SFI AFFILIATE TEAM-BUILDING ON STEROIDS!
13th May 2012- I've promised to give away 15 affiliates to 3 members of my team in June.
- I've given away 4 affiliates to 4 member of my team so far in May.
- I've gave away 60 affiliates to 12 members of my team in April.
- I gave away 101 affiliates in December 2011. (A Record!)
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Small Business
5 Online Home Business Marketing Mistakes To Avoid
If you are running your own online home business, marketing mistakes can wipe out your profits or send your business spiralling into the red. Yes, the most common marketing mistakes can actually be easily avoided if you are aware of them. Here’s a quick look at five common online home business marketing mistakes that are easily avoided.
1. Trying to Target Everyone
One of the biggest mistakes in Internet marketing is trying to create a campaign that will appeal to all audiences. Every demographic has specific triggers that will be more effective for them than anyone else. A common reason why online home businesses target everyone is that they have not clearly defined who their primary target market really is. Even the most basic market research can go a long way in helping you better define the direction of your marketing campaigns.
2. Relying on Rational Responses
A common mistake with many marketing campaigns is that they depend too much on a rational response from their target audience. In very few cases will rationality win out against emotions and feelings when making a purchasing decision.
The reason for this is that people are driven by wants, needs, and desires which they “rationalize” later to justify purchasing the product. By basing your marketing on these key emotions and desires will always prove to be more effective than basing it on a rational rational approach.
3. Always Favoring “New”
If you look at online product sales pages that have the highest conversion rates, many of them will follow the same basic, old, tried and tested copywriting strategies that have been successful for decades – even before the Internet existed! Just because a marketing technique is “new” doesn’t mean that it will actually improve your sales.
If you do try to do something completely new, then make sure you are always testing results to determine whether or not it is worth integrating into your long-term marketing strategy.
4. Starving Your Budget
This problem is particularly relevant to online home business owners because they often simply don’t have the capital to invest a lot of money in their marketing. While there is no reason to spend beyond your means, you should try to invest as much is possible in your marketing. This is especially true once you start establishing a baseline of success. The easiest way to do this is simply to reinvest a certain percentage of every sale back into your marketing budget.
5. Not Taking Action
The biggest mistake that someone starting a home business can make is simply not doing anything. Creating a marketing plan is essential, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t follow it. Follow-through is one of the biggest reasons why online home businesses fail.
By avoiding these five common online home business marketing mistakes, you will set yourself apart from 90% of the other Internet marketers that you are competing against.
Be Like Google And Help Offline Small Business Owners Get Online
Up until the Internet age many small business owners relied primarily settingup in a good location and word of mouth to generate sales in their local communities. If they were friendly and honest, delivered good products and offered reliable service they had a reasonable expectation of doing well. Location and reputation in the community were the keys to success.
Small Business Owners in Duluth
Nowadays, many small businesses owners will struggle to survive no matter where they are based if they ignore the Internet. According to a recent article in the Duluth News Tribune, 59% of small businesses they surveyed did not have a website or any form of Internet marketing.
Google Responds
Google responded to the survey by sending a delegation Duluth in October 2011 to talk to as many offline business owners as they could cram into . Their “Minnesota Get Your Business Online” programme offered an “easy, free, and fast way to get your business online” and included a free website for locals who attended the programme.
6 out of 10 USA Small Businesses Have No Web Presence
Actually, with 41% of local businesses in Duluth, Minnesota, having some kind of Internet presence, they are doing better than the national average of just 37%.
Yes folks, incredible as it may sound to anybody reading this article, 63% of small businesses in the USA today have NO INTERNET PRESENCE!
Presumably, those business owners rely on location and word of mouth, plus the old media to get the word out.
Shoppers Check The Internet Before They Buy In Town
Unfortunately for small businesses with no Internet presence, most people now do their research on the Internet. The Duluth News Tribune discovered that 93% of people interested in buying something look for information about it on the Internet, even if they are planning to shop locally, offline.
That means most people make plans about where to shop BEFORE they go out. They consult the Internet, find the best outlet, then go directly to that store to buy the product. They will consider convenience of location, price, product choice, and positive feedback based on reviews posted on the company website or on product-related sites on the Internet.
Your Business Opportunity: Help Local Offline Small Business Owners Get Online
As an Internet Marketer looking for new business opportunities, think about copying what Google did in Duluth. Choose a town in your area and set up a workshop for local businesses in which you will explain the benefits of having an online presence and HOW to get set up on the Internet.
1. Explain WHAT their online business options are.
Tell them what their online business options are, from websites and blogs to Facebook Fan Pages and YouTube.
2. Teach them WHY their business needs an online presence.
Do some research so that you can present clear statistical information about the positive impact of the Internet on local businesses. Cite some specific examples and case studies.
Explain that a regularly updated website enables customers in their community to find their business when searching on the Internet BEFORE they go into town to do their shopping.
3. SHOW them HOW to get online and help them do it on the spot.
Demonstrate how easy it is for them to set up an online presence with YOUR help. Offer to set up a ready made website for them.
Offer them one year of free hosting and consultation. Sell your main business products and services on the back of your free set-up package.
With the current economic uncertainty, every business needs a helping hand. That’s why TODAY is the perfect time to help others to find new business through the Internet.
David Hurley
P. S. SFI’s E-Commerce Associate programme is free to join and offers an excellent solution for small business owners who want to sell their products on the Internet.
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