Business Success


June 23, 2008: 8:23 pm: adminBusiness Success, The Tool Trail, World Wide Web Resources

People now a days love their computer as if they are not going to live with out it. This no.1 technology had brought a lot to our life. It brings a lot of information for our own benefits and for our own self destruction. Why? Have you ever noticed certain changes in the performance of your PC? If you ever noticed some slow down the performance of your PC there are lots of possibility that you are being watch. There are a lot of theft online, ready to rob you and destroy you. How to prevent this from happening? Do you really have to use evidence eraser? Or can you just erase the important file that you stored and carry on with your life? If you ever see unexpected pop-ups on desktop (when no browser is launched) or suspicious Windows messages rest assured your PC is heavily infected by spyware.

There are quite a lot of keyloggers currently available on the market. Quality depends and so does the price. Keyloggers are usually very simple to install, setup and use and require no special skills from the user. Most of them cost around $30, though there are more sophisticated species that may cost a little bit more. Keylogger software usually operates in the invisible mode and children don’t know their parents have an eye on them. Data loggers, key loggers are just a few programs which harvest info from your computer. Winclear is the only program created specially to auto remove such spywares. AccSent monitors account access attempts and issues a one-time PIN challenge to those coming from IP address ranges or browsers that differ from the last authorized account access. That is why every computer owner needs winclear.

Protect With Winclear :Internet Gambling Act Legislative History
However, just like a coin, the Internet has two sides. This cyber world can also be used by sexual predators, cheating spouses and unscrupulous employees to promulgate their illegal or malevolent activities. Thus, we ought to do something to help ensure that our children, employees and spouses only make use of the Internet positively. Winclear is the only software which is capable of removing keylogger programs. They make it possible to visit most websites and can actually speed up and make your browsing experience safer. Winclear has been the industry leader in fighting keyloggers for the last 8 years.

Winclear:
These are loyal customers and we can’t really blame them for some short-sightedness. That is the reason why you need Winclear installed onto your computer. Yes preventing intrusions from the web keeping files safe and ensuring the secure transactions of online banking can be done using free applications. Protect your computer security by using Winclear! More about Winclear here: Winclear.

June 14, 2008: 12:04 pm: adminBusiness Success

A lot of people are jumping on the Myspace bandwagon by creating their own social networking websites to appeal to different niches within different demographics. Myspace is a place for everyone, now web programmers and developers are narrowing their focus because they know a niche can make them rich.

Due to this increase in social networking websites a lot of people are calling this another internet boom. People are creating social networking websites for a few hundred dollars and getting big offers from venture capitalists to sell their websites for millions of dollars. The main reason venture capitalists want to purchase these companies is because they know the advertising revenue from these companies can be very high. The under thirty market is a difficult market to reach but social networking websites put a lot of people all in one place, making it easier for advertisers.

Even though people are making social networking websites, and others are willing to buy them, the bad publicity that they get for being unsafe, as well as a future saturation of the market, from too many people starting social networking websites, is going to leave some people that try to jump in on this new internet bubble in the cold.

Andre Bias is the owner of http://www.kidfriendlyentertainment.com, and online source for top notch DVD’s for children 10 years old and younger. He is also the owner of the websites http://www.pokergreed.com, and http://www.myjobislame.com.

June 8, 2008: 10:19 pm: adminBusiness Success

Copyright 2006 Ike Krieger

A powerful strategy for business success is to, first and foremost, have a strategy.

Businesses fall apart because of a lack of strategy.

Many businesses go about their day-to-day activities without knowing where they’re going. They just perform task after task hoping that they’ll end up some place good.

Sorry to say, hope is not a strategy.

“How are we going to get our next job or our next client?”

If this question is a driving force in your business efforts then you’re not thinking strategically.

What is strategic thinking? What exactly is a strategy?

According to the dictionary a strategy is: a carefully devised plan of action to achieve a goal.

What’s so important about having a strategy?

A well designed strategy helps you achieve your goals through the effective use of your resources.

If you have unlimited resources you probably don’t have to worry about a business strategy. However, if your business is like most businesses… you probably need a strategy.

When a powerful business strategy is in place it provides the fuel that drives your life and drives your actions.

Tactics are the specific actions you take to carry out your plan. With no plan in place, your tactics are simply task-based activities.

