MarketingCrazy by Evan Margolin
Helping People Start Successful Businesses On The Internet (Yes, even YOU)
Bright Ideas Inspiring Internet Entrepreneurs
ACCELERATED 10 STEP ACTION PLAN TO BUSINESS SUCCESS
Here is your accelerated 10 step action plan to business success on the internet. Most of this will not apply to people already doing serious internet marketing, but rest assured, we will address many of your concerns as well. Our ebook goes into far greater detail on each one of these topics, plus about a dozen more, but here's a short summary guide to get you started. Remember, it's really all about taking the first step, so dive in, have fun, and you will succeed. Before I start though, understand . . . you'll need to invest some money and some time in your business. Now, we're going to help you greatly minimize both investments, but you will have to invest both. Let's talk about each one, and the trade off between the two:
1) Money: This is the easy one! What? Yes, it's the easy one. I can quantify it for you. You're going to invest up to 5-10k, in stages, in your internet business. Guess what? It's a steal. I mean, if I could have just paid 5k to learn everything I've learned now, and make what I've made and continue to make, I'd do it a thousand times over. I'm not even going to spend time on this,
because if you're not willing to invest 5k in your business, you should stop reading this right now.
2) Time: This one was the real tough one for me. It takes time and work! Not fake work . . . REAL work. While there is some trade off between being able to spend more money, and invest less time, there's a limit to how far you can go. No matter how much money you invest, your time is going to be the most important factor in your business. My success is no longer limited by the amount of money I have to throw at a given opportunity, but more so by the amount of time I have left to devote to it. This will be the same for you, even if you don't feel it yet. Your time is everything - and it will be your greatest limitation, and your most valuable commodity.
Don't wait, for even one second! Overload yourself with tools, and dedicate yourself to your project right now. Do everything voraciously, and over the top. Don't fret over a $200 course, or a $79 hosting package. I can't stress this enough. We're talking about serious money here. Dive in, and succeed. Baby steps may get you there, but it'll take years. I know we all have jobs, families, and countless infringements on our time and pocketbook, but this is something that can really make a difference in your life. It's something attainable, that can be yours, with hard work.
Let's start:
1) You're going to need an idea! Start with your passions and hobbies, and don't worry if they seem small. As long as they are your passion, they'll work just fine. As I'll recommend many times in this startup guide, Cory Rudl's "Insider Secret's" course, will be your first bible. This course, not only is one of the greatest beginner's Internet courses I've ever found, but will kick start your idea generation process, and put you on the right track to success. It's an absolute steal, and should be on the first products you invest in. If you're wondering about the price, stop wondering! This is an absolute must to start your business, and should be your first purchase. It will pay for itself a dozen times over! Get it now. You also need to sell something to make money! This was my greatest stumbling point for many years. I had a great website - tons of traffic, and I didn't sell anything. Buy this course. FYI - Cory was my first real dose of internet marketing, and much of my enormous success, I owe to him. I only met him once, but he was down to earth, friendly, and driven to succeed. He recently died in a chance automobile accident, a millionaire dozens of times over, at age 34. That started me thinking about this course, and what I could do to train others to realize their potential . . . and to do it right now!
Option #2: This is not recommended, but needs to be discussed. How would you like to experience complete training,
enormous hand-holding, and step-by-step business thinking through every step I've outlined, and am about to outline? I couldn't handle this spoon-fed approach, it just wasn't for me, but for many, it's the easiest way to be online, and I can't discount it, and I at least have to tell you about it. The program is called Sitesell, and it's a complete website creation, building, and marketing package. It's amazingly thorough, and I've never, ever, seen it's equal. Yes, I've bought it. Yes, I've used it. And yes, I thought it was amazing, And finally, yes, I eventually asked, and was given, a prompt and courteous refund. Finally, Yes, you should try out Sitesell for yourself. It will add a full week onto your startup time, and enormous hours of reading, but you'll receive a top notch education, from the ground up, for absolute beginners. This is a fairly good place to start. Can you achieve the same results without this program? Yes, I sure did. Probably far better (which is what I talk about for the rest of this article). But I am technically savvy, and did not want to be hand held through the process.
