Ebook Revolution: Easily Convert PDF eBooks to Cool Spiral Bound Booklets!
July 7, 2009
Here’s my beef with ebooks- they’re a pain the the neck to actually read.
You know what I’m talking about. Unless you’ve got a really comfortable desk chair, who wants to actually sit and read a 150 page document on their monitor?
But like Winston Wolff, I solve problems. I suggest you go old-school, and actually make a printed booklet out of them.
A very convenient, portable, spiral bound copy can be yours in minutes- ready to lounge with at Starbucks, sipping your latte while reading about the latest SEO techniques.
And what about the effort/cost involved with something like this, you ask?
Piece of cake. Less that $3, and can be done in 20 minutes.
Learn what to do next here:
“Stop Being A Newbie!”
June 2, 2009
Eric Louviere is a sharp internet marketer, and a new friend.
He recently wrote a sizzling article directed at people trying to “get something going” making money online.
With permission, I’m reprinting it here.
WARNING: This article just may be that kick in the butt you’ve been looking for!
===================================
If you’ve been a newbie for over a year, then you might be a redneck.
No seriously, if you are a newbie right now, then you need to stop being a newbie and start selling stuff. In fact, just get a squeeze page up and send traffic to it.
If you do that, then you’ll be further along than 95% of all newbies right away.
Send traffic to a squeeze page, and you’re in business. That’s it.
Want to make six figures per year? send enough traffic to a squeeze page that you build a list of 5,000 subscribers or more.
I’m now fully convinced that people dont make money because of the BARRIERS they put up that prevents them from making money.
BARRIERS = mindset, making things harder than what they are, self sabotage, fears, overwhelmed, buying too much, lost, analysis paralysis or whatever the heck that is, etc etc
If you just put up a squeeze page and sent traffic to it, you’d be in the game… instead of on the sidelines wondering what to do and how to do it.
dont know where to start?
traffic to a squeeze page. that’s it. start there.
focus 98% of your time on that, and nothing else and just watch what happens.
Look, the best way to learn anything is to do it. The best way to learn this business is to do this business.
Once you are sending traffic to a squeeze page, the rest is easy…just promote stuff via emails. dont overcomplicate things and if someone posts below in this thread complicating this, ignore them.
It really is that easy.
(you make it sound so easy Eric)
IT IS!
If you are not making any money, it is because you are not selling anything.
(but Eric, I have a squeeze page)
Are you sending traffic to it constantly?
(but Eric, I am using articles and twitter)
Neither have ever made me a dime. I’m not saying they dont work, but I cant speak for those methods. But, if you’ve been at those methods for more than a few weeks, then that’s a lot of time to spend for nothing.
I would never put my income on the line where it depends on Twitter or articles. That’s just me. Feel free to disagree. I dont care.
Paid traffic
Affiliates
That’s what has worked for me. Again, twitter may be great for traffic, I just would not focus my effort there. SEO works too, I’m just not good at it.
So, if you wonder why so many never make any money in this business, it’s because they cant get traffic… they never-ever get started anyway… they are never selling anything… they offer no services… they sell nothing… they buy everything… they never treat this like a business… they just read, post, buy, read, post, buy, disappear for a while, come back, buy, post, read… etc etc etc
…for years
and are still newbies.
Sell something!
Google Analytics - The Basics
March 11, 2009
There’s a recurring conversation I seem to have a lot when I start working with a new client.
It goes something like this:
Client: “Hey, take look at my site! What do you think?”
Me: “Well, to be honest, it really doesn’t matter what I think.”
Client: “Um.. what?”
Me: “You may have the prettiest site in the world, but if it’s not DOING anything for you- generating sales, or leads, or signups, then what’s the point?”
Client: “So you’re saying you don’t like my site?”
Me: “No no… look. Rather than look at the design, let me look at your NUMBERS. Show me the stats of your site.”
Client: “Right… my stats. I’ve never seen any stats on my website.”
Me: “And THERE is our problem! Let’s start with generating some measurements, how your site is performing- THEN I’ll tell you what I think of it!”
The good news is, most people “get it” after this talk. After all, most people pay to have a website in the hopes it will generate some income for them.
The bad news is, most people have no idea what statistics they need to be measuring, much less how to retrieve them.
To all of these people, let me introuduce you to your new best friend: GOOGLE ANALYTICS.
(And before I go any further, let me just say 2 words: absolutely free. Ok, resume article.)
Once you have Google Analytics set up on your site, here are the Top 10 cool statistics you can analyze:
Help! My Hard Drive is Full! (and what to do about it)
February 27, 2009
My computer gave me a pop up window with a very discouraging message yesterday. If you’ve never experienced this particular one, trust me- YOU WILL. It’s just a matter of time.
