 |
| Real-world, common sense strategies
for small and home based business success. Your issues... real answers. |
|
|
|
|
| From
the publisher of Straight Talk... Free to all new subscribers!
Get It Here! |
|
|
|
 |
|
Building a Better Web Site
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
1. Spotlight: So Ya Wanna Telecommute...
2. Quick News Byte
3. Biz-Tool Essentials
4. Feature Article: Building a Better Web Site!
5. Feedback Forum
6. Guest Column: It's Time To Try Again!
7. How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello devoted readers and welcome to all new
subscribers!
I've been busy adding new resources and helpful
links to the homebiztools Web site, so if you haven't
visited in a while, come on over for a look!
Let me give a BIG THANKS to all the wonderful
comments and support as of late. And keep those
questions coming too! My favorite part of the day is
talking to all of you!
So there is your invitation to e-mail anytime with your
questions or comments! I would especially like to hear
from any of you that feel stymied or unsure of where to
turn next in your quest for home employment.
Perhaps you're looking for resources to help with a
specific idea, or maybe you're ready to build a Web
site but don't know how to begin. Whatever it is,
I'll give you my full attention!
The help is FREE, so you've got nothing to lose!
Please enjoy this issue and thanks for letting me
help with your work at home needs.
Brett
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPOTLIGHT
So Ya Wanna Telecommute...
by Brett Krkosska
Telecommuting is without a doubt one of the more
rewarding forms of employment. Research consistently
points to increased job satisfaction and productivity
among telecommuters, and employers are seeing
reduced real estate costs and lower employee turnover.
And the trend towards telecommuting is growing. A
study by the International Telework Association and
Council found that there are 20 million people
telecommuting at least one day each month; which is
more than 3 times the number from a decade ago.
These numbers are really not so surprising. Who wouldn't
want to walk 10 steps to work, in your favorite Tasmanian
Devil slippers, and with morning breath to boot?
OK, perhaps some of you prefer mouthwash in the
morning. But the great thing is, your boss won't care!
So where does one go to find
these great telecommuting jobs?
Start with your current employer!
If you have a regular job that can be turned into a
telecommuting job, this is the best way to keep
working without losing a paycheck.
All you have to do is convince your boss.
To convince your employer that your job is well-suited
for telecommuting, prepare a written proposal that
spells out the goals and benefits of moving your job
into the home. You'll want to write this from the position
of your employer. You already know why you want to
work from home, but your boss must see the transition
as a benefit for the company.
Here are some points of consideration:
* How will telecommuting increase worker
productivity, save on overhead, reduce office
energy costs, etc.
* Where will the work be performed
(including a photo helps).
* What equipment will be used and how will it be
insured against loss.
* What are the work hours.
*What amount of work output is expected.
* What expenses will the company pay for.
* How often and when will communication occur
with the office.
* How will productivity and performance
be measured.
You can add punch to your proposal by including
applicable articles and studies which cite the many
benefits of telecommuting. You can find a wealth of
information at
http://www.totalnews.com
and do a search using keywords "telecommute"
or "telecommuting."
You may find it easier to negotiate a "trial period"
with the boss. After a specified period of time, evaluate
the trial period to assess strengths and weaknesses of
the arrangement. If the trial uncovers flaws, determine
why and how to correct them.
Go ahead, give it your best shot! Think about it...
...if you can put together a great proposal, anticipate
your employers concerns, and prove your worth as a
telecommuter, you just might be shopping for a
new pair of work slippers before Christmas!
For more resources to help you get started check out
http://www.homebiztools.com/athome.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUICK NEWS BYTE
Did you know...
There are 150,000 new users coming online each
month, joining an astounding 169 million current
Internet users! The Internet is a rapidly expanding
industry with sales topping $300 billion!
Is this the kind of environment for an aspiring and
idealistic entrepreneur? You bet it is!
http://www.homebiztools.com/start-a-biz.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE ARTICLE
Building a Better Web Site
by Brett Krkosska
Building a better web site begins by giving due
respect to an under-recognized commodity:
TIME
When a prospect visits your site they are making
a precious investment of time. And believe me...
they won't hesitate to reinvest with just a click if
your site doesn't deliver on their investment!
Generally, you'll have less than 10 seconds to
convince your prospect that they should invest
more of their precious time at your site. So pull
out a piece of paper and write at the top in big,
black letters:
TIME.
Keep this word in the forefront as you design your
site. Always ask yourself if you are giving your
prospect a RETURN on their time.
Think of it this way... You receive your first "sale"
from a prospective buyer in the form of time. If you
can't make that first sale, you won't have a second
chance.
Once you have received a payment of time from
your prospect, all the content of your pages must
be structured for...
GETTING THE LAST CLICK
The last click is where you want your prospect to end
up. It is the focus of your site. All the pages of your site
must lead towards the ultimate response you want
from a visitor. The last click may be the "order" button,
a "subscribe now" button, or any other action required
to turn the prospect into a customer.
While this may seem fairly obvious, it's really not too
hard to get distracted from this basic principle. It's
easy to get side-tracked when you design your site
from a "seller's perspective." You must put yourself
in a mindset that has a "buyer's perspective."
You see, as a seller you are already sold on the
product of service you offer, and the natural tendency
is to describe solely what your product IS. But buyers
need more. Sure they want to know what your product
is, but they also want to know what it DOES.
