June 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Find A Niche That Suites You

If you haven’t heard the word ‘niche’ being batted around by Internet Marketers then you haven’t been listening. Finding a niche has become the antidote to competing in overly saturated online markets.

What is a niche?

According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary a niche is described as “a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted… a specialized market”.

Have you noticed that despite the closing of many businesses in these harsh economic times, the local hobby train store is still around? That the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ eatery is thriving? Or that trends such as scrapbooking can start with a bang and still close within a year when four similar businesses start up in the same area?

The online business world reflects the same trends as experienced in the offline world – often with faster turnover and startup rates. Those who promote a product or site that targets a small, select audience can tap into a market that is otherwise not being served. Despite the limitations of the client base, the targeted nature of the business creates a devoted and active market – the aim of any business.

HOW DO I FIND A NICHE?

Finding a niche requires diligent research. Whether you have access to software that harvests and sorts information or you take a manual approach you must first start with ideas.

With a pen and paper (or computer, if that’s more comfortable) brainstorm a list of businesses, products and industries. Create a list of keywords and phrases you think would be used by individuals looking for these items online.

Use a software program such as Wordtracker or a free resource such as the Overture Keyword Selector Tool to find keywords for your niche that have a high amount of traffic.

Although a program like Wordtracker makes it easy to find details such as how many sites compete for that market, you can also do your own research.

Concentrate your attention on question phrases such as “how do I…” or “where can I…”. These questions will clue you into potential markets that need servicing.

Next, look in Google Answers. Type one of your keywords into the search area. What questions are being asked and how much are people willing to pay for answers? If you find a group of keywords with a high number of questions then enter these words in your browser’s search engine.

What sites come up? Do they provide answers or solutions to the problem? How are they making money? Can you see an opportunity to service these individuals?

Finding a niche can open the door to a profitable online business. Research the market and be certain that your product or service is valuable to this group. Find forums or groups that target this audience and pay close attention to their concerns.

If you can help these people you WILL make money. The best of both worlds!

Filed Under: Online Biz Tips
June 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Why You Should Consider Advertising Through Email

It might come as no shock to you to learn that the most commonly engaged in activity on the Internet is email. People are connected to their email like no other function on the Internet, and we all know how popular Facebook and Twitter are. If you really want to get somebody’s attention but can’t or don’t want to call, we reach for our emails. Email is one of the most professional and reliable ways to get in contact with somebody in the modern era, and even people who are “less connected” tend to have email addresses.

This means that if you can tap into an email connection with potential and current customers and clients, you’ll be getting their attention in the most reliable way possible. Most people check their email every day, and even those who don’t spare a glance at it every week. That means there’s a high chance that those people will be looking at your email in their box, and even if they don’t read it, they’ll be reminded of the existence of your company and its products and services.

Best of all, email advertising is cheap. In fact, it can be free. Sound too good to be true?

The flip side of all this is what’s known as spam. Spam is unsolicited emails – that is, the digital equal to “junk mail.” People loathe spam with a passion, and virtually all email accounts these days come with “spam filters” where if you try to reach out to a potential client uninvited, your email gets diverted to a netherworld of Viagra offers that most people don’t even look at.

So how to get into the email boxes of your potential and current clients without falling prey to spam? Simple. Don’t send unsolicited emails.

Most companies who are looking to take advantage of email advertising do so by utilizing “opt in” email lists. This is done by the customer actively choosing to sign up for your mailing lists. Most wise companies who take advantage of this offer a customer the chance to sign up for their email lists after making a purchase. Some even advertise it on the front page of their website (or right next to the checkout counter if it’s a brick and mortar operation).

The trick to opt in email lists is to make it worth your customer’s while to be part of the list. Don’t send them ten emails a day. One a week is probably the maximum. When you do send out the emails, make sure that they have something relevant to say, and preferably at least one coupon. Rewarding your opt-in email subscribers is a great way for your business to be passed around by word of mouth. It’ll work even better if they’re extremely happy customers!

