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From Chris Kilian, Stealth Promotions
Austin, Texas
email: chris@stealthpromotions.com Welcome
to the 8th Issue of Secrets for Success.
Our growing subscriber list is OUR list. Not for rent. Never sold.
Your privacy is jealously protected and always will be.
Going to take a couple days for Carribean sun this week. Feel free to
contact me by email, but please forgive in advance a little slower response,
and I have asked the boss (me) who gave me permission to NOT publish
next week. Thank goodness.
I have lots to be thankful for this week. Sure there are problems too. They
are always there, but this is a week we should all take time to count our
blessings. They are easy to overlook. Take the time this week to find those
things, and even more important, those people who make your life special.
I want to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. Take time to enjoy
family and friends. Remember you do not have to eat everything at one\
sitting. Leftovers are great too.
Before you start, we invite you to take some time to enjoy this weeks
contribution to your online success.
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Contents:
1. Guest Article
2. Useful Sites
3. My $.02
4. Worthy Newsletters
5. Mixed Bag
6. Links For Your Consideration
7. Guest Article
1.############################################################
Guest Article:
Put Your Site in Focus
by Jim Smoot
All too often folks on the internet get an idea for a new web site, build it,
then register it with every search engine and link site they can find. Many
times, however, they move to the registration part without ever stepping
back to really look at their site with a critical eye. Most of these sites can
be described with one phrase; Lack of Focus.
One of the hardest, but possibly the most important thing to do with your
site is to look at it with "new eyes". But sometimes it's hard to be objective
with a new web page. After all this is your baby. You've spent time and
effort putting your ideas down, and you don't want to have to throw any of
them away or perhaps even (gulp!) start all over.
If you want to be effective in internet marketing, you must reassess your
site from time to time, and the best time is before you get a bad site listed.
Even if you have been listed, this would be a good time some spring
cleaning of your site. A chance to go back and refocus on whether or
not your site reflects your business in a positive light.
Why Am I Here?
For the most part, web surfers are an impatient group of people. They don't
want to wait around while you sing your own praises, or drone on about
how wonderful your product / service is. If you have a point, make it. Tell
me what it is your selling on the first page. If you want me to spend my
money, tell me how much before I spend too much of my time scrolling
through your site. I don't want to have to work that hard to find information.
If I can't find it quickly, I'll move on to a site that will give it to me.
Bullet vs. Buckshot
If your business has a focus, so should your site. It probably doesn't do
you any good to offer domain name search information if it's buried beneath
Save the Earth / Local Info / Professional Tennis information. Not that
there's anything wrong with any of them, but there's no consistency. If
you're putting up a page to share your passion on a subject, that's fine. It's
not a way to market a business though.
Fresh Content
There is a lot of information that has a very long shelf life. But there are a lot
of sites that need to be updated on a regular basis. If I go to a page that's
congratulating the 1996 Atlanta Braves as the new World Champions, I will
have serious doubts about the relevancy of the rest of the information.
The same is true with dead links. It makes the site appear neglected if you are
asked to click on a link, and it doesn't go anywhere. Some sites are very "link
intensive", with lists of links that are related to a similar subject. If this
describes your site, you should probably offer your visitors a chance to let
you know if any of the links you list are bad. This saves a lot of time for
you, as well as helps keep your visitors from leaving, never to return.
Do You Need A Compass To Find Your Way Home?
I have visited some sites where I almost have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs
to find my back through the site. The best way to prevent this from
happening is to be sure that you are offering a way back. If you are doing
this with a tool bar, it would be a good idea to offer a text link as well for
those who browse with the graphics turned off. Make sure that their location
within the site is well marked, and give them the option of moving back
one level as well as returning to your home page.
Check Your Load Times
Earlier I mentioned how impatient web surfers are. Here is where you can
lose them before they ever read a word of what you have to say. Sites that
are graphic intensive, or that are loaded down with all the latest technological
programming tend to load very slowly. My advice is "less is more". Unless it
is critical to the overall focus of your site, it would be better to tone it down a
little than to have a site that takes forever to load.
