The Official Internet Marketing Sweetie Blog

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Taking It Easy In 2007

Yesterday, I asked about your goals for the New Year, but today I want to ask how you’re going to streamline your business. How are you going to make things easier for yourself?

There are so many ways to run your business without it running you. You can outsource tasks such as article submissions, bookkeeping, website updates, and more. You can automate a lot of your routine tasks such as newsletter writing and blog posts? You can even create a more defined schedule (as much as I dislike schedules, they do work). Block your time and only take on what you can easily handle in that time.

My friend Kelly is finally going to outsource her email and support. It’s about time! I asked Kelly what held her back so long and why she finally decided to bite the bullet and let these things go.

"I have labored over this decision for six months or more. Email is such an important part of my business and I rather enjoyed checking it and responding - but in recent months I find it harder to keep up with email and have time to devote to income producing projects.

Something that really contributed to my decision was realizing the need for a real work schedule and a business routine for me. I can't embrace that and keep up with daily email. You can’t move forward and keep doing all of the same things. So I'm braving it and turning email over to my Virtual Assistant.

We've created a multitude of form letters for her to use, set up spreadsheets with link info for all of my products so that she's empowered to respond to all kinds of requests for help.

I'm excited about it and look forward to all of the extra time I'll have to be creative and complete projects."

I think it’s great that Kelly has opened more doors for herself and her business and know that with this monkey off her back, she’ll no doubt be cranking out more great products and websites. Way to go Kelly, I’m proud of you!

As for me, my business is pretty streamlined already and requires very little work from me as it is. Therefore, I plan to continue being as lazy as I possibly can and will be giving plenty of work to my assistants, programmer and other great partners and helpers. ;-)

How about you?

By the way, if you need outsourcing tips, grab ‘em for free here.

Friday, December 29, 2006

I Wouldn’t Lie to You & Goals

A little while ago, I predicted the death of 2006 and it seems no one believed me or paid attention because no one commented. Well here we are with only 2 days left before the demise of 2006 and it seems my prediction is coming true.

As the year comes to a close, I have taken some time to reflect upon where I have been and what I have done with the past 365 days. Wow…what a ride and it’s not over just yet.

As I wrap up my goals for 2006, I’m thinking of where I want to be this time next year and am setting plans in action to get me there.

One of my goals for the coming year is to sell more of my own products. Don’t fret, I’ll still do affiliates, of course, but I love the continuity you have by selling to your own customers over and over again. If they love your stuff, they’ll keep buying. This also helps me to reach my other goals even quicker, all the while moving on to bigger and better things at the same time.

So, what are your goals for 2007?

Tick Tock - The Countdown's On

Yes, the countdown to 2007, but also the countdown to a charter membership to All Health Content is coming really close. Current members already receive:

  • 50 pieces of quality, targeted health content each month.
  • Access to the private members-only forum
....and starting January 1st, members get a bonus of a 7-10 page health-related report each and every month. Use it as a give-away, a bonus for an ebook or whatever you'd like. When we announced the new development to our members, a few wrote back quickly and said:

"I'm loving all of the content I'm receiving and putting it to good use in many different ways. Thanks so much." - Sherry

"Oh my gosh that rocks! I give a free monthly gift to my list, and I like to give more than one when i can!~ --- now its taken care of! Thanks Guys!" - Sarah z.

"Wow, that's excellent, thank you!" - Karlyn

If you join today, you'll get the low charter member price of $9.97 and all of December's great content. If wait until January, you'll get the bonus report along with everything else, but the charter member price will be gone. :-(

If you target the health market or have readers that want a more healthy lifestyle, please join us. We'd love to have you.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Solution for a Popular New Year’s Resolution

In just a few days, 2007 will have arrived. The time for starting new or adding to, will be on the minds of many over the next few weeks.

A lot of people are making it their resolution to earn more money in 2007. Many will be looking for business opportunities to join and others will be looking to grow their existing direct sales teams.

It seems the New Year is always a booming time for direct sales businesses. People are hoping to work for themselves, but don’t want the hassle of starting from scratch with their own business idea. They are not looking to re-invent the wheel, but rather find an established company that allows them the freedom of being their own boss and setting their own schedules. Direct sales companies offer a way to work from home minus the hassles of operating a business that seems to keep its owner on a short leash.

When looking for information about direct sales companies, it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed from all of the options available. That’s one of the reasons Linda Stacy and I created DirectSalesDirectories.com. We wanted to offer information about various direct sales opportunities all in one place. This saves time from hunting around here, there, and everywhere online for all the different opportunities. By having various company’s information in one central location it makes the process not only faster, but also easier to choose the one that’s best for you. No pressure, just find the one that compliments you and your interests the best and we’ll put you in touch with a consultant who will tell you everything you need to know. This week we’ve added 2 new business opportunities for you to check out; KitchenToolsBusiness.com and GoodFoodBusiness.com.

