tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18930273415059425372024-02-08T02:24:10.204-08:00Affiliate MarketingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-47619989283562833152012-01-05T21:28:00.000-08:002012-01-05T21:41:08.978-08:00eFormula Review - All in One eCommerce Software for Dropship<h2>What is eFormula?</h2> <p><a href="http://ecommercesoftwarereviews.com/eformula-review">eFormula</a> is a really simple business. It is all about how to make websites that you make money with marketing physical products. Basically you are creating eCommerce stores very similar to the way that Tim and Steve taught in Niche Blueprint and Blueprint Project Black edition.</p> <p>The big benefit here is you are acutally selling physical products online, but you are utilizing <a href="http://www.dropshipmarketing.com">dropshippers</a>. This means you don’t have to stock or ship any of the products you sell yourself.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;">How is eFormula Different from Niche Blueprint and BluePrint Project Edition?</h2> <p>The major differences between eFormula and the other eCommerce training courses released by Tim and Steve are:</p> <ul><li>a lot more software tools</li><li>4 new research tools</li><li>New SEO tools</li><li>New store software</li><li>Heavy concentration on utilizing paid traffic (fastest way to make money with eCommerce)</li><li>and many more elements that will be announced on launch day</li></ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p> <p><strong><a href="http://ecommercesoftwarereviews.com/eformula-review">eFormula Review</a> Update:</strong></p> <h2 style="text-align: center;">What Comes With eFormula?</h2> <p>Every course that Tim Godfrey and Steve Clayton create is extremely in-depth and put together. The always break their courses into modules. This makes it literally a step by step process for you to go through. Here’s what’s in eFormula.</p> <h2>1. Introduction</h2> <p>Steve Clayton starts eFormula with an introduction to the course. This is a great overview of everything that you get with eFormula, what to expect as you go through the course as well as how to get the most out of eFormula.</p> <h2>2. Niche Research</h2> <p>Niche research is probably the most important step of building successful ecommerce stores. That is why Tim and Steve start with this model. If you get this wrong doing everything else is pretty much worthless. They will walk you through their exact filtering process and how to use the research tools like keyword blaze.</p> <h2>3. Finding Suppliers</h2> <p>A lot of people make the mistake of registering a domain, building their store and buliding a marketing plan before they even look for a supplier. This is a critical error and that is why module 3 is all about finding suppliers for your nice. Steve covers the best ways to hunt suppliers down and what to do when you communicate them so you can make sure they will want to work with you.</p> <h2>4. Getting a Domain</h2> <p>Having a domain that fits the eFormula system is very important. You don’t want to be battling choosing a wrong domain name, it’s like rolling a boulder up a very steep hill. In this module Tim & Steve share the secrets to buying the right type of domain name and whether or not you should invest in an aged domain.</p> <h2>5. Building Your Store</h2> <p>A lot of people think building an ecommerce store has to be difficult. This module blows that myth out of the water. In this module you’ll learn all the essentials to building your site. Everything from installing your eCommerce templates, to adding products to your store to setting up your merchant account. What’s awesome is Tim and Steve are giving you some really incredible looking templates to use for your ecommerce store.</p> <h2>6. Leveraging Paid Traffic</h2> <p>Steve Clayton & Tim Godfrey are have decided that eFormula needs to focus more on how to use paid traffic to build your business. Why? Because using paid traffic like Google Adwords gets you instant results with eCommerce and guess what Google loves ecommerce sites. Understanding this module can really make you a ton of money.</p> <h2>7. Leveraging Free Traffic</h2> <p>Free traffic is obviously a part of eFormula and it is a big part of it. You are going to learn Tim and Steve’s strategy for getting top rankings in Google and the other search engines. Steve and Tim are also giving you access to some of their custom link building tools and if you get eformula through my link you get my eFormula bonus, which has some incredible SEO bonuses in it. Check it out.</p> <h2>8. Daily Store Operations</h2> <p>Learning how to manage your new eFormula store is very important. You want to make sure you set it up so it is as hands off as possible. This module will teach how to run your store on a daily basis and what systems to put in place to make it as hands off as possible.</p> <h2>9. Planning & Goal Setting</h2> <p>A lot of internet marketers miss out on success because they don’t plan properly. Building a plan and setting realistic goals is essential to building your business. This module is going to walk you through the eFormula creators planning and goal setting.</p> <h2>10. Selling Your Website</h2> <p>The websites that you build with eFormula are going to be very valuable assets. These will be businesses that you’ll be able to sell off very easily once they are making money. Now you don’t have to sell them, but if you want to you certainly will be able to. In fact if you have a good store making money <span class="clicky_log_outbound">contact me</span> I’ll buy it from you as long as it meets my requirements.</p> <h2>11. Scaling The System</h2> <p>This module is all about what to do next. How to scale your business and how to really take your business to the next level. This is an essential module for those really looking to make big money with eformula.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-51064395494681049802011-04-22T02:08:00.000-07:002011-04-22T02:09:49.144-07:00Online Pharmacy Affiliate - How to build a health niche store<p style="text-align: center;"><a onmousedown="var myi = new Image(); myi.src = 'http://verifier.link4direct.com/track/c?r=10c55d&s=1&bid=15'; return true;" title="Online DrugStore" href="http://www.healthmartstore.com/"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" title="health mart store" src="http://verifier.link4direct.com/track/b?r=10c55d&s=1&b=b2-336x280.jpg&bid=15" alt="Online DrugStore" border="0" height="280" width="336" /></a></p><br /><a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/tools/pharmincome.html"><strong>Pharm Income </strong></a>is a affiliate network for online pharmacy. They promot thousands of top selling brands and generic medications online. Join pharm income, you can open your own online pharmacy in 5 minutes!<br /><br />You can promote online drug store with three different ways as a pharm income affiliate member:<br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">1, general advertising, similar to any other affiliate network, get your ad tracking code, and then place the code into your site</p><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">2, using wordpress or drupal plugin to integrate affiliate products into your blog & CMS</p><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">3, using shop program from pharm income to build your own online drug store or pharmacies</p><br />If you want to convert your existing traffic to promote pharm income, the wordpress/drupal plugins will be a good choice. But if you have a good health related domain name is under construction, i think it will be perfect for creating your own online pharmacy with shop program of pharm income (you need a <strong>Affiliator key</strong>, you'll find it on your dashboard)<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1616" title="promo_tools" src="http://zhengyong.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/promo_tools.png" alt="" height="238" width="500" /></p><br /><br /><h2>Benifits of Pharm Income</h2><br />They offer up to 40% commison for affiliate, and professional templates for your own website, professional affiliate support team, broad line of top quality products, detailed and transparent statistic reports and much more.<br /><br />If you register now and you will receive $15 bonus, and additional bonus $10 on your first order!<br /><br /><strong>Benifits of PharmIncome:</strong><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">A. Three payment type:</p><br /><br /><blockquote><br /><ol><br /> <li>wire transfer, $50 fee, minimal payout $500</li><br /> <li>paypal, $5 fee, minimal payout $100</li><br /> <li>webmoney, $7 fee, minimal payout $100</li><br /></ol><br /></blockquote><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">B. They pay out every week on Friday, and for VIP partners they offer Payout-on-Demand feature: you can get paid anytime you need. To become VIP partner you will have to make 30+ sales/day for a period of 2 months.</p><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">C. You can be a affiliate member no matter live in any country of the world, and you can promote online pharmacy to people who live in any country, because they have worldwide shipping.</p><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;">D. Build your own online pharmacy brand with PharmIncome. One click synchronize products to your own database.</p><br /><br /><blockquote><br /><ol><br /> <li>Promote your own online pharmacy business</li><br /> <li>You can set up any prices on every product in your personal Account panel. Recommended retail prices are set up as a default and you can change them on your desire. And, you can set any coupon codes or special offers for your exsisting customer or email subscribers</li><br /> <li>After your store is installed you will have access to your own web-site's Panel where you can change descriptions, select a wide range of templates or change them on your own desire</li><br /> <li>You can customize titles, meta data for any page of your web-site, it is seo friendly</li><br /></ol><br /></blockquote><br />So, if you want to built a health related niche, why not Pharm Income.<br /><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/tools/pharmincome.html"><span style="color:#99cc00;">Register Now and Get Your $15 Bonus</span></a></h2><br /><h2>Install Your Own Drug Store</h2><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Step one</span>: Get your domain name at Godaddy (<a href="http://www.hostingspecialoffers.com/godaddy_coupons/">get a godaddy coupon codes here</a>)?if you have not a niche related domain name, make your domain name include following keywords will be great: Health?Health Care, Pharmacy, Online Pharmace, Drug, Drug Store...., For Example: <a href="http://www.healthmartstore.com/">Health Mart Store</a></p><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Step two</span>: Get a fast web hosting or vps. <a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/tools/bluehost.html">Bluehost</a> will be a good choice, if you need a VPS, the <a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/tools/linode.html">linode</a> is my recommendation?very fast and easy to use, absolutely affordable! But depend the location of your audience, maybe you can choose a hosting service outside USA</p><br /><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Step three</span>: install PharmIncome online drug store?</p><br /><br /><blockquote><br /><ol><br /> <li><a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/tools/pharmincome.html">Register pharmincome</a>, and download your shop program</li><br /> <li>create a database on your MySQL</li><br /> <li>Type <span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://yourdomainname/install</span>, delete install directory when your installation is finished</li><br /> <li>login in pharmincome, and get your affiliator key</li><br /> <li>login in your drug store, and choose a account & store type</li><br /> <li>Synchronizing products date into your own database</li><br /> <li>Now you can visit your own drug store, you have 4 templates to choose, and you can customize your own CSS.</li><br /> <li>Upload your Logo, add special pages, you can rewrite title, description for any page, just like work at any CMS dashboard.</li><br /></ol><br /></blockquote><br /><strong>here is a demo site you can review: <a href="http://www.healthmartstore.com/">http://www.healthmartstore.com</a></strong><br /><br />Via <a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/">Affiliate Culture</a>: <a title="PharmIncome Review – Build Your Own Online Drug Store" rel="bookmark" href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/review/pharmincome-review-build-your-own-online-drug-store/">PharmIncome Review – Build Your Own Online Drug Store</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.affiliateculture.com/tools/pharmincome.html"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46" title="3" src="http://www.internetcultures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/3.png" alt="" height="296" width="596" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-38957346055033675592009-11-20T15:08:00.000-08:002009-11-20T15:16:10.435-08:00Buy ReviewsPress Wordpress Themes, Turn Blog into Product Review Site<meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><a href="http://reviewspress.com/?e=buyitnow">ReviewsPress</a> are premium product review themes for wordpress. 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<br /></tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-55434253850962160792009-03-19T23:08:00.000-07:002009-03-19T23:09:15.589-07:00PPC Web Spy - Free PPC Keyword Spy Tools for Firefox<a href="http://zhengyong.net/download/ppcwebspy"><span style="font-weight: bold;">PPC Web Spy</span></a> is a firefox extension for keyword research. With this amazing keyword spy tool, you can "Secretly Spy On & Uncover Anyones Google-Adword Keywords While You Browse Google In <span style="color: rgb(193, 0, 0);">Real-Time!</span>"<br /><br />I am not a great fan of <a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2008/12/keywordspy-online-keyword-research-and.html">PPC keyword spy tools</a> specially because most of them are so complex and time consuming that it just doesn't appeal to me. Everyone knows keyword research is so important for SEM or SEO campaigns, before i find PPCWebSpy i always using keyword research tools like <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=keyworddiscovery">Keyword Discovery</a> or <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker">WordTracker</a>.<br /><br />When i begin to develop a new niche, there are <a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/10-must-do-things-for-keyword-research.html">10 must-do things for keyword research</a>:<br /><ul><li>pick valid initial keywords</li><li>use a variety of sources</li><li>search from the point of view of your potential customers</li><li>get the most possible amount of keyphrases</li><li>keep the keywords that will attract the target audience</li><li>pick the small-medium competitive keyword phrases</li><li>research your competitors, and get keywords of their ppc ad campaigns</li><li>spot the topics for your content (site pages, articles, blog posts, press releases, etc)</li><li>use keyword research data</li><li>write website content</li></ul>All these things spend me about 2-4 weeks hard word! But now, PPCWebSpy save me much more time to doing these.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size:180%;">With the information PPC Web Spy provides, you'll be able to take a struggling internet business and <span style="color: rgb(193, 0, 0);">almost <u>instantly</u></span> turn it into a profitable business!</span></b></span><br /></div><br /><br />To my surprise the basic level of PPCWebSpy is absolutely free. This means that you can go to <a href="http://zhengyong.net/download/ppcwebspy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>PPC WebSpy Page</strong></a> now and get your copy absolutely free.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><b>What can <span style="color: rgb(193, 0, 0);">YOU</span> do with PPC Web Spy?<br /></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="8" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" height="95" valign="top"><p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;">Here's a brief rundown of the specific "features" within PPC Web Spy...</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="11%"><img src="http://www.ppcwebspy.com/img/checkmark.png" alt="" /></td> <td align="left" width="89%"><span style="font-size:100%;">You'll be able to <b>quickly and easily</b> uncover any Google Adwords advertiser's keywords in only a <b>few seconds!</b> Then, simply take those keywords and advertise your own product or service and get ready for the money to come rolling in!</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="11%"><img src="http://www.ppcwebspy.com/img/checkmark.png" alt="" /></td> <td align="left" width="89%"> <p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>You'll be able to see critical Adwords data</b> relating to each keyword. Data such as:</span></p> <div align="left"> <ul><li><span><b><span style="font-size:100%;"> The actual Adwords ads your competitors have written for each keyword</span></b></span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">The <b>Cost Per Click</b>, or amount your competitors are paying for each keywords they're bidding on</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span><b><span style="font-size:100%;">Your competitor's Adwords rank</span></b><span style="font-size:100%;">, so you'll be able to determine how much money you should be spending to get your site to a similar rank, to expect similar results.</span></span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">The <b>total daily amount</b> your competition is spending via Google Adwords</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span><b><span style="font-size:100%;">And much more!</span></b></span></li></ul> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="11%"><img src="http://www.ppcwebspy.com/img/checkmark.png" alt="" /></td> <td align="left" width="89%"><span style="font-size:100%;">You can use PPC Web Spy to <b>generate your own giant list of keywords</b> based upon any of the individual keywords your competition is using!