I've been doing business profitably online since 1994. Back then things were very difficult. Software was primitive, prospects were few, and many of them started their conversations with, "So, what is that Internet thang anyway?"Yep, things were difficult.
However in a way I was lucky, because back then NOBODY knew what they were doing. We were all green together. You could make mistakes without slitting your throat. As a result, I learned by experience,
greatest, most severe, teacher of all.
Since 1994 I have seen literally thousands of people fail online... and I have watched others, smart ones, prosper, right up to and including grim days of online business consolation still upon us.
Having been an acute observer of cyberscene now for so many years, I've got a very good idea what it takes to profitably get through your first year of seriously doing business online, annus horribilis!
-- Get Serious
The first trick is to GET SERIOUS. The sad truth is that entire Internet culture has encouraged levity, superficiality, and lack of seriousness. It shows. Thousands, maybe millions, of people are trying to do business online -- but too many approach subject with a lack of responsibility that absolutely ensures poor results.
The rate of online business failure for newbies is staggering, but truth is most bring it on themselves by failing to understand that Internet is not a toy. It's a business -- and a demanding one at that, open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year -- and insisting that you do business accordingly. Too many people, looking only at undeniable business efficiencies of 'net, don't have sufficient understanding of what an online business demands in terms of shere commitment. Do you?
-- Sell Value
Let's face it. Too many people online sell crap. If that's you, you've missed a fundamental point about business success in general and online business success in particular: you'll never get rich selling shoddy
Too many online "business" people have a fundamental misconception about Internet. They reckon that if they sell enough people whatever they've got, then THEY can take their pile and go home, singing all way to bank.
That theory is absolutely wrong.
The people online who are making money now and who will make money tomorrow are those who sell VALUE!
I know. We at Worldprofit at http://www.worldprofit.com are one of them. We've taken a back bedroom business in wintry Edmonton, Canada and turned it into a multi- million dollar cash cow. How? By working harder, longer, smarter than our competitiors and by keeping business firmly based on one fundamental fact: PEOPLE WANT AND WILL BUY VALUE!
Want to see another value site? Click here http://www.heintzmanfarms.com
This is a guy who has turned "Dakota flax" into Dakota gold and is whistling a happy tune all way to teller's line.
He sells VALUE! People go to get a free sample. They like product. They buy product. They run out of product. They buy some more of product. And so, Rumpelstiltskin like, proprietor turns flax into gold.
-- Get tools you need. Don't try to run your business without them.
You wouldn't try to build a house with your bare hands would you? Yet tons of people worldwide are trying to build an online business without tools they need. What are these key tools?
* a domain. A domain is cyber real estate that you own and can develop for life. Want to see an example of a domain that's gone from NOTHING to being one of most valuable properties online? Go to http://www.worldprofit.com
We've been working to improve this domain property since 1994. Scarcely a day goes by but we're adding, changing, modifying, improving. That's what you do when you're an owner: YOU IMPROVE FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT. Are you doing this now? Or are you trying to get by with some cheesy free or self-replicating site? Lots of people have discovered that was a dim idea when they woke up to find that company they got their site from had evaporated in cyber meltdown. Bottom line: if you want to prosper online, own your domain.
* a listserver. A listserver enables you to send out unlimited NON-SPAM email to any given list. Want to see listservers in action? Go to http://www.worldprofit.com/ezines
Each newsletter published by Worldprofit (and there are many now) has its own list and consequently its own listserver.
Some lists we email to daily (even TWICE a day); others we email to once a week (never less.) The important thing is that when you're using a listserver, you're using smartest tool for getting your message out to people you want to reach. Best of all, price is just pennies a day! Incredible!
I've been using listservers for years and have, in process, emailed literally TENS OF MILLIONS of pages of information to people worldwide. It's one major reason why Worldprofit didn't stay in a back bedroom and why it owns its own building today!
* a sales manager. The longer you're in business online, more prospects you're going to have -- if you do things right. The question is: how will you respond to and communicate with these prospects? Sadly, without an automated system, you'll be overwhelmed, unable to cope with your leads in any remotely acceptable way. That's where sales manager comes in.
The sales manager developed by Worldprofit enables you to send up to 25 personalized follow-up messages in any given 90 day period to each and every one of your prospects.
As we know, people online are assailed with offers, messages, email, both subscription and spam. They get a thousand dollars worth of offers for every dollar's worth of spending potential. They end up tuning out.
