Thursday, November 24, 2005
How to get purchase-ready customers to find you without advertising.
When you advertise what are you really trying to do?
Firstly you have to get noticed amongst a sea of other advertisers.
Then after gaining their attention you have to convince them to trust you and take the appropriate action to become a customer. If it all sounds a little tedious or too much like hard work there is an alternative that might just free up a little of that precious commodity "your time".
What if instead of advertising to find customers you could somehow get customers to find you?
And what if this methodology cost you nothing except two minutes of your time? You'd be more than a little interested I bet!
I'm sure most of you are aware of submission tools, after all, they abound everywhere on the Internet.
Submitting your URL to search engines and directories is a no brainer and easier that ever to do with the variety of automatic and bulk submission tools at your disposal.
But although it's better than not submitting at all, this strategy is hardly likely to launch your website traffic into orbit. Think of the amount of visitors you need to make just one sale for whatever it is you're offering or promoting.
There's a brand new submission tool that is revolutionizing the way customers are found on the Internet. Actually, it's more of a submission service than a tool. Put simply, this service will find customers for any referral or website URLs that are submitted into it's ever expanding database. The more URLs entered the better, as customers will be found quicker for the submitter of those URLs.
This advertising alternative is called a "Customer Acquisition Exchange" and uses a process known as "Customer Reciprocation" to match submitted URLs with the buying habits or purchase intentions of others.
It goes much further than other submission services that seek to have the submitted URLs merely spidered by the search engines to gain pagerank for themselves. They generally store the submitted URLs in directories so large they may as well be archived. Or, they achieve such little exposure that they might as well be hidden. Even the search engines themselves will only take notice of the submissions when fresh content is added on a regular basis, and where does it leave your URL when everybody else is doing the same thing?
Unlike search engines and directories that receive predominantly website URLs, a Customer Acquisition Exchange" receives referral URLs and website URLs in equal measure as long as the submitted URL promotes something.
Most submission tools leave the submitted URL feeling like a needle in a haystack. Much like the way an Internet marketer might feel trying to get his/her message out there and heard amongst millions of other Internet marketers using traditional advertising techniques.
A Customer Acquisition Exchange brings the needles together out of the hay using the magnetic precision of Customer Reciprocation.
All the suspicion of potential buyers is eliminated when they find you rather than the other way around.
Let these customers discover you and your offerings by submitting your URLs into a Customer Acquisition Exchange today.
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go to http://www.affiliate2affiliate.com to experience Customer Reciprocation the fun way
Sunday, November 20, 2005
7 instant ways to save anywhere online
Here are 7 quick ways that will save you money when shopping with online merchants. I've listed the pros and cons of each.
#1) Play hard to get. Instead of checking out your cart, try to leave the site. Often the merchant will present you with a popup or send you an email offering you discounts through vouchers or coupon codes. Pros: savings up to approximately 20%. Cons: you may need to add your item to the cart again.
#2) Negotiate. Just because you're not dealing directly with a person does not mean you cannot negotiate the price. Contact the merchant and let them know why they should give you a discount, often they will match/beat their competitors or at least give you discount shipping. Pros: get the price you want to pay. Cons: may take 24 hours for merchant to reply.
#3) Compare. Open up your favourite search engine and do a quick search for competitors who sell the same product. There are plenty of sites offering comparative shopping. Pros: get the best price available online. Cons: comparisons do not cover all merchants, and can take time.
#4) Coupons. While you're searching, search for coupons for the merchant. Often the merchant offers discounts to visitors of other sites. There are also directories that specialize in giving away discount coupons. Pros: savings up to approximately 20%. Cons: check that the coupon codes are still valid.
#5) Reward Schemes. Shop within a network of merchants. Most have a rewards scheme earning you points that you can cash in towards other purchases. Pros: savings up to approximately 20%. Cons: You are limited to shopping with the network's registered merchants.
#6) Join special offer mailing lists. You will be notified of many merchant discounts. Pros: offers get sent directly to you. Often matching a predefined criteria. Cons: the timing of the discount may not fit your shopping pattern.
