Autoresponder eCourse

Autoresponder eCourse

An Internet marketer, in the truest sense of the word, is basically a one-person advertising company. As such, the ability to follow-up with those who have already purchased from you, as well as contacting new, potential leads, is a critical factor in growing your business.

The main problem with being an Internet marketer is that you must single-handedly consistantly keep a steady flow of new leads and purchasers coming into your realm of influence. The bigest problem with this is the amount of
time required to follow-up with each and every contact you have gathered. You need to be spending more time generating more cash flow into your business, not spending all day sending out follow-up emails to all of your leads and purchasers.

The dilema then, is how to keep up with all the necessary communications with new leads, as well as with your past purchasers, and still have the majority of your time and attention focused on generating more sales and more new leads. The easiest answer to this is simply to use a good autoresponder that can be set up to automatically follow-up with everyone according to a pre-set schedule with pre-determined and specifically timed emails.

The best part about autoresponders is that, if done right, everything is completely controlled by you, but maintained automatically by the autoresponder! You simply could not ever hope to manually handle a task of that magnitude one email at a time by yourself, it would be virtually impossible. Be a wise marketer, and set up an autoresponder to automate the task for you.

The best part of this scenario is that, once the system is set up correctly, the
whole process will continue on auto-pilot!

If you have been trying to market online for any length of time, you have heard about autoresponders, but may not have used one for any number of reasons. These reasons may include, but are not necessarily limited to: Price - which normally runs anywhere from $14.95/Month to $34.95/Month for some
of the more well known online products; Fear - Which comes from lack of understanding of how to set one up and use it; Ignorance - brought on by not understanding the importance of having a list of your own to market to (usually because your "up-line sponsor" did not tell you how important it is). Or you may be unwilling to use the Free versions of most autoresponders that
would pass ads into every email you send out.

Q: Exactly what is an autoresponder?

A: Put in the simplest terms, an autoresponder is software that allows you
to send email messages to people who have opted-in to your list.

This, by definition, is not spam or unsolicited mail on any level. The people whose names and email addresses are in the autoresponder have given you permission to send them emails. That is how they got there - they had to fill out a form and click a "submit" button to be added to the autoresponder "list", and they understood that before they hit the "submit" button on that form.

They usually filled out a form like that to get a free ezine, newsletter, eBook, or other desirable offering from you. The autoresponder sends out an automatic email in response to the subscriber who clicks the "submit" button on the opt-in form of your site. Depending on how you have set up the autoresponder, the subscriber will receive either one message, or a series of follow-up messages that go out at certain intervals that you have chosen. The best thing about this is that YOU get to choose how many messages and how often they are sent out.

The people whose names are in the autoresponder system also were given a chance to change their mind by not clicking a link in a "confirmation" email that was sent to their email inbox. If they clicked the link within that confirmation email, they agreed to receive emails from you. There is also a link included at the bottom of each email they receive from you that allows them to "opt-out" of your list (by clicking that link, they are saying that they no longer want emails from you). Because that link is at the bottom, they can not consider your autoresponder emails as spam.

The messages that go out must be written and the autoresponder doesn't do that for you. You must write them. Yes, this takes some time, but once it is set up, it will not have to be done again, unless you want to change the messages. After it is set up, your autoresponder will send out everthing to every subscriber on a set schedule - on auto-pilot!

Here, I want to make a point about the autoresponder program you choose for yourself. There are quite a few out there that will offer an autoresponder for "Free", but they will include ads of their own or someone else who has paid for
advertising.

Remember that these will go out at the TOP of your autoresponder emails. This is bad because these messages detract and distract the receiver from the message YOU want them to respond to. There is one autoresponder that I use that has a free option and has no ads included to distract subscribers from your messages.

It is called ISO Responder (Free through the banner link below).

I will cover this more later.

Your Most Valuable Asset:

For now, let us move on...

Q: Ok, now I know what it is and its most basic opperation, but how can I
use it in my daily routine for my business?

A: There are many ways to use an autoresponder in your daily routine
for your online business dealings - for example:

You can use the opt-in form on a squeeze page to sign people up for your free ezine and the autoresponder will immediately send out an email with a
confirmation link that they must click on. Once they "confirm" that they want your ezine, your autoresponder will send out a "welcome" email. If you would like to, you can send out another email with a free report and a link to receive a sample of your ezine (if it is monthly and the current one is not being sent out yet) with a notification of which day of the month to expect their ezine so
that they will know approximately when it will arrive.

You may also want to send out an email asking what they find most challenging. Explain that you will try to cover the subject in detail in an upcoming ezine.

That will accomplish two things.

1. You will have them scouring every ezine for the "answer" to their needs, and

2. It will give you a good idea about what your subscribers Want to read about. This way, you have a real purpose to fill with your ezine, and it will make you seem more "one-on-one" with your subscribers. They love that!

Another good use of an autoresponder, is to have one set up for customers who purchase your products! When someone buys one of your products, have an autoresponder message ready to go out immediately that thanks them
for their purchase and have a link to a free eBook or "bonus".

Then, follow up in a couple of days asking how they are getting along with your product. This gives you "feed-back" for your product and may help you improve it for a later distribution. If they click a link saying that they like it, You can ask them to give a testimonial.

Have your autoresponder send an email with a link to a Free Bonus for their response to your questions. These only are the "tip of the iceburg" as there are many more uses of an autoresponder. You can use the autoresponder to send out eCourses as well, and add a short two or three sentence ad at the bottom with a link to a related product. These are what I refer to as "ghost sales" since I am not actually spending money to advertise these links. I get about 15% of my sales this way! Autoresponders can do a lot of good to marketers who use their creative imaginations.

