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The Promotion World InformerIssue #49 December 15, 1998Contents Of This Issue:
Editor's NotesYikes, the next issue is the big number fifty already! Where does the time go... I'll have to think up something special to put in that issue! We respect your privacy! The Informer is only sent to those who subscribe to it. We will never give our subscriber list to anyone. If you don't remember signing up, let me jog your memory. You probably signed up on my site, found at http://www.promotionworld.com. If you don't want to receive this newsletter anymore then just follow the simple unsubscribe instructions at the end of this newsletter.
Cool Quotes
Feature Article
The Top 10 Internet Marketing Blunders We are the first to admit that there are no Internet marketing geniuses behind our newsletter. We continue to learn something new each and every day. But that's what is so exciting about it -- each time we act on our newfound knowledge our online sales increase. You should make an effort to do the same, and this week we're going to help you do just that by sharing with you what we feel to be The Top 10 Internet Marketing Blunders. Chances are you're making at least one of them, so you may want to give the following some serious thought. Keep in mind that the following really only applies if you are trying to run some sort of business online, which most of us are. You can afford to make a few blunders with a personal homepage, but if you're running a business online the following "rules" are written in stone. Because the following are serious mistakes which all detract from your bottom line, we're going to tell it like it is at the risk of sounding elitist or egotistical. We don't want to offend anyone, it's just that there are certain things that you really shouldn't do. Here goes ... Blunder #1: Using free or cheapo web hosting services. Let's get one thing straight, you absolutely can not run a business web site using a free web page such as those offered by Angelfire, Tripod, GeoCities, HyperMart, FreeYellow, etc. No matter what you may think, it just isn't going to work. As they say you get what you pay for. There is no bigger turnoff than visiting a web site that is hosted on an obviously overloaded web server. We won't mention any names, but a few of the free services are just terrible. Your web site is the most important asset you have, and it must give a good first impression. Besides, nothing is really free anyway. When you get "free" web space you are normally required to show the hosting company's banners and advertisements in prime locations on your web site. This is absolutely insane if you really think about it from a business standpoint. These days you can find a good web hosting company that will provide what you need for as little as $20 a month. Let's be real, if you aren't willing to spend $20 a month on a good web host how serious can you be? Many good prospects are immediately turned off by this blunder. And while we're on the subject of web hosting, be sure to get your own domain name. Again, if you aren't willing to spend $70 to claim your stake on the web ... what are your potential customers going to think? Take your business seriously, or you will ultimately fail. Blunder #2: Destroying your site with graphics, java, music, etc. This has got to be the 2nd most offensive Internet marketing blunder. If you are running a business online, your web site's most important job is to sell your products and services. Anything that detracts from this should be avoided like the plague. And we mean it, literally! Unless you are a graphic designer, graphics that take forever to load are not going to sell anything. And neither is java that crashes your visitor's browser. Same thing for any but the most popular plug-ins. Sound or music clips on your web site? Heck no! Unless you are selling CDs, sound does not belong on a web site -- not yet anyway. Sure you can argue this, but the bottom line is that it can cause your visitors problems. Fancy graphics, java, plug-ins, sound files, etc. do nothing but make your pages take forever to load. Don't take it from us, just look at any of the top 100 sites on the web. Heck, look at Yahoo which is undeniably the most popular web site on the Internet. When was the last time you saw fancy java apps, needed a plug-in, or heard music coming from Yahoo's web site? Blunder #3: Not asking for, and acting on, comments and feedback. This is another big one, and we can personally attest to the value of asking for and acting on feedback. One thing that many people seem to forget is that it's the prospect who has to like what they see -- and not much else matters. Here's a real-world example. A while ago we launched a web site, and initially use a frames-based layout. We were aware of the potential problems, and spent lots of time tweaking it to be as browser-friendly as possible. But after asking for feedback we discovered that many visitors hated it. And the scary thing is that unless we asked for feedback we probably never would have realized this. Everything looked and worked well for us, but a significant number of our visitors had problems with it. We redesigned the entire site and immediately our sales increased. You will be literally amazed at the valuable