If a stay-at-home Mum or Dad wants to start a home based business, he/she has plenty of options. The following are some of the business ideas:--
(i) Medical and legal Transcription:-- People who have a good command over the English language and good keyboarding skills, can choose medical or legal transcription as their profession. It requires a very low overhead cost.
(ii) Medical claims billing:-- This is also a lucrative work-from-home business. However, it requires some financial skills.
(iii) Web design:-- If you have the necessary skills to design good quality websites, you can turn it into a lucrative home based business. Though, the investment for necessary hardware and software is high, the returns are good.
(iv) Affiliate marketing:-- Online affiliate marketing programs involve promoting different products on the internet. Generally, you are paid a commission on sales or lead. The biggest advantage of affiliate marketing is that you do not have to physically store any product. The storage, handling and shipping are all handled by the vendor.
(v) Accounting :-- If you possess extensive financial skills and have good knowledge about accounting practices and tax laws, you may offer your services to local small businesses. You may also purchase a tax and accounting franchise for your area.
(vi) Desktop publishing :-- If you have skills in DTP, and create brochures and newsletters, offer your services to different small businesses.
(vii) Computer repair :-- This is also a good home based business. But you must have a thorough knowledge about computer hardware.
(viii) Consulting :-- If you are an expert in some area, offer your consulting services to others.
(ix) Catering :-- If you have a flair for cooking, start a catering business from your home.
(X) Interior design :-- This is also a lucrative work-from-home business for stay-at-home mothers.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Directory Submission -- Seven Tips
Good quality links from reputed sites (which have the same topic as yours), is crucial for getting a high rank in the search engine results. When visiting a website, the search engine bots look at the quantity and quality of the incoming links to that site. The higher the number of quality incoming links, the higher will be the position of the site in the search engines. Directory submission is the most widely used link building method used by online marketers. Some of the benefits of directory submission are as follows:--
(a) Increases your backlinks.
(b) Leads to frequent visits by the search engine robots.
(c) Helps in search engine indexing.
(d) Drives traffic to your site.
(e) Promotes brand awareness.
The following are some tips to help you submit your site to different
online directories:--
(i) Research -- Before you start submitting your site, research each directory, the guidelines for submission and the different categories. Make sure that the concerned directory has the relevant category for your site.
(ii) Category -- Selection of the most appropriate category is vital. Your site is likely to get rejected if the same is submitted to the wrong category. If there are two categories which are relevant to your site, submit to the one which has the least number of links.
(iii) Make sure that your site is ready for submission and is not full of broken links. Read the directory submission guidelines and follow them.
(iv) Description -- Write a short description of your website. Generally, most directories require a description of not more than 150 - 250 characters or 15 - 25 words. However, some directories may accept a smaller/larger description. This description will be displayed below the link of your site. Try to incorporate your important keywords in the description. But do not stuff too much keywords or it may sound spammy. Make sure to describe the site and not the business. Never use any promotional language. Be very clear and professional in your approach.
(v) Title -- In the title, list the official page title of your site. If possible, try to include the primary keyword for your homepage in it.
(vi) Keywords -- Many directories would require you to submit your keywords, in addition to the description of your site. Therefore, you should list the keywords/keyphrases in order of importance. Some directories may want the keywords/keyphrases separated by commas whereas others may want them separated by spaces. So, you should make two lists, formatted in two ways.
(vii) Follow-up -- After you submit your site to a directory, keep track of the submission to see when the same has been added to the directory. If the site has not been added within a reasonable time, it may be resubmitted after four weeks.
(a) Increases your backlinks.
(b) Leads to frequent visits by the search engine robots.
(c) Helps in search engine indexing.
(d) Drives traffic to your site.
(e) Promotes brand awareness.
The following are some tips to help you submit your site to different
online directories:--
(i) Research -- Before you start submitting your site, research each directory, the guidelines for submission and the different categories. Make sure that the concerned directory has the relevant category for your site.
(ii) Category -- Selection of the most appropriate category is vital. Your site is likely to get rejected if the same is submitted to the wrong category. If there are two categories which are relevant to your site, submit to the one which has the least number of links.
