How To Start An Online Store

Q. A member of a Work At Home Mom forum that I frequent asked how she should go about setting up an online store. Specifically, she wanted to know how to setup credit card payments and if she should set everything up herself or hire someone else.

A. One of the first things you need to do, from a strictly online perspective (this is assuming you’ve done things like file with the state, figured out your business name, etc), is purchase a domain name. Then you need to find hosting and a shopping cart. I mention those together, because you want to make sure your shopping cart software is compatible with your host’s server setup.

You will also need to figure out how you want to accept payment from your customers. And you’ll need to make sure that the system you choose works with your shopping cart. In some cases, there will be additional expenses, like SSL certificates. You can ask your host, cart developer or web designer about this. The two payment processors I recommend are Paypal and Authorize.net (included with an e-onlinedata merchant account).

Once you have those items, you will need to create, find or buy a website design. I recommend the following web designers. I’ve checked them out, and admire their skill and business ethics. They are all work at home moms.

You also need to get or take pictures of your products. And you’ll need to figure out how you want to package and ship the products.

Some things you may want to consider when determining how you want to setup your store: How are you going to control inventory? Is your cart search engine friendly? Are you going to use a mailing list to keep in touch with your customers? Would you like a content management system to enable you to easily update your site without HTML knowledge? (For the record, my Shop Kit Plus fits includes inventory control, content management and is search engine friendly!)

You can find everything I mentioned above in varying price ranges — from free to $10,000 or more. I recommend you look at your budget, your goals and the products and services available that meet your needs. And ask for recommendations from other WAHMs if you’re not sure.

So, this is setting up an online store in a nutshell. Hope it helps.

Turning An Ordinary Experience Into Web Content

As you may already know, article marketing is one of the best ways to drive free traffic to your website. When you write an article and distribute it to an article reprint directory, other website owners and bloggers can use it on their sites.

In exchange for the free web content, they will also publish a bio box at the end of the article. You can include information about your website and a link to it. Your article, and the incoming link, can be published over and over by many different people on various websites. All of these incoming links equal more traffic to your site.

In addition to article marketing, you should also be writing articles for your own site. The more content you have, the more likely it is the search engines will find you and send you free traffic. Plus, the more helpful information you have on your website, the more likely it is that your visitors will return to your site. If you have nothing to offer them, they won’t come back.

You can use ordinary everyday type of experiences as inspiration for your articles. Your readers are just like you – the types of things that are affecting your life are also affecting theirs’.

Take a look at the experience you would like to write about and find a way to spin it so that it fits your business. For instance, if you sell cosmetics, what are some types of events that happen every day that relate to cosmetics?

Many women are very busy in the morning and do not have a lot of time to spend on make-up application. Or perhaps your daughter has taken your lipstick and drawn all over the bedroom wall – this is a good opportunity to give tips on how to remove makeup.

You can also take events from your own daily life and use them as a base for your articles. If you have a website with information about marketing a home-based business, create an article about your busy day and your time management tricks.

The fact that you are writing in a way that people relate to, can get you published again and again. People will appreciate your honesty. If they are having issues with something, they will feel comforted to know that they are not alone. This can also build trust between you and the reader. Once they trust you, they are more likely to become one of your customers. Writing in this format is a win-win situation and will help you increase your profits.

Would you like to know more about how to create web content for your site or for an article marketing campaign? Click here!

How To Creat A Swipe File

If you are new to writing, you may be full of ideas. You may be able to post on your blog every day without a problem. You may be constantly finding new ideas for content on your website. Unfortunately, there will be a day when writer’s block hits. A day will come when you just “get stuck” and cannot seem to think of anything.

When this day comes, a swipe file can be a real lifesaver. A “swipe file” is a collection of writings that you can go to for inspiration. Please note it is not a collection of work that you copy or plagiarize. There is a big difference! A swipe file is there just to help out in case you get stuck in the creative process.

A big part of the learning process is to mimic what others have already done. As you are reading magazines, newspapers, email, blogs, and web copy, start making mental notes of what catches your attention. What are the things about the writer’s style? Take notice of the fonts, colors, and graphics that were used. You can clip the tangible pieces and save them in a manila folder. And you can create a virtual folder on your computer desktop for the digital items you liked. This is your swipe file.

It does not matter what business these clippings are for. The only thing that matters is that you are in some way inspired by them. If you have a business targeted to mothers with children and you see an ad for basketball jerseys that you like, save it. You can take the things you liked about the ad, article, blog post, etc., and adapt it to fit your business.