To illustrate the difference I like to use this example:

Imagine that you have an army under your command.

Your resources include the army itself, its weapons, its means of transportation, its food supply and the amount of money you have in the treasury to keep your army in the field.

You can use your army in two separate ways. You can devise a strategy for success and then have your army implement that strategy–or you can simply deploy your army on a tactical basis.

A hypothetical example of a military strategy might be: I’m going to conquer a neighboring country within six months.

If you approach life from a strictly tactical basis the following might be the way you deploy your resources.

I have an army under my command.

I’m going to send my army out and look for a battle to fight.

Maybe we’ll win.

Whatever comes up, we’ll just have to deal with it.

That is an example of tactics with no strategy.

You may end up fighting and winning. You may even end up conquering a neighboring country, but that was not because of any clearly defined strategy.

Now here’s an example of a strategy along with a set of tactics designed to reach your goals. “I’m going to conquer a neighboring country within six months and I will do it by parachuting in my army at night to take over the neighboring country’s infrastructure while everyone is asleep.”

Compare this to running your business.

You have the equivalent of an army under your command. If you are an entrepreneur, that army might be you alone. If you run a business that employs a few or even many, it is those people who make up your army.

Your resources might include your sales force, your marketing team, your administrative staff, your accounting department, your budget or even your day to day cash flow. Regardless of the specifics, you have a limited amount of resources.

If your company doesn’t have a clear plan that’s guiding you towards the most effective use of those limited resources, you’re setting yourself up for disaster at worst and mediocrity at best.

Here’s an example of advertising without a strategy.

You need to “drum up some business”. You create an ad and decide to place it in a local paper. You hope it will get the phone to ring.

The phone rings a couple of times and then the ad becomes a thing of the past. Soon it’s time to come up with another tactic to drum up business.

Compare that to the implementation of a business strategy in which you clearly define your long term advertising goals. Each ad you place is now an integral part of your strategy for success.

Sure, there are examples of companies who have “struck it rich” without a clearly defined business strategy, but are you willing to risk your valuable and limited resources on luck?

There’s no sin in being lucky. However, to base one’s business success solely on luck is, excuse the pun, chancy at best.

Do you have a strategic business plan? Is it written out? Do you follow it? If you’re like most businesses, the answer to all three of these questions is,” No”.

Your day to day activities should be dictated by your overall strategy, not the other way around.

To come up with a strategy you have to ask yourself a question like this, “Where do I want my business to be in three years?”

What’s important to you? What are your dreams? What will success look like for you? What would your business look like in three years if you knew you couldn’t fail? Are you excited about your vision? Is your vision big enough?

Your strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. You get to create it any way you want.

You get to make it up.

Remember this quote when you devise your business strategy.

Here’s the tip - Assemble a team to help you devise your strategy. That team could be made up of business associates, or possibly you and your business coach.

I help a lot of my clients devise a strategy for success. I would love to help you.

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” –Alan Kay - American computer scientist, researcher and visionary

To your success.

June 6, 2008: 7:44 pm: adminBusiness Success

Very small businesses, those with less than a handful of PCs, often use informal peer-to-peer networks to share files and printers. This is in sharp contrast to a more robust client/server network with a dedicated server computer, and often selected to keep costs to a minimum.

They are generally built around a consumer-oriented operating system, such as Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows ME.

Small Business Consultants and Peer-to-Peer Networks Don’t Mix

Although rarely utilized in the field, a business-grade desktop OS on a dedicated, business-class PC can provide a solid “happy medium” between extreme low-budget solutions and more robust (and more expensive) client/server solutions.

For small business consultants however, peer-to-peer networks are generally not a good thing - unless of course an upgrade is imminent.

Peer-to-Peer Networks Often Come With Other Problems

Since peer-to-peer networks are often selected to keep costs to a minimum, there is generally little or no budget for outside small business consultants or the owner or manager has plenty of funds, but just doesn’t “believe” in the value of technology.

Many times peer-to-peer networks go hand-in-hand with lots of other undesirable IT issues, such as a complete inattention to software licensing, data security, virus protection and data backup.

The Bottom Line about Small Business Consultants

On the flip side however, the above “IT-plagued” small business may be so fed up with the unreliable performance of their peer-to-peer network, the owner or manager may finally be receptive to your dedicated-server recommendations. And as their small business consultant, that’s your golden opportunity!

