Be a Whiz at eBiz!
With a Little
Help From My Friends...
Be a Whiz at eBiz!
No-Nonsense Tips and Resources to Grow Your Business Online
January 8, 2004
Priya Shah, Editor
http://EbizWhizPublishing.com
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I figured it was about time I gave this rag the
look of a real newsletter ;-)
But seriously, the 'Can Spam' Act is forcing publishers
to get their act together, and BOY, am I GLAD I switched to a
double opt-in system ages ago.
Can't for the life of me figure out why they decided
to call it something that has the acronym "CAN Spam."
(?!!) I guess someone in the legal dept has a case of "graveyard
humour."
What I really want to talk about today is "joint
ventures" - and how they can give your business that BIG
break you've been trying so hard to get.
I'm referring here to the extremely successful
and beautifully executed "12 Days of Christmas" promotion
that Mark Hendricks concluded a few days ago.
I believe it worked out beautifully for everyone
who participated - publishers and subscribers alike.
As many of you know, a bit TOO successfully for
me. I was caught completely unprepared for the flood of traffic
that came my way and caused my bandwidth to go "bling bling"
- and my website to go "blink blink" (now you see it,
now you don't).
But I digress.
So as the song goes, it was all possible "with
a little help from my friends." And that's how it is in the
big (and often bad) world of internet marketing.
After all, its no point trying to run the marathon
alone when you can convert it into a relay and get the same results
with much less individual effort.
Of course, the problem with relays is that everyone
has to be a team player. Even one bad apple in the bunch can raise
a big stink.
Joint Ventures are like that. And considering
how some of the biggest joint ventures of last year turned out,
I bet the 11th Commandment this year is going to be "Thou
Shalt Play Safe and Do Business With Only Those Whom You Trust."
If you have no idea what I'm referring to, I mean
the '30 Days eBook' with contributions from 61 big-name marketers
- that sold, with much fan-fare, for $97, and is now selling for
as little as $10, thanks to the unscrupulous behaviour of the
compiler.
But we live and learn. And I believe that a shakedown
in the world of internet marketing was inevitable, given the fact
that it has been growing fast enough to attract some of the most
unscruplous people in business.
And while we're on the subject of predictions,
here are some in a rather long (but well worth reading) article
by one of my favourite people, Jim Edwards.
The fact that he was one of the few guys who didn't
give Joe Kumar the time of day, only increased my respect for
him. (if you don't know who Joe Kumar is, visit http://www.bewareofjoekumar.com
)
Add to that the fact that Jim's an honest, generous
and down-to-earth guy, and you'll understand why I sing his praises
every chance I get. We sure could use a few more people like him
around.
So go ahead and read the predictions of Jim, the
Internet Prophet, for the exciting, and no doubt eventful, year
ahead.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The State of the Internet Address - 2003
- by Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As 2003 draws to a close, we've seen a lot of
things come and go this past year.
Decorations for the approaching Holiday season
remind us that another calendar is almost used up and it's time
to start fresh with a brand new year full of promise.
It's been a wild ride through 2003!
Even though we're busy, it often helps to take
a moment and reflect on where we've been, what's happened, and
take a hard look at the current state of affairs so we can predict
what we're likely to see in the coming year.
So what happened this past year online and --
more importantly -- what can we learn from it and how can we use
it?
Well, pull up a chair by the fire and let your
old friend Jim break it down for you...
~~ The FTC ~~
The Federal Trade Commission weighed in this year
and made its presence known around the world.
Fines, asset seizure, and all-around scary stuff
happened when the FTC decided to crack down on what it termed
"deceptive advertising practices."
Reaction to the FTC's actions made for a very
interesting study of human behavior.
Some people adopted the "ostrich" legal
self-help approach by sticking their heads in the sand and doing
nothing.
Others imitated "Chicken Little" by
running around proclaiming that the "the sky is falling...
the sky is falling!"
Still others took legal advice from the online
equivalent of "jailhouse lawyers" by following the rumor
and innuendo found in forums and newsgroups... none of which rate
as a very sound legal strategy.