Q: I understand some of the uses of autoresponders now, but are there
any tips on how to optimize my success using them?

A: The most important "success secrets" are as follows:

No matter how many people are on your list in the autoresponder, let "YOU" shine through! Make your messages personal by allowing your personality to come through in your messages. Encourage people to send feed-back, and make sure you ask them to take action in your messages. If you are offering
them a product, let them see why they need it, and why they should get it NOW!

A word about "Cookie Cutter" Ads

I absolutely hate opening my email inbox and seeing the same heading five or six times on one page! These people are just taking a "Cut and Paste" ad of the most recent "Gotta Join" opportunity and sending it out! These "cookie cutter" ads just make me go down the line and delete all but one! Do something original for heaven's sake! If you want to advertise a product, use the basic language that describes the features and benefits of the product, but put it in your own words. Don't copy verbatum! It is so obvious when people do that, and I pity those that do such things since they are losing money and ad credits that will get deleted over and over without being read.

They need to join "Your Biz Success!" and learn to write as if they are writing
to One person - the person receiving the email ad. This is critical when creating autoresponder ads for your ezines, or for follow-up messages. They must feel as if you intended that message for them! If it looks like it is aimed at everyone, it smacks of despiration. If you are using proper marketing techniques, you are not desperate for their purchase. You would like it if they made a purchase, of course, but it doesn't look as if you are financially in a pinch.

How you write your autoresponder messages says a lot about you. Make sure your language and approach are personal and not just "Cut and Paste". Experienced marketers will "unsubscribe" from your list so fast it will make your head spin if they see nothing but pre-written copy supplied by the product's creator. I know I did about a year or so ago!

I had joined an eZine and the "owner" sent nothing but "cookie cutter" ads to me with no articles, tips or information. I hit "unsubscribe" within two weeks. As soon as I did, a page popped up asking me "Why" I wanted to leave the list. My reply was short and sweet: "The eZine had no useful content at all, only "copy and paste" ads supplied by each product's creator. If you want to do this kind of advertising, join a safelist and be done with it. Do not insult "subscribers" expecting a real ezine!

The bottom line is: Don't use an autoresponder to abuse the power and freedom it offers. Use it wisely and with respect for your subscribers and you will gain a reputation to be proud of. I rely on my autoresponders to follow up
with my customers, subscribers to my ezines and to my various lists. It would be impossible to follow-up with all of them individually without them. Staying in contact helps you retain these valued members without the loss of that valuable relationship you have cultivated. Those who do reply to those messages are now my friends as well.

MLM Training is NOT Relevant Online!

At one time, I was like a lot of people who fell for the promise of great wealth offered by MLM companies. They taught two common and widely accepted concepts:

SW-SW-SW-N, and the 80-20 rule. The first is the abreviated form of:

Some will, Some Won't, So What? - Next!

This was designed to keep the "recruiter" from feeling bad about those who were not interested in their MLM opportunities. One needs some kind of mantra to help sooth the "sting" when someone who was once a good friend starts avoiding you for fear you will "start-up" with pitching your MLM again!

The second "rule" stated that you will need to spend: "80% of your effort on the 20% of "recruits" who do the most" This rule leaves out 80% of the people who signed up! They paid their way in, but they will receive little or no help
from their sponsor under this guidline!

I for one, do not follow either concept. Anyone who joins any of my programs is equally given my time and effort if they show interest in learning. I will not go begging people to learn. That must come from within the person. I can plant a seed, water it, and supply water. I can't control the weather. The person's attitude is the "weather" in this case. The harvest only comes when every factor, including the weather, co-operate as they should. Enough said...

An autoresponder is an ice-breaker that puts the message out to the subscriber. You are not pestering "friends and family" to join some opportunity, you are simply sending messages to people who have agreed to receive them. They may buy, or they may not buy. In any event, the worst that can happen is that they "unsubscribe." This will not happen unless you
offer nothing at all useful to them. You come away with no hurt feelings or lost friendships, as well as a great way to follow-up with those who stay on your list, and sell products, and develope friendships that can last a life-time.

I know that I have a number of friends online whom I met through my autoresponder messages! We exchange opinions, discuss opportunities and stay in contact by IM, email, and skype. In fact, one of them was the first member of "Your Biz Success!"

If you want to do anything worthwhile online, you need an autoresponder to help you market more efficiently. You can not even start to hope to be successful if you can't have a good system set up, and this is one of the key
factors to ensure success!

What's Next?:

Continue to the next lesson by clicking the link below:

Coming soon...

Traffic Exchanges eCourse - Part 3

Traffic Exchanges eCourse Part 3:

Advanced Traffic Exchange Techniques - Part 1

Making The Best Use Of Your Traffic Exchanges:

The one huge mistake every beginning marketer seems to make, is the failure to understand one critical fact about traffic exchanges. Everyone surfing on traffic exchanges is there for just one reason - the same one you are there for - to get visitors to their web page!

The hard to swallow fact is, they are not interested in your newest product or business opportunity! Their main concern is to watch that timer count down and earn page views for their own web pages. That being said – Traffic Exchanges can still be a very effective resource if used correctly. To achieve that goal you must follow certain rules. These are just common sense as you will see:

1. Do not simply promote the supplied affiliate page. The average affiliate page has been seen by each surfer hundreds, if not thousands of times. If a surfer is above average, that person could see the same affiliate site hundreds of times in one day! I know that my mind learns to "tune out" a web page that I have seen more than twice in a day. Hey! It is just human nature to ignore what you already have seen. It loses its effectiveness mighty quick. In short, it will not work. If you had a copy of the Mona Lisa hanging in your living room, how excited would you get if the
real one was on display in town? I rest my case...

