Category: United States

How Small Business can increase profit in 30 days!

Paul

Google Chrome Google Chrome (Photo credit: thms.nl)

Always speak the truth, think before you speak, and write it down afterwards.     Lewis Carroll

Imagine yourself  wanting a certain item or service but you really don’t want to waste gas looking around.   So you pull up you Ipad or your computer to Google for that particular subject.   If you want to get the most value of the item or services that you are going to pay for, then keep reading.     Most Small businesses aren’t thinking that way, they are expecting people to walk in and buy their stuff without first seeing what is available.   I’ve come to the realization that 9 out of 10 small businesses in my local Evansville, Indiana aren’t using their business to the fullest on the internet.

It begins with Thinking outside the box!

No small or big business will ever be making their true potential by being like everyone else.   I am not saying that you have to go to the extreme but there are ways you can make it more  accessible to the clients that your looking for or who are looking for you.   It takes 7 times for anyone to actually buy something from you or your company.   If your not doing the Rules of 7 right now, you are not going to make the most out of your business.   I recently found this out because I was looking for a job online trying to find business that I might be able to work for and I had a really good brain storm.   Most of the local business here aren’t following the Rules of 7 and I am here to volunteer my services to anyone who might want help converting clicks into profit.

Social Media

If you haven’t hired someone to do this then you are just asking for donations sort to speak.    Not having a Twitter account, a Facebook account, a Foursquared account, and a website promoting the products or services, just makes your work that much harder.  Just like Glasses USA [Affiliate Link], if you look at their website you will see they have a Facebook, Twitter, Email newsletter, and a Youtube account.   Each of them are making Noise and make sure people see there product to click and buy.  Just because you have them, doesn’t mean you should ignore them or not use them.   You might have to pay someone to blog about your product or service but if you don’t then you are loosing potential from your product or even service.   The harder someone has to look to find you the less likely they will find you, this is something that I’ve always believed in and will always blog about.

Customer Reviews

Another thing to consider when having a business is what are people saying about you on the internet. If your not monitoring these things then you are not going to fully understand your customers and that might hurt you in the long run.  It is essential to have customers who will proclaim your product, for example Glasses USA [Affiliate Link]. On their Customer Testimonials Page [Affiliate Link], you can see that their constantly putting up the good things people are saying about their products.  Thus they are showing potential customers just how well they are doing.  It is however a good indication also when it comes to employees and if customers aren’t happy with someone’s performance this is also a great way to re-enforce the idea of customer loyalty.

Customer Loyalty

This is something you must always strive for because without that you will not make any money or profit won’t increase.  Customers who are loyal to you might pay a little bit more if they feel your company is working hard for them, whether it be groceries or buying a car.   If they feel like the company is the best they will go out of the way to tell people and also keep coming back, this I think is the best model to  strive for.   Nothing sells like word of mouth advertising but that also means you have to know your customers and make an effort to show them you are one of them.   If your just trying to push your product then you are just trying to make money but if your showing them you care, then you are showing your potential customers more than just wanting to make money.   Your showing them you care about your product or service and that you believe in it!

Know when you’ve done wrong!

Let’s face it, no company in the history of time has ever been a 100% right.   There will always be times when a company did something or said something that makes them look EVIL.   If you ignore that then you are telling your customers you don’t care, but if your acknowledged it and ask for forgiveness then you are telling your customers you really do care.  Most small businesses aren’t hearing what is being said about them on the internet because they are blind to the idea that it isn’t something they should worry about, but I tell you this if your not worrying about it then you are risking your business to the word of mouth customers.  There will always be two sides to the coin, even if you didn’t know now.  You will know sooner or later because a customer might just bring it up when they call you asking why this other customer said that.   If your not prepared what people are saying then you can’t possibly have a answer  to the question and might even loose a potential customer because of it.

Some Local business to mention are:

I’m going to share with you some of the local businesses that I see that could benefit from this web post and encourage them to contact me if they are looking to make even more profit then they are now.   I am willing to discuss in detail what they are doing wrong and help them improve their customer experiences for a small fee!

  • Bucks and Jakes Outfitters — Great website and Business location just needs to improve on what they are already doing!

  • Baumberger’s Furniture — One of those business that had to shrink down because they were not doing some of this already!

  • Penske Truck Rentals — I’ve check them out and they are good but they could do better!

  • Paradiseink — This is a new site but seems they need a lot of different things to help promote their service and products!

  • Desktopdoctors — This business has some stuff already doing that but could do even more!

These are just a few that I’ve been looking at the last few hours and realized that they could be doing some stuff really differently and bringing in even more customers.   I think if you have read this article you probably are asking your self how you could make your business grow.   If you follow these tips you could make even more money but it is all how you do it.  If you like what you read please consider re-tweeting this and also posting it on Facebook and other social media sites!<

Paul Sylvester

 

 

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Why I use Google Affiliate Network!

