August 27, 2006

Add New Streams of Revenue to Your Business!

Did You Know?

You can add new streams of income to your business by advertising for OTHER companies on your website!

If you're just getting started on the Internet -- or simply looking for ways to add new revenue streams to your business -- you might consider the option of placing ads for other companies' products on your web site.

After all, who wouldn't like to make a few extra bucks? And it's so simple -- you just put up a couple of ads on your site and wait for the cash to roll in, right?

Um... wrong. At least, that's not the way it usually works.

When you're just starting out, your primary focus needs to be on promoting your OWN business -- not someone else's.

It's far better to build a relationship with your target market and generate interest in your own products than it is to try generating profits by advertising another company's items.

Not only that, but you could be opening yourself up to a whole new set of problems...

  • What if your visitors click on the ads and never
    return to your site?
  • What if you just end up sending business to your
    competitors?
  • What if your visitors are turned off by your ads
    because they see them as nothing more than a
    "cash grab"?

To make your site attractive to companies looking for potential advertisers, you'll need to have a great niche market, tons of traffic, and the promise of good ad placement on your site.

Most companies won't even consider placing an ad on your site until you can guarantee that you're receiving a large number of highly targeted visitors on a daily or monthly basis.

However, there are ways for you to make money through advertising on your web site, even if you don't have huge amounts of traffic. In fact, one of these strategies might even help drive traffic your way!

One thing, though:

While promoting other companies' products on your site might be a good way to create new streams of income for your business, it's important to remember that not all ads work for all businesses.

If you decide to start experimenting with placing ads on your site, there are three things you absolutely HAVE to do:

1. Test
2. Test
3. Test AGAIN!

You want to make sure you're testing the impact of every element of your new ad campaigns to make sure they're having a positive effect on your business.

As you start out, be sure to carefully test the following:

  • different products for different companies
  • different styles of ads
  • different types of ad copy
  • different positioning of ads on your web site

You need to monitor your conversion rates to make sure that they stay as high as possible as you try out your various ad campaigns. That way, you'll discover which Internet advertising techniques REALLY work for you and your business -- and keep working!

The most important thing when choosing which ads to place on your site is to ensure they are for products your target market is actually INTERESTED in.

You'll want to advertise products that complement your own product or service and offer real benefits to your market. Only then can you guarantee that your visitors will be happy to see your ads, instead of being turned off by them.

August 26, 2006

YouTube - My Cubicle...

Heh, if you ever needed a really good reason to start a home business and work for yourself, then this is it. It's a funny spin-off of James Blunt's hit song "You're Beautiful," which appears on his latest album Back to Bedlam... and it really knocks it home. Enjoy!

My Cubicle

August 24, 2006

Video - FTC Proposed Business Opportunity Rule...

Here's a clip regarding the FTC's proposed Business Opportunity Rule. And while the video itself seems kinda cheesy and scripted (in my opinion), it does hit upon some of the major issues that have been brought into question recently.

It highlights some of the concerns of professionals in well-known direct selling companies like Mary Kay, Country Bunny Bath & Body, Avon and even Tupperware. And it addresses crucial issues like privacy rights and due process.

The FTC Threat to Network Marketing

Home Business Today Quote of the Week...

Home Business Today Quote of the Week:

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

August 22, 2006

The Imperial Palace Casino Sucks!

If you're thinking of taking a trip to Biloxi, Mississippi to visit the Imperial Palace Casino... don't!

The Imperial Palace Casino (a.k.a. IP Hotel & Casino) sucks. Why? Well, just read about Dave Robison's recent misadventure and you'll know why.

Their motto? "More Than You Expect!" And that's certainly true in this case. Dave and his wife definitely got more than they expected... more RUDENESS, that is.

I don't know about you, but the last time I checked it wasn't in a business's best interest to refer to its clientele as UGLY! Here's what was said to Dave's wife: "I don't know what you are talking about! I've never seen YOUR UGLY FACE BEFORE! YOU MUST be DRUNK!"

Wow. So I have two words for the IP Hotel & Casino:
1. Never
2. Visiting

Anyway, be sure to head on over to Dave's blog and read more about this craziness in The Imperial Palace Casino Sucks! Then spread the word. Rudeness like this needs to be knocked down hard.

August 20, 2006

Home Business Today - Eight Common Phrases...

One of the reasons I respect Dave Stone so much is because he's never the least bit afraid to "say it like it is."

That, and when he says it like it is it's generally with sort of style or comedic nuance attached, like this one...

Here are the Eight Common Phrases to look out for, Courtesy of Dave Stone.

August 19, 2006

WordPress Downloaded Over 1 Million Times...

From The Blog Herald:

"WordPress just broke a new record having served up over a million downloads. The number will undoubtedly continue to exponentially grow and I congratulate the developers for their hard work and persistance."

