing isn’t magic. Marketing is about communication. Those who understand direct marketing well have distinct advantages over those who don’t.

Take a closer look at the world today and how businesses are run specifically. People are used to buying lousy products and services that don’t live up to the “hype.” They’re used to getting poor value for their investment. They’d love to believe your “stuff” will be different but experience tells them the odds are against it. Isn’t that true?

Fortunately, there are exceptions. You must be one of the exceptions.

REVERSING THE “RISK”

One of the ways to prove you’re one of the exceptions is by providing “risk reversal” with your offers. This simply means if the person isn’t happy, you’re willing to refund their money.

Another method is to provide samples for a prospective buyer. Groceries stores have done this for years. Instead of purchasing the big package, they provide samples of a new product. If you enjoy the taste, you buy the product. If you don’t, you have zero risk with zero investment and haven’t lost a thing.

Try before you buy. This is possible with some businesses, but not all.

FIND A UNIQUE SELLING POSITION

Another method is to find a unique selling position and promoting. Maybe your product is crafted by Elves in a hidden city deep beneath the arctic? Or maybe not…

Maybe you were trained by an infamous mentor?

Maybe your product is imported from a place known for have the very best of its kind?

You get the idea. Of course, you have the test the different methods to find which one works best for you. Is this easy to do? It’s not as hard as you think. Stand out in the crowd by showing customers you’re different than most others.

TIME & MONEY… WHEN THERE’S NOT A LOT OF EITHER…

One of the problems people commonly face in getting a marketing campaign or message off the ground is time. Most small businesses can’t afford to have an in-house marketing department so they hand the ball off to someone who already has multiple responsibilities on their plate. In other cases, the business owner takes on the responsibility of doing most of the marketing work on top of all the other responsibilities. If you’re already running a business, it can be exhausting adding something as technical as marketing on top of everything else you’re already doing.

HERE’S AN OPTION

If you’re looking to market yourself, your business or anything else, blogging is an option you should seriously consider.

BLOGGING… IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK

Why blogging? Blogging gives you a forum to talk about your business, new products, customer concerns, product information, etc.

The list is endless.

The nice thing about business blogging is, you give your readers the information they need to make a buying decision without the high-pressure tactics commonly used by most amateur marketers and advertisers.

Blogs are conversational in nature. A conversational tone makes it much easier to communicate and connect with your intended audience. This is true, regardless of the topic. Good communication IS effective marketing in a nutshell.

GENERATING FREE TRAFFIC USING FACEBOOK

By attaching your blog link to a Facebook page, you can easily create a steady stream of traffic to your blog without spending a dime. Facebook is an excellent source of free traffic. The more friends you have and the more groups you belong to, the more potential exposure your blog will have.

You don’t have to have an elaborate, Facebook business page. You can if you want to, but you really don’t have to. The nice thing about a personal profile is – regular, everyday conversations take place on people’s Facebook walls. Post comments, engage in conversation, offer humorous tidbits from time to time and you will connect with prospective buyers and customers. Most importantly, you’ll do it naturally without take the artificial approach of bombing anyone’s inbox with offers and invitations.

Offers are fine. Just make sure you’re delivering them to people who are interested in what you’re offering. Blasting people with ads and offers indiscriminately will only turn them off and agitate them. When the time comes that they’re actually interested in the type of products or services you offer… they’ll end up taking their business elsewhere because your marketing approach left a bad taste in their mouth.

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU GET MARKETING ADVICE FROM

Can I let you in on a little secret? Most marketing firms and consultants sell their clients packages they DON’T NEED. If you want to be visible in your marketplace, they’ll gladly take your money to promote you on dozens of “must have” sites and networks. Usually, you will be told, “This site gets X-amount of traffic every month. Your ad will be seen by potentially millions of people.”

Of course, millions of people and businesses are all doing the exact same thing. The results most people achieve are usually watered down at best unless they have a really powerful offer. Think about it, you’re a consumer. How many ads do you avoid clicking on when you’re online?

