A Foolproof Program for Achieving Your Goals in 2010
By Michael Masterson
According to polls, almost all Americans -- about 88 percent of us -- plan to make New Year's resolutions this year. That's good. But this isn't: More than half of those resolutions are abandoned (or broken) on January 2. Another 10 percent will be forgotten (or broken) on January 3. By April 1, more than 90 percent of those good intentions will have mutated into regrets and rationalizations. It's a shame... but this isn't going to happen to you. I am 100 percent sure that 2010 will be the best and most productive year of your life. You will make more money, enjoy better health, and accomplish more than ever before in a single year. And you're going to start today. Not tomorrow. Today. You do it by making a simple commitment. So do that right now. Take out a piece of paper and write: "2010 will be the best year of my life." Then sign it and put it someplace where you will see it every now and then. This a contract with the part of you that wants to succeed -- the part that keeps you reading ETR. Making that commitment is the most important thing you can do today. It is the step that sets you in motion, the critical first step on the path to accomplishing all your major goals. But the next step -- and this is critical too -- is to have a proven system to accomplish those goals. To help you, the folks at Early to Rise have created a program that incorporates just about every success secret I have discovered and used. It will give you daily and weekly guidance in setting and achieving your goals. It will also provide you with a mentor who will coach you along the way. You'll find out what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. You'll get specific advice on how to accomplish more by working less (but smarter) and becoming more focused. I'm talking about the Epiphany Alliance program, helmed by success mentor Bob Cox. It is amazingly powerful -- and I strongly recommend it. -----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended ----------------------------------------------------- Need Help Actually Achieving Your Goals? - We write about goal setting all the time in ETR. But we can't personally coach you. Bob Cox can. He's the creator of our Epiphany Alliance personal success program. Not to mention a millionaire business consultant, record-setting pilot, and co-founder of the original home shopping channel. Find out how Bob can help you here...
"We are still in the first few minutes of the first day of the Internet revolution." Scott Cook 7 Steps to Your First Website, Subscriber, and Sale
By Brian Edmondson If you could create a steady side income by putting in just a few hours a week, would you do it? Listen, it's entirely possible. And today, I'm going to show you how. I very recently started an Internet business in a niche market that I am very passionate about. I've already started to collect names to build a subscriber list. And I've even made a handful of sales! A handful of sales might not sound like much, but I'm excited. Why? Because the hardest part -- setting up my new site and starting to drive traffic to it -- is out of the way. I'm using the proven business model that helped ETR triple its revenues in three years... the same model that helped ETR's parent company explode into a nearly $300 million Internet juggernaut. So I know I can realistically expect my site to (eventually) churn out significant income on virtual autopilot. By no means am I putting a full-time effort into this project. (And most would argue that I'm not even putting in a part-time effort.) It's just something I'm doing on the side. Of course, that's one of the major benefits of Internet and information marketing. You can get started as what Michael Masterson calls a "chicken entrepreneur"... without quitting your day job. You, too, can create a home-based Internet business that will provide you with a steady side income. Here are the seven simple steps: Step 1. Identify Your Market The biggest mistake I see budding Internet entrepreneurs make is to start by trying to figure out what they're going to sell. And that can be tough. There are hundreds of thousands, even millions, of possible products and services. It's more important to decide what market or niche you are going to target. When you identify your market, you will know who your prospects are, what problems they have, and what solutions they are looking for. And once you have that information, it's not hard to find a product to sell to them. So how do you decide which market to go after? My recommendation is to make a list of all the things you are interested in and choose from that. Why make a list and not just zero in on your number one passion? Because you want to give yourself some options. Just because you have a strong interest in something doesn't mean there are enough people out there who share your interest and (very important) have money to spend on it. Golfers, for example, are passionate about their game. They also have a lot of money and like to spend it on golf-related "stuff." On the other hand, though teenage boys may be into sports and cars, you won't have much luck selling them anything anytime soon. Here's the formula: Your Passion + Profitable Market = Great Niche Website Step 2. Choose -- and Purchase -- a Domain Name Another mistake that online entrepreneurs make is to try to come up