So now that you've decided that you want to start making money online, and have at least a start on a plan of attack, what next? Well, now it's time to secure some of the tools and resources you'll need to build your online empire.
EMail
Email? But I already have an email account! I'm sure you do. You probably have several. But the question becomes, are they well suited for your online business? For many people the answer is no, and unfortunately they find that out after they've either lost sales or missed out on opportunities because of the inadequacy of the email they are using.
What do I mean? Well, let's take Yahoo as an example. It's popular, it's got lots of features, and best of all the price is right. I use Yahoo email myself, but not for my business. While Yahoo is very handy, it has some aspects that can be problematic for the online marketer:
1. Overly-aggressive spam filtering.Nobody likes spam, but Yahoo has turned spam paranoia into an art form. I regularly get innocuous messages from friends and family dumped by Yahoo straight into my Spam folder. And if your customers, or worse, potential customers, use the wrong word in an email to you, their message will likely be flagged as spam. What words? Free. Money. Income. Any dollar values. etc., etc. It's just not worth the risk.
2. Bandwidth limitations.While the average person likely stays within the limits that Yahoo places on bandwidth usage for email accounts, it is possible that your business efforts, in terms of email traffic, will exceed these limitations. And if you do, you won't be able to access your email for a certain period of time. You'll receive Yahoo's famous (and ambiguous) 999 error. Again, not worth the risk.
3. ProfessionalismFirst impressions make a difference, especially in business. And communicating with an @yahoo.com email may give a potential customer the impression that you're not a "real" business. As a matter of fact, some people will think you are a scammer because of the Yahoo address. Think about it... I'm sure you've gotten those emails claiming you've won the UK lottery or some Coca-Cola promotion. Then when you open up the email, you see it was sent from mailto:imascammer@yahoo.com.hk". Many people have been conditioned to believe that if a message or an offer is from a public, free email domain, it's probably a scam.
Bottom line, if you're serious about your online business, get a serious email address (actually, several). I recommend your own domain's email (I'll get into domains & hosting next). If you're set on having free email, I'd recommend Google's GMail. It's robust, reliable, and has far fewer of the limitations that Yahoo has.
Web Hosting
One of the things you've probably thought of when planning your online business, is what your business name is going to be. What do you want your business' public "identity" to be? Since you're pursuing and online business, this goes hand-in-hand with having a domain name. Do you have to have a domain & hosting service to work online? No, you don't. But it certainly helps, and speaks again to the issue of first impressions and credibility.
If you do decide that you want to set up your own domain, and get a hosting service, make sure you do your homework. There are many choices out there, and not all web hosting services were created equal. I recommend getting hosting from a provider who offers unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited email addresses, free domain with hosting account, unlimited "add-on" domains, eCommerce capabilities, MySQL & PHP support, and a decent control panel (cPanel) interface to manage your hosting.
Two that I highly recommend (I use them both myself) that have all these features are:
1. HostMonster
Hostmonster is affordable ($5.95/mo), reliable, and has the best control panel I've come across. Their tech support is superb, and they have some nice perks with their hosting plans (free PPC ads, a great library of PHP scripts, a good FTP interface, etc.) This would be my number 1 choice.
2. StartLogic
StartLogic comes a close second to HostMonster. They have pretty much all the same features, the price for the ProLogic hosting is the same, and they as well are very reliable and have great tech support. However, they limit the number of MySQL databases to 25, vs. 100 for HostMonster. Also, I don't feel their control panel interface is quite as good.
Another option, if you don't need all the bells & whistles, or would like a good residual income source:
Global Domains International
Global Domains International, or GDI offers basic domain registration and web hosting for $10/mo. Now you're asking yourself, "why would I pay $10 a month for web hosting when I can get it for 6 bucks?" And I would agree with you, except for the fact that just by having web hosting with GDI, you have the potential to make thousands per month. No joke. You can literally build a serious residual income with this company. Which means it's extremely easy to get that $10 to pay for itself in short order. If you are interested in the program that I have successfully used to build my GDI business, click on the link below or contact me:
Proven Automated Income System - Includes FREE Yahoo PPC ads!