2. Use a splash page. A splash page is a very short, fast loading page used to create a sense of
urgency to click a link. Remember, that the person viewing this page is busy trying to earn credits for his/her own page. They are not interested in spending a lot of time reading a huge page full of overwhelming amounts of text. They will most likely sit and stare at the countdown timer and click away as fast as they are allowed! However, you may be able to get them to sign up for more information with a short opt-in form, or, entice them to click through to a longer sales page that they can then read when they are finished earning their credits. I will cover those points in more detail in another part of the eCourse.

Now if you will just follow the two principles listed above, you have a much better chance of getting the desired results. To help you succeed, I recommend the following FREE tool to help you build your Splash page or Squeeze page (basically the same thing).

As you use the Free InstantSqueeze Page Generator, keep the following in mind:

Branding Yourself

One crucial thing to remember about using traffic exchanges, is that they are very effective for branding yourself. Programs may be "here today and gone tomorrow," but if you promote yourself every chance you get, it will have a cumulative effect. Those people who promote most effectively using traffic exchanges are always promoting themselves as they promote their programs! The more you do this the more effective your campaigns will become.

If you are serious about building a business you need to have some type of web hosting. You want to be promoting yourself at all times, and this is nearly impossible without having your own domain on a hosted site that you can alter any way you wish. To make an effective splash page it should follow the "ACA formula" for creating splash pages. This formula was identified originally by Jon Olson, owner of I Love Hits and editor of Hit Exchange News.

The "ACA " stand for: Attention, Curiosity, Action.

Attention

A properly made splash page needs to immediately grab peoples attention. Good graphics and a strong, attention grabbing headline will help achieve this. Remember, the person surfing is looking to generate credits and if you don't capture their attention immediately you are not going to get the response you
want.

Curiousity

There needs to be a section solely designed as a short text block that does not push a product, but does generate enough curiosity to compell them to ask for more information.

Action

If you have followed the first two steps correctly, the next action becomes crucial. If you don't ask people to do something, they usually won't! Make sure to state clearly the exact action that you want them to take. i.e., 'Submit your name and email for more information.' - OR - "Click here."

You would not believe how many times I have seen pages that follow the first two steps above, but never ask for the action. Always, without fail, make sure the prospect knows exactly what you want them to do! If you remember nothing else in all these eCourses on Traffic Exchanges, remember the contents of this page and you will be pre-destined to increase the amount of income from your marketing efforts. Yeah! It's that important!

 

Branding Yourself

Above I mentioned promoting yourself while promoting your programs. The easiest way to do that is by using your picture, your name and your contact details. This does a number of positive things for you. People start to recognize you. You have put a face on the page and made it more personal. This builds credibility. By adding your contact information, you also show that you are a real, legitimate, business person. Legitimate businesses always have real contact information and not just an email address. This is very important in earning trust. I always look for contact information so that I know there is a "Live Person" to contact in case of any issue. I will not sign up for any program that fails to supply this information.

The only downside to this, is that you will also be known by what you promote, so, be careful what you choose to promote that has your name and face associated with it. Branding tends
to have a cumulative effect. The more that your name and face are seen by the average surfer, the more you will benefit from it.

Many inexperienced marketers will simply throw up an affiliate page, surf a few thousand pages to gain page views, and after a few short weeks declare that traffic exchanges don't work!

If, after trying everything else that doesn't work for them either (because they aren't using smart marketing tactics with those methods either) they come back to the traffic exchange, they will get an eye-full. They will start seeing the same branded squeeze pages of people that were there when they were surfing before. Now, anyone with brains will realize that no one will keep doing something for that long if it doesn't work. At this point, if the returning surfer is even half-witted, they will want to learn what the person with the branded page is doing differently, since it is obvious that they are having success. Now our inexperienced surfer will join that branded persons opportunity just so they can learn their"secret". Lucky for you, you now know the secret to getting better traffic, and how to improve your results significantly by using advanced techniques!

I will go one better on the ACA formula and state it this way:

Attention+Curiosity+Action = Success!

What's Next?:

Coming Soon...

Advanced Traffic Exchange Techniques - Part 2

Go BACK To Traffic Exchange eCourse Part 2

Traffic Exchanges eCourse - Part 2

Traffic Exchanges eCourse Part 2:

Setting up your account:

Setting up your account basically involves adding your web site, banner ad, and (if applicable) text link. Look to the member navigation menu for a link that reads ‘My Websites’, ‘Add Sites’, ‘URL Manager’, or something similar.

This link will take you to the page where you may enter your Target URL(s). A Target URL is the website address you wish to send traffic to.

Here you will enter a title for your site, along with the URL, and submit this information. Some exchanges may also ask for a brief description of each site, or ask you to select an appropriate category from a drop-down menu so your site will be shown to a more targeted audience.

Your site must not "break frames" (a site with coding that "breaks out" of the surf bar) as this type of site will disrupt the process of generating traffic for other members of the exchange. In some cases, you will be required to click a ‘test’ button that checks your site for frame-breaking code before it is accepted into the system. However, some sites are manually checked by the site admin before being approved.

Each traffic exchange is likely to have its own set of rules regarding the types of sites that are allowed. While some exchanges do not allow the use of rotators, others may not mind their use. Some programs have banned paid-to-promote sites, as well as programs that appear to be ponzi schemes, from rotation. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of each exchange before submitting your target URL(s).

