"There are no secrets to success: Don't waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence." General Colin Powell
Gee! Wish I'd have said that... Let me ask you a question. When is the last time you sat at your computer, admired your web site, and spent one (1) hour promoting it to your customers and potential customers?
What! Three or four days ago!
Well, have I got good news for you...
I am going to show you: HOW TO GET STARTED TO SUCCESS!
1. Plan a strategy that fits into your busy schedule to effectively promote your business web site locally, national, then worldwide.
I will do this by explaining how I started my online biz and how I implemented the tools to have a successful web site business. I knew nothing about the Internet. I worked with computers for years while being employed with different companies. Then, one day, in 1997, a friend of mine, (none other than our own Swami Bob) introduced me to the Internet and I was hooked. I loved it! Still do...
I now had a love-affair with the www. It captured my senses. Endless hours of surfing, reading, joining programs, building sites, submitting to all kinds of e-zines, going to unknown places by search engine, I half believed the hype of instant, big, money to be made 7 days a week for way too many hours a day and night. At some point I decided I'd give the money making thing a try. I searched for what I thought was the best program with an affiliate program so I could make money from others I got to join under me (so this is MLM). Oh, this was going to be great! Wrong!!
Never made a dime with that program (this FREE program ended up costing me $95). I did, however, learn a lot about what NOT to do when wanting to make money on the net. I learned, by excellent articles written by persons I could check out, the way to do it right! This was after 2 years of determined ignorance (well, I had to go through that phase) and I was just as determined to get it right.
At this point I had 15 email addys (addresses) receiving an average of 150 emails each daily, 35 affiliate web sites, 40 e-zines, paid for 5 promotion sites of my own, reams of printed out information (yes, I read them), and one horrendous headache! Was I into this or WHAT!! OK, Ms. Organized, I said one day, this is it, LET'S GET IT RIGHT...
2. Implement that plan in 7 to 10 days (or 90). Here's what I did:
1. Bought my own domain name (took just hours to come up with a killer name)
2. Found a good web host and paid to put my site on there server.
3. Learned HTML (for me, sort of like learning calculus) and built a web site.
4. Studied the search engine info and submitted my URL to them, one-by-one!
5. Reworked my web site, again and again and yet again...
6. Planned (actually wrote and printed it out) an advertising and promotion strategy.
7. Found an autoresponder email system and set up what my customers would receive when they responded to my promotions.
8. Placed my ads in all the free e-zines, submission sites, ffa (free for all) sites, and blasted from my own promo sites (some of which I paid for)
9. Watched the counter by the hour!
10. Ordered business cards, made fliers, and told all my friends and relatives!
I was excited. By the 7th day, I had 12 hits to my very own web site! This was good. On the 14th day, I wanted more so I checked Yahoo!, AltaVista, Google, and more for my position. ZIP - 0!
Well, I had to accept the fact that it would take up to six months, right? Promotion became a passion. Soon, I was eating a prepared lunch at my computer. Bedtime was a thing of the past. I was, myself, hyped.
I learned more in 2 years, on my own, than I ever imagined. My kids said I talked a foreign language (zip drives, meta tags, ftp files, google, ram, digital images, protocol, and on and on). I love this stuff!! I find great pleasure in wading through the vast and ever changing communication vehicle we call the '21st Century Goldmine' and then, teaching others about my treasures.
On the 34th day, I had 52 hits and made my 1st sale. Oh boy, no stopping me now! I updated my site, e-mailed my precious customer, enhanced my online services, and was one happy camper (at the computer). I was still promoting my other programs, e-mailing everyone that would listen and answer my tons of questions, and I watched the counter!
I found that with a planned, determined, strategy, I was winning the war against my negative side (the one that says, 'ENOUGH OF THIS @#&!'). My plan was working. That all happened within 2 months.
3. I'll give you one month - See results from your efforts within three months (up to six months if you aren't diligent, persistent, stubborn, and determined).
When will that first sale come? There are many factors here. It stands to reason that someone that has a very unique or one-of-a-kind product or service will get hits and sales more quickly than someone that sells what everyone else is selling.
Remember that your web site IS an ADVERTISEMENT! So, no matter what you sell, find something unique to use as a leader. Build it up and sell it cheap! Get them 'in the door.' Target your promotions to the demographics of your customers. Do your homework.
ADVERTISE your web site. PROMOTE!! Find out what it is that frustrates you and solve that problem. You do it every day in your real time business. Do it in your virtual business. Combine the two into one awesome business, and you will be in the 21st century, www CyberWorld. ____________________________________________________ Copyright 2001 Bobbette Madonna is the Publisher/Editor of LOGON NewZine and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of ShopMyState.com LOGON is published in text and HTML every Monday and is dedicated to the marketing and promotion of our customers' and clients' web site business within our system. Visit LOGON: http://shopmystate.com/logon email Bobbette at: mailto:logon@shopmystate.com
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