(iii) Make sure that your site is ready for submission and is not full of broken links. Read the directory submission guidelines and follow them.
(iv) Description -- Write a short description of your website. Generally, most directories require a description of not more than 150 - 250 characters or 15 - 25 words. However, some directories may accept a smaller/larger description. This description will be displayed below the link of your site. Try to incorporate your important keywords in the description. But do not stuff too much keywords or it may sound spammy. Make sure to describe the site and not the business. Never use any promotional language. Be very clear and professional in your approach.
(v) Title -- In the title, list the official page title of your site. If possible, try to include the primary keyword for your homepage in it.
(vi) Keywords -- Many directories would require you to submit your keywords, in addition to the description of your site. Therefore, you should list the keywords/keyphrases in order of importance. Some directories may want the keywords/keyphrases separated by commas whereas others may want them separated by spaces. So, you should make two lists, formatted in two ways.
(vii) Follow-up -- After you submit your site to a directory, keep track of the submission to see when the same has been added to the directory. If the site has not been added within a reasonable time, it may be resubmitted after four weeks.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Forums -- How to Use Them for Promoting Your Internet Business?
There are different ways to promote an internet business. 'Pay Per Click advertising, banner advertising, article marketing, forum marketing etc. are the different ways which can be used to promote your site on the web. Here, we shall discuss about forum marketing, which is one of the simplest internet marketing strategies used by internet entrepreneurs to market their businesses online.
There are hundreds of forums on the internet. Some of these are general forums whereas some are niche specific. Forums can be used to share information on a specific subject or just socialize. Active participation in forums is a great way to market an online business. The benefits of participating in forums are as follows:
(a) Builds backlinks.
(b) Drives traffic.
(c) Builds your reputation.
(d) Provides help and ideas from other members.
(e) Helps you to publish special offers.
The first step for forum marketing is to decide which forums to join. You must join forums which have the same topic as to that of your website or closely relate to it. This will help you to get access to people who may be interested in the products or services which you offer. For example, if you have a 'Dog Training' website then it will be useless to join a gardening forum or a car forum. Members there will only be interested in gardening or cars. So, with a 'Dog Training' website, you must join forums which are related to the subject. You can search in 'Google' to find out the relevant forums and join them one by one. Before joining a forum, read the TOS carefully. You must adhere to the rules of a forum. For example, most of the forums do not allow any blatant advertisement. You may promote your website only through the signature link at the end of each post. Some forums do not allow the use of any affiliate link in the signature line and you can only use the URL of your own website there. Failure to adhere to the rules of a forum may get you banned from it.
Sometimes, search engines like Google crawl popular forums and index many posts. So, your posts may appear in the search engines along with your website URL in the signature line. This will help to drive traffic to it.
After joining a forum, you must participate in the discussions on a regular basis. Always try to help other members of the forum by answering their questions and giving valuable advice. If you add value to the forum, more and more members will click your link and visit your website.
There are hundreds of forums on the internet. Some of these are general forums whereas some are niche specific. Forums can be used to share information on a specific subject or just socialize. Active participation in forums is a great way to market an online business. The benefits of participating in forums are as follows:
(a) Builds backlinks.
(b) Drives traffic.
(c) Builds your reputation.
(d) Provides help and ideas from other members.
(e) Helps you to publish special offers.
The first step for forum marketing is to decide which forums to join. You must join forums which have the same topic as to that of your website or closely relate to it. This will help you to get access to people who may be interested in the products or services which you offer. For example, if you have a 'Dog Training' website then it will be useless to join a gardening forum or a car forum. Members there will only be interested in gardening or cars. So, with a 'Dog Training' website, you must join forums which are related to the subject. You can search in 'Google' to find out the relevant forums and join them one by one. Before joining a forum, read the TOS carefully. You must adhere to the rules of a forum. For example, most of the forums do not allow any blatant advertisement. You may promote your website only through the signature link at the end of each post. Some forums do not allow the use of any affiliate link in the signature line and you can only use the URL of your own website there. Failure to adhere to the rules of a forum may get you banned from it.
Sometimes, search engines like Google crawl popular forums and index many posts. So, your posts may appear in the search engines along with your website URL in the signature line. This will help to drive traffic to it.
