Cyber Income Solutions

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Creating An Instant Ecommerce Web Site With Little Or No Money

By William Lockhart

Creating an ecommerce web site doesn’t have to be as difficult or as costly as you may think. Many forms of ecommerce solutions can be extremely intimidating to new online marketers.

Though many new online marketers quickly realize the benefits of offering products online that can be instantly purchased and processed by means of an efficient shopping cart system, many fine the process of establishing efficient ecommerce systems complex, costly and technically intimidating. This is totally understandable however these factors alone drive many new online entrepreneurs away from testing and implementing eccomerce solutions that could bolster their visitors web experience and earn extra income from their web properties.

This doesn’t have to be the case, particularly if you do a little research. Ecommerce enabled web sites don’t have to involve laborious activity and costly start up investments.

One way to add value to your web property is to find an ecommerce solution that is “pre-designed” and pre-populated with products that compliment your existing content. These ecommerce systems can be plugged right into your existing web site and many require very little technical skills. Some pre-designed ecommerce solutions offer web site owners the ability to customize content, design and product categories with design elements and products that easily fit into your current web scheme and enormous the value of your existing content and offerings.

Here’s a few reasons you should consider this option, especially if you’re new to online marketing and ecommerce activities:

1- Low start up cost to completely ecommerce enable your web site.

Obviously this is a huge advantage to those that want to determine eccomerce feasibility without spending huge sums of money.

2-Quick deployment with very low technical challenges.

If you simply do not have the technical resources for deploying an ecommerce site this totally removes the technical road blocks associated with deployment.

3-Scalability of the ecommerce solution is flexible and immediate.

Once you’ve tested the ecommerce solution you can quickly scale the product inventory and expand your offerings without having to call upon exhaustive resources and technical expertise.

4-Design customization of your ecommerce site for easy integration into existing content.There’s no need to re-invent the wheel here, simply extend your current design, color schemes and layouts to the pre-designed ecommerce solutions to easily blend into your web site.

5-An overall reduction of typical headaches associated with design, development and deployment.This is one area that totally intimidates many web site owners that are considering expanding their web properties to include ecommerce functionality. Pre-designed ecommerce solutions can totally eliminate these hurdles and allow you to easily test and deploy your ecommerce ideas.

6-Immediate niche level testing of your ecommerce ideas.

In many cases you may not be sure if your web site lends itself to ecommerce activities. Pre-designed, plug and play ecommerce web sites allow you to determine feasibility and test additional potential revenue streams that can bolster your existing web properties.

Although all of the factors listed above can prove vital with respect to adding ecommerce functionality to an existing web property, there are a few that are particularly important if you’re considering adding dynamic eccomerce functionality and additional monetization to any existing web presence.

One of the biggest advantages by far is the low start up cost associate with monetizing your web site with an ecommerce system. Low start up cost will allow you to test your ideas, offer targeted product lines for your visitors and evaluate the feasibility of expanding your ecommerce offerings without the fear of spending tons of money to do so.

Under typical conditions, testing any form of ecommerce system could be very expensive. Pre-designed ecommerce solutions eliminate this hurdle and allow you to accomplish this with very little effort, design cost and “back-end” administration cost. In most cases the products offered by these types of ecommerce systems are direct shipped to your customers and you never even have to become involved with the fulfillment process. It simply couldn’t be any easier than that!

Once you determine the feasibility of adding an ecommerce system to your web site you can migrate to a more controlled platform that allows more flexibility and increased profit margins once your initial testing is complete and you’re experienced positive results.

This process can occur after as little as a month or two of testing and satisfactory results have been observed.

One of the more pressing questions regarding pre-designed ecommerce systems is this… “Where can I find these types of pre-designed ecommerce systems that I can test?”

After researching a few of these options I’ve identified a solution that is easy, effective and quite simple to implement.

Here’s a simple solution that allows virtually anyone with a web site or web presence to start making extra money today. Amazon and Amazingwebstores.com offers a simple plug and play solution that’s quite easy to customize and integrate into almost any web site.

This is also effective because you can use the credibility of Amazon and the power of Amazon’s product inventory and technology to easily sell through your own customizable web store.

This gives you the ability to operate a fully functional web site powered by Amazon in minutes. Better yet they offer a FREE 7 day trial which allows you to familiarize yourself with the functionality and features associated with the program.

