Most business owners don’t have the expertise or the time to set up a list management system on their own server (and I don’t recommend you even try). Instead, most use an email list host. This will allow you to collect e-mail addresses from buyers and visitors to your websites, craft booths or brick and mortar store.

Good email List management can be the bread and butter of your business if you set it up and care for it the right way. Capturing a person’s name and e-mail address when they visit your site allows you to send them helpful information, build your relationship with them and offer new products. It’s absolutely essential that your list provider be easy to use and have the capabilities to deliver professional messages.

Look for the following features to find the B.E.S.T. L.I.S.T.

BAD address protection.

Your email list host should remove bad e-mail addresses automatically so you don’t have to deal with them manually. Clearing out bad addresses from your list can save you a lot of time.

EASY opt in creation

Your list can’t exist unless you have an opt in form on your website. The opt in forms should be easy to create within the list provider’s system. You should be able to feel secure in putting the opt in form on your website and trusting that it will work.

SUBSCRIBE/unsubscribe system

Subscriptions and unsubscriptions from your list shouldn’t require any input on your part. Your list members should be added automatically and removed just as easily.

TRACKING capabilities

E-mail marketing isn’t effective unless you can tell how your messages are being received. A robust list provider program will allow you test and track your messages. You can see how many are being opened by your list members and how many are clicking through on your links. This can be a great way to learn how to market more effectively so you can reach your audience.

LIST management

Your list provider should give you the ability to manage several different lists at once. You should be able to send a message to a few lists at once, filtering out people who are on a third list. You should also have the ability to send messages to people who subscribed after a certain date. All of these capabilities will help you market to your list more effectively.

INTERNET connection

You shouldn’t have to wait for your messages to go out due to a server outage on your list provider’s side. Your list provider should be professional enough to keep an active Internet connection to your list management tools at all times. The better the connection, the faster you can work with your list.

SECURITY features

Your email list host should make it clear in their terms of service that your personal information and the information of your clients will be secure and protected from hackers. Since people are giving you their personal information, you deserve to know that the list provider will keep their information secure.

TECHNICAL support

If your list provider isn’t there to help you work through the technical issues to use their system, they aren’t worth your time. You’re using a list provider in order to make your life easier. You shouldn’t have to be hassled with technical details. Look for a provider that offers phone and IM support.

By looking for these features in your email list host, you can be sure that you’re finding a true ally in your business and not just creating another hassle.

Here’s To Your Success,

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

How To Choose Your Email List Host

1. Purpose.

First you’ll need to figure out the purpose of your website. Is it to establish yourself in a niche? If so, you’ll need to do some keyword research to figure out which phrases would naturally attract traffic. Are you buying a domain to sell a product? If so, your product name or a variation of the product name should be your domain name. Ideally, your website’s domain should either describe what the website is about (Membernaire.com is about building membership sites) or it should include keywords related to your domain (FatLossHelp.com is about losing weight, and it includes a popular keyword phrase). Determining the purpose of you website will help you decide what phrases to use.

2. Presence.

How important is it to you to have an exact keyword phrase in your domain? For some websites, you may be able to use another similar phrase. But for others you may need that exact phrase. In the second case, you can try adding hyphens, prefixes or suffixes to your domain name if your exact phrase is taken. This way you’ll still be able to use the phrase and establish yourself in the niche. A general rule of thumb is to use no more than two hyphens in a domain name.

3. Potential.

How big is your website going to grow in the coming months and years? Are you buying a domain name to build a niche mini-site that acts as a feeder site to your sales page? Are you looking to build an authority site in your niche? Your domain name choice should be determined by how much growth you are expecting for your website. A niche mini-site domain name can be a lot more specific and long tail than an authority site. For example, beginnersheirloomtomatotips.com is a very niche specific domain whereas heirloomgrowing.com has enough leeway for you to build an authority site.

4. Price.

You can get virtually any domain name you want, if you’re willing to pay for it. In most cases though, you’ll want to register an unused domain name. These domain names cost anywhere between $7 and $12 depending on what company you’re registering them through (I recommend ______). However, if you have a very specific business name and want to lock in a domain that has been registered, but isn’t being used, you can try contacting the domain owner. Look up the domain name owner’s information in the WhoIs directory and try making a deal.

