Is that your cry today also…if only I had more website traffic?

It’s one piece of the 3 part puzzle: website traffic, a way to monetize those visitors, and a way to convert visitors into clicks, leads, and sales.

Look below at 10 free traffic methods.  As you go through them, think about how ALL of them rely on the same basic strategy.

Method #1: Search Engine Optimization

Method #2: Affiliate Partners

Method #3: Article Syndication

Method #4: Forums

Method #5: Youtube

Method #6: Podcasting

Method #7: Publicity

Method #8: Facebook

Method #9: Twitter

Method #10: Stumbleupon

Every single one is about sharing unique entertaining or valuable content. 

It’s about calling people’s attention to what you have to share…and bringing them to your site.

Focus on your message first.  Then use these methods to bring the audience to your site.

In “free” marketing, your currency is unique entertaining content.

If we choose just bloggers for example, some of them write 2,000 word comprehensive articles on a subject to get a lot of links.

Others like Seth Godin do very short posts that make you think.

Both of them have found their niche and their message.

Find your message.  Choose your methods.  Then stay consistent with them.

I often talk about the 3 P’s of conversion: Problem, Promise, and Proof.

Well I often use those same three items when helping someone choose the market and message to focus on.

What’s the problem?

What’s the problem you solve?  If you’re publishing a blog, what’s the problem that brings people to you.  It’s hopefully not just random crap that you’re thinking.  There’s a specific problem that you provide solutions to.   There’s a specific set of people who are interested in solving this problem.

Remember you can apply the above to any type of content sharing you’re doing.

What’s your promise?

How will you help them solve their problem?  How is your promise unique in the market?  It should also be quick and easy for people to figure out what you’re promising when they land on your site or read your messages.  This is a clear, consistent promise that you share throughout your content.

Where’s your proof?

There are all kinds of proof you could use such as testimonials or case studies from people you’ve helped.  But when someone is first starting out they should look for their story.  I just had a client I took through this process this week.

I interviewed him until we found his most interesting stories.  That all revolved around the exact same subject.  As soon as he would talk about that subject and tell his stories about it, you could feel his energy increase.  If you were standing in front of him, I’d bet you would have seen his eyes light up.

He was able to share those with passion because they were his stories.  And they stood out to me while listening because they were contrary to the common advice in that market.

He had passionate stories full of contrarian advice. 

That’s what you’re looking for.  Too many people get stuck and overwhelmed with all the free traffic methods they could be using.  And they’re frustrated when they don’t produce the results they want.

Find your message first.  Then reach your market with passionate stories full of contrarian advice.

Join the Monthly Mentor Club today to build that Internet Lifestyle business of your dreams.  Not only do I cover the traffic techniques for you to use in simple, easy to understand terms…but I also cover the strategies that really make the difference between success and failure.

It’s your refuge and your guide to building your own Internet Lifestyle business online…

http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com

And neither is internet business.

A lot of people out there are putting sweat and tears into building a business, while working at a competitive disadvantage.

It seems like they’re trying to push a boulder uphill.  It’s a continual treadmill of never getting ahead.

Maybe if they just work longer and harder than everyone else it will all work out.

But again, life isn’t fair.  And business definitely isn’t.

You may be competing with people who have more financing, a full-time staff, and established relationships in the market.

How in the world do you compete with that?

You can come out with a much better solution to a desperate problem.  Or you make a better offer than they’re willing to make.  Or possibly an insane guarantee they won’t match.

Or perhaps it’s an unfair advantage that comes from your past.  Maybe you have experience in front of a video camera from a job you had at a local news station.

If you have that advantage, run with it.  Do everything you can on video.  Use a video blog, video sales letters, and video products.  Use that unfair advantage!

Someone else may be a stronger writer.  They can sit down and write.  If they get focused and cut out distractions, it just flows.  Use it.  Rely on it.  Make it your advantage.

Maybe you’re the life of the party.  Use social media.  Get on the phone.  Meet people at conferences.  Become a joint venture broker.  Use that talent you have to make others comfortable around you.

Perhaps it’s not a talent you were born with.  It could be experience you’ve developed or a job you’ve done.  You worked in a job where you had to create systems and checklists.  That’s an incredible way to build an advantage over competitors by leveraging your work.

Or you worked at a dental office and understand the mentality.  You could develop a product and reach that specific audience.