The process of adding banner ads and text links is pretty much the same as that for adding your target URLs. Just find the appropriate menu link and insert the correct information into the submission form to enter your banner and text ads into the member rotation.

Some confusion may come up when setting up banners for rotation. First you must have an image of the banner hosted somewhere on the internet. Usually, the program that you are promoting will give you an image url or tell you that you need to copy the image and upload it to your own hosting account.

Either way there will be two urls to be added when entering a banner. One will usually say" target url". The "target url" is the page you want a person to see when they click on the banner (the page you are promoting). The other will usually say "image url". That is the location on the internet where your image
file is hosted (usually ending in "gif" , "jpeg", or "jpg". Some exchanges will also allow an "alt text:" box. Alt text is what someone will see if for some reason the banner is not available because of some sort of server glitch. (Yes even the best hosts sometimes have glitches). This will also show whenever some one mouses over the image. I usually place the name of the opportunity between the quote marks.

Whats Next?:

Continue to the next lesson by clicking the link below:

Traffic Exchanges eCourse (Part3):
Advanced Traffic ExchangeTactics

Go BACK to Traffic Exchanges eCourse Parts 1-3

Traffic Exchanges eCourse - parts 1-3

Traffic Exchanges eCourse - Part 1

Just The Basics:

Q: What is A Traffic Exchange?

A: A traffic exchange is very simple really. It is a web site program that allows you to send advertising to others in exchange for viewing ads belonging to other members (whether actually visiting their site in a special, timed browser, or clicking on a banner or text ad).  These programs give you a very powerful way of:

• advertising your products or services to a large number of people.
• Checking out what others are promoting.
• Getting ideas about how to target your campaigns by seeing what the competition is doing.
• Branding yourself, gathering leads, and selling your products

All Traffic Exchanges are member sites. For that reason, you will have to open an account with each exchange you want to join. This is pretty easy and takes only a few short minutes to complete. Most traffic exchanges are free to join, with options to "upgrade" with varying levels of benefits.

Q: How Do I Get Started?

A: In order to sign up, you will be asked to enter your name and a valid email address. You might also be asked for your web site information if you have one. During the sign-up process you may be asked to choose a username and password that will be used to access your member's area. Some exchanges will automatically assign you a user number and an auto-generated password. The password can usually be changed inside the member's area after your first log-in to the account.

After you hit the "submit" button on the sign-up form, you will receive a validation email. You need to click the validation link in this email in order to prove that the email address you have used to register your membership is actually yours. This is done to insure that you get important support emails, and program updates. You will need to look in your email "inbox" for a subject line that reads "Validate Your Account", "Verify Your Account", or something similar. Open this email, and you will find a clearly marked validation link. Just click on the link and you will be taken to a confirmation page where you will be instructed on how to log into your account using your username and password.

All traffic exchanges operate on a credit system. Members earn credits by completing various required actions, and then use those credits on web site visitors, banner ad impressions, text links, and possibly (depending on the Traffic Exchange), email solo ads.

If you maintain active memberships in a few of the top Traffic Exchanges, you can generate a huge flow of
traffic to any web site you wish to promote. Used properly, Traffic Exchanges are a very effective way to promote just about anything!

What's Next?:

Continue to the next lesson by clicking the link below:

Traffic Exchange eCourse (Part2):

Setting Up Your Traffic Exchange account:

Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 3

Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 3

The Nitty Gritty!

The 3 Tactics All Affiliate Marketers Need To Learn:


Every affiliate marketer is constantly searching for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Some marketers think that all they have to do is to follow what is the most popular program, or product being sold or promoted online. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.

There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing, and continues to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. If you follow these top three marketing tips, you will be able to increase your sales and survive in the world of online affiliate marketing.

Q: What are these three tactics?
A: I have listed these below in detail:

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing.

Do not lump all of it together just to save money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more. There are many reasons for this. Trust me, it is far more successful if each product is given separate sites.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding of what the product can do for those who purchase them. Including testimonials from users who have already tried the product also helps if you have some available (don't just make up something - people are not stupid!). Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing. Never publish their testimonials without permission!
 Articles highlighting the uses of the product will help clarify why the the reader should buy. Make all pages attractive, compelling, and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should compell the readers to read even more. Highlight special points by using bold letters, or by using a contrasting color as a background. This will help your readers to learn important points that will lead them to want more information, or persuade them to buy.


2. Offer free reports to your readers.

If possible, position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Use an autoresponder form to capture their email address and first name (minimum needed to get permission to send them "information"). Be sure that, once they in-put their information, that they are sent to a "Thank You" page along with instructions to click a verification link in an email that was just sent to them. Once they click the link in the email to "verify" their email address, be sure they are sent to a page with a direct link to the download of free information. What you just did by following this advice, is to create a "double-opt-in" lead for your autoresponder! According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen using a web page alone: either you will close a sale on the first exposure to it, or the prospect will leave the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at set intervals, you will remind them of the product they thought they might want lateron. You may want to tell them that the price may increase soon or the offer may be discontinued. It may prompt them to purchase now, rather than risk missing the opportunity later. Be sure that your content is directed toward specific reasons why they should want to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch. I know that some people are totally turned off by a direct "Buy This Product" sales pitch. You must create a desire for it first or they will click "delete" so fast it will make your head spin!

Focus mainly on important points like how your product can make things easier for them. Include compelling subject lines in your emails. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because spam filters will "dump" emails that contain such content into the junk or spam folder before anyone can read them. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something significant if they do not make use of your products and/or services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product.

Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that focus on your target customers, and what you are promoting might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of two articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.

