Category: Online Business

One of the most frustrating “facts of life: if you are trying to make money online: a significant percentage of visitors who sign up for your double opt-in newsletter will never confirm. (Of course this ignites the debate over single vs. double opt-in — but that’s a subject for another article.) It feels like you are leaving money on the table…or if you prefer, it’s the equivalent of meeting a nice guy at a bar and then having him never call.
There are always going to be people who won’t confirm; you’ll never approach a 100% confirmation rate. But there are definitely steps you can take to improve your ezine confirmation rate significantly. Here are the four steps I took to raise my own confirmation rate by 50% in just 8 months:
1. Your thank you page: tell your subscriber what they need to do next. They’ve taken the first step — filling in your subscription form. The very next thing they should see is your thank you page; use this real estate for three important messages:
A) Remind them of what they are signing up for, using most of the same language as on your signup page.
B) Remind them they have to click the confirmation link when they receive it in their inbox – otherwise they won’t receive the freebie they want (you are offering a freebie as incentive, right?)
C) Tell them how to make sure they receive the confirmation email by whitelisting; you can copy my whitelisting instructions if you like.
2. Use memorable language in the confirmation email. I’m not talking about clever wording or hype-y language; in fact, quite the opposite! You want the wording in the confirmation email to closely resemble the language on your signup and thank you pages, even lifting entire phrases word-for-word. This will mark the third time they’ve seen that language, making it much more likely that they will remember it and take action, i.e., click the link.
3. Deliver what you promise after they confirm. Once they click the link in your confirmation email, take them right to the page where they can access the freebie you promised. If your freebie is a downloadable ebook, for instance, put the download link right on the page, front and center; don’t make them wait to get a link in their email! Include download instructions; feel free to copy mine at the bottom of this page if you like. If your freebie is an audio or video, it’s a good idea to offer the option for them to listen or watch right from your webpage OR download for later use.
4. Tell them what you told them. On your post-confirmation thank you page, remind them one more time about your ezine title, frequency, etc., so they’ll recognize it when they get the next edition. Include a link to download or access the freebie, in case they didn’t see it on the thank you page or had trouble downloading. Include an email address where they can reach you if they need help or have a question. This is also a good place to remind them that they can unsubscribe from your newsletter anytime by clicking the link at the bottom (or top, depending on your newsletter design) of every mailing they receive from you.
Taking these steps is sure to improve your ezine confirmation rates (although your results may vary.) You may find that you don’t have to respond to as many “I didn’t get my ebook” complaints. And, you might even decrease the number of people who unsubscribe or mark your email as spam!

Terri Zwierzynski is a self-employed business strategist and marketing consultant to solo entrepreneurs, and a grassroots promoter of the solo entrepreneur lifestyle. She runs Solo-E.com, the resource website for the self-employed which attracts thousands of solo home business owners monthly from over 100 countries on six continents (and was recently named a finalist for “Website of the Year” in the 4th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business). Terri is also the co-author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small or Solo Business.