with a domain name that is cute or creative. Your domain name should be descriptive of your website topic and benefit-driven. Ideally, it should also include your main keyword. And, of course, it should be easy to spell and easy to remember. A good example of a domain name that is easy to remember, easy to spell, descriptive, benefit-driven, and includes the main keyword of the website's topic: FreeCreditReport.com. Step 3. Put Up a Website If you can use a word processor, you can create a website. The software is similar. I use and recommend XSite Pro (which ETR includes with the Internet Money Club). This is one of the best website content management systems out there. Another option is to use a website HTML editor like Microsoft Expression Web (formerly Front Page) or Dreamweaver by Macromedia. These two programs aren't as powerful or easy to use as XSite Pro, but get the job done. There are many lower-priced and free programs. But, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Step 4. Add an Opt-In Form to Your Site When you visit any of ETR's websites, including EarlyToRise.com, InvestorsDailyEdge.com, and TotalHealthBreakthroughs.com, you'll notice that there is a sign-up box -- an opt-in form -- near the top right-hand corner. Having an opt-in form is one of the things that separate successful online businesses from those that fail. It allows your site visitors to give you their name, e-mail address, and any other information you may want to collect. By capturing their contact information, you can follow up with them on a regular basis via e-mail. You can send them valuable content, build a relationship with them, and bring them back to your website to sell them products they are interested in. Step 5: Offer a Freebie The best way to get people to give you their contact information is to offer them something of value in exchange. At Early to Rise, we offer a free subscription to the newsletter you're reading right now. You could also offer a free special report or some type of tip sheet. Putting one together can be as simple as coming up with 10 questions that people in your niche are likely to ask and answering those questions. It can be just five or 10 pages long. Better yet, unlike a daily newsletter, you only have to write it once. Then you upload it to your autoresponder (the same software you use for the opt-in form) and have it automatically sent to everyone who gives you their name and e-mail address. I recommend using a third party autoresponder service such as Aweber. Step 6. Drive Traffic to Your Website There are many ways to drive traffic to your website. But when you're starting out, you'll want to focus mostly on free traffic. One of my favorite ways to get free traffic is by writing and submitting articles to article directories. I submit most of my articles to EzineArticles.com. (Make sure you include your website's URL in the blurb or bio that runs with the article.) Another good way to get free traffic is through social media marketing. Search for blogs and forums that are related to your niche and answer questions and post comments. Most forums and blogs will allow you to link back to your website. Just be sure that you are providing good content and that what you have to say is relevant to the forum's or blog's subject matter. Keep in mind that most of the people you attract to your website by submitting articles and through social media will not purchase anything from you. At least, they won't purchase anything on their first visit. But that's why you have the opt-in form -- to capture their contact information so you can keep bringing them back. Step 7. Follow Up... and Start Making Sales The final step is to follow up with the people on your opt-in list and start selling them products. These can be your own products or products you are promoting as an affiliate. This, too, can be done with your autoresponder. For example, you could write a series of five to seven e-mails, each one promoting a different product. And as soon as people opt in to get your freebie, you have those e-mails automatically sent to them, one at a time, every couple of days. Those are the seven steps you can take to quickly and easily launch a new online business. Once you have this basic system in place, you continue to build on it by learning more ways to bring traffic to your site, building a bigger opt-in list, and starting to promote what we call "back-end" products. [Ed. Note: You can help speed your newly created online business to profitability with the Internet Money Club. Director Brian Edmondson will be your mentor and coach for the next six months, helping you navigate every step of setting up and running your business. And he guarantees your Internet venture will be making money by the end of February. The IMC Class of 2010 will be closed to new applicants tomorrow at 5 p.m. So check out the Internet Money Club today.] -----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended ----------------------------------------------------- How pinpointing the "Missing Link" can kick your online business into overdrive
Every inefficient system... whether it's an overweight body, a sputtering old car, or a losing football team... has a "missing link" that prevents it from operating at full capacity.
It's the same thing with a floundering online business.
There's a "missing link" that keeps it from bringing in big-time revenues.
