1001 Newbie - Friendly Tips by Bob McElwain - HTML preview

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A Phone Is A Must

An email address is not enough. You need a phone and someone to answer it. Preferably an 800 number. Even if you expect to receive few calls, this is a must. People often call just to see if you're for real. If there's no phone, you've lost a sale. Some argue that voice mail is a reasonable alternative, but it will not help if you can not get back quickly. If you have a spouse who can answer, go for it. If not, find someone in your area who can take calls as your secretary. If you provide up-to-date information about your business, your "secretary" can often save you the need for a later reply. Further, there is simply no less expensive way to appear to be working the business full time.

Where We're At

The above is not the whole of it. For example, there has been no mention of search engines, yet good positioning can make a big difference. Again, if you

know how to optimize pages and can do so easily, it is worth your time to do so. If not, hire it out. Writing skills are important. If yours aren't so hot, factor in some cost for editing, or even creating both page content and the advertising message behind all. Good service is available at $25-$50/hour.

You must add up these costs relative to your particular needs. But it is unlikely you can start a serious online business for less than $500 to $1000, even if you do all the work yourself.

Time Cost Analysis

Starting any business means commitments in time you can not expect to recover except over the long run. So good cost analysis is difficult initially. Even so, put a dollar value on your time, perhaps as low as $5/hour, to help you make good decisions about how you will use your time. Even at $5/hour, it will be clear that some things should be hired out.

Building web pages with HTML when you could be generating leads may not be the best use of time. Reading a book or two about how to work the Web can be very helpful, but sometimes it's more cost effective to buy the information needed.

Working harder is often the only option available. But when possible, work smarter, which often means hiring services. In the end you'll have more fun and rake in greater profits sooner.

One Path To Online Success

If  you  are  determined  to  build  a  successful  online  business,  here's  a  plan  that works, even if you are brand new to the Web. The key to it is to take a small step in each of several areas all at the same time. As long as each step takes you closer to your goal, then there is no hurry at all. That is, you can work with it as time allows. The trick is to avoid any move in the wrong direction, any step that is counterproductive.

The Fundamental Questions

Begin by asking very specific questions such as ...

* Who will I sell to?

* What will I sell?

* How will I sell it?

* How can a website help get it done?

* What are my financial goals for this venture?

These  are  not  easy  to  answer.  Yet  completely  defining  suitable  responses  is mandatory. Without them, much of what you do will be a waste of time and effort. On the other hand, answer them definitively, and every move you make will lead you closer to your objective.

The  last  question  may  be  the  easiest  to  answer.  For  many,  it  will  be,  "To build a business working part time that will grow sufficiently for me to give up my day  job  and  work  my  online  business  full  time."  What  follows  assumes  your answer is similar.

The first question may be the most difficult to answer. But it is the one that matters most because you are going to spend a lot of time directly or indirectly with your customers. It is hard to be effective with people you do not enjoy being around. (For ideas about finding an answer, see "Who Do You Want To Sell To.")

Finding  appropriate  answers  to  the  above  questions  requires  a  good  deal  of study and thought. As you proceed, focus on all of them collectively. That is, as you think about who you want sell to, also consider products to be sold and ways of doing so, To  get  started,  jot  down  a  few  thoughts  about  each  as  a  beginning  point. With  these  notes,  search  for  ideas  and  information  to  help  you  flesh  out  a  full fledged business plan.

This process will take months, not days. Whatever it takes, it's better to know where you are headed before committing the bucks and time needed to build a website.

The First Step

This  may  sound  like  heresy  to  seasoned  professionals,  but  the  failure  to understand what great ad copy is all about, and the lack of skills needed to produce it, is a very common cause of business failure, particularly online. So start here.

Start with copywriting? Have you lost it?

No. Not at all. Copywriting comes after all else is done except building the site. By  then  you  are  tired,  filled  with  self-doubt,  and  doing  all  possible  to  minimize committing  to  even  one  more  small  chore.  So  the  final  copy  on  the  site  often looks  and  reads  as  something  done  hastily  and  at  the  last  minute.  Avoid  this calamity by beginning your study right now. Be ready when the time comes to write great pages. Nothing less works.

There is an added bonus in seeking to develop or improve copywriting skills. Almost every gain is also an asset to all other writing you do, including what is needed  for  your  email  and  newsletter.  No  writing  I  have  ever  done  is  more demanding  than  copywriting.  Improved  skills  in  this  area  means  better  results with all of your writing.

There is no need to master copywriting at this point. But get started with the task. If you have not decided on a product, you can't say who your perfect customer will be. But you can come to grips with the concept of building such an image.

