Archive for Small Business Profit Boosters
The Story: It’s not necessary to get into complex theories or ideas about how to grow your business, because there are only three ways to do it.
The Point: To get a surge in business, pick one of the 3 ways and do it with intense focus for 7 days.
3 Ways To Grow Your Business:
1. Get new customers.
2. Get your customers to pay more per purchase.
3. Get your customers to buy more frequently.
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Lately, Internet marketers have been telling me, “Ray, people don’t opt-in to squeeze pages nowadays. They just don’t opt-in like they used to”. Do remarks like this have you nodding in agreement?
Fear and paranoia, with a healthy dose of spam, has made it harder to get people to opt-in. At one time, it was so easy. All you had to do was add a form that said, “Sign up here to get e-mails”, and the world would flock to your site.
People would opt-in like crazy! E-mails, e-newsletters — everything was so new and exciting. My, how things have changed. Today, we are deluged with e-mails. People are constantly changing e-mail addresses. People have multiple e-mail addresses – heck, some people even have a fake e-mail address that they never check, just to deal with all the spam.
Cutting through the clutter is a challenge. How can you make sure you are getting real opt-ins from people who will actually read the e-mails you send out?
Well, yes. There are ways to increase your opt-in conversions. These simple tactics don’t take a lot of work, but they are very effective.
Try these three tactics to boost your opt-ins:
Make a stronger offer. We all know you have to give an ethical bribe to get people to opt-in – a special report, an audio, a video, a piece of software. If you just say, “Sign up to get my newsletter”, to the average reader that means, “Sign up so I can spam you.” You need to be more creative. Work harder to create a better premium to offer your subscribers. If you’re offering a special report, it better be a killer special report, and not the same old crap that everybody else is offering. You need to come up with a unique angle, it needs to be well-written. Same is true of audio, video or software – it needs to be well-done, it needs to be unique – something obtainable only through you, and it needs to address a need that is in line with the desires of your readers.
Use a bigger, “responsive” HTML button. Go to my website: www.RayEdwardsCopy.com and look at the button on the subscription form on my squeeze page. Notice that it’s larger than most buttons you see on subscription forms. Notice also, that when you hover your cursor over the button, the background changes color from red to green. That is a subtle, psychological hint that takes people from “Stop” to “Go!” Yeah, that’s a little sillybut, in my experience, it increases conversions. I can verify this through some colleagues of mine: Michel Fortin, Eric Graham – The Conversion Doctor and Armand Morin, as well. My recommendation is that you try this kind of button, too.
Keep distractions off your opt-in pages. Take another look at my opt-in page. Do you see how clean it looks? There are no distractions to take attention away from the opt-in option. Of course, there are legal disclaimers at the bottom (right where I need them), but they are very subtle. And when you click on them, those legal notices open in small pop-up windows – after all, I want them on this page, not heading off in another direction.
While these suggestions seem very simplistic, they really work. Try them for yourself, and watch your opt-in rates soar!
There is so much talk in the “Internet Marketing” world about automating your business, setting up processes, and creating “passive income” that the Nirvana would seem to be a business that is 100% hands-free. Of course, that is not possible — not entirely.
And there is also a very big downside in taking the “maintenance free” approach to building a business online. The downside is: it’s possible to set up a website that is hands-free… and that makes very little money. Hmmm…
The meaning in this seems to be: the income you derive from a website is in direct proportion to the value you put into it.
Said more plainly: if you build crappy websites, expect crappy results.
There’s a great post about how zero maintenance can mean zero money over at Self Made Minds. Worth reading.
Do you find yourself staring at a blank screen?
Wondering how to get started writing your copy?
I’ve found that I get much better results if I use some “jump starters”.
They keep me focused, and get me started on the right track with a copy project.
Here are 3 “tricks” I use…
Maybe they’ll work for you, too:
- Write the benefit bullets. Don’t worry about writing body copy just yet. Just start banging out all the benefits of owning the product. This will be more extensive list than the one in the order box (which is our next “jump-starter”).
- Write the order box copy. This is the part of the copy where you clearly spell out the price of your offer, and the bullet points of all the main benefits of owning the product. Select the MAIN benefits (the one with the most “persuasion power” for the order box.
- Write 10 possible headlines for your copy. Don’t worry if they’re not “good enough”. You can even use some of the bullets you’ve written as starting points. Use a headline “swipe file” to spark ideas. Just get 10 headlines written.
Once you’ve finished the 3 “jump-starters” above, you will have written quite a bit of copy. It will be focused on the benefits of owning the product. You’ll be off to a good start on your copy project.
I was on the phone with Jack.
“I just don’t think I can make a living online,” said Jack.
