Having been in this industry for over 18 years now, I think I can confidently say that I have a vast amount of knowledge that pretty much anyone can benefit from.
Yet somehow with the rise of so many online businesses out there, it still never ceases to amaze me that the most basic of knowledge is so often the LEAST known by business owners.
Take keyword research for example….
I really don’t know what it is about keyword research that entrepreneurs (and even some marketers) resist.
I myself get all kinds of nerded out and in love with the multitude of layers of intelligence it offers.
From the quantitative scientific proof and validation; to the qualitative psychology and power it offers – I am always overjoyed when given the go ahead from a client to start a keyword research campaign for them.
In my opinion it’s should not be a secret to anyone aiming to succeed in business that understanding your market is one of the greatest keys to success.
But the problem is, very few people care to spend the time to do it…despite the fact that it’s the foundation of a revenue generating web business. Click to read more…
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- * image by Fiona Robson
OK, let’s get to the heart of the matter. Why do some emails work like gangbusters and why do some sound like the echo of an empty room?
The professionals know that copy sells, and good copy sells way, way better.
When asked what makes for a bestselling email most amateurs point to a “killer subject line”… one that cant’ be ignored. While that is true, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
The truth is that there are 7 key concepts you need to get right to create a winning email for your online business.
#1: Are you using ONE main concept or idea?
Here’s the problem, you learned somewhere along the way that if one offer is good, then two is better. And if two is good, then 5 must be better. If 5 works, then why not 12?
The trick of it is the human brain has a problem with complex problems. Deciding which item to read, follow, and click on is a challenge when you have 12 items in front of you.
If your reader is anything like you, they get an email and have to deal with it FAST. Make it easy for them. Give them one concept to see, consider, and deal with.
When you’re planning your email. Pick ONE thing and ONE thing only… then make your email about that.
Click to read more…
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If you look at your website traffic report and 80% of your traffic from Google search…
you should be scared as hell!
OK, OK. Be calm and read along.
The pie chart on the right is an all too common example of the sources of traffic I see for most online businesses.
If the biggest slice of your pie looks similar to the chart on the right – you’re business is almost entirely reliant on ONE marketing channel…search.
“What’s wrong with that” you ask?
What happens when Google suddenly changes it’s algorithm like it does every 6-18 months and your website drops off the first page and you go from basking in the free traffic sunshine to being on the dark side of the moon?
Like many of the entrepreneurs I know who’ve been on the receiving end of that spanking, you’ll drop to your knees and plead, “Why, why Google are you punishing me!”
Then you’ll sell you car, downsize your house, layoff some employees and take a pay cut. Not to mention, spend every waking hour trying to figure out how to get back in the search god’s good graces.
(WARNING: Side effects may included excessive wearing of pajamas and bathrobe while spontaneously blurting out obscenities about Google, pandas and penguins.)
I know too many online business owners who got “fat and lazy” (read, complacent) living off Google who are now feeling the burn after a 90% drop in traffic when with the latest Panda and Penguin update.
Click to read more…
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“Do you want more traffic or more money?” 
That was the million dollar question my SEO friend asked when I shared a goal for one of my websites.
My mother always told me that when a millionaire search engine optimization (SEO) expert and entrepreneur asks you a question that could make a million dollar difference in your business…you shut your mouth and listen.
(OK, mom wasn’t that specific – she just told me to shut my mouth.)
One of my friend’s websites gets a pathetic 1000 visitors a month yet the monthly income from it is in the 5-figures per month range.
(5-figures is $10,000 PLUS per month for those of you working that out in your head right now)
Contrast this with one of my sites that gets a fairly respectable 85,000 visitors a month in free traffic from the search engines but the traffic is harder to convert into sales than to get my little girls to eat broccoli.
(With time, testing and tequila I’m confident I’ll crack the code on that website….When I do I’ll share all the gory details about what worked and what didn’t.)
Why the difference in sales?
The difference in revenue between these two websites is the keywords they’re ranking for. Let me explain…
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Why would anyone sell a lifestyle business that automatically earns the founder $200,000 to $300,000 per year?
- Cashing out to fund retirement
- Building the war chest to fund new ventures
- Distraction & focus. Although a business my “run itself” they often need care, attention and some upkeep…just like a home or car. If the founder is busy with other projects “upkeep” can distract from their other goals.
- Finally, boredom. Some business owners just get bored with their market and/or business and want to move on to other challenges.
So, why is Penny Halgren selling How-To-Quilt.com, the website she founded 8 years ago that now generates $200,000 – $300,000 per year while she kicks her heels up? Sounds like a pretty awesome cash-cow to me…Has she lost her marbles?
Peek inside the mind of a successful entrepreneur and find out why. Click to read more…
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