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CRM, or Customer Relationship Management Software, return on investment has not materialized. Interviews with companies that failed to deploy CRM effectively gleaned this:

1. CRM was rushed in as the “Next Best Thing.”
2. Excessive license fees and implementation costs.
3. Endless implementation time lines.
4. Technology complex deployment.
5. Organizational upheaval.
6. Poor adoption rates.
7. No real collaboration or communication with channels.
8. Elusive payback.
9. No after installation reconsideration of goals.
10. Unnecessary customization, including replication of legacy systems.
11. CRM simply mirrors existing, inefficient business practices.
12. Organizations unable to conform to best practices.
13. Failure of management to ask “How do we want to run sales? “
14. Inexperienced trainers.
15. Too much focus on current IT rather than business problem.
16. Lack of executive sponsorship.
17. Systems are complex and hard to learn.
18. Companies are over optimistic when evaluating capabilities.
19. Training is in-effective.

Your personal favorite may not be on the list. But one thing these reasons tend to have in common is that they emphasize the “R” – return side of the equation. It’s astonishing that no one states the obvious: A major reason CRM ROI has been so bad is due to the “I” being high to begin with and higher as the system is implemented, administered and maintained. This number is just way too big! Similarly, there is little attention that typical implementation takes months and that the cost of implementation services is often five or more times the cost of the software. Any one of these factors would be enough to cause misgivings about investing in an expensive CRM tool.

Why Pay High CRM Fees

The suffering Companies are paying 65 USD to well over 100USD per user per month, and receive no value. High fees put high pressure on the organization to force progress which may take time. Professional open source businesses are deploying alternatives to high priced CRM. This low or no cost software model lets the organization breathe; to gain value, to improve the deployment methods, training and support, creating user value and user adoption.

Open source Community software is a strong alternative to high priced software. CRM offerings, with high functionality and none of the pricing pressure, can be had for Free of very low cost. Remarkably, there is a free lunch; the open versions offer in many cases better functionality, more flexibility and higher usability.

Smart companies, part of a vibrant open source community, offer value added services to ensure CRM success; extensive user training programs and strong user support structures. This training, for fee, is onsite, web based, video and hard copy documentation, this support structure is live chat, forums, phone, and wikis. Communities are built to share best practices and even private forums are built for single companies. In doing this, CRM companies are breaking the shackles of high software cost and quickly delivering best of breed, CRM functionality which can be had for FREE. No software expense. The open source community changes the math in the ROI equation. The return is high because the investment is low.
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The customers you already have could be your biggest lead source, and you may not even realize it.

Think about it this way, every customer you have, most likely has brothers, sisters, parents, cousins, and friends, so why not tap into it.

Here are a few ideas to draw leads out of your current customers.

1. Whenever you come in contact with one of your customers, give them two of your business cards, and tell them directly that one is for them and the other is so they can refer someone to you.

Send them greeting cards on their birthday and on holidays with the same approach, this will keep you in their thoughts and they will be happy you were thinking of them.

2. Once you have closed the sale with a new customer, be sure to send them a thank you to let them know how grateful you are for their business.

However, don’t send it to their home, send it to their place of employment. By sending it to their place of employment, all of their co-workers will want to know who sent it and why. So now your customer will be forced to tell all of his co-workers all about you! And don’t forget the business cards.

3. Every three months designate some time out of your evening, lets say about an hour or so. Put together a list of customers names that have become new to you in the last three months. Give them a follow up call to see how everything is going, and if they have any questions you could possibly answer for them. While you have them on the phone, inform them of the second reason you are calling, and that would be to see if they had anybody in mind that they could refer to you.

If they say no, than thank them and tell them to have a good evening. Don’t say things like “are you sure?” Or “would you like to think about it?” Just thank them and hang up.

Believe me, this technique works, for every twenty customers you call, at least one will refer someone to you.