In the end, most took the sensible approach and
took time to educate themselves on the real dangers of running
afoul of the FTC by adding the proper disclaimers and disclosures
to their websites.
They also modified their promises and statements
on their websites to ensure a more compliant positioning with
FTC advertising rules.
The current situation:
Basically nobody is really talking about the FTC
anymore because nobody we've heard of has gotten stung with court
papers... but that doesn't mean the FTC stopped watching! All
that means is you haven't heard what they're doing or who they're
watching.
And even if they aren't doing anything, the actions
they took should burn a message into everybody's brain as a warning
against making the same mistakes got others got whacked for good
and hard.
My predictions for the FTC in 2004:
The FTC will continue watching for any flagrant
violations of their fair advertising and other rules and, if they
get enough complaints (not sure how many "enough" is),
will act swiftly to smack down anyone they see acting inappropriately.
The moral of the story: Don't let your guard down
and think "Big Brother" isn't watching... because he
IS!
~~ The "Canned Meat" Avalanche
~~
Sp~am!
It's gotten so bad that the U.S. Federal Government
actually wants to weigh in and try to help solve the problem.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, any legislation currently under
debate won't help much... and may even do more harm than good.
I personally saw the amount of UCE (Unsolicited
Commercial Email) triple in my email box this year. Every morning
I wake up to find 250 to 400 messages waiting... when I get done
deleting the sp~am, I usually end up with 35 legitimate messages.
Amazingly BAD ratio!
The current situation looks pretty grim for actually
solving the problem.
Services like Sp~amCop often succeed in blocking
legitimate email while the sp~ammers just keep merrily sending
their avalanche of messages guaranteed to help you get filthy
rich, meet interesting people, find the world's smallest automobile
toy and, of course, make certain body parts bigger!
My predictions for SP~AM in 2004:
The problem will only get worse if you don't take
any action to protect yourself.
I personally plan to revamp my entire email setup
after the holidays by eliminating almost all of my existing email
accounts (which web spiders harvested from my websites). I'll
then "cloak" the addresses appearing on the pages so
they can't get read by anyone but a human being who intends to
email me personally.
(I plan to document what I do and share it at
a later date).
A whole bunch of "snake oil" solutions
will appear claiming to solve the problem... but the amazing thing
is that the majority of them will get sold via SP~AM!
Additional Resources: Here's an article with some
basic help "SP~AM Killers" http://www.thenetreporter.com/spamkillers.shtml
~~ Lights, Camera, Action! ~~
In case you didn't notice, a lot more audio, video,
and multimedia appeared online this year... due largely to improvements
in streaming technology. Connection speeds didn't get faster,
but the software used to deliver the content sure did!
We've seen audio testimonials, multi-media newsletters
- like my ground-breaking www.IgottaTellYou.com newsletter - and
a host of downloadable products incorporating much more than written
words on digital paper.
As the hardware gets cheaper (computers, microphones,
sound boards) and the software gets better and more universal
(flash, mp3, etc), you'll see a lot more people jumping on the
audio/video bandwagon.
My predictions about Multi-Media for 2004:
1. You'll see an ever-increasing number of multi-media
products. Unfortunately, many of them will absolutely bore you
to tears!
Fair Warning: Anyone who wants to create multi-media
products or newsletters should invest time learning how not only
to educate people... but also entertain them!
2. A lot of really cool tools will come out this
year to help the technically challenged (like ME) do some really
awesome things with video and audio.
3. High-quality, full-motion streaming video will
NOT make it to dial up connections this year (like it has for
high- speed)... but 2005? My guess says... YES!
~~ Block Those Pop Up's ~~
Ah yes... pop-up windows.
Nothing short of a good insult toward someone's
mother will get people to express an opinion about something faster
than mentioning pop-up windows.
In fact, they're such a hot topic that AOL and
Netscape use their "pop-blocker" software as a marketing
benefit for people to sign up!
Undeniably, however, pop-ups rate as one of the
best ways to build a targeted optin list by making a VERY specific
offer to each targeted website visitor.
In truth, the vast majority of my subscribers
come from exit pop-up windows on my websites.