After joining a forum, you must participate in the discussions on a regular basis. Always try to help other members of the forum by answering their questions and giving valuable advice. If you add value to the forum, more and more members will click your link and visit your website.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Affiliate Marketing -- Advantages & Disadvantages
Affiliate marketing is a form of online business which involves a mutually beneficial partnership between website owners and merchants. There is an agreement between the site owner and the merchant under which the former promotes the products and services of the latter and gets a commission for each sale or lead. This form of marketing is very attractive for online entrepreneurs and is suitable for both experienced and newbie marketers. However, like any other business, affiliate marketing also has certain advantages and disadvantages. Some of these are discussed below:--
ADVANTAGES --
(i) As the affiliates are promoting the products, the merchants do not have to spend their valuable time in searching for new customers. They can get a much bigger market without any extra effort.
(ii) The affiliates do not have to create their own products to promote. This is very
suitable for new marketers.
(iii) Affiliate marketing business does not require a large investment.
(iv) It is an easy way to create an additional income for website owners. The only thing they have to do is to show some banners which promote the affiliate products and generate sales.
(v) The rate of commission is generally very high. Affiliate networks, like Clickbank, pay commission which may go up to 70% to 80% of the price of the product.
(vi) The affiliate marketer is only concerned with promoting the products. He does not have to worry about delivery of the same and other e commerce related activities, for which, the merchant is responsible.
(vii) The affiliate marketer can work full time or part time, maintaining his day job.
(viii) Affiliate marketing gives people an opportunity to work from their homes. They can work on their own time. They can work only for a few hours a day and earn money 24/7. With a laptop and internet connection, the affiliate marketer can work even when he is on a vacation.
(ix) Merchants generally provide different marketing tools for promoting their products, which help the affiliates in their business.
DISADVANTAGES --
(i) The merchants have to pay high commission to the affiliates. They also have to incur additional costs to maintain them. All these additional costs reduce the profit levels.
(ii) Sometimes, dishonest affiliates may engage in misleading advertising to make sales. They make false claims and promises regarding the products or services.
(iii) In some cases, merchants may close down their programs without informing the affiliates or paying their commissions.
(iv) Link hijackers may hijack the affiliate links and steal the commission due to the affiliates.
(v) If you promote a product which is of poor quality, you may lose visitors and they may stop visiting your site again.
(vi) Success in affiliate marketing requires hard work. You must have a good knowledge of SEO and different internet marketing techniques. Due to this, only a small percentage of affiliate marketers achieve success in their businesses.
ADVANTAGES --
(i) As the affiliates are promoting the products, the merchants do not have to spend their valuable time in searching for new customers. They can get a much bigger market without any extra effort.
(ii) The affiliates do not have to create their own products to promote. This is very
suitable for new marketers.
(iii) Affiliate marketing business does not require a large investment.
(iv) It is an easy way to create an additional income for website owners. The only thing they have to do is to show some banners which promote the affiliate products and generate sales.
(v) The rate of commission is generally very high. Affiliate networks, like Clickbank, pay commission which may go up to 70% to 80% of the price of the product.
(vi) The affiliate marketer is only concerned with promoting the products. He does not have to worry about delivery of the same and other e commerce related activities, for which, the merchant is responsible.
(vii) The affiliate marketer can work full time or part time, maintaining his day job.
(viii) Affiliate marketing gives people an opportunity to work from their homes. They can work on their own time. They can work only for a few hours a day and earn money 24/7. With a laptop and internet connection, the affiliate marketer can work even when he is on a vacation.
(ix) Merchants generally provide different marketing tools for promoting their products, which help the affiliates in their business.
DISADVANTAGES --
(i) The merchants have to pay high commission to the affiliates. They also have to incur additional costs to maintain them. All these additional costs reduce the profit levels.
(ii) Sometimes, dishonest affiliates may engage in misleading advertising to make sales. They make false claims and promises regarding the products or services.
(iii) In some cases, merchants may close down their programs without informing the affiliates or paying their commissions.
(iv) Link hijackers may hijack the affiliate links and steal the commission due to the affiliates.
(v) If you promote a product which is of poor quality, you may lose visitors and they may stop visiting your site again.