Autoresponders
Did you know that on average, it takes 7 exposures to your "pitch" before a shopper turns into a buyer? Thats a lot of communication to the same people just to get one sale. It sure would be great if you could automate all that repeat contact. Well you can. All you have to do is get yourself an email Autoresponder.
Autoresponders all you to follow up with your customers, and potential customers, resulting in higher conversion rates and repeat business. Every internet guru & heavy-hitter that you run into will tell you that the absolute must-have tool for online success is an autoresponder, and they're right.
You'll hear people talking about building their "list" in this business. "The money is in the list... you have to build your list" etc. They are talking about their potential & existing customer list, but often will refer to it as their opt-in list. This is a reference to the people opting in to receive info from them, mainly via an autoresponder.
One of the main reasons that marketers use autoresponders, over and above the automated salesman aspect, is to avoid spam complaints. You see, the CAN-SPAM act of 2003 doesn't allow you to just email someone your pitch, or even just generic info about your product or service. Individuals have to "opt-in" to receive information from you. A good Autoresponder makes it easy for you to set up web pages for people to opt-in to your list. Most even offer the option of having them host your opt-in pages. A good Autoresponder also allows you to import leads into your account, so the autoresponder can send invites for people to opt-in. Note, I said "invite". This is within the guidelines of CAN-SPAM '03.
If you'd like more information on the benefits of Autoresponders, you can get my report, "How Autoresponders Can Make You More Money" by clicking here.
You guessed it, it's an autoresponder opt-in page. The cool thing is you can unsubscribe any time you like.
Here are the three top Autoresponders in the business. All are very full-featured, and capable of handling just about any business requirements you might have.
1. TrafficWave
This is the autoresponder I use. Great features, easy to use, low cost ($17.95/mo), and good support. Offers a 30 day free trial. Unlimited campaigns, unlimited subscribers, WYSIWYG email editor. Just all around a great tool.
2. Getresponse
Getresponse is a very capable product, and offers all the functionality that a good autoresponder should. Of the 3 major players, they are the only one to offer a free version (not just trial). The free version does have limitations though, including no ability to import leads.
3. Aweber
Aweber has been a very popular autoresponder service for a number of years. It's a good product, well supported, and will meet any marketer's needs. They are a bit pricier than the other two options, and charge based upon the number of subscribers. If you have less than 500 subscribers, it's not a bad route to go.
Those are the basic tools you need to hit the ground running in your online business. Invest in these basic tools, and follow your plan closely, and you're to succeed online.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Plan For Success!
Planning
Do you want to succeed? Then PLAN for success. I said in my previous post that this is a business right? Well, every successful business has a business plan. Why? Well for a number of reasons. But perhaps the most important, as it applies to your online efforts, is to provide you a roadmap from where you are to where you want to be.
Now am I suggesting that you go and create a formal business plan, worthy of presenting to a bank or investors? No, not necessarily. On the other hand, there is one school of thought that says if you want to achieve big, you have to think big. So what form your plan takes is entirely up to you. It can be a highly-polished, presentation-ready, formal business plan, or it can be just an outline on a legal pad. The important thing is that you give some careful thought to your overall "plan of attack".
If you would like to take a look at some good business plan software programs, I have some links below. If you're new to this sort of thing or have a hard time "staying on track", this may be the route you want to go.
Planning gives you the opportunity to think about your goals and what you want to achieve, and to ask yourself the critical questions about how you're going to make it happen. What will it take? How much will it cost? What are the obstacles? Where are the opportunities?
A crucial part of the planning process is setting milestones, which can take a very daunting prospect, like "how do I retire in 2 years?", and break it up into less overwhelming and manageable parts. Determining your milestones also forces you to think about the individual steps to get from point A to point B, and provides a tangible measurement of your success.
