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Hub You - How the Internet Changes the Competitive Battleground
Traffic exchanges and blog traffic exchanges are a way to expose your blog or site to traffic by visiting other blogs and sites. I have looked at many such exchanges and selected what I though to be the best of these to see what sort of traffic I could bring to my site.I signed up with four blog exchanges and one traffic exchange. There are quite a few traffic exchanges out there but I found many of them to be, well to put it mildly a waste of time. These exchanges were mostly auto surf exchanges where amusingly enough the visitors were not encouraged to actually look at the sites they visited.The idea behind the exchanges I chose to test where that you visited other sites and blogs in the network and in exchange the webmasters of other sites visited you. The idea is simple and should be an easy way to bring traffic in. The list of these sites can be found at http://www.blogtonomy.com/blog-and-traffic-exchanges.phpI have been using these sites for several weeks and I think I now have enough data to come to some reasonable conclusions about using exchanges in order to generate traffic to your site.Does it generate traffic?You can get traffic pretty much straight away as some of the sites give you some credits for joining, but most of the traffic needs to be generated by you visiting other sites in the network. How much traffic you get will depend on how long you spend visiting other sites, on average I found that you could get about 40 visits in return for about an hours surfing.The catchThis is probably the easiest and quickest way to get traffic to your site or blog. After looking at the traffic being sent from these sites I noticed that not many of the visitors went beyond the first page. This is not really surprising as, like you, most of the visitors are webmasters trying to generate traffic to there own sites.I would conclude that as a starting point for getting traffic and for testing new pages on your site then this can be a useful tool. The audience will be mostly untargeted and so probably not interested in what you have to offer and therefore probably the hardest type of visitor entice into making a longer visit or returning for a later visit.If your site or blog is more targeted towards traffic generation and promotion then you may get a better response from the visitors. I would recommend setting up a landing page especially for the visitors from these sites so you can offer them something they are likely to be interested in. It would be worth investing some of your time in experimenting with this sort of traffic to see if it works for you. You can always dismiss it later if you find it is no
It might be difficult to hear, but just as there are reasons that your business is successful, there are just as many reasons why people are NOT buying from you. Use these tried and true techniques to make sure that you aren’t sending wrong message to potential customers:1. You don't make people feel safe when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won't sell their e-mail address and all their information will be kept confidential.2. You don't make your ads attractive. Your ad may list features instead of benefits. The headline doesn’t attract your target audience. You don't list any testimonials or guarantees included in your ad.3. You don't provide a reason or need to come back and visit your site. People usually don't purchase the first time they visit. The more times they visit your site, the greater the chance they will buy. The most effective way is to give them a free subscription to your e-zine.4. You don't give people as many ordering options as possible. Accept credit cards, checks, money orders, and other forms of electronic payments. Take orders by phone, e-mail, web site, fax, mail, etc.5. You don't make your web site look professional. You want to have your own domain name. Your web site should be easy to navigate through. The graphics should be related to the theme of your web site.6. You don't let people read your ad before they get your freebie. When you use free stuff to lure people to your web site include it below your ad copy or on another web page. If you list the freebie above your ad they may never look to see what you're selling. Make them “work” to actually receive the free item.7. You don't attract the target audience that would buy your product or service. A simple way to do this is to survey your existing customers to see what attracted them to buy. This information will help you improve your target marketing and advertising.8. You don't give people any urgency to buy now. Many people are interested in your product but they put off buying it till later and eventually forget about it. Entice them to buy now with a freebie or discount and include a deadline date when the offer ends.9. You don't offer a free contest or sweepstakes. It's a fact, people like to win things. If you can fulfill that need, people will stop by to visit.10. You don't offer a free directory, ezine, or community that they can come back to. People want to belong and to give their opinion. Create these people-oriented amenities and you will see a difference.11. You don't offer free samples of your product or service. Offer a consultation, trial membership, product, or whatever it is that you provide, to you potential customer.
Natural market forces that lead to consolidation and the law of twos happen even faster on the Internet. The "best" products are anointed, information is rapidly distributed, and customers (who face no geographic limits) seek out these "hot" places. Moreover, as brands become familiar, consumers increasingly seek them out because they have credibility.
Unique to the Web is something which may be called a "hub-and-spoke strategy" . This also facilitates the law of twos: A hub-and-spoke strategy is the increasingly common arrangement where a major retailer establishes relationships with other Web sites, promising them a percentage of any sales (generally 5 to 15 percent) that result from any traffic sent to the retailer by these "affiliates." It's not uncommon for a major affiliate program to have over 10,000 participating members, all of whom refer traffic to the central site. What's even more interesting is the extent to which this type of business model is proliferating: Refer-it is a site that lists credible affiliate programs for prospective members. As we go to press, it is approaching 500 distinct plans.
