SOLO MOMPRENEUR

Archive for the ‘Customer Care’ Category

Affiliate marketing can be an excellent way to get started in business online or a powerful, profitable addition to a current business.

There are amazing and wonderful products to sell and wonderful product owners to partner with.

Being an affiliate marketer isn’t just about making money, it’s about promoting products that you believe in and are passionate about – this is key to becoming a successful affiliate.

But what if affiliate marketing doesn’t seem to be working for you?

Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when you are starting out as an affiliate marketer:

1) There’s a disconnect with your visitors

No matter how interesting and informative the content of your site is, most of your visitors won’t stay and browse unless you have injected some of your personality into it.  Add some personal details, perhaps a photo or an about me page, and try to make the content sound as though you are actually talking to your visitors.  Write conversationally, as if you were speaking to your sister or your best friend.

2) All lookers and no buyers

This problem is generally caused by failure to really pre-sell the products you are promoting.  Anticipating the needs of your audience and convincing them that your affiliate product will address that need should increase your conversion rate.  A well designed site will have your customers prepared to buy the product before they even click on the link.

3) Not taking names

Don’t forget to ask your customers for their e-mail addresses, whether that is to receive a newsletter, e-book, audio, video, or a free report.  If you don’t, you are missing out on a great opportunity.  Very few people buy from a site on their first visit.  So capture their e-mail addresses in exchange for something of value so you can gain their trust and confidence and ensure you have future chances to sell to them.

4) Leaving out the human element

Human elements sell better than clever copy every time!  Don’t rely on advertising over testimonials.  Although banner ads in the sidebars on your webpage can lead to affiliate sales, they are not as effective as personal recommendations and endorsements.

Online customers are becoming immune to traditional advertising but the human element of a recommendation can still dramatically increase your sales.  Even though your customers are probably aware that you make a commission from recommending a product, they will reason that you would not endorse something you didn’t believe in because that would damage your reputation and credibility.

Do write a heartfelt enthusiastic endorsement.  It may take some practice, but it will be well worth the effort when the commissions begin to roll in.

5) Tell before you sell

Too much sales-y stuff and too little content turns people off.  Whether you are promoting affiliate products via a website or information products, your customers will want to learn something from you rather than reading a blatant sales pitch.

As a general rule, you should be aiming for 90% high quality informative content and 10% sales content on your site.

6) Repeating the same mistakes

Many affiliate marketers find they are only making a small profit from one product, so they decide to promote a large number of products in order to increase this income.  All you really achieve with this is repeating a formula that doesn’t work very effectively.

If you are not generating much income from your affiliate products, look at different ways to market them.  Having a few well-marketed products is always better than hundreds that get little exposure.  Don’t be afraid to try out some new marketing platforms and strategies.

See you for Part 5 – The Grand Finale!

According to the Urban Dictionary, “Buzz” means …

Excitement, hype, cool gossip, joy, exhilaration, tantalizing!

Something that creates excitement, hype or a thrill.

Something that generates hype, cool gossip, talk, exciting rumors.

Anything that creates excitement or stimulus.

The feeling experienced by someone in a stimulated state.

Notice the repetition and emphasis on certain words?

Urban Dictionary has certainly made their point!

The very best buzz you can create in your business is through the positive experiences of a happy client or customer.  When people start passing the word around about you, you’ll know you’re doing something right.

Great customer service, exemplary follow up and follow through, attention to detail, and good interpersonal relationship-building skills will naturally create buzz for you and your business.

So are people talking about you?  What are they telling others about you?

Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising and, hence, the best kind of buzz.

If people aren’t talking about you, start to think of ways you can get the ball rolling!

It’s better to do both.

Today will begin and end like any other day, with one small exception.

I’ll crank up the morning by walking my dogs, Kona and Maxwell, and then get ready to head off to my first job of the day.  I’m blessed.  I have three jobs and not everybody can say that!

Oftentimes I think about the numbers of people who have been laid off or who have lost their jobs and I only wish I could give them one of mine.

Early on in the day, I give help to new breastfeeding moms at a small community hospital. What I receive in return is beyond measure.  The smiles and thank-you’s I get when I show first-time moms what to do and build their confidence are the greatest gifts in the world.

Lending office support, coordinating the online and offline marketing, and working with patients in an ophthalmology practice is the next order of the day.

Not a day goes by that my co-workers don’t show appreciation for my assistance.  They’re always telling me how happy they are that I came on board.  One of the technicians reminds me all the time that her day would not be “peachy” without me there.  She has a great sense of humor.

In the evenings, I have tons of fun teaching childbirth education classes.

Helping to alleviate the fears, worries, and apprehensions that expectant couples have about labor, birth, and postpartum adjustments isn’t really work – it’s a labor of love.

Teaching is one of my biggest passions in life.  What a gift to end the day with a job that allows me to follow my passion.

By now, you might be wondering what the one small exception is for today.

Today is my birthday.  I’ll be giving and receiving all day long.

Would you like to listen to this post?

Well, I finally bit the outsourcing bullet and they said it would never happen!  “They” were wrong.

I’ve been an independent thinker, a self-starter, and as stubborn as nails my whole life and now I’m singing my own version of that classic tune by The Temptations – “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”.

Since I came online about three years ago, I’ve been the epitome of a “solo” professional – meaning I’ve done all the work myself.  After all, I’m not only stubborn, I’m a very proud person, too – not to mention that I also suffer from perfectionism.

One fine day I was inspired to design my own business logo.  How hard could THAT possibly be?  Well, I found out.  It wasn’t hard – it was miserably impossible!

