Casual Articles - Internet and Businesses Online

Direct Mail Strategies: How To Get a 50% D.M. Response Rate With A Stroke Of The Pen
Did you know that your clients and customers are getting hit with approximately 3,000 advertising messages a day! This barrage of advertising noise is making it increasingly difficult for prospective customers to hear what your business has to offer.So, what can a business do to break through this noise and actually have their messages heard by their targeted customers? Many businesses have just simply started to advertise more and louder…which simply compounds the overall problem. Some have tried gimmicks and sales. Still others have simply accepted a stagnant business growth model.However, a few have begun to see huge success with a 2,000 year old tool that has none of the sexiness of a celebrity endorsement or the award winning graphics of a Madison Avenue Advertising firm. That tool is a simple handwritten note.• A Midwestern restaurant owner sent out a series of handwritten notes to his customers and had a 20% response rate.• A financial planner in the Northeast sent out just 80 handwritten notes to touch base with prospects and had 6 people call him and 2 set appointments.• A non-profit was able to get

. It's just that I have received correspondence from other direct marketers online concerned about the low sales of their websites only to find out that whenever that person sent traffic to their site, the traffic was going to their home page rather than to a page that spoke directly to the needs and desires of the visitor.

Alrighty then? Traffic time.

There are only 3 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.
3) Steal it.

Since #3 is not an option we're going to consider, that leaves us with "buy it" and "borrow it".

Before we go any further, let's talk about the "Holy Grail" of web traffic. What is it? FREE TRAFFIC! I want it. You want it. Every disillusioned internet marketer wants it.

Here's the truth..

Grandma Says...
Southern grandmothers have often said, “there are only three times a respectable person’s name should be in the paper: when you are born, when you are married, and when you die.” This is the one area in which I part company with my grandmothers. Publicity is more critical today for the success of a business than it has ever been. Why do I believe it’s critical? Let’s review what publicity – particularly publicity in business and trade publications - can do for your business.

If you're feeling a bit of confusion and frustration about how to get visitors to your website and generate more sales, I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way until I stopped listening to every "big time" marketer that came along with the latest traffic generating trick.

You've got dozens of gurus vying for your attention and every one of them has the solution to all of your problems. Right? The proliferation of messages that promise a traffic explosion using new techniques can become overwhelming.

Time out.

Take a deep breath.

Sit back in your chair.

Relax.

Now, if you will focus your energy on a very short list of traffic generation strategies that actually DO work, and commit to continually improving your skills in these few areas, you will be amazed at what you can achieve... WILL achieve.

Websites come in a wide variety of flavors, including...

- Minisites designed to sell individual products
- Portal sites designed to sell a broad selection of products
- Content sites designed to provide information

Of the above site species (minisites, portal sites and content sites), which do you think has the best chance of selling a product and putting income in your bank account?

ANSWER: Minisites.

Let's talk about web traffic.

Imagine 5 different internet users going to Google, MSN, Yahoo or whatever their favorite search engine happened to be, and each individual enters one of the following search queries:

Search #1: hazards

Search #2: household hazards

Search #3: chemical household hazards

Search #4: chemical household hazards for infants

Search #5: protecting infants from chemical household hazards

If you had a website that sold a device that guaranteed the safety of infants by locking cabinets containing hazardous household chemicals, which of the above visitors do you think would be most likely to buy what you're selling? I know. I hear you. "That's pretty obvious, Ron."

We want internet user #5 most. We may also want #3 and #4. Do we want #1 and #2? Maybe... Maybe not. The answer to that is going to depend on what it takes to get them to our site. But before we attempt to answer that question, HERE'S SOMETHING CRITICAL...

My Question to You: "If you were assured that you could get visitor #5 to your website, where would you send them?"

Let's say that your website had a variety of home safety products available. You sell everything from fire extinguishers to first aid kits to carbon monoxide detectors to child safe locks.

Your site's home page has just a little bit of information on each of your home safety product lines. Would you send visitor #5 to your home page?

Or...

Since visitor #5 just did a search for "protecting infants from chemical household hazards", would you have better results by sending them directly and immediately to the web page where they can order your device that guarantees the safety of their child from chemical household hazards?

Please don't think that I'm trying to insult your intelligence. I'm not. It's just that I have received correspondence from other direct marketers online concerned about the low sales of their websites only to find out that whenever that person sent traffic to their site, the traffic was going to their home page rather than to a page that spoke directly to the needs and desires of the visitor.

Alrighty then? Traffic time.

There are only 3 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.
3) Steal it.

Since #3 is not an option we're going to consider, that leaves us with "buy it" and "borrow it".

Before we go any further, let's talk about the "Holy Grail" of web traffic. What is it? FREE TRAFFIC! I want it. You want it. Every disillusioned internet marketer wants it.

Here's the truth...