How does my martial arts training directly relate to my success as an article marketing expert?
When I was seven, I was a scared, scrawny cry baby. Kids in the neighborhood stole my hat and I ran home crying! My younger brother, who was only four at the time, knocked on the bully’s’ door to get my hat back.
My parents enrolled me into Chirico’s School of Karate, where I learned steps that took me from NOTHING to a SELF-ASSURED 4th DEGREE BLACK BELT.
I also learned secrets on how to become a champion in the martial arts. I discovered that these same secrets helped me become a champion in all areas of my life.
So do you want to know what these life-changing, business-evolving secrets are?
7 Black Belt Secrets for Article Marketing Success
Secret #1: Watch who you hang around with
One of our black belts drives all the way from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to practice. That’s a 3-hour round trip.
Why?
The furious energy at Chirico’s School of Karate is undeniable as soon as you walk in the door. You’re surrounded by a true grandmaster with more than 40 years of martial arts training and black belts who are determined to succeed.
Who are YOU hanging around? Where are your articles being associated? Are you just blasting articles out there? Or are you carefully selecting websites and ezines which your targeted audiences and prospects read? Remember, who you associate with will determine the level of success you can reach.
Secret #2: Consistency is the key for long-term success
When I don’t train consistently because of traveling or personal issues, I lose karate tournaments. If you want to achieve your business goals online, you have to consistently write and submit articles. You have to be in front of your audience on a regular basis. Otherwise you will lose sales to your competitors.
Secret #3: Ups and downs are part of the process
During my martial arts training, I learned that there is NO possible way that you can win every tournament. Yes, I can’t even tell you how many trophies, medals and plaques I have won throughout my more than 20 years of martial arts training. But, I also lost count of how many tournaments I lost in the very first round.
Not every article you write and submit online will be a success. You will have ups and downs with your article marketing efforts, but you have to keep writing consistently. It’s the only way you will win in the long term.
Secret #4: Hard work is part of the game
It took me ten years of blood, sweat and tears to get promoted to the rank of black belt. I learned that there are NO obstacles that I couldn’t beat if I consistently persevere.
How many of us secretly wish our success would be handed to us on a silver platter? Get real. There is work involved. The solution is to make the hard work FUN by doing what you love to do (sharing your expertise) and delegating what you don’t (the mind boggling, manual article submission.)
Secret #5: Model others who are already successful
My instructor is a 10th degree black belt grandmaster. Yet, he doesn’t try to reinvent his own martial arts training programs from scratch. He adapts training techniques, forms and strategies that were created from the ancient masters who have proven their immense success.
When writing your articles, model article templates that work for others and then adapt it to your own writing style.
Secret #6: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
When we practice self-defense, we train for a variety of attacks from the front, sides and back. We do grappling and ground techniques. And, we even practice fighting against multiple attackers. So we’re ready for all situations.
Just like we want multiple fighting strategies, you want multiple streams of income that will help you fight the recession. You can easily turn your articles into products like special reports and eBooks.
Secret #7: Find a mentor or coach for faster results
I would not have been a state champion for two years in a row, if my instructor didn’t walk me through every step of the way. I know many entrepreneurs who have wasted thousands of dollars on marketing programs that got them nowhere. Don’t make that mistake. Invest in someone to show you the way – the right way – the first time. (Not sure where to start? Join my Write Your Way to Profits Insiders Circle)
Follow these secrets, and you will reach article marketing success. You will be found online. And, you will get more prospects, publicity and profits
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, Eric is sharing the exact roadmap, broken into 5 easy-to-follow steps that thousands have used to launch and build their businesses online with articles. And, he’s giving this knowledge for FREE, with his new e-Book at: http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com/freebook

