In today's digital age, the allure of Internet marketing and e-business opportunities has attracted countless individuals seeking financial freedom and success. However, amid the promise of quick riches and success stories, a prevalent problem must be addressed. This article aims to shed light on the truth behind the Internet marketing world and confront some of its misconceptions. Here are four areas where you must be careful: The Salesperson Trap: Most internet marketers, often self-proclaimed "gurus," have a vested interest in selling their products and services. While this is understandable from a business perspective, it can lead to a problematic scenario for aspiring entrepreneurs. As they promote these products, the focus shifts away from building a legitimate business and turns individuals into mere salespeople. Selling becomes the sole priority, while actual entrepreneurial skills take a backseat. Not all “gurus” fall into this category, but many do. So be warned. The Lack of Proper Guidance: Mentors and coaches who guide newcomers often don’t address the intricacies of an e-business process. Many "gurus" claim to offer insights, but only a few genuinely show aspiring entrepreneurs how to grow their ventures into fully-fledged e-businesses. The Mystery of Product Development: One crucial aspect of running a successful e-business is developing products or services that cater to a target audience's needs. Unfortunately, few marketing experts delve into this aspect, leaving entrepreneurs at a loss when creating something of value. Trevor Carr is an exception here, as you cannot go wrong if you take his Breakthrough Program. You can count on him to guide you in developing your products or services. The Elusive Money-Making Tools: While wealth and financial independence are enticing, finding genuine tools and strategies to achieve these goals is often elusive. Only a few internet marketers provide legitimate resources to help budding entrepreneurs progress to profitability. The Business Approach to E-business In contrast to the prevailing hype, this article emphasizes that venturing into e-business should be approached as a serious business endeavor. It is not a realm for dabblers or those seeking quick fixes. Building a successful e-business requires dedication, discipline, and hard work. So let’s sort out what is needed for you to succeed as a businessperson in online entrepreneurship. Solutions: Three Essential Elements of Developing Your E-business There are three things you need to know about developing a business. 1) you must work on your business, 2) you must organize your business, and 3) you must work in your business. 1. Work On Your Business: To establish a solid foundation for your e-business, working on the business itself, not just in it, is crucial. This means stepping back from day-to-day operations and focusing on the broader vision and strategy. Here are some key aspects to consider when working on your business: a) Define Clear Goals: Set specific, measurable goals aligning with your long-term vision. Outline the milestones you aim to achieve and the strategies to attain them. b) Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience, identify their pain points, and discover opportunities for your products or services. c) Competitive Analysis: Analyze your competitors to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses. Differentiate your business by offering unique value propositions. d) Build a Strong Brand: Develop a compelling brand identity that resonates with your target customers. A strong brand presence can help build trust and credibility in the digital marketplace. e) Create Scalable Systems: Establish efficient processes and systems that can scale as your business grows. Automation and delegation can play a vital role in streamlining operations. 2. Organize Your Business: A well-organized e-business is better equipped to handle challenges and opportunities. Organizing your business involves structuring it to foster efficiency, productivity, and adaptability. Consider the following steps to manage your e-business effectively: a) Develop a Business Plan: Craft a comprehensive e-business plan outlining your vision, mission, goals, target market, and revenue generation strategies. This document will serve as a roadmap for your business's growth. b) Team Building: As your business expands, you may need to build a team of skilled individuals who can contribute to different aspects of your venture. Surround yourself with talented people who share your vision. c) Streamline Processes: Identify areas of inefficiency and streamline processes to optimize productivity. This may involve adopting new tools or technology to enhance workflow. d) Financial Management: Keep a close eye on your finances and maintain proper accounting practices. This will help you make informed decisions and ensure the financial health of your business. e) Legal Considerations: Understand the legal and regulatory requirements relevant to your e-business. Protect your intellectual property and ensure compliance with local laws. 3. Work In Your Business: While working on your business focuses on strategy and growth, working in your business involves executing day-to-day operations. As an entrepreneur, you need to strike a balance between both aspects. Here's how you can effectively work in your e-business: a) Product Development: Actively develop products or services that align with your market research and customer needs. Ensure consistent quality and innovation. b) Customer Engagement: Build strong customer relationships by providing excellent customer service and addressing their feedback. Engage