New Year, New Traffic

We're on the eve of a whole new year and that means a whole lot more traffic... if you resolve to take advantage of it. The neat thing about the new year is that it comes on the heels of of the holiday gift-giving extravaganza. And it's also one of the hottest times of the year for buying snapping up purchases for yourself. Did you watch the news on boxing day to see the line ups outside Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and the countless other electronic superstores? All those folks were not just buying plasma televisions, they were also buying computers. And that's where the gold mine is for anyone running their own on-line business. All those new computers will be cranked up and tested out. All those folks will be using the latest gadgets to surf the net and see what's new and exciting. Statistics show that all those new computers will be used for more hours during the first month than during the following 4 months combined. As an on-line marketer, you need to take advantage of that bubble of interest to make sure your message gets in front of those people. Now is the time to increase your monthly ad spending, to pump out those e-mail blasts and increase your Google bid rates to make sure you get noticed. It may take a little time and effort at just the time you'd rather be partying with the rest of the world, but if you do it now, you just might make enough

Sleepy Head

Yet again, I feel as if I'm talking in my sleep. How long will it be before I wake up from the long nightmare of having to suffer through excessively long e-mail blast messages? What are you people thinking? It's no secret that we join the mail blasters to help each other build traffic. While I will faithfully open e-mails and click the links to your web site, I don't have any real intention of buying. Of course, some sites are irresistible and that's also an important aspect of the system - a bonus sale or sign up never hurts. But let me remind you of one small point - the web site sells.... NOT your e-mail message. So stop wasting my time - and everyone else's time trying to sell me on all the wonderful benefits of whatever you're selling in a six page e-mail. It just won't work. Keep your blasting message short and to the point and include a link as close to the top as possible. I never read the message, all I do is look for the link. And I'll bet that 99% of the folks who are receiving your blast are doing the same. Make it easy for us PLEASE! I get so many messages that I can't help you if you don't help me. In fact, I've stopped clicking links unless I can find them without scrolling. So put your link up front and you'll get my support. And the support of a lot more people, too! Which builds your traffic - and that's what it's all about. As Sean Connery once said in a great gangster movie - "here endeth the lesson".

Back in the saddle!

Sorry for not being here and posting for a while. We've been away on vacation, and you know how that is. But I'm back in the saddle now and will try to post again more regularly. I've lots of news about the Pre-Launch experiment and other interesting things that I've come across while I've been away. Keep watching! And in the meantime, drop me a line and let me know if I've missed anything exciting!

Last Chance

So here we are at the final hour. The final deadline for signing up as a founding member in the Global Wealth Offshore Club is May 18. For those who have been following along with my experiment with this pre-launch project will know that the deadlines have been a little fluid in the past, but there seems to be a big push on this time around. I suspect that now the money is coming in, this one will definitely hold. We'll see what happens tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been make a last minute myself trying to get people to sign up. And it's working - a big hello and welcome to my latest team members, Terry, Andrew, Ricky, Linda and John. I hope you've all had a chance to look through the backroom info and like what you see. Once the sign-up cut off takes effect, those who have joined will have another week to submit their registration forms for "founding" membership. These members will receive bonus commissions not available to new members once the public launch takes place. Although I'm still waiting for confirmation on my own membership, I've seen a lot of positive feedback about the "members" section of the web site. I'll let you know more when I see it!

Waiting patiently...

Still waiting for confirmation on my membership application for the Global Wealth club. The registration process is turning out to be a much larger pain in the butt than most people expected. And I suspect that will cause great difficulties down the road as we try to roll this out and recruit new members. Once the thing is officially launched, I hope the powers that be find a way to stream line this process. Hopefully our experience will serve to iron out the bugs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to see how it goes. After all, that's what this experiment is all about. And in the meantime... I've got three new members to welcome. A big hello to James, Houdini, and Lawrence. Glad to have you on the team. For more info about this opportunity, click here.

Affiliate Marketing – The Easy Way to Make Money Online

If you don't have the smarts to create your own "how to manual" or the resources to sell you own great invention, then the next best thing is affiliate marketing. Actually, it's better than the next best thing, because it doesn't cost you anything. There are already hundreds of successful opportunities available – all you need to do is tap into that proven success.

