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This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. See the end of this
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#051/10-Jun-01
POOR RICHARD'S WEB SITE NEWS
Geek-Free, Commonsense Advice on Building a Low-Cost Web Site
Editor: Peter Kent
Top Floor Publishing
http://PoorRichard.com/
60,000 Subscribers in More Than 100 Countries!
~~~ IN THIS ISSUE ~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Beginner's Column:
You _Can_ Make Money Online ... Even If You Probably
Won't
The Last Issue's Intentional Mistake
BizBlast Reminder
A Real-Life Online Advertising Test
Free Book to Give Away on Your Web Site
"Poor Richard's Top 100 Tips for Doing Business Online"
Where's Your URL? By Jay Conrad Levinson
Free Book! - Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover
Poor Richard's Web Site and Other Top Floor Books
Book Reviewers Wanted
Reading Back Issues
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
**** IF YOU FIND THIS NEWSLETTER USEFUL ...
FORWARD IT TO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ****
{{ Beginner's Column:
You _Can_ Make Money Online...Even If You Probably Won't }}
========>>>
Here's a simple fact. Most people trying to make money online
are not doing so, and quite likely will not. It's easier to say
something like this these days; much of the Internet hysteria
has gone, now. In the "old" days, just a year or two ago, such
a statement was regarded in many circles as sacrilege. But it's
a simple fact.
However, you should also understand that many companies are
making a great deal of money online. I can't give you names,
because I've come by this information in the course of a
professional relationship with these companies but here are a
couple of examples I know of ...
Company 1: A niche publishing company grossing around
$2M/year online. This company has been in business about 20
years, and their total revenues are probably somewhere around
$12M a year. It has a couple of retail stores, but mainly
sells its products through direct-mail catalogs.
Company 2: A paper-products company, also grossing around
$2M/year online. They've been in the direct-mail business for
many years, selling through a variety of catalogs
What's the difference between successful online businesses and
those that are unsuccessful? I think there are a number of
factors that make success more likely (which isn't to say
success is impossible without these factors of course):
* You have business experience -- this isn't your first attempt
at making money
* Better still, you have an existing business -- going online
is merely one more marketing channel
* You're already in the mail-order business; there are many
similarities ... you already handle order fulfillment, for
instance (selling online is a natural next step for
mail-order
businesses
* You have a product that is suitable for online sales -- many,
most in fact, are not
* You understand the online "landscape" and how to get people
to your Web site
All the Internet-changes-everything arrogance seems to have
gone. Internet businesses were going to change the world, they
were going to kill off the old "bricks and mortar" dinosaurs.
It didn't happen; and it won't. In fact, it's becoming clear
that the bricks-and-mortar companies will win, because they
have have many advantages, not the least being real-world
business experience... experience in actually making money, not
just losing it.
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****sponsor****************************************************
{{ The Last Issue's Intentional Mistake }}
========>>>
In the last issue I wrote that "Those of you who have been
reading my newsletter since I began know that I'm now great fan
of advertising... ." Of course what I _really_ meant was "I'm
NOT a great fan of advertising."
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
Build a cool community site online ... but don't re-invent the
wheel, learn from the experts rather than repeating their
mistakes. Read "Poor Richard's Building Online Communities:
Create a Web Community for Your Business, Club, Association, or
Family" http://topfloor.com/pr/communities/
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
{{ BizBlast Reminder }}
========>>>
IMPORTANT-->: PLEASE NOTE: Despite the fact that two of my
IMPORTANT-->: books, published early last year, mention
IMPORTANT-->: BizBlast, I am no longer associated with the
IMPORTANT-->: services marketed under the BizBlast name,
IMPORTANT-->: and no longer promote those services.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
Promoting your Web site online? It doesn't mean search engines
and banner ads. You need to know about these low-cost yet
effective promotional techniques that really do work!
http://topfloor.com/pr/promo/
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
{{ A Real-Life Online Advertising Test }}
========>>>
In the last issue I discussed using Amazon.com's "bid" system,
whereby you can place book covers when visitors to their site
search for certain terms:
http://www.topfloor.com/pr/newsltr/050.htm#050_4
I told you I'd let you know the results, so ...
In the last issue I noted that the word "promotions" seemed to
do okay, so I bought some more bids for that word. I really
haven't paid much attention to what's been going on until
tonight, when I checked again. When I first tested the word, I
found that each impression was costing half a cent, but that
one person in six was clicking on the ad, meaning each visit to
the book's page was costing 3 cents.
