Selling online can be very difficult, more difficult than in 3D world because you do not get any personal contact with your customer. People cannot just browse like they do in a store, they cannot offer feedback, and it is hard to build and maintain trust throughout entire online sales process. What compounds this difficulty is fact that most online marketers have absolutely no experience in field of advertising and sales.

EVALUATE YOUR SALES PROCESS There are many aspects that effect your sales process online and it is possible to track effectiveness at each stage:

PHASE 1 is your advertising. The first step is just to get people to your site.

To measure your traffic you must have some kind of statistics for either your web site or integrated with ads you place, such as ad tracker URL's.

If you can't get people to your site, you must alter your advertising methods or, more likley, your ad copy, there is no way around it. Whether you are using free or paid advertising, a good ad will get clicks (at least some). Remember that no matter how good an ad looks to you, if it doesn't do it's job, it is useless. Keep a log of ads you place along with where and when; don't use ads that do not produce results once they have been given a fair chance.

If your ads never seem to draw visitors, make improving your ad writing skills a priority right away. Today there are many resources available to help you learn to write a better ad, including live personal ad writing workshops and free ad writing seminars.

To be sure that WHERE you are advertising is not problem, it is best to get recommendations from other online marketers for advertising sites and tools that produce results. This will save you time and frustration of trying them all out for yourself. It will also allow you to stay focused on your offer rather than spending your time searching for ways to promote it.

Look for recommendations in marketing chat rooms and ask for their results or find a reputable marketing information site like ONE STOP Internet Business Services (at http://www.onestopinternetbusiness.com ) that will give you plenty of free information along with their proven recommendations.

AFFILIATES without control over their web site need to pay special attention to getting traffic. Presumably offer you are selling includes a web page that sells, after all it sold you.

1. A Day Trip to The Sharper Image

The Sharper Image is a specialty retailer that is nationally and internationally renowned as a leading source of new, innovative, high-quality products that make life better and more enjoyable. Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Richard Thalheimer started this business 25 years ago with one goal in mind: to have fun! The Sharper Image is a company that thrives on special conveniences and innovative products that sit on cutting edge of technology. This day trip is fantastic for stimulating creativity and becoming a forward thinker!

2. A Day Trip to Gettysburg Battlefield

A visit to this historical Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, can be an empowering lesson in leadership. This day trip can be devoted to walking historic site while evaluating leadership decisions and structures that General Robert E. Lee struggled with over 140 years ago. Prior to this day trip, I recommend that those attending trip read book, “Leadership Lessons from Civil War” by Tom Wheeler. It is an extraordinary book that takes a close look at parallels between business and military strategy.

3. A Day Trip to ING Direct

With locations in New York City, NY, and Philadelphia, PA, ING Direct takes “dull” out of banking. The facade is made of glass. On inside are café tables and biscotti, Internet stations and mochas, and clients hanging out just for fun of it. This innovative company invests majority of its time, energy, and money in technology, marketing, and in making people feel proud about saving their money...and to make them feel that saving is a cool and hip thing to do. The website itself (www.ingdirect.com) is a wild and fun excursion, breaking away from traditional and stepping way out on edge. This day trip can create a lightning bolt effect for motivating your company to move to new levels of creativity and innovation.

4. Carnegie Hall and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was conceived by cellist Julian Fifer and a group of fellow musicians in 1970s. The Orpheus process is highly unique, for this is an orchestra with no conductor. In absence of a conductor, individual musicians of Orpheus must rely on one another for innovation and team building. The self-governing and leadership abilities have not only made Orpheus a group of highly gifted musicians, but has built a world which teaches those who observe them to understand that a CEO never has or should have all of answers. Central to collaborative process of Orpheus is sharing and rotating of leadership roles. This unique approach unleashes talent, vision, creativity, and leadership of each and every member of group. Observe this group carefully, and ask your team “What is it about this group that is so compelling? How can we use their system for our success?”

5. A Week-End at Universal Studios (Orlando, FL; Hollywood, CA; Japan and Spain)