Digg it UP - Internet and Businesses Online

The Web 2.0 Effect: The Characteristics of a Web 2.0 Website
The term web2.0 was originally presented by O'Reilly Media (A well known media company publishing books and websites on various computer technology topics). It's a term that refers to a new generation of websites (social networking websites, wiki-based websites etc). These websites take advantage of web application technologies and give web users the ability to collaborate and share their experiences, views, opinions and interests while they surf the web.The web2.0 is a revolutionary phenomenon. Let's talk about the most basic characteristics of the websites using the web2.0 concept:- A web2.0 website should be completely interactive and dynamic with a friendly user-interface based on the latest web2.0 technologies like AJAX. - Web2.0 websites should deliver web based applications to Internet users and allowing them to make use of these applications through a web browser. - A web2.0 website should implement social networking capabilities allowing users to interact with each other and create friend lists. - A web2.0 website should be a democratic website where users will be able to add value by interacting with the web based application. - A Web2.0 websites should allow it's users to exercise various controls over the website data and content (adding/deleting/editing content).The

Internet Marketing Promotion - The 3 Things Your Website Must Have In Order To Make Money
When creating a website, too many people make the mistake of focusing on search engine rankings and optimization. What they don't know is that there are three important things they must include in their website if they aim to make money. In this article, we shall discuss these three things: why you should focus on the customer and not on search engines, how to understand your target customer and how to make more sales to each customer. At the end of this article, I hope to give you a clear idea on how you should monetize your website to gain maximum profits.When creating a website for the purpose of internet marketing promotion, you should keep the visitor or prospect in mind when creating a website. Internet marketing promotion 101 says that your focus should always be first on the prospect who visits your website and buys your product, and then on the search engines. Because your prospect really doesn't care about how better or worse your site ranks in the search engines. What he cares about is himself; keep in mind that he has come to your website because he is interested in purchasing one or more of your products or solutions. So, after a prospect visits your website, you should ensure that he gets interested in the products and services you have got to offer him. When describing the benefits of your product, make t

"Never underestimate the value of giving things away." I remember as kid hearing these words on a regular basis. In fact this philosophy was re-enforced so much by my parents in my younger years that it has become a part of who I am today. But, I'm also a businessperson who enjoys earning a living, and in business, our primary goal is to maximize profits. So we have what appears to be an obvious conflict here. How does one remain profitable, let alone increase profit levels if they're giving things away?

This really isn't a new concept. In the traditional business world it's been done for years. It usually comes in one of two forms or a combination of both. The first is giveaways that are used to lure customers into making a purchase or as thinly veiled advertisements. We've all seen these tactics. Contests you can win if you purchase a product, free Tupperware for applying for a department store credit card, a pen or a mug for every $20.00 of gasoline from a particular service center. You get the idea. We've also seen large companies and wealthy business owners throw a lot of money and/or resources at "good causes". I'm sure that some genuinely do this for the betterment of society. The skeptic in me though suspects that often this philanthropy is nothing more than an attempt to buy credibility and respect as opposed to earning it.

So how does all of this apply to online business and how is a small online businessperson able to capitalize on it? Actually, when we look at the online world we don't have to look very far to realize the potential value of giving things away. In fact much of the technology we use online was "given" to us by a few brilliant people who were more interested in sharing their inventions and ideas with the world than becoming millionaires. It should be noted that many of these people as a result of their efforts have in time done very well for themselves. They have earned a great deal of respect, a loyal following and incomes to match as a nice little bonus. Indeed on the Internet today there exists an entire culture of people with this mindset. Why do they do it? Why give it away for free? Are they crazy? The individual reasons are as abundant as the number of individuals but they all share one common thing. An understanding that by providing value to people, they will receive value in return. It may be money, fame, additional resources to continue with projects, respect or simply the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a job well done. Not so crazy...and there's a reason why quite a few fortune 500 companies are embracing the philosophies of the open source software movement. The business world can learn a lot from these ideas.

