|
2007-11-05
Issue #172
|
|
November 05, 2007 |
Issue #172 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
The
IMC Insider
Helping Real People
create wealth and freedom with Internet businesses since
1996 |
|
November
05, 2007
Issue #172 |
A special announcement from the IMC team:
We want to meet you in person!
If you live near any of the cities listed below, we
invite you to join us for an exclusive two-day "Internet
Wealth-Building Bootcamp!"
For two full days, my IMC team will speak live on stage,
giving away the exact step-by-step blueprint you need to grow a lucrative Internet business...
... Using the most current, most advanced Internet marketing
secrets, strategies, and technologies that we've used
to generate over $60,000,000 in online
sales.
We'd love to meet you in person!
Internet Wealth-Building Bootcamps:
To claim your tickets, click on the links above -- or
call my team, who will be happy to answer any of your
questions about these exclusive events -- at 1-800-595-9855
or 1-604-730-2833. |
|
|
Editorial:
Derek's Reality Check -- The truth about the "eBiz
in a Box"!
By
Derek Gehl
 This
month, rather than give you strategies to make more money, I am going to share a piece of advice that
will hopefully save you some money.
Here it is...
If you are currently in the process of looking for a business
idea, chances are you will come across the "Business
in a Box" pitch.
The pitch will look something like this:
"For
only $XXXX.95 (Insert dollar figure here ;-) you can have your very own business and product to sell!
We will give you the website, the product, the marketing
material and all of the training you need to sell it!"
Wow, sounds like a sweet deal...
... Or does it???
The harsh reality of this kind of offer is: If a company
is selling you an opportunity to sell a product
-- even if it does sound like a great product
(or products) -- chances are they have sold the exact
same opportunity to hundreds, if not thousands, of other
people!
That means you have hundreds, if not thousands,
of other people who are selling the exact same product,
with the same website, using the exact same marketing
strategies you are!
Think about it for a second... Do you want that many IDENTICAL
competitors?
Nope!
Not to mention, if the product was really that hot, why isn't the company selling it itself, instead
of merely selling the opportunity to sell it?
That's why we work so hard in our Insider Secrets course and our mentoring
programs to teach you how to start real businesses using
tested and proven market research strategies that help
you make healthy profits by simply identifying untapped
niche markets and then giving them what they're looking
for.
That way, you have minimal competition and you're selling
something you know people want to buy.
The bottom line is this... if something sounds too good
to be true, it probably is! I have never come across a
great opportunity that didn't require a little elbow grease
to get off the ground.
Sure, it might require some more effort on your part to
find a niche market and build a site that targets it...
But at the end of the day, at least you'll have a profitable
business.
My best-selling online marketing course, Insider Secrets
to Marketing Your Business on the Internet, teaches
you everything you need to know to build a REAL online
business making REAL profits -- without falling into the
common mistakes so many people make when they're first
starting out online.
And right now you can take it for a full 30-day test drive
for only *$2.95*.
To learn more, please visit: www.marketingtips.com
To your genuine success...
Derek Gehl |
|
|
Do
you have a question for me and my team?
Drop us a line at questionsforderek@marketingtips.com -- and you may see your question answered in an upcoming
issue of The IMC Insider!
|
|
|
How
to reduce "purchase anxiety" and persuade your
visitors to buy
By
Andrew Mallory
You know that moment when you're thinking about buying
something... but you're just not sure if you should pull
out your wallet -- or run away fast?
That's what we call "purchase anxiety." Most
people feel it at some point or other, especially when
they're buying a "big-ticket" item.
... OR when they're buying something sight unseen over
the Internet.
Online shoppers tend to suffer from "buyer anxiety"
more than offline shoppers. It only makes sense... when
you buy something over the Internet, often it's for a
product you've never even seen before -- from a person
you've never seen before!
The good news is, by adding some very simple elements
to your site you can easily reassure your visitors you're
a reputable business offering a quality product -- and
get them to click on that "order" button!
Here's what you need to do...
1. Add testimonials to your site
Nothing reassures visitors more than testimonials from
real people who can vouch for the quality of your product.
And yet so few business sites actually HAVE testimonials!
Why? The answer is easy...
The number one reason why people don't have testimonials
on their site is because they don't ASK for them! They
feel too awkward or shy to ask people to say nice things
about their product or service.
However, just like with all forms of feedback, you've
got to go out of your way and ask for it.
The thing is, most people are more than happy to provide
you with detailed feedback on what they like about your
product. But if you don't ask, you'll never receive.
When you use a testimonial, try to include as much information
about the testimonial provider as possible. If you can
include their first name, last name, city, and state along
with their testimonial, great! If you can put in a picture
as well, even better.
If they have a website, you could even include the URL,
so people can go to the website and confirm that yes,
they ARE in fact a real person.
However, disclosing this much personal information about
your testimonial providers isn't necessary for every industry.
