Ten Keys to
Making Money On The Internet
There is no real secret to
making money on the Internet. There are just well-known key
factors that must be met in order for you to achieve online
success. If your business doesn't meet these key factors
then it is bound to fail. Without further ado, here are the
Top Ten Keys to Online Success...
1. PROVIDE VALUE
Let's look at two of the most successful online ventures:
Yahoo and Amazon.com. Why are they so successful? They
provide tremendous value to the Web. That's what they've
been doing all along. Your website must provide free
resources, foster a sense of community and show real value
to your visitors. Without useful information and real
content, your website will just be background noise. Provide
real value and the revenues will follow.
2. QUALITY PRESENTATION
Providing content, community, and utility is not enough. It
must be presented well. Quality means fast, clear web design
that looks good and is easy to understand. It should be easy
on the eyes, as well as the brain. Your users will make
quick determinations about the quality of your site. High
quality will result in repeat visitors and more traffic. The
word about your awesome site will spread!
3. BE UNIQUE
Your site must be unique. You should own something no one
else has. In most Internet business opportunities you're
nothing but pitching something you don't even know anything
about with a web site that looks exactly like thousands of
others. It's depressing to see people waste their money
promoting some "get rich quick scheme" or advertising the
same programs as everyone else. Not to mention those ripoff
cybermalls. So, if you don't have your own unique website
which fosters the Five C's (content,
community, consistency, capability and commerce) then you're
nothing but a cyber-static salespitch.
4. BUILD YOUR BRAND
Why is Yahoo! valued at 10 times more than Infoseek? It's
their brand name. Yahoo! is now virtually synonymous with
the Internet. Amazon.com has also attained great name
recognition. Both companies have formed a name that people
can easily remember and with a comfortable ring to it. Today
the key success factor is not about gaining market share,
but rather gaining "mind
share." This means brand recognition. Your name needs to be
catchy and meaningful. Your name needs to express a feeling
or image in the mind of the consumer. For example, the name
Yahoo! is exciting and makes me feel like I've struck gold.
The name Amazon.com paints a picture in my head of a vast
and great jungle where anything is possible.
5. E-COMMERCE
Let's face it. E-Commerce is here to stay. According to
Forrester Research, Online retail sales will hit $108
billion by 2003. Your site must have a fully-functional
E-commerce system built into it. It's expected if you want
to actually make sales through the web. Visitors need to be
able to purchase your product or service at any time with
just a click of a button. Your site needs to make shopping a
fast, fun and easy experience. Cater to the impulse buyer
and provide a simple yet effective shopping cart system. How
else do you expect to make any money on the Net?
6. FORM AFFILIATIONS
One of Amazon's biggest success factors is their affiliate
program. Wherever we go there's an Amazon book being sold on
a website. It is so important to form solid partnerships and
affiliations. Set up your own affiliate program and you
might just see your profits soar. Develop joint venture
partnerships with those web sites that fit with the "theme"
of your business. Remember, you won't survive very long if
you're trying to do it all by yourself.
7. TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
No one accomplishes all of the above key factors without
substantial technical know-how -- or at least ready access
to it. It goes without saying Yahoo! and Amazon.com have
many very technically savvy people on staff. Surely you
wouldn't expect to build a substantial online business
without doing the same. Of course, you don't have to be a
programmer, but you must have access to those people who can
support you technically.
8. PROMOTE
Advertise! Promote! Tell the world about your site! And I
don't mean spam. I'm talking about a constant, strategic and
aggressive promotion by using opt-in lists, ezine
advertising, classified advertising, search engines,
targeted email marketing and other online promotional tools.
Advertise on the radio, newspapers, and television. You have
to let everyone know that you exist and that you mean
business. A web site is, in reality, infinitesimal bits of
data buried in a computer. It only means anything if people
come see your site.
9. PATIENCE
You have to be patient and think long-term. It takes a lot
of hard work to be successful and it won't happen overnight.
Plan ahead. Focus on your strategy and develop the right
moves for the right time. Take your business step by step
and you'll be greatly rewarded. I see too many people trying
to make that fast, quick buck without putting much work into
it. It's just not going to happen that way.
10. INVESTMENT
In order to reach your goals and dreams, you have to invest
time and money. If you're short on finances, then try to
gather friends, family or investors to fund your project. If
you think you have a really great idea then you should
approach angel investors and venture capital firms.
According to the Small Business Administration, angel
investors pour as much as $20 billion a year into some
30,000 small companies.
How to
Attract Business
The Most Effective Sales
Skill for the 2000s: Irresistible Attraction.
1. Be a
walking example/demonstration of how effective your product
or
service is.
2. Seek to
serve instead of just seeking to sell.
3. Add value
by network all of the time: Be a matchmaker every single
day.
4. Add value
to your potential customers by expanding their professional
vision/goals.
5. Add value
to your current customers by making sure they're maximizing
the use of the
product/service.
6. Turn your
customers into your company's R&D Department, not just a
focus
group.
7. Improve
your communication skills/relating style so that people WANT
to
be around you - a LOT!
8. Turn your
customers into your sales deputies; have them feed you
business instead of
"prospecting."
9. Teach
others how to sell in an Irresistibly Attractive way -- this
guarantees you a strong
future.
10.
Strengthen your Personal Foundation/Reserve Levels so that
you don't
need the money anymore
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