Affiliate Marketing benefits both parties because it brings together a product developer with a product marketer (that’s you). The developer benefits because there is greater exposure for the product and this in turn provides more customers. The marketer saves on the time, effort and money required to develop a successful product, but allows them to make money by selling it. In other words, Affiliate Marketing is the online version of being a sales rep working on commission.

The secret to success is to find a good market segment and then build a web site with multiple affiliates. In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. What about a web site that promotes student loan providers? It’s a big business and there are all kinds of businesses who will (and do) pay handsomely to find new clients. You could build a site that provides some basic information about how to get a loan and then provide links to a number of recommended lenders. Each of those lenders, of course, are your affiliates and they pay you for each referral.

There are many great ideas and lots of affiliate opportunities out there. There are also a number of affiliate networks where you can go to find companies looking to partner with you. The first place to stop is ClickBank which is a popular clearing house for many online products and services. For wholesale products another good place to start is Sale Hoo. Both these sites offer user friendly systems and easy start up.

Whistling my way to the bank

Well, here I go. I'm off to the bank soon to take care of sending my membership payment for the GWBOPC. Faithful readers will know that I've been tracking my activity here on the blog to provide some insight into how a "pre-launch" program works. Take a look back at some of the previous postings listed under the label "pre-launch" for more details. Take a look at the program here. Here's where I stand. During the pre-pre-launch phase, I did some promotion to build a downline and managed to sign up 31 members. Thank you everyone and welcome to my latest team members - Ralph, Robyn, Michele and Lawrence! It's going to be fun, so keep watching.

Ideas Sell

The single greatest thing to sell on the internet is information. People are always seeking advice and expertise from reliable sources on just about everything. All you need to do is give it to them – at a price, of course. Best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything to create except your time.

If you’ve been looking for opportunities online, you’ll probably have noticed by now that a lot of what the Guru’s are selling are information products – the good old fashioned “how to manual”. Why? Because people want simple and quick answers without having to think too hard on their own. There are millions of people out there willing to pay for advice on everything from how to renovate a bathroom to how to quit smoking, to how to be a better lover, to how to make money with an online business. It’s easy to give them the answers, even if you don’t have them yourself.

My own advice web site is a perfect example. It has been created by taking the best information available from a wide range of sources. Then I applied my own real life experience. It’s really that simple.

Not sure you can do it yourself? Try some of the products and services available to help you out. There's a long list of service and product providers over on the right side of this blog. Or try doing an online search for authors who are more than willing to sell you rights to re-sell their work. Your own product doesn’t have to be long and it doesn’t have to be perfect – just make sure you’re not stealing somebody else’s work!

Always Read the Fine Print

Deborah over at the Momma Blog is always full of great advice. This time she shares a little nugget in the middle of a story about tyring to make a buck by signing up for online surveys. Her story, in full, can be found here. She tells us about her not so successful experience and advises, quite rightly, to always read the fine print before signing up for any venture. The folks out there tyring to sell you on their service are trying to make a buck themselves and are very
very clever at taping into our motivations. So beware, but don't be afraid to try. There are all kinds of ways to make money online, but you're better off doing your own thing than trying to buy your way into a "sure thing" that gets bogged down in that little tiny print. Follow your common sense, not a common promise!

An Update Gift for You - shhhhh.

Just wanted to let everyone know I've made a few more updates over at the main web site to include a special link page for finding online resources and information. It's tucked away, though, so most people won't find it. Use the link at the bottom of the page. It's my little gift to you as a loyal reader of this blog. Thanks.

I've also done a little more renovation work here on the blog. I've added a directory over on the right with links to some of the best resources and services listed on the web site. Check them out if you're in the market.

A delay is the good news.

Our pre-launch experiment was supposed to wrap up on Sunday the 15th with the official public pre-launch. But there have been a couple delays that have pushed that date back to the 18th. At least that's the story. Let's see what happens. In the meantime welcome to John and Barry who joined my team in the last minute rush before the first deadline. All that's the good news. The bad news is that our masters have revealed how the membership registration will work and it isn't a simple matter. It involves actually sending a hard copy registration form and subscription payment. I understand that part of the attraction of the "club" is to get registered and protect your income "offshore", and this process will facilitate that. On the other hand, I strongly fear that with a difficult process for signing on, our ability as affiliates to recruit new members may be hampered. It will be a bit tougher to convince people to sign up and that means it's tougher for us to benefit from the program. On the other hand, if we promote this to the right audience, then the HUGE benefits of the club will certainly outweigh these minor problems. As always, you can check out more about the project here.

