Thursday, March 25, 2010

Three Quick & Easy Ways To Build A Profitable Opt-In List

After struggling for some time with your internet business, you finally realize that you need a good opt-in list.  You have read countless articles, sought expert advice, and have read many success stories of people creating a small fortune with opt-in lists, so you finally decide to have one of your own.  Then it happens.  You think know everything there is to know about opt-in lists and have followed the experts’ advice to the T, but you still are not able to make a profit.

In fact, you’re probably losing money.  You might have hired writers to help you out, or there are expenses you have incurred.  Even if you have a big list, only a very small percentage actually buys from you.  Therefore you are still losing money.  You’ll soon realize that after a few months when you see your statistics and sales figures.

So what could have possibly gone wrong?  Why have others succeeded when you have failed?  The most common mistake is that you jumped right in and chose a topic you think could be quite popular and would earn you money.  This is just not the case.  Just because you write to people on your list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.

So here is some more advice.  For those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, you can rejuvenate your failed venture.  For those who are just starting, here are three quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

First, get your customers to trust you and your products first.

Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller.  Write many articles first before you start an opt-in list.  Write about the topic you know and have started and have used for your site.  Try to write in forums first to gain knowledge about your customers, such as their wants and needs, and target those wants and needs.

Join forums from other sites as well.  Provide expert advice and recommendations.  When you feel that people trust you, you will be able to start your own opt-in list.  You can also build a customer base with other forum users.  Ask them to join your list.  Friends are always good customers.  Put a link on your site so that they may be able to see what your business is all about.

The truth is, money will only come when the consumers and subscribers believe in and trust you.  They want a product or service that will be worth their time and money.  People are not going to buy something you recommend if they do not know you.

Second, find a product or service that people want and need.

Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a product or service that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry that knowledge forward.  Invest your time, effort, and money so that you can sell what the buyers or subscribers on your opt-in list can use.

While it is true that it is best to sell something that you are interested in, not many people will have the same interest as you if you decide to sell something that is not entirely popular or profitable.  Do your research well, and you will see the profits come in.  Also provide your subscribers with promotional material that they can actually use to spread the word.

Finally, make friends with other opt-in list users.

This is beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list.  These are people that have experience in this venture, and experience is still the best teacher.  While there are many articles available for you online to use, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.

Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it.  While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful.  There are many things to avoid, and these people will be able to tell you which ones.

Building a profitable opt-in list just doesn’t happen overnight.  There are many preparations to make, and a lot of effort to be made.  Opt-in lists are built from scratch, so as your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list.  Keep it organized and manageable.  Acquire help if need be, but remember to make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied, and they will be willing to buy from you.

Search Amazon.com for profitable opt in list

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Effectively Using Yahoo To Get Website Visitors

Overture, which has merged with Yahoo because of Yahoo’s acquisition of the former, was the original inventor of the use of the P4P or Pay for Performance.  Overture saw that the internet was fast becoming the easiest and most convenient way to shop, and advertising was going to hit at an all time high because of the many businesses in the arena.


To get someone to go to one site over many others on the internet, it needs to be very visible.  Providing ads that could direct potential consumers and customers to their site would allow them to have an increase in traffic as well as sales.  Yahoo provides a service that can put a site’s or company’s ad in their sites that can be shown when certain keywords typed into a search bar.

Yahoo offers a chance for any company to increase their traffic by using their services.  When more people are aware of your site, you will get more traffic and visitors to your site, and they will be given the chance to view your pages as well as your products.  Even with a small percentage of successful sales, a high traffic volume could still be a substantial figure for your company.

Obtaining a consistent substantial flow of website visitors is every company’s goal.  Many methods are devised and utilized to ensure that there would be more people to boost sales and be aware of the existence of such a product or service.  Website visitors are potentially the life blood of your internet based business.

Yahoo/Overture utilizes the same principle as Google’s Adwords.  In fact, both are very similar to each other in that they use keyword and keyword phrase searches to determine which ads to show per search.  When someone types in a keyword or keyword phrase to search for something, the search engines give the results on a web page.  Then at the right side of the page, you will see selected ads that have paid for by advertisers to be viewed with certain keywords and keyword phrases searched.

For example, let’s say you run a car parts retail/wholesale site.  You choose keywords that can prompt or trigger your ads to be shown in the page when a keyword is searched.  When a search engine user types in Honda Accord, your ad may come up if you have designated that as one of your keywords.  You won’t need to fully optimize your site with Search Engine Optimization methods and techniques.

While some website owners labor so hard to make their site one of the high ranking sites per keyword search, you get the chance to be on top of the list or at least on the first page of a search result, thus increasing your chances for your ad to be clicked on.  With that, you drive traffic and website visitors to your site a lot faster.

However, you will have to cough up some cash when using this service.  There are different ways Yahoo/Overture will charge you.  It may be in the number of Keywords or Keyword phrases your ad uses, or in the many times your ad is clicked on.  Others search engines offer many other services like having your ad show up not only in the search engine pages, but also with some third party sites.

Third party sites support ads that have the same theme or niche as them.  The more areas your ad is shown, the more you increase the chances of people knowing about your site or product.  Thus with more website visitors you increase the sales of your site which makes your investment with your ads a wise one.

