A good press release can give your business massive exposure. What’s more, something that gets printed in the media or on a third party website has far more credibility than any piece of advertising or marketing you put out yourself.

If you’re serious about getting press coverage or benefiting from the backlinks that an online press release can give you then you need to spend time getting the content of your piece just right.

1. It must be newsworthy
Press releases which are blatant advertising ploys will simply get binned by editors. Ask yourself why somebody would want to read your story. Your press release must contain something newsworthy – something different that will make people interested. Yes it can advertise your business (and obviously it should) but there also needs to be a story in there too. ‘Business x releases a new product’ – so what?!

2. Remember you only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention
The first few lines of your press release are crucial. Within this space you should summarise the story and leave people in no doubt as to what the story is about. During the rest of the release you can expand on it and include quotes and comments.

3. Your headline is key
The headline is again all about grabbing attention. It needs to hint at what the press release is about, yet draw the reader in and make them intrigued as to the full details.

4. Keep it brief
Editors don’t have time to sift through lots of rambling text so keep it short and brief. Get to the point and include all the basics – the who, what, when, where and why.

If you’re anything like the majority of people who try to start online businesses or want to make money online the following scenario will probably be quite familiar to you:
You buy an information product which promises the earth and then you never do anything with it. After deciding it is too much effort or like hard work, you buy another information product, only for the same thing to happen again, and so the cycle continues.

So how do you break the chain? How do you learn how to really build a successful online business and actually DO it?

The answer could be mentoring but is it right for you and is mentoring any good in general?

If you can identify with what we have touched on above then the answer may be YES. Having a mentor can help you ensure that you actually do the things you need to if you want to become successful. With someone there ‘holding your hand’ it can make it a whole lot easier, especially since you can ask questions and get advice on the many things which you will inevitably be unsure of.

There is no doubt about it – despite what you might of heard building an online business is not an easy task. Mentoring can really help to break it down and make it much more achievable. People who are involved in a mentorship program are not only more likely to succeed but they will probably do it quicker.

If your product is perceived to offer greater value you can dramatically increase the appeal of what you are offering and if this translates into true added value then you will strengthen the relationship you have with your buyers purely because they feel like they got a great deal.
In this article we’re going to outline how to increase the value of your information product:
Make an audio or video product
Audio, and video especially, has a much greater draw to many people than text. If you were planning to create an eBook or report then consider recording it instead (or offer both and give people an audio AND  a written version of the same information – that’s a very easy way to add value)
Make your product into a course
Split your product up into modules and offer it instead as a course rather than a standalone product. Package up training materials (for example worksheets or extra tutorials) and add those to your product.
Add bonuses
Grab hold of something interesting and which is related to your product, then give it as a bonus. Try making it an ‘unadvertised bonus’ and your customers will be delighted when they receive something unexpected. This is a great way of building relationships.
Make it into a physical product
Just like video and audio products anything that is tangible holds a greater appeal to many people. Give people the choice and turn your product into a physical product. You could also create a downloadable version and then give people the choice when they buy it.

I’m a huge fan of creating products using interviews. If you’re stuck for ideas or just don’t have the time, money or will to create a product completely from scratch then doing an interview with somebody and then packaging it up as a product to sell is a quick and easy way of creating something you can call your own.
The first step is to find someone to interview. You want someone who is experienced or an ‘expert’ on the subject you want to create a product on. If nobody immediately springs to mind try approaching blog owners or post a message on a forum explaining you want to interview somebody for a product. The key here is to make it irresistible for the other person so that they can’t possibly say ‘no.’ How? Tell them that they will get their name splashed all across the product and that they can include plenty of links or an advert within the product you create. This should get their attention and in most cases people will be flattered that you want to interview them.
Once you have found someone you then need to arrange a time to do the interview and sort out some way of conducting it. One of the best ways is to do it over a Skype chat. Grab one of the pieces of software which will record Skype calls and you’re good to go.
Next you need to compile a list of questions. This can be quite rough and you’ll probably find you’ll develop them or ask new ones as the call goes on. Send over your list of questions or subject area over to your interviewee before the call so that they have a little time to prepare.
Once you have recorded your interview you can then get it transcribed. Do this and you’ll not only have an audio product but a report or eBook which you can then package up with the product or offer as a bonus.