Just a few days left

Just wanted to say welcome to a few more new members of my team. The pre-launch is going well. Check out the details here. Hello to James, Peter, Jackie and Bruton. I can't wait to see how things turn out in the next few days. Got a big message from the top dogs today and need some time to go through it. It's supposed to tell us how the whole membership thing will work. When I absorb it all, I'll report back.

Linking for Ranking

When trying to improve your site ranking on the search engines, links to your site are extremely important. They provide direct opportunities for potential visitors in a wide range of locations. Think of them as advertisements or billboards that lead people to your site. Links come in a number of formats but all have one thing in common – they connect directly to your site or to a page within your site.

When you’re just starting out, it can be difficult to get quality links pointing to your site. To get around this problem there are services available to help generate those links. There are a number of good link exchanges and networks that allow you to trade links with other site owners. And, if you have the resources, you can pay for links on other sites. If you go the exchange route, try to find a quality network that will give you some flexibility to pick and choose your link hosts.

Some sites specialize in providing link exchanges for money. While this sites are good for building link exposure for the search engines, they won’t do much for driving traffic to your site because they often bury the links in parts of the site their own customers won’t see. If you want to increase traffic, choose only those sites where the links are going to show up on the main site, or on main sub-pages. The same rule applies to your own placement of links on your site. Be careful that links don’t clutter your own message. Consider where they will go to maximize your income potential, while not making your site look like a flea market.

One of the best is Text Links Ads. It's a fantastic service that provides one way links offered by other web site owners. The ability to review before posting link ads ensures your links are posted on relevant and compatible sites, not buried out of the way. With a huge inventory of sites to chose from you can also pick what's best for your own promotional plan and budget. Worth the investment. Oh, and did I mention the free $100 advertising bonus when you sign up? What a deal!

The Countdown Begins

Welcome to a few more new friends on the pre-launch journey. To Fabrizio, Ephraim and Sharon - I'm glad to have you on board. As I mentioned before, the looming deadline is fast approaching. As of today, we're just 5 days away from the pre-launch pre-registration cut off. There's lots of activity happening and the buzz is growing. I've noticed a marked increase in the number of folks promoting the program and a lot more interest throughout the grapevines. Everyone is waiting to see what will happen next. We're being told that sign ups are happening all over the world at a quick pace - which is the key to filling out the matrix for each member and ensuring they have an opportunity to cash in on the program. Keep watching, folks... the next few days will be interesting, indeed!

An Imposing Date

The pre-launch promotion has a sign up deadline of April 15. I assume that now we're into April, that date looks more imposing and urgent. In the last few days, seven new members have joined my team. That's a pretty impressive figure by my reckoning. I haven't done anything new except to highlight the deadline a little more prominently in my ads and mail blasts, so the only explanation I have is that the deadline is helping with the pitch. That very concept is one of the things every online marketing pitch needs to have - urgency. Read about that on my main web site in the "secrets revealed" section in Lesson 4. And to my new team members - Joe, Linda, Jagadeesh, Andrew, Ganesh, Ray and Viviana - welcome. I'm looking forward to being in touch with you all more soon.

Site Promotion is Vital to Success

When you're trying to make a living through an online business, promotion is an life or death proposition. Your first stop should be listing on search directories. Few start up businesses – especially those being run from home part time – have the resources to advertise in traditional print, television or radio media. So how do you get your web site in front of people who are looking for your product or service? The simple most effective way is to make sure your site is listed in the on-line directories. Think of them as the phone book yellow pages of the internet. You’ll have to put in a little effort to find the right directories, but once you find them it’s usually a simple process to get listed.

