Make Your Next Move Your Best Move - Now It's On You

In business, every contact with your customer is an opportunity for expanding and growing the relationship. A phone call is nice but sending a business greeting card means that effort and consideration was put into the relationship. A greeting card can be sent as a reminder for an event, upcoming meeting or simply a thank you note. With the highly competitive market that we have today, having a good rapport with your customers is a way of getting ahead of the competition.     There are a lot of reasons why businesses send greeting cards. You may want to attract new customers, enhance a current business relationship or show appreciation to those who have faithfully supported your business during the year. It is essential though to carefully design the card as a well-meant card can actually offend the recipient when it is not done properly. Choosing a poor design can also mean a lot of things to the people you want to impress. The recipient can take it as a sign that the business is not

Free business logo design can be found in a variety of areas. There are many logo design companies that will design your free business logo design if you purchase other products from them.  Some logo design businesses will provide the free logo design with website design, stationary design and web hosting.  For example, you purchase your website design and hosting through them and they will design a free business logo design for you.  The price you pay for the website design and hosting depends on your needs in those areas but you are able to lump your free business logo design in the package as well for no additional cost. Many logo design businesses will also provide you with discounts on products if you purchase your stationary and envelope design through them.  You may not receive a free logo design but you will be able to save a little money on other business necessities.  You may also find packages that offer other free services if you purchase your logo design from them.  For ex

You are now a business owner, congratulations! You have everything you need right down to the business plan but one thing is missing. Customers. As you sit in the darkness of your living room at night, you wonder how you can afford to advertise and where. The next morning you drag out the Yellow Pages looking for a company that specializes in marketing or advertising, make the call and to your dismay the person that you speak to informs you of the prices for their services. They tell you that it will cost from several hundred dollars to as much as 15% of your total business. You have a little bit of money left from the loan that you obtained to get the business up and running, so you agree and set an appointment to meet later in the week. What is wrong with this scenario? Nothing if you have a lot of money to spend. The problem is that most small business owners have limited budgets to work with and expensive advertising campaigns are simply out of the question. So what is the alternat

Is your website targeting a niche market? Whether you are following the advice of top Internet Marketers or if you just happened to have a business that caters to a very specific target audience, you must be able to find them, and they must be able to find YOU. One of the joys of niche marketing is the luxury of tapping into a favorite hobby, occupation or expertise and building a business around it. If you are expanding an existing off-line business by setting up a webpage you may find your most valuable contacts right in your store. Make some brochures or cards that announce your online presence, or ask customers if they'd like to sign up for your online newsletter. Now you can contact your customers about new products, industry news or specials with no postage costs or time consuming envelope stuffing. Invite your subscribers to recommend the site to friends who are interested in the topic. Even better, have a place on your website to 'tell a friend'. Your visitor will e

New marketing and promotional ideas! Free! Most are related to internet-based businesses, but even those can usually be adopted in some way to other businesses. Here are half a dozen marketing ideas to get you thinking. A one-hour coupon. Offline businesses that want to increase the traffic to their websites can announce an "internet coupon" good for a free drink (or whatever). The coupon would be up on the site for an hour, sometime on a Friday, say. Visitors will return again and again to try to be there at the right time to get the freebie. If you collect pay-per-click advertising fees, this repeat traffic might be especially profitable. Free gift article teaser. A free gift is certainly not a new marketing idea, but it hasn't been done much in internet article "resource boxes." My click-throughs from articles increased when I started putting in the author's resource box, "For more information and a free gift, visit..." The gift is usually a sho

Have you ever walked into a store in your town, and been addressed by name? This has probably happened to you at stores that you frequent often. The shop owner knows your name, and uses it. He remembers you, and he wants you to know that he cared enough about you and your business to remember you. In the offline world, this is just one aspect of customer support. Customer service like this is almost impossible to achieve on the Internet, but some semblance of it can exist when you personalize your autoresponder messages. Autoresponder messages can be set up to address people by their first or last name – or both. In fact, there is quite a bit of personalized information that can be added, depending on the autoresponder that you are using. The information is included in the autoresponder messages by using codes. Each autoresponder will use different codes to insert the information in your messages. You simply write your message, and put the codes where you want the personalized inf

