New projects in MY world of Internet Marketing!

Last post I talked about ecommerce. That's how I started in the whole online business world. But my how things have changed and evolved! Currently I have a few new projects.

In the ecommerce space, I have a new site about Night Vision equipment. I got into this site after searching to find an airsoft thermal scope. I couldn't find what I was looking for, but saw a site selling various night vision equipment, infrared goggles, and some cool spy gear, up for auction, so I jumped on it!

Similar in some ways though not entirely 'ecommerce', I have a new blog about wine, specifically about how to make homemade wine. Great site, great graphics, and great information about wine in general, and how to make it yourself.

The rest of my new projects are in the "informational" arena. Based on my own interest in building my own family tree and trying to find genealogical information that didn't charge for access, I now have a site offering free genealogy search capability and information. Great information about how to track down your own family tree!

Lastly, I started a few new blogs. One is aimed at helping women suffering from yeast infections find relief, specifically how to find and use an effective yeast infection home remedy. I know if works as the information came from my 'better half' who has suffered from this Candida fungus.

And, really lastly, are two other informational sites:

Biblical Prosperity - about how to gain prosperity using the Bible as a guide;
Stop Smoking Help - for those with that awful nicotine or tobacco habit.

I'd be very interested in any of your comments. Go ahead and visit these sites, let me know what you think. Your input would be greatly appreciated!

Effective E-Commerce: Differenciation and Unique Value Proposition

It seems as though Internet marketing has shifted. Once upon a time, "Internet Marketing" meant "E-Commerce". But with the advent of Affiliate marketing, membership sites, and such, the basic online store has been relegated to 'has been' status.

The reality is a bit different. E-commerce still dwarfs all other forms of online marketing today. That said, it seems as if every article and website talking about Internet marketing has forgotten this fact.

And so, partially as a 'refresher', partly as a 'reminder to self' of the importance & significance of the humble online ecommerce store, and largely because it's a good outline, I wanted to reprint the article below (with permission, of course).

Even if your current business is purely 'soft' sales, pay-per-click, or some other means other than physical goods, it's good to remember what core online selling is all about.

And if you do have an Internet store or ecommerce site, I'm sure you'll be able to get something out of the article.

As always, please feel free to leave your comments, about ecommerce, online marketing, PPC, or any other topic.

Creating an Effective Ecommerce Site

by Stephen Grisham, Sr.

You'll need a "shopping cart" solution that visitors can use to make purchases at your site. Once the eCommerce site is up and running, the focus can shift to marketing and sales, which will increase the prospects for a good profit margin.

A Guide To Building An eCommerce Site

Selecting Ecommerce Software

There are a number of different programs, but the ones to focus on are a shopping cart solution, automatic shipping modules and payment gateways, like PayPal or Google Checkout. Research with regard to setting up a successful eCommerce site can be done through technology websites' reviews and publications. When you choose a software package, be sure to save all its components to your hard drive.

Personal Touches

Make a relatively small business work to your advantage by creating a more personal eCommerce site. A consistently high level of customer service establishes a bond between you and your customers.

Create personal touches with the addition of an "About Us" section to let customers know about the company's founding, its philosophy and its management team. Write a short statement of your experience and personalize it with a few snapshots. Be brief and subtle to maintain a high level of sincerity.

Blog

It is easy to use your blog to update your consumers on special promotions or on the introduction of new products. Blog posts should be somewhat informal in nature and should make you seem personable and approachable. To involve your consumer base, you can set up a comments section to allow participation.

FAQ/Contact Us

It is helpful to mention your name and/or those of your staff to enhance the personal aspect of your Ecommerce site. In addition, customers will feel more at ease if they know that they can contact you if a problem should arise with their order or if they have a special request.

Product Search

When designing your site, consider the manner in which people will search for products. For example, a search box would be an easy way for consumers to search for the exact product they're looking for. Another customer may want to look around and check out categories or prices. You can satisfy everyone by just providing different search options. On the homepage, you should showcase new arrivals, highlight upcoming products and make special offers easy to see. A forum or feedback page creates a community in which customers can research products and share useful information.

Gift Wrap, Other Extras

Once you have the basic eCommerce site running smoothly with an efficient checkout system, you can offer extras to boost sales as well as service. Gift wrapping is an example of such an extra. Consumers often turn to Internet retailers for gift purchases as well as gift ideas, so the next logical step is to offer gift wrapping.

Display Policies Clearly and Up-Front

Customers will find it a drag to discover a raft of hidden fees or unacceptable terms at the end of the transaction. You need to be honest with your customers if you want them to come back. Before initiating a transaction, customers want to know about return policies, added fees, and security/privacy policies. Let them know about these things right away to save everyone from wasting time.

Stephen Grisham, Sr. is a copy writer for http://www.infoservemedia.com/design/DIY/create a website, or if you just need a few changes to an existing site, InfoServe Media also offers (http://www.infoservemedia.com/design/website-maintenance.html) website maintenance.

Plenty of Internet Business Opportunities, But Plenty Of Scams!

Opportunities & Scams
By Isabel Allen

More and more people are getting attracted to online businesses and there are a lot of business opportunities and ideas available over the net.

While the number of opportunities grows, beware of the scams as there are a lot of fraudulent offers for online business opportunities that promises the viewers extraordinary results, often with false testimonials explaining the success stories of individuals who have made lots of money within a short period of time.

Beware of these scams so as you can save yourself from loosing your hard earned money. Not all the opportunities are scams, there are also genuine and highly profitable business opportunities that you can start online and work at the comfort of your home at your own preferred time and convenience. You can search the net to get a better idea for starting your own business online and earn those extra cash working part time.

You can even quit your job and start working full time once the online business succeeds and starts yielding huge profits. You can start your online business with your own business ideas and to promote them and to attract customers you would require to have an attractive, well designed and functional website.

Creating your own website and improving the traffic through search engine optimization is a very good source for marketing your business online and can attract more and more customers. The contents of the website should be interesting and informative that it convinces the visitors and induces them to try the product or services.

You can do almost any businesses over the net with the help of a website and the more you promote your website the more would be your sales. The online business opportunity spans over a large area since they are open to the whole world and hence there are chances of making huge profits if you get it the right way. You don’t require an office or huge investments to start online businesses but still can earn huge profits.

If you desire to do business from the comfort of your home and be your own boss then online business opportunities are the best option for you.

About the author: Isabel Allen writes for many websites. Most recently, she has written about the American Heart Association Diet Plan Online, a series of articles about Pain Suffering Settlements, and a guide book about What Happens After Foreclosure.