Monday, January 30, 2006

A New System Of E-Commerce


A MLAP, short for a multi level affiliate program, is a relatively new type of affiliate program offered by some innovative web merchants.

In addition to referral commissions for their direct sales, affiliates of MLAPs also get paid commissions when their sub-affiliates at multiple levels sell affiliate products.

Unlike MLM programs, which charge "recruitment" fees, "starter kit" fees, "product testing" fees etc, there is never any money needed to join a MLAP...Which means that there is never any money to be made by simply recruiting sub-affiliates.

The power of MLAPs lies in their ability to unlock the huge potential for increased earnings that lie in the "wasted traffic" that websites receive.

For example, out of 1000 visitors to a website, perhaps a maximum of only 5 might eventually buy any affiliate products that the webmaster would recommend. The other 995 become "wasted" as they do not contribute in any way to the affiliate's earnings.

However, many of these "wasted" visitors, would see enough value in these products to sign up as affiliates themselves and sell the products to their own contacts and web visitors. When this happens in a single level affiliate program, the original affiliate earns nothing. In a MLAP, the original affiliate would also be paid a referral commission on the sales made by these sub-affiliates.

Depending on the number of levels the MLAP uses, commissions from sub-affiliate sales get multiplied at each level, resulting in greatly increased affiliate earnings.

For the affiliate, MLAPs provide a way to maximize the value of their "wasted traffic" using the viral power of "word of mouth" marketing, without the risks associated with MLM programs. For the MLAP merchant, an MLAP allows his affiliate program to sign up affiliates more effectively by standing out from the crowd of single level affiliate programs.

Because they are relatively new, certain issues, (such as the ideal number of levels a MLAP should have, and the percentage of referral commissions that should be paid at each level), are still open to debate.

What has become clear though, is that MLAPs have become an important option for both merchants and affiliates, to increase their share of the ever-growing size of E-Commerce.

A Great Way To Start An Online Business

You want to start an online business,but you realize that you don't have a product,a web site, or prior experience. You now ask yourself, where do I start? Start with affiliate programs.

What is an affiliate program?
An affiliate program is a program set up by a company that sells products or services. When you introduce new customers to the company you receive a cut of the profits,in other words a commission of the sales made.

Some companies pay you for sending them leads.Others pay only when the visitor that you send them makes a purchase.


How to join an affliate program?
Most of the time all you have to do is provide your contact information and agree to the company's terms and conditions. Some companies will charge you a small fee to get started.

If the company charges a fee to get started, make sure that they provide a toll free number so that you can speak to a live person for support and questions.

5 Things to look for:
  1. Find out how much the company pays their affiliates. It can be a flat rate or a percentage. If they are paying you a percentage then you may want to look at the price of their products to figure out how much you will make per sale.
  2. It is important to know how many levels or tiers the affiliate programs provide. Some programs are two tiers, three tiers,and some will go up to ten tiers. This simply means that if you refer another affiliate to the program you will earn a commission on the sales that they make. You want to go with a company that has at least a two tier program because this will allow you to earn residual income.
  3. Does the program provide you with your own web site;or a link for you to send visitors to? Many companies will provide you with a replica of their web site with your own sub-domain. When someone makes a purchase through your web site,the company knows who to send the commission to. If the company does not provide you with a web site they will provide you with your own link for you to send visitors to. These are the most common ways for the company to keep track of who sends them the visitor.
  4. Does the company pay you a commission on the future purchases of your referrals? Many companies will pay you for all the future purchases that your referrals make. If your referral purchased a subscription, you want to go with a company that pays you a commission for the monthly payments that your referrals make.
  5. The fifth thing to look for in an affiliate program is if they provide you with content. You want to join a company that provides you with banners,emails and text for you to add on to your web site.

If you don't have your own web site, you may want to join a company that provides you with tips and advice on how to promote their products or services. The advantages

Starting an online business with affiliate programs has many great advantages. You will never have to worry about buying or shipping products or dealing with any of the customer service since you are not selling your own product.

Affiliate programs give most individuals plenty of time to concentrate on promoting the products that they are selling. If you do your research and marketing;and find an affiliate program that pays well,you will be very successful.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

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Key Factors to Investigate When Analyzing Any Business

It doesn't matter what business or investment you are looking at...it all comes down to analyzing a few key factors.

The higher each of these factors rate with you, plus the combination of them all, the better your potential for return.

Industry - Is the business's industry expanding or contracting?

Trends - Will you be ahead or behind the trends?