Something very important that I want to mention here... NOTHING IS WRITTEN IN STONE. A good plan has to be a flexible plan, that allows you to adjust as your situation changes. There's a balancing act here: You can't be wishy-washy about following your business plan, because you'll find yourself following tangents and chasing dead ends. On the other hand, you can't be so rigid in adhering to your original plan that you end up "going down with the ship" when circumstances aren't conducive to your approach. Your plan, in whatever format it takes, has to be a living, breathing document; which changes and grows as your business does.
Here are some of the questions you want to ask yourself to start the planning process:
1. What are my goals? (What do you want to achieve? Retire early, put the kids through college, build your dream home, etc. Make sure you know WHY you want to do this. Think this through carefully. Defining and believing in your goals are the true keys to your success. If you have a rock-solid "Why", the "How" will make itself very clear. Never lose sight of these goals.)
2. What form do I want my business to take? (I'm not talking about a corp, LLC, or sole proprietorship here, although that is something you should consider as well. I am referring to what do you want your business to do? Are you going to sell products? Services? What type? Your's or someone else's? etc., etc. For those of you who are new to this & want to keep it simple, I'd suggest the affiliate route. This will allow you to offer products and/or services, but usually doesn't require any up-front costs or the need to carry inventory.)
3. How am I going to find potential customers? (It goes without saying that the life-blood of any business is customers. So how are you going to find them? Or maybe a better question for an online business: How are they going to find you? Also just as important: What is going to make them choose you over the other guy? What sets you apart from the competition?)
4. What is my timeline? (This goes back to my comments about milestones. You need to determine when every step of the process is going to be completed, or put into place. Set deadlines for yourself, realistic ones. Then make sure you meet them.)
Again, these are just some of the questions to ask yourself to get the planning ball rolling. The great thing that you'll find about this process is that it will help you determine what is and is not important, and what the potential obstacles and opportunities are for your business. Planning will keep things in focus and keep you on track, so that you can achieve your business and personal goals.
You can be very successful! And you will be, if you think things through.
As promised, below are some links for business planning software.
This is one I am personally fond of. From a company called Jian. Very easy to use, intergrated with Word & Excel, and affordable:
Click here to learn more about using this proven system to write a business plan with sample templates in Word and financial projection models in Excel.
Here's a site called StartupPlanet. They specialize in training and products for entrepreneurs and startups. Their Business Plan software isn't as easy to use or complete as Biz Plan Builder (it also hasn't been updated for a while), but not bad for the price. After clicking on the link, scroll down the page a little. The Business Plan software should be in the center of the page:
Do you want to succeed? Then PLAN for success. I said in my previous post that this is a business right? Well, every successful business has a business plan. Why? Well for a number of reasons. But perhaps the most important, as it applies to your online efforts, is to provide you a roadmap from where you are to where you want to be.
Now am I suggesting that you go and create a formal business plan, worthy of presenting to a bank or investors? No, not necessarily. On the other hand, there is one school of thought that says if you want to achieve big, you have to think big. So what form your plan takes is entirely up to you. It can be a highly-polished, presentation-ready, formal business plan, or it can be just an outline on a legal pad. The important thing is that you give some careful thought to your overall "plan of attack".
If you would like to take a look at some good business plan software programs, I have some links below. If you're new to this sort of thing or have a hard time "staying on track", this may be the route you want to go.
Planning gives you the opportunity to think about your goals and what you want to achieve, and to ask yourself the critical questions about how you're going to make it happen. What will it take? How much will it cost? What are the obstacles? Where are the opportunities?
A crucial part of the planning process is setting milestones, which can take a very daunting prospect, like "how do I retire in 2 years?", and break it up into less overwhelming and manageable parts. Determining your milestones also forces you to think about the individual steps to get from point A to point B, and provides a tangible measurement of your success.
Something very important that I want to mention here... NOTHING IS WRITTEN IN STONE. A good plan has to be a flexible plan, that allows you to adjust as your situation changes. There's a balancing act here: You can't be wishy-washy about following your business plan, because you'll find yourself following tangents and chasing dead ends. On the other hand, you can't be so rigid in adhering to your original plan that you end up "going down with the ship" when circumstances aren't conducive to your approach. Your plan, in whatever format it takes, has to be a living, breathing document; which changes and grows as your business does.