So, what if you already run a direct sales business and want to make more money in 2007 by doing less selling and more team building? We’ve got help for you too.

One of the hardest things about direct selling is creating your down line. Many people who own a direct sales business do a wonderful job selling the products, but when it comes to creating their down line and improving their passive income, they find it difficult and time consuming. That’s why we offer those already in the direct sales industry the option of having all leads generated from our site sent directly to them.

When someone finds your company on the site and are interested in learning more, they contact you directly. This way, you aren’t contacting (or paying for) leads who aren’t interested. Instead, you are getting prospects who actually want to know more about the business opportunity and have came to you for that information.

Whether you are looking for a direct sales company to join for the first time or hoping to build your current team, here’s to a prosperous 2007! Head on over to DirectSalesDirectories.com to find just what you are looking for in your direct sales needs.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

I’m A Lover Not A Fighter (Boxing Day)

The gifts are unwrapped and the festivities have commenced (at least for a few days), but the sales and shopping have not.

Yesterday was Boxing Day, an actual holiday in Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries. It is most likely just as popular (if not more popular, actually) as Black Friday in terms of retail sales. Most stores have their left over holiday merchandise and other select items marked down drastically.

According to Wikipedia, there are a few theories as to how Boxing Day got it’s name and where it originated. Interestingly, they all make sense, but I have my own opinions of why it’s called Boxing Day (think boxing as a sport). My 5 year-old son also explained to me yesterday that you can only use your hands in boxing and can't kick anyone. I'm not sure if most people actually follow that rule during Boxing Day shopping. ;)

Personally, I never go shopping on Boxing Day because the crowds are outrageous, definitely worse than Black Friday, with sales prices as low as 50-75% off on some items. When I have participated in the past, I hardly ever found anything I wanted on sale and ended up buying things for full price, just to make my trip to the stores seem justified somehow.

For those reasons, I just don’t go. I can go shopping on any other day and save myself the stress of the craziness that lurks at the malls. After all, it’s nice to really relax with no worries of getting the house clean for the holiday dinners and scrambling to get the batteries I forgot for the toys under the tree. I can watch my boys enjoy the gifts they received the day before. Who wouldn’t trade the loud, hectic stores of Boxing Day for the peace and relaxation of staying home with family?

And maybe if people shop online on Boxing Day they won’t have to fight for a parking space or battle any crowds? For those that have something specific they want or just have an itch to shop, they can get the best of both worlds by doing their shopping online. Now that’s a deal! Do you cater to the Boxing Day shopper on your website?

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Before You Eat Too Much Turkey, Download This

I'll be off to my parent's house for a dinner of pork chops and potato salad (long story on why that is) in short little while, but I wanted to remind you to download your opt-in builder software before we put a price on it. Today is the last day it will be free.

In case you are wondering why you would need this software here are a few examples of what it has done for others who have downloaded it and put it to use for their business.

“I do love the ease of the opt-in page and that fact that it is so simple.”

“It's only one month, but my opt-in conversion is 45%. I was like WOW, but Aweber lies not to me. This is signups based on unique visitors. Very, very cool. If you haven't used it yet, give it a go.”

Creatures of habit we as humans are. Most people listened when their parents said to them “Do what you are told.” Use that to your advantage.

With the opt-in builder that Lynette and I put together, you can create a one page opt-in site in minutes.

You’ll get your visitor’s attention from the get go and keep them focused on the one thing you want them to do. When you give them one and ONLY one thing to accomplish while at your site, the chances they will “do what they are told” are far higher than just sending them to your site’s homepage and hoping they will see the sign up box and actually remember to sign up before they close their browser.

A well put together and easy to follow single opt-in page can only increase the size of your list and possibly even the profitability of your business.

So, go grab your opt-in page builder today, as of tomorrow it will no longer be on the house! You can find it here => http://www.copywritingsweetie.com/tips.html

By the way, when you register for the opt-in builder, you’ll be the first to know when we release a few other builders that are in the works for 2007. Be on the lookout for builders that will help you easily create a sales letter, survey page and a thank you page too!

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

More on Community Blogs - How To

Last week I talked about community blogs and the reasons they can be good for you and your business. You can read the community blogs post if you missed it.

Adriana left a comment and asked about how to get multiple contributors set up on a Wordpress blog. As I didn’t set up the Mom Masterminds Blog, which is done as a Wordpress format, I can’t explain it to her. However, I know someone who can. I told her I would see what I could come up with to help her out with the technical side of setting one up.

Who better to ask than the blogging expert herself? Lynette Chandler, the creator of the Blogging Starter Pack, was more than happy to help me out and has compiled a guide, complete with screenshots for the set up of Wordpress community blogs. Thank you Lynette!

I do, however know how it all works on the Blogger platform, as I set up multi-authors at my community blog over at BecauseMomSaidSo.com. Since I have experience with this particular platform, I could (and did) create a guide to help those of you who use it through setting up a Blogger community blog.