The number one thing you need to do when looking into the myriad of affiliate programs available is to ask questions first before you join any program. You have to do the research about the choices of each program that you are thinking about joining. Get the answers before joining because they will be the deciding factors of what you will be achieving later on. I have listed here some of the main questions that you need to ask any retailer offering an affiliate program. "Will it cost me anything to join?" The majority of affiliate programs offered today are free of charge, so why pay for those that charge you something before joining? Unless there is only a very small fee and a very large ROI (Return On Investment), paying to be an affiliate just doesn’t make sense. "When do they send out the commission checks?" Each program is different, so this is an important question. Some issue their checks once every month, every quarter, etc. Find the one that is best suited

Unfortunately, not all of us have a budget to fit what we believe to be our marketing needs. No need to get down, here are a few very simple things you can do that have stood the test of time, and are proven to attract more business. 1. For starters, enjoy your life. Do things that make you smile from within. I’m sure you are familiar with the phrase “smile, it’s contagious.” Well it is. Think about it, would you want to speak with, or do business with someone who is upset or unhappy all the time? It just is not attractive and it turns people in the other direction. The way you feel says a lot about your personality and attracts people to you. It tells a potential customer if you are friendly, upbeat, and most of all it tells them that you enjoy what you do. When someone approaches you about your products and services, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. By creating the conditions in your life that make you smile from within, you will have easily accomplished th

If you’ve looked at the prices of autoresponders that are available online, you may have decided to search for and use a free autoresponder for your marketing needs. Using free autoresponders is acceptable in certain situations, and in the world of Internet marketing, any autoresponder is better than not using an autoresponder at all! Your first option for a free autoresponder should be the one that comes with your webhosting account – if you have a webhosting account. These autoresponders can easily be set up through the control panel of your website, and they do not contain advertisements from the autoresponder company or webhosting service. If you do not have a hosting account, or your hosting account does not include autoresponders, there are other options that you can pursue. There are many free autoresponder services to choose from. These services are free, because the company makes their money by placing a small advertisement in each message that your autoresponder sends out. Th

What if Charles Drew hadn’t tested the refrigerated trucks he invented to safely transport blood? Or, what if Philip Emeagwali never tested his theory of computer processing? Do you think they would have been successful? In the invention world, definitely NOT, and in the marketing world, testing is every bit as important if you want to achieve success. Any number of tracking programs are out there from Hits Connect to Track That Ad to the new Link Brander. Even server-side tracking scripts are available for purchase. Regardless of what you use, tracking every ad that you post, whether it be to a traffic exchange or to a safe-list, you need to know how successful your marketing is. Why? Because if you don’t track your ads, you may spend tons of time and money chasing something that you’ll never catch. Tracking works simply. You place the ad URL into the tracker, which devises a new URL for you to use in its place. Every time you employ the tracker URL, that “hit” is recorded by the trac

To keep the title of this writing brief, I left out one very important word: “Positive”. Everyone has attitudes; we all have thoughts; we all have beliefs. But where do they land on the scale of negative to positive? In any realm, whether it is school or job or relationships, our attitudes, thoughts and beliefs will determine the level of satisfaction, happiness, or success in those areas. And to go a little deeper- sometimes negativity in one area can spread into all the other areas, making it difficult to succeed anywhere. We all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. Some of us were really blessed and were given all the tools we would need for success from the time we were very young. Some of us were not so fortunate and have needed to work a little harder at it. When it comes to Making Money Online, or any life endeavor, where we come from and how we think can have tremendous impact on our measure of success. Our beliefs alone can steer the course of an ent

