Improving Your Marketing

No matter what you are doing, you can always do it better.
Every company knows just how complicated advertising can
be. When you've got it right, it can be tempting to leave
the plan well alone! However, to be fully effective, plans
need to be able to be changed. Nothing stays still in the
world of marketing.

Do you ever change your marketing plan? Have you looked into
your plan and looked for ways that you might be able to
improve? This is a very important process that you need to
do every so often to be sure your marketing plan is up to
date. You need to take a serious look at your plan and
decide if you can improve upon it or your product in any
way.

Over time it may be necessary not only to change your
product but also the packaging that you use. Making changes
will keep your product looking fresh and innovative. Don't
just concentrate on your own product. Look at others to see
what they are doing so that you can stay ahead of the game.

You can improve your marketing by offering discounts and
special offers to new customers. You should take time to
offer discounts or pass out coupons or other things that can
bring in new customers. Sometimes it~s also good to offer
deals to existing customers to keep them happy and keep them
coming back. These are all good marketing techniques.

Do you think about your customer? Do you do things to make
it easier or more convenient for them to use your product?
You need to always keep the customer in mind and remember
that convenience is a big factor when it comes to a consumer
using a product. If there are ways that you can make it
easier for your customers to use your product, then you need
to take advantage of it.

Always look to expand your horizons. By concentrating on
one type of customer, you may be missing other potential
sales. If you change your marketing technique, you may
appeal to a whole new market and increase your sales.

Hard as it may be, it is important to listen to complaints.
By understanding the problems your current customers have
you can ensure that new customers do not suffer in the same
way. It is also important that customers feel confident in
your ability as a company to deal with their issues.

If you keep these things in mind, you will be able to
improve upon the marketing of your business from day to day
and you will find yourself and your business more
profitable.

Things you should consider before you obtain a lawyer

Whether you are a defendant of a plaintiff in a lawsuit you
are going to want the best lawyer to represent you. No one
thinks about ever being involved in a court case. So why
would you know what to look for in a quality lawyer to
represent you?

Depending where you live you will learn that there is an
endless list of lawyers to pick from. You may be wondering
why there are so many out there. Well depending on how much
you know about the law there are many degrees to it and
different areas a lawyer can study in. Say you had a case
that involved medical malpractice you would look for a
malpractice lawyer and so on.

Not everyone is positive that they need legal
representation to handle their case. If you are filing
small claims case merely on principal then you may be able
to represent yourself. This isn't something that most
people know off hand. This is why you would contact a
lawyer who offers free consultation. Whether you are using
the phone book or searching on the web you will usually see
if they offer this right away. Most lawyers do, it is in
the best interest of both parties. They don't want to waste
their time and you don't want to waste your money. Once you
both have agreed that you are in need of a lawyer's service
then the cost can be discussed. The first payment
arrangement is based on retaining services. Payment
arrangements are usually acceptable. Make sure that is
something that you both have discussed and agreed on.

Some lawyers work on what is called contingency.
Contingency is what the lawyer will earn if your case is
won. There is usually no up front costs for this. The way
it works is your lawyer will take around 33% of the money
awarded to you in your case. So if you had a case that was
for an award amount of $1500.00 your lawyer will take about
$500.00 or so.

When you are involved in any kind of lawsuit your main
objective is to win it. This is where hiring the right
lawyer for your case is crucial. Just because you see a
lawyer advertised all over TV and on billboards doesn't
mean they are the best. You want to check out some things
your self. Word of mouth can be a helpful way to find good
legal representation. Of course not every one is
comfortable discussing their case so it might not be the
way for you. Ask you lawyer questions; find out all you can
about their experience. A good lawyer will be happy to show
you their record and do all that they can to assure you
that you are making the right decision. You shouldn't feel
you are taking a huge risk with who you chose.

Most people don't ever anticipate a need for a lawyer so it
is hard for them to know what to ask and do before
obtaining their services. Unless you are a Business
Corporation or proprietor you wouldn't really already have
your own lawyer. So if you find your self in need of a
lawyers service you should ask them the right questions.
Also remember this is something they may affect you
financially or criminally. You don't want a lawyer who
takes on multiple cases at once for really low rates. You
should feel that they are focused on your needs and are
determined to win you case. You also want them available to
answer your questions when you are feeling uncertain about
your suit.

Be wise and chose a lawyer with an excellent success rate
and good reputation. This is your key to winning or losing
your case.

How to Grow your Business with an on-line Revenue Stream

Ever thought of expanding your business by adding on-line
revenue streams? Or creatng a new business on-line? If so,
there are many "gurus" around who'd like you to pay
them high fees for the intricacies of their expertise.
Some are very good...However you'd better know exactly what
kind of help you're going to need, or these fees will eat
into your profits long before you're even close to getting a
return on your investment.