Paul

Google Affiliate Network Summit 045 Google Affiliate Network Summit 045 (Photo credit: Affiliate)

There’s More than one way to skin a cat!

When all said is done, you have a big selection of affiliate networks that you can choose from.   You might even wonder which affiliate network is the best for your situation.   In this blog post, we will talk about some of the things that you can do to choose which one might be the best for your situation.   Not all Affiliate networks will be the same but this will at least let you understand which ones are right for you.

An affiliate network acts as an intermediary between publishers (affiliates) and merchant affiliate programs. It allows website publishers to more easily find and participate in affiliate programs which are suitable for their website (and thus generate income from those programs)

[Wikipedia]

Finding what works for you!

There are so many different networks you can use that you may have trouble knowing which one will work for you.  I will say before we go on that I do not know every single affiliate network but I have tried all the major affiliate networks and I will give you my opinions on each of them.

 Google Affiliate Network — I’ve been using this network from the get go, I will say that I’ve had some modest luck with this network.  I’ve made some money with network because of Glasses USA (Affiliate link).   I’ve always got paid for my commissions and they do actually care about your website and helping you get your commissions.

Commission Junction — I’ve tried this network and gotten some commissions from this network but it hasn’t really been a good relationship for me.  I didn’t really feel like they had my own website in mind.  I had to apply for all the merchants and never really had any luck with merchants wanting to have their advertising on my site.

Linkshare — Another good network that I didn’t have any luck with.   I know they have a wide variety of things that might be good for you but I really didn’t find anything that fit well with my website.  It always seemed to be more about page views then commissions.   They would always be someone wanting to be on my site that was unrelated to my blog.   I really didn’t feel that was a good fit for my website.

Linkconnector — I recently signed up to find out which programs they have on this site.  I haven’t been on their long and have already been offered to be part of merchants that are unrelated to my blog again.   These sites that were offered are nice for blogs or advertisers who is related in one way or another.   I bet these guys don’t even check the website they are offering to.

 Mal-Advertising!

Malware Advertising is something that I have come to understand just a little more and thus it is always going to be a problem for the affiliate networks because someone will come along and offer a service but are rarely understood because of the nature of advertising.   I am not saying that every time you sign up for a new advertiser that you are going always going to have one when you sign up but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least do your research before you start using their ads.   I’ve been happy with my selection of using Google Affiliate networks but I would love to hear which ones you use and why.   Just leave a comment and tell me and others who you recommend.

Paul Sylvester

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Do you have a Tax program for taxes yet?

Paul1 Reply

Tax Tax (Photo credit: 401K)

Tax season is upon us!

If your like me, You always dread doing taxes because you never really know what you will get back or if you will. I know I have to worry about everything from being audited to how my commissions did with my website and if that wil make a big difference or not. Nothing can be said for getting them done.  If your like me you some times get into a cold sweat worrying about all this stuff.   I know sometimes I even worry about my next paycheck, so I understand all to well of the problems in getting my taxes done.

Help is just a Click away!

I have in the past visited H&R block (Affiliate Link) offices but this year I will do it through their software [Download it NOW] (Affiliate Link).  I used to worry every year about my taxes but after I started going here and having them help with my taxes.   I don’t have to worry anymore with their  Worry-Free Audit support they provide for free with purchase of a Deluxe edition (Affiliate Link)of the software.  I simply have to buy their software and use it and I no longer have to worry because they will give me an adviser for free if their is in audit of my taxes.

Why I recommend them!

H&R block (Affiliate Link)has been their through the thick and thin of making of this website and others.   They even helped use with a tax audit where they paid for a mistake that I did in the past.   That was the something that I had it added on to it was worth the money because it only cost me 29$ if I remember correctly.   They always been professional to me and they even remember my name when I go into their office.    I don’t expect that now since I moved but I do know if I started going to the local offices where I moved they’d start to learn my name.   They’ve always been helpful and I know they would be again if I ever needed any help.

Don’t get caught with your pants down!

I tell you if you do your taxes then you are constantly having to worry about making mistakes and nothing can be any worse than that.   You need to have help when doing your taxes and that is why I recommend  using H&R Block (Affiliate Link) to help do your taxes, if you can’t afford the paid version, the least you can do is use the free version but that doesn’t pay for the state taxes, those you will have do worry about separately.  I will always use H&R block for all my tax needs whether it be at home or going to their office to do my taxes.

Paul Sylvester

 

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Being more Honest with my Affiliate Links!

Paul

Google Affiliate Network Summit 035 Google Affiliate Network Summit 035 (Photo credit: Affiliate

Testing the Waters!

A friend told me, a couple days ago that I should be telling my readers when I have affiliate links.  He said I would would get even more sales if I were to be a little more honest with which ones are actually the ones that I make money off of!   It would better help those decide if your going to be a a good blog or not.   I really didn’t have much to say on the matter because I didn’t know what to say. I am sure there will always be those who will not tell you.   I thought it was quite obvious when I didn’t tell you but then I forgot I was hiding my affiliate links, not to be dishonest but to prevent programs and virus from taking away from all the work I have done.   I know there will always be people who will got the site directly and not give the site the credit.  I understand that, and somewhat expect that.