So many people jump on an opportunity because they heard someone else’s success story.  And they don’t think about what advantages that person might have had in the business.

For example, a lot of the internet gurus have a large staff.  What if you don’t want any staff?  What happens when you start copying their exact business models?  You’ll run directly into a brick wall because it’s a different business system.

Your unfair advantages could come from your own personal skillset and experiences, assets such as money or ideas, team members, or even the right message at the right time.

Don’t discount the “small things.”

If you search for it, you can find an advantage.  Build on it.  Use it.  And win.

That’s what the February issue of the Monthly Mentor Club is all about.   It’s about finding your unfair advantages and using them to dominate the  competition.  Specialize in what your business does best.

Find your advantages.  Concentrate on them.  And profit from them.

Quit trying to build a business based off of competive disadvantages!

http://www.monthlymentorclub.com

In fact, I think it’s my favorite of all type of online income…money that comes in each month without making a new sale to a customer.

I’ve run multiple membership sites, a print newsletter, group coaching programs, and one-on-one coaching programs all based on monthly continuity.

It gets even better when it’s an affiliate program paying continuity income where they’re doing all the work of delivering the services and content. 

There are programs I promoted years ago that still send me checks every month today.  You can’t beat that!

But there’s a monster hiding under the bed the gurus don’t want to talk about.

Customers don’t want to commit to paying you monthly.

And over the past couple of years, it has gotten even worse because of all the scams out there.

Crooks have dinged people’s credit cards with hidden continuity.

That’s when you sign up for continuity and it’s NOT clearly described that it’s an ongoing commitment. 

The most common method was hiding the continuity in one little “extra bonus” on a 20 page website.  The customer buys and 30 days later, surprise-surprise there’s an extra charge on their credit card.

And don’t even get me started on those who make it a PAIN IN THE CABOOSE to cancel!  One client told me a horror story about a program he was in that didn’t even cancel him after sending a certified letter to their business address.

Add those two scams together and it’s tougher to today to get people to join your membership site than it was just a few years ago.

In fact, on a recent webinar Glenn Livingston even suggested getting people to join a membership site is kind of like asking them to pour acid on their genitals!

It’s NOT that difficult, but he was trying to make a point.  You want people to join your membership and pay you monthly.  That’s not what they want. 

What they want are easy solutions to their problems…delivered as quickly and concisely as possible.

And here’s a key principle.  People don’t join for what they’re GOING to receive. 

Here are 3 ways to improve the conversion of your membership site…

#1 – Focus on the Immediately Delivered Bonuses

They join based on what you deliver to them today.  This includes any instant delivery you provide, any or all the bonuses, and current content that is already available them in the site. 

The most effective membership websites focus heavily on the instantly delivered benefits…what a customer gets right now when they join. 

The most effective membership sales page have a STRONG primary bonus worth much more than the cost of the membership or a series of bonuses that work in unison for a much greater value than the price of the site itself.

They focus attention here…on what you get today.  Make it an insane value that’s tough to say no to.

You sell based on what people get NOW…and you retain people based on what you deliver monthly. 

#2 – Make it Clear how to Cancel From the Beginning

Be upfront and tell people how to cancel from the beginning.  On my sites I even link over to my support system and tell people all they have to do to cancel is send in a support ticket. 

This not only deals with that fear they have you won’t let them cancel, but it has a nice side benefit.  The vast majority of my members who cancel use the support system.  They do what I asked which means it fits the systems we have in place where we’re not hunting down their information.

Does this generate more people canceling?  Not from what I’ve seen.  Remember you sell based on what you deliver immediately and retain people based on what you’re delivering every month.

#3 – Run a Low Cost Trial If It’s Required

Want to really boost your frontend sign-ups?  Then go with a low cost trial where the membership is $1, $4.95, or even free plus shipping for a physical bonus you may send (say $9.95 for the shipping of the physical bonus).

This will boost frontend conversion.  You’ll take a hit on retention and no matter how well you explain the continuity you’ll still have some customers who don’t recognize it which will create customer support hassles. 

So it’s a trade off.  More frontend customers, but more customer support hassles and lowered retention.  If you’re not converting though, go for the trial.

I’ve had a couple of clients who even went the opposite way.  They had more trouble with retention than conversion and they actually charge LESS for the repeating months compared to the first month (so $97 for the first month and then $47 a month after that for example). 