Here are some of the questions you want to ask yourself to start the planning process:
1. What are my goals? (What do you want to achieve? Retire early, put the kids through college, build your dream home, etc. Make sure you know WHY you want to do this. Think this through carefully. Defining and believing in your goals are the true keys to your success. If you have a rock-solid "Why", the "How" will make itself very clear. Never lose sight of these goals.)
2. What form do I want my business to take? (I'm not talking about a corp, LLC, or sole proprietorship here, although that is something you should consider as well. I am referring to what do you want your business to do? Are you going to sell products? Services? What type? Your's or someone else's? etc., etc. For those of you who are new to this & want to keep it simple, I'd suggest the affiliate route. This will allow you to offer products and/or services, but usually doesn't require any up-front costs or the need to carry inventory.)
3. How am I going to find potential customers? (It goes without saying that the life-blood of any business is customers. So how are you going to find them? Or maybe a better question for an online business: How are they going to find you? Also just as important: What is going to make them choose you over the other guy? What sets you apart from the competition?)
4. What is my timeline? (This goes back to my comments about milestones. You need to determine when every step of the process is going to be completed, or put into place. Set deadlines for yourself, realistic ones. Then make sure you meet them.)
Again, these are just some of the questions to ask yourself to get the planning ball rolling. The great thing that you'll find about this process is that it will help you determine what is and is not important, and what the potential obstacles and opportunities are for your business. Planning will keep things in focus and keep you on track, so that you can achieve your business and personal goals.
You can be very successful! And you will be, if you think things through.
As promised, below are some links for business planning software.
This is one I am personally fond of. From a company called Jian. Very easy to use, intergrated with Word & Excel, and affordable:
Click here to learn more about using this proven system to write a business plan with sample templates in Word and financial projection models in Excel.
Here's a site called StartupPlanet. They specialize in training and products for entrepreneurs and startups. Their Business Plan software isn't as easy to use or complete as Biz Plan Builder (it also hasn't been updated for a while), but not bad for the price. After clicking on the link, scroll down the page a little. The Business Plan software should be in the center of the page:
Finally, here's a very inexpensive option... It's not business planning software per se, it's simply a very good & complete guide to creating a business plan. You can purchase & download the eBook here:
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Welcome to The Income Genie!
Introduction
So you say you want to make money on the internet... Are you nuts??? Tell me you're joking! NOBODY makes any money with those online programs!! It's all hype!
Heard that before? So have I. Don't believe it. Plenty of people are making money online. I'm one of them. If you take away nothing else from this blog, remember that. You CAN make money online and a lot of it. Whether you WILL or not is entirely up to you.
In other words, I can show you how to make it happen, but it's up to YOU to act on the information provided.
A couple other very important things that need to be stated...
#1 This is a business. Always remember that. This isn't a hobby, or something to pass the time. This is a business. Treat it as such. If you're not serious about it, you can't expect to get serious results.
#2 Be patient. Nothing, and I mean nothing worth achieving can be achieved overnight. If you're not in it for the long haul, hang 'em up now, because you're wasting your time and mine. You CAN be successful in this endeavor, but not if you give up before you've given it a fair chance. Patience will serve you well.
A little bit about me...
So who is this guy giving you advice on making money online? Well, among other things, I'm a husband, a father, and a resident of the Cleveland, OH area. My background is not in sales or marketing. Not even in computers or the internet. I'm a mechanical engineer. As such, I'm a natural-born skeptic. Whatever it is, you have to pretty much prove it to me before I'm going to believe it. So when I tell you something works, you can count on the fact that I did my homework and made sure ot it.
A little bit about this blog...
