Stay Focused, Diversify And Grow Your Business

I suggest netrepreneurs expand/diversify with more sites and unique angles of content to complement their key business and activities.(Nelson Tan)

How do we diversify, stay focused on our market, find a unique angle, test and implement profitable strategies then repeat these steps over and over again? First off, having multiple websites can be an administrative nightmare. Not only do you have to:

1. check email
2. reply to email
3. keyword research
4. create content
5. add new content for your website
6. create content for your email campaign
7. send out emails to your email list
8. upload ad placement code to new pages on your website and blog
9. affiliate product
10. optimize ads
11. update site maps
12. update rss feeds
13. back link strategy (posts to forums, blogs, etc)
14. article directory submission
15. search engine directory submission

At some point you will have to test different page elements, ads, layouts, content, etc to see which performs better, then change your other campaigns to match it.

All of this will need to be done at least once a week. But, you need to check and respond to email every two days.

Whew....

Once you have done this for a while one of five things will happen (or all five):

1. your websites updates will slowly start to "fall by the wayside”
2. email questions don’t get answered in a timely fashion
3. email lists start to opt-out
4. you will go mad
5. you will outsource

Number 5 isn't bad; actually, outsourcing can be your way to effectively grow your business. Lets face it, it takes time to be successful online (far less time than it does in most other industries).

Having “too much on your plate” can overshadow your creativity.

So turn off the TV, turn the Jazz and start researching keywords as a foundation for your next killer web site and/or Blog.

Some people don't feel that Internet Businesses are worth the time and the mental workout you get from analyzing enormous amounts of data. That being said, what most don't realize is that even with all of the above responsibilities you still work far less and have the potential to make more money than you would have ever seen if you'd been going from job to job and waiting on a pay raise.

Until next time

Will

p.s. Sometimes you can find an excellent niche, write a how-to ebook, create an awesome landing/sales page, start an Adwords campaign and drive targeted traffic to your sales page. This method can draw you an amazing amount of daily income. This is slightly harder than it sounds.

p.s.s. Life deals us a great deal of responsibility but you have to realize when to ask for help (and that all help is not free but still worth paying for).

:-)

Can You Start An Internet Business With No Money?

Many people are enticed by businesses they can start with little or no money. Is it possible to start an Internet Business with no money?

Yes.

I did it, but I'll be the first but not the last to tell you that I would have saved a bunch of time and heartache if I'd had some cash to hire someone who knows how to achieve and launch successful marketing/sales campaigns.

In other words, If I could have paid someone to do all the tedious/grunt work I'd be further along in my Internet Marketing than I am now. Oh, well.

Don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot about marketing strategy, some of what it takes to be successful at Google Adwords, Email marketing, list building, keyword research and article marketing.

There are some other tid bits I've picked up along my year and two month Internet marketing experience but it's late and I can't remember everything at the moment.

One important fact that I've learned is that optimizing your website is a compilation of factors that work together to build website popularity in your market. Some people think if they generate tons of backlinks they will start receiving enormous amounts of traffic.

Quality Backlinks are great to have but are not the overall determining factor in website optimization. The most important skills for an aspiring Internet entrepreneur to have would be:

1. determination
2. perseverance
3. drive
4. pride
5. organization
6. analytical skills

With these 6 skills the rest will fall into place like devoting a substantial amount of time to your business. Learning from and moving past failure. Taking challenges head on. Ensuring you are offering your market something of value. Keeping everything related to your business organized such as files, folders, etc. Last but not least knowing how to determine where there are opportunities for improvement and capital gain in the long and short run.

Let this marinate and I'll talk to you soon,
Will C.