See This In Action

If you’d like to see how I focus on both #1 and #2 on my own site, check out http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com

The sales page is focused primarily on the benefits while still making it clear it’s a monthly continuity and exactly how you can cancel at any time…along with a full money back guarantee.

Would you like simple step-by-step instructions to boost your traffic, triple your conversion rates, and take more time off?

http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com

This includes search engine optimization, social media, blogging, article marketing, video, list trades, etc.

It’s what everyone is dreaming about….a kind of Website Traffic El Dorado…a Lost City of Gold that everyone is struggling and chasing after.

If only they could just find this mystical “secret,” they’d be set.

Hordes of hungry buyers would overwhelm their server and shopping cart.  And they’d ride off into the sunset with a smile on their face.

Yet then I turn around and look at the real stats of my most successful clients, and the majority of them are BUYING at least a portion of their traffic.

They’re in Adwords.  They’re in CPV.  They’re in banner networks.  They buy banners directly on targeted websites.  They advertise in magazines and journals.  They’re even buying ads on Facebook.

As a matter of fact, one recently reported to me a 4:1 return on his remarketing campaigns of all visitors (those are ads which are only shown to visitors who were cookied as already visiting your website).

Yes, the majority also drive traffic through seo and content marketing as well…and all the time and expense that goes into these methods.

But this is about something more than just the traffic itself.

I notice those who put their money on the line and “buy traffic” have a change in mindset.

They start looking at the return on investment.  They look deeper at their conversion at every step in the process.  They look for additional ways to provide more value to their customers and maximize their revenue.

It changes their mindset to more internet business focused instead of just personal website focused.

And it does something something else that’s a biggie…

Paid traffic exposes the flaws in your website!

If your website isn’t converting, then you quickly find this out.

But there is another element that is true of all paid advertising I’ve seen online.  It’s called optimization.

You get multiple points you can influence and optimize your campaign to make it profitable.

Let’s say you’re running a banner ad campaign.  You optimize the sites you’re advertising on.  Some will work for you.  Many will not.  Keep a careful eye on your stats and you’ll discover the absolute best ones for your offer (think about how this means you could buy ads directly, know who to contact for jvs, and even come up with better keywords for your seo).

You test multiple different banners looking for just the right pitch that gets them to clickthrough.  You’ll find that often one approach doubles the results of any of the others.

At this point, you have to analyze if your landing page also matches what’s working on the banner.   You want your website to continue the conversation that the banner started.  It needs to be a natural flow from one step to the next.

You improve your landing page based off the banner results and double your optin subscriber rate.

Once you’ve tested that the optin page is converting, you move on to your primary sales page with the SAME CONVERSATION going on.  You keep it moving across that page along with all your email follow-ups and any other follow-up methods you’re using.

Once you make the sale, you improve on the upsell in the system to maximize the revenue here.

Buying traffic FORCES you to analyze and improve each step in the conversion process. 

You could of course do this with any other form of traffic, but the question is will you?

I’ve seen it when working with clients.  Something changes once you put your money on the line with your advertising.

You can’t lie to yourself anymore.

It’s too easy with some forms of traffic to simply say we’re establishing a connection.  They’ll convert next time.  If you pay for visitors and you don’t convert those visitors into leads or sales, then they’re gone.  Your website missed it.

And you can analyze the results with real numbers of what you spent and what came back in.  It’s not a uncalculated amount of time that you may have spent in free marketing.  It’s real and you see it in your bank account.  Or you don’t…

It’s all about the cold hard reality of the numbers when it comes down to your ROI.

Even if you’re primarily focused on “free traffic methods,” I’d still recommend you run some form of paid advertising just to get this mindset shift going on.

It will make everything you do in your business more profitable.

For those who don’t know, there is a whole world of advertising outside of Google.

Click here now to find out more about getting started with buying traffic online…

Make sure to watch the short 2 minute video on that page that explains how 6,433,666 unique visitors were generated and 83,988 sales were made.

Don’t miss it…
http://www.mymarketingcoach.com/buytraffic.html

For example, proof hiding disease is a major one.  That’s when you hide your best case studies, the 1,000 customers you’ve helped, and the major news media stories about you on an interior page where nobody finds it. 

Take all that proof and lead with it.  Make a strong unique promise and follow it up with the best proof you have. 

Another major issue is not being clear on your prospect.  Instead of bullseye targeting the customer you’re going after, you try to reach “everyone.”  And it’s impossible to write to everyone.  You end up reaching almost no one. 