Don’t allow the possibility of adding eccomerce enabled functionality to your existing web properties to intimidate you. Sure cost, administration factors and fulfillment are all challenges however these issues can be addressed with solutions that are quite easy to implement. All that is require is a little research, testing and of course a little creativity.

Statistics show that online shoppers are steadily increasing. Test your eccomerce options by using pre-designed ecommerce web sites and systems that provide full functionality and credibility to expand your web presence and add value and functionality to your web properties.

As email marketing continues to become a key element of any online marketing campaign, it’s important to make sure that your recipients are actually “receiving” your key email messages & promotions.

Spam filters have become increasingly sophisticated, therefore online marketers must adapt to the changing strategies implemented by Spam identification technology. Failure to do so will invariably land your key offers in “Spam” folders.

If you use email marketing to reach “opt-in subscribers”, there’s a number of approaches you can consider if you’re trying to avoid the possibility of your email communications getting tagged as “Spam”.

The first and obvious choice is to perform a “Spam check” inside your autoresponder platform. Though this is a good approach, it doesn’t guarantee that your outgoing message won’t be tagged as “Spam” once it reaches it’s destination.

Here’s a different approach that will enable you to avoid the Spam filters and increase your web branding and retention rates all rolled into one simple strategy. Not only will you avoid the Spam filters, your “key” email offers will get more exposure and possibly reside on the recipient’s computer much longer. As you know, most email messages have a very limited “exposure window”. This is the length of time that your email may be seen, read or acted upon.

Let’s assume your email advertisement was lucky enough to escape the “spam police” and it arrives in your recipient’s inbox as planned. When most people open their email, they quickly scan for messages from family, friends and “senders” that are easily recognizable.

These emails are considered “high value” emails. Once the reader addresses all “high value” emails, they’ll quickly scan “subject headers”, to see if anything else “stands out” as a topic of interest.

Let’s further assume that you’ve taken the time to create an “eye catching” subject header that motivates the reader to actually click on your email and open it.

The reader quickly recognizes your email and mentally tags it as “promotional” in nature, a much less “valued” email. This is true, even if they are somewhat interested in your offer.

Let’s further assume that the email refers to a product or service of interest to the reader. They scan it, and think to themselves…

“This is interesting, I’ll have to visit that web site and learn more about this product/service, WHEN I HAVE TIME”.

Occasionally they’ll click on the link provided to visit your web site at that very moment, however most email statistical research indicates, more likely than not, the reader will move on to the next email. This is done with good intentions for they assume they will “revisit” your email at a later, a more convenient time.

Bottom line, the reader never returns to your email that informs them of your important offer and most often your email is deleted in a few days during a “mass delete” action when the inbox is being “cleaned”.

Here’s one way to make your email offers different and extend the life of your important promotional messages.

1 – Create a promotional email just as you normally would but convert your finished message to a PDF file. This allows you to use color, graphics and additional elements that usually are omitted because they increase the probability of having your email tagged as Spam.

This approach also gives you more flexibility as far as the creative process is concerned and allows you to be more descriptive about your offer.

Once converted, have the PDF file uploaded to your web-hosting platform.

2 – Create a second email that you will actually send to the subscriber. This email “touches” on the major benefits of your offer and instructs the reader to “click here” for more information. Of course the link should point to the PDF file you just created. The message within the email should be short and to the point. It should also be structured in a manner that raises curiosity. The primary objective of this email is to motivate the reader to click on the link. If the reader responds and clicks your link, you’ve just accomplished two key things…

1 – You’ve shortened the length of your email communication substantially, thus reducing the chances of having your email filtered by the “Spam police”.

2 – When the recipient clicks on the link in your short email and the PDF file appears in their browser, if they are interested in your offer they will most likely “SAVE” the PDF to their hard drive. Even if they don’t return to it immediately, it remains on their hard drive and the possibility of a “revisit” to your offer is increased.

They may even forward your offer to a friend or family member. This is a substantial increase in the “exposure window” of your email advertisement.

Try linking key promotional messages to PDF files for SPAM avoidance and extended “email shelf life”. Email marketing doesn’t look like it’s going away, neither are spam filters.

Develop new strategies for reaching key subscribers and prospects when using email marketing as a promotional tool, you’ll be glad you did.

