Michael Gerber
Oh joy, oh joy, oh joy. Win-win. Permanently lasting relationships. Living in a perfect world. Heaven on earth. Does it get any better than this? Blah, blah, blah!
Are you getting my drift?
Do you hear the sarcasm in my written voice?
Do you sense a bit of frustration, embedded in my body, freeze-dried in my rapidly aging brain?
Well, if you do, you're right.
Client Fulfillment is, and always has been, a significantly depressing subject for me. For the past 26 years here at E-Myth, we have focused tons of energy on figuring this one out. We have done our best to create the perfect turn-key solution to fulfilling everyone's desires. We have made every effort to help, support, coach, consult, train, and mentor owners and managers of countless small, mid-sized, and large businesses, to achieve stunning improvement in their businesses and lives. But, we have discovered that no matter how good we are (and we are good!), no matter how resourceful we are (and we are resourceful!), no matter how committed we are (and we are committed!), with all of that and more, we still have not figured out how to give everyone exactly what they want...and it's driving me crazy!
So, what words of wisdom can I provide you with, dear reader, if I, in all my glory, have not figured out how to satisfy everyone?
Well, I can offer you this:
Satisfy only those customers/clients who are determined to be satisfied. Make your commitment and then stick to it, come hell or high water.
Satisfy yourself that you're absolutely committed to satisfying these clients. And, if you're not, quit. It's a tough game, and not everyone is up to it.
Satisfy your employees that they are in a game really worth playing, and that, for them to truly receive value from your relationship, they better play it, "whole hog plus the postage," for nothing less will do.
And finally, have a drink--at least once a day--of good red or white wine. Unless you're allergic or an alcoholic.
Here's to you, and to the search for something better. What else, after all, is there for people like us? (If you have an answer to that question, let me know what it is, and I'll do that instead.) Until then, here's to life!
Introducing Traffic Secrets 2.0
The foundation of the new course is an interactive learning platform in (12) Interactive CD-Roms. Each one is designed to introduce you to several 'key' strategies and then tells you exactly how to utilize them to produce maximum traffic.
(However, the CD-Roms are just a small part of the overall system.)
The course also includes:
- A 377-Page Training Guide
- A Workbook For Tracking Your Traffic-Getting Projects
The Following Step-By-Step Action Blueprints:
Mission Control Blueprint: This is where it all begins. This blueprint will guide you through the process of setting up all the accounts you'll need to setup, all the software you'll need to download and configure, and absolutely everything you'll need to do to create your foundation to roll-out the Traffic Secrets system to start generating a ton of traffic that grows on a regular basis.
Market Spy Blueprint: This step-by-step guide will help you fully investigate and uncover everything to do with your market -- who the major players are, where their traffic is coming from, what your market wants, types of content they'll 'eat up' and produce a ton of repeat visits for, and much, much more. When you're done following all of these steps you'll know far more about your own market than you ever imagined. This will only help you make more money.
Opportunity Analyzer Blueprint: This blueprint will walk you through some special steps to help you analyze what's going on in or around your market and what opportunities exist. This process can help you find areas to expand your income in your market. So it's not only about generating more traffic (although that's covered too.) This blueprint is different from the Market Spy blueprint as it will help you identify untapped goldmines waiting for you to tap into it. This single blueprint will help some people make 1,000X the return on their investment in the entire Traffic Secrets 2.0 course.
AdWords Attack Blueprint: By now you probably realize how important Google AdWords is for driving a steady flow or profitable traffic to your site. This blueprint helps you MAXIMIZE the traffic while reducing your costs. It's all about helping you make the maximum amount of profit. You'll discover several tricks that 99% of people don't realize you can use inside the AdWords system.
Content Factory Blueprint: This blueprint will give you a step-by-step system for pumping out tons of valuable, in-demand content for your market. Content that will generate tons of free SEO traffic and incoming links from others, as well as thousands of repeat visits to your site from 'happy' consumers of your information. You'll also learn how to put this entire process on auto-pilot to have others running 'the factory' for you for pennies on the dollar. This blueprint alone is vitally important to the growth of your traffic online.
Social Director Blueprint: Social Networks. Social Bookmarking. Social News. Social media is everywhere! Unfortunately, a lot of social media traffic is worthless and doesn't convert. This blueprint will give you the exact steps you need to take to cash-in on the areas of social media that will not only bring your site a ton of traffic but will bring you a ton of red-hot cash-paying customers.
Advertising Expansion Blueprint: When you want to 'go big' and really turn up your traffic levels (so you can do millions in sales) you're going to need a plan to truly scale and expand your reach all across the Internet. This blueprint will show you EXACTLY how you go about doing it and how to do it in cost-effective stages. If you're serious about building a big business this is the blueprint you'll want to pay very close attention to.
Get the Traffic Secrets 2.0 here
(However, the CD-Roms are just a small part of the overall system.)
The course also includes:
- A 377-Page Training Guide
- A Workbook For Tracking Your Traffic-Getting Projects
The Following Step-By-Step Action Blueprints:
Mission Control Blueprint: This is where it all begins. This blueprint will guide you through the process of setting up all the accounts you'll need to setup, all the software you'll need to download and configure, and absolutely everything you'll need to do to create your foundation to roll-out the Traffic Secrets system to start generating a ton of traffic that grows on a regular basis.
Market Spy Blueprint: This step-by-step guide will help you fully investigate and uncover everything to do with your market -- who the major players are, where their traffic is coming from, what your market wants, types of content they'll 'eat up' and produce a ton of repeat visits for, and much, much more. When you're done following all of these steps you'll know far more about your own market than you ever imagined. This will only help you make more money.
Opportunity Analyzer Blueprint: This blueprint will walk you through some special steps to help you analyze what's going on in or around your market and what opportunities exist. This process can help you find areas to expand your income in your market. So it's not only about generating more traffic (although that's covered too.) This blueprint is different from the Market Spy blueprint as it will help you identify untapped goldmines waiting for you to tap into it. This single blueprint will help some people make 1,000X the return on their investment in the entire Traffic Secrets 2.0 course.
AdWords Attack Blueprint: By now you probably realize how important Google AdWords is for driving a steady flow or profitable traffic to your site. This blueprint helps you MAXIMIZE the traffic while reducing your costs. It's all about helping you make the maximum amount of profit. You'll discover several tricks that 99% of people don't realize you can use inside the AdWords system.
Content Factory Blueprint: This blueprint will give you a step-by-step system for pumping out tons of valuable, in-demand content for your market. Content that will generate tons of free SEO traffic and incoming links from others, as well as thousands of repeat visits to your site from 'happy' consumers of your information. You'll also learn how to put this entire process on auto-pilot to have others running 'the factory' for you for pennies on the dollar. This blueprint alone is vitally important to the growth of your traffic online.