The solution is to come up with your perfect customer profile and write to that specific person, their problems, and their desires. 

While reviewing websites this week I stumbled upon another common problem.  I’ve seen it many times before, and from now I’m going to call it FOS.

FOS stands for “Fear of Scrolling.”

The case I saw this week was obvious.  All the pages were short and nothing went below the fold. It was difficult to find what you were looking for because they made it take so many clicks.  And this was all done to avoid any scrolling.

Some people feel if you have a high quality product or service, you don’t need that much information.

It all depends on what you’re selling…and how well the customer ALREADY understands your benefits and advantages.

If they’ve already made up their mind to buy from you, they may just need a click here to order.  In fact, I’ve participated in webinars where they sent you directly to the order form after the webinar.  The order form repeated the primary benefit and the guarantee, but everything else was shared on the webinar itself.

If you sell an iPhone which people ALREADY saw advertised on TV, played with their friend’s phone for 20 minutes, and read ten 4 page reviews in magazines, you just need an “available” link.

But what about when you’re not the cheapest price…and you have to persuade the customer you have persuade the customer the quality is worth it?  That may take a few pages to share. 

Or what if you’re releasing a product they’ve never heard of before?  You have to not only show them the benefits, but share with them why your business is a trustworthy source to purchase from. 

You could solve this by adding short page after short page you click through, but in direct tests I’ve found you often want to keep additional clicks to a minimum.  And if you share useful, entertaining information that your prospects are truly interested in, they are willing to scroll to read more. 

You can add images, charts, designs, etc. to make it easier to read, but give them the full story they need to purchase.

And that all depends on what you’re selling.

For example, have you ever looked at the length of an Amazon sales page for the Kindle or the Kindle Fire.  Check it out the next time you’re on Amazon.  For the Kindle Fire, you scroll through…

-          Their quick tool and main benefits above the fold (before you scroll)

-          What People are Saying (major reviews)

-          All the Features (each individually highlighted with a representative photo and a full paragraph of information)

-          Technical details of the product, warranty, and display

-          Comparison Chart of Kindle Options

-          Amazon Silk Browser Benefits (all individual with a paragraph or more for each)

-          Accessories

-          Then the Customer Reviews

Why would this page be so much longer than their average page?  Could it be they have more information they need to share and explain this product?  Definitely.

The length of your page is all based on what you’re offering and how close to a buying decision the customer already is.  Don’t cut it short just because you have a fear of scrolling.  And don’t unnaturally divide it up to keep from saying too much on one page.

Give a customer the information they need.  And make the sale. 

That’s why the website is there.  If you had a one-on-one salesperson, you wouldn’t tell them they could only speak 50 words and then shut up.  They need to be able to answer any questions a customer might have.  And the conversation needs to naturally flow to solutions for that customer’s problems.

You wouldn’t handicap your salesperson.  Why handicap your strongest salesperson…your website?

If you serious about producing the best results from your website, check out the Monthly Mentor Club today.  This is where I share my best information each month designed to help you generate more traffic, make more sales online, and create your own internet lifestyle.

http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com

You can make things as difficult as you want them to be starting out, or you can take an easier path.

For example, coming online with zero previous business experience and saying you want to earn a million dollars your first year is likely to be a very tough road.  Instead, why not make a commitment to earn your first $1 online.  Then after this $1, you can go for $100.  Build it into $100 a day, and now you have an income online.

For example, one of the easiest ways to start making money in the beginning is by doing work for others.  You develop a skill others are willing to pay for (writing, seo, customer service, video production, etc.).

All the below methods are thinking about generating your first $1 and then building upon that simple foundation…

Method #1: Fiverr

Create a simple service that you can charge $5 for.  Fiverr keeps $1 and you get the other $4.  You can find useful, funny, and outright crazy jobs people are willing to do for $5 there.  Check it out at http://www.fiverr.com

Method #2: eLance

What talent do you already have?  Hire yourself out for writing, website design, virtual assistance, seo, accounting, legal, marketing, etc.  You won’t be getting paid as much here as if you were generating your own clients, but it is a place to get started and get your first few low cost clients.  Generate the testimonials and proof you need for higher paying work later on.
http://www.elance.com

Method #3: eBay

Sell some of the junk from around your house.  Offer to sell other people’s stuff on eBay for a share of the commissions.  This will give you the initial experience in selling products online.  You can expand out into other collecting interests you may have and build a business from here or use it as a launching pad for your own ecommerce business.
http://www.ebay.com

