Mobile Advertising? Oh thats what your talking about.........

To start this post here is a small paragraph that I really liked the first time I read it.   

- EBay Inc. CEO John Donahoe said that eBay mobile global sales will double year-over-year, reaching approximately $4 billion in mobile gross merchandise volume by the end of 2011.

The $4 billion is double the $2 billion in global mobile sales that eBay achieved in 2010. EBay initially projected $1.5 billion in mobile sales for 2010, beating its own expectations at the end of last year.  (http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/commerce/9833.html)

The more I read it, the more I don't just like it, I love it.  This is a market that few online business owners ever think about.  Of those who think about it even fewer make an effort in that direction.

That is an awesome example of the power of mobile advertising and mobile users.  Just think of all the mobile users you see around you at the bus station, train station, the mall, the grocery store etc.  There are millions of them and they all probably search more on their mobile devices than they do at their home computer.  They are your customer, they are your market and you can spend so much time on other projects that you could forget about them.  The goal is to go where the competition is not, so if most of your competition is not in the mobile advertising world then try to get ahead of the game.

Why, you might ask, convenience is the answer.  Convenience is what makes the web appealing.  People are busy and they have a lot going on.  If you can make their lives just a little easier then you can be the conquering hero.

When you think about it, this makes it that much more important to make sure your web presence is up to par.  Is your site mobile friendly?  Are the videos on your site mobile friendly?  

Your site will become your brand, your site will tell who you are and what you do. Don't let a poor site make a bad impression that you didn't really consider.  The checklist that you used on your full site version should also be consulted on your mobile site.  Remember people want convenience.

Good Luck with your full version and your mobile site.

Notes

• Internet map listings
• mobile directories
• video friendly platforms  

Are you really working on your online business?

The other night I was at a meeting which started at approximately 8 pm and I think we got out of the conference room at 2:30 am. There were about 20 of us in there and we all knew we needed to be at work around 8:30 or 9:00.

I thought to myself, I am not going to work anymore tonight I am going to get some sleep.  (Usually I get to bed about 4 am.)  I really enjoyed listening to the rest of the group say the same thing.  We all work and play really hard.  It has become the "New American Way", at least in our office. :)

If you want to be successful in your online ventures it will require more, not less.  You will have a learning curve, you will have some sacrifices that you will need to make.  However when those are done you can be really proud of what you have accomplished, because you will have given yourself and additional chance at being successful.  There are some really big corners you can cut in an online business, but there is still going to be work.  Please don't think an online business is your magic bullet.

The key is steadiness.  If you can put just a few hours into your online business each night you will get so much done every month.  It will become a habit and you will get faster and faster every day so you can accomplish more in a shorter period of time.  Don't give up because your a little sleepy, remember your goals and go after them.

What is the goal of your page?

During the construction process it's easy to loose your way on each page, believe me it can happen to the best of us.  However if you are new to site construction and if you are not "wire framing" (planning out) your pages. You will definitely miss your mark and the reason is simple, you were never aiming for anything.


"Fail to plan, plan to fail"

When you are just starting an online business, everything is new.  It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of your new venture, and as a result you can make some big mistakes.  So Plan, take a few minutes and sit down to start planning.  Specifically, think of what you want to accomplish with each page.  If you know what you want to accomplish with each page, you will have less revisions in the end.  You will have goals when your site is completed and you will build with a specific goal in mind.

This is how professionals go about the process.  Please do think there is a guessing game we play in the beginning.  There will be some educated guesses down the road, but not in the beginning.

Good Luck with your planning.

New Online Business Owners Want More Business!!!!!!! Part 2

Are you ready for more Ideas?  Well here you go.  If you have a version 1.0-1.4 and you are getting stuck in your brainstorming sessions.  Hopefully this will put some gas back in the tank of your online web engine.