It doesn’t matter how good your products are or how great your level of service is, there will always be problems that crop up from time to time. Such issues are a part of business that you must accept, however when they do occur it is important to deal with them in the right way. Look at it this way – a customer who had a problem that you then fixed quickly and efficiently is probably going to be more impressed by you than someone who didn’t have a problem in the first place! Times like this are a great chance to shine and show off your high level of service.
Here are some top tips for dealing with customer complaints…
1.    Deal with the issue promptly and show courtesy at all times
Some people will become rude and start shouting or blaming you for the problem, however it is very important that you remain calm, courteous and friendly at all times, no matter how tempting it might be to retaliate.
2.    Ask questions to find out more
This might help you to solve the problem or prevent it from happening again in the future. Asking questions also shows that you are really interested in their issue and that you want to help in any way you can.
3.    Apologise
Even if something wasn’t your fault or if you feel that the customer didn’t have any right to complain in the first place you should always make sure you apologise and explain how you are going to deal with it.
4.    Keep people informed
If the resolution to a problem isn’t a simple one then it is very important that you keep the person informed of progress at all times. From a customers perspective there is nothing more annoying than not being kept updated.

If you are writing a report or creating a product you’ll need to do your research first. Here’s how to research online…

For the basis of this article let’s say I’m in the pet niche and I want to create a product on training an older dog. I know absolutely nothing about this, but I could happily write a quality report on the subject in just a couple of days. All it takes is some research:

My first point of call would be forums. What I’d do here is read through the advice people were giving on pet forums and then research it further.

A good place to go next is http://www.ezinearticles.com .
I search for “training an older dog” and get over 161,000 results, although not all will be that useful. I’d read through as many articles as I could, and I’d write down the bits I thought were important. I’m looking for the best tips and advice on training an older dog, and the main issues people have (and the solutions to those issues.)

I’d also find content sites, blogs, and newsletters that have information related to
dog training. Another potential source of information would be other eBooks. There are plenty of books out there on dog training, and many of them are free. I’d read through a few, again making notes as I went on the bits I thought were relevant.

If I spent a day reading through all the information on dog training then by the time I’d finished I’d know enough about the subject to be able to write a report on it. Basically you need to find out as much as you can on your chosen topic. The beauty of the Internet is that it’s possible to find out information on anything very very quickly. As you read through the information you find you’re effectively becoming an expert (even if before you started you didn’t know a thing about it!)

Modern living places ever increasing pressure upon us to get jobs and tasks done quickly. This can be especially so if you’re trying to start an online business in your spare time. If you have another job and you’re only working on your venture during the evenings and weekends that doesn’t give you a massive amount of time to devote to it each week and you will need to make the time you do spend working extremely productive. Of course time pressures are equally so if you’re a full time internet marketer.
So – wouldn’t it be great to be able to get more done in less time? It sounds like wishy washy idealisation, but when you actually think about it and apply some simple things it IS possible…
1.    Create a ‘to do’ list at the start of each day
I’m sure you’ve been told this before, but even though it seems obvious it is definitely something I would recommend doing. Essentially it’s the basis of good time management. By listing and then prioritising your tasks you can see what is important and start to work your way through them. Ask yourself what is pressing today that if it doesn’t get done will hold other things up?
2.    Set yourself realistic goals for the day
If you get to the end of the day and you’ve achieved everything you wanted to it’s a great feeling. Set yourself goals for the day that are challenging yet at the same time achievable. When you know you’re ‘getting there’ it is a great motivation to push yourself to work faster so as to meet your target.
3.    Get anything difficult done first

There’s nothing worse than sitting there thinking about the ‘dreaded thing’ you have still got to do but haven’t yet done. Get these things out of the way early and free your mind to do other things later on in the day. If you’ve got things playing on your mind it will make you unproductive and you will find it difficult to concentrate.
4.    Realize that you can’t do it all yourself
If you want to become more productive and get more done in less time you have to realize that you can’t do everything yourself. Outsource the things you don’t enjoy or find difficult and free up your time so that you can play to your own strengths.

