What Kind Of Online Business Model Best Fits Your Needs?

So you want to make money online and you want to do it quickly. After all, there's nothing better than rolling out of bed when you want and firing up the ol' computer to see how much money you made overnight. Whooaaa.... not so fast...

Before you can get to the part where you actually make money, you need to decide exactly what to sell. That's right, in order to make money online you'll need to sell something, usually a product or service. I'd like to help you decide what that something should be. After all, there are lots of choices. Unfortunately many of them lead to a dead end, wasting your time and money in the process. The following plan will help you avoid all that. When deciding what to sell online, you need to consider the three basic online business:

Buying and Selling
2. Creating and Selling
3. Selling Existing Products and Services
Each of these three options have successful models and unsuccessful models. So let's run down each of the options above, starting with choice number one...

1. Buying and Selling

You could use the basic retail model, where you sell like a retail store, except with less overhead than a brick and mortar store. But that's an expensive endeavor. Perhaps that's why the most common strategy for buying and selling on the Internet is starting an Ebay business. In this model, you purchase items, usually at wholesale and then sell them at a higher price by auction.

There are two keys to success in this strategy... finding the right niche and finding the right wholesale sources for products in that niche. An eBay type business can be a lot of work. However, if you like this business model and have your heart set on trying it, there are still some opportunities for new players, if you are clever.

Here's an example of what I mean by "clever"...
A couple years ago I met a neighbor of mine who makes his living buying things locally and selling them on the web. He specializes in antique furniture and other old items from my geographical area. He spends a few hours a day visiting flea markets, yard sales and local auctions. With a knack for spotting deals, he snatches up anything he considers grossly underpriced then markets it internationally, via the web.

OK, "market it internationally" may be a bit too fancy of a description for what he does. Basically, he takes a couple of snapshots of each item using his digital camera then sells the items at auction on ebay.com - the number one meeting place for buyers and sellers across the world. And believe it or not, he makes quite a comfortable living doing this. It works for him because he has a unique selling position.

His unique position happens to be his location. The region where he lives a great place to find many undervalued antiques and other authentic items. He's simply finding a new home for the items and filling a need at the same time. After all, where else would someone from say, Australia, find an authentic antique table from another country?

This is the path I chose to make my own living online. (I also mix in choice three below, buy I'll get to that in a minute.) I prefer the "creating and selling" strategy above all others, since I have complete control over exactly what I sell and how much profit it yields. I sell information and services. I create my products and services using my computer and then mold them into many different marketable formats including print books, ebooks, software, consulting and advertising services.

If you have, or can research and gather information on a niche topic, you can make money using this model. For centuries, people have been making money selling information and related products and services, and it will continue forever. It all boils down to helping people save time and money avoiding learning something the hard way -- through research. Basically, you do the research and sell the results. The better the information and services, the higher prices you can demand.

With a global audience online, you can create and sell just about anything! If there is a market for it, you can build a business around it. And therein lies the equation... Before starting ANY business you must consider carefully, WHO you will be promoting to. Think hard about the people who might be interested in what you plan to sell. And beware... if the answer is "everyone", that's usually a BAD thing.

Identifying a niche market gives you the ability to target ONLY your prospects you spend FAR less marketing and advertising. So do some market research BEFORE you start creating your product. I'll list some good research sites at the end of this article, that will help you determine if there is a need for your product. Finally, let's consider a third angle for those of you who do not have the time or inclination to "create and sell"...

3. Selling Existing Products and Services

You can start a new business online selling existing products and services. You simply earn a commission from each sale you make. The commissions can be one-time or recurring depending on the product or service you sell for the merchant. There are affiliate programs on just about any niche product or service you can imagine. Whatever niche you plan to develop your business around, you'll more than likely be able to find affiliate programs you can join.
And that is the key... choosing a niche that interests you. Something you enjoy doing or talking about. You may be surprised to find out that you can make money in just about any niche imaginable. Selling existing products and services is not just for new businesses.