</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="11%"><img src="http://www.ppcwebspy.com/img/checkmark.png" alt="" /></td> <td align="left" width="89%"><span style="font-size:100%;">You can also <b>generate a giant, targeted keyword list</b> by inputting your competitor's domain name, allowing you to build an even larger, more targeted keyword list!</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="11%"><img src="http://www.ppcwebspy.com/img/checkmark.png" alt="" /></td> <td align="left" width="89%"> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">You'll be able to<b> immediately see which Adwords advertisers</b> are people promoting Clickbank.com, Paydotcom.com, or Amazon.com products!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Doing will allow you to find potential super affiliates. Once you've done that, you can use PPC Web Spy to "steal" their keywords, advertise the same product, and bank the money yourself!</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" height="81" valign="top" width="11%"><img src="http://www.ppcwebspy.com/img/checkmark.png" alt="" /></td> <td align="left" height="81" valign="top" width="89%"><span style="font-size:100%;">You'll even be able to <b>see the exact landing page</b> (i.e. destination URL) that each Adwords advertiser is sending visitors to, WITHOUT actually clicking on their Adwords ad and charging them money.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:180%;"><b>What do all of these features mean for <span style="color: rgb(193, 0, 0);">YOU</span>?</b></span><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;">It means that you'll be able to shave off hours, days, months, and even years of time doing keyword research and testing exactly which keywords convert visitors to buyers. It means you won't have to waste massive amounts of money as you slowly figure out your market's "best" keywords. </span></p> <p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;">I can guarantee you that PPC Web Spy saves you both time & money... and because PPC Web Spy is not a bulky, standalone, desktop application, you'll be able to save money and time as you causally browse Google like you normally would. It's VERY cool, and powerful.</span></p> <p align="center"> </p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/ppc-web-spy-free-ppc-keyword-spy-tools.html"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-882" title="ppcwebspy" src="http://zhengyong.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ppcwebspy.jpg" alt="ppcwebspy" border="0" height="387" width="600" /></a></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zhengyong.net/download/ppcwebspy"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><b>Your Competitors are Viewing your PPC Keywords Secrets!</b><br /></span></a><span><b><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://zhengyong.net/download/ppcwebspy"><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">What are you waiting for?</span></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://zhengyong.net/download/ppcwebspy"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Download PPCWebSpy Now!</span></a></span><br /></span></span></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-87701123307938600732009-03-19T22:32:00.000-07:002009-03-19T22:49:21.557-07:0010 must do things for keyword research<p>Keyword research is the core of any SEO campaign, since the keywords you pick during the research will be included in your website copy, into your PPC campaigns and any other website promotion campaigns. In a sense, keyword research is similar to customer research, because you are studying what words your potential clients use when searching for your service or product.</p> <p>Here is what you need to do to run a solid keyword research:</p> <ul><li>pick valid initial keywords</li><li>use a variety of sources</li><li>search from the point of view of your potential customers</li><li>get the most possible amount of keyphrases</li><li>keep the keywords that will attract the target audience</li><li>pick the small-medium competitive keyword phrases</li><li>research your competitors, and get keywords of their ppc ad campaigns</li><li>spot the topics for your content (site pages, articles, blog posts, press releases, etc)</li><li>use keyword research data</li><li>write website content</li></ul> <p>Alright, let's go about this in detail.</p> <h3>Pick valid initial keywords</h3> <p>When starting your keyword research, you'll need to pick the main keywords to base your keyword research on. These will be the keywords that you, your customers and your competitors chiefly use when speaking of your service or product. The valid keywords would be synonyms, different in one aspect or another - view them as the directions your website SEO will go. Naturally, you'll need to use quite a variety of sources for your keywords.</p> <h3>Use a variety of sources</h3> <p>To make sure you have the maximum possible coverage for your keywords, you'll want to use any source of customer data you can use. Those would be:</p> <ul><li>your own knowledge: you should be aware of at least one word that your service or product can be characterized by</li><li>your own customers: talk to your customers and see if they associate any other words with you</li><li>your competitors: check your competitor's websites for even more keywords</li></ul> <p>Also, you may want to use other search engine data keyword research tools, such as:</p> <ul><li><a href="https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal">Google Keyword Suggestion Tool</a></li><li><a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker">WordTracker</a></li><li><a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=keyworddiscovery">Keyword Discovery</a></li><li><a href="http://inventory.overture.com/">Overture</a></li></ul> <p>Google Keyword suggestion tool can give you keywords, related to your website (if you select the appropriate tab) and offers you a wide selection of phrases real people have typed in.</p> <p>WordTracker and Keyword Discovery offer free versions of their keyword research tools. They give you a list of keyword phrases with your keyword and also give you some estimation of their popularity. You can purchase a monthly subscription for about $30-50 to get full access to their data.</p> <p>WordTracker uses the data from the meta search engines and KeywordDiscovery obtains data in another way (undisclosed, so far), so the online tools data can only be used in a relative aspect (to learn which phrases are more or less popular than others and also how competitive they are).</p> <p>Overture doesn't offer exact results as well, so it can be used only as described above.</p> <p>Over all the tools, I highly recommend a <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker">free version of WordTracker</a>. It offers enough data to sift through (multiply the number of searches by 1.7 to get a rough estimate of daily Google queries). <a href="https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal">Google External Keyword Tool</a> goes 2nd, as it offers lots of related words and phrases, otherwise unnoticed by other keyword research tools.</p> <h3>Try various points of view</h3> <p>The point is that there is no such a thing as 'an average customer'. You'll need to create content about various aspects of your business to make sure you are noticeable to all types of potential customers, simply because your customers use all possible word combinations to find what they want and you can't predict what they will use to find you.</p> <p>For instance, your potential clients may be searching for material that will remove any doubt they have before becoming your customer or for some product or service reviews and comparison. Moreover, there may be numerous products and features that may apply to your business - you may want to cover them also.</p> <h3>Get the most keyword phrases</h3> <p>Once done with determining the valid keywords and thinking outside the box, you'll need to build a list of all possible keyword combinations you can think of. It is relatively simple to build a list of keywords yourself, from your customers and competitors, but it may require more time finding the keywords with the help of online tools.</p> <p>You'll need to keep entering your main keywords and phrases into online keyword suggestion tools to get every possible keyword combination. This will ensure you cover most keywords your potential customers will use.</p> <h3>Keep the target keywords</h3> <p>Obviously, you only need keywords that will drive potential customers to your website. Additional traffic won't hurt, but it won't do you any good either and you'll be spending the extra time and efforts on doing your work for the untargeted keywords.</p> <p>Basically, a target keyword is a keyword that your potential customers will be using to find you. If you are selling only widgets, you don't need people searching for gadgets and visa versa. That being said, you'll need people searching for 'how to choose a widget', 'how to choose a widget manufacturer', 'the benefits of having a widget', etc.</p> <h3>Pick small or medium competitive keywords</h3> <p>If your site is new, there is no way you can come up for a competitive keyword within a couple of years, so you'll need to target <a href="http://www.improvetheweb.com/the-long-tail-of-search/">non-competitive keywords</a>. These are usually 3-5 keyword phrases or may be even 2-keyword phrases, if both of the keywords are not competitive.</p> <p>If you have an old site (over a year or two), you should know which keywords are more or less competitive. You can keep all the keywords to gain more insight what to add to your website.</p> <h3>Research your competitors, and get keywords of their ppc ad campaigns</h3>Using <a href="http://zhengyong.net/download/ppcwebspy">PPCWebSpy</a> or <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=keywordspy">KeywordSpy</a> tools to view what keywords used by your competitors. May be you think this is immoral, but your competitors is using these tools to monitor your keywords of PPC compains in Google.<br /><br />You should using these absolutely free keyword spy tools, Why not?<br /><h3>Spot the topics for the content</h3> <p>Now the fun begins. By now you should have a huge list of keyword phrases, but you don't know how to apply it to your website or your head hurts when you think of it. Let's start small, then.</p> <p>First, you'll need to group the keyword phrases by one or two main keywords they have in common. For instance, 'large light widget' and 'large shiny widget' go in one group, while 'small light widget' will go to another group, because we already have two main keywords. The end of this process would be a list of keyword phrases, grouped by common keyword(s).</p> <p>The groups you divided your keywords denote the topics you should write your content on. See if you can write a topic around a single keyword phrase. If not, seek a complimentary keyword phrase from the keyword group or the whole list, and check again.</p> <p>Finally, you should arrive at a list of topics that you should write about.</p> <h3>How to use the keyword research data?</h3> <p>Naturally, you'll need to use your keyword research results. The only way you can do that is to create or modify your existing content. You'll be adding your keywords to your page titles, meta tags (they are used to display description snippets in the SERPs), link anchor texts, etc apart from writing website copy.</p> <h3>Writing content after keyword research</h3> <p>One of the ways was briefly outlined before: <a href="http://www.improvetheweb.com/quality-content/">write content for your website</a>. But how many pages/articles/posts do you need to write? Here your content strategy comes into play. You'd be better off creating fewer pages, but of extreme top quality. This will ensure that natural links from folks that enjoyed it will point to a single place, which will add more weight to a single page, which had been targeted at numerous related keywords, which will ensure that that single page will come up for numerous related phrases in the SERPs.</p> <p>Of course, you may as well create a page for each of the unique keyword phrase. But bear in mind that should a search engine regard another page for a similar keyword more important, your efforts for creating near-duplicate pages will be disregarded and you won't gain much after a thoroughly conducted keyword research.</p> <h3>Conclusion</h3> <p>The techniques, described above, for conducting a keyword research are viable and have been tested by a professional SEO (at least by someone who works as a SEO for a web and software development company), so it should be a good start for managing your keywords. There may be other <a href="http://www.improvetheweb.com/advanced-keyword-research-tactics">advanced keyword research strategies</a>, but you'll only need and find them when you are familiar with the basics of keyword research.</p> <p>Such a thorough keyword research should be a good asset to the overall website success, so it should be used carefully. Keyword research can't give you substantially different data every time you conduct this, unless you find a radically different avenue for search query data, so you should use the keyword research data (modify your site, write content) cautiously. If not, you'll have to rework what you have done and will lose precious time (and, maybe, reputation) if done improperly.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-17598395895572753402009-03-04T19:13:00.000-08:002009-03-04T19:33:15.163-08:00Submitting Article - Article Writing for Affiliates Day 6<h2 class="orange">Day 6 - Submitting Your Article</h2> <p>If you have followed all of the steps in the course, you now have a complete article to submit. Review your article at least one time before submitting it to the article directories. <a href="http://www.englishgrammarsoftware.org/">Check your spelling, grammar and flow</a>.</p> <p>The easiest way to do this is to read your article out loud. You will catch about 70 percent of your grammar mistakes by using this step.</p> <p>If you aren't a very <a href="http://www.englishgrammarsoftware.org/demo">good speller</a>, you may want to have someone else <a href="http://white-smoke.net/">proofread your article</a> before you submit.</p> <p>Use the <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-best-practices-guide-365-custom.html" target="_blank">Best Practices Guide to Article Marketing</a><a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/best.php" target="_blank"></a> prior to submitting your article to make sure you have formatted your article correctly. Also make sure you have included everything you need to include in your article (The 8 Minute Article Writer will also help you with this).</p> <p>Next, <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-sign-up-1-url.html" target="_blank">sign up for an account with Article Marketer</a>. If you are on a tight budget, then you can sign up for a free account. This account allows you to submit up to three articles a week to 29 article directories and 11,000+ publishers. This is an excellent way to get started with article submission.</p> <p>If your budget is a little less tight, the upgraded account allows you to submit unlimited articles to over 5,000 article directories and over 67,000 publishers. This includes a one-day turnaround on your article.</p> <p>If you prefer to submit your articles manually, see the <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-distrolist-367-custom.html" target="_blank">distribution list</a><a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-distrolist-367-custom.html"> </a>at Article Marketer for more details.</p> <p>This completes the course. You now have all of the tools you need to <a href="http://www.englishwritingsoftware.net/">make money writing</a> and submitting your articles.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-73529313952751740672009-03-04T19:11:00.001-08:002009-03-04T19:44:26.792-08:00Summaries, Beginnings and Conclusions - Article Writing for Affiliates Day 4<h2 class="orange">Day 4 - Summaries, Beginnings and Conclusions</h2> <p>Once you have written the heart of the article, it's time to put the finishing touches on it.</p> <p>You can write these parts in any order you like. What's important is that you put these parts in the right place in the articles.</p> <p>Your summary is not actually part of the article. The summary is usually what readers see when they visit article directories or blogs where the excerpt function is used.</p> <p>The purpose of your summary is to entice readers to read the article. A good summary is no more than 400 characters long. It should contain your keyword phrase you are using, and you want to give readers a taste of the actual article. "Sell" them on reading the article.</p> <p>The beginning is the opening of your article. It is very similar to the summary in that its purpose is to tell the readers what your article is about. It is an extension of the title. In other words, it gives a little more detail than the title.</p> <p>How long you make your beginning is up to you. It's really not necessary to write anything longer than one or two paragraphs and then lead into the article.</p> <p>The conclusion summarizes your article and belongs at the end. It is also a lead in to your resource box where you tell others about your business.</p> <p>Each of these elements should contribute to getting readers to click through to your site.</p> <p>Keep your summaries, beginnings, and conclusions short and sweet. To write an effective article, you want to keep it within word guidelines, which is 400 - 700. Give your readers a taste of what you offer on your site. This will get you the click.</p> <p> </p> <p>Get the most from your articles. Read the <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-best-practices-guide-365-custom.html" target="_blank">Best Practices Guide to Article Marketing</a>. This guide will help you get the most from your article submission because you'll write articles the article directories want and readers will love.</p><h2>Writing Tools Recommendation</h2><p><a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/stylewriter">Stylewritter plain english writing software</a> can help you improve your article writing skill.</p><p><a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/store/whitesmoke-2009-review-best-english-writing-grammar-correction-software.html">Whitesmoke 2009 english grammar software</a> is the best grammar & spelling check software for ESL<br /></p> <h2>Ready for the next lesson?</h2> Go to Day 5 - <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/aff_articlewriting_dayfive.php">"How to Write Your Resource Box"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-20371266766196112972009-03-04T19:11:00.000-08:002009-03-04T19:32:18.678-08:00How to Write Your Resource Box - Article Writing for Affiliates Day 5<h2 class="orange">Day 5 - How to Write Your Resource Box</h2> <p>Although every element of your article is important, the most important are the title and the resource box. The title will determine if your readers read the article. The resource box will determine whether or not visitors click through to your site.</p> <p>The resource box is like a mini ad for your business. You don't want to write something that is too commercial. You want to create a resource box that gets your article readers to click through to your website.</p> <p>There are two types of resource boxes you need to create: a text resource box and an HTML resource box. The text resource box is <a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/stylewriter">plain text</a>, something you could write in a text editor like Notepad. Text resources boxes are no more than 250 to 300 characters long. You create this resource box for sites that only accept a text resource box.</p> <p>In an HTML resource box, links to your sites are made clickable. This means that when readers click on the link, it will take them to your website. You will need to write a small piece of code to create an HTML resource box. An HTML resource box is no longer than 500 characters.</p> <p>What do you include in your resource box?</p> <p>1. Establish your knowledge of the topic in some way. Tell others you have more information on your site. If you offer an e-book, newsletter, e-course, or some other resource, you can use this.</p> <p>2. A link or links to your websites. One link to a website is good; two links is even better provided both links are relevant to the topic.</p> <p>For example, if you own two websites, a hair loss resource and a gardening resource, you don't want to send readers to your gardening site if the article is about hair loss. The purpose of your resource box is to lead your readers to your site. Make the links you include relevant to your topic.</p> <p>3. Don't give your life history. Unless your article is about child care, potty training, or another topic where it would be relevant, readers don't care about things like how many children you have. Your resource shows others you know what you are talking about. What you say in your resource box must be relevant to your article.</p> <p>4. Don't include affiliate links in your resource box. You already know not to do this with your article. The same principle applies to your resource box unless the site you are submitting to accepts affiliate links.</p> <p>If you do include affiliate links, you may be able to bypass this rule by using a redirect page. A redirect page will make the link look like the page is part of your site instead of leading to a different site. Some sites allow this, and others don't. Check the guidelines before submitting.</p> <p>If all else fails, you'll need to buy a new domain and point it to the affiliate site you are marketing. Your best bet is to simply build a content site and send readers to it. Point readers to relevant pages within your site that offer more information.</p> <p>Once you've completed your resource box, the only other element to consider is your keywords. If you chose keywords for your article at the beginning, you've already completed this step.</p> <p>In our next lesson, it's time to submit your masterpiece to the article directories.</p> <p> </p> <p>Get the most from your articles. Read the <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-best-practices-guide-365-custom.html" target="_blank">Best Practices Guide to Article Marketing</a>. This guide will help you get the most from your article submission because you'll write articles the article directories want and readers will love.</p> <h2>Ready for the next lesson?</h2> Go to Day 6 - <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/aff_articlewriting_daysix.php">"Submitting Your Article"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-73228070705538512522009-03-04T19:09:00.000-08:002009-03-04T19:49:25.470-08:00Writing the List Article - Article Writing for Affiliates Day 3<h2 class="orange">Day 3 - Writing the List Article</h2> <p>The list article is the easiest type of article to write. It is a list of related things.</p> <p>For example:</p><p> </p><p>Top 7 Article Writing Tips for Affiliates<br />Top 10 Tips for Getting More Business Now<br />Top 7 Ways to Start a Business</p> <p>If you use the 8 Minute Article Writing software, each of the steps is clearly laid out for you. You have the ability to "jump around" in the software, add your tips, and then write your explanations.</p> <p>Before writing your list article, write your title. You need to know how many tips you will need.</p> <p>We will use the "Top 7 Article Writing Tips for Affiliates" to write an article.</p> <p>Your first step is to create a list of tips. All of your tips must be related to your topic. In this case, we are writing an article about article writing as it relates specifically to writing articles for affiliates.</p> <p>For example:</p> <ol><li>Choose a product.</li><li>Create a title.</li><li>Write your list of tips.</li><li>Write an explanation of each tip.</li><li>Write the beginning, conclusion, and summary for your article.</li><li>Create a resource box.</li><li>Submit your article.</li></ol> <p>Now that we have a list of tips, we want to write one or two paragraphs to further explain each tip.</p> <p>***********************</p> <p>For example:</p> <p>1. Choose a product.<br />As an <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wealthyaffiliate">affiliate marketer</a>, you have a large amount of products to choose from to sell. To choose the right product to promote, you want to select a product that solves your potential customers' problems.</p> <p>You also want to consider the amount of commission you will make, whether or not the product fits your topic, and how you will promote the product.</p> <p>***********************</p> <p>Next, go through each of the tips and write one to two paragraphs to explain each tip. Keep your words, sentences, and paragraphs short. Remember, your article only needs to be 400 - 700 words. Keeping your article short and answering your readers' questions will get them to click through to your site.</p> <p>Don't forget to use your keyword phrase you have chosen throughout the article. Three to five times is enough. This will help you further optimize your article for the search engines.</p> <p>In the next lesson, we will finish writing the article. Lesson five covers Beginnings, Conclusions, and Summaries.</p> <p> </p> <p>Get the most from your articles. Read the <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-best-practices-guide-365-custom.html" target="_blank">Best Practices Guide to Article Marketing</a>. This guide will help you get the most from your article submission because you'll write articles the article directories want and readers will love.</p> <h2>Ready for the next lesson?</h2> Go to Day 4 - <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/aff_articlewriting_dayfour.php">"Summaries, Beginnings and Conclusions"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-64496594744917664982009-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:002009-03-04T19:55:07.205-08:00Crafting an Irresistible Title - Article Writing for Affiliates Day 2<h2 class="orange">Day 2 - Crafting an Irresistible Title for Your Article</h2> <p>How you craft the title of your article is up to you. You can create a swipe file of good titles you have found and model your title after these titles.</p> <p>Don't copy these titles. If you do, you will have a hard time finding your article in the search engines. You want to make your article title as original as possible.</p> <p>There are four types of titles we will examine here. You can use these title ideas to help you write your own title. Remember, the purpose of a good title is to get your reader to read your article and click through to your site.</p> <p>1. The Question</p> <p>The purpose of the question title is to engage your readers. You want them to get involved in the topic of your article. With all good article titles, you want to present the problem and then the solution. You will elaborate these points in the body of your article.</p> <p>An example would be:</p> <p>Are You Losing Your Hair? Avoid These Three Things</p> <p>2. The Statement</p> <p>In the statement title, you make a statement of fact. Use a statistic. Be specific.</p> <p>For example:</p> <p>27% of Men Are Losing Their Hair...What to Do to Keep Your Hair Without Losing Your Mind</p> <p>3. The List</p> <p>The list is a list of related items. It's very similar to the How-To because you use a list of tips.</p> <p>For example:</p> <p>Top 7 Small Business Start Up Tips</p> <p>4. The How-To</p> <p>With the how-to, you are telling others how to do something. It's like a recipe. You are teaching them how to do one thing.</p> <p>For example:</p> <p>How to Double Your Investments in 30 Days</p> <p>When writing your titles, include your keywords. This will help you with search engine optimization. Keywords are an easy way to optimize your articles for the search engines. Don't overdo it.</p> <p>Keep a swipe file of your title ideas. With a swipe file, it's easier to avoid writer's block. Write down all of your title ideas and review them when you want to write a new article. It will make it easier for you to get started writing your article and stay on track.</p> <p>If you haven't downloaded the 8 Minute <a href="http://www.englishwritingsoftware.net">Article Writer software</a>, do so now. This software will make it much easier for you to write your article. <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-download-361-custom.html" target="_blank">Download it here</a>.</p> <p>We also recommend you browse <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-amu-362-custom.html" target="_blank">Article Marketer University</a> for additional help, including Maria Marsala's audio, "<a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-8-miniute-article-363-custom.html" target="_blank">The 8 Minute Article</a>."</p> <p>You may also want to listen to <a href="http://www.articlemarketer.com/10903-ewen-chia-364-custom.html" target="_blank">Ewen Chia's Affiliate Article Mastery</a> for more tips on making the most of your articles.</p> <p>In the next lesson, we will examine the easiest type of article to write.</p><h2>Writing Tools Recommendation</h2><p><a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/stylewriter">Stylewritter plain english writing software</a> can help you improve your article writing skill.</p><a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/store/whitesmoke-2009-review-best-english-writing-grammar-correction-software.html">Whitesmoke 2009 english grammar software</a> is the best grammar & spelling check software for ESL <h2>Ready for the next lesson?</h2> Go to Day 3 - <a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/writing-list-article-article-writing.html">"Writing the List Article"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-14161884817461380322009-03-04T18:53:00.000-08:002009-03-04T20:03:58.783-08:00How to choosing your topic - article writing for affiliates day 1<h2 class="orange">Day 1 - Choosing Your Topic</h2> <p>Whether you are new to affiliate business or you have been around for a while, you probably already know what topics you will use to choose the products you sell. These same topics can be used to write your articles.</p> <p>We covered keyword research in the main <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wealthyaffiliate">affiliate marketing course</a>. For those who haven't read that course yet, we will briefly touch on keyword research here.</p> <p>First, you need to choose about three general topics in which you are interested. If you choose more than three topics, you may want to consider writing under different pen names. You are less likely to be taken seriously by readers if are considered a know-it-all on too many topics.</p> <p>Since you are selling affiliate products, you have a wide range of choices for products as well as for topics.</p> <p>If you aren't sure what you want to sell, there are plenty of resources to help you find topics and products to write about. Here are three:</p> <ol><li><a href="http://50.lycos.com/" target="_blank">Lycos Top 50</a> - The Lycos Top 50 will tell you what is getting the most buzz each week. </li><li><a href="http://pulse.ebay.com/" target="_blank">eBay Pulse</a> - Offers a list of the hottest selling products on eBay.</li><li><a href="http://buzz.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Yahoo Buzz</a> - The latest news by category.</li></ol> <p>If you already know what topics you are interested in, you can go to your favorite search engine and research those topics.</p> <p>To help you find out what others are searching for, you can use tools like:</p> <p><a href="https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal" target="_blank">Google Adwords Keyword Research Tool</a></p> <p><a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=seobookkeywordsuggestion" target="_blank">SEOBook Keyword Research Tool</a></p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> <p><a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=keyworddiscovery">Keyword Discovery Keyword Research Tool</a></p><p><a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker">WordTracker Keyword Research Tool</a><br /></p><p>Compile a list of keyword phrases. Using these keyword phrases to write your articles will help you rank well in the search engines.</p> <p>Checklist</p> <ol><li>Choose at least one product to market.</li><li>Choose at least one topic to write about.</li><li>Create a list of keywords to use in your article writing campaign.</li></ol> <p>Our next lesson is about creating your title. The title is one of the most important elements of your article because it tells the reader within seconds whether or not they should read your article.</p><h2>Article Writing Tools Recommendation</h2><p><a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/stylewriter">Stylewritter plain english writing software</a> can help you improve your article writing skill.</p><a href="http://www.englishsoftware.co.uk/store/whitesmoke-2009-review-best-english-writing-grammar-correction-software.html">Whitesmoke 2009 english grammar software</a> is the best grammar & spelling check software for ESL <h2>Ready for the next lesson?</h2> Go to Day 2 -<a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/crafting-irresistible-title-article.html"> </a><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/crafting-irresistible-title-article.html">"Crafting a Title"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-14562209019764073442009-03-04T18:47:00.000-08:002009-03-04T20:40:24.796-08:00Article writing for affiliates: 7 days mini courseIn this seven-day course you'll learn how to write unique, interesting articles that get widely distributed and build those backlinks. Writing those articles is easy when you follow this step-by-step system.<br /><h2 class="orange">Table of Contents</h2> <div class="outdent"> <ul class="graphic"><li class="spaced"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/article-writing-for-affiliates-7-days.html">Introduction</a></li><li class="spaced"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/how-to-choosing-your-topic-article.html">Day 1 - Choosing Your Topic</a></li><li class="spaced selected"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/crafting-irresistible-title-article.html">Day 2 - Crafting a Title</a></li><li class="spaced"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/writing-list-article-article-writing.html">Day 3 - Mastering the List Article</a></li><li class="spaced"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/summaries-beginnings-and-conclusions.html">Day 4 - Summaries, Beginnings and Conclusions</a></li><li class="spaced"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/how-to-write-your-resource-box-article.html">Day 5 - Writing your Resource Box</a></li><li class="spaced"><a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/submitting-article-article-writing-for.html">Day 6 - Submitting Your Article</a></li></ul> </div><h2>Introduction to Article Writing for Affiliates</h2> <p>Internet marketer Travis Sago calls it "bum marketing". Whatever you decide to call it, writing articles to promote affiliate programs is one of the most effective ways to promote affiliate programs. In fact, it's one of the best ways to promote any product or service.</p> <p>There are several reasons article writing is superior to other methods of promotion:</p> <ol><li>You don't have to know anyone to create an effective promotion.</li><li>You don't have to know search engine optimization, although learning how to research keywords helps.</li><li>Article writing is more viral than most other methods of promotion. Write a good article on your topic, and it will promote the product for you for years.</li><li>It is an easy marketing technique to automate. Write an article a day or a couple of articles a week, submit them, and Article Marketer's automated submission takes care of the rest.</li><li>You are building value into your product. By providing helpful information to your potential customers, you influence their buying decisions. They are more likely to buy from you than someone who just posted an ad.</li><li>You don't need a website. Although it is easier to market affiliate programs with one, you can improvise. You can easily create a free blog or Squidoo lens to promote your affiliate products.