When someone joins a program under you, what’s the first thing you should do? I can tell you that the wrong answer is “Try to Sell Him or Her Something.” That’s the best way to lose an associate. Instead of going right for the sell, employ an on-boarding process or some way to educate the referrals about your process and your value proposition - develop a relationship with your referrals. If your website is a little complicated in some way, provide instructions to explain how members can navigate with more ease. One way to address these issues is by providing the FAQs with the answers in them. Or, send referrals to the FAQs directly or a member guide via a link, rather than providing your own explanations (we are building up our FAQ's now - they will be on our site in 2 weeks). Don’t overwhelm your down-line members, just give them a tip or two about using the program and offer further assistance if and when the need arises. Be sure to include your full contact information, as we

After our press release, this is one of the online media platforms, www.hawaiinewsnow.com, that picked it up... “Unlike other companies, we are completely focused on small businesses,” continued Lenair H. “We understand the struggles of modern small business owners in areas such as marketing and sales strategies, technology and more. With our proven, effective services, we can guarantee results for each client we work with.” http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37489715/strategic-profile-solutions-launches-new-affiliate-services

If you... Need traffic to your website Need new sales Need to establish your brand Writing articles can do all of these and more. This is one of the ways to get exposure for your web site, or the product / service you are promoting by writing articles. This will not happen over night, but if you write one article a week the number of links you can build up for your site will grow steadily, and each one of those links helps you become more visible on the internet, helping your potential customer base find you rather than your competitors. Why go to all the trouble of writing and submitting an article, well these are some of the benefits of submitting articles Increased number of back-links to your website You can targeting different keywords and key phrases Ge links back to your site from your article content Authoritative back-links - establish yourself as an authority on your product or service Increase traffic to your website Increase your search engine position Why we

Well, do you? If not, how do you have time to run a profitable business? By profitable, I am not just talking about money. I also include time to do what you want in profitability. Time is money right? I am going to give you golden nuggets of time management wisdom that I personally use. To qualify that these actually work...I utilize all of these methods personally every day! Use them in your business today! 1) The foundation under the blocks of your time management is your mindset. You must set your mind : focus ; intent ; perspective ; and, of course, your aim . 2) The first block is your culture . This is what you are doing, almost naturally (second nature), on a day to day basis. Our personal culture dictates much of what is to come - or is a big part of creating what is to come.  3) The next block is how you schedule the activities you do day to day. In the past, I thought it was sufficient to merely schedule my commitments based on their level of priority. After a while, I real

It seems paradoxical – the more you give away, the more people are willing to pay for your services – but it’s true. This exact approach has worked quickly and effectively for me for years. The key is that it’s got to be good and of high relevance to your target audience. This builds people’s confidence that you consistently know your stuff and that you can be counted on for long-term value. People soon realize that if you’re willing to give away such valuable expertise, think how great the solutions they pay for will be! So how do you share your expertise with your target audience? Through writing and speaking (also, consistency of service, quality of service, and demos). And it starts with being able to get your core ideas down on paper in a way that catches your audience’s attention and compels them to action. If the idea of writing an article or giving a speech feels overwhelming, stay with me. I’m going to show you how easy it can be if you follow a basic formula that works every

Make your logo or message stick. Brand identity will keep your business and increase customer loyalty. There are events throughout the year that is easy to use promotional products. Many events are obvious and popular like Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Christmas or Halloween, but the potential is unlimited to use your imagination. Making the impression that will last with customers old and new is the key. Here are 6 tips that will give you the promotional product edge. 1. A promotional product should relate to the advertiser, either through the item itself or what you inscribe on the item. For example: One of our customers gave out a corn letter opener. They were a firm from a major city that had nothing to do with corn. However they used the theme that they were a player in the playing field. The unique message along with their logo was a hit. Another company gave out a chocolate candy foot and said we want to get our foot in the door. 2. Make your promotion have its own "in