Using the “personal method” I described above, you can separate yourself from the “noise” and stand out in a crowd much easier. It’s about being memorable. How many ads do you remember – even 24-hrs after you’ve seen them? How about the ads that regularly appear on websites you frequent?

Can you name them? Probably not. I’m not saying the ad method is totally ineffective… I’m simply pointing out there are much better, not to mention more cost effective, methods.

Need more? Contact me at Gulf Coast Internet Publishing’s “Hot Line” today – 941-926-5033!

A lot has been written and debated about SEO [Search Engine Optimization], especially over the last few years. What most business owners fail to realize, however, is that SEO isn’t the end-all to Internet Marketing anymore than having a store on Main Street is an end-all to traditional marketing. In a bad economy, this is doubly so. Most people work hard and endure a significant amount of stress for their money. They’re not parting with it as easily as they were in the past.

In order to prosper in today’s world, a prospective buyer must find more value in parting with their money for what you’re offering then they do keeping it in their wallet. That’s marketing in a nutshell.

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about the ABC’s of marketing. Now, I want to talk about the part most people avoid, namely… the XYZ’s.

General marketing principles never change because basically, when it comes to the psychology selling, people never do either. The things people value, however, does change. The value of newspapers and magazines is a good example of this. Many businesses are withdrawing their advertising budgets from these mediums and redirecting them online.

Why? Because an increasing number of people now choose to get their news, information and entertainment online. Newspapers and magazines (not to mention the phonebook) are getting thinner because there are fewer pages with fewer advertisements.

There are also hundreds of additional sources of information on the same or similar topics. In most cases, thousands. The options continue to increase. As a result, the value of an individual newspaper or magazine for many people decreases.

Some publications won’t survive this shift.

I’m using newspapers and magazines as an example, but there are many other things right now that would fit just as well as examples.

The point is, marketing and SEO aren’t magic. If you’re in a business that sells items people no longer place the same value on, you have two basic choices.

1. Deal with having a smaller profit margin.
2. Get into a different business.

I’m not saying this to be negative; I’m simply pointing out the fact that “better marketing” isn’t always the miracle cure for sagging sales and shrinking markets.

I think back to how popular the boxed game market was when I was growing up. Today, most people play games on their computers. We could go on and on. Time changes and so do people’s interest.

Consumers are weighing value in their purchasing decisions more today than they have in the past 50-years. They weighing the value of the products and services they buy and use. They’re weighing the value of where they’re spending their entertainment money. They’re weighing the value of the restaurants they dine in and the clothing brands use. They’re weighing the value of everything. This trend, if you want to call it that, shows no signs of slowing up or reversing direction. We’re living in a time where unchecked consumerism and status possessions no longer hold the same appeal to the masses as they once did in the past.

Is this a bad thing? Well, as a business person, I guess it depends what your marketing is and what you’re selling. At the end of the day, though, make sure you’re not one of the last to abandon a dying market. As we’ve already seen over the past few years, “Too big to fail” is a fantasy you don’t want to buy into.

Some online businesses have a lot longer shelf-life than others. When I first started selling information online back in the 90’s, the competition was a fraction of what it is today. I still create, publish and market information online. Truth be told, I’ve actually had to “reinvent” my approach three times since first starting.

The old advice, “Do what you’ve been doing and you’ll continue to get what you’ve been getting,” is just as true in the online world as it is in the offline one.

Reinventing your online business, however, doesn’t have to be a major undertaking – consuming your time and money along the way.

The process can be as simple as a series of tweaks that, once completed, will cause you to look back on the process and wish you would have made the move sooner.

LITTLE CHANGES THAT CAN BRING HUGE RESULTS.