with your audience through social media, emails, and other communication channels. c) Marketing and Sales: Implement marketing strategies to promote your products or services. Embrace digital marketing techniques like SEO, content marketing, and social media advertising to reach your target audience. d) Monitor Performance: Regularly track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the success of your business initiatives. Use data-driven insights to make informed decisions. e) Continuous Improvement: Embrace a culture of continuous improvement, seeking ways to enhance your offerings and processes. Stay updated with industry trends and adapt to changes in the market. By understanding and implementing these three essential elements – working on your business, organizing your business, and working in your company – you can lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth and success in the dynamic e-business world. Note: Many people who get into this business are affiliates, sometimes known as associates. If this is you, that is ok, just know that you are not running an e-business. You are a commissioned salesperson. You don’t develop products but sell other people's products, and you receive a commission in return. You need to understand those products, review them, offer bonuses, and often sell them using the creator’s marketing strategies, e.g., emails, sales pages, images, etc. Some internet marketers are good at selling but not creating products or running an e-business. And that is ok too. E-businesses need strong and effective salespeople. One more point for you to consider is that there is a difference between marketing and selling. Marketing is all about educating your potential customers about your products. Selling is about closing the deal and adding value for your customers. When you run an e-business, you need to consider both functions. Conclusion That’s all for now. Running an e-business isn’t as easy as people will tell you when you first get into it. Many moving parts require agility, persistence, and focus. As you develop your e-business, you will gradually move to fill the boxes with people, whether they are on contract or directly reporting to you. If you want help planning and organizing your e-business successfully, consider our Bizwoli System. The Bizwoli System will take you to the next level of your e-business. You may wish to talk to me first before closing off the Bizwoli System, I offer a free consultation about the program. You can find it in the link provided. You can also follow our Scaling Up Your e-business podcasts. Thank you for reading, folks. Keep well, stay safe, and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard, Richard Fontanie
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To be honest you don’t need any of the following if you are an Affiliate Marketer, however an Internet Marketer should have at least six basic tools: an Autoresponder, a Website Domain, a Freelance Platform, a Payment Processor, Webhosting Service and Social Media Platforms. This article outlines what each does, why it is important, how it works and how to get started. Let’s begin. 1. Autoresponder What is it? In a nutshell an autoresponder is a service which allows you to automatically send out emails to several if not hundreds of people, or to several groups of people either at the same time or in a sequence. Why is it important? Autoresponders are like having your own personal assistant. It gives you a way to automatically:
How does it work? You will be able to automatically send out emails in a sequence, for example you have an 8 part training course and you want to send out one module at a time. You can set it up so that modules go at the appropriate time and date. You can set up ways to capture potential customer names and email addresses for instance by offering a free eBook, Mindmap or resource file. However,
How to get started? To get started you will first have to sign up to an autoresponder service. I use www.Getresponse.com and www.Mailchimp.com (free but limited for the up to 1000 on your list). Another Autoresponder my colleagues use is www.Aweber.com 2. Domain Register What is it? If you are going to establish a website or any other web service, you will need to have Domain name. A domain register services is a company that handles the reservation of a domain name as well as an assignment of an IP address for that name. Why is it important? A domain name registration gives your business an online presence, legitimacy and brand recognition. If you are interested in reaching out to clients throughout the world or even within your community then a website is of critical importance. And you can only achieve a website by registering your domain. How do they work? Domain names are alphanumeric aliases to access websites – for example the Fontanie Magazine domain name is Fontaniemanagazine.com and it’s IP address is 71.17.38.236. It is easy to register a Domain name. However you don’t own the Domain name. You are just leasing it to use. As long as you continue to pay the registration fee you can keep using it. How to get started: The Domain Name Registration Firm I use is www.Godaddy.ca 3. Freelance Platform What is it? Freelancers work for themselves and contract their services out. They could be a writer, photographer, or an expert in any field. A variety of companies, organizations and government agencies hire freelancers. Why is it important? Freelancing is not only important for companies who do not have a particular expertise in-house but also for freelancers themselves. Operating a freelance business allows you to be your own boss, manage