From the category archives:

Internet Marketing

Tracking and Testing – the Solution to Attracting More Visitors

by Jim Edwards

Every serious online business owner eats, sleeps and breaths targeted traffic to their website. They spend the most money and time trying to attract first-time visitors to their sites in hopes of generating new sales and subscribers. But, believe it or not, it’s easier to increase your income by simply selling more of the visitors you already get than trying to chase down more traffic.

The solution? Tracking & testing! Probably the most overlooked and underutilized, but certainly the most powerful strategy for increasing sales and opt-in subscriptions. If you spend any time or money on advertising, you must start testing and tracking. Simply put, “tracking” means you measure the effectiveness of each individual advertising source you use to promote your business.

For example, if you advertise in email newsletters, you should know how effective each newsletter ad rates compared to all the others in terms of sales and subscribers generated. This enables you to know whether an ad makes or loses money. Testing means you constantly look for ways to improve your ads in small, incremental amounts that add up over time.

The most common (and effective) tests you can run are A-B split tests, which pit two variables against each other to determine which converts more lookers into buyers. Split testing headlines, price points, and guarantee periods make, from my experience, the best places to start testing.

The reason testing and tracking can double your profits (or more) lies in the power of small, incremental improvements. Lets say, for example, you decide to do a series of split tests on a website that currently converts 1 in every 100 visitors (1% conversion). You test, headline, price, guarantee and a payment plan. If each of the 4 tests yields a .25% increase in conversion, you would not see an increase in sales to 2% (4x.25%), but actually an increase to almost 2.5% since each improvement builds on the last!

The most basic tool in testing and tracking revolves around the use of advertising link tracker software. These tools measure the number of clicks on individual advertisements (text links, banners, pay-per-click ads, etc) and then measure sales or subscriptions generated as a result.

You get two choices with link trackers: a hosted service or software you install on your own server. A hosted service offers the advantage of easy setup and use. Most of the time you just sign up for the service, enter the link you want to track, get your tracking code, and you’re off to the races.

The disadvantage of a hosted service is that, if it gets abused, using the URL of the service in your links can get your emails blocked or your pages banned by search engines. The advantage of hosting the software on your own server is that you maintain a higher degree of technical control and can avoid the banning issues. The main disadvantage of hosting it yourself involves the fact that you really don’t have anyone to call for help if something goes wrong.

One of the most popular hosted link trackers online is HyperTracker.com, though I’ve not used the service. My favorite link tracker is actually part of an integrated e-commerce system at http://www.MysiteSales.com. This service enables you to track your sales and subscriptions made through the shopping cart.

Two options for software you install on your own server are Dynatracker.com and ProAnalyzer.com. Both provide decent link tracking, though no system I’ve tested provides 100% accurate results. But, with that said, failure to test means you’re leaving money on the table by wasting visitors you could otherwise convert to buyers with basic effort at improving your sales messages.

Check out this One-Stop Ads, Visitors, Clicks, Actions & Sales Conversion Tracking / Split Testing Solution at: http://GoTo-Pro.com/silver/4539

About the Author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-step and click-by-click how to get your own money-making videos posted online… “Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU To Painlessly Create, Post and PROFIT From Your Own Money-Making Online Videos… Without Being a Computer Geek or Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!” => http://www.WebsiteVideoSecrets.com

Wealth Magnet System Tips For Building An Opt In List

by Hightide

by Gary Fritts

In this article we are going to discuss the importance of building an opt in list. Almost any program you are using to make money on the internet will require some follow-up on your part. Having a list of your own is the best way to do that.

If you have ever spent your time calling and emailing leads you bought from a list broker then you know how difficult that can be. Now compare that to having a list of people who know you and look forward to hearing from you.

This is what an opt in list is. People who have agreed to receive email from you. When they fill out on online form and hit the submit button they are opting in. When they click on the link in the first email they receive they are now a double opt in lead.

The value to you, and your program, is you now have a quality prospect who wants to see what you have to offer. Internet marketing and making money on the internet is a numbers game. Generally the person with the largest list will make the most money.

Even better than that is a quality list of people who want to hear from you. You build on this by keeping in touch and providing valuable and interesting information. Over time you become a trusted person who is there to help.

The Wealth Magnet System is perfect for this type of marketing because you make money helping people learn how to market their business. You need a list to be able to do this.

You are able to teach your list and in turn make more sales personally from it. So how do you build a list.