The Internet – Do We Like What We See?
In terms of life-changing technologies, there are many that believe the Internet must surely share the same status as the telephone, the television, the automobile and even the aeroplane; there are others who insist it merits a much higher rating. Certainly the last one hundred years has seen giant leaps and advances in all these innovations, but it is perhaps the Internet itself that has fired the public imagination more than most.In the very early days of the Internet, most people had never heard of a website, didn’t know the meaning of the word cyberspace and hadn’t a clue what a ‘dot com’ was. Starting with what was effectively a blank canvas, designers began creating websites that in the main were commissioned by companies who saw the world of cyberspace as the way forward, and as with any new technology or product, the first examples are often crude, basic or both and early websites were no different.As more sophisticated design programs became available, websites started to become more colourful, more interactive but perhaps most importantly, more eye-catching. Innovative animation and graphics displays held the attention of visitors,

you will be amazed at what you can achieve... WILL achieve.

Websites come in a wide variety of flavors, including...

- Minisites designed to sell individual products
- Portal sites designed to sell a broad selection of products
- Content sites designed to provide information

Of the above site species (minisites, portal sites and content sites), which do you think has the best chance of selling a product and putting income in your bank account?

ANSWER: Minisites.

Let's talk about web traffic.

Imagine 5 different internet users going to Google, MSN, Yahoo or whatever their favorite search engine happened to be, and each individual enters one of the following search queries:

Search #1: hazards

Search #2: household hazards

Search #3: chemical household hazards

Search #4: chemical household hazards for infants

Search #5: protecting infants from chemical household hazards

My Question to You: "If you were assured that you could get visitor #5 to your website, where would you send them?"

Let's say that your website had a variety of home safety products available. You sell everything from fire extinguishers to first aid kits to carbon monoxide detectors to child safe locks.

Your site's home page has just a little bit of information on each of your home safety product lines. Would you send visitor #5 to your home page?

Or...

Alrighty then? Traffic time.

There are only 3 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.
3) Steal it.

Since #3 is not an option we're going to consider, that leaves us with "buy it" and "borrow it".

Before we go any further, let's talk about the "Holy Grail" of web traffic. What is it? FREE TRAFFIC! I want it. You want it. Every disillusioned internet marketer wants it.

Here's the truth..

Pizza Hut is an American Success Story
It's an age-old American story. A business dream is born. A few dollars are borrowed. Years later, millionaires tell the tale of how they almost didn't take the big risk. So it goes for Pizza Hut.This worldwide pizza sensation began with what almost anyone would agree are quite humble roots and grew through dedication to become a powerhouse on the international business scene.The history of Pizza Hut is interesting, as well, and can serve as a great case study for anyone who thinks a little risk isn't worth the rewards it can bring. Read on!Pizza Hut got its start not in the lands of the Old World. It didn't even begin in the Italian section of New York City. It was founded, in fact, in 1958 by a pair of brothers from Wichita, Kansas. That's right, Wichita!After getting the idea from a family friend to open their own pizza shop, Frank and Dan Carney borrowed less than $1,000 from their mom to start the shop. With their nest egg, they bought used equipment, rented a building and went to work.What began in that small shop has since grown to include more than 10,000 shops worldwide in a pizza empire that spans more than 86 c

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Search #3: chemical household hazards

Search #4: chemical household hazards for infants

Search #5: protecting infants from chemical household hazards

My Question to You: "If you were assured that you could get visitor #5 to your website, where would you send them?"

Let's say that your website had a variety of home safety products available. You sell everything from fire extinguishers to first aid kits to carbon monoxide detectors to child safe locks.

Your site's home page has just a little bit of information on each of your home safety product lines. Would you send visitor #5 to your home page?

Or...

Alrighty then? Traffic time.

There are only 3 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.
3) Steal it.

Since #3 is not an option we're going to consider, that leaves us with "buy it" and "borrow it".

Before we go any further, let's talk about the "Holy Grail" of web traffic. What is it? FREE TRAFFIC! I want it. You want it. Every disillusioned internet marketer wants it.

Here's the truth..

Internet Marketing and the Absolute Need for Article Marketing in Your Internet Strategy
Wow, that is a strong headline, but I really believe it. You see, I write articles nearly every day, and just about every week – why? – because I believe in them.Why do I believe in articles?Well, the first thing is that they have driven a ridiculous amount of traffic my way. The bulk of my subscriber list is built with article-derived subscribers. And the subscribers that come from articles spend more than just about any other subscriber.I think that there are some very specific reasons why that is the case.1) The article – generated subscriber has already bonded with your style. He has already read one or more of your articles, and already likes you, or he wouldn’t have clicked through to your web site. The nice thing about this is that you don’t have to wait a week for your subscriber to get to know you before he or she will buy from you. Many of my subscribers buy from me the very first day they are on my list!2) The article subscriber has read an entire article on a topic about which they are interested – it is not like they saw a 3 line ad somewhere and clicked through because the headline was catchy, then s

visitor #5 to your website, where would you send them?"