With so many competitions in the internet based businesses, it is necessary to take a huge leap forward from the pack by advertising.  Yahoo/Overture will be a great place to start.  Many have utilized their services and have reaped the rewards of this decision.  It’s a marketing strategy that will increase your website visitors as well as increase your sales resulting in profits.

It takes money to make money.  So while there are some methods that are basically low cost or free, using a marketing service such as that offered by Yahoo/Overture will provide results faster and on a larger scale. Many businesses have learned this the hard way.  Yours doesn’t have to be one of them.

Search Amazon.com for website visitors

Saturday, March 13, 2010

"Life With Woody" 10 Inspirational Quotes That Can Improve Your Well-Being

It might take a little coffee, or perhaps a few rounds of beer or any other booze that you could get your hands on when it comes to relaxing after a hard day's work.  Well, yeah I'm guilty about that one as well, unless I'm caught dead wearing a lampshade over my head after a few rounds of vodka – and half-naked!  Okay, bad example, and I apologize to everyone reading this after getting nightmares about me in that state of drunken stupor.


Just don't ask how it happened, please.

But what's really interesting is that how people go through the usual part of life when faced with vein-popping stress?  I mean, the new age thing like Zen or yoga is one of the good things, and it actually works.  Is there room for the intellectual side of people who can actually smell the roses-in-a-can while on the move?  It kind of had me thinking that there really must be something in this 'mind-over-matter' thing.

Humor is indeed the best medicine there is whenever you are.  I mean anyone can pay good money to listen to a comedian just to make you wet your pants after laughing so hard.  Despite of what's been happening, and to those who have gone though the ordeal, it's better to just laugh while facing the troubles with a clear mind than anger with a clouded vision.  One of my favorite celebrities of all time would have to be Woody Allen.  Now this is one guy who gives you the in-your-face bluntness that he pulls out with gusto, even without really trying.  You can talk just about anything with a man, and he's bound to mock the subject, and you'll end up laughing rather than being upset about it.

Woody Allen has this to say:

1. "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."  It sounds good to me.  I mean the practicality of all things does involve money, but it doesn't have to take an arm and a leg to get it.

2. "I believe there is something out there watching us.  Unfortunately, it's the government."  'Nuff said.

3. "There are worse things in life than death.  Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?"  This happens to be one of the classic ones.  I mean the issue about life's little problems isn't all that bad, until 'he' shows up.

Sure, relationships can get complicated, or have complications that probably any author about relationships is bound to discover soon enough.  We follow what our heart desires, unless you're talking about the heart as in the heart that pumps blood throughout your body.

4. "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions."  And if you want more, just keep on asking!

5. "A fast word about oral contraception.  I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said 'no'."  It sounds, 'practical', I think.

And when it comes to everyday life, he really knows how to make the best out of every possible scenario, and it doesn't involve a lawsuit if he strikes a nerve.

6. "Basically my wife was immature.  I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats."  I never had a boat in my bathtub before, nor even a wife.  Just staring at it while soaking in hot water makes me seasick already.

7. "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens."  If it rains, it pours.

8. "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose."  It could get worse when you're guzzling on beer…or mouthwash, and it happened to me once!

9. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."  At least he doesn't smite us with lightning, and I'm thankful for that.

And despite of what may happen to all of us in the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years, I guess we all have to see things in a different kind of light and not just perspective.  I can't seem to imagine life without any piece of wisdom that could guide us.  Whether we're religious or not, it takes more courage to accept your fears and learn how to deal with them is all that matters when it comes to even just getting along.

And to sum things up, here is the last nugget of wisdom to go by…however, whenever, and wherever we may be.

10. "The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have."

Ciao!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Forum Marketing Online

If you are serious about wanting to promote your website on the Internet, then promoting through forums is the best option. Most forums are easy to join and require no monetary deposit to be a member. Moreover, as a storehouse of information accessible to anyone, forums are an ideal way to go about advertising your web page.


Forums serve as social networking centers where topics are discussed and information is exchanged. Therefore, if one can search out a forum where discussions held are relevant to one’s own product or field, then that person’s chances of getting their website noticed and popularized would be increased. This means that using forums should be the first step towards establishing your identity on the Internet.

But remember as it is with all kinds of marketing, finesse is everything. Do not overdo anything in your enthusiasm. It is best to act calm and not seem like you are desperate to market your product. Such over eagerness is most often the surefire way of offending customer sensibility, leading to possible bans against your website with the allegation of spamming, not to mention through word of mouth zero sales of your product.

Therefore, it is better to leave frequent yet understated messages informing about what’s on offer or rather go to forums, which have questions put up regarding matters close to your product and then respond to them. So go and read the threads posted on the forum and figure out how best you can respond to queries and do that.

This is will help you build a customer base as soon as people on the forum trust you to be helpful and genuine. Once that is done, all you have to do is subtly lead them to your website and that is that.

This is an easy and profitable option for you because it is absolutely free and targeting a certain niche clientele is very easy. But try and avoid promoting your website on irrelevant platforms as it might hamper your reputation, not to mention possible bans against your website with the allegation of spamming. So do it casually and always follow up and enquire about whether or not the directed person found your website helpful.

This is a great way to get feedback, which will help improve your site, build client rapport, and woo new customers towards your site with show of attentiveness to their likes and dislikes. But finally the most important thing to keep in mind is that though beneficial for marketing, these platforms are for discussion, not sales. So be subtle and it will be a smooth sailing for you.