Timing - Are you early or late in the product & industry life cycle?

Products - Do they provide value for money to the end user?

Uniqueness - Does the company have any exclusivity, patents, etc?

Demand - How big is the market for the products & services?

Longevity - How long could the products last in the market?

Future - Are there more products "in the pipeline"?

Competition - Who else are you marketing against?

Profitability - Are there good profit margins?

Compensation - How much can you earn?

ROI - How soon can you return your initial investment?

Leverage - Do YOU have to do all the work or can you earn overrides?

Company - How long have they been in business?

Management - Who's running the company?

Legality - Does the company trade legally in all aspects?

Public or Private - Is the company listed on the Stock Market?

Marketing - How, what, why, when, where?

Global or Local - Does the company market worldwide or only local?

Internet - Are they "On the Net" and E-Commerce enabled?

Tools - Are you supplied with business tools to make your life easier?

Training - Will you be trained?

Commitment - how much time and/or money is required from you?

Lifestyle - Will you be able to live the lifestyle you planned?

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Keys To Building a Successful Online Business

Want to know the secret to effectively building a successful online business? I'm afraid the answer may not be what you're expecting.

Take this simple pop quiz. (I know, I haven't given you time to study yet. But I think you'll pass the test anyway).

If you want to build a structurally sound home, you must first do what?

If you said, "Lay a solid foundation". Then congratulations. You've passed! :-)

Building your online business is no different. The secret is not new. Just follow these 3 keys:

1.--> Learn
2.--> Take Action
3.--> Adapt


1. Learn
Educate yourself. But don't re-invent the wheel. Model your business after the blueprints that are already proven. There are systems in place. Follow them! But MOST importantly ...

2. Take Action!
Lack of this step is the single greatest contributor to failure! Educate yourself on the proven systems, then put them into Action. But remember this .. it doesn't matter that it's not perfect. It's not going to be. Just the fact that you did 'something' will motivate you and the momentum will come. If you know what you need to do, then "Just Do It".

3. Adapt
Change is around us all the time. Stay informed. It's just as important to know what Doesn't work as what Does!

Realize that it doesn't come without hard work, desire, patience, perserverance (belief in yourself) - and lots of A-C-T-I-O-N. Did I say that already?

Now here's what to do from here. Take keys and insert into business ignition. Crank and don't look back.

Enjoy the ride!

Monday, January 23, 2006

Starting Own Business - If Not Now, When?

You have wanted to have your own business for a long time. But, every time you sit down to write out a business plan for yourself, you end up discouraged because all you have is a list of things you know nothing about!

For example:

1) If you are going to have a business, you have to have something to sell – either a product or a service - and you do not have either one.

2) If you have a business, you have to advertise – and you have no idea how to do that, not to mention you do not have a lot of money for it.

3) If you want to do this on the internet, you will need a website – you certainly have no idea how to make one of those or how to keep it going!

ACK! You are ready to quit now and you haven’t even started! Let’s go through just these three things, shall we?

1) If you are going to have a business, you have to have something to sell – either a product or a service - and you do not have either one.

Well, if you want to make any money, this part is true! BUT – the product or service does not have to your very own. In other words, you do not have to have this product in your possession, nor do you have to be the one to perform this service! You can be the one that brings a product or service to other people – explain about it to them, highlight the benefits of it to them. You can simply use other people’s products or services to make money for yourself.

2) If you have a business, you have to advertise – and you have no idea how to do that, not to mention you do not have a lot of money for it.

Yes, you are correct that you have to advertise. BUT – you can learn to do this! You can search on the web for advertising help and tips. There are many out there. You can join a group of people that know something about it and get input from them. You can join up with a company that gives you free training! For example, Strong Future International (SFI) has a free Internet Income Course that is very detailed and you can get it just by signing up with them – and it costs nothing to sign up!

There are even ways you can advertise for free! Doing free advertising takes times, but usually when you don’t have a lot of money to spend, you are willing to spend your time. You can also find some low cost ways to advertise. You can get people interested in the products or services you are promoting by visiting different forums on the web and participating in discussion groups or message boards. Just be careful to always follow the rules of each forum/message board you visit – do not spam them!

3) If you want to do this on the internet, you will need a website – you certainly have no idea how to make one of those or how to keep it going!

This is very true! BUT – getting and maintaining a website is not as hard as you might think! I would never have believed that I could be a webmaster – but I am! There are many good companies that will help you get a website started – they have templates you can use, easy instructions, and many even have phone support.