The Internet is already taking its place as a central tool in everyday business life. Each aspect of commerce is changing in light of the new capabilities available. The coming changes are so powerful that it is both terrifying and exciting. The first phase of Internet business has principally focused on the creation of new types of businesses: The next phase will involve the impact of these developments on brick-and-mortar businesses and on the economy as a whole.
The new capabilities that the Internet makes available for business-to-business commerce and for business-to-consumer sales will transform many industries from top to bottom. Winning companies will understand that in the emerging era success now requires new rules for action and the mastery by the organization of different types of skills.
Questions may arise on what the future will look like: "Will my business be helped or hurt?" "What should I do to survive?" Until recently, the pace of change has been so great that attempts at answering these questions were often unsatisfying.
Elements that will play a central role in how the Internet economy evolves. These elements have the potential to greatly harm our economy or to power us into prosperity for the twenty-first century. The best way to discuss these ideas is to provide two contrasting visions of the future: The Potential Downside of Internet Growth More than any other aspect of the Internet, shopping "bots," software that searches the entire Internet for products and services based on predefined criteria (price being the most popular), have the capacity to offer great benefit to consumers while potentially bringing great harm to businesses. Today the major Internet portals, include Google , Yahoo and MSN , all have shopping initiatives with participating retailers that are, at least in part, powered by bots (also called "intelligent software shopping agents"). A visit to http://www.bot
One customer complained when served by a ‘Trainee’ at a five-star hotel. If served by someone not entirely qualified, he wondered, should he pay a less-than-qualified rate?I think ‘Trainee’ badges are horrendous. They are frequently old and mangled, handed down from new staff to new staff for years.The new staff feel exposed and humiliated, as if they do not warrant a real name until they prove their mettle on the front line. The customer feels uncertain and wary, wondering if his requests for service will be understood and acted upon correctly. And the manager is anxious, hoping a recycled plastic badge will provide some defense or insurance from customer upsets and complaints.Just the opposite often happens. The staff, manager and customer are all on edge. It’s a ‘lose–lose–lose’ situation.Instead, train your new staff to welcome customers with solid eye contact and a warm smile while saying:‘Hello! It’s good to have you with us today, and my pleasure to serve you. I’m still a bit new here so my colleague will be overseeing my work to be sure we take care of everything just the way you want it. Is that alright?’Most customers would be surprised by such confidence from a new staff and are likely to respond, ‘That’s fine!’ And if the service is good, positive compliments will surely follow.Key Learning Point`Trainee' badges don't help; they only hurt and hinder.Action StepsDon't create anxiety with an old piece of plastic. Instead, build confidence and goodwill with the right kind of training.
The Internet is already taking its place as a central tool in everyday business life. Each aspect of commerce is changing in light of the new capabilities available. The coming changes are so powerful that it is both terrifying and exciting. The first phase of Internet business has principally focused on the creation of new types of businesses: The next phase will involve the impact of these developments on brick-and-mortar businesses and on the economy as a whole.
The new capabilities that the Internet makes available for business-to-business commerce and for business-to-consumer sales will transform many industries from top to bottom. Winning companies will understand that in the emerging era success now requires new rules for action and the mastery by the organization of different types of skills.
Questions may arise on what the future will look like: "Will my business be helped or hurt?" "What should I do to survive?" Until recently, the pace of change has been so great that attempts at answering these questions were often unsatisfying.
Elements that will play a central role in how the Internet economy evolves. These elements have the potential to greatly harm our economy or to power us into prosperity for the twenty-first century. The best way to discuss these ideas is to provide two contrasting visions of the future: The Potential Downside of Internet Growth More than any other aspect of the Internet, shopping "bots," software that searches the entire Internet for products and services based on predefined criteria (price being the most popular), have the capacity to offer great benefit to consumers while potentially bringing great harm to businesses. Today the major Internet portals, include Google , Yahoo and MSN , all have shopping initiatives with participating retailers that are, at least in part, powered by bots (also called "intelligent software shopping agents"). A visit to http://www.bo
Accountability is an interesting phenomenon. Everybody wants some, most folks think that they can handle it, yet very few people know how to deal with it continually.Much of the problems in business and life are intertwined with accountability or lack thereof. Ill-defined goals, unfocused people, inadequate communication, poorly thought out delegation, low self-esteem and sometimes just bad strategic management often lead to a break down of accountability.When an organizational chart is muddled, the result is usually a bunch of people running around with an unclear understanding of who’s accountable to whom. And sadly, even when the chart is bold and clear, it’s not uncommon for an accountability vacuum to occur.Why? Insufficient follow-through, passing off responsibility, only verbalizing goals, procedures and orders, and the lack of benchmarks, all lead to accountability problems.It’s extremely important to understand that accountability comes from the top. How can anyone truly be held accountable if they aren’t given the proper instructions? But it happens all the time. The person in charge assumes that they’ve made themselves perfectly clear, even when they have contradicted themselves or given half the needed information. The usual scenario, when things don’t turn out the way they need to for a successful and timely conclusion, is a boss who freaks out, sulks or looks for new people.Another reason is that most people are great at blaming someone else. “My department isn’t filling the orders on time because I can’t get inspection to regularly let me know how things are going” or “I’m done, it’s Jill I’m waiting on!” are all too common types of responses in corporate America, not to mention your house!And most people are also great at giving orders. “Well, I told him I needed it by 5:00!”There is an effective and efficient way to hold everyone accountable. It starts with making sure everyone in the loop is given a full and complete understanding of what, when and sometimes how tasks and/or projects are to be done. This must be done in writing!Most companies are run through departments and until every department understands what the other departments are doing the company runs a risk of severe problems.The first and most important phase of writing starts in meetings that are attended by the President and CEO and all the department heads, or division presidents or however you signify those upper level executives on your organizational chart (we’ll call them DHs for simplification purposes), no matter what size your company is.In the first meeting the CEO or President should clarify to all in attendance what he or she sees as the goals of the company for the next year, three years a
The new capabilities that the Internet makes available for business-to-business commerce and for business-to-consumer sales will transform many industries from top to bottom. Winning companies will understand that in the emerging era success now requires new rules for action and the mastery by the organization of different types of skills.
Questions may arise on what the future will look like: "Will my business be helped or hurt?" "What should I do to survive?" Until recently, the pace of change has been so great that attempts at answering these questions were often unsatisfying.
Elements that will play a central role in how the Internet economy evolves. These elements have the potential to greatly harm our economy or to power us into prosperity for the twenty-first century. The best way to discuss these ideas is to provide two contrasting visions of the future: The Potential Downside of Internet Growth More than any other aspect of the Internet, shopping "bots," software that searches the entire Internet for products and services based on predefined criteria (price being the most popular), have the capacity to offer great benefit to consumers while potentially bringing great harm to businesses. Today the major Internet portals, include Google , Yahoo and MSN , all have shopping initiatives with participating retailers that are, at least in part, powered by bots (also called "intelligent software shopping agents"). A visit to http://www.bo
If like the idea of creating an information product with private label rights and are just starting out, I would suggest you keep your initial outlay of money to a minimum as well as your monthly expenses.Let's talk about your initial outlay of money to get started. Aside from any costs required to start and maintain your business, you will essentially have four expenses as it relates to private label rights part:1) Private label rights product2) Epublishing tools3) Website and hosting4) Payment processorLet's take a close look at each one and how you can keep costs low when getting started with private label rights:1) Private label rights products. I have seen a number of private label rights packages out there currently for under $50, which can be a good starting point.2) Epublishing tools. In order to make your private label rights product unique, let's say an ebook for example, you will want to change the content and give it a new title. This means you will need pdf conversion software - you can find a number of free software packages out there. Just type in "free pdf conversion software" into your favorite search engine and see what comes back.You will also probably want to create a new ecover for your private label rights ebook to make it unique. You can have one professionally designed for under $50, or you can purchase software - from what I have seen, most software packages sell for about $67-97.There are less expensive alternatives out there, you just need to look - you can even find some free ecovers out there. The only point I would caution you on here is not to sacrifice the quality of the the image for cost - in other words, you don't want to end up with a cheap looking ecover for your private label rights product that will turn off potential buyers.3) Website and hosting. There are a lot of free website templates you can download on the internet. Once you do that, and you write the sales page for your private label rights product you will need to find a web hosting company.There are a number of web hosting companies that charge about $3-4 a month, and $8-10 for a domain name (though the domain name needs to be renewed annually).4) Payment processor. You will want the ability to take credit cards from customers purchasing your private label rights information product . One option is to use a third party payment processor such as PayPal.So to get started with private label rights, you're looking at about $50-100 for private label rights products and ecover software/services; plus ongoing web hosting costs and your domain name. Not bad if you consider that's the total cost for creating, publish
Questions may arise on what the future will look like: "Will my business be helped or hurt?" "What should I do to survive?" Until recently, the pace of change has been so great that attempts at answering these questions were often unsatisfying.
