Black Swan Management, LLC

Investments and Strategies for the Future of Business

Posts Tagged online business

Internet Forums – Six Ways To Avoid Disaster

Oct 18

Posted by Elaine Currie in internet business | No Comments

Internet Forums are highly popular, they cater for all tastes and deal with every topic imaginable. People visit Internet forums for a variety of reasons, the most common being the search for information or entertainment. The Internet forum is a safe environment if you behave sensibly but you can find yourself in dangerous territory if you ignore the following warnings.

Don’t Join Internet Forum Flame Wars

An Internet Forum flame war is to be avoided at all costs. The airing of differing points of view, debate and discussion are healthy things for an Internet forum: they keep it lively. An Internet forum flame war can make entertaining reading but don’t be tempted to join in or start one. If you make a habit of leaping into forum flame wars, you will acquire a reputation as a trouble-maker and you could find yourself barred from a forum because of your behaviour. Another good reason for avoiding forum flame wars is that you could find yourself caught in the crossfire. Before you know it, people will be firing at you from every direction when all you intended to do was have a bit of fun.

Don’t Make Jokes On An Internet Forum

Well, you can if you really must, but remember that the Internet forum has the same drawback as email: the reader can’t see your expression or gestures. The smile, shrug or grimace which can lift your comment from serious to humorous will be missing and your message will be something which the reader has to interpret. If the reader gets it wrong, you might very well find that you just started your very own Internet forum flame war quite unintentionally. You can safely tell a joke on a forum (provided that your joke’s content is appropriate) but sarcasm and irony are dangerous and best avoided.

Don’t Be An Internet Forum Drama Queen

The Internet forum is not a suitable stage for you to perform your very own drama. If you flounce about making extravagant statements merely for effect, you will be the object of ridicule by other forum members even if nobody tells you so. If you are a member of a support forum for a particular programme, it is quite in order to post a message to the forum saying something along the lines of “I’ve started to feel unsure about [whatever], I don’t think it’s going to work out unless I make some changes. Can anybody suggest what I should try next?” Compare this to the next post in drama queen style: “I quit! This Sucks. I’ve done everything right so it must be this ****ing programme. You will never hear from me again!” Which forum member would you want to help? There will be kind people who feel the drama queen’s pain and offer support and suggestions. When the drama queen makes a big re-entrance to the forum after a few days sulking, posts “I’m back!” and expresses a resolve to work diligently towards success, the kind people who offered support will feel that their advice must have done the trick. When the forum drama queen posts another “Goodbye Forever!” message, the same kind people will empathise as the drama queen is obviously being affected by an emotional roller coaster and they will offer further sound advice. The kind forum members will be pleased when the drama queen makes a further “I’m Back And Here To Stay!” recovery. By about the third or fourth “I Quit!” drama, even the kindest people will be wishing the drama queen had stayed quit the first time round and Internet forum credibility for the drama queen ends there.

Don’t Be An Internet Forum Puppy

A real puppy can’t help chasing after everything that moves, getting under people’s feet and being hyperactive to the point where it sometimes becomes annoying: that’s just its nature. The Internet forum member who behaves like a puppy can help it and should desist. I am talking about the person who joins an Internet forum for the sole purpose of getting the links in his signature file on the forum as often as possible. The annoying forum puppy will respond to every message posted whether he knows anything about the subject or not. He will post messages which are of no value to anyone, these messages will range from boring pointless observations to obscure drivel to requests to poll an unimportant question which bears no relevance to the forum. If you are desperate to plaster your signature file all over the place, join lots of Internet forums and just post a few messages on each. With any luck, you will grow out of this time-wasting pursuit before the other forum members form a lynching party.

Don’t Be An Internet Forum Seconder

Have you ever come across Mr Me Too? If you have, you will know who I mean. He is about as annoying as the Internet forum puppy. Mr Me Too will post a response to every thread that appears on a forum. It won’t take him long as he won’t bother to read through the thread, all he will do is add a comment saying “me too” or “I agree”. This gets his signature file posted with the link back to his website and that’s all he wants. Mr Me Too does not go to the Internet forum for entertainment or information or to contribute anything useful. If you are subscribed to a forum thread and receive notification that someone has posted a further message on the topic, it is very irritating to log in at the forum only to find that someone has posted a message saying “me too” or “I agree” just to give his signature file an airing. It is sadly true that the Internet forum puppy and Mr Me Too will get their links on the Internet alongside the forum members who post meaningful messages. When the day arrives that Search Engine Robots are able to distinguish the difference between valuable forum messages and drivel, those two offenders will find that it’s pay back time for their transgressions.