1. Tweak your message.  There are a variety of ways to say or present your message. If the way you’re doing it now isn’t working, CHANGE IT.  You can say the same thing 1,000 different ways – each way emphasizing your point a little differently. Why are you the best choice in your market? What advantages do you have or offer? If you’re in a market that’s saturated with competitors – this is your chance to get really creative.
2. Change your website. If your website looks “old or dated,” it may be time for a fresh overhaul. Is your message lost amongst a myriad of options or choices? The average person will spend seconds on your site before leaving if they don’t find something to catch their attention IMMEDIATELY. Less is better more often than you’d imagine.
3. Say it with Video. A picture can be worth a thousand words… and when it comes to video, you can say a whole lot in a short period of time. Cameras and editing software are cheaper than ever before. Hey, you’ll never know until you try, right?
4. Use Free Publicity. A press release mailing blasted out to the offline and online world can bring your business a lot of attention in a hurry. Make sure you have a “story angle,” though, if at all possible. Informative, controversial, eye-opening stories get a lot more mileage than, “We’re having an open house on Friday with popcorn and juice available.”

There are countless other ways to repackage your business online. Most business owners aren’t comfortable with change. After all, if a certain way has worked in the past, it should work again, right?

To that I would say, take a good look around you. Everything’s changing. It’s changing so fast and so drastically in some cases, it’s harder than ever to forecast what tomorrow may bring. It’s almost a given, however, that tomorrow will look much different than yesterday. If there was ever a time to adapt your business to the changes that are happening all around us, now is that time.

“Choose a niche, there will be less competition.” That’s the advice that because popular in the early 2000’s. It’s still popular today. The thing is, today there’s competition in every niche. I have multiple web businesses that I’ve been operating since the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Some of the are in what I call “mircro-niches.” Even so, I still have the company of a multitude of competitors.

If you know your topic, love your topic… or possibly even live breathe and eat your topic – that’s the niche for you regardless of the competition.

You see, although masses of websites have been build around every imaginable topic… the quality of the content is usually what separates the authority sites the “also-rans.” An “authority site” is just that. It’s a site that’s recognized in the niche as a source of quality, relevant, reliable information. Authority sites can also fall into the category of “reading for pleasure” sites.

A few years ago I found a handful of sites dedicated to sports game simulations. From the days of the boxed versions of Strat-O-Matic Baseball and Football to today’s  digital counterparts, games from the past and present are reviewed, discussed and sold.

Hobby sites draw traffic, build community and yes… can even make money, too.

Will you get rich off a hobby site? Who knows? That’s a question you’ll never be able to answer unless you try.

The Internet has leveled the playing field. You’ve probably already heard this 1001 times but it’s still true today. Big guys are losing their market to little upstarts in every niche you can think of. It’s absolutely amazing.  What’s keeping you from getting started?

In a recent survey among internet marketers almost all of them acknowledged that Google+ is the next big thing and yet hardly any of them had the first clue about how to use it, what it could do or how you can already start making money from it!

There is no excuse for being left behind.

Click here for more….

There’s nothing worse than choosing the wrong market to build a business around. The time, effort and energy that go with starting, maintaining and operating a day to day business can be enormous. On the Internet, though, things can be different. You can automate just about everything.

It may not exactly be a “set it and forget it” type of deal, but if you do it right, it’s fairly close!

How to Choose Your Market

1.   Choose a market that’s accustomed to spending money. 

You may have a good product, but if there are not enough people accustomed to spending money (ongoing and regularly)for the product, you’re going to invest a lot of time and energy while getting very little in return for your efforts.

A few friends became very well known in their business niches in the past. Even so, they made very little money. Why? The niches they chose were mostly comprised of people who couldn’t afford the price point. There were a lot of “admirers” but very few buyers in comparison. Think about the old high school days. How many teens liked fast, sports cars? How many could afford them?

Golf is a good example of a market that’s accustomed to spending money. Most of them spend ongoing money on their hobby. There are loads of golfers out there and they come in all shapes, sizes and ages. The one common thread is – they all spend money on the game.

2.   Choose a market that will be open to many different offers

The pet market is a good example of a market that’s open to many different offers. If you take a walk through a pet store, you’ll see just about everything you can imagine.

