Internet Marketing - A Truth About Advertising, Traffic and JV's

As promised, the following is an article from guest author Steven Wagenheim, an experienced and well-respected Internet marketer. I realize that this is a long post, but feel you'll understand and want to read every detail.

I also encourage you to check out Steven's latest offering "My Secret Articles", a complete Internet marketing PLR package.

Kimberly

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By Steven Wagenheim

I have made a comprehensive study of just about every advertising method that there is online available to use today.

Without going into a lot of detail, suffice it to say, there is not one method of advertising that is going to bring you a boat load of traffic short of PPC advertising, which I do very little of because as far as I am concerned, it's way overpriced.

The people who are making tons of money in this business are the ones who have built up nice sized lists over time, using a variety of methods and then leverage those lists to hook up with the big names in the industry. Then, one email to a list of 50,000 prospects can bring in more sales than 6 months of regular advertising using the standard methods online.

I make a 5 figure a month income using every piece of advertising online that I can think of and also by having a catalogue of my own products that could choke a horse. I have yet, in 4 1/2 years had a big name marketer promote any of my products to their list. I don't even ask anymore.

Now, I have gotten a few JV proposals over the last couple of weeks, but they were solely to create NEW products and do a true JV. But nobody yet to this day has ever said, "Hey, I got a 50,000 list. Let me promote your product to it." It's not going to happen unless you first go out of your way to do a lot for the person FIRST, expecting nothing in return, and then maybe, when they see that you're a giving person, they might make an offer.

But the point is, the holy grail you're looking for doesn't exist. If you want to get a boat load of traffic without JV partners or super affiliates
promoting your products and services, you have to use every piece of advertising resource out there. None of them are great, but some are good and others are so-so.

If you want a list of every kind of advertising that I use successfully, here it is.

Article Marketing - Very good
FFA Hosting - Good
Safelists - so-so
Message Boards - so-so
Forum Participation - Very Good
Ezine Solo Ads - depends on Ezine (very uncertain)
Traffic Exchanges - good if done correctly (but dangerous because of trojans)
Social Bookmarking - varies depending on the niche and your creativity.
Conventioal SEO - Hard work and takes a long time but in the long run, very good

There are other things you can do but I don't do them or do very little of them.

The reality is, there is no slam dunk knock 'em out of the park method of promotion other than putting in the necessary hard work to make friends in the industry.

Sure, you can go and spend thousands of dollars on Pay Per Click and solo ads to Ezines and Safelists, but unless you've thoroughly tested your product and sales letter to make sure it converts, you could be throwing your money away. And if you're into affiliate marketing, well, then you're up against every Tom, Dick and Harry promoting the same product.

Are you getting the feeling from all I've said that this isn't easy?

If so, you're right. It's not. It's damn hard.

I'm very proud of the kind of money I make online, virtually with almost no help. I don't even have a boat load of affiliates promoting my products. I do almost everything myself. My advertising schedule that I go through everyday would knock most people's eyes out. I leave no stone unturned, including hitting every top message board on the Internet for each niche I am in. Having about 10 of my own products (actually I have no idea how many
as I have lost count) certainly helps too.

And yet with all of that, with all those products, with all my advertising resources (I write 10 articles everyday alone) I still only make about $300 plus each day.

There are people out there who make that much in an hour because they are so leveraged across the Internet. They don't have to bother with PPC. They don't have to bother with safelists or message boards or forums or even write articles. They have a big enough list, enough backlinks and enough affiliates promoting their products that they pretty much never have to lift a finger again as far as personal "advertising" goes.

Did they work hard to get to where they are?

Yes, very hard and are to be applauded for where they have come.

But make no mistake about it...their first REALLY big break came the day they got a Mike Filsaime or a Willie Crawford to promote one of their products. If you want that to happen, go to a seminar. I can't because I am housebound. So I have to do things the hard way.

This is the reality. It's the reality that many marketers don't want to admit to because if they told their prospects this, they wouldn't buy their products. I mean think about it...

"You're telling me the only way I can be REALLY successful is to hook up with a big name marketer? In that case, why should I buy your product since it won't really help me that much?"

Know how many sales I lose because I tell people this?

TONS!