The screenshots in the Blogger guide are from the new Beta version of Blogger, so there may be a few things that look a tiny bit different if you are using the older version, but the process is pretty much the same for both. It really is as simple as sending an email to the people you want to invite to become co-authors on your blog. I have also included screenshots and step-by-step instructions for the entire process.

Here’s where you can find instructions for both Wordpress and Blogger:

Adding Contributors to a Wordpress Blog

Setting Up a Multi-Author Blog in Blogger

Oh yeah, one more thing. Feel free to share your community blog (current one or one you’ve set up with the guides) with everyone in the comments area.

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Monday, December 18, 2006

Review: SEO Book by Aaron Wall

Recently, the author of SEO Book asked if I would review his ebook for him. I'd heard of the SEO Book and seen Aaron's very popular blog a few times, so I thought I'd take him up on his offer.

Overall, the ebook provides solid advice on growing and then maintaining your free traffic from search engines. I love that he keeps focus on providing quality content and he even says that some great content needn't be optimized, but it serves other SEO purposes (but I'll let him explain that to you!). He also is careful to tell his readers that SEO for SEO's sake (i.e. to get free traffic) isn't the way to do business online. If you can't sell anything to that traffic - what's the point?

Now, I do have to say the first 22 pages were a mish-mash of thoughts that might overwhelm someone new to online business. The first section was meant to be a summary, but the ideas were scattered and terminology was thrown about without explanation. Luckily, when chapter 1 finally starts on page 3, he explains all the concepts in more detail and he also points to his online glossary where you can check the meaning of any words you may not understand. He also gives his direct email address to ask quick questions.

He also explains in his ebook that some of the ideas may seem scattered because he is constantly working on the ebook, adding more information and just wants to give as much to his readers as he possibly can. And there is a ton of information. At 328 pages, there is no shortage of content. However, it's important to realize that not all 328 pages are about search engine optimization. He includes other Internet marketing advice including branding, viral marketing, conversion and so forth.

The table of contents includes chapters on:
  • Why Search
  • A Brief History of the Web
  • General Internet Topics
  • Writing for Search Engines
  • Directories & Communities
  • Search Engines (details about the majors)
  • Link Building
  • Viral Marketing & The Social Web
  • Monitoring Results
  • Pay-Per-Click
  • Hiring a Search Engine Optimizer
  • Selling SEO Services (an interesting section for those wanting to make it a career)
I like the refreshing honesty that Aaron portrays in his ebook, but he needn't be so modest. As his credential say on his website:
  • Certified as a Google Advertising Professional
  • Link Building Moderator at "SearchGuild" (awall19)
  • SEO and Google Search Engine Moderator at "V7N" (awall19)
  • Referenced numerous times by "Search Engine Watch" (the largest search engine information site on the web).
  • Regular contributor and active participant in many of the SEO hotspots such as "The Search Engine Journal" and have been referenced many times over by every reputable SEO forum.
  • Editor at many of the top web directories.
    • Examples: I am the Skaffe Pay Per Click Search Engines Guide, a GoGuides Guide, Web Beacon Editor, and JoeAnt Shopping Editor.
  • My articles have been syndicated on many SEO websites.
    • ISEDB
    • Search Engine Guide
    • LilEngine
    • SearchGuild
    • WebProWorld
    • dozens and dozens of others
  • Current with the latest search engine news on SEOBook.com every day.
  • And most importantly… I make my living on the Internet, entirely from SEO techniques!
The guide is clearly based on Aaron's experience and that is so refreshing. Many Internet marketing-related ebooks are based on what people have read elsewhere. I'd rather read what works for people than just a bunch of theory. So, if you can get over the mish-mash at the start, you'll probably find yourself an interesting resource to help you increase your traffic and your sales. You can read more about his SEO Book at his website.

If you've read the ebook, feel free to share your thoughts. It's great to have a balanced perspective.

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Just a Few Days Left for Your Free Holiday Gift

Last month I told you about the opt-in builder software that Lynette Chandler and I created.

If you have a free e-course, newsletter, special report, etc. you want to offer your visitors in exchange for their email address for your list? A one page opt-in is the way to go! With the software you give your readers the chance to focus on the one thing you want them to do most while at your website, versus looking at your whole site and leaving before they have done so.

The builder gives you simple, step by step instructions on how to build an opt-in page. The best part is that it doesn’t just tell you how either; it actually builds the page for you!

Simply decide what elements you want in your page such as the page name, what colors, text and font size to use as well as any graphics you need. Fill in the corresponding blanks and leave the rest to the builder. Within a few minutes, you’ll have a complete, ready to upload, one page opt-in site without all the stress of guessing or coding with HTML.

When Lynette and I introduced the software last month, we decided to give it away for free, but only for a limited time.

Well that time is almost up. You only have until this Sunday, December 24th to get a copy for yourself. As of Monday, we will be adding a price tag to it.