For example, if your business helps people dealing with
alcoholism, eating disorders, or other problems that have
a social stigma associated with them, then your testimonial
providers aren't going to want to offer that much information
about themselves. In that case, a first name and initial
is probably good enough. Stick with the conventions that
are normal within your industry.
WARNING: Never ever write
a testimonial yourself! It's FRAUD, and you can get seriously
nailed for it. People aren't that stupid... they will be able to smell your deceit from a mile away, and it
will end up destroying your credibility.
2. Be specific!
When talking about statistics or results, always be as
specific as possible! It makes your copy seem more credible.
(This goes for your testimonials as well as the regular
content on your site.)
For example, if you sell a weight loss product, don't
say that it helped one client lose "more than 100
pounds." Say that it helped her lose 107 pounds.
The more accurate you are, the more realistic your claims
will be.
3. Citing a statistic? Include your source!
If you include statistics or other forms of industry information
to back up the claims in your copy, be sure to cite your
SOURCE of that information.
For example, if you sell natural fiber carpets, and you
recently read an article in the American Journal of Public
Health stating that childhood asthma is seriously aggravated
by the presence of indoor pollutants, then include that
infomation on your site -- and cite the American Journal
of Public Health as the source of that information.
When you cite a reputable source of information, you borrow
their credibility. And that makes your OWN credibility
that much more believable.
4. Include your contact information
Imagine going to a site and finding a product you want
to buy... but you have a few questions you want to ask
about it first.
But when you look for some way to get in touch with the
business owner to get answers to your questions, all you
can find is an email -- and nothing else!
Nothing screams "Shady!" more than a lack of
contact information. Be sure to include your full name,
street address, phone number, AND email address -- and
then link to that information from every single page on
your site.
You might even want to invest in a 1-800 number. By showing
you're willing to pay for people to call you to get answers
to their questions, you prove that you're willing to do
whatever it takes to satisfy their concerns and make the
buying decision easy for them.
5. Let your customers know who you are
People want to buy from someONE, not someTHING. So help
them get to know you.
Tell them about yourself, in a personal or honest way.
(Don't worry -- you don't need to tell your whole life
story!)
Your visitors want to know something about you that relates
to your problem and industry. How long have you been in
this business? What made you get into it? Why do you enjoy
it?
Also be sure to include a photo of yourself on your "About
Us" page -- as well as a photo of your employers,
or the office where you work. The effort you put into
making yourself seem more real to your visitors will definitely
pay off.
6. Include certification from reputable organizations
If you belong to any professional or business organizations,
include prominent mention of it on your "About Us"
page.
(For example: the Better Business Bureau, or any state,
national or international organizations that have recognition
in your industry.)
Just make sure you don't feature only local organizations...
the Internet is a global medium, and if you want to sell
to international visitors, you have to come across like
an international business.
7. Include proof that you value and protect
their privacy
One of the biggest reasons for online purchase anxiety
is the fear of handing over personal information -- such
as credit card information -- to a virtual stranger.
Make sure you include a privacy policy on your site, reassuring
people that you will NEVER share their personal information
with anyone!
On top of that, you need to process ALL purchases through
a secure server, so that no other computers are ever able
to access any of your purchase information.
However, these days many website owners are going even
further and including "security seals" on their
site, reassuring visitors that they have done everything
possible to protect their site from hackers.
Some of the more popular security seals are Verisign,
TrustE, and Hacker Safe.
The one we personally recommend is Hacker Safe. It's the
security seal we use on our own sites, because according
to studies done by ScanAlert, sites with the Hacker Safe
seal tend to see an average 14% increase in their conversion
rates.
And we're not the only ones who like Hacker Safe -- more
than 80,000 sites use it, including over 60% of the Internet
Retailer Top 500.
If you'd like to learn more about Hacker Safe, please click
here to continue.
... So there's my list of the things you should add to
your site in order to reduce your visitor's purchase anxiety
and get them to buy your product. If you don't already
have these elements on your site, do your best to add
them as quickly as you can.
You WILL see an increase in your conversions -- and your
profits!
[Ed. note: Andrew Mallory
is one of our top Internet
Entrepreneur Club experts.] |
|
|
Do
you have a challenge you'd like Derek and his team to
help you solve?
Leave a comment on Derek's blog: http://blog.marketingtips.com/
And let's get the conversation started! |
|
|
|
|
Reprint
IMC's up-to-the-minute marketing advice on YOUR website
or blog -- free!
Click
here to find out how you can use our content
to help grow your business! |
|
|
To
contact us...
If you have any questions, email info@marketingtips.com
Or, if you would prefer to use postal mail,
please contact us at:
The Internet Marketing Center
Attn: Newsletter Subscription Dept.
400-1155 West Pender Street
Vancouver BC V6E 2P4
Canada |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
top