Simply put, to build a stream of online revenue, you must
hold skills in two areas:
1. Attracting the right visitors to your website.
2. Persuading these visitors to carry out desired actions.

Let's take an example where:
- You sell a product at $100
- 1000 visitors arrive at your web site per month
- 1% of these buy your product

Using the following formula, your short-term revenue is
derived:
Product price x (# of visitors) x (% of visitors who buy)
Or, $100 x 1,000 x .01 = $1,000/month

Thus, increasing your revenue based on the given product
price are broken into the following options:
- To increase your site's traffic flow.
- To increase the percentage of visitors who buy ~ the
conversion ratio.
- To do both.

But traffic and conversion ratio are not independent
factors. The type and source of your web site visitors can,
and will hugely impact your conversion rate.

So what options do we have when it comes to getting visitors
to come to my web site? There are probably only a few key
stratgies:

1. Purchase traffic.
You can buy traffic from options such as banner ads,
off-line advertising, or Pay-Per-Click (PPC). These choices
are generally quick ways of bringing visitors your way.
However, these options can be costly, as well as
complicated. For an inexperienced PPC buyer, many common
mistakes are pointlessly carried out.

2. Build Traffic
This means optimising your web site to gain a high position
in the Search Engine Results. While this can be highly
effective, and deliver significant "free" traffic, it takes
time, experience, and ongoing management effort to acheive
and sustain an envied placing on the first page. And your
efforts can be quickly trashed by competition, or simply a
change of policy by the Search Engine. Unless you already
have the experience, in practice this means a steep learning
curve, or paying an SEO consultant to do it for you. So much
for "free" traffic!

3. Dig up traffic.
By this, I'm referring to digging up existing customer lists
of yours and directing them toward your new online offer.
This approach is excellent, especially if you already have
an accessible list of customers that are prime for the new
plan. However, what if you don't?

4. Bring in traffic through public relations.
Create opportunities to promote your offer on TV and radio
or in newspapers and magazines. Also, include your website
address on press releases, "advertorials" and articles for
people to take the next step to learn more about your topic.
If you're wise and maintain good media contacts, public
relations are effective avenues.

5. Use "OPT", Other People's Traffic.
Literally, thousands of online magazines and newsletters
have editors who are hungry for relevant, excellent content.
These sources have circulation lists with thousands of
subscribers. You should be able to find several sources
related to your topic. Should they publish your article or
your advert, along with a personal endorsement, to their
circulation list, you can anticipate a deluge of visitors.
This wave may recede soon unless you repeat the same action
to another list or submit another article for publication to
that first source.

Naturally, you can't expect to do everything at the same
time! What start-up sequence should you follow? The
following order will put you on track:

1. To conduct a quick market test, purchase traffic from a
focussed keyword-targeted source. Test the profitability of
your niche, your ad copy and your offer.
(Naturally, if your current client-base is ripe for your new
offer, conduct your test first with your existing clients.)

2. Satisfied your niche is viable? Established your
conversion rate or opt-in rate? Then you're ready to use
other people's traffic. Take your offer to your target
publishers and negotiate a good deal for both of you for
them to carry your article or ad. You should do this
regularly over a period of time, using publishers who reach
different market segments.

3. Of course your sales website should be built according to
the key Search Engine Optimisation rules. It should have a
clearly focussed theme, relevant content, growing in-bound
links, etc. Over time, as the site gains visibiity in the
major Search Engines, your traffic will grow.

4. As soon as you have something newsworthy, look for
opportunities for radio, TV, newspapers etc to carry it.

As a final point, repeat these online revenue streams as
long as profitable.

How to Use Testimonials to Increase Sales

When marketing online, the use of endorsements and
testimonials is especially important. The prospect reads or
hears a third party saying, "Yes, this product is real and
it is a good value because I got the results I wanted." The
online shopper is reassured. Your prospect starts to
believe in the reality of your offer when they see that
others have been pleased by their decision to buy from you.

An endorsement is when a person with some celebrity in
general or within an industry says, "I recommend this
product and you know me so you can trust what I say." For
example, Jack Canfield is widely known as co-author of the
Chicken Soup book series. When he recommends someone else's
self-improvement products, that's an endorsement. If you
have connections and can get an endorsement for your
product or service, do so. They're very powerful because
the endorser is already known and trusted.

The power of testimonials stems from a different strength.
Testimonials offer proof that other people have tried your
product and were happy with the results. A testimonial
suggests that when the prospect buys that product, their
results will be similar, and they will be happy, too.

A good testimonial will include the following: Use both a
first and last name. You've seen it when only the first
name and a last initial is given: Frank B. That seems
suspect, as if the testifier would have preferred to remain
anonymous. Instead, Frank Boemisch is much more
substantial. To enhance the effect, include state, city,
type of business and/or business name if possible.