Article Contributed by Eric Gruber
Most new online business owners think that Internet marketing is their magic pill to making more money.
I have news for you…It’s not magic. It’s a process.
But once you WORK that process, it CAN work like magic!
Here’s the Internet Sales Cycle Broken Down into 5 Simple Parts
1. Collect Leads
The absolute best way is to get leads online is to write unique, original articles that position you as the expert in your specific niche. And, it’s not that hard. All you have to write is a simple 500-word “how-to” or “top tips” article that will solve your prospect’s pain. Wonder what a “how-to article” is? You’re reading one!
Then, you want to submit your articles to the top websites, ezines and article directories that your targeted audience is reading. This way, you will be able to drive more website traffic and build your list.
2. Get Them into Your Sales Funnel – And Build Your List
Once you’ve written your article, you need a way to get prospects into your “sales funnel.” The best way to make this easy is to offer a special report, e-Book, e-course, checklist, audio, video or anything else your heart desires. You will not charge for the product. Your goal is to get names now, and make sales later. You will put this information at the end of your article in what we call the bio box.
In the bio box, you can promote your:
– Website
– Products
– Services
– Specific “call-to-action” that leads them to the special product you offer
For an example just read my bio box at the end of this article.
Most people make the mistake of trying to sell high-priced products and services in the bio box. Getting visitors on your list should be your number one objective! Why? Up to 99% of your first-time visitors will not buy from you. They’ll take a quick look and then they’ll click away. If you did not capture their names and email addresses, you will have lost them forever.
3. Follow Up
Marketing studies have always shown that your prospects need to be exposed to your message at least 7 times before they’ll take any action! That’s why you need to build and maintain relationships with your list.
This is where ezines, e-course and autoresponders work like a charm. They will follow up for you automatically. In fact, with the marketing and shopping cart system My Easy Online Store, you can schedule email messages up to two years away! It’s like putting your marketing on autopilot, so you can just set it and forget it!
4. Close the Sale
Your ezine, e-courses, special reports and autoresponder messages should drive readers to what you have to offer. However, don’t forget to provide useful content and information. That’s why they gave you their names and emails and that’s why they’ll stay on your list.
Here are two reasons why you shouldn’t make the mistake of trying to sell from the actual email:
1) You don’t have the room in an email to fully explain what you’re selling and demonstrate its value to the prospect
2) It can turn people off who aren’t ready to buy yet. You’ll instantly lose those prospects from your list.
The idea of the email is to get them excited about your offering and to get them to CLICK. Once they click, then they should be taken to a sales page that you set up specifically for that product or service you’re promoting. It’s THERE and ONLY THERE that the prospect will get the full scoop on how great your product, book or service is, why they need it, how much it costs and how to order.
5. Upsell, and Upsell Again
Here’s the biggest mistake I made when I started to sell my first information product online, “The A to Z Article Marketing System.” It was the ONLY product! I didn’t even have a membership club in place. So once people bought my product, I had nothing else in my funnel to sell them. I had to work extra hard at finding new prospects all the time. It’s been said for ages: “It is easier to sell an existing client a new product than to find a new client.”
That’s why you need to continue turning (churning has a bad connotation) out valuable new products and programs that your customers will eat up like crazy. You can simply create new products by recycling the articles you used to collect leads.
Now, you have it — the Internet sales cycle broken down into five easy parts. Now, you should see the missing links in your own Internet sales cycle. Have patience, keep learning and don’t stop writing. You’ll begin fill in these gaps, and start to see the magic of article marketing work for you.
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, Eric is sharing the exact roadmap, broken into 5 easy-to-follow steps that thousands have used to launch and build their businesses online with articles. And, he’s giving this knowledge for FREE, with his new e-Book at: http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com/freebook