Know how many I get because of my honesty?

TONS!

And that's why I earn a 5 figure a month income.

Yes, it could be more...much more. But in my view, and this is just my view, if you rely on others for your success, you're looking for trouble.

This needed to be said. I know there will be some who will say I am wrong, and that's fine...but I've been doing the "let's find the slam dunk form of advertising so I can make a fortune" for 4 years plus and let me tell you, it doesn't exist, not unless you have a killer sales page, fully tested to convert like mad and spend a fortune on PPC traffic, because those are the people, in theory anyway, who are really looking to buy.

I have no idea if this post has been any help to you or anyone else here...

But this was more important to say.

At least I think so.

Hope it helped.

Coming Up On Friday...

I've been wanting to get back to some topics on traffic generation and joint ventures for some time, because those are two very important areas of interest for Internet marketers. In tomorrow's post, we will have an excellent article dealing with those subjects from a guest author. Stay tuned. You don't want to miss it.

In the meantime, I hope your day is going well. And if you're still searching for ideas for holiday income, check out "20 Ways To Make $100 Per Day Online".

Toodles.

Making Money Online - Customer Service - Respond Promptly, It's Important

Anyone who's been in business for longer than a minute knows that customer service, customer contacts, customer relations, whatever you want to call it...those interactions you have with your customers and potential customers are extremely important to the success of your business.

It's interesting to me though, that for some it seems the Internet holds different rules in this regard. It doesn't. Just because you're operating a business in cyberspace, doesn't mean you can ignore customer service. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Because you are operating a business in cyberspace and don't often, if ever, have personal contact with your customers, your customer contacts and customer service skills are all the more important.

For instance, one of the most common "faux pas" I often encounter, even when dealing with experienced and quite successful Internet marketers, is the email or support message delay. Here's the scenario. I have a problem, question or comment about your product or service. I am directed to send an email, open a support ticket or complete and submit a contact form. Depending on the format, this can take several minutes for me to complete.

I fill in all of the information as instructed, and submit or email the message. What do I get back? A confirmation message telling me my message has been received (this is good), and that I can expect to receive a response within 24, 48 or 72 hours. Bad, bad, WRONG!

What store would I expect to walk into, go up to the customer service desk with a question or problem, and have the clerk tell me to wait 2 days for an answer?!

For the life of me, I can't understand why online business owners think that this is acceptable service. I completely understand that many online businesses have little or no support staff to serve a potentially large number of customers, except the person running the business. However, if you were running a "brick-and-mortar" operation, I can comfortably say that it would only take one time of being overrun by customers with purchases, inquiries or service requests for you to fix the problem; either by hiring more staff, engaging part-time help for the "rush" times, or contracting outside help to assist you with any overloads. If you didn't take any of these measures, you wouldn't be in business for long.

Here's the thing...Remember the basics. Prompt and courteous customer contact, responses to pre-purchase questions, product information questions or product or service problems are extremely important to the success and longevity of your enterprise. Period. You've got to pay attention to this!

Making Money Online - Digital Software Management - Organize Your Computer Files

Is your desktop full of icons? At one time or another, I've counted as many as 48 icons on my desktop. That's ridiculous!

One of the challenges that I continually face as an Internet marketer is keeping things organized. Because I'm constantly multitasking and have my focus in various areas at any given time, it's often difficult to keep things sorted out and in order. I'm sure that many of you probably face similar challenges.

But, one of the best things that you can do for yourself, and I speak from experience, is to organize the files on your computer so that you know what information you have, what you can use and how, and what you're in need of.

For Internet marketers, it's especially important to organize your digital products, private label rights information and so on. Knowing when and from whom products are purchased, having a record of product information such as features, benefits, sales terms and guarantees, your specific rights or licenses granted with purchase, and where a product is located on your hard drive, is all very important.

Setting up an efficient system for organizing your information is a simple way to improve your business and help you to be more efficient and effective. A great way to do this is with the Desktop Acquisition Manager. It's a great system, and I highly recommend it. Check it out. You can find it here:

http://www.DesktopAcquisitionManager.com

Toodles.