Before you get wrapped up with friends, family, gifts and good food, hurry and get your free copy. It’s ok to play Santa for yourself, especially when you don’t have to spend a dime to do it and the rewards you could reap from using it will be great.

Happy holidays to you from you! Get your opt-in builder software for free here => http://www.copywritingsweetie.com/tips.html

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Sunday, December 17, 2006

5 Things You Didn't Know About Me

Come on, Lynn...cut it out with the tagging. Just kidding, but now it's getting personal. I've been tagged to confess to 5 things you probably didn't know about me.

Here goes:

1. I used to be afraid of snakes, but the movies Snakes on the Plane has eased my fear some. But please, don't bring a python to my house because I still probably won't like that.

2. I am the child of immigrant parents who escaped from Czechoslovakia, with little more than the clothes on their back and my sister (just a few months old), in 1968.

3. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a teacher or a writer when I grew up. Interestingly enough, that's what I became, but not exactly in the sense I was thinking of back then.

4. My closets and office are usually really messy, even though the rest of the house is usually well put-together.

5. I usually speed when I drive, not excessively, but I do speed.

All righty...it can't just be me who does this. I'd like to hear the top 5 from:

Time to confess!

Guess I'm Not The Only One Not Impressed - Brita

It started in July when I saw the stupidest Brita water filter commercial that suggested drinking tap water was pretty much the same as drinking out of the toilet. Then a blog reader named Lee gave created this wonderful new ad for Brita. That original blog entry is still one of my most read entries to this day.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) here apparently has a problem with the ad and is trying to get penalties for Brita Canada for their distasteful ads, according to this short local article. Good on 'em.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Do You Have Any Internet Marketing Content?

Well, you can't win them all, can you? Today, I had a subscriber email me to ask if I had any Internet marketing-related PLR content or if we'd be doing it soon. Well, of course, Mila and I do have that up our sleeve...but it won't be ready for some time.

But then I remembered, that good ol' Kelly McCausey, just launched her report club and it's ALL about Internet marketing. If you're sitting by waiting for Mila and I to launch some darned IM information, this is a great opportunity to get something now and throughout 2007. Check it out here.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

They Asked & They Shall Receive

Thanks to our members, the PLR sites Mila Sidman and I co-own, AllMomContent.com and AllHealthContent.com have seen great success. That’s why when they asked us for more topic specific content, we were only too happy to oblige them. Mila and I have added another notch to our PLR belts by working hard to give those members exactly what they asked for. Today AllPrivateLabelContent.com was launched in response to their need and the needs of many other internet marketers.

The purpose of All Private Label Content is to allow you the option of choosing only the content you need, without paying for additional content not related to your unique market. No reason to join as a recurring monthly member in a PLR membership that covers every topic under the sun. Instead, just purchase an article bundle or membership on the topic you do need and leave the rest. You can choose from topics such as Teens, Organic Food, Finance and Credit, and more. And of course, we still have our All Mom Content and All Health Content memberships available...with many more to come.

Whatever article bundle or membership you choose, you don't have to worry about paying a ghostwriter to write the articles for you. (For example, a 15 article bundle costs less than paying a quality ghostwriter to write just one article). There’s no longer the need to spend time writing your own articles when your efforts could be better spent on other aspects of your business. All Private Label Content customers can say goodbye to those traffic leaking bylines in reprint articles too. You won’t need them now that you have niche specific PLR articles.

There's no need to worry about duplicate content showing up all over the Internet. Distribution is limited and for memberships, those who join in later months won’t have access to previous month’s content. The content is exclusive to All Private Label Rights Content, so there is no need to worry about other PLR sites having the same information.

I'm also pretty excited to announce that we've added a private, members-only forum to discuss content marketing strategies, affiliate marketing information, traffic, and more with other like minded individuals. All members (new & existing...with the exception of All Mom Content - we're still working out programming issues, sorry) access to the forum. Keep your access as long as your membership stays active.

Don’t need a membership, but still want access to the forum? No problem, customers receive a month’s forum access with each article bundle they purchase. If you want to upgrade to gain more forum access later on, all you need to do is sign up for a membership or check out the new bundles and it’s all yours.

You can grab your membership or pick up a topic specific bundle here => http://www.AllPrivateLabelContent.com

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Wednesday, December 13, 2006

How to Battle The Internet Meanderings?

We’ve all done this at least once in our online business endeavors. Don’t try to deny it, you know it’s happened to you too. You get to the computer and just know you're going to do a bunch of work. Then it happens…nothing.

It begins by checking your Google Adsense stats. Next, you wander over to this forum and that one and take a look at your favorite blogs. It all started innocently enough, but before you know it, you're checking your Google Adsense stats again, end up back at those darned forums and double check to see if any of you favorite bloggers posted anything new.