Your current customers are by far one of your greatest referral sources, so don’t think of them as statistics only, go after more of their business, and that of their friends and family.
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The main reason why 95% of online businesses fail is because of poor sales letter. Write your sales letter with an Individual in mind; think as if you are writing personally to them. People love to read good stories, tell them stories that illustrate a point you are trying to make.
1.Heading.
Write attention grabbing & powerful heading. Remember you have 15 seconds or less to capture your visitors attention before they click away. Offer the best benefits or the biggest promise to your visitors. Increase their curiosity by showing them self-serving benefits. Your heading should immediately create a desire in the reader to want to know more.
2. Testimonials
One of the biggest problems on the internet is being believed. Testimonials are the best way to assure people that you are not a scam artist. People want to know what others are saying about the product. In fact, a good testimonial from respected well-known authorities within your targeted field will definitely build your credibility & boost sales. Try to include a testimonial as close to the top of your sales letter as you will get people immediately believing what you say even before they read your sales letter.
3. Build Interest.
Build interest in your reader by discussing a problem or telling a story. The first part of your sales letter should build interest in your readers and try to expand the benefits you got people excited about in your headings. People love to read stories, so tell them some exciting story of your past experience, but remember the story should be within your targeted field.
4. Bullets.
Bullets are one of the most powerful persuader in sales letter. People spend a lot of time reading bulleted list. Bullets arose the curiosity of your visitor, so use them to stress the benefits of your products or services and spell out exactly what is included in your offer. Make you bullets like a mini heading. Use them to narrate the benefits of your products in a step-by-step way.
5. Comparison.
To prove that your product or services is of a great value you need to show them what you are offering is much better them your competitors. Show them that others are charging much more for a less quality product then yours. Explain them that they are getting a better deal by ordering from you. This way you can prove your products or services are of a great value.
6. Bonuses
Make your offer different & valuable by adding some good products as bonuses. Do not give away outdated junk as a bonus it will damage the credibility of your main product. Your bonuses should be as good as they could sell on their own. Remember sometimes people buy the main product just because of the bonuses.
7. Guarantee.
If you have a good product then there is no need to worry about offering a strong guarantee. Make your guarantee look like a personal promise. Try to convince your visitors that they have nothing to lose all the burden is on you to deliver what you promised.
8. Demand Immediate Action
Include a deadline to create a sense of urgency in the mind of your customer. Nobody wants to make a decision, so let your customer know that they will be missing out on a great deal if they do not act now.
9. What to do next?
Do not make your customer guess what you want them to do next. Tell them clearly that “Click here” to order or get immediate access. Make this process as simple & understanding as you can.
10. P.S.
P.S. is very important part of your sales letter as most of your site visitors will immediately scroll down to the end of your page to find out how much it would cost.
A P.S. is a best place to summarize your product or services as visitor checking your price will also have a detailed description of what they will get if they order now.
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips, hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to guides on sales letters, query letters, bylines, with solutions , do please browse for more information at our websites.
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“Persuasion is grounded in basic scientific practical and learnable principles.” — Harvard Business Review

Have you ever find it difficult to say no to your friends, colleagues and family members? Ever felt trapped into buying something you didn’t really want or hoodwinked into saying yes? Time and again, people in every culture have developed certain predictable reactions to common situations in the persuasion process. It is because of these reactions to certain stimuli that make it possible to predict behavior and for that reason to persuade. Unfortunately it is also these same reactions that make it possible to manipulate or be manipulated by unscrupulous individuals.

Politicians, sales professionals, network marketers, insurance agents, colleagues, friends and family members all have an interest in you agreeing to their requests. So how do you know whether you have been manipulated unfairly or ethically persuaded?

Although this article looks at the Seven Principles of Persuasion that govern getting to “yes”. And you would have already know your success largely depends upon your ability to persuade and influence others to accept and adopt your point of view. I assert to you that in addition to this, there is a direct correlation between your ability to persuade others and the level of income you receive.

Therefore, knowledge of these Seven Principles of Persuasion would certainly empower you.

Principle #1: PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCATION

This principle states that when we give something of apparent value, people will respond with a desire to offer something in return.

According to Bob Stone, professor of Direct Marketing at the Northwestern University and founder of his own direct marketing advertising agency, Stone and Adler, Inc.: “It’s not at all unusual for the right gift to increase the response by 25 percent or more.”

It is no wonder that super salesmen like Zig Ziglar have made this the foundation of how they operate. Zig has always said this: “You can have whatever you want as long as you help enough people to first get what they want.” We can see this powerful principle in practice all around us. Supermarkets offer free samples, car dealers offer test drives, health clubs free workouts, builders offer free surveys and so forth so that potential customers try out the product or service and at the same time become indebted at some psychological level.

It is also common practice, at Tupperware home parties, for the presenter to give away an inexpensive Tupperware item or product sample. And reciprocation is further reinforced by the generous offer of free refreshments and tidbits – This technique further obligates the partygoers to the host and the company.

You can build a sense of indebtedness in someone by delivering a number of uninvited “first favors” over time. They don’t have to be tangible gifts. In today’s world, useful information is one of the most valuable favors you can deliver.

Another form of reciprocity at work is “risk-reversal”. In marketing, this is offering a guarantee on the products so that you can overcome a prospect’s innate aversion to “taking a risk” and buying the product. With a guarantee, the risk is no longer on the buyer. By reversing the risk, much more sales are made and the customer and vendor are both satisfied. How can you apply “risk-reversal” in your life to get whatever you want? Let me demonstrate by the example of Napoleon Hill, best selling author of “Think and Grow Rich”.