The good news is, once you pinpoint this "missing link" and get it handled, you can make more money online than you ever dreamed possible.
And the best part is, it is so simple to do, you'll kick yourself for not thinking of it first.
When someone asks, "What do you do for a living?" there is only one correct answer. It's not "I have a business." A business is something you own; not something you do. The correct answer is to declare loudly and proudly... "I'm a marketer! My specialty is attracting new customers... persuading existing customers to make ever-larger purchases... convincing them to buy more often... and making sure they keep buying from me forever." When you define yourself as anything but a marketer, you are setting yourself up to make huge mistakes in the way you run your business that will limit your success. Remember, every business and every non-profit organization is first and foremost a marketing enterprise. And nothing happens until the cash register rings. [Ed. Note: Master copywriter Clayton Makepeace publishes the highly acclaimed e-zine The Total Package to help business owners and copywriters accelerate their sales and profits. Claim your 4 free moneymaking e-books -- bursting with tips, tricks, and tactics that'll skyrocket your response rates -- at MakepeaceTotalPackage.com.] According to a recent survey, the typical American spends about 14 minutes preparing breakfast-type foods, 16 minutes making lunchtime salads or sandwiches, and about 22 minutes cooking dinner. Why are the averages so low? Because most Americans eat pre-made (often frozen) convenience foods. I think that is especially true of hardworking entrepreneurs and superstar employees. They are driven by their work 24/7. Taking time out to prepare food seems like a waste to them. So they opt for speed -- but at a significant cost. Jon Herring, Editor of Total Health Breakthroughs, says busy people should put aside a little extra time every day to prepare healthy meals. You don't have to have home cooked meals three times a day, he says, but even one really good meal a day is a great start. "Cooking at home," he says, "is not only better for you, it can be fun." Here are some tips from Jon: - Get some interesting cookbooks with nice pictures.
- Take a cooking class at a local restaurant or culinary school.
- Get the whole family involved -- and play some music while you chop and slice.
Holiday Fun Fact: About "Auld Lang Syne"
By Michael Masterson "Auld Lang Syne" -- a very old Scottish song -- is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country to welcome the New Year. The title translates to "Old Long Ago." In English, we would say "The Good Old Days." Bandleader Guy Lombardo is said to have added the song to his repertoire after hearing it sung by Scottish immigrants in his hometown of London, Ontario. Lombardo played it at midnight during a New Year's Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1929. A tradition was born. Since then, his version of the song has been the standard.
Latest News -
If you're at all interested in making a few hundred extra dollars a month (or even replacing your current salary) by working just a few hours a week from home, check out the Internet Money Club. But time is running out. The Class of 2010 is closing tomorrow at 5 p.m. Go here to find out how you can have your own Internet business -- and be making money -- by February.
ETR reader Gregg Sanderson one-upped Michael's little parable about the professor and the bucket. He wrote: "You didn't finish the story, Michael. After the professor poured sand into the bucket of rocks and stones, the student popped open a bottle of beer and poured it in the sand. The sand absorbed every drop of the beer. Which just goes to show you that, no matter how full you are, there's always room for beer! "Happy days, Michael, and thanks for all your valuable insights." Gregg Sanderson
-----------------------------------------------------Highly Recommended----------------------------------------------------- Want More Clayton Makepeace? - He was a featured speaker at ETR's recent Info-Marketing Bootcamp. And we caught every minute on tape. He revealed the marketing strategies he's used to push his clients' profits through the roof. If you're interested in getting the details on one $2.5 million day in particular, go here.
Today's Words That Work: Juggernaut Juggernaut (JUG-er-nawt) is an overpowering, unstoppable force. The word is derived from Jagannath (Sanskrit for "lord of the world"), an avatar of the Hindu god Krishna. It is said that worshippers -- in a fit of religious fervor -- would throw themselves under the wheels of a huge cart that carried an idol of Krishna in an annual procession in India. Example (as used by Brian Edmondson today): "I'm using the proven business model that helped ETR triple its revenues in three years... the same model that helped ETR's parent company explode into a nearly $300 million Internet juggernaut."
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