So, we have been through these three steps and I have shown you how you can get started. Find other people you can learn from; join a team of other successful entrepreneurs; search the web for information.

So now, you really only have one question to answer for yourself: If not now, when?

Quick and Easy Ways To Multiply Your Sales

There are always some great, fast and easy ways to multiply your sales without paying more for extra advertisements.

There are a lot of simple and effective ways that you can implement instantly to multiply your sales.

Here are 7 quick and easy ways for you to multiply your sales immediately.

1- After you sell your product, send your customers a freebie and include an ad on it. It could be a T-shirt, Mug, bumper stickers with your ad printed on it. This will let other people see your ads and order from you.

2- When you ship out your product, include a coupon for other products you sell. This is a good way to attract them to buy more products from you.

3- You could cross promote your product with other businesses' products in a package deal. You can include an ad or flyer for other products you sell and have other businesses selling for you.

4- Sell the reprint/reproduction rights to your products. You could include an ad on or with the product for other products you sell. You could make sales for the reproduction rights and sales on the back end product.

5- When you sell your products allow your customers to join your affiliate program. So they will make commissions selling your own products. This way your sales will multiply.

6- Tell your customers if they refer few other customers to your website they will receive a full rebate of their purchase price. This way you will turn one sale to few more sales.

7- After you make your first sale, follow-up with your customers. It could be a "thank you" email and include your ad to other related products you sell. Also you can follow-up again every few weeks.

Once you implement those techniques you will notice a great jump in your sales. Also remember to use those ideas whenever you create or sell new products.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Great Reasons To Help An Internet Marketing Newbie

Zig Ziglar the famous self help guru was once quoted as saying:
"You can get everything you want in life if you help enough people get everything they want in life."

No where is this more true than on the internet and internet marketing. I remember when I first started looking into making money on the internet. What an overwhelming feeling. The internet is a big....big...big...world.

When you first get you started you are considered a "Newbie." A newbie is an affectionate term given to someone who is new to the internet and all of the geek speak that comes with trying to figure out how to use it.

Do your remember when you first ventured out in the online business world? You probably had questions and problems along the way. Wouldn't it have been easier if you had help? When a newbie asks for your advice, educate them; answer their questions and help them solve their online business problems. If you do not have the knowledge to help them out, point them in the right direction.

I have found forums as a great way to get information myself as I need it as well as a great place to help people who have particular questions.

1. You will have a great feeling knowing you had a part in their success.

2. You could end up being business partners in the future. You could regularly do joint venture and cross promotion deals with each other.

3. They may join an affiliate program or mlm business with you and help you build your business. There are many 2 tier affiliate programs and mlm businesses today that pay you a handsome commission to teach people how to promote their products online.

4. They could help you delvelop a new product or service or help you get an exsisting project off the ground.

5. They may become one of your best friends. Most people can use new friends, even business owners. You never know when you will run across someone online that you enjoy working with and talking to.

6. They may help you out with your business. Maybe they will give you some testimonials or endorsements for your products or services.

7. They might offer you some free advertising space on their web site or in their e-zine for your help. You could also exchange advertising with them.

8. They may become one of your best customers today as well as purchase back end products from you in the future.

9. You could exchange links with them and build your link popularity ultimately increasing traffic to your own website.

There are many other benefits you could get from helping a new online business owner. Always remember to help them out because it's the nice thing to do and not just to benefit your own business.

5 Online Business Ideas That Are Lesser-Known

1. Ask people to find a hidden link in your ad copy. If they find the hidden link tell them they will get a prize or freebie by clicking on it. This will increase the chance that they will buy your product or service because they will read your whole ad copy.

2. Start a members only web site. Tell visitors what's in your members only site and what it costs to get access. Offer them a free membership, if, in exchange they link to your web site, post your banner on their home page or agree to advertise your web site in their e-zine for a set period of time. Usually they will agree to the free advertising to save money. This is a powerful way to get free advertising.

3. Want a popular discussion board? This technique is based on the number of postings made by any one person. You could give away a free product or service to any person that posts ten or more messages on your discussion in a month. It could be a free e-book, report, e-mail consulting etc. Just keep track of everyone's postings each month. This could also work for e-mail discussion lists.

4. Give your visitors an instant article directory. Tell your visitors they can instantly add a free article directory to their web site by linking to yours. Just place your ad or banner ad on top of the article directory for your main product or service. All those links can add up to a large amount of traffic for your web site.