Internet Marketing Site Creation And Implementation

Boy is it hard to get things organized when you have a ton of stuff going on and even more ideas that you want to implement. While trying to optimize my current websites I'm constantly using my keyword research tool from Nichebot.com to come up with content that is in demand with the search engines. Simultaneously I'm:

1. writing articles,
2. submitting articles to over 400 article directories,
3. updating my websites (weekly) with advertising content & articles,
4. organizing my website ad content,
5. searching for relevant affiliate products,
6. posting to forums and blogs
7. looking for Niches that I can create a website and an ebook to sell
8. working on my email marketing strategy

I'm sure there are other things I'm doing to grow my Internet Marketing Business but these are the top dogs right now. I must admit Internet Marketing can be overwhelming at times but when it takes a toll on me I find relief in sharing what part of it drains me the most. I'm looking forward to the day when I can pay someone to do the grunt work while I come up with the strategies.

Adsense: Video Ad Unit Makes Good Sense

Adsense Video is moving hard into online marketing where print has already taken over. Next I think we will see audio ads with no video which may work well for the site impaired. As Marketers we ask the question "what are people looking for that they can not get anywhere?" and if we can find the answer we can create wealth.

I think I was one of the first individuals to add a Adsense Video Unit to my website and Blog. The reason I say this is because I was Using Google Adsense just 12 hours before adding the Video Unit and it was not an option.

You can tell Adsense Video Units are in an infant state because of the limited options. The Videos seem to get the interest of visitors to my sites but I think it has more to do with the "newness" of it. When I viewed one of the Video Ad Units it appeared to be show where different people answered online generated computing questions.

The Video is from YouTube [of course] and the ads are placed in the header and footer of the Video Ad Unit window. Your allowed to select different videos at anytime, pause, stop, play, and volume controls are available. I don't believe the video its self is an ad, only an enticement. In my case the video had little to do with the Ads but it was going in the right direction.

I'm sure we all realize Google is working hard to get more videos that are directly related to their ads. We [Internet Marketers] may be able to help provide more Videos.

Don't be surprised if you start seeing more ebooks that outline a recipe to dominate online video advertising worldwide. Although video is not new to television; with Google's purchase of YouTube we know video has a potential to reach those people where other advertising avenues have fallen short.

I have blue printed various video ads and have come up with a few ideas that will turn into a very profitable marketing technique...


Until next time
Will C.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Landing Page For Opt-In Email

You can get people to give you their email address if you have an enticing Landing Page (or sometimes called a squeeze page). I use to believe all you had to do to get people (who visit your website) to give you their email address was ask for it.

Well not exactly, I used what I saw online as my basis for an opt-in email campaign. This consisted of a autoresponder working in the background and some ad copy that simply said "Sign up for our Newsletter..."; sound familiar? But, I had no idea that a landing page/squeeze page was the better option for email opt-in enticement. In fact I always found sqeeze pages to be annoying.

If I landed on an opt-in landing page I always thought "I haven't determined whether I like the info on the website so why would I give you my email address?".

I am in the process of creating a landing page with an book and cd ecover that has some small but enticing ad copy. Those that sign up will get a downloadable step by step website implementation and marketing Audio/Video at no cost. The Audio/Video can be shared but not altered. Depending on how large I make the "give-away", I may also sell the PLR rights. None of this is new to seasoned marketers but I can almost gurantee if I'm just learning it, some of you are too.

I've been article marketing over the last 4 months in order to generate backlinks and targeted traffic. As I begin to see traffic I was like COOL! But I began to think gosh I, "what do I want to do with the traffic now that I'm getting it????

As I've stated before (or maybe I haven't), you only get better at Internet Marketing through constant research and testing.

Research: finding out new ways to promote your online business.
Testing: launching multiple marketing strategies and testing their performance against each other.

I will create 3 different landing pages (with different copy) and go with the one that performs better after a certain period of time.

Building a list takes time and building a targeted list takes creativity and proven tactics. Marketing to an email list (once you get one) does not mean to market or sale in every email you send. You also need to continue to give your list something of value at no cost. Lastly, always look for ways to increase the list or build new targeted lists.

I realize this only scratches the surface of email marketing but I'm going in the right direction.

Are you?