Elements that will play a central role in how the Internet economy evolves. These elements have the potential to greatly harm our economy or to power us into prosperity for the twenty-first century. The best way to discuss these ideas is to provide two contrasting visions of the future: The Potential Downside of Internet Growth More than any other aspect of the Internet, shopping "bots," software that searches the entire Internet for products and services based on predefined criteria (price being the most popular), have the capacity to offer great benefit to consumers while potentially bringing great harm to businesses. Today the major Internet portals, include Google , Yahoo and MSN , all have shopping initiatives with participating retailers that are, at least in part, powered by bots (also called "intelligent software shopping agents"). A visit to http://www.bo
Are you dog tired because of the way you manage your sales team? Many managers tell me that they cannot see a way out of traditional sales management methods that keep them working like dogs, including focusing strictly on revenue goals, staying late, traveling up to three weeks a month, tightly controlling teams, and constantly reacting to emergencies. There has to be a better way.Are you satisfied with the way your life as a sales manager is turning out? Is it giving you all that you wanted? If not, perhaps it’s time to make a revolution. Here are some revolutionary ideas you might consider:1. THINK THREE TO SIX MONTHS INTO THE FUTUREWhat you want to accomplish right now was set in motion a few months ago. The results of your decisions three to six months ago are coming to fruition today. Think and talk strategically about three and six months down the line as if it were “today.” Describe and write down what you see about:· The culture of your sales team· The size of your sales team· Your ideal customers· Revenue you are generating· Your competition· Your target markets· How your team has changed in the last three to six months· How hard you are workingWhile crystal-ball gazing is never an exact science, it can be enormously helpful to “live” in the possibilities.2. GO BACKWARDFrom the vantage point of three to six months in the future, identify what you did over the past three to six months. Ask yourself the following questions:· What did I accomplish?· What did my team accomplish?· What tasks did we complete· What actions made us successful?· What were some of the obstacles?· How did we overcome the obstacles?3. CREATE A PLAN WITH MEASURABLE GOALSIf you want better clients, the #1 sales team, more money, more time for yourself, and more enjoyable work, you need an effective business plan.Use your insights from No. 1 “Think three to six months into the future” and No. 2 “Go Backward” to create a plan.· Don't know how to build one? Make this the year you learn.· Already know how but haven't built it? Get support from a colleague, mentor, coach, or group to make it happen.· Have a system but aren't using it? Pull your plan out of the drawer and re-commit to doing what it takes to have your dream career.To help you get started, here is a simple tool I use. You can also ask each salesperson on your team to create a plan using the same template.Top 5 Goals – 3 months1.2.3.4.5.Top 5 Goals – 6 months1.2.3.4.5.Top 5 Goals – 12 months1.2.3.4.<
The more businesses and consumers rely on price as the sole criterion for purchase, the more price pressure every manufacturer and retailer will feel. Bots that search for the best price have the potential to trigger ruinous price wars. At some point, price wars can ruin industries or set back their development by several years through lack of funds for investment in new and better services. To me, this is the frightening downside of a world where customers can buy from anywhere and essentially name their price.
The Internet is already demonstrating some of this behavior. At this time, we are witnessing deep discounting on the part of large Internet retailers to attract customers. For ongoing businesses, this type of discounting is unlikely to be sustainable.
The pace of change in the past year has been so incredible that a growing population—from executives to retirees—feel they have more than passing familiarity with the Internet. However, this newly claimed "knowledge" of Web sites and portals and e-mail techniques belies the fact that the Internet is still so new that there are no rules for "play."
Internet services, including comparison services, software agents such as bots, and new digital middlemen, enable easier access to information and, as a result, fundamentally change the competitive battleground.
Stores that pitted themselves against each other generally rose to the occasion and even employed "comparison shoppers," who cruised the aisles of competitors, reporting on pricing so that the store owner could price competitively. And signs touting "We'll Beat Anyone's Prices" covered any store that wanted to preserve business no matter what.
The Internet radically changes this dynamic. Not only can consumers move easily from one Web site to another, checking out the products and services at each, but many Internet services are specifically designed to promote comparisons among products or services within a category, and another growing class of businesses—digital age middlemen—are actively working to create bidding situations among several suppliers that lead to lower prices for consumers and businesses. These new classes of Web sites raise the stakes
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