Vision Of Success

What’s the fastest growing way to sell your products and services?

Online of course.

It’s been estimated that up to 85 percent of all people who regularly spend time online also make purchases online - up over 10 percent from just 2 years ago.

If you’ve been following my ezine for any length of time, you know that I teach people how to capture attention from your website or your blog. But did you know it takes more than a simple website or blog to capture attention? It’s not what you say, but how you say it that matters most.

Sales Letters - Yes, those longgggggg letters you run across on certain sites. The reason you see them is because they work. They allow you to communicate with a variety of different people in a way that they enjoy most. Some say sales letters aren’t as effective as they once were. I’ve found them to be incredibly effective - if you combine them with a variety of other sites. For instance, photographers that follow me know I have my main site filled with photography information, and have a sales letter set up for my programs.  I suggest you follow the same format with your sites.

Blog Posts - Sure, you can add just a few lines a few times a month. But will anyone truly follow you with so little content? Nothing is better than receiving an email from a potential client saying, “I loved your post on _____, and it motivated me to contact you.” But your posts have to start with quality information that people are looking for in order to achieve those results.

PPC Ads - Did you know you can double, even triple your sales just by changing one word in your ads? I’ve seen the results. It’s amazing how little things can make a huge difference in your bottom line. Writing ads isn’t easy - it takes time to develop the right combination of words, and a whole lot of testing to make sure you get the results you’re looking for.

As more businesses find success online, your goal isn’t just to get online, it should be to succeed online. Just a few simple words and a handful of pictures won’t do it. It’s all about what you say!

photo source abcdz2000

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Are you looking for a writer that can help you achieve the results you’re looking for? Maybe it’s time to hire someone that knows how to write for the Internet.

I have one small complaint about summertime. The beautiful weather makes me spend a ton of time outside playing and relaxing, and I have to force myself to stay at my desk to get work done. (Okay, so it’s not a huge problem.)

Anyway, yesterday we decided to make homemade ice cream. We haven’t pulled out the freezer since last summer, so it was time to start experimenting again. So I ran to the store, picked up the ingredients, and headed home. No vanilla for us. We are more “Ben & Jerry’s” kind of people. So I squished up the Oreos, and added them to a vanilla-based ice cream.

It was good, but it wasn’t great. As we tried a few spoonfuls, there was something missing. But we just couldn’t figure it out. Not enough vanilla? Too much milk? Too many Oreos?

So we ate the results, and vowed to try something new next time.

Now it’s time to relate my ice cream to marketing - you know I had to do it, right?

Marketing is a lot like making ice cream - you have to try different mix ins to find the perfect combination. And when you have a great mix, you still have to try other things to see if you can make things even better.

If you find a combination that gives you a decent income, what if you could change it just a little and find something that skyrocketed you to success? Wouldn’t you want to add that one extra ingredient?

I’ll be making one change to my ice cream recipe next time just to see if it makes a difference. Likewise, I make changes to my marketing on a regular basis to see what impact it has on my business.

What are you doing this summer?

So you want to go green?

So you want to get rid of your big SUV, and drive more effectively?

Maybe it’s time for a Zipcar.

I’ve seen this type of service before in big cities where most people more around via mass transit. But Zipcar is moving into small communities - which makes me think this is the way of the future.

Sounds like a great deal to me. You can rent a car for $9 an hour or $66 a day - gas, insurance and reserved parking included.

Let’s say you work out of your home and only need a car a couple days of the week. It includes gas and insurance, so you could save hundreds (maybe even thousands) per year. Hmm….

What I liked about this idea was  they’ve taken some of today’s largest issues, and turned it into a business opportunity. Green. High insurance rates. High gas prices. Huge car payments. All can be eliminated with this service.

Of course there is the convenience factor - but if you already have one car at home, and just need the second for those few days when you both have something planned, well, it just makes sense.

To bad they aren’t in Denver yet.

So, back to the business side of it. Every day a new business opportunity presents itself and gives someone the chance to open up a new, successful business. How did I learn about this idea? By following a trend report. I find ideas every day on Google News, magazines, listening to the radio - the opportunities really are endless.

It’s just a matter of listening to the marketplace, and giving them what they want.

Does it take a journalist to blog, or can anyone do it?

That’s the question that was raised in an article in my local newspaper this past weekend.

A reporter wrote an article on a blogger that was fighting a $25 million defamation lawsuit for something he wrote about another business owner. Journalists are taught what is acceptable and what isn’t in the world of reporting. But can bloggers go too far, and write in such a way that a lawsuit is brought up against them?

Or is it all just a scare tactic?

Journalism as a whole is changing every day. The younger the audience, the less likely they are to gather news in the same way as their parents. And it’s not just the 20 -somethings that are changing. I myself get almost 100% of my news from online sources. I haven’t watched news on tv in a long time (I don’t watch much tv anyway) and I only get the Sunday news for the comics and ads (there’s still something about sitting down and reading the comics with my daughter) and reading things like the book reviews. 

Blogging is perfectly safe - just keep these three things in mind.

1. Blogging creates a permanent record. Always think twice about your posts; list facts, references and resources; and make sure things are written the way you desire.

2. Use your blogs as an extension of your business and your expertise. Share your knowledge, and give people information about what you do. Don’t step out of your areas of expertise.

3. Instead of writing up certain issues - link to stories instead. Let your readers make their own opinions.

Do you have any stories about blogging, or ideas to stay safe online?

I’ve blogged on a variety of different social sites, everything from Facebook to LinkedIn. If there’s a new social site, I’ve probably tried it.

Today I found a new one that I love. It’s the Smart USA social site for people that love the Smart Car.