So you know, roughly, what you want your business to be. Before you go any further and start investing, though, you need to try it out. Here’s how. Build a Prototype. If you plan to sell physical things, or you’re going to do something like starting a website or making software, then you should build a prototype to see how your idea will work out. A prototype is a version of your product that serves to show that your idea is feasible in the real world. If it would be too expensive to build the whole thing, then just building the new part that differentiates you from your competitors is good enough. Show your prototype to a few people, to see what they think. Are they excited? Would they use it? Get a Few Customers. If your product is relatively low-value, or you’re providing a service, then it shouldn’t be too much trouble to get a few customers and do a few dry runs. Do them a generous discount (you could even do it for free), to make sure that everything runs smoothly and the custome

People love to have access to things that other people can’t get. It gives them a sense of exclusivity, and it is a marketing tactic that really works. Granting access to secret pages works well on the Internet. It works best when it is limited. For instance, you can grant access to only a lucky few, or you can have a time limit for accessing the pages. You can grant access to secret pages on your website with an autoresponder. The way this works is quite simple. You create a directory on your website that is password protected, with one login and password that everyone can use. You then create some valuable content for that directory. You can call this your secret vault or your private stash or anything else you want to call it – as long as it sounds like something that your visitors may really want to get their hands on. For instance ‘the secret tools that helped me earn thousands each month’ would probably entice many people who want to learn how to make money. Once you get the dire

Nothing happens in business until a sale is made. Marketing is simply about getting new customers and keeping them. If you’re not doing something everyday to market and promote your business, your competitors are. Here are ten easy-to-implement tips to effectively market and grow your business: 1. Partner with large email database list owners and offer to cross promote each other. The list owner will advertise your event, product, or service to their email database and you’ll offer to do the same to your list. 2. Create your own blog which is like an online journal with regularly updated posts to provide key information and continue to add value to existing and potential customers. It’s more personal and immediate than a website and keeps people engaged and hopefully coming back for more. You can even create one for free at http://www.blogger.com. 3. If you want to increase word-of-mouth fast, do something beyond normal industry expectations. For example, Mr. Lube offers fast and affor

How and where are you going to get subscribers to your list? List building is a very tall order for a beginning marketer. Many new marketers don't get to building their opt-in list until a year or two after they start dabbling online. How can something so simple and so important get forgotten and unused? 9 times out of 10, you are either 1 or 2 type of people... 1. you work hard promoting in traffic exchanges, forums, groups ect. and still are unable to make a significant dent in potential sales on the net. 2. you have worked hard for several months marketing like crazy and you have built 1,100 subscribers and have a followup series in place to generate sales. It doesn't take long to figure out that you want to be person #2.  The bottom line is that you should be building your list before you start promoting anything online. How? I'll keep it really simple! Freebies!!! Facebook has over 1 billion users. It is free to create and maintain a FB account. Yet, they make money.

A lot of people are now getting into online businesses and online marketing either to supplement their “real world” income or for it to become their primary source of income.  Why?  Because online marketing just provides them a lot of benefits! First, you can reach just about anyone in the world who has internet access if you market your products online.  That means a wider market for you, which can translate to larger profits.  Second, setting up an online business requires only a fraction of the cost required to set up an actual business establishment, which means a lot of savings for the business owner. Another aspect that has attracted a lot of people towards online marketing is the fact that one doesn’t have to have his own products to get started.  In online marketing, one can start making a lot of money just by selling, or even by advertising, other people’s products.  Getting started with this kind of marketing strategy is actually quite easy.  All you need to do is find an on

If it seems that everybody is making boatloads of money online and you're missing out, fear not. There's plenty of time left for you, and the greatest part about it that it's not very difficult. Strategic Tip #1: Plan to work hard. I know, this goes against everything you hear but deep down you know that nothing worthwhile is easy right? You also know that getting anything done quickly just takes more work. Even cleaning out the garage, yeah you could take your time and get it done over a weeks time, or else you could work your butt off and have it finished and be sitting right back down on the couch watching your favorite reruns. To get things done quicker you just have to put in the extra hard work, but when the checks start rolling in, all your work will be worthwhile. By the way, if you do things right, one of the beautiful things about the internet is that the work you do today will pay off for months and hopefully years after. Just like that clean garage you’ll have.