5. There a millions of web sites on the internet. Instead of marketing your web site as a web site. Market it as a free web book. Design your web site with a title page, table of contents, chapters, etc. Just place your ad or banner for your product or service on the top of each web page.

Ultimate Success Tips for your Online Business

Doing business online through internet is not a new buzzword. There many names you might have heard which are running a lucrative business having an online presence. Below are some tips which can help you conducting a lucrative online business.

1. Your first ultimate start must include written goals and plans.

2. Don't wait for everything to be exactly right to start...THERE WILL NEVER BE A "PERFECT" TIME! Start now, with whatever you have. The things you need will come to you as you work toward your goal.

3. Treat your business as a serious, full-time business, and it will become one.

4. Think of your first six months primarily as a training period. Don't expect large earnings until after you've educated yourself.

5. Be patient. You'll work the hardest your first six months or so and get compensated the least. Big incomes never happen overnight. They only come after you've properly shown your affiliates how to duplicate your efforts.

6. Formulate a plan of weekly activity and be persistent in following it—if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sticking to your plan is essential for success.

7. Always be ENTHUSIASTIC!!

8. Don't give yourself unrealistic expectations.

9. FOCUS! You cannot become successful in anything when you're trying to do too many things at once.

10. Don't quit. The only way to fail is if you give up.

11. Think BIG! Small desire produces small results, just as small fires produce little heat.

12. Don't complain to your upline leaders. Realize that what you accomplish is mainly in your hands, no one else's. Also realize that, when you see a problem, 95% of the time there are factors you are unaware of. Don't jump to conclusions. When you have a problem, present it in a concise letter as positive, constructive criticism. Offer solutions if possible, too. Not only will this approach get you better results, but you'll be building your relationship with your upline instead of tearing it down.

13. Be organized, but don't allow the act of organizing keep you from the most important element of a successful business: MARKETING. Market and promote your business EVERY DAY!

14. Don't let little problems upset you. Concentrate on the many positives...and the "big picture."

15. Always remember that the only thing that will never change is that there will always be changes. Don't let changes upset you. Know that you will have to deal with changes and other obstacles, both big and small, continually. Be prepared to be flexible.

16. Don't be a negative thinker and don't let the negative attitudes of others (even if they're family members, friends, or peers) influence you. All the great men and women in history had to overcome the naysayers who said it couldn't be done—and then went out and did it. Think for yourself!

17. Don't be derailed by "perfection paralysis." Realize that you won't be able to do everything perfectly. Do the best job you can, then move on to the next project. Keep learning and keep moving ahead.

18. Read books (such as Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think And Grow Rich") that will convince you how powerful your mind really is. Develop the tremendous potential in you (that we all have) that has never been tapped!

19. Remember always..."You are what you think you are"

15 Ways to Promote eLearning Programs

In the mid-1990s, the teleclass format began and was named, distance learning. During these early years, learning institutions, particularly universities, were chief users of this format. Mainly due to the large equipment investment needed at that time. Now, due to technology changes and cost reduction, people can give and attend ePrograms without leaving their chair or selling their first child. No parking challenges, auto expenses, or travel time required. Another benefit to learning by phone is that your listening skills will reach new heights quickly.

In 2003, technology allowed a single conference line to expand from 30 to 150 participants per line. Affordable conference lines were previously only available in certain states, Florida and Nevada. Now other states, like New York, are jumping in on this bandwagon with affordable rates.

Currently, a 24/7 conference line, is available to rent around $600 a year. An alternative is to rent the line by the hour. This can range between $10 to $20 per hour depending on the service features desired. You can also share a line with one or two others to reduce your cost. I recommend finding line-share partners who are in other time zones, it makes sharing easier.

Zero-cost teleconference lines at available at http://www.mrconference.com and by other vendors. Most of these services have flaws that range from automatic disconnect if no voice is detected every 8 to 10 minutes, to being blocked from entering the call because of overstressed lines. I recommend the leader dialing in 5 to 10 minutes early to secure the line, however, this doesn't mean that all participants may not experience over trafficked busy signals.

Actually, teleprograms will not take the place of "being there" for all people. The skills and experience of the teleclass leader or host can also make or break the learning experience. There are just as many teleclass leader styles as people. If you have never experienced a teleclass, I recommend attending four or five before deciding if the format is or isn't for you.

15 Tips To Help Promote Your eLearning Programs

1. If you produce your own eNewsletter, electronic newsletter, or eZine, electronic magazine, or printed newsletter, add an eLearning announcement section.