#7) Subsidize your purchases. Join your favourite merchant's affiliate program (almost always for free). You don't need to be a website or email list owner to earn commission. Use a customer acquisition exchange to find you customers (earning you commission) whenever you purchase anything online. Pros: The ability to shop anywhere online, and the fact that the commission may cover more than the cost of your purchase, putting cash in your pocket. Cons: you need to be a member of an affiliate program.
I hope you enjoyed reading my article and feel excited about applying these money saving techniques when shopping online. If you know someone who would also benefit from learning these, please share the knowledge by forwarding this article to them.
Regards Michael Lever
Michael Lever is a co-founder and CEO of SpinningTornado.com, an independent company offering unbiased tools and services to help affiliate and network marketers build profitable online businesses. http://www.SpinningTornado.com Partnering affiliates the world over.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Taking control of performance based outcomes.
Finding the affiliate links on your website are not driving as many sales as you would like?
There is a better way than just relying on the amount of traffic your website generates to derive income from your affiliate links. Especially when you consider that the vast majority of webmasters pay more money attracting traffic to their websites than revenue derived from traffic that clicks those affiliate links.
The problem is that you really can't control what action a visitor takes once they visit your website.
But one thing you definately can control is your online purchase decisions.(unless you happen to be my wife!)
And I bet you didn't know that each and every one of those controlled purchase decisions of yours can gain a buyer willing to make a controlled purchase decision through one of your affiliate links!
Not only that, but why limit your affiliate links to the traffic of your own website/s when you can freely enter them into a huge, growing community database of like minded affiliate marketers and profit from a captive audience willing to create multiple win-win scenarios.
Imagine a world where instead of having to cloak or hide your affiliate links (as per your website/s), you can openly show your affiliate links to other affiliate marketers who may even be promoting the same product/s. This is because of a brand new service that simply converts affiliates from being competitors into becoming collaborative partners.
This service is called a "Customer Acquisition Exchange" and is facilitated through a process known as "Customer Reciprocation". Customer reciprocation simply describes the partnering of two parties (affiliate marketers) to become each others customer.
The identical situation applies to merchants regardless of whether they sell just their own product/s or have affiliate links on their website as well.
They can exert a measure of control over their own sales simply through their own purchase decisions. This is because a "Customer Acquisition Exchange" treats the merchant as if they were an affiliate of their own product/s.
It makes huge sense for merchants to benefit from the exposure obtainable through such a database because they can also super-leverage off the purchase decisions of any of their own affiliates who may already be part of this vast and growing community.
For more information on super-leveraging off a merchant's own affiliates read the following article "How I offered my products at a massive discount without lowering my price".
In the same way as affiliate marketers are converted, the merchant environment is changed from a competing to a co-operating one creating win-win partnership outcomes for all.
A "Customer Acquisition Exchange" should form part of any merchant/affiliate marketer's arsenal in the battle to drive additional sales volumes. It offers a cost effective addition to the traffic generation techniques currently in vogue as well as a complimentary role to the services that affiliate networks presently offer.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
7 Customer Acquisition schemes your competitor is hiding from you.
Customer Acquisition is beyond doubt the number one priority for all serious business owners. Whether you're a merchant or an associate/affiliate of a merchant, your goal is to grow sales. That is why the best in your industry are closely guarding their customer acquisition techniques. Regardless of what they're telling you, they will not give up their competitive advantage and will hide their techniques and true motives behind "smoke and mirror" tactics.
Things aren't always what they seem.
Two men are walking in a forest when they come across a deep hole in the ground. "Wow, that must be really deep", says one man after throwing in a pebble and listening for the sound. "Lets throw in one of those large rocks and see how deep it goes." The men throw in a football-sized boulder and wait anxiously for the sound... Nothing! "There is a railway sleeper over there in the bushes", said the other man. "Help me throw it in, it's definitely going to make a sound". The two men heave the railway sleeper into the hole and watch it disappear in the darkness...again, Nothing! Suddenly a goat appears from the forest. It runs full speed between the men, leaps into the air and falls into the hole". Just as the men exchange looks of utter bewilderment, a farmer comes running out from the trees yelling "Hey, have you guys seen a goat around here?" "Sure did", replied the men. "It was the craziest thing. It ran right past us and leaped into that hole". "Nah, can't have been my goat", said the farmer. "My goat was tied to a railway sleeper".