Because of this, I made many mistakes, and it may have taken longer than necessary to achieve my success. However, with MarketingCrazy helping you, it is by no means necessary to choose a partner like Sitesell, but it may still be the right thing to do. It depends on your style, and your level of familiarity with the things we're discussing. If you're already
fairly familiar, you'll probably find sitesell a little too "slow" for you. It's still worth a look . . . and it's priced fairly well. These same people make the very well known, stupendously boring, and completely over-wrought ebook called "Make your Site Sell", which I can only recommend for the fastest readers, with enormous time on their hands, whom want to be spoon-fed an otherwise pretty standard philosophy of how to sell online. It still may be worthwhile for some . . .
2) Research your idea! Yes, you've got to do a bit of research. Get a list of "keywords" (searches done on the internet), and find out how many times you're keywords are being searched. There are two tools for this, both of which are invaluable to your business, and both of which we'll discuss later, in great detail. The first is: keywordtracker - which is the main keyword tool for overall search popularity that most people use. The second, is a fantastic program, which is far more advanced, and allows you to do far more things (and works with the first), is called Dowser, which bills itself as "The World's Most Powerful Keyword Research and Management", and strangely enough, might be right. Both tools are a must for your business.
3) You're going to need a domain name and a hosting partner! Ok, so this part comes after you've selected a business, done some keyword research, and want to start a presence on the internet. Choosing a domain name, and a hosting partner, go hand in hand (although they don't have to). To make things easy, I find it's best to keep things simple, and register your domain name where you're going to be hosting it. This isn't always the case, but it's a good idea for starters. I recommend two different companies - both offer good customer service, exceedingly low rates, and free domains with a hosting account (or close to it). First is IpowerWeb, excellent cheap hosting for small business, and the second is GoDaddy (the ten ton bull in the marketplace). Go and register your domain name, and get your site started
4) Now, the big one! And I do mean, the big one. This is spilt into two
separate topics, but it concerns "building your website". I recommend at least trying to build it on your own, and laying it out. Chances are, just by surfing the web, you've run across designs that you think are great. You've probably heard of easy design programs, which do not require HTML programming ability - things like Frontpage and Dreamweaver, are both programs I have used, but they require some programming knowledge. Recently, even with my technical background, I've changed programs - and my new program is called Xsite Pro, and is by far the best, easiest, and well laid out program for simple internet design, I've yet to run across. It's got some great tutorials - so even the technically challenged are going to be able to tackle this step just fine. Let's review the steps of website creation:
- Writing a Plan and Design on Paper, Creating a Consistent Navigational Structure
- Copywriting: The process of creating "text that sells" on your website. This is the actual website text.
- Creating artwork, page templates, and design elements for the sites (such as logo, bullets, borders)
- Adding email list collection, order forms, backend merchant processing.
- Actually coding your website and uploading it to your hosting provider
And once again, that's just the start! But don't get overloaded - nor fear that you can't do this. You Can! It's all entirely do-able, and this program, Xsite Pro, helps you do it all, and more, with no programming knowledge. Get it now.
NOTE: Having trouble writing "copy" (otherwise known as "text that sells") for your website? Ever seen those long "sales letter" style websites, that seem to sick to a proven formula, and lay out compelling arguments to buy their products or services. Well, good news! A professional copywriter can cost you 4k, easily, to write about just one of your products, but I found a couple of different step-by-step programs, that walk you through the process of creating these sales letters, producing great text that sells for your website, in an easy, walkthrough fashion. Yes, I use BOTH these programs for many of my sites, and they really do work fairly well to give you a good layout. Each program guides you through a set of questions that you answer, and it spits out the text for you! It's as easy as that. Both have complete guarantees, and both can help you write that "salesy" copy, especially if you've never done it before. The two programs are: Amazing Sales Letter Creator and Instant Sales Letters (don't let the website fool you - this is a great program). So, if you were wondering how all these people came up with similar websites, in the same format, but with different text, this is how they do it. Again, this isn't rocket science. It's a formulaic way to sell products and services. Does it work for everyone? At first, I thought it was stupid, and there was no way this type of long-form sales pitch could work. However, after trying it, my conversions tripled (that's right - 3x the sales), and I was sold. I've been using it, along with other tactics, ever since! Get these programs . . . they will force you to look at your products and services in a different light, and will help you focus your offerings and your sales pitch.
