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6 Payment Offers That Sell Like
Crazy
The way you structure your payment
offers can increase your
sales. I'm not talking about the way people pay like
credit
cards, digital payments, checks, and cash options.
What I'm
taking about is can your customers try before they
buy, pay
later, make payments, do they get a rebate, etc.
Below are
six payment offers that will sell like your products
or services
like crazy:
1. Sample It
Offer your customers a free sample or short
version of your
product or service. Your sample should give them
only a few
benefits of the full version. This will entice them
to purchase
the full version to get the total benefits.
2. Name Your Price
Offer customers a choice of want they can pay for
your product
or service. List your original product and price
then add another
product with it for a little higher price. Your
orders will increase buy letting the customers choose their price.
3. Free To Try
Offer your customers a free trial of your product
or service.
You could offer the free trial for 5 to 30 days.
This is showing
them that you have confidence in your product or
service and
it will sell itself.
4. Give A Little Back
Offer your customers a cash back rebate after they
buy your
product or service. I feel a good rebate would be a
least 10%
of their purchase price or higher. This will
increase your sales
and, like most of us, they will forget to turn in
the rebate.
5. Pay Later
Offer your customers the choice of being billed
later for their
purchase. Bill them in a few weeks or a month. This
will stop
you from losing customers who can't afford to
purchase your
product or service at that time.
6. Little At A Time
Offer your customers the option of paying you a
little at a time
for your product or service. You could divide up the
purchase
price into bi-weekly or monthly payments. You won't
lose
customers that may not be able to pay the full
amount at that
time.
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Quote of the Day:
"A man cannot be said to succeed in this
life who does not
satisfy one friend."
-- Henry David
Thoreau
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How To Use Database Marketing To
Skyrocket Your Online Profits
Database Marketing is the gathering and storing
of specific information
about your prospects or customers. This information
is usually stored in
a database program on your computer. You would then
use the information
to market and advertise to them. It can save you
time and money because
you can target your promotional efforts to your best
prospects or
customers.
The Types Of Information To Collect
The information will vary depending on the product
or service you're
selling. If you're selling a product that costs $2
you wouldn't collect
information about their yearly income. If you're
selling web space you
wouldn't collect information about what type of
books they read. The
basic information you need would be all their
contact information,
purchase history, and birthday. You will need to
decide what other
information would benefit your business.
How To Collect This Information Online
It's pretty easy to collect this information online
but the hard part is
getting people to give it you. The best way to
collect this information
is to give them something FREE in return. Ask them
to fill out an e-mail
survey before subscribing to your free e-zine. Tell
everyone who visits
your web site they will get a free e-book when they
fill out your online
questionnaire form. Ask them this information before
they sign up for a free contest at your web site. Sometimes you have
to give a little
something to get a little information online.
Beneficial Uses For Your Database
Find out your customers purchasing habits. Use the
information to
improve the design of your web site. Use it to write
all your
advertising material more persuasively.
Find out the things they like or dislike about your
business. Use the
information to target your best prospects.
Find out how much money your prospects or customers
make. Use it to
improve your customer service.
Find out what new products or services they need or
want. Use it to test
ideas before launching a total sales campaign.
Find out how to your improve your existing products
or services. Use it
to build your customer loyalty.
Find out which benefits or features they like most
about your products
or services. Use it to send electronic greeting
cards on holidays or on
your customer's birthdays.
The list of beneficial uses are endless. Do you see
the importance of
collecting this information? The Internet makes the
process of
collecting this information quicker and cheaper than
offline methods.
Take advantage of database marketing and watch your
online profits
skyrocket.
Quote of the Day:
"Put away the book, the description, the
tradition, the
authority, and take the journey of
self-discovery. Love,
and don't be caught in opinions and ideas
about what love
is or should be. When you love, everything
will come right.
Love has its own action. Love, and you will
know the
blessings of it. Keep away from the
authority who tells you
what love is and what it is not. No
authority knows and he who knows cannot
tell. Love, and there is understanding."
-- Krishnamurti |
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Outsourcing is when you hire outside
professionals or
services to take on part of your business
workload. You
may want to outsource part of your work because you
don't have the room, you need an expert, you have
periodic
busy periods, or you need more production to get
orders
out on time etc. You could outsource accounting,
secretarial tasks , factory help, computer training,
web
design etc. Below are ways to use outsourcing to
beat
your competition.