Napoleon Hill chose his future employer right out of college even though his future employer didn’t know about it. Here’s how he got the job. He went to the employer and essentially said, “Let me work for you for two weeks and I’ll pay you for the opportunity. Let what I pay you be drawn against my future earnings. At the end of two weeks, if you don’t like me, I’ll leave. If you like me, you hire me at the rate I’m paying you for the opportunity to show myself.”

Of course the employer immediately jumped at this idea. A fortnight later, Napoleon Hill had the job he had set out to get. Why did this work? It worked because he helped overcame the employer’s reluctance to hire an unproven fresh graduate. View it from the employer’s perspective, he either got an excellent employee after two weeks or he got someone to pay him two weeks of wages and two weeks of free labor. For Hill’s employer, it was totally “Risk-Free”.

Can you think of three ways you can apply “risk-reversal” in your life to get more of what you want right now?

Principle #2: PRINCIPLE OF CONTRAST

This principle states that when two different items or circumstances are placed close together, their differences will be made more apparent.

“We can do this the hard way… or we can do this the easy way.” — Gangster Movie Script

I’m not advocating any acts of criminal intimidation here, but there is something to learn from the above quote. The way the Principle of Contrast goes like this – You offer your prospect two choices. One choice will be so ‘bad’ that no one in his or her right mind would take it. The second choice, the one you want them to take, will seem in contrast to be the most attractive.

For example when two homes are in similar neighborhoods, real estate agents will usually say, “Before we look at the $500,000 home we should really take a look at the $350,000 home.” The more expensive home will always have more features and it is the last home the prospective home buyer will see. Psychologically as the last home is a much more decorated than the first, the less expensive home will appear a lot less attractive to the prospective home buyer.

Here’s another example: Retail store salespersons will always sell you the suit first, then offer you “add on” items like ties, belts, cardigans, etc. The additional $45 to $150 for the extras is considerably less compared to the $800 suit. These retail store salespersons would never sell you the $45 item first, then try to persuade you to “add on” the suit! By the way, do you remember the last time when you availed yourself to a product and what items you were asked to buy in addition to your original purchase?

Remember when using the Principle of Contrast, we must always start with the choice that no one in his or her right mind would take first. It’s only then that the choice we want our prospects, loved ones or friends to take will be readily accepted.

Principle #3: PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY

“It is easier to resist in the beginning than at the end.” — Leonardo da Vinci

Research shows that we humans have a nearly obsessive desire to be and appear consistent. Once we’ve made a decision or taken a stand, we feel pressure to act in ways consistent with that commitment. Usually once a decision is made, we usually don’t have to think about it any more.

If you are in insurance or network marketing sales, have you ever had prospects cancel appointments with you at the last minute? In a similar situation back in 1998, a certain Chicago restaurant owner was all ruffled up with last minute cancelled reservations. He solved his problem by asking his receptionists to modify just two words of what they said to patrons requesting a reservation. These two words reduced the no-show rate from 30% to 10%. The magic within these words was that they tapped the human desire to be consistent. The receptionist modified her usual request from “Please call if you have to change your plans” to “Will you please call if you have to change your plans?” At this point, she would deliberately pause and just wait for a response. The pause was critical because it encouraged the customer to make a public commitment. This principle also worked well for my clients in the insurance industry.

Have you ever wondered why is it difficult for a person to leave a cult? That’s because cult members are unconsciously trying to justify their earlier assurance to their families and friends that no one is ordering them around and that they had chosen to do what they did.” With such public commitment or declaration, getting out can make these cult members feel really guilty.

In a coaching scenario, if a coach can create a situation in which his client or group makes an active verbal or written commitment, particularly if this is done in public, the chances of compliance shoot up dramatically. In reality, the magic of written goals derives its power from the client’s desire to be consistent. A second way to use the Principle of Consistency to persuade is for the coach to frame his request as related to a commitment his client has made earlier on. For instance, “I know how committed you are to your family. The diligent application of the time management tools we are talking about will free you up for more quality family time, don’t you agree?”

Principle #4: PRINCIPLE OF LIKING

This principle states that people prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like.

The Master Persuader will always emphasize certain factors and/or attributes to increase their overall attractiveness and subsequent effectiveness. He will always use the following factors:

A) Physical Attractiveness
Majority of the population form conclusions about people within the first four minutes they meet. Research has shown that 93% of the time we are judged based on first impression and the remaining 7% is based on our real abilities.

This means that sales professionals such as insurance, real estate agents with good dress sense are perceived as physically attractive and therefore more likely to influence more prospects to use their services.