Also, are you consistently adding fresh content to your website?


Talk to you soon,
Will C.

I Think It's Time For Another Elance Promo Code

For small to medium size businesses, outsourcing permits time for growing and expanding the business. Elance Inc created Elance.com a service marketplace where service providers promote their business through the work they have done for other buyers.

In 2004 Elance launched their sales and marketing category in order to fill the demand for the growing advertising marketing, public relations and lead generation requests. Using Elance promo code NYP1 providers who signed up were able to receive a 40% membership discount. This attracted an influx of service providers who had unlimited access to thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses that needed services for:

1. Website development
2. Graphic Design and Art
3. Writing and Translation
4. Sales and Marketing
5. Management and Finance
6. Audio, Video and Multimedia
7. Administrative Support
8. Software and Technology

Using the 40% discount Elance promo code as an enticement Elance was able to draw in more service providers for its growing buyers market.

Provider: the individual providing the work requested.
Buyer: the individual requesting work to be done.

Elance can work for you whether you are a buyer or a provider. Internet marketers need time to research their website content to determine its value online. After an Internet Marketer finds a strategie it takes time to compile, proof and implement. an Elance service provider can save you valuable time in the compiling, proofing and even marketing areas. On the other hand, if you build websites, write, proofread, etc you can instantly be in contact with people looking for your services. Check out Elance today to see how it can work for you.

If you want to become a Provider on Elance do not forget to request a Promo code [all they can say is no].

A Blog and your Internet Marketing

A Blog can be a main Internet hustle or an addition to your arsenal of marketing strategies. Forums, articles, videos, give-aways, how-to’s, member sites, audios’, etc are all part of a dominating mix of marketing tools.

Oh, I forgot to mention the Blog. I like to think of a Blog for what it is, a Web Log or journal.

I use to feel like a Blog would be too much to maintain. Having never had a Diary or a Journal as a child or adult I didn’t realize how easy it was to write about what you do on a day to day basis.

At the moment I spend 5 or more days a week building my Internet Marketing Empire so I have a lot to talk about. Everything in Internet Marketing doesn’t go smoothly and those things make for a great read.

So if you are getting your Internet Hustle on (no matter the capacity) put your day to day grind in a Blog, keep it relevant to one of your websites and link to it.

A Blog can create a flood of Online Interest in your business. Although your Blog posts may be about how you run your shop you can still use keyword strategies and even post to Ezines.

I have to admit I set this Blog up earlier this year, posted a couple of things then started a new marketing strategy and let my Blog collect dust.

I have realized my mistake in not regularly building my Blog but then again I’m a very busy man. My family will not allow me to let Internet Marketing consume me.

My advise to anyone contemplating building a blog but wants to do it “right the first time”, would be to start it and shape it as you go.

But…

If your blogging for advertising dollars, Plan to Build a Blog that has relevant topics.

At Home Data Entry Clerk Jobs

Everyone has thought about working from home at one time or another but with the day to day trials of life makes it is hard to get motivated. Data Entry Clerk is a home based business that can be added to many forms of computing and or typing. For instance, Google Adwords data entry jobs have been popping up online.

While searching for a Data Entry Clerk Job I immediately noticed that a company had created a program that basically allowed users to enter ad campaigns for advertising on Google. Most would call this Internet Marketing but since you’re "entering data" it has been transformed into something else for those unfamiliar with online businesses. This is not a scam but an ingenious way to earn extra income advertising products with a high conversion rate.

The only drawback is that your ads have to attract targeted traffic. The link you send your traffic to must to cater to their need which in most cases is enticing them to buy. If you do not have the experience with these two steps then get it before you waste your time and money.

Other Data Entry Clerk Jobs are paid based on how much work you finish accurately. Records Keeping also known as Book Keeping are data entry positions that are often outsourced. What this means for you is that you can take advantage of as many positions that you can handle. Remember; accuracy and the amount of work you finish are key.