Method #4: Photography

Love taking photos?  Apply your skills and interest and take photos for use by businesses.  Sell your photos on the royalty free websites for a share of the profits.  You can easily tap into this market through sites such as:
http://www.shutterstock.com

Method #5: Reviews

You have an opinion, right?  Well practice writing reviews for popular physical products on sites such as Epinions.  They’ll pay you $1 to write a review on a product in their database.  That’s not much, but remember you’ll be earning money WHILE you practice your writing skills.  And a skill in writing reviews will come in handy when you start promoting affiliate products.
http://www.epinions.com

Method #6: Affiliate Marketing

This one takes a little more work because you’ll need to find an affiliate program to promote.  Get started with http://www.clickbank.com/marketplace or http://www.cj.com.  Sign up at one of the free blog sites such as http://www.blogger.com or http://www.wordpress.com.  Focus on writing good reviews for these products using 3 or 4 word keyword phrases.

This one becomes more in depth as you have to find out what people are searching for (use the Google Keyword Tool for free to get started).  You write posts about it.  And you will need to start with a little link building to your site as well.  But this is also the beginning of a more in depth business where you get your own domain and own site eventually to continue and grow the process.

Method #7: Kindle

Kindle ebooks are kicking butt.  A lot of internet marketers got upset when Amazon cracked down on using private label rights products as Kindle ebooks, but that just leaves more room for real products to be sold here.  Shut yourself off for the weekend and produce an ebook.

Get it up and selling on Kindle.  They take the orders and share the profits with you.  Price it low such as $2.99 or $4.99 to get maximum orders.  Then create additional products.  Remember, these require zero customer service on your part and can generate long-term customers for you if you insert a free offer in the ebook itself.
https://kdp.amazon.com

You don’t even need a list of your own.  Instead you contact other people who have a list, and convince them to mail for you to their list.  Split the profits 50/50.  Everybody wins.  And the conversion rate is EVEN HIGHER than regular visitors since they have a relationship with the list owner.

So you prepare a list of the top list owners in your industry.  And you put together what you think is an excellent contact email.  You send it out to all of them…and nothing happens.

Nobody even emails you back.  Silence.  All you hear is the sound of the crickets. 

At this point, many people give up and say joint ventures are only for those with connections already.   Or maybe it’s only for people who meet the experts at conventions.   Maybe it’s all rigged.

The reality is that getting a response from a joint venture is the BEST TEST of your offer there is.  It’s a test of your ability to cut through the noise and grab attention. 

That future jv partner you want likely has hundreds of people emailing him/her.  Your letter has to grab attention at the bottom of that pile.  It has to then turn the attention into interest and desire.  And then get them to take the action of emailing you or calling you back.

It’s sales 101.  Here are a few of the most common mistakes I see from joint venture letters…and what you can do about them

#1 – Not personalized.

I’m not saying just put their name on it.  Instead make it so it’s only possible to have sent it to one person.  Comment on a recent article on their website.  Compliment them on a product they have.  Tell them how much they inspired you in a speech they gave. 

Maybe look to see if they’ve published their goals and ask them if you could help them reach one of the goals they’ve listed.  In other words, start off with their favorite subject…them! 

#2 – The offer isn’t unique.

What is your product’s advantage?  What makes it unique in the marketplace?  And along the same lines, why is it a good match for their audience?

I originally wrote the above as “the product isn’t unique” but that isn’t accurate.  Sometimes you can make a unique offer even if the product is similar to other peoples.  Perhaps you have a better trial, you package it in a totally different way, insane guarantee, overwhelming proof, or another element that makes the offer stands out even when the product itself isn’t that unique. 

#3 – No proof of your claims.    

Can you prove your claims?  Here are some examples.  Maybe you have a few golden testimonials from well-known names.  Have you partnered already or have a commitment from a well-known expert?  Maybe one of the bonuses is an interview with an expert (yes, we’re trying to do some name dropping here).

You could have numbers to back up the jv.  You’ve run another recent joint venture recently and it produced $2.75 per visitor.  Or maybe even your own paid advertising is producing an 11% conversion. 

I personally get a kick out of the emails which tell me I’ll earn an extra ten thousand by promoting something…with zero proof, zero stats, and zero evidence to back up those claims.  Don’t make income projections.  Give real numbers of what it has done so far instead IF you have them.