Social Director Blueprint: Social Networks. Social Bookmarking. Social News. Social media is everywhere! Unfortunately, a lot of social media traffic is worthless and doesn't convert. This blueprint will give you the exact steps you need to take to cash-in on the areas of social media that will not only bring your site a ton of traffic but will bring you a ton of red-hot cash-paying customers.
Advertising Expansion Blueprint: When you want to 'go big' and really turn up your traffic levels (so you can do millions in sales) you're going to need a plan to truly scale and expand your reach all across the Internet. This blueprint will show you EXACTLY how you go about doing it and how to do it in cost-effective stages. If you're serious about building a big business this is the blueprint you'll want to pay very close attention to.
Get the Traffic Secrets 2.0 here
Internet Business Ebooks - (free download)
EBooks are a great way to learn more about specific topics of interest to you. In the coming weeks, we will be adding many more free titles by noted authors and professionals. All of the publications are Windows compatible but some do require Internet Explorer for viewing. We hope you enjoy the selections provided below. Check back often for new additions.
Business Domain Names: How to Select and Buy an Elite Domain Name (235Kb) by Steve Baba
Provides quick, summary information to assist you in obtaining a brandable, memorable, within a few weeks, at a reasonable cost. Auctions, expired domains, speculators and other sources are discussed.
Read Here
Business Domain Names: How to Select and Buy an Elite Domain Name (235Kb) by Steve Baba
Provides quick, summary information to assist you in obtaining a brandable, memorable, within a few weeks, at a reasonable cost. Auctions, expired domains, speculators and other sources are discussed.
Read Here
Web Law Links (384Kb) by Ali Abdulla
A collection of related Web Sites for ePublishers and Internet Marketers relating to various issues on Copyright Laws, Privacy Policy, Disclaimers and Terms of Use, Permission Based Opt-In Mailing list etc.
Download Here
Secrets of Business in the New Mellenium (1.06M) by Merle
We live in amazing times. If you’re running a small business and have been thinking about moving it online, or you already have an online business, in your spare time, this book is for you. With only a modem and your PC, you can literally run your business from anywhere in the world. Within these pages are some of the most useful resources for small business owners!
Download Here
Internet Success Ladder - How Anyone Can Climb To The Top of the Internet Success Ladder in 9 Easy Steps (640Kb) by Jimmy D. Brown
Inside this ebook you will discover the 9 "rungs" of the Internet Success Ladder. This course is a "condensed" version of the actual course, giving you a basic overview of what it takes to succeed online. We have included 9 helpful articles to briefly explain each of the 9 "rungs" that take you to the top online.
Download Here
Success Secrets: How To Be More Successful! (384Kb)
Learn how to set goals to achieve what you want from life, emulate the characteristics of successful people, be wealthy by following a simple formula, find opportunities by developing a positive mental outlook, attract friends, money and power by developing enthusiasm and humour, gain the cooperation of others, program yourself for success, avoid comparing yourself to others.
Download Here
The Email Edge (134Kb) by Molly Gordon
PDF format
101 tips for maximizing and minimizing the hassle of email.
Read Here
Internet Business Planning Workbook (98Kb) by L. Josh Eikov & Patricia A. Rorabaugh of Virtual Technocrats
Pdf format
Workbook to assist companies of all sizes in formulating a strong Internet business plan.
Read Here
Living off the Internet (1192Kb) by Internet Independent Long Distance Consultants
In this user friendly e-book you will discover, in simple terms, how to save and make money on the Internet.
Download Here
The Next Big Internet Craze (480Kb) by William Irish
What if you knew about the next big Internet craze that will take the net by storm, right when the Internet big-guns learn about it, would you take action or stand-by? Are you sick and tired of following the Internet gurus only to find out you are always about six months to a year behind them? You fervently fight to do exactly what they say works but by the time it is implemented the markets are all saturated? If so, here is a 100% FREE way to get "in-the-know." Your chance to break into that inner circle of gurus and find out what's going on in the very near future in order to globally position your self for the NEXT BIG INTERNET CRAZE!
Read Here
Over 52 Business exe eBooks and access to 1000s Free Articles (412Kb) by Joseph Robert Neil James
This ebook contains a collection of over 900 business articles along with a section where you can choose to download over 50 free business ebooks.
Download Here
The Best of Merle’s Mission Newsletters (876 Kb) by Merle
Merle's Mission is full of resources that would be of interest to site developers and internet marketers, and promoters.
Download Here
Top Ten E-Businesses for the 21st Century (488Kb) by Kosoma Publishing
This book is designed to get your creative juices flowing! It covers the top 10 current trends that hold the most promise for the next several years and provides the tools to help you get your piece of the pie.
Download Here
Find Your Dream Online (1.169Mb) by Lynne Schlumpf
It is my hope that in the pages of this E-book, you will find the dreams you have been dreaming all of your life. The only difference is, you won't be dreaming anymore. Your life as you want it will be yours. Let's go on a journey. I'll show you what it takes to be not only successful, but also have your own little corner of fame on the Internet.
Download Here
Insider Profits (560kb) by Shelley Lowery
Internet Marketing stragegy, product development, website design, effective website sales copy, accepting payments, affiliates, advertising, opt in lists, ebook creation, ezine creation & publishing, and more.
Download Here
Poor Richard's Top 100 Tips for Doing Business Online (478Kb)
PDF format
100 of the best tips from the Poor Richard's series of geek-free, ebusiness books in a quick, easy-to-follow "tips" format.
Read Here
E-Business Secrets - Start From Scratch And Become The Next Internet Success Story! (453Kb) by Vishal Rao
Use the step-by-step, easy to understand information in this e-book to open a way to financial freedom on the Internet.
Download Here
The Exporting Entrepreneur's Primer (309Kb) by Dennis Hessler
PDF format
This book is a primer on exporting with my 8-step plan for new exporters to take part in the booming global marketplace.
Read Here
Completely FREE Info Resources (529Kb) by Madhu Kumar
An ebook with thousand's of categorized links to free products and services relating to computers and the Internet.
Download Here
Organizing Tips (492Kb) by Trombly Communications
PDF format
In order to stay at the top of their profession, Virtual Assistants must be organized. The Info Specialists at Trombly Communications have put together an ebook of "organizing tips' gathered from experts in this field. Now you can benefit from their experience. Find out what works from the experts!
Read Here
Excel in Business! (268Kb) by Bob Deneen
PDF format
By applying "The Rules to Excel in Business", as presented in this ebook, business owners are introduced to the total strategic process of marketing and employees are given an overview of how they can help a business to excel!
Read Here
It Is Up To You by Jim Rohn
One of the first things successful people realize is the old adage, "if it is to be, it is up to me." That is, for you, the fact that your success and your course is up to you. This doesn't mean that you do it all alone. It simply means that you take responsibility for your life and your career.