The warning went something like this:
“Your C: drive is 97% full. And buddy, your entire life stops until you deal with this.”
(OK, I added that last part, but that’s how I felt.)
I knew I let my hard drive get a little sloppy, and it was time to start trimming the fat. But where to start? My iTunes music? Pictures of the kids? All these ebooks I download?
And more importantly, how do I find the BIG space hogs, so I’m not picking off one Word document at a time?
Luckily, I found the ULTIMATE headache saver-an amazing (and free) little tool called WinDirStat, which allows me to *visualize* my hard drive.
That’s right, if you can wrap your brain around this one, I can actually SEE my files displayed visually based on size. This makes it very obvious in a glance what’s taking up all my hard drive space- and makes it a cinch to delete it.
In my case, the culprits were the BLUE files, followed by the BURGUNDY ones. (see image below)
Shopping Cart Abandonment: Are Customers Bailing Out On Your Checkout Page?
February 19, 2009
“Why am I not making more money online?”
If you’ve ever wondered this, you’re not alone.
But to get an answer that is REAL- not just someone’s fluffy opinion, you need to answer your question with another, more appropriate question:
“What do the numbers tell me about why I’m not making more money online?”
If you don’t have any data to look at… well, now you’re honing in on the bigger issue. Without tracking, your original question is impossible to answer.
It’s common (and essential) to measure things like traffic, signups, purchases, etc., but one very revealing (and often overlooked) stat is something called “shopping cart abandonment”.
This is where people reach your site, follow the “Buy” link- and then click away before actually making a purchase.
A recent study by Consumer Experience Management (CEM) evaluated the experiences of 719 consumers, and why they left a site’s checkout without making a purchase. Here are the top reasons:
1. High shipping prices (72%)
2. Comparison shopping or browsing (61%)
3. Changed mind (56%)
4. Saving items for later purchase (51%)
5. Total cost of items is too high (43%)
6. Checkout process is too long (41%)
7. Checkout needs too much personal info (35%)
8. Registration needed before purchase (34%)
9. Site is unstable or unreliable (31%)
10. Checkout process is confusing (27%)
This information is extremely useful for CORRECTING this problem, if you know that it actually IS a problem. Don’t rely on your gut here. Rely on the data.
For example, I recently took a look at a client’s numbers, and had to report some tough news: they had a 72.5% abandonment rate. Yikes.
3 Ways to Give things Away for FREE!
February 12, 2009
Early in my career, someone taught me a principle about making your products/services free:
“If you give it away, it has no value.”
Well, if you’ve been around the block a while in Internet marketing, you know that this principle is being challenged intensely.
In fact, we are seeing the most successful online empires (Google, Yahoo, Craigslist, Wikipedia, etc.) thrive by providing FREE products, services, storage, and content.
Billion dollar companies, and we rarely pay them a dime. Amazing!
Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson wrote an intriguing article last year titled Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business.
I’d encourage you to check it out- because it DOES apply to your business!
For us, the online entrepreneurs and small businesses, the question can then move to the practical- HOW do I give something away online?
There are three ways, and each has unique advantages.
1. No strings attached FREE
This is just a link on your site, directly linking to the product, whether an ebook, an audio, video, etc. No hoops to go through, completely anonymous. This is a great way to establish yourself as trustworthy- and credible.
Truth is, people are a lot more wary online than they were 10 years ago.
Either they think you have an angle, or they will be getting junk. Surprise them- and GIVE AWAY SOMETHING GREAT. You’ve got a much better chance to win their trust, and their business.
2. Double Opt In FREEBIE
Most of us are familiar with this- a box in the top right of websites saying “I’ll give you X in exchange for your name and email.” When they click the confirmation link in the follow up email (automatic from 1SC, Aweber, etc) they get the free download, and they’re now in your “list”.
Most of us use this method, and sign up for other people’s list.. both to get the free product and to hear from someone we hope is interesting.
My signup on WebMarketingMagician.com uses this- and the free 30 minute interview with a recognized expert is something I think is enticing enough for people to chomp at.
However, there’s a third method that very few people are aware of, and it’s even EASIER and more EFFECTIVE than the Double Opt In method. If you have WebMarketingMagic (1SC), you could have this set up in 10 minutes.
3. The 100% Discount Coupon
Imagine you’re giving a seminar, and are hoping everyone in the room joins your newsletter list.
You then hold up your book/CD/Report, and tell them “This product is currently selling on my website for $47.” (They are mildly interested.)
You continue, “HOWEVER, for this special group only- I’d like to give it to you as a GIFT.” (OK, now you have their attention.)
“And If you click on my site’s $47 Buy link, and enter the coupon code “MAGIC77″, I will deliver it to you, FREE of charge, no strings attached- but this expires midnight tonight.” (You now have a room of people scrambling to write this precious code!)