5) Now, as I said earlier, there's a Time/Money trade off taking place here, and designing a website yourself takes time, both for education and implementation. You're other option is to hire a designer, and regardless of whether you create the site yourself or not, I highly recommend doing this step as a "backup", and to have your work reviewed. There are many steps in creating a website - you have to have various pieces that all fit together into a single whole. Hiring a professional is no easy task - and you need to be aware of your options for hiring people. Yes, we'll refer you to a specific firm, but first, let me tell you your options. There are two sites, Elance and RentaCoder, that most people use to post projects that need to be done. All projects, from making a website, to issuing a press release, to writing your copy, can be bid on at these websites. They're the Ebay of
consultants.
NOTE: Take your time and relax! Here's where most people freak out. They got to the point they need to make their website, and they just freeze, right there. This is a doable thing. You're going to get past it. Here's the most important bit of advice I can offer - remember, it does NOT have to be perfect. As long as you get SOMETHING online, you're ahead of "the pack". I mean this! Just start - get something, written online. Over time, your website might change, your skills will increase, and you'll benefit from experience - so don't let an overactive need for perfection stop you from getting SOMETHING (and I really mean, anything), online! Take this to heart - the minute you get something that's online, you can tweak it, fiddle with it, and tinker to your hearts content, for years on end - but don't keep putting off putting that FIRST design online.
6) Woohoo, you're online, you have a website, and now, you have to do three things, right away. You have to add email collection (a way to collect emails that will form the backbone of your business), auto-responders (the process of automating the sending of your emails to your clients), and a merchant account/payment solution. Let's deal with the first two, first - because I recommend using the same program for all three things. The program, 1shoppingcart (also called FrontPageCart) is the absolute panacea for internet marketers. Beginner's use it - advanced people use it, and if you're NOT using it, you'll be WAY behind everyone else. This is it. As close to a silver bullet as I've found for getting a lot of what you'll need in ONE single place. I can't go into this system enough! As we lay out in the forthcoming ebook, we give you all the options, and all the reasons to use it, but for now, just use it. If you're wondering, Yes, sign up for the full service (the Pro Package) - that's the most expensive monthly package, which gives you everything. Don't even think for a moment that it won't be worth it to you. It will. This is the best thing you can do for your business, and even without our ebook, their online tutorials are brilliant, and will themselves, launch you head-and-shoulders above all competition. It comes under many names, and is branded differently in many places, but just CLICK HERE to sign up for a single solution which gives you:
- Email List w/ Autoresponders: Allows you to collect leads, send emails, & keep in contact with clients.
- Client Tracking & Orders - Allows you accept orders online, track clients, & manage your business
- Affiliate Programs - Allows you to start a robust and trackable affiliate program, an essential tool.
And, once again, it does so much more. This is really your control panel, and has become the most cherished part of my business. Why? Because this is where I check my sales reports, and as you'll someday find, it's
exhilarating to see what you're business is doing, and how it's grown!
NOTE: I got ripped off! I chose to get my merchant account through the shopping cart system above, and was charged a $200 fee that, as it turned out, wasn't necessary. Argh! Live and learn - you do not have to purchase your merchant account through the shopping cart system above. In fact, they work with just about everybody already - so, no matter whom you choose, you'll be fine setting it up to work with the above shopping cart. There is no noticeable benefit to actually getting your merchant account through them. Let's talk about your options!
7) Merchant Accounts: Ok, the simplest thing to do, is Paypal! Paypal is an online merchant provider, and doesn't require lengthy agreements, or even a difficult process to register. Highly recommended, everyone should have a Paypal account. In the beginning, it will probably be your primary method of payment - and perhaps, even later it will remain so. For me, It's my secondary method, and I chose to get a real internet merchant account for my transactions. This can sound tricky - because you need a processor and a "gateway", but really all you need to know is, GO HERE, and use a trusted provider, who won't overcharge you to get started. Generally, I use PayQuake (who I'm not satisfied with), MerchantSolutions (who handle payquake's customer service), and authorize.net as my payment gateway. Chances are, you'll be having a similar process. Once again, start with Paypal, for an easy setup, and then gauge what you need. The ShoppingCart, Frontpage Cart, offered above, works great with Paypal!