It's a vicious cycle and I'm not going to act all high and mighty and pretend it doesn't happen to me. It happens frequently, but over the years I've come to recognize this ridiculous behavior and curb it.

I say it's ridiculous because not only is it unproductive, it's counter-productive. It drains you of energy, makes you feel like you've been working all day...when in reality...you've done NIL.

There are three simple things I do to combat this problem:

- Shut the stupid computer off and step away. If I'm going to waste my time wandering...I may as well be hanging out with my kids. If it's late at night, surely my time would be better spent vegging out in front of the TV. At least that's more relaxing.

- Have a to-do list. I hate schedules. I really do. I've resisted them throughout my online career, but I came to realize without set goals each and every day, I fall into meandering mode.

- Only add things I want to do or can easily complete on my to-do list. Everything else gets outsourced. Including daunting tasks, that I don’t enjoy, on my list only increases the chances that it won’t get done. I tend to goof off to avoid them. I'd rather assign those tasks to someone else, so I can concentrate on stuff I like to do.

How do you deal with Internet meanderings?

Do You Recommend Products for Compensation - You Might Want to 'Fess Up

In an interesting article by the Washington Post, entitled FTC Moves to Unmask Word-of-Mouth Marketing, it says:

"The Federal Trade Commission yesterday said that companies engaging in word-of-mouth marketing, in which people are compensated to promote products to their peers, must disclose those relationships."

It will be interesting to see more information and clarification come out about this. Shawn Collins seems to think it would be relevant to things like contextual ads, rather than affiliate programs...but really what's the difference? A recommendation for pay is a recommendation for pay, isn't it? Whether you get get paid now or paid for performance doesn't seem to make a difference to the consumer, which presumably, the FTC is trying to protect.

Of course, I don't know the official answer, but I'm certainly awaiting clarification from the powers that be.


Tuesday, December 12, 2006

There Are No Dumb Quesitons - But Now You Can Avoid Potential Embarrassment

If you're new to online business...or even if you've been around for a while...sometimes it's overwhelming to understand what all the terminology is all about. Just last week, someone sent me a private message to and said, "I feel so silly asking, but what is affiliate marketing?"

There's no reason to feel silly, but if you find it hard to ask those questions or you want an easy-to-use reference at your fingertips, we've created one for you. Internet Marketing Definitions includes definitions to Internet marketing-related terminology that you can access 24/7. You can also click "Suggest" link on the left if you can't find the word you're looking for.

This has been a fairly large project and I wanted to share a few thank-yous. I appreciate you all.
Now, go check out the site at InternetMarketingDefinitions.com...and even if you're seasoned, know-it-all marketer (just kidding!), please pass on the site to others who might need it.

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Monday, December 11, 2006

TV on the Internet?

As someone who works online, if I'm going to veg out with a video, TV show or even a video game, it has to be far, far away from my computer. When I need a break, I have to remove myself complete from the dark lure of the net. .Hee hee.

But seriously, I've never been able to get into video online as I'm too impatient for it. I don't get the fascination with YouTube. I don't understand why people want to watch T.V. programs on demand on the T.V. station websites. I also don't understand how thousands of Internet marketers sat through John Reese's series of online videos about focus. If you know me, you'll know John has been a great teacher and influence on me, but I haven't watched those videos he made. I have NO patience for it.

Clearly, I'm an oddity. There's even a service at tVadio that brings a bunch of Internet T.V. stations to your computer. The player, in beta, is free and might be of interest to T.V. program enthusiasts who like to watch on their computer.

As an Internet marketer, can you get into video online?

Community Blogs: Are You In?

My good friend and copywriting mentor, Michel Fortin recently started a community blog for copywriters. By combining the expertise of fellow copywriters, (he currently has 13 co-authors who bring useful information to his readers) Michel has taken blogging and niche marketing up a notch. Like many Internet marketers and bloggers lately Michel has found a way to give his readers more of what they seek, without having to work himself to death in the process.

I have also been working on a community blog of my own for several months now over at BecauseMomSaidSo.com and I couldn’t be happier with the turnout so far. It’s been great for me in many ways.

- I can focus on specific content that the site is built around by having contributors who are in my market. This keeps the blog very focused in the niche market it was designed for.

- I get great exposure for the site because it’s constantly being updated with fresh content.

- I don’t have to feel obligated to post every day in order to keep readers and search engines coming back. If I don’t have something on my mind to discuss, it’s ok because at least one of the other contributors usually has something to say.

- It takes very little effort to set up. If you have Blogger, like I do, you just invite other blogger users to join. Once they accept they can publish right from their own accounts. You can decide how much access they have too, so if you only want them to post you don’t have to worry about any template changes, etc. occurring by accident. If you want to give one of them the ability to maintain the site you can give them more access.

Michel uses WordPress for his copywriting blog and it’s just as easy to add new users to the online account. Just set contributors up and give them the access you want them to have. They can login to the WordPress account and publish their posts.