Start with the big ones like Yahoo, MSN and Google. These are the major players in the search engine business, so you want to make sure you show up there as soon as possible. Then use those same services to do a search for other directories and start adding your site in as many places as you can. Don’t forget the tips outlined in Lesson Four and Lesson Five about relevancy! It won’t do you much good if you’re selling shoes and your site is listed on a directory of magicians.

Being listed in a lot of directories can increase search rankings for your site, but you need to be choosy about where you list your site. Try to find quality directories that are relevant to your own site. Most of the better directories are free, some offer premium placing for a fee or charge for “immediate” listings. Depending on your needs, these services can be a big value to your business. There are also sites that only list for a fee and other services that will provide automatic listings to a network of directories. Some of these are worth the investment, but be sure you know what you’re getting before spending your money.

For more on this topic and other tips on building your online business read this.

Friends and Tools

Here's the latest update on the pre-launch experiment. The "masters" have added another section to the backroom members site that includes more tools, resources and web promotional stuff to help promote the program. Some of it is really great. You really have to see the "Kiss Me" promo... it's a gas! And I've attracted three new members to my team. Welcome to Ray, Jagadeesh and Joe. As our team grows, so does our prospects for future success. On the other hand I've noticed a marked increase in the number of other people promoting the program in a variety of channels. I've upped my efforts and that seems to have had a pretty positive effect. But I worry that the market is starting to saturate. On the other hand, with the deadline for phase one registration is fast approaching, it will be interesting to see if more people take the bait and jump on board. Keep reading to find out.

Hot Reads

Since I've been doing a little travelling lately, I've managed to spend time catching up with my reading. I've dug up some hot new releases that should be a part of every business person's "off line resources" shelf. You can get details over on my main web site, which I've just updated with these finds.

The first is Donald Trump's latest called "Why We Want You to be Rich: Two Men - One Message" and was co-authored with Robert Kiyosaki. Trump is, well, Trump. Kiyosaki is famous for penning the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" books. According to the Publisher's Weekly review "[These] Money-bags know their business. We're talking billionaires here, and really, how can you argue with success?"

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by Harv Eker is a wonderful read that analyses our personal motivations and helps us focus on what works as we start our businesses. Eker started his journey to wealth by taking out a credit card loan and opening one of America's the first fitness operations. Ten years later he sold the business for nearly $2 million - and that was in 1987!

If you're looking for the right niche or market to start you online business, then Harry Dent's latest offering is for you. Called "The Next Great Bubble Boom: How to Profit from the Greatest Boom in History - 2006-2010" this work offers insight into the next few years and looks at what will be the hot economic drivers.

All are great reads. Check them out today.

Back on Track

After changing tactics a little, it seems we're back on track with the pre-launch experiment. After a slow week signing up new members for my team, I now have three new friends to add to my list. Welcome to Deepak, Stanislaus and Patricia. These wonderful folks joined up after I tried out the new mail blaster that I reported on yesterday. It's called Blast 4 Traffic and it obviously did the trick for me in drumming up some new interest.

Site Updating is a Blast

Just wanted to let everyone know I've made a few more updates over at the main web site that may be of interest. Check it out here. I'm particularly excited about a new find in Blast 4 Traffic which I've added as links in the Traffic and the Promotion Lessons. A comprehensive set of options and extras makes this traffic system one of the hottest exchanges I've found recently. With a reach of more than 2 million active addresses, it really helps to promote an online business with a splash. And the simple set up and registration process is a big plus too. If you're looking for more traffic, check it out here.

Traffic Jam?

Slow, slow, slower than slow.... a snail comes to mind. Another week has gone by and my little experiment with the pre-launch of the GWB opportunity seems to have stalled a bit. As in the previous weeks, I've used e-mail blasters and networks to promote my affiliate site. For the first few weeks, I was rewarded with my efforts with a couple of people signing up through my site time I blasted. But this week the well was dry. Not a single new member. I have noticed a couple of others promoting the program using the same networks as I have been using, and I wonder if we're all tapping the same old tree (to use a maple syrup analogy... in my part of the world, we're beginning that spring ritual... yum!) I also wonder if the program is starting to gain momentum and that the folks who have already signed up are now just competing for the same "next level" of recruits? Are we all just getting caught up in web traffic? Once people have seen the same message for a while, they start ignoring it. Well, I'm going to take my message to a new pool and use a couple of new promotional venues to see what happens. I'll let you know. If any of my faithful readers have been involved with a pre-launch before, please let me know. Is this an experience you've faced? Is it a normal occurrence or something you had to work around. Your feedback is most appreciated.