All of these factors will come into play when you are choosing a domain name for your website. Make sure to carefully consider how your domain name will be used before you buy.

To Your Success,

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

How To Choose A Domain Name

Persuasion isn’t rocket science; it involves understanding aspects of human nature that are often automatic and work at a subconscious level. Here are 7 ethical ways to persuade people.

1. Show what others are doing

People look to others and will often do what they’re doing, especially when uncertain about something. This psychological phenomenon is called social proof. People feel reassured and often make decisions based upon what other people are up to – the assumption being that they possess more knowledge or are better informed than they are.

You can increase social proof online by showing:

• Most popular items
• ‘Customers who bought this also bought’
• Top sellers
• Testimonials

Additionally, people will do what people that they like do.

2. Show user-generated reviews

User-generated reviews can have a massive influence on peoples’ buying decisions. Fuelled by the rapid growth of web 2.0 and social media they’re becoming an essential part of website design. Allow your site users to write reviews and express overall ratings for products and services on your site – after all, it’s free content for your site. Web users are more inclined to trust what people like themselves say, compared to marketers. Reviews are especially critical in sectors like travel and electrical goods, although they’re rapidly being adopted across all areas.

People generally want user generated reviews and if they can’t find them on your site, they’ll simply look elsewhere. There’s no hiding online so you might as well keep them on your site. Sites like Figleaves⁷ and the UK Apple store⁸ website understand this and implement them really well.

Also, don’t be scared of bad reviews – people can smell sites that have been ‘edited’ a mile away, forcing them to simply not trust anything you say. Instead, be prepared to act quickly on your customers’ feedback.

3. Show scarcity of products

Scarcity generates demand and encourages people to buy sooner. People want what they think they can’t have and social psychology would indicate that loss is a more powerful emotion than gain. So, a person who loses $100 is estimated to lose around twice as much satisfaction as another person will gain from a $100 windfall.

You can show scarcity online by displaying:

• ‘For 1 week only’
• ’2 items in stock’
• ‘Sale ends today’
• ‘Out of stock – Add to wish list’
• ‘This offer ends in 2 days 4 hrs 3 mins 17 secs’ (Count down timers)

Webcredible⁹ shows the number of places remaining on training courses on its site. The numbers decrease daily until all places have gone, giving visitors a sense of urgency to book their place before it sells out. Research on decision-making also indicates that people value something more so if they felt they lost out on it, rather than if they never had it in the first place.

4. Persuade with pictures & videos

Imagery is a very persuasive tool in increasing product sales especially for high value and luxury goods, so be sure to provide good quality images of products. They go a long way to reassure people about what they’ll be getting.

Images should:

• Be of professional quality
• Offer different views
• Be enlargeable
• Show scale and context of use

Oli¹⁰, which sells clothing online, has gone a step further. They have 15 second video clips of models wearing the clothing, walking down a catwalk enabling you to get a better feel for how a product looks and moves. With increased bandwidths, this may be the future for some types of sites. Watching videos requires less effort than reading and offers a richer experience – be sure to give users the choice and not to start videos automatically.

5. Cross- and up-sell

The person that suggested “Hey, why don’t we ask customers if they want fries with that?” was on to something big. Once people have committed to a purchase, persuading them to buy more becomes easier as one foot is already in the door. The same applies online too.

Don’t underestimate the potential profits to be had by up- and cross-selling. Display related items and extras near products like they do in real stores. This will make it quicker and easier for people to buy more items. If you browse for bagels on Ocado¹¹, for example, they also show you cream cheese and when you checkout they display any offers you missed out on – a clever tactic to persuade you to buy more.

6. Show authority

The principle of authority states that we’re more easily persuaded by those with authority. If Tiger Woods gave you advice on your golf swing, you’d be more inclined to follow it compared to the same advice from your mate, Bob. Likewise, websites showing authority and expertise are trusted more. This is particularly important for B2B sites.

