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Marketing Tips Newsletter
January 14, 2005 -- Issue 104
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This issue includes...
1) "Three Proven Strategies Sure to Strengthen Your
Business and Bulk Up Your Profits in 2005!"
2) "Check Out the Brand New Tools and Resources Section in
Our New and Improved Newsletter Archive Center!"
3) "Free Upgrade to Our Premium Edition"
4) "Free Content for Your Web Site or E-zine"
5) "Tell Us What You Think!"
For those of you who prefer the HTML version of our
newsletter, you can still read it in this format at:
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletters
================ FEATURE EDITORIAL ====================
"Three Proven Strategies Sure to Strengthen Your Business
and Bulk Up Your Profits in 2005!"
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Happy New Year! In the spirit of the season, with people
making -- and breaking ;-) -- their New Year's resolutions,
I wanted to stress the importance of making sure that any
business resolutions you make for 2005 form part of a
well-constructed BUSINESS PLAN.
And it can't be just a static plan. It should be one that
you review regularly along with a close examination of your
web site's traffic stats and sales figures.
This approach will allow you to spot new profitable
opportunities, identify and help solve problems... AND
incorporate new goals and strategies into your business
-- like the three we're going to cover in just a minute.
A thorough review of your business is really THE best way to
ensure that you accomplish your main business objective for
the year -- whether that is generating a certain amount of
profits or launching a new product.
At this point I should say that if you don’t have a business
plan, please go make one NOW! Seriously, RIGHT NOW! Check
out our November 26th, 2002, newsletter on business plans for
details on how to plan for your success at:
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletters/?article=art_november02b
Here's an example of the importance of a plan... Many people
buy themselves a gym membership at this time of year with
the objective to "get fit."
Well, I'm no fitness guru, but to have any chance at all of
accomplishing this goal, it's vital to create a fitness PLAN
containing other smaller goals -- like lose 5 pounds by
March, 10 pounds by June, and so on.
Not only does ticking off these smaller goals within your
overall plan keep you motivated, but keeping track of
progress in this way lets you see how close -- or far -- you
are from achieving your main objective.
Not having a plan means many people who join gyms use their
membership twice in January and then never again... with the
only thing getting leaner being their bank balance!
That's why it's so important to make a business plan and set
achievable goals -- it's your road map to success and a
BEEFIER bank balance!
You should always be planning different ways to improve your
success and get more profits in your pocket... So with that
said, let's jump right into the three killer strategies that
are hands-down the best plan for making 2005 your most
profitable year yet.
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KEY STRATEGY #1:
Improve Your Sales Process and Convert More
Traffic into Sales
======================================================
Do you get regular traffic to your site? Once your visitors
get to your site, how long do they stay? How many of them
BUY?
The best way to improve your sales process is to start by
looking at your web site stats. These are a goldmine
containing priceless nuggets of information, like how much
traffic your site is getting, how people travel through your
site, which pages are the most popular, and where your
visitors are coming from.
By analyzing these stats, and looking at them alongside your
sales figures and online promotions, you can work out things
like what proportion of your traffic is being converted into
sales, and which promotions or online campaigns are working
better than others.
You'll then find yourself with a much clearer picture of
your business overall, and a good idea of what you need to
change, improve, or build on.
If your web stats show good traffic levels but low sales
figures, then you need to tighten up your sales process.
Review both your salesletter and your order form -- even
just a few tweaks can make a HUGE difference.
***YOUR SALESLETTER***
If people are leaving your web site from the sales page
without clicking through to the order form, then the
salesletter is simply not doing its job in convincing
visitors to buy your product or service.
In this case, it's time for a salesletter tune-up. First
stop -- your headline. Make sure that it's compelling, will
resonate with your target market, and contains the main
benefit of your product or service.
Then, ensure that your body copy builds your credibility,
focuses on the BENEFITS (not the features) of your product
or service, and includes testimonials and a strong
guarantee.
Another quick fix is to make sure that your P.S. reinforces
the main sales messages. (Remember, many people ONLY read
the headline and P.S.)
And, of course, the call to action is very important in the
sales process. It should state EXACTLY what you want the
person to do next, how they can do it, and that you want
them to do it NOW! It's the bridge between the salesletter
and the order form.
Check out our November 24th, 2004, newsletter for more tips on
the essential elements of a profit-generating salesletter
at:
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletters/?article=art_november04
***YOUR ORDER FORM***
If your web site stats show that people are abandoning your
site at the order-form stage without placing an order, then
there may be something wrong with it.
Is it too complicated? Does it have a different "look" from
the rest of your web site? Are there links on the order page
to other web sites or other pages on your site?
First, you must make sure that your order process and the
form itself are easy to understand. To help people follow
the process, provide a step-by-step guide that leads buyers
through the ordering process, spelling out things like how
to fill the form out, how the product will be shipped, when
their credit card will be charged, and so on.
This could be on the order form itself -- allowing a buyer
to read it as they complete the relevant steps. The form
itself should have a simple layout with all the information
fields arranged in a logical, easy-to-follow sequence. Use
the "KISS" principle -- "Keep It Simple, Stupid!"
As far as possible, the order form page should have the same
"look" as the rest of your web site. Keep it clear and
uncluttered -- there should never be other distractions on
the page like images, irrelevant copy, advertising, or links
to other sites that take the buyer away from your site.
You want them to focus on filling out the relevant
information.
It's a good idea to reassure people that they are making a
safe, secure purchase when they access your order form, by
saying something like, "Welcome to our secure online order
form."
======================================================
KEY STRATEGY #2:
Offer a "Backend" Product That's an Easy Sell to
Your Existing Customers
======================================================
Statistics show that 30% of your existing customers are
guaranteed to buy from you again. It makes sense... you've
already done a lot of the hard work establishing your
credibility and proving that you run a reputable business
that gives your customers what they want.