#4 – It’s not stupid simple.

The rule for joint ventures is you do it all for them.  You provide them with the emails.  You provide them with pre-written reviews.  You provide them with a sales system that works.

You give them free reports they can give away, and you even brand the reports for them.  Remember if you’re initiating the contact you’re going after influencers…the ones who can drive sales to your website.  Do whatever is necessary to get it done from your end.

#5 – Using email only. 

Move away from the Internet.  Send them a letter, pick up the phone, or even meet them in person at a conference.  Everyone simply contacts by email.  Try contacting them through a direct message on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin).  Get them away from the most common contact form.

Use a dollar bill letter.  This is where you send a direct mail letter and attach a dollar to the top of it.   It essentially becomes the headline to grab their attention.  Then you start the letter off that the reason you used a dollar is because what you have to share has to do with money, and can produce a lot more of these for them. 

Of course you could use many other grabbers as well, but this is a simple one where you likely have a few dollar bills laying around to use. 

Additional Tips

If you’d like 45 additional joint venture strategies, check out this month’s Monthly Mentor Club.  It’s jam packed with joint venture strategies and ideas you can use to build your business faster online. 

http://www.MonthlyMentorClub.com

Ever notice how internet gurus talk about all the different traffic methods…but when push comes to shove they always promote their own products primarily by joint ventures?  This month’s issue shows how you too can tap into OTHER PEOPLE’S traffic, money, and experience through joint ventures.

It’s an important question if you want to succeed online.

The majority of us start out looking for a business opportunity, but hopefully move into being a business owner over time.

Business opportunity seekers struggle online, and often wonder why.  They’re looking for a turn-key business that they can just jump in and go with.  It’s kind of like a franchise.  Everything is already done.  The advertising has all been created.  All they have to do is put hard work and effort behind the system…and it works for them.

The problem is that doesn’t work online…at least not anymore.    

WOAH!  I know that may come as a shock, because there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of internet marketing gurus who cater to this mindset.

They package up one of their systems and they sell it as a turn-key way to get started online.  No hassle.  Just click this button and money comes out.

But it doesn’t work like that.

If you copy someone else exactly with no changes, then you’re simply a me-too business.  There is no reason for anyone to buy from you instead of them.

The franchise model works well for local businesses who cater just to their local area, but the moment you come online you’re competing with the world. 

Here’s the big question every business owner asked that separates them from business opportunities…

What is my competitive advantage?

Let’s rephrase that question in a few more ways to make sure it’s 100% clear…

What do we do so well that customers can’t resist telling others about us?

What are we #1 at (and if we’re not #1, how can we specialize until we become #1)?

What are my personal gifts that give me an advantage over all my competitors?

How does our offer stand out in a competitive marketplace?

You can ask the same question in a multitude of ways…but it always comes back to why should customers do business with you instead of the competition.

Think about how important this is.  This means two companies can do the exact same advertising.  They can both spend 20 hours a week going after joint ventures.  They can both put in the EXACT same amount of effort and investment.

One is wildly successful while the other one struggles.

Someone looking for a business opportunity is likely doing a dozen or more things right.  I was in the same position when I was first starting years ago. 

You work hard.   You invest.  You study.  You practice what you learn.  But it never seems to have that breakthrough.

Because the big problem is it doesn’t stand out from the competition.  It looks like everyone else.  It sounds like everyone else.

And as I said, there are a ton of gurus who will cater to this mentality.   People keep buying because they’re looking for the “secret” that gives them the breakthrough.

But it won’t be found in a “new system.”  

Just the right mix of social media, blogging, and search engine optimization is not the solution. 

The solution is found in your competitive advantage. 

Focus on your strategy first.  Then apply the right tactics that work in unison with your strategy.

As I’m writing this, we’re entering 2012.  Will this be the year you break out of just seeking after opportunities and you build a real business that produces profits without you?

It’s all about that strategy…that competitive advantage…that magnetically attracts your customers.

It’s the foundation.  Everything else builds upon this foundation. 

Get your foundation right.  Then build your house (all the tactics such as social media, seo, PPC, etc.).

Ask yourself today…What’s my advantage?

You have one if you look for it.  You have skills.  You have talents.  You have experiences in your background.

You have some advantage.  You simply have to find it and focus on it. 

The odds are against you if you just use a pre-packaged business opp.  You’re operating at a disadvantage. 