By outsourcing part of your workload you can save
time
and spend more time concentrating on beating your
competition.
-
you won't have to take time training new employees
-
you won't have to do time consuming tasks like
adding
on new equipment
-
you won't have to learn a new software program or
other
equipment
-
you won't have to interview employee candidates
-
you won't have to fill out all the complicated
employee
paper work like tax forms, scheduling, retirement
plans etc.
By outsourcing part of your workload you can save
money
and spend more money on marketing or advertising to
beat
your competition.
-
you won't have to
buy extra office and other
equipment
-
you won't have to
buy extra office or work space
-
you won't have spend money on employee costs like;
taxes, medical, vacation time, holidays, workers
comp.,
unemployment costs etc. (these may vary by which
country you do business)
There are many other ways outsourcing can help you
beat
your competition. Here are a few more:
-
the extra help can help you complete and deliver
orders
faster
-
you could expand your market share by becoming the
middleman and offering your subcontractors services
or
products
-
you could end up getting orders from your
subcontractors
-
it will allow your business to take on extra or
large orders
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Quote of the Day:
"Give neither advice nor salt, until you are
asked for it."
-- English proverb
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Increase Your Credibility With Web
Site Awards
Web Site Awards are given from other
sites to reward your site
for a specific reason. They will usually give you an
award graphic
or text link to include on your site if you win.
Awards are great to
display on your Web site because they will give your
business
more credibility to your visitors and customers.
Some things your Web site could be awarded for are:
Web Design
Content
Load Time
Web Features
Ease of use
Originality
If you think you have a chance to win one of these
awards submit
your Web site to the sites that give out web awards.
Visit other
peoples Web sites and see what awards they have won.
Only
register for awards that are related to the content
of your Web site;
this helps promote your site to your targeted
audience.
Before you register to win an award, make sure your
Web site is
ready. Your sites content spelling and grammar
should be correct.
It should be easy to navigate through your Web site.
Graphics
should be related to the content on your page.
Create your own awards site for other Web sites.
Give the winners
a graphic or text link to place on their Web site
when they win. This will link your Web site to theirs and draw more
traffic to your Web
site.
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Quote of the Day:
"Love all, trust a few;
Do wrong to none."
-- William Shakespeare
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6 Ways To Keep Your Online Customers
Away From Your Competition
1. Stay In Touch
Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis.
Offer
them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if
they want
to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to
your
Web site. After every sale follow-up with the
customer to
see if they are satisfied with their purchase.
2. Friendly Web Site
Make it easy for your customers to navigate on your
Web
site. Have a "FAQ" page on your Web site to
explain
anything that might confuse your customers. Ask them
to fill
out an electronic survey to find out how make your
Web
site more customer friendly.
3. Easy And Free Communication
Make it easy and for your customers to contact you.
Offer
as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers
contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink your e-mail address
so
customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free
numbers for
phone and fax contacts.
4. Teach Your Employees
Make sure employees know and use your customer
service
policy. Give your employees bonuses or incentives to
practice
excellent customer service. Tell employees to be
flexible with
each individual customer, each one has different
concerns,
needs and wants.
5. Impress Your Customer
Give your customers more than they expect. Send
thank
you gifts to lifetime customers. E-mail them online
greeting
cards on holidays or birthdays. Award bonuses or
discounts
to customers who make a big purchase.
6. Be Nice
Always be polite to your customers. Use the words
Please,
Thank You, and Your Welcome. Be polite to your
customers
even if they are being irate with you. Always
apologize to
your customers should you make a mistake. Admit your
mistakes quickly and make it up to them in a big
way.
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Quote of the Day:
"Joy is the will which labors, which
overcomes obstacles,
which knows triumph."
-- William Butler
Yeats |
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9 Sure-Fire Ways To
Increase Your
E-zine's Readership
You Have
Won!
Hold an ongoing prize drawing in your e-zine. The
prizes should
be something of interest or value to your
subscribers. Most
people who enter will continually read each issue
for the
results.
100% Original
Give your subscribers content they can't read
anywhere else.