feedback you will receive if you just ask for it. Remember that your prospects are the ones buying your products and services, and despite what you may think, the way they perceive your site and your business is what counts. Blunder #4: Wasting your valuable time on unproductive activities. As an Internet marketer your most valuable asset is time. And yes, time is more valuable than money so spend yours wisely. Because your time is a limited resource, you will need to learn to prioritize. There are certain things that are more important than others. For example, consider the amount of time you spend on various promotion and marketing activities. Do you actually know which is most productive for you? If you don't you're wasting precious time. Test all of your advertising and spend your time appropriately. Search engines are another example. One of the biggest myths that is circulating the web marketing community is that getting a top 10 listing will make you an overnight success. Don't believe the hype, and don't waste your time trying to get there. One of the most important things you can ever do is to automate as much of your day-to-day activities as possible. This includes order fulfillment as well. To succeed online in a big way, you will need to spend most of your time advertising and marketing your business. Blunder #5: Not managing your email communications efficiently. Your email communication with prospects and customers will make or break you. Since most of the time you will never get a chance to impress them in person, you really need to learn how to use email to your advantage. Much of it is common sense actually. Each and every day we receive emails from people asking us to do business with them in one way or another, and many of them look like they were written by a 10 year-old. Spelling errors, grammar problems, poorly formatted and difficult to read ... you name it. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but there is no excuse for this. Get yourself a good email program, learn how to use it, and spell-check all of your correspondence. You know what they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
For email we like Qualcom's Eudora Pro, if you're using your web
browser for email now you really need to check it out. Download
a free demo at
Blunder #6: Failing to create and build an opt-in "house" mailing list.
Red flag! Alert! Serious blunder! If you do not have a mailing list to
keep in touch with your prospects and customers, you are literally
throwing money down the drain. If you get nothing else out of this
issue, trust us when we say that you need one badly.
People buy things they want from people they know and trust. And
there's no better way to get people to trust you than to show them
that you are good at what you do. Starting an email newsletter will
allow you to keep in touch with your audience and do just that.
With it you can keep them informed of site updates and new products.
You'll never have to worry about them forgetting you because your
name will always be in front of them. You can even sell advertising.
But most importantly, you will build trust and relationships.
Think about it. If you wanted to become a real estate investor, would
you purchase a home-study course from a door-to-door salesman or
someone who had been sending you a free newsletter for the past
year? Starting an opt-in newsletter should be a top priority!
Blunder #7: Ruining your reputation via inappropriate advertising.
A list of Internet marketing blunders which didn't include spamming
just wouldn't be complete. Despite what you may have heard, there
is no better way to run your online business into the ground than the
act of sending unsolicited email. It is the ultimate blunder.
If you have to learn this the hard way than so be it, but don't say
we didn't warn you. For every spammer that is actually making
any money, we can show you 10 responsible marketers who are
making lots more. There is absolutely no reason to spam.
The same thing goes for posting ads in Usenet newsgroups where
they don't belong. Why hassle with the negative effects of these
questionable methods when there are so many ways to advertise
online? Forget morality issues, it just makes no business sense.
The most important asset you have as an Internet marketer is your
reputation. And spamming is about the fastest way possible to ruin
it, short of blatantly ripping people off. If you have any intentions
of being around to realize long-term profits, please don't spam.
Blunder #8: Forgetting that marketing is the key to your success.
Even if you have the greatest product in the world you will never
sell anything if you don't tell anyone about it. Without advertising
there will be no prospects, and without prospects there will be no
sales. It sounds like common sense, but it's also a common blunder.
You only have to do two things to be successful in business, and you
only need to do one of them on a regular basis. Can you guess what
it is? If your online endeavors are not as successful as you'd like
them to be, do yourself a big favor and return to the basics.
First of all, you need to develop a profitable business model. Until
it has been proven that you have a viable product or service and a
method of selling it that turns a profit, anything else is premature.