Get A Check-Up
A good place to have your pages checked out is Web Site Garage (http://www.websitegarage.com). This is a free
service that checks load-
time, broken links, popularity, and overall design. They then generate reports
detailing problems they have found. It only takes a couple of minutes, and is
well worth the effort.
The key is to revisit your site from time to time and look at it from the
customers' point of view. What would you think of it if it were someone
else's site? Most important, if changes need to be made, make them. If a
customer leaves a bad site, the chances of them ever coming back are very
slim.
(Jim Smoot is an author, internet marketing consultant, and publisher of the Business
Advantage Newsletter. Get a FREE subscription be e-mailing to cjweb@hotmail.com You can contact Jim at jsweb1@juno.com , or by
visiting his site at http://members.xoom.com/cjweb1/home.html
)
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Useful Sites:
Stealth Promotions became part of the online news providers this week. In
about 30 minutes, I configured, customized, and linked to an online news
feed that will be updated daily. Another good reason to drop by to see us \
daily..., and maybe a good reason for you to add this free service to your
web page. Setup can include a frame-page or simple link (which I used
since I still do not like frames for any purppose, leaves too many behind
IMHO.) Drop by and see how easily you can add this valuable service to
your page. http://www.isyndicate.com/
Still working on text or buttons for your site to give it a new look? You
can find lots of free graphic help at http://www.cooltext.com/
Great effects
for the best price ... Free.
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My $.02:
Why You Should NOT Pay For An Expert's Advice
by Chris Kilian
Why would you pay for something that can be had for free?
Have you looked on the net lately at all the "experts" who are willing to
improve your site for a fee? The more you look, the more you see. They
are everywhere, or so it seems.
These experts will examine your site for content, navigation, colors, and
other attributes. After careful consideration, they will tell you EXACTLY
what you should be doing to make your web page more: successful,
attractive, profitable, direct, descriptive, inviting, inspiring, useful, thought-
provoking, commercially viable, enjoyable, frequently visited, content rich,
and so on. You get all that for only $XXX.XX dollars or for some
reasonable hourly rate.
Does it help?
Of course it does.
ANY set of new veiwpoints about your web page will be valuable to you.
You are too close to the work you have been doing on your site to
reconsider your choices. You can benefit from constructive criticism.
Anyone can.
I have enjoyed the benefit of expert information.
I have learned many things, reconsidered other choices, and added value
to my website visitors' experience by tweaking and supplementing what
I had to offer. I have been told to pull mouse-over buttons that took
forever to load. I was advised to insert color here, delete color there,
explain myself in detail about one item and to cut to the chase on another.
I was told my site award looked stupid and that my page reminded the
viewer of a bleary military manual. My navigation system, my hundreds
of free for all page, classified links, the extensive award worksheet and
more all have their start in the advice from the best experts online.
And I didn't pay them a penny for it.
How?
I encouraged feedback, and feedback is free.
Much of what I have learned about what is helpful to my visitors is a direct
result of what people have said they wanted, needed, liked and disliked.
I could pay for expensive advice, but I have not felt the need for it yet,
because I have had enjoyed a steady flow of comments from others.
My users, visitors, and clients are the very best source of insight about
what should and shouldn't be found on my web page. Your visitors are
the experts about what you should have on your page and how you should
make it available to them.
All it costs is a feedback form, which anyone can have, including folks
who are using free "borrowed" space. Adding an ability for anyone to
contact you by email gives more comments, and visiting some discussion
forums (especially a few with lots of blatant pleas like "Review my web
page, Please!") will provide more.
For the experts who get this list, please don't get upset with me. We all
know that there is a place for experts. This is especially true when you
begin to consider some of the less-visible aspects of a web page, like
search engine positioning for example. We are providing that service to
our clients now like some of you, and visitor comments rarely describe
problems with meta tags or keywords.