</li><li>You don't have to be a writer or a copywriter to write great articles. Writing great articles is about sharing information with your reader in a conversational manner.</li></ol> <p>Anyone can write an article. Knowing something about your topic certainly helps. For those who don't know how to write an article, this course will teach you.</p> <p>In the next lesson, you'll learn how to choose an appropriate topic for your article.</p><h2>Ready to get started?</h2> Start with Day 1 - <a href="http://affiliate.marketing.zhengyong.net/2009/03/how-to-choosing-your-topic-article.html">"Choosing Your Topic"</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-37443822399490605632009-02-16T00:46:00.000-08:002009-02-16T04:44:23.070-08:00Hotels Combined Affiliate Program Reviews<h2>HotelsCombined.com Description<br /></h2><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/"><b>HotelsCombined</b></a><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/">.com</a> is a unique free tool that searches multiple hotel reservation websites simultaneously to help you find the lowest rate instantly. Hotels Combined eliminate the need to search accommodation websites one by one in order to compare hotel prices and availability. And their free price comparison service is an amazing time and money saver!<br /><h2>How about HotelsCombined.com's Affiliate Program?</h2>Hotels Combined has a amazing <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Affiliates.aspx">affiliate program</a>! if you are web desiners or developers, you can easily integrate their white lable & web service features to build your own web applications of comparison search for comparing all of major hotel reservation resource.<br /><br />HotelsCombined.com is the best comparison search engine for hotel industry, and they has unique conversion rates.<br /><br />Affiliates of HotelsCombined.com will be earn 70% of all revenue generated by your visitors, and there are 365 day repeat action cookie, that's great! it is not like amazon.com's association, just 1 day action cookie, that's meaning you might be lost many repeat purchasing.<br /> <p>About affiliate's payments are made on a monthly schedule. Payments are made between 25th and 30th of each month for all leads generated in the previous month. Minimum payouts for Check and Bank/Wire transfer is 500 USD and 100 USD for Paypal.</p><h2>Features of HotelsCombined's Affiliate Program</h2><span style="font-weight: bold;">White Lable Solution<br /></span><br />With HotelCombined's white lable solution you can build your personal brands for hotel reservation comparison service. And complete your white label setup in 3 steps:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Affiliates.aspx">Join HotelsCombined's Affiliate Program</a><br />2. Point your domain to their IP address or using a CNAME record.<br />3. Customize colours and elements of design of HotelCombined.com's pages.<br /><br />You can customize default site language for specific country location, you are no limited how many domians would be add a private brand.<br /><br />You can find sample white lable sites on <a href="http://www.10best.com">10best.com</a> and <a href="http://www.hotelsbot.com">HotelsBot.com</a>, <a href="http://www.reservetravel.net">ReserveTravel.net</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">API implementation for web service<br /><br /></span>API implementation allowing for complete customization, The API is a XML SOAP web service. For more information on SOAP visit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOAP">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOAP</a>, You must understand the SOAP protocol before using the API.<br /><br /> There are two main steps in the integration process: <ol><li>Download static data and store a local copy (see the ‘Data Feeds’ link in the affiliate partner area for details)</li><li>Dynamically retrieve rates and availability in real time every time a customer visits your website</li></ol>You can find the Search API Documentation here: <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/api/LiveRatesDocumentation.aspx">http://www.hotelscombined.com/api/LiveRatesDocumentation.aspx</a><br /><br />Example of affiliate partner utilizing API: <a href="http://www.travbuddy.com/">TravBuddy.com</a>, <a href="http://www.ixigo.com/">iXiGO.com</a><br /><h2>Concluding</h2>So, If you have a travel blog or website in hotel industry niche, the HotelsCombined's affiliate program will be most suitable for monetizing your sites. The comparison search will strongly improve your convertion rates.<br /><br />As you know, shopping.com has a good convertion rates, The HotelsCombined.com is actually shopping.com in hotel reservation industry!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Affiliates.aspx">Click here Join HotelsCombined.com Now</a></span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-21355376197216284742009-02-16T00:23:00.000-08:002009-02-16T00:29:45.745-08:00T3Leads Affiliate Program for Financial Niche Review<h4>Introduction to T3Leads</h4> <p>In this review, I am going to talk about <a href="http://zhengyong.net/network/?resource=t3leads">T3Leads</a> which utilizes pay-per-lead affiliate program. <a href="http://zhengyong.net/network/?resource=t3leads">T3Leads affiliate network </a>focuses on financial industry.</p> <p>While most affiliate programs usually pay out a very small amount of money for every sale (or lead in this case), T3Leads can pay for as high as $45 for every lead generated! And their average payment for every lead generated is $18.</p> <h4>Benefits of being an affiliate of T3Leads</h4> <p>It is important to see what benefits you can gain from taking up their affiliate program. T3Leads offers you affiliate solutions which allows you to</p> <ul><li>manage your account easily,</li><li>24/7 rapid dedicated customer support,</li><li>bi-weekly earning payments,</li><li>referral opportunity of earning 5% of the gross revenue generated by referred affiliates</li><li>forum to communicate with other affiliates</li></ul> <h4>Benefits of being a merchant at T3Leads</h4> <p>Over here, T3Leads states in the merchant solutions that the merchants only pay after they get the leads or the sales that they are seeking.</p> <ul><li>highest quality SEO and PPC webmaster traffic in the industry</li><li>find customers that you didn’t know about</li><li>No start-up fees and long term exclusive contract</li><li>custom quality lead criteria with multiple lead delivery options</li></ul> <h4>Smart move for T3Leads to focus on a niche</h4> <p>It is not easy to find a suitable industry who can pay for every lead being generated. Financial industry is definitely one of the good niches, and T3Leads made a smart move in securing this focus. Currently, T3leads works with</p> <ul><li>major banks,</li><li>lenders,</li><li>auto financing companies,</li><li>and home improvement companies.</li></ul> <p>The leads generated are of the following categories:</p> <ul><li>Credit Cards</li><li>Debt Settlement</li><li>Insurance</li><li>Mortgage Loans</li><li>Pay Day Loans</li><li>Tax Debts</li><li>Forclosures</li><li>Auto Loans</li><li>Home Improvements</li></ul> <p>Hence, it is very suitable for finance websites to adopt this affiliate program for their additional income.</p> <h4>More Personalized Sales</h4> <p>I have seldom heard of any company who is willing to pay for every lead generated. But having such an option available, it may open up to more companies opting to pay for every lead instead of every click or every sale. Why is this so?</p> <ol><li>Paying for every click (Pay-Per-Click campaigns) to drive traffic does not help to further qualify the visitors. And the blame can be put on the advertisers’ incapable websites to convert into sales and yet they still have to pay!</li><li>Paying for every sale generated (Pay-Per-Action campaigns) is the most ideal situation. However, the affiliates may get really tired of helping to bring traffic to the advertisers and yet they are not making money.</li><li>Lastly, paying for every lead generated seems to be ideal and more personalized. It makes sense to pay for every potential customer fills up his or her particulars.</li></ol> <p>It’s easier for visitors to provide information in return of probably some freebies, and thus making some money for the affilates.</p> <p>The ability to close the deal is now depending on the actual salesperson instead of the website’s conversion rate. Return on investment could be higher because the visitors are better prospected as they study the advertisers’ products and services further. (though this can also be automated with auto-responder emails as well.)</p> <h4>Equipping the affiliates with tools</h4> <p>T3Leads is offering pretty good range of tools for the affiliates to use to promote their service. Thanks to these tools which provide better conversation rates. And by the way, T3leads has one of the highest conversion rates in the industry, ranging from 1:6 to 1:9.</p> <h4>Conclusion</h4> <p>In the economy crisis that we are today, we often hear employees being retrenched, companies cutting cost and the unfortunate companies have to close down. It makes sense that we may want to create websites in this financial niche where people are looking for various financial products to aid them through. Do you think so?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zhengyong.net/network/?resource=t3leads"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Register T3Leads Now!</span></a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-27138629203977831462009-01-31T07:15:00.000-08:002009-01-31T07:28:17.063-08:00Errors or Hacked - Horrible for Google Website Harmness WarningGoogle's '<a href="http://www.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=45449&topic=360&hl=en&sa=X&oi=malwarewarninglink&resnum=1&ct=help">This site may harm your computer.</a>' Warring!!!<br />What's wrong with google.com?<br />There are warring about spam website when very keywords search from google!<br />Google's servers error? Or, Google are hacked?<br /><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-594" title="google-virus-cn" src="http://zhengyong.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/google-virus-cn.jpg" alt="google-virus-cn" height="564" width="609" /></p> <p>在Google.cn搜索<a title="SEO" href="http://zhengyong.net/marketing/seo-copywriter.html">SEO</a>的搜索结果:</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-595" title="google-virus-seo" src="http://zhengyong.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/google-virus-seo.jpg" alt="google-virus-seo" height="369" width="590" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-596" title="google-virus-com" src="http://zhengyong.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/google-virus-com.jpg" alt="google-virus-com" height="369" width="590" /></p><p class="akst_link"><a href="http://zhengyong.net/index.php?p=592&akst_action=share-this" onclick="akst_share('592', 'http%3A%2F%2Fzhengyong.net%2Fmarketing%2Fgoogle-bug.html', 'Google%E8%A2%AB%E9%BB%91%E4%BA%86%EF%BC%9F+-+Google%E6%81%B6%E6%84%8F%E8%BD%AF%E4%BB%B6%E8%AD%A6%E5%91%8A%E5%A4%A7%E8%8C%83%E5%9B%B4%E5%87%BA%E7%8E%B0%E9%97%AE%E9%A2%98'); return false;" title="可以通过E-mail分享, 用del.icio.us、Google等网络书签收藏!" id="akst_link_592" class="akst_share_link" rel="nofollow"><br /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-11520518630562101342008-12-19T22:16:00.000-08:002008-12-19T22:25:05.107-08:00Empower Your Site - Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website Part 6 of 6<p>in part 5 we looked at three essential components of your website that will determine its success. That was just a taste of the range of elements you can improve to optimise the user's experience on your website, retain visitors, get them to return to your site, and buy from your store again and again.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>In the 6th and final installment we look at other elements you need to consider for the successful growth of your website.</p> <p>Once your storefront is up and running, you are just at the beginning of an exciting ride ahead. You'll need to <u>promote your site online</u>, <u>maintain it</u> and <u>continue to make improvements</u>:</p> <ul><li>Promoting your online store will generate traffic;</li><li>Maintaining it will increase visitor confidence in your business; and</li><li>Improving it will help create more interest and ensure your traffic converts to sales.<br /><br /><br /></li></ul> <p><b><u>Promoting Your Website</u></b></p> <p>It will take time before major search engines start displaying your webpages in their free search results, especially if your domain name is new and has no history. There are strategies you can implement to reduce the delay in indexing by search engines:</p> <ul><li><b>Buy an existing domain name</b> with a previous history and with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank" target="_blank">Google PR</a>. To find domains that are about to expire or that have already expired, visit <a href="http://www.deleteddomains.com/" target="_blank">Deleted Domains</a>. If you have a higher budget you can use <a href="http://www.sedo.com/" target="_blank">Sedo</a> and <a href="http://www.afternic.com/index.php?ref_id=132278" target="_blank">Afternic</a>, which are both domain name auctions sites and have a very broad choice.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Publish press releases</b> (we recommend <a href="http://www.prweb.com/" target="_blank">PR Web</a>). Publish at least one press release per month relating to your website, and repeat the exercise for the first 6-8 months (you can write your own press releases, or have an experienced writer craft one for you from around $120+, while it will cost you $0+ to distribute it via sites like <a href="http://www.prweb.com/" target="_blank">PR Web</a>).<br /><br /></li><li><b>Optimise your pages for search engines</b> (without however undermining the usability of your site for the end user, your customer). Using <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=keywordspy">Search Engine Optimised</a> (SEO) copy is helpful. SEO copy utilises specific keywords that are most often used when people are searching for a specific product. You can determine what keywords to incorporate into your copy by using a service such as <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker" target="_blank">Wordtracker</a>.<br /><br />If you are selling women's clothing, <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker" target="_blank">Wordtracker</a> tag, meta description, meta keywords, will help ascertain which keywords or short phrases people use the most when searching for women's clothing on the net. For "women's clothing" a related keyword might be "ladies fashion". You'll then take those results and use the words or related phrases in your webpage's html <header> tags (eg </header><h1>, </h1><h2> etc) and within the anchor text of internal links on your site. Generally, <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=keywordspy">keyword density</a> should be about 6% to 8% of your page's total copy; density is calculated as [number of times your keywords appear on the page * number of words each keyword contains, all divided by the total number of words on the page].<br /><br /></h2></li><li><a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=articlemarketer"><b>Build up <b>relevant</b> backlinks</b> </a>to your site's home page and primary subpages. This works very well in improving search engine rankings, especially on Google. The links you build up from other sites should be on pages/websites that are relevant to the page on your site they are linking to. For example, if your site is about shoes, try to obtain links from sites/webpages related to shoes, and ask them to point the link to your home page. You can determine which sites are related to the keyword "shoes" by simply searching "shoes" in the search engine where you are trying to achieve high rankings.<br /><br />Additionally, the text that those sites use to link to your page should contain the keyword(s) you are targeting (in our example, shoes). For example, you could ask a shoes related site to link to you using anchor text "Prada shoes at 30% Off Retail, Next Day Delivery", and to href the link to your prada shoes webpage.<br /><br /></li><li>Start by <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wealthyaffiliate"><b>targeting specific searches</b></a>: in our previous example, "shoes" is a very broad term. Instead begin with more target keywords; for example if you specialise in fabric shoes then start by obtaining links from fabric shoes sites pointing to your home page or fabric shoes category.<br /><br /></li><li><b>List your domain</b> in the <a href="https://ecom.yahoo.com/dir/submit/intro" target="_blank">Yahoo Directory</a> ($299.00), in <a href="http://www.strongestlinks.com/directories.php" target="_blank">other major directories</a>, and try to have it listed in the <a href="http://www.dmoz.org/" target="_blank">Dmoz directory</a> (Free, but will take a long time to get accepted, due to the large backlog they have. If you are buying an existing domain, check whether it is already listed on Dmoz, as it would be a plus).<br /><br /></li><li>Use <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=xmlsitemaps"><b></b></a><b><a target="_blank">Google Sitemaps</a></b> and regularly submit an updated sitemap of your whole website to Google (more information on Google Webmaster Tools is available at <a href="https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/docs/en/about.html" target="_blank">this link</a>). A very good (free) software that crawls your site and generates an xml sitemap for you automatically is <a href="http://gsitecrawler.com/" target="_blank">G Site Crawler</a>.<br /><br /></li></ul> <p>In general it will take up to 12 months to get your site indexed on major search engines (purchasing an existing domain with some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank" target="_blank">Google PR</a> can reduce this waiting time considerably). However don't despair, invest your time improving your existing site and the user's experience, also try redirecting traffic you are already receiving (for example, from your eBay About Me page), to your new website. Keep on building up links, keep <b>testing</b> (testing is a very important element to succeed online, and <a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/" target="_blank">Google Analytics</a> is just what you ened to test your site's traffic. Th ebest part is that it's free of charge, for releasing your traffic data to Google). Once your site is fully indexed you will reap the benefits of all the hard work you have invested in the past.