When you subscribe too or purchase a data entry course make sure you thoroughly read and complete the materials before publicly commenting on its claims. Some people do not devote the quality time necessary to achieve successful results (follow the instructions) and they immediately cry “scam”.

Proofreading is also considered a data entry job although you may not have to enter much data. Most people, me included write numerous articles but do not own any proofreading software so we depend on the human element to check our punctuation.

Becoming a part-time Data Entry Clerk can end up a full-time experience if done and promoted correctly. Once you have built a solid foundation of profitable positions you can solicit others who are interested in similar money earning online home based businesses.

Opt-in Email Generation And Your Website

Starting an Internet business can and should be done on a shoe string budget.

But...

If you do have the scratch [money] to invest in your business then I suggest you do so. The funny thing about investing YOUR MONEY in your business is that; well it’s "your money". Heck, I'm no spring chicken and I need to get my business moving. So I have decided that in order to free up time to create another stream of income I need to outsource.

I’ve always wanted to build a large email list of people interested in online business and the many components it takes to build it into a successful empire. To achieve the email addresses of any semi-targeted market you need to offer something only that market would be interested in and offer it at no charge.

Yes…give it away!

So, I outlined a 35+ page report and requested bids on compiling it into a PDF. Along with the PDF I will be an audio/video for those who respond well to visuals. I will convert my home page into a landing page for people to opt into my email list. Those who receive the PDF can share it as long as the Reprint Guidlines are followed.

I will have a cool book and CD e-cover created; get a professional photo and some irresistable but short copy and viola the email signups should start to roll in.

Well not exactly…

To continue generating traffic to my homepage/landing page/squeeze page I will continue to submit articles to over 400 article directories at least once a week (with my link attached). I will also continue to add no more than 2 articles to my websites at least once a week.

Opt in email newsletters should offer something of value for the first 3 weeks with no more than 3 emails per week [and maybe a broadcast]. I will build a trusting relationship with my list and hopefully they will look forward to hearing from me. Occationally I will offer my products for sale and affiliate products that I have purchased and successfully used.

With all the responsibilities I have, adding articles to my website has fallen by the wayside for the last two weeks and I feel terrible about it :-(. In my defence, I have been doing a large amount of Keyword and Keyword Phrase research to ensure that the articles I put out are worth putting out.

Until next time…


Buenos dias
K.M.

Internet Home Based Business Success

I've been using search engines to determine what the top Internet home business websites are talking about. Particularly those websites that are in the top 1-10 in the search engine ranking for the phrase "Work at home business, Internet home based business and the like".

What I've found is that most are discussing the same thing which happens to be what types of at home business opportunities are available.

• Data entry
• Paid Surveys
• Affiliate Marketing
• Google Adwords
• Google Adsence
• Online Auctions
• MLM
• Internet Marketing

Most of these business opportunities are great depending on your current lifestyle and how much time you have to devote to thoroughly researching the opportunity. One thing to consider is that there are plenty of scams out there. Like brick and mortar businesses some online business opportunities run well and some do not, some are out right scams and others may only have a deficiency in their service, support or the information they provide. Either way where you start your research is the most important job in the process.

Learning how Websites market their business and how they get visitors to do what they want.

"How they get visitors to do what they want" simply means: if you are selling something how do you attract people to purchase your product?

Search Engine Optimization has changed. Google, Yahoo, MSN and others continue to tailor there Search Engines to ensure websites have useful and relevant content.

History supports the fact that webmasters could once create a website based on a highly searched keyword or phrase, use that phrase multiple times in the site content (keyword density) and their site would get top ranking in Search Engines.

For instance, if you typed in the word "travel abroad" in Google the top site may have a bunch of useless content but you notice that "travel abroad" appears multiple times throughout the page. Now you may not find any useful info on said website but there may be a Google link to another site with "travel abroad" info that you click on...