I'm not saying all your content has to be 100%
original, but a
portion of your e-zine should have original
information. People
will usually read information they haven't read
before.
Was I Right?
Give your subscribers a quiz or a series of trivia
questions.
Publish the correct answers in your following issue.
The people
who participate will want to see if they were right.
Read All About It!
Supply news stories related to your e-zine's topic.
People want
current and up-to-date news. If you can be their
first source,
they will become loyal readers.
The Polls Are In!
Hold an interactive poll in your e-zine. Ask
subscribers a poll
question. Have them e-mail their vote or opinion.
People love
to give their 2 cents worth. They would also like to
read the
results in your next issue.
Become A Jester :)
Give your subscribers a little humor now and then.
Don't be so
serious, tell them a joke. If they associate your e-zine
with
being happy they will want to read every issue.
The Information Free-way
People love to get free stuff. Tell readers were to
get free
stuff online or offline. It could be software,
services, sample
products, e-books etc. The freebies should be
related to your
e-zine's topic. Keep the freebies coming and your
subscribers
will keep reading!
Mini-Yahoo
Tell your subscribers about Web sites related to
your e-zine's
topic. The web sites should be interesting and
helpful. Become
your readers miniature "Yahoo", you know how many
readers
they get.
In Our Next Issue...
Get your subscribers excited about your next issue.
Tell them
about upcoming articles, prize drawings, freebies
etc. If they
know what's in store for them, they won't want to
miss reading
your next issue.
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Quote of the Day:
"Problems are to the mind what exercise is
to the muscles,
they toughen and make strong."
-- Norman
Vincent Peale
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Build A Successful Business By
Staying Connected
Over the course of your business
life you'll come in contact with a
number of other business people. They could be
lawyers, business
services, suppliers, customers, etc. These people
are important to your
business in more ways than one. If you hired them or
they bought your
product or service, you can also gain their business
knowledge,
experience, ideas, and advice. How do you do this?
Stay Connected!
Network! Networking is when two or more different
businesses stay in
contact on a regular basis to build and improve each
others business.
Consider all the benefits you'll gain from talking
to other business
people:
Knowledge or information that you didn't have before
Advice on how to solve a current business problem
Leads to a new business project or opportunity
Joint ventures and cross promotion deals
Learn important skills that you didn't have before
Constructive criticism that improved your business
Brainstorming that sparks a profitable business idea
Encouraging and motivational statements
There are many ways to meet business people. Join
business clubs and
associations. Participate in on-line
business-related forums, e-mail
discussion groups, and chat rooms. Go to business
expos and trade shows.
Use your creativity to come up with even more ideas.
If you have the time, start your own networking
group. You could hold
meetings at a local seminar room, at a park , or at
your own business
building. If you want to hold meetings on-line use a
private chat room.
Publish a print or e-mail newsletter to keep members
informed of meeting
time and dates.
Keep all your business associates' contact
information all in one
place. Have it organized by business type or
profession for easy
finding. So when you need some advice on a new
marketing campaign you
can call that marketing expert you met at that trade
show in Ohio a
couple of weeks ago.
Networking is a surefire way to build a successful
business. I have
used it countless times and will continue too. I
have also met a lot of
business people who are now some of my closest
friends.
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Quote of the Day:
"What we actually learn, from any given set
of
circumstances, determines whether we become
increasingly
powerless or more powerful."
-- Blaine Lee
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Cross Promote Online For Maximum
Profits
Cross promoting is when two or more
businesses promote
their products or services together. I try to find
businesses
that have the same target audience, but are not in
direct
competition with my business. Doing cross promotions
with other businesses increases your profits,
sales, and
beat your competition.
You can find businesses to cross promote all over
the
Internet. Participate in e-mail discussion groups,
online
forums and newsgroups that deal with your target
audience.
Subscribe to e-zines that deal with your targeted
audience.
Note on your Web site or e-zine that you are
interested in
cross promoting your products and services. Search
in
your favorite web directories and search engines to
find
targeted businesses.
Cross promoting has many benefits. Save money by
sharing the advertising and marketing costs. Save
time
when both businesses share the workload. You can
offer
your customers new products and services. Get
referrals
from the other business' clients. Receive valuable
information from the business.
