How to make the Internet your workplace?

My adventure with the Internet started in 1994. I was the owner of PC XT. As XT 640kB RAM was already a relic, fax machine/modem was quite a modern device, besides it was the most expensive in the computer set. It cost as much as 60 dollars. My good friend encouraged me to buy it. Unfortunately, its biggest advantage was faxing, while faxing it reached the speed of 9400 bps, but when it came to computer data transmission it was only 2 400 bps. (modern modems reach 56 000 bps).

Real beginning

My passive fascination by the Internet started from the scandal in 1997 evoked by the “inappropriate relations between Bill and Monica”, when the server of USA Congress was visited by four million Internet users within one day. I created first web pages in the middle of 1998. I started from a virtual business card, which I made for a befriended foundation. Satisfaction was the prize. Information, textbooks, programmes e.g. to send files, everything I downloaded myself or I got for free from the Internet. I really liked the fact that people made so many things available selflessly. Today, I try to give a lot for free, because in the past I was given a lot. I don’t want to be mawkish, but I think it is the best side of the Global Network. Do remember this!

Every next page which I did was better. For my second web site which was promoting a book, as payment I received a picture, maybe it was kitschy, but it was important that I got it. I remember, that first photographs placed on the web I scanned with……… a telefax. It was my first adventure with the so called e-business.

Travels in the net

I like to travel and with pleasure I created tourist pages about Malta, then about Crimea. And where Crimea is, there has to be Rome, too. There were trip reports, guidebooks, practical information and a dozen or so photographs of high definition. Those web pages are still very popular, they met the demand. Not too long ago, there were no such web pages which would treat the tourist seriously and honestly. Do remember that the best solution is to start from a niche subject matter. Malta and Crimea were not as popular as they are now and even a modest web page could gain big popularity.

Internet users started to write to me, add their own comments and pictures, almost a discussion forum was created. As some of those who visited the page demanded more precise information, I agreed with the publishers, who had suitable guidebooks and in effect a form was placed on the site allowing to order the book. There were more and more people who ordered books, so publishers decided to sign a fee-for-task agreement and to pay me a commission on each item sold. My modest work (rather a hobby) of creating a website, started to bring in money.

Real money

Then, it was time for other books and equipment like: photographic equipment, scanners, digital supports, batteries and chargers. I started also to be a mediator when it came to selling services, e.g. web hosting and English lessons on Malta and the like ‘ contrary to popular opinion that only pornography can bring profits on the Internet.

For some time I thought that those who create the Internet earn the most: starting from CISCO, through telecommunications companies and end with Internet providers. It’s true, at first only they reaped the profit. Nowadays, with the moderate budget and high quality of the product (service), and most of all with a good strategy of reviewing best diet pills for women, you can earn decent money.

Money is everywhere

I recently heard a view that it’s difficult to earn on the Internet. I don’t share this opinion as sometimes I have the impression that money is everywhere, especially on the net. It’s obvious that there are certain sectors or economy branches which could be difficult to adjust in the net (but I can’t give any example). For someone who is not a fisherman, fishing is very difficult. But miracles happen so sometimes it is worth casting a net.

How to start.

Bigger companies often exist on the net, but only as a card with an address, telephone number, fax number, photo of the seat of company or photo of a chairman. At the bottom there is an e-mail address written in small font, and only to a webmaster who passes on each question to the management.

This form of virtual existence may be quite useful, but no more than information found in a phone book. The Internet is an interactivity, an automation, cheap and fast mean of communication with the whole world. Serious enterprise cannot squander possibilities like these.

What is important, is an appropriate design, design of the page, which correspond with its activity, but don’t exaggerate! Very often I see beautiful, overdone design, pages without any value. Unfortunately, a lot of webmasters are interested only in the design of a page, and they don’t care of the real aim and strategy of existence in a virtual world.

Thanks to the web, traditional companies can increase the sale for even about several dozen per cent, others can even exist only virtually and still earn money. I have sold a lot of books that I haven’t even held in my hands. There was no need of having a bookshop, shelves or sellers. There is no need to invest in something that raises the cost. Client mentality is the only problem. But even a client, if he counts how much money and time she/he can save, can change his/her mind for sure. I knew a couple of companies very resistant to the Internet, especially the Internet which meant something more than a card, something which is called full interactivity. Some of those who became convinced to the new approach, exist thanks to the new Internet strategy till this day.

Earn money sitting at home

Small entrepreneurs, pupils, students or a part-time employee earning extra money to their family budgets, should start from creating their pages and from experiments on free servers. Those who think seriously about earning on the web should rather focus on a good server without advertising, so the server should be payable.

What should the subject be?

The subject should give you pleasure, should be connected with your hobby or knowledge that you have. Money is not everything and you should remember this. From my youth I was told that work is only an obligation and earning money is a necessity and we should not expect any pleasure from it. But it is not true, it does not have to be like that. The best way is to start by cooperating with an older brother as a part of partnership programme or affiliating programme.