Creating your swipe file may be the hardest part because using it is quite easy. For example, let’s say that you recently created an information product that explains how to make homemade gifts. If you find yourself sitting at the computer and trying to come up with an idea for the sales letter, take a look at your swipe file.

Perhaps you had saved an ad for a women’s watch company. Maybe the headline read something like, “It’s Time To Make A Statement.” And perhaps the ad had a graphic centered just below the heading in a way that you found very attractive.

You can adapt those things for your own product. Since the above example is for an information product about homemade gifts, perhaps you can use a heading such as “Avoid The Mall Rush – It’s Time To Get Started Now”, and you can place a graphic of a present or other holiday symbol in the same way that the graphic in the ad was placed.

As you can see, you are not plagiarizing anything that the original author wrote. You are simply taking something you liked and adding your own spin to it. A swipe file is something every writer should have, as they can save you lots of time and frustration.

How Befriending the Media Can Increase Your Business

When it comes to your business, befriending the media can have a huge impact on your growth. The term “media” is quite large, and it covers the various types of communication that reach or influence people. This can take the form of:

• internet
• radio
• television
• newspapers
• magazines
• podcasts
• …and more

The following are some tips on how to befriend the media, and how this can help your business.

You will want to start building relationships with people that are associated with various types of media. You can use a program such as Excel or Access to organize a list of website owners, bloggers, podcasters, writers, local news anchors, local radio deejays, etc. Collect all the relevant information you will need to communicate with them, such as their names, titles, email addresses, the types of stories that they usually cover, etc.

When you send a press release, be clear, concise and to the point. Keep your press release to a maximum of two pages. Make sure you include your contact information, as well as information on how your product or service will help your target market.

Create a publicity campaign for your business. Don’t just send out one press release and wait for people to come to you. Instead, send out a press release to several media outlets once per week. The more media outlets that know about your business, the higher your chances are for receiving publicity.

You may follow-up with the people you have submitted press releases to, but don’t harass them or contact them too soon. They are busy and receive press releases on a daily basis. Give them a chance to look at yours and decide if it is something their viewers, listeners, or readers would be interested in.

When someone from the media calls you, be upbeat, enthusiastic, and honest. Have your information ready because they don’t want to wait for you to call them back with your answers.

Instead of just trying to “plug” your business, establish yourself as an expert in your field. When the media needs someone to comment on a news item that relates to your type of business, they may call on you. Your business may not be the focus of the interview, but your information will be displayed for the public to see, hear, or read.

In exchange for the media promoting you, offer to promote the media. Of course, national news and radio programs, huge newspapers, etc. may not need your promotional services, but smaller media outlets do. Let them know that if someone features you on their website, in their blog, or through their podcast, you will send a link to the information to your mailing list.

Once you have established a few contacts in various media outlets, stay friendly with them and let them know when something new is happening with your business.

How to Work with Contractors to Create Great Content

Michelle’s Note: Click the ebook cover to download a free special report.

By Alice Seba & Mila Sidman

Many Internet marketers use writers to create content for their websites. We are frequently asked for suggestions on working with contractors. Let’s take a look at some of the more common questions on the subject of hiring a writer.

How do I find the right person for the job?

When first looking for a writer, you might be tempted to go with the cheapest one just to save a few dollars but cost should not be your only concern – and never your first concern. This person is going to be writing as you and you should feel comfortable putting your name on the work they do. Here are some things to do to find the best fit for you.

• Request samples of their writing. This will give you a feel for how they approach different topics, the amount of time they put into making sure the content is informative and engaging to your readers, as well as if they have an understanding of the subject.
• Request references. Ask around your group of networking friends. Have they used the particular writer? Was the writer timely and did she ask questions for clarification? Was the client happy with the outcome of the content? Did the writer need to tweak the article more than normal?
• Test their work. Give the writer a small assignment so you can see how she works. Does she take constructive criticism well? Does she make certain she understands the assignment before beginning by asking questions? Does she need hand holding throughout the entire process or do she complete the project with very little direction?

What about payment?

How payment to the contractor is handled will be something the two of you should discuss up front, before any work is passed back and forth. You should find out the following from the contractor regarding payment:

• What are her rates? Do she charge by the hour, per page, per word, etc?
• Does she offer discounts for on-going work or client referrals? Many writers will offer this. Keep this in mind for future projects.
• When do they invoice clients? Do they bill once the project is complete, weekly, or monthly? What are your payment terms?
• Is a deposit required? If so, how much do you need to initially put down? Although paying a deposit is ok, never pay 100% upfront. We like to think the majority of contractors are honest and ethical, but there is always a possibility a contractor will accept payment in full and then never complete the work. Give your writer an incentive for completion; payment or remainder of amount due.
• Will you be paying them via paypal, check, or some other method? Paypal is pretty standard in today’s virtual world, but not everyone does it this way, so be sure to double check. If you want an alternate payment method, be sure to ask about that.

