Posts tagged technology
Get Leverage for Your Home Business by Outsourcing
Nov 24th
The purpose of leverage is to return the best advantage with the smallest effort. Specifically, for affiliate businesses, that means highest ROI with minimum personal involvement, and we can realize this via outsourcing.
Preceding articles described ways of increasing leverage by 1) re-using, and 2) re-purposing content. In this article, we’ll address developing leverage by outsourcing routine, or non-value-add work, and any work that simply isn’t a match with our individual skills, experience and/or nature.
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman described some interesting findings from 25 years of Gallup organization research – initially in their book, First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, and then elaborating on those findings in several subsequent books. Two of their most important findings for online marketers and home-based business owners are these: 1) Focus on your strengths, not your negatives, and 2) Acquire workers for potential.
Affiliate business has a large learning curve and involves many different skills. But, few people are talented at all of them – and even those who multi-skilled, probably are not making the best use of their available effort and other skills when they focus on areas that are relative weaknesses for them.
William of Occam, best known for “Occam’s Razor,” has noted: “It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.” As online business owners, Occam’s Razor has a big lesson for us relative to our individual time usage.
Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Workweek” is a huge proponent of the use of virtual assistants to handle repetitive, non-value-add tasks or those for which he does not have either the time or inclination to perform.
It may come as a surprise to realize that outsourcing is not limited to large organizations, but given the low cost of international virtual assistants, even small, home-based companies can afford to delegate a lot of activities to VAs.
One task that many internet marketers choose to outsource is writing articles. They see the value of article marketing, but either can’t write well, or simply don’t want to write, so they outsource article authoring to freelancers.
Another task you might consider outsourcing to a virtual assistant (or call center) is the telephone and email follow-up required for lead generation and sales closings.
If you improve your areas of strength, you gain the benefits of leverage and multiply your results, whereas, focusing on your weaknesses willonly incrementally improve results.
Which is more important to you – the ability to multiply your results, or simply see incremental improvements?
If you would like to discover how to leverage your resources, sign up for the Online Success for Beginners course.
Top Ten Technology Basics for Internet Marketing Businesses
Nov 19th
Technology is a critical success factor for any online marketing company, but often people just starting out don’t have a good knowledge of the technologies necessary or how it will impact their enterprise.
These ten tips should help you get started well. Try to launch processes and systems that work together thoroughly, and are up all of the time to assist customers and prospects.
Look for a computerized system if you want to make your work uncomplicated and your bottom line strong.
1. Computer & Printer
If you want to do online marketing, you’ll need a computer – preferably one of your own, a desktop model or a laptop. You’ll need one with plenty of memory and speed. A broadband internet connection is preferred over dial-up. You’ll also need a printer. If you can, get both with wireless capabilities.
2. Your Own Domain Name
Be sure to acquire a domain name that you’ve purchased, so that you can commence~start} to create your own brand name. Moreover, many advertising platforms will not allow you to refer to affiliate links, or even subdomains, but only a domain that you own. A good quality domain name will be brief (30 characters or less), sensible to the eye and the ear, and reflective of your product or service. The best names end in “.com” and such names are favorite for most affiliate marketing businesses, provided they’re available.
3. Telecommunications
One more necessary tool is telecommunications, including an ISP and a telephone – either land-line, cellular, or VOIP, with or without headset, whichever you like. It ought to have both local and long distance capabilities, and if you intend to hold teleconferences for your downline, the ability to handle conference calls. If you’re going to do workshops, etc., you’ll almost certainly want to invest in a teleconferencing service that can control many, perhaps hundreds or even a thousand, calls concurrently.
4. Web Hosting
You’ll want a web hosting service to serve as a “home” for your website. There are many web hosting services on hand to help home based businesses and affiliate marketers. Their services do differ, as do their prices, so make sure to shop around before making a purchase.
5. Applications & Data Security
You’ll also need good precautions for your systems and data. This includes physical security, plus programs such as firewalls, and security applications like McAfee or Norton.
6. Applications & Data Backup & Restore Programs
Another necessary, but frequently overlooked, need is for backup of your locally stored programs and data. In spite of the best security programs you might be able to implement, there will probably come a situation when you suffer some sort of a system crash, with either some or total loss of info and crucial programs. So you will also have to have a healthy backup and restore system.
7. Products
You’ll have to have one or more services to sell – products that you have developed yourself, or ones that have been created by one or more third parties. If you offer your own goods, then you’ll also have to worry about all the associated back office capabilities. If you get your products from third parties, then you’ll have to worry about supply relationship management, ensuring that required products get shipped on time, customer satisfaction and receivables and collections.
8. Affiliate Program Network
If you’re intending to advertise multiple affiliate products, you’ll almost certainly also want to join one or more Affilate Program Networks (APNs), such as ClickBank, CJ, or LinkShare, etc. to handle your commissions, sales statistics, and other back office functions for you.
9. Web 2.0 Features
The Web is very dynamic, so if you want to be successful in today’s online world, you’ll want sites and services that allow blogging and social communities (i.e., ones that use Web 2.0 to facilitate a whole host of interaction, using the web as the network platform).
10. Technical Support
Finally – another commonly overlooked requirement – is the need for outstanding technical support – for both your local hardware and software, but even more importantly, for any of your customer-facing websites and product systems.
If your customer-facing systems go down and you are not able to get quick technical support from any/all your suppliers, the ensuing downtime can impact your marketing campaigns, you can lose or upset potential purchasers, and ultimately, your profits will suffer (including your brand, as well).
Technology is the lifeblood of an affiliate business, and Murphy’s Law being what it is, you need to prepare for the ultimate breakdowns and computer crashes that happen as well. Utilitzing all these necessary technologies will ensure the success of your online business.
I’m taking this advice to heart and running my own affiliate marketing company. Take control of your future and your financial security by launching an online marketing business. Obtain the FREE MaxPro Report and CD to discover how.