Filed Under: Niche Marketing
June 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

PPC Campaigns The Right Way

Certain keywords or phrases that people type into a search engine lead to hundreds and hundreds of search results that pertain to that specific keyword. Businesses that want to advertise on the net using a PPC campaign have to come up with a plethora of keywords that is associated to the business that they are running; so when potential customers type in these keywords, it will lead them to their business site.

This is pretty much the whole concept that operates behind PPC. This is how a PPC campaign brings in traffic to your site, with the selection of the right keywords that people can search through the net.

Some keywords tend to be more expensive than others, especially popular ones. It is vital to select the right keywords, in order to get your money’s worth. This is why it is important to manage you PPC campaign wisely. Sometimes you are better off opting for the less popular keywords that are not so expensive, especially if you have a limited budget. Some businesses even hire the help of a consultant to manage their PPC campaigns.

There are a lot of experts that specialize in PPC campaign management. They come with strategic plans, and assess the need of their clients. They then come up with a PPC campaign that caters to their client’s specification.

This is why big online businesses seek the expertise of a professional to run their PPC ad campaign, because the right set of plans, can potentially bring in a large amount of profits. The more keywords you have, the more you increase the chances of customers clicking these keywords that would lead them to your website. There are also some software you can purchase, such as GoToast, or Bid Rank. These software programs track down your keywords listing.

If you are running a business online, and are planning to run a PPC campaign, it is advisable to purchase keywords that are extremely related to the theme of your business. This way, people know what they are getting, and don’t get confused about the content of your website. The secret is to use keywords or phrases that are searched frequently, but cost very little.

The chances are, the longer people stay in your site, the likelihood of these potential customers making a transaction.

But first thing’s first: you must lure them into your turf.

This is why a lot of entrepreneurs spend a large amount of their budget on advertising, because they know that the right advertising campaign can start the ball rolling.

Also, you should do some research before you start your PPC campaign. There are a lot of PPC search engines to choose from. Those who are less renowned charge less for the same keywords that you’d find in the bigger PPC search engines.

The great thing about PPC campaigns is that you can reach a worldwide audience. Advertising online means global marketing.

Most PPC search engines require a monthly payment in exchange for their services. But if you fail to make payments, they will automatically take your listings out of their search engines. So make sure that you pay your monthly bills, so all the efforts that you put into your PPC campaign don’t go to waste.

The potential earnings that can be generated by starting a pay per click campaign is significant. That’s why a lot of online businesses now are trying to get in on the act. Now, with the right set of keywords, and a smart PPC campaign management plan, more than ever, online businesses are bringing in the big bucks.

Filed Under: Online Biz Tips
June 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Jobsites Lead You To The Pros

Since the online jobsites are the best places for you to get professionals, let us look at them in a little more detail.

Here are some of the advantages of getting professionals from here:-

People you will find on the jobsites have registered here with the express intention of finding work. Many jobsites are free to join, but some require paid memberships. Being a paid member may reflect a bit more on their sincerity about being professional. Hence, you can be sure you get some sincere people to give your work to.

There are various ways in which you can find how good a particular worker is. Every jobsite has a rating and review system (for the employee as well as the employer). This helps you decide.

All websites have an escrow system. This takes care of all disputes. Once an escrow is made, the website will arbitrate any problems that arise.

You can make detailed project posts, outlining clearly what you want to be done, what time and budget you can afford. People make bids accordingly, so you can be sure you won’t have to bargain.

You can ask people to show samples of their past work.

You can also invite people to bid on your project.

It is very simple to post projects on online jobsites. Many of them, like GetAFreelancer, allow you to post projects for free (though they do take a $5 refundable deposit for each project you post). You only have to post all details of the work as you want it, spell out the timeframe and the budget you can offer and post it in the relevant category.

Once your project is live, which is instantaneous, people start bidding. Then, all you have to do is to look at the bids closely and make your decision on whom to select for your job.

You cannot communicate personally with the bidders till you select them. However, there is a private message board that helps you communicate with them, subject to certain restrictions (like you cannot give out your personal contact details in any way). This helps you decide better about whom to select.

Many people are forging fruitful and long-term work relationships through these online freelance jobsites, irrespective of geographical barriers, and getting mutually benefited. Without the hassle of actually needing employers on their premises, they are able to get their work done professionally and, in most cases, in cheaper ways as well.