Pre Pre Launch?

I've been playing along with the GWB folks to see how a pre-launch opportunity turns out. Check my other posts on the topic to see how it's been going. So this week, I've followed up with a couple more mail blasts to promote my very own affiliate site and managed to attract another new team member. Welcome Mohammed! We're all happy to have you with us. I've managed to resolve the problem I was having getting into the member's forum and there's a lively group of members taking part in the Q&A's listed there. And finally, this week the program developers spilled a few more beans about the system and added a few more perks in the backroom section of our members web sites. The backroom now includes banner ads and html's for use in promoting the program and two sections of detailed information on the way the system works. First is information on compensation and the second is a description of how the "matrix" will work. Both interesting reading - although it may take a few reads before it all sinks in. The interesting twist, however is the claim that the program is really in a "pre-pre-launch phase. In other words, the current members are only reserving a place in a the pre-launch phase. I guess it's sort of like standing in line for concert tickets and then finding out that all we'll get at the end is the right to buy tickets rather than the actual tickets. Of course that's all well and good if we see the benefit. And the benefit sounds pretty good - the claim is a minimum of $5466 per month of income based on a monthly membership of about $20. Not bad. And by having members sign up their downline in advance, it encourages everyone to buy those memberships once the REAL opportunity comes up because I see how big my eventual profit downline can be. It's a tidy little program aimed at both drawing us in and keeping us there. I can't wait so see what comes next.

More Bubbles

The SOAP experiment continues and it seems to be working well. I've been in touch with my new friend in Montana and we're looking into ways to improve site traffic there. And as part of the process, I've been contacted by another SOAPer who's reviewing my sight and offering advice in return. Thanks to Sham for the great tips. I'll be watching your blog to see what wonderful things you have to say in the future.

Pass the SOAP

While the idea isn't new, Easton over on the Business Blog Wire Blog recently started a SOAP network aimed at helping folks get some advice on improving their blogs. You can learn more about how the SOAP network works here. Well, I decided to join in and see if I couldn't help out in some way, and hopefully get some good advice in return. It's a great idea that not only provides the members of the network some good advice, but also helps them build a profile and improve traffic and links to their sites. As the originator of the network, Easton looks after putting people in touch with each other based on their particular needs and topics. I've been asked to review a blog by the owner of a B and B in Montana. It's probably a site I'd never think of looking at, but found a wealth of wonderful things there, so I'm really glad I joined the SOAP network. I've just initiated contact, so I hope we'll be able to help each other. Check out the blog here. If you have any suggestions to pass along, let me know and I'll be happy to do so.

What the....

In my ongoing series of tips on what not to do... check out this site.... Don't Do This...

Off and Running - Pre-Launch Part 2

The GWB experiment has begun and after the first few days, I've been pleasantly surprised. reasonably impressed so far. Last week I signed up and received the usual welcome messages and access to my "backroom" site. I followed up with two quick e-mail blasts on two of my free PPC networks - they work wonders for quick traffic hits. The first was on Your Ad Blaster and the other through the Storm Pay system. Following those blasts I received two new sign ups. Not bad or the first run! The really neat thing was that when my new "team" signed up, the GWB system notified me by e-mail and recommended that I send a personal greeting. That was a nice touch. These kinds of reminders are the things that successful operators need to do in order to build great teams, so the system appears to be well thought through. Welcome to Natalie and John! This week also saw the start up of a members forum for sharing info, posting questions, etc. I had to sign up separately for access to that service, so haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but I'll let you know how it goes. Finally, on Friday we received our first weekly update which claimed the GWB program had signed up over 8000 members in the first four days of the pre-launch promotion. While I'm a little sceptical of that kind of hype, I have already encountered three or four other individuals promoting the program in a variety of networks, so it must be getting out there. It will be interesting to see where it all leads. Keep following along here and see how I and my team do.