I was on the phone with Jack because he’s one of my subscribers. He sent me an email saying his back was to the wall.
He had been trying and trying to make this “online business thing” work, and had spent thousands of dollars over the last year or so.
He had only made about $200 to show for all his efforts.
Jack was ready to give up.
“Jack,” I said, “if you’re willing to listen, I think I can help.”
“I’m ready to try anything,” he said.
I smiled.
“And that is your first problem,” I answered…
Which leads me to the reason for writing this article.
Maybe you’re not in Jack’s situation. Maybe you’re not desperate.
But I know that a lot of people are asking the same questions as Jack. Among those questions:
- Can I really make a living online and quit my day job?
- If I put in all this effort and work, will I make money?
- Am I being ripped off by people who sell me all this “make money” stuff on the Internet?
- Are there secrets being held back that I don’t know about?
My best answer is the same one I gave to Jack (not his real name, by the way): yes, you can make a living online…and yes, you are probably wasting some money right now.
The good news is, if you’d start taking the right actions, you could turn it all around in just a day or two.
Here’s what I mean:
Most people struggling to build an online business are too busy buying the latest “system” or “course” or “software” or “service”…too busy BUYING stuff to ever MAKE any money.
For these people, their primary online “business” activity consists of evaluating their next purchase!
Think about it.
How much time do you spend reading salesletters, or reviews of products, courses, and seminars?
How much time do you spend reading and posting in online forums, discussing the merits of this or that new program?
And once you buy that new “thing” – whatever it is – how far do you get with it?
Do you have any big courses sitting on a shelf that you haven’t finished yet? Haven’t watched all the DVDs or listened to all the audios?
Have you any courses that you DID watch all the stuff, and got all excited by it…but didn’t follow through with all the STEPS?
Be honest.
It’s just you and me here.
My guess is that this line of thinking leaves you a bit uncomfortable.
Don’t worry – I think we’re all at least a little bit “guilty” of this syndrome.
But there is a solution – and I’m going to offer you three steps that may help you finally get your business “off the ground”.
The same three suggestions I offered to Jack.
Action Step 1: Set an Achievable Short-Term Goal
We spend too much time trying to figure out how to achieve some huge goal, like “make $10,000 a month”.
Set a more achievable, short-range goal.
For instance, why not just shoot for $500?
Once you make $500 online, you can work on increasing it, right?
The power in this is simple: once you MAKE that $500, you have a lot more BELIEF that you can do it again…and again…and again.
And there is REAL power in that belief.
And if $500 seems out of reach for you, then just set a goal you CAN believe in. Even if it’s only $100.
On the other hand, there are those reading this letter who are already making $10,000 or $20,000 per month…you’ll need a bigger goal, but the principle is the same no matter where you are.
Action Step 2: Pick a Tactic For Achieving That Goal
Notice I didn’t say pick a “Strategy”.
That’s because if you’re struggling to get your business off the ground, “Strategy” may be too big for you to tackle right now.
What you need is one effective “tactic”: a specific set of actions you can take to achieve your objective.
For instance, if you want to build a list of subscribers, one tactic to use is: post in forums to drive traffic to your “squeeze page” (a forced opt-in page used to get subscribers). Make your posts helpful and informative, and put the link to your “squeeze page” in the signature block.
If you work at the above tactic diligently, you WILL start seeing subsribers signing up for your list within a few short days.
There are many other tactics you might choose, I only offer this one as an example.
There a lots of tactics that do in fact work.
Your problem is likely not a lack of good ideas for tactics. It’s that you have too many good ideas and can’t focus on any one of them! Which leads us to…
Action Step 3: Stick With It Until You Achieve The Goal
Too often, I see people get started with a tactic they’re excited about – only to watch them give up on it too early.
Stay with your tactic.
Notice what works.
Notice what doesn’t.
Adjust your approach accordingly – but stick it out until you’ve made your $500 (or whatever your goal was).
Until that time, keep blinders on.
Ignore all the other offers, emails, and attractive “tactics of the week” that come along.
Just focus on YOUR chosen tactic until you have that $500!
And Then What Do You Do?
Once you’ve achieved your goal, you’ll be faced with a decision: what do you do next?
Do you keep at it, employ the same tactic for the next $500? Maybe.
That choice will be up to you, and is beyond the scope of this article.
But keep this in mind: what you will have learned from this exercise is vital.
You will have proven to yourself that:
- You can make money with your online business.
- You can achieve a goal you set for yourself.
- And you know at least one tactic for doing it.
Don’t you think the next step will seem just a little bit easier now?
I hope that if you, like Jack, have been wondering whether you can “really” make it in your online business, you will take this message to heart and at least give my suggestions a shot.