It is also a great strategy for established businesses who want to grow their bottom lines. When done properly, it can yield income growth of more than 30% literally overnight. How can I make such a bold statement? Simple, I've experienced just that, by simply selecting existing products and services carefully and then introducing them to my current prospects and customers. The common thread in all three strategies...

In case you didn't notice, all three money making strategies above contained one common component -- proper niche selection. While you should choose a niche that interests you, you also need to choose a niche that can be profitable. To determine if your niche can be profitable, take a few moments and visit the following websites.

1. Ebay's Pulse lists popular searches as well as most watched items.
You can also search through just about any category imaginable.

2. Google's Zeitgeist shows weekly, monthly, and annual trends based on the millions of searches done at Google's search engine. Zeitgeist by Country is also available on a monthly basis.

3. Google Adwords Keyword Tool is a free tool that gives you reports on keywords and keyword phrases that you enter into the search box. Statistics show how many users search for you keyword on Google.

4. WordTracker Free Tool shows you the daily searches being done on any keyword or keyword phrase.

How to do Keyword Research the Easy Way

Keyword research is one of the first things that most internet marketers should learn. Whether you’re doing PPC, SEO, article syndication, or anything else- keyword research is a good, good thing.That said, I’m amazed at how complicated people can make it sometimes! I see it all the time; a new marketer goes through the follow stages-

1)Learn about IM
2)Get excited about making tons and tons of money
3)Jumps in without really learning the basics
4)Fails
5)Comes back to learn the basics
6)Gets confused (sometimes about keyword research, sometimes it’s something else)
7)Tries again (maybe)
8)Gets frustrated
9)Quits

Does that sound about right?

Now I know that some parts of IM are confusing and require constant learning. But keyword research isn’t one of those things. When it comes to selecting good keywords, here are the 3 principles I live by:

Principle #1: Look for Buying KeywordsThis is probably the most important of the 3 principles. You can make money without buying keywords, but it won’t come as easily.
So what’s a buying keyword? There are a few things to look for:
Product namesProduct name + review, reviews, scam, discount, coupon, cheapBuy, cheap, discount, best + product type (best vacuums, cheap washers, buy red high heels, etc.)The people typing in these keywords often have a credit card in hand, ready to spend some money. They’re either ready to buy, or doing research right before they buy. These are the visitors that convert like crazy! If someone is looking for a Fat Burning Furnace review, they’re thinking of buying Fat Burning Furnace. It’s as easy as that.

If you focus on buying keywords, you really don’t need many visitors to your site every day. Your visitors will convert much better than most, so making good money won’t take thousands and thousands of visitors.

Principle #2: Look for Desperate PeopleI know that sounds bad, but I don’t know how else to put it!When you’re desperate, you have a problem that you want fixed now. Doesn’t that sound like someone who might buy your product? After all, your product does solve problems, right?Let’s say that someone’s having marital problems, and things are getting bad. They might go to Google searching for something like:
I need to save my marriage
My wife is leaving me
My wife left me
My wife doesn’t love me anymore

Anyone typing in those kinds of things is asking for help. They have a severe problem, and you can help them fix it with your product.**HINT** Most desperate buyers will either have health, finance, or relationship issues. People don’t get desperate about World of Warcraft or shoes.

Principle #3: More Doesn’t Mean BetterMany new marketers think that when it comes to visitors, more is better. While you might still make some sales, you always want to niche down at least 2 or 3 levels.For example, let’s say that you’re promoting Fat Burning Furnace. Do you think the keyword “lose weight” is good?The truth is that it’s okay, but it’s still not very great. You have no idea who is typing that into Google.
They may be 5 pounds overweight or 500.
It might be a woman who has never worked out a day in her life, or a guy who works out every day and just can’t shed that last layer of fat.
But really, you can’t even be sure if they’re trying to learn how to lose weight!
That is probably what they want, but it’s not what they typed into Google.
Now, let’s take the keyword “how to lose weight”. You’ll get fewer searches each month, but at least you know what they’re looking for. However, you still run into the fact that it’s not specific at all.Finally, let’s look at someone typing in “how to lose weight for new mothers.” This won’t get tons and tons of searches each month, but at least you know who is searching for a solution. Now you can really target your audience, explaining how Fat Burning Furnace is the best way to lose weight for new mothers because of X, Y and Z.