Always remember that only 1 out of 100 (conservative estimate - statistics say 2-3% conversion) people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics outlined above are not that difficult if you think about it. It just requires a bit of time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can maintain a good source of income, and survive in this business quite well. Not all marketers can say that.

Congratulations! You have finished this eCourse. As a reward you may download this FREE eBook!

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Go BACK To Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 2

Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 2

Affiliate Marketing eCourse

Part 2

What You Need To Proceed And Succeed!

Q: What are the basic required tools I need?


A: Lets take a look at what I consider the basic tools you will need to get started:

1. A fairly recent, dependable computer (preferably a windows XP or Visa) with enough ram to allow you to surf the net without getting frustrated. You can get started with an older machine but an upgrade to a newer, more powerful model as soon as possible is advisable. This is your number one tool, so it needs to be able to do what you need it to do.

2. A broadband internet connection (Cable or DSL). If you intend to build a successful business dial-up simply won't do. You can start that way but something faster should be first in your budget, or you will be going nuts with slow page loads.

3. You need antivirus and spyware protection for your computer. This is NOT an option. There are too many malicious spyware and viruses on the Internet today to leave your computer unprotected. Remember, this is your business. You wouldn't expect an off-line business to close for the night and leave the doors unlocked. Don't leave your computer without the proper protection, or your business could be "shut down" involuntarily by malicious viruses or malware.


4. Stationary and supplies – Pens, papers, file folders, index cards, lined paper for planning, a log book, and a wall mounted appointment calendar are good for starters. You may also want to have a few re-writable CDs on hand for backup files (backing up files is also not an option - ignore it and weep. Um... yes, it happened to me - Once!).

That will get you started for basics.

Moving on...

Building Your Affiliate Business From the Ground Up

Budgeting Both Time & Money

Now that you know what an affiliate program is, how it works on a simple level, and have the tools you need to get started, you need to put your plan of action down on paper.

Sit in a quiet room with nothing to distract you. Take a clean sheet of paper and a pen and sit at a table or desk in a comfortable chair. Now begins the real task of getting serious about how you will proceed with your business.

Step #1:

How Much Time & Money Can You Spare?

The first step you must take is to determine just how much time you can spare during each week, and how much money you are willing to spend on your business. You have to realize that the more money you can afford to spend on your business (consider money spent as an investment in your business), the quicker you will build your business. On that piece of paper, write down the amount of time you can devote to your business each week, and how much money you can invest in it each month.

Realize too, that you can not hope to make a go of an online business if you can not spend at least 10 hours per week on it. You should also be able to afford about $25 per month as a very minimum investment.

If you can't do these two things, you need to face the fact that you are not in a good position to start an online business. It is close to impossible to forego either of the above requirements and be successful. It isn't impossible, but most people get plenty discouraged after 3-6 months and they don't see much progress.
 Free marketing methods CAN be used to build a business online, but the average person won't stick with the program unless they see money almost immediatly. They simply lose patience and quit. Don't believe the hype that claims you can market and earn tons of money in just a few minutes a day. That is not reality, that is hype, smoke, and mirrors. I promised to be honest, and sometimes the truth hurts.

If you made it through step one and are still with me, we can go on to the next step.

Step #2:

What Knowledge & Skills Do You Have?

Now we have to decide what form your business will take. Remember to match your interests and skills to your business and it will be both more enjoyable and more likely to succeed.


For example, you wouldn't open an auto repair shop just because it is a good income generating business if you didn't know the first thing about car engines. It makes no sense at all! You would go broke in a heartbeat because you spent all your money on a building and necessary tools, and now you have no knowledge of how to proceed. You will not make money until you learn how to repair cars. In other words, don't jump into something that you have NO idea about.

Choose a business that you have at least a working knowledge of. If you love to garden, you have a working knowledge of gardening. Perhaps an affiliate product related to gardening will fit very well into your business model. Always look at what you have an interest in and what you have a working knowledge of and use those in your business plans, or you will spend way too much time on your learning curve.

Learning to market online is enough to have to learn. Trying to learn the necessary knowledge required to at least sound as if you know what you are talking about on a website in addition to marketing will be an extremely daunting task. Others who know more about the subject will know you are bluffing and click away from your site. Worse yet, they can comment and blog about your lack of knowledge on the subject. In short, if you don't have first hand knowledge on a subject, don't build your business around it. Your ignorance on that subject will show.

Step #3:

Choosing Your Business Niche

Ok, now that you understand that, lets talk about where to focus your efforts. Don't be swayed by things you see advertised online. No matter how cool they look or how many bells and whistles the product may have, the big money will be in your own niche. Concentrate your efforts on a small tight arena of what you like and what you know. That defines your niche.

Charting Your Course:

So, what actually grabs your interest? Remember that paper I had you get? You are going to need it again now. Make three separate columns on the rest of your paper. In the first column, list all the things you enjoy doing. It can be anything you enjoy doing. Fishing, sewing, knitting, hunting, horseback riding, motorcycle riding, etc. That's right, these should be things you look forward to doing on your days off and during your free time.

On the second column, list all of the things that you are experienced in. You can draw from courses taken, work experience, child care, hobbies, etc.

The third column will be the resulting answers you get from asking your friends and family what they think you are good at doing.

Anything that seems to have found its way into all three columns is a good fit - your niche - that you should research a bit more and seriously consider as a focus for building your affiliate business. You are now well on your way to a good start with a business you have a talent for and an interest in.

Basic Tools of the Trade:

Q: What are the two basic tools I need?