And if you do, I hope you’ll let me know about your success story!
It doesn’t have to take long. In fact, it can be done in as little as one weekend.
Have a great weekend.
Should you use a “squeeze page” on your website, or have these pages lost their effectiveness?
A “squeeze page” is one that forces your site visitors to give you their name and email address in exchange for some kind of bribe… an audio training, a special report, or piece of software.
Making a free offer to your site visitors in exchange for their name and e-mail address is a great way to grow your e-mail list, but it has to be done carefully so that you don’t also drive away potential customers.
Here are some things to think about… Read more…
There is money hidden in your business. Money that you could be using. Money that, unless you do something about it, will slip through your fingers and vanish without a trace.
Where is this money – and how do you get it?
Most businesses have many hidden opportunities for discovering “windfall profits” – but I want to focus on just one of those opportunities in this article.
That “opportunity pocket” is: marketing and advertising.
In my experience, almost every business – whether it be retail, service, professional practice, or “business to business” in its nature – is unconsciously letting profits slip away.
Your biggest opportunity most likely lies hidden inside your underperforming sales copy (copy that isn’t selling as many units/contracts/ memberships as it potentially could be).
If you want to make more sales without spending a single dime in additional ad costs, this article might be the most important document you read this year…
Read more…
One of the biggest challenges in building your online business is to build a large e-mail list.
A list of prospects and buyers that you can use as a foundation for your online business.
It’s harder than ever to build e-mail lists online, as customers are more reluctant to opt in for free e-zines (or other mailing lists) than ever before.
What’s the best way to build an e-mail list? Rest assured, e-mail marketing is just as important now as it ever has been, and perhaps even moreso. So what do you do? Read more…
Have you ever read a website and it just seemed to “stiff” or “formal” to you?
Or you felt like they were talking over your head, using a lot of buzzwords and lingo you didn’t understand?
Me too.
That leads to this little tip that will REALLY help your copy make more sales (or generate more leads, or whatever you need it to do)…
Keep it simple! Yes, even “dumb it down”.
Copy should read like conversation; it should flow naturally and be easy to listen to (or read).
By the way, this does not mean your readers are “dumb” (they’re not). It means they are busy and distracted: simplifying your copy respects your reader’s time.
Using big words and jargon might sound impressive, but it won’t get you sales. Which would you prefer?
Use strong, punchy words. Write simply and clearly.
Read Strunk & White’s Elements of Style – and follow its advice.
Avoid jargon.
I hear from so many people who feel overwhelmed by the complexity of starting an online business.
There are only a few simple things you need to get started making money with your own internet-based business.
It’s not complicated, really.
Let me break it down for you. I’ll tell you the basic items you need, and Google can tell you the rest (just search for information on the areas where your knowledge is weak or incomplete). Here’s what you need:
1. A Product. Obviously, you need something to sell. This could be software, or items you sell on eBay, or a service, or an information product. People get hung up on how to come up with a product — and the truth is that products are the easiest thing in the world to get. It’s taking action that’s tough.
2. A Domain Name. This seems obvious, but you need a name for your business. You can get one at http://NewHostingPlan.com.
3. A Web Page. I say “page” instead of “site” because a “site” seems complicated. A “page” seems easy, doesn’t it? You can get one through http://NewHostingPlan.com.
4. Web Page Software. You need to build a page with content on it. You can do it yourself with free software from http://nvu.com, or you can use a paid product like Dreamweaver (which is available at http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/). If you don’t want to do it you can get a designer at http://sitepoint.com.
5. Graphics. You need a logo and a “look and feel” for your products or services. Again, you can use free software (like that at http://www.gimp.org) or you can buy something like Photoshop (at http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/compare/). Or you can get someone to do it for you at http://sitepoint.com.
6. Autoresponder Account. This is an account that allows you to build a mailing list so that you can mail to your customers or prospects. It can also do this for you on an automated sequential basis, so once someone signs up they get an email from you on a regular basis (automatically). The service I use and recommend is http://RaysAutoResponder.com.
7. Shopping Cart Software. You need to be able to take payments somehow, right? My advice is to get a nice, proven, all-in-one solution. I use http://newmarketingautomation.com.
Now, each of these are somewhat complex discussions that we could probably spend a one-hour teleseminar talking about each of them. Do a quick search on Google – there are plenty of online resources that will teach you more about each of these subjects.
You now know the basic building blocks needed to build your online business.
Can you spend years learning to master it all? Yes. But is it simple enough to get the basics in just a few minutes (as you just did)? Yes.
Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Just remember these basics, figure out which pieces you already have… and figure out what the next logical step might be. Then just do it!
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By Ray Edwards | January 13, 2009 