You can show authority by:

• Showing you’re an expert
• Backing up facts with links to 3rd party sites
• Referencing governing & authoritative bodies
• Displaying symbols and imagery of authority e.g. VERITAS, padlocks for security

7. Allay people’s fears

What if I need to return items? Are there any hidden costs involved? These are the sorts of fears web visitors may have and you need to reduce them if you want to persuade people to do business with you. Answering their concerns upfront and quickly will positively influence people and lower their fears.

Conclusion

Persuasion in its simplest form means giving users the information they need to make an informed choice, helping them to trust you and allaying any concerns they have. It’s not about manipulation. Always remember, these persuasive tactics will only get you so far – your site still needs to provide a good service and be highly usable to guarantee success.

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

Online persuasion – 7 ways to persuade people to buy

That is a quote from an article I read this morning -The Mommy Myth Expert Article. This article featured Work At Home Mom, Renee Wood of The Comfort Company.

So much of the article rings true as I have balanced a business for the last seven years while juggling pregnancies, babies, car pooling, kids sickness, school events, community and household chores.

Working at home has its own challenges that differ from working moms and dads who leave home each day and enter the business world separate from their residence.

When I talk to people and they say “Oh you are so lucky that you get to work from home”, while it’s true and I do greatly appreciate and am Thankful for that option, they don’t know that I quietly also wish that I had an office to go to some days.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a work-at-home parent or if you don’t have kids, the challenge remains in the fact that you are solely responsible for the running of your online business, so it needs to be done efficiently… even if the laundry is piled up and talking to you.

Parents are often plagued by more work at home pitfalls than those without kids, just because kids bring a new element into the mix that stirs up more opportunity for interruptions and sometimes means less space is available for the work area.. for me it often means returning to my desk to find someone pounding on my keyboard.

Creating Your Work At Home Space

The first thing you want to do when trying to balance your home life with your online business is carve out a space that is dedicated to your ‘net marketing endeavors. It doesn’t have to be a lot of space – as long as you have a corner spot to place your computer and other online accessories that you use.  I know this isn’t always easy as I just lost my good headset to a fall from Webkinz world.

It’s best if you can have a space where you can go to work on your online business without distractions, but this isn’t always possible. If the noise is too much, you might consider setting off-peak hours, such as working only when the rest of the household members are in bed and you can concentrate on what you need to do. I personally get my best thinking work done from midnight to 4 a.m..

Flexibility and Getting Work Done

Moms love the flexibility they have in working from home and on the ‘net. If the kids have a soccer game, you’re free to shut down the computer and take off on a whim.. or at least have your Blackberry. If your spouse wants to take off for a weekend, then having your business online allows you to take your laptop with you and log on to check in from anywhere there’s an Internet connection.

While this is a lovely option, do not let it become a pitfall as time quickly slips through the cracks.  Create a work schedule, set your limits and hold yourself accountable.

Outsourcing for Online Business Growth

One lesson that I learned too late was the value of outsourcing.

As a mom, we often feel that we need to do “everything” and honestly, it’s impossible to be everything to everyone. Whether you decide to get help around the house with childcare or cleaning or you pick up a virtual assistant, it can not only grow your business but save your sanity.

Your Online Business Growth Evaluation

A business mentor is  something that everyone should have, I know some people that invest $20,000.00 a year on a mentor because they know the value will come back ten fold.

My personal business mentor once advised me to write down in a journal everything I do in a day then reflect on it after one week.

Next, go through your journal and highlight every business related action you made- updating a webpage, packing an order to ship, answering a customer call, writing advertisements, working with clients.

Look at these with fresh eyes and put a dollar amount to each one. Did it cost you time? That’s a negative dollar amount.. did it MAKE you money? Like networking and building relationships with customers? That EARNs you money.

The goal here is to understand the time sucking activities that are costing you time and money and outsource those so you, the BUSINESS owner, can do your job of GROWING your business.

This won’t solve the home balancing act- it doesn’t matter if you are a stay at home mom, a corporate job mom, an hourly working mom or an online business mom.. it’s never perfect, but it can make it a bit easier and more profitable.

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

Moms Balancing Working At Home

Every time you turn on the TV or open a newspaper, there it is – RECESSION! And, of course, people are worried.