Show me the noney - A pre-launch test

As you all know the web and our e-mail boxes are filled with countless offers and opportunities to make it rich. After all, this blog is all about just that. But during my time in the trenches, trying to make an honest living online and from home, one of the things I've never tried is a Pre-Launch scheme. The idea behind a pre-launch, is that a "select few" can get into a good marketing program on the ground floor. It's supposed to work to everyone's advantage - the originators of the program get a solid foundation of network members to help promote the program once it goes public, and the folks who get in early get to share the best rewards. The simple truth is that you'll never be able to make any headway if you're the last to join a network and this well-known adage keeps people from joining into programs they've seen a million times before. So the whole idea of a pre-launch is to overcome that hesitation and jump in with both feet. Even if you don't really know what or how well the program will be. It's a little like playing the stock market with a new issue. You just never know.

Anyway, the point of all this is that I got one of those pre-launch offers in my in-box the other day and thought to myself that I should put the whole concept to the test. And better, yet, I should share the experience with you. So follow along with me and let's see where this one goes.

So, let's start at the beginning. I replied to the email and got this site. Take a look and see how the pitch goes. The program is called Global Wealth Builders Offshore Privacy Club. Ohhhh... sounds snooty! Well, once I signed up, I got a confirmation message and access to the "backroom" members area which had some vague instructions to be patient and wait for more info. I also got a whole whack of free e-books. I assume these will be to help me market the project more effectively in the future. Next I got a welcome message from my "sponsor". This time the message was to not only be patient about the details, but to also start promoting right away. Hmmm... I'm not sure how to promote something I don't know about, but what the heck. Want to see more? Sign up here. And now we wait patiently to see what happens.

Throw Away E-mail

Martha, over on the great blog Work at Home Momma, recently posted this comment about wasting time requesting information from sites that offer potential business opportunities. In particular she mentions being bombarded with e-mail spam the minute she tries to get the details. It's a well known fact among online business operators that addresses are like gold. That's why sites are set up to get those names on a list that can be sold. The good sites are carefully constructed to provide as little information as possible so the visitor has no choice but to sign up before they know what they can get. That's not to say there isn't a good opportunity available behind that curtain. But we all have to be smart enough to realize what they are doing. Protect yourself and you'll be okay. Try getting a free "throw away" e-mail account to use when requesting information from these sites. That way when the spam starts coming - and it will - you can just switch to a new account when it gets to be too much to handle.

Lost in the Mail

I regularly use e-mail blasters and marketing networks to boost traffic on my web sites, so I do my fair share of clicking through e-mails. And the thing we all need to remember is that these systems serve two purposes. First you use them to increase traffic by getting more people to look at your site -and hopefully to buy your product. And second, you should be using them to increase your traffic for ranking purposes. While you can use the same services to achieve both purposes, you need to remember that there are two different end goals and your ads must be aimed at achieving those goals separately. In other words, you need more than one kind of ad.

First you need killer ad content to get your ads into the hands of people who will honestly be looking to buy your service. These should be targeted to the consumers and limited to the ad blasting services. Need help? Try a product like Glyphius software which helps you develop great ad copy. It's an award winning product that you use to compare and rate your own copy to a huge database of successful product pitches. The system then spits out suggested alternatives to maximise your marketing pitch. And it comes with a money-back guarantee.

The other purpose is simply to build traffic and you should use your network services for this. I use a great system called Your Ad Blaster for this purpose. The idea is to join a group of people who all help one another by visiting each other's web sites. This helps build traffic rankings. But the most important thing to remember is that people who use these systems - including me - have little interest in the products you're selling. Sure we'll click on your site and take a look to help you out, but our goal isn't to make you rich, it's to make ourselves rich, so we probably won't be buying. And more importantly we want to make our jobs as easy as possible. In other words, we want to accomplish our goals as quickly and efficiently as possible. So when I get an e-mail that makes it hard to find the site link, or is cluttered with too many links - I just read one a few minutes ago with 27 links! Each one for a different site! No Kidding! - I usually just skip it. It saves me time and it defeats the purpose of you sending it to me in the first place. So make your ad short and easy. Put the links up front so I don't have to scroll down. Forget the great ad copy, just get to the point. And that way you're ad won't get lost in the mail.