Tool #1 - Your Own Web site

A: There are two basic tools that you will need to get started. You will need a website and a way to gather subscribers.


Q: What is the importance of my own website?

A: The website will be your Online Office. No matter what niche you choose to use for your online business focus, your website will be your foundation for the rest of your business. It is here that you will add your content that people will be searching for on your niche subject. If you have properly optimized your site, people should find your website by doing a "search" for a keyword related to your niche subject (more on this later).



Q: What is all this fuss about content?

A: A word about content here: Do not slap up a page full of affiliate links and banners and call it your business site. These are commonly referred to as "link farms" and are frowned upon by search engines. They will not add your site to the search results when someone does an organic search. Your site must offer some informational content on the subject. Never use your business to "push" products. Give people who search for your niche subject a reason to stay and read some relevant information, or they will click away and never return!

You can direct them to a related affiliate program that you have decided to use by presenting it as a recommendation or a product review from someone who has provided relevant information on the subject. They are much more likely to visit the affiliate page if you have proven that you can offer good advice or information.


Q: Why is the web hosting company I use Important?

A: Your web site must be hosted on a reliable and stable hosting site. If you are uncertain, you can ask for a recommendation. I will provide some recommendations at the end of this lesson. These will be based on my own use of them in the past, as well as ease of navigation and use.

So, a web site of your own is one tool you can not do without if you want to be taken seriously as a business.


Tool #2 - A reliable Autoresponder

Q: Why is an autoresponder so important?

A: The second tool you need is a way to get people to market to. This is done by using an opt-in form that directs people into your autoresponder. This is a tool you can not hope to survive online without.

I know, some websites (inexperienced marketers do this a lot) have a "bookmark me" link at the top of their sales page so that people can ad them to their computer's bookmarks to visit later. Seriously, how many times have you gone to your bookmarks and visited all the pages you bookmarked? If you did, can you remember why you bookmarked it in the first place? Yeah, I thought so...

Bookmarking is great, don't get me wrong, but they may never come back for a look. Capturing their contact info doesn't take that much longer, and once you have that, you can send them info any time you want until they "unsubscribed".

For this reason, it it is very important to capture their name and email address (that is the minimum info you need) so you can add them to your subscriber list. The best way to do this is to offer something of value in exchange. You can offer a free eBook, an eCourse on your chosen niche, or a free trial of some kind that is related to your niche (if you have that option open to you to offer them).

Once you have them on your subscriber list, you can use it to your advantage in many ways. You can send them an "alert" about a blog post on a related niche subject, or inform them of a special deal you just found, or just send free tips on your subject. That way, they will remember you, your site, and the fact that you feel they are important enough to you to let them know about these things.

The most important thing to remember here is: Develop a relationship with your subscribers. If you just keep sending them hype and links to products that will earn you commissions, they will unsubscribe quicker than you can blink an eye. I know, be cause I personally have subscribed to a list and the list-owner kept sending out emails that looked like solo ads that advertised products. He never send tips, information or anything but ads. I unsubscribed in just three days! I had received about five emails from this person per day. All were ads. Just don't do it or your subscribers will leave quicker than rats off a sinking ship!


Q: What kinds of autoresponder do I need?

A: There are two kinds of autoresponders on the Internet: Free and Paid The Free ones are usually ad suported. In other words, you have to put up with ads being put in with your messages to your subscribers. This has two distinct drawbacks. You look unprofessional and your subscribers may be distracted by the ad that isn't yours. So, you are basically paying for a subscription by helping sell someone elses stuff and losing your sale to them.

The Paid autoresponders are usually good. There are only one or two that I would consider and I will add a recommendation to a couple of them at the end of this lesson. But...I found an alternative that is both free and has no ads in it. The only catch is that you are limited as to how many autoresponders you can have with the company as a free member, and how many messages you can store to be sent out in the sequence.

The upgrade for a lifetime of use is so cheap that anyone can afford it, and that is what I use the most. Unless you are familiar with setting up an autoresponder, it is a bit of a learning curve to set up the first time. Once you have mastered it however, you will be very pleased with the results. You also get a lot more than the autoresponder with the upgrade, so take a look and you will wonder how they can offer this! I have personally spoken with the gentleman who owns it, and can say that he is honest and reliable, and the service is top notch! Check it out by clicking the banner below and see what I mean!

Congratulations! You have finished this portion of your eCourse. As a reward you may download this FREE eBook!

FREE DOWNLOAD!

Right Click on the graphic below and 'Save as'

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What's Next?:

Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 3
The Nitty Gritty!

Go BACK To Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 1

Affiliate Marketing eCourse - Part 1

The best place to start any training, is to define what it is, so here goes:
 Q: What is an affiliate?


A: An affiliate is a person who affiliates himself or herself with a program, either by registering, or joining it. At the time of registration, the affiliate must agree to certain terms and conditions that are required in order to be allowed to join the program.

Becoming an affiliate does NOT make one an employee of the company, and the company will not report your income to the IRS or withold taxes from your payments. Depending on the company involved, you may or may not receive a Form 10-99 at the end of the year. For this reason, you need to keep good financial records in order to properly pay your income taxes at the end of the year (approximately 20% of your total earnings).
 Now that all the legal stuff is out of the way, let's have a look at some of the affiliate programs out there.


Q: What are the two kinds of affiliate products?

A: There are two distinct kinds of affiliate products that you can sell - Physical products, and Digital products.

Q: What are affiliate programs & how do they work?

A: The best thing about all affiliate programs is that you do not have to physically ship, store, or handle the goods you are selling! All bookkeeping is done for you, and you are paid a "commission" in exchange for sending the buyer to the product.