I won’t bore you with all the failed attempts, weeks of frustration, or how often I was beating my head against the wall every time I logged in to Photoshop.  I’m convinced that site was not designed for regular, normal people.

Lucky for me, I met Michelle Shaeffer, owner of “The Small Business Muse.” We bumped into one another during the current 30-day blogging challenge.  I’ve been reading her blog posts and checking out everything she offers and I’m very impressed.

As we speak, Michelle is designing a logo for me. What a relief!  I know she’s a Mompreneur who pays attention to detail and does her best to meet her customer’s needs.

For the month of June, Michelle has created a special discount coupon for $40 off on her logo-designing service. Her prices are great to start off with so this deal is unbeatable!

I’m excited and can’t wait to see my logo!

If you’re spending all your time doing every single business-related task yourself, you’re most likely as exhausted as I was.

Take it from me – you’ll actually become more productive by doing the business-building activities you really love and outsourcing the rest.

Prefer to listen to this post?

I’ll let you decide.

Your brand is NOT your logo, company name, or product.  Your brand is your Online Identity.

It’s your unique selling proposition and what distinguishes you from others in your profession.  Your brand is “You”.

Objectives in achieving a stand-out-from-the-crowd brand include:

• Delivers your marketing message clearly and concisely
• Establishes your credibility through testimonials, awards, and accomplishments
• Emotionally connects to your target market to alleviate their fears, anger, or frustration
• Motivates the buyer or client through the use of stories
• Cements user loyalty through great follow up and customer service

There is nothing more relevant than authenticity and honesty. So, who are you and why should I trust you? THAT’S your brand and THAT’S what you need to brag about.

Here’s what your target audience is thinking:

• If I can identify with you, I’ll listen attentively to your experiences.
• If you’re like me and you know something interesting, I want to hear about it.
• If you’ve mastered something and you tell me how you did it, I find this attractive.

If you cultivate your persona as your brand, you can positively and effectively market your expertise to your target audience.

So how do you cultivate your persona? BRAG about yourself.

Your prospects, clients, and customers WANT you to brag.  They need to be assured that they’re working with a confident, experienced, and reliable professional so they EXPECT you to brag.

So, what have you decided?  Are branding and bragging cousins or twins?

You should know …
There’s a right way and a wrong way to brag! Check out the Bragging 101 Home Study Course to increase your confidence and showcase your talents and skills to grow your business … without sounding like a used car salesperson!

The corporate culture at Zappos has evolved over the years to create a WOW customer experience.  That experience is due, in large part, to the Henderson, Nevada staff who refer to themselves as Zapponians.

Zappos is a happy place to work!

See for yourself!  Check out this one-minute video of “Life At Zappos”.

Each team’s area is decorated differently from fantasy themes, to jungle themes, and other creative environments.  Almost every employee has their own cubicle, including CEO Tony Hsieh.  No big fancy office for the Chief.

They have a “nap room” and in the lunch room, there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

In the front office, there appears to be a mini book store – Personal Development books, maybe about forty different titles, line the shelves.  It’s not a Lending Library.  It’s a “Giving” Library. If someone sees a book they like, they’re welcome to take it – that includes employees and visitors!  CEO Tony has a new book coming out in June, 2010, called Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.

By the way, my daughter, Morgan, is attending “doctor” school in Henderson, NV.  I’m going to give her a call and tell her to get her fanny over to Zappos and take the tour!  When you’re studying to become a physician, you don’t get to have a lot of fun.

As a small business owner and online marketer, are you creating and incorporating a fun factor into your business?

What are you doing or could you be doing to create a WOW experience for your customers and clients?

Let’s not let Zappos have all the fun!

Many people say they want to get rich in Internet Marketing but very few actually do it. Of course there are many reasons why one person might succeed or fail. However, there are general principles you must follow if you want to be successful.

Here are three tips that can go a long way toward helping you achieve the Online Success you deserve.

1. Always Do What’s Best for Your Business

This tip encompasses all the other ideas. Obviously everything you do should be what’s best for your company. Yet many people too often forget about this. The forgetting usually happens when people let their own feelings get in the way.

For example, you may get mad at someone online (a customer or someone else) and decide to tell them off. Before you do something like this you need to ask yourself: Will this do my business any good? If it won’t then don’t do it. Do not hurt your business just to gain some temporary satisfaction.

2. Take Care of Your Customers

Repeat after me: “The Customer is always right. The customer is always right.”

Of course, the customer is hardly ever right. But when you begin to think about not treating your customer well, remember: “The customer is always right.”

If you treat a customer poorly you can bet that person will go and tell at least 10 other people. So not only would you have lost that one person as a future repeat customer but you’ve also lost 10 other potential customers.

3. Always Have a Plan

The last of the three great business tips is that you must always have a plan, otherwise you will fail. It’s as simple as that.

Trying to make it in any business without a plan would be like trying to go from New York City to Los Angeles without any maps or road signs.

Be sure to know what you need to do each day and know what you’re trying to accomplish long-term as well. That way you’ll always be able to keep yourself moving forward toward your goals.

If you want to make it in Internet Marketing then you must always do what’s best for your business, take care of your customers, and always have a plan. If you start by following these three great business tips then you will be well on your way to a successful Internet Marketing career.

If you’re serious about running your business online, then you need to get organized for success. With all you have to do, it’s critical that you maximize your time. That’s why I highly recommend Organize Your Online Business. These time-tested tools have helped me run my business online for the past 8 years – and they’ll help your business as well!

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with new Online Business Owners to help them create Online Success. She provides a complimentary 20-minute workshop at Organize Your Online Business.