Article Contributed by Eric Gruber
Article marketing has many perks and benefits. We can communicate with people on a global scale. We can reach many targeted customers very easily. And we have the added bonus of showing our readers that we’re experts in our niches. This builds customer confidence.
But one of the challenges of marketing our businesses online is figuring out how to reach through the cold, mechanical computer screen and make a real human connection. Remember, people want to do business with people they trust.
So, what can you do with your articles to establish trust online with people you may never see or meet in real life?
5 Ways to Build Trust & Win Customer Confidence with Article Marketing
1) Don’t stop writing.
You can’t submit one or two articles and then expect to be regarded as an expert in your niche. It is the accumulation of repeated positive experiences with you that makes a lasting impact. As you’re doing your article marketing, you should regard each article as a way to grow your relationships with prospects and clients. Decide on an article submission schedule that you think you can consistently complete long term. Once a month is a good goal.
2) Show readers that you’re worthy of trust.
To build trust online, you want to show authenticity. So, before you write one word, think how you want to come across as a person. The more you’re willing to let your guard down and portray yourself as a real person, the more you’ll be rewarded.
3) Connect with readers by showing them that you started out just like them.
Remember, most people buy on emotional impulses and not on logical, intellectual decisions. That’s why during my speeches to large Internet marketing conferences and in my articles, I explain how I couldn’t find a job and how I put my parents into debt as they tried helping me pay my bills. I explain how I even had to ask my grandparents for money. And I talk about the mistakes I made.
After the connection is made, then I show my audience how I’ve become an article marketing success. When you show readers that you started out just like them, you will build an instant connection and you will give them hope. This will make it a whole lot easier for them to buy your products or services.
4) Show your results.
You have to give readers a reason to believe your advice. So quantify your results as much as possible and proudly show them. For example, you can end our article like this way:
“By following my advice above, Marketing Expert Scott Glatstein went from just 8 links on Google to more than 2000 links in just one month. His website traffic quadrupled from year ago levels. After the second month of doing article submissions, his traffic increased another ten percent to set a new 5-year high water mark on web traffic.
5) Realize the huge impact recommendations bring.
When we write articles, we’re trying to make connections with people who we may never meet or talk to in person. It’s natural for anyone looking at information on the Internet to think, “Hmmm, can I trust this?” This is why third party recommendations pack a punch, especially if you’re trying to promote a book, product or service.
For example, here’s a bio box we created for “America’s greatest sales and marketing executive” Chet Holmes…
Jay Levinson of Guerilla Marketing says, “Business Growth Expert, Chet Holmes has the best ideas you will ever hear on super-fast business growth.
Article Marketing Success You Can Experience and Enjoy If You Follow My Advice
By following my advice:
• Distribution Industry Technology Expert Dani Kaplan had his best year of business in 27 years of business.
• Lesley Mattos tripled her website traffic
• Kevin Berchelmann, CEO of Triangle Performance acquired a new mid-5 figure client
That’s just a small sampling. Many more results can be found at my website at IWantMoreProspects.com. You, too, can experience these article marketing successes if you follow my article marketing system.
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, he’s revealing his top secrets to writing articles so you can boost your website traffic, get more leads and create multiple, profitable streams of income. Go to http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com and let Eric teach you step-by-step, how to write your way to profits!

Article contributed by Debbie Dragon

Times sure have changed. In my lifetime, the transition from cash, to check, to plastic has been astounding. In today’s financial society, it is rare to find many who do not have a credit card, or at the least, a debit card. Either a credit card or a debit card is required at many business locations. For example, it is hard to rent a car without one. In addition, you will find it hard to buy an item over the phone, say off of the television, without plastic. You will run into the same obstacle, while shopping online. Plastic has become a necessity. If not a necessity, then definitely a financial asset on many occasions. You will find it hard, without the card.
I see a day, when cash will no longer be utilized. A day when everyone’s check will go directly onto plastic. You will use plastic for every transaction, from buying a soda to paying your mortgage. However, that may be a while down the road. For now, the credit card customer’s of the world are still trying to adjust. Still attempting to become comfortable and efficient with them. Credit cards are well worth having. They are a great way to build credit. Credit cards empower the customer to purchase some of the things in life, they normally could not afford. I would like to say this however, and I know you have heard this somewhere before, but with power, comes great responsibility.
It seems simply unthinkable, that a business today would not be set up to accept credit cards. In saying that however, I know there are still locations that do not. In recent years even the fast food industry had to jump on the band wagon. It cannot be ignored. Plastic is the future. If you intend to be successful in business, at some point you will have to take credit cards. There is no way around it. This is no different for someone who owns, say a online business. If you want to compete with other business outlets, you will have to be set up to take credit cards. I own an online Freelance Writing Business. I am set up to accept credit cards. Business transactions are much easier online, if you use plastic and accept it as well.
Sure you can except a check from a client. However, if you do, it is not going to be a quick transaction. A credit transaction is immediate. That is what you want in business. Quick return on your investment. Credit cards are safer as well. Let’s face it, most people that write checks are honest and upstanding. Then again, there are those who think as long as they have checks, they have money in their account. Utilizing a credit card for your online business and accepting them as well, makes you legit It is beneficial to your customers and clients, as well as for you. It does not take much foresight to realize, that credit cards are the future of business.
About the Author
Debbie Dragon is a writer for CreditorWeb.com, where she writes about credit cards, credit card offers and general personal finance.