Food, vitamins, collars, kennels, books, DVD training materials, brushes, etc., are just some of the items that immediately come to mind.

The list goes on and on. Don’t make the mistake of choosing a limited market.

Experts make more money in their niches that non-experts do. Funny thing is, you may be an expert at several things already. The problem is, no one but you and those closest to you realize, recognize or acknowledge it. If that’s the case, you’re currently not an expert who’s “making more money.”

The two questions are;

1. How do you become an expert if you’re not one already?
2. How do you become recognized as one so you can start earning what you’re really worth?

If you want to secure expert status, follow these time-tested principles. Don’t do something stupid like trying to reinvent the wheel. You’ll lose too much time in the process.

• Add to your existing knowledge base: In plain English, be willing to expand your “internal” database, adding more facts, figures, arguments for and against different methods and approaches to doing “ABC and XYZ.” Continuous education is what it takes to stay on top of the changes in your niche. Your education must continue to expand and new information becomes available. Even if the information is outright false, be aware of its existence. If you want to be an expert, you must learn to invest in yourself.
• Develop a networking style: Build strong connections with other people in your field. That doesn’t mean you have to be at every networking event out there. Lots of people do it these days directly from their laptop. I have friends and invites throughout the US and Europe. Amazingly enough, I’ve been networking with these people for the last 13 years. The easiest way to do this is to seek out people in your niche and be willing to help those less knowledgeable. You also need to learn how to promote yourself to others. If you are not sure how to do this, there are lots of courses and information out there to help you.
• Continue to practice: Being a real expert means you’re practicing what you preach and adding time-tested experience to your ledger. If you know something others don’t know, the best way to prove it is to show them the results of your efforts on an ongoing basis. Some people may think you’re arrogant when you product results and put them on display. This comes with the territory once you’re recognized on any given area. Usually, it’s the people who have the least to show for their efforts who will have a problem with this. The balance of self-promotion means treating others with kindness and respect, regardless of who they may be. If they’re a scumbag, you don’t have to necessarily let them know you know it!
• Develop presentation skills: Learn to use whatever technologies are available to you to present your expertise to others. This may include your website, PowerPoint, e-mail, snail mail, audios, videos, writing, drawing, public speaking, social media, etc. Become a man or woman with a message!
• Develop the habit of sharing: As an expert, do your best to share your knowledge and experience with others. If you know something that can help someone else, be willing to share it. By helping others you in turn help yourself. It won’t take long for people to recognize your abilities and when the time comes that they need someone with your expertise, they’ll be knocking on your door.

Does doing all the above mean you’ll be referred to as an expert?

The answer to that is – it depends how well you do it!

What’s important is – you now have a blueprint you can use to get started. Many people with talent and skill flounder for years because they’re too scattered. They end up doing things here and there with the hopes of something sticking. That’s a lottery-type of mentality and more often than not, ends with failure and disappointment.

Once you understand the process, you’ll be ready to take the next step and make measurable progress.

When you’re number one…everyone guns for you. It’s true in sports, it’s true in business and it’s true on a national level. Number one always makes more money than number two. Number one always gets the bulk of the attention. Who’s the number one female singer in the world right now in terms of sales? Who’s number two?

Every so often however, the line that separates one from two does so by the smallest of margins.

For every Ali, there’s a Frazier ready and capable of standing toe-to-toe, trading big punches.

Such will be the case with Facebook and Google.

Both companies are giants. Both are capable of launching massive PR campaigns for their respective services. For now, though, let’s put Facebook to one side and take a closer look at Google +1.

Even before the creation of Google+1, much has already been said about the amount of time it takes to be active in ANY social media forum. If you’re tweeting to thousands of Twitter followers a day, where will you find the time to do the same basic activities with Facebook, Google+1 and others? It’s a rhetorical question. You won’t. There aren’t enough hours in the day to be active across the board.

That being said, Google+1 will most likely become a giant in the social media arena very quickly. All you need to get started is a gmail account. Currently, at the time of this writing, the Google+1 service is not available everywhere. They’re rolling it out slowly to avoid potential technical problems… or so it seems.

