Monday, July 29, 2013

Worldprofit Bootcamp Update: 25 Ways to generate leads, traffic and sales – no matter what you are selling

The boy next door… the best of the Great Republic. You sleep easy through the night because of him… and millions like him. A Tribute!

The boy next door… the best of the Great Republic. You sleep easy throughthe night because of him… a


The boy next door… the best of the Great Republic. You sleep easy through the night because of him… and millions like him. A Tribute!
Author’s program note. When was the last time you considered the state of our Great Republic and did anything — anything at all — to sustain and improve it?
If you cannot immediately say and cannot recall what you did, if you have nothing but rancorous thoughts and feelings about our continuing great experiment in the governance and well being of mankind, then stop and focus your full, undivided attention on this article and its subject: Howard Hector Martell, Jr. For this day, like every other day over the past 20 years, Howard Martell has served us… you, me, the Great Republic, all of us able to live life as we wish because of him and his colleagues in every great service of our great nation.
To set the stage for this story, to provide the essential sound, I have selected music from one of the greatest public affairs programs ever — “Victory at Sea.” It is a documentary television series about naval warfare during World War II that was originally broadcast by NBC in 1952-1953. The stirring music was composed by Richard Rodgers and Robert Russell Bennett. Rodgers, well known for a string of iconic Broadway musicals, contributed 13 “themes”; short piano compositions a minute or two in length. Bennett did the scoring, transforming Rodger’s themes into a variety of moods, all designed to touch your heart and fire your imagination. The result was pure magic.
Find out for yourself. Go now to any search engine. Listen to a few of the “themes” to get you started. I like “Hard Work and Horseplay”, “Theme of the Fast Carriers” and, of course, “The Song of the High Seas.” However, to honor Howard Martell, listen to “Guadalcanal March.” It is the essence of what a grand march should be… the kind of march Howard has so well earned… I’m playing it now as I write.
New London.
New London, Connecticut is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States. It is located at the mouth of the Thames River which locals demand you pronounce to rhyme with “James”, unlike the great river of London, England which rhymes with ‘hems”. The folks in New London insist upon their rendering; after all, they were part of the victorious Revolution that tossed the Brits out — and their eccentric pronunciations. As you hear this said, you begin to grasp the fact that New London is not merely a place of picturesque aspects; just what meets the eye. Rather, it is a place where young boys glimpse the great sea at hand, so beckoning, and dream dreams of faraway places and what life can be.
Howie Martell was such a boy.
He was born June 27,1973, attended local schools, graduating from Griswold High School. People remember him, if they remember him at all, as shy, uncertain; a boy who would smile at you… but only after you had smiled at him. Teachers with many students to instruct would remember him indistinctly and call him “average.” But such an appraisal would have been incomplete, inaccurate, failing to capture his essence, for this boy was a dreamer of great dreams… and New London, for centuries the home port of audacious mariners, offered him the means to live them, mere dreams no longer.
On August 10, 1992, just 19, he left the comfort of family, friends, the only place he had ever known, placing his future in the hands of strangers who would, in due course and short order, become comrades, a word civilians may know but so seldom understand. And so Howard Martell entered the service of the Great Republic, discovering a destination more important than any of the 48 countries he came to visit. He found himself… and became a man.
From this point, his resume tells the story… it is all USN, the resume of a man who studied hard, knew his business — the Great Republic’s business — and was esteemed by superiors who always found him ready to assist, eager to learn, and above all trustworthy and responsible.
In the process a man was shaped who was the complete Navy professional, respected by all, able to be, as events required, a man who could lead, a man who would be loyal, a man you wanted on your team, because he (and this touches the heart of this man) always stood for the success of his team, never just his own. As people came to know him, they saw this… and admired the man who put collective success above mere personal gain. Thus the Navy took Howard Martell, once a shy boy no one could quite remember, to its heart. He received one deserved honor after another… Navy Good Conduct Medal… six times… Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal… four times… Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal… Iraq Campaign Medal… two times. And most telling of all a plaque from his fellow First Class Petty Officers who thereby saluted one of their own. He was indeed the complete Navy man… a man who twenty years before had made the right decision.
The need for service in the age of selfishness.
It is a truism that older citizens will engage in endless rodomontades which detail the innumerable outrages perpetrated by the young against society. How they are ill-educated, lazy, unkempt, unclean of body and language. How they cannot be depended upon… how they flout all established behavior, video game obsessed wastrels who cannot be trusted and will never amount to a hill of beans. Thus goes the jeremiad; you can catch a whiff of it whenever two adults of fifty or so gather. From the very start of the first civilization each man steps into this argument in his maturity, as easily as he dons casual clothes. It is one of the perqs of aging, and no senior citizen will ever give up this sacred right to pontificate. I shall not give it up either and so I give you some pungent thoughts on the matter of service, a concept that alternates between being an afterthought and the salvation of the nation. What we require is calm reflection and sensible policies on the matter. And so I choose to use my words not to grumble but to exhort… to touch a shy boy or girl reading this article and help them both select the responsible path, the path trod by Howard Martell and generations of young people before… the path of service… and the abiding need of the Great Republic for… you!
Young friend, our way of governance, our core beliefs, the very future of our noble enterprise is not only challenged, but at risk. You have a choice — mindless dissipation and decay, or personal development and redemption through the bestowal of your time, mind and heart to the pressing affairs of the Great Republic. In short, you can ignobly remain part of the problem, or become infinitely more valuable as part of the solution.
There is nothing neutral about this decision. It is of the greatest possible consequence and can only be made by you. A great idea, the greatest notion of statecraft ever propounded, the Great Republic itself awaits your verdict, hopeful, expectant, confident. Howie Martell made the right choice. Will you?
… And now it is time to end Howard’s military career with all the pomp and circumstance he has earned… and which a grateful Navy can provide.
Stand forward Petty Officer First Class Howard Hector Martell, Jr.. For your service, your nation, your friends, family and comrades mean to honor you before the world in due recognition for what you have so abundantly given… above all the gift of loyalty and fidelity to a great institution so needed by this great nation.
And so through each of the hallowed retirement traditions all Naval personnel know so well… until this event, at once festive and solemn, reaches the Shadow Box. This is a symbol of a sailor’s many career accomplishments and recognitions. Shadow boxes contain a U.S. flag folded into a triangle, ribbons and medals, insignia and revered devices. They act as a reminder of ranks earned by the retiree and the awards received. It is a mark of the highest honor and cherished accordingly. Yours, Howard, comes complete with the unqualified gratitude of the nation you have served so well… none better… and the sincere thanks of us all. May God grant you sunshine and a fair wind to your many ports of call still to come.
Envoi.
End this article by returning to any search engine and playing the “Victory at Sea” theme. It remains glorious.
About the Author
Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a wide range of online services for small and-home based businesses. Services include home business training, affiliate marketing training, earn-at-home programs, traffic tools, advertising, webcasting, hosting, design, WordPress Blogs and more. Find out why Worldprofit is considered the # 1 online Home Business Training program by getting a free Associate Membership today. Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martell http://HomeProfitCoach.com/associates