Getting traffic to a landing page where you trade something of value for their contact information is a great way to build an opt in list. To do this you need 3 things.

1. An autoresponder to capture names and email addresses for future follow up.

2. A domain name

3. Hosting for your splash page where you place your sign up form.

3. A giveaway such as a free report or ebook that creates an incentive for them to fill out the short info form.

From here you promote the splash page all over the internet capturing names and following up using your program as a way for them to make money. As your list grows you will be able to increase sales for years to come as people stay on your list.

About the Author:
Gary Fritts has been teaching people how to make money on the web for over 10 years. He is currently the Senior Trainer at the Wealth Magnet Systemhttp://www.aWealthMagnetSystem.com

Online Video Marketing

by Hightide

by Mac Craig

Internet video marketing : Watch your sales soar!

A lot of people prefer watching to reading, especially on the computer screen. Calling movies a ‘video’ is actually a misnomer – it is ‘audio + video’ or what is called an AV. Audio Visuals have been seen to have a far greater retention level among internet viewers than written information.

It is no wonder, therefore, that video advertising is fast becoming a major internet marketing tool for selling products and services.

Advantages of Internet Video Advertising

The main advantage of Internet marketing videos over the traditional text format approach is that videos can get to the point much faster. Even a static visual is worth a thousand words, it is taught in graphic design schools. Imagine what a moving visual, or the movie, can do in delivering your message to the viewer.

The viral edge is another advantage Internet videos have over other traditional marketing channels. There is no better marketing strategy than ‘word-of-mouth’. Websites continually share and serve popular content driven by user choice. The speed at which videos are picked up, shared, and distributed is unparalleled to any other.

Internet Video sharing sites like ‘youtube’ are a rage today, and this is a reflection of the choice of internet surfers. New sites like LeadsbyVideo are coming up with video sharing innovations which are great for online marketing.

A video ad can actually demonstrate a product’s usability, so don’t just say it, show it!. A nicely produced visual message with a human touch can do wonders in reaching out emotionally to the customer. Does the quality of the video matter? Yes, of course. Like in other marketing tools, there are experts available who can produce the right movie to suit your product, and budget.

A Few Tips

1. Use the videos on the first page. It’s like handing out your business card. The first page recommends you, and the first impression is a lasting one. Don’t tuck your marketing video away, on some inside page. Make it visible.

2. Always have a ‘call for action’ – something that the customer will feel like doing immediately, like clicking on a link, or filling up a form.

3. Search for the tools that can tell you how much of your video was played before the visitor closed it, how many prospects actually decided to pay your site a visit after watching your video, how many of these visits converted into sales, and so on.

4. Today you can track traffic on the website and analyze results. Make an extra effort to measure the impact that your videos have had on the prospects, and to measure their performance.

5. Use Search Engine Optimization techniques to generate leads. Remember, videos are a gourmet dish for search engines, so give it proper time and prepare it with extra care. Use the right ingredients, so to speak.

Go ahead, share your video!

About the Author:
Mac Craig is an internet professional who has been serving several firms as an online marketing consultant. He counsels on internet video marketing and video advertising.

Passion + talent + Specialization = Success

by Hightide

by Rick Sloboda

Those who tap into their raw talents and passion get ahead further and faster in the ever-expanding Web world.

It seems obvious, but most web types get drawn toward immediate, short-term opportunities and wander far from their true calling.

Enter specialization

Renew your drive by specializing in an area where you naturally thrive.

When you focus on one particular area or niche, your knowledge and experience increase rapidly. Within a short timeframe, you get in tune with leading technologies and trends, become established in your industry and market, start to earn top dollar and ultimately gain full control of a satisfying career.

Conversely, if you attempt to be all things to all people, you’ll produce mediocre work and attract comparable clients.

Such was the case with a web-savvy individual who recently completed a series of projects for my business. During the 1990s, he had his hands in programming, design, online marketing and copywriting. “I was attracting the worst customers,” he said. When he wasn’t haggling over price, he was dealing with unhappy clients demanding freebies. He finally decided to stick with what he knows best: programming. Now he works less, makes more and gets to pick his clients.

Not too long ago, another programmer who’s been developing websites for 10 years asked me: “Should I go to school so I can also provide clients designs?”