8) Ok, you've got your website, with great copy written to sell, complete with shopping cart, merchant account (payment solution), email collection, sending system, and affiliate program all setup and working on your website. If you had traffic, and or visitors, you'd be making money! It's promotion time. First - you need to submit your site, and do some Search Engine Marketing. Once again - you can go with a professional, but you're better off giving yourself a few days, getting one of the two programs I recommend (perhaps getting both), and learning a bit about the process before doing it. I have one program I absolutely love, and out of the two, this is the one I recommend the most - for it's ease of use. It's Called WebCEO, and can handle many of the tasks of submitting your website to the major search engines. Get it, use it, and start seeing results . . . in about 4-12 months?! Whoa - what did I just say? Yes, using this program is your long term marketing, but won't help you much in the short term. Search engine optimization, marketing and promotion, is a never-ending process - I'm continuing it to this day. The second program I'm going to recommend is called WebPosition Gold. It's a heavyweight - it's been around for awhile, and tons of people use it (and that alone, makes me a little nervous). Another way to build traffic is through your affiliate program. Design one that rewards your affiliates well! It's like printing free money, so you want them to be motivated to work with you. They're going to make you rich, and you're going to pay them well. It's a win-win situation, and it's a website traffic driver.
9) Creativity: We'll let you decide how to handle this one :)
10) Audio, Video and Bells and Whistles: Wow - what an amazing distance you've come! First off, congratulations, we're already at the bells and whistles stage. You can start thinking about adding audio and video to your website, with these two simply programs - both of which I highly recommend (as they each have numerous uses). Audio is a great way to collect testimonials and feedback from people, and video is a great way to demonstrate your product, or even introduce people to your services. In addition, if you don't have a drop down "hover ad" style of technology used to collected email addresses, invest in one now. If you're using our recommended Web building program, Xsite, than it's easy to add. If not, then consider purchasing this program, to start building these style of collection boxes. They are worth their weight in gold 10x over!
BONUS - LONG TERM THINKING: Ok, so you're through the 10, you've probably spent a week, perhaps a bit more, but you're online, and wondering if the work you've done is possibly going to make you any money. The answer is probably: "yes, but not much", at this point. But that's ok! We're in this for the long term, and when things start picking up, they really start picking up. Brace yourself, because doing business on the internet is an ongoing process. I have no doubt I'll be 10x as successful next year, as I am this year. And guess what, since you're now part of MarketingCrazy, so will you. Always take a step back, analyze what your doing, and analyze what you want to do. Constant forward thinking - and most importantly, constant forward progress. If you take even one small step forward every day, you'll be simply amazed at how far you'll be able to travel in one short year. Keep taking those steps forward! Here's what you need to be thinking about and doing for the longer term, and things we discuss far more in depth in the forthcoming ebook:
- Buying PPC Search Engine Traffic
- Starting a long term link building campaign
- Focus on building your affiliate program
- Looking at ways to build your Optin Email List
- Constantly upgrading, tinkering, toying, changing, and investigating new ideas and
opportunities that will help grow your business. It's a never ending process, but it's also a process that you and I will journey on together! We'll share ideas, tips and tricks along the way, and we look forward to hearing from you. You're an entrepreneur now - so never stop dreaming!
First - let us know what you thought of our Ten Step Starter Program, and in addition, give us any feedback you'd like. We have a complete Written and Audio Feedback system (the same system we referenced above), so Leave Us Some Feedback or a Testimonial Today!
This is NOT rocket science, and should not take you weeks upon weeks. In fact, you should divest yourself of the idea that it's going to take a lot of time (as in years upon years). It simply won't! It may take time to build your traffic and your business, but not to do the steps required. One week of significant work, as laid out above, and you'll be MORE than well on your way.
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