Pension Tips For The Self-Employed

“Hello, I’m from the government. I’m here to help you.” Ordinarily, these words
have a chilling effect on the self-employed, knowing as we do just how ironic
they can be. However, every once in a while they are true and advantageous.
This is the case with the tax-deferred pension options the U.S. government
makes available to the self-employed, people like you and me.
1) Do YOU have a pension plan? It’s crazy not to!
The sad fact is, a MAJORITY of the self- employed don’t have a pension plan.
Survey after survey documents the fact that millions of people — each of whom
wants to get old (it beats the alternative) — are NOT using their business and
the pension guidelines to arrange for a comfortable retirement. This is madness.
Don’t wait another minute to do the necessary. Call your accountant today and
listen carefully as he presents your pension options. Make sure you take notes
and question him liberally until you really understand what you can do.
2) Be clear on how much you can invest in your tax-deferred pension account.
Your accountant should give you a precise figure to invest. Keep it close at
hand. Knowing this figure, and doing what’s necessary to achieve it are both
crucial to your long-term comfort and security.
3) Know the next pension deposit deadline.
Ideally, you should deposit the full pension amount at the time you file your
federal taxes. If not, your accountant should give you the date (generally six
months after you’ve paid your taxes) that you can still pay into your pension
plan. This date is VERY important
4) Once you know the figure you can deposit into your pension plan, make
achieving it your #1 goal.
Say you are authorized to deposit $5,000 into your tax-deferred plan. Say you
have until September 1 to do so.
First, you want to deposit this amount in your pension plan just as early as
possible. Today if possible. Why? Because you want to put time to work for you.
All things being equal, it’s better to make your pension payment on April 15
rather than September 15. It gives the funds just that much longer to grow.
This makes a great difference over time.
5) Treat your pension payments like a bill, your #1 bill.
Most people pay into their pension accounts after they’ve paid all their other
bills, when there may or may not be anything left. This is a mistake.
If you are unable to pay-off your pension balance at tax filing time and must
make (say) monthly payments, then ensure you make these payments the very first
thing each month, before you’ve depleted your available cash.
6) Cash windfall? Think pension!
Made a big sale? Had a bit of luck? Got some extra cash? Think PENSION!
Remember, deposit into your tax-deferred pension account as SOON as you can,
and if a bit of extra cash comes your way pay off what you “owe” your pension
account.
7) Pay your pension fund in advance whenever possible.
Had a good year? Made some extra money? Already paid the maximum into your
pension account? Then deposit some more! The future is, by definition, murky
and uncertain. That’s why if you can deposit more, you should. Take any extra
funds you can spare and make an early deposit into your pension fund. When a
rainy day comes, you’ll be glad you did!
8) Look but don’t touch!
When that rainy day comes and you need extra cash, you may think longingly
about the funds in your tax-deferred pension account. DON’T!
You must regard your pension funds as sacrosanct, not to be touched until
commanded to do so by the federal regulations governing access and withdrawal.
If you withdraw them now, you will ordinarily pay a hefty penalty. What’s more
you lose the benefits of time… and jeopardize the comfort and security of
your golden years. Find another way to get the funds you need. Don’t dip into
this till.
Conclusion
We all hope to get old, but to get old without security and comfort is to be in
a most unenviable situation. Use your business — and the tax-deferred pension
options provided by government –, to ensure your old age is as ample as you
deserve and desire.
Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc.,
www.worldprofit.com where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit
online. Attend Dr. Lant’s live webcast TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed
visitors to the website of your choice! Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martell