Don’t Attack The Internet Forum Moderators

If you have a message removed or edited by an Internet forum moderator, there will be a reason, so don’t post complaints on the forum. Even if you don’t understand or don’t agree with the decision, there is no point in arguing. Attacking a moderator is like holding up a placard saying “I’m a pest, throw me out”. The moderators are there to ensure the Internet forum is kept to the required standard. Remember that somebody owns this forum and invests time and energy in keeping the environment — well — moderate. The Internet forum is not your private sand-pit, you are a guest and if your behaviour is not appropriate, your invitation to play could be withdrawn. You should also remember that anything you post on an Internet forum will be available for public scrutiny for years to come.

The dictionary definition of the verb to moderate is: “to keep within measure or bounds; to regulate; to reduce in intensity; to make temperate or reasonable”. If this does not sound like your kind of environment, perhaps you should stay away from Internet forums.

Copyright 2005 Elaine Currie

Author: Elaine Currie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker

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Small Business Websites The Beginning of Something Big

Mar 17

Posted by admin in internet business | No Comments

Nowadays people check on the internet first when they want to find a product or a service. This popularity has made the Internet the biggest market wherein you can find a product or a service to cater to your needs. Many enterprising people have discovered this and have started their own business or have expanded their businesses to include an Internet division.

If you have a business then you need to have a website. It’s important that you learn enough about how the internet works, and how your business will benefit from having a website. There are lots of potential customers and profits in the internet and you need to have a small business website so that you can join the game.

This website shall serve as your virtual store and you have to do lots of things to make your website easy to find in search engines. With that they can find you and can look at the things that you can offer anytime of the day or even night whatever they prefer.

A small business website can provide an attractive and interesting electronic brochure. Good content attracts visitors and makes it easier to promote the website, but doesn’t necessarily push products. It gives readers a reason to visit the site, giving you a chance to do business with them. Your content mix needs to be unique and well-targeted at your audience’s interests.

Everything on your website needs to be accurate and written for an international audience. Your website success depends on what it has to say and how it says it, so it’s important that you articulate your goals to your website designers to make sure that they understand not just what you’re putting on your website, but what you want to achieve. Having these all done they can now already see if they like the look of your business before directly contacting you.

You’ll read all sorts of “small business” data, but be careful to understand what it covers. Sometimes the report is more interested in businesses that aren’t huge, but still purchase hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of products and services, and have dozens or hundreds of employees. These reports probably exclude many small businesses. Other reports use a more inclusive definition of a business. When mixing information from different reports, be careful to look at the data to see how it was gathered, how it is segmented, and what it covers.

Small business websites specialize in writing and developing accessible websites for other small businesses, organizations, charities and individuals. Nobody knows your business better than you do. If you don’t tell your website designers how your website will improve your business, it will only be profitable by accident.

Many people assert that all small businesses will become ebusinesses. Doing most of their selling, communicating, and computing on the internet. They see a huge, almost untouched market bursting forth right now.

Others don’t see wide acceptance of the internet by small business, or view the notoriously fragmented nature of this market and reluctance to spend, as reasons why there’s no money to be made here. It is believed that these views are both wrong.

A big percentage of small businesses are obviously willing and able to spend a large amount of money just to be able to use the internet as part of their relationship with customers (and will benefit from such use), but only for the right purposes, such as basic informational web site.

Basic web sites are becoming a core part of the marketing mix for many small businesses. The business owners know they need one — even if they are not exactly sure why. And the cost of basic Internet uses, such as simple web sites, fits well within the marketing budget of most small businesses.

About the Author
Jay Peterson writer, web designer, marketer. TicTacWebsites is the easiest do-it-yourself website builder on the web. No programming or design skill required. Get your small business online in just 5 minutes with www.tictacwebsites.com loaded with 30+ business features.

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Small Business Websites The Beginning of Something Big

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Nine Guidelines to Selecting the Right Internet Business

Jan 6

Posted by Craig Dawber in business, technology | No Comments

There is a wide variety of internet businesses for you to choose from. You should select a business that is easy to handle and fulfills your monetary requirements.

The strategy for choosing an internet business involves the following:

1. Research your options – Before deciding on any particular internet business it is important to evaluate the various options. Research the successful and non-successful internet businesses and analyze the reasons for their success and failure. While researching, you will come across more failures than successes as verified by the dot com collapse. Therefore, it is important to understand that an internet business is not a,” magical” ticket to success. You have to work hard as anywhere else to turn your internet business into a success.