your own time, choose which projects you would like to work on and can promote work/life balance. Most freelancers work from home either full-time or part-time. How does it work? The jobs vary from short term to long term or part-time and full-time projects. It is projected that there will be in the neighborhood of 86 million freelancers by 2028. As a self-employed individual the freelancer is responsible for all administration such as billing clients, setting work hours, time tracking, paying their own taxes. How to get started: Personally I do not use use Freelance Platforms but Freelancers often use www.Fiverr.com , www.Upwork.com www.Elance.com 4. Payment Processor What is it? Simply put a payment processor relays information from your customer’s credit or debt card to your bank or vise versa. Why is it important? If you don’t have a method to receive and make payments you can’t process any monetary transactions, which is the life-blood of any business. The process of receiving money from customers and using that money to pay for products or services is crucial for businesses. How does it work? One of the roles of the payment processor is to make sure there is enough money in the customer’s account to cover the cost of the purchase. If there is, the transaction goes through. Every time you use your credit card and pay a bill the payment processor goes to work. How to get started. In the internet marketing world payment processors often include such firms as www.PayPal.com, www.Square.com, and www.Stripe.com Btw I use all three. 5. Web hosting Service What is it? In a nutshell a web hosting service is an on-line service that enables you to publish your website or web application on the internet. Why is it important? A web hosting service is a crucial element in the design and building of your website. It must be dependable and reputable if you want your end users to have a pleasant experience. You can link an email account to your site’s domain but it is not necessarily required. If you want to link your website to an email service it is better if you consider cloud based services. This is advisable because if your website goes down for some reason you still have ways to connect with your customers. Separate email services allow you to let your customers know for instance, that your hosting service is down and then provide them with updates. How does it work? Web hosting meets the different needs of websites and customers. They could include Shared hosting, Dedicated hosting, VPS Hosting. Cloud hosting, and Reseller hosting. The different types of webhosting relate to the kind of technology used for the server, the level of management provided and the services offered. Many Web Hosting Services will also register your Domain for your Website. How to get started. I host Fontanie Magazine on www.Weebly.com for an annual fee. I have also used Google web hosting, which by the way is a free service at www.Sites.Google.com. Other paid hosting services I recommend are www.HostGator.com and www.Bluehost.com. Social Media Platforms What are they? Social Media platforms are platforms that are used for communication, including but not limited to social networking and blogging whereby users develop online communities to share information, ideas, photos, personal messages and other content. They could include, but not limited to, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Tic Toc, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. Why are they important? Social media platforms from a business perspective allow you to advertise your brand, create a personal brand, drive business value, measure social change, find potential employees and freelancers. It is used to market products to a worldwide audience. How do they work? One of the most interesting things about social media is that it is constantly changing, updating and revising according to how users view and consume content. You should consider how to link your website and other tools with social media to expand your reach. Given today’s proliferation of social media tools it is best not to rely on one tool but to expand your base with several. Just remember though that social media is not a megaphone to shout out your wares so use it do more than just promote your own products and service. How to get started. Use social media platforms as a way to develop meaningful connections with your customers, like asking them questions, engaging them in product development, finding out what matters to them, sharing news and posts that motivate and expand their minds, and above all strengthening your brand and building trust through human connection. In Conclusion The six basic tools outlined in this article are essential for the internet marketer. The best way to develop the tools in your business is not to develop them all at once but to develop a plan to integrate them into your business over time. Complete an internet marketing plan with specific “tool” goals and action plans. If you need any help in sorting out and organizing what to do let me know by clicking the button below for a free consultation. As always folks keep well, stay safe and always become the best version of yourself. Thank you for reading, Richard Fontanie What happens when you develop a product, get approval from JVZoo, Warrior Plus, ClickBank or put it on your website but yet to have made a sale? Or maybe you saw something that sells well in one market, so you try it in your market and nada. No sale. You think you have a good product, you worked hard at it and after all you got approval. But approval doesn’t mean that you make sales. So, what could be the problem? Well, here are a few hints. 