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June
22 , 2004
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The Home Business People Weekly Newsletter
Editor: Jennifer Bonoff ~ jenn@bonoff.com
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http://www.ZeroToSixFigures.com
http://www.WebsitesAndUpgrades.com
I have always
promised to give you "the good, the bad, and
even the ugly" in my weekly newsletters and in my online
journal. I want you to benefit from these newsletters, and
improve your business and increase the money you make as a
result.
Well, today
I have a situation that leans towards "the ugly!"
I am in the
midst of an extremely AGITATING experience right
now - an experience so annoying that it triggered me to write
about AUTOMATION in my newsletter this week. Automation is
SO important to your online business - especially when it
refers to your ordering process.
As part of my
work as a Internet business consultant, I
always try to keep on top of new marketing techniques and
products out there that might be of value to my customers
and newsletter subscribers. I don't like to recommend anything
unless I have tried it myself with success.
Right now as
I type, I am trying to buy an information-based
product that costs $350. The ordering process at the site is
so horrible that I have been unable to give this company my
money, and I have been trying since 7:00 this morning - SEVEN
hours ago!!
You would think
that the company would have an easy way for me
to purchase - especially because the cost is substantial. If I
don't have an answer from them by the time I'm finished writing
this newsletter, I am not going to purchase the product at all.
Because the
company doesn't have a user-friendly ordering system,
they are most likely going to lose at least $350 today, and I'm
sure I'm not the only one who has decided not to purchase from
them out of frustration.
AUTOMATION
Ordering Process:
Automation is
the key to any successful Internet business. Once
visitors make the decision to buy something at your website, you
want to make it as easy as possible for them to actually give you
their money. Be clear and direct. Give your customers an
easy-to-read road map that serves as a guide for your ordering
process from start to finish so that they feel comfortable every
step of the way. It would be a real shame to lose sales because
visitors cannot figure out how to place their orders. It happens
far too often at far too many sites.
Have the links
to your order forms easily accessible, and once
visitors get to your order form, request only the information you
need to process their orders. Avoid asking your customers for
too much information. I know that I don't like it when I am
checking out at a store, and the cashier asks me for my phone
number or even my zip code. It makes me feel uncomfortable, and
that is the last thing you want to do to your customers when they
are ready to make a purchase. On the Internet, it is too easy for
them to click their mouse and disappear.
Accept Credit Cards:
Accepting credit
cards is a "must" for your online business. Over
98% of my online sales are credit card transactions. A merchant
account allows you to accept credit cards as a form of payment at
your website. You can get a merchant account for under $250 with
very reasonable monthly fees. (The company that I recommend and
personally use is: http://www.ZeroToSixFigures.com/merchantaccount
)
If you are on
an extremely tight budget, PayPal is also an option.
By using PayPal, you can get set up to accept credit cards virtually
for free. There are limitations to PayPal, it is not as user-friendly
for your customer, and you may lose sales as a result. However it
is an option for those on a very limited budget.
Fulfillment:
Also, if you
sell a digital product (for example, eBooks, software,
digital photography, information, or access to members-only websites),
that digital product should be delivered automatically upon purchase
-
without your involvement. It is not difficult nor expensive to
achieve full automation at your website. The system that I recommend
and personally use for all of my online businesses is:
http://www.ZeroToSixFigures.com/automate
This system
fully integrates all of the pieces of the automation
puzzle in one place. You can have a single online control panel
where you can access, maintain, and modify all of the information
about every aspect of your business. When you have that, you can
feel the freedom of having your business operating on autopilot.
**You can then spend the majority of your time marketing your
business instead of dealing with unnecessary administrative tasks.**
ZERO TO SIX FIGURES:
My book - "Zero
To Six Figures" - has dozens of pages of
straightforward, clear-cut information about the entire automation
process. In fact, the book goes over every aspect of starting a
business from home using the Internet. It tells you exactly what
you need to do and how to do it, and it leaves nothing to the
imagination.
The most frustrating
time in my life came when I started my first
Internet business. I had made the decision to start my own business
from home, but at that time, I really knew very little about what
that entailed. While trying to navigate through a minefield of
Internet technology, I ran into one roadblock after another.
Every day, I wished there was a simple resource that I could
turn to for guidance. Something to walk me through all of the
steps I would have to take to start my business and get it up
and running smoothly on the Internet.
From day one,
I had it in the back of my mind that after I
successfully built my first business, I was going to write a
book to make it easier for others who were trying to do what I
did. That was the motivation behind "Zero To Six Figures!"
You can read
more about the book at my site:
http://www.ZeroToSixFigures.com
Please let me
know if you have any questions, or if there is
anything I can help you with.
Have a GREAT
day! Until next week...
Jennifer :-)
http://www.ZeroToSixFigures.com
http://www.WebsitesAndUpgrades.com
jenn@bonoff.com
401-849-2639
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Be sure to check out my book, "Zero To Six Figures." I
took
my first home-based Internet business from zero to six figures
in less than one year. My book will show you step-by-step how
you too can start a business from home and achieve success!
No Shipping Cost.
http://www.ZeroToSixFigures.com
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If you are looking to get a website for your business, please
let me know. My company, http://www.WebsitesAndUpgrades.com
develops websites FAST and AFFORDABLE.
Give a call to 401-849-2639, or email me: jenn@bonoff.com
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