There is room for expert advice. In fact, it is a booming online area,
because of the herd of new users who are charging online as surfers or
vendors even as we read this. What we consider second-hand information
is part of a new, confusing cyber landscape that someone needs to clarify
for new arrivals. Our work is safe for years to come.
The only point I want to get across to you this week is that many of the
best, most valuable bits of advice you will ever get about your site will
come from the very people you hope will return again.
Make getting expert advice one of your main goals. Don't hide your email
contact information. Ask for feedback, both at your website and at
appropriate web discussion boards. Online, make the feedback form
easy to reach and to use. Create as many funnels as you can to create a
steady stream of comments.
Once you have feedback, read those comments. Thank the people who tell
you things, especially those who make comments about what they dislike.
The pain of hearing the truth in the short run about your background, or
images, or text, will bring you long term success. That is what we are all
after, isn't it?
Comments are good. Compliments are nice, and they can really lift once's
spirit at times.
However, if I had to filter out every variety of comments except one, I
would take complaints. Not because they are fun, but because they
challenge what I think about my presentation and content. Even if I quickly
decide my complaining visitor was simply blowing hot air, my web page
benefits because I must shift my perspective for at least an instant to see
if the complaint is legitimate.
If you can entertain the possibility that a complaint is valid, you are willing
to experience growth, and growth is the only way to advance.
If you want to disagree with me about this article or my site, feel free to
drop by and tell me so. Come by whether to comment, compliment or
complain. I am listening. I promise.
Are you? If not, you may be wasting the most valuable expert advice you
can get.
Copyright © 1998 Stealth Promotions
Chris Kilian operates Stealth Promotions.
( http://www.stealthpromotions.com )
Stealth Promotions will create
your internet presence from scratch or
improve the effectiveness of existing web sites.
Subscribe to his newsletter by sending an
email to subscribe@stealthpromotions.com
This article can be copied and used in your publication or on
your web site at no charge. All we ask is that you publish
the article in it's entirety, including the footnote above.
4.############################################################
Worthy Newsletters:
A.Your Weekly Message...The Baum Group - a FREE weekly e-zine to
help you stay focused, on purpose and more! To subscribe email
<A HREF="mailto:drrae@prodigy.net?subject=subscribe_ezine">Dr.
Rae</a>
B.FREE subscription to our e-zine for free and learn the tips and tricks of
some of the best Internet marketers in the business. Every week we
will provide you with information that will help you make your business
explode. To subscribe send an e-mail to
majordomo@perfectpresence.com
with SUBSCRIBE NETNEWS in the
subject.
Please let the publishers know you heard about them here.
5.############################################################
Mixed Bag::
Thanks to nearly 10% of you who are operating your own free classified site
with Leading Edge. I hope that you are enjoying the benefits of repeat traffic\
from people who look to advertise for free. Thanks too to the folks using their
free autoresponders and guestbooks. This continues to be my favorite recent
addition, especially since the cost to add these services is FREE. Get yours
today. You can get started if you click "Apply for Classifieds" at http://www.websitings.com/classads/sites/stpromo.htm
If you have articles that you would like us to consider for publication, send
them to us at articles@stealthpromotions.com
. No promise to use every
submission, but we are looking for your imput.
6.#############################################################
This Week's Classifieds:
_____________________________________________________________
Get Insider Internet Marketing Tips and Watch Your Profits Increase
One of the most successful marketers online reveals information you need
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1-4
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1-1
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GET TIPS on how to generate MUTLIPLE streams of INCOME!
SKYROCKET your TRAFFIC! Exclusive offers! Lots of Freebies! Win
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mailto:webmaster@achieve-success.com?subject=SUBSCRIBE_SUCCESS
1-3
____________________________________________________________
WebPosition software gives you an unfair advantage in getting your search
engine rank improved for your web page. There is no need to guess about
what works, the fully functional demo software will tell you what to do.
http://www.webposition.com/cgi-local/index.pl?DS1=RP&DS2=741-5559
1-1
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Work the newsgroups with remarkable software - PostAgent. There is
GOLD in getting your message to right group of readers. You can now
automate your delivery of your sales message with PostAgent. Download
the demo at http://postagent.com/default.asp?fromAgentID=1324
1-1
_____________________________________________________________
Learn the value of follow-up! Real sales come from multiple sales messages.