Rather than broaden his work scope, I suggested he narrow it. A great programmer can’t necessarily become a great designer and vice-verse. It comes down to recognizing what you’re good at and leveraging that talent. After all, it’s no coincidence the very best websites are collectively created by professional web copywriters, designers, programmers and other specialists.

On the design front, a Vancouver-based design team I’ve worked with began researching the food industry’s web needs, and decided to pursue that niche. It didn’t take long to land some notable restaurants and become the ‘go to’ web design firm in that industry. They discovered they have a knack for it, wholeheartedly threw themselves into it and clients now knock on their door.

Unleash your true passion and talent

How do you determine your niche? Consider what you love doing and what you do well. Hopefully the two overlap. Then determine your market; who could you best serve? Finally, fine-tune how you position yourself by listening closely to common customer complaints and problems. If there’s a pain your competition or the industry isn’t paying attention to, you’re sitting on a goldmine.

Some tips on determining your potential expertise and niche:

1) Write down what, how, when and where you are going to offer your service.

2) Describe your strengths (how and why you’re better than the competition).

3) Acknowledge your weaknesses (things you need to improve or delegate).

4) Develop a profile of your ideal client (age, sex, needs, spending habits, region and so on).

The sharper your focus in a particular segment of your industry, the quicker you can gain expertise or even authority status in your field. And that’s when the best clients come to you; the one’s who value your work and pay accordingly.

About the Author:
Rick Sloboda is Founder and Senior Web Copywriter of www.webcopyplus.com, which focuses exclusively on web writing services.

Five Key Steps In Online Business Planning

by Hightide

by Jim Edwards

It rates easier than ever to start a new business on the Internet.

Never before have the opportunities been more available, the tools cheaper, or the prospects of success more likely.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran looking to expand an existing online business, a casual dabbler looking for a part-time income, or an offline professional wanting to expand your market online, the following five key steps will help you reach your goals.

Key # 1: Define Your “Target”

Clearly list and explain what you want to accomplish in your web site business.

We all think about what we want to get or accomplish in life and our job.

But did you ever list it specifically in terms of money, traffic to a web site, or more sales online?

This principle and simple activity applies to an ebook, a new website, an ezine or any other business goal.

Defining a clear target will give your conscious and sub conscious mind something definite to shoot for.

Examples include: the number of subscribers to your ezine; sales per day on your website; pages written in an ebook; new advertising sources found; number of affiliates recruited and more.

Key # 2: Define the Cost”

You must “define the cost” in terms of the tools, resources, and people you need to reach your online business target, no matter what type of business you operate.

How much will it cost in time per hour, day, week and month for all of the items?

Also, how much will it cost in terms of money to operate the business, buy traffic, pay for hosting, design and more.

Sit down and map out the costs before throwing open your doors (or wallet) so you don’t get hit with any nasty surprises.

Key # 3: “Make a List”

To create a real business that can be systematized, you must list off every single thing or element connected with your business, from the first idea to making daily deposits into the bank.

You may not know how they’ll get done right now, but you must recognize that eventually these items must get done.

You can easily come up with a fairly comprehensive list by brainstorming just to get them down on paper.

Then, when you think you thought of everything, let someone else take a look and poke holes in your list with all kinds of additions and questions.

Key # 4: “Prioritize”

Here you must list all the elements you planned in number 3 in the exact order of how you should complete them.

Car makers must build in a planned order or the finished product won’t work.

Once you sketch out your complete plan, let someone else take a look to see if you forgot a step.

In fact, they might point out that you forgot to tighten the lug nuts and the wheels fell off in the dealership!

Key # 5: “One Step At A Time”

Most people want it all and they want it now!

Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way.

Whether you do all the work yourself, outsource the job, or a combination of the two, everything must get done in the correct order in the correct way.

My motto reads, “Multi Tasking = Inefficiency.

Don’t try to do two different jobs at the same time, you’ll most likely screw up both and waste time and money doing them a second time.

Doing web site copy and email don’t mix, auto responder messages and voice mail don’t mix.

So pass each milestone on your roadmap and get things done properly and in sequence.

Launching an efficient and effective online business is not difficult.

It just requires careful planning, step-by-step execution, and attention to detail in order to greatly increase your chances of success.

About the Author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the creator of http://www.TheNetReporter.com – a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred website that will teach you step-by-step and click-by-click how to really cash-in online…Discover what really works RIGHT NOW… plus the new twists on tried and true Internet Marketing techniques that create a profitable “real” business you can be proud of… => http://www.TheNetReporter.com

Free SEO Tools

by Hightide

Who says you can’t get anything for free anymore?