I know a majority of my network are work at home moms that have limited resources, stretched time and work very hard to promote their ecommerce stores. Then I see forum postings from folks not getting sales or looking for new opportunities to make money online without direct sales. One of the hardest part of ecommerce stores is that you are a dropshipper/wholesaler selling the same thing hundreds, if not thousands of other stores are selling. That means you have to market that much more to get a random visitor to convert to a buyer.

Well, here is another business income option that is worth serious consideration. I actually started this conversation with my own father a few weeks ago as we talked about his retirement fund is dwindling away and he has been unable to find a job. We talked about how he can make money at home selling information he already knows. After all he is very well educated, has great work experience and is involved and respected in his community.

He looked at me dumbfounded and said “who would buy what I have to say plus I don’t know what I would write about”. I simply pointed out the biggest information sellers, look at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. What are they selling? INFORMATION!! We were just out shopping and even in these troubled times the bookstores are hopping and people are Buying Information!

Information that he has knowledge of and can easily speak to someone about- just like I’m sure many of you have information you have that you can easily talk about. My mother in law goes to all the big sewing shows, she can help someone pick out the best sewing machine and talk to you for hours on the topic, my husband is a carpenter and he answers five phone calls a day from people calling with ice dam problems- information that they can easily turn into a small report- if you could pay $10.00 to find out how you can keep your roof from leaking and causing hundreds of dollars of damage, would you?

Common cop out “I’m not a writer”…ok, everyone that I talk to this is the first thing they say. My response is simple, record it, have your teenager type while you talk about it, make a video, it’s only impossible if you don’t try.

I have been studying information marketing for the past year, I have read more ebooks, special reports and listened to MP3′s then I am willing to admit. I prefer buying online ebooks because they give me the information I need, when I need it, they don’t collect dust, I can highlight and condense the best info from several ebooks in one document and print it out and they are cheaper then going to the bookstore. I love that I can burn my MP3s and learn while I exercise or cart kids around, I appreciate the How To videos that save me time and frustration by taking out the guess work. Granted, I still prefer “real” books for my novel reading in bed or by the fire with my cup of tea.

Then this week I was able to sit on a webinar with info product expert, Kevin Riley. I’ve been active in one of the forums that Kevin is a “regular poster” in and highly respect his integrity, passion and willingness to help others. Integrity goes a long way with me and I don’t take it lightly.

Kevin has a natural ability to break things down that any beginner can follow, using screen shots and simple instructions- just the way I like to do for my own products. The information he gave away in his webinar was amazing and I still learned new tactics/techniques even when I consider my self not a beginner to information marketing.

That’s why when I found his Home Study program I had to look at it because I have read so many other “home study” products that I needed to check it out. Yes, I am a customer of his products also!

Now, like I said, I’ve seen Kevin in the forum and he really is one of those positive people, pro-active people who doesn’t let the threat of recession worry him. He currently lives in Japan with his wife, he’s the real thing- not some big marketing company just trying to get the sale. He even shoots his own videos and shares his thoughts with you on why his business is recession proof:

http://moms-business-coach.com/recommends/homestudy

Then, he goes on to show you how you too can become recession proof. How you can easily and cheaply build your own recession proof Internet business. I highly suggest that even if you just go check out his sales page, you will learn something without having to pay a cent.

===============================
STEP BY STEP TO RECESSION PROOF
===============================

Kevin is the master of step-by-step, illustrated, easy-to-follow how-to books and now he’s assembled a COMPLETE Home Study Course.

By “complete”, I do mean complete! There are none of the gaps and assumptions found in many books and courses. This Home Study Course literally does cover EVERY LITTLE DETAIL, as it takes you
from the very beginning to the point where you are the proud owner of a profitable home-based Internet business.

=========
GO GLOBAL
=========

Kevin gives you everything you need to build your own global, recession-proof business. And he shows you exactly how – with detailed screenshots and photographs that are the next best
thing to having him in the room with you.

And … he is giving it all away at a low, low RECESSION BUSTER price that you’d normally see on an e-book.

Kevin Riley has been giving away amazing value for years with his IM Recipe and Newbie Toolkits. But this time he has truly outdone even himself.

