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The term free is a ubiquitous marketing term. Widely used because of its inherent appeal to most consumers, the term is equally as widespread in online marketing. In fact, everybody loves to get free stuff, even it the “free” stuff is totally worthless; somehow the idea that I got it for “FREE” assuages our disappointment in the end result.

But here’s my beef with the “free” thing as far as successful online marketing goes.

Initially, as a new marketer, or “newbie,” free is probably the best route to take. After all, the vast majority of new online marketers have no clue of what it takes to make money on the Internet. Like most advertising, the positive spin that “anyone can make money”, “kill your Day Job”, “make a 5 figure income in 30 days” appeals to our sense of greed and the general malaise that most people experience when it comes to working hard anymore.

And therein lies the rub.

You see, after the initial euphoria of starting an online marketing business passes, most folks begin to realize that a lot, if not most, of what they heard and bought into about making money online is hype. Free this and free that in the end aren’t all that free. Everything, and I mean everything has a cost.

Take traffic generation for example. Free traffic methods are extremely costly in terms of time. So if you value your time and can afford it, Pay Per Click and other paid traffic methods are not only more efficient, but actually less costly in the long term; assuming you know what you’re doing.

Another example is Article Writing. Writing articles, especially the number of articles you need to drive significant traffic to a landing or sales page is very time consuming; and that’ if you can write decent 300 word articles and are disciplined enough to produce 3 articles a day. Most folks are not and so, the buy into the hype, figure out how much time and energy it really takes and they quit. (This is the same for offline businesses too!)

Successful online marketers realize that they are creating a business. Business require an infusion of capital to succeed. Even for the most meager online business, there are costs for domain, hosting, auto-responders. Furthermore, if you’re totally new, you’ll need training, tools to automate your processes, etc.

So, if you find yourself at the crossroads of decision to go forward or of becoming another online marketing failure ask yourself: What have I invested in my business. If sweat equity is the only answer, perhaps you need to revisit why you started in the first place.

Asking this critical question is one of the pitfalls that many new marketers fail to avoid. They have no clear cut written statement of why they are even in business. And to say, “I want to make money” is not enough.

My success online is due to both my dedication to disciplining myself to do the hard stuff and largely to my investing in tools and knowledge that took my business to the next level. Did I make mistakes? Of course and I still do, but I realize that you only get out what you put in.

Here are my product recommendations. I own all these products and use them in some form or fashion every day not simply because the systems and process work, but also because they help me discipline myself to a pattern of success. Ready, here they are:

Instant PayDay Formula
Google Cash Sniper
Commission Ritual

If you are new (less than 365 days as an online marketer) these tools will take you to the next level in 30 days or less, simply by following the blueprint. Why reinvent the wheel? It’s not necessary.

Don’t let this 4 letter word FREE turn your business into S#%T.

Strategies For Online Newbies is about helping New Internet Marketers become successful. We’re not here to prove to you that money can be made online, but rather to help you, make money online.

Every successful Internet Marketer employs some type of strategy for success. The most successful Internet Marketers leave nothing to chance of conjecture. Everything they do is tried and tested.

The adage, “that if you build it, they will come,” is a myth. Forget about it.

Fancy sites with bells and whistles won’t make you a dime if no one sees it. Enough said about that.

Your success as an online marketer depends on your having long term premeditated plan of action that incorporated trials and testing of every area of your marketing efforts.

7 Strategies For Success…

To get started, here is a seven point internet marketing strategy for long term success in your internet “marketing” business:

Understand that marketing is everything you do to place your product or service in the hands of potential customers.

1. Identify Your Niche
2. Test Your Ideas
3. Create A “Squeeze” or Landing Page
4. Write A Sales Page
5. Find An Affiliate Product – Sell O.P.S.
6. Generate Traffic
7. Manage Your Marketing Funnel

Remember, even though you’re not running a “Brick & Mortar” business, it is a business nonetheless.

What Is A Marketing Funnel?

A “marketing or sales funnel” acts as a sieve to direct qualified purchasers through the sales process, while filtering out less-qualified visitors along the way. At the top of a sales funnel is a mixture of qualified and unqualified prospective customers. Less-qualified purchasers drop away at each step of the evaluation and purchase process. The bottom of funnel, the smallest part of the funnel, contains the most qualified prospects.