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>If you have a higher budget, a quicker way to appear on the major search engines is to use <b>pay-per-click (PPC) programs</b> like <a href="http://adwords.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Adwords</a> and <a href="http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Yahoo Search Marketing</a>. With PPC you:</p> <ol><li><b><i>Select keywords</i></b> that your buyers are most likely to search for to find your products</li><li><b><i>Decide on a bid price</i></b> for each keyword. In general terms, when a user searches the keyword you are bidding on, the higher your keyword bid price, the higher up your ad will appear in the ad section of the search engine.</li><li><b><i>Create the ad text</i></b> that will be displayed when a user searches your keyword, and specify the destination URL where the user should be redirected to on your site</li></ol> <p>Each time a user searches a keyword you are bidding on, <b>and</b> they click on your ad, your bid price for that keyword is deducted from your account. Some programs, for example Google Adwords, also account for the click-through rate of your ad; the click-through rate is the number of times your ad is clicked versus the number of times it is displayed; the higher your ad's click through rate, the less you will pay for each click while maintaining the same or higher ad rank. This topic requires its own e-course, therefore do not be discouraged if it is not 100% clear yet. With PPC you only pay for the traffic that is referred to your website; it is then up to you and your website design and navigation flow to <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker">convert that traffic into sales</a>.</p> <p>Please be aware that pay per click advertising is a <b>very competitive</b> environment. If you choose to promote your website this way, start with a small daily budget and with low bid prices. Don't just aim for position 1 as you will simply receive (unless your keywords are tightly targeted) a lot of irrelevant clicks/traffic. Start from the bottom and work your way up by <u>gradually</u> increasing your bid prices.</p> <p>PPC programs like Google Adwords offer <b>tracking</b> scripts you can integrate on your website to monitor how well your advertising spend is converting into sales. It is imperative you monitor the results of your advertising spend, don't just advertise for the sake of it, each pence and cent you spend should have a return to your business. Tracking scripts allow you to monitor exactly this, and to determine which keywords and ad texts are performing best. Additionally Google offers a free analytics tool called ... <a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/" target="_blank">Google Analytics</a>. Analytics will monitor all the traffic on your website, as well as the footsteps followed by your visitors to register, complete a purchase, or complete any action you wish to track (including downloads). Never stop tracking your traffic and testing new ideas, that is ultimately how you will spot problems on your website, improve user experience and increase your sales considerably. Price is NOT the only winning factor on the web.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>Another popular way to advertise online is to pay per thousand impressions (for example, banner ads work this way), also known as <b>cost per thousand impressions advertising</b> (CPM, M from the latin for thousands).<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>Finally, don't forget to <b>promote your website on all your literature</b>, on your business cards, on your car. You should include a letterhead with every order you ship (you could even include your latest offers brochure, which works very well in attracting repeat orders. Ever ordered from Amazon? Amazon does exactly that, they even partner with other retailers by including their leaflets with your order. OK they are likely to charge them to do so, but what stops you from setting up a join venture agreement with 5 other related sites, each including the other 4 sites brochures with each order. Can you see the potential?). You should also consider print advertising (with competition from the Internet, nowadays you can obtain advertising on magazines and related periodicals for as little as 20% of their official price; don't be afraid to bargain with them, and always ask towards the end of their printing deadline, which is when they are most likely to have available spaces they want to fill quickly, and therefore at a discount).<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Maintaining</u></b></p> <p>You want your site to be as professional as possible 24/7. That means making sure all links are in proper working order, your site loads quickly and all displays are crisp and clear. Doing this instills confidence in buyers, making them more likely to make a purchase.</p> <ol><li>Visit your online store numerous times a day, making sure it is functioning properly. Place test orders, check your traffic logs or analytics software (for example <a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/" target="_blank">Google Analytics</a>) to verify which paths your visitors are following, where most visitors are exiting your site, which paths are leading to sales, etc. This topic deserves a separate course, however we cannot stress enough its importance.<br /><br /></li><li>Use chat software (a good option is <a href="http://www.liveperson.com/" target="_blank">LivePerson</a>) to offer live support to your customers. Live chat will help you add a further level of contact with your buyers, identify problems and bottlenecks within your website much quicker, understand what your visitors are looking for or would like to see on your website, and considerably increase your sales.<br /><br /></li><li>Use <a href="http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/" target="_blank">Google Webmaster Tools</a> reports to identify broken links on your website.<br /><br /><br /></li></ol> <p><b><u>Improving</u></b></p> <p>You never want to be out of date on the Internet. This medium is always changing and developing, and once you begin to look out of date, you are going to lose customer confidence and sales.</p> <p>Always think of your site as the ultimate mode of communication between you and your customers. That means the more you try to utilise its power as a direct, effortless and immediate mode of contacting and communicating with the public, the more likely you'll be to generate sales.</p> <p>Use your site to generate interest, offer useful articles, and provide customer feedback forms. Use your customer database to e-mail newsletters, promote special sales and offer customer rewards. When you improve your site, let your patrons know. The more they see you as a positive force and a concerned businessperson the more likely they'll be to visit your site again, creating the potential for another sale.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>In developing your e-commerce site, you'll have the opportunity to harness the power of the most innovative sales tool ever created. Keep it up-to-date, make it attractive and interesting and ensure that potential customers can easily purchase your products. If you can do that, you'll be well on your way to generating sales and making a solid profit.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>We hope you have enjoyed reading this ecourse as much as we have producing it. While we have covered many topics in a concise manner, rest assured this 6 part ecourse contains all the basics you require to avoid 60% of the mistakes made by startup websites. The other 40% involves researching in depth the topics we have covered, testing your site and improving it regularly, intuition and dedication. The fact that you have completed this ecourse is an indication you are seriously motivated about your concept, and are ready to begin a very rewarding path to a successful online business, higher profits, but most importantly a more rewarding human experince with your not-so-virtual customers.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-49447806227437710062008-12-19T22:09:00.000-08:002008-12-19T22:15:50.135-08:00Three Major Components for Quick Sales - Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website Part 5 of 6<p>In creating your online storefront, you want to ensure that people can buy what they want with ease. With that in mind, the fifth part of our e-course looks at three site elements - product database and availability, payment processors and shopping carts. These components can go a long way in generating sales and bringing customers back to your site again and again.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Product Database and Availability</u></b></p> <p>It's important that you are able to display your products, describe them and price them easily and quickly. A dynamic, database driven site (discussed previously in part 4) will allow you to do just that. If you are listing many items, merchandise management is crucial as you change prices, offer specials and re-word displays.</p> <p>Certain programs, such as off-the-shelf software and some shopping carts, already have databases. If you are offering numerous products, you should invest in a content management system (CMS) that is powerful and easy to use. The best CMSs allow you to input information regarding each product and then automatically create the product page. Using a master control panel, you can then alter prices and product descriptions quickly, ensuring that maintenance can be done promptly and simply.</p> <p>It's imperative that you have products available and ready to be shipped out as soon as possible. If you prefer not to do the packaging and shipping yourself, you can contract with a <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">reliable drop shipper</a> who will receive the order and send it out in an agreed upon amount of time. Using a drop shipper negates the need for you to store and handle items, which can get expensive and time consuming.</p> <p>With time you will want to move up the supply chain. The closer you can get to the manufacturer or authorised distributor/wholesaler, the better your margins will be. Additionally, with a dropshipper you don't have control of delivery times and packaging, which means that the realiability of your service is in the hands of the dropshipper.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Payment Processors</u></b></p> <p>Making it effortless for people to pay you is simply good business sense. That means accepting credit and debit cards. In order to take these cards, you have two options:</p> <ol><li>A <b>merchant account</b> with your bank or credit card processor: you will be charged a joining fee, a monthly service charge fee, and a per transaction fee. In total you will be paying around 4% of each transaction value (this % charge will decrease the higher your monthly sales volume). Good credit card processors include <a href="http://www.paypal.com" target="_blank">PayPal Merchant Services</a>, your bank (for the UK speak to HSBC, Barclays or <a href="http://www.protx.com/" target="_blank">Protx</a> - Protx requires that you already hold a merchant account with your bank). Bear in mind that with a merchant account from a bank you will be responsible for fraud protection, unless you integrate systems like Verified by Visa™ and MasterCard SecureCode™ within your credit card payment page on your website. Your credit card processor will be able to better advise you on the options available. PayPal Merchant Services offers integrated fraud protection, although be aware that chargebacks also occur on PayPal. If you have any doubts, do extra checks (you will find the article at <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">http://articles.esources.co.<wbr>uk/id/44/</a> very useful)<br /><br /></li><li>If you don't possess a merchant account, then setting up and utilizing an <b>online payment system</b> through a service like PayPal or <a href="http://www.nochex.com/" target="_blank">Nochex</a> (UK Only) is a good idea. Both <i>PayPal</i> and <i>Nochex</i> are inexpensive (they cost you only when you receive money), fast, and uncomplicated ways to accept credit cards. Both methods will cost you between 1.9% and 3.9% of each transaction value (depending on your previous month's sales volume) + a fixed amount depending on the type of card used by the buyer at time of payment. While both these options are cheaper than a merchant account, bear in mind that many buyers will not have an account with either PayPal or Nochex. Accepting their card payments through your own credit card processing page will increase your sales.<br /><br /><br /></li></ol> <p><b><u>Shopping Carts</u></b></p> <p>Once you have chosen which payment options to accept on your website, you need to integrate their code onto your shopping cart. A shopping cart is a program that stores a customer's order, redirects the buyer to the payment processor, receives payment confirmation from the payment processor, and finally stores the completed order in your database for future reference. Off-the-shelf software like <a href="http://www.oscommerce.com/" target="_blank">OS Commerce</a>, <a href="http://www.zen-cart.com/" target="_blank">Zen Cart</a> and <a href="http://www.monstercommerce.com/" target="_blank">Monster Commerce</a> all have an integrated shopping cart facility that supports all the major online payment processors.</p> <p>If you plan to hire a web design company to program your site, make sure they have past experience integrating credit card processors like PayPal with your chosen off-the-shelf software or with your custom made website. Providers such as PayPal offer detailed documentation on integrating their system with your shopping cart. In addition to being a payment processor, PayPal also offers their own shopping cart facility, which can even be integrated with a static, brochure type website (their shopping cart is limited in functionality, but ideal for when you are getting started; remember, try to get your site online as quickly as possible, however basic it is, and then work on improving/upgrading it).</p> <p>The choice of shopping carts is vast; our recommendation is to accept PayPal and, as soon as possible, credit cards using your own merchant account. Both can easily be integrated by an experienced web design company from as little as $500 (you can hire one from either elance.com or rentacoder.com).</p> <p>Two other options - buying a shopping cart program or getting one through your hosting site - are not for the beginner. These programs are difficult to use unless you are a programmer or are willing to hire a programmer. If you know nothing or little about programming, the other options listed above are the way to go.</p> <p>When creating your e-commerce site always think about how you can make a consumer's purchasing experience trouble free. After all, if they want to spend their money at your virtual storefront, you should let them do so as quickly as possible.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>In Part Six, and final installment of the Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website ecourse, we will look at how to continually expand the selling power of your site through promotion, maintenance and improvements.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-32064201026148785892008-12-19T21:49:00.000-08:002008-12-19T22:09:52.376-08:00Constructing Your Website - Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website Part 4 of 6<p>the actual creation of your website may be your most intimidating area. Learning to work with web design software or with a team of web designers takes time and, unless you are particularly familiar with computers, software and design, it can be overwhelming. It is certainly possible.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Static or Dynamic Pages</u></b></p> <p>An e-commerce site can be created using static or dynamic pages.</p> <p>With a static page site (a brochure type site) you will need to manually create a page for each one of the products you offer (for example, http://www.mysite.com/widget.<wbr>html, http://www.mysite.com/basket.<wbr>html, http://www.mysite.com/2gb-mp3-<wbr>player.html etc).</p> <p>You will also need to transfer each page to your hosting package every time you want to add a new product or page to your website. This brochure type site is easy to setup, and is the perfect starting point to buy you time to create a more complex, dynamic site. However bear in mind a static site is not a professional solution, it is time consuming to maintain, and will limit your growth potential.</p> <p>Static websites can be programmed using only HTML (HyperText Markup Language). HTML is a very simple language to learn, and is written in the form of labels (known as tags) which define each element on a page. You can find some very good tutorials on html at <a href="http://www.html.net/tutorials/html/" target="_blank">http://www.html.net/tutorials/<wbr>html/</a>.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>With dynamic pages however, you only have to create one page for each main section of your website. Each main page will interact with your database to display, for example, products dynamically (an example of a dynamic product page is http://www.mysite.com/product.<wbr>php?productid=15. The actual file name is product.php (the file product.php<b>?productid=15</b> is not a file, it's a file + instructions on what to display <u>within that file</u>). The value 15 corresponds to a product in your database. If I want to view product 79 on your site, I would then simply change the url to http://www.mysite.com/product.<wbr>php?productid=<b>79</b>. Product.php is still the file, the only difference now is that it is requesting the details of product 79 from your database.