The testimonial should be short and focused on something
specific. It should be about measurable results whenever
possible.

Compare the impact of the following two versions of
testimonials for a writing coach: Version 1) "Her advice
and support was essential to the process of getting my book
published. Now I use the book as a platform for seminars
that have increased my clientele."
Version 2) "With her advice, I got published and started
delivering seminars. By using the book to do group events,
I'm working fewer hours, and yet my income has doubled."
The first version gives no real information. The second
identifies specific results and benefits.

If you have no testimonials because you have never asked
for them or neglected to keep positive comments - (or
because you have a new product) - here are some ways to
get testimonials.

Offer a fr~ee trial to some interested people. Tell them
that you would be happy to receive a testimonial if they
feel one is honestly deserved, but make it clear that you
aren't exchanging the fr~ee trial for a testimonial. This
way, those recommendations you do receive will be heartfelt
rather than obligatory.

Contact previous customers who've used the product and ask
them for feedback. Any replies you get that are positive
but perhaps not specific can be useful if you contact the
customer again and ask for specifics.

Also, if someone sends you something good but it needs
editing, then edit it, send it back, and ask if the changes
you've made (for brevity, for clarity, for professional
grammar, etc.) meet with their approval. Don't use the
edited version unless approved.

If you have been collecting testimonials, you might have
an excess that makes it hard to choose. In that case,
select according to these guidelines:
A. Top benefits: do you have short testimonials that
support or prove them?
B. Results: do you have testimonials that tell about
specific and measurable results?

There is no magic number of testimonials to use. Just
remember that more isn't always better. You want to keep
the reader moving through your sales information, so use
the testimonials to support but not distract from your main
purpose. Remember, the focus of your copy should always be
on the product and its benefits for the prospect.

Ways to Gather Marketing Information on a Budget

If you have a company or business, you know how important
marketing is. The best way to form a great marketing plan is
to do research. But most companies don~t conduct the proper
research. One reason why companies do not do thorough
research is because of the time that it takes. Another
reason is because of the expense.

What you may not know is that there are actually many
low-cost and effective ways of conducting research for your
company. Some of these methods may take a little more of
your time and man-power but if you are trying to cut costs,
it is well worth it. Many of the methods are actually low
time consuming as well.

Some methods may even cost you nothing! By mixing several
procedures that are all free, you can draw conclusions
without spending a cent.

Compare yourself to your opposition. What do they do? How
and where do they advertise? By looking at what they do and
considering what you would do differently, you will get a
very good idea of what your strategy should look like.

Deciding on who are your customers is fundamental to any
marketing plan. It is impossible to target your advertising
if you do not know who your customers are. Take some time
to develop an accurate profile of the type of person that
your product will appeal to.

By going online you can gather a lot of information for a
relatively little money. Many agencies, including the
government, collect data that is available for nothing or at
least only a small sum of money. Make full use of these
facilities as the work has already been done for you. Try
using emails to send out surveys. Whilst the response rate
may not be good, the costs are also very low.

Another excellent low cost way of gaining valuable
Information is to give someone your product to use. Watch
how they use the product and ask them questions to determine
what they think of your idea. This method allows you a real
chance to decide on any improvements that you would like to
make before you hit the wider market.

How to Boost Online Sales by Establishing Trust

New people make their first online purchase every day.
Even when the purchase is something minor, the visitor's
decision whether to buy from your website always involves
establishing your credibility and inspiring their trust.
After all, the buyer is taking a leap of faith that when
they hand over their credit card information, address, and
so on, they are actually going to get something in return.
Even to a sophisticated online buyer, first time purchases
from an unfamiliar website can feel risky.

To help your visitors feel confidence in their purchase
and feel assured that they won't end up being ripped off,
there are several ways to establish your credibility.

The foundation for establishing trust is simple: make sure
that every bit of your sales copy is truthful. When what
you say is true, it just sounds true. Certainly, you want
to be persuasive in describing your offer and benefits, but
resist any temptation to exaggerate or evade.

Pay attention to how you use the details that make your
copy believable. For example, specific numbers are more
credible than rounded numbers or estimates. Instead of
claiming that you have almost 100 selections available, say
the actual number: 93. Specifics are more factual and
clear, and therefore feel more trustworthy.

Include a human presence on the site such as a personal
photograph. Also, give contact information, and so forth.

Give verifiable evidence of your expertise. This includes
references to any credentials you hold that are related to
the offer. For example, if you're selling an ebook about
growing orchids and you are a Master Gardener, say so.
Also, refer to any articles you might have written and
published on topics related to the offer.

If you have favorable materials from 3rd party sources,
use them. This would include reviews from magazines,
awards, independent test results, or quotes from experts
about the benefits and value of the type of product or
service you are offering. These are effective evidence of
legitimacy.