The information I'm going to present is generic enough that you can apply it to just about any online program that you choose to pursue, but specific enough that you won't be left trying to "fill in the blanks". Am I going to provide you referral links to my own programs? You bet. After all, just like you, I'm doing this to make money. But I promise you this: I will not promote any programs that I am not 100% sure can make you money, because they ARE making money for me. Secondly, if you do choose to pursue any of my programs through my referral links, I will be totally and completely committed to your success. After all, when you succeed, I succeed.
Here's a few places to get you started down the road of making real money online:
If you invest in just ONE tool to help you make money online, this should be it:
http://theincomegenie.com/twreport
This is the main program I'm in, and the system I use to continue to build it. Simply put, THIS JUST WORKS:
http://www.theincomegenie.com/
Orange Leads - Everyone needs new leads to build their business. Here's a place you can get them for free. Plus you can advertise for free to the entire membership (over 18,000 people):
http://www.theincomegenie.com/orangeleads
Instant Massive Cash Flow - This is an interesting system that has huge potential. But, it's not cheap:
http://theincomegenie.com/imcf
People Search - This is one that you can start absolutely free, and build from there. I also use it to help build my primary online program:
http://www.re-u-nite.com/opportunity
eProspect Finder - This is a cool program, and relatively low-cost (a one-time $15.00). It allows you to make money introducing other people to the program as well as providing you with digital products that you can resell for profit:
http://theincomeguru.eprospectfinder.com/
.
So you say you want to make money on the internet... Are you nuts??? Tell me you're joking! NOBODY makes any money with those online programs!! It's all hype!
Heard that before? So have I. Don't believe it. Plenty of people are making money online. I'm one of them. If you take away nothing else from this blog, remember that. You CAN make money online and a lot of it. Whether you WILL or not is entirely up to you.
In other words, I can show you how to make it happen, but it's up to YOU to act on the information provided.
A couple other very important things that need to be stated...
#1 This is a business. Always remember that. This isn't a hobby, or something to pass the time. This is a business. Treat it as such. If you're not serious about it, you can't expect to get serious results.
#2 Be patient. Nothing, and I mean nothing worth achieving can be achieved overnight. If you're not in it for the long haul, hang 'em up now, because you're wasting your time and mine. You CAN be successful in this endeavor, but not if you give up before you've given it a fair chance. Patience will serve you well.
A little bit about me...
So who is this guy giving you advice on making money online? Well, among other things, I'm a husband, a father, and a resident of the Cleveland, OH area. My background is not in sales or marketing. Not even in computers or the internet. I'm a mechanical engineer. As such, I'm a natural-born skeptic. Whatever it is, you have to pretty much prove it to me before I'm going to believe it. So when I tell you something works, you can count on the fact that I did my homework and made sure ot it.
A little bit about this blog...
The information I'm going to present is generic enough that you can apply it to just about any online program that you choose to pursue, but specific enough that you won't be left trying to "fill in the blanks". Am I going to provide you referral links to my own programs? You bet. After all, just like you, I'm doing this to make money. But I promise you this: I will not promote any programs that I am not 100% sure can make you money, because they ARE making money for me. Secondly, if you do choose to pursue any of my programs through my referral links, I will be totally and completely committed to your success. After all, when you succeed, I succeed.
Here's a few places to get you started down the road of making real money online:
If you invest in just ONE tool to help you make money online, this should be it:
http://theincomegenie.com/twreport
This is the main program I'm in, and the system I use to continue to build it. Simply put, THIS JUST WORKS:
http://www.theincomegenie.com/
Orange Leads - Everyone needs new leads to build their business. Here's a place you can get them for free. Plus you can advertise for free to the entire membership (over 18,000 people):
http://www.theincomegenie.com/orangeleads
Instant Massive Cash Flow - This is an interesting system that has huge potential. But, it's not cheap:
http://theincomegenie.com/imcf
People Search - This is one that you can start absolutely free, and build from there. I also use it to help build my primary online program:
http://www.re-u-nite.com/opportunity
eProspect Finder - This is a cool program, and relatively low-cost (a one-time $15.00). It allows you to make money introducing other people to the program as well as providing you with digital products that you can resell for profit:
http://theincomeguru.eprospectfinder.com/
.
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