Finding the Right Online Opportunity – Part 3
Avoid
Here’s my all time favorite criticism: Avoid those businesses whose websites are generously flavored with spelling mistakes, typos, and lots of incorrect grammar. We all have our own biases, and this one’smine. Effective marketing and advertising is directly linked to effective communication. I’ve noticed that the sites with those kinds of dreaded errors, are much more likely to be scams. If I see multiple errors on a site, I can’t get out of there fast enough! You want to be associated with a professional website, not something someone threw together during their lunch break!
As you’ve probably already noticed, some are 100% hype! “You’ll be making millions while you’re lying on the beach!” Maybe you will someday, but it probably won’t happen by next week! There’s a difference between “advertising copy”, which is a hook to get your attention, and facts. Just because it’s in print, doesn’t make it true! The advertiser’s job is to get you to read their ad and create enough curiosity, so you’ll click on the link.
How do I become successful?
To be successful you have to start. Making the decision to take action is the most important thing you can do! You’ll need discipline and will power to keep it going. Success is like a train. It starts out very slowly, and little by little starts gaining momentm until it’s moving so fast, that success is inevitable! That kind of momentum is powerful. Make your work fun. There are people I know that can’t wait to get to work. That’s how much they enjoy it.
Along the way, you’ll need to clearly identify what challenges you’re having so your mentor can help you with them. You’ll need to develop your skill levels so your confidence level rises, and you’ll see some rewards from your labor. Know that some of the work will be routine. Keep in mind there isn’t a job out there that doesn’t have some day to day routine involved. Keep your focus on the end result and what your goals are!
Set Goals.
You’ll need some analytical skills to problem solve. For example, you might have to determine how many website visitors will it take to generate one sale? Or how many opt-ins generate a sale? Those are simple formulas so you can project the amount of business you’ll need. Let’s say you need to generate $2000 to cover your expenses. You’ve learned that 100 visitors to your site will generate at least 1-2 sales. Figure on the conservative side. If one sale = $500, then you’ll need 4 sales to meet expenses. That means you’ll have to get 400 visitors to your site to meet your goal. If you can get 50 visitors a day to your site, then you need to double your efforts to get the needed 100 visitors. Goals are specific and can be broken down into smaller parts to achieve them. Setting goals is really important to achieving success.
I used to say to my students that “If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you ever going to get there?” I used an analogy of a basketball and a hoop. If you were blindfolded and couldn’t see the basketball hoop, you’d have no idea where to throw the ball. You need a clear vision of the distance between the ball and the hoop in order to make a basket. It works the same way for setting your goals. It’s about planning. You need a clear vision of where your business is going.
Drive
Without it, you won’t get to the end. You need to be committed, have focus, and drive. The drive is the fuel and keeps your engine going. When you go to bed at the end of the day, think about what your future goal is and see yourself living as if you’ve already reached your long term goal. Relax and see yourself living your dream. Visualization is a very important tool.
Frustration
It’s difficult, and we’ve all had it, but try and work through it. Keep working until you figure it out and the frustration is gone. Don’t try to do it alone too long without seeking help.
Make It Easy
Know what your customer wants and show them how to get it. Make it simple to get. I’ve seen businesses where the product is unbelievably difficult to buy. Give the customer a few convenient choices to make a purchase. If you make it too hard, you could lose valuable customers.
Know Your Business
Know why your customer wants your product, and what has motivated them to buy it. It’s always about your customer and how to satisfy what they want. Ask your customers questions, and show an interest in helping them. Be knowledgeable about your business, so when someone asks you a question, you can give a straightforward answer. You want to inspire confidence, so do your homework and become an expert. I wish you a good experience and good luck!