Understanding the Marketing Funnel Video Tutorial
Explode Your Online Marketing Success

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How To Generate Traffic To My Website

Targeted vs Non-Targeted

How to generate traffic to your website is a major concern for anyone who starts an internet business. Flash, hot graphics matter little if I don’t generate traffic to my website.

You must create website traffic in the same way as a brick & mortar business must have a constant flow of customers coming through its doors. It’s called marketing.

Free Report: What’s The Fastest Way to Get FREE Traffic?

I live in a large metropolitan city on the East Coast. When a new business opens downtown, they start a marketing blitz.There’s people handing out fliers up and down the streets, there’s a huge “GRAND OPENING” sign out in front of the business, T.V. ads, radio ads, giveaways, contests – you name it. Why? To get people in the door. Some businesses depend on walk-in traffic while others, like specialty shops, located at a mall rely on traffic generated by the major retail “anchor” stores. In addition to their own advertisement, they receive spill-over traffic generated by the major retailers like Sears, Macy’s, JC Penney, etc.

Targeted Website Traffic

Simply put, “Targeted Traffic” is traffic that you drive to your site based on your specific product or niche. Think of it as the difference between searching online for: “Hotel” – Very general “Downtown Hilton Hotel” – Targeted. Obviously, if you were in the hotel business, you would want to attract visitors to your website that are looking for hotels in general, but were specifically looking for your hotel. Perhaps they are member of your Hotel Bonus Club, conventioneers, or vacationers and they have prior knowledge or experience with your hotel. As a result, they might be looking for a location of your hotel at their destination point. Proper Search Engine Optimization will produce improved website traffic through better search engine placement. A properly optimized site will rank higher in the search engines. This placement is like a great “location” used in the above example.

Promote Website Traffic

There are many ways to promote website traffic. Cheap website traffic (FREE) is by far probably the easiest method for Internet Marketing Newbies. You can also purchase website traffic using PPC (Pay-Per_Click) services like Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing or MSN’s Search Advertising. And, you can purchase website traffic from paid directories and through banner campaigns places on high PR (Page Rank) sites. All of these websites traffic generation methods will work. Some will produce a greater volume of website traffic than others, but it’s important to keep in mind, that they all require effort. There is no “magic-bullet” that will generate “instant website traffic”".

Free Website Traffic Methods:

• Traffic Exchanges (Non-Targeted)
• Safelists (Can Be Both)
• Organic Traffic (Can Be Highly Targeted w/SEO)
• Social Bookmarking (Targeted)
• Blogs (Targeted)
• Article Writing (Targeted)
• Forums (Can Be Both)

Paid Website Traffic Methods

• PPC (Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing, MSN Live Marketing)
• Paid Directories
• Paid Advertising on High PR Websites
• Press Releases

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How To Create A Sales Page

Many New Internet Marketers confuse a “Sales Page” with the “Landing Page”. Don’t make this mistake.

The purpose of a Sales Page is to SELL. The sales page converts visitors into buyers.

If they ain’t buying, your Sales Page ain’t work’in!

Creating a winning sales page requires copy writing skills. You’ve got to be persuade people to buy with your words.

Here’s a secret that will help you. Keep this in mind as your write copy: “People Buy On Emotions… and Justify With Facts!”

Pay attention the next time you watch a commercial on television. Notice, the majority of the commercial, at least eighty-percent, is about how the product will make your feel.

There’s a popular men’s shower gel commercial that has women falling all over themselves to get next to him. Somehow, if a man showers with this product, his pheromones become hyperactive and any woman he comes into contact has an overwhelming sexual desire for him. What are the marketers selling? Shower gel? No! They’re selling sex appeal, virility, animal magnetism! Ivory soap (it’s 99% pure) will get you clean, it’s just not as sexy. For an informative in-depth look at what I mean, check out, The Magician, The Hairdresser and The Piano Man. Remember…People Buy On Emotion… and Justify With Facts!