Do not waste time and money promoting a dud, testing is critical.
Once you have determined that your business model is sound you
should concentrate most of your efforts on promoting it. If you make
$10 per sale, you simply need to find 100,000 customers to make a
million dollars. Marketing is the lifeblood of your business.
Blunder #9: Thinking you're going to get rich without working hard.
Here's another blunder that isn't exactly limited to the Internet, but
it is just as dangerous as the others. If we had to pick just one, this
would probably be the number one cause of failure -- both online and
in the real world. Making money is easy, but you must work for it.
A successful online business isn't built overnight, it is the result of
many late nights. If anyone says that they can teach you to make a
substantial amount of money without hard work, run as far away as
you possibly can. And be sure to bring your checkbook with you.
The get-rich-quick mentality seems to be quite popular online. But the
truth is, there really isn't a way for the average person to do so. And
getting caught up in the hype is only going to delay true success. Save
yourself lots of grief by accepting the fact that there is no free lunch.
We're still not sure why the get-rich-quick mentality is so prevalent
on the Internet, but we do know one thing. There are no secrets, and
there is nothing mystical about making money online. With some hard
work and a little perseverance, absolutely anyone can do it.
Blunder #10: Not understanding the real power of the Internet.
The Internet is a communications tool. It was created for this purpose,
and you'll get the most out of it if you use it as such. There has never
been an easier or more cost-effective way for a business to reach its
target audience, and there never will be. So take full advantage of it.
Use the power of the Internet to reach millions of customers all over
the world. And then use it to provide them with the sort of customer
service that was impossible without it. Use the Internet to gather
information, research the competition, and network with others.
There is a goldmine of information and resources floating around in
cyberspace, but you have to know where to find it all. Learn how to
use the search engines to easily find almost anything you need and
your productivity will skyrocket. This tip alone is invaluable.
In a nutshell, use the Internet to communicate more effectively. Don't
forget that business is about people, and that the Internet is nothing
more than a great way to interact with them. Don't hide behind it,
get involved and witness the way it changes the world firsthand.
There you have it, our Top 10 Internet Marketing blunders. Sure there
are lots more, but these costly mistakes are common and they provide
a good starting point. If you steer clear of these Top 10 blunders, you
are absolutely guaranteed to be more successful on the Internet.
The IMC Support Team
Article originally published in IMC's Internet Marketing Chronicles.
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This week's quote from the discussion board:
Does your domain name have an important keyword or keyword phrase in it?
Having keywords or a phrase in your domain can really help your score on the
HotBot engine, and on a lot of the other search engines also! If you plan to
use a keyword phrase in your domain somewhere make sure you separate each
word in the phrase with a hyphen mark "-".
Jim Conley II
Thanks for the tip, Jim! Looks like I should go out and register
www.promotion-tips.com, www.promotion-help.com, www.free-promotion.com and
the list goes on. Now, would anyone like to help me fund this project?!
Visit the message boards to comment on this quote or just to catch up on the
other exciting discussions going on! If your message is quoted in the
Informer, you will receive large amounts of free advertising!
There are a number of regular posters hanging out at the message boards
these days. There are so many great conversations going on, it's hard to
keep up with them all! I am learning quite a bit from it all myself. Anybody
else care to join us?
Reviews: TrafficX
Yes, it's true! Even Promotion World gets decorated for Christmas. Really
though, it is a great way to let your visitors know that your site is "on
the ball". It's a lot of fun, too. Barry's Clipart has a fair bit of
Christmas clipart. http://www.barrysclipart.com. If you get a chance, stop
by Promotion World and have a look at our Christmas decorations!
Our Banner Exchange Section has been getting incredibly outdated. We have
recently redone it, with the most noticeable changes occurring in the
Reviews Section.
Our How to Win Awards section was also getting a bit outdated, so parts of
the articles have been reworked and the links have been updated.