There are many books on copywriting. Grab one or two and dig in. The very best in my mind is "Make Your Words Sell" by Joe Robson. For my review of this awesome piece of work, see "Dance With Your Customers."

About Reading

You are going to do a lot of reading in all this. A lot of ideas you have never encountered  will  be  presented.  You  will  find  it  impossible  to  grasp  everything. The trick is to skim a lot, read points that grab you, take a few notes, then lay the piece aside and turn to another. When you come back to it later, you will gain additional insights, for you will be further down the path toward your goal.

Finding A Niche

A niche is a narrow slice of a larger market. A slice with an audience large enough to produce the income you need, but otherwise as narrow as possible. And it needs to be something in which you can dominate powerfully. You want to be *the guru* within your niche.

Finding your niche may be the hardest part of all. Not the work involved, but the time, particularly the thinking time. Yet this is absolutely the last thing to rush. For if you don't get this right, nothing is going to work at all well.

For articles about finding just what you need, see "Niche Finding Made Easy" and "Define A Niche, Then Conquer" further along in this chapter. Also visit my site, SiteTipsAndTricks.Com. Click on Topics in the navigation bar to the left. Then click on Niche Marketing. You will find a lot of helpful notes here. Some of Dr. Michel Fortin's work is included, and his conclusions are inarguable.

Finding A Product

As  mentioned,  working  with  copywriting  and  seeking  to  define  your  niche need to evolve together. That is, as you make progress in one area, move ahead a bit in the other.

Now  to  this  mix,  add  the  search  for  possible  products  and  services.  And throughout,  continue  to  try  to  picture  who  you  want  to  sell  to.  To  define  your perfect customer.

Without a doubt, the best product to sell is one you create. This gives you total control. You may even invite others to assist in selling it. There is profit to be made  in  selling  products  produced  by  others,  but  much  more  in  products  you produce.

As in most areas, there are lots of resources available that show you how to identify a need and create an appropriate product. One of the best is "Make Your Knowledge Sell" by Monique Harris. (Click here for my review of this comprehensive work.)

Enough Already. How Do I Get Started?

It's best not to make a move until you have defined a niche and answered that first question: Who do you want to sell to? Until you have a clear picture of your target, and have defined within this group some possible perfect customers, you are not yet positioned effectively. Here's why.

When  just  getting  started,  you  must  seek  to  understand  everything  you encounter, for you do not know what you will need. Yet this is impossible to do. There are simply too many good newsletters out there to keep up with them all. Too  many  neat  books;  you  can't  get  and  read  every  one.  And  too  many  sites such as STAT, upon which you can spend a week or more without exhausting the resources.

But as you narrow your focus, you in turn narrow the information gathering task. Settle on half a dozen good newsletters to follow, keep as many as a dozen books  handy  for  reference,  and  refuse  to  be  distracted  by  anything  off  target. Until you can accomplish this, do  not  extend  yourself  further  by  tackling  a  newsletter  or  website.  Such  tasks steal precious time from the fundamental: Defining your target.

When You Have The Focus

Given  a  focus,  you  can  begin,  even  if  you  are  still  searching  for  a  good product. This can come later. But you must know who your target is.

Given this, start a newsletter, then work at trying to get feedback. When your target begins interacting with you, there are all kinds of great benefits. From their words will spring new ideas that both clarify your goals and bring you closer to achieving  them.  (For  info  about  starting  with  only  a  newsletter,  see  "The Ultimate Shoestring Startup" further along in these notes.)

And consider opening a website. Whether or not you have a product, focus on building great content.

But  even  with  a  website,  you  need  to  build  a  newsletter.  This  is  no  longer optional; people expect you to have one. A newsletter is the most effective way to stay in touch with your target and demonstrate  your  growing  expertise.  (For details, see Chapter 6 in this work.)

Continue working on your copywriting skills. Make sure every page on the site "sells" even if it's only free information.

Keep the pages simple. Follow the unwritten rules. Let that copy you've struggled to create be the total focus of your site. Hold the art work to a minimum. A logo  and a tiled background is all you really need. And whether or not you yet have a product  to  sell,  remember  that  content  is  king.  Provide  all  you  can  and  do  all possible to keep your visitors coming back for more.

A great resource in building a site that sells effectively is "Make Your Site Sell" by Ken  Evoy.  It's  another  heavy  read,  not  to  be  accomplished  in  a  single  sitting. (Click here for my review.)

Good hosting is available from Pair.Com beginning at $5.95/month. But you will  need  some  statistics;  Hitmatic,  which  is  free,  may  be  sufficient  at  least initially.  JumpLine.Com  is  available  at  $14.95/month,  and  the  statistics included meet most needs.