Filed Under: Outsourcing
June 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What Makes Online Businesses Successful

Starting an online business has become a very popular venture in recent years as more and more people become acclimated to using the Internet in their everyday lives. As little as twenty years ago, the Internet was new to the average consumer and not much more than a novelty; today, it’s rare to encounter a home in the Western world that’s not stocked with at least one computer. Most middle class houses in America have multiple computers at this point.

What this means is that starting an online business can be profitable if done correctly, given the predominance of the Internet in the average household. People who are naturally entrepreneurial or those who have already started a non-internet based business will definitely have a leg up on the rest of the game, but for the right person who’s willing to take appropriate steps to ensure success, starting an online business can be easy, fun, and even profitable.

In general, the differences between online business and traditional businesses are slight but distinct. Here are a few things that potential online business owners should take into consideration before jumping on the Information Superhighway:

Lower start up costs/high effort. One of the greatest things about online businesses is that they typically don’t cost much to get started. There’s no need to rent out a space or pay utilities, and there are lots of free avenues to advertise with over the digital waves. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that “less money invested means less work,” because nothing could be further from the truth. Online business owners often feel like their computers are grafted onto their hands!

Be a jack of all trades. It’s not good enough just to have a stellar idea or a fantastic service. In order to be successful, you need to be able to do graphic design, understand web server technology, programming, and knowledge of the Internet as a marketing medium. For those that can’t do all of this single handedly, outsourcing is an option, but this raises overall cost.

Think globally. This isn’t opening up a small Mom and Pop store in your neighborhood. The business will be able to reach all corners of the globe, thanks to the Internet. The good part is that this potentially means more business – the bad part is that owners will have to make provisions for costs such as international shipping, and maybe even pay for translated versions of their websites.

Marketers make the market. There are thousands of ways to market on the Internet, including pay-per-click, viral, drip, social networking, AdWords, and many others. Don’t know what these things mean? Owners of successful online businesses take the time to learn!

Some of these attributes make working online easier, some may prove to be more of a challenge – but they all make online businesses unique!

Filed Under: Online Biz Fundamentals
June 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Principles Of SEO Article Marketing

Using seo article marketing methods can do a lot to drive very targeted traffic to your website all for free. If you know how to do it right, you can really get a lot of benefit out of all the articles you write.

many people seem to think that you can either write for humans or you can write for the search engines. They don’t seem to understand that you can actually do it both ways with one article.

To get the most out of all your seo article marketing efforts the first thing you have to do is find a good list of quality keywords associated with your niche website (fairly high searches with little competition).

Once you have your keyword list all you have to do is write quality articles around that keyword. As long as the articles you write are quality and provide good information that’s going to be half the battle.

Do not get stuck in the idea that you have to include your keyword in every sentence of your article. That is considered keyword stuffing and won’t do you any good.

Strive for no more than 3% keyword density. Put the keyword in your title, the first and last paragraph and a few other times throughout your article. That’s all you need.

The simplicity, yet effectiveness, of this methods is why it is so popular. By writing articles you will set yourself up as an expert in your niche. you can use your articles to provide a lot of helpful information to all you readers.

Online, it’s always best to give something of value before you expect to get anything. By giving your readers some good and helpful information and advice, you are building trust with them.

The other huge benefit of doing this, with the proper keywords, is that the search engines will reward you for your content with a high search engine ranking. This will give you a lot of organic traffic.

For example, if your niche is bird houses all you need to do is write some keyword optimized articles around the keyword “bird houses”. Then when someone does a search and types in the phrase “bird houses” your article may well be one of the first that shows up on the page! How is that for free traffic!

The same basic principle holds true for making blog posts. When you are adding content to your blog you simply follow these same basic steps. That way when someone does a search for your keywords they will see your blog post and subsequently land on your blog.

This provides you with a great opportunity to add an autoresponder to your blog and capture the visitors email address so you can contact them again.

Using this seo article marketing method can really help you ramp up your website traffic and the best part? It’s all for free! Just be careful to not fall into the mind set that if one keyword in an article is good, ten must be better. Don’t try to stuff your article with keywords, a few well placed keywords is all you need.