Wow, that's quite a milestone! Kudos to all of you over there at WordPress! *woot, woot* By the way, you can check out the current WordPress download count here on the WordPress Download Counter.

Related: WordPress 2.0 (Version 2.0.4) Download WordPress

Remarkably Effective Strategies for Driving Traffic...

SEOmoz is well-known for helping companies and individuals drive a significant amount of traffic to their websites. They use the following effective methods to do so, and have begun sharing them with the blogosphere.

#10 - Targeting Unmonetized Searches
#9 - Creating Controversy
#8 - Maps & Mashups
#7 - Event Coverage
#6 - Top Ten Lists
#5 - Online Tools
#4- Graphic & Web Design
#3 - Leveraging Social Networks
#2 - Blogging & Blog Comments
#1 - Reporting Remarkable News
#0 - Offering Something Incredible

"In the last six months, we've been lucky enough to help quite a few companies and websites drive significant traffic to their sites. Many of these campaigns have been constructed around the goal of building search engine rankings, as this is our primary business, but we've also found that our ability has given us great power in the fields of brand-awareness and marketing overall..."

CAN - Team Hoyt Inspires the World...

Because You'll NEVER Succeed with Can't

Here's one of the most inspiring stories I've ever come across. Team Hoyt, a father-and-son team from Massachusetts, is made up of Dick Hoyt and Rick Hoyt. Rick, the son, has cerebral palsy, and together they complete in marathons and triathlons across the country.

As Rick says, "Dad, when I'm running it feels like I'm not even handicapped."

And get this, when Team Hoyt entered their first triathlon (held on Father's Day), Dick first had to learn how to swim! "I sank like a stone at first," Dick recalled with a laugh. "And I hadn't been on a bike since I was six years old."

Together, Team Hoyt has been in over 900 races. Here's some video of their amazing and inspiring story that undoubtedly proves they know only one word... CAN.

Team Hoyt...
Making the Impossible Possible



August 16, 2006

Home Business Today - Scope and Bubbles?

Because Living IN a Bubble
Ain't This Pretty!

This post doesn't have anything to do with marketing tips or home based business tips, but as most readers here have noticed and welcomed in the last couple of weeks, I've been systematically broadening the scope of Home Business Today.

And that's because I know Network Marketers don't live in a self-contained bubble... especially a marketing and money-making bubble! The goings on of everyday life effect us just the same, whether they're money-related, family-related, politically-oriented, etc.

Why? Because we're not marketing machines or robots. We're humans. We're humans who are deeply focused on improving our own lives, as well as the lives of those around us. And we simply cannot thrive on content that is strictly 100% business-related all the time.

We need things that'll help us grow and improve and prosper... but not only as Network Marketers and MLMers, but as People. And not only monetarily, but socially and emotionally as well.

And so, we need to remain increasingly connected to the world... for any disconnection yields but sparse and sporadic results. In order to be totally successful, we must be fully "in tune" with all that surrounds us.

And so, Home Business Today will continue to publish a broader spectrum of exciting and useful content for you. Hopefully you'll find it enriching.

August 15, 2006

Big Al's One-Minute Presentation...

OK, You've Got One Minute!

Just like any other industry, once you begin to understand exactly what your customers and prospects want, and what they want to know, there's little else that can hold you back from succeeding in your home based business.

So, what do your prospects want to know?

Well, with that all-important question in mind, here's some valuable advice from Tom Schreiter (a.k.a. Big Al) that'll answer just that...

What is the perfect length of your opportunity presentation?

Walk up to a prospect and say:

"I can give you a long presentation or a short
presentation. Which one would you prefer?"

Call a prospect and say:

"I can give you a long presentation or a short
presentation. Which one would you prefer?"

The answer is obvious.

Short.

Prospects are super busy with family, jobs, e-mail
and cable television. They want to know these things
right away:

1. What kind of business are you in?
2. How much money can I make?
3. What do I have to do to earn that money?

If you can answer those questions quickly, you will keep
your prospect interested. That's what I call a "One-Minute
Presentation."

Try putting your "One-Minute Presentation" together now
and have it ready for your next prospect. Your prospect
will love it, and you'll be building your business with ease.

August 12, 2006

Rich Dad Comes Clean...

Here's a neat little video of Robert Kiyosaki, author of the well-known Rich Dad Poor Dad series, talking up the Network Marketing Industry.

It the video he admits that he used to have a "negative or close-minded attitude" toward Network Marketing, but now finds it extremely beneficial in many ways.

Here are some of the "beauties" of Network Marketing that he talks about:

Network Marketing...

  • Teaches the mental & technical skills for success
  • Teaches the ability to communicate & build businesses
  • Gives you time and educates you
  • Teaches you self-confidence

"The beauty of Network Marketing works really hand-in-hand and builds you up, teaches you how to increase your income, builds a self-confidence..."