This is a beautiful set-up really! You do not have to collect the money, deliver the goods or deal with customer complaints! The actual seller handles everything. The only thing you "collect" is your commission!

Your only job, to earn that commission, is to get people to the product's sales page. Depending on the kind of product you are promoting, you can expect commissions from 3% to 75%.

Q: Where do I go to find physical products to sell?

A: Physical products are usually sold by Amazon, Commission Junction, and Linkshare. There are others, but they are not as well known, and I have only dealt with these top three. They are reliable and pay on time.

Q: How much can I earn from selling physical products?

A: Physical products, due to the fact that they are a tangible, solid item with expenses attached to their manufacturing, shipping, etc., will pay only 3% to about 10% to affiliates. Everyone else down the line wants their "cut" of the profits, so affiliates make a smaller commission. The good news is that, if the customer returns to the same business and re-orders, that person's future purchases will pay commissions to you. You sell once and get paid when they order again.

Q: How much can I earn from selling digital products?


A: Digital products, however, are a whole different story! Since the products, once created, can be reproduced at will by downloading copies of the original, and have very little if any cost attached to them, other than the time it took to create it, they pay a much higher commission. Commissions for digital products usually start around 15% and go all the way up to 75%.

My choice of products, for that reason, is usually the digital, unless I have a niche site that can easily support the offer of a physical product that is closely related to the main subject of the site.


Q: Where do I go to find digital products to sell?

A: Some very well known affiliate programs that offer digital products are Clickbank and Paydotcom. These two programs allow you to sell other people's digital products. What I love about these two programs, is the fact that, even though there are thousands of people's products (these people are called "Vendors") that you can promote, they are all sold through Clickbank or Paydotcom (and others) and you are paid one check by the program, no matter if you sold items from hundreds of vendors.

These programs also have "Reports" you can print out that let you know how much you have sold and what commissions you are paid. These help a lot come tax time.


Q: Can I make fast money with little work using these programs?


A: No matter how easy these programs make it seem, there are no "free lunches" on the Internet. Anyone telling you that you can make a ton of cash online with little or not effort is feeding you a bill of goods! It can be hard work if you want to make serious money on the Internet.

Keep in mind that you are trying to earn money. That means you are building a business. Treat it like a business, because that is what it is! You need to have a business plan that states what you plan to do, how you plan to proceed, and where you want to be at the end of the year, the end of 5 years, etc.

You also need to budget for your advertising and you need to keep accurate financial records.

The Internet is a great vehicle that can zoom you to financial success in a lot less time than a brick and morter business, but you still have to keep to the basics of building a sucessful business. Skimp now, and cry later ( or pull your hair out)!

Whats Next?:

 

Continue to the next lesson by clicking the link below:

 

Affiliate eCourse (Part 2):

What You Need To Proceed and Succeed!

You Need A "Why" To Succeed!

Everyone who markets, whether on-line or off-line, needs a reason or a "WHY."

What...?

When I say you need a "Why," I am talking about a reason for wanting to succeed! If you have no motivation to succeed, you won't!

Do you want a new car, home, or time for your family? Great! That is a good start to finding your "Why," but you need to dig even deeper.

Be as specific as you can. That will motivate you even more. For example:

If you are expecting a child in the family, your "Why" could be the ability to spend time at home with the child instead of putting him/her in daycare, which unfortunately, has had some bad press lately due to abuses and neglect.

So... instead of saying that you want "More time freedom," as your "Why," go for the more specific "I want to be able to stay home and raise my child myself instead of sending him/her to daycare."

Being more specific in your reasons for wanting to work from home will give you an emotional investment in your chosen business. You now have a real, tangible, and more urgent reason to "Work your business" and be driven to learn all you can about how to succeed and how to promote your business, with the ultimate goal of a significant income that will help you reach your "Why."

How important is having a specific "Why?" It is the first question on any list prepared for network marketers I have ever seen, and the first question asked by people who call by phone to "pre-qualify" you to join their team!

If you have nothing specific to motivate you, you are not likely to succeed at marketing - either on or off-line.

So, before you start marketing with any program, ask yourself "Why" you want to succeed and Write It Down and put it where you will see it every day. You may not realize how important this is, but many will tell you that it will boost your efforts many times over.

Complete Newbie eCourse - Parts 1 And 2

Complete Newbie eCourse includes the following eCourses:
Complete Newbie eCourse - Parts 1 & 2
You Need A "Why" To Succeed!