Using testimonials can really help you to sell your products. They add credibility and make people have greater belief and buying confidence in you and your business. Selling online can be difficult, especially if you’re marketing something expensive or if you have no pre-existing relationship with the prospect. Testimonials can really help you to overcome this, but how do you get testimonials if you’re just starting out? Here’s how:
1.    Ask everyone who buys from you if they would be willing to supply you with a testimonial. If they are happy with the product then the chances are they will be delighted to, especially so if you let them include their own website address within the testimonial. It’s free advertising for them and boosts their own credibility because they are (hopefully) associating themselves with and recommending a top quality product.

2.    Give away review copies of your product and ask that in return people give you their honest opinions on your product. It’s very important that the reviews you get back ARE honest too – if your product is pretty rubbish, yet the testimonials are all raving about how wonderful it is then you’re not going to do the credibility of you and your business any favours.

3.    Expand on your testimonials and make them into case studies. If some of your customers have had particularly great results from using your products then you could write up a more in-depth case study on the customer. Start by giving some background on them, explain your product, what it does and most importantly the results that the customer achieved. You can then include the quotes from your testimonial and write it up as a press release or detailed page to go onto your website.

1.    Outsourcing allows you to play to your strengths
It doesn’t matter how capable, intelligent or experienced at internet marketing you are, everyone has different strengths. We can’t all be good at everything, so outsource the things you aren’t very good at or don’t like doing and concentrate on those that you do. Remember that you’re in control and it’s YOUR online business.
2.    Outsourcing  allows you to get more done in less time
The more products and content you can get out there the better. Successful internet marketers do things quickly and outsourcing allows you to greatly speed up the pace at which you can move your business forward.
3.    Outsourcing allows you to tap into specialist knowledge or skills
Again this comes back to playing to your strengths (and those of other people!). In many cases by outsourcing certain tasks to specialists you can utilise their expertise and get them done better than you would have been able to do them yourself (even if you can do them to some extent). It also increases your business capabilities. You might not be able to write software yourself (or perhaps you can) but you can certainly pay someone to create it for you.
4.    Outsourcing makes long-term financial sense
It’s easy to think you can save money by keeping things in-house and doing many of the day to day things on your own. This can however be a false economy. Would the hours that you’re spending writing your next eBook, for example, be better spent negotiating joint ventures with other marketers or creating offers to send to your list?
The key to successful outsourcing is finding good workers. Always check out who you’re paying to do something. You don’t want to be left in a position where you have to completely re-do what the outsourcer has produced.

http://quickminisitebuilder.com/members/ is a profitable script that can be outsourced.

http://outsourcingtothephilippines.com is a resource for outsourcing.

How To Give Your Customers a Great Experience

Customer experience is very important in internet marketing. You want people to buy from you and feel like they have gotten a great product backed up by wonderful service. Business is all about exchanges of values, and if you can give more to your customers than you receive in payment then you’ll build the basis of strong long-term relationships with your customers, and ultimately create a very successful business.

Here is how to give your customers a great experience and make them want to buy from you again and again…

1. Under-promise and over-deliver

This really is the golden rule, and in my opinion if you can do this in your business you’re going to see some incredible results. By under-promising and over-delivering in everything you do, you will separate yourself from the majority of marketers who build their businesses on hype and exaggerated promises. If you can give your customers incredible value that exceeds their expectations then they will want to buy from you many times in the future.

2. Always answer queries

As an internet marketer you will get queries from customers that just seem downright obvious or silly. As your business grows the number of support requests you get will also increase and when you’re sitting there with 30 questions to answer in a day it can be tempting to just ignore some of them. That’s a bad idea – always make sure you answer every question, query, or complaint, and do so in a timely manner.

3. Offer unadvertised bonuses

This is a great way to enhance customers experience and it kind of links back to the under-promise and over-deliver rule. By offering unadvertised bonuses your customers will love you, assuming of course that it is something of value and not just a few crappy products you’ve thrown together and called a ‘bonus.’