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg can help you get more steady, high-paying computer consulting clients. You can learn how too. Sign-up now for Joshua’s free audio training program on the Computer Consulting Blog.

Joshua Feinberg - EzineArticles Expert Author
June 3, 2008: 4:59 am: adminBusiness Success

As you initially launch your home based business enterprise, it is extremely important that you analyze your competition in an unbiased fashion, thus gaining insights which will be required for success. This is perhaps the most important portion of your overall business plan, and it is ignored by many upstarts entrepreneurs, sadly enouph.

If you are ready to launch your home business, the beginning step is to analyze your competition before your quit your primary job. In fact, you will want to set aside a particular frame of time to look at your competition and gain the essential business ‘intel’. A few of the components that you should directly observe include, but are not limited to, their sales copy, unique competitive advantage and marketing/advertising position. Do not fail to look at any of these critical areas; it is indeed essential that you cover each one of them. Be certain to talk with your competition whenever you can, realizing that most business owners, believe it or not, really do enjoy discussing their home business ventures since they are so near and dear to their hearts. Really, it is much like parents enjoy discussing their kids in many cases. Just invite another business owner to lunch and be sure it is on you.

Of course, you might be somewhat better off conversing with an out-of-town competitor since you assuredly do not want them to be suspicious regarding another competitor in close range. If your home based business enterprise will be limited to a certain geographic region, then go a bit outside of that region. And be sure to use the power of the internet to spy on your competitors as well. This is quite common nowadays, actually. Services like whowhere.com can really help, and there plenty of others to choose from also. Another way to obtain this kind of data is to buy something from your competitors.

You will then recieve their promotional print and/or vouchers, and you will learn what there prices are, which services that they have and how comprehensive their customer service is. If they ship a product, you will learn whether or not they ship their products quickly. This particular knowledge could give you a major competitive advantage. In addition, you may desire to check out the quality of the products for yourself. You will probably get further insights that you ever could have considered otherwise. If their enterprise happens to be a service, you may easily see the results for yourself. It may be a good idea to be honest about what you are doing when you are going about this market research with your competitors, as you will wish to avoid a bad reputation with them.

Ironically enouph, looking at your home business competitors will give you many great opportunities for self-contemplation. Self-contemplation is simply what you think about yourself and how you define yourself and your business in general.

Remember, your home based business enterprise might get off to a slow start, steadily adding customers as you become more and more established over time. Of course, it could possibly take off like a storm, rapidly gaining momentum to the point where it simply too hot for you to handle on your own. How well you analyze your home business competition beforehand will have a great deal to do

with either of these two outcomes. Keep in mind that all successful businesses analyze their competition both with a strategic mindset and tactical one. As a general rule of thumb, in fact, the more successful the firm the more closely they analyze the others in their field.

More home based business information can be found at Home Business Matchmaker and Resources

June 2, 2008: 8:37 pm: adminBusiness Success

More and more people are deciding that a good home-based business opportunity might be the ticket to fulfilling their personal and family needs. According to a recent Harris poll, 72% of American households are thinking about working from home … so you are not alone.

Jobs in the traditional business world have become uncertain at best. People want more control over their careers, their incomes and their personal time and are finding that work-from-home businesses are a way to achieve all of that. But the big question that most face is … ‘How can I work from home and make a good income?’

You need to decide if starting a home-based business is really for you and if you are prepared for what lies ahead. Too often people think they can sign up for a program and the money will start rolling in with little or no real work. Opportunities that claim that the business will take-off and start generating thousands of dollars every week for the beginning are all too common. The truth is … a home based business takes work - just like any other type of business. In fact, studies show that people who work from home generally work longer hours than people in a traditional business, at least in the beginning. If you realize that it will take work and you accept and are willing to do that work, you are ready.

The next thing to think about is how you will start your home-based business. Will you do it on a full-time basis? Maybe part-time? This will likely depend on your financial situation; think about your choices carefully to determine which way is the best for you and your family and be realistic about your needs.

Do you know what you want to do? Your decision to pursue and evaluate a home-based business will be easier if you are able to narrow your focus. If you aren’t quite sure it helps to take a personal inventory starting with your skills, hobbies, likes and dislikes; this exercise will help clarify the direction which is best for you. Ideally, your choice of work will be something that you are passionate about - there is absolutely nothing that fuels success like passion.