Complete Newbie eCourse - Part 1 Step 1 Clear your mind of all the "garbage" you have been fed about the newest & best program to make you an instant millionaire with no work on your part, just a large investment of money! There is no such thing as a free lunch ticket. This is reality and not Lala Land. Most of what you have been told has been for the sole purpose of separating you from your hard earned money, not helping you gain more money for yourself. But... you may ask, "what about all the gurus making a ton of money on the internet?" Do you really believe that they decided one fine day to go onto the Internet, a complete newbie, and within three months they were millionaires? Not in the realms of reality! These guys failed, and failed, and failed some more before they hit on the right path to Internet wealth. I once spoke to a man who, at that time (about 15 years ago), was making a serious online income. I asked him the secret to his success, and this is exactly what he told me. "I tried different things. When I failed, I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and tried something else. I knew that every time I failed, I was one step closer to what would succeed, because I had eliminated one more method that didn't work. I just tried until I did succeed!" Lesson learned? There is no instant success. You have only a slightly better chance at getting rich online in the first few months , without a proven, well tested path to follow, than you have of winning the lottery on your first try! For Step 2, continue below. If you REALLY are completely new to the Internet, and need to know what everyone is talking about, and you have no clue at all because the meaning of a term is totally "Greek" to you, then visit our Internet terminology glossary HERE If you find a term of the Internet that is totally new and not listed in our glossary, please let us know! This site is here for one purpose only, to help You! Notice: Even though this section has a heading that states it is part of the Complete Newbie eCourse, I feel that this information is an important part of anyones business, whether or not that person has been marketing online for years, or has just begun. If you are not organized, you can not hope to be very successful. All those people who earn six and seven figure incomes on the Internet state that organization and consistency are major factors in their success. Step 2 If you wish to do more in-depth research on anything found on this page, please feel free to use the Google search form below to locate interesting facts, articles, and further useful information on the same, or related subjects: Custom Search Organizing Your Home Office Hopefully by the time you finish reading this you will have learned the basics of organization that are needed to be successful on the internet. You also should know what folders you need to set up in your browser. I also will give you my personal list of basic office supplies you will need to set up a smooth, well run home office. First Things First:  Write Everything Down! Yes, I know it is the 'age of computers', but the first time you have a complete computer 'melt-down' you will be grateful you paid attention to this all important step! Keep everything well organized in a binder or just pages in a notebook. This is important because you never know when and if you may go through a "Complete Computer Crash". These can destroy everything that you worked so hard for, and can leave you completely in the dark about your entire business. This is definitely not something you want to experience... When everything is written down it also allows quick access to information that you need, when you need it. For example, Keep a 3 ring binder with all of your important information in it, separating each section with page dividers. In the first section, have an alphabetical listing of all online businesses and affiliate programs you are involved with. For each listing, have the login URL, your username / ID, and password, and your promotional URL (This will save you more than once). This is also very helpful if you are communicating with someone and they ask about a program you are promoting. Your promotional URL is easy to locate and type into the instant messanger / chat / email for them. Keep all of your "Manual Traffic Exchange" programs in another section. Your "surfing" URL should be included in addition to the basic information you have in the first section. As before, this allows for quick, easy access, and insurance from crashes. For the third section, add all of your Safelists and opt-in URL's and passwords. Devote an entire section to your email addresses and their passwords. You can keep important emails that you have received and printed out in another section. Keep a section with items that you may not need to refer to very often. Label it "Miscellaneous." Even if you think it's not important, write it down and keep it in your binder, or that 'one time' you need it, it may not be easily found. Additional methods are: utilising a spreadsheet such as Excel (or the Open Source alternative, "Open Office," or Roboform - a program that keeps all of your login URLs, usernames, and passwords in one place (very convenient, but, won't help if the computer crashes). Save it to disk Save as much information as you can to a disk. If you have a floppy that's fine, but probably outdated now. A CD-RW or DVD-RW can be better because they are not as easily damaged and hold more information than Floppy's. You may not access these often, but, you will be glad to have them if your system ever crashes, or if you have information that mysteriously disappears. Keep A Neat and Orderly Work Area When your desk begins to get cluttered and you find yourself searching under piles of print-outs for things that you need, that should be a huge clue that you need a more organized work area. If you take a few minutes to "tidy up" before "shutting down for the day" this should eliminate any problems that you may have with clutter building up. Organize and Maintain eMail Files Set up separate folders in your primary business email account for each of your online accounts. Have a separate email account for personal emails. Nothing is worse than trying to separate business and personal emails in a single account (personally learned the 'hard way'). Also, have separate emails for Traffic Exchanges and Safelists. These will overwhelm your account with hundreds of emails per day - a situation handled best by keeping them out of your primary accounts. In your primary business account, filter your top programs to go directly to its own folder. That way it is easy to keep track of what is important and what can wait. If you use gmail for your accounts, you can even filter by the normal "notification" heading of the emails you get for newly referred members or for payments received! Keep Accurate Records Remember, that this is your business. Your "Home Based Business" has expenses just like any other business, so keep accurate records of your business expenses. There may be tax deductions that you qualify for, so check with your state and local tax laws. You may be allowed to take certain deductions for business expenses, for example: Office supplies, your ISP, depending upon the space a certain % for mortgage, utilities, dues owed....the list is pretty long. Believe me, when tax time rolls around, you will be glad you kept accurate records!  The point is, keep receipts for your expenses and file them. Keep all your receipts separated in separate envelopes by Month. Hopefully, you will follow these simple steps to keep yourself organized. Set up Browser Folders Organizing all of your favorite sites and pages is very important, especially since, over time, these can grow into hundreds of links. You should create a favorites folder called My Programs, create a folder for each one. Then as you join programs, find information and access sites you can store your new information under the appropriate folder. Make sure you backup your folders regularly in case of a computer crash. Office Supplies You are running a business - you need to get some basic office supplies: You will need at least two Three-ring binders with divider sheets - Use one of these to keep a hard-copy record of all of your programs, the login URL, your usernames and passwords for each, etc, and use the other to store all of your expense receipts, invoices etc., though, at some point, you may wish to invest in a file cabinet in order to further organize your documents (these can be had very inexpensively, and I feel that one is a necessity if you plan to be serious about your home business).  Three-Hole punch Microsoft FrontPage or NetObjects Fusion. Windows XP or preferably Windows Vista. Stapler Spiral Notebook (preferably with built in pouches) Other basic office supplies, such as file folders, color-coded tabs, hanging files, paper clips etc., as well as a comfortable chair, lamp, and, if you have the funds for it, a good computer desk. Whats Next? Click the link below to view the next Lesson: You Need A "Why" To Succeed!