Perpetual Traffic Formula

Ryan Deiss has worked his way up to become one of the most respected teachers of internet marketing, and most of his valuable knowledge and insight – probably worth tens of thousands of dollars –  is available in the Perpetual Traffic Formula.

Click here to visit the Perpetual Traffic Formula website.

The goal of Perpetual Traffic Formula is to teach you about the three main components of search engine optimization (SEO), and show you how to quickly and continuously drive targeted traffic to your websites via search engines – mainly Google.

In this program, you will learn about how to properly optimize your websites to rank for strategic keywords, how to quickly and easily generate high ranking backlinks even from .gov and .edu sites, and how to make sure there is enough activity on your websites to drive it higher in the search engine rankings.

(This last part – activity – was highlighted in Google’s “Caffeine Update” because the powers-that-be at the search engine realized that if a site is constantly being updated and people are leaving comments, it’s probably an “authority” site.)

I highly recommend Perpetual Traffic formula for any internet marketer – beginning, intermediate, or advanced – who wants to grow their revenues and profits.

What are your thoughts?  Have you used any of Ryan Deiss’ products before?  Already purchased a copy of Perpetual Traffic Formula?  Leave your comments below.

Perpetual Traffic Formula

Per FTC regulations, please note the above links are affiliate links and I may receive a commission if you purchase.

This guest post is contributed by Brenda Harris, who writes on the topic of executive mba programs . She can be reached at her email id: brenda.harris91@gmail.com.

If there is one thing you can say for sure about any business, it’s that competition is fierce. There is no industry today where you can hold a monopoly, no matter how powerful or rich you are.

In a world that offers equal opportunities to those who use their brains and are willing to work hard, the only way to get ahead is to woo your customers and encourage them to stay with you through thick and thin.

And the best way to do this is by offering great customer service – when customers feel that you treat them like royalty, they don’t want to take their patronage elsewhere, even if your competition is offering them a lower cost.

A few innovative ways to step up your customer service are:

• Don’t be condescending: No matter how large or successful a company you are, it does not pay to look down on your customers. Remember, they are the reason you exist and that while they can thrive without you (because of the competition), you cannot survive without them. So no matter how naive or ignorant your customers seem, help them out as best as you can without adopting a patronizing or condescending attitude. Don’t let their looks or how they’re dressed determine how you treat them – the story of the Stanford University’s birth should be example enough to emphasize this point.
• Offer personalized service: Customers feel privileged when you remember their names and know what they like by way of service, and this is why they tend to come back to places where personalized service is the norm and not an anomaly. Even if your operations are broad and your interaction with customers limited, you must take up making customer interaction a personalized experience as a challenge.
• Follow up on issues: Most companies fall short when it comes to following up on issues with their customers. If there is a complaint, they fail to see if it has been attended to or check if the problem has been resolved to the customer’s satisfaction. We live in an age where bad press spreads faster than wildfire, and with the vast reach of the Internet, you’re bound to lose credibility in a jiffy if dissatisfied and frustrated customers leave unflattering commentary about you on the web.
• Know when to offer your services: There are times when customers like to be undisturbed – not everyone likes a salesperson following them when they shop and hovering around their elbow. So know when you’re needed and when to keep a distance. Similarly, customers resent the intrusions on their time made by unsolicited text messages and marketing calls. Use methods like email or traditional post to get their attention instead of getting on their nerves by cold calling.
• Don’t neglect the post sales relationship: Most companies lose their customers because they terminate their relationship with them after the sale is made. They fail to understand that a satisfied customer generates more business and that this is reason enough to continue to provide service even though there is no great benefit to the company from providing this service. Take a phone company for example –customers have paid for the handset and a year’s subscription, so they’re not likely to go anywhere else in this period of time unless they want to suffer a loss. From the company’s point of view, they already have their money. But if they let this factor decide how they treat their customers and offer shoddy post-sales service, they’re going to lose many more potential customers because the word will surely be spread by the few disgruntled ones.

Pretty good post by Brenda, right?  What are your thoughts?  Leave your comments below!

Over my time running The New Business Blog, I’ve given a lot of advice on how to make more money online. (While I’m no Yaro Starak or John Chow, I’d like to think I have been successful enough to be taken as a reputable source.)

Without a doubt, the single most important piece of advice I’ve given is to straight up TELL your visitors what you want from them. Don’t ask. Tell!

So, on that note, I’ve decided to do a little experiment. I want to see if I can make a simple, yet stupid video go viral, simply by me TELLING everyone that’s what I want them to help me do.

The video is nothing more than me TELLING everyone who views it that I want their help in making the video go viral. Now that you’ve viewed it, help me out by embedding the video in your blog, posting it on Twitter and Facebook, voting for it on Digg and Reddit, Stumbling it, and emailing it out to your friends and family.