Conclusion
There is more to keyword research than this- but when you really get to the core, this is pretty much all you need to know.Now I admit that when you throw in SEO or PPC competition, you get into a whole new ballgame. Competition is fierce for a lot of keywords, but you can still find some gems out there.If your game is SEO, then I can’t recommend highly enough that you get a good keyword research tool. My personal favorite is Market Samurai but there are some other good ones as well.Thanks for reading, and I hope this article helped clear up some confusion about keyword research!

Social Media Marketing Is Critical In Building Your Home Based Business

Have you been dragging your feet when it comes to using social media marketing to grow your business?

As of, December 31, 2011, Internet World Stats says there are 2.267 billion Internet users in a world with 6.9 billion people. Imagine, nearly 33% of the world popuation goes online! And, 79% of the 347 million people in North America alone use the Internet, according to their stats. Now I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty good reason to dip your toe into social media marketing.

But, for those still not convinced, check out this next little tidbit.

Amazingly, over 50% of the active Facebook users log on to Facebook every single day, and generate on average, 3.2 billion Likes and Comments per day. Over 500 million engage with Facebook on external sites, and Facebook alone is on pace to reach 1 billion active users this year! These are mind boggling statistics!

Social media is exploding on the world scene so it makes sense that the new way to reach customers, clients and prospects, is through social media marketing. The term Web 2.0 refers to using the Internet in a social setting. It is the interaction between people. It is the essence of social media.

If you Tweet your way through life, jump on Facebook everyday, or connect on LinkedIn, you are participating in Web 2.0. A blog is Web 2.0. RSS feeds are Web 2.0. Wikis are Web 2.0. If you can interact through comments or by contributing to a discussion, you are engaging in Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 just makes sense for social media marketing.

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A friend of mine, who took her business to six figures in six months using Facebook alone. Another friend created a portfolio of six figure income streams simply through blogging and article marketing using multiple sites. And still another one of my mentors has used Twitter to generate a six and seven figure income over the past several years.

Each of these internet marketing masters have tested and refined the steps needed to break free from their jobs or life circumstances. Each of them tapped into social media marketing training that teaches them everything they ever wanted to know about marketing online – and offline for that matter.

My Facebook friend taught me a little marketing strategy, that doesn't cost a dime.

Let me share it with you here. Create a Facebook account if you don't already have one, and start engaging in social media marketing right away. First, choose a niche market that you can relate to. Maybe it's cat owners or golfers, or coin collectors. Next, type the niche name in the search box on Facebook and hit enter.

Look for large groups to connect with. You can join them if they are open groups, but some groups require the Administrator to approve your membership so ask to become a member.

Create a Facebook Fan page, and invite people in your group to like your page. If you switch your account ID, and make your comments in the groups as "your fan page," people will click on your picture to see who you are, and that takes them to your fan page. Make sure your fan page invites them to "Like" it, and then they will get all your updates on their wall. This is where the relationship starts.

Your objective is to create a community on your fan page by encouraging interaction. You can do this by asking questions, taking surveys, Trivia or debates. Ask your fans what they are struggling with right now, and then give them 90% value, with 10% sales sprinkled in it. Be authentic, and the sales will follow.

Post updates on your fan page wall, 3-5 times per day, consistently. You want your fans to keep stopping by to see what interesting little nugget you have to share. And don't forget to post pictures. Ask yourself before you post… "would I want to receive this message? Will the recipient find true value in this, or will they want to block my updates?"