Too many people today look at opportunity and figure it is up to someone else to make sure they get it. They look at financial security and hope that the government will make sure they live safely in retirement or in case of disability. They wait and wait, figuring that it is up to someone else. And then the wait is over, and it is too late to do anything. Their life is over and they are filled with regret.
This isn't true for you however. You know that you must take responsibility for your life. It is up to you.
The fact is that nobody else is going to do it for you – you must do it yourself.
Now, some people may say, "Jim, that's a lot of responsibility." Friends, that is the best news you can ever hear. You get to choose your life. Hundreds of millions of people all around this world would give anything to live in the situation you do – just for the chance to have the opportunity to take control of their destiny. "It is up to you" is a great blessing!
Here's why:
1. You get to chart your own destiny. Maybe you want to start a small business and stay there. That's great because you can choose that. Maybe you want to create a small chain of stores. Maybe you want to have a net worth of $100 million. That's okay too. The idea is that you get to choose. You can do whatever you like. Different people have different dreams and they should live them accordingly.
2. You can reap what you sow. Sleep in and go to work late and reap the return. Or get up early and outwork the others and earn a greater return. Place your capital at risk and earn a return – or place it at greater risk and perhaps reap a greater return. You decide what you will sow and thus what you will reap.
3. No one else can stop you from getting your dream. Yes, there will always be things that come up and people who may not like what you are doing, but you can just move on and chart your own course. There is great freedom in that.
4. You experience the joy of self-determination. There is no greater pride than knowing you set your mind on something and accomplished it. Those who live with a victim mentality never get to experience the joy of accomplishment because they are always waiting for someone else to come to the rescue. Those who take responsibility get to live the joy of seeing a job well done.
Let me ask you a question: Where will you be in 5 years? 10 years? Or 25 years? Do you know? DO you have an idea? Have you ever dreamed about it or set a goal for it? Are you willing to take responsibility and recognize that, "It is up to you?"
You will be wherever you decide to be in those timeframes. You decide. It is up to you.
And that is very exciting!
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Too many people today look at opportunity and figure it is up to someone else to make sure they get it. They look at financial security and hope that the government will make sure they live safely in retirement or in case of disability. They wait and wait, figuring that it is up to someone else. And then the wait is over, and it is too late to do anything. Their life is over and they are filled with regret.
This isn't true for you however. You know that you must take responsibility for your life. It is up to you.
The fact is that nobody else is going to do it for you – you must do it yourself.
Now, some people may say, "Jim, that's a lot of responsibility." Friends, that is the best news you can ever hear. You get to choose your life. Hundreds of millions of people all around this world would give anything to live in the situation you do – just for the chance to have the opportunity to take control of their destiny. "It is up to you" is a great blessing!
Here's why:
1. You get to chart your own destiny. Maybe you want to start a small business and stay there. That's great because you can choose that. Maybe you want to create a small chain of stores. Maybe you want to have a net worth of $100 million. That's okay too. The idea is that you get to choose. You can do whatever you like. Different people have different dreams and they should live them accordingly.
2. You can reap what you sow. Sleep in and go to work late and reap the return. Or get up early and outwork the others and earn a greater return. Place your capital at risk and earn a return – or place it at greater risk and perhaps reap a greater return. You decide what you will sow and thus what you will reap.
3. No one else can stop you from getting your dream. Yes, there will always be things that come up and people who may not like what you are doing, but you can just move on and chart your own course. There is great freedom in that.
4. You experience the joy of self-determination. There is no greater pride than knowing you set your mind on something and accomplished it. Those who live with a victim mentality never get to experience the joy of accomplishment because they are always waiting for someone else to come to the rescue. Those who take responsibility get to live the joy of seeing a job well done.
Let me ask you a question: Where will you be in 5 years? 10 years? Or 25 years? Do you know? DO you have an idea? Have you ever dreamed about it or set a goal for it? Are you willing to take responsibility and recognize that, "It is up to you?"
You will be wherever you decide to be in those timeframes. You decide. It is up to you.
And that is very exciting!
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Make Your Customers Feel Important
By: Brian Tracy
Listening is the Key
Listening builds self-esteem. It has been said that, "Rapt attention is the highest form of flattery." When you listen intently to another person and it is clear that you genuinely care about what that other person is saying, his or her self-esteem goes up. His or her feeling of personal value increases. He or she feels more worthwhile and important as a human being. You can actually make another person feel terrific about himself or herself by listening in a warm, genuine, caring way to everything he or she has to say.
Pay Close Attention
When a man and a woman go out for the first time, they spend an inordinate amount of time talking and listening to each other. They look into each other's eyes and hang on every word. They are each fascinated by the personality of the other. The more each listens to the other, the more positive and happy each of them feel and the stronger becomes the bonds of affection between them.
Focus 100% On the Other Person
The opposite of listening is ignoring. You always listen to that which you most value. You always ignore that which you devalue. The fastest way to turn a person off, to hurt their feelings and make them feel slighted and angry is to simply ignore what they are saying or interrupt them in the middle of a thought. Ignoring or interrupting is the equivalent of an emotional slap in the face. Men especially have to be careful about their natural desire to make a remark or an observation in the middle of a conversation. This can often cause the sales conversation to come to a grinding halt.
Action Exercises
First, take every opportunity to make the other person feel important by listening attentively to what he or she says.
Second, avoid interrupting the other person by slowing down and pausing for a few moments after he or she has stopped speaking.
Listening is the Key
Listening builds self-esteem. It has been said that, "Rapt attention is the highest form of flattery." When you listen intently to another person and it is clear that you genuinely care about what that other person is saying, his or her self-esteem goes up. His or her feeling of personal value increases. He or she feels more worthwhile and important as a human being. You can actually make another person feel terrific about himself or herself by listening in a warm, genuine, caring way to everything he or she has to say.
Pay Close Attention
When a man and a woman go out for the first time, they spend an inordinate amount of time talking and listening to each other. They look into each other's eyes and hang on every word. They are each fascinated by the personality of the other. The more each listens to the other, the more positive and happy each of them feel and the stronger becomes the bonds of affection between them.
Focus 100% On the Other Person
The opposite of listening is ignoring. You always listen to that which you most value. You always ignore that which you devalue. The fastest way to turn a person off, to hurt their feelings and make them feel slighted and angry is to simply ignore what they are saying or interrupt them in the middle of a thought. Ignoring or interrupting is the equivalent of an emotional slap in the face. Men especially have to be careful about their natural desire to make a remark or an observation in the middle of a conversation. This can often cause the sales conversation to come to a grinding halt.
Action Exercises
First, take every opportunity to make the other person feel important by listening attentively to what he or she says.
Second, avoid interrupting the other person by slowing down and pausing for a few moments after he or she has stopped speaking.
Accelerate Your Abilities by Chris Widener
In today's fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, "The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet."
With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth's sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!" This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren't particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren't good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don't give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn't a sprint but a marathon!
Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!
-- Chris Widener
With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth's sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!" This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren't particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren't good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don't give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn't a sprint but a marathon!
Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!
-- Chris Widener
Bloggers Guide to Profits (Free ebook)
You already know starting your own blog can catapult your business’ success. Here’s what else you’ll learn in my exclusive report…
* How blogging has given anyone the power to broadcast their message to the world
* With no hassle and no fancy computer languages: How to instantly put down your thoughts for anyone and everyone to read. (It’s even easier than running your own ordinary web site!)
* The secret marketing tactic that is hiding inside each and every blog (that not everyone is exploiting!)
* Why businesses, small and large, are increasingly adding blogs to their marketing repertoire.
* 5 ways to explode your business with a blog.
* 8 rules you must follow if you want to have a successful blog
* How something called “RSS feeds” can help you communicate with your customers even better than email!
* The secret to getting your blog listed in Yahoo search results free within 48 hours.
The ABCDE Method For Setting Priorities
By: Brian Tracy
The process of setting short-term priorities begins with a pad of paper and a pen. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by too many things to do and too little time in which to do them, sit down, take a deep breath, and list all those tasks you need to accomplish. Although there is never enough time to do everything, there is always enough time to do the most important things, and to stay with them until they are done right.
Setting Better Priorities
The best method for setting priorities on your list, once you have determined your major goals or objectives, is the A-B-C-D-E method. You place one of those letters in the margin before each of the tasks on your list before you begin
“A” stands for “very important;” something you must do. There can be serious negative consequences if you don't do it.
“B” stands for “important;” something you should do. This is not as important as your ‘A’ tasks. There are only minor negative consequences if it is not completed.
“C” stands for things that are “nice to do;” but which are not as important as ‘A’ or ‘B,’ tasks. There are no negative consequences for not completing it.
“D” stands for “delegate.” You can assign this task to someone else who can do the job instead of you.
“E” stands for “eliminate, whenever possible.” You should eliminate every single activity you possibly can, to free up your time.
When you use the A-B-C-D-E method, you can very easily sort out what is important and unimportant. This then will focus your time and attention on those items on your list that are most essential for you to do.
Just Say No
Once you can clearly determine the one or two things that you should be doing, above all others, just say no to all diversions and distractions and focus single-mindedly on accomplishing those priorities.
Much stress that you experience in your work life comes from working on low-priority tasks. The amazing discovery is that as soon as you start working on your highest-value activity, all your stress disappears. You feel a continuous stream of energy and enthusiasm. As you work toward the completion of something that is really important, you feel an increased sense of personal value and inner satisfaction. You experience a sensation of self-mastery and self-control. You feel calm, confident and capable.
Action Exercises
Here are three ideas that you can use, every day, to help you set priorities and to keep you working at your best:
First, take the time to be clear about your goals and objectives so that the priorities you set are moving you in the direction of something that is of real value to you.
Second, remember that what counts is not the amount of time that you put in overall; rather, it’s the amount of time that you spend working on high-priority tasks.
Third, understand that the most important factor in setting priorities is your ability to make wise choices. You are always free to choose to engage in one activity or another.
Resolve today to set clear priorities in every area of your life, and always choose the activities that will assure you the greatest health, happiness and prosperity in the long term.
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The 10 Essential Elements Your Site Simply Must Have!
We'll go over the top 10 essential elements that every site must have if it's going to be successful. Then we'll provide a list of useful resources that you can use to optimize your site's performance.
Read on to learn how you can simplify the design of your web site to improve its effectiveness and really get your profits to soar!
Now that we've covered what you shouldn't have on your site, it's time to review what you should include. If you have all these elements on your site, you'll be well on your way to success!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #1: ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADLINE
The first thing people see when they visit your site should be a compelling headline that describes the most important benefit your product or service offers. The headline is THE key element of your site. It's what will persuade your visitors to stick around and check out what you have to offer.
Your headline should be well-written: clear, concise, and to the point. It should also be enticing. You want to pique your visitors' interest and make them eager to learn more about what you're selling. You can do this by emphasizing what your product or service can do for them.
Once you've crafted a compelling headline, format it so that it stands out from the rest of the text. It should be the first thing that catches your visitors' attention. Use a large font size, bolding, italics, a different color -- whatever suits the style of your web site.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #2: USER-FRIENDLY NAVIGATION
As we said above, nothing drives your customers away faster than confusing or complicated navigation! Your customers should be able to know where they are on your site at all times, and should easily be able to find pages they've already visited.
Make sure your navigation bar or menu is clearly accessible and easy to understand. It should be exactly the same on every page of your site, and be located in exactly the same place. Your customers shouldn't have to hunt for it.
Remember: when it comes to navigation, consistency is the key!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #3: EFFECTIVE SALESCOPY
The words you use to describe your product and its benefits are the key to the success of your business. Your salescopy is the only contact you'll have with the vast majority of your visitors. That's why you have to make the most of it!
Your salescopy should:
- Immediately draw the reader in with exciting benefits and enticing copy so you can lead them toward the sale.
- Establish your credibility -- nobody will buy from you if they don't feel they can trust you.
- Describe the benefits of your product or service and explain WHY your visitors need it.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #4: A CLEAR "CALL TO ACTION"
If you want people to buy your products or services, you have to tell them how to do it! Don't leave them guessing.
You have to explain exactly what you want them to do, and you have to make it easy for them to do it. If you want them to buy a product, present them with a call to action like this:
"Click here now to order your six-month supply of Product X"
Provide your customers with clear, easy-to-understand instructions on how to make a purchase, and let them know what they can expect when they click on the link that leads them to the order page.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #5: WELL-CHOSEN IMAGES
Images can really help people visualize your products or services and their benefits. Be sure to include photos of every product you sell. Attractive product shots can really boost your sales!
If you have a lot of products for sale, use "thumbnails" that link to larger images. This will make your pages load more quickly.
If you're selling electronically delivered products such as eBooks or software, you may want to create simulated product shots to represent them. This is guaranteed to boost your sales by making your product seem more tangible.
Including pictures of yourself and your staff helps to personalize your business and reminds customers they're interacting with real people, not just a web site.
In addition, you should post photos of satisfied customers beside their testimonials. This will add credibility to their statements and show your visitors that they're not just figments of your imagination!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #6: A STRONG OPT-IN OFFER
Most first-time visitors don't make a purchase. However, the fact they've come to your site in the first place means they're at least curious to see what you have to offer.
In order to pursue a relationship with these potential customers, you should collect their e-mail addresses by encouraging them to subscribe to a free newsletter or free download. This will give you the chance to send them updates and information, develop relationships with them, and enable them to trust you enough to buy from you!
Opt-in offers like this are a great way to turn visitors into customers and really maximize your sales.
