1. Email each visitor a satisfaction questionnaire after they purchase. This will allow you to improve your order system, customer service, site, etc.
2. Give a percentage of your profits to a cause your customers would like. It could be a charity, school, environmental improvements, etc.
3. Take harsh criticism the right way and improve your online business. Don’t get down in the dumps, improve the situation so it doesn’t happen again.
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August 2nd, 2006
Lets get things straight. SEO is a very competitive market. If you have the time to promote your site and have the energy to work hard to get a good PR then this is for you. I have read many books on SEO and tried to get the best tactics to use. If you have already built a website there are two things you need to do. First is ON PAGE optimizing and the second is OFF Page optimizing. On page is basically getting your meta tags and description tags similar to the pages that you have built. One key thing to remember is try to use tags with the keywords in your content. For example: if you have keywords like "SEO consultant" in you content you should bold it and put alt tags around it. Try to do this to each keyword per paragraph, don’t over do it then google will think you’re a spammer. Build pages according to you keywords and description tags.
(381 words, estimated reading time: 1:31 ) read the full post...
August 2nd, 2006
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an increasingly popular marketing method to syndicate real estate website content for clients and prospective clients. RSS enables distribution of website content to third-party websites and RSS news readers.
Newsreader (or feedreader) use is growing rapidly. Newsreader software allows users to grab RSS feeds from various sites and display them to read and use. If you have a My Yahoo! or My MSN page, then chances are, you are already using RSS! The customized items you choose for those pages are syndicated RSS feeds from various news and information sources.
(370 words, estimated reading time: 1:29 ) read the full post...
August 2nd, 2006
Just in case you don’t know, your ‘LIST’ ? is you list of optin subscribers who have taken the time and effort to personally subscribe to your newsletter or ezine???..
Treat them like GOLD!
However, after nearly 7 years online, seeing quite a few classic examples of how to use, abuse and lose your list (including one or two made by myself) ? and of course, the mega-hype (and well deserved it is) about the rock-solid, vital importance of your list?? people still mess things up??..
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August 2nd, 2006
What You Won’t Learn in Business School
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We all know the traditional road to the financial freedom of retirement. You go to work, 40, 50 or even 60 or more hours every week for 30 or 40 years. You scrimp and save every penny you can, giving up some of the good things in life while, telling yourself that you are saving for a better day and that you will one day have financial freedom and the time to do what you really want. Then you just hope and pray that your nest egg will be big enough to feather your retirement and help you finally achieve financial freedom.
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August 2nd, 2006
How do you get a truckload of buyers eager to purchase from you. Create a good quality product and price it ridiculously low. This way you will create a truckload of buyers rushing to get your product. This is a powerful way of building a paid customer list on autopilot. You had actually “Over-Delivered” and you will have very high chances of keeping your customers for life.
Now, how do you create your own product?
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August 2nd, 2006
When building websites there are two main options: large content site or small mini-sites. Large content sites are normally more “information” focused. Mini-sites, however, normally have one purpose only, to sell.
Given what search engines want, large content sites are much better for getting search engine traffic. Most of the time (unless you’re excellent at optimizing), it’s hard to get mini-sites to rank well for competitive keywords.
This is why most do NOT rely on search engines for traffic to their mini-sites.
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August 2nd, 2006
Copyright 2005 Richard Keir
In a recent article I talked about Google AdSense placement based on eye-tracking research. However, research by The Poynter Institute, Eyetools and the Estlow Center for Journalism and New Media has a lot to say about more than where to put an AdSense block.
(896 words, estimated reading time: 3:35 ) read the full post...
August 2nd, 2006
Website promotion is certainly a main focus of all business owners and their respective Web sites; however it is not something that happens overnight. This is because once you have a new Web site it takes a bit of time before search engines upload your URL and it becomes part of search results. Also, while your Web page might be returned in the results of free search engines, it will still not relate to the amount of traffic you want. As a result, there is one particular way to increase traffic to your Web site that is inexpensive, and that is web site promotion through newsletters.
(512 words, estimated reading time: 2:03 ) read the full post...
August 2nd, 2006
How to Write that Press Release Masterpiece?
by: Irene Vasilas
Unless you’re a seasoned writer, then writing your press release might be your hardest task. If your budget allows, you can always pay some expert to write it for you. Depending on your sites content, product or services, will determine how hard it will be to find something newsworthy to write about. The better the news value, the more chance your press release has of being published.
Unless you’re business is of great importance or you have a one of a kind website that everyone wants to know about, then a new website launch is not ground breaking news to the rest of the world. The mere fact that a website is open for business happens every minute as you read.
You need to tell the right story. A story with a great ‘angle’. Your targeted publication must find it interesting and newsworthy.
Your press release must not become your sales literature. It is used to tell the whole world about your ground breaking news. To tell readers about an event that has or will happen. Having great news to tell is one part, writing it properly and in a certain way or format, is the other.
Press release tips:
Your press release should not sound like a sales pitch or ad. It must sound like news;
I should only be submitted to the media that is similar to the topic of your press release;
Try to wrap your press release around the current news events if possible;
Try to keep your press release to a maximum of one page in length;
Use short paragraphs and double space between them;
The headline, contact info and release date should be found at the top of the press release;
The headline and first paragraph should catch the reader’s attention. It should entice them to read more;
Check and triple check your press release for errors before submitting;
The press release should be presented from a third-person view, not a personal voice;
Provide references to any statistics and facts, not general opinion.
Newsworthy press release ideas:
Revolutionary new product launch on your website;
Online seminar or course you’re hosting;
A strange or funny story how your business started;
Announce your major sponsorship or contest giveaway;
Online survey results and statistics presented in the form of a press release;
Announce the recruitment of your new CIO;
A major joint venture with another company;
A new book being released on your website;
A fundraising event on your website.
Learn by reading other businesses press releases, especially from press releases that obtain huge exposure. See how they do it and what they do best.
Your headline and opening paragraph should contain some of your best work. It needs to grab the reader’s attention quickly. Usually this will determine the success of your press release as to whether it is discovered or not.
When writing your press release, make sure you begin with the date and city in the body then continue by reporting on the facts. It is always good to supply the answers to the common questions like the Who, Where, Why, What, When and How. If you don’t have the answers, you should make the effort to find them. These should be answered in the first paragraph.
It is good practice to include quotes in your press release. It increases the chance of your press release being used and picked up by a journalist. It adds credibility and human interest to a media release. The second paragraph is the best place for these.
Make things easy incase you need to be contacted for further information or clarification. Do not forget to include your contact information or your work of art might never see the media lights.
Your press release should end with a call to action. What is it exactly that you want your readers to do after reading your masterpiece?
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August 2nd, 2006