However, over the longer term these results did not hold up.
The ad has been displayed 627 times, now, but viewers have only
clicked through ten times! That's one in 63 impressions. So
each visit to the book's page is costing 32.5 cents, unlikely
to be low enough to make such a campaign viable.
By the way, these great little feedback tools that are
available to Web advertisers are a double-edged sword for the
companies selling advertising. In the old days of banner-ad
enthusiasm, the assumption was that banner ads _did_ work, they
_must_ work, so these tools were simply great tools for
advertisers. What has become apparent -- and what I've been
saying for several years -- is that these tools actually drive
down advertising prices, because it's quite clear to the
advertiser that ads don't, in general, work well.
Here's a great subheading from a recent Wall Street Journal
special on e-commerce and Web advertising: "Technology allows
advertisers to know exactly what an ad is worth -- to the
dismay of some Web sites."
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{{ Free Book to Give Away on Your Web Site
"Poor Richard's Top 100 Tips for Doing Business Online" }}
========>>>
We've posted a free 31-page booklet at our Web site in PDF
format (Adobe Acrobat Reader). You can download a copy for your
own use, or even post it at your Web site, e-mail it to friends
or colleagues, print it out and use it in training courses ...
whatever you want. "Poor Richard's Top 100 Tips for Doing
Business Online" is a compilation of tips that have appeared in
the Poor Richard's series, from information about e-mail
publishing, to tips on branding yourself online, from help with
e-mail publishing, to ideas for improving your Web site.
The only requirement is that the book remains in its entirety;
you cannot remove any pages.
Download the page from the Top Floor Publishing Web site:
http://www.topfloor.com/prtips.htm
If you need to download a copy of Acrobat Reader, you can find
it here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
****************************************************sponsor****
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love!" ($10 off for Poor Richard subscribers!) Join; Take the
"Passion Personality Test", Download free money-making reports;
Order books and much more at www.turnyourpassionintoprofit.com;
or call (213) 401-2198 for free brochure
****sponsor****************************************************
{{ Where's Your URL? }}
========>>>
I was at Denver's "People's Fair" a few days ago, wandering
around the stalls with my kids, when I came across the Bungled
Jungle stall. The Bungled Jungle is a partnership between two
artists, based near Fort Collins in Northern Colorado. Pat
Landreth and Suzanne Moniano produce wonderful "other-worldly
creatures." These are beautiful, strange, fantastic creatures,
made of papier-mache, I believe. Kids love them, as do most
adults; my kids' dentist even commissioned the artists to do
some special creatures for him, it seems -- he has several in
his office waiting room wearing orthodontic devices.
Now, these artists have a Web site. Here's how I found out; I
discovered a couple of business cards face down on a table, and
the business cards have the site's URL on them.
Putting the URL on the business cards is a good first step, but
if it was my business I would put the URL on ...
* A big banner visible from all sides as people walked by the
stall
* On price labels I had specially printed up; every time
someone looked at a price, he'd see the URL
* On the receipts I used, including the credit-card swipe
receipts
* On stand-up cards placed on the tables, inviting people to
visit the store online.
Now, unfortunately the Web site is not really terribly good;
the Gallery area of the site is currently empty, so there are
only a couple of examples of this wonderful art on the site (
http://www.BungledJungle.com/ ), so maybe the artists felt that
there was no point promoting the site. However, such "URL
reticence" is very common; most businesses don't bother to push
their URLs. I know I've written about this before, but bandying
your URL about, and giving people a reason to visit, is the
simplest way for an online business to attract traffic. Here,
then, is another perspective, this time from Jay Conrad
Levinson, the inventor of "Guerrilla Marketing."
How to Make Enormous Online Profits by Maximizing the Use of
Every Point of Contact
======================
by Jay Conrad Levinson
Quite simply, marketing is absolutely every point of contact
any part of your business has with any segment of the public.
It's amazing how many people miss this vital concept.
Why should any contact with the public have only one purpose,
when it can work double duty and serve multi-dimensional
purposes? For example, in my Guerrilla Marketing courses, I
show that business cards can be plain and straightforward for
big-company executives -- but for the little guy, a business
card should double as a brochure, a circular, or a wallet-sized
advertisement. Think of business cards as advertisement for
you or your company.
How do you apply this concept to Web marketing?