Your opt-in offer should be clearly linked to each page of your web site or, if possible, actually included on each page. One less click means losing fewer potential subscribers!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #7: TESTIMONIALS
The best way to establish credibility is to provide evidence that your product or service really works. And the best way to do that is to include testimonials from satisfied customers that explain how your product or service has helped improve their lives.
Be sure to include the name of your satisfied customers as well as where they live. You should also provide a small picture of them. This will personalize their messages and demonstrate that they're real people who've enjoyed real benefits from your product.
It's a good idea to have a few of your best testimonials featured right on your homepage, for instant credibility. However, you should also have a separate testimonials page as well. The more satisfied customers you can show to reluctant shoppers, the better.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #8: AN "ABOUT US" PAGE
People are often hesitant to buy things online. They miss the personal interaction of doing business face to face. The best way to overcome their reluctance is to include an "About Us" page that provides information about you, your staff, and your business.
Be sure to include pictures of yourself and your staff members. This shows your customers they're doing business with real people and will help ease any worries they might have.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #9: AN FAQ PAGE
It's a good idea to include a "Frequently Asked Questions" page on your site. This is where you list the questions most commonly asked by your customers and provide answers to them. It allows your visitors immediate access to the answers they need before they'll consider buying your product or service.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #10: YOUR CONTACT INFO
In order to close sales and establish your credibility, you have to provide full contact information on your site. This includes your mailing address as well as fax and phone numbers. Businesses that only include e-mail addresses come across as unprofessional and possibly even disreputable.
Make sure your contact information is clearly visible on every page of your site. This will make it easy for customers to know how to reach you if they want to get more information or buy a product.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Once the hot weather starts luring your customers to the beach instead of your web site, take advantage of the lull by going through your site with a fine-toothed comb.
Create a list of "must-do" actions you can take to optimize its performance. Figure out where you can get rid of non-essential clutter and simplify the sales process. Don't forget, streamlined sites generate more sales!
Take the time to browse through other sites (including those of your competitors) to see how your site compares and get ideas for improvement. What do you like about their sites? What do you find annoying about them? This will help you get an idea of what to include and what to avoid on your own site.
After you've made some improvements, ask some friends to go through your site. How hard is it for them to get from page to page? Can they easily find their way back to pages they've already visited? Are they confused by any aspect of your sales process? Do they find your site appealing?
Remember: you can never do too much testing!
The simpler and more user-friendly your site is, the more sales it will generate. It's as simple as that. So you should always be thinking about how you can remove any unnecessary clutter, confusing links, or visual eyesores to let your sales copy stand out.
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR IMPROVING YOUR SITE DESIGN
Finally, here's a list of resources you can use to maximize the effectiveness of your site:
- Web Page Analyzer
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
A free web tool that determines how long it takes for each of your web pages to load. It also points out which parts of your page are causing problems.
- WebGraphics Optimizer
http://www.webopt.com/
A great tool for optimizing and compressing images for online use. You'll be amazed at how much faster your site downloads once you've reduced the file size of your graphics!
- AnyBrowser.com
www.anybrowser.com
Features a helpful tool that allows you to view your web site as it appears in all of the major browsers. The site also offers free HTML software, tools that allow you to validate your HTML code, etc.
- NetMechanic
http://www.netmechanic.com
Features detailed information and advice on how to improve your site performance, including webmaster tips and information on how to check your server.
- SitePoint
http://www.sitepoint.com
Features articles and tutorials on all aspects of web site design. It also offers different software for sale.
- Builder.com
http://www.builder.com
Offers articles with related trialware, as well as e-newsletters, a discussion center, online courses and library, and product reviews. The articles are rated and include readers' comments.
- Webmonkey
http://www.webmonkey.com
A web developer's resource sponsored by Lycos.com. It includes a how-to library as well as reference tools.
- WebDeveloper.com
http://www.webdeveloper.com
A site for web developers with articles, and forums on different coding types, scripting, e-commerce, etc.
Read on to learn how you can simplify the design of your web site to improve its effectiveness and really get your profits to soar!
Now that we've covered what you shouldn't have on your site, it's time to review what you should include. If you have all these elements on your site, you'll be well on your way to success!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #1: ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADLINE
The first thing people see when they visit your site should be a compelling headline that describes the most important benefit your product or service offers. The headline is THE key element of your site. It's what will persuade your visitors to stick around and check out what you have to offer.
Your headline should be well-written: clear, concise, and to the point. It should also be enticing. You want to pique your visitors' interest and make them eager to learn more about what you're selling. You can do this by emphasizing what your product or service can do for them.
Once you've crafted a compelling headline, format it so that it stands out from the rest of the text. It should be the first thing that catches your visitors' attention. Use a large font size, bolding, italics, a different color -- whatever suits the style of your web site.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #2: USER-FRIENDLY NAVIGATION
As we said above, nothing drives your customers away faster than confusing or complicated navigation! Your customers should be able to know where they are on your site at all times, and should easily be able to find pages they've already visited.
Make sure your navigation bar or menu is clearly accessible and easy to understand. It should be exactly the same on every page of your site, and be located in exactly the same place. Your customers shouldn't have to hunt for it.
Remember: when it comes to navigation, consistency is the key!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #3: EFFECTIVE SALESCOPY
The words you use to describe your product and its benefits are the key to the success of your business. Your salescopy is the only contact you'll have with the vast majority of your visitors. That's why you have to make the most of it!
Your salescopy should:
- Immediately draw the reader in with exciting benefits and enticing copy so you can lead them toward the sale.
- Establish your credibility -- nobody will buy from you if they don't feel they can trust you.
- Describe the benefits of your product or service and explain WHY your visitors need it.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #4: A CLEAR "CALL TO ACTION"
If you want people to buy your products or services, you have to tell them how to do it! Don't leave them guessing.
You have to explain exactly what you want them to do, and you have to make it easy for them to do it. If you want them to buy a product, present them with a call to action like this:
"Click here now to order your six-month supply of Product X"
Provide your customers with clear, easy-to-understand instructions on how to make a purchase, and let them know what they can expect when they click on the link that leads them to the order page.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #5: WELL-CHOSEN IMAGES
Images can really help people visualize your products or services and their benefits. Be sure to include photos of every product you sell. Attractive product shots can really boost your sales!
If you have a lot of products for sale, use "thumbnails" that link to larger images. This will make your pages load more quickly.
If you're selling electronically delivered products such as eBooks or software, you may want to create simulated product shots to represent them. This is guaranteed to boost your sales by making your product seem more tangible.
Including pictures of yourself and your staff helps to personalize your business and reminds customers they're interacting with real people, not just a web site.
In addition, you should post photos of satisfied customers beside their testimonials. This will add credibility to their statements and show your visitors that they're not just figments of your imagination!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #6: A STRONG OPT-IN OFFER
Most first-time visitors don't make a purchase. However, the fact they've come to your site in the first place means they're at least curious to see what you have to offer.