Improving Affiliate Program Performance: The Personal Testimonial
There are two main aspects of your site to consider when trying to earn an
income through affiliate programs. The first is increasing the number of
visitors your site receives. Now, I won't be talking about web promotion
today, Promotion World and other sites out there can do a better job of this
than I.
What I would like to talk about are ways to maximize the results, say the
number of referred leads or sales you generate, from the traffic you
receive. In a previous article (now archived at:
http://www.clickquick.com/helpdesk/ ) I touched on 5 specific ways that you
can create value for your visitors and encourage them to check out the
affiliate sites you have chosen to promote. In this article, I am
concentrating on one aspect in particular. The personal testimonial.
>From the current survey on the ClickQuick web site, it seems that the
personal testimonial is a widely under-used promotional method. Only 8% of
ClickQuick's visitors who responded chose the testimonial as their primary
means of promoting affiliate programs on their site. Hopefully, if you are
one of the majority who use other means such as banner ads, this article
will help convince you to give the testimonial a try.
A personal testimonial on your site can be the most powerful way to
encourage visitors to check out affiliate programs and their offerings. The
initial assumption of course is that your visitors somehow trust your
opinion or at least your honest word. This will take some time, especially
if you are creating a brand new site. Just like any business relationship,
your visitors will actively look for reasons to trust you, but most people
need some 'evidence' as to why you are trustworthy. Probably the best
recommendation for this is to provide a good, consistently honest, and
valuable product, service, or information resource.
Once you have built up a trust level, and remember this will be a constant
effort as your site brings in new, first-time visitors, the testimonial can
begin to work its magic. If there is a product or service you have
personally and found valuable, providing a brief description of your
positive experiences will help encourage more of your visitors to check it
out. The testimonial can come in terms of a specific product, or a company
or web site. In can range from something like "I used this product and it
works great, and saves me time too!" to "I have ordered with this merchant
in the past, and they offer excellent customer service and timely order
delivery." Even simpler testimonials such as "I personally recommend XYZ
product" can help boost results. But generally, the more personal the
testimonial, the more effective it will be.
Do remember to be honest in your testimonials however, because the door
swings both ways. If you are overzealous and recommend a product that is
just average because you know you will make a commission on it, this could
easily damage the trust level that you have worked so hard to create. Even
worse, it will severely impact the power of your future testimonials because
visitors who followed your previous recommendation will remember that they
got burnt. The guideline here is to just treat your visitors as if they all
were your close friends. Would you recommend it to a friend of yours? If
not, don't recommend it to your visitors either. Because, unfortunately,
your visitors aren't always as forgiving as your friends may be...
In conclusion, the testimonial is probably the most effective way to promote
an affiliate relationship online. I highly recommend you try it. Or even
better, test it with a product you are familiar with and would recommend.
You could easily set up your site to host a banner ad for a program for a
week, and see what kind of results you receive. Then remove the banner, and
try a basic text link for a week. Try to keep as many things consistent
between tests as possible, such as the location and relative size of the
links. Now, try a carefully worded personal testimonial such as the examples
I gave above, or perhaps something even more elaborate, and see how well it
works. If none of these promotional methods work, than you probably are
promoting a program that doesn't fit in well with your site's visitors. You
may want to give it more time, or find another. If you do see results, I am
confident that the testimonials will work best.
If you perform a test like this, please share your results with the me, and
I will be sure to promote your site in an upcoming issue of the ClickQuick
Files. Send your feedback to mailto:test@clickquick.com
Ryan Adams
Four Corners Effective Banners
Walter Aresca has put together an amazing table showing the wildly varying
prices that the big revenue earning programs pay you for the different
associate programs they represent. Included on his chart is
Very helpful in order to earn top revenues from your site!
Yet another associate program rating service has been released called Making
Money http://www.better-homepage.com/money/index.html. I must say, they
are joining a ever increasing group of pages that offer these services.
I still have to recommend http://www.AssociatePrograms.com as my favorite,
and http://www.clickquick.com is quite helpful, also.