It’s like playing at a rigged casino.  Not only are you at a disadvantage, but the rules are stacked against you.

Instead change the rules.  Play the game your way.  And If needed, invent your own game!

Check out the A-to-Z Internet Truthprints which covers how to build your own information empire.

And it all starts with finding your market and unique idea.  We give you the tools and the checklists, but we show you from step one how to develop it as your own business based on your skills and advantages. 

http://www.thetruthprints.com

How well did 2011 work out for you?

Did you accomplish your goals?

If you did, WHY did you accomplish them?

If you didn’t, why not?  What roadblocks stood in your way?

I always like to spend several days near the end of the year analyzing exactly what has been working best for me…and what hasn’t.  And because I work directly with clients in many different industries, I get to see in depth exactly what is working in their businesses as well.

The clients who have done best this year: multiplying their businesses, cutting their hours, and reaching their goals were the ones who FOCUSED best on a core set of principles.

That’s the biggest roadblock today – FOCUS.

Everyday there is a bright new shiny object that can steal your attention away from your core business.

What’s your core business?

Back when I first started online, I remember from Jay Abraham there are 3 ways to grow a business:

1. Increase your number of customers.
2. Increase your average transaction value.
3. Increase the numbers of transactions per year.

Those are the 3 areas you should be concentrating on.

If you haven’t already done so, sit down right now and describe your perfect target customer.  What are they currently buying online?  Who are they buying from?  Analyze their sales process.  Why are they buying from them?

How can you better serve these customers and how do you cost effectively reach them?

When I look at my best performing clients this year, every single one is aggressively pursuing one or two main traffic sources.

For example one client concentrates heavily on PPC with a secondary emphasis on seo.  Another one is PPC with a secondary emphasis on offline journals.   Another is a joint venture specialist who goes after large mailing lists with an incredible offer (giving more than 100% on the frontend) with social media being a much lower contributor for him.

Another does direct media buys and a secondary emphasis of buying ads directly on sites.

But no matter what they’re doing, they’re focused.   We always hear about how we need to have multiple sources of traffic for safety.

And it sounds good.  It really does.

But the reality of internet business is it takes so much focused attention that you must go after what you do with all your energy…and there is only enough left over for one or two secondary methods.

Please note I’m not talking about traffic sources.  I’m talking about where their buyers come from.  That’s what matters on the bottom line.

Don’t guess about what you’re going to do or what to predict next year.

We don’t have a crystal ball and we can’t see the future that well.

Instead look at what is working for you now…and what isn’t.

If you’re generating traffic and they’re not buying, then what is the problem?

If you’re generating 1,000 visitors a day but only 2 of them are buyers, where do those visitors come from?  How can you get more like them?

This is where the 80/20 rule comes into play heavily.

Eighty percent of your results are created by twenty percent of your actions.

What 20% of your action this year created 80% of your results?

Even if you had 4 failures for every 1 success…what created that success?

Focus your attention on the 20% that is working.  Make that 80% of your attention this next year…at least for the first three months of the year.  Then you can reanalyze again.

Look back at the 3 ways to grow a business.  How can you improve on each of these 3 ways next year?

When someone is already in business, you can often get them going in the right direction just by asking a few very simple questions…

What has worked and is currently working now?

What isn’t working or has failed in the past?

What needs to be fixed?

And then keep the 80/20 rule in mind.  Where is the best investment of your time, money, and resources to accomplish your goals this year?

But what should we do and how should we react to what’s coming?

Prediction #1: More regulations and business problems will continue in 2012.

It seems the Internet is full of Chicken Little’s screaming the sky is falling about every news story.

The FTC is cranking up enforcement.  COPA is dealing aggressively with copyright infringement and could cause some innocent casualties along the way.

The recession in the US is still affecting sales of many sites.

And coming down the tracks is likely an Internet wide sales tax in the US (which hopefully won’t be too insanely confusing with 50 different states included).

The question is can you turn these problems into opportunities?

For example, if the sales tax issue comes into play in the US, small businesses will need ways to deal with it.  It’s the perfect opportunity for shopping cart systems and software providers to step up with new solutions.

The recession has meant websites are finally focusing more heavily on conversions of visitors into sales. Quality traffic is becoming more expensive, and those who win are those who converting their visitors into sales.

This trend will continue.  How are you helping them do this?