(vi) Success in affiliate marketing requires hard work. You must have a good knowledge of SEO and different internet marketing techniques. Due to this, only a small percentage of affiliate marketers achieve success in their businesses.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Nine Advantages of Starting an Online Homebased Business
All over the world, more and more entrepreneurs are discovering the benefits of starting an online business out of their homes. It is the right decision for people who want to get out of the rat race and spend more time with their family and friends. Here are nine reasons to to start an online business from your home:--
(a) Freedom -- The biggest advantage of an online homebased business is personal freedom. Research shows that an average American spends 348 hours each year commuting. As you do not have to go to office every day, this time is saved. There is no fixed work schedule, no dress code and no boss.
(b) As many functions of your online business can be automated, you can start an online homebased business while maintaining your 9 to 5 job.
(c) An online business enables you to keep all the money which you make. Your earnings are directly proportional to your work. But in a job, you have to wait for a raise or promotion.
(d) When running an online business from your home, you do not have to keep stock of goods or need a separate office space. You only need a computer and internet access.
(e) The investment required to start an online business is much less than that of a conventional offline business. Actually, for starting an online business, you only have to pay for domain and hosting.
(f) You do not have to worry about competition. As the number of online shoppers are increasing daily, the supply of prospects and customers will be plenty.
(g) It is very easy to expand your online business. If you want to increase your product range or branch into other niches, start another website in that niche and promote those products.
(h) An online business will make you money 24/7. Your site will earn for you even when you are sleeping or enjoying a vacation.
(i) Having your home and office under one roof, you will enjoy certain tax benefits. For example, a percentage of your home's maintenance and depreciation expenses can be deducted as business expense.
(a) Freedom -- The biggest advantage of an online homebased business is personal freedom. Research shows that an average American spends 348 hours each year commuting. As you do not have to go to office every day, this time is saved. There is no fixed work schedule, no dress code and no boss.
(b) As many functions of your online business can be automated, you can start an online homebased business while maintaining your 9 to 5 job.
(c) An online business enables you to keep all the money which you make. Your earnings are directly proportional to your work. But in a job, you have to wait for a raise or promotion.
(d) When running an online business from your home, you do not have to keep stock of goods or need a separate office space. You only need a computer and internet access.
(e) The investment required to start an online business is much less than that of a conventional offline business. Actually, for starting an online business, you only have to pay for domain and hosting.
(f) You do not have to worry about competition. As the number of online shoppers are increasing daily, the supply of prospects and customers will be plenty.
(g) It is very easy to expand your online business. If you want to increase your product range or branch into other niches, start another website in that niche and promote those products.
(h) An online business will make you money 24/7. Your site will earn for you even when you are sleeping or enjoying a vacation.
(i) Having your home and office under one roof, you will enjoy certain tax benefits. For example, a percentage of your home's maintenance and depreciation expenses can be deducted as business expense.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Five Ways to Earn Money From Your Website or Blog
The primary goal of any webmaster or blogger is to earn money from his/her website or blog. E commerce websites earn money from e commerce activities. In the case of informational websites or blogs, the main source of revenue is advertising. The following are the different ways to earn money from your website or blog:--
(a) PPC advertising -- PPC or 'Pay Per Click' advertising is the most popular source of revenue for informational websites or blogs. 'Google Adsense' and 'Yahoo Search Marketing' are two major networks under this category. After you sign up with these networks, you will be served with some contextual ads, relevant to the subject of your site/blog. When visitors click on these ads, certain amount of money is earned. The amount of money earned depends upon the level of traffic and the niche of your website or blog. Examples of some profitable niches are mortgages, loans, insurance, college education etc.
(b) CPM advertising -- This is more or less similar to PPC advertising. Here, you get paid according to the page views or impressions that the ad displayed on your site will generate. CPM stands for 'Cost per Mille' which refers to cost per thousand impressions. For example, if your website generates 50,000 page views per month and the CPM is $1, the monthly earning will be $50. The CPM rates vary with the network. The rate may be as low as $0.10 and as high as $10 for one thousand impressions. Some popular CPM networks are: Casale Media, Value Click, Tribal Fusion, Advertising.com etc.