2. Contact other newsletter editors and ask to have your program announced in their issue. You can swap ad space, your ad for their ad, exchange ad space for participation, offer a commission option, purchase the ad, or pay per click-through. I don't recommend paying for click-throughs unless excellent tracking systems are in place. In order to attract, make sure their target market and yours match.

3. You can also use pay-per-click through search engines like Google’s AdWord program. If you go this route, I suggest you purchase an ad analyzer software (about $100) or a service (average $19.95/month) to maximize time and reduce mistakes.

4. Place notices all over your web site -- especially your main page -- about the program. Remember: posting announcement notices is actually passive marketing. You will still need to pull visitors to the site.

5. Write and distribute Internet articles on the same subject. Unable to write, hire a ghostwriter. Allow four to twelve weeks for this process to begin pulling visitors to your website. The number of articles distributed will proportionally be your return. My low end measurement has been: 1 article = 10 visitors or more = 8 new eNewsletter subscribers = 1 sale. High end: 1 article = 350 new visitors = 125 new subscribers = 10 sales. This is now one of the top five Internet promotion building attractions.

6. Since ePrograms don't require people to be physically present, attendance is now open internationally. Thus, you will want to distribute information about your eLearning opportunity globally. Find places in other English-speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. If you speak a foreign language, you can even offer the same program in that language. Spanish speaking ePrograms are in high demand.

7. Mention your eProgram on other ePrograms you attend. You can slip it in with a question or when presenting your personal information to the class.

8. Add a promotional paragraph about the program to all your outgoing e-mails, called signatures in Outlook. Choose HTML design in your software and add a picture of the leader/host along with a link to where someone can register or find out additional information.

9. Join market-rich discussion lists, billboards, or chat rooms. If direct solicitation isn't permitted, sell gently through your signature or indirect questions.

10. Write a press release for each eProgram. Become a member of PR Web http://www.prweb.com/. Membership is fr*e*e. This number one website attracts a very high percentage of media personnel.

11. Accumulate a list of all the local newspapers that offer fr*e*e community event announcements. Inquire into their deadline and submission requirements. You will also want to ask how can may confirm receipt of your information. They don't intentionally leave information out, however, they move at a fast pace and things do get lost in the shuffle. Special note: Most community list ads are for fr*e* events.

Use a three-ring binder to record the advertising information. You can also save the information in your e- mail software, like Outlook, and your Internet browser software, in a separate "Community newspaper" section. However, if the hard drive crashes, make sure the information safe. Due to the value of this information and the amount of time you spent accumulating it, you still may want to keep updated printouts just in case. Even a backup diskette in the binder. Having a paper version also helps when the computer is off or you need to transport the information. This is also a great item to delegate to a virtual assistant.

12. Add your announcement to your telephone answering script. Change it whenever you are offering a new eProgram. Give instructions as to how to register -- and it’s important to make this as easy as possible for them. Don't forget some marketing tidbits of "what’s in it for them (WIIFM)" to register and do it now.


13. Use fr*e*e ePrograms or offers to provide a taste and attract participants to register for longer paid programs. Offers can include: ebooks, ecourses, special reports, or even a professional white papers. Offering a transcription of the program or an audio copy is another great offer.

14. List your class in teleclass directories. Some directories require that you attend their particular teleclass-leading course. A big downfall in time and expense in the short-run, however, good investment for the long term. Here are a few directories to get you started:


http://www.seminarannouncer.com
http://www.teleclass4u.com
http://www.teleclasslive.com
http://www.teleclass.com
http://www.thefeelgoodplace.com/freetele.htm
http://www.Yahoogroups.com -- over 30 places to post your eProgram listing.

15. If you give speaking engagements or even when you participate in other events, seminars, workshops, give out flyers on your eProgram. Works well in networking groups too. Take the flyers to the libraries, senior and civic centers.

FYI, names of ePrograms can seem confusing at times, however, there is a standard for what to expect depending on the name. A teleseminar usually has very little interaction between leader and attendees. It is set up to instruct and participants to solely listen. Sometimes a brief Q&A period is spaced in-between subtopic changes.

On the other hand, a teleclass provides more time for participant to participant or participant to leader interaction. It has a higher ratio of free forming. A teleclass format copies more of the workshop atmosphere. A teleprogram, is a teleclass delivered over a period of time, like a class at a learning institution. The term eProgram is a compilation, or overview term, of all electronically delivered learning programs.