Why your company must have a designated nudge

Why your company must hav
Did you know your company has a open position which
needs to be filled at once? The absence of this person is
costing you money every single day. That’s why
you cannot wait another minute to fill this vital post.
To help understand what this position is all about,
let’s start at the dictionary:
Nudge (nuj) v. nudged, nudging. v. t. To touch or
push gently as with the elbow, in order to attract
attention, convey a meaning, etc. v.i. To give a
nudge. n. The act of nudging; a gentle push as with
the elbow. Norw. nugga, push.
Frankly, I think the original Norwegian (“nugga”) has it
right: push. The nudge is your company’s designated
representative to push employees and associates for
more and faster results.
Why you need a nudge
Let’s face it, you’re human. You try to set goals. You
try to reach them in the time provided. You try to do more
and better, right?
But somehow you fall behind, miss deadlines, bobble
opportunities, trip and crash when you should be sprinting
ahead. Isn’t that about the size of it?
Which is why you need a designated nudge.
In a nutshell the job of the nudge is to
* check progress on existing projects and objectives
* ask how you are getting on with what needs to be done
* remind you what needs to be done and when
it must be done
* offer incentives for achievement
* make it clear what happens when achievement is
not forthcoming
And, in general, spur, motivate, challenge, chide
– and push.
The nudge must be organized, efficient, focused,
indefatigable, with a thick skin
Only a person of the utmost efficiency, clarity and
organization can be a nudge. After all, a nudge who
falters and fails is hardly going to make a success of the
position, much less deliver the benefits you have
every right to expect.
Beyond such skills, the nudge must be a person
who, above all, has a thick skin and who doesn’t take
things personally.
Nudges are often regarded as people butting in where
they are not wanted… perfectionists in an imperfect
world… annoying, interfering, pests; in short not the
most welcome of creatures.
That’s why two things are absolutely necessary for
the successful nudge: a thick skin and immunity for
whatever they say.
The necessity for immunity
A nudge by definition pushes other employees…
and must therefore be protected from the comments
and reactions of all employees.
Consider this typical situation:
Nudge: Mary, as you know your monthly sales figures
are a little off. What are you planning to do to get back
on track?
I guarantee you that Mary is not likely to be very happy
when the nudge drops by with this message. However,
that is the nudge’s job: to get Mary back on track ASAP,
to enable both Mary and the company to achieve their
clearly understood goals.
Mary may well be inclined to respond with a “get
out of here. I am fully capable of handling this matter
myself” comment.
But she cannot and must not.
The nudge’s job is to remind Mary of what needs to be
done, when it needs to be done, what Mary is doing to
achieve the objective, and to give Mary all appropriate
help and directions, right up to and including warnings
and admonitions.
The nudge is constantly in motion and may appear
anywhere, at any time.
By definition, a nudge cannot be a stationary object;
the nudge must constantly be
* connecting with employees
* reviewing their progress
* making suggestions
* focusing employees
* recommending what must be done and
when it must be done.
The nudge must be supremely well organized
and must have a clear daily “to do” list.
This means
* knowing who must be contacted today
* calling and emailing such people (including
follow-up e-mails after all meetings).
* re-focusing employees, tweaking, adjusting,
reminding.
The nudge is a creature in constant motion…
* prodding Joe
* complimenting Neal
* chiding Sally
being clear on what each needs to achieve… and working
with each and all to achieve those objectives.
Start today
There isn’t a company on this earth which wouldn’t
be better off having a designated nudge on staff.
That’s why you must start today.
* Review the nudge candidates you have. Who is
best equipped to contact each and every employee
and representative to improve results?
* The nudge must be in constant communication
with employees AND with management.
* The nudge’s conduct and mode of operation
must be reviewed at regular intervals. Remember
your Lord Acton: “power corrupts. Absolute power
corrupts absolutely.” You must ensure that your
nudge doesn’t develop arrogance and “big head”
problems, which can easily occur without periodic
intervention and oversight.
Review the nudge’s results
A nudge who understands and is good at this
job is a godsend to any company. After all, nudges are
clear on what is likely to deliver better results:
* allowing employees to go their own ways
without regular oversight and reminding, or
* having to report progress (or lack of same)
to a designated representative whose task is
to get people to produce more in a designated
period of time?
Obvious, isn’t it?
And so we come back to the original Norwegian word
“nugga”, meaning push. The nudge is your company’s
secret weapon, who by simply showing up and pushing
and prodding employees will achieve better results day after
day.
Cherish nudges, for they are a source of endless
benefits to you and your organization. Far too many
employees are slow, slothful, disorganized, inefficient.
Apply the magic of the nudge to the solution of these
problems and deficiencies. The results will most
assuredly please you!  a designated nudge
About The Author
Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online through automation. Attend Dr. Lant’s live webcast TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed
visitors to the website of your choice! Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martell http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=kr2fDPDb. Check out Info Cash ->http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=tt5nIAcW

