The Benefits Of Visiting Online Forums

By Sean Rasmussen

Most people online have visited a forum of one kind or another at some point, and some people are regular visitors to one or more each week.

But if you have an online business you could be missing a trick if you aren't browsing around some of the related forums that are out there in cyberspace.

Online forums are a wonderful place to increase your knowledge of all matters related to selling online, whatever your area of expertise may be. Most forums have specific sections related to different areas of interest, search engine marketing, website questions, business issues and promoting are typical areas which are often touched upon.

If you're not already a regular visitor you might be surprised at what you can learn from these forums. Even if you feel as if you've been around the block a few times and you know all there is to know about internet marketing, you will always find other people who have found a new way to do something that works well. You might be amazed at how open people are about sharing tips and techniques with other sellers, but most forums seem to be very pleasant communities that thrive from having a group of like minded people all together in one place.

One of the key benefits to these sites is the ability you have to ask questions if you are having any issues with any of your online ventures. You need to be careful not to give out any sensitive or personal information, but general queries or questions can often get you the answers you need within a very short time - sometimes even within a few minutes. Always be sure to request an email to alert you when you receive a reply to a thread you have started or posted a message in, so you can log in straightaway and get your answer.

You may even find that you strike up one or two business relationships as a result of visiting some forums. It's not uncommon for people to make connections that result in a joint venture being agreed upon - which can take your internet business to a whole new level you hadn't previously thought possible.

Before deciding to join any particular forum, you can usually browse around the contents of a few that you like the look of, to see how valuable the threads and answers usually are. You won't have the ability to post replies or new threads until you become a member (which is usually free) but it gives you an idea of what to expect.

Many people think that browsing forums is wasting time when you ought to be working, but that isn't always the case. A forum can be the quickest way to find the solution to a problem, the answer to a question, or a potential partner for a joint venture. If you need someone to write your website copy for you, or maybe some promotional articles, you can probably find that someone as well.

In short, the time you spend on an online business related forum can be so valuable it should form part of your working week. Don't knock it.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com

Sean Rasmussen is an Internet Marketer and Stock Market Trader. You can read about affiliate marketing on the Internet Marketing Blog and locate more info on the Official SEO Wiki

The Value Of Being Accessible

By Sean Rasmussen

Trust means everything online. It can also make or break your sales, whether you specialise in downloads, e-books, selling on eBay, or selling from your own website.

You know you are trustworthy, but the customer doesn't. In short, you need to find as many ways as possible of bridging that gap to make the likelihood of people buying products from you even better than it is already.

To that end you should make sure you are as accessible as you possibly can be. That doesn't mean you should be giving out your home address and inviting people round for open days, but you should make sure they can get hold of you should they need to for any reason.

Provide a valid email address and a telephone number where people can reach you, and make it clear that you will answer all queries within a specific amount of time. It's better to say all queries will be answered within forty eight hours and be able to get to most of them within twenty four, than promise a twenty four hour turnaround and not be able to deliver.

But it's not just about being accessible when people want to get in touch with you. Another essential facet of this subject is to create trust by becoming a familiar sight to your customers online. One good way of doing this is to build an opt-in mailing list which you can send a newsletter to on a regular basis.

This means people will become familiar with your style and subject, and you go from being an unknown person to someone they begin to trust. It sounds like a contradiction in terms but it sometimes holds true that the less you try to sell to them, the more they will be inclined to buy from you.

Accessibility is a big part of being successful online. Finding and utilising as many ways as possible of achieving this, without it encroaching onto your life twenty four hours a day, should be one of your main aims. It also needs to be something which permeates into everything you do online. Whether you realise it or not, you are constantly creating an identity for yourself that will be judged by everyone who crosses your path.

It is ultimately up to you to make sure that identity is honest and open. If you don't like being contacted by other people online (even if there is a perfectly genuine and honest reason for it) then you have to accept that other people will be naturally suspicious of why you don't want to be contacted except to take orders.