So it seems the online world finds itself engaged
in a standoff... "to POP or not to POP - that is the question!"
My predictions about Pop-up's for 2004:
We've already seen some interesting contributions to
the pop-up window issue, on both sides.
Armand Morin and Corey Rudl both sell software
to help you get around the majority of pop-up blocking software.
On the other hand, major players like Google and
Alexa offer free pop-up blockers integrated into their toolbars.
Bottom line: somebody will come up with a solution
that rates as effective as pop-ups, but it won't offend people.
(And whoever does that will enjoy my undying gratitude!)
~~ Sold to the Highest Bidder ~~
Did you realize that eBay, the web's leading auction
site, ranks as the 6th most popular site on the Internet (according
to Alexa.com).
In fact, according to Alexa, more people go to
eBay's website than even AOL or CNN!
Think about that for a minute. The website that
started out selling beanie babies and old stuff from people's
attics now gets millions of visitors every single week... and
the majority of those people WANT to BUY something!
Think about all that targeted traffic - with credit
card and checkbook in hand - going to one central spot to spend
their money... in some cases FIGHTING and COMPETING against other
people for the right to spend their money. Amazing!
The biggest challenge any online business owner
faces, ultimately, comes down to getting traffic to their websites.
Just think if you could get some of those millions of visitors
who hit eBay every week to come take a peek at your website! Well
you can (and many people do)!
My prediction about eBay for 2004:
eBay will just keep on getting bigger... and bigger...
and bigger!
If you're looking to start an online business
and you're starting from scratch (or even if you're already established)
- take a hard look at incorporating eBay into your overall marketing
strategy.
They've got the targeted traffic you may need
to launch a successful business quickly or take your existing
business to the next level.
~~ Google takes over Top Spot as preferred
search engine ~~
Google. The name strikes fear into the heart of
other search engines and creates dreams of riches and untold avalanches
of traffic for online marketers.
Not since Yahoo! dominated the search scene 4
years ago has one search vehicle held such power to make or break
online businesses.
Unfortunately, as more and more businesses come
online, competition for the elusive TOP 10 spots on Google seems
to bring out the predator in every marketer.
Add in Google's "Ad Words" and you incorporate
the other main ingredient in search engine marketing, pay-per-click.
To increase their overall marketing reach, Google
syndicated not only their search results, but also their pay-per-click
Ad Words results across major sites.
My predictions for Google in 2004:
Google will only get bigger.
Their Ad Words and Ad Sense, along with their
regular "free" search engine listings (how long can
that last?) make them "THE" search vehicle to watch.
The smart marketers will invest time in understanding
HOW Google works... so you can make it work for your business.
~~ Are eBooks dead? ~~
I've had a lot of people ask me, "Are ebooks
still an effective a way to publish and sell information... or
has their time passed us by?"
My answer: YES - ebooks still rate, in my opinion,
as the best way to get started selling information on the Internet.
Why?
Because ebooks require the least amount of technical
expertise to create and distribute.
Also, the people who buy ebooks now have the technical
ability to download and read them.
A few years ago ebook authors (like myself) spent
half their time just explaining to people HOW to download the
ebooks and read them! Instead of feeling like an author, you felt
more like a tech support rep for Internet 101.
Now, the average user who buys ebooks has very
little problem in buying your information and using it.
Also, cheaper and easier technology has evolved
to make it VERY easy for the average ebook author to set up a
truly auto-pilot ebook delivery system.
A simple website, a ClickBank account, and a decent
autoresponder - and you're in business with a real, legitimate,
functional online business.
On the downside, because the price of entry has
gone so low, anybody can create an "ebook" and go into
business online.
A lot of crummy ebooks get hawked around the Internet
every day, and a lot of them really stink! But there's a silver
lining to that cloud too...
Since so many bad ebooks get circulated online,
when people find a good one, they are actually MORE impressed
than in the past. It's actually EASIER to stand out now than it
was a couple of years ago because people crave good content!
My predictions for eBooks in 2004:
eBooks will not only survive in 2004, they'll
get published in record numbers.