Stop... When you click on that link, the company that owns that site gets charged an advertising fee from Google and the creator of the "garbage content" site gets a portion of the fee the "great content" site paid Google (Paid Per Click). Unfortunately Google has started to frown on "garbage content" sites by deindexing them (not listing them in their search engine results).

Much of what is behind a site getting deindexed is automated there is know one sitting down manually monitoring website content.

Search engines us an algorithm: a process programmed to perform functions based off the data it collects. The algorithm uses bots or sometimes called crawlers, web crawlers or web bots to retrieve internet data. This algorithm stores data on:

• backlinks to your website
• determines the quality of those backlinks (are the sites relevant to one another)
• Is the content relevant to the keywords (synonymic terms)
• how often your content appears in other places on the web [slightly different from backlinks but related]

This type of algorithm uses the above and other information to determine how it will rank your website.

As a result most people capitalize on this by getting quality backlinks, using synonymic terms related to their keywords and getting articles posted to numerous article directories.

In order to not get frowned upon by search engine bots you need to follow their rules and create "great content websites". Keep in mind, you need to do your due diligence to ensure your creating a site based off highly searched key phrases, themed content, low keyword density, and ensure your links to pages within your site are set up correctly.

I say "Low Keyword Density [4-10%]" is best; webmasters are starting to see that high keyword density to be a contributing factor in getting websites deindexed and/or pushed far down in rankings.




Regards,

K.M.

Outsource And Grow Your Internet Business

The knowledge I've obtained online will set my family and I up for a profitable future. Focusing on organic search engine optimization is not only cheaper but easier to maintain than the alternative (pay per click).

High Search Volume keywords/phrases and how to affectively add them to your website content (without being spammy) can be challenging. If you do not focus on this you will lose out on potential exposure. Online exposure is one thing, knowing what to do with that exposure is another.

Granted, that organic search engine optimization takes time but having some patience in this area will pay in the long run. Pay Per Click is a way to get your website exposed but the downside is that you have to pay whenever someone clicks on a ad you created so it is best to
already have planned what you want the traffic generated from PPC to do. For instance, an opt-in email squeeze page has proven to be very effective.

A buddy of mine said he would "drop me a few dollars" to flip for him (online). I had to explain to him that I'm not selling dope online and his version of "a few dollars" wouldn't be enough to pay for lunch (lol!). My online business is structured for gradual financial growth. Ok, maybe when I learn what the "big dogs" know the "gradual" will become expeditious growth. When I can outsource enough to the point that the business almost runs on its own I will spend a little money on myself. Until then I'm still on the grind!

The key is organization and outsourcing where it is smart and affordable for you. Early on I was under the impression that I'd have time to not only write all the content but to submit everything to the directories (Article Marketing). HA! I've since hired a freelance writer whom of which I give explicit instructions on what I need written (what it will be used for, etc). I also outsource website directory submissions.

My job consists of looking for Niches that will generate substantial daily traffic, pick a relevant domain name, web hosting, and web marketing strategies (I will eventually outsource this too). Outsourcing has freed up more time for me to work on the most important aspects of my business (traffic rich websites) I enjoy learning new proven profit strategies especially those with low overhead and high return on investment.

Search Engine Ranking May Not Be Important

Seach engine ranking also called page rank can be defined as what place your website appears in search results. Websites are given a PR rating and the higher the number means the more pages you havewith in the first 20 search resultSearch engine ranking also called page rank can be defined as what place your website appears in search results. Websites are given a PR rating and the higher the number means the more pages you have in the first 20 search results.

1. A combination of things will get your website a high PR. The first is, patience, high PR does not happen overnight.
2. Quality back links: You should continue to get backlinks as long as you have a website.
   Numerous back links: How many? The more the better.
3. Low competition mid level searched keywords/phrases: this is most important and the hardest to achieve for a Novas.
4. Articles submitted to 300+ directories: This is tedious and should be outsourced or use article submission software.
5. Add new content to your website on a weekly basis: no more than twice a week should be fine. Anymore than twice a week may set off "auto generated website" flags with search engines and get your website deindexed.
6. Post to related forums and blogs that allow you to use a signature link.
7. Start a blog and link back to your website where possible (do not duplicate your content).
   