Once you find a business you would like to cross
promote
with simply e-mail them your proposal. Tell the
business
owner the benefits of the cross promotion. Explain
to him
or her why it would be a win/win situation for both
of your
businesses. Give them a lot of compliments about
their
business, Web site, products and services. Using all
three
methods above will greater your chance for a
profitable
cross promotion. Good Luck!
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Quote of the Day:
"Always set high value on spontaneous
kindness. He whose
inclination prompts him to cultivate your
friendship of his
own accord will love you more than one whom
you have been
at pains to attach to you."
-- Samuel
Johnson |
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How To Eliminate Your Competition
Without Bloodshed
So how do you eliminate your
competition without bloodshed? You must
create a niche for your business. A niche is
something that makes your
business different from your competitors. To
compete with other
businesses nowadays (especially online) you need
something that nobody
else can copy. One of a kind!
First you must know who your competitors are. Is
your business the only
one of its type? I doubt it. If so, it won't be for
long. Do you know your
exact target audience? If not, you will have to find
out this information
before creating any kind of niche. Below are two
ways to come up with a
competition eliminating niche.
1. Just Ask! The first way to come up with a niche
is to think like your
target audience or customers. Know their exact
needs, wants, goals,
problems and interests. There're two ways to do
this: The first way is to put yourself in their shoes, think like them. The
second way is to give them
polls and surveys to find out what they're thinking.
Pick a niche that none
of your competitors are using. If you can't find one
that your competitors aren't using pick one to improve.
2. Just Think! The second way to come up with a
niche is to use
your brain power. Ask yourself questions like: How
can I set myself
apart from my competition? What could I offer that
they can't? Imagine
or daydream that your business is on top of all your
competitors. What
niche put your business at the top in your head?
Now, if you keep asking
these questions your mind will eventually start
shooting out more ideas
than you can handle. One of those ideas may be the
niche you're
searching for.
Now that you have your niche that's just half the
battle. You must test
it. Does your niche appeal to your target audience?
Will it attract
people away from your competition? If it does,
you're done, until your
competition comes up with a better niche. If your
niche doesn't, than
repeat the process above and test a new niche until
it works. If you
want to eliminate your competition and be successful
you will use this
process several times in your business life.
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Quote of the Day:
"Friendship is a union of spirits, a
marriage of hearts,
and the bond there of virtue."
-- Samuel
Johnson |
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How To
Increase Your Online Sales
Anytime
Hold a discount sale on your web
site. Use the sale to get
rid of excess inventory, gain new or repeat
customers, and increase your sales. Most businesses pick a theme
for their
sale, like a Halloween Sale. Below are six unique
sales
themes you could use:
Nobody's Visiting Today Sale
Every online business has low visitor and sales day
through
the week. My days are Tuesdays and Thursdays. You
could sell your products or services for cheaper to
increase
and sales on your slow days. You could have this
advertised
right on your web site.
Time Of The Day Sale
Periodically , pick out a time of the day like 5 to
7 pm to
lower your prices. With online sales you need tell
people
the time zone. Announce your scheduled times ahead
of
time in your e-zine. This will give people enough
time to
plan when they will visit your web site.
Product Or Service Of The Day Sale
Each day o.ffer different product or service at a
lower price.
This will draw people back to your web site
everyday. This
is a high traffic generating sale. If you don't have
a lot of
products and services you may want to run the sale
weekly
or monthly.
Niche Group Sale
Hold a sale for a niche groups of people. Students,
senior
citizens, single people etc. This really works if
your
introducing a new product or service for the first
time to a
new target audience. Announce your sale in a
targeted
e-zine, e-mail discussion groups, message boards,
etc.
Holiday Or Seasonal Sale
Offer lower prices on holidays and during seasonal
changes.
These type of sales let your visitors and customers
know
your no scrooge. Be creative and go as far as
decorating
your web site. You could upload holiday and seasonal
graphics. Change the color of your text to match.
Get in the
spirit!
Get More For Your Money Sale
Give customers more products or services for their
money.
People relate these kind of sales to getting a
bargain or
saving money. You could offer a buy one get one
for half
off sale, a buy two get the third one free, two
for the price
of one sale, etc.
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Quote of the Day:
"If you accommodate others, you will be
accommodating
yourself."
-- Chinese proverb |
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