Using coupon/promo codes accomplishes three important things:
- The end user gets a product with real value for FREE- they walk away feeling they got a good deal.
- You receive a new addition to your list.
- There is no follow up email for them to click- they are instantly double opted in.
The power of this method is that a purchase itself counts as a double opt in… so there is no need to have them search for a link in an email.
However, since the product cost is $0, they never need to enter credit card payment information.
This is especially nice when you’re meeting someone in person, and they express interest in your products and services.
Rather than tell them to go to your website, fill out the form, look for the email and click the confirmation link- I like to pull out my business card, and on the back write “Free book, coupon code “MAGIC77″.
Trust me, their motivation sky-rockets, as does the conversion rate.
To set this up in your Web Marketing Magic (1SC) account, Go to:
Products > Manage Coupons > Add New Coupon
Here you’ll enter:
- Coupon Code (i.e. MAGIC77)
- Discount Amount (100%)
- End Date (if you want it to be time sensitive)
- The product it applies to (Find the product and move it to “Selected Products”.)
When you Save these changes, your coupon will be instantly available! Go to your shopping cart and try it out.
Good luck, and remember, embrace this era of FREE!
Philadelphia Self Storage: Our Google Ranking Project
November 20, 2008
Finally, SEO stuff is getting fun for me.
A good friend, Fred Gleeck, recently proposed a joint project. One of his niche areas is marketing to self storage owners. And with some great foresight, 8 years ago he reserved the domain PhiladelphiaSelfStorage.com…. and 20 other identical domains- with different cities.
His plan- sell ad space on each of them to the self storage companies in each city. The selling point- “We’re ranked #1 on Google for the search phrase “Philadelphia Self Storage”.
So the our Google Adventure began… build the perfect SEO site, and track the progress to the top.
And now, after 6 weeks- we’ve reached the #4 spot!
Once we get it to the top, we’re going to roll out all 21 sites… and see what happens from there.
Also, we thought it might be a helpful exercise to keep a journal of everything we’ve done, and track the rise up the charts. Interested in getting the report when it’s finished?
I’d be happy to share it- no charge- but there is one thing you could do to earn it. One of the key things to get your site to the top is inbound links.
So, if you put a link to our site like this:
and let me know- I’ll make sure you get the eBook when it comes out!
Look for more blog updates about our ascent to the top of Google!
Those long, ugly URLS….
August 27, 2008
If you use WebMarketingMagic (1ShoppingCart) for your online business, you’ve probably dealt with the long string of characters they force you to use you product links, opt-ins, etc. Ever wish they were a little more elegant?
“Autographing” your site
August 27, 2008
I’m sure you’ve seen it before.
You visit someone’s web site and down near the bottom of their intro page, after the “Sincerely”, is their actual signature. As if they pulled out a Sharpie and signed the web page themselves. Something like this..
 |
Does this increase the website sales and conversions? Who knows. Test it out. But let’s face it, it’s kind of cool, and adds a bit of class.
NOTE:
I’ve seen lots of people with their “actual” signature on their site- probably by writing on a white sheet of paper, scanning it, and inserting it as an image. Don’t call me paranoid…. but with all the check-forging evil identity thieves out there, do you really want them to have such easy access to your signature? I’m just sayin’.
So, in about 15 minutes, you could have your own computer generated “signature” on your site.
Click here to watch the tutorial:
Delivering Products on Flash Drives
August 27, 2008
Just a few days ago, I was at a seminar where my business partner (dad) put on a 3 hour talk to an group of 100 real estate agents, his niche audience.
The topic was negotiating- a skill most Americans could stand to brush up on, let alone agents. Anyway, my job was handling the back of the room sales.
The only products we brought, by the way, were a bag of 1Gigabyte FLASH DRIVES loaded with some real estate info products. The price was $80 each.
After the first break, I was mobbed by people with handfuls of $20 bills. Half of the bag was gone. By the end of the day, we sold out, and were taking orders to ship drives to folks. Walking out the door at noon, I had a money bag filled with over $2300 in cash and checks, some just for the promise of a product to be mailed. Not a bad day.
I don’t tell you all this to show off our numbers, in fact there are plenty of you that would consider this a small take. My point is to highlight a marketing tactic we’ve been finding great success in- selling our products on custom flash drives instead of CDs.
Here’s the Top 7 reasons why you should too:
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About Dave
Dave Hamilton has a passion for helping normal, non-techie people find success in the online marketing world. His highly sough after "Web Marketing Magician" consulting services combine his 20+ years of technical experience with his love of helping individuals and small businesses achieve their online dreams.
Dave resides in Tampa, Florida with his beautiful wife and three outrageously funny kids.