Now with our intelligent auto-responders, you can make more sales with a
series of follow-up contacts. http://www.aweber.com/?1545
1-1
_____________________________________________________________
FREE Autobot! Register today! Limited quantities! Act Fast!
Fee or free permanent links lead to increased traffic forever.
http://www.linkopp.com/member/ck/2041.htm
1-4
_____________________________________________________________
Access the largest list of Free Classified Advertising Sites to expose your
product to thousands. Don't spend hours looking for the best, we have them
here. http://www.hitekhosting.net/cgi-bin/club_click.cgi?ID54
1-1
_____________________________________________________________
Why pay $10-100 each time to have your URL submitted to search engines
when you can do it yourself unlimited times for less? Don't surf the
web, hunt it. Get a free, full-working demonstration version of this software
http://www.trellian.com/cgi-bin/msw/entry?id=4193&file=swolf/index.html
1-4
_____________________________________________________________
WANT TO FIND OUT "HOW TO" AND "WHERE TO" place your
classified ads in all those ezines? REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET
EASILY with this guide http://www.lifestyles.com/cgi-bin/ezines.cgi?10239
1-1
_____________________________________________________________
As a free gift this week, we offer another e-book for your e-library. Get
your copy at http://www.stealthpromotions.com/software/netsales.exe
7.#############################################################
Why You Must Have A Competitive Edge In Business
To succeed in business you can't just be "as good" as the next guy. You
must be demonstrably better and be able to prove it. Each issue will
discuss ways that you can explode your business. Since this is the first
issue and the topics took up most of the space, this article will be shorter
than normal.
Earlier today I had an experience that made me realize why so many
businesses fail. I went to the corner store and arrived there three minutes
before closing. As I was walking to the store the employee literally raced
to the door to hold it shut. As I reached for the door, she held it closed
and said, "We're closing."
When she said that, I thought she was joking. She wasn't! She had seen
me walking to the door and deliberately stopped me from doing business
that night. How silly! Here I went out of my way to buy something and I
was not allowed the "privilege" of giving them money.
Sadly, I see this as all too common in business today. A totally apathetic
attitude towards the customer. It appeared to me, that she had absolutely
no respect for customers. Now think about it, how many people do you
do business with repeatedly who have no respect for you? I wouldn't think
too many. So why do people think that they can treat people with no
respect and still keep their customers?
By the way, this person was not the owner of the store. She was an
employee. Some may feel that it's not the business owners fault that she
treated me like this. But it is! Obviously, the owner has not made it clear
that customer service is the employee's number one priority. I can't
imagine any of Disney World's employees treating their "guests" like that.
Let's look at what I'm worth to that store. Lets assume that I buy $20 a
week there, and I'll be a customer for five years before I move. That \
means that they'll have $5200 less business in those five years. Now,
lets say that that person worked there for only two months, but she
caused four other people like me to stop doing business there. That's
$26,000 in lost business. That is a very costly mistake.
Now think of those businesses or people, who you would continue to do
business with, even if it became inconvenient for you. Why do you
continue to patronize them? Maybe because the business makes you feel
special and they appreciate you? I can think of a hairdresser who has
clients drive 60 miles to see him, he's booked three months in advance,
and he charges triple what the average hairdresser charges. I wonder why
he can do that?
If you're thinking that this is obvious stuff and what does it have to do with
using direct response techniques, here's the answer. You can use all of
these techniques perfectly, but if you don't have good customer service
you aren't going to succeed long term. Good customer service is the
foundation for any solid business.
This may be commonsense, but so many businesses ignore it. Ignore it at
your own peril.
In upcoming issues you'll learn how to use this to your advantage. You'll
discover the reasons why so many businesses fail because they don't use
these easy to use steps and how you can become successful in any
economic climate simply by following these steps.
