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7_Quick_Tips_for_a_More_Profitable_Internet_Business
| 7 Quick Tips for a More Profitable Internet Business
With billions of web pages and countless email messages -- a
good percentage of which are spam -- building a successful
business on the Internet is hard work. Many entrepreneurs seek
to create a 'full-time' income (whatever that may mean to each
individual) yet find that making just a few sales is still a
struggle.
Have you ever looked at your online earnings and wished you
could do better? If so, then it's time for a change. Doing the
same things will give the same results! Here are just a few
suggestions for building your online business:
~1. Give your website and/or sales letter a makeover. For
example, some sites offer lots of free content, as a way to help
people while building credibility. Others are much more direct:
the entire website consists of a single sales letter. Many argue
that these 'mini-sites' are far more effective in generating
sales because they don't have any distractions - the visitor can
focus on what you have to say. That doesn't mean you have to
give up your content site ... but consider creating a mini-site
to help drive sales.
As for the sales letter, if copywriting isn't your strength,
then hire someone to do it for you. Sure, it costs money -- but
a good sales letter can pay for itself many times over.
Things don't stay the same online for very long! Don't be
afraid to experiment. Just remember to keep backups so that you
can always revert to the old version if your experiment doesn't
produce the results you want.
~2. Don't forget about the 'real world'. There's life outside of
cyberspace! Many people prefer to be contacted by postal mail.
Email has become so clogged with spam that it can be very
difficult to get people to read (or even SEE) your message!
Ideas on how to promote your business offline are available at
http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/articles/checklist3.html
~3. Evaluate your income stream. How stable is your income? Are
you protected against income fluctuations? Will you be okay if
one of your income streams disappears, and how long will it take
to recover?
You can also 'widen' your income stream by creating additional
sources of revenue. For example, someone who sells a cookbook or
recipes can also offer their services as a 'menu planner':
working within a set of guidelines (time, budget, cooking
skills, dietary restrictions...), the menu planner can create
'custom' recipes for her customers. Whatever you choose to do,
find other opportunities to add to your bottom line.
~4. Read, read, read. Education never stops! There's always
something new to learn, and even one golden nugget of
information or inspiration could be responsible for a
significant boost in your business!
There are countless manuals available to show you how to market
your business... but realistically, you only have a limited
amount of time you can devote to really reading and absorbing
the information. You might choose to purchase a number of
manuals, but select one of them and resolve to seriously study
the material -- then take *action* on what you learn.
~5. Try to turn customers into *repeat* customers. What ideas do
you have for a complementary product? It's easier to sell to a
happy customer than it is to sell to someone who's never had any
experience with your products before. Let your existing
customers know about your new products.
If you sell services, be sure to touch base with your customers
every so often -- remind them that you're still around and
available for work. You can even offer incentives or discounts
for the next time they use your services.
Keeping customers happy is obviously important if you're
planning on building a viable long-term business. Happy
customers can turn into both repeat customers as well as a
source of referral business. But no matter how hard you try, you
will never make everyone happy -- so don't fall into the trap of
spending so much time and effort with one customer that you
alienate or ignore the rest.
~6. Form new partnerships in areas you've never considered
before. Perhaps you've always targeted a certain type of
business with which to form joint ventures. For example, someone
who sells a fitness tape might have always approached
weight-loss sites with partnership proposals. Instead, try to
think of other markets that could also use your product. In the
above example, new moms who are trying to become active again
might appreciate a fitness tape. Or how about stressed-out
corporate 'worker bees' who need a way to relax?
~7. Build for the future. How can you attract more customers? Is
your customer service up to par? How can you use your current
customer base to expand your profits? Concentrate on methods
that allow you to build a business relationship with your
customers -- a common example is to publish a quality newsletter
to help you stay in touch, build credibility, and help to keep
your business near the forefront of your readers' thoughts.
Vincent Van Gogh once said, "Great things are not done by
impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." Keep
working towards your business goals, little by little. It's the
only way to get there!
About the author:
_________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Angela is the editor of Online Business
Basics, a practical guide for beginners to the 'net. Packed with
instantly usable tips, you'll love its focus on effective fr*e
and low-cost marketing methods, specifically chosen for people
operating on shoestring budgets! Get the details here:
http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html
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