What Next?

Continue to search for products that fit your defined target. And continue to seek an unfulfilled need within your target that you can satisfy with a product you create.

Given  a  product,  it's  time  to  really  zero  in  on  your  perfect  customer. Everything in your newsletter and on  your  site  must  be  directed  at  this  target.  It's  fine  if  others  join  in,  but  it's impossible to talk to two different types of people at the same time. Grab a tight focus and stick to it.

Wrapping Up

This plan may not be as easy to accomplish as you had hoped. It requires time, work, and effort. And there are things to be learned. But it is doable. Anybody who persists can make it happen.

Niche Finding Made Easy

Suppose  you  love  books.  Everything  about  them.  You  read  voraciously.  And you'd just love to write some reviews and sell the books you particularly enjoy. But  hey,  forget  that.  Right?  An  individual  doesn't  stand  a  chance  in  the  book business. Right? If Barnes & Noble doesn't seem able to catch Amazon, you're not going to get it done. Right?

Well,  yes  and  no.  It's  true  you  are  not  likely  to  beat  Amazon,  even  if  they falter in that heady race with Barnes & Noble. But if you change the rules some, you can win.

If  you  select  a  specific  area,  one  sufficiently  narrow,  you  can  beat  these companies in this niche. Few books are being published in what was previously called  Male  Adventure.  Yet  men  still  read  when  they  can  find  an  author  they enjoy. I don't know this would work, but it's a possibility worth checking.

Maybe  specialize  in  technical  works,  not  available  through  major  book  stores. Then of course there are rare books; a narrow niche within this category might be just the ticket. Just think books. Write down every idea that comes to mind. Make a note of every interest or skill you can bring to the table.

Testing Demand And Supply

Then try to find combinations of ideas that might work for you. As Ken Evoy has suggested, work up a list of keywords for areas you feel are possibilities. Enter these words at GoTo.Com What you will get is a list of related terms people searched for last month. The counts for each item can be taken as a measure of demand. Then go to AltaVista and enter  any phrases with a high demand and note  the  number  of  listings  found.  This  is  a  measure  of  supply.  The  most promising areas are those for which demand (counts at GoTo) is relatively high and supply (counts at AltaVista) is relatively low.

(The link to GoTo.Com above is:

inventory.go2.com/inventory/searchInventory.mp )

 

Somewhere  in  this  list  there  is  a  combination  of  books  and  your  skills  and interests with which you can define a niche. It may not be obvious at first glance, but if you pursue this approach determinedly, you will find a great niche.

Think About Ebooks

Ebooks are growing in popularity. A while back I looked into them just for the heck of it, thinking I might uncover something of interest. I did not find a specific market that has not been touched, but I bet it's there.

I did find an idea, though. With so many people publishing ebooks, there is definitely room for a great ebook compiler. The Adobe PDF format is popular, but the compiler produces post-script files that are huge. And I don't find the reader easy to use. NeoBooks is an option, but probably unnecessarily complex to use. And it excludes MAC users; there is a reader for PDF files on MACs.

I'm not planning to write a new compiler. I have included this thought only as an example of things that may come up unexpectedly while you are searching for something else. Each such idea is a possible opportunity.

Look For Connections

As  I  was  working  on  another  article,  I  opened  the  top  drawer  of  my  desk  and grabbed  the  highlighter.  Beneath  it  was  an  old  coin  my  grandfather  gave  me years back. A penny. Dated 1849. I know nothing about coins. But this one may even be copper. It's larger than the current crop. It's worn, but the markings are still quite legible. So what's it worth? Nothing? $5000? I have no idea.

I  love  history.  How  long  would  it  take  me  to  learn  enough  about  coins  to safely buy and sell them? I can't say, for I've never looked into it.

But it would be easy enough to read a book or two, then see if I could find some action on eBay.Com.

There would be little risk in testing. Put the two ideas together, and I've got coins with a history. Maybe it's a joke. Maybe it would work. Easy enough to check it out.

Opening a site on which you plan to sell and trade rare coins, is likely to put you head to head with older more established sites that will bury you. To identify a niche, you must find good answers to the following.

* What can you offer they do not?

* Why will people come to you rather than going to them?

* What  will  you  be  able  to  say  about  yourself  and  your  site  that  sets  you apart from them?

Regardless of the competition you face, there will be less if you focus on . . .

* Coins of the 19th Century (or the century of your choice)

*  Roman Coins (or Greek)

* Gold Coins (Or silver coins, or maybe both)

* Spanish Plunder: Coins With A Bloody History

Obviously there needs to be a market for what you settle on. But assuming there is one, you can see how much easier it is to answer the questions above about the need for a narrower focus.

