Karma On Steroids

February 21, 2023 Category :Generals Off

One of the very first ebooks that I ever read on Internet marketing was titled The Affiliate Masters Course by Ken Evoy. Not only was this particular ebook one of the first ebooks I ever read on Internet marketing, its probably the thing that really got me interested in pursuing Internet marketing in the first place. Even though I first read The Affiliate Masters Course more than four years ago and even though the whole ebook was meant to pre-sell readers into buying Site Build It! I still recommend it to people to this day. One of the reasons I thinks Ken’s ebook is so great is that it assumes the readers doesn’t know the first thing about internet marketing and teaches people the absolute fundamentals of creating on online business.

By far the most important concept from the entire ebook boils down to three words: underpromise and overdeliver. This is a very simple and yet powerful philosophy. All it really translates to is giving people more than what they expect. That’s it. Just tell people that you will give them one thing and then give them what you promised plus a little bit more. The results of adopting this simple philosophy and incorporating into your internet business can be truly remarkable. Think of it kind of like karma on steroids.What makes the “underpromise and overdeliver” concept so incredibly powerful for Internet marketers is that it doesn’t really take a whole lot of additional effort to give people more than what they expect. My last ebook is a really great example. When people purchased the ebook I included several additional, useful bonus items that I did not advertise on the sales page. The effort required to locate these bonus items and include them in the zip file amounted to only a couple of extra hours of work for me.

The end result of spending just a little bit of time giving buyers a few things they did not expect were

1) They buyer got some great bonus items they were not expecting and

2) I established myself as someone who not only delivers what he promises but gives you even more!

Ultimately this translates into a rock solid reputation and long term customers who will buy from me over and over again. All of which, needless to say, equals more profits for me. Who wouldn’t want to do repeat business with someone like that? And, if you did do business with someone like that, wouldn’t you recommend them to all of your friends, relatives, and co-workers?

I know I would. In fact, I already do. Last year I purchased a web hosting from Godaddy.com. I didn’t really know much about them other than that prices were reasonable. Since that time I have experienced some of greatest customer service I have ever experienced in my life. Today, for example, I received a phone call from Godaddy informing me that I could receive a 15% discount on all of my web hosting accounts because I had been using their services for more than three months! Needless to say, whenever someone asks for advice on what kind of hosting company they should go with, I don’t hesitate to tell them that they should check out godaddy.com.

In order to generate these kinds of results all you have to do is exert a little more effort and give your customers a little more than what you had promised them. Basically you need to very generous. But in this business being consistently generous results in more than just a personal feeling of satisfaction, it results in huge profits. I personally guarantee that the benefits of practicing the underpromise and overdeliver philosophy far outweigh the extra effort and expenses on your part. In fact, this philosophy works so well online that I have even incorporated it into my personal life and daily activities. Recently, for example, I held a garage sale and offered everyone who came free refreshments. The result of this little act of kindness was that potential buyers didn’t haggle nearly as much as had been my experience with past garage sales. Kindness really does pay and on the internet it pays in a big way!

Exploding The Cash Is Trash Myth

January 20, 2023 Category :Automobiles & Motorcycles| Electronics and Electrical Off

So, in May 1989, with the Australian share market in the depths of a bear market, and real estate has just crashed, where do you put your money? Obviously in Japan (if you belong to the Flat Earth Society, as most do, and you know nothing about the underlying mood insight of the socioeconomist).

Okay, so let’s you and I invest $1,000 each in May 1989. You put yours into Japanese shares (buy the Nikkei index at 34,000) and I’ll put mine in the bank. Let’s assume that you have taken the advice of your broker or adviser to “buy and hold for the long term. Even if the share market falls, it will always rise to a new high in the long term.”

Let’s say that over the next 18 years, to May 2007, I earn 6% per annum interest. (Note that the cash rate in Australia was 18% in 1989, but I want to be generous here). Dividend yields on Japanese shares are notoriously low, and I am probably being overly generous again (by about 50%), but let’s assume you earn 1% per annum in dividends on your Japanese shares. And let’s say you hold your shares right through until now. That is, when the Nikkei fell below 8,000 points in 2003 you didn’t sell in panic, because “shares will always rise in the long term.” Let’s say the Nikkei is 17,000 points today. We’ll ignore tax and inflation for the purpose of this exercise (if only we could).

How do we compare? My $1,000 is today worth $2,854 with compounding interest. How did you fare?