1. Do you have an audience for your product? Contrary to public opinion people don’t buy for your reason’s they buy for their reasons. A corollary to this is ‘we don’t sell anything, people buy.’ Unless we understand why people might want our product, we won’t sell anything. We can market the heck out of it, but people will still not purchase. No matter how much we have invested both personally and professionally, if you don’t have an audience for your product you are not going to sell it. This can be an emotional let down but it will be a lessoned well learned as we move onto the next product. 2. Are you solving a problem that people want solved? I learned this many years ago when I had an excellent tool for measuring knowledge worker’s effectiveness along eight distinct processes. The product was tested worked well and I used it to assess over 200 individuals with specific reference to their openness to learning. I knew it worked. But when I went to sell it, I found some disturbing results. I didn’t sell one Profile. Not one. When I did a bit of research, I found that:
3. Are you using the right keywords? Keywords are words or phrases that people type into search engines to find what they are looking for. For example, if you were searching to buy an eBook on goal setting, you might type something like, ‘SMART goals,’ ‘aspirational goals,’ ‘personal goals,’ ‘goals that work’ ‘how to write goals,’ into Google or YouTube. Even though your phrases consist of more than one word, it is still considered as a keyword. 4. Are you presenting with emotion? People buy for emotional reasons. This is related to people having a problem that needs a solution. For example, they may be frustrated, stressed, discouraged, anxious, or concerned. These emotions point to ‘pain points’ so your copy needs to address ways that alleviate the pressures or the ‘pain’ they are feeling. 5. Do you appreciate the difference between marketing and selling? Marketing is about educating your audience about your product and what it can do for them. Selling is closing the deal. Often we don’t prepare the marketplace for the product and just expect that people will buy. This is particularly true when you are introducing something new to the marketplace. Number 2 above is a perfect example of this. I tried to sell before the market was ready for my ‘great’ solution. 6. Do you know the difference between relationship selling and transactional selling? The latter is straight forward selling, for example. “I have a headache (my problem) do you sell aspirins (solution)?” “Yes, they are right over there on the second shelf.” This is a simple quick sell. A relational sell is long term and a bit more complicated. Most internet marketers have a list that they have nurtured for a long time before selling anything. They have developed a relationship with their customers or ‘buyers’ even though they haven’t met them. In other words, they warm up their customers before selling a product. This is particularly true if you are selling using Facebook. Using Facebook is all about relationship selling and requires much preparation before attempting a sell, even then the call to action is often soft rather than a hard sell. My experience is that friends buy on Facebook only if I have known them before hand or I have become friends with people I never met after a lot of likes, loves, and comments. Really you can’t do ‘transactional selling’ on Facebook unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money on ads and even then it is iffy. 7. Have you done your market research? Here we need to clearly understand who we are marketing and selling to. Your product might be the best thing ‘since sliced bread’ but if you don’t have a market for it you won’t sell it.
8. How do you Brand your product? There are many things about branding that are important, but here are a few points that filter to the top.
9. Don’t get discouraged. Keep to your vision. Keep working on your goals. And, keep developing products based on lessons learned. There are very few internet marketers who have succeeded the first time and many internet marketers give up just before they find their own ‘secret sauce.’ Statistics show that 90% or more don’t make it. And many of those that don’t make it fail to realize that they are within an inch of making it. Again, based on my real-life experience, I have developed over 50 training products and delivered some of them once because a company wanted it. I thought ‘boy this is a good training program for others.” Unfortunately, they didn’t go anywhere. Yes, this can be discouraging but don’t let it get you down. Affirm yourself that you are on the right tract, continue to share your experiences with others and they will help you, find an experienced coach who will guide you. Build on your experience, tweak your product or begin another based on what you have learned. The bottom line, internet marketing as a solopreneur can be a lonely undertaking but it needn’t be because those with more positive experiences are willing to help. By the way whatever happened to that Profile product I tried to sell in #2 above. I regrouped. I did more work in preparing the marketplace, repackaged it, and in the meantime used the product in my own practice. Owners began to see how it could be used in their company and after a couple of years they began to buy. Funny how that works eh? If you wish to receive a free eBook on Branding CLICK HERE. As always, keep well, stay safe and become the person you were meant to be! Your personal growth and development matters. Thanks for reading, Richard. |
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