I was researching html validation, search engine spiders, and search engine performance today and came across a few websites that made my job SO MUCH easier. I’ve linked them below, so give them a look when you get a chance. On second thought – make a chance, the information’s THAT important.

Free Internet Marketing and SEO Tools – I was particularly impressed with #17, the Spider Viewer. It allows you to see your page as a Search Engine Spider would. I ran some of my websites through and was amazed at the lack of some keywords as well as the abundance of some nonesense! I have a little work to do.

Dr. Watson’s HTML Validator – Again, you enter your url, then you’re presented with a list of “errors” found in your html. Rest assured, there’ll be errors. I read an article on About.com and the author said that their own website had lots of errors. It does, however, point out some basic html validating errors that could be causing problems in other browsers and/or in search engine performance.

Below the list of errors found, you’ll be able to see your html code with numbers before each line – it makes it a cinch to find exactly where the problems lie. Did I find any errors on my websites? Again… I have work to do!

4 Tips to Avoiding Affiliate Fraud

by Hightide

by Jeff Casmer

As long as there are internet businesses, there will be people trying to steal your income. Affiliate theft and fraud are on the rise. More than ever merchants need to monitor the actions of their affiliates and arm themselves against fraud. Especially if you consider that the FTC is now making merchants responsible for the action of their affiliates. While good affiliates can make you money, naughty ones can cost you a lot.

The first action to take is to find out what type of frauds your affiliates may be capable of. Below are a few examples.

Typosquatting: Also know as URL hijacking. Typosquatters register several variations of a high traffic domain names and then sign up for that same merchants affiliate program to sell them what should have been their own traffic.

Spammers: Affiliates who send unsolicited e-mails featuring a net marketers product, this can essentially tarnish the product. Spammers also make it difficult for the legitimate e-mailers to separate themselves. In many cases complaints have gotten the merchant’s domain on blacklists.

Fraudulent and Fake Transactions: This can be in the form of the fraudster creating scripts to generate phony clicks, leads, or transactions. Or they may sign up as affiliates and then make large purchases uusing a stolen credit card.

Malware: Some affiliates use adware that is inadvertently installed on a person’s computer is designed to steal traffic from legitimate affiliates by replacing their links with new ones. Thus legitimate affiliates don’t get paid and eventually move on.

Once you are aware of the types of frauds out there, you will want to screen all your affiliate. Yes, you may have hundreds or even thousands of people signing up for your affiliate program, but among these may be unserious hobbyists, spammers and sophisticated con artists. It is important to weed people out in order to be left with serious marketers. You can not afford to be lazy.

Below are some screening tips.

1. All affiliates must have an active website. A lack of one may mean theyre spammers

2. The affiliate site content must relate to your products and services. Having back links that do not relate to your site can harm your search engine ranking.

3. The site should be optimized with content.

4. Make sure your affiliates understand the policies surrounding the use of content from your site.

Most importantly you must communicate with your affiliates. A new product is not needed as an excuse to contact them; often a quick note to see how their doing, if they need anything, and to check up on them works fine.

The important thing is that you know what they are doing, how they are performing and what means they are using to make sales. You may feel as if you are annoying them but this is your business, the more control and organization you have the better you’ll do.

About the Author:
Jeff Casmer is an award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and internet marketing consultant with career sales over $25,000,000. His “Top Ranked” Work at Home Directory gives you all the information you need to Earn Money in the 21st century.

So You Think You Know Traffic?

by Hightide

by Boris Lindinger

Michael Cheney Talks Traffic – Interview With A Traffic Expert

Michael Cheney, one of the most-respected names in Internet marketing, has been online since 1995 and is the man behind the 6-Figure launches of AdSense Videos and 11 Days To List Profits. He has unveiled a new videos product – “Michael’s Traffic Videos” which covers everything to do with traffic and comes with 100,000 instant ad credits and a tailored Fast-Track To Traffic Action Plan.

We managed to grab some time with him recently and quiz him on his favorite topic – traffic.

You’ll get a lot out of this interview including a killer 40-page E-book on traffic that Michael has written to help you avoid the Top 20 Traffic Disasters!

So let’s get started.