Now … armed with insights as to what types of things you are interested in you can start looking for opportunities. A home-based business opportunity is not hard to find, just do a search in Google and you’ll see. Beyond the internet you can look in newspapers and other publications under ‘Business Opportunities’ in the classifieds and find a ton of work-from home ads. Unfortunately, many make promises of great wealth and other lofty claims, but few can actually deliver. Although it can seem like a full-time job in itself, the best thing to do is to carefully evaluate each opportunity that strikes your interest and be sure to read the fine print.

No search for a home-based business would be complete without considering Site Build It!. This is a program that removes the barriers to building a successful Internet business by providing an amazing array of tools, tips, support and information. With SBI! you don’t need to be a website designer or acquire any technical skills. It’s easy, simple yet effective. It still takes work, yes, but the good news is that when you put in the effort this program does the rest, making working from home a real and valid option.

Many people around the globe are taking advantage of this program and finally are finding the right home based business opportunity for them. You could be next.

Written by Monica Villarreal, co-authored by Gail Kaufman. For more information and tips on how to launch a profitable online home based business and free Site Build It! ebooks visit:
http://www.websitedesigngenius.com

: 7:51 pm: adminBusiness Success

At one time or another, most of us work for a crazy person. Crazy-weird, crazy-psycho, or crazy-ha-ha, just about everyone has a story about a boss whose particular brand of insanity made work a living hell.

How do I define a crazy boss? While there are thousands of ways in which bosses can be crazy, perhaps they can all be summed up as a refusal to accept or consider the realities of the work place.

Crazy bosses try to control the uncontrollable by creating tortuous protocols to micromanage future projects in response to past problems.

Crazy bosses misuse human and material resources, pressing for greater and greater returns while depleting the assets from which those returns flow.

Crazy bosses are always looking for someone else to blame. The buck never stops with a crazy boss, it stops when the crazy boss has found a scapegoat.

Crazy bosses are liberal with praise and rewards when they are in a good mood and they’re hypercritical, oversensitive, and uncommunicative when they’re under pressure.

Crazy bosses don’t know when to stop. They press on past the point of diminishing returns.

Crazy bosses are unpredictable. The only thing you can reliably expect from a crazy boss is more craziness.

I know a lot about crazy bosses because I am one. In fact, I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing like self-employment to bring one face to face with the prototypical Crazy Boss.

That may seem like bad news, but it’s really just a fact of life. When I think back over my lifetime of working for others as well as for myself, the pivotal source of craziness at any given moment has always been between my own ears.

I’m not claiming that outside people, places, and things, do not present challenges. I am reporting that I’ve never found an outside circumstance that did not accurately reflect my inner state. My old feline friend, Boodle-Anne, was well aware of this. If I stomped into my office in the grip of a particularly evil mood, Boodle backed away. She knew I would project the problem I was creating on everything around me, including her, until I stopped.

Boodle would never believe that my problem originated in a client or a vendor. She never wondered about my checking account balance or the state of my hormones. She had a direct experience of Molly-as-Crazy-Boss and knew enough to get out of the way.

These days, I’m happy to report that I can get out of the way, too. Not always, not instantly. But more and more often I can notice that I’m insane and I can laugh at the drama and trauma I raise around me. In my worst moments I can’t help but finding the humor in my complaints, and in my best moments I can’t find my complaints.

This article isn’t long enough to go into all the ways I’ve learned to defuse the Crazy Boss within. It will have served its purpose if it evokes a knowing smile, a momentary spark of recognition. After all, it’s not being crazy that hurts, it’s pretending that I’m not.

Self-employment is a gift. It forces me to get cozy with the Crazy Boss within, with the fears, projections, and resentments that shape my reality and determine my responses. Thanks to self-employment, I can cozy up to the exact ways I make myself nuts and begin to make peace with the fact that wherever I go, there I am.

Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching and personal growth coaching, writer, workshop leader, frequent presenter at live and
virtual events worldwide, and an acknowledged expert on niche marketing. Join 12,000 readers of her Authentic Promotion® ezine to grow your strong business while you feed your soul, and receive a free 31-page guide, “Principles of Authentic Promotion.”