The life and times of Helen Thomas, pioneering reporter, columnist, conscience of the Great Republic

The life and times of Helen Thomas, pioneering reporter, columnist, conscience of the Great Republic


























by Dr. Jeffrey Lant.
Author’s program note. This is an unabashed tribute to a great reporter and trenchant commentator who just happened to be a woman. Other commentators in their obituary notices will focus on the woman angle, but I believe Ms. Thomas would have disapproved of that, for she was a great journalist who just happened to be a woman; the focus always being on her work, not just her sex. And make no mistake about it, she would have been great whether she’d been man, woman, or hermaphrodite. And so this article celebrates the word slinger who made the world a better place with every story she covered, every story she wrote so well.
The sad part is Helen Thomas, brilliant writer of honest prose, would probably never get hired today… and that is part of the reason why we don’t have enough journalists of her undeniable talent educating and informing America and the world today, a situation which ought to alarm all of us.
One photograph tells the story.
Thomas, razor sharp brained, was short, squat, with the physiognomy of a gargoyle and a fashion sense reminiscent of Morgan Memorial and bargain day at Good Will. None of this should matter except the razor sharp brain; sadly today it does with extraneous factors like perfect teeth. coiffed hair, and “Muffy does journalism” overawing the stuff that matters, the stuff that Helen Thomas demonstrated every single day of her long and distinguished career.
Music to accompany this story.
For the music to accompany this article, nothing less than the Franz Waxman score to the1942 classic “Woman of the Year” starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn will do. Find it in any search engine and let it transport you to the great age of Hollywood and the story of Tess Harding (Hepburn), woman and political columnist, columnist first and foremost. I’ve got to believe that Ms. Thomas kept a copy of the DVD in her sock drawer, for Tess’ priorities were hers, though sadly not her gams.
An American story.
Helen Angela Thomas was born in Winchester, Kentucky, to immigrant parents from Tripoli, Syria, now part of Lebanon. She was the seventh of nine children. The family moved to Detroit when she was 4, and she always counted Detroit, once the metropolis of America’s pride, now an urban nightmare awash in debt, as her hometown.
Her father George, she said, could neither read nor write. However he was good with numbers and ran a successful grocery business. Like Margaret Thatcher, whose father was also a small-time grocer, Thomas learned the value of good habits and responsibility while stocking cans of tuna fish and Mac and cheese. They were lessons well learned, grounding, always useful.
Her start in journalism.
Thomas got her start when like so many of us she had a story published in the school newspaper at Detroit’s Eastern High School. After graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit, she made her own luck by moving to Washington, D.C…. She knew she had to be where the action was and that was the surgent capital of the Great Republic, fighting the war that would transform it into the capital of the Free World. Had she but known it, she was in her true home, the right person in the right place at the right time. This is what is meant by destiny.
With most of male America off at war, the possibilities for women burgeoned. As a result, “The Washington Daily News”, a Scripps-Howard newspaper, hired her as a copy girl at age 22, the event Thomas cited as “getting my foot in journalism’s door.” That did not mean writing a single word; it meant making the coffee and doing anything else “what’s-’er-name?” was asked to do. She was young. She was biddable. She was in the most important city on Earth… she made it clear she’d sweep floors, do whatever to get ahead… such people, of course, quickly become indispensable as Thomas most assuredly did. This is how kismet works.
The necessary preparation.
When she wasn’t delivering copy, fetching sandwiches (“Hey, kid, don’t forget the mayo!”) or running yet another errand for the crack reporters who had the renown that comes with your own by-line, she was doing what all reporters and especially all celestial beings called commentators were doing. First, she was reading, because all successful writers read voluminously, omnivorously, with increasingly sure taste about what was worth reading and what most assuredly was not.
She was also writing, as much as she could, burning the midnight oil to produce a paragraph, even a single line that was “good”, not merely “good enough”; a line she could point to with pride, certain that it was a directional signal to the vocation she knew was hers.
And, importantly, she learned the essential business, crucial to her success, of working with editors, delivering the hard, irrefutable copy they demanded; with lordly publishers whose grandiose properties and imperial powers rivalled the Caesars, and with the sources, high and low, who needed to be persuaded, motivated, coaxed to provide the information necessary to the creation of stories that would withstand any criticism or attack, no matter who might make it.
These were the steps for success. These were the steps she mastered bit by bit, day by day, story by story. And so by dint of hard work, constant effort, and total focus on getting the story and getting it right, she became an “overnight success”…. without benefit of lip gloss, false finger nails, or blow-dry hair, every strand in place..
JFK.
On her way up, she got a job at United Press. There she filed the weather forecasts, rewrote stories for UPs radio wire, and filed the Washington city news wire designed as a tip service for other news bureaus and government offices. She was where she wanted to be but, now 40, felt something was missing… And then she met him, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the man who competed with Franklin Pierce (1853-1856) for the title of America’s Sexiest President. And so she became star-struck. It was part of that mystique thing the Kennedys had going for them; you were hooked before you knew it.
She reported his campaign, then the East Wing of the White House, the First Lady’s domain. She was a known entity in Kennedy’s Washington, underestimated only by obdurate misogynists. Helen Thomas had arrived… and when she became the first woman (in 1961) to close a presidential news conference with the traditional “Thank you, Mr. President”, the world knew it.
These were the salad days of Helen Thomas, and she used her wits, sharp elbows, and an approach that always ran perilously close to rudeness and arrogance to get what she needed to be the utter and complete professional of her imagination.
In these felicitous days she could be found walking around the White House press room muttering, “Something’s up, something’s up.” And she was usually right, her seasoned intuition helping her break important stories again and again. Presidents tried to appease her, tried to influence her, tried to ignore her… but our Helen, as American as the Statue of Liberty, stood her ground and asked the tough questions we all wanted to ask until she got the answers we needed. Oh, yes, she was “our” Helen, well and truly.
In the process awards, honors, accolades and compliments rained upon her, but the one she cherished most of all was her appointment by Hearst Newspapers in 2000 as a columnist. She now numbered amongst the stars of journalism’s firmament. God save the Queen! But God moves in mysterious ways…
Chute de l’empire!
As French Emperor Napoleon III passed into exile in 1870, prisoner of the victorious German army, he saw a newsboy hawking papers, shouting “Chute de l’empire, fuite de l’imperatrice” (“Fall of the empire, flight of the Empress”. ) These words could have as easily applied to Helen Thomas, for a handful of hasty, ill-chosen words brought an abrupt and painful conclusion to her hitherto always upward trajectory. Here’s what happened…
In an impromptu 2010 interview, the cameraman — a rabbi — asked her for career advice for two teens accompanying him. “Go for it. You’ll never be unhappy. You’ll always keep people informed and you’ll always keep learning. The greatest thing of the profession, never stop learning.” She was about to demonstrate that this advice applied to her, as much as any adolescent.
Had she quit there, all would have been well… but the rabbi asked one more question, and she, fatally, answered it.
“Any comments on Israel?”
“Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember these people are occupied. It’s their land.”
When the rabbi asked where they should go, Ms. Thomas added: “They can go home — Poland, Germany… and America and everywhere else. Why push people out who have lived there for centuries? I’m of Arab background.”
The reaction was swift, cruel, punishing. The Arab-Israeli conflict claimed another, unlikely victim. She apologized at once, but it was too late. Her publicity agent quit; so did her coauthor. Within hours, her carefully crafted reputation was destroyed. The fierce advocate of peace and good will died that day as the many whom she had injured exulted…. what goes around, comes around. She could have fought back… the old Helen Thomas would. But her resignation was a class-act proving that her standards were high and daunting, not just so much self-serving verbiage.
Now Helen Thomas is dead, and it is not too much to say the last great epoch of American journalism is dead, too, the Internet and its complete lack of scruples and standards pounding the last nail into the coffin. The Great Republic and all its high potentates she challenged were the better for her and the words she wielded with such mastery and joy. But now she is gone… her life’s work truly over… and we survivors must live with the results… sordid, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, scarcely second-rate… and so very, very sad for all of us, above all for the Great Republic she served so well.
About the Author
Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is the author of dozens of print publications, several ebooks, and over one thousand online articles on a variety of topics. Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martellhttp://HomeProfitCoach.com/. Check out Info Cash ->http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=tt5nIAcW