Building Wealth: A Beginners Guide

I have discovered a great little workbook for those of you who are new to wealth building. It's called "Building Wealth: A Beginner’s Guide to Securing Your Financial Future", and is published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The guide is an introduction to personal wealth building strategies for individuals and families. It includes the topics of building wealth, wealth creation: learn the language, budget to save, save and invest, take control of debt, and protect your wealth. You can access the guide online through the following link:

http://dallasfed.org/ca/wealth/pdfs/wealth.pdf

For information about the guide, copies in Spanish or additional workbook copies, contact the Dallas Federal Reserve website at http://www.dallasfed.org

Toodles.

Be Encouraged

Whether you're involved in creating or building a business, or just starting out in Internet marketing or wealth building, there are times when it becomes extremely difficult to be encouraged.

Much of the source for your discouragement is due to the fact that probably 90% of what your efforts are focused on no one else can see, because there are yet no visible or tangible results. People witness you putting more and more effort into something, but they can't see any results. So they assume that what you are doing is bearing no fruit.

And, quite honestly, you may not see results, at least not the ones you're looking for, for quite some time. So you may become less sure of your decisions and course of action.

My message for you today is to be encouraged. As long as you persevere, as long as you continue to ACT, as long as you push forward you are tipping the odds in your favor. You're going to make mistakes, and there will certainly be setbacks. But, learn to expect them. They're a part of the process. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that because things are not going smoothly or perfectly, that all is lost. Those are just signs that there need to be adjustments.

I don't pretend to know everything about Internet marketing or wealth building or anything else for that matter. In fact, the more I learn, the more I realize just how much I don't know, and that can be sometimes discouraging. I have to remind myself of the bigger picture, and so must you.

When you make mistakes, do what you need to do to correct them. When you get knocked down, get up and keep moving. When you don't know, continue to learn, even if it's in the school of "hard knocks".

Nothing worth having ever comes easily. And when it comes to claiming a vision you have for your life, that's pretty valuable stuff. Be encouraged. It'll get better. Promise.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello All-

As many of us begin our celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday and with it the beginning of our Holiday Season, I wish to pause for a moment to wish each and everyone with whom I have come in contact either personally or through our virtual network, a Happy Thanksgiving, and a blessed Holiday Season.

Whether or not you celebrate this particular holiday doesn't especially matter. Any time is a good time to stop, consider your life, and be thankful for the many blessings and bounty we receive, and that largely goes unrecognized or acknowledged by us on a daily basis.

As my Thanksgiving begins, I am especially thankful for life and health and my family, for friends old and new, and for the grace and mercy that I am blessed to receive each and every day.

May you and yours enjoy this day, may you be blessed, and as we look toward the close of yet another year, may you enjoy the peace of the Season, and prosperity in the year to come.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Kimberly

Success and Failure: Polar Opposites Or Kissing Cousins

I think about success and failure a lot, because like many of you, I am on my own personal success journey. I am constantly seeking even the smallest kernels of wisdom and insight into what causes people to succeed, and just as importantly why we so often fail.

I came across an "O" (The Oprah magazine) article recently from author Martha Beck. Martha is a life coach, best-selling author and regular contributor to "O". In the article entitled "The Woman Who Fell To Earth", Beck discusses how failure and success have not only been intertwined in her life, but how success has been directly born of her failures.

When I was in college, I experienced one of only two job interviews in my entire life that I consider having "failed" (the other one is a long story having to do with a purple chiffon dress...Never mind). This interview was with a major corporation; a huge corporation at the time. The interviewers, two men in dark suits, "IBM" ties and spotless white starched shirts, had been interviewing me (read "grilling" me) for nearly an hour. As we came toward the end of the interview, they asked me one of those questions designed to give them insight into my personality; one of those character traits questions regarding overcoming adversity, etc.

They asked me to describe two or three instances where I had failed, and my subsequent solutions. They wanted to see how I would answer the question, what I perceived as failure, yada, yada, yada, the standard canned interview stuff. The problem for me was that I couldn't answer their question. I froze. That was something that never happened to me in interviews. Even as a teenager interviewing for part-time jobs, my mother, God bless her, had been an extremely good jobs skills coach. I always knew how to conduct myself in interviews, how to handle interview questions, what was proper interview attire (except the mistake of the purple chiffon dress...Never mind!) I digress.