In order to pursue a relationship with these potential customers, you should collect their e-mail addresses by encouraging them to subscribe to a free newsletter or free download. This will give you the chance to send them updates and information, develop relationships with them, and enable them to trust you enough to buy from you!
Opt-in offers like this are a great way to turn visitors into customers and really maximize your sales.
Your opt-in offer should be clearly linked to each page of your web site or, if possible, actually included on each page. One less click means losing fewer potential subscribers!
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #7: TESTIMONIALS
The best way to establish credibility is to provide evidence that your product or service really works. And the best way to do that is to include testimonials from satisfied customers that explain how your product or service has helped improve their lives.
Be sure to include the name of your satisfied customers as well as where they live. You should also provide a small picture of them. This will personalize their messages and demonstrate that they're real people who've enjoyed real benefits from your product.
It's a good idea to have a few of your best testimonials featured right on your homepage, for instant credibility. However, you should also have a separate testimonials page as well. The more satisfied customers you can show to reluctant shoppers, the better.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #8: AN "ABOUT US" PAGE
People are often hesitant to buy things online. They miss the personal interaction of doing business face to face. The best way to overcome their reluctance is to include an "About Us" page that provides information about you, your staff, and your business.
Be sure to include pictures of yourself and your staff members. This shows your customers they're doing business with real people and will help ease any worries they might have.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #9: AN FAQ PAGE
It's a good idea to include a "Frequently Asked Questions" page on your site. This is where you list the questions most commonly asked by your customers and provide answers to them. It allows your visitors immediate access to the answers they need before they'll consider buying your product or service.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT #10: YOUR CONTACT INFO
In order to close sales and establish your credibility, you have to provide full contact information on your site. This includes your mailing address as well as fax and phone numbers. Businesses that only include e-mail addresses come across as unprofessional and possibly even disreputable.
Make sure your contact information is clearly visible on every page of your site. This will make it easy for customers to know how to reach you if they want to get more information or buy a product.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Once the hot weather starts luring your customers to the beach instead of your web site, take advantage of the lull by going through your site with a fine-toothed comb.
Create a list of "must-do" actions you can take to optimize its performance. Figure out where you can get rid of non-essential clutter and simplify the sales process. Don't forget, streamlined sites generate more sales!
Take the time to browse through other sites (including those of your competitors) to see how your site compares and get ideas for improvement. What do you like about their sites? What do you find annoying about them? This will help you get an idea of what to include and what to avoid on your own site.
After you've made some improvements, ask some friends to go through your site. How hard is it for them to get from page to page? Can they easily find their way back to pages they've already visited? Are they confused by any aspect of your sales process? Do they find your site appealing?
Remember: you can never do too much testing!
The simpler and more user-friendly your site is, the more sales it will generate. It's as simple as that. So you should always be thinking about how you can remove any unnecessary clutter, confusing links, or visual eyesores to let your sales copy stand out.
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR IMPROVING YOUR SITE DESIGN
Finally, here's a list of resources you can use to maximize the effectiveness of your site:
- Web Page Analyzer
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
A free web tool that determines how long it takes for each of your web pages to load. It also points out which parts of your page are causing problems.
- WebGraphics Optimizer
http://www.webopt.com/
A great tool for optimizing and compressing images for online use. You'll be amazed at how much faster your site downloads once you've reduced the file size of your graphics!
- AnyBrowser.com
www.anybrowser.com
Features a helpful tool that allows you to view your web site as it appears in all of the major browsers. The site also offers free HTML software, tools that allow you to validate your HTML code, etc.
- NetMechanic
http://www.netmechanic.com
Features detailed information and advice on how to improve your site performance, including webmaster tips and information on how to check your server.
- SitePoint
http://www.sitepoint.com
Features articles and tutorials on all aspects of web site design. It also offers different software for sale.
- Builder.com
http://www.builder.com
Offers articles with related trialware, as well as e-newsletters, a discussion center, online courses and library, and product reviews. The articles are rated and include readers' comments.
- Webmonkey
http://www.webmonkey.com
A web developer's resource sponsored by Lycos.com. It includes a how-to library as well as reference tools.
- WebDeveloper.com
http://www.webdeveloper.com
A site for web developers with articles, and forums on different coding types, scripting, e-commerce, etc.
The Top 4 Fatal Mistakes Web Site Designers Make
We're going to look at the top 4 "Fatal Mistakes" that many designers make with their web sites.
These mistakes seem like innocent blunders, but they can really kill your sales.
If you want to be successful online, you have to develop a web site that serves the needs of your visitors in a user-friendly fashion. It's surprising how many people don't think about this when they plan their web sites!
An important rule of thumb when it comes to designing a web site is: SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY.
Your web site should be easy to use and easy to understand. It should guide your visitors through the sales process in a simple and convenient manner. Your visitors should never have
to guess at what you mean or what you're trying to get them to do!
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the common mistakes businesses owners make when developing their web sites...
FATAL MISTAKE #1: TRYING TO "DAZZLE" CUSTOMERS INSTEAD OF SELL TO THEM
A lot of new business owners want their web sites to be as eye-catching as possible. They think that by including a lot of flashy graphics and nifty animation effects, they'll capture their visitors' attention.
That may be true, but they can distract your visitors from what you really want them to focus on: the value of your product!
Never confuse eye-candy for content. Graphics should only ever be used to support the main purpose of your site: to get people to buy what you have to offer! If a graphic doesn't directly relate to your product or service, then it shouldn't be on your site. It's just that simple.
You may want to impress people with your technical know-how by including lots of banners and links on your site, but too much visual clutter looks unprofessional and can ruin your credibility.
And, if the graphics and gimmicks don't have anything to do with what you're selling, they're just going to detract from your main message. Anything that distracts visitors from your copy is guaranteed to lose you sales.
You also don't want to chase your visitors away with long, unnecessary Flash presentations and splash pages. If your customers have to spend too much time trying to figure out how to stop your Flash presentation so they can get through to the "meat" of your site, they'll be gone, most likely never to return.
Believe it or not, studies have shown that most first-time visitors spend only 10 SECONDS on a site before deciding whether or not it offers any value for them. You don't want to waste these precious seconds with a pointless splash page or distracting animation!
The best way to drive sales is to design a simple, clean site using only two or three colors and one or two fonts throughout the entire site. Avoid using colored or patterned backgrounds. You might think they look cool, but they make it really difficult to read your sales copy.
Also be sure to keep your link colors and format consistent. People generally expect links to be blue and underlined. This may seem boring from a design point of view, but the links will be instantly recognizable and that's what really matters.
FATAL MISTAKE #2: MAKING YOUR SITE TOO LARGE
One of the worst mistakes people can make is building massive, multi-paged sites that take forever to load. "The more, the better," is NOT true, at least when it comes to web site design!
