By Lee Benson & Bill Nieporte
[November 17th, 1999]

See Also   How to Build a Web Store for FREE   How to choose mailing list management software   How to Grow Your Web Business   How to Accept Credit Cards without a Merchant Account   How To Develop Online Products That Sell   How to Change Your Web Hosting Service (ISP)   How to Deal with Disgruntled Customers   How to Get Top Search Engine Positioning   How to Beat Credit Card Fraud   How to Design an Affiliate Program   How to Accept Credit Card Payments   How to Choose a Shopping Cart

[This is the second part of a two part article. The first part can be read here].

Step 3 - Automation Is The Key To Success

"The Secrets To Internet Marketing Success. Order NOW and you can be reading our POWERFUL marketing course within 30 seconds."

What do you think of the statement above? Better still, what do you think a customer would think of the above statement?

People are impatient creatures. When they want things, they want them NOW. Not tomorrow, not next week, but now. And if you can give them that information NOW, you're already half-way toward making the sale.

Automation is the key to success with any online business. If you sell an information product, then why not offer an IMMEDIATE download for your customer as soon as they've ordered the product?

Not only will this satisfy your customer a great deal (They get INSTANT access to the info they're eager to read) but it'll save you a lot of hassle too.

Your website is a VERY powerful selling machine. If you have the right knowledge, you can automate the process of virtually every business task.

For instance, once a customer fills out their payment information, you can create an online ordering system that:

• Automatically verifies the customers' credit card information. Once accepted, the payment is immediately added to your account and a thank you screen is presented to your customer.

• Automatically emails the customer thanking them for their order, and gives them information on how to download your online product.

Therefore, your product margin can be HUGE. Whether you make 1 or 101 sales per day, your costs stay the same. Making 10 sales per day with a product that you charge $49 for would make you $490 every day - with NO production costs.

Step 4 - Encourage Repeat Sales

If your customer is happy with their purchase, chances are they'll buy more from you in the future.

Therefore, starting your own customer announcement list is a smart and worthwhile move.

If you have a database of 250 happy customers who trust you for the quality of your products, then making monthly or bi-monthly announcements to them for further quality products that you sell will likely result in a high response rate.

Keep track of your customers and contact them regularly to keep tabs on their progress and to find out how your product is helping them.

If you show that you care, chances are that they'll be comfortable making future purchases with you so the process of convincing needn't exist.

Step 5 - Niche Markets Are The Biggest Money Earners

Niche markets are smaller, specialized fields of people looking for particular things. There seems to be a rule on the Internet that shows a definite trend toward niche markets.

Quite simply, if you target specific people, you're almost guaranteed to earn more money than someone who offers general services.

Think about it. If you're wanting to hire an accountant for your new travel agency, would you go to a general accounting firm or would you find an accountant that specializes in offering services to travel agents?

The latter, right? So this is a positive indication of how you should target your market.

Try and offer information-rich products to people with specific problems and needs. Not only does niche marketing attract more targeted, specific people, but your website and sales literature will speak to the prospect in a more personal way.

By Way Of Contrast : Some Examples

Looking for inspiration to create your own online products? Well if the above explanations haven't tickled your creativity, here are some specifics:

• Downloadable, Electronic Information Books

  This is my personal favorite. If you can create an informational product that teaches people to:

  'Earn An Extra $2500 With Their Website By Implementing 5 Little-Known, And Secretive Strategies'

  or

  'Lose 10 lbs of Fat In 10 Days, And Pack-On Slabs of Solid Muscle'

  or anything else that fits into your line of expertise, then chances are there will be bunch of people who are interested in what you have to say.

  By offering this information as an IMMEDIATE download once the customer has paid, you:

  • Eliminate all production and delivery costs
  • Lose no money if the customer requests a refund (but of course, your product will be SO GOOD that this won't happen anyway, right?)
  • Have the chance to target repeat purchases

  Open your eyes and see the potential.

• Online Automated Services

  Who said that you only have to sell products? You can offer great AUTOMATED services as well that include all of the benefits previously mentioned.

  Take a look at GetResponse.com for an example of an automated online service. Simon, the owner, earns in excess of $100K per year offering this online service - which requires NO extra work on his part. All it takes is a good service.

• Software Available For Download

  This is possibly the hardest route to take, unless of course you're a professional computer programmer.

  Remember, electronic books and informational products require NO skill to produce. You can purchase e-book production software that turns informational products into downloadable program files.

  However, if you have the ability to offer software, then this is another GREAT product to sell. After all, the Internet is just purely data.

Article written by Lee Benson, and co-authored by Dr. Bill Nieporte - Internet Marketers

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