Filed Under: Online Biz Fundamentals
June 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

SEO Pricing: Have A Word With Your Wallet

Most people understand that their primary role as an online entrepreneur is to drive as much quality traffic to their website as they can get. There are many ways to do that and most people will use several methods to get the best result. Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of those methods. Before you dive in and hire a company to do your SEO for you, you will want to check out seo pricing.

There are companies online that specialize in doing all the seo your website needs. The prices for such services will vary depending on several variables. For one thing, the number of keywords you will be targeting in your seo campaign. The more keywords you want to target, the higher the cost will be.

The more competitive the keywords you use, the higher the cost will be too. SEO isn’t a “set it and forget it” method. It will take ongoing attention. That’s why the more competitive keywords will cost more, they will take more time and attention.

Most SEO companies will sell their services in packages. Usually they will be divided up something like: 1 – 10 keywords, or 11 – 50 keywords,etc. The package you will choose will be based mostly on your budget.

Another important element to website SEO is back links. Many times companies will set their pricing structure on the number of back links they are creating.

Back links will gain more importance, and cost more, if the link comes from a highly ranked site. A back link from a website that has a PR4 rank will be priced differently than a PR8 website.

The truth is for most new, and smaller internet marketers, seo campaigns are out of bounds from a financial point of view. But that doesn’t have to mean that you can’t still benefit from seo optimization.

There are many places online where you can learn to do simple seo techniques that will allow you to benefit from optimization techniques. You can use these methods for your website, your blog posts and your articles.

If you do decide that you have enough of a budget to hire a company to do SEO for you than you need to carefully check them out. Find out what they will offer, how much it will cost and how much time and attention you can expect to get from them.

It’s also a good idea to find out what other people have to say about the company and their services. This can be a fairly big investment and you want to make sure that you hire a company that knows what they are doing, and can really help you get the results you want.

You also want to make sure that there are no surprises, that you know exactly what you will get and how much it will cost. Having a written contract in place is very important too. That way there can be no misunderstanding; both parties know what is expected of each other and how much it will cost.

When it comes to seo pricing remember that cost is only half the issue. You want to make sure that you get the service and results that you are really looking for.

Filed Under: Online Biz Fundamentals
June 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Painless Way To Add Awesome Videos To Your WordPress Site

Adding video to your WordPress blog post or page is a pretty simple affair. All you have to do is copy the embed code of the video and drop it into WordPress’s HTML editor. Pretty simple.

What if you want to add it to your sidebar though? You could probably use the text widget but then you would have to change the code yourself to change it’s size. This is fairly straight forward, but it might be something that people are not interested in doing. This is especially true if they have no coding knowledge.

Like usual though, WordPress has a plugin to help you out. Doesn’t it always? There are a couple plugins that can address this issue, but my favourite is simply called the Video Widget. All you have to do is download this plugin and activate it. Once that is done you will be able to add videos to your sidebar.

When the plugin is activated, you will notice you have a new Video Widget in the widget section of your WordPress back office. A little reminder; the widget menu can be found under the appearance heading. You simply grab the widget and drag it where you want it to appear in your sidebar.

This video widget will give you a few options. It will allow you to title the Widget so you can call it something like “Check This Out” or “latest video”.

It will also allow you to specify the width and height of the videos. This is extremely important because the average video won’t naturally fit in the sidebar.

Another cool feature is right underneath the width and height values. There is a box that will let you put in multiple video IDs. You don’t need the embed code for this plugin, just the video ID. The plugin works with 25 of the most popular video sharing sites so no matter where your video is you should be able to use this plugin. If you have multiple videos, your videos will be chosen randomly for your web visitor.

Underneath that you will see an area to use if you just want a single video. You will also be able to add some text either before the video or after it.

This plugin is no longer updated, but it still works as of WordPress 3.0. If you want to put a video in your sidebar the Video Widget is one of the easiest and most flexible choices you can make.