The value he gives at a low Recession Buster price is just UNBELIEVABLE:

When I opened his package, I was amazed! Here’s what I found:

1. SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
==============================

This amazing short guide does exactly what it claims. It sets you up for success with a plan, charts, goal sheets, and more.

This one guide alone is WORTH the price of the whole package … and it’s just a small part.
There’s much more …

2. 7 TRAINING MANUALS
=====================

And these aren’t just some thin guides. Each thick manual is packed with step-by-step guidance and detailed screenshots to show you exactly what to do.

Taking you from the very beginning (starting from scratch), these manuals walk you through building your own successful home-based business.

Manual 1: Building Your Foundations (44 pages)

Manual 2: Researching For Success (47 pages)

Manual 3: Planning & Prepping Your Book (76 pages)

Manual 4: Assembling Your Book (58 pages)

Manual 5: Setting Up Your Customer System (73 pages)

Manual 6: Crafting Your Sales Page (101 pgs)

Manual 7: Pulling In Your Customers (104 pgs)

WARNING: Get more paper and ink. You’ll want to print these
out and keep them handy.

3. WORKSHEETS
=============

18 worksheets to help you with everything from generating IDEAS that will sell well to PLANNING your guide so you barely have any writing to creating POWER BULLETS for your sales letter to crafting great FOLLOW-UP E-MAILS.

There’s even a worksheet for an APOLOGY mail in the event of a download failure and a MAIL SLAVE response to take care of your customers.

Every eventuality has been considered here. This is UNBELIEVABLY COMPLETE!

4. TEMPLATES
============

There are templates for your guides – saving you the hassles of layout, simply edit and go!

There are templates for inserts in your product – one of which will ensure your sales go viral.

There is a fully laid-out template for your sales page – simply paste in your letter. This saves you a lot of work!

COMPLETE
========

Kevin’s sales page promises “step-by-detailed-step how to build your own successful how-to book business… One that has no gaps”.

He has truly delivered on that promise.

I cannot RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH:

http://moms-business-coach.com/recommends/hobbytobusiness

If you truly want to be successful online, this is the Home Study Course that will do it for you. And the price is RIDICULOUSLY LOW.

Kevin gives the fail free, safe return policy,

This Home Study Course was designed specifically to help a total beginner go from where they are now, to having a successful how-to book business and selling how-to guides online. Every little detail has been covered, and all is shown in detailed step-by-step. You will be shown how to do everything you need for success.

If you find that this course is lacking in any way, or does not meet the expectations set out in this letter, please e-mail me directly and I shall issue a full refund.

This Home Study Course is guaranteed to take you to success, if you just take the time to apply it. Give it your full effort for 60 days and, if you feel it isn’t going to be your vehicle to success, get your money back.

Kevin Riley

However, since I’ve bought, reviewed and used his products before, I feel 100% confident that you will fall in love with his style of writing, quality of information and easy step by step screen shots that any beginner can follow.

Get it today, before the Recession Buster ends:

http://moms-business-coach.com/recommends/hobbytobusiness

To your success!

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

Are You Trying To Find A Recession Proof Business?

Then something very important happened, I decided to go talk to the experts that have very successful businesses and yet, manage to travel, enjoy their time at home, and look..well…relaxed. When I asked them that pivotal question “How Do You Do It?” they all replied the same thing… Outsource it.

Another priceless tidbit: Write down you entire To Do list, make exact action steps on what you need to do to make more money, prioritize each one with a $value next to it – meaning, how much money would that add to your business. You focus on the big $ and outsource the busy or smaller $ tasks.

For example: I run an ecommerce store that sells my own invented Baby Bath Towel Apron, the Tubby Bundle. I still pack and ship all my own orders. While yes, it’s a nice thing to do, that 3 hours a day would be better spent finding new affiliates (bringing in $), contacting new stores (brining in $) or setting up promotions for existing customers (bringing in $) and letting a part time person, even a High School student, fill the orders and print shipping labels.

The Downside, You Can Make Expensive Outsourcing Mistakes

As with any part of business, outsourcing has its good and bad points, however if you are aware of the potential problems before hand, you increase your chances of an enjoyable experience.

Here are 5 potential outsourcing mistakes every online business owner should be aware of, in order to avoid making them.