2. Think of it as ‘part-time’ work – Considering the risky nature of this business, it is not at all advisable for you to leave your full time job or other business for starting an internet related business. In fact, initially you can treat it as only a part-time vocation. After some time, when you start earning a profit then you can leave your regular job and take up the internet business full time.

3. Decide your work pattern – Choose your internet business based on the time and other resources that you are ready to invest in it. Evaluate the amount of time that you can take out from your current job for your new internet venture. Also, assess your financial position and decide how much you are ready to invest. You may also feel the need to hire people for the job or involve some of your family and friends in it. Evaluate all these factors, check out, whether the internet business that you have selected suits your work pattern, and only then select it. Whatever business you select should be within your reach, something that you can handle with ease.

4. Evaluate your expectations – Careful thought should also go into analysing what your expectations are from the new business that you are setting up. You should have a clear goal in view. You should know what your expectations will be from your business after a year of starting it. This will help you in taking the decision in selecting the right business and putting the right amount of effort that would fulfil your expectations.

5. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses – Before starting any endeavor look into your strengths and weaknesses. You never know, you may actually come up with a good business idea from your own hobby. For example, suppose you have a good coin collection. Then maybe you can turn it into a profitable business of buying and selling coins on the internet. Your knowledge of coins would help you a great deal in this business.

6. Seek help – If you feel the need, you can seek help from others who have taken the same path. However, be careful you will find many who are ready to give you advice without any knowledge. Therefore, take advice only from those who have personal experience and a sound basis to impart advice. You can take the help of professionals if you like. It would be best not to listen to those who have no background knowledge or those who have encountered failure.

7. Analyze the best internet businesses – Before you decide on any business, you should have full knowledge of all the business options in the field. Look for the most successful internet businesses. When you do this, you will realize that a particular type of businesses are more successful than the rest, for example service oriented or information based businesses.

Some of these successful businesses are:

Membership websites – which provide access to the website, its products, information and services in lieu of a membership, entry or subscription fee

Software websites – sites that provide their own independent software’s for a charge and make profit from these sales

Training and support websites – these are those websites, which give you help, support and training on various topics and subjects

Shopping websites – these are websites such as, eBay sales which earn by providing a market place for buying and selling items on the internet.

You would do well to undertake businesses in which you have direct control over the manufacture of the product yourself, for example ‘in demand’ customized software. This would allow you to succeed, as you will not have much competition and dependence on others.

8. Analyze the worst internet businesses – After the best its time to analyze the worst internet businesses and look into reasons for their failure. This way you can avoid those businesses, which have not made it in the internet world. Some of these unsuccessful businesses are:

Any site involved in selling popular and common products for a minimalist margin such as selling dog food, groceries, furniture etc.

Avoid competing with a large corporation such as Tesco or Dell. This is because whatever you do they can do better with their ample resources.

Any business in which you are moving from wholesale to retail. Here the chances of earning a profit are slim.

9. Go with your intuition – Listen to what your heart and mind tells you to do. There are chances that you will come across some businesses that you like over others. Your choice should be of a business, which you know you will enjoy. Your business should not be a chore but something that you are happy doing. Be sure of your decision because once you start a business you can’t just go back on your decision.

If you keep all these points in mind while selecting your internet business then you can be sure that you will make the right choice and be successful.

Author: Craig Dawber
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News

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Internet Business Gurus; List Building From The Start – Learn The Basic Keys To A Profitable List

Jun 29

Posted by Dan Newsh in business, investment gurus | No Comments

A must for the professional Internet marketer is knowing how to build a business list of clients or subscribers that you can mail your affiliate program, product or service.

First you need to Build a Business List of people that want or buy stuff already. You have to ask the right questions when your Building a Business List. 1) Are they buying stuff now? 2) Are there lots of people spending money to reach them? (type the product or service in Google and see who is advertising on the right side). These are ads that people are paying Goggle to run. If you want to sell a how to book ” How to play better golf a-z” you would Google “How to play better golf a-z” then look on the right side and see who’s selling that product. You want to know that purple are spending money to sell the product you want to sell. This will give a you good Idea if your product is one the people are buying now and start Building a Business List. 3 Use ClickBank.com to determine if the market is buying long term and not a fade.