Our studies have shown that 30 to 60 percent of visitors drop off with each click they're made to take! Your site has to be as streamlined as possible if you want it to reach its true profit potential.
As you spruce up your site, try to reduce the number of pages wherever possible. If you're selling 10 or less products, include them on your homepage. Why make visitors click through to a separate "Products" page to see what you have to offer? Remember, every click loses sales!
If you can't feature all your products on your home page, group them in categories and display each category of products on its own page, instead of including a separate page for each product.
Wherever possible, try to reduce the number of files on your web pages. The more files a page has, the longer it'll take to load -- especially if they're large graphics files.
Use colored text instead of graphics to grab attention. If you must use a graphic, make sure it's a small file.
Too many people make the mistake of using high-resolution images when they really don't need to. You need only 72 dpi (dots per inch) for screen resolution. And most graphics only need to be 256 colors or less.
Don't forget, you have only 10 seconds to grab people's attention. The longer visitors have to wait for your site to load, the less likely they are to stick around and find out about your products or services.
FATAL MISTAKE #3: CONFUSING NAVIGATION
Some web designers like to show off their skills by creating new and different ways to navigate through a multi-paged site. Sometimes they hide links beneath icons or images, so that users can't find the links unless they mouse over the graphics.
This may be very clever, but it certainly doesn't help people find what they're looking for!
Other designers put their navigation bars in different places on each web page, or change the look of the navigation bar itself, which can be awfully confusing. Navigation bars are like traffic signs: they have to be consistent and easily understandable in order to be effective.
The best way to deal with your navigation is to make it simple and obvious. It might seem boring and unoriginal, but that's the point. People don't want to have to guess how to make their way through your site -- they want it to be easy to understand. Otherwise, they'll go somewhere else to find what they're seeking.
FATAL MISTAKE #4: BURYING ESSENTIAL INFORMATION TOO DEEP WITHIN THE SITE
Web surfers are impatient people! They don't want to spend a lot of time trying to find what they're seeking on your site.
According to market research done by the Garner Group, more than 50% of Web sales are lost because site visitors can't find what they're looking for. If you've buried important information too deep within your site, you're losing out on more than half of your sales!
A web site should be like a newspaper story. All of the really important information about your site -- what you're selling and how it benefits people -- should be the first thing your visitors see. That's the best way to capture their attention and get them to read more.
If you have only 10 seconds to grab your visitors' interest, don't make them waste time scrolling down your homepage or clicking through to deeper pages. People don't want to take any extra trouble to find out what you're offering -- you have to provide it to them right up front.
Don't make them look for it; hit them between the eyes with it!
These mistakes seem like innocent blunders, but they can really kill your sales.
If you want to be successful online, you have to develop a web site that serves the needs of your visitors in a user-friendly fashion. It's surprising how many people don't think about this when they plan their web sites!
An important rule of thumb when it comes to designing a web site is: SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY.
Your web site should be easy to use and easy to understand. It should guide your visitors through the sales process in a simple and convenient manner. Your visitors should never have
to guess at what you mean or what you're trying to get them to do!
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the common mistakes businesses owners make when developing their web sites...
FATAL MISTAKE #1: TRYING TO "DAZZLE" CUSTOMERS INSTEAD OF SELL TO THEM
A lot of new business owners want their web sites to be as eye-catching as possible. They think that by including a lot of flashy graphics and nifty animation effects, they'll capture their visitors' attention.
That may be true, but they can distract your visitors from what you really want them to focus on: the value of your product!
Never confuse eye-candy for content. Graphics should only ever be used to support the main purpose of your site: to get people to buy what you have to offer! If a graphic doesn't directly relate to your product or service, then it shouldn't be on your site. It's just that simple.
You may want to impress people with your technical know-how by including lots of banners and links on your site, but too much visual clutter looks unprofessional and can ruin your credibility.
And, if the graphics and gimmicks don't have anything to do with what you're selling, they're just going to detract from your main message. Anything that distracts visitors from your copy is guaranteed to lose you sales.
You also don't want to chase your visitors away with long, unnecessary Flash presentations and splash pages. If your customers have to spend too much time trying to figure out how to stop your Flash presentation so they can get through to the "meat" of your site, they'll be gone, most likely never to return.
Believe it or not, studies have shown that most first-time visitors spend only 10 SECONDS on a site before deciding whether or not it offers any value for them. You don't want to waste these precious seconds with a pointless splash page or distracting animation!
The best way to drive sales is to design a simple, clean site using only two or three colors and one or two fonts throughout the entire site. Avoid using colored or patterned backgrounds. You might think they look cool, but they make it really difficult to read your sales copy.
Also be sure to keep your link colors and format consistent. People generally expect links to be blue and underlined. This may seem boring from a design point of view, but the links will be instantly recognizable and that's what really matters.
FATAL MISTAKE #2: MAKING YOUR SITE TOO LARGE
One of the worst mistakes people can make is building massive, multi-paged sites that take forever to load. "The more, the better," is NOT true, at least when it comes to web site design!
Our studies have shown that 30 to 60 percent of visitors drop off with each click they're made to take! Your site has to be as streamlined as possible if you want it to reach its true profit potential.
As you spruce up your site, try to reduce the number of pages wherever possible. If you're selling 10 or less products, include them on your homepage. Why make visitors click through to a separate "Products" page to see what you have to offer? Remember, every click loses sales!
If you can't feature all your products on your home page, group them in categories and display each category of products on its own page, instead of including a separate page for each product.
Wherever possible, try to reduce the number of files on your web pages. The more files a page has, the longer it'll take to load -- especially if they're large graphics files.
Use colored text instead of graphics to grab attention. If you must use a graphic, make sure it's a small file.
Too many people make the mistake of using high-resolution images when they really don't need to. You need only 72 dpi (dots per inch) for screen resolution. And most graphics only need to be 256 colors or less.
Don't forget, you have only 10 seconds to grab people's attention. The longer visitors have to wait for your site to load, the less likely they are to stick around and find out about your products or services.
FATAL MISTAKE #3: CONFUSING NAVIGATION
Some web designers like to show off their skills by creating new and different ways to navigate through a multi-paged site. Sometimes they hide links beneath icons or images, so that users can't find the links unless they mouse over the graphics.
This may be very clever, but it certainly doesn't help people find what they're looking for!
Other designers put their navigation bars in different places on each web page, or change the look of the navigation bar itself, which can be awfully confusing. Navigation bars are like traffic signs: they have to be consistent and easily understandable in order to be effective.
The best way to deal with your navigation is to make it simple and obvious. It might seem boring and unoriginal, but that's the point. People don't want to have to guess how to make their way through your site -- they want it to be easy to understand. Otherwise, they'll go somewhere else to find what they're seeking.