1. Not Knowing Who You Are Dealing With
Most business owners who outsource will tell you the biggest benefit of doing so is the fact that their assistants work remotely. The number one problem when it comes to outsourcing, though, is not thoroughly checking out the contractor or company who will be performing the work. Keep in mind that sometimes this independence can work in the opposite direction if not taken seriously. Make it a point to carefully interview the people you are considering working with before assigning a task or project to them. The person or company should be someone you can trust to represent your business.

2. Non-Communication between Owner & Assistant
Whether you are outsourcing tech support, writing, web design or something else, there is a great deal of effort needed in order to keep the lines of communication open. If you allow your workers to do work for you without communicating your goals and what it is that you need, you will find that they your work will not be done as you’d hoped. Assistants are not mind-readers and do need guidance. Take some time to make sure that you and the people you outsource to understand your expectations. This is an important part of making sure that you get what you need.

3. Forgetting to Budget Wisely
In order for outsourcing to work properly, you’ll need to keep a good eye on what you are spending for the work being done. While some projects will require single payments to your assistant, others may involve recurring or retainer payments and you will more than likely have some type of contract or agreement that binds you. Some of your assistants may charge by the hour while others may invoice by project or expect payment based on a commission of some sort. Take the time to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on certain tasks and budget appropriately.

For more information on Outsourcing I have to recommend you check out the new program by Nicole Dean and Jimmy D. Brown, OutsourceWeekly, I have used several of their programs and they know their stuff and make it very clear and concise. Their line, “Get More Done In A Week Then You Do In A Month” rings so true when you learn how to delegate and outsource!

By the way, yes, I am putting this to practice myself and I am currently searching for an ecommerce store manager.

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

Outsourcing, Can You Afford Not Too?

Here is a list of 10 Action Steps you can use for your own online business marketing today, post this list near your desk, and check off the items when you do them and at the end of the week, take a moment to reflect on your accomplishments.

1. Blog, plain and simple, it has been shown case study after case study, the more you blog, the more the search engines & visitors love your fresh content. You don’t need to be 100% perfect on all the right plugins, and strategies, just take action and make a point to schedule at least 3 posts per week.

2. Join Twitter, start tweeting and building those relationships. Even if you only have it open for an hour a day while you’re checking email. Visit Summize, also known as Twitter Search, and search for your keyword or niche and start following others with the same interest.

3. Join Facebook and spend a few hours a week networking, joining groups, posting interesting information. Add the Twitter App to pull your feeds into your Facebook profile and add your blog RSS feed into your notes section so all your new friends know what you are up too. I personally have “Share This” installed in my browser to make it fast and easy to share direct to Twitter and Facebook.

4. Add value. Forums, blog posts, free reports, social networking give information to those around you.

5. Participate in Forums. Visit Google and in the search box enter your niche + forum and find the active forums, create an account and make a point to visit an hour or two every week.

6. Be creative and smart but don’t be detrimental. Meaning, we all want to be savvy and smart business owners, but there are very few “new” ideas and for those that are already mult-tasking and it can waste your time and money trying to be creative. Find a model that works, find a mentor that’s been there, and copy the system – I’m not saying rip off someones work, I’m saying copy what is already proven to work just modify to be “you”.

7. Find your target market and get in front of them. They are where the money is, spending hours at your desk trying to understand your html code to change a word for SEO will not bring in sales. Find where your target market hangs out, what they are already buying, where are they shopping, what else are they interested in? Your odds are better to go to the herd then try to slowly drag the herd to you one at a time.

8. Track and Test. Never stop tracking and testing. Each advertisement should be coded so you can track results, drop the low performing ones – create more of the high performers. Link your banner ads to different pages so you can tell from a glace what ones are giving you targeted visitors.

9. Prioritize and outsource what you can. A good Virtual Assistant can improve not only your productivity but also make you money by allowing you to focus on strategy and business builders instead of time eating busy work.

10. Content, Content, Content. Never stop creating your content for your site or blog. If you struggle with content, outsource it or learn how to use PLR – Private Label Rights-you can’t go wrong with good content.