I would appreciate it if you would all head over to TopTenLinks and vote for
Promotion World. Promotion World has been on the list for a number of months
now, but since I haven't remembered to send any of you over there to boost
our rating, the rating looks pretty miserable. Please go and make it look a
bit more respectable!
While you are there, submit your own site. I get a number of visitors from
them each week even though I am poorly rated.
http://www.toptenlinks.com/internet/promotion.vote...
Do you all remember how I raved about TechNoSurf last week? Well, I am now
no longer able to recommend them quite so highly. They have been displaying
some banners on my site that I do not like (ads for gambling sites, Disney,
etc), so I have had to remove their banners from my site. However, it seems
that I have higher (some say stranger!) moral standards than most, so you be
the judge.
I must say that John Ferber, a TechNoSurf rep, was very happy to help me
out. He was willing to block one banner I had a problem with, but when I
wanted to block more than that he said that they had traffic quotas to meet,
so he couldn't block all the banners from my site. That's okay, I will just
block them all by removing the banners from my site!
It would be nice if they would provide a public blocker like ValueClick
does. It's a great network except for this fact!
http://www.teknosurf.com/cgi-bin/refer.cgi?jreimer
Brian over at PerfectPresence is running a large survey of Internet
Marketers. The cool thing is that if you participate in the survey, you will
receive the results of it... and you might also win an Iomega Zip Drive or a
56K modem! If you participate in the survey, please tell them you were
referred by "The Informer", because I think if I refer enough of you I might
even win an Iomega Zip Drive and a 56K modem.
I do need a Zip Drive, too. Need to make those back ups, you know... I don't
want to loose the Promotion World site from a hard drive crash!
Take the survey at http://www.perfectpresence.com/survey.html
Harness the Power of Your .SIG
by John S. Rhodes
(Note: a ".sig" is an ASCII text signature that is automatically attached to
the bottom of your online writings, such as your email and newsgroup
postings.)
I recently sent out a request to about 15 colleagues to ask if they would
take a survey for me. I also decided to place a condensed version of the
request in my .sig. Then, as usual, I posted messages to a few newsgroups
and lists with this altered .sig. Which method produced a greater number of
responses? Hands down, the .sig method was a clear winner.
Without a doubt, the .sig file is the best way to improve the usability of
your email. Most people do not think too much about the .sig, and therefore
do not tend to use it appropriately. In fact, almost no one thinks about the
usability of email. Let's examine what the .sig can do for you.
I've made the claim that your .sig file is a great way to improve the
usability of your email and postings. This is in part because it acts like a
business card, providing a reader with crucial contact information. But the
.sig file is
more than a simple business greeting or exchange. It allows you to add a
personal touch, or a flair, to the message. A .sig tends not to intrude on
the readability of the message, since it is at the bottom of the page.
However, it does improve the overall content of the message, hence the
utility of the message is augmented.
Also, the .sig file is effective because email is used more than any other
communication medium on the Internet. Email has a great reach. The added
text of the .sig hardly has an effect on bandwidth, yet the value it provides
is high.
Finally, don't forget that the .sig file is a very powerful way to
advertise. If you have a company or products to sell, the .sig file can be
an invaluable marketing device. One simple post to a newsgroup with a
well-created message and signature file can generate a truck load of email.
It can also point people to your Web site, unobtrusively. I'd wager that one
good .sig file is worth 10-100 cold calls.
A rough and informal analysis has lead me to recommend that all .sigs must
contain these two important elements:
1. Full name
However, a .sig might include these items as well:
1. URL
I recommend that you keep your .sig to less than six lines in length, for
two reasons. First, a large .sig can be distracting. A large .sig is clutter
and lacks aesthetic appeal. Second, if it takes more than six lines to express
yourself to the reader, then that information should probably be part of the
message itself.
Do not underestimate the power of your .sig!
=========================================================================
Here is a compilation of URLs to interesting news pieces on an Internet or
website promotion theme.
More Internet related news headlines at
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appropriate forum on our Discussion Boards.
http://www.promotionworld.com/discus/
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