Improve Your Internet Marketing Plan

Do you find your site is getting promoted enough? Would you like to learn how to promote your site through internet marketing? If you are ready, then you have come to the right place. The tips that are listed below contain advice on what you can do to create a great internet marketing plan.
There are countless ways to abuse the trust of your customers when running an online business, so be sure that you’re always out in front of every issue your market has. If someone doesn’t like the product, handle the problem before it spreads like wildfire and ultimately causes your efforts to collapse like a house of cards.
Make sure you keep a close eye on what advertising campaigns are making you money and which ones are not. It is a waste of money to continue to pour money into multiple campaigns when the reality is that some of them are not bringing you any results at all.
To direct your audience to the products you want to sell, create a page with links and resources. Some of these resources can be free, and some links can send your audience to a description of the product that can help them. The goal is to have your audience think of the product as something that they need.
Consider advertising your website on Facebook. Facebook advertising is extremely targeted and relatively inexpensive. One ad campaign on Facebook can dramatically increase the number of people that visit your website and place orders for your products or services. Additionally, Facebook ads generate automatic testimonials when users click on “Likes your Page.”
When you are designing your website to market your business, aim for a simple, non-cluttered layout, with clear navigation. Customers will not spend a lot of time navigating through a website that has a cluttered layout and confusing navigation. If a potential customer cannot find what he needs within the first few clicks, he will leave and go to a competitor. A poorly designed website can lose a lot of business.
Be sure to set up a separate email for each project that you undertake or at least split the emails in your master email. This will help you to keep on top of each project and not let anything slip through. This can also help you to keep track of your internet marketing projects.
Use already established site map services. For example, some of the best on the web are current search engines, like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Not only are they invaluable in organizing and providing server and website data, it will also get your sites on their search engine index faster.
Make the most out of sub-headlines. Sub-headlines on your website capture the attention of your visitors and can prolong the duration of their visits. Lots of people don’t have the time or patience to read an entire sales letter. Sub-headlines let the skimmers know exactly where the information that they are seeking is on your site.
If you are able to purchase directly from your site, send a thank you to the customer after the transaction has been completed and goods have been delivered. This will show your gratitude towards them for investing their money with you, and can yield to future purchases given the appreciation that you communicated.
If you are constantly being active on the internet, you can make your website more visible. There are blogs, newsletters, articles and forums available for you to get your website out into the world wide web. The more places you refer back to your site, the more visible you are to your audience.
Share your website with close friends and family to help get the word out on your company. The people that love you the most and trust you the most are the best to spread a positive word, as they will promote the brand as credible and trustworthy. Your loved ones will help increase your bottom line in a great way.
After reading through this article you ought to be a bit excited to start experimenting with a new marketing plan. Hopefully, this new plan yields results that work for you. If not, try something else until you are pleased with the results. That’s the best part about internet marketing; it is customizable.
Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com/associates . Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter. Check out Info Cash -> http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=tt5nIAcW

5 Essentials every online marketer must know. If you are a new Affiliate Marketer read this!

So you want to make some extra money online by being an Affiliate Marketer. Affiliate marketing is fun and you’ve got lots of choices for what you can promote PLUS lots of places to advertise at no cost or low cost. I don’t have to even tell you what to market, you have so many choices. Companies want people to become an Affiliate and market their product online and pay you a commission for doing so. A great gig for anyone who wants to work from home.
Amazon may be one of the largest companies familiar to you that offers an Affiliate program. Clickbank is another very familiar name, allowing you to promote thousands of digital products and earn a commission for your efforts. It’s free to get started so you can sign up for a free account and learn more about how affiliate marketing works without making an investment.
If you are new to online marketing, here are five essentials you need to know so you can maximize what you earn as an Affiliate.
1. For those serious about building an online business and who want to market a number of programs, product, services or opportunities, you will want to start with a home base for your activities. The best way to do this is by booking your own domain name. This will cost you as little as $10 a year and establishes a permanent, reputable home for your business. If you are doing affiliate marketing on the side from your full time occupation (like so many do), it will also help your activities separate. Having your own domain name makes you and your business look more solid, accountable and professional. Your domain name can be your name, a business name, a catch-all name for your online activities that includes a few key words. You can book a domain name with any domain registrar, do a search at Google or Bing to find an option that works best for you.
2. In my role as a consultant to small and home business owners, I also recommend a system for organizing your business. A pen and paper will work initially. Over time you will come to recognize that as an online marketer time, and the saving of time, is critical to being able to market often and efficiently. You see, most websites that offer advertising require you to sign up for Membership account, and that means multiple user name and passwords at what could eventually be dozens and dozens of sites. So I recommend, a Password Manager program called Roboform. As your online business grows and you start to lose your sanity keeping track of all your user names and passwords you will come to realize the incredible organization value of a program like Roboform. It will make your logins or form filling, much faster and that means less time trying to recall or find passwords and more time for doing what makes you money – promotion.
3. If you are new to online marketing you need to understand that it is not enough to promote. You need a reliable method for tracking your ad results. In other words, if you post an ad, you want to know how many clicks you got on your ad. If you don’t know what kind of hit rate you are getting you have no idea of the effectiveness of your ad, or the advertising source. These programs that allow you to do this are called Ad Tracker Software or Ad Analysis software. Most are free or very low cost. You can get started with a free Webmaster Tools account from Google. Some of the companies you advertise with may also offer you an ad tracking tool within their member area
4. I talk to many new online marketers, and they will tell me they have some amazing product that will sell itself it is so good. This is absolute nonsense. ALL products, no matter how good they are, need to be promoted to sell. If you want to make online sales you need to promote constantly. Understand that PROMOTION is what drives sales – it is so important that 80 – 90% of your time in building your online business should be devoted to promotion. I don’t mean surfing, researching, or face booking and tweeting with your friends. I mean time spent actually posting ads online at classified ad sites, forums, blogs, safelists, traffic exchanges, pay per click, joint ventures, ad swaps, and email marketing. If you want to make money online as an affiliate marketer know that constant, consistent promotion is critical. Some see this as a very boring part of being an online marketer, get over it, promotion is what you have to do to earn money.
5. Don’t do this alone. Affiliate marketing can be very frustrating if you don’t know what you are doing and not seeing any results for your efforts. If you are determined to make money online, then invest in yourself, take a course, download eBooks, participate in a webinar, find a coach, training program or otherwise so you can learn the best methods. My company offers online training, software, advertising and resources for people who want to learn how to earn at home. Get a free Associate membership and get on your way to learning what works so you can join the growing ranks of people working from home and benefiting from affiliate marketing.
About the Author
Sandi Hunter has been an online marketer for nearly 20 years. Sandi and her team at Worldprofit Inc., provide a wide range of online services for small and-home based businesses. Services include home business training, affiliate marketing training, earn-at-home programs, traffic tools, advertising, webcasting, hosting, design, WordPress Blogs and more. Find out why Worldprofit is considered the # 1 online Home Business Training program by getting a free Associate (Affiliate) Membership today. Be sure to ask for a free copy of Sandi’s new book, “Internet Marketing for NEWBIES: The definitive guide to promoting your product or service online – get it here.” Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martellhttp://HomeProfitCoach.com/associates . Check out Info Cash ->http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=tt5nIAcW

So you think Social Networking Sites are a Waste of Time? Rethink this or lose out.