</p> <p>This type of setup is much more efficient to manage, and will always pay off by reducing your administrative costs and providing enhanced functionalities for your visitors.</p> <p>If choosing a dynamic pages setup, the most popular programming languages available to you will be:</p> <ol><li><b>PHP</b> (which requires Linux hosting as discussed in part 3). You can find some useful tutorials on learning PHP at <a href="http://www.phpbuddy.com/" target="_blank">http://www.phpbuddy.com/</a><br /><br /></li><li><b>ASP</b> (which requires Windows hosting as discussed in part 3). You can find some useful tutorials on learning ASP at <a href="http://www.learnasp.com/freebook/asp/index.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.learnasp.com/<wbr>freebook/asp/index.aspx</a><br /><br /><br /></li></ol> <p><b><u>How to Create Your Website</u></b></p> <p>Once you have decided whether to opt for a static design or a dynamic design, and you have chosen which programming language to use, there are three ways you can begin building your ecommerce webstore:</p> <ol><li><b>Do-it-yourself</b> using web design software.<br /><br /></li><li>Use <b>off the shelf</b> content management software that you can fill in with appropriate images and copy.<br /><br /></li><li>Hire a <b>web design company</b> to customise an off the shelf package or build your website from scratch.</li></ol> <p>The first choice involves the most time, while the third one will usually cost the most. Before deciding what to do, consider the following:</p> <ul><li><u>How much</u> time realistically will it take you to create the site on your own? Do you have the knowledge required to complete the task on your own?<br /><br /></li><li><u>How much</u> money is your time worth?<br /><br /></li><li><u>How much</u> money will you have to spend on design software? (A basic editor costs around $35.00, Frontpage is often included free with your hosting package, whereas a more advanced editor like DreamWeaver can cost up to £400.00).<br /><br /></li><li><u>How much</u> will it cost to have my ecommerce site designed by a web design company? (A rough estimate is around $1,500 for a customised version of an off the shelf website, and between $2,000 to $4,500 for the first version of a website customised to your exact specifications).</li></ul> <p>Once you know these answers, and considering your skill level, other time commitments and how much your time is worth, decide if you should actually design your site on your own.</p> <p>Whichever option you choose, start by creating a simple storefront that you can expand once it's up and running.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Do-it-yourself</u></b></p> <p>There are various choices of editing software you can use. Your provider may also offer tools to create your site. Editing Software is available in two basic versions - text editors (like Notepad, MS Word and Editplus) and "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) editors like DreamWeaver. Prices for both kinds range from free to several hundred pounds/dollars.</p> <p>Text editors require knowledge of the programming language you choose to use. If you don't know <a href="http://www.html.net/tutorials/html/" target="_blank">HTML</a>, <a href="http://www.phpbuddy.com/" target="_blank">PHP</a> or <a href="http://www.learnasp.com/freebook/asp/index.aspx" target="_blank">ASP</a>, there will be a learning curve to familiarise yourself with the languages.</p> <p>WYSIWYG editors are easier to use because they create the code for you based on drag and drop actions. However the final code will be bulkier than normal, unless you have knolwedge of the language you are coding in and know how to clean it up afterwards.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>Another option to consider is using tools available through your hosting provider. Many providers offer web design tools that are easy to use and inexpensive. One of the most popular programs is Microsoft Frontpage, which has a wealth of online support, including <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=frontpage+forums" target="_blank">forums<span style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 0pt; height: 0pt;">(http://www.google.com/<wbr>search?q=frontpage+forums)</span></a> and <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/CR061832701033.aspx" target="_blank">tutorials<span style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 0pt; height: 0pt;">(http://office.<wbr>microsoft.com/en-us/training/<wbr>CR061832701033.aspx)</span></a>. It's not the easiest program to use, but it's also not the most difficult.</p> <p>If you are going with web building software, look for one that will allow you to get a basic site up and running in about 10 hours, that is flexible, and that has its own publishing feature, which means you won't have to learn about how to transfer files to your web space. Frontpage offers all of these features.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>Going the do-it-yourself route involves time, but it is also the most economical option. Once your site is designed, you will need to transfer the files to your server space. You usually do this using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP software costs around £20. A program like Frontpage does not require FTP.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Pre-designed Templates and Off The Shelf Software</u></b></p> <p>Using pre-designed templates and "point and click" software will lessen your choices and make your site look like other websites, but it's probably the fastest way to get a <u>dynamic pages</u> ecommerce store online.</p> <p>This is actually a good choice if you are interested in creating your e-commerce site yourself. Popular options include <a href="http://www.freewebstore.org" target="_blank">FreeWebStore.org</a> (<a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources">eSources</a> has partnered with <a href="http://www.freewebstore.org" target="_blank">FreeWebStore.org</a> to bring you an exclusive offer: A totally free PayPal enabled ecommerce store with up to 50 free product slots; have an ecommerce site ready in minutes, already designed for you, transfer an existing domain name free of charge, and accept PayPal, Google Checkout, and credit/debit cards directly from your site), <a href="http://www.oscommerce.com/" target="_blank">OS Commerce<span style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 0pt; height: 0pt;">(http://www.<wbr>oscommerce.com/)</span></a> and <a href="http://www.zen-cart.com/" target="_blank">Zen Cart<span style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 0pt; height: 0pt;">(http://www.zen-cart.com/)</span></a> (which are both free!), and <a href="http://www.monstercommerce.com/" target="_blank">Monster Commerce<span style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 0pt; height: 0pt;">(http://www.<wbr>monstercommerce.com/)</span></a> for a more managed solution (at a price).</p> <p>Be aware that the main problem with off the shelf templates and software packages is that your website will most probably look like many other websites. Hosting providers usually offer another option - a storefront builder program. With this type of program, you will create a site that looks less like all the others. There's an additional cost for using a storefront builder program.</p> <p>You can also find free website templates at <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=free+website+templates" target="_blank">this link<span style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 0pt; height: 0pt;">(http://www.google.co.uk/<wbr>search?q=free+website+<wbr>templates)</span></a> (you can use the free design you find or use them to provide you with the inspiration to create your own design). Or you can hire a designer from <a href="http://www.elance.com"><i></i></a><i><a target="_blank">elance.com</a></i>, <a href="http://www.designoutpost.com"><i></i></a><i><a target="_blank">designoutpost.com</a></i>, or the <a href="http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplace/" target="_blank">Sitepoint Marketplace</a> to design your very own website's look and feel (this will cost around $400 to $1000 depending on the designer).<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Contracting a Web Designer</u></b></p> <p>The third option is to contract a professional web designer. This can be expensive, but it can also yield great results while allowing you to focus on your business. You could quickly self-design your site using pre-designed templates, get it up and running as a static stie, and then use a web designer to create the dynamic storefront of your dreams.</p> <p>You have various choices when it comes to hiring a designer:</p> <ol><li><b>Go local</b>, which allows you to meet face-to-face with the designer. This option can be the most expensive.<br /><br /></li><li>Find a designer using an <b>outsourcing site</b> such as <i>elance.com</i> or <a href="http://www.rentcoder.com"><i></i></a><i><a target="_blank">rentacoder.com</a></i>. These sites have freelancers from around the world and can be cheaper than going with a local company. Providers from Pakistan, India and Russia tend to cost the least. Providers are rated by past clients and bid competitively.<br /><br /></li><li>Do an <b>online search</b> for web designers. This will also connect you with companies around the world, but it offers less control than a site like <i>elance.com</i> or <i>rentacoder.com</i>.</li></ol> <p>Before contracting with a designer always:</p> <ul><li>View their design portfolio.</li><li>Have them describe their process.</li><li>Find out how they will communicate with you.</li><li>Produce a very detailed specifications document containing all the work you require, site look and feel, functionalities. Take the time to compile this file, as it will help you identify key features you would like to make available to your buyers + it will legally bind the design company to complete all the features mentioned within the document.</li><li>Determine if they can meet your timeline.</li><li>Find out if they will outsource your job.</li><li>Finalise a total cost for the full completion of the project.</li></ul> <p>Don't let price alone determine which company you choose. Cheap may be appealing, however make sure that the company you hire in the end is capable of meeting your expectations.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p>In our next installment on creating your own e-commerce site, we'll look at three simple factors that can help determine the success of your ebusiness: product availability, payment options and shopping carts.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-57494409537299150352008-12-18T18:49:00.000-08:002008-12-18T18:52:19.771-08:00Selecting a Hosting Company - Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website Part 3 of 6<p>in the previous section of this e-course on setting up your own e-commerce website we offered guidelines for selecting and registering your domain name. Part Three of our e-course focuses on web hosting and what you should look for in a hosting provider.</p> <p>A web host provides space on a server (a server is simply a high performance computer), located in a hi-tech data center, directly connected to the Internet through very high bandwidth connections. With this setup, web hosts allow individuals and businesses to make their website accessible via the world wide web.</p> <p>Through an online search, you will find thousands of hosting companies from which you can choose. There is however one important element to consider: always try to select the provider closest to your buyers. If you forecast that your buyers will be mainly from the US, select a US hosting company.</p> <p>Most domain registrars offer to be your web host. For around £132.00 per year (that is £10.50/month) you can <a href="http://ad.zanox.com/ppc/?10971220C400913582T" target="_blank">purchase a shared hosting package from 1&1 UK</a> with: no minimum contract; 4 gigabytes of web space; 40 gigabytes (GB) of monthly transfer; 1 free domain; 2 databases (very important for ecommerce sites); telephone, email and online support and more. Large companies often have the most competitive rates and innumerable services, <a href="http://ad.zanox.com/ppc/?10971216C659834964T" target="_blank">1&1</a> and <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/" target="_blank">GoDaddy</a> are two such companies we strongly recommend for startups. <a href="http://www.rackspace.com/" target="_blank">Rackspace</a> should be considered by UK businesses with a larger traffic and sales volume (Rackspace's cheapest option is around £300/month, but the service is impeccable).</p> <p>When selecting a hosting package, be aware that you will need to choose either Linux hosting or Windows hosting. Linux hosting is generally cheaper, and is used for PHP (an open source programming language) based sites, whereas Windows hosting is used for ASP and .NET (both Microsoft® proprietary programming languages) based sites. We recommend you opt for Linux hosting (because PHP programmers are generally less expensive). More advanced users will be aware that both PHP and .NET are equally powerful programming languages, and that neither will leave you short of options when thinking of expanding the functionalities of your e-commerce store.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>What You Need</u></b></p> <p>One thing to be aware of is the tendency of all of these providers to offer much more than you require. Companies will charge additional fees that can add up quickly as you add options.</p> <p>Here are the basics that you'll require:</p> <ul><li>100 MB of disk space.</li><li>2- 3 GB of transfer per month.</li><li>At least 1 e-mail account.</li><li>E-mail forwarding accounts.</li><li>E-Mail autoresponders.</li><li>E-Mail aliases.</li><li>At least 1 database.</li><li>24/7 support.</li><li>Frontpage support (if you're using Frontpage to build your site).</li><li>Daily backup.</li><li>24/7 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) access. FTP is used to transfer data from one computer to another over the Net.</li><li>No minimum contract period (this will allow you to expand later on as you grow).</li></ul> <p>For the first few months, there is no need to purchase an expensive plan. You can always upgrade when you need more space and more services. Don't waste your money on features that you won't utilize. When you find that you need something, you can always purchase it later.</p> <p>Additional features might include:</p> <ul><li>Protection of e-mail from spam and viruses.</li><li>Secure certificates that let clients know that you are protecting their information (known as SSL certificates: a good inexpensive SSL certificates provider is <a href="http://www.comodo.com/" target="_blank">Comodo</a>).</li><li>MySQL, which is an advanced database management system using Structured Query Language (SQL).</li><li>Authenticated Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), allowing you to access your e-mail anywhere in the world.</li></ul> <p>Before selecting a web host be sure to:</p> <ul><li>Tour the web, comparing various providers.</li><li>Ask friends and colleagues about their providers and what they like and don't like about the company and service.</li><li>Be sure to purchase a package that will cover your business needs. You can always add more space and services later.</li></ul> <p>When you first start considering providers, you may be overwhelmed by how much is out there. Use this part of our e-course as a guide, take some time to consider what you need (don't purchase services impulsively) and select a provider with which you are comfortable.</p> <p>The next installment of our e-course takes you through the process of creating your site. Part Four also offers advice concerning contracting a company to create your online store.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-51828079365911748072008-12-18T18:33:00.000-08:002008-12-18T18:49:13.466-08:00Choosing and Registering Your Domain Name - Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website Part 2 of 6<p>welcome to the second installment of this 6-part ecourse on setting up your own e-commerce website.</p> <p>In this second installment on creating your own online store, we are going to give you some tips on selecting your domain name and let you know how to register it.</p> <p><b><u>What's in a Domain Name?</u></b></p> <p>The main thing that should be in a domain name is simplicity. Choose a domain name that is easy for people to remember. Do not include hyphens or numbers in your domain; both are tough to recall. Also, people are most familiar with <i>.com</i> and <i>.<a href="http://ad.zanox.com/ppc/?10971216C659834964T" target="_blank">co.uk</a></i> (for a UK audience). So try to use either of those suffixes.</p> <p>The name should not be overly clever. If you create a domain name that's a great inside joke to you and your friends but no one else can retain it, you will not be well served. It's not a good sign if you have to tell people how to spell the name.</p> <p>Domain names should be:</p> <ul><li>Short - one word or a quick phrase.</li><li>Understood when heard once.</li><li>Able to be spelled when heard.</li></ul> <p>Using the name of your company is best. If that name has already been taken, then try creating a domain that describes what you sell. Perhaps you sell bakeware; then try <i>bakewarekeyword.co.uk</i> or <i>keywordbakeware.co.uk</i> (where keyword is any word that is, in the mind of the buyer, closely related to your business). To find out what buyers search for, you can use keyword research tools like the one found at <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=wordtracker" target="_blank">http://freekeywords.<wbr>wordtracker.com/</a>).</p> <p>Hint: if you are creating a new online company come up with the company name, and before finalizing it, see if it is available as a domain. If it's taken, then try to come up with another company name and search that as a domain. It's best if your company name and domain name are the same.