Molly Gordon - EzineArticles Expert Author
May 23, 2008: 3:00 am: adminBusiness Success

Correctly Pricing A Business Is Important If You Really Want To
Sell It!

As a consultant I talk to many business owners, brokers, and
agents on a daily basis about valuing businesses. It always
amazes me on how some of these individuals come up with the
values on small businesses being sold. No wonder only 30% of all
businesses sell! In many instances no consideration is given to
the total picture - like will the available cash flow of the
business be able to pay the debt of a loan, will the deal as
structured or priced even be attractive to financing sources,
“cash” price vs. “note” price and how these factors figure into
the equation!

I have seen many “professional valuations” where the price just
doesn’t make sense - and sellers wonder why their business for
sale just sits there with no action!

Market Approach

There is a solution that is grounded in the fundamentals of
economics, and time tested in the marketplace, where the
influences of supply and demand ultimately determine where a
business belongs on the price scale. One economist explains this
market approach by comparing a business to a machine which has
the purpose of making money: The more money it makes, the more
it’s worth. And that explains why, for example, there is a
strong demand for a very profitable distribution business with
few hard assets; and why it is worth more in the marketplace of
available businesses, than a large machine shop that would cost
nearly $1 million to duplicate, but can’t make a living for its
owner.

Adjusted Net Income

The first category of information needed is called adjusted net
income, and is the total amount of cash produced by the “money
machine.” It’s a figure that includes the profits, the owner’s
salary and all of the many cash-related benefits which are
enjoyed by the principals of small businesses. Those benefits
can include the use of a company car, the company-paid premiums
for health, life and auto insurance, plus personal expenditures
tucked into travel and entertainment, subscriptions and similar
business “expense” categories. Interest expense should be added
to adjusted net income, along with accounting entries—such
as depreciation and amortization—that can divert money to
the owner’s pocket so that it never appears on the bottom line
of the P & L.

While some of these items vary from business to business, any
owner knows which categories of expenses in his or her financial
records include sums of money that should be added to adjusted
net income. Many business owners also know of cash income that
never sees the business records in any way, shape or form. Some
owners feel they should get credit for these sums in the
calculation of value. But it’s a poor policy to collect
unreported income and then attempt to have it included in
adjusted net income for evaluation purposes. When selling, your
buyer prospects want any statements you make about your business
to be supported by evidence in the form of accounting records
and other reliable sources. To admit that you are doing business
“off the books” not only exposes you to problems with the IRS,
it also sets a bad tone with prospects who—if they are
going to be interested in your business– need to believe your
practices and record keeping are above reproach.

Adjusted net income is usually the first thing any buyer wants
to know about when investigating a business; and not just the
past few months’ worth of income. A seller should be prepared to
demonstrate a history of earnings, and have the documentation to
back it up.

Multiplier Method

The next piece of the equation comes from the expectations
working in the marketplace to shape the multiplier—a
figure which will be computed, along with the cash flow, to
calculate a rough value. The validity of the multiple is that it
reflects behavior in the market. There is no need to theorize
about a proper multiplier. It’s calculated by determining what
people actually pay for small businesses in California.

The experience with low risk businesses is that their high
market demand is reflected in a fairly strong multiple. A lot of
buyers want, for example, a well-established franchise, or a
grocery store with a long lease in a densely populated area and
little direct competition. Its multiple might be in the range of
two to three times annual adjusted net income.

A one or two multiple, on the other hand, would be associated
with an enterprise in which the buyer is assuming greater risk.
An example is a retail store near a large shopping area, which
leaves the buyer of the smaller business vulnerable to the
competitive marketing activities of much larger companies. The
lower multiple is a consequence of lower market demand. Fewer
people want that kind of business.

Since profitable distributorships and manufacturing companies
are much sought after, it’s not unusual to see them command a
price upwards of four times annual adjusted net profit. The
company in this category providing adjusted net profit of
$200,000 might realize a selling price in the range of $800,000,
assuming a favorable deal structure (more about that shortly).
Also warranting a high multiple are businesses loaded with
assets—equipment, trade fixtures and inventory. But
remember that a seller must be able to establish the company’s
“history of earnings” with financial reports and tax returns,
before the higher price will be offered.