Your shares are worth $500, but you have earned $321 in dividends, which I have compounded for the sake of the exercise.

So I put my money in the bank and made 185% profit in 18 years. You put yours into the equivalent of today’s Australian share market and lost 18% in the same period. Are you still sure you want to rush back into the share market? Are you sure that cash in the bank is such a bad investment? Are you going to keep listening to the “cash is trash” merchants who are simply talking their book (vested interests)? Or will you use your neo-cortex to override your emotion?

I rest my case. Just because all the “experts” say “cash is trash” does not mean that it is. It depends what you invest. There will be a time when the share market will be a fantastic investment. At that time I will be recommending it “with my ears pinned back.” Yet at that time nobody will want to touch shares. Shares will be a dirty word. Aren’t humans funny creatures?

Bintan Discovery – Perfect Get Set and Go

January 14, 2023 Category :Business Services| Technology Off

A quick pick-me-up just before we hit the books again. What perfect way is there to start the semester? With a tan of course! We had to leverage on the fact that Singapore is surrounded by numerous natural beaches belonging to our Southeast-Asian neighbours. A dozen locations zipped through our minds. But this was an eleventh hour decision, and being undergrads, our pockets are not that deep. So we went on a frenetic search of a destination economical enough and yet offer a decent beach to frolic in. Bintan came up tops. Firstly, we didn’t have to fly. There was no hurry to look for last minute airfares. Bintan was just a 55 min ferry ride from Singapore. Secondly, and most importantly, we didn’t have to get Rupiahs. Prices in Bintan are listed in Sing dollars.

Upon reaching the Bintan Ferry Terminal, we were guided to the complementary bus shuttle service which brought us to the resort directly. The journey took about 30 minutes.
Upon arrival at the resort, we were pleasantly impressed by the front desk staff, who rattled on fluently in Japanese to a group of visitors. Their English was also near impeccable. The resort itself imparted a relaxed mood as it was set in a style of individual wood huts as guest rooms. The room interior exceeded our expectations as well. Despite being sufficiently spacious, with a queen-sized bed and day sofa, the toilet was also clean and fresh.

After lunch, it was time to have some serious fun. We zipped to the beach, just in time for the snorkelling tour. Without any ado, we hopped onto the speedboat with our gear, ready for a whale of a time. We were instructed and booklets showing the type of fishes and corals that we might see while in the water were passed around. Indeed it was an eye-opening (literally) experience, as we kept our eyes wide open to spot the assortment of corals and fishes. It ended on a dramatic note when I panicked and pulled away upon seeing a jellyfish half a metre away.

Following an adrenaline-pumped snorkelling trip, our tummies were growling out for some food again. This time round we took up the recommendation by the front desk staff and were on the way to the local ‘kelong’ (malay for fishing village on the sea). The dinner was well worth the hour ride to and fro. A total of 6 dishes including snails, mussels, crayfish, fish, crab, kang kong, drinks and steamed rice cost S$65.

We had the snails steamed as recommended and dipped them into a delicious sweet and spicy sauce. They were so succulent and crunchy that I was pleasantly surprised by how much they bounced when we picked them out of their shells. The mussels were big and juicy, tasted more like oysters and went nicely with the spicy sauce it was stir-fried in. Our favourite had to be the crayfish. It tasted similar to its close relative – lobsters, and was enhanced to divinity by the melted butter and salted spring onions sprinkled generously on top. The fish came in a close second for me as I always love a good plate of teochew (Chinese) style steamed fish with a dash of superior soy sauce and generous helpings of chopped spring onions and coriander. The crab was disappointingly stale. The saving grace was the good ole’ plate of belachan kang kong (vegetables fried in shrimp paste chilli). It was a truly unforgettable dinner set in a simple background, coupled with the ambience of light tidal waves, though I wished mosquitoes were not included in the package.

Upon checking out, we had the option of leaving our luggage at the front desk while carrying on with other activities before leaving for the terminal. We could also change our original ferry timings to a later slot at a fee with the concierge staff. We decided to do just that and headed to Pasar Oleh Oleh, Bintan Resort’s own market.

Let’s Discuss Keywords

December 3, 2022 Category :Mental Health| Telemarketing Off

In this article we will tackle the daunting topic of keywords. Can keywords that are used in other types of sales copy be translated to work online? Is it true that a massive list of keywords will ensure success, or is there really such a thing as a quality keyword? For some of us keywords are not an issue. We simply choose the words that stand out in our content as important, decide those are our keywords and go with that. But does that work? At this point I want to throw in a quote by Herodotus: “Haste in every business brings failure.”