Physical attractiveness also gives the impression of intelligence and kindness. As a result, attractive sales professionals and motivational speakers are more persuasive both in terms of changing others’ attitudes towards the business and getting what they request.

B) Similarity
We like people who are like ourselves and are therefore more willing to say yes to their requests, often without much critical consideration.

C) Praise
Sincere and lavish compliments almost certainly enhances liking. Remember Dale Carnegie? He advised all who wants to win friends and influence people to be hearty in their approbation and lavish in their praise.

Research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that inaccurate praise also induces the same intensity of liking for the flatterer. In fact, men will sacrifice their lives for praise, honor and recognition. Intrinsically, we crave and yearn for a boost to our esteem. We all wear an imaginary badge that says, “Please make me feel important.” And ironically most people would never think of physically harming someone or depriving them of food and water, yet often without reservation we will harm someone emotionally or deprive them of love and appreciation! To be a Master Persuader, we should make it a habit to give genuine sincere praise to someone every day. Don’t wait for a reason or for something big to happen. Be generous with your praise. Praise simply makes others more open to persuasion.

D) Increased Familiarity & Frequency
Repeat contact between a prospect and direct sales professionals (like insurance agents and network marketers) always facilitates liking and influence the prospect’s decision to join the business. This principle explains the necessity to follow-up with your prospects. According to the ‘McGraw Hill Sales Statistical Studies’, 96% of all sales happen after 5.6 exposures to information (and, most importantly, the persuasive presenter).

Principle #5: PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY & POWER

This principle states that most people have a very strong tendency to obey authority figures and they also prefer products, services and opportunities that are endorsed by people whom they believe to be credible.

From a very young age, we are trained to obey. First our parents (and by default all adults), then teachers, policemen, managers and so on. Eventually it defaults to anyone who seems to be our superior. We thus divide the world into those who are superior to us (and who are thus to be obeyed) and those who are inferior (and who should obey us). We also must be cautious not to equate superiority with authority.

Stanley Milgram was a famous Yale psychologist who is most remembered for his work with obedience to authority. Deeply disturbed by what had happened in Germany during World War II, Milgram carried out an experiment to find out whether it was indeed true, as many Nazi collaborators claimed, that ordinary people could be made to commit unspeakably cruel acts under the influence of authority figures.

Posing as an education researcher, Milgram hired an actor to pose as a “student” in the experiment and told his subjects he was studying “learning.” The actor was hooked up to wires that, Milgram explained to his subjects, would deliver a shock whenever they pulled a lever. In his role as experimenter and authority figure clad in a white lab coat, Milgram instructed his subjects to deliver greater and greater shocks to the actor whenever he got answers wrong on a series of learning tests. The actor would howl theatrically in pain and often feign a heart attack before passing out.

How many subjects do you think continued to administer shocks to the actor to the point that they reached the dangerously fatal level? Sixty-eight percent of them obeyed orders to punish the actor! By donning on a white lab coat, Milgram had undoubtedly created an atmosphere of authority.

“The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority.” — Stanley Milgram, Yale University Psychologist

During one of my training trips to China, I actually came across an advertisement billboard that promotes a certain hospital in a large city. The billboard actually features their team of top medical specialists all donned in surgeon’s cap and white lab coats.

Robert Kiyosaki, the best selling author of ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ and popular guru of wealth creation, has helped many decide to join Network Marketing when he strongly endorses this industry in his landmark book ‘The Business School for People Who Like Helping People.’ This principle also explains why so many network marketers are approaching medical professions in this business. Whenever doctors join network marketing opportunities and endorse any products, it is usually perceived as credible.

Anyone offering his or her experience, expertise or credentials are harnessing the power of authority. Of course there is nothing wrong with these claims providing they are real because we all want the opinions and ideas of true experts.

You can put this principle to use by citing authoritative sources to support your ideas. Look and act like an authority yourself. Be sure others know that your research, education and experience support your ideas. Complement the Principle of Authority & Power with the Principle of Liking, dress like the people who are already in the positions of authority that you seek.

Principle #6: PRINCIPLE OF CONFORMITY

This principle states that people prefer beliefs, products, services and opportunities that are popular or part of a trend.

This principle is also known as the “Bandwagon Effect” and is closely associated with the Principle of Authority and Power. One way we decide what is correct is to find out what others think is right. Or when everyone else is behaving in a certain manner, most would assume that is the right thing to do. For example, one of the important, and largely unconscious, ways we decide what is acceptable behavior on our current job is by watching the people around us, especially the higher-ups or old timers.

When attempting to persuade, you may wish to include accounts of others’ positive reactions to the suggested action. This is especially effective if the people cited are those that the person perceives as similar to self in some ways. In team building, you can use the power of positive people on your team to help you influence others to choose helpful and constructive behavior.

At the corporate level, more and more companies are donating a percentage of their profits to charitable organizations. They are doing this because it has been proven in a study that 70 percent of consumers believe that cause-related marketing helps to solve social problems. And when the product’s price and quality are the same, these consumers are more likely to switch to a brand that’s associated with a good cause. Even more surprisingly, more than half of these consumers are willing to pay more for a product when it is associated with a cause they care about.

The Principle of Conformity kicks in even more strongly when the situation is uncertain or people aren’t sure what to do. When you can show them what others like themselves believe or are doing, people are more likely to take the same action. The 1997 mass suicide among the Heaven’s Gate cult followers in Southern California is an example of the negative power of this principle.

Principle #7: PRINCIPLE OF SCARCITY

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” — G.K. Chesterton

This principle essentially says that people desire more of those things that seem to be scarce. Also when a person believes that something he might want is scarce, that something becomes even more valuable.

Nearly everyone is vulnerable to some form of the Principle of Scarcity. Opportunities seem more valuable when they are less available. Hard-to-get things are perceived as better than easy-to-get things. Why do you think the “limited time offer” is so common in advertising? Because it works! The retailer indicates that a decision must be made now or within a short period of time, or the price will go up or the opportunity will no longer be available. The desire to acquire the scarce item is increased further when we believe that someone else might get it and hence gain a higher social position that we might have possessed.

The Principle of Scarcity also works in calculating the value of an item. If it is rare or becoming rare, it is more valuable. According to the Principle of Scarcity, the more time a lawyer has available in his schedule, the less prospects and clients will value his services. But as the lawyer grow busier and has less time available, prospects and clients see his services as increasingly more valuable.

Likewise many novice insurance agents seemed to be begging for an appointment, “Pete, I hope you don’t mine me asking, are you free on Tuesday at 7pm? I’ve got this interesting investment to show you.” And the answer most often given is “no.” The experienced insurance agent (EIA) however will leverage on the Principle of Scarcity by implying he has a tight schedule, with only certain days and time slot available.

EIA: I can’t meet you on Wednesday, Thursday is also packed. How about Friday at 4pm? I have a 20 minutes slot free then.

Prospect: Wow! Business must be good for you! Okay, let’s meet on Friday at 4pm.

By the way, the Principle of Scarcity also has applications in our personal lives. Do you recall the proverb, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”? Well, on one occasion, I actually sat down with a sobbing course participant who declares his undying devotion and willingness to do “anything” for his wife who has just walked out on him because of years of neglect and being taken for granted.

IS THIS MANIPULATION?

Some of you may be wondering out loud, “Aren’t the above tactics manipulative?” Perhaps, if that’s the way you choose to use them. That’s a matter of personal integrity and ethics. My assumption is that you will exercise integrity when applying these Principles of Persuasion. It is my sincere belief that using these principles to persuade people to think or act in ways that are in their own best interests as well as yours will certainly help everyone become even more successful. The Seven Principles of Persuasion are incredibly powerful and can be combined in numerous ways to your advantage.
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Well, you’ve finished writing and editing your e-book, so now it’s time to sell it. And when you sell it, you have to get it to your readers as quickly as possible.

Much of the attraction of e-books is that they can be bought and received instantly. There is (or should be) no shipping delay. Within minutes of reading your great sales copy, someone should be able to purchase and download your e-book on the spot.

If your business is not set up for e-commerce, someone else who is set up for it will get your sale. If you think you can just wait to get an e-mail order and reply with your e-book as an attachment, then you just don’t get it. So forget completely about taking phone orders or fax orders for your e-books.

Instant e-book delivery is the way to go. Not only is the customer a happier customer because your e-book can be delivered on the spot, but you save yourself printing, shipping, and postage costs.

To deliver your e-book on the spot, you will need to set up your business for e-commerce. This means you need a shopping cart. I use Kick Start Cart (http://www.KickStartCart.com) to sign up for your own account or to get more information about this great system. You can also get a free e-book on how to choose a good shopping cart and delivery system by visiting the following website: http://HowtoUseaShoppingCart.com

As a bonus, when you have your shopping system established and it’s ready to go, you can use it on an infinite number of websites, to sell an infinite variety of e-books. The more sites you configure with your shopping system, the cheaper your costs are per site.

You should know that you can sign-up with services that will sell your e-books for you, but the smart money is on using a one-stop shopping system on your own sites. You can configure them easily to deliver your e-book and you can start pulling in sales and giving customers what they want, when they want it.
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It is a well known and widely accepted fact, that E-books….FREE E-books…are one of the best weapons in a viral marketing campaign arsenal. Here are four good reasons why this is true today and will continue to be true for the foreseeable future:

1. E-books are cheap to produce and don’t take long to set up. If you have articles that you have already written about the subject you are promoting, you can simply combine these articles into an E-book. If, on the other hand, writing isn’t your forte, you can use rebrandable E-books that have been produced by others. Just use your favorite search engine and do a web search for “rebrandable E-books”. You will get a lot of hits and have many to choose from. One way to distribute these E-books to visitors to your website is to give them as a free gift for subscribing to your newsletter. If your E-book contains material that people will want to share with their friends and family, they will pass it along to them… they will pass it along to others…and you will make money.

2. E-books are capable of reaching a large audience. The only limiting factor is the enthusiasm or the participants. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that your E-book contain something that people will want to share like timely information or humor. Remember that people like to know something that the rest of the world needs to know. They will pass along something that makes them look like they are in-the-know.

3. E-books are a way to sell other products other than the one you originally targeted. For example; if you are selling garden products, your customers could also be interesting in E-books about lawns, trees landscaping, etc.

4. E-books are effective in building your reputation. It is an implied recommendation if you give a quality E-book and users willing pass on to others.

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It’s so easy to annoy and drive away your website visitors without even realizing it. Ensuring your site is user-friendly–and not annoying–is one of the most important factors in creating a successful online presence.

To guarantee your website is ready for traffic, consider the following 5 points before kicking your advertisements into high gear:

1. Remove any “under construction” signs.

People are visiting your website because your promotional message triggered their fancy. Nobody wants to be directed to a site that holds a welcome message and a sign that states, “under construction.”

Frankly, sending traffic to unfinished website only defeats the purpose of advertising in the first place.

The idea is to cater to visitors, as long as possible, in hopes of getting them to join your list or to buy. Neither is possible when you’re promoting a site that isn’t ready to accommodate the traffic it receives.

2. Create your subscription forms.

You can’t walk without putting one foot in front of the other. The same holds true for your mailing lists… You can’t build a list without offering plenty of sign up forms.

To prepare, place the forms in a prominent box on your web pages and offer an incentive to join.

- Know who you’re talking to and speak to them directly.
- Address the problems that your list will solve for them.
- Answer your prospect’s question, “What’s in it for me?”
- Ask them to take specific action to join.

This not only makes your mailing list enticing for newcomers, it also allows you to connect with them after they’re gone.

3. Include an easy-to-use navigational system.

The truth is, your visitors are going to be pressed for time. This is the way of the world-wide-web and the more you can do to make surfing your site — EASIER — the better!

A navigational system using understandable links or buttons that lead deeper into your site, as well as making sense to the end-user, is nothing short of surfing bliss!

If all else fails, use a site map page!

4. Work smarter… not harder. (Build it one section at a time)

If you’re creating a large site, rather than using “under construction pages” that cut off the natural surfing flow for visitors, consider building it one section at a time.

If you’re erecting a home and garden site, decide what to put in front of the public first; the home section or the garden area. Then proceed to build it.

The great thing about structuring web pages in this fashion is how nicely your website will flow, while the rest of the site is being designed offline!

5. Think community!

People like to feel as if they’re a part of something special. Your job, as a site owner, is to make this a reality for every person who visits your website.

- Be yourself and let your personality shine through.
- Offer more than a quick one-liner in your outgoing emails.
- Think relationships first - sales second.
- ASK visitors what their pressing problems are and help solve them.
- Provide adequate community tools and add to them, frequently.
- Provide tons of free information to help educate your end-users.

Every person, who is a part of a target market, shares common traits with others in that community. That’s a fact! I suggest you build your site around these shared attributes. You simply can’t go wrong with this mindset.

Before you tackle the job of website promotion, make sure your website meets all the criteria listed above to guarantee it is ready for the traffic surge it is about to receive.

Now… go forth and promote for prosperity!

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Almost all webmasters or website owners are looking for ways to get better results from their websites. They wish to improve their site’s standing and get better rankings in search engines. This quest for improved results, known as search engine positioning, can be satisfied by following a few basic procedures.

Before you even begin, you have to realize that you are competing against hundreds, and in some categories, thousands of websites offering similar products and services. In the case of affiliate marketing, many of the competing websites may even be identical! If you want to get the edge over these competitors and improve your search engine positioning you have to fine-tune your website and actively work to make it better.

1. Make Sure that your design is search engine friendly:

Your design may look good to your eyes, but it may also be the cause of you present difficulties and poor search engine positioning. How is that possible? Look at your web page using a text editor or the html view of popular editors such as Dreamweaver and Frontpage. On what line does your first line of copy begin? If your actual copy is pushed far down the page, it is more difficult for search engines to pick up the crucial information that would have helped you to improve your web page ranking.