In the video he also references his "CASHFLOW Quadrant," so just in case you're not entirely familiar with it, here's the breakdown:

E= employee, B= business owner, S= self-employed, I= investor.

Incidentally, his free Rich Dad Affiliate Program has proven to be one of the most profitable around as well. It's one of the better earners here on this blog, so I'm definitely glad I utilized it.

Robert Kiyosaki on Network Marketing

Home Business Today Quote of the Week...

"Respect human talent, respond to genius, recognize reality, admire truth and beauty, realize the meaning of the rare flower Reason."
-Peter Nivio Zarlenga, The Orator, "Flight", 1977

August 6, 2006

103bees Search Term Analytics...

Don't Want People to Buzz Off?

Then 103bees.com might just bee your answer!

103bees is a free tool that analyzes your inbound search engine traffic for your blog or website. You just add a small piece of javascript code to your template and you're go to go.

103bees then goes to work by analyzing which search engines your traffic comes from, what keywords your visitors searched in order to get to your blog or website, what page they landed on on your website or blog, etc.

Basically, 103bees is a real-time online web analytics tool that is highly focused on search term analysis.

Slurp - Yahoo! Launches New Web Crawler...

Yahoo! Launches a New Crawler...

If you've noticed any difference in the traffic coming to your blog or website from Yahoo! recently, then it could be due to the new Yahoo! Search Engine Crawler called, "Slurp."

Slurp? But This Isn't 7-Eleven!

Well, not to be confused with a Slurpee, "Slurp" is Yahoo!'s new web-indexing robot. It's their new web crawler that searches the web and indexes websites (puts content into the Yahoo! search engine).

And according to Yahoo!, Slurp is much faster and more efficient when crawling your site... meaning that it uses less of your bandwidth when visiting.

Sounds good to me! Slurp away!

Google SEO Answers from Matt Cutts...

SEO Answers on Google Video

If you want to learn how to rank well in Google, and if you want the facts straight from a Google employee (Google lead senior engineer), then you might just want to take a peak at the videos Matt Cutts has recently recorded.

So far he's recorded 6 videos that answer a variety of SEO (search engine optimization) questions, and here they are:

VIDEO: Sessions 1, 2, 3
VIDEO:
Sessions 4, 5, 6

Article Directories - Free Articles For Your Use...

I Spy Something Free...

If you're looking for some good extra content to use on your site or your blog then, article directories are your answer.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of writers on the Internet, and many of them allow you to republish their articles. You can find thousands of free articles at the following article directories.

GoArticles.com
EzineArticles.com
NetMLMArticles.com
ArticleCity.com

Home Business today Quote of the Week...

"Eighty percent of success is showing up."
-Woody Allen

August 4, 2006

Google Scholar Released...


Need a simple way to search for books, articles, abstracts and scholarly literature? Well, Google has released the beta version of Google Scholar

What is Google Scholar? Well...

"Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.

Google Scholar helps you identify the most relevant research across the world of scholarly research."

Features of Google Scholar

  • Search diverse sources from one convenient place
  • Find papers, abstracts and citations
  • Locate complete papers through your library or on the Web
  • Learn about key papers in any area of search

How to Generate Leads - 5 Easy Ways...

One question that comes up rather frequently on many of the business forums, especially MLM forums, is this...

"How can I generate my own leads?"

Well, the answer is actually quite simple...

5 Easy Ways to Generate Leads

  • Using a lead capture page
  • Sizzle cards, drop cards, billboard cards, a.k.a. "Ad cards"
  • Postcards and mini-flyers
  • An 800 number with voicemail
  • Online and offline advertisements
If you're looking for the best MLM leads (home business leads and Network Marketing leads), then be sure to check out FastMLMLeads. They've proven to be the best through time and testing.

Sales Taxes Take a Holiday...

Sales Taxes Take a Holiday
Shoppers Sticking it to The Man

In some states, this weekend is what's known as a "sales tax holiday." This means that shoppers get a break from paying state and local taxes on certain goods like: school supplies, clothing and footwear.

And shoppers seeking these breaks are in no short supply. For example, this year's tax holiday has seen a huge spike in Web searches for things like: "Georgia tax free weekend," "North Carolina tax free weekend," "tax free holiday" and "tax free shopping."

According to the Yahoo! Buzz Log, searches on "tax free weekend" are up 112%. Other popular searches include: "tax free shopping," "tax free items," "tax free holiday," "tax free school shopping," and "tax free days."

Yahoo! Buzz Log:

We all love to take any tiny opportunity to stick it to The Man. This weekend's brief overthrow of sales tax in select states affords proud Americans the opportunity to buy even more stuff they don't need. We kid, but we're sure sneaky shoppers will use the tax break for reasons other than the intended back-to-school supplies.

George Bush Sings "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

A little Friday humor... Enjoy!

George Bush Sings "Sunday Bloody Sunday"