Let's say that your website had a variety of home safety products available. You sell everything from fire extinguishers to first aid kits to carbon monoxide detectors to child safe locks.

Your site's home page has just a little bit of information on each of your home safety product lines. Would you send visitor #5 to your home page?

Or...

Alrighty then? Traffic time.

There are only 3 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.
3) Steal it.

Since #3 is not an option we're going to consider, that leaves us with "buy it" and "borrow it".

Before we go any further, let's talk about the "Holy Grail" of web traffic. What is it? FREE TRAFFIC! I want it. You want it. Every disillusioned internet marketer wants it.

Here's the truth..

What Does it Take to be a Top Sales Person Today
It always has been a little mystifying to figure out what exactly makes a top-notch Sales Person. Well-Run Concepts has been conducting research to quantify what is needed in the position of Sales Person today by defining these key areas: • Attributes: personal skills or competencies • Values: rewards and culture • Behaviors: how they do the jobWe used a comprehensive, validated, step-by-step process called the Trimetrix™ system to determine what is needed for top performance. This article will summarize our findings to date and here is what we found.Attributes tells us if an individual can do the job by looking at what personal skills or competencies are needed in the job of Sales Person.The Top Seven Attributes are:1. RESULTS ORIENTATION: The ability to identify actions necessary to complete tasks and obtain results. • Maintains focus on goals • Identifies and acts on removing potential obstacles to successful goal attainment • Implements thorough and effective plans and applies appropriate resources to produce desired results • Follows through on all commitments to achieve results

Alrighty then? Traffic time.

There are only 3 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.
3) Steal it.

Since #3 is not an option we're going to consider, that leaves us with "buy it" and "borrow it".

Before we go any further, let's talk about the "Holy Grail" of web traffic. What is it? FREE TRAFFIC! I want it. You want it. Every disillusioned internet marketer wants it.

Here's the truth...

It's a myth.

It doesn't exist.

There is no such thing as free website traffic.

"Ya but Ron, what if I could be #1 in Google for 'Internet Marketing' or 'Website Tools'?"

If you were able to get there or anywhere close, what would be required? What investment in time and resources would be required to land a prized spot such as this? Would you be able to get there for free? Furthermore, how long would you stay there?

Let's face it, neither Google, Yahoo, Altavista nor MSN wants any individual to be able to control the results of their search engines. That's why they spend millions upon millions of dollars every year taking steps to ensure that nobody has the knowledge to control all of the top positions.

Is search engine positioning something to aspire to? Perhaps. Given time. But it will not put any money in your pocket in the short term. That's pretty well guaranteed.

There are only 2 ways to get traffic to your website:

1) Buy it.
2) Borrow it.

Buy it? Yes, buy it. We're not talking about fortunes changing hands. There's no need to take out a second or third mortgage on you home to use this strategy. Traffic can be generated to your site for literally pennies per visitor.

Where will you buy traffic to your website? PPC Search Engines. PPC ("Pay Per Click") search engines give you the best opportunity to find the most motivated buyers and get them to visit your website. This is what you should be considering for your primary method of generating traffic to your website.

Remember above where we considered searcher #1 - searcher #5? We want searcher number five on our website, right? Right. We can and will find searcher #5 on the PPC search engines if we take the right approach. In a little bit I'll give you a list of PPC search engines to consider using, but first let's formulate a game plan.

Here's the basics of PPC advertising:

1) We have a product to sell.

2) We determine what the product has to offer and why someone might want to buy our product. (hint: focus on benefits, not features)

3) We do some keyword research to see if people are out there actually looking for the solution that our product offers.

4) Assuming that there's sufficient demand for our product /solution, we make a list of the keywords and keyword phrases that people are actually using to conduct their searches.

5) We write an ad for our product in such a way that it gets the attention of the searcher. This may mean changing ad copy slightly from one keyword phrase to the next. Try to put yourself in the position of the person doing the search.

6) We bid on the keywords that we're targeting with the ad that we've written and...

Wa-la! Traffic.

Is this a viable option? Absolutely. Google Adwords ads can be had for as little as $0.05 per click. Overture traffic can be had for as little as $0.10 per click.

If you're selling a product for $19.95, how many clicks can you buy and still be profitable? One sale out of 199 clicks and you're profitable. At this rate you only made a nick

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Things To Sell On Ebay - The Importance Of Traffic!

The two main areas of consideration of doing online business are Markets and traffic. These must be considered together. If you have discovered a wonderfully profitable niche on ebay through market research and you have no traffic - then bottom line is you have few sales- if any!

The Budget Webmaster's Guide to Increased Credibility - Part One

Hey, I just noticed something. I've been sitting here filling out a bajillion forms, submitting my dang article 'til I'm blue in the face (Vent much? Why, yes and thanks for listening!), and I realiz...

Keyword Focus

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Casual Articles - Traffic Generation: The Number One Skill That Will Generate Cash Flow (Part 1 of 3)

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