Social sites are all about common interests. They allow you to meet other people with common interests (in this case a love of the smart car) and talk about various issues surrounding your common interests.

If you haven’t tried out a few social sites, do it now. Login and create a profile, and share your information. It’s a lot of fun, and you never know who you’ll bump into.

Ask any business person what the hardest thing to do online is and chances are you’ll hear “drive traffic” and “create an email list” at the top of the list.

A website does you know good if you don’t use it to convert people into prospects and clients.

But what do you do when you have a list - a large list - and you’re at the forefront of your industry to build such a list?

That’s what Obama and the Democratic party is now asking.

Obama is running an amazing campaign in the online world, gathering millions of supporters on a variety of social sites. One million people have joined his Facebook account. Near one million accounts have been registered at my.barackobama.com And the lists continue to grow.

But how can you utilize this new technology and have it help you down the road?

“They solved the first challenge, which is: How do you get these people corralled on a list and activated?” Ruffini said of Obama’s campaign. “The question is: What are the action items if he takes the presidency? Is it just to spam Congress, or is it something deeper than that? But it will definitely be a formidable list, no matter how you slice it.”

Read the full article here.

Like so many things about this election, I love following it because of the uncharted territory we’re crossing. And because of my business background, these new issues of what to do with a large email list is even more interesting.

This past weekend I decided to run out and get three concert tickets to a local show. My husband Andrew mentioned he would like to attend, and I thought it would be a nice father’s day gift. On the website, they had a buy three get one free sale - so I could get four tickets for the price of three. Pretty good deal, eh?

Then the problem started surfacing.

The tickets were $25 a piece. Three for $75, plus one for free. Sounds like a good deal. So I logged on to their system and started the ordering process.

I chose my four pack, and started through the shopping cart. I added my name, address, and moved to the next screen.

All of sudden my $25 tickets rose to the magical price of $43 per ticket. What? Where did the extra $18 come from? That almost doubled the cost of my tickets.

It seems they add all kinds of fees, taxes - even a parking charge. So my $75 surprise was now almost $130! Yikes.

It’s not that I wouldn’t be willing to spend that. The point is I don’t like surprises. I saw $75, and was willing to pay $75. The $130 was a complete shock - and I shut down my account without completing the transaction.

When you sell your products and services, are you giving your customers the full details ahead of time? Can they make a decision based on all the facts, and do business without being shocked along the way?

If you really want and need a higher price for your products or services, don’t be afraid to charge what is needed. Your customers see the price and make a decision on what they see. They justify their need, determine their budget, and make a decision. Don’t be afraid to charge the higher price - just tell your customers throughout the process, and let them make the decision.

In many ways, its exactly the game the airlines are now playing too. You buy your ticket. You get ready for your flight. And then they surprise you by announcing you have to pay to get a bag on board. (Don’t they look at you as suspicious if you don’t have a bag?) 

Is it the economy? Is it the high fuel prices? Why are companies suddenly having a hard time charging what their products and services are worth? It’s all about integrity. You charge what you charge in order to stay in business. Don’t apologize for your prices. Don’t hide behind fees. Just give me the bottom line, and let me make my decision.

I guarantee you others (including your clients) are feeling the same way.

Oh, and by the way, we’re going to a different concert at another venue. And I paid exactly the price quoted on their website - no taxes or additional fees.

Ahhh … summertime. A time to relax, have a little fun, put your cares behind you … and worry about your business?

It just seems harder to get things done when the weather is warm. It’s difficult staying indoors. It’s lighter outside longer. And it’s just fun playing instead of working.

But every time you make a few positive moves, does it ever seem like you take a step back as well?

Last week I made some great connections, and I have a lot of activities coming up in the next two weeks. I’ll be meeting with a group of bloggers, a group of podcasters, taking on several new clients, and speaking to a group of wedding professionals in a teleclass with Marc Fuller.

At the same time, I have several new products/services that need to be put online, and a variety of client work that needs to be finished.

What  can you do to make sure it all gets done?

1. Take out a sheet of paper and write down your priorities. I do this at the start of each week - and I modify it on a daily basis. I place priority numbers along each task, and work on them in order of priority - not in order of my preference. I like to write, and if I ordered it in my preference, I would always be writing. But that wouldn’t do what’s best for my business.

2. Look at your tasks and break them down to a realistic goal. No, I can’t write a book in a week. But I can write 800 words per day, and complete (rough draft) a chapter a week. The more realistic you make your tasks, the more likely you’ll accomplish them.

3. Do three things a day to build your business. It could be sending an email to a potential client. Or talking with a complementary business owner about a new promotion. Or buying a mailing list for a postcard campaign. It’s all about marketing.

What steps are you taking to move forward?

Photo courtesy vancity197

All right, I found a fun thing to play with on a Friday morning (it can’t all be about work, can it?) Anyway, you answer a few questions, and it will let you know how much money you’re on track to make in the near future. Me, well, I’ll be worth a cool $15 million in 10 years.

 Guess it’s back to work.

15,850,678
How much money will you be worth?

I ran across a brand new site today that had me saying, “Now I’ve seen everything.”

Hate your ex-boss? Gone through a messy divorce? Had your friend stab you in the back? Now you can “lay them to rest” on a new cyber site, Ex Marks The Plot.

This site allows you to choose from one of four tombstones, design a “death” certificate, and even design a eulogy. Then you can send links to friends or even the deceased.

So from a marketing perspective, does it have any merit? Only time will tell. Do people really need to declare their breakup for all the world to see? But at the same time, with the popularity of reality tv, Dr Phil, and a host of other daytime talk shows, people love airing their dirty laundry. This may be just one more way for them to do it.