If you have this difficulty, first take out all unnecessary spaces in the html code. If there are long strings of java script, put these in external files. Similarly, put style information in external Cascading Style Sheet files. Simplifying your table structure may also help. If this starts getting too complicated for you, then consult with a professional search engine positioning specialist or your web designer.

2. Make sure your keywords are strategically placed in your copy:

It is not possible to improve web page ranking if the readable copy on your web page does not contain the words you wish to be found by. Many people erroneously think that just putting your important keywords in meta tags is enough. This is not true, some search engines hardly use the meta tags and look more to the copy on the page. Make sure that your important copy is in the first paragraph of text, in headlines (using headers such as H1, H2, H3) and in the active or clickable portions of link text on your page.

3. Use a site map and text link navigation on your pages:

If you want to improve your search engine positioning for all the pages of your website then you have to be sure that these pages actually get indexed or included in the search engines. You can help this process along by making a site map, a web page that has text links to all the sub pages of your site. Another good practice is to include a text link navigation system on your web pages, even if you already have a graphics based navigation bar elsewhere on these same pages. Remember, search engines follow text links more easily. A robot that lands on your main page or site map page will follow the text links and then visit and index your lower level pages.

4. Increase the quantity and quality of inbound links:

In fiercely competitive categories it will be difficult to improve web page ranking without obtaining a good number of links to your page from other websites. If you have very good and valuable copy, other sites may link to you because you are a valuable resource. However, if you want to speed this process along you will have to actively request links from other websites, either by trading links or by getting your content (with a link back to your site) placed on other websites.
When it comes to links you should keep in mind one important principle: it is not the quantity of links that is important, but the quality. One good link from an authority site such as CNN or Wikipedia is worth more than dozens of links from other sites. To get these quality links, there is no short cut. You will have to earn it by having a site that provides a lot of useful information.

5. Keep up with Search Engine Developments:

The challenge of improving your web page ranking and search engine positioning is dynamic. Search engines are not static. Most of the big search engines of yesterday have disappeared or are only minor players today. You should keep up with changes in the world of search engines by taking part in online forums or subscribing to newsletters which deal with topics such as search engine optimization, web ranking, and general webmaster related issues.

For years I have been getting great information from the Led Digest, a subscription list which is sent out several times a week. You can see samples online at www.led-digest.com

If you do not have the expertise or the time to tackle these matters by yourself then you should take advantage of skilled professionals who can help you to improve your site’s performance in search engines. Whether you rely on professionals or are able to do it yourself, these five tips can provide a good point of reference for starting the work.

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Owning a website gives you certain rights. For example, you have the right to plaster your URL all over the doors and windows of your SUV in hopes that someone in one of the 7 cars you pass on the way to work will get the urge to visit your website and spend gobs of money. You own the website-this is your right. You also have the right to post pictures of your family, friends, pets, and other totally uninteresting images all over your website after all it’s yours. One of the biggest rights you have as a webmaster is the right to make your website successful (and profitable) or to run it into the ground like a 737 missing both engines and landing gear. For those of you who despise online success and frown upon the wealths of cyberspace I have compiled a list of 5 ways to ruin any website.

1. Make Your Website As Cluttered As Possible

Nothing makes visitors leave quicker than a cluttered website that is hard to navigate around. So if you want people to flee from your site like it’s a rabid wolf then be sure to put as much junk as you can on the homepage. Then make the links to the rest of the website hard to find. Be sure to have lots and lots of pictures, forms, banners and pop-ups as well. All the relevant information should be well hidden, and the main focus should appear to be the countless programs you want visitors to sign up for. That should keep any pesky visitors from ever coming back.

2. Never Update Your Website

If someone were to visit your website today and then come back 6 months from now they should see the same information. Nothing should be updated. This will let them know that you care nothing about the website and that you have nothing new to offer them. The next time they see a listing for your website they won’t even bother to visit. Great!

3. Never Ever Advertise

Advertising cost money and it might draw some good targeted traffic to your website. So be sure to never advertise. You can just keep promoting your website through those same tired free programs that you have been using for years. This should bring you little or no traffic, and the traffic that does come won’t be your target audience so they’re almost certain to leave without spending a dime. Awesome!

4. Always Sell A Crappy Product

Selling good products online can get you a good reputation. A good reputation can get you repeat sales and new customers. You don’t want all this hassle. So find the worst products you can and sell them exclusively. This should damage your reputation to the point where no one wants to bother buying from your site. Be sure to lie about your product too. This will further ruin any kind of credibility you may have.