You have to admit, when you look at it like that, you can see it looks a little less than trusting. Internet marketing is all about opening up lines of communication with as many potential customers as possible - and you should accept that those lines of communication have to be two way for your internet efforts to meet with long lasting success.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com

Sean Rasmussen is an Internet Marketer and Stock Market Trader. You can read about affiliate marketing on the Internet Marketing Blog and locate more info on the Official SEO Wiki

Auto-responders With Punch

By Ingrid Cliff

Auto-responders are a business's best friend. Before we cover how to write fantastic auto-responders, here is a quick recap. What exactly is an auto-responder? Think about when you meet someone and you ask them "How are you?" Most times the automatic response is "Fine thanks". People don't even think - the answer just automatically comes out.

Now - transfer this to your computer. Most people are aware of the "sorry I am on holidays so can't answer your email" type of autoresponder email. You know the person is not there answering their email - the computer does it automatically. This is the most basic sort of autoresponder - one email triggers one response.

But there is so much more you can do with a decent autoresponder package. When people contact you via email or over the net they want a fast answer. This is where an autoresponder program really comes into its own - they become major productivity enhancement tools.

Let's start with something simple. Say, for example, someone enquires using a form on your website wanting a brochure. Imagine if your computer automatically received the email and then sent out the brochure electronically, without you having to do anything.

Autoresponders can also be set up to manage subscriptions and unsubscribes to newsletters, sending out appropriate confirmations as needed. They can be set up to deliver e-books or MP3 downloads on successful purchase over the net. They can deliver a broadcast email or newsletter to everyone on your list at the touch of a button.

One of the other great features is you can upload a series of follow up auto-responders to be delivered at pre-programmed times in the future. Most sales people give up after 2 or 3 follow up contacts.

Autoresponders will keep on following up no matter what (as long as you have programmed them into the sequence). Write it once and then let it run over and over again.

OK - enough about the features of autoresponders. Here's my 10 step formula for creating auto-responders with PUNCH.

Auto responders are like mini direct mail letters - you need to cover all of the regular elements of a long copy direct mail letter in a very succinct way. Everything should be covered in no more than 5 paragraphs!

1. Subject line - your subject line is your headline. People will decide whether or not to open your email by your subject line. Make it interesting, intriguing and tempting.

2. Headline - you need a strong headline to grab attention once they click on your email. Your headline must be consistent with your subject line and make people want to keep reading your email.

3. Body copy - your copy needs to reflect a problem-solution approach. This means you hint at a problem and then quickly provide a possible solution. Focus on the benefits of your product or service, not the features.

4. Links - you need to link through to your sales page quite high in the copy as well as at the end of the copy.

5. Proof/testimonials - it helps to include a testimonial or some other proof.

6. Guarantee - if you offer a money back guarantee then say so.

7. Call to action - make sure you have a clear and compelling call to action. Tell people what to do - this may be as simple as asking them to visit your website.

8. Create urgency - people need to know why they need to act now.

9. Signature.

10. PS - PSs are generally always read. Make sure your PS restates the benefits, repeats the urgency or repeats the call to action.

Here's an example of a typical autoresponder sequence promoting a new product or service.

1. Initial email in the format we have just discussed.

2. 4-7 days later - restate your offer and reinforce the urgency of their action.

3. 4-7 days later - reinforce the benefits, pile on the testimonials and perhaps offer added bonuses. Combine this with a reminder of the deadline or other reason they need to act today.

4. If they still don't buy, then you could ask for feedback on the offer at this stage.

5. Keep the person on your email list and regularly keep them updated with newsletters and other broadcasts.

Autoresponders are like silent salespeople. If you take the time to set them up correctly and program them for success, you can automate your business and create more time for other business growth activities.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com

Ingrid Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter, Business Development and Human Resources Consultant to Small and Medium Businesses with her business Heart Harmony. Ingrid writes a free weekly business development newsletter and daily blog for small to medium sized businesses. www.heartharmony.com.au