The moral of the story is, "Don't believe what you perceive". Many successful businesses will guard their customer acquisition secrets by trying to convince you they've got to where they are by good honest hard work. Others will distract you by trying to sell you their unique system, packaged and guaranteed to generate you overnight success.
So what are your competitors really doing? Listen closely, I am about to reveal to you, the top 7 schemes they're using to boost their sales and baffle their industry peers like yourself, making you wonder what the heck you're doing wrong.
#1) Perception Management. Online businesses in particular are excellent perception managers. You've seen them before, professional looking web site with images of sexy sales people ready to take your order. Often however, they're one-man operations run from the spare bedroom. No insurance, enforced customer privacy, or quality merchant processes. But on the surface, it's intimidating to competitors and assuring to new customers.
#2) Strategic alliances. Most businesses do not make it on their own. Joint Ventures, and behind the scene business deals are often the true reason for rapid customer acquisition. Alliances are generally only revealed if customer acquisition can be further enhanced through brand alliance.
#3) Puppet Masters. Many businesses are in fact just small branches owned and controlled by a larger third party. They can afford to run without profit while lucratively appearing cost-effective. The business often exists not for profit, but as a strategic tactic to ensure the parent company has a finger in that market segment pie.
#4) Leveraging. Most of today's technology would not be here without yesterday's inventions. Imagine your home if plastic was not invented. Business is the same. Competitors will invest their time and money on safe, fast and cost-effective outcomes. Innovating new ways from scratch is risky. Leveraging existing customer acquisition services is favorable. For example, by creating incentives for your customers to recommend you to their network of contacts, is a viral marketing technique that leverages the customers you already have.
#5) Super-leveraging. You cannot use leveraging alone, as your competitor will have the same advantages you have. So unless you have the funds to buy out the customer acquisition service before your competitor discovers it, you need be creative and innovate smart methods before them. These are your intellectual property and competitive advantage, so guard them well. For example a merchant with an affiliate program would super-leverage it using a "customer acquisition exchange" service. This delivers a new sales channel (customer reciprocation) that can be competitively used in many creative ways to boost business.
#6) Intelligence and surveillance. Not only do successful business super-leverage known services for customer acquisition, they also super-leverage as a strategic intelligence move. For instance, online merchants will use Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising services like Google and Overture not to bring customers directly but to learn about their competitors and how much they pay for customer acquisition. Remember, they're in the game to win and the more they know about their opponent the easier it is to manipulate them.
#7) Precision systems. A market leader will use targeted and measurable strategies. Every element is monitored and adjustable. Through trial and error, your competitor will tweak the customer experience for profit and growth. It is a systematic approach to customer acquisition that successful organizations like McDonalds use to thwart their competition.
So there you have it, just a few of the secret happenings that go on behind the scenes at your competitors business. Look out for more information about how to decipher your competitor's business model to take the lead.
Regards
Michael Lever
Sunday, November 06, 2005
How I amazingly got WordTracker for free, and will get any other product free too.
Hi, my name is Michael and I'm about to share an astounding breakthrough with you.
Don't scroll down to see the price. You won't find it. I am sharing this knowledge with you for free. Why would I do this? Because as you're about to discover, the strategy I'm going to show you is dependent on an ever-growing community of participants who partner with each other to obtain win-win outcomes. The results are comparable to online dating services, the more participants there are, the better the results for everyone. I therefore encourage you to show this strategy to all your relevant friends and colleagues.
Before I show you in detail how I got WordTracker absolutely free, you need to understand the mechanics of what makes this clever purchasing strategy work.
The strategy is not exclusive to WordTracker. I have simply chosen WordTracker because it is the resource I talk about in my testimonial. The strategy can be used to get any product subsidized or free , and you can purchase from any of your favorite web sites (any of the ones you are normally happy to shop at). The amazing benefit is that you will now be subsidized a cash amount for your purchases. This subsidy may be so large that it may even surpass the cost of your purchase, making the product or service absolutely free. The fact that you can purchase from anywhere online is partially what makes the strategy successful.