Filed Under: Wordpress Articles
June 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Exercises to Research and Prepare Promotional Marketing Materials

Here is a helpful exercise on how to research and prepare promotional marketing materials to bring the right people to your business. When I do this exercise with my marketing students, we always have a lively conversation that not only sparks solutions but also leaves participants feeling enthused, inspired, even excited about showing up in the marketplace.

The themes we explore and the fun we have doing this exercise are so central to an authentic approach to small business marketing that I have decided to highlight them in this article.

First, let us stipulate that somewhere in the world there are prospective clients or customers who will fit you and your work “just right.”

(If this does not feel true for you yet, then you have work to do. Perhaps you need training, practice, or mentoring before you can attract “just right” customers. Or perhaps, like I did with my art business, you are trying to make an avocation into a vocation. For now, let us assume that you are in the right business with the right skills.)

Second, let us assume that “just right” clients are those who get great value from working with you just the way you are. These are clients who share enough of your standards and values that it is easy to develop mutual respect, appreciation, and benefit. With these two assumptions in mind, here are some unconventional yet highly productive questions to help focus the image, tone, and message that will attract clients who fit “just right.” Answer them quickly to tap into your creative subconscious. There will be plenty of time later for thinking about the answers and deciding when and how to use them in sharing your gifts with the world.

1. If your work were a color, what color would it be?

2. What shape would it be?

3. How big would it be?

4. What texture would it have?

5. If you pressed it with your finger, what would happen?

6. If your work were a popular song, what song would it be?

7. Who would be singing?

8. How loud?

9. If your work were an historic personage, who would it be?

10. If your work were going to a party, what would it wear?

11. If your work had a typical mood, what would it be?

12. If your work were a plant, what kind of plant would it be?

13. In what environment would it thrive?

14. If your work were an animal, would it be domestic or wild? How big?

15. If your work were a meal, what kind of meal would it be? (Fast food? Haute cuisine? Mac and cheese?)

What is the point of questions like these? Simply this: Answering them can reveal aspects of your personality that inform and augment the work you do. By surfacing these unique associations, you will be unearthing imagery and attitudes you can use to set the tone for your marketing so that it is easy for your “just right” clients to differentiate you from other people doing similar work.

Try this exercise – it could be the start of something beautiful.

Filed Under: Online Biz Tips
June 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What Should I Outsource?

Any business – whether it is a home business or a large corporate venture – entails a lot of things. With a large business, it is quite easy to see that there are a lot of things involved, but even with home businesses there are various processes, such as the planning aspect, the finding work aspect, the execution of the tasks aspect, the communication aspect, the payment handling and accounting aspect and the further investment aspect. If you are planning to be a home business entrepreneur, you can see that there are various things for you to do. So, which of these can you outsource?

Now, with the Internet making the whole world such a closely-knit domain, you can find professionals to handle all kinds of tasks. They will even plan a whole business venture for you if you have the funds. However, at least initially, you will be on a budget and would like to outsource only things that you really cannot do.

The best idea, then, is to outsource some of the execution aspect of your business. Like, if your home business is about handling content writing jobs, you could outsource the actual writing part. However, the things that are integral for keeping your business going such as planning, obtaining work, communicating with clients, payment handling, etc. should be done by yourself. A lot of people obtain work for higher sums of money and pay a flat rate to writers whom they outsource the work to, keeping the difference as their earnings.

It really helps when you outsource the execution part of your work because of various reasons.

The execution part is always the most laborious task. If you are running a website design and development company, the actual designing of the website is the most difficult thing. If this aspect were outsourced, you could focus on getting more clients, while at the same time you are getting the jobs done as well.

Also, you can control the execution part better. When some content is written by your employee, you could check its quality and send it back for proofreading or editing if required. When someone designs a logo for your client, you could review it and suggest changes. You can thus supervise these things overall.

When your business grows, you will find that you need to outsource many more things. You might need someone for data entry just to maintain the records of your business. You might need someone just to communicate with your various clients and keep them updated with what’s happening. You might need someone to handle the bidding or other routes in which you obtain work. You might even need a virtual manager to handle all these aspects of your business at once.

Know that it is possible to find outsourcing professionals for all your needs, from telemarketing to the complete management of your business. The main thing is in knowing when to use these professionals.

Filed Under: Outsourcing
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