Many of them will significantly change how we
use the Internet and some of them will even make their authors
rich and famous around the world.
eBooks still rate the #1 way for smart, dedicated
people to start a highly profitable business selling information
on the Internet. I don't see this changing in the foreseeable
future.
Additional Resources: Here's an article that should
interest you "Let's Get One Thing Straight About Being A
Published Author"
http://www.infomarketingupdate.com/published_author.txt
~~ My personal thoughts on the coming
year, 2004 ~~
I see three trends driving people's behavior in
the coming year. You should take these into consideration when
planning your Internet business and other web activities.
First, in general, the Internet has gotten "noisy"
and crowded. People get bombarded with information every single
day. Even with information they want to receive, it's easy for
people to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data coming
their way.
Second, since they get bombarded daily, people's
level of skepticism and mistrust towards just about everything
seems to increase daily. It's just plain harder to get and hold
people's attention, let alone their trust, for an extended period
of time without constant effort.
Third, people are drowning in a sea of information,
but they are thirsting for knowledge. In other words, they've
got plenty of information already, but what they need is someone
to show them how to APPLY it to their unique situations.
What does this mean to you?
Make sure whatever you do or create online (website,
email, ebooks, articles, etc.) helps people make sense of what's
going on and doesn't add to their confusion. The people who help
bring order from the chaos will turn out the big winners when
we look back a year from now.
The key to success in 2004 is not more information...
a better sales pitch... or a website that burps and sings with
more bells and whistles than anyone else's.
The winners in 2004 will be the people who get
back to basics and:
1. Find out exactly what people want...
2. Sell it to them the way they want it...
3. Treat people with honesty and integrity...
4. Don't settle for anything less than the absolute
best they are capable of producing!
To YOUR success!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist
(http://www.TheNetReporter.com)
and is the author
of several best-selling ebooks, information products
and software programs.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
..., here's a new promotion by Miguel Alvarez
that's doing the rounds, and that I would consider the online
equivalent of winning the lott.ery.
Imagine if you woke up one morning and found yourself
to be the proud owner of a world-class website, set up on a high-profile
domain name, along with a HUGE list of readers anxiously waiting
for your next issue?
Its definitely a dream for any struggling online
entrepreneur. And on February 14th, 2004, that dream might just
come true for you.
This Valentine's Day, the Instant Success Swee.pstakes
drawing will take place.
And the loot you could win includes:
1) The magnetic, powerful and quite expensive
high-profile domain name "www.eBusinessDigest.com" (valued
at $5000)
2) A complete, eye-grabbing web design package
by Miguel Alvarez. This includes the design of the website and
of an HTML newsletter.
3) A unique, highly-targeted mailing list with
hordes of subscribers. The list will be built from participants
that register for the sweepstakes.
4) One year of FREE web hosting at ThirdSphere.com
to host your new website.
Register FREE for this event at: (link expired)
The reason I recommend you to visit the website
is not just to signup for the sweep.stakes Priya, but also so
you can check out what a great viral promotion this is - and how
you can create promotions like these to give your own business
a boost.
This is one of the best examples of viral marketing
I have seen - and its such a simple idea when you think of it.
So signup and have fun promoting it.
As for me, thanks to a little inspiration from
Michael Green, I'm making a serious attempt at better time management.
So I gotta call it a night (or perhaps, a day in your neck of
the woods :-), and sign off for now.
Warm regards as always,
Priya Shah
Feedback is always appreciated
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- $1447 Profit In 16 Days! by John Delavera
- And of course my own "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY! The Internet
Marketer's CLASSIFIED Files" (completely brandable - instructions
inside the eBook)
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Gotta Tell You Newsletter
If you love audio-visual learning, subscribe to Jim Edward's multimedia
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to your website and breaks new ground in ezine publishing with
his wit, charm and outspokenness.
Stephen
Pierce's Weekly Quotivations™
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when he reveals the mindset he personally used to create his massive
success personality.
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with outstanding articles, unique bonuses and marketing wisdom.
Also has regular contests where you can win one of John's products.
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