(c) Direct advertising -- If you have got a large website with a very big audience, you can sell your own advertising space. This is very lucrative as it enables you to cut out the middleman commissions. You can also set your own rates.
(d) Affiliate marketing -- Affiliate marketing is also a very popular way to earn money from your website or blog. It involves selling other people's products for a commission. As an affiliate, you are required to send potential customers to the merchant website. If they purchase something from there, you will get a commission. The commission may vary and may go up to 80% of the price (for digital products). Some reputed affiliate marketing networks are Clickbank, Commission Junction, Link Share etc.
(e) Sponsored Reviews -- If you have a blog, you can write sponsored posts on different topics. This is also known as 'Paid Blogging'. Some 'Paid Blogging' networks are PayPerPost, Sponsored Reviews, ReviewMe, BlogVertise, Smorty etc.
In addition to the above, there are many other ways to earn money from a website or blog. Some of these are -- private forums, job boards, market places, pop-up and pop-under ads, audio ads, donations etc.
(a) PPC advertising -- PPC or 'Pay Per Click' advertising is the most popular source of revenue for informational websites or blogs. 'Google Adsense' and 'Yahoo Search Marketing' are two major networks under this category. After you sign up with these networks, you will be served with some contextual ads, relevant to the subject of your site/blog. When visitors click on these ads, certain amount of money is earned. The amount of money earned depends upon the level of traffic and the niche of your website or blog. Examples of some profitable niches are mortgages, loans, insurance, college education etc.
(b) CPM advertising -- This is more or less similar to PPC advertising. Here, you get paid according to the page views or impressions that the ad displayed on your site will generate. CPM stands for 'Cost per Mille' which refers to cost per thousand impressions. For example, if your website generates 50,000 page views per month and the CPM is $1, the monthly earning will be $50. The CPM rates vary with the network. The rate may be as low as $0.10 and as high as $10 for one thousand impressions. Some popular CPM networks are: Casale Media, Value Click, Tribal Fusion, Advertising.com etc.
(c) Direct advertising -- If you have got a large website with a very big audience, you can sell your own advertising space. This is very lucrative as it enables you to cut out the middleman commissions. You can also set your own rates.
(d) Affiliate marketing -- Affiliate marketing is also a very popular way to earn money from your website or blog. It involves selling other people's products for a commission. As an affiliate, you are required to send potential customers to the merchant website. If they purchase something from there, you will get a commission. The commission may vary and may go up to 80% of the price (for digital products). Some reputed affiliate marketing networks are Clickbank, Commission Junction, Link Share etc.
(e) Sponsored Reviews -- If you have a blog, you can write sponsored posts on different topics. This is also known as 'Paid Blogging'. Some 'Paid Blogging' networks are PayPerPost, Sponsored Reviews, ReviewMe, BlogVertise, Smorty etc.
In addition to the above, there are many other ways to earn money from a website or blog. Some of these are -- private forums, job boards, market places, pop-up and pop-under ads, audio ads, donations etc.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Six Steps to Build your Opt-in-List
Money is in the list. An opt-in-list is a list of customers who are interested in the products or services which you offer. It is an essential tool for all successful internet marketers. Having a list is like having a ready-made customer group. Let us assume that you have a list of 1000 members and you send out an e mail promoting a $50 product. If only 5% of your members purchase the product, the revenue earned will be $2500. When a person visits a website for the first time, generally, he/she is not ready to purchase anything from it. It takes 3 to 5 times of contact before the person is ready to trust and purchase anything from you. An opt-in-list helps you to follow up with your customers and to gain their trust.
Here are some steps to build your opt-in-list or mailing list:--
(a) Create a separate lead capture page with only a sign-up form in it. Let your visitors know what they are going to get by signing up for your list. In exchange of their e mail IDs, give them something of value, e.g. some e book or e course or some report related to your niche.
(b) A sign-up form should be placed at the top of all the pages which receive high traffic. This includes any blogs which you may be running. Make sure that the visitors are able to see the sign-up form.
(c) A small pop up ad asking for the names and e mail addresses may be used to catch the attention of the visitors.
(d) The lead capture page may be advertised on different traffic exchanges. The members of traffic exchanges are likely to take something which is offered for free.
