1.)     Notes from the CEO:

When this Feature Article was submitted to me, I immediately removed all banners from my site.  I had originally installed the banners and joined the various affiliate programs, knowing I wasn’t going to make any $ as a service to my customers/site visitors.  But, this is the Internet and this is my “storefront (website).  If they are looking for something, then they will go to the search engines (telephone book) and enter the keywords relating to the product or service that they want.  Isn’t that what you do?  I do.

I don’t want to sound crass or anything.  But the reality is, this is my storefront and I want the windows clean!

Raven Crone
www.rnp-inc.com 
 

2.     Drive Traffic Away
        by Doug Gaines

Because I have been unable to get valid, unbiased data on the subject matter in this article, this article is based upon my opinion and the experience of about twenty other web site owners.

If your experiences are the same or different we would like to hear from you, for a subsequent article.

The hype is drive traffic to your site, make money with every click and it goes on and on.  What are we talking about? Banners, drop downs, and affiliate programs.

The premise I start with is simple: your web site is the single most important piece of real estate you own on the Internet.  Your front page tells the world who you are, what you are about and establishes your image. This is your storefront.

When you walk down Main Street how many stores do you see flying banners, or with pasted signs all over their windows?  How many allow any number of other things to go on that would advertise other businesses that would distract their customers from entering their store?  None!  Why would you do that to yourself?  I know you’re told that it will increase traffic and/or you'll make money.  $0.01-.02 cents per click.  You will increase sales.  Well, maybe with the first two listed above and only (very rarely) to the last. 

What they don’t say is for every $1.00 in a check sent to you represents from 50-100 potential customers that visited your site and left before the could look around because they went to the banner instead.

You worked hard for that visit to your site and then you sold it for one or two cents!!

When I am not working with my site, driving my web-mistress to drink or otherwise occupied, I surf the Net.  I compare sites, product cost, points of general interest, and etc. When I go to a site I am interested in that site, but if I have to wait a long time for it to load I leave.  Usually the page loads slow because it has all kinds of banners and stuff - all those graphics and logos really slow a site down.  I don’t want to waste my time and there are others in the list to look at.   Don’t you do the same?

Here is what happens when I click on a site loaded down with this stuff:

1.      I am dealing with small fry, desperate for traffic
         (big companies don’t load their site with this
         stuff.)
2.      If I get an obnoxious drop down list, I click off

In short I feel this stuff hurts your creditability and gives you nothing back.

If you want to build traffic.

1.      Get on a couple of very select web rings, try
         www.webring.com.
2.      Advertise off line.
3.      Analyze you site.
4.      Really, really work on search engine position.
5.      Give great customer service.
6.      Keep your site clean and fast.

Douglas Gaines

Doug Gaines is the owner of the site www.awakeninggodsgifts.com.  This above article is an expression of 20 years of business with a storefront now with his product on the Internet as a test run.  He believes that the Internet should be viewed as a storefront and business completed with that viewpoint.

Auto-responders:
Put Your Business On Autopilot

by Shelley Lowery

Auto-responders are one of the top promotional tools available online today. They are also known as mailbots, automatic email and email on demand. They were derived from the very popular fax on demand and designed to automatically respond to any email message sent to it with an automatic response.

Their popularity most likely stems from its vast variety of uses as it eliminates the need to manually answer every response. Subsequently saving hours of valuable time. Your information can be available to your prospective customer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Get your best ad copy ready, load it to your auto-responder and your business is set to autopilot. When your prospective customer sends a message to your auto-responder address, your information will be instantly delivered to their email address.

There are many ways of utilizing the power of auto-responders:

* Sample E-zine Copy for potential subscribers
* Articles For Publication - A great way for writers to
   distribute their articles
* Offer Free Powerful Reports on various subjects
   and use your signature file at the end to promote
  your site or business
* Offer Free Resources with information about your
   site, product or business
* Information about your Business Opportunity
* Product listings
* Price list
* Welcome letters
* Thank you letters
* Order Confirmations
* Advertising Rates

Advantages:

There are many advantages associated with the use of auto-responders. Not only do they automate the daily task of manually replying to requests for information, but they provide instant gratification for the recipient. They also enable you to track your ad responses and gather the email addresses of potential customers.

A good auto-responder service will automatically send you an email notification informing you each time someone requests your information.

Selecting a quality auto-responder service:

When selecting a auto-responder service, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration to ensure maximum performance.

* Personalized responses - This makes the recipient feel
   that the letter was sent specifically to them.
* Automatic follow ups - Studies have shown it may
   take up to seven contacts before closing a sale.
* Unlimited text length - If you are inhibited by the
   amount of text your auto-responder may contain, you
   may be forced to revise a successful sales letter,
   ultimately costing you business.
* Free Unlimited updating - It is imperative to provide
   your customers with accurate, up to date information
   on your products and services.
* Automatic Notification - You must have the ability to
   track your ads performance. You should be instantly
   informed each time someone requests your
   information.

Advertising Tips:

* Include your auto-responder address in your signature
   file.
* When placing classified ads, instead of supplying your
   regular email address, use your auto-responder
   address.
* Appropriate News Groups
* Opt in email discussion lists
* Guest books
* Business Cards
* Letter Head
* Your web site

Key Coding Your Ads:

Tracking your ads response rate will be the key to your marketing success. Once you test your ads and determine which ad is pulling the most responses, you can easily test which classified ad sites are producing results as well. This will save you a lot of valuable time by only placing your ads at classified ad sites that produce results.

1. Make a list of the classified ad sites you intend to post
    your ad.
2. Number the list of ad sites.
3. You can key your ad using the subject of your email.

Many times, if you ask for a certain "subject" description, it may not be provided. To avoid this problem you can add a simple code to your email tag.

mailto:freeinfo@yourautoadd.com?subject=cl1

This code should contain your auto-responder address and will automatically fill in the subject with your ad key when clicked on. The "cl1" stands for the classified ad site number one. The second ad site you have listed should be coded as cl2 or classified ad site number two and so on. By coding your ads you will know exactly where your leads are coming from.

4. Begin submitting your ad and replace your normal
    email address with your key coded auto-responder
    address.

You can obtain free auto-responders with all the amenities mentioned above from any of the following sites:

http://www.getresponse.com/
http://www.fastfacts.net/
http://www.myreply.com/

Submit your auto-responder address to AutoResponder Central - An Auto-responder Information Directory.

http://www.web-source.net/links

-----------------------------

Shelley Lowery is the Webmistress of Web Source - Your Guide to Professional Website Design and Development. Join The Syndicator, our new, free article syndication program and display complete articles w/photographs on your website that are automatically updated each week. http://www.web-source.net

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