By William Lockhart

Creating Internet Income is quite a daunting task for anyone however the challenges seem insurmountable for most newbies, especially those who are technically challenged. If you’re considering marketing online or engaging in any form of Internet Marketing there are a few common pitfalls that you should consider.

Though I’m no “Internet Guru, these are just a few of the common mistakes and pitfalls that beginner Marketers typically face. For many, these mistakes don’t surface until the negative effects of these actions surface. Many new marketers develop tunnel vision early in the online business building process. Hopefully this top 10 list will help you avoid the most common pitfalls.

1. Procrastination - The King Of Failure

Procrastination is by far the KING of failure with respect to online business success. If you fall into the trap of “putting things off”, you will e doomed to failure. Be certain that you develop a consistent habit of taking action. Even if you consistently make mistakes it is imperative that you take action on a consistent basis. Create some form of time management system that you can use consistently. Prioritize your tasks and keep lists of everything that needs to be done. If you feel that your confidence level concerning your online activities is not quite up to par, do not allow this to hinder the execution of your planned activities. What ultimately matters is the consistent execution of your key activities. Your comfort level with specific tasks will improve over time!

Develop A Plan And Work The Plan…

2. Seeking Perfection From The Very Beginning

Many new online marketers go to extreme lengths to create the perfect scenario as they begin to execute their online marketing plans. The fact is, no matter how hard you try, it’s very unlikely that you’ll hit the “home run” you seek right out of the gate. Many newbies seek the perfect web site, the perfect email marketing campaign, the perfect online ad or banner, unfortunately it’s VERY unlikely happen. It really doesn’t matter whether your efforts are perfect or not! What’s important is that you get started as soon as possible with the plans that you’ve developed. Your online marketing efforts will always be a work in process. As you move forward, you can easily tweak things to your liking. Some people set specific scheduled times to review work that has been previously performed and update as necessary. If you try to get everything perfect from the start you will hamper your long term success..

3. Wasting Money By Not Prioritizing Your Spending

This is important and key to your long term success. If not handled properly, this simple mistake will kill your spirit and put you out of business immediately. If you don’t have money to try each any every enticing offer that claims to help your business. DON’T spend money unnecessarily!

The Internet is full of fantastic copy and enticing offers, some of which are great others not so great. Don’t get side tracked by jumping from opportunity to opportunity, help program to help program or buying everything that lands in your inbox. The fact is, most online business essentials can be obtained for FREE. This is particularly true when you’re first starting out. If you commit to engage in a little research, you’ll be quite surprised at what you will find. Not only can you find great resources you will find them in many cases at no charge. Try to control your urge to purchase resources and tools. Think and evaluate carefully before you make purchases for your online business. Write a list of what you need. Examine the pros and cons, and make sure that your purchases are essential to achieving your goals.

4. Not Investing Enough Money On The Right Resources

Converse to point #3, many new online marketers fail to make the proper investment in the proper things. Anyone that tells you that you don’t have to spend ANY money to grow an online business is lying to you. Unfortunately you will have to spend money to sustain your business. When you initially start, you won’t have to spend much, as most of your time should be spent engaging in RESEARCH. You will need more money as your business continues to grow. For starters, you’ll need a domain, a hosting service and an autoresponder, all of which are pretty affordable. As you move forward, the bulk of your expenses will be on testing and promotion. If you’re paying someone to create a product or you’re buying resell rights to a product or service, you must account for these initial expenses as well. Starting out with affiliate products can greatly reduce these types of expenses and allow you to gain a greater understanding of the processes involved as you market online.

5. Pursuing Difficult Markets Due To Ineffective Market Research

This is a typical mistake but an easy mistake to make for the new online marketer. Most new marketers pursue markets that THEY THINK will be profitable. Before you decide on a product or market that you wish to target, make SURE that you’ve performed exhaustive market research. If you don’t, it could be months, even years before you realize that you’re involved in pursuing profits in a market that is NOT commercially viable for a beginning marketer. Perform thorough and exhaustive research BEFORE you invest time and money in your online marketing campaigns. Understand exactly what the term “niche” market means and adhere to that definition strictly. All niche markets are NOT profitable. Before you target your market make sure that customers within the targeted market are willing to spend money! If the market that you seek is not commercially viable, refocus your efforts and pursue a different market!