And finally, use testimonials. Online, these should come
early in the sales copy. Audio is proven and tested to
increase results, but if text is what you've got, use them.
If you haven't been collecting testimonials, start now. A
good way to begin is to ask people who are already your
customers for feedback. If it is a new product, give a
fr`ee trial with no strings attached, and ask them to give
you a testimonial only if they feel it is deserved.

Characteristics of good testimonials include the
following. First and last name: Fred W. isn't as credible
as Fred Walters. When possible, include city, state, type
of business or business name. But don't include a link to
their site or a tag-line. That smacks of exchanging fr~ee
advertising for the testimony. Also, the testimonial should
be brief, focusing on a single aspect. As much as possible,
only use those that talk about measurable results.

By using some or all of these strategies, you will
increase your credibility and enhance the prospect's trust.
The result is increased sales. Why? Because no matter how
terrific your offer is and or how wonderful the benefits of
your product, if the prospect doesn't believe you, nothing
else matters.

Types of Marketing

Advertising your product is fundamental to the success of
any new product. Without advertising, no one will know that
your product exists. Because customers can be found in all
shapes and sizes, it is little surprise that advertising,
too, can be found in a range of different forms.

Advertising is apparent everywhere we go. Indeed we don't
even have to leave our own home, as marketing comes through
our letterbox, television, radio and even phone. Whilst
this constant array of advertising may be a little annoying
take some time to learn what you can from other companies'
efforts.

Mass media

Very few people have never seen a TV advert. Over the years
TV advertising has become a very popular way of selling to
a wide and varied audience. All of this comes at a price
and a slot during prime time on a popular channel can be
a large investment.

However, even if you don~t advertise on the TV, you can
still use it as a resource to learn more about the market.
It is a great way to do research on products and on
customers. You can see what the competition has to offer and
how they are choosing to market it and this can give you
ideas for your own.

Poster Advertising

Another popular way of marketing is to advertise on
billboards and signs. People see advertising everywhere they
go and billboards and signs have long been a great way to
market your product.

One of the most popular locations for these signs is along
highways. As the main target of these signs include drivers
it is important that the message is clear and easy to
understand. Drivers do not have a long time to study the
sign and the message must, therefore, be obvious and easy to
absorb. Ideally the message will also leave a lasting
impression.

Direct Communication

Often comes in the form of a flyer or brochure. This is a
very targeted approach and enables you to get your point
across to a targeted group of people. You can even include
a promotion or coupon as part of your flyer to encourage a
customer included as the reader has time to read the details
and think about what you are offering.

Traffic Flow On The Global Network That Moves For You

Today's Internet users know that WWW means World Wide Web.
These users also acknowledge that the Internet travels
anywhere throughout the United States and across the world.
However, these Internet customers don't always know how the
Internet moves around. Many customers just to know that
their Internet is quickly accessing information. This flow
of information is affected by traffic. Comparatively, when
a highway's traffic is moving in the same direction at the
same time of day, traffic is slowed. In contrast, when
traffic is lighter, travel speeds are faster and you move
smoothly along. It's no surprise then that peak rush hour
slows the flow so much that many accidents happen and
traffic is brought to a complete stand still.

Applying this principle to the Internet helps you understand
how traffic flows around the WWW affect your travel speed.
Heavy traffic will slow down the system's response. Also,
heavy traffic will cause delays along the path to your web
site destination. Naturally, equipment malfunctions along
your travel route will slow your website uptake and maybe
even send you along an alternative path toward your final
destination. Granted, these slower uptakes or detours may
be only short intervals of time - a fraction of a second.
However, when you add up these short periods of time over
great distances, you are looking at costly delays,
especially in the business world that depends on the
Internet for a big part of their revenue.

A watchful eye on the traffic conditions and progressions in
Internet speed are closely kept by businesses that rely on a
speedy Internet and by Internet service providers.

Do traffic reports really let you know what's going on
around the global Internet highway? At Internet Traffic
Report's website, you'll find the tracking speeds in Europe,
Australia, Asia, North America and South America. Africa's
tracking speeds are not recorded since the continent doesn't
have enough routers to accurately report a message's speed
and route as it goes from a sender to a receiver, which is
how a meaningful traffic value is calculated. Each
continent in this report uses a traffic index that goes from
0 (which is the lowest rating) to 100 (which is the fastest
rating). This site also reports the average response time,
by fractions of a second, for test messages that the site
routinely sends out into the Internet. When you're tempted
to start complaining about your slow Internet speed, check
out the site for response time in North America. North
America's response time is on average double the fastness of
South America, Europe and Australia~s speed. Also, North
America's traffic speed is triple the quickness of Asia's.

A speedy trip into Internet Traffic Report online will
definitely strengthen your view on how great the World Wide
Web is at unifying the world and linking everyone across the
planet. For the several developing nations of the world,
the Internet is a traffic guru that is quick and reliable.