It is also worth setting up a monitoring program to see who visited you, why and from where he/she has clicked, where he went to ask about an opinion, etc.

Money is out there on the Internet – all you have to do is cast a net.

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This article was translated by mLingua Worldwide Translations, Ltd. mLingua provides professional language translations in all major Western and Asian languages, software localization and web site translation services. Please visit http://mlingua.pl

Marketing Follow Up Strategy

As small business owners, we worry about contacting people too much – but no one tells us how much is too much! Many of us think that a follow-up strategy is to email or call someone a week or two after the initial contact and then maybe touch base occasionally over the next few months.

If this is your follow-up strategy – whether with a new prospect or a long-time customer – then you’ve got to formalize it more and put it on auto-pilot. I’ve seen the statistic that around 80% of sales are lost because no one followed up. Is this you?

Marketing is all about fostering a relationship with people and one of the key ways to do this is by having consistent and relevant follow-up as part of your marketing strategy. Remember, you’re not following up to pester someone to purchase – you are keeping the lines of communication open and providing important information that can help the prospect or customer.

Below are 13 ways for you to make sure that ongoing follow-up is a part of your marketing strategy:

1) When someone requests information – for example on lipofuze reviews – give it to them immediately.

2) When someone asks a question respond within 24 -48 hours.

3) When someone makes the first contact (i.e. downloads your free give-away), follow up with emails every few days providing helpful information, highlighting specific ideas, or providing some tips.

4) When you have a time-limited special on a service or product, make sure to remind your prospects frequently. People always buy on the last day, so send a friendly reminder email that today’s the last day to get the discount.

5) Call or send an email to a customer who has just purchased something from your website. Say “thank you” and ask them if they need any questions answered or anything clarified.

6) If you’re offering a tele-seminar, give enough advance notice and send reminder emails providing the pertinent details.

7) If someone has made an appointment, do a reminder phone call or email a day before the scheduled time.

8) If someone sends in a contact via your website form, make sure you get back to them within 48 hours.

9) If you’ve made a good contact at a seminar or networking event, send them an email or better yet, a handwritten note, expressing your desire to keep in touch. Then mark a date in your calendar in one month to follow up with a phone call or email.

10) Send “thank you’s” promptly to people – i.e. they’ve given you a referral, a great piece of information, someone’s name as a possible Joint Venture partner, etc.

11) Have a system in place that captures people’s names and contact information so that you can keep in touch.

12) Keep track of clients’ birthdays, business anniversary dates, when you started working together, and send cards (via mail or email) to mark these milestones.

13) Send out a weekly or bi-weekly ezine or newsletter to all your prospects and customers.

If you incorporate a consistent follow-up strategy into your marketing activities, it will allow people to know, like and trust you; give them information that they can use; exhibit the value and results you can provide, and of course, see your sales climb!

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Jody Gabourie, The Small Business Marketing Coach, delivers simple, innovative and powerful marketing strategies to help business owners find and keep their most profitable clients. To learn more about how she can help you take your business to the next level, and to sign up for her FREE special report, ezine and articles, visit her site at http://www.JodyGabourieMarketingCoach.com

Happy Customers Spend More Money

Customer satisfaction is essential for long term business success for two very important reasons. Firstly happy customers spend more money. Secondly happy customers are ten times more likely to recommend your business to other people. I discovered the second benefit by accident when I ran a test to try and reduce my refund rate. I began sending all my new water filter supplier customers a gift basket two days after they made their first purchase with a note saying thank you for purchasing from Tyvar Marketing, we hope you enjoy our service. My initial plan was to see if sending an unexpected gift would reduce my refund rate. Happily it did, my refunds dropped from 10% to virtually zero. But the most surprising result was the number of referrals that came flooding in from those customers. My referrals increased by more than ten times what they were normally.

At the time I was selling a high priced product so I could afford to spend $80 on a gift basket but there are a lot of businesses out there with lower margins, so I’ve written this article to show you how you can give your customers valuable gifts that bring a smile to their face and ultimately sees them buying, more and referring your business to more people for virtually zero outlay.

For this to make sense you must understand that there are a lot of businesses out there looking for new customers. These businesses know they have a good product and will get a lot of repeat business if they can encourage people to try their product or service, so they would be quite willing to give you some FREE or heavily discounted products for you to gift to your clients. This is a win-win deal for both your business and their business. You increase customer satisfaction and they gain exposure for their business.

The simplest way to find businesses like these is to take advantage of a free business listing on a Joint Venture Directory such as www.1000Legs.com saying that you are looking for FREE or discounted products to send your clients as gifts. This will allow businesses which are looking to promote their products to customers such as yours, the chance to contact you with valuable gifting offers.

You don’t need to limit your gift sending to just new customers, you can send gifts to ALL your customers. Send them Christmas gifts, send them birthday gifts, Valentines Day gifts, gifts to celebrate the years you’ve been in business or just a random out of the blue gifts, to say thank you for being a valued customer.

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For more low cost marketing ideas try a FREE online marketing analysis at http://www.the3WayWin.com