5. Never Respond To Any Questions

If someone emails you with a question about your website or products on your website, Do Not Reply. Replying could be considered courteous and businesslike. You don’t want to come off that way. It’s better to just delete any emails from people who were interested enough in your website to take the time to email. Hopefully this will drive them to one of your competitors websites and out of your hair.

There you have it folks. Five great ways to ruin any website. So don’t blame me if you don’t follow these tips and you become an online success story. I’ve done all I can to try and help out. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to write down the URL that’s airbrushed on the hood of this Ford Explorer beside me…

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The lifeblood of any website/ecommerce business is traffic, and every webmaster knows the best type of traffic is natural, organic search engine traffic. There are two very important reasons for this: (1) it is extremely targeted, and (2) It is FREE! The hard part is getting top ranking for your sites keywords… or is it? The purpose of this article is to provide a few simple, effective, and most important, search engine friendly strategies to help boost your websites’ ranking and ultimately your traffic.

1. We will start with the Meta Tags. I know you have already heard of, and are probably currently using meta tags on your site. This is great. I just want to make sure you are using them effectively. We will only go over 2 tags: the “title” tag, and the “description” tag. We will not go over the “keywords” tag, as the major search engines have placed less and less weight on this one, and some would argue this tag has no weight at all. I still use this tag however, as I feel there is some merit and no drawbacks to using this tag.

I have found it effective to use similar text in the “title” and “description” tags, and to place your keywords prominently in these tags (near the beginning and more than once). I have seen sites with “sitename.com”, “New Page 1″, or “Welcome to my site” in the “title” tag, which really does not help in their quest for higher rankings for their particular keyword. Also, try not to use words such as “and”, “or”, or “the” in these tags.

**Important note about your keywords. Search engines evaluate keyword prominence, keyword weight, and keyword density when determining a site’s ranking. All three are calculated individually for the page, the title tag, the description tag, as well as other areas on a page. Keyword prominence means how close the keyword is to the beginning of your page. Keyword weight refers to how many times a particular keyword or phrase can be found on the page. Keyword density is the ratio of the keyword to the other words on the page. You do not want the keyword weight or density to be too high, as this can appear to the search engine as “keyword stuffing” and most search engines penalize sites that stuff their keywords.

2. Place your navigational links (and JavaScript) at the right or at the bottom, but not on the left, of the page. When the search engines “read” your site, they read from the top left to the bottom right. Search engines place an emphasis on the first 100 words or text on the site. You do not want these words to be navigational links or Javascript. Ideally, you want to have your heading tags with your keywords in the beginning of your page. This being said, placing your links/JavaScript on the right or bottom of your page ensures the search engine spiders get to the text first, giving more weight to what’s important on your page.

3. Place alt tags on all of your images. Search engine spiders cannot “read” pictures or images. The only way a spider knows what an image is about is by reading the alt tag. This is also another chance to place more of your keywords in your HTML, improving your page’s keyword weight/density. Alt tags are easy to make and they can make a big difference in your sites keyword ranking. A simple alt tag looks like this: alt=”put your keyword phrase here.” Search engines separately calculate keyword prominence, density, and weight in alt tags as well, so optimize your tags.

4. Place your keywords at the bottom of your page. Just as search engines place more weight on the first words of your page, they also do the same to the last words. The general thinking is this, if your site is about a certain subject, then the main points, or keywords, should, appear at the beginning, be spread throughout the page, and be prominent at the conclusion. But if you have all of your navigational links and JavaScript at the bottom, your relevant page text could end well before the HTML does. An easy way to have your keywords at the bottom of your page is to include them in the copyright information. For example, if you have a dog food website, you could have something like this at the very bottom of the page:

copyright 2005 yoursite.com
World’s best dog food

Search engines are not (as of this writing), penalizing sites using this technique, and it wouldn’t really make much sense for them to do so.

5. The Anchor Text of your links. Anchor text is the actual linking text on a site. It is what the user clicks on to navigate to that particular site or page. If a search engine finds many links to your site using the term “dog food”, then the search engine concludes your site is about “dog food”. This is overlooked quite often, but it seems to have a very large impact on your search engine rankings for a particular keyword. Your anchor text needs to be the keyword or phrase you are trying to target. Try to avoid anchor text such as “Click Here” or “yoursite.com”

Also, if you’re running a reciprocal link campaign, be sure to use variations of your text. If an engine notices every link to your site is identical, it could place less weight on these links or potentially penalize your site. This is because search engines generally give more weight to “naturally occurring” links, and less to “reciprocal link exchange campaigns”. Using different, but relevant anchor text can dramatically affect your targeted keyword rankings, by making your links appear more natural.

Effective SEO may seem difficult at first, but as you have read above, little tricks that require little or no programming knowledge, can make a huge impact on your website’s keyword ranking.

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