There are 3 things you need to understand about the strategy.
Firstly, the online store merchants you are intending to purchase from do not miss out on their profits. You are not breaching any of their agreements, terms or conditions. In fact, from their perspective you're a 100% normal customer with all the normal privileges. You will even receive a receipt that you may be able to contribute towards a tax deduction.
Secondly, there are no losers with this strategy. It is one hundred percent legal and does not involve pyramid schemes, purchasing matrix, or anything of that nature. No scams here. Everybody wins.
Thirdly, you are still receiving the product you want direct from the merchant of your choice. So you can expect the same product quality, customer service, and shipping that you are accustomed to. You're simply getting what you had already decided to purchase at a massive discount.
"So what makes it work?"
The key ingredient is a process known as 'Customer Reciprocation'. Customer Reciprocation is facilitated by a 'Customer Acquisition Exchange'. It relies fundamentally on merchants using affiliate programs for customer acquisition.
"Are you confused? Don't worry, I was too."
In a nutshell, merchants with online stores pay people like you and me sales commission to find them customers. You can generally join the online merchant's affiliate program for free, and immediately commence earning commission as an affiliate marketer. You earn by directing potential customers through a unique web link issued to you. This is your 'referral URL'. The link identifies you to the merchant so they know that you are the referrer of the customer and must be paid commission.
So basically whenever you are intending to purchase something, there's an affiliate marketer out there trying to catch your attention and direct you transparently to your chosen merchant through their referral URL. When you purchase something, the affiliate marketer can earn upwards of 50% in commission.
Customer reciprocation is defined as the process of two parties (affiliate marketers) partnering to become each other's customer. "I'll be your customer, if you'll be mine". When you want to purchase WordTracker like I did, why not purchase it through an affiliate marketer who is willing to purchase at one of your affiliated merchants?
"Do you see the obvious benefit?"
You will earn an instant commission when your partner purchases from your affiliated merchant. The commission may be more than the cost of WordTracker or it may be less. But it is beyond doubt an instant subsidy. Your merchants will love you for bringing them a customer, and you'll have a legally acquired copy of WordTracker and extra money to use on anything you like.
"So where do you find affiliate marketers ready to shop at your merchant's online store?"
Affiliate marketers are already seasoned Internet shoppers who've overcome the trust hurdle and embraced online purchasing. There are so many around that you need only do a search for anything in Google or MSN to find them fighting over the highest positions in the search results.
The trick is finding someone affiliated with the merchant you intended to shop with, who is intending to purchase from your merchant. (Customer Reciprocation).
This is where a Customer Acquisition Exchange comes into play. (See the references at the bottom of this article or search for "Customer Acquisition Exchange" in your favorite search engine.).
A Customer Acquisition Exchange allows you to manage your portfolio of referral URLs. I am a member of six different affiliate programs even though I only actively market one of them. Whenever you want to purchase something you simply submit your purchase intention (in the form of the merchants website address) to the Customer Acquisition Exchange.
In my case I wanted to purchase from http://www.WordTracker.com. The system immediately commenced searching for affiliate marketers of WordTracker who had a purchase intention for one of my merchants. This submission process literally took me less than one minute. I received an email containing my exchange partner's referral URL and proceeded to click on it and was taken to http://www.WordTracker.com, where I purchased my copy.
When I returned to the customer acquisition exchange I noticed that my portfolio showed a sale at one of my affiliated merchants. "Fantastic", I thought. My commission report from my affiliated merchant revealed that my exchange partner had indeed purchased something. In fact, the commission I earned from the sale totaled $24 more than what WordTracker cost me. Meaning I got WordTracker for free and received $24 for my one-minute effort.
So now that you too know this simple no-risk strategy, I hope that you will use it to your advantage and derive previously unheard of discounts. I trust that you can see the benefit of recommending Customer Reciprocation to your peers, because as the community grows there will be more participants partnering rather than viciously competing for new customers.
Regards
Michael Lever
Affiliates: earn money whenever you shop ANYWHERE online.