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

10 Action Steps To Your Online Success Today

<a href="http://www.linkedtube.com/-to6H776IFg13e34568d82e5ca9ece214f4b6d9b4f7.htm">LinkedTube</a>

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

Five A Day, Simplified Success Tip

If you own an online business, you are well aware of  how important search engine optimization (SEO) is very important is for your business. If your website has high page ranking on search engines, you get large volumes of traffic directed to your website through search engines organic traffic (i.e. free traffic). The more traffic you get, the more potential sales.

Many people try to do some SEO for their websites but fail to get results simply because they do not make their SEO strategies effective.

For many home businesses this is due to lack of actual technical knowledge, time or just being low on the priority list. What is the alternative to spending hours learning your own SEO? To start, you can pay many willing companies hundreds, even thousands of dollars to do it for you, you can hire a virtual assistant to help you with specific tasks or of course, the pay-per-click advertising.

If you are true to running an online business, then even if you outsource the tasks related to your SEO, I strongly suggest you understand the basics of SEO.  Simply put, I can sum it up in one sentance:

The Search Engines want to give visitors (web surfers) quality content that is related to what they are looking for.

Here are a couple tips anyone can put to use:

• Spend some time researching on keywords and phrases. Use keyword research tools such as Wordtracker or Keyword Elite to find the best key words and phrases for your niche. Make sure that you use precise keywords which your potential customers would use while searching for information on the internet.

• Next, you must optimize your website for your target niche. Provide relevant and keyword-rich content on your website such that your website will appear on search engines when your potential customers type your keywords.

• It is important that you use your keywords and phrases in designing and categorizing your website or blog. Whatever products or services that your offer on your website for your niche, use your best keywords as this will help you to make your website show up on search engines for these keywords. It’s also important that you make sure that the design and layout of your website makes it easy for search engines to index your content.

• Make sure that your website is useful and attractive so that other webmasters will want to exchange links with you. You will need to exchange links with other websites, but first you must make sure that your website is interesting and has high quality content so that other webmasters will be keen to exchange links with you.

• Use your keywords in the internal text links on your websites because this can also help to increase your ranking on search engines.

• All your web pages must have your keywords or phrases because search engines will pick these up first. Don’t forget the Alt Text for your pics!

These SEO can make your website rank high on search engines and also maintain that position in the long term but we all know that is just scratching the surface.

Because then comes…..

Stomping The Search Engines 2.0

If you run in the Internet Marketing space of online business or follow Ed Dale and his Thirty Day Challenge then you will know that Stomping The Search Engines 2.0 is now being released, I’m a day late in this post, but better late then never!

What is Stomping The Search Engines?  Well, my friend Lynn Terry over at Clicknewz is giving a full review of the product ..she was lucky enough to get the sneak peak…but I have no doubt that this PHYSCIAL set of CDs is going t blow the socks off anyone that wants to take their online business to the next level.

The Stomper team sold the first set of audio cds for the $400.00 range. This builds on that course plus offers the 40 plus page physical “magazine” FOR FREE… ok.. they have a membership site built onto the backend for the $35.00 a month range, but they are being totally honest about it and giving you crystal clear cancellation instructions. There are no tricks here, just people that are in a position to share their knowledge and help you be successful.

These Stomper guys know Search Engines, they STUDY Search Engines and they have businesses that use Search Engines. So go ahead and check out Lynn’s post of the full review, I’m not giving you a direct link to the “Sales Page” from here because I want you to use Lynns affiliate link. Even though it’s a free product, the numbers coming from her site are a bonus plus, frankly, it’s a good review and it’s worth reading. Go … Stomp The Engines…

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

Will You Be The Next Stomper?

1. You can submit to related link directories yourself. Just like the semi-automated version, make sure you have your anchor text and description planned out.
2. Create a “link” page that you can post text links on.  A majority of the free directories usually require a reciprocal link back. Paid directories generally do not require a link (but you’re giving them $)
3. Comment on blog posts that are related to your topic of business
4. Try to use deep linking and link to certain pages within your website using relevant anchor text
5. Create a variety of anchor texts that relate to your topic of business and not just the name of your website

Voila… little by little you are on your way!

Post from: Online Business Marketing For Home Based Businesses

5 Tips For Building Links To Your Online Business