Think if it as taking part in a 21st century social experiment. Look at you, you little groundbreaker!

Back to the moral of the story – the reason you tell as opposed to ask is simple – you can never assume that you have been clear enough with your potential customers. If you ask, you leave room for interpretation. If you tell, room for interpretation is gone.

Look at the following two examples:

• “Would you be interested in learning more about Blogging to the Bank 2010?”
• “Click the following link to learn more about and purchase Blogging to the Bank 2010.”

Of the two, which one do you think is more likely to get you a sale? The first one, where I’m asking if you’d like to learn more while not giving you clear direction on what to do next, or the one where I tell you exactly what to do and what’s going to happen after you do it?

Sure, the second one might come off as a little bit pushy, but since most buyers have to be coaxed and told what to do, you’re probably doing them (and your bank account) a favor by narrowing down their options.

Ok, so, again, go back up to that video, and share it with every person under the sun in every way you know how. I want to get the video up to 50,000 hits, so make sure you do your part!

(How awesome is it going to be if I don’t fall completely flat on my face and this actually works?!?)

What are your thoughts on this post? Do you agree? Think I’m a nut? Leave your comment below!

Whether we’ve ever thought about opening up our own business, or we currently own a multi-billion conglomerate (and if that’s the case, please feel free to shoot me an email!) starting and running a business can be a pretty overwhelming task.

That being said, just because it’s tough doesn’t mean you’re bound to fail. In fact, here are ten things you can do as an entrepreneur that will help to ensure your long term success:

1. Be Passionate – In order for you to be successful and to put in the amount of time necessary, you need to be head over heels for what you’re doing. I mean, don’t be more in love with your business than you are with your friends and family, but if your business doesn’t get you excited, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

2. Be Bold – If you blend in with everyone you’re going to have lots of trouble. Nobody is going to seek you out to do business with you. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Take a stance. Be opinionated. Tell the world how great you and your business are!

3. Be Curious – Ask lots of questions. Why? Why not? How? WTF?!? This will help you run your business more efficiently, offer products and services your customers want right now, and help you stumble upon “the next big thing.”

4. Be a Problem Solver – Your customers gravitate away from pain (problems) and towards pleasure (solved problems). Pay attention to the word “can’t.” If you can provide a product or service that turns a “can’t” into a “can” you are setting yourself up for a very lucrative, long-term business experience.

5. Find Your Voice – Obviously, there are certainly ways of communicating that are more prudent than others, but at the same time, you have to stay true to yourself. Don’t stiffen up and get a case of the blahs. Speak and write like yourself, and you’ll be much more likely to engage your audience and turn them into paying customers.

6. Take a Controlled Risk – By nature, entrepreneurs are risk takers, so you’re probably already more inclined to take a risk than a “normal” person. That being said, when something comes along that you’re unsure of, take a controlled risk and go for it. Don’t plunder your business’ finances or your life savings, but don’t be afraid to stick your toe in the water either.

7. Subscribe to the “Yes, And…” Principal –It’s so easy to say no. Next time you catch yourself about to say no, say, “yes, and…” For example, let’s say you’re approached by a firm that wants to advertise with you, but isn’t necessarily in your target niche. You’d usually say no right off the bat, but this time you say, “yes, and let’s discuss how we can make this more mutually beneficial business partnership instead of a paid advertising transaction.” Maybe nothing will come of it, but something might.

8. Learn to Delegate – Accounting, legal stuff, marketing, operations… the list goes on and on. You can’t be responsible for everything. There’s only so much time in a day, so focus on the most important tasks and delegate the other stuff to other people you trust. No need to burn the candle at both ends, especially if you’re surrounded by good people as it is.

9. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For What You Want – In most cases, what you want is a sale. When dealing with your customer – whether it’s someone you’re trying to sell your product or service to, or another business you’re trying to broker a deal with – make sure you’re perfectly clear about what you want. The easiest way to do this is to very simply and politely ask for exactly what you want.

10. Provide Out-of-This-World Customer Support – Word of mouth travels fast, so if you make one customer angry, soon enough, a bunch of current or potential customers will know to never do business with you. Focus on complete customer satisfaction. Set the bar high and then over achieve, because once you get a customer in the first time, they’ll be inclined to come back to you. And since it’s easier and cheaper to keep a current customer than it is to get a new one, good customer support is nothing but a good business practice.

I know some of these things are easier said than done, especially if our DNA tells us to do the opposite. For example, I’m a quiet, non-risk taker, so I still struggle with rules two and six.

Some entrepreneurs obtain an MBA online, however in reality its not entirely necessary at all. Instead, I think if you start to incorporate some of these ten rules of being a successful entrepreneur into your business and life, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your business will begin to flourish.