So you think Social Networking Sites are a Waste of Time? Think again, Google’s new Indexing System says different, site owners take note.
If you have been one of the nay-sayers about Social Networking sites like FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, and YouTube you may want to rethink this belief. If you have been saying, “I just don’t get it.” It’s time to “get it” especially if you want to exploit this for the good of your online business.
First, you need to know that Google is now indexing Social Networking content including video, images and blogs right alongside with webpages. What this means for you is this. If you don’t use these sites to promote your business you are missing out on a lot of free promotion for your business and opportunity to get better indexed at search engines. The more content you have online about your business, products and services, the better indexed your site will be. This means your customers and prospects will be more easily able to find what you have to offer at your site. The more links TO your site (called backlinks), the more popular your site is viewed by search engines, especially if those links come from what are deemed as high-profile (authority ) sites.
Here is what you need to know to capitalize on all this free promotion for your business (essentially this is Search Engine Optimization Strategy whether you know it or not).
Getting good returns from Social Search Results means:
1. If you don’t have a Google account get one. Make sure you have all of your important links on your Google Profile. 2. Do make as many connections as possible on the most popular social networking sites especially the ones that attract your market. 3. Encourage customers to follow you via social networks. Include your Twitter address, FaceBook address etc on your site and your marketing materials. 4. Participate in social media so people will engage with you. This starts with getting a free account for your business on the popular social sites. 5. Encourage sharing of content (there are plenty available social media buttons) Example: Flicker, Digg, etc, 6. Always include social network information on business cards, signs and so forth. Get the word out in as many places as you can. 7. Be sure to include as much social network information as you can in your online promotions 8. Everywhere you network include a link BACK to your website – this is CRITICAL.
Remember when doing searches, social results will always be clearly marked as such on Google’s SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). The returns will be accompanied by a heading “Results from your social circle”. For traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO), it is just one more thing to compete with as far as website property. That’s why social networking is a much more of an important part of search than ever. Get on board now, Google will be announcing more changes to their new indexing system, so make the most of this information now.
Sandi Hunter, is the Director of Website Development at Worldprofit Inc., and an IT Consultant for small and home business owners. Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martell http://HomeProfitCoach.com/associates . Check out Shoe-In Money -> http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=ul7z48tV

Top 5 Mistakes made by Online Marketers. Don’t make these mistakes and sabotage your promotional efforts