Site Building Software makes your life easy

Unless you’re a hard core computer whiz, forget the big name web site products. It’s not really likely that you’ll need the high end features these products will give you and besides, they are really meant to be used by professional developers. Internet marketing is a specialized field, and a number of great products have been designed to address the specific needs of this business activity. Some things to look for are easy to use software that is adaptable and able to grow with you as you develop your business and ability. You want something easy to use and learn, but also able handle more advanced designs as you need them. Customer support is an absolute must in case you run into difficulties. Many good products also have features designed specifically for online marketing businesses including things like affiliate tracking tools, built in online sales processing, and Search Engine Optimization tools. As always, the first step is to learn all you can before you invest money in any product. The lesson on web site development is here. Look for more detailed tips and product reviews at our main web site at The Money Tree Guide.

Selling Products Online

It’s no mystery how money is made by selling products. You either make or buy an item and then sell it at a price that recovers your costs and provides a little extra on top as profit. Think about ordering a cola in your favorite restaurant – the cola mix costs just a few cents per serving but the customer will pay a dollar or two. That’s a huge mark-up, but it also factors in other costs like labor, the cup and lid, a straw, ice and other shared overheads like marketing that are spread over all the items on the sales list. But even when all these costs are factored in, the profit is perhaps as much as a dollar per serving. It’s one of the highest profit margins there is in any business on a single item.

It’s a business model that millions of businesses are using every day – in restaurants, in stores, at roadside stands and on the internet. So why don’t you do it too. Sounds simple – right? Well, it can be. It can also be time and labor intensive and risky. So be sure you know all the ins and outs of selling before you take the plunge. Start by doing your homework - read the lessons at the Money Tree Guide and then you'll be ready to take on the world!

Updates at Web Site

Just finished putting a few more touch-ups onto the main web site. The book review section now has a number of new additions with some very helpful books. If you're serious about starting your own online business, these books are a must read. The are written from a real business perspective and will help put you in the right frame of mind to take on the job of running your own business. After all, if you really want to succeed, you have to treat it that way - as a business. So take a look at some of these books and then add them to your bookshelf. And if you have any other recommendations, let me know.

Share your Success

I've had my fair share of success and failure. And because of that I think I have a pretty good head for what makes a good idea and what will work. But even though I've managed to figure out a way to make it work for me, not everyone will have arrived on Easy Street by the same route. So, let's share. Everybody love to hear a good success story. So let's hear yours. Did you start your own business? Did you start small or have a big splashy beginning? Did you work hard to overcome obstacles like debt or unemployment to finally make it in the end? Did you find that magical formula that helped you find the right program? Did you get help from anyone - the bank, a wise Guru or mentor, a good book? Did you find a great software program or web site that helped? Tell us how you did it. We'd all love to hear it!

What Not To Do

Do you want to look professional? Do you want ot look legitiamte? Do you waqnt to be believable? Then don't do this.

Enough with the Noise

Okay, folks here's my snit of the day - automatic video and audio play on web sites that you can't turn off! Somebody who thinks they're really smart came up with the notion that a video or audio will improve the CTR and attention span on marketing site. Well, to be fair, that's true. A video or audio is certainly much more entertaining than a plain text ad. It can also say "hey I'm successful enough to have a fancy video on my site". The problem comes from sites who take it one step too far and then one step even farther. The first bad step is to put up a video that is difficult to turn off or, at least turn down the volume. Imagine some poor sap, sitting in a dead end job, surfing the net looking for a way to escape the rat race by investing in an online income opportunity. She certainly doesn't want her boss to hear your pitch. And if you want her to finish looking at the rest of your site, you better make it easy for her to turn down the blab. And what about those site that don't even let you do that? How long before that same potential customer slams closed your web site because she can't find a way to shut up your loud mouth pitch? Please, folks, don't make this mistake - enough with the noise!

Welcome to the Money Tree Guide Blog

Here we are, at the first post to our new blog. I'm glad you've come to join us and hope that you come back often. Please participate and comment, after all, this blog is for you. At The Money Tree Guide, our goal is to provide free and helpful information for people who want to make a successful business online. This blog is a place to share your thoughts and ideas in a more casual and informal setting. I hope you like it.