The reason I couldn't answer the interviewers' question, was that there was nothing that up to that point in my life I considered a failure. I honestly couldn't answer the question. If I said I had never failed, I would have come off as extremely arrogant and a liar, because everybody fails at something. But in that moment, I couldn't think of or describe a single thing which I considered having failed, and I knew if I somehow tried to explain, these two guys surely wouldn't understand. I have never forgotten that experience, nor the lesson for me in it.

For you who may view success and failure as opposing ends of a spectrum, the concept of a symbiotic relationship between the two may seem odd. In the beginning, this may be a hard concept for you to grasp, but once you've had an opportunity to see both failure and success from this perspective, it makes sense. I have for quite some time been of the mind that the more I fail, the better will ultimately be my success.

This doesn't mean that I intentionally set out in my various endeavors to fail. I'm not any more happy about failure or the difficulty and even painfulness of the experience than would you be. But I know that somehow in the failure, I always learn something and that something always gets me one step closer to where it is I want to be. I know and understand that failure comes to all of us no matter how we try to avoid it. The difference is that those who ultimately succeed, those who have learned the value in failure, know it as a point of some of the greatest opportunities for learning and growth, which brings us ever closer to the success we desire.

When we learn to accept failure as a part of the process to our success, we can relax some, allowing ourselves to move through failure rather than fighting against it. And from that place, the place of acceptance of failure as part of the process, we can allow ourselves to see our failure for what it really is; not "the end of the road" but a bend in the road to our success.

Failure teaches us about ourselves. That is why we often view it as an unpleasant experience. But the more we learn about ourselves, our strengths, weaknesses, fears, attitudes, and behaviors, the better and wiser and stronger we become.

In your quest for success, know that success is the end result. Know that you will ultimately succeed and not fail, but also know that on your way to success you will experience failure not once, but many times. Then when you do fail, it won't take you by surprise nor will it devastate you. It may not feel so good when you're in it, but it's a stage that passes.

Once you have conquered failure, it loses its power to hinder you or to make you weak. You can then wield it as a most useful tool and weapon in fashioning your strongest success.

A great website for information on issues relating to success is Steve Pavlina's website at http://www.StevePavlina.com.

For Monday...You Don't WantTo Miss This

Hello All-

Hope you're enjoying a relaxing weekend. Just wanted to give you a "heads up" on Monday's post. If you're stuggling with issues of success, if you're struggling period, you won't want to miss it. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you haven't thought about it lately and you're looking for some holiday income, check out "20 Ways To Make $100 Per Day Online". It's a great way to begin generating a profitable inome source.

Toodles!

LED Digest - A High Quality Resource For Internet Marketers

Here's a great resource for Internet Marketers. The LED Digest newsletter.

LED Digest is an "old school" (as they like to describe themselves) newsletter. First published in 1997, the newsletter has published consistently for the last 10 years, and this year celebrates their 10-year anniversary.

LED Digest is an email discussion list that focuses specifically on information of interest to Internet marketers, and is published daily Monday through Friday each week to 40,000 subscribers. Topics cover a wide range and include e-commerce and Internet marketing, pay per click, affiliate marketing, search engine optimization and search engine marketing, email publishing, web design, web development, social media, public relations, press releases, offline marketing and more.

Again, this is an excellent resource, which counts some of the industry's most respected names within its subscribers. I encourage you to check it out, and then subscribe. You can find it at http://www.led-digest.com.

Wealth Building For Ordinary People – Consider The Possibilities

Do you dream of becoming wealthy? Do you dream of creating a financial situation in your life that allows you to pay off all your debt, to purchase the things, the quality, the opportunities you really want? But then do you think that for you, creating a life of financial abundance, becoming wealthy, is just not something that's realistic or possible?

In order to begin to authentically build wealth in your life, you need to take a good look at your attitudes about, and relationships with money. As you grew up, did you witness your parents struggling to pay bills? Did you experience the stress of financial worries? Did you feel deprived of having the opportunity to go places or do things because your family couldn't afford it? Do you currently live in an environment that focuses on "lack" (Not enough money, not enough resources, not enough...)?