With the history of the growth of Facebook clearly documented, Google+ 1 will be able to avoid some of the growing pains and pitfalls Facebook experienced throughout the last few years.

The Google+ 1 interface is very clean and intuitively laid out. Google+ 1 allows you to create circles, which are groups of people you share things in common with (family, friends, coworkers, women’s club, etc). The circle graphic makes it easier to add, even drag and drop people into a group. When you look at the “circles,” it may remind you of the old high school days when people were divided into cliques.

You may have one circle or “clique” for your family, another for co-worker friends, another for business contacts, etc.

You can share posts, pictures, files, etc., with a single group or several groups (Circles) at once. You can have the same individuals in one or several Circles at the same time. You can video conference if you want, exchange Google documents, etc.

In short, the Google+1 can tie all the Google products and services together into a neat, easy to navigate package that will allow you to do practically anything and everything – all starting from a singular launch pad. Simply login to your Google account and you’re ready to go.

Eventually, I see Facebook and Google+1 being similar to Coke and Pepsi. Both do the same thing, but people will ultimately prefer one over the other.

The Google +1 interface is a lot cleaner and less cluttered in many ways than Facebook. Of course, some people may come away feeling the exact opposite.

Social media isn’t about keeping up with the Joneses. It’s about finding the tools to help take you from where you are to where you want to go with your personal life and/or business in the online world. I love it because it’s reconnected me to family and friends all over the world. Keep that in mind when you take Google+1 for a test drive.

In fact, if you have a little time, give them all a try. Keep what you like, keep what works for you and toss the rest.

Some people start out online with a decent idea. You can build a “decent” business around a decent idea. I have a few ideas that I’ve built websites around that started out as decent ideas. Over time, I modified what I was doing and “decent” suddenly found itself upgraded to GOOD. I’ve found over time that you can generate a decent income from decent ideas.

I measure success in different ways – depending upon the project. If I’m trying to promote an idea or ideal of some sort, I measure the success of the project based upon a few things. First, the response. How many people respond to what I’m promoting? If I’m not looking to convert responses into buyers, I may measure success differently. Site traffic, number of downloads, number of free subscriptions, etc., are a few examples.

If you’re a perfectionist, you may find yourself getting caught up with coming up with a great idea before taking action and moving forward. That’s not a good idea.

A decent idea isn’t perfect, hence the term “decent.” It has flaws and possible shortcomings. If the best you can come up with is a decent idea, all’s not lost. People buy decent products, programs and services every day. For a lot of people, depending upon the area in question, decent is good enough.

I love homemade tomato sauce. The kind that cooks for 3 to 4 hours with meatballs, sausage, etc. Over time, I’ve had good – even great dishes made with the “real” thing. Of course, if I want to make a quick plate of Ravioli’s, more often than not, I’ll go to the store and buy a decent jar of tomato sauce. It’s not great. It doesn’t taste homemade. But it will do the job. If I have other things to do and don’t want to invest the time or spend the money to have someone else provide what I’m looking for in a restaurant setting – decent will do just fine.

Decent ideas can become good ideas as you modify and develop them over time. Over time, a decent idea can be developed into a good idea much like a raw piece of meat can be developed into an elegant entrée.

Good ideas speak for themselves. It doesn’t take long to discover whether your idea is good or not. Like a decent idea, good ideas can be developed into great ideas over time. It’s not a given, but it does happen.

Facebook and Google are examples of Great Ideas (at least for their developers). Great ideas can lose their greatness, however, over time if the original formula is deviated from too much. We’ve all seen examples of this.

In your own life, if you’re drawing blanks, shooting blanks or in any other way coming up empty with your search for good ideas, maybe it’s time to take a step back and take action on what seems to be a decent one instead? Either way you look at it, every idea is ultimately made of the raw material of thought. Until you do something with it… it remains locked with the file cabinets of the mind.

And that is definitely – a bad idea.