In  a  narrow  niche,  it  is  much  easier  to  set  yourself  apart  from  your competitors. Much easier to let  your site speak for itself and demonstrate your expertise. And it answers the question of why people should come to you, for you are now a specialist, soon to become an expert.

You will find your pages will have better positions on the search engines. In fact much better. A different set of keywords emerges from your selected subset of all coin dealers.

The Right Niche Makes It Happen

Targeted marketing is what it's all about; it's a must. You do not want visitors who do not want what you offer. They are not buyers and will only waste your time, resources, and bandwidth.

Start by listing everything you enjoy doing or talking about. Everything. I've no idea how to relate golf and history, but if you like both, put them on your list.

The oddest things can lead to something really neat. This article came from an  old  penny  in  the  top  drawer  of  my  desk.  Check  out  your  hidden  and/or forgotten   treasures.   Be   alert   to   every   crazy   notion   that   comes   to   mind. Somewhere in this madness, you will find a niche worth capturing.

Define A Niche, Then Conquer!

Looking  for  a  quality  baseball  cap?  Hey,  it's  easy.  Check  out  the  material  and workmanship.  Grab  a  color  you  like,  and  maybe  a  team  logo.  You  don't  even have  to  try  it  on!  Thanks  to  the  little  strap  in  the  back,  one  size  fits  all.  A marketer's dream.

You  can  still  buy  baseball  caps  that  are  sized.  But  they  cost  a  good  deal more  and  you  have  to  buy  in  quantity.  That  little  strap  put  a  lot  of  cap manufactures flat out of business.

Declining Options

You see this happening across the spectrum of manufactured products.

There  is  need  now  and  then  for  me  to  spend  serious  time  in  the  kitchen. Which includes washing dishes.

I  found  a  great  sponge  some  years  back.  Dark  green  on  one  side  with  a roughness to it that really does a number on a pot or frying pan. The other side is yellow, a more typical kind of manufactured sponge. Softer and thicker, it's great for polishing off the heavy scrub. Each lasts about a month, longer if you don't mind some frayed edges.

The last batch I bought looked identical to what I had been getting. But they don't  last  but  about  a  week.  And  they  do  not  do  nearly  as  good  a  job,  which means more work. No doubt I paid less, but in the long run, the cheaper version may  cost  me  more.  Yet  they  will  likely  put  the  original  manufacturer  out  of business.

Will People Pay For Quality?

My answer is a resounding, "Yes!" If I can find the original sponge mentioned above, I will buy it without even a glance at the price. It's a tool that simplifies a task.

When it comes to tools, I want the best, for they last longer and make the job easier all the while. A lot of people feel the same way.

Quality tools of any kind can become the basis of a profitable niche market. Sized baseball caps sell only on style and  comfort. Thus this is not as good a starting point. There are not nearly as many people willing to pay twice the going rate for style as there are who will do so for quality tools.

A Difficult Task

Defining a niche is tough to do. But those who intend to succeed on the Web into  the  future,  must  find  and  conquer  one.  They  must  become  the  dominant name  within  it.  They  must  provide  great  content  that  demonstrates  expertise, over-deliver with quality products, and provide extremely high levels of support to all.

But Where Do I Start?

Throughout  the  offline  world,  independent  merchants  have  been  forced  to join hands with large suppliers to the extent many are not free to stock in areas which conflict with the wishes of the suppliers. This may be most obvious in your local  hardware  store.  Most  of  the  stock  comes  through  Ace  Hardware  or  True Value Hardware.

When the owner of the store you favor says, "We can't get those any more," he  usually  means  the  supplier  no  longer  handles  the  item.  And  because  of agreements, he is not free to go elsewhere for it. More than likely, the supplier has replaced what you want with a less expensive product that may or may not measure up to its predecessor in performance.

Quality Is Available

The drill bits available in your local store are not very expensive. But they are not great tools. Those who use bits regularly as a part of their work, may pay twice as much as you will pay. But  the  bits  they  buy  will  outperform  and  outlast  their  less  expensive  cousins many, many times over.

Hardware Stores And Niche Marketing

Tools are a major item in a hardware store. But the store's target is Mr. and Mrs. Average Consumer. Most do not need great quality and would not pay the greater price even if the better item was available. But some would. Therein lies the key.

While your local hardware store may find it unprofitable to stock professional tools, may even be prevented by contracts from doing so, many customers would like the option to buy better quality.

The  Web  makes  it  possible  to  profitably  offer  only  the  best.  The  few  who would  buy  top  of  the  line  in  a  given  shop  if  it  were  available  are  collectively  a target of considerable size.