One of the basic building blocks for building wealth is that you first have to believe that wealth is a realistic possibility. Then you have to believe that it's possible for YOU.

Often, people will say that they want to build wealth, but their actions and behaviors demonstrate otherwise. We can say we're working toward establishing wealth and enjoying financial freedom, but in our actions we're continually sabotaging ourselves, creating opportunities for failure. If we say we choose wealth, but we live lives mired in borrowing and credit debt, then we're living a lie. If we say we choose wealth, but we hold on to each and every penny as if to let go would be the end of life itself, we are living a life of unbelief. If we say we choose wealth, but see our family, our neighbors, and our communities in need, and we're unwilling to contribute and support them in the material sense, we are living in fear; fear that what we give will never be replaced.

Do this today...sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and write down all of the feelings and emotions that you have related to wealth and money. Study them. What truths come through about how you relate to money and wealth? Now write down your definition of wealth. What is it that wealth means to you? It's not the same for everyone. Last, write down the things that you perceive as obstacles to you obtaining wealth. Then right down possible ways of surmounting those obstacles.

Will this suddenly make you wealthy? Of course it won't. But what it does do is to give you permission to begin considering the idea of becoming wealthy as a real possibility. Remember, before you can begin to achieve wealth, you have to believe that it's actually possible for YOU.

Search Engine Optimization: 301 Redirects For URLs

If you've been struggling to get your website boosted in the search engines, it's possible that you may have overlooked a problem you don't even know you have.

Often times, novice webmasters don't realize that the address for their website http://yourwebsite.com and http://www.yourwebsite.com are not the same, and may be seen by the search engines as two separate domain entities. In other words, Google may be treating your site http://yourwebsite.com differently from http://www.yourwebsite.com, and therefore your links and pagerank are being seen as belonging to two separate sites.

As an example, if your site has 1,000 backlinks, and you may know that backlinks are an important factor in Google's assessment of your pagerank, Google may see separate link totals; 447 for the "//" site and 553 for the "www" site. That means you are not getting credited for having a total of 1,000 backlinks. This can cause your site to have a lower overall pagerank and thus lower placement in search engine results.

The problem is easily corrected through a 301 Redirect. A 301 Redirect simply points one address to the other, so that they are ultimately seen by the search engines as one. If you don't know whether you have this problem or not, perform a Google search for http://yourwebsite.com and then http://www.yourwebsite.com. If the information you get is not identical, then your web addresses are not being seen the same.

You can also go to Hubspot's Webgrader (see previous blog post at http://www.blog.getmywealthnow.com/2007/10/what-in-world-is-hubspot-do-you-know.html) and perform an analysis of your site. The resulting information will tell you whether or not you have a redirect in place so that your "//" site and "www" site are seen as one.

There are various places to get the code for 301 Redirects. Simply do a Google search for "301 redirect" and you'll find them. Then place the code into your .htaccess file (found in the root directory for your website; note the "." before the name) to complete the update to your site (most 301 Redirect information includes information about creating an .htaccess file if you need it)

Toodles.

Veterans Day

I would be remiss if on this day, I did not remind you to take at least a few moments to consider and appreciate the veterans of the United States.

Each of these men and women has generously given to, and sacrificed for each and every one of us to have the ability to enjoy the rights and freedoms we often take for granted. But, with those rights and freedoms, there's always a price to be paid and a responsibility owed.

If you know a veteran, do something today to show your appreciation for them. If nothing else, contact them today and just say "thank you". Just that simple act I'm certain would be so greatly appreciated. If you don't know any veterans personally, then just take a moment to consider what each veteran has given you, and be thankful for their service.

Simply Saying "Thank You" Can Be A Business Booster

Today, I'm featuring a guest post from Wendy Maynard, the "Marketing Maven". Wendy has a special commitment to assisting small business owners in effectively marketing their enterprises. She has some really good gems. Enjoy.

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Marketing Tip: The Remarkable Power of Thank You!

An easy thing to forget in the midst of our frenzied lives is the simple act of saying "thank you." Who has the time to slow down for such old-fashioned pleasantries? And yet, by incorporating a thank-you strategy into your marketing, I promise you'll reap immense rewards.

You'll stand out because it's not something that other business owners are in the habit of doing. Extending age-old courtesies now actually gives you an edge in the marketplace. It goes a long way toward cementing relationships with prospects and reinforcing customer loyalty.

One of the best ways to thank someone is a hand-written card. Get into the habit of writing notes. Keep a stack by your desk and scribble notes to customers, vendors, leads, associates, and mentors. Once you get started thanking people, you will find limitless opportunities. And guess what? People are tickled pink to receive a good, old-fashioned card.

Write a note that is sincere. Make sure you are expressing simple gratitude in your message, not a thinly disguised sales pitch. Don't be afraid to be warm and personal. And in case you're a chicken scratcher like me, don't worry about the way your writing looks - scribble your note and send it anyway!

Timing counts! For the most part, express your appreciation within a couple of days.

Here are some different opportunities to thank people:

• A new client/customer

• Existing client/customer who gives you a new project

• Someone who makes a referral to your company

• A peer who gives you helpful advice

• As a follow-up after a meeting or phone call

• For a job well done by an employee, vendor, or associate

• When someone shows you a kindness

People like to feel appreciated and recognized. You'll find that by thanking people, you will strengthen relationships. Your simple act of recognizing people will set you apart from your competitors. It will reinforce your bond with your clients, associates, vendors, etc. By, the way, don't forget to thank employees - they like to be appreciated, as well!

And, it will bolster word-of-mouth referrals. When someone has been appreciated and they hear of someone who needs your services/products, guess whose company they will recommend?

The power of saying "thank-you" is a powerful, but simple marketing tactic. Make is a habit and you will reap the rewards.

ACTION STEP: Are you in the habit of saying thank you? No? Then go to the store today and pick up some cards. Make it a goal to send at least 1 card a day (yes, that's 5 a week!). Not only is it part of effective marketing, but it's a winning strategy that won't let you down!

(c) 2006 Wendy Gray Maynard, Markting Maven

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wendy Maynard, the Marketing Maven, publishes REMARKABLE MARKETING, a weekly ezine for business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. If you're ready to skyrocket your sales, easily attract customers, and earn more money, get your FREE MARKETING TIPS now at www.gomarketingmaven.com/ezine.html

You're Never Too Small To Give A Helping Hand

Sometimes we get so involved in our own lives, our own problems, our own issues that we can't see how the burdens of our self-involvement slow us down, weight us down, put us on a path to stagnation and failure.

Today, I want you to put all your crap aside. I want you to stop focusing on yourself for just a few moments. Now I want you to take those few moments and consider effecting positive change in someone else's life. In the next few moments, you can make a difference that can completely change the course of life for someone.

WomenForWomen.org is the website of Women For Women International. The organization is a resource of information regarding the plight of women in the midst of war and conflict, and seeks donations and sponsorships that help women war survivors, women caught in civil conflict who need resources to eat, feed and clothe their families, to survive.

"Founded in 1993, Women for Women International helps women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives by providing financial and emotional support, job skills training, rights awareness and leadership education and access to business skills, capital and markets. Through the program, women become confident, independent and productive as they embrace the importance of their roles in rebuilding their families, their communities and ultimately, their nations."

Women For Women International is a most respected and worthwhile charity, and is a recipient of the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Prize. By the way, even though it's named Women For Women International, men, you can get involved here too.

Do you ever think that you would like to really do something to help someone else, but you're just too small; you can't possibly make a difference? You're wrong. It's the many small actions brought together that make the huge impacts. And if you were only to affect the life of one woman, think about what that means. One seemingly small act of yours can change her entire life (and possibly the lives that she touches!

Women For Women International provides a way for you to make a one-time donation of as little as $25, and any donation you make on or before November 15th will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000.

If you wish to personally sponsor someone, you can do so on a monthly basis for as little as $27 a month.

A wonderful byproduct of building a successful business and achieving a point of wealth, is what you can do to help others and how you can help to bring about positive change. It's not too soon to start. You're never too small to help someone else. And helping someone else always, always comes back to you.

Do something that really matters.

Website Design - Check Out Your Competition

Are you developing a new website for your business? Do you have a general idea of what you want your website to be, but you're kind of "fuzzy" on the details? Do you wonder what type of content your website should contain? Are you having a hard time thinking about layout and design features?