“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it.”  – Mahatma Gandhi

Starting any business – even something as “simple” as writing a blog – can be a pretty scary thing.

There are a lot of things do and plenty of other things to learn, and on top of that, there’s no guarantee you’ll be successful. In fact, the odds are actually stacked against your success.

Sounds like a pretty risky proposition, and is probably the reason why many people to through their life without ever entertaining the idea of branching out and doing something on their own, even if they stumble upon a great idea or opportunity.

While you might be a little intimidated of the idea of starting a business, don’t let that fear hold you back and keep you from pursuing your dream of owning your own business and going after financial independence.

After having been in business for three years now, I think the biggest factor in my success – and considering 50% of businesses fail within the first five years, making it past the three year mark should be considered a success – is the fact that I have always believed in my abilities as a business owner, web site developer, and writer.

Especially when I first started out and had no idea what I was really doing, this belief in my abilities was enough to sustain me while I acquired the skills necessary to ensure I was running a sound, profitable, and growing business.

If you’ve come up with an idea for a business, whether it’s a new website or a revolutionary product, run with it! Trust in yourself and your abilities; you’ll figure out everything you need to know. If you run into barriers, ask for help from people who have already solved similar problems.

Believe that you can do it, and, eventually, you will.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

The above quote comes from the classic book “Walden” written by Henry David Thoreau and speaks to anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.

I’m not trying to get all spiritual or new age on you, but I think the above quote is one of the most powerful and telling things I have ever read.

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation...

What this says to me is most of us go through our lives wanting more but accepting less. We accept a life that is lacking passion.

We know we want to do more or make more of ourselves, and it tears us up inside, but we resign ourselves to accepting the status quo and not taking any action to make our life and the lives of those around us better.

“… and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

I think this is the saddest part of the quote, because, to me, it says that not only do we know we want more and to make more of ourselves, but we have the ability to make the changes we want, but are simply too tired, drained, and discouraged to do so.

Pretty depressing, right?

This Quote and You

So, how does this relate to you?

First, if you feel this quote applies to you, work like heck to get out of your rut and start making some changes in your life, even if it’s something simple like driving a different route to work.  Sticking with your current routine shouldn’t be an option!

(Although, be smart about it.  Quitting your job or not paying the bills might feel good, but will probably leave you in an even worse bind!)

Second, find something you’re 100% passionate about and spend time doing it. For me, it’s writing about entrepreneurship, personal finance, and the environment. Whatever your passion is, find it and embrace it!

Third, if you’re so inclined and want to take on the challenge, try and find ways that you can turn your passions into a business. Even if it’s something that you do on the side in your spare time, I think you’ll find even more fulfillment in your passions by transferring them to your “work.”

What are your thoughts? Are you one of the quietly desperate with a song in you? Have you broken free and made extraordinary changes in your life? Leave your comments below!

Resources:
Turning Your Passions into Your Business

Per FTC regulations, please note that the above link to Walden is an affiliate link, and should you purchase the book I will receive a commission.

According to a recent survey by the Conference Board, only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their daily jobs, which is the lowest level since the survey was first conducted in 1987. As a point of reference, 61% of people were satisfied with their job in 1987.

Considering many of us spend close to half our day getting ready for work, commuting, and actually doing our jobs, this is some pretty sad news.

It seems like less people are following the old expression “do what you love and the money will follow,” and are sticking with unfulfilling jobs just to collect a paycheck. Or, maybe they have followed the expression and are working at a job they love, but are simply dissatisfied with a lack of advancement opportunities, rising health care costs, work/life imbalance, or stagnant wages.

Either way, there’s an argument to be made here for starting your own business (I know, that was sort of off on a tangent), especially since in order to be successful at your new business, you’ll likely have to work on something you’re extremely passionate about.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating you go into work tomorrow and tell your boss you’re quitting – especially if you have a family or financial obligations. However, starting a side business – especially something online – that you might be able to grow into a full-time income, is certainly something worth considering.

Even if it’s just starting a blog as a release from your stress-filled day, you can turn that into a money making opportunity that, given some time and luck, just might be able to allow you to exit the “rat race” on your own terms.

Here are some resources if you’re interested in learning more about starting a business and entrepreneurship:

• Steps I took to start a business
• Choosing a legal structure for your business
• Nolo’s Form Your Own LLC Book Review
• How to pick a business checking account
• Why you should start an online business 

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below!

Yesterday, I was watching American Psycho – a movie about a young, wealthy investment banker who has a psychotic alter-ego - on Blu-Ray, mostly because it was either that or watch the Redskins lose yet another game.

Because the movie is about a businessman – albeit, a psychotic businessman – I wanted to see how it might relate to us smalltime online entrepreneurs. What I came up with was appearance.