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b><u>Registering Your Domain</u></b></p> <p>Registering your domain name is relatively easy, fast and inexpensive. You use a registrar that has been granted a license to register domains. Depending upon which registration service you choose, prices vary. Some will argue that registering your domain name for a period longer than 1 year will be beneficial to your future search engine rankings. This is in part true, however as a start up business we realise your budget may be limited. For the best value for money <a href="http://ad.zanox.com/ppc/?10971218C1927803714T" target="_blank">for UK domains we strongly recommend 1&1</a>, which offers both domain registration and hosting (more on hosting in part 3). They charge only £4.99 for 2 years for <i>.<a href="http://ad.zanox.com/ppc/?10971218C1927803714T" target="_blank">co.uk</a></i> domains, and £8.99 for <i>.com</i> domains for 1 year. For a US host a very good option is <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/" target="_blank">GoDaddy</a>.</p> <p>If you decide to choose a different registrar, bear in mind the following criteria:</p> <ol><li>Find one that's relatively inexpensive.</li><li>Use a service that has a site that's easy to use.</li><li>Make sure that once your domain is registered, you can easily access it, change your account information and sell or transfer the domain.</li><li>Choose a provider that offers over the phone support 24/7.</li><li>Do not decide to pay less if you must sacrifice ease of use, access to your domain or 24/7 support.</li></ol> <p>If you put "uk domains" or "domain registration" into a search engine, you'll find many companies offering these services. Always take time to carefully research these providers, making your choice based on the criteria above.</p> <p>Part of a registration company's service is a free instantaneous search to make sure no one else is using that domain. Within seconds of putting in your preferred domain and clicking search, you'll be told if it is available and given the opportunity to register it. Or you can use <a href="http://www.whois.sc/" target="_blank">http://www.whois.sc</a> for more in-depth information on any domain.</p> <p>Creating a domain name that is short and easy to recall is essential. This will help people remember your company, making it easy for them to return to your site without needing to first find you on search engines or marketing material. A return visit is priceless because it often implies an intent to buy. Creating your domain using the name of your company is preferable.</p> <p>In Part Three of our series on setting up your own e-commerce site, we'll determine what services you should expect to get from your hosting company.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-46600450092866211442008-12-17T17:18:00.000-08:002008-12-17T17:20:53.422-08:00Introduction and Five Essential Elements - Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Website Part 1 of 6<p>welcome to the first part of this 6-part e-course on building your own <a href="http://www.dropshipmarketing.com">e-commerce website</a>. Establishing a solid e-commerce website can grow your business or be a great way to create a new retail establishment. In this six-part e-course, we will take you through the steps of creating a virtual storefront.</p> <p>Below is the schedule for this e-course:</p> <ul><li><u>Part One:</u> A look at the five elements that go into a successful site - navigation, displays, readability, informative copy and ease in purchasing.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Part Two:</u> How to decide upon a domain name and register it.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Part Three:</u> What to look for in a hosting company, which will serve as your web host.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Part Four:</u> Should you construct your own site or hire a company specialising in web design? We examine how to create your retail site.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Part Five:</u> The three major components that generate quick sales and return customers - product database and availability, payment options and shopping carts.<br /><br /></li><li><u>Part Six:</u> A consideration of the continuing development of your site, including promotion, maintenance and improvements.<br /><br /><br /></li></ul> <p><b><u>The Essential Elements</u></b></p> <p>There are five key aspects that you must pay close attention to when constructing your site. In order to give your business optimum sales potential be sure to carefully consider and plan the following elements.</p> <p><b>Navigation</b></p> <p>You want your potential customers to be able to <i><u>easily get around your site and find what they want.</u></i> Your online store needs to show numerous items at once, while giving visitors the option to simply "click" and get more in-depth information on a product in which they are interested. Allow your customers the chance to browse and enjoy your products.</p> <p>You should visit as many different sites as possible, including those run by your competitors. Analyse what makes each site attractive, and what aspects can be improved. Plan your site accordingly by designing mockups in MS Paint, Photoshop or on paper.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Displays</b></p> <p><i><u>People want to see what they are buying.</u></i> Depending upon what you are selling, offering various viewing angles of a product can be enticing. Items such as jewelry, furniture and antiques are much more appealing when seen from various angles.</p> <p>Set up your displays so that related products are included. If you're selling candles, include appropriate holders. Winter coats might include coordinated gloves and scarves. Layout is important.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Readability</b></p> <p>Like display, this is also a function of design. With readability, you're considering <i><u>how easy it is to actually see your descriptions and instructions</u></i> and how crisp and clear your images are. If a visitor can't read about your product because the typeface or photos are too small or faint, they will get frustrated and leave without purchasing anything.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Written Information</b></p> <p><i><u>Product descriptions should be well written and interesting.</u></i> Along with providing basic information about your products (the features), it's effective to let the visitor know what an item will do for them (the benefits). Use words to connect your products with your customers.</p> <p>Directions on ordering merchandise, return and exchange policies and customer service should be easy to read and understand. A telephone number for customer service can help create confidence in your site and generate more sales.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Ease in Purchasing</b></p> <p><i><u>Make the process of buying something as easy as possible.</u></i> One of the major selling points for any Internet business is the fact that shopping online makes life simpler. If a customer has to go through five or six web pages before a sale is complete, they may just give up. It should take no more than three clicks from one page to another to make a purchase. The software you choose for the purchasing process will determine how long it takes to buy something. Carefully research your options, making sure that you choose software that's simple to use but that still has sound security features (more on checkout options in part 5).<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> <p>Paying attention to these five elements will aid in the success of your online store. Take time to research sites that are consumer friendly and then weigh your choices. Making your virtual storefront fun and easy to use is a great way to begin your planning and will be handsomly repaid by higher sales once your site is live.</p> <p>In Part Two of this e-course, we will consider how to choose your domain name and the process of registering it.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-5969050671908940322008-12-17T02:19:00.000-08:002008-12-17T02:21:51.271-08:00Customer Relations and Problem Resolution - Drop Ship Your Way To Success Part 5 of 5<p>welcome to the fifth and final part of this 5-part e-course on dropshipping and how to use it to your advantage. Step 5 involves building a positive relationship with your client.</p> <p>Drop shipping is a wonderful, relatively simple way to make money on the Internet. However, you can only make money if you can sell the merchandise you are offering. In Section IV we talked a bit about the special issues of product promotion with drop shipped goods. Now let's look at how to work with your customer and, in particular, how to be sure that your customer is satisfied even when you do not control the supply chain.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Customer experience on your website</b></p> <p>This is your expertise. Be sure that your site is designed to catch people's interest, the text speaks to their needs in ways that make sense to your target market and the pages are easy to navigate.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Product Information</b></p> <p>As we discussed in Section IV, your pictures should be crisp, detailed and, if possible, depict your product in the right setting.</p> <p>Product descriptions should give all the necessary information to make a decision about buying the product. For example:</p> <ul><li>If you are selling clothes, be sure that you have a size guide. Clothing sizes should be fairly standard but they are not. You may want to add a screen that matches measurements to sizes. Or, amend descriptions to say, "generously sized" or "made for a smaller frame; if in doubt, order the next size larger."<br /><br /></li><li>Provide dimensions, weight, material used (is that figurine resin or ceramic?) and any other defining characteristics.<br /><br /></li><li>If your product is a consumable, made for children, needs to be used with caution, etc, be sure those issues are addressed, For example, "no peanut products involved in the preparation of this product" or "Small parts - not suitable for children under the age of three."<br /><br /></li><li>If you are importing goods, be absolutely positive that the merchandise meets all relevant safety standards in the customer's location.<br /><br /><br /></li></ul> <p><b>Ordering</b></p> <p>Your ordering process should be easy to use. Be sure that your customer can move in and out of their "shopping basket" to look for more goods, decide on shipping options and so on. Many resellers lose customers at this point, just when they're ready to buy, because the ordering process is cumbersome. Remember, you are probably not the only vendor selling these products. Customers who place a high value on ease of use will pay a higher price elsewhere rather than wrestle with a bad ordering system.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Shipping Options</b></p> <p>Explain the shipping options clearly. If you are using a variety of distributors, there may be several separate shipping charges that add up to more than your customer is willing to pay for shipping. You should either negotiate the same rate with all your suppliers or create an ordering system that accommodates S&H calculations using a variety of different structures. It's a sticky problem that you will have to solve the best way you can, given your particular circumstances. As we emphasized in Section III, keep your suppliers to the minimum needed to conduct your business.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Shipment Tracking</b></p> <p>Be sure that both you and your customer receive tracking information as part of the supplier order confirmation process. Even if the customer can do the tracking, you want to be able to answer the phone and speak authoritatively about the status of the package, just as if you shipped it yourself.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Complaint Resolution</b></p> <p>Some drop shippers also handle complaint resolution directly so you are truly out of the loop. Yes, that means no hassles for you but it also means that you don't really know if your customer is satisfied with the transaction. If you plan to build your business on repeat customers, you need to be absolutely sure that your customer is satisfied. One way to do that is to handle customer complaint resolution yourself. Another is to monitor supplier performance on a regular basis.</p> <ol><li>Become a "mystery shopper" on your own retail site. Order a product to be sent to a cooperative friend. Track the order to monitor delivery time. Inspect the packaging to make sure it matches your agreement with the supplier. Inspect the merchandise to be sure that you and your customers are getting exactly what you have sold them.<br /><br /></li><li>Pose as a customer and call with a problem. Evaluate how well you are handled.<br /><br /><br /></li></ol> <p><b>Out of Stock, Back Orders</b></p> <p>One of the most frequent problems with drop shippers is a delay in shipping because they are out of stock on an item. Unless your drop shipper offers real time inventory reporting, i.e., when the customer selects an item to purchase through your site, their electronic inventory is searched to assure that the item is available, there will be a delay in feedback about stock outs. If real time inventory reporting is not available, your customer will place an order with you and make electronic payment. The out-of-stock notice will come after you place the order with the supplier. To make this unpleasant situation easier, use the following approach:</p> <ol><li>Be sure your supplier sends an immediate confirmation to you and the customer.<br /><br /></li><li>Communicate with your customer immediately upon discovering an out of stock or shipping delay situation. Offer options such as money back or substitute item.</li></ol> <p>Delays and out of stocks happen, even with large suppliers. Your job is to manage the situation with your customer to make a difficult situation bearable.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>What have you learned?</b></p> <p>By the end of this section, you should know:</p> <ul><li>Effective communication is the key to good customer service; communicate about products, about policies, about concerns.<br /><br /></li><li>Make sure your website is easy to use.<br /><br /></li><li>Don't let the supplier substitute their relationship with your customer for yours; that relationship is the lifeblood of your business.<br /><br /><br /></li></ul> <p>You are now in a great position to take full advantage of dropshipping. To gain access to the internet's largest directories of <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">UK dropshippers</a> and <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">international dropshippers</a> visit our website at <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">eSources.co.uk</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-61691662400431666732008-12-15T23:52:00.000-08:002008-12-15T23:55:19.603-08:00Logistics of Drop Shipping - Drop Ship Your Way To Success Part 4 of 5<p>welcome to the fourth part of this 5-part e-course on dropshipping and how to use it to your advantage. In Step 4 you need to set up your supplier relationship and work together to incorporate the products into your business. You have now selected your suppliers. It's time to put the relationship to work.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Set Up Logistics</b></p> <p><b><i>Set up an account with the drop shipper.</i></b></p> <p>Supplier requirements vary but most drop shippers will ask you to fill out an online or paper seller application. Be prepared to give your company or business ID number (for the UK you can use dropshipping without having a company, whereas most US states and provinces require some sort of business identification number), your formal business name and, possibly, a reseller's certificate or evidence of VAT or VST registration. The need for the reseller's certificate or VAT/VST registration is essentially to prove to the supplier that you are a legitimate retailer who should not be charged sales tax or whose VAT or VST tax can be reclaimed, so it is advantageous to be registered for VAT. (Do you know enough about sales or consumption taxes? If not, brush up on these important responsibilities by taking our <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">country specific company formation ecourses</a>.)</p> <p><b><i>Authorised Dealer Agreement</i></b></p> <p>Your supplier may ask you to enter into an authorised dealer agreement (ADA). This type of agreement spells out the products involved, pricing and any other charges, supplier or manufacturer requirements for how you handle the product, dispute resolution, etc. Most of these issues are the typical components of a contract. The special area in an ADA involves product handling requirements. Examples of these special requirements include:</p> <ul><li>Only approved product descriptions are published on your site to ensure that there are no false product claims.<br /><br /></li><li>You may not sell for less than the purchase price to be sure that you do not undercut other resellers.<br /><br /></li><li>You may not sell to overseas buyers in order to avoid customs issues.<br /><br /></li><li>The supplier may not contact your customers except regarding the status of a particular order, e.g., no "special offer" advertising.</li></ul> <p>A proper agreement should offer protections to both parties.</p> <p><b><i>Establish the payment method</i></b></p> <p>As we explained earlier, the shipper may bill you as each item is ordered or may agree to bill you monthly.</p> <p><b><i>Establish the mechanism for transmitting order information</i></b></p> <p>Many drop shippers offer the ability for a direct link to their site to place order information. With many dropshippers you can build your site to incorporate the link into your own ordering page.</p> <p><b><i>Establish a payment collection method for your business</i></b></p> <p>Your website will need to include a method for accepting payments from your customer. Please review our <a href="https://www.esources.co.uk/myesources/ecourses.php" target="_blank">setting up your own ecommerce website</a> for useful information on available options.