Honesty is the best Policy!

That being said, if you ever come to one of my posts and you see the (Affiliate links) or (Affiliate link) then it will be linked to this post.   So you can read about my honesty and understand that I am working really hard at changing.   Here is how this will work:

  • Reviews — I promise to my readers that I believe in the review of the product and that it is a recommendation from me.

  • Reimbursement — Hosting isn’t cheap now a days, that is I put up my Affiliate links and also to try supplement my working income.

  • If Gifted to me — I will clearly state that in my post and my review will no be swayed by the free gift of the item.  If it sucks, you will know about it and if it is something useful then you will also know about it.  I may however have affiliate links for the item.

  • Nicer URLS — even though I have hidden the urls and you have to click the URL to go the affiliate site in question, it is because the URL aren’t really neat and tidy.   If you feel offended because you can’t see URL then please feel free not to click those links.  (I wouldn’t want to see http://www.amazon.com/blah/blah/blah/blah/etc, anyways and I bet you don’t either)

  • Gift Cards — If you are wanting me to review a certain item and it is on Amazon or some other place then I will gladly accept a gift card through email(First name @ this domain).  However if it is something else please don’t hesitate to email me.

  • Review UNITS — Same as Gifted cards, if your wanting me to review an item but don’t know where to send it.   Please email me and I’ll discuss with you where to send it.  (First Name @ this domain)  Please bear in mind that I may not give a nice review, so I make no PROMISES and there are no expectations.

Prove to me!

I’ve done the unthinkable and stopped hiding all my links on this site.   So if you want me to continue to do it this way,  I will need to see a positive out come.   I was making money hiding sites links and not telling people about them being affiliate links.   Now I don’t want to see a drop in sales and money by being honest.   Help support my love to blog and being able to read about the stuff that matters to you.   Just like Glasses USA (Affiliate link) matters to me because I have to wear glasses everyday and I can’t afford to go buy some really expensive pairs of glasses.   They have been the one source for me, when I need to buy new glasses.  If you find a post that you really think is good, then don’t be afraid to share it on Facebook or Twitter.   Those are one ways to show your support of my blog.

Nothing shows support like sharing a post!

Paul Sylvester

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Are your ready for your last post??

Paul

A Great post by Derek K. Miller!

I was reminded by a great post by Derek and it was yes sadly his truelly last post.    If you didn’t know Derek and kept reading blog you’d have heard nuances of his problems.   You also have grown to know about his family through his blog post and yet you’d only touched the surface of this man by reading his blog posts.   I didn’t know him personally but that last blog post made me want to know him.   It was inspiring and well written and made everyone cherish the person he once was.   I come to think each blog should have something like this to let our readers know that there will be no more blog posts from us.   This is one reason I thought about making an educational post about getting ready to die posts?

How to Get ready for Death!

We’ve all wondered how we’d have our last blog post published and who’d do it.   That part is yours to decide but I am going to talk about the fundelmentals and let you decide just how you’d it.   I personally feel there are three ways to it:

  • Family — This is the most trustworthy choice because the family members will almost always want your wishes carried out.

  • A Will — This is common in the United States and I am sure in other parts of the world but it is one way to let someone know you have a final post and to publish it.

  • A Lawyer — This is another common way to make sure your post is published by giving access to your blog through a lawyer.

As you can see these are my ideas of how to publish that last post.   All though these are just a few, I thought the list might give you an idea to publish in your own way.    I won’t say these are the only ways but these are my ways and I don’t see any other ways to do it.

How will they log in?

This problem is common for blog owners because they want to protect there blog from being used for wrong doing.   So you’d probably be one of those who has an really good password that no one has access to it.   I currently use Lastpass and would tell people even with the last problem they had, it is still the best password manager you could have.   One way to give people the access to your blog and all that information that they will need after you die is to give your families or lawyer  several one time passwords for your Lastpass password database.   Now I say that because some of us bloggers have affiliate sales and there may be a need to switch the commission to someone’s elses name for them to use the money to keep the blog going.   It just depends on what you want the money to be used for.   A way you can think of it is, it will help pay for your funeral expenses and pay the persons back in the long run.    You’ll just want to make sure they know that the domain and hosting should be paid first to keep the money coming in but is little from the money you’ll be receiving each month.

Give Admins rights to someone you trust!

This is something that people will have to decide if it is right for you.   You can give someone who you trust their own account on your blog.   Although this is something that you have discuss well in advance.  I don’t recommend this tactic because of the possibility that someone could brute force that account and no one would be the wiser.   It however is important to come up with your own way to have that last post publish that your readers can know that their won’t be any more post by you and that they can morn for your death because you were part of their lives and you could very well be missed.

Paul Sylvester

 

 

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