Specifically, your prospect is asking...
WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?
The key to getting sales is making your copy
BENEFIT RICH. Tie in the features of your product
with the benefits... tell them what it DOES for them.
Motivate people to take action!
Here are a few benefits people want:
Make Money
Save Money
Save Time
Reduce Effort
Avoid Risk
Avoid Discomfort
Look Better
Feel Better
Be Popular
As an example, consider an ad for this product...
"Instant Tanning Lotion"
This is a simple product description, but let's add
some benefit...
"Get A Fast Tan In Seconds! Easy-to-apply,
greaseless formula! Look better and feel better!"
Now let's liven it up a bit more...
"Get An Fast Tan In 60 Seconds... without harmful
UV rays! No mess, easy-to-apply formula. Friends
will envy your healthy, luxurious complexion! You'll
love the way you feel! Visit today and get a
FREE sample!!
Do you see the difference of these value-added
benefits? It can mean the difference between having
just a visitor and having a customer!
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER
Do you know who your customer is?
It's important to build your site for a targeted group.
Having a clear picture of your customer helps you
build a site that is tight and professional looking.
By knowing your customer you're able to pinpoint the
benefits which will motivate your targeted group
to make the last click.
Even if you think you know who they are, give some
serious thought to the specific characteristics of your
target group.
For instance:
Where do they live?
What are their hobbies?
What's their income level?
Where do they shop?
What do they read?
What sites do they visit?
Make your list as complete as possible. When you
know your customer, you will be able to motivate
them in ways you may not have considered.
So get in your minds eye a picture of your customer
and build your site for that group.
For it really is true...
"When you sell to everybody, you sell to nobody."
DON'T FRUSTRATE YOUR VISITORS
You need to make it easy for people to answer their
primary questions about your site in under one minute.
Keep in mind that it is called surfing. People are in a
hurry and will click out on the slightest twinges of
frustration with your site.
Here is what they ask:
1. Who are you?
2. What is your site about?
3. What do you have for me?
4. Why should I stay and browse your site?
Pretty basic stuff right? Yet, many sites miss one or
more of these all important questions. Well, guess
what happens then? CLICK... they're gone!
And so, therein lies YOUR motivation for
designing a better Web site...
To avoid the discomfort of the dreaded CLICK.
*** For a more in-depth look into building a Web site
that pulls traffic and makes the sale, check out
http://www.sitesell.com/bkp.html ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEEDBACK FORUM
If you have comments that you'd like to share with
our readers, send them to:
mailto:feedback@homebiztools.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GUEST COLUMN
IT'S TIME TO TRY AGAIN!
Three ways to give your Internet dream a second
chance in the new, hotter online economy.
by Anthony Funkhouser
PriorityCustomer.com
Even though the Internet has been hot, it's about to
get even hotter. Experts were wowed last year when
Christmas sales shot past the $3 Billion mark. This
year they will easily DOUBLE that, turning many online
entrepreneurs into instant millionaires.
Almost half of all homes have computers and millions of
North Americans buy on the Internet every day.
Unfortunately, many people tried an Internet business
months or years ago, got discouraged, and gave up. Every
sign is they threw in the towel too soon. With Internet
incomes rocketing higher, this is the best time in history
to promote a business.
Here are three ways to give your Internet dreams a
second chance:
1. PLACE A FEW ADS IN E-ZINES.
There are dozens of email newsletters that accept free ads
and hundreds more who let you reach their audience for as
little as $3. Check the extensive lists of e-zines at
http://www.ezinesearch.com and
http://www.site-city.com/members/e-zine-master/.
Offer free info or a discount product or service. Use
it to send readers to your web site where they can
browse through all you have to sell.
2. ADD FRESH NEW INFORMATION TO YOUR SITE.
Include three to ten articles (get permission from writers
in exchange for a link to their sites). Each week register
several of your new article pages with search engines.
Register with AltaVista.com, HotBot.com, and Excite.com for
quick results. These search engines also share databases
with other major engines including Yahoo.
This strategy can pull 100 new visitors a day to your
web site. Make sure you have plenty of information
if you have lots of affiliate programs. Search
engines won't list a site that is nothing but affiliate
links.
3. SEND OUT A PRESS RELEASE.
Pack your release with good information and useful tips that
media audiences will be interested in. Include your contact
info at the top, followed by a headline that tells what
your release has to offer. Then include your information in
the body of your one page release.
Email your release to radio, TV, newspapers and ezines
nationally (get a list at Gebbie.com). Mail, fax, or email
your release to media in your own town along with a short
personal note.
------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony Funkhouser specializes in promotion strategies for
Internet businesses. See his FREE advertising offer at
http://www.PriorityCustomer.com that sends your ad to
thousands of opt-in prospects.
Reach Anthony at mailto:bizzman@mindspring.com
------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would you like to be a guest columnist?
We're always looking for great topics that will keep
our subscribers informed.
To have your article considered for publication in our
Guest Column, just send it to:
mailto:submitarticle@homebiztools.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's all for this issue. Thanks again to everyone for
your support! Please drop me an e-mail anytime with
your questions, comments, scoldings, or just to say hi!
Brett Krkosska
Founder, Editor, Net-a-Holic,
mailto:brett@homebiztools.com
HomeBizTools: a division of B-K Publications
http://www.homebiztools.com
All the tools you need to work at home... in one place!
|
|
