December 10, 2009

Free Internet Marketing Tip—Clean Up Those URLs If You Want More Clicks!

We’re going to get a bit psychological today.

No, not Freud or Jung psychological (—even though it’s mission-critical for you as a marketer to read and understand what these genius thinkers have to say about the unconscious mind).

No, today we’ll just go far enough to give you a quick tip that can help you get more clicks on your links, whether those links are in your email, on your website or at the end of the articles you post online.

Most marketers already know this, and you’ll hear them say it all the time:

Consumers LOVE to buy stuff, but they hate being sold to!

It’s a cold hard fact. No one knows exactly why this is, and it seems to apply more strongly in the West than anywhere else in the world.

Think back to the last time you bought a car. You knew the salesman was making a commission.

You didn’t hate him for it because, after all, we all have to make a living, right?

But it definitely didn’t make you feel good that a few thousand dollars of your hard earned money was going right into this man’s pocket just for being “lucky enough” to help you out that day (or, so we often think :-) ).

Now you may not be selling anyone a car. But if you are trying to sell something online, you definitely have an agenda. And in order for you to carry out this agenda, you need to get people to click on your links.

Let’s say you’re sending out an email to your list in order to sell an affiliate product, or your putting an affiliate link in your blog post.

Nothing screams “I want to sell you something” like a blatant link that looks something like this:

http/saleproduct.com/affiliate=30283H3

Most people today who see this know exactly what it means. And for them it’s a major turn off, so major that it can squash your conversion rate.

Why? Because right off the bat, a massive amount of people will dismiss your message outright, because it’s so blatantly obvious that you are trying to sell them something.

Now, what you need to do is to hide or “cloak” that link.

The main reason for hiding or “cloaking” your links is to make your links more enticing for people to click on.

Give them something like this:

http://allaccessunlimited.com/thiscanhelpyou

Our tests show that using a link like this will consistently double your click through rate, and thus your commissions.

By creating your own customized links, you’ll be doing a better job at creating curiosity, branding your promotions, and unconsciously earning the trust of your prospects.

And this, in turn, will dramatically increase your conversion rates.

Do your own tests and let us know what the outcome is!

Filed under: Internet Marketing Tips, Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 5:54 pm

December 8, 2009

How Understanding The Definition Of Networking Can Ramp Up Your Profits

What is the definition of networking? It may be different than you think.

We’ve been saying this for years: No matter who you are, learning to proactively network and impress others by expressing your interest in them will always take you far.

This lesson hit home for us yesterday. Some of us attended a one-day online marketing seminar down in Manhattan in New York City.

Topics covered were Website Design best practices, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Pay Per Click Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing and Viral Marketing.

While at the seminar, we were rubbing elbows with other attendees. We noticed something pretty interesting. Most of the people we were meeting were from Fairfield County, Connecticut. And many were clearly trying to network.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s a great idea. Today’s friendly greeting and handshake may be tomorrow’s referral. But many were going about it in a backward kind of way.

Let me explain.

These Connecticut business owners kept introducing themselves and their companies—but they were doing it in such a way as if they truly believed that other people at the seminar cared about them.

One could even hear faint echoes of a one-size-fits-all elevator pitch when they spoke.

Do you do this? If so, then we think you’re networking incorrectly!

For us, the definition of networking is to be interested in others, period.

The reality is that people you meet at these kinds of events really don’t care about you; they care much more about themselves.

You see, when they meet you, they’re not really thinking or wondering to themselves, “Who is this person?” but rather, “What can this person do for ME?”

Generally, people hire or buy from people they know, like and trust. Also, people generally like people who are interested in them.

So, with this in mind, a much more effective way to network would be to focus on the person you meet, instead of focusing on yourself. For example, say things like:

What do YOU need?

Do YOU find yourself needing more x, y, and z?

I would like to hear more about *YOUR* company and goals for the immediate future.

Your target market often complains of X, Y, Z. In order to address this, we can help you by….

Do you see the difference? Instead of coming across like, “Hi, do you need my services?” Begin your conversation with any one of the following, “What can I do for you? Who would you like to meet? What resources have you been looking for that you can’t find?”

Especially when you’re networking, be interested in other people this way, and they will surely start to find you interesting as well.

Remember, the number one factor in COMMUNICATING is LISTENING!

No matter who you are, learning to proactively network and impress others with your interest in them will always take you far. This is the definition of networking.

Filed under: Networking — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 12:08 am

October 27, 2009

Networking Will Increase Your Profits—But You Need To Do It The Right Way

We’ve been saying this for years: No matter who you are, learning to proactively network and impress others by expressing your interest in them will always take you far.

This lesson hit home for us yesterday. Some of us attended a one-day online marketing seminar down in Manhattan in New York City.

Topics covered were Website Design best practices, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Pay Per Click Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing and Viral Marketing.
While at the seminar, we were rubbing elbows with other attendees. We noticed something pretty interesting. Most of the people we were meeting were from Fairfield County, Connecticut. And many were clearly trying to network.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s a great idea. Today’s friendly greeting and handshake may be tomorrow’s referral. But many were going about it in a backward kind of way.
Let me explain.
These Connecticut business owners kept introducing themselves and their companies—but they were doing it in such a way as if they truly believed that other people at the seminar cared about them.
One could even hear faint echoes of a one-size-fits-all elevator pitch when they spoke.
Do you do this? If so, then we think you’re networking incorrectly!
The reality is that people you meet at these kinds of events really don’t care about you; they care much more about themselves.
You see, when they meet you, they’re not really thinking or wondering to themselves, “Who is this person?” but rather, “What can this person do for ME?”
Generally, people hire or buy from people they know, like and trust. Also, people generally like people who are interested in them.
So, with this in mind, a much more effective way to network would be to focus on the person you meet, instead of focusing on yourself. For example, say things like:
What do YOU need?
Do YOU find yourself needing more x, y, and z?
I would like to hear more about*YOUR company and goals for the immediate future.
Your target market often complains of X, Y, Z. In order to address this, we can help you by….
Do you see the difference? Instead of coming across like, “Hi, do you need my services?” Begin your conversation with any one of the following, “What can I do for you? Who would you like to meet? What resources have you been looking for that you can’t find?”
Especially when you’re networking, be interested in other people this way, and they will surely start to find you interesting as well.
Remember, the number one factor in COMMUNICATING is LISTENING!
No matter who you are, learning to proactively network and impress others with your interest in them will always take you far.

Filed under: Networking — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:34 pm
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