However, there has to be a balance when it comes to business. If you are in a position where you don't need to worry about profits and don't have any expectation of future ROI, fine. Give everything away and someday you may very well be rewarded. Unfortunately there is realty to contend with! The reality is that we are here to make money. So what can you give that won't hurt your profit margin? Lots of things! If you're really smart about you will actually be able to boost your profit margin considerably.

Consider all of the things you have in your ‘inventory’ of assets. This includes tangible items like cash on hand, products, etc. It also includes such intangible items (those that are more difficult to assess a finite value to) as knowledge, skills, time and the like. Now think about which of those you can 'afford' to sacrifice a little of.

Some people will take the easy route and decide that they will give away a tangible item (a product sample, a huge discount or a cash reward for example) as a way of enticing customers to purchase more. Now this in itself is not a bad thing. It's better than nothing. Remember the big department stores with their credit card applications? It must work. Right? Yes and no. It does have the desired affect in a limited way, but overall is a very short sighted approach. It provides an immediate payoff for both the business and the customer, but has no lasting value for either and therefore must be repeated over and over to achieve a lasting result. A much better option is to come up with something that will not only provide a payoff for both parties, but also build long-term value.

So what is value, why is it important, and how do you provide and receive it? The dictionary deals with the term as it applies to business and finance in several ways. The definition I like is "worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor". In a typical business transaction this is easy. You provide goods or service (transfer possession) which your customers find useful or important and they in return provide you with a payment (usually money) which you find useful and important. But we're talking about giving things away here so how do you receive your value? The answer is really simple. You build your value (that is the value you wish to receive) into your giveaway. Curiously, it's the intangible assets that are best suited to this.

Let me give you an example. Ken Evoy is very well respected in the online marketing world and is also a master at maximizing profits by giving things away. His company, SiteSell.com specializes in selling books, courses and software aimed at teaching people about e-commerce and how to be successful with it. In addition to the products he sells online, his web sites are a virtual treasure trove of free information on the subject. Now this may sound counter productive. I mean, why invest all of these resources in developing top quality products to sell and then invest more in developing similar things to give away for free? To understand this we need to look at Ken's business model. Most of his sales are generated though his 5 Pillar affiliate program (5PP). This free information acts as training material for his affiliates around the world. Given the quality of the material, (it genuinely has real value) it helps his affiliates become successful at what they do. This in turn drives sales to Ken's business. Here's the neat thing about it all. Access to this information is not restricted to just 5PP affiliates, but is available to anyone. Why would you give out information to just anyone, who could then take his or her new found knowledge to benefit the competition? It's a risk you take I suppose. I suspect that Ken has calculated this ris

What Happens When You Have Too Many Sales Leads?
Few marketers will question the value of sales leads generated by direct mail and other direct response methods. However, a poorly integrated lead generation programme can actually reduce the overall productivity of a salesforce.This is a true story and only the company name has been changedThe case of Newco & Co. illustrates the phenomenon. Newco manufacture a range of specialist industrial washroom equipment; they offer service contracts to maintain the equipment and supply their wide range of hygiene disposable products.The market combines extreme competitiveness with a marked lack of glamour; therefore Newco have chosen to dedicate a specialist salesforce to concentrate on opening up new accounts – to be subsequently serviced by their operations division. Their objective with this structure is to obtain the widest national distribution for their equipment (which includes dispensing machines). The bigger the ‘population’ of their equipment, the more they sell of consumable hygiene products – the major profit opportunity for their business.The salesforce of 50 specialist equipment consultants and key account executives is divided into eight geographical regions, each managed by an area manager under the control a national sales manager. In the course of many years’ experience in direct marketing N

mpt to buy credibility and respect as opposed to earning it.