How do I assure I keep a contractor that does a good job?

When you find a writer that fits well with you and your business, you had better keep them. Some tips for keeping them include:

• Give her continual work. Don’t just throw her a task or two a month, when you need something and expect her to stick around forever. She can and will move on to bigger and better projects if she doesn’t have on-going work from you.
• Be patient during the learning curve. Working with someone new always has a learning curve. Your writer needs feedback and patience while she learns your writing style and preferences.
• Pay her on time, every time. Swift payment makes a writer want to work with you more because she knows she doesn’t have to worry about whether she will receive her money or not.
• Allow them to correct any mistakes they make…don’t just fix it for them. Your writer can’t learn what you want if you don’t let her know.

Once you find someone that works well, using a contractor to create content for your business is a wonderful thing. Be patient during the learning curve that comes with working with someone else and if you find it’s just not working out, don’t sweat it. Let her go and move on.

Michelle’s Note: If you’d like to take the hassle out of content creation and get back to running your business, let All Custom Content take care of all the little details. For professionally researched and prepared content, visit Mila & Alice at www.AllCustomContent.com

Be sure to tell them Michelle Waters sent you and they’ll take good care of you.

What Most Online Marketers Forget

It seems like almost every online marketer is completely focused on search engine rankings, distributing articles and working their rear ends off for traffic. One thing they forget about is what so many traditional brick-and-mortar businesses already know and practice because it’s very effective.

You can buy all the ads you want for your business and you can experience some great results, but if you’d like some more almost no-cost promotion that helps you build word-of-mouth and great reputation for your online business…you really should be developing your own publicity campaign through press releases.

When a media outlet talks about you, portrays you as an expert or mentions
your business…that is more priceless than any advertising. It’s like an actual endorsement of you and your business. Who wouldn’t want that?

Well, it’s easier to do than you might think.

You may already know that Alice Seba has a complete system that shows you exactly how to write and distribute a press release to get noticed by the media….potentially saving your hundreds or thousands of dollars in advertising costs.

She has just added a new and unique piece of software called Press Release Profits Builder. It allows you to choose from HTML or plain text formatted releases and takes you step-by-step through the whole press release writing process. When you’re done, the software will produce a perfectly formatted release for you.

Here’s a note from Alice about the software:

Now…let me be clear. This isn’t some magical software that allows you to click your mouse a few times and your release will be ready. Anybody who tries to sell you something like that is doing you an injustice. If you want the media’s attention, you’ve
got to be unique and have something they want to share with their readers and viewers. This software helps you put together a release designed to get noticed.

Alice has kindly added the software to her already complete Press Release Profits course at no extra charge, but only until May 8, 2007.

Learn more about the course and software - and start getting results.

How To Write A Press Release

If you would like to gain publicity for your business and the physical products you sell online, you might want to consider writing a press release. A press release is a document that contains information about a business, product, or event and is then submitted to the media.

You can submit a press release to your local newspapers, as well as radio and television stations. You can also submit them to news services you find on the internet. Press releases follow a general format. The following are some basic tips for creating your press release; however, if you want specific instructions, you may want to consult a style book.

If you would like the media to publish your story immediately, write the words “For Immediate Release” at the top left hand corner. If you are submitting the press release ahead of an event, and you want the media to wait until a certain date to feature your story, use the phrase “For Release After [insert date].

You will want to make sure the media know how to contact you; your contact information goes directly below the release date. You’ll want to include all relevant data, such as your name, phone number, email, and URL.

The next section is known as “the body” of the press release. This area is where you include all the information the media would need to feature your story. Keep this information focused; if it doesn’t relate to what you want publicized, leave it out. Answer the basic questions, such as who, what, why, where, when and how. Let the media know how your business, product, service, or event will benefit your target market.

If your press release is more than one page include the word “more” at the end of the first page. Try to keep all of this information under two pages. The media receives plenty of press releases each day; they do not have time to read something that goes on for ten pages. At the end of your press release insert three number symbols (###).

How To Promote Your Business With Online Business Expos

If you are looking for a way to promote your business online, you may want to consider holding an online business expo. This is a great way to meet and network with other online product sellers and gain exposure for your own business.

Decide On A Theme
What kind of theme is your business expo going to have? You can hold a business-to-business expo, where you bring together virtual assistants, web designers, writers, and more in order for them to share their expertise and network. On the other hand, you can target a specific market, such as people who want information on working from home or people who have recently adopted a child and want information on childcare, bonding, etc.

Decide On A Format
There are many options when it comes to formatting your expo. You can register a domain name and create the expo on its own website or you can rent a conference room from a website that specializes in holding virtual expos. Are you going to feature chat rooms where the exhibitor and guests can chat back and forth? Are you going to allow the exhibitor to upload slide shows or video presentations? You can also hold the “demonstrations” via conference call.

Find Partners
Once you know what your target market it is, think about who has something to promote to them? Start researching websites who have a similar target market as the one you are trying to reach and let them know about your upcoming online business expo and invite them to be an advertiser, exhibitor, etc.

Publicize Your Event
You will want to publicize your event well in advance. This will insure you get the maximum exposure for your partners. If you can provide a receptive audience, your partners will want to team up with you again for another event.

Send press releases to news organizations, internet talk radio shows, and even local media. Ask your partners to send notices to their own personal mailing lists, as well. You can also take advantage of ad space in ezines and on websites that would attract your target market.

Start Organizing Your Next Event
After your first event is completed, you’ll want to start thinking about your next one. You can try a different segment of your target market or a whole different theme. The more online events you plan, the better you will get.

Would you like some more information about planning an online event? My friend Marie has a product called How To Host An Online Event that will give you all the details you need.

How To Promote Your Business With Local Business Expos

Using a local business expo is a great way to promote your online business. You will be in front of a whole new market; and you never know who is looking for your products. Here are some tips for holding a local business expo.

Decide On Which Type of Expo to Have
There are many types of expos to have; for instance, you could have a business-to-business expo, where the sole purpose is to bring business owners together for networking. You can also have an expo that targets a specific consumer market, such as an expo focused on organic products. You will also want to make decisions regarding the cost to exhibitors and guests. You can charge your exhibitors a booth rental fee large enough to cover all the costs and allow your guests to have free admission or you can charge a lower fee for booths and require the guests to pay a nominal entry fee.

Find a Location
When you first begin organizing expos, it is better to start small and work your way up. Check around with local hotels, community centers and restaurants to see if they have conference rooms for rent.

Find Sponsors & Exhibitors
You will want to call upon local businesses to find exhibitors and sponsors. An exhibitor is someone who rents a booth and has it set up to meet and greet the expo’s guests. A sponsor is someone who has donated money to help you pay the costs of the event or donated a prize that will be won by a guest at the event. You may also want to check with the local high school or college and put in a request for interns to help you organize and set up the event. The students will work for you for free in exchange for the experience.

Publicize Your Event
When you plan your budget, make sure you allot a portion for publicity. You can receive free publicity by sending press releases to local newspapers, radio and television stations. However, you will also want to consider taking ads out in within the media in order to draw the best crowd possible.

How To Conduct Professional Interviews

The number of websites that are featuring podcasts is growing rapidly. They are a great way to connect with your visitors and provide them with information they are looking for or teach them about your product. If you are looking into offering podcasts, the subject of interviewing someone can seem like a daunting task. Here are some tips to make it easier:

Send Your Questions Ahead of Time
In order to make the most of your podcast, send the questions you are going to ask to your interviewee ahead of time. They will be able to prepare answers; and your podcast will sound much smoother.

Test Your Equipment
Don’t let your first interview be the first time you actually plug your microphone in. Set everything up and practice a few times before you conduct your first interview.

Be Early
If you are going to meet your interviewee(s) on a conference line, make sure you show up several minutes in advance. You will want to greet everyone as they come onto the conference line. If you are going to call someone for a one-on-one interview, be ready to call them at the appointed time. No one wants to sit around and wait to be interviewed.

Know Your Game Plan
Your interviewee is a busy person. Before you start the interview, have a game plan in mind of how long the interview will take. Let them know what you expect, and watch the time while you are talking to them.

Preliminary Chat
Greet your interviewee and chat for a moment before you start the “nitty gritty” questions. This will give you a chance to get comfortable speaking to each other and will make the interview banter sound friendly and comfortable.

Ask Questions in Order
Ask your interviewee the questions in the same order that you had sent to them before the interview. If you start jumping around and asking them questions out of order, your interviewee can get flustered and your podcast will not sound as professional.

Let The Interviewee Listen First
It is a polite gesture to allow your interviewee to listen to your interview before you publish it. On a side note, you do not have to take their editing suggestions.

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