With your community built, your new friends will like you and trust you. People buy from those they like and trust. Your social media marketing is nearly on autopilot at this point, as long as you keep showing up for the party.

Google Plus Tips- 13 Ways to Get Increased Google Plus Followers

Google plus has entered in the social media as a competition to different social networking sites. It has given direct competition to Facebook which is a social media giant. Many analysts are predicting that in coming months Google Plus will gain more popularity than Facebook. It has given a nice opportunity to internet users and online marketers to increase their presence.

They should not wait for the declaration of winner and start building their presence as Google Plus circles, friends and followers. Here we have brought a complete list for you with the help of which you can easily get increased followers on Google Plus.

Ways to increase followers on Google Plus
1. Build Google Plus Circle: First thing you need to do is to create a Google Plus Circle. It includes the people with whom you want to interact. Google Plus has a feature of grouping your circle on the basis of your priorities as friends, following, acquaintances, family, colleagues, customers etc. You can share your update with any particular circle or with particular people. Like some updates can be for your business purpose that you would like to share with your customers while others you would like to share with public.

2. Google Plus Page: Google Plus also gives you a feature of creating profile and business page where you can create separate profile and business page like Facebook. Business pages are good way of letting people know about your website, blog and business. You should immediately set up one. You can also add these Google plus Business pages into your Google Plus circles. Contact Sales Success Consulting, a leading Web Design Boston Agency for professional SMO services.

3. Ask Friends to add you Circle: As Google plus is still at starting stage, many people are still unaware of this. In order to make circles you can invite your friends to join you and add you in their Google+ circle. You can also ask your friends who are using other social media networks to add you to their G+ circles. You can also invite your Gmail contacts to join you on Google plus.

4. Share Interesting Stories on Google Plus: Make your Google plus account more interactive and share interesting stories on that. It allows you to share links, videos, images and other content. So you have option to share anything which you find interesting.
You can share your stories with people of your choice and can also mention them by using @ as you do on Facebook to tag people.

5. Locate More People: You can find out more and more people on your Google plus account. You just need to login in your account, clink on view all link option and then click on find people. This will show you options of people either who have same interest like you or who are friends of your friends. You may not even know them personally. So it's your choice who you want to add from the suggested list. You can also import contacts from your Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail accounts by uploading your address book.

6. Send Your Updates through Email: There are chances that some of your friends are not logged into Google plus accounts or not using it and they may miss your latest updates and posts on Google plus. To cope up with this situation you have an option to send updates to your friends through email, a special feature offered by Google+. Google Plus is the only social media network providing you this facility of sharing your updates via Email.

7. Opt for Google Plus Mobile Version: Google plus has its own application using which users can use their mobile to get engaged with their community members and post new status updates as you do for other social media websites.

8. Follow Back Your Followers: You will get a notification from Google plus whenever someone adds you. You should also follow them back to give them a favor.
9. Add Google Plus Buttons to
Your Website: Don't forget to add Google Plus button on your site and blog at important positions. This will give you double benefits. First it will motivate your website readers to click on the plus button and second it will also help in enhancing Google Plus followers.

10. Comment on other's Updates: Make the conversation more interesting by commenting on the latest updates on Google plus. In this way you can also contact lots of new bloggers and targeted audience from your niche.

11. Interesting Stories from Other Users: Apart from commenting on other's updates, you can also click on plus one button to like stories and updates. Slowly and gradually it will benefit you by the returned favor of the people in the form of clicks on plus one button on your stories and the invitation to join their circles.

12. Make Your Google Plus Content Public: Be found by more people and that you can do by making your profile visible to public as done on LinkedIn account. Share your stories and content with public but it should be related to business only. Avoid sharing your personal stuff there.

13. Upload a High Resolution Pictures: If you have collection of nice pictures you can share it on you Google Plus profile. Always upload high resolution pictures to improve the look of your photos.