Starting Small

Several  years  back  I  discovered  bricks  of  fire  starter  cubes.  Just  touch  a match to one, and you can ignite a pretty good sized chunk of firewood, provided it  is  split.  Joy!  No  more  kindling.  No  more  nursing  things  along.  No  frustrating restarts. Just stack it, add a cube, and touch it with a lighted match.

About  eight  years  back,  the  hardware  store  changed  brands.  (Translate: Supplier  changed  brands.)  They  look  the  same.  Cost  the  same.  But  it  usually takes  several  matches.  (And  scorched  fingers!)  Further,  it  often  takes  several cubes.

Make Money Starting Fires?

I can almost hear what you are saying. "Stuff and nonsense," would be one of  the  kindlier  remarks.  But  a  successful  Web  business  can  be  built  upon  just such a simple tool.

If you live in a city, a fire in the evening is likely not a necessity, only something that adds ambiance to other activity. For those who live with the first snowfall of winter lying about them until spring, a fire is often much more than a luxury. Most everyone who lives in the foothills of  the Sierra Nevadas as I do uses a wood stove throughout the winter. Many have no other source of heat.

Okay,  so  there  are  a  lot  of  people  who  start  wood  fires.  But  fire  starter cubes? Get serious! Where's the buck in this?

Have You Got What I Want?

If you can provide good fire starter cubes, the kind I have not been able to find locally for many years, I will visit your  site once each year as a minimum. Think of the accessories you can offer me when I do.

Wood boxes. All sorts of items in which wood can be stored.

Moving  wood  is  a  pain.  An  effective  dolly  or  cart  would  be  a  great  help. Something  that  moves  easily  over  icy  snow  will  be  in  great  demand  in  some places.

Few would buy a stove from you for most need the support of installation. So turn  this  to  your  advantage.  Let  your  expertise  regarding  stoves  become  the central  core  of  your  site.  The  differences  between  stoves  are  enormous.  And defining a best choice according to needs is extremely difficult.

Along  the  path  to  expertise  there  are  many  helpful  resources.  Company sales presentations and specifications are a good beginning point. Write a good  article about a particular stove, then call the company and ask for someone to read it before you publish. Most will jump at the opportunity. And you will discover details of importance overlooked or not available earlier. You may even take this first contact into a drop shipment arrangement for an occasional sale. Do it right, and advertising revenue can be generated.

But  getting  back  to  other  products  you  can  offer,  add  the  best  wax  for  a  tiled hearth.  Brick  bracer.  And  all  it  takes  to  keep  a  stove  looking  great.  And something to deal effectively with those bugs that sneak in with the wood.

Then  there  are  teapots  to  be  perched  on  top  of  the  stove,  to  add  a  bit  of welcome  humidity.  Tools  to  clear  the  ashes  within  the  stove.  Then  there's chimney cleaning gear.

Even  attractive  pillows  for  the  pup.  which  keeps  the  carpet  clean.  And something for the cat as well, though I've no idea what.

Wrapping Up

While the above notion has merit, it is flawed in that it is seasonal. Were I to tackle this, I would probably search for another niche that was summer based, and work this through another site. Maybe barbecues and outdoor cooking.

Tools  came  to  mind  because  I  like  good  ones  and  they  are  not  easy  to  find. Since lots of people feel the same way, this is a good starting point. Cook ware comes to mind.

Yes, I know the Web is loaded with cook ware shopping malls. But have you looked  at  the  products?  They  are  virtually  all  the  same.  There  is  not  only  an opportunity here to sell quality, but to sell specialty items. What's out there now kind of reminds me of baseball caps in a way. We hope you agree that a eight inch frying pan is as small as is needed.

Since I only fry a couple eggs at a time, I'd rather have a five inch pan. Show me one of quality and I'll pay your price.

Knock Off The Guru!

You've done it. You've found a great niche and a target within it you really enjoy working  with.  It's  an  area  in  which  you  already  have  sufficient  expertise  for  a great start and you feel confident that within a very short time, you can master the  whole  of  it.  You  even  have  some  good  products  in  mind.  Further  it  has potential in the near term, with even more over time. It's just perfect. Exactly what you have been searching for.

But dominating this niche is The Guru. There's a website that seems to be working well. Lots of interactivity, so while you don't have a visitor count, there seems to be good traffic. And a newsletter. So what now? Forget it, right? Look for greener pastures, right?

No. Look closer.

You May Yet Win

Years back a friend of mine who understood the grocery business gave me a winning formula for most any business. "If you want to start a grocery business [supermarket these days]," he said, "Identify the best store in town, open up right across the street, then beat them."