Title: Top 2006 Business Strategies

 

Free Marketing Tips!

 

Happy New Year! I can hardly believe it's already 2006...

2005 was a busy year for the World Wide Web. Last year more than a billion people went online, more than 250 billion searches were done, and total online sales accounted for over $170 billion (Forrester). More people are looking for something, finding it on the Internet, and buying it than ever before, and it's still growing...

In fact, 2006 should see 200 million more potential customers online (2 billion by 2010!) and total Internet sales will increase another 20% or more (FTI Consulting).

There were so many changes in the online business world in 2005... It's important that you understand what they mean for YOUR business, and adjust your strategies to achieve maximum success in 2006. But don't worry -- we're going to show you exactly how you can do it!

This year, resolve to get your business off to a great start and make more money in 2006! To do that, here are five sure-fire strategies to boost your profits this year!

STRATEGY #1:

Know How to Beat the Search Engines in 2006... and Drive Tons of FREE Traffic to Your Site!

Google has built its empire on providing useful, relevant search results -- and plans to keep doing so. In order to provide the best results to its users, Google makes frequent changes to the way it finds and displays results.

Any strategies that try to make a site appear relevant when it's really not have been dealt with harshly in the past and will continue to be targeted in the future. Google doesn't want you to manipulate their criteria to get a higher ranking -- so they're constantly looking for loopholes and closing them as fast as they can.

Case in point: Google's latest update, which has come to be known as "Jagger." The Jagger update targets web sites with falsely inflated "link popularity."

Because Google assumes your site is more valuable if it has plenty of other sites linking to it, web site owners around the 'Net began seeking out as many links as they could get -- and manipulating Google's search results. Google fought back by putting more emphasis on the relevance of the links to your site -- and Jagger is simply the next step in that process.

The other part of this latest Google update is an increased vigilance about "keyword stuffing." Google wants to ensure that your keywords are being used appropriately -- not just stuffed into as many spots as possible on your web site to get you a higher ranking.

So how does this affect your online business? The key is to use sound online marketing principles -- rather than trying to manipulate the search engines. That means you should...

1. Provide useful information, valuable content, and links that are related to your business.
   
    
2. Make your domain names and page titles relevant to your business and keywords.
   
    
3. Solicit links from (and link to) sites with good reputations, traffic, and Google PageRanks.
   
    
4. Keep your content current and image tags appropriate -- don't make them long, repetitive, or off-topic. (Image tags are the small bits of text that describe your image files -- you can't see them on your web page, but the search engines read them in your source code.)

As long as your links are designed to enhance the value of your site's content or to increase your credibility and authority, then your site will continue to see good rankings at Google no matter what changes 2006 will bring.

Lost in the Google shuffle was the news that in November, Yahoo updated their search engine as well -- something they do more often than most people realize. It wasn't as big of a change as Google's, but it targeted many of the same things, and some sites had their rankings altered. Yahoo, like Google, is just trying to improve the quality of the search experience for everyone.

The bottom line is that the search engines want to give people the relevant links to what they're searching for. Anything that tries to pretend your site is more important or relevant than it really is will, in the end, get weeded out.

STRATEGY #2:

Take Advantage of Brand-New Profit-Making Opportunities with Pay-per-Click Advertising!

There have been some big changes in pay-per-click (PPC) search engines recently, and more and more people are starting to realize exactly how profitable they can be.

Bidding on your best keywords and securing top results in the search engines is probably the easiest and fastest way to drive potential customers to your site. To get a number-one ranking in pay-per-click advertising, all you have to do is bid more on your keywords than the #2 bidder.

In 2005 there were a ton of changes across the industry, with each of the "big players" offering new and exciting ways for you to succeed. Let's look at each in detail...

1. Google AdWords
   

http://adwords.google.com/

It was no surprise when Google joined the pay-per-click game in early 2003 with its massively popular AdWords program, and immediately started capturing market share from Overture.

Last year Google built on their success and listened to their customers to see how they could improve their program. Two of the most useful features they added to their PPC business were...

• The ability to include or exclude specific sites from your campaign. Google already tries to keep your ads from appearing on competitors' pages, but there are plenty of unsavory web sites out there that you don't want to be unwittingly associated with.

• Different pricing for having ads on search sites and content sites. Search ads get more eyeballs on them, but content ads are on sites that are more relevant to your customers and generally have a higher click-through rate.

It looks like a good move for all: you now have more choice over where your ads go, and Google gets to sell two sets of advertising instead of one.