Before we meet again in two weeks, I have a scenario for you to think
about. I'm a new arrival in your town/city and I'm interested in your
product. Through casual conversation you realize that I'm in the market
for your services. Here are some questions for you:
Why should I do business with you?
What makes you better than your nearest competitor?
To make this more difficult, I don't want to hear anything about how good
the quality of your product is, that you're number one, or anything about
how long the company has been around. Here's the final question.
Can you tell me in 30 seconds why I should do business with you?
I am amazed at the number of business people who can't provide me with
a satisfactory answer to that simple question. Or, even worse, their answer
is indistinguishable from their competitors.
In all fairness, I was guilty of that also. Unfortunately, I learned the hard
way, a client asked me that and I briefly paused to think of an answer.
That slight hesitation was all it took me to lose the sale. After that I vowed
that I would never again be at a loss for words when I was asked that
question.
I look forward to sharing more ideas with you next month.
To Your Success!
Rick Hanson
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, either way you're right.
- HENRY FORD
For More Ways To Build Your Business -- Visit Our Website
http://www.marketingresource.com/index.shtml
981 Wellington Rd. S, Suite 429, London, ON N6E 3A9 Canada
To subscribe to this newsletter send a blank email to:
joinunfair@marketingresource.com
© 1997 Richard Hanson. All Rights Reserved.
You may distribute this newsletter electronically or in print without
prior written authorization as long as all contact information is kept intact.
This newsletter is distributed with the understanding that the author is
not providing any legal, accounting or other professional advice. Should
you require legal, or other professional advice, please seek the services
of a competent professional.
Until next time-
Plan your work. Work your plan. Succeed.
Chris Kilian, Stealth Promotions
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Can Your Web Page Win One or More of 600+ Awards?
http://www.stealthpromotions.com/awardlist.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Submit Your Site to Major Search Engines Free
http://www.stealthpromotions.com/submit.htm
Want to do it yourself? Follow the same link
to get two free software programs that will
do this for you. Both allow free downloads
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What would you give for a free classified ad that would:
Make your ad ALWAYS have the #1 position?
What if it would do this for EVERY category?
Would you like it to send an email for every ad placed?
Want the ability to change your email message 24/7?
Wouldl it be OK to send your ad to 700 sites?
Would you like free guestbooks or autoresponders?
Can you find a banner you control to paste in the middle
of the ad entry page?
Want to know by email message each time an ad is placed?
Would you like let this run on automatic, except when
you want to make changes?
Want all this with basically no rules beyond NO SPAM?
Go to: http://www.websitings.com/classads/sites/stpromo.htm
Easy set up when you click "apply for classifieds"
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Remember: All of you have indicated that you wish to
receive this publication, which is sent by email. You
have entered a contest, asked for our award, used
our services, or sent a subscription request directly
to us. To stop delivery of this newsletter and have
your information removed, send any email to
mailto:unsubscribe@stealthpromotions.com
, and
your wish will be followed. We are VERY interested
in your feedback. Make suggestions, give us
comments, good or bad. Share your thoughts with
email to mailto:spezine@stealthpromotions.com
Expect more tips, hints, websites, tools and advice to increase
your web traffic and internet success next issue.
Please forward this whole message to friends or
associates. They will thank you for it.
Better yet, suggest that your friends send a blank
email to subscribe@stealthpromotions.com
so that
they can be added to our list.
Give us public feedback, share information with other subscribers,
learn from others at our forum:
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All contents Copyright (c) 1998 Stealth Promotions, except
where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprint only with express permission from copyright
holder(s). All trademarks are property of their respective
owners. All contents provided as is. No express or implied
income claims made herein -- your business success is always
dependent on many factors, including your own abilities.
Advertisers are solely responsible for ad contents
and publisher accepts no liability for direct or consequential
damages.
Contact Information:
Stealth Promotions' Secrets for Success
701 Capital of Texas South, Suite C-1173
Austin, Texas 78746
Phone: 1-512-330-0404
Fax: 1-512-328-8323
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