Expert Processes Expose How To Rank In Google

The primary thing you must figure out is that Google is your key customer and it is critical that you give the search engines precisely what they yearn for. Nearly everyone get this utterly incorrect and end up mistakenly somewhere out in cyber land. A reasonable question you should be asking yourself is what does Google want? How can I best help them and my intended customers?

Here are an assortment ofmethods that you can put into action immediately to improve your ranking results. The more of these techniques you have operating for you the greater your odds are of being revealed to the search engines clients. We can start out by being sure that the title of our website or page has the main keyword in it or is the main search term that we would like to rank for. It's also a good idea to have the keyword phrase as your domain name if it's obtainable.

Let's learn some optimization techniques that you can use to instantly improve your relevancy and placement results. It's always a magnificent idea to make use of multiple strategies as this successfully increases your odds of appearing before the engines viewers. We can begin by ensuring that the title of our internet site has the main key phrase in it or is the main keyword that we would like to rank for. It's suggested that you do a domain name search on the keyword phrase that you are trying to rank for as having your domain name the same as your key phrase gives you a boost in the search engines.

Here's what takes place behind the scenes in search engine land when someone searches on a search term phrase. Lets say someone does a search on "types of exotic fish." The engine will search for the keyword phrase exactly as it was typed across the internet in the following places: domain name, page title and subject matter of the page. If you have all of this in place that's a plus for you. Next the engine will look for keyword phrase density in the webpage subject matter. In other words it looks for how many times the keyword appears on the page in the relevant content. What is key phrase density anyway? Keyword phrase density is in basic terms how many times a key phrase is used on a webpage in relation to all the other words on the page. It's a ratio. This ratio should be between 1-3%.

Engines search for links to your web site in the form of backlinks as well as other sites that are linking directly to your website. The more internet sites that link to your website the more important a search engine will deem your site to be. Here's a few ways you can achieve back links: Submit content to article hosting web sites. Forum posts with your link in the post. Social media posts and fan pages. Post in book marking sites. Post optimized video clips. Submit to directory listings. Comment on other blogs. Contact other website site webmasters and exchange links with them.

Links to your site from other internet websites tell the engines that your website is worthy and has power. Here's an example you can relate to of social proof to a search engine. If you were going to choose an application for a smart phone and one had 500 thousand downloads and another had 20 which one would you choose as more relevant to your needs? The most would select the one with 500 thousand downloads. Websites are ranked in much the same way by the search engines programs in terms of links to your web page.

Speak to other webmasters and ask them to swap links with you. Some sites will happily trade links as the link exchange is a win win for you and the other website owner. The higher a internet site ranks that links to your website the greater the boost in the rankings to your site. The smart bots and spiders adore links. An effortless win is to be sure all your websites are linked as this also allows the spiders or bots to travel from one page to another very easily. Make sure that the key words or keyword phrases are visible in your website map.

Video tutorials should be integrated into your ranking strategy. When you make a video be doubly sure to use the key phrase you are trying to rank for in the video clip. Here is how to optimize a video: Make sure your key phrase is the file name. The title of your video should be identified with the precise search term your optimizing for and situated if at all possible at the begining of the title. To make sure relevant videos for its users, engines listen for the exact keyword in the video clip. The video tutorial web hosting site provides a box for a description. You will want to make absolutley certain to have your site url in there first followed by the search term you're trying to rank for. There should be no more than 60 characters total with no more than 5 search terms comprised of 20 or less characters each used in the tags box.

Strive to consistently strengthen your authority on a daily basis and in no time at all you'll own a colossal web existence. Subject matter duplication is looked at by the engines as a form of spam and they may reprimand you for this by sandboxing, banning or delisting your website. Outstanding web page rankings don't happen immediately. Grow your web existence optimizing for the search engines and your target audience & you will soon be dominating your niche all across the web.