Every problem can also be turned into an opportunity by an intelligent entrepreneur who is ready for what’s coming.  How will you turn these in success for you?

2012 is not going to be the end of the world, but there will be many problems.  The question is how you will look at them…and how you will deal with them.

Prediction #2: Video begins coming of age online.

Obviously video is doing well online.  Big companies like Google are betting on it (and it’s becoming much easier to rank video than text in seo now).

Plus, it’s the preferred method of many buyers online.

According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, between 21% and 23% of adult Americans were not “able to locate information in TEXT” and could not make low level inferences using printed materials.

Wikipedia suggests the best estimate for FULL literacy in the USA (equivalent to undergraduate level functioning)  is only about 15% of population.  15%!   (The average adult reads at a 7^th or 8^th grade level).

Up till now though, video really hasn’t grown up.  It’s used heavily in overhyped product launches, but what about product demos on physical products?

I’m amazed at how much proof a strong demonstration video adds to a physical product to show it really does what’s advertised.

In addition, video can be used a regular part of your follow-up to build closer relationships where viewers really have that feeling they know you.

Remember, we have a culture of celebrity.  And video is one of the strongest tools of building your celebrity online.

If you’re not using video right now SOMEWHERE in your marketing mix, then you will be soon.

Prediction #3: Mobile Sites Become Required in Many Markets. 

I’m guess I’m getting old (38 now), because personally I don’t get into any of the mobile tools.

I have an iPad which is pretty useful for carrying around to look at sites…but I have no interest whatsoever in a smart phone.  It would just tie me more to business when I enjoy the freedom of being separate.

But I am NOT my customer.

Look at these statistics from Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

They claim more than 800 million users.  And 350 million of those users actively use Facebook from their mobile devices.  That’s just under half.

Obviously Facebook is going to be higher here than the majority of the rest of the web – since it’s a social media platform.  But it shows just how active mobile really is online.

So creating a mobile version of your site is something you will want soon, again depending on your market and their active usage.  You’ll note you can check mobile use in Google Analytics and many other website tracking programs as well to see your own visitor numbers.

There are WordPress plugins that create a mobile version of your site such as http://mippin.com/web/index.jsp and you can even turn any RSS feed into an app using www.mippin.com.

Prediction #4: Paid Advertising Is Looking Much More Enticing. 

If you’ve been paying careful attention to recent actions by Google, you’ll see they’ve been pushing the free results further down on the page.

Their PPC ads have a much higher focus along with shopping results.  This of course is where they drive their own profits, but it’s also a not so subtle way to encourage brands to buy more advertising from them.

This has ALWAYS been the case with any new media.  It’s very low cost, even free, to get started with.  But over time it becomes more and more competitive where those who can turn visitors into customers in the long run.

Haven’t you noticed this trend online lately?  Free traffic is tougher now than it used to be, but on the other end I’m actually finding that advertising prices have dropped this past year in some markets.  You might not see this price drop in the big ad networks, but you will if you are advertising directly with site publishers.

Selling their ad space isn’t as easy as it used to be, and you can make some good deals dealing with site owners directly.

Prediction #5: Built-In Sources of Customers GROW For the Small Business

Where are your customers currently BUYING products?

If you sell information products, then Amazon Kindle is a perfect source for you to generate frontend customers for your other products and services.

By creating low cost products (think 99 cents up to about $4.99) you can tap into these low cost customers who are already buyers.

You won’t make much from the frontend sales, but you can generate customers for your other backend offers through them.

What about the iTunes app store and iBooks?

And of course we come to joint ventures as well.  Who else already has customers for you?  I’m seeing this trend growing quickly that many are tired of just seeking after “traffic” and they’re thinking in terms of buyers.

Where are my buyers at?

Who are they already buying from?

And who has a built in source of customers for me already?

How Can You Tap Into the Trends Which Will Continue in 2012?

If you want to succeed in the future that is coming to the Internet, you have to convert your visitors into leads and sales.

You need to be able to turn low cost customers into higher ticket buyers and long-term continuity customers.

When it really comes down to it, it’s both cheaper and easier to boost your conversion than double your traffic…especially in 2012.

Make sure to check out the recorded webinar Dr. Glenn Livingston and I did which will show you the 5 internet conversion keys along with simple research methods you can use quickly for free…

http://www.ConversionCodeWebinar.com

You can boost your subscribers, conversions, and sales within 30 minutes by using the free information shared on this webinar.