More commonly available businesses, such as restaurants, are
priced with a lower multiple - in the one to two range - to
reflect the abundance of this kind of business available for
sale at any one time. In this case it’s purely a matter of
supply and demand.

And a company in any industry that is difficult to finance, will
be hard to sell. I’m familiar with a retail business in Northern
California that is not generating enough adjusted net income to
support its $1.5 million asking price. Because a new owner would
have a difficult time paying off a loan that was hefty enough to
swing a purchase of this company, there are no lenders willing
to provide the money. That severely affects marketability. In
fact, the company is probably unsalable as presented.

Importance of Deal Structure/Terms

And the final factor thrown into this equation is particularly
useful in determining the value of businesses offered for sale.
It recognizes that the terms of a transaction–in other words,
how a price is paid–are critical in calculating that price.
When sellers demand all cash for their businesses, for example,
the market tells us that they can expect to receive about 60% to
80% of the sum they would have gotten by taking a down payment
and financing the balance.

It’s easy to understand why deal structure is such a vital
component in the valuation process. For a business to be
affordable, the cash flow needs to be substantial enough to
support the price at the multiple being used. A deal that
requires a lot of cash up front, in relation to the expected
amount of adjusted cash flow, will place a greater burden on the
buyer. That principle, translated into the language of the
marketplace, means the business will only be appealing at a low
price. If, on the other hand, the level of adjusted net income
supports the buyer’s ability to make payments to the seller in
order to purchase the business—this opportunity will
interest more potential buyers and the result is a higher
achievable sales price.

Other ways an attractive deal structure can be used to build
market appeal include a delay of a few months–after close of
escrow– before monthly payments on the seller’s financing are
due to begin, a low interest rate, and interest only payments
for awhile, until a new owner is able to build the business to
more easily meet the loan obligation. Creative deal structures
always help sell a business and will usually command a higher
market price for the business (remember it has to make sense)!

Pricing a business is as much or more of an art than a science.
Sellers who take a look at the big picture - looking at both
deal structure and price are usually the ones who are successful
in selling their business!

© Peter Siegel, MBA - All Rights Reserved

http://www.BizBen.com * http://www.USABizMart.com

————————————————–

About The Author: Peter Siegel, MBA is the Founder & Principal
of BizBen.com - California Businesses For Sale and
USABizMart.com - USA Businesses For Sale, two of the most
popular business for sale related websites on the internet. He
is also the author of three books on the topic of business sales
and business buying. The most current book is “Businesses For
Sale - How To Buy Or Sell A Small Business”. Mr. Siegel also
writes a daily Blog - at www.USABizMart.com/blog that covers all
topics on selling, buying, valuing, and financing businesses.

————————————————–

Attn: Website Owners & Ezine Editors:

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your
website or Ezine so long as you leave all links in place, do not
modify the content and include the resource box as listed above.
Thank you.

May 21, 2008: 8:08 pm: adminBusiness Success

EQ

It’s not rocket science, and it doesn’t have
to elude you anymore. As much as 96% of our
success in life and at work depends on emotional
Intelligence–also known as horse sense, street
smarts or good gut–and it can be learned and mastered.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, manage,
and take action based on the information carried by our
emotions. The intelligence comes as we evolve through the
four components: self-awareness, self-management, interpersonal
connection, and personal leadership. Whether you are leading a
corporation, or leading a life, the soft skills like communication,
empathy, stress management and optimism result in more revenue
generation and job promotions, more productive and fulfilling
relationships–personally and professionally and more comfort with
the uncertainty of change.

EQ translates into business results: Hi EQ salespeople generate 37%
more in sales; Partners in professional service firms generate 125%
more income than their high IQ partners, and more executive level
managers are promoted from within based on empathy and self management
than any other trait. There’s evidence that high EQ results in better
health, smart financial decisions (see related article) and more solid
partnerships.

The higher you go, it’s less about what you know, and more about your
ability to manage relationships and change. According to the Center for
Creative Leadership, careers derail due to: failure to see the big picture,
micro-management, lack of trust, poor team building skills, lack of
accountability and the need to be controlling–all correlated to EQ. The
same problems that show up at work are often those that show up in our personal
life as well. But EQ can be learned, and profound change comes when we ourselves
change.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PeopleSmith specializes in professional effectiveness coaching for profound
results with emotional intelligence, change and transition and personal leadership.
Permission granted to change title.