Bateman spends a lot of time talking about how important it is to always look your best. In many cases, he is correct. His picture-perfect looks help him to skate by and hide the fact that he’s actually a raving lunatic. For example:

I live in the American Gardens Building on W. 81st Street on the 11th floor. My name is Patrick Bateman. I’m 27 years old.

I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine. In the morning if my face is a little puffy I’ll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do 1000 now.

After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine.

I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.

Yep, that’s just his morning routine.

So, what am I getting at? Take the time to make your writings orderly. Add pictures, give your writings a nice flow, make things look pretty.

You could have the greatest post in the world, but if it’s not broken up the way your readers want to see it – if you use weird font or an ugly background color – your post is going to automatically be dismissed. If the post is presented to look crisp and clean, you’re going to keep your readers on your site, and possibly turn them into loyal, credit-card-in-hand buyers.

It’s ok to be a little neurotic about making your posts look nice. Just don’t turn into Patrick Bateman along the way!

Per the new FTC regulations, the above links are affiliate links, and should you buy any product after clicking on the links, I will receive a small commission from the seller.

The other day, while trying to explain the purpose of The New Business Blog (yes, it does in fact have a purpose) to my friend, I was having a tough time coming up with a basic summary.

I talked about how I write about basic entrepreneurial issues like legal entities, business bank accounts, etc., but I also write about things that are pretty specific to online marketing, like social media and how to choose the right affiliate programs.

Invariably, I had to explain each referenced subtopic as well, which left both my friend and me frustrated and out of breath. At this point, my friend, who was tired of hearing me go on and on, said, “Just give me your site’s elevator speech.”

An “elevator speech” is a quick 30 to 60 second summary of what it is your site or business is about. As you’ve already guessed, an “elevator speech” is what you would say to someone if you were riding an elevator with them.

Obviously, you’re going to be talking in very high level terms here, so you’ll want to focus on the broad aspects of what your site or business does. If you start getting down into nitty-gritty of your site, you’ll very quickly find that your 30 second speech has turned into a three minute ramble.

After taking a minute to think, I came up with the following elevator speech for this site:

“The New Business Blog is a website and resource for anyone interested in starting their own business, in particular, an internet based business. In my writings I cover basic entrepreneurial topics like how to legally start a business, but mostly focus on topics that are a little more relevant to online marketers, like how to get more targeted visitors to their websites, or how to convert that traffic into revenue for their business.”

What’s your site’s or business’ elevator speech? Leave it in the comment section below.

Ask yourself the following question right now: which of these two fears – fear of failure or fear of success – is holding me back the most?

Most people will say it’s the fear of failure that holds them back, and I think that’s a bunch of baloney. I’d be willing to bet that more than anything, it’s your fear of success that’s holding you back.

Let me explain.

If you’re like most everyone else, there is an element of fear that holds you back from doing anything and everything you want. Whether you want to start a business, train for a marathon, or take an improv class and you have yet to do it, it’s because you’re afraid of something.

I think that something you are afraid of is that you’re actually going to be successful.

According to LiveStrong.com, fear of success consists of the following things:

• Fear that you will accomplish everything you’ve set out to do, but you still won’t be happy, content or satisfied
• The belief that you are undeserving of all the recognition and praise that will come your way as a result of your accomplishment(s)
• The belief that when you do achieve success the first time, you will not have the ability to sustain it, so you’re simply setting yourself up for a massive letdown

Any of these things sound familiar? I know each and everyone one of the above points could have my name written next to them!

Not that I’m trying to dimmish the fear of failure (well, I guess am), but it’s rooted in the idea that we’re not good enough. I know I’m taking a giant leap here, but I think that each of us knows ourselves well enough to know that when push comes to shove, we are good enough, smart enough, and capable enough to accomplish what we set out to do.

It might not be easy, but with a little bit of blood, sweat, tears, and ingenuity, we won’t fail.

This alone is enough to rule out the fear of failure, mostly because, when it comes down to it, failure doesn’t exist.

Success on the other hand, now that’s a completely different beast. What if I find success and I’m unfulfilled? Do I truly deserve the success? What if I’m successful but I can’t maintain it? These are tough questions, which usually lead to “analysis paralysis,” meaning we get so bogged down wondering about the what-ifs that we simply end up doing nothing.

So, how do you get over your fear of success? I recommend the following things:

1. Learn how to smell the roses and enjoy your small successes. If you can learn how to be satisfied with the little things, just imagine how happy you’ll be once you accomplish something “big.”
2. Realize that people are going to want to pat you on the back for your accomplishments, and they wouldn’t compliment you if you didn’t truly earn it or deserve it.
3. Even if you don’t continuously achieve 100% success, by trying you’ve accomplished more than 95% of the people out there (ok, I know this is a little too on the “you’re a unique snowflake” side, but it really is true).

Now you have no reason to not go out there and accomplish everything you want, so get moving!