There are other ways to gain high PR but in the grand scheme of getting visitors to do what you want them to PR isn't very important.

Regards,

K.M.

No Internet Business Longevity Without Growth

I’m a customizing freak, I can look at something brand new and instead of fully appreciating its “stock” value I start to fantasize about how I can give it my personal touch. Cars, motorcycles, roller skates, home décor, cooking and techno gadgets, shoes, and clothes; they all have seen my dollar (some of them more than others). In the coming months I’ve pledged to stay focused on my Work at Home Hobbies instead of others that will potentially drain and not grow my bank account.

I continue to read many Work at Home or Work from Home articles to find out what people have to say on the subject and their experiences. The subject of “Growing your Work at Home Business” should be an eye opener for anyone wanting to Work from Home. I had an individual who wanted me to build a Flash Website for them for an eShoe store. The client didn’t have much capital to start. Being the online Entrepreneur that I am I decided to save the person the time and heartache of jumping into a situation that could drain their starting capital. They wanted something created that they would have to continue to pay someone to make changes to on an ongoing basis. Do you see how this could drain your Capital?

A Work at Home Business with small starting capital must start successful practices in the very beginning to maintain longevity. It is imperative that Work at Home Entrepreneurs learn how to do and implement some of the tasks required to run their business. To some this may not seem to be Work at Home Business Growth but if you look closer it is. For instance, if you continue to pay someone to make updates to an ever changing website (like shoes) that is money that could be used to buy hosting space, web domains, learning materials, web based training courses, flyers, business cards, advertising, etc.

Remember: A website or business doesn’t advertise itself.

We can grow our Work at Home Businesses by learning how to effectively run the business ourselves. The aforementioned is a painful process to say the least because for some there is a LARGE learning curve involved. Personally, I’ve had to learn far more SOURCE CODE than I would have ever liked to; in fact, I stayed away from any course in collage that had too much to do with source code. Well, guess what? When I started my online businesses and got around to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) I had to learn all kinds of source code, how it works, and how to implement it within W3 Standards. Learning source code and SEO are two BIG advantages I will have once I start another website. What I’m saying here is that, in most cases you only have to learn something once and since it is part of your Work at Home Business, remain abreast of any changes and updates that may affect the way you do business. Once successful your Work at Home Business Process can be implented in new ventures. See where I'm going with this?

Once you learn the majority of the tools used to keep your business profitable you can bring in young help, train them yourself and pay them little or nothing (just kidding). Do you see how this strategy will grow your business?

By no means are you competing with the online business giants’ who have astronomical budgets at their disposal (maybe later). If you are like my self you want to keep your business expenses low and your profits consistently increasing. Take 80% of your Work at Home Business Profit and put it back into your business in the form of learning a new process(s), learning how to make your Website or advertising campaigns more appealing, learn how to attract leads, learn hot to turn leads into sales, etc.

There are a lot of free and low cost informational resources on the Internet and some on my blog that will show you how the online community effectively does business. What you learn now should not only grow your business but should set the stage for how your business will run in the future.




Regards,

K.M.

Balance Your Internet Business And Family

Balancing work, family, school, and personal endeavors’ has always been a struggle for me. It all started when I was in the Military many years ago and decided to start taking college courses. I realized I couldn't hang out everyday after work, party and still get my school work done. As a result, I wrote down what was most important to me, prioritized them and used those things to schedule my days, weeks, etc. Granted I still had to work around the "Call of duty" but for the most part this worked for me.

After having my first child, getting married, divorced, getting out of the Military, getting married again, having more children, furthering my education, and working a full time job my hair fell out! Just kidding, I would have lost my hair anyway (Bald Men are still sexy right?) :-).