A few months back I touched on the topic of community blogs. I discussed why community blogs and podcasts are good for owners and fellow contributors. I’ve had several people inquiring about how to get one started so I thought I’d revisit the subject.

When considering creating a community blog or converting an existing site into a community blog, keep the following points in mind.

- Most people would be more than happy to add their 2 cents on topics they are interested in. In order to find contributors, the easiest way is to just ask.

- When looking for co-authors to work with, be sure to include those in your market, yes even those you may consider your competitors. The more experts you have the better exposure your site will get. Everyone can promote the blog to their readers and lists which helps to gain more exposure for the blog, but everyone else’s sites as well.

- Set guidelines as to how often contributors need to post and what they can include in their posts. At BecauseMomSaidSo.com I request that authors post a minimum of once per week and they cannot use their affiliate links in any of their posts. You can allow them to use affiliate links, but use caution if you do. It may actually hurt other contributors if they are affiliates of the same program.

- If it’s a smaller group of authors, you can even set what days of the week you would like each of them to post. This gives you control over how often new content is added.

- Lastly, sweeten the deal a bit by offering contributors something in return. You can link to their related site in your blog roll or as a link under the authors section of the blog. This will help to bring their related sites traffic and looks good to the search engines, which is always a plus for fellow website owners.

The possibilities are endless with a community blog and done correctly it can be a very positive and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Friday, December 8, 2006

Virtual Holiday Parties: Where's the Spirit

This weekend I’ll be celebrating the holidays at my husband’s company Christmas party. We always have a good time mingling with his co-workers each year and talking about things other than work. I, myself, enjoy it because it is one of the few times a year I have an excuse to get all dolled up and get out of the house for a bit. A change of scenery and entertaining with other adults is always a positive thing when you work at home like I do.

The upcoming get-together has got me pondering the options available to those of us who work online to have gatherings with our business partners, mentors, assistants, etc. There are so many people I work with on a regular basis, but have never met and would love to come together with, especially this time of year. Some of the options I have found so far are good ones, but let’s face it; they just aren’t as personal or festive as I would like them to be.

There’s always web conferencing, which is great for getting together a group of individuals, no matter how big or small. You can chat about things as a group or even separately with others. It’s usually just one person talking at a time and many people are not completely involved for various reasons. You can add video conferencing or webcams to help make it more like you are “together”. Heck, you can even play a bit of holiday tunes in the background to help stay with the theme of the party. There’s still something missing when you do it this way.

Depending on how scattered across the world everyone is and how much money you have, you could buy everyone a plane ticket to a central meeting place and have a 1 or 2 day adventure that way. Wrap it up with a holiday party I guess. That'd definitely be an expensive venture and who has time to get on a plane just before the holidays?

You also run the risk of forgetting someone. That wouldn’t be the best thing to do at a time like the holidays now would it? Happy Holidays, I forgot you, which no matter how much I didn’t mean to (and no, I would never intentionally leave anyone out) you are still going to feel left out. If I was filthy rich then maybe I could afford to do this, but I’m not. So, nah, I think I’ll pass on this one too. Sorry ladies!

I guess that leaves me the option of sending cards and gifts to everyone I work with online. Yes, I can make it a bit more personal by catering the gifts to each one and writing out the cards by hand. I can even throw in a few photos if they are fitting for the individual. Don’t get me wrong, I love sending gifts and letting all of my “co-workers” know that I appreciate them and am thinking of them, but it somehow leaves me missing the festivities of a party.

I’m curious to know how those of you who do business online celebrate the season with your partners, fellow business owners, assistants, etc.

Thursday, December 7, 2006

They Still Want More

Last week, Mila and I launched All Health Content, a membership site for premiere health-related private label content. We've received some great feedback already. Here's a few comments we’ve gotten so far:

“This looks super! I am so excited to be subscribed to this.”

“I am so happy about this content. Thanks so much and again, good going!”

“Sounds like you're launching another winner!”

“Yipee!!! I signed up! This is just what I am looking for and my readers want! Nice Christmas present!!!”

We've also discovered that many of you are hungry for more and more content. Yeah, there's tons of PLR out there, but from what we're hearing, the quality doesn't match what Mila painstakingly puts together each month...so you want more. We're happy to oblige and have been working on more topic-focused content for you.

The launch date for the new content is set for next Thursday, December 14th. Be sure to come back for all the details.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Should You Sell a Website?

Recently, I was thinking of selling one of my more profitable websites. I felt I just wasn't dedicating the time necessary to ensure it continued as a profitable and valuable resource. I wanted to bow out gracefully before my neglect led to a big downslide. Having never seriously tried to sell a website for good coin (and this one is worth VERY good coin), I asked a few friends I thought might have some advice for me.

One of the people I asked was John Reese. Boy, am I glad that I had that middle of the night email conversation with him.