Marketing online can be like winking at people in the dark -
you'll never catch their attention unless you "turn the lights
on."
Wendy McClelland turned the lights on for her website publicity
by putting her URL (web address) on EVERYTHING that left her
office --T-shirts, fax cover sheets, stationery, press
releases, and even her car were plastered with the web address.
As a result, she logged over 4,000 registrations on her web
guest book in the first 2 months and got tremendous local press
coverage.
The point is, if you've gone to the trouble of developing a
website to do yourself proud, it's worth the extra effort to
promote it like crazy to your target market. A website can
only be effective if it gets viewed by prospective clients.
Here are 8 things you can do right now to utilize every
possible point of contact to the max:
1. Put your Web address on your promotional materials --
business cards, letterhead, and brochures. Put it wherever
you'd list your phone number, fax number or e-mail address. Add
it to envelopes, invoices, catalogs, postcards, shopping bags
and all directories in which you're listed.
2. Include your Web address in all your advertisements --
print, radio and television. Most people still find the idea of
a home page a novel concept. If you rarely advertise, you may
want to use traditional advertising to let clients and
prospects know they can find you online.
3. Announce your new Website to targeted prospects and
clients. Just as you'd notify potential and current clients of
a change of address or staff hire, you can announce your new
web page with a special mailer. Send formal announcements to
your customer base and referral sources. But before you do
this, make sure your web page is indeed up and running. It's
bad PR to promote a web site that's still under construction.
4. Include website information on your voice mail. Let your
clients on hold learn how to connect to your web site for
pertinent information. Encourage the people who answer your
phones to give your web address to every caller who identifies
him or herself as an Internet user. Think of your website as a
24-hour answering service. Assure your callers that they can
always phone your store or office for information, but let them
know they now have a web alternative as well, open 24 hours
every day.
5. Put your web address on store and office signs. Hang it on
banners outside your building. Paint it on rooftops and company
cars. Include it in interior signs throughout your store or
office.
6. Create an Internet tip sheet. Since only a small portion
of the world population is Internet savvy, there's a good
chance that your prospects and clients know little or nothing
about the online world. Create an Internet tip sheet and offer
it free online so browsers and buyers know how helpful you are.
Include your home page, web address and other simple online
tips and guidelines.
7. Link your website with other websites. Not linking is not
thinking. Referrals, an invaluable source of new clients, are
the lifeblood of many small businesses. Similar to referrals,
a recommendation of your products and services on another
business's website is as good as gold. Link your site with
sites of other companies that share your standards for quality
products and customer service. Then ask them to do the same.
8. Share your website with others when you're networking
online. Specialized newsgroups and forums can provide a
ready-made audience for your products and services. As you
converse one-on-one via e-mail, make sure you attach a
four-line Internet signature that includes your website as well
as your phone, cell phone, fax and e-mail address.
No matter how well designed, your site can't bring in new
business until it gets seen. Since most people still spend the
majority of their time in the real world, not the cyberworld,
it's important to promote your site using a mixture of both
traditional and online marketing techniques.
======================
Jay Conrad Levinson is probably the most respected marketer in
the world. He is the inventor of "Guerrilla Marketing" and is
responsible for some of the most outrageous marketing campaigns
in history -- including the "Marlboro Man" -- the most
successful ad campaign in history. In his latest book, "Put
Your Internet Marketing on Steroids" Jay reveals how you can
use marketing steroids legally to make your business insanely
profitable.
http://www.roibot.com/tk_mos.cgi?nlartmos2
======================
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
The Internet provides a great new way to recruit great new
employees! Read "Poor Richard's Internet Recruiting: Easy,
Low-Cost Ways To Find Great Employees Online"
http://topfloor.com/pr/recruiting/
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
{{ Free Book! - Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover }}
========>>>
It's that time again, the time when we give away 200 electronic
copies of our next book. This time it's "Poor Richard's Web
Site Marketing Makeover, by Marsha Yudkin.
Web pages face challenges similar to flyers and brochures.
Whether the purpose is producing inquiries or sales, the words
have to tantalize the visitor with something not available
elsewhere, explain the offering thoroughly and persuade the
reader to take action.
For individuals, organizations and companies on a
do-it-yourself budget, as well as Web designers and Web
marketers, this book delves deeply into the details that make
or break a Web site. It shows how to transform a site that just
sits at its URL, into a site that generates more interest and
more orders. "Poor Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover"
emphasizes organization, content, and wording for successful
Web sites, but where appropriate it also includes comments on
layout and graphics that can make a difference.
