Despite what the doomsayers would have you believe, there is plenty of opportunity to conduct business online. However, there is a big difference between trying to make money online and running a business online. The make money online pitch has unfortunately become synonymous with "get rich quick." The mentality is that you simply create a product and make money selling it. That's NOT building a business. That's trying to make a few bucks. Maybe it... Continue Reading

You've hopefully heard that the point of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook isn't just to amass followers. You could have totally healthy numbers and still not see much of a return in terms of sales or clicks or engaged readers. So if the goal isn't just numbers, what is it? Some of the signposts that you are doing things right: People retweet your tweets. People comment on your blog posts and on other... Continue Reading

Email lists are arguably an online marketer's best friend. They provide direct lines of communication to people who have already given you a vote of confidence, either by opting in to receive your updates, purchasing a product from you, or both. So how do you get a great email list if you are just starting out? And if you have been in the online business for awhile, how do you build yours and grow it... Continue Reading

There is a counter-intuitive truth to monetizing websites and online businesses: the more you give away for free, the more money you tend to make. Sounds crazy, but it has proven to be true time and time again. The reason is that through giving away your knowledge and possibly even products for free, you build customer trust and loyalty and you solidify your brand. Since your readers and fans don't have to worry about you... Continue Reading

If you run a popular blog, affiliate products can be a valuable and logical source of income for your online business. After all, if people trust you and like what you have to say about your industry or your niche, then they are also likely to want to know which products you endorse. Needless to say, it is important to approach the use of affiliate products in your business with the utmost integrity and honesty... Continue Reading

Here is a tale of two websites. Website #1 is beautifully designed. It has fabulous content. People visit it each day and enjoy what read. Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't. But the website owner has absolutely no way of knowing who these people are or what they want. And he has no way of monetizing his visitors. They come, they eat, they leave, so to speak. Website #2 is equally beautiful. It also... Continue Reading

As online marketers, we put a lot of stock in social networking, and rightfully so. There really is no better way to get the word out about your business, its mission, and your brand and to build valuable relationships that will create opportunities and help your business grow. Or is there? Back in the day, before Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and even Friendster, all they could do was network the old-fashioned way: face-to-face and in person... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D.) Recently, I had a very candid conversation with an entrepreneur whom I've known for a long time but who has never shown much interest in elevating service at his business. During that conversation he said something like, "Joseph I know you believe service is an important value proposition and intuitively it makes sense, BUT I can't monetize the value of service." Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D.) Recently, I had a very candid conversation with an entrepreneur whom I've known for a long time but who has never shown much interest in elevating service at his business. During that conversation he said something like, "Joseph I know you believe service is an important value proposition and intuitively it makes sense, BUT I can't monetize the value of service." Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Tim Golen) One thing is becoming increasingly clear: mobile web browsing is quickly catching up to and surpassing desktop browsing. With more people having access to mobile-enabled cell phones than computers, the number of mobile devices browsing the web is increasing at an enormous rate. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D) I love buying things online! What I am not fond of is the service, or should I say the lack of service, I often receive after the sale. The great speaker and human development expert Earl Nightingale once noted, "Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service." However, with the world markets injured by those who focused more on profiting themselves than serving the... Continue Reading

Do you have your cell phone handy? Stop what you are doing and go get it because I want to show you something very cool. I am going to give you a look into the future... the very NEAR future. In fact once you begin to understand the possibilities of what I am going to demonstrate, you are going to be excited! And it is going to keep you awake tonight. But it's going to... Continue Reading

So you've hopped on the bandwagon and set up a Facebook and Twitter account for your business. Congratulations! You have officially arrived at the cocktail party that is the 21st century. But there remains plenty to do. You can't just hide in the corner nursing your drink. You have to get out there and establish a presence, and in order to do that you're going to need a plan. Here are five steps to... Continue Reading

So you have a business up and rolling. Now, how about establishing a sure-fire way to grow sales with little to no risk? If you are thinking affiliate marketing, the answer is yes! Affiliate marketing's pay-for-performance model makes it a low-risk, high-reward venture; it's a no-brainer for businesses looking to drive qualified sales or leads. The more complicated part is how to actually get affiliates to not just opt to join your program among the... Continue Reading