In choosing your keywords keep in mind that the purpose of keywords is to provide a means for your site to be found. A very common mistake is focusing on keywords that are just too competitive – meaning there are too many sites trying to rank for that selected keyword. It is sometimes advantageous to use longer key phrases, which often are not quite as exploited. Another problem area can be using keywords or phrases that no one is looking for. Obviously, you need to strike a balance between these two extremes.

Here’s another quote to ponder: “Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.” That one is from Henry Ford.

When your funds and time resources are limited it becomes even more important to have keywords that will work for you and your site. Remember, your site is on the same internet as the internet giants and you want to compete in every way possible! Although you can change your keywords as time goes along if necessary, it is best if you select your keyword before or during the building of your website. Why? Keywords should be peppered throughout your site; keywords should be in the titles, content and the descriptions. Be generous with the use of the keywords but don’t “over-stuff”.

An important point to keep in mind is that no website can be all things to all people! If your site is very broad in content you probably need to focus on a particular niche instead. Actually, a niche within a niche is best. Then when you are choosing your keywords begin by asking yourself questions. Ask what you really do, what you’re really about. Be very precise with your answers.

So how do you select “good keywords”? Let’s begin with the basics. If your company sells a product or service then make sure that your keyword selection reflects that. Be specific. If you are selling Teflon Coated Cookware, then specify Teflon Coated. Include that within your Site Title, Page Title, Description, and Content.

So what’s the real purpose of keywords? Obviously keywords are tools used by visitors and search engines in order to find you. Naturally you want traffic, but also keep in mind that you need quality traffic. It doesn’t do you much good to get visitors to your site that are not really looking for what you have to offer. So you want to optimize your pages for keywords that will bring large numbers of prospects, meaning, people that are interested in your product/service. That is the true purpose of keywords!

To begin your work you will want to brainstorm for keywords and phrases related to your site. This will help you develop content for your pages as well as prepare a listing of possible keywords. Try to think from different angles as you brainstorm. Use synonyms for your initial words, continue expanding. Using the Cookware example from above, some people might tend to think in terms of pots and pans, while others think more of a skillet, and others simply think in terms of a complete set of cookware. Each of those individuals may in fact need something from the same website so the webmaster would need to consider that when choosing the keywords.

You can go from broad terminology to specific, but narrowing your focus to a specific niche will tend to get you quality traffic as opposed to quantity. In this case, the niche is Teflon Coated. Start with the terms you would use for your topic if you were doing a search for it, and then branch out. Try to list 30 – 50 words, then scale it down to the top 20. Do not forget lateral keywords. Lateral keywords are words that are related to the keyword. For this example a lateral keyword might be ‘pot rack’.

Don’t forget that you can tap into your competitors to help determine your keyword list. Just type the keyword into Google, then visit each link and study your competing websites.

You can check the terms that are being used by using a tool like the Overture keyword suggestion tool. This tool can tell you how many times in a given period that a keyword or phrase was searched for. By the way, Overture’s Search Suggestion Tool is totally free. You want to target words that are the most relevant for your site, meaning, you will hopefully be able to find words that are used frequently, but that are only offered at a relatively small amount of sites (hence, a niche). If you can do that you will be much more likely to rank higher with the search engines and to get quality traffic.

After you determine what your keywords and phrases are you will need to prioritize them. You should be concerned with the more profitable keywords first. Profitable refers to the ability of a word or phrase to deliver targeted traffic.

Okay, I think that’s about it! We’ve covered how to get your keywords. Remember to use them freely throughout your Content, your Titles, and your Descriptions. Be very generous in your use of the keywords but do not simply add the keywords for the sake of adding them. That will hurt your ranking more than help it!

In closing we need to remind ourselves that we are meant to have anything and everything that we desire. Do you desire more traffic to your website? If so, do you remember the appropriate steps to take to make that happen? First, you need your vision – is it more traffic, or is it increased profits due to more traffic? Then you need to set your goals. Well, you probably need to learn a little about how to increase your traffic, and you then need to actually increase your traffic. Right? You definitely have to believe that you will succeed in your efforts. Don’t simply hope for it, instead, really envision it happening. “Feel” the delight of having increased income. Then wait for it to manifest itself! Remember, we create our tomorrow with our mind today!

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