He asked me why the heck I would sell it when it was making money. I told John that if felt like a monkey on my back. I wanted to get out before it went downhill. He actually gave me a lot of great guidance, but there was one thing he said that was very powerful and really opened my eyes and allowed me to come to a final decision on the matter.

"Why don't you just find someone to take care of the site for you and pay them a percentage of the profits? If you ask one of the work at home moms you work with, they'll have a ready-made business and you'll continue to profit from the site."

DUH! What was I thinking? I guess I just felt like I was out of ideas and the motivation necessary to keep it going. Because of those feelings, it was adding some stress to my life. I spent the next hour or so writing down all the things I was responsible for with the site. Many of the tasks were already outsourced, so my list of duties really was quite small.

I came to this conclusion: If I found someone to handle those few tasks that were my source of stress, then I could continue to receive the sweet residual income and keep the site alive.

If you are thinking of selling one of your websites, I encourage you to take time and really think through ALL of your options. Don’t be afraid to seek the advice of your fellow website owners and mentors. They just might shed some light on areas you are blinded by due to being too personally involved in. People buy and sell websites all the time, but if you have a nice piece of virtual real estate that you don't have time for...there might be more profitable alternatives than selling them.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Be A Good Customer - And Be Selective About Your Own Customers

As a former waitress, I'm always nice to my servers and tip well. I think it's occupational courtesy, even though I've been out of the business for many years.

When you buy things online, are you a courteous customer? Do you treat your merchants with the respect you'd expect as a merchant yourself?

I was totally puzzled by the PayPal dispute that was opened with the digital download of one of my products. I wasn't puzzled that she opened a dispute, but what she wrote to me:

Dear Alice: You promised INSTANT ACCESS to your "Information Product Sweetie System" if I paid you $34.95. Paypal confirmed delivery to you of the money yesterday. This is now the 4th email I've sent your company in regards to this order. I have yet to receive the product or even a response to my inquiry. I'm so mad now, I no longer trust your company and I just want a refund!

I think it sucks that my digital delivery failed and it didn't get to her. She has a right to be concerned, but did you notice something about her email? Yes, she bought yesterday. Whether or not she sent 4 emails would have to be confirmed by my support person. Regardless, the matter was resolved within 1 business day.

Again, I am sorry that we failed, but it always puzzles me that she is someone who has or wants to start an Internet business and she couldn't understand that mistakes do happen and that some time to resolve the matter might be warranted.

So, what did we do?

Funny, I was just having a discussion with a few online business owners about the "Customer is Always Right" and I mentioned Seth Godin's take on the subject. He says:

So yes, the customer is always right. And if they're not, then one way or the other, they're not your customer any more.

After receiving this message and dispute, I sent her download information, gave her a refund and removed her from my mailing list. If something like this would set her off, I don't think it's in my best interest to keep her as a potential continuing customer. Digital product delivery messes up now and then. My customer support person may need some time to get back to people. I might even have typos in my product. ;-)

Of course, I'm probably not following Seth's advice exactly as I'm posting what she wrote to me publicly, but I'll live with that. I didn't mention names and just wanted to use it as an example.

What would you have done in this case - as the buyer and the seller?



Forget the Mall - Support a Mom in Business

As a mom, I know how hard it can be to shop for the holidays with children in tow when the stores are packed with crazy people fighting over parking spaces and gift items.

As a work at home mom, I also know how much I enjoy being able to stay home with my kids while still earning a decent living. That’s why I do as much of my shopping for Christmas (and throughout the year as well) as I can with other work at home moms. The products they sell are high quality and many times so unique that you can find the perfect gift for the person on your list who is always so hard to buy for.

My friend and business partner, Kelly McCausey, has put together a holiday gift directory full of nothing but work at home mom businesses and products.

Let me just say that I was surprised to see as many Mom owned businesses as I did in the directory. Yes, I know there are lots of Moms who run successful businesses, but I underestimated how much of a variety there was in the products they sell. From gifts for men, women and children to jewelry, candles and home décor, Kelly has everybody covered. She even has healthy gift ideas. Now, that is cool.

You’re sure to find something for everyone on your list this year. You can check it out here => http://www.wahmtalkradio.com/christmas-gifts/

The Partnership Profit Puzzle - How Do You Share the Money?

Last week, I wrote a blog entry entitled How Do You Do it All? I wrote about the value of reducing your workload and increasing your profits through partnerships.

Jennifer Knox asked the following question:

Just wondering something about partnerships....do you have any tips on how to manage the money-side of a partnership? I'm curious how one would go about splitting the profits along with the work in such a way that it's fair to everyone involved. I think the reason why I haven't partnered with someone was more out of a lack of understanding of the logistics of it all.