We're looking for comments and testimonials, and are willing to
give away up to 200 electronic copies to readers who fit the
following criteria:
* You must be willing to read the chapters we provide within
a few days of receiving them (we'll be spacing them out
somewhat)
* You must agree to respond with your comments (good or
bad!).
* You must be able to download large files from the Web
* You must be able to work with .PDF files (you'll need Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available at
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)
We'll be providing un-edited PDF files -- to allow us time to
integrate suggestions and comments we are sending these files
out at the same time they go to the editor. Sorry, we can't
help with technical questions about how to work with Acrobat
Reader!
If you're interested, please e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Remember, only the first 200 will get a copy, and please,
only request a copy if you are willing to read and comment!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
{{ Poor Richard's Web Site and Other Top Floor Books }}
========>>>
Top Floor Publishing now has twelve books in print:
Poor Richard's Creating E-Books: How Authors, Publishers, and
Corporations Can Get Into Digital Print
http://PoorRichard.com/ebook/
Poor Richard's Home and Small Office Networking: Room-to-Room
or Around the World
http://PoorRichard.com/homeoffice/
Poor Richard's Branding Yourself Online: How to Use the
Internet to Become a Celebrity or Expert in Your Field
http://PoorRichard.com/brand/
Poor Richard's Internet Recruiting: Easy, Low-Cost Ways to
Find Great Employees Online
http://PoorRichard.com/recruiting/
Poor Richard's Building Online Communities: Create a Web
Community for Your Business, Club, Association, or Family
http://PoorRichard.com/communities/
The Official Miva Web-Scripting Book: Shopping Carts,
Feedback Forms, Guestbooks, and More
http://TopFloor.com/miva/
Poor Richard's Web Site, 2nd Edition: Geek-Free, Commonsense
Advice on Building a Low-Cost Web Site
http://PoorRichard.com/
Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters,
Bulletins, Discussion Groups, and Other Powerful
Communication Tools
http://PoorRichard.com/website2/
Poor Richard's Internet Marketing and Promotions, 2nd
Edition: How to Promote Yourself, Your Business, Your Ideas
Online
http://PoorRichard.com/promo/
The CDnow Story: Rags to Riches on the Internet
http://TopFloor.com/cdnow/
MP3 For Musicians: Promote Your Music Career Online
http://www.TopFloor.com/mp3m/
MP3 and the Digital Music Revolution: Turn Your PC into a
CD-Quality Jukebox
http://TopFloor.com/mp3/
... we also carry the following books by Peter Kent
Making Money in Technical Writing: Turn Your Writing Skills
into $100,000 A Year
http://TopFloor.com/techwr/
The Official Netscape JavaScript Book
http://TopFloor.com/books.htm
Order direct from the publisher, and you'll get a 100%,
1-Year Guarantee. If you feel the book wasn't worth the
money, send it back for a refund!
And remember, these books are discounted at the Web site, and
you pay just one shipping cost regardless of how many books
you buy!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
{{ Book Reviewers Wanted }}
========>>>
Do you review books for newspapers, magazines, newsletters
(electronic or paper), Web sites, or other media spots?
If so, perhaps you'd like to review one of Top Floor
Publishing's recent books:
* Poor Richard's Home & Small Office Networking Room-to-Room
or Around the World
* Poor Richard's Internet Recruiting: Easy, Low-Cost Ways To
Find Great Employees Online
* Poor Richard's Building Online Communities: Create a Web
Community for Your Business, Club, Association, or Family
Or perhaps you'd like to review "Poor Richard's Web Site:
Geek-Free, Commonsense Advice on Building a Low-Cost Web
Site, 2nd Edition"? Or maybe one of the other books mentioned
above?
Contact Top Floor's Marketing Director, Missy Ramey, at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Include your full mailing address, the
name of newspaper/magazine/whatever in which the review will
appear and the probable date of publication, and the editor's
contact information.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
Get into the e-mail publishing business yourself! Read "Poor
Richard's E-mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins,
Discussion Groups and Other Powerful Communication Tools"
http://topfloor.com/pr/email/
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
{{ Reading Back Issues }}
========>>>
If you need to refer to back issues of this newsletter -- and
search the archives -- you can find them at the following
location:
http://PoorRichard.com/newsltr/
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All Rights Reserved
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