Creating A Sales Pages That Converts

By creating emotional tension, you persuade people to buy. Great copy will produce great results. Sounds simple, but in reality, it takes a lot of time and practice to learn how to write like a pro, especially if writing is not you’re forte. Notice, I didn’t say “sell“. People in general don’t want to be sold anything. They want to believe that they are making a buying decision. A properly designed sales page will accomplish this and more and should have the following components.

• Headline
• Introduction
• Credibility Builder
• Product Benefits
• Features or specifications
• A Bonus
• Ordering Opportunity
• Conclusion

The Headline: Most headlines include three parts. One: the pre-head is to set up the main headline by letting your target market know you’ve got what they’re looking for. Two: the main headline. Using the largest font you plan for any part of the page, describe the product’s main benefit for the buyer. Three: the post-head. You don’t have to have a post-head unless you want to elaborate or clarify the main headline. Example, Pre-Head: Looking for an easy way to boost sales?… Example, Main Headline:

Here’s How You Can Create An AVALANCHE Of Traffic And Sales, By Getting Loads Of Joint Venture Partners To Promote Your Products On Their Websites And Thank You Pages

Example, Post-Head

:

Discover the secret of one of the most powerful business strategies ever devised – and how you can apply it to your online business just minutes from now…

Introduction: The first few sentences of the letter should grab your visitor’s interest at an emotional level. The introduction draws the visitor further into the copy, allowing you to make a presentation of your product and offer. To appeal to the emotions, show the reader the benefits of your product or service by describing how they will feel or how their life will improve once they own and use the product. Credibility: This is a particularly important aspect of on-line sales. Your visitor needs assurance that both you and the product are for real. Give your contact information, including an address. No one will come to your door, and if someone does call, that’s good, because you gain insight when talking with clients. Also for credibility, include some results-based testimonials about your service or product, and give the full name of the testifier. Giving only first names is suspicious. If possible, explain results of product tests or quote favorable third-party reviews. And if you have credentials or expertise related to the offer, include it. Throughout the sales copy use real and specific numbers rather than approximations (i.e. $9724 rather than $9700). Benefits: In bullet form, itemize the benefits (not the features) of the product. Prioritize them, and give an overload. It often only takes one benefit to convince a prospect to buy, but each prospect will have their own hot button. Have plenty of possibilities. Bullets are easy to scan. Example, Bulleted Benefits:

• Proven Recipe For Massive X
• Everything You Need At A X you can Y
• Quick and Easy X
• Quick and Easy Y
• Customize Your Sales X
• Change Your X At Any Time
• Work With Any X or Y

Features and specifications: You say, in effect, “Here is what you are getting. This is what the product is.” These are the details about the product. Bonus Items. The offer should always contain an extra something that has real value. It’s good if the bonus is so worthwhile that people might order the product just for the bonuses. Be creative, and the bonus doesn’t have to be costly for you. Tutorials and quick-start guides are small examples. Go for the wow factor. Whatever you use for the bonuses, assign a specific value to them so that it is part of the price build-up. (i.e., As an added bonus, I’m including X, valued at Y.) Value build-up: Be explicit about the reasons the price of the product is a good value. Make comparisons to other similar products that are more expensive with less gained. Offer a guarantee if at all possible. Anticipate and counter objections. Why wouldn’t your visitor by your product? Create a sense of urgency. That is to say, give a deadline, explain why they need to act now, and keep your deadline real. Help the visitor feel the pain of not ordering – exactly what won’t change or get better unless they have your product. Ordering: First, remember to ask for the order. Make an “Order Now” link. Then, make the ordering process and instructions absolutely clear. Imagine that this is your visitor’s first ever on-line order. Give step-by-step directions. Also, give purchasing options: secure credit card pages and PayPal are most common. Post Script, P.S.: This is a summary of your sales page, a one-paragraph sales page in effect. Include a reiteration of the highlights, and ask one last time for the order. I’ve included a few examples of what is commonly found in online marketing sales pages. You should surf the net for other good examples and create a “Swipe File”. A swipe file is a file you create of examples that appealed to you. When you right your own Sales Pages, you can refer to your swipe file for ideas. Never copy the file. They are just for generating ideas for your own killer copy! Get Your Free Sales Page Generator at: Page Gorilla

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