We tested hundreds of Business List Building systems some are good most are old and poor programming. Kevin Sipe who is a SEO expert has his new system that just came out. program makes it easy to make Capture Pages. Type in SEO Capture Pages on a Google search and look for yourself also search under SEO web-site designing.

Here is the Ugly Truth about Business List Building, some people will not buy it (your products- service). Some may never buy your stuff. But almost all of them will buy something at some other time. 1) Treat your list Right, even small lists, they will make you money if you treat them with Respect. Even if you stop Building a Business list if they are a Quality list you can earn from them for years, because they like and respect you as a friend and an Authoritative figure.. 2) Only mail your list cool stuff and things that you would like to receive in your email box. Your list is already getting bombarded with junk mail they don’t want. You want to send them emails that they enjoy opening because your always giving something of Value to them.

OK here is the Big Secret Formula for List Building: 1) Find something that will help your market and will be of Value to your people. 2) You want to offer your list something for free in Exchange for their email address. 3) Do that A LOT! That is List Building 101.

Here are the Mechanics of How Business List Building Works. Send Traffic to your Webpages or Capture page. Offer the Free thing to get their email address and then send them to another page about their free stuff. Some will join your Business list and some will buy your stuff. It’s that Easy.
Here are 4 Big questions that pop up. 1) How do I get Traffic? The big question.. 2) What do I give away? 3) How do I turn Leads Into Buyers” 4) How do I set all the stuff up?

First question Traffic: You either buy it or get it from JV partners. The big boys or the Guru Business List Builders just buy their traffic. Google adwords – Yahoo paid search – Banners – CPM mail drops. 1.) Traffic turns into leads 2.) The leads turn into buyers 3.) The buyers turn into repeat buyers.

When Building a Business List you need to make more money then you spend on leads, so let’s do the Math. 1.) If you spend 10 cents per visitor and you get 100 visitors to you Web Page or Capture Page it will cost you $100.00. 2.) If your Opt In page (Capture Page) converts at 20% (which is about normal for “Cold Traffic” you’d end up with 200 leads from that original 1000 visitors (Traffic). That’s 50 cents a lead per subscriber. Here is the Cool part. OK lets say you convert only 3% of your leads into Buyers in the 1st week of having them. 200 x 3% = 6 sales. If your selling something for $97.00 you would make $582.00. Take out the $100 you spent for traffic and your net is $482.00 minus what you product cost? The Best part is the you still have the list or leads so now you can offer them other cool stuff. There are still 196 people that have not bought anything. Believe me they are as good as money in the Bank. The Internet Millionaire guy that taught me Business List Building made over $1,000,000 on one of his lists of just over 7,000 subscribers the last 2 years. What’s Great is that you already have a net profit from having 6 people buy in the first week you started Building your Business List. Now the list you built is all pure profit when you mail these people in the future with other cool products and services.

Are you in a MLM or Network Marketing company? List Building will help your recruiting big time. One Online marketer I know is very good at List Building. She loves MLM and Internet businesses and by the way she buys most of her leads like I explained above. In one company last year she brought in over 800 personal sign-ups by herself. That’s what I’m going to Teach everyone to do. So now you can run with the Big Hitter List Builders and blow right passed them.

Next Big Question is “What do I give away? 1.) The Old Stand by Free Reports. 2.) Down-loadable Audios. 3.) Videos are really hot. 4.) As long as its something your prospects can benefit from and get Value for, your Good.

Next How do I turn People into Buyers? This is what nobody really teaches in Business List Building. What people even most Gurus don’t realize is the money isn’t really in the list. It’s in the Relationships with your list! Once you Create a Great Relationship with your list, your set for Life!
Simple Steps: Rise above the Noise and Be Different. No Hype Stand up and Step up. Give Excellent Value to your list or subscribers. Be a strait shooter (NO Bull) Help people decide they want your stuff instead of convincing them. Use audios, videos, teleseminars and email to communicate with your list.

Why This Works: You and I primarily Trust two people. A friend or a person of Authority. This is Human Nature and never has and never will change. The system I’m going to teach you does both.
In the next segment of Business List Building 101 we will show you how to set up Auto responders for follow up messages to your list. Also we will show you how to build Capture Pages with our system, it is so easy you will be a pro instantly.

Well this should give you a good start to building your list. I believe that if you do what we tell you to do and stick to it you will be the best marketer you can be. And that’s all you can ask for in the crazy thing called Life. Smile your on your way. And no your not going to learn everything in one day. So relax and work day to day this is called your DMO or Daily Method of Operation.

Author: Dan Newsh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Information

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