FATAL MISTAKE #4: BURYING ESSENTIAL INFORMATION TOO DEEP WITHIN THE SITE
Web surfers are impatient people! They don't want to spend a lot of time trying to find what they're seeking on your site.
According to market research done by the Garner Group, more than 50% of Web sales are lost because site visitors can't find what they're looking for. If you've buried important information too deep within your site, you're losing out on more than half of your sales!
A web site should be like a newspaper story. All of the really important information about your site -- what you're selling and how it benefits people -- should be the first thing your visitors see. That's the best way to capture their attention and get them to read more.
If you have only 10 seconds to grab your visitors' interest, don't make them waste time scrolling down your homepage or clicking through to deeper pages. People don't want to take any extra trouble to find out what you're offering -- you have to provide it to them right up front.
Don't make them look for it; hit them between the eyes with it!
Moving your AdSense program to the next level
By Cody Moya
When you first started using AdSense on your web site, your goals may have been modest ones, like making enough money to pay for the web hosting, plus perhaps a little profit for all your hard work. As the profit potential of Google AdSense has revealed itself, however, perhaps your goals have grown as well.
After the typical AdSense program has been in place for awhile, it can be tempting to simply let it in place and watch it grow. It is important, however to check the site from time to time in order to maximize the potential for profits and growing revenues.
There are of course many ways to optimize AdSense ads and take AdSense revenue to the next level. One way to help maximize revenue is to experiment with different font sizes and colors for
the ads. The colors, text, font and format of ads can have a profound impact on the click through ratio, and it is important to experiment with several different formats to see which one works
the best.
Fortunately, Google itself provides tools for tracking the results of various tweaks, and this makes it a bit easier to track the results of changes made to the web site. If Google does not
provide everything you need, it is also possible to purchase third party tracking software that provides nearly endless AdSense statistics.
Even though color and font are important considerations, perhaps the most important consideration of all is that of ad placement. As with real estate, it all boils down to the three most important factors - location, location and location.
In order to come up with the best placement for your AdSense code, think about how you look at a web site or newspaper page. Imagine you are reading the front page, or the sports page. You see before you a page full of headlines, articles, images and ads. If you are like most of us, you read the headlines first, then look at the images. Then you either look at a story that interests you or turn to another page.
Many of us of course have learned to tune those ads out, since we are bombarded with so many of them day after day. You tend to know where the ads are found on the page and tune out those locations. The smart advertisers are those who are able to place those ads in unique locations in order to avoid being tuned out. This approach works in the online world as well.
Unfortunately for internet advertisers in general, many web site visitors have learned to tune out internet ads as well. This goes for AdSense ads as well, and this means that simply by moving your ads you can improve results and increase click through revenues.
While many guides suggest placing the ads at the top or the bottom of the page, in fact it can make a great deal of sense to place the ads in the middle of the page instead. Placing ads between paragraphs of text can help improve click through ratios by harnessing the attention of web site viewers as they are reading the content on the site.
Many web site viewers have become so inured to the banner ads at the top of pages that they barely see those ads. By placing the ads in with the content you capture the attention of those viewers when they are most receptive. As the viewers eyes move rapidly down the page, the viewer naturally see those ads, and that is good news for your AdSense account and your web site revenue.
This free Course is spread apart over a long period of time. If you want to get whole course immediately you can get it for reasonable price here:
http://adsensetipsezine.com/course/
Here For Your Success
Cody Moya
P.S. Make sure to check http://adsensetemplates.com
=================================================================
Article Re-print Rights Information
You may re-print the article published in this email as long as you comply with following terms:
Article must be published "as is" (unedited). Article must be published with below the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information included. URL in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks. Article cannot be used in spam communications
Bio paragraph (resource box) is below:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cody Moya writes about "Adsense Tips" in his Adsense Tips Ezine. You can sign up for his free Ezine and get additional information at his website: http://adsensetipsezine.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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When you first started using AdSense on your web site, your goals may have been modest ones, like making enough money to pay for the web hosting, plus perhaps a little profit for all your hard work. As the profit potential of Google AdSense has revealed itself, however, perhaps your goals have grown as well.
After the typical AdSense program has been in place for awhile, it can be tempting to simply let it in place and watch it grow. It is important, however to check the site from time to time in order to maximize the potential for profits and growing revenues.
There are of course many ways to optimize AdSense ads and take AdSense revenue to the next level. One way to help maximize revenue is to experiment with different font sizes and colors for
the ads. The colors, text, font and format of ads can have a profound impact on the click through ratio, and it is important to experiment with several different formats to see which one works
the best.
Fortunately, Google itself provides tools for tracking the results of various tweaks, and this makes it a bit easier to track the results of changes made to the web site. If Google does not
provide everything you need, it is also possible to purchase third party tracking software that provides nearly endless AdSense statistics.
Even though color and font are important considerations, perhaps the most important consideration of all is that of ad placement. As with real estate, it all boils down to the three most important factors - location, location and location.
In order to come up with the best placement for your AdSense code, think about how you look at a web site or newspaper page. Imagine you are reading the front page, or the sports page. You see before you a page full of headlines, articles, images and ads. If you are like most of us, you read the headlines first, then look at the images. Then you either look at a story that interests you or turn to another page.
Many of us of course have learned to tune those ads out, since we are bombarded with so many of them day after day. You tend to know where the ads are found on the page and tune out those locations. The smart advertisers are those who are able to place those ads in unique locations in order to avoid being tuned out. This approach works in the online world as well.
Unfortunately for internet advertisers in general, many web site visitors have learned to tune out internet ads as well. This goes for AdSense ads as well, and this means that simply by moving your ads you can improve results and increase click through revenues.
While many guides suggest placing the ads at the top or the bottom of the page, in fact it can make a great deal of sense to place the ads in the middle of the page instead. Placing ads between paragraphs of text can help improve click through ratios by harnessing the attention of web site viewers as they are reading the content on the site.
Many web site viewers have become so inured to the banner ads at the top of pages that they barely see those ads. By placing the ads in with the content you capture the attention of those viewers when they are most receptive. As the viewers eyes move rapidly down the page, the viewer naturally see those ads, and that is good news for your AdSense account and your web site revenue.
This free Course is spread apart over a long period of time. If you want to get whole course immediately you can get it for reasonable price here:
http://adsensetipsezine.com/course/
Here For Your Success
Cody Moya
P.S. Make sure to check http://adsensetemplates.com
=================================================================
Article Re-print Rights Information
You may re-print the article published in this email as long as you comply with following terms:
Article must be published "as is" (unedited). Article must be published with below the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information included. URL in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks. Article cannot be used in spam communications
Bio paragraph (resource box) is below:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cody Moya writes about "Adsense Tips" in his Adsense Tips Ezine. You can sign up for his free Ezine and get additional information at his website: http://adsensetipsezine.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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