I still stuck to writing down what was important to me and scheduling my routine around that. I took courses online which allowed me to be at home with my family. Everything I planned involved my family first and if I wanted to hang out I made sure I already had at least one family outing that week or one planned later that day.

I regularly communicate my dreams and aspirations with my wife and ask about hers. Now that I'm finished with my B.S. in eCommerce I've started researching online businesses and sharing my findings with others. My wife really isn't into this (online businesses, computers, technology) but I still keep her abreast and she is slowly but surely coming to realize the internet isn't going away. Many online entrepreneurs have exclaimed that once their online business started generating a nice profit they worked far less and made/make far more money than they ever dreamed possible.

My wife is a Registered Nurse and works two days a week which allows her to be at home with our 1 year old son and take our 5 year old daughter to and from school (so she is two days a week away from being a housewife).

I am so excited about online businesses like Internet/affiliate Marketing, PPC, PPL, PPS, etc. Right now I'm concentrating on SEO and networking with like minded individuals. I still work a 9-5 M-F. When I first got interested in the online business community I didn't know how to manage my online time, 9-5 and family.

I'm a Computer/Network Systems Technician. In the past, I'd occasionaly be able to do some research at work and what I didn't finish I'd try to finish at home. There were several days I came home, kissed my wife, asked about her day, ate dinner, played with the kids and jumped online till 1am. The next day I was burnt out. I realized not only did I have to write down a priority list for my family I had to do one for my online endeavors too.

Now I write down what I need to get accomplished online. From that information I write down the recourses I want/need to accomplish the tasks. From that I write down what day(s) I will start each task. From that I write down approximately how long each task will take.

Does this always work? NO! Does it work most of the time and give me a reference of what I need to do or have done? YES! Some may refer to it as Project Management for your life.




K.M.

Thinking Of Starting An Internet Business?

If your thinking of starting an online Home Based Business you need to change the way you think about making a profit online. When starting your online Home Based Business it is good to think about what you want to offer and the people you want to offer it to. Once you have gotten the aforementioned on paper take a step back. Get your mind in Web Site Promotion mode and start thinking about how will you let people know you exist.

I get forward emails or “chain letters” all the time and in the past I would delete them. Instead of deleting chain letters I will make a small reply to everyone (with something relevant to the email) and use the signature as an opportunity to advertise my online link. For instance, "Get Free Internet Marketing Info”at YourWebSite.com is perfect and not to obnoxious. When thinking of website advertising or Internet Marketing you want to use as much fre.e advertising as possible. Sometimes fre.e advertising means that you will need to use some of your time versus money. When starting your online Home Based Business be sure to stay informed about what is going on in your industry.

Subscribe to and read as many blogs and forums as you have time to reply to. Also, be sure to make relevant comments to blogs and forums with a link back to your website. This may be obvious but, concentrate on posting to forum topics and blogs that are relevant to your website so that those interested may want to visit your site. In most cases you don't have to reinvent the wheel to make money online; however you do want to stand out from your competition. Think about what value you can offer visitors to your website. For instance, I’ve noticed that people sign up to Newsletters first when they are genuinely interested and second, when they get a bonus. I will talk about the aforesaid in another blog.

Changing the way you think about an online Home Based Business is one of the most important parts of your business plan and it should be at the top of your list of things to do. Remember there are many online business models but the models that involve your own website need promotion and advertising.



Regards,

K.M.

Internet Business Or Continue Your Day Job?

I have always had an itch to start my own business but I’ve always held a 9-5 and did my very best at them. After during a five year miltary career I decided to get serious about school and attend community college. I did the best I could in community college while working a 9-5 and supporting myself. Although I enjoyed my 20's I was begining to realize time was passing me by and I wasn’t as wealthy as I'd like to be. Even more so, I noticed that the business structure at most jobs I held didn’t lend to making me rich (why would they I was making them rich(er).