Marketing Ideas To Get Your Home Business To The Top
In the modern age, working from home almost inevitably means working with the internet. If you want to make your home based business into a successful money making business, you'll need to master the art of internet marketing. And with lots of competitors out there eager to beat you to the number one spot in the search engine rankings, you'll need to do more than work hard to create a successful money making business - you'll need to work smart.Marketing your home based business depends, first and foremost, upon having something impressive for visitors to your business to see. When we're talking internet marketing, that means your website. When you work from home over the internet, your website is equivalent to the front of your office, the first thing which visitors encounter. Although you may also be trying to optimise your website content for search engines (for instance, by using lots of keywords relevant to your home based business), you must also make sure that it's attractive to human visitors, easy to navigate and simple to make purchases from.When you've established the basic format of your website, consider adding a blog to it. Search engines approve of frequently changing content, so this can be a good way to boost your ratings. Your blog can be on any subject, but is most effectively used for you to t

e embracing the philosophies of the open source software movement. The business world can learn a lot from these ideas.

Increase Your Profits by Training Your People
What impression do outsiders get when they call your business?Is it a welcoming greeting such as "Thank you for calling The Office Organiser, this is Lorraine", or do they hear:"Lorraine's phone" "Hold the line" (before you even speak) "Hold the line please" (before you have even opened your mouth) "Lorraine speaking" (doesn't even mention the name of the business) or they speak so fast you miss the name of the organisation and have to check you rang the right number. Sometimes the initial contact has been positive only to be let down when the person has said:"Hold the line for a tick/sec" "I need to find a piece of paper to write your message down" "Can you hold on while I find a pen" "Just a tick, I'll pop you on hold" "Alright, I'll see if she's available" How to Effortlessly Lose Business Recently my 22 year old had three weeks off from her job as a flight attendant. She wanted to book into a health retreat for a few days.As her mother, I was very excited by this, as it’s not often you hear of someone so young, invest their own money…and we’re talking around $2000 plus, who would do something so positive for themselves.Anyhow, we spoke about her options and she decided on a well-known retreat in Queensland (where else?). On t

their credit card applications? It must work. Right? Yes and no. It does have the desired affect in a limited way, but overall is a very short sighted approach. It provides an immediate payoff for both the business and the customer, but has no lasting value for either and therefore must be repeated over and over to achieve a lasting result. A much better option is to come up with something that will not only provide a payoff for both parties, but also build long-term value.

Write Your Perfect Resume
Writing a ResumeNot that long ago, the easiest way to get a job was to visit the company you wanted to work for and ask for one. Today, however, it's not quite that simple. Most companies require you to submit your resume to them before they'll consider you for a position. So the resume has become a great deal more important, because it's the first, and possible last, chance you have to make the right impression. That's why it's so important to get it right!First off, you need to start writing a resume by being clear about what you're trying to achieve. Which company are you planning to apply to? What type of job are you hoping to get? The answers to those questions will give you a direction for your resume. Remember, no matter how good your resume is, if the person reading it doesn't think you’re suitable for the job, you won't get any further. So make your resume good, but don't spend countless hours stressing about making it perfect; you're probably wasting your time.It's a good idea to keep your resume short and simple. The person reading your resume probably has dozens, if not hundreds more resumes to read through, and rather than waste time reading your lengthy life history, will put your resume aside and read somebody else's. Work out the types of things the employer is most likely

ed in the online marketing world and is also a master at maximizing profits by giving things away. His company, SiteSell.com specializes in selling books, courses and software aimed at teaching people about e-commerce and how to be successful with it. In addition to the products he sells online, his web sites are a virtual treasure trove of free information on the subject. Now this may sound counter productive. I mean, why invest all of these resources in developing top quality products to sell and then invest more in developing similar things to give away for free? To understand this we need to look at Ken's business model. Most of his sales are generated though his 5 Pillar affiliate program (5PP). This free information acts as training material for his affiliates around the world. Given the quality of the material, (it genuinely has real value) it helps his affiliates become successful at what they do. This in turn drives sales to Ken's business. Here's the neat thing about it all. Access to this information is not restricted to just 5PP affiliates, but is available to anyone. Why would you give out information to just anyone, who could then take his or her new found knowledge to benefit the competition? It's a risk you take I suppose. I suspect that Ken has calculated this risk and realized the insignificance of it. The truth is that after reading through some of the free courses offered, many people will end up becoming one of Ken's affiliates. There are a few reasons for this. The material while being very neutral (not a sales pitch at all) in content is well branded throughout. This is a very subtle method of advertising. Ken writes this information himself and not only is he a respected expert, but he writes in a style that is very personable and genuine. One can't help but leave with a certain level of respect and loyalty towards him. Further to that, I'm sure that some people choose to purchase additional products based on their experience with the free "samples". So now, not only does Ken possibly acquire new customers, he also develops loyal affiliate partners for his business. As a bonus these new affiliates are already positioned to be successful having acquired much of the necessary knowledge. As you can see, Ken wins from every angle. And as for the other side (the customer)? None of this would work if the free 'giveaway' weren’t valuable in the first place. They've already gained "usefulness and importance" from the knowledge that was shared with them. They also have a real possibly of gaining more in the future in tangible ways by joining the Ken's business as an affiliate. This is building value into the free offering at it's finest.