Q. Firstly Michael, thank you for joining us today in your busy schedule.
A. Hey no problem. Good to be here.

Q. We all know that traffic is important but could you just explain a bit about traffic for the beginners out there?
A. Sure. Traffic is the lifeblood of any business online. Without it you just die. We all know that. But what a lot of us don’t realize is that just like everything else on the Internet traffic changes very quickly. That is, the methods of getting traffic are changing all the time and that’s where people get caught out.

Q. What do you mean by “caught out”?
A. Well people fall into the trap of thinking that just because they know one or two traffic generation methods that they are some sort of traffic master. In reality just because you know how to start a pay per click campaign or a little bit about search engines doesn’t make you anywhere near a traffic expert. I’m trying to spread the word that there is a massive array of traffic tactics that most people aren’t even aware of, let alone using or mastering.

Q. Can you give us some examples?
A. Sure. Offline for example. You might immediately think that getting traffic is a purely online activity but the truth of the matter is that there are lots of things you can be doing offline to get people into your website. And it’s usually these sorts of areas that are being under-utilized and therefore there is less competition for that traffic as well.

Q. So by offline you mean advertising offline?
A. Not necessarily. That is one method, yes, but I’m thinking of more creative ways to get people into your website. It all comes down to the fact that having asked people on my list it came as no surprise that most people want to know about free rather than paid traffic sources. I’ve had to become an expert in free ways of getting traffic in my time online.

Q. What do you mean – I thought you were running a successful online business with lots of cash flow?
A. I am. But it’s not always been this way. When I first started out in 1995 I had nothing. No money to play with. Just my own initiative and imagination.

Q. So are you saying you’re against paying for traffic online?
A. No. No I’m not saying that at all. What I’m saying is that, especially when you first start out, you always want to focus on the free methods. You get the traffic in for free, make some sales and then you can reinvest some of that money into paid methods of getting traffic. This speeds up the process.

Q. So what particular offline methods are you referring to – can you give us some examples?
A. There’s one tactic I used that costs nothing to implement, is relatively quick and ended up getting me thousands and thousands of targeted visitors into my websites. When I’ve shared this tactic with other marketers at seminars they’ve started laughing and slapping their foreheads when they saw how easy it was. They were also embarrassed that they had failed to use this tactic. It was quite amusing.

Q. So are you going to tell us what this method is?
A. No! (laughs) It’s in my course! I truly believe in rewarding those people that are most eager to learn so instead of giving away all my traffic tactics in interviews like this I’ve put some of them in an E-Book I’ve written. It is free though if people want to get it.

Q. So how can people get hold of it?
A. It’s called “How To Avoid The Top 20 Traffic Disasters” and you can get it by going to Michael’s Traffic Videos – you’ll see it mentioned on that page.

Q. What’s in it?
A. Well I really wanted to raise the bar on a free E-Book so I spent a lot of time creating it. It’s 40 pages long and stuffed with juicy content on what NOT to do when it comes to traffic. As far as I’m concerned too many people out there tell you what you should do but not what you shouldn’t do. That’s where this E-Book comes in.

Q. Okay. I think we’re about done is there anything else you want to tell everyone?
A. Just that if they are serious about getting more traffic into their website they need to go to Michael’s Traffic Videos and get that free E-Book.

Q. Cool. Well thanks for your time Michael and speak to you soon.
A. My pleasure. Speak soon.

3 Must Know Tips for Affiliate Marketing

by Hightide

by Jim Gaceta

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. 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 is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. 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.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

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. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and 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 is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 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.

A great resource for all aspiring affiliate marketers is: My Affiliate Secret Weapon. You can get more info here: http://tinyurl.com/2cnw4v

Always remember that only 1 out of 100 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 given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do. Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…

About the Author:
Married 34 year old, providing for his wife and 3 kids through the amazing power of affiliate marketing.

MILLIONAIRE Reveals Internet Secrets

by Hightide

by Mark Warren

Millionaire Mark Warren reveals his secrets on how he makes millions on the Internet working only a few hours per week. http://tinyurl.com/2lcwjz For the first time ever Mark Warren is revealing his never before told secrets.

http://tinyurl.com/2lcwjz Marks Ultimate Wealth Package has been rated the number one opportunity by numerous online reviews and has been seen in Entrepreneur Magazine.

http://tinyurl.com/2lcwjz You can start making $100, $500, even $1,000+ every day working at home from your computer.

About the Author:
Mark Warren has made million’s with this one web site.

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →

Internet Marketing

Recent Posts