I'm actually surprised, but a lot of people ask that question. Yes, it's an important question, but there is no set guide for profit-sharing, so figure out what works for you and don't let procrastination take over. :-)

If you need a little nudge, here are some things you can do and consider:
  • Write a list of all the tasks that need to be done for the project. Consider the short-term and the long-term. Even if one person does much of the work to get the project running, the other may be responsible for the long-term maintenance and growth of the project.
  • Write a list of the resources you bring to the project. If one partner has a large mailing list or a high-traffic site with targeted prospects, that's definitely bringing extra value to the table. If the other partner has connections to some super affiliates that will promote the product, that has value to.
  • Write a list of skills you bring to the project. Everyone has their own special set of skills that will bring the project to success. Whether it's copywriting, content writing, programming, search engine optimization...those things are all something to consider.
So, what type of math is possibly going to sort out who gets what? Honestly, if you're going to get into a partnership with someone, I'd work it so you're splitting profits 50/50. If someone has a bigger list or potential to bring in more customers then the other person can take on more of the manual tasks in the project.

Work it out so it's fair and if you can't seem to work it out so you're both happy, move on. That's not a person you should have a partnership with. Partnerships should be comfortable and you should be on the same wavelength or you're likely headed for disaster.

On the other hand...

If you're going to do something as simple as having a programmer develop software according to your specifications, while you do all the rest of the work, you'll want to work out a different arrangement. I wouldn't likely do a profit-share at all, but just pay them for their time and keep the profits. Personally, I think profit-sharing partnerships work best when the partners are committed to making the project a success and are involved on an ongoing basis.

How Do You Handle the Money?

I imagine the next question would be how to handle the money. Don't overcomplicate things. Simply decide who will be responsible for overall bookkeeping, collecting money and paying expenses for the project. Accounting might be done a monthly basis or whatever interval you decide and then payout the appropriate profit-share.

SEE...that wasn't complicated at all, was it?

Disclaimer: There may be some legal aspects of profit-sharing you might want to consider and you'll also want to have a contract written up, so you have a record of what each person's obligation is. I am not a lawyer or any type of legal professional, so please seek out your own advice on that.


Sunday, December 3, 2006

I'll Chip in for Your Domains - Likely Gone by the Time You Read This

I just emailed this out to many of my subscribers and customers and wanted to mention it here. I expect the first 20 to go quick, but if you're an avid blog reader, I didn't want you to miss out because you hate email as much as I do!

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If you have purchased domains or other services at
Internet Based Moms Hosting, this email is for you.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I want to make sure you buy
all your domains and services at cost from now on.

What's the catch?

There isn't a catch, but here are the details:

1. Just hit reply to this email and give me your name and
customer number (Check your Internet Based Moms Hosting receipt
for your customer number...I'll need it to set you up).

2. Whenever you make a purchase, you will automatically get the
"at-cost" price. This'll save you about 50 cents per domain and a
bit more on other services. It's not a huge savings, but hey if
you're a domain junkie like I am, it adds up.

3. Once you're on the discount plan, I make absolutely no money
on your purchases. In fact, the company I resell for is still
going to charge me a transaction fee every single time you claim
your discount...but that's okay, I just want you to get a good
price on your domains and other services.

Of course, I have to limit this offer or I'll be spending the
next few weeks setting people up on the discount plan and I might
go broke from the transaction fees. I still gotta provide a
Christmas for my family. :-)

If you have a customer number and want the discount, reply
quickly...I expect those 20 spots to fill up quick. If you're in
the first 20, you'll receive a notification of discount by the
end of the week. If you don't make the first 20, please don't be
disappointed...and understand that I won't be able to reply to
all the requests.

All right...hit your reply button NOW!

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DOH! You can't hit reply, can you? It doesn't quite work on a blog post. Instead, email your details to aliceseba AT aliceseba.com and get in the first 20.

Friday, December 1, 2006

Help Your Readers Meet their New Year’s Resolutions

With only a month left until the New Year, many are creating their list of New Year’s Resolutions. One of biggest resolutions on those lists is to get healthy. That may include losing weight, eating right, or exercising more.

Now, more than ever consumers are realizing that they need to get healthy. They realize they are living in a world where wellbeing is more and more important than it was in the past. From the food they eat to the fitness they need, people know it’s not easy to get and stay healthy, but they are taking the initiative to do just that.

Did you know that over $5.2 million dollars was spent on exercise equipment in the U.S. alone in 2005? Another $14 billion were shelled out for dietary supplements. Wow…that’s a lot of dough and it’s just the U.S. statistics.

Why not help your readers out by giving them content that will aid them in leading a healthier lifestyle (and cash in on the millions they’re spending at the same time)?

A couple weeks back I told you about a project Mila Sidman and I have been working on that would to do just that. We have created All Health Content just for this purpose, to give you the quality health related content your readers are searching for.

With 50 pieces of fresh content in the form of articles, recipes, and more each and every month, this PLR resource will help your readers start the New Year right. The best part, you can help them actually stick to their resolutions by providing them new incentives every month.

You can pick your charter membership up at a great low price at www.AllHealthContent.com.