• Do you have a newsletter that you regularly put out?  A good weekly newsletter will help engage new customers and it will also help you keep old buyers.  Don't underestimate the power of the newsletter.
• Are you building specific product marketing page?  Think of pages that are specific to cities, specific to seasons, or specific to markets.  When you focus your external pages to specific groups you always give yourself a better chance at success.
• Got Blogs?  If you are not blogging you are missing out on one of the most powerful content tools on the web.  A good blog make the world a better place, especially your world.  Gain followers, inform customer, build credibility, and increase content - that is what a good blog does for you.
• How are your email marketing campaigns working?  Do you optimize them?  Are you gathering data through them.  Do you have a purpose for them?  Email Marketing your business, your products, and your service should be a priority and not just an add on at a later date.
• Site - Facebook - Google Buzz - Twitter - Four Square ........ how is your social media?  Do you work with your social media.  The power behind people telling people about your business can account for a great deal of your traffic and sales.
• If you do not offer something for free you are missing the boat.  A free give away gathers data of potential buyers.  It increases your mailing list and it gives you a chance to show your love for your customers.
• Product videos show the benefits and they engage more senses.  Make product videos to show your customer a "real" product experience.

How effective are YOUR links?

When your site is finished and you begin your link building efforts, its easy to get lost in the work.  It happens to most people, and if you have never really done any link building before you can always waste valuable time.  Hopefully we can help you minimize the loss of valuable time.

Its easiest to understand if you don't consider all links to be equal (because they are not).  Most search engines have an algorithm that creates a score to justify most of their results.  The back links to your site are calculated into that score.

Now, think of the most common types of links.  The links that should come to your mind should be social bookmarking and directory submission.  Why are those the most common?  Well its because you can outsource that type of link so easily.  Search engines know it takes very little effort to create that type of link.

In most cases the harder to create the link the better it will serve you.  For example a link from a direct competitor that sings your praises is pretty hard (almost impossible) to get, links through really amazing articles, links from really popular blogs or popular forums those are harder to create.

You are really only limited by your imagination when creating links.  There are so may places to create and capitalize on the power of link building, but remember where you spend your time.  All link building can be time consuming.  Make sure you are spending time on the right links.  

The story of the New Online Entrepreneur. He was afraid so........

Once upon a time there was an Online Entrepreneur named Mervel.  Now Mervel wanted (wants) to sell products on a website, ebay and amazon.  Unfortunately Mervel was and still is his biggest road block.

Now it is important to remember that Mervel has every tool needed to be successful but he just doesn't believe in his work.  He has ideas, he has resources to help him if he has questions and he has the time but he makes the entire process so much harder than it really is.

Every time he meets with other business owners he will get a boost of confidence, but when he gets in his home office he is back to square one.  Does this sound like anyone you know?  I hope not.

The process here is not a hard as many "new" online business owners make it.  Here is a quick process from a high elevation.

1. Do you maket/keyword/niche research.
2. Choose a company to provide that product for you? (if you want a dropshipper)
3. Build a website/ebay store/amazon store with the information your dropshipper gives you.
4. When the site is completed begin testing your site to increase conversion rate.
5. Begin your marketing to drive traffic and increase sales.


After you complete this process start the process again with new site.  If you are an enhancewebsolutions client you have the tools, the resources and the support to succeed.  Don't be your road block.  Attend our weekly webinars.  Go to your "learning cernter" and get the help you need.

New Online Business Owners Want More Business!!!!!!! Part 1

One of the most common questions from new website owners is "how do I get more business".  Here is a list a and some brief explanations to help.


01. Add PayPal if you do not currently use it.  Many shoppers trust the paypal name.  They would prefer buying/shopping at stores that also integrate with the Paypal platform.
02. Sell on eBay to promote sales on your own website - when customers see your auctions it can drive traffic and create buzz to your existing site.  Ebay Patrons notice new products and new sellers, that can be your websites benefit.
03.  Feature products and services on your homepage - Don't waste the real estate on your homepage.  Use the "featured product" section to help you convert visitors to buyers.
04. Do an online promotion - People love sales, money is tight and they want a deal.  It should be a common practice for any business owner.
05. Hold an online sale - An online sale can create a following too.  You will close sales but you will increase the number of return buyers.  Remember it is easier to sell a return customer than it is to create a new buyer.
06. Offer discount to loyal customers - loyal customer are loyal because of the relationship.  Strengthen that relationship by offering the occasional discount.
07. Make the navigation on your website easy - review the usability of your site.  You could have missed something that could make things easier for your customer.
08. Make it easy for customers to contact you with inquiries
09. Provide live support - it may be a good idea to test live support.  Now  a days you can offer "google talk", "skype" and other chat tools to connect to your customer.
10. Offer a money-back guarantee - this alone can increase your sales and your repeat sales greatly.  This shows your customer that you believe in your product and your service.  You may need to test this before making the full commitment, however it can do wonders for your business.

to be continued...........