So, offering another "backend" product to existing
customers can be a great way to boost your profits without
eating into your marketing budget.
A backend product can be any one of a number of things. For
example, if your site sells cameras, new products could
include:
*An add-on to your existing product, such as a new lens
for a camera
*A relevant information product, like an eBook containing
photography tips
*A complementary product, like a bag for the camera
... and so on. Sit down and come up with a list of products
related to yours that you think your market might be
interested in.
Remember that the key to finding any new product is to
identify a problem that your customers have and then come up
with a product or service that solves it for them.
Always read and keep any feedback or comments you receive
from your customers -- positive and negative. You can
also solicit feedback through a customer survey or
questionnaire.
In addition, you should also be constantly assessing the
needs of your target market by reading the publications that
they read, and visiting the web sites, online forums, and
blogs that they visit. And don't forget to check out your
competitors' sites!
When you've found a suitable product, launching it to
existing customers is easy. You already have their contact
information, so you can simply e-mail them a promotion
highlighting the problem they have, and explaining how your
new product or service will solve it.
You can even use your customer feedback as a selling point,
saying something like, "I've listened to feedback and
comments from my customers, and can now offer you a product
I just KNOW you're going to love..."
======================================================
KEY STRATEGY #3:
Set Up an Affiliate Program to Drive Tons More Traffic to
Your Site and Boost Your Sales
======================================================
How would you like to have a network of other people to do
your selling for you? Well, in a nutshell, that's what an
affiliate program is. An affiliate is someone who promotes
your product on their web site in return for a commission on
every sale that they send your way.
There are a number of reasons why you should consider this
top-notch strategy for your business:
*It can drive TONS more traffic to your site
*There are ZERO advertising costs -- affiliates do all of
their own marketing
*There is no risk to you, since you only pay your
affiliates after they've made the sale
*You gain exposure to new target markets through the
e-mail lists and web sites of your affiliates
The fact is that affiliate programs are one of the most
powerful ways to market online, and almost every product or
service will be MUCH more successful if you offer an
affiliate program for it.
I know, because at The Internet Marketing Center, we've
made MILLIONS since we first started our affiliate program
-- in fact, we generated $2 million last year alone!
You can find affiliates by putting a page on your web site
inviting people to apply, and by approaching sites that you
think have a similar target audience.
Starting and managing an affiliate program can be done one
of two ways -- you can go through a provider or do it
yourself. Using a provider like Commission Junction
(http://www.cj.com) or Linkshare (http://www.linkshare.com)
can be very expensive, so it's well worth looking into
managing the program yourself.
If you do it yourself, affiliate software like AssocTRAC
(http://www.marketingtips.com/assoctrac) is available to
manage the whole process, from tracking affiliate sales
right through to paying commissions.
An affiliate program is a highly effective strategy for
generating swarms of new traffic and multiplying your sales
-- with minimal effort and cost on your part.
======================================================
Final Thoughts
======================================================
It doesn't matter whether you're making $100,000 or $10,000
a year from your Internet business, or whether you sell
kettles or sports cars -- all three of these strategies will
work for your business.
I know, because I've used them all and continue to use them,
and I can tell you in no uncertain terms that they work.
But they will always be even more effective if you spend
some time every so often reviewing your business plan,
setting new business goals, and taking a close look at your
web stats and other areas of your business where you could
make improvements.
Carrying out a regular business review in this way is just
like giving your car a regular check-up -- you just need to
stick your head under the hood of your business now and then
to make sure everything's running smoothly.
And whether it's adding some new parts or just making a few
tweaks here and there, you can always find ways to make it
run even better!
=================================================
2) "Check Out the Brand New Tools and Resources
Section in Our New and Improved Newsletter
Archive Center!"
=================================================
I've recently launched a brand-new newsletter archive
center, where you'll find all my newsletters organized
according to topic as well as date, making them easier
to review than ever before!
Click here to check it out:
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletters
Our newsletter archives contain every article, including
every marketing tip, trick, and technique, that we have
revealed to our subscribers since July of 1998.
Now obviously, our more recent articles contain our latest,
most recently tested, most cutting-edge marketing
strategies. However, this wealth of Internet marketing
knowledge and expertise is still highly recommended reading!
All the concepts, "big picture" techniques, and step-by-step
instructions you'll find make reading these back issues a
simple, but extremely powerful way to give yourself an
education in starting, growing, and exploding your very own,
highly profitable online business!
We've also recently expanded the new tools and resources
section we've included in the newsletter archive center,
so check back often to see what hot new tools we're
recommending. They can help you improve your web site,
manage your business, and generate TONS more traffic to
your site!
You can check them out by clicking
here.
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- Simple tricks for driving 1,000s of qualified buyers to
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- How to build a HUGE opt-in list -- even with NO
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...and much more!
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5) "Tell Us What You Think!"
=================================================
We would love to hear what you think of this issue of the
"Marketing Tips" Newsletter. And of course, if you have any
suggestions for upcoming issues that you'd like to share
with us, please send those, too!
Just e-mail the editor at:
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Copyright 1996-2005 by The Internet Marketing Center.
All rights reserved.
=================================================
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Corey Rudl is the owner of four highly successful online businesses that attract more than 1.8 million visitors per month and generate over $6.6 million each year. He is also the author of the #1 best-selling Internet Marketing course online.
To check out his site that's JAM-PACKED WITH THE EXACT INFORMATION YOU NEED to start, build, and grow your very own profitable Internet business, I highly recommend visiting http://www.marketingtips.com/tipsltr.html
This guy really knows what he's talking about!
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