Now that's great for Ken with his expertise and years of experience, but what about the rest of us. I actually had an opportunity to test the theory of giving things away when I first started www.AtHomeBusinessNetwork.com. I had just put the web site up and was moving into the phase of actively marketing it. Anyone who has ever done this knows how tedious it can be and how long it can take to see any measurable results. I had come across www.emoneyreport.com recently and it had intrigued me. Firstly, because it was obvious that it was still a very new web site and secondly, at first appearance, it seemed that it was trying to accomplish much the same thing as I was. That would make us direct competitors, right?. After all we are both trying to generate revenue from the same sources and tap into the same traffic. I put all that aside, I came up with a list of complementary items that they offered that I didn't and vice versa. I then composed a well thought out e-mail to the owners of the other web site outlining how I felt that we could complement each other's services. I explained my belief that we could help each other's web sites gain traffic and popularity by referring visitors to each other and thus capitalizing on each other's marketing efforts. I further went on to let them know that I had a prominent banner placement on my web site which was currently under utilized. I informed them that I would be more than happy to place a banner for their web site in that location for a short time. All for free and with no strings attached of course. Was it a bit of a gamble? You bet, but I believe that people are usually pretty fair-minded and I wasn't disappointed this time. Within hours, I received a reply to my e-mail which was way above anything I could have expected. Not only where the owners of the other web site thrilled with my proposal, they had already reciprocated the favor by giving me front-page prominence on their web site. Traffic although still small, tripled for me overnight! It also looks like we will have a prosperous relationship with each other in the coming months or years through mutual co-operation. Not bad considering many would consider us to be competitors. The value in this case was for both of us in the form of less competition, the sharing of ideas and information, added value for our respective visitors, increased traffic and consequently revenue... and this is just the beginning. All for being polite and offering something for free!

If you take the right approach, there can be real value for your business in giving things away. You only need to evaluate your needs, those of your customers and apply a little creativity and long term thinking towards your goals. Build your own value into your offering and go for it.

Now go out and give something away! You may be surprised at what can happen.

HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.diggitup.net/article/69994/diggitup-Never-Underestimate-the-Value-of-Giving-Things-Away.html">Never Underestimate the Value of Giving Things Away</a>

BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.diggitup.net/article/69994/diggitup-Never-Underestimate-the-Value-of-Giving-Things-Away.html]Never Underestimate the Value of Giving Things Away[/url]

'Train in the language they dream in.' Jim Knight, trainer extraordinaire for Hard Rock Cafe muttered this quote to me a while back. But digging deeper into the meaning, today's youth learns differently than most of us did when we grew up.

The first three years on the Internet I made tons of mistakes that cost me time, money and gave me long hours. Marketing Master, Catherine Franz, put together an enormous amount of tips, 20 of them in fact, along with two bonus tips, that will explain her mistakes and how you can not get dragged into making them as well.

During a email campaign address to your clients, members or mailing list subscribers it is also necessary to monitor it and know when your emails are actually read.

Tags

Links

Digg it UP - Never Underestimate the Value of Giving Things Away

Related Articles: