Editorial: Internet Marketing's shocking secret revealed!
By Derek Gehl

"Have you heard the news? The Internet has CHANGED!

It's a whole new world out there... and if you don't jump on this super-hot new trend RIGHT NOW, these changes are going to crash down on your head like a tidal wave and sweep away your chances of achieving online success -- for GOOD!"

Sigh...

How many times have you seen overblown "scare" pitches like this, telling you that the world of Internet marketing has been turned on its head, and only the savvy elite will survive the changes that are coming?

Every time I see something like this, I shake my head.

Sure, the Internet is growing and evolving... But the fundamental rules for making great money online have NOT changed at all.

And it drives me absolutely CRAZY when "flash-in-the-pan" marketers use fear tactics to try and scare people into buying "The next hottest thing!"


I know that's a funny thing to hear from the guy who sells a best-selling marketing course called, "Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet!"

But the fact is, there is no real "mystery" involved in creating a money-making online business.

All you need to do is follow these six steps:

Step #1: Find your niche market

Look for a NEED and then find a way to fill it. And make sure that whatever product or service you come up with, people are willing to pay for it!

Also, you absolutely MUST research your competition to make sure your niche isn't overcrowded with competitors who offer perfectly good solutions to the problem you want to solve for your customers, Otherwise, there may not be enough room for your business to grow and thrive.

Step #2: Make sure you sell the right solution

You have to come up with a product or service that does a good job of solving your market's problem.

And there has to be something truly "special" about it!

You need to have some sort of "unique selling proposition" (USP) -- something that sets your product or service apart from every other product out there.

Step #3: Keep visitors glued to your site with compelling salescopy

When you have an online business, the WORDS on your site are going to be your best salesperson -- so you have to make sure they do the best possible job of selling the benefits of your product to your potential customers.

Step #4: Design a site that leads visitors straight to the order button

You have to make sure your website gives people exactly what they're looking for -- and makes it EASY for them to buy your product!

Step #5: Use an "opt-in" to collect leads and build customer relationships

Most people won't buy from you unless they feel like they know you.

That's why you need to capture your visitors' email addresses so you can build relationships with them over time. Otherwise, you'll only ever make a fraction of the sales you could be getting.

Step #6: Advertise your business to the people who are MOST LIKELY TO BUY

The beauty of the Internet is that you can laser-target your advertising so you only present your message to the people who are most interested in buying your product. And traffic channels like the 'Net's top search engines can help you drive thousands of qualified leads to your site -- for little or no money!

... And that's basically it!

At IMC, ALL the products we sell are based on these bedrock fundamentals of online marketing. (As opposed to, say, overnight sensations like the Web 2.0 hype!)

All of these 6 steps are essential to the success of your business.

Once you have mastered all of these steps, you will be the proud owner of a website that's guaranteed to generate you healthy profits.

HOWEVER, if you skip a single step, or do them out of order, you won't achieve the kind of success you're hoping for.

And you'll probably end up wasting a lot of time (not to mention blood, sweat, and tears) trying to correct a painful situation you never would have experienced if you had done all these steps properly in the first place!

Are you confused by any of these 6 steps, or experiencing problems implementing any of them in your business?

If so, leave a comment on my blog letting me know which steps you'd like me to explain in more detail -- and I'll do my best to fill in the blanks in future issues of this newsletter!

P.S. I've also written another article on my blog on how to choose the right product for your business.

To your success,

Derek Gehl

Don't turn your site into a "keyword flea market!"
By Nicole Ephgrave

A friend of mine recently asked me to review the search optimization work he'd just done on his business website.

I clicked on "View Page Source" in Firefox to see the keywords he'd included in his HTML code...

... And I almost had a heart attack!

Turns out he'd included more than 60 different keywords in his keyword metatags... and most of them had no connection to what his site was actually selling.

You probably know that one thing we here at IMC preach is, "Don't turn your site into a flea market!"

In other words, don't try and sell a whole bunch of totally different products -- such as pet supplies, jewelry, and sporting goods -- on the same site, because you'll find it absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to target your marketing efforts to the right people.

(Why? Because the people who go online to buy jewelry are NOT the same people who are searching for pet supplies or sporting goods on the Internet -- and if you try to appeal to all of them at the same time, you'll have such a mixed marketing message you won't be able to speak to ANY of them properly.)

Well, the same principle applies to your keywords. Whatever you do, don't use the "flea market" approach to your search engine optimization efforts.

You have to keep your keywords as focused as possible!

Click here to read the rest of the story...



Note: Nicole Ephgrave is IMC's resident search marketing expert. You can comment on Nicole's SEO tips by clicking here.

Have you ever wished that someone could sit down with you, SHOW YOU how to set up your own Internet business?

You know... Look over your shoulder. Point at your computer screen. And give clear directions?

Wouldn't it be EASY to get started if there was a "live" person you could talk to?

Someone who could...

==> Help you decide what to sell

==> Design and build the website for you ...

==> Show you exactly how to accept credit card payments on the site?

==> Then, walk you 1, 2, 3 through how to get swarms of visitors to swarm your website and BUY?

... Well, that's exactly what we want to help you do!

(To find out how, click here: www.marketingtips.com/personal-help )

We had 100 Internet marketing newbies work with my team in 2007. 100 people walked out the door on with their own LIVE, fully-automated Internet businesses.

(That's what you call a 100% success!)

We're now taking applications:
www.marketingtips.com/start-your-biz