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Get More Money From Your Website – Affiliate Programs

May 29, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer 2 Comments

Are you promoting any affiliate products or programs on your website? If not, read on to find out how you can get more money from your website while helping your visitors by promoting the right affiliate products and programs.

What are affiliate programs? Affiliate programs allow you to earn a percentage or set amount on sales of a product or service that you refer a new customer to. Thousands of businesses offer affiliate programs. You get to decide what products or services you’d like to promote.

How to Choose an Affiliate Program

There are 3 important things to consider when choosing which affiliate programs to join.
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Filed Under: Blogging, Online Marketing, Website Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Can I Give You All Seven of My Step-by-Step Guides?

May 28, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

In celebration of Memorial Day in the United States…

Purchase either of my $37 workshops and I’ll give you all 7 of my step-by-step self study guides free (a $47 value)!

Grab ‘em this week to get the special deal.  After we receive your order, we’ll add access to all of the guides (see them here) on your login page with 24 hours where you can download them at your convenience.
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Filed Under: News From/About Me

Twitter Tips – 5 Types of People to Follow on Twitter and How To Organize Them

May 28, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer 2 Comments

Twitter is a great way to network and connect with people online but it can get a bit overwhelming once you’re following more than a few people.

Here are two ways to make it easier:

  • divide your connections into the five groups below
  • create Twitter lists to sort their tweets

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Filed Under: Social Networking Tagged With: , , ,

Website Makeover Almost Complete

May 27, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

Late last night (or was that early this morning *yawn*) The Small Business Muse went from the design on the left to the design on the right!  :)

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Filed Under: News From/About Me

Tools to Make Social Networking Easier

May 27, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

Do you love networking and connecting with people through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sites but find that it ends up taking far too much time out of your busy day? Do you wish there were a way you could update all your profiles at once, automatically share your blog content, and make it easier for others to share your website on the social networks? Good news–you can!

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Filed Under: Business Online, Cool Tools, Online Marketing, Social Networking, Time Management, Website Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mini Makeover Tips: 9 More Actions You Can Take to Increase Your Website’s Credibility

May 26, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

This post is part 2, continuing from yesterday’s 10 Actions You Can Take to Increase Your Website Credibility.

Is your website building your credibility?  Or scaring away clients?  Here are 9 more easy actions you can take to boost your website’s credibility and help your website visitors feel comfortable purchasing from or working with you.

Give visitors a way to share your website/blog/articles. When a potential client arrives to your website based on a referral from a trusted source, they’re more likely to sign up for your newsletter or purchase your products/services.  AddtoAny works with any website and is easy to install.  If you’re using WordPress try the Sociable or SexyBookmarks plugins. (This site has the SexyBookmarks plugin active and you can see it at the bottom of this page.)

Answer the “Frequently Asked Questions.” Create or update your Frequently Asked Questions page to help answer more of the questions customers can (or should!) be asking you.

Share generously. Offer free articles, checklists, videos and other resources that showcase your expertise in creating your product or delivering your service.

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Filed Under: Business Online, Cool Tools, Customer Service, Website Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Mini Makeover Tips: 10 Actions You Can Take to Boost Your Website’s Credibility

May 25, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer 2 Comments

Is your website building your credibility?  Or scaring away clients?  Here are 10 easy actions you can take to boost your website’s credibility and help those visitor feel comfortable purchasing from or working with you.

Add your complete contact information to every page. The footer is a good place for this.  Visitors will feel more comfortable when they know they can get in touch with you if anything goes wrong with their purchase.

Be Accessible. Give visitors multiple ways to contact you including snail mail, email (or a web form), telephone, and/or social networks.  This is especially credibility-building if visitors can visit your social network links, such as a Facebook fan page, and see that you are actively interacting with and responding to your fans and clients.

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Filed Under: Business Online, Customer Service, Website Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

What’s the Goal of Your Website?

May 24, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

Why do you have a website? What’s the goal? What do you want it to accomplish for you?

Here are some possible goals for a website:

  • to develop a list of targeted prospects
  • to sell products or services
  • to encourage potential customers to contact us by phone or mail
  • to provide product information and/or price lists to customers
  • to provide product information and/or price lists to distributors
  • to provide customer service (how to use/wash/care for items, etc)
  • to provide information to a particular niche or target market
  • to strengthen brand recognition
  • to establish you as an expert in a particular niche or subject

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Filed Under: Goals, Online Marketing, Website Tips Tagged With: ,

7 Simple Steps to a More Effective Website

May 23, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

Does your website regularly attract your ideal clients and motivate them to connect with you?  You can transform your website into an ideal client attracting magnet with these seven easy steps.

1. Identify Your Ideal Client

If your website is general and speaking to “everyone” then no one will be able to identify or see themselves in your copy (the text on your website).  When you know who you want to help then you can focus on that ideal client while you’re writing and designing your site. No matter how great a website is or how much time or money is put into it, if it’s aimed at the wrong people (or worse yet, aimed at no one at all, but just at “people”) it will not be nearly as successful as it could be with better targeting.

Knowing who your ideal client is will change the way you present your products or services, how you write your website copy, and even what colors you use or voice you create on your website. You want a site that makes your ideal client say, “Hey, that’s me! This site/product/service is here to help me.”

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Filed Under: Website Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Does Your Website Need a Makeover to Represent Your Business Well?

May 22, 2010 By Michelle Shaeffer Leave a Comment

When you get ready to meet a client (or potential client) do you take time to dress professionally, style your hair and apply makeup?  Of course!  Because first impressions matter!  You understand that if you don’t “dress for success” and present a professional image it’s harder for your client to take you seriously.

Is your website “dressed for success”?  It’s your 24/7 always there client greeter!  Your website is your online image to the virtual world.  What is that image conveying?

Is it working for you by generating leads, attracting ideal clients, and delivering your content and message in a way you can be proud of?  Or do you pause when people ask for your URL, hoping they don’t judge you by your website?  Does your website represent the image you want to present? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,
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