2. Yahoo Search Marketing Solutions (formerly Overture)

http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/

Overture, the previous industry leader, has been revamped and streamlined. In an effort to unify their brand, Overture was renamed Yahoo Search Marketing Solutions. Their next move was to simplify their entire sign-up process -- formerly one of their customers' biggest complaints.

Yahoo has also made some changes to their program that should be welcomed by small businesses and online entrepreneurs: the deposit has been lowered to $5 from $50 and the monthly minimum of $20 has been scrapped, so even the tiniest Internet business can get in on the action! This brings them into line with Google's pricing.

Things are looking up for the new Yahoo Search Marketing Solutions in 2006. Even though Google's AdWords seems to drive more traffic, advertisers point to better conversion rates in some markets for Yahoo, especially younger demographics. Try testing your pay-per-click campaign on both services to see which results in higher profits for your business!

3. The Challengers

Although Google and Yahoo are the clear industry leaders, it can still pay to look at the smaller service providers. Although the traffic isn't as heavy on these sites, it's far easier and cheaper to get #1 rankings on these up-and-comers. Depending on how competitive your market is, you may want to test pay-per-click advertising with...

• MIVA (formerly FindWhat) www.miva.com/  
• Lycos InSite http://insite.lycos.com/
• IndustryBrains www.industrybrains.com/
• Kanoodle www.kanoodle.com/
• LookSmart http://search.looksmart.com/
• BrainFox www.brainfox.com/
• Enhance (formerly ah-ha) www.enhance.com/
• SearchFeed www.searchfeed.com/
• Search123 www.search123.com/
• ePilot www.epilot.com/
• Quigo AdSonar www.quigo.com/

Remember that new advancements in pay-per-click advertising are developed every day -- so pay attention to the industry headlines! For example, MIVA, one of the smaller providers listed above, is now offering pay-per-click advertising in e-mail format. MIVA Mail allows pay-per-click ads in newsletters and HTML e-mail communications. Watch for the bigger players to follow soon.

4. One to Watch

Last but not least is the word that as of November 2005, Microsoft is ready to jump into the PPC business with MSN AdCenter. Building on the release of MSN Search and the explosion of MSN's MyPage network, AdCenter is poised to become a major player in 2006.

Currently, MSN still displays search ads from Yahoo Search Marketing because of a contract that runs until July 2006, and AdCenter is still in the testing phase. That's the bad news.

The good news is that MSN has had the advantage of seeing Google and Yahoo test out new models and has learned from their mistakes.

With the clout of Microsoft behind it, AdCenter is a venue you can't afford to ignore. Once it's up and running everywhere, it should probably be your third choice for pay-per-click advertising, behind Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing Solutions.

STRATEGY #3:

Harness the Power of the Biggest e-Commerce Opportunity of the Century!

eBay gets serious traffic -- traffic from eager buyers who are ready and willing to make purchases online.

And eBay is more than oddities and collectibles -- it's big, big business. In the first half of 2005, eBay members in the US alone sold over $10.6 billion dollars worth of goods to over 150 million registered users!

This doesn't mean that you should neglect your web site and only sell on eBay, but it does mean that with a market that large, there are many ways to make it work for you...

If you have a brick-and-mortar business, eBay can be a great source of extra business. Since you're already buying wholesale for your local market, it doesn't take a lot of extra effort to offer your goods online as well. This is especially effective for locally made, unique, or specialty items. If you can ship it for a reasonable price to customers who can't find it anywhere else, it's easy to make big profits.

And whether you have an online OR offline business, eBay is a great place to clear out old stock. If you've sold out your inventory except for one pair of size 12 shoes, or an extra-small sweater, eBay is the perfect place to unload the leftovers -- for a profit.

The same goes for your returns or damaged stock. As long as you're honest about the condition and pay attention to your customer service, you'll start building a reputation in the community that will lead to more sales down the road.

No matter what kind of business you have (even if you don't have your own business yet!), with a market of 150 million eager buyers just waiting for your offer, eBay is one of the easiest ways to develop an extra revenue stream and boost your sales and profits in 2006!

For more information about how you can use eBay to start a new business or explode your sales from your existing business, go to: www.AuctionTips.com.

STRATEGY #4:

Explode Your Sales with
Your Own Personal Sales Team!

Affiliate programs are not a new strategy, but they remain one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal to grow your business in 2006.

Want proof? IMC affiliate revenues for 2005 surpassed $1.9 million dollars and sent us thousands of lifelong customers we would have missed if we didn't have an army of affiliates sending us these fresh new leads.

Running an affiliate program is probably the easiest way to get tons of interested visitors and buyers to your site. Other people will do all the work promoting your web site for you and you don't even have to pay them until you see the profits they bring in. There's no risk to you because, if they don't make any sales, you don't pay them! Doesn't that sound like your kind of workforce?

Whether you're starting a new affiliate program or you already have one in place, there are a few key strategies you can use to skyrocket your affiliate revenues in 2006:

• Offer Great Commissions: One important consideration when setting up your program is the commission -- the more you pay, the harder your army of affiliates will work. We pay 30% commissions on our products with bonuses for top sellers. Hard work pays off for everyone!

• Give Your Affiliates Top-Notch Tools: You've already spent time and energy selling your product to your customers and have a good idea of what works and what doesn't work. Pass this information on to your affiliates! If you provide your affiliates with winning headlines, quality photos of your product, banner ads, and good sales copy, it will allow them to sell your product or service faster and more effectively.

• Recruit Powerful "Super Affiliates": Super Affiliates are that top 2% of your affiliate program who will bring in more than 90% of your sales. Get these people to work for you! They're out there, they know what they're doing, and they're always looking for new products to sell.
  
  Look for online sellers who sell products or services that are related to (but not competitive with) your product, and invite them to join your affiliate program! These can be very profitable relationships for both you and your affiliates.

For more information about starting your own affiliate program, visit www.AssocTrac.com.

STRATEGY #5:

Get 30% to 50% More Sales in 2006
-- with ONE Simple Strategy!

If you don't have a strategy for keeping in touch with your customers after they make a purchase from you, let 2006 be your year to succeed.

It's a proven fact that anywhere from 30% to 50% of your buyers will buy from you again -- IF you offer them a second product!

That's right: up to HALF of all people who have bought from you once will buy from you again. All you have to do is make an offer.

For example, try sending an e-mail 7 to 10 days after their initial purchase to see how they like the product -- and let them know you have a related product that they might be interested in!

But what if you don't have a second product to sell? You can...

• Create an information product. For example, if you sell running shoes, offer an eBook of tips and motivation techniques for non-competitive runners. To find out more about how to create your own eBook, go to www.eBookPro.com.
  
   
• Join an affiliate program. Earn commissions by recommending other people's products to your customers. You can check out the wide variety of affiliate programs in our affiliate directory.
  
   
• Choose a product that complements your own product and adds value, then find a wholesaler you can buy it from. Make sure you stand to earn enough profits to make this a worthwhile venture!

*BONUS* STRATEGY #6:

The Hottest Online Marketing Strategy for 2006

2005 was the year of the "blog explosion" on the Internet. The number of blogs more than doubled between June and December and will double again this year.

Blogs (short for "weblogs") are a simple way for anyone to post new content in an easy-to-read web site format with the newest information always on top.

Blogs are absurdly easy to start up and even easier to maintain. Some even let you post with your e-mail -- just sit down, write a letter, mail it to your blog address, and you're done. It's so easy that some people post a dozen times a day.

But how can a blog benefit your business? Your blog can boost your ranking in the search engines, increase your traffic, and improve your credibility -- ALL of which will ultimately lead to more sales!

Search engines love the content-rich element of blogs. If you blog about a specific subject, like your industry or hobby, people interested in that topic will visit your blog and read it often. With a well-written blog, it's easy to establish your credibility by demonstrating your expertise in your subject area. Over time you will develop relationships with your visitors -- which ultimately lead to more customers. Links to your sales site and product pages are a natural fit here, too. Blog Software that we recommend is from SixApart.com:

Movable Type
LiveJournal
TypePad
 

Watch for more updates on how you can boost your traffic and sales by starting your own blog in future issues of this newsletter!

Final Thoughts

Now that you have some ideas about how to grow your business this year, it's time to get busy!

With the tips in this newsletter, you now have the tools you need to increase your traffic by optimizing your site for the new world of search... try some new pay-per-click advertising venues to reach more customers... start an affiliate program to generate free advertising and explode your sales... follow-up with your customers to generate up to 50% more sales overnight... use eBay to reach their market of over 130 million buyers... or start a blog and establish your expertise in your field!

2006 is shaping up to be another record-setting year for online business, with 200 million more customers, 20% more sales, and more exciting developments that will undoubtedly change the way we do business on the Internet.

And remember: all it takes is one successful technique to start seeing REAL growth in your sales and profits in 2006. Don't think you have to do everything at once! Choose one strategy, implement it, and get it making money for you... THEN move on to the next strategy!

Here's to your success in 2006!

 

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