Network marketing is not always easy for everyone. There are individuals who are very natural at talking with others and find it quite easy to be in a room full of strangers and talk about what they have to offer. Then there are those who are terrified of the very idea of network marketing and needing to talk to anyone about anything. Network marketing does not have to be a horrible experience for you and you do not have to have a panic attack at the thought of attending one. When you prepare for network marketing and do not go in with your eyes closed, you will find that it will make an enormous difference in the productivity of your business. Network marketing can be beneficial in building a plethora of resources and contacts that you can have at your fingertips to propel your business forward. If you do not have a briefcase, it would be wise to purchase one. In your briefcase, you can keep your business cards, brochures, and informative documents about your business and other items

Use these powerful yet simple tips from the national best-seller, "Secrets of Power Marketing: Promote Brand You" - the first guide to personal marketing for non-marketers.   Create and grant an annual award.   Send hand written congratulations and thank you notes.   Send greeting cards for some occasion other than Christmas.   Send postcards when you travel and even when you are at home.   Give a good book to special clients. Always sign it with a positive message.   Build relationships with the media before you need them.   Associate with winners - attend awards functions.   Build and maintain a database of clients, prospects, and key influencers.   Earn certifications and win awards from your associations - and tell everyone.   Ask happy customers to write testimonial letters for you.   Recruit your suppliers as marketing agents. They work for free.   Join and be active in your chamber of commerce.   Write tips sheets for your customers.   Write and send art

There are many ways to promote your business online. The difference between online marketing and offline marketing though is profound. Although advertising can be very effective offline, it isn't nearly so effective online. The reason why is that most people surf the internet looking for information. They aren't usually interested in advertising unless the product or service in question can solve their problems. There are five strategies that you can implement in your business that will not only create a content strategy for you but will also create a very effective marketing strategy. This strategy will only require a few hours of your time each week. 1. Articles For those who have read my work, you know that articles not only brand you as an expert but are also a way to create quality content for your site, and search engines love content. If you don't like writing, or don't write, you can find quality articles to post on your site. The larger your site, the more like

1. Keeping In Touch -- Your customers and clients are the life-blood of your business. What better way to stay in touch with your existing customers than through a newsletter? A newsletter allows you to add personal touches to your relationship and celebrate milestones, both your own and your client's. In addition to furthering your relationship with your clients, a newsletter can also allow you to introduce new products, offer special sales or discounts to your existing client base, and encourage referrals. 2. Hook In New Customers -- Unless they have an immediate need or came to you through a powerful referral, most potential customers won't buy right away. Often they will shop around and compare which means you will likely never see them again. However if you have a free newsletter that offers interested clients the opportunity to learn more about you, your business, and your products for free and they can also learn more about your interaction with your existing customers.

Despite what the ad copy on most MLM sales pages tells you, this business is NOT easy. While everyone has their own learning curve, it generally takes a tremendous amount of solid planning and hard work to realize a profit with network marketing. A big problem in this business is a lack of honesty. I’m not talking about scam artists or crooks here. I’m talking about the inability of individuals to be honest with themselves and realistic about what they want to achieve. You may be an affiliate marketer who wants to build big in opportunity systems that are owned by other people. Or, perhaps you are someone who wants to sell your own products and services. There is good money to be made with either path. Personally, I believe the intelligent use of both affiliate programs and products that you own is the best approach to making money in the network marketing niche. But before you continue with this train of thought, I’d like you to take just a couple of minutes to consider why you are he