(e) Audio and video components may be used to direct the visitor to the opt-in-box. Use of these technologies help to increase the conversion rate by about 30%.
(f) Assure your subscribers that you do not spam or sell their e mail addresses. Do not let your visitors click a link to read the 'Privacy Statement'. It should be clearly mentioned on the opt-in-page.
Here are some steps to build your opt-in-list or mailing list:--
(a) Create a separate lead capture page with only a sign-up form in it. Let your visitors know what they are going to get by signing up for your list. In exchange of their e mail IDs, give them something of value, e.g. some e book or e course or some report related to your niche.
(b) A sign-up form should be placed at the top of all the pages which receive high traffic. This includes any blogs which you may be running. Make sure that the visitors are able to see the sign-up form.
(c) A small pop up ad asking for the names and e mail addresses may be used to catch the attention of the visitors.
(d) The lead capture page may be advertised on different traffic exchanges. The members of traffic exchanges are likely to take something which is offered for free.
(e) Audio and video components may be used to direct the visitor to the opt-in-box. Use of these technologies help to increase the conversion rate by about 30%.
(f) Assure your subscribers that you do not spam or sell their e mail addresses. Do not let your visitors click a link to read the 'Privacy Statement'. It should be clearly mentioned on the opt-in-page.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
How to Use Traffic Exchanges to Promote Your Website?
For success in any online business, getting a lot of traffic is the most essential ingredient. Whether you are selling your own product or doing affiliate marketing, you must drive a lot of traffic to your website. The higher the traffic, the higher will be your clicks and sales. There are different ways to drive traffic to your website -- PPC ads, article marketing, forum marketing etc. Traffic exchanges are very effective for driving a lot of traffic to any website. These exchanges work on a credit system. Here, the members earn credits by clicking and visiting other people's websites. For example, for visiting two sites you may get five credits. The credits earned can be used to show your own ads and websites to other members of the exchange.
Sometimes, when you register with a traffic exchange, you are given some bonus credits. In the members' area, you can submit the URLs which you want to be shown to other people. These URLs can be changed later, if required. You can also earn additional credits by referring other members to the exchange. In the members' area, you can keep track of the credits you have earned and those utilized for showing your site to others. Each exchange has it's own rules and systems which must be followed by it's members.
There are two types of traffic exchanges -- manual and automated. In manual traffic exchanges the members are required to surf the sites manually. They have to view each site for a fixed period of time -- which may range from a few seconds to a minute. After this period is over, they have to click a button to view the next site. But, in automated sites (also known as autosurfs), the ads come rolling in automatically, at the click of a button. Therefore, manual exchanges are much better than automated ones as in the latter, there is no guarantee that your ads are being actually seen by somebody. In manual sites, you can be sure that your ads are actually viewed.
The greatest disadvantage of traffic exchanges is that the traffic received is not targeted and the sales conversions are usually very low. A lot depends on the title and description of the ads which are put in. But traffic exchanges have been found to be successful with lead capture pages or splash pages and for promoting multilevel marketing programs.
Sometimes, when you register with a traffic exchange, you are given some bonus credits. In the members' area, you can submit the URLs which you want to be shown to other people. These URLs can be changed later, if required. You can also earn additional credits by referring other members to the exchange. In the members' area, you can keep track of the credits you have earned and those utilized for showing your site to others. Each exchange has it's own rules and systems which must be followed by it's members.
There are two types of traffic exchanges -- manual and automated. In manual traffic exchanges the members are required to surf the sites manually. They have to view each site for a fixed period of time -- which may range from a few seconds to a minute. After this period is over, they have to click a button to view the next site. But, in automated sites (also known as autosurfs), the ads come rolling in automatically, at the click of a button. Therefore, manual exchanges are much better than automated ones as in the latter, there is no guarantee that your ads are being actually seen by somebody. In manual sites, you can be sure that your ads are actually viewed.
The greatest disadvantage of traffic exchanges is that the traffic received is not targeted and the sales conversions are usually very low. A lot depends on the title and description of the ads which are put in. But traffic exchanges have been found to be successful with lead capture pages or splash pages and for promoting multilevel marketing programs.
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