Do you already have a website, but you kind of threw it up quickly just to have a web presence, or maybe (as often happens) you developed the website when you were still very new to the Internet, but now you know more (or know better) and you're looking to make some changes? Do you have plenty of good content for your website, but find yourself at somewhat of a loss as to what to do with it?

Never fear. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

One thing that you first need to understand is that a good website is never "finished". It is continually undergoing changes to either correct past mistakes, fix current problems or develop solutions to make it better/more efficient/more profitable for the future.

If you're unsure or unclear about what you want to do with your website, look around. The simplest way to generate ideas for what you want your site to look like, provide and offer is to look at other sites; constantly.

Develop this habit: At any website you visit, just take a few brief moments to evaluate it. What is it about the site that attracted you in the first place? What things do you like about it? What about the site do you find that you dislike and why? What elements of the site could be incorporated into the website you have or that you're planning?

It is especially helpful to check out websites that you consider to be your strongest competition. Pick three or four that most closely relate to your site and review them in detail. Again, consider what it is about the site that you like. Be specific. Make notes. Do the same in reference to your dislikes. Consider every aspect of what's been developed and why you feel certain things work/don't work. Review their layout, color schemes, content, navigation, help desk, FAQ section, shopping cart, product delivery system, everything.

Once you have gathered a sufficient amount of information, return to and review your own website. Compare what you have or what you plan to develop in your website with all that you've seen. Consider what changes you could make to improve your website, then make the needed adjustments.

A word of caution: Never, ever "copy" someone else's website. Ever. Getting new or different ideas is one thing, theft and copyright infringement is quite something else.

Your website should always be a "work in progress". Be alert for, and open to, new ideas that can help you to better design or improve on what you have. Your business will certainly benefit, as will your clientèle.

Protecting Your Digital Products

If you are an Internet marketer, one of the issues and challenges that you are likely to face involves the safe delivery of digital products.

Selling digital products such as reports, e-books, website templates, graphics or photo images, audio files or just about anything that can be downloaded through your online marketing portal, means you are likely to face a serious problem – online theft!

Just as thieves break into brick-and-mortar businesses or homes and steal, "cyber thugs" are quite capable of breaking into your online store and downloading the digital products they have not paid for and are unauthorized to access. These thieves have devised ways to by-pass your payment gateway and download your products for free. As a result, you need to secure the download of your products until payment has been verified.

There are various ways available to secure your property and protect your online business from thieves. One of those is to use secure online payment processors and software that protects and secures digital products from theft. This software can be simply uploaded to your site, and will also automate the payment process for you.

In addition, many buyers want and increasingly expect instant access to the products they purchase online. In order to be competitive, you need to be able to deliver. Software that protects your digital products is usually fully compatible with any online payment processor you wish to use, and even tracks your digital product download after the payment has been confirmed.

Often incorporated into the online payment software is a system called a shopping cart for single or multiple item payments. There is also software that links to your bank account and allows for bank transfer and credit card payments. These provide very secure methods of getting payments and preventing online theft of your digital products.

For more information about securing your digital products, visit www.GetMyWealthnow.com/Digital Security

Dealing With Email Clutter

If you're relatively new to Internet marketing, you may have found in your quest for information that you've somehow gotten caught in a seemingly never-ending stream of email messages. Often, you don't even know what you bought or signed up for to get on the list. It seems like you're on everyones "list" and you're bombarded with so much that you'll never get to read it all.

Don't. Don't try to read it all. If you did, you still wouldn't benefit much more because it's just too much to process. It's too much information, too many sources and too many contradictions.

Instead, focus. Revisit your plan of action, whether it's a formal business plan, or a not-so-formal list of the action steps to develop your business based on the goals and objectives you've set.

Now, with that information in mind, look at your email list. Delete any and all messages that do not specifically pertain to your action plan. Focus. If something sounds like it will fit into your plan, but you just haven't gotten to the point to implement it yet, save it, but make certain it's something you'll absolutely come back to and use.

If you're receiving emails from a source that you thought you would use, but aren't, or from a source that you have determined does not contain good, sharp, useful information, delete the source. Unsubscribe from the list.