6. Lacking The Desire To Grow

You must develop an unquenchable desire to grow. Continual growth of your marketing knowledge and your perspective with respect to online marketing activities is essential. Learning online marketing is continual process not a destination. It’s essential that you develop this mind set immediately. If you’re not open to continual learning and growth you and your online business will become stagnant quickly. The skills needed to market online are constantly evolving and changing. One of the most important things you can do is to constantly update your skills and knowledge base with respect to your marketing internet marketing efforts. It is important to note that this doesn’t always occur in a linear fashion. There will be times where you’ll feel that your learning curve has stagnated but keep reading, listening and learning and your insights will continue to expand. Don’t get stuck using the same skills and ideas or doing things the same way for long periods of time without exploring ways to improve what you are presently doing.

7. Trying To Do Everything That Needs To Be Done… Alone

When starting an online business there is lots of activities and tasks that you need to address. This doesn’t always mean that you have to do it all yourself. Of course, you can do it alone but it will make the road ahead much harder, and in most cases a much longer road. Without the proper support and assistance you are more likely to experience burnout very quickly. You don’t have to outsource each and every thing, however it is wise to target certain areas that will monopolize your time and obtain help when needed. On-line forums, blogs and other portals can be a valuable source of ideas, and sources to provide assistance from other people in this area. Leverage your efforts by seeking assistance in areas that are not your best strengths.

8. The Pursuit Of Smaller Profit Sources / Setting Your Internet Income Goals To Low

Many new online marketers find it less intimidating to sell products or services that cost 10-20 dollars. They are misled into believing that these types of products or services will be easier to market. The fact is, in most cases, it takes just as much time, energy and effort to successfully market a $20.00 product as it does to successfully market a $100.00 product or service. Don’t dismiss the idea of varying the types of offers that you intend to market. Be sure to include a few higher ticket items in your offerings. If you’ve done your research, and handled your marketing correctly you can find success marketing these types of items even during the infancy stages of your online internet marketing experience. Undoubtedly, you’ll get less sales, but you’ll also enjoy more profits. You won’t know if you can market these types of offers unless you’re willing to give them a try. Don’t assume that these types of products and services are off limits to your internet marketing efforts. Do the research, target your market, develop your marketing campaigns and promote offers that give you a chance to earn higher commissions along with your small profit offers. Many high ticket offers perform better with existing customers. You typically have developed a relationship with these customers and many will try your offers based on your business relationship and your credibility.

9. The Failure To Separate Your Business Life and You Home Life

Many new online marketers start their online business in hopes to escape the hustle and bustle of traditional offline business activities. Don’t fall into the trap of creating another JOB at home with your online business. Though initially, getting your online marketing efforts up to par may take a little extra time and commitment, you don’t want your online business ventures to dominate your entire life. One of the biggest pitfalls of working from home is the fact that work s always accessible and so is your home life. Knowing how to separate the two is essential for maintaining balance and a healthy perspective.

You’ll find that your personal home life can also creep into your work activities. The fact that you’re at home makes it easy for the lines that separate these two aspects of life to become blurred. Try to separate the two by establishing fixed times when you work, and fixed times for your personal home life. In many cases it’s a good idea to establish a specific work area for performing your business activities. Work doesn’t have to take dominate your life, define distinct barriers that separate your home life and your work life.

10. The Inability To Remain Positive and Ambitious

When you start to pursue your Internet business, you will undoubtedly have those that will not have faith in your long term success. Conversely, you’ll have others that will encourage you and cheer for you every step of the way. I encourage you to surround yourself with positive thoughts and uplifting people to help you maintain your belief in YOU. Starting any type of business can be a daunting task. You absolutely must believe in yourself and remain ambitious to move forward.

Don’t allow ANYONE to tell you what YOU can’t do. Focus on your goals and set them in stone. Decide to decide to decide…. Once you’ve made a quality decision about your online marketing goals stick to them and pursue them CONSISTENTLY. Over time you will experience tell tale signs of success that will keep you motivated and moving forward. Create your own profitable mind set and don’t allow anyone to rob you of that mind set. If you THINK you can you CAN!

Creating an Internet business that consistently generates Internet income is no small task, however if you execute consistently and stay focused in a few key areas it is certainly something that can be accomplished. Avoid these costly mistakes to help you as you pursue your internet marketing goals.