May 20, 2008: 12:38 pm: adminBusiness Success

If you’re selling a product or service on the Internet, your words are the most important factor in determining your success. High-tech web sites with fancy images won’t make sales; however, many Internet entrepreneurs spend much more time designing a professional looking web site than writing effective sales copy. A professional looking web site is a very important part of making sales; however, without effective sales copy your web site will be useless.

The art of effective copywriting is simply learning how to write persuasive words specifically written for your targeted customer. You must feel your customers needs and write your copy with passion, excitement and benefit.

If you’ve ever developed a new product then you know that there is a certain time when your emotions are riding high and you’re full of excitement and anticipation. This is the best time to do your copywriting. Your excitement will flow through your words. Take this time to sit down and write an outline for your sales message.

Creating A Headline

The first part of your outline will be your headline. This is the most important part of your entire sales copy. You must write a headline that demands attention and forces your visitor to read on. Most of your visitors will only read your headline. If it doesn’t instantly grab their attention, they’ll move on and
never return.

Writing an Introduction

Once you’ve captured your visitor’s attention, you’ll now need to direct their attention to your introduction. Keep your introduction brief and to the point. Let them know exactly what you have to offer them.

Use Plenty of Subheadings

Your next step in creating your outline is to add subheadings. Subheadings are basically just smaller headlines used to break up your text blocks. They also provide your readers with important highlights of your paragraphs. Use plenty of subheadings throughout your copy, as not all of your visitors will read your copy word for word. They’ll simply scan it and only read what catches their attention.

Remove the Risk

You must provide a solid, no risk, money back guarantee. Provide a limited time free trial or download that will completely remove the risk. This will build your potential customers confidence and put their mind at ease. Display your guarantee in bold text and even mention it in your sales message and on your order page.

Call for Action

Ask for the order and provide an easy ordering process. Continue to reassure your potential customer and lead them to your order page.

Use a P.S.

When your visitor scans your sales message, chances are they’ll read your headline, subheadlines and your PostScript message. Place your most important benefits within your P.S. message. It will get read.

Writing Your Copy

Now, you’re ready to begin filling in the spaces. When you begin writing your paragraphs, get straight to the point, avoid negativity and hype, and write in small sections. Vary the paragraph sizes and limit each paragraph to four or five lines max. If you feel that your paragraph will be longer than four or five lines, try to use bullets to display important points. Write in an everyday language that everyone can understand.

Make sure you use plenty of white space. White space is the empty space between your paragraphs and around your text. You don’t want to overwhelm your visitors with a solid page of black text. Nothing will make them click away any faster.

Pack your sales copy with benefits from your headline straight through to your order form. Make sure you don’t confuse features with benefits. Features don’t sell… Benefits sell. Your visitor wants to know exactly what your product or service can do for them.

Provide Testimonials

Testimonials provide another great way to reassure your visitors. Blend your testimonials in with your sales message. Avoid making your visitors have to click to another page to view your testimonials; chances are, they won’t. By blending your testimonials in with your sales message you can ensure they will be read.

Selecting Fonts

Avoid using fancy fonts. Fancy fonts make text difficult to read. In addition, your visitor may not have that font on their computer. Select a font that is easy to read and use black text on a light background.

Long Copy Vs. Short Copy

It is a proven fact that long sales copy out-sells short sales copy, but some visitors do prefer a short sales letter. You can give your visitors both. For those who prefer a short sales letter you can provide opportunities to click through to your order page prior to ending your sales letter.

Try to keep your sales letter all on one page. Your visitor would much rather have to scroll through your letter than click through and load another page. With each additional click, you’ll lose a percentage of your potential customers.

Your words should seamlessly flow together from your headline through to your order page. Keep it simple, to the point and pack it with all of the benefits your product has to offer.

Learning the art of effective copywriting can mean the difference between success and failure. The simple, well-designed web sites with killer sales copy make the sales.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, “Web Design Mastery” (www.webdesignmastery.com) and “eBook Starter - Give Your eBooks the look and feel of a REAL book” (www.ebookstarter.com)

Visit www.Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to eTips and receive a copy of Shelley’s acclaimed ebook, “Killer Internet Marketing Strategies.”

You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included.

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