You have to lose the fear that there's something out there you're going to miss. There is a lot that you'll miss in terms of information, but you just can't use it all. Focus. Whatever it is that best serves your purpose in developing your business, helps you to problem-solve and moves you toward success, that's what you need to keep. Focus in on what you've found to be the best sources of information and then read what those sources send. Get rid of everything else.

If you need help with getting organized and time management, follow this link:

Get Organized

The more simple, uncluttered and clear you can make your path, the easier it is for you to concentrate on that which will help you most.

Privacy And Internet Marketing

I have a sister who is a consumer protector's dream come true, and a novice marketer's worst nightmare. She can ask fifty gazillion questions, she wants background information, definitions, history and who knows what all before she decides to buy, join or subscribe to anything. And while I think that any consumer should be well-informed, she can be a real pain.

And, when it comes to offering up anything close to personal information, she's like a big mama grizzly bear protecting her lone surviving cub. She can be fearsome and ferocious!

While I like having my private information kept private just as much as the next guy (or gal), I have a little different take on private information in terms of what I am willing to share. In this day and age of information that's captured, bought, sold or traded from institutions as innocuous as your local grocery, your pharmacy or the place where you gas up your car, I no longer have many illusions about the amount of privacy that I can still claim to have. When satellites orbiting in space can snap pictures of my dog taking a leak in the yard, I kinda figure privacy is something that went the way of the dinosaurs. It disappeared sometime during the last century when we weren't paying close enough attention. What we have today is really just an illusion of privacy, not the real thing.

That being said, I'm a firm believer in the right of any individual to do just cause in protecting private and sensitive information. I also believe that when people do entrust certain information to others as a client or customer, they have a right to expect the information is handled with care.

In my opinion, you as a website owner, have a responsibility to keep sensitive information secure, and to refrain from misusing, sharing or selling private information unless you have received express permission from your client and customer to do so.

Although the Internet is by no means the only repository for individuals' private information, it has certainly made the misuse, sharing and selling of such information much easier to accomplish and harder to combat.

Make certain as you create and develop web-based business and product sites, that you take care when dealing with information of a personal or sensitive nature, and that you prominently display access to policies and guidelines, such as your business and website's privacy policies, that provide detailed information regarding how you handle private information.

Power-Packed Newsletters, An Internet Marketer's Secret Weapon

If you are new to the world of Internet Marketing, I'll let you in on a little secret. One of your top tools for marketing and promotion is one of the least expensive, and is quite often overlooked. Used by "newbies" and highly successful (meaning they're making MONEY) entrepreneurs alike is the e-newsletter.

The e-newsletter is the more comprehensive cousin to the advertorial flyer and the seasonal brochures you may be familiar with from offline companies. Among the best, least expensive, and most effective Internet Marketing tools, the e-newsletter is ideal for introducing new products, services, and information as well as special offers or joint ventures.

E-newsletters can be funny, serious, direct sales lines, or sources of support and motivation for your subscribers. They can help to build a sense of community among your readership, and also provide a means of information and feedback between you and your current and potential customers.

Here are a few quick tips for a great newsletter:

* Include the latest industry information and special news about your business.
* Include links to your website(s) and specific items/services that are new.
* Eye-catching graphics can add attractiveness, help to promote your brand, and diminish the monotony of wading through a ton of text, but make sure the overall design is "easy on the eyes".
* Break up your text panels into small "bite-sized" portions.
* Try to include "special" features (free downloads, free trials, discounts, anything of extra value to the target audience that will compel them to sign up and give referrals) in your newsletter issues on a regular basis.
* Offer readers some sort of incentive to read through the entire newsletter, and to then visit your websites or product offers.

To ensure you are sending out a professional looking effort and to strike a chord with potential customers, be certain to include relevant, quality content and information the prospective customer is likely to find helpful and profitable. If you're not a writer, competent copywriters are easily found to do the writing for you. In addition, there are many sources available for finding free templates and graphics to give your e-newsletter great polish.

Once your e-newsletter is completed, you can set it up in your autoresponder to be automatically sent out to everyone on your list.

Voila! You’re on your way to establishing yourself as a savvy Internet Marketer reaching out to prospects in a professional, yet cost-effective way!