</p> <p><b><i>Incorporate the drop shipper's transaction procedures into your site</i></b></p> <p>Be sure that you have carefully identified shipping options, return policies, shipment tracking availability, complaint resolution procedures. If you are buying from a number of suppliers, you may run into the problem of differing policies. If possible, negotiate a set of standard practices across all suppliers.Your ability to achieve that level of standardization will depend on the size of the supplier, the volume of product you sell on their behalf, etc. If you find yourself needing to accommodate differing policies, be sure you communicate those policies to your customers on an item by item basis.</p> <p>The final logistical step involves incorporating product information onto your site. This step is so key to selling success that we will discuss that process separately.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Product Incorporation</b></p> <p>In almost every case, you will be placing pictures and descriptions of products onto your site. That information will come from your supplier. Unfortunately, not every supplier is as good at product promotion as we want you to be so you may have to take some additional steps to be sure that the products you intend to sell are presented in the most appealing way. Here are some tips.</p> <ol><li>Evaluate the product picture quality. Resolution should be at least 300 dpi to be usable. If images are fuzzy or not high quality enough, spend the time and money to order samples of all the products and have your own pictures taken. After all, your customer can't visit a store and touch the product - the only way they can evaluate your product is by looking at the picture. Don't shoot yourself in the foot with poor quality photography.<br /><br /></li><li>Look beyond technical quality to the setting of the product. Yes, you may want a close up, detailed image of those handmade African beads against a plain white background. But, you should also place those beads in a setting that allows the customer to envision how they could be used, in a beautiful hand-crafted necklace or making a striking statement as the edging on a tablecloth with colors that bring out the richness of the beads.<br /><br /></li><li>If you are selling a product where dimensions are important, such as a lamp, use a photo of the lamp in a proper living room or bedroom setting so your customer can see how the scale of the lamp fits with a standard sofa or bed.<br /><br /></li><li>If you can't afford professional photography and/or photo styling, you may be able to improve the selling value of a photo by using a photo editing program. For example, you might superimpose pet accessories on a photo (that you own the rights to) of a comfortable family home with Fido frolicking or waiting expectantly for dinner with that hand painted ceramic bowl prominently inserted in front of him.<br /><br /></li><li>Be sure that product descriptions are accurate, do not contain any typos, etc. If you feel that the descriptions can be made better, work with the supplier to make changes. Be sure your supplier agrees with any new wording.<br /><br /><br /></li></ol> <p><b>Product Promotion</b></p> <p>Remember, when you use drop shipping, your selling advantage is not only in the pricing deal you've achieved but also in your ability to reach your market and convince them to buy. This e-course doesn't cover the enormous area of Internet marketing. However, you may want to check out our other ecourses at <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>What You Have Learned</b></p> <p>By the end of this section, you will know:</p> <ul><li>The step-by-step process for setting up a drop shipping relationship with special attention to the issues that should be discussed and agreed to between you and your suppliers.<br /><br /></li><li>The issues you need to address on your site with special emphasis on communicating policies clearly.<br /><br /></li><li>The value and importance of well-staged and produced photographs of your product.<br /><br /><br /></li></ul> <p>In Section V we move our focus from your relationship with the drop shipper to your relationship with your customer.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-52984848965482502152008-12-15T01:10:00.000-08:002008-12-15T01:13:04.366-08:00Selecting a Supplier - Drop Ship Your Way To Success Part 3 of 5<p>welcome to the third part of this 5-part e-course on dropshipping and how to use it to your advantage. In Step 3, you need to select a supplier or suppliers for your products.</p> <p>As we illustrated in the Basics discussion, the best supplier may be the manufacturer because you will not need to pay the markups of wholesalers and distributors. However, manufacturers may be focused on production and not interested in or capable of taking on the fulfillment function. The wholesaler or distributor may be considered a "middle man" but they play an important and useful role in connecting manufacturers to buyers. If the manufacturer of your product does not work with individual buyers, ask which of their wholesalers or distributors offer drop shipping.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Locate possible suppliers</b></p> <p>There are many ways to locate possible suppliers for your products. We'll describe a variety of options then give you our recommendation for the most effective method of finding suppliers.</p> <ol><li>If you know the products you want to sell, find out the name of the company that manufactures the product and inquire about their willingness to sell to you on a drop ship basis. If the company does not operate that way, ask if they have a wholesaler or distributor who might strike this type of relationship with you.<br /><br /></li><li>If you know the type of product you want to sell, but do not have a specific manufacturer in mind, you can try Googling the "product + drop shipping". This method should yield some possible candidates for a drop shipping relationship. However, it's a real challenge to make individual contacts and evaluate all of those suppliers, plus you are much more likely to run into middlemen.<br /><br /></li><li>You can buy drop ship distributor lists, sometimes very inexpensively. However, in our experience, you get what you pay for when it comes to cheap lists. These lists are often not updated regularly so you may find that contact or other information is not accurate. Our advice - simple lists and directories aren'y usually worth the money or the effort to use them.<br /><br /></li><li>Go to trade shows or scan trade publications. Drop shippers want your business. They are looking for you through matching services, directories, ads in trade publications and exhibits at trade shows. You'll never find each other if you're not looking in the right places.<br /><br /></li><li>You can use a matching services such as <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">eSources.co.uk</a>. eSources offers buyers an opportunity to announce their need for a drop shipped product and for sellers to describe their products and their terms of sale.</li></ol> <p>Our advice is to use matching services such as ours (there are also good alternatives available, however watch out for cheap wholesale lists, they are not worth much at all). Here's why you should choose a matching service such as <a href="http://zhengyong.net/tools/?resource=esources" target="_blank">eSources.co.uk</a>:</p> <ol><li>Suppliers are vetted, information is constantly updated and monitored.<br /><br /></li><li>You will find suppliers who may not be savvy enough to get their websites noticed by search engines but who have indicated they are looking for new business.<br /><br /></li><li>You can view dropshippers by accessing specific categories, such as our <a href="http://www.esources.co.uk/wholesale-suppliers/1082/" target="_blank">UK dropshippers</a> and <a href="http://www.esources.co.uk/international-suppliers/1082/" target="_blank">International Dropshippers</a> categories. This way you can deal directly with those suppliers that are prepared to deal with you on a dropship basis.<br /><br /></li><li>You can <a href="https://www.esources.co.uk/myesources/newlead.php" target="_blank">announce your needs</a> so that suppliers who can meet your needs will solicit you, creating a highly targeted group of supplier candidates to explore.</li></ol> <p>Once you have created a short list of candidates, begin the evaluation process.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Supplier Selection</b></p> <p>Explore these issues as you go through your selection process.</p> <p><b><i>Supplier Location</i></b></p> <p>Although it would make sense to say that it should make no difference where the shipper is located, there are some issues to consider.</p> <p>If your target market is in Canada, you may want to locate your suppliers in Canada since many shippers do not want to deal with the hassle of customs processing. (If your goods are low cost, they won't meet the threshold for customs declaration so this may not be an issue. However, it pays to sort out international delivery issues upfront.) </p> <p>If you are having products shipped into the U.S. or any European Union country (and many others countries as well), those products must meet stringent standards for safety, etc. Be sure you know the rules that apply to your product. (You can learn all about importing by selecting one of our <a href="https://www.esources.co.uk/myesources/ecourses.php" target="_blank">country-specific importing courses</a> or our <a href="https://www.esources.co.uk/myesources/ecourses.php" target="_blank">course on importing strategies</a>.)</p> <p><b><i>Company History, Reputation and Service</i></b></p> <p>Ask about the history of the company. How long have they been in business? Google the business name plus complaints or reviews and see if there are any negative reports about them floating around on the Internet. If so, either move or at least ask the company to explain their side of the story.</p> <p>Consider the professionalism of this staff. Are your questions answered in an informed and straightforward way?</p> <p><b><i>Product quality</i></b></p> <p>This is absolutely critical! Do you know that there are many ecommerce resellers who have never seen the product they sell? Don't rely on a picture or a description. Order a sample and be sure that the quality is up to your standards.</p> <p><b><i>Price</i></b></p> <p>What price will you pay for the item? Are there other charges that apply? Beware of suppliers that ask for a monthly "membership" or "participation" fee. These are often scammers. Legitimate drop shippers make their money on a per piece basis. There are a few exceptions to this rule, however generally you should stay away from dropshippers that charge a fee to join their dropshipping service.</p> <p><b><i>Payment</i></b></p> <p>Drop shippers work in one of two ways. Either they will bill your company credit card for each individual purchase or, in some cases, they will bill you on a monthly basis. If you can arrange monthly billing, you may be required to supply a letter of credit. In general, payment should not be an issue because you will collect payment from your customer before you place the order with the shipper.</p> <p><b><i>Volume</i></b></p> <p>Ask your supplier if they require a minimum volume of monthly sales to maintain an account. The minimum monthly quota should be a nominal amount; it should cover the administrative cost of carrying your account; nothing more. Be sure that you will be able to meet the quota. </p> <p><b><i>Inventory</i></b></p> <p>Ask about inventory levels and arrange for real-time inventory reporting so you can quickly advise your customers of any stock-outs or back order situations.</p> <p><b><i>Shipping</i></b></p> <p>Be sure that:</p> <ul><li>The supplier uses a reputable transport firm such as UPS, FedEx or the postal service.<br /><br /></li><li>Your shipments to your customers will always have a tracking number so they can be traced.<br /><br /></li><li>The shipper will include the tracking number in their order confirmation.</li></ul> <p>Ask about the option of placing your name on merchandise or at least on the shipping package. There's great value in keeping the source of your products a secret from consumers; you don't want them to bypass you and go directly to the source (if that's possible). One of the hazards of tracking numbers is that the tracking number reveals the source of the product. You can handle this problem by referring to the shipping origin address as your remote warehouse location.</p> <p><b><i>Refunds</i></b></p> <p>Be sure you understand and can live with the dropshipper's refund policy. You will need to make this policy clear to your customers. If you don't and there's a problem, you may find yourself underwriting refunds.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>Avoid Scammers</b></p> <p>We've touched on several of the red flags that may indicate a situation to avoid. They are worth repeating along with a few other cautions.</p> <ol><li>Avoid companies that want to sell you a list or directory of distributors at a low price; they're usually not worth it. Plus, everyone else will be buying those lists and accessing the same deals.<br /><br /></li><li>There are a number of legitimate, large scale drop ship companies that advertise a huge inventory of items to choose from. However, some of these maga dealers may simply represents products, essentially the same way you do. When you transmit your drop ship order, this middle man company transmits the order to the true supplier. The result? One more fee to increase the final selling price of your product. Ask your supplier candidate if they actually stock the products you will be purchasing in their own warehouses;<br /><br /></li><li>Beware of companies that offer you package deals with web presence, payment system, distributor lists, etc. These deals can be so costly that you will be hampered in making a profit.<br /><br /><br /></li></ol> <p><b>How many distributors are too many?</b></p> <p>The fewer suppliers you use, the better. More suppliers means more differences in shipping charges and return policies as well as more management responsibilities for you. Every business is different. Try to use the fewest suppliers possible to support your business needs.<br /><br /><br /></p> <p><b>What have you learned?</b></p> <p>By the end of this section, you should know:</p> <ul><li>How to locate possible suppliers for your products with the recommendation to use a matching service.<br /><br /></li><li>How to evaluate suppliers.<br /><br /></li><li>How to recognize red flags that can mean a problem supplier.<br /><br /></li><li>That your best strategy is to work with fewer suppliers, if possible.<br /><br /><br /></li></ul> <p>Terrific! In part 4 we will look at how to establish a relationship with the drop shipper and incorporate their products into your business. </p><p>To our success working together,</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1893027341505942537.post-56060045265827619652008-12-14T04:07:00.000-08:002008-12-14T04:11:15.033-08:00Google Search-based Keyword Tool Review<p><a href="http://www.google.com/sktool/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2397" title="logo" src="http://www.johncow.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="101" width="403" /></a></p> <p>Keyword research is one of the most time-consuming and often frustrating parts of using an ad campaign on Goggle AdWords. Putting together all of the data – from rates to search density to everything else – can be daunting. To further complicate things, once you’ve found a good keyword it can be challenging to find other relevant keywords to accompany it.</p> <p>Google’s new Search-Based Keyword tool (<a href="http://www.google.com/sktool/" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/sktool/</a>) attempts to deal with that problem. The purpose of the tool is to look specifically at your site and offer new keywords ideas relevant to your site. It offers these keywords based on searches from Google over the last 12 months, so we’re talking about a solid history of data from which to work.</p> <p>This tool helps site owners by giving them search query data that’s specifically relevant to the content on their site. In short, it provides site owners a way to take advantage of many advertising opportunities that otherwise have been missed.</p> <p><a href="http://www.google.com/sktool/" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2393" title="2008-12-09_1238" src="http://www.johncow.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/2008-12-09_1238.jpg" alt="" align="left" border="0" height="188" width="225" /></a>Google’s Search-based Keyword tool is also useful if you’re not yet advertising on AdWords. You can use the tool to do research to find relevant keywords. An online pet supply store might use the tool to discover what sorts of pet amenities and accessories people are searching for online. If you run an MP3 player review blog, you can use the tool to identify what brands and models of MP3 players people are searching for, and focus your reviews in that direction.</p> <p>One of the more exciting features of this new tool is the suggested bid data. What the tool does for you is to, for every search you make, make suggestions on specific landing pages on your site that seem to be related to that search. The tool then also offers a suggested bid amount that should be sufficient to get your ad into the top three spots of a search page for that keyword.</p> <p>Like so many of the best Google tools, the Search-based Keyword Tool is currently in Beta. The good news about that is Google is still open to suggestions at this point. If you’ve ever struggled with keyword research, give the new tool a try and see how it does for you, then let Google know what they can improve.</p> <p>PS - You can also check out the <a href="http://adwords.blogspot.com/2008/11/announcing-search-based-keyword-tool.html" target="_blank">Google Blog</a> for more info on this tool</p><p>From: <a href="http://www.johncow.com/review-of-google%e2%80%99s-search-based-keyword-tool/" rel="bookmark" title="Review of Google’s Search-based Keyword Tool">Review of Google’s Search-based Keyword Tool</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1