Today I am tackling one of the BIGGEST problems faced by new online marketers. The problem is this, the inability to market effectively. This causes so many marketers incredible frustration! The result, they throw up their hands in despair and quit long before they see any results.
This is what I hear from people day after day in my role as an online Home Business Consultant. “I am posting, and promoting but not getting any leads or sales! Help me!” If this is you, keep reading, I am going to tell you what you need to know about marketing.
It is true that you can be promoting every day but if you are making one or all of the 5 common mistakes I’ve outlined here, you won’t get the results you want. Take note, this is important stuff if you are really serious about making money online.
1. The first mistake made by new online marketers is this:
Not knowing WHAT to market.
I talk to people daily, nice people who want to sell something online and earn some extra money. They sign up or this and for that, they get Affiliate Memberships all over the web hoping to get better results by being involved in everything they can get their hands on. There intentions are good, they are motivated but they stumble right off the bat by not knowing what to market.
Here’s a quick guide for you on WHAT to Market: -Pick products to market that are DIGITAL. Digital products are those that can be bought and sold instantly online. You get your commission sooner, the buyer gets their product instantly! It’s no-fuss no-muss and the best way to start your web marketing experience and see some results. -In most cases there is no cost to be a product Reseller or Affiliate – hurray! -Pick Reseller products from a reputable long-standing company that specializes in helping vendors connect with affiliates to sell products online -Pick products or affiliate programs that provide advertising copy, banners, and sales aids along with referral links so you can easily promote the products -Pick products that catch YOUR EYE! Newest releases, products with catchy names, trendy topics, those with positive buyer feedback, and return guarantees are best! -Look for Joint Venture releases so you can be one of the first to promote the products when first released for sale Finally, FOCUS! Keep your eye on the prize – profits – don’t spread yourself too thin. Narrow your efforts to a few products and put 100% effort into your campaign.
2. The second most common mistake made by new online marketers is this:
Not knowing HOW to market.
I am always surprised at the answer people give me when I ask how they are marketing online. They look at me perhaps thinking what a ridiculous question that is! They tell me they are sending out their website address. When I look at their website I see a site that is oh so boring! It reads like a brochure with company history, and a few pages of fluffy copy. Yes, of course it is important to promote your website address BUT if you wish to capture leads you must do this – get the prospects contact information!
Getting the contact information from a prospect is often very difficult to do with a standard corporate site. The answer to this problem is to create what are called LANDING pages, or Squeeze pages. These are single page sites that have one purpose and one purpose only – get you a LEAD – and better yet lead to a sale! Some companies provide Landing Pages for you when you become a Reseller for their products. Landing pages help you build your marketing list. Every person may not be a buyer today, but on your mailing list they may enjoy future products you offer. Offering an option to join your mailing directly on your Landing Page gives people 100% control over opting in to your mailing list or not. You build your list while ensuring that people have voluntarily joined your mailing list.
Here’s a quick guide to creating responsive landing pages:
-They should be FAST Loading! Skip any animation, video or annoying distraction that just makes people click OFF! -Use images that are colorful, directive, and related to the theme of your product -Your copy MUST be short, punchy, laden with benefits – speak directly to the reader -Your copy should tell readers what they get if they ACT now! Limit the offer, even better! -Capture the contact information of the reader so you can deliver what they asked for -The more goodies, freebies, offers, and cool stuff you can give people the BETTER the response! -Always include an option for people to join your mailing list and give them GREAT reasons to want to do so!
Unlike a website, a landing page should be EXCITING, BENEFIT-LADEN and accomplish this:
Look reader! You get this! Do this to get it! Do it NOW and also get this BONUS!
3. Here is the third most common mistake I see new marketers making:
Not KNOWING WHERE to Market
Marketing is NOT simple but if you know what you are doing it can be. The key is to find the sites, the niches where you can target your market. Market to the right people instead of the masses with solid products and you will get instantly better results.
Here’s a quick guide to knowing WHERE to market:
-Do a Google search to find sites related to what you are promoting, then target those sites for your marketing campaigns -Use every available niche market you can find and post there, this includes Forums, Classified Ad Sites, Banner Exchanges, Twitter and Social Networking and Bookmarking sites. -Do not discount FREE and low cost advertising options like Safelists, and Traffic Exchanges. These are excellent ways to target a specific market -You do NOT have to spend ridiculous amounts of money on advertising. Find the sites where your target market exists, then place low cost ads including safelist posts, banners, and classified ads. Don’t even think about buying pay-per-click ads at sites like Google unless you have deep pockets and know what you are doing. -Learn what backlinks are and why they are SO VERY important to generating traffic and achieving better search engine indexing for your site, products or business. -If any of the terms above are foreign to you, you have some homework to do, I have included some resources below.
4. Are you ready for the fourth and perhaps most fatal mistake made by new online marketers?
Not knowing how to TRACK your promotional campaigns
If you are going to spend time and money to promote a product or service you MUST, you absolutely MUST know where you are getting your results. Ad Tracking is a 100% requirement! If you are not tracking your ads, and the clicks you get and from where, you are promoting blindly. What happens when you don’t watch what you are doing? You can fall in a hole! Online this can be a hole where you fall in and throw your money into wasted ad campaigns. I’ve seen more people allow paid advertising to eat up their entire budget than I want to think about. Smart marketers that get results know exactly the ad campaigns that get results, and the sources they came from.
Get an Ad Tracker Tool. Some advertising sites provide you with data on number of clicks to your ads, or impressions. This is important, just be sure you understand what those terms mean. A click is usually far more powerful for you then a “view”. You want ACTIVE respondents, real people actually clicking on your ad to see it. This is much different than an “exposure” or a “view” with the latter being considered passive and very weak marketing, often provided free. For best results you will ALWAYS get better results from paid advertising than from free advertising but don’t discount free promotion, it is a good way to earn advertising credits if you have a small advertising budget. If you buy advertising be SURE you get some kind of way to validate the promotion, the click rate, and actual IP addresses of unique respondents to ensure the hits are legitimate and not computer generated. Make sure your respondents will be geographically specific too, from countries that you wish to target. For example, Canada or the USA. If you have your own domain you are fortunate, as you can benefit from an Ad Tracking tool that tracks all your promotional activities and traced to your website domain address.
5. The fifth common mistake I see online marketers making is very straight-forward.
Not being realistic or giving it enough consistent time and effort to see results.
I know we live in an instant gratification world but if you are new to online marketing you will need to be more realistic. Promotion takes a lot of CONSISTENT effort using a number of strategies at a number or web sites. By tracking your ads you can see instantly where your efforts are being productive. Be prepared to try various copy, be cognizant that some products will sell better than others, some advertising resources will deliver better than others. Vary your offers, change up your products as needed, update landing pages, post to a number of sites and track the results. Take some time to learn about some of the terms used in this article. Be honest with yourself about what you are doing. Are you serious about earning money online or are you doing this as a hobby? Your level of hunger and ambition to succeed will be your motivator. The good news is that once you have built your mailing list, and found niche sites and advertising resources that work, your job to promote gets easier but NEVER goes away.
Sandi Hunter is the Director of Website Development at Worldprofit Inc., a company specializing in hosting, online tools, training, ad tracking, and marketing resources for small and home business. Established modestly in 1994 off a kitchen table, today Worldprofit is known as the Home Business Experts and the number one resource for all things related to home business. Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martellhttp://HomeProfitCoach.com/associates . Check out Info Cash ->http://www.HomeProfitCoach.com/?rd=tt5nIAcW