Last year I purchased a Real-Estate course online, studied it night and day, took out equity in our town home, and purchased a house that fit the criteria outlined in the Real-Estate course, fixed the property and sold it for a profit. Whew, that was a mouth full. While doing the aforementioned I held a 9-5, took online courses to get my Bachelors in eCommerce, and did most of the work on the house myself. I worked my 9-5 Monday - Friday, was at the investment property from 5am - 12pm Saturday and Sunday (so I could spend time with my family the rest of the day). It took me 4 weeks to finish work on the property. After closing on the house and receiving the check everyone seemed to be happy but me. I didn’t feel satisfied. Although I made a nice profit I felt like I had worked too damn hard for it. With house flipping there is a lot of competition so you spend a bunch of time:

1. Finding a property. If you don't have a qualified Real-Estate agent this step will be long.
2. Time ensuring it meets your criteria (Comparative Market Analysis, etc).
3. Time quantifying costs to fix it up.
4. Finding qualified contractors for work you can't or won't do.
5. Finding the best price possible for work and supplies.
6. Doing the work or ensuring Contractors are doing the work right.
7. Cleaning the house to prepare it to be shown for sale.
8. Keeping the property up while its on the market.

After refurbishing the property I didn't want to see it again. Lucky for me I had an awesome agent who let me know although I had just done a ton of work there were little things that could be changed to give the house more appeal. The house sold in two weeks. The neighbors couldn't believe how the place looked after it was finished and really couldn't believe it had sold so fast. My wife was very skeptical at first but couldn't believe how it looked either. Shortly after, I tried to obtain another property but by the time I got to any of the properties someone had an offer on it. It seemed that the competition had gotten more fierce. This, combined with the fact that I was less driven than before made me take a step back to evaluate how I could streamline the process. With my limited resources, Real-Estate wasn’t the right business for me at that time but I will revisit it in the future with a network of qualified partners. Plus, Real-Estate isn't really an "At Home Business". If your considering Real-Estate investment please learn from what I have just mentioned.

After completing my B.S. in eCommerce I conveyed to my wife how nervous I was about putting my new talent to work. The first thing I did was a SWOT analysis. Then I jumped on the Internet and researched how people were making loads of cash via the Internet. I knew a little about PPC, PPL, PPS but didn’t know how to find the companies that paid per lead, click and sale. I ended up falling prey to some excellent Adcopy by some of the industries best Affiliate eBook gurus (prey may be the wrong word but that’s what I felt like). After learning a bunch about Google Adwords, spending $500 on PPC advertising and not making a dime I decided to take a step back and continue my research. Although I had an awesome work ethic my work at home mentality was infected by the “get rich quick” virus. For the record by no means were the Adwords courses I purchased scams. It was almost like I scammed myself, I approached my work at home venture like I was trying to win a race and I was in last place. I constantly dreamed about Ad Campaigns, Keywords, Niches and so on. The other night I dreamt I was conversing with someone who asked “who are you competing with” and I replied “myself”. The next morning, I really didn’t know how to feel about the dream but I decided to take it as if I was beating myself up for my Adwords failure.

I subscribed to a couple of forums and newsletters of like minded Internet entrepreneurs and discovered that there are less expensive ways to make money online. One thing I neglected to understand was that if you offer people something of value you may be able to get them to purchase (PPS), click on a link (PPC), or fill out a survey (PPL) on your website, blog, email, etc. Since I had been writing multiple papers for the last couple of years in school I figured what the heck. This is when I made it my goal to master SEO (search engine optimization).

Finding those interested in your website content/product/service is one step in the puzzle of making money online, keeping them there is the next, and last is getting them to purchase. I ask new customers or leads how do they plan to promote their website and most of them aren’t concerned with it. I tell them they are throwing money away if they don’t learn SEO for their website (or pay a professional).

Starting a home based business can be challenging but if you are armed with the right information and the right network of people you can devote the necessary amount of time to grow your business. If you are going to work at home get online and do your research then once you have decided on what you want to do, find all the information you can on the subject via forms, ezines, ebooks, etc.

Regards, K.M.