How to market your online business "on the smell of an oily rag"

Article Title: How to market your online business "on the smell of an oily rag"
Author Name: Craig Lock
Line Space: 65 characters
Category (key words): Internet, online marketing, internet marketing,
writing articles, online writing
Web Site: http://www2.webng.com/writernz/
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(Writing, internet marketing, personal growth and words of inspiration)

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"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."

"If you have knowledge, let others light a candle to it."
- Margaret Fuller
(That's a metaphor, btw).
*
Our experiences of internet marketing with no knowledge
and a very limited budget: How to market your online business "on the smell of an oily rag".

"Give a man* a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man
to use the Internet and he won't bother you for months...or
perhaps even years!"

* However, I presume this principle also applies to our 'more sensible' women-folk. Sorry men!

Author's Note: This article is an account of our internet marketing efforts over the past decade, so some of the information may be a bit out-dated in the ever fast-changing world of the 'net'. We hope it may be informative and helpful to you in your internet marketing efforts...

"We didn't have any money, so we had to THINK"...
*
Sharing some of our experiences in getting listed with the various Search Engines:

Ten years ago, I was a total "computer dummy", not
even knowing how to turn one on (a computer, I mean!).
However, fortunately I developed associations with
some "computer geeks", who suggested marketing the various books that I had written on the internet ("What's that?"). This subsequently developed into running on-line creative writing courses (the first one, the "original", was free and I was completely overwhelmed and going broke fast due to the huge amount of time and effort I was forced to put in), which have been rather successful.

Our first attempts at online marketing were very much based upon
"hearsay", together with much trial and error. In addition, in spite of a huge amount of time and effort put in, our first attempts at marketing products on the www were minimally successful. As "newby internet dummies", we tried the usual
techniques: search engines (all of them with
automatic submissions), web rings, banners, links
(with sites getting fewer hits than ourselves), free
classifieds and a guest book - all with very limited
success. (I never did try posting messages on newsgroups). However, all we got was other "internet pros" trying to sell us
something (we still get that many times daily - trash
bin for spam). Fortunately, we had little money to spend on
promotion, so our capital was not wasted. With our
"learners plates" on, this was all done on two
"freebie sites" (Geocities and Tripod). However, the
steep learning curve of experience and persistence gave us a great
deal of new knowledge regarding internet marketing: what actions work best and what doesn't!

Things changed drastically once we got our own domain
name at NZ Enterprise.com (with Webcom), then www.novelty-gift.com ...and suddenly all
our sites got listed with Yahoo, as well as all the
major search engines. Must have been the PERCEPTION
that we were "more successful" and "bigger" than we were.
Image is everything (as in life!). It also helped
having quite a unique product in getting a high
ranking ("creative writing courses"). We had nos 4 and 9 with Yahoo.
Eureka, Hooray, Yahooooo!

Incidentally, if you don't have any luck in getting listed with Yahoo
(they are quite fussy), we suggest you try the regional Yahoo,
rather than their main database. Their list of regions (and countries)
is on the main www.yahoo.com web site. Incidentally, we submitted
to Yahoo (Australia and New Zealand ...and got a quick listing)
and we get a lot of our targetted web traffic from them.
Hope this tip helps and good luck.

So focus on getting your web site listed with the major search engines, like Google, Yahoo and MSN, as it is estimated that 95 of people use the major search engines in finding information (the other thousands of minor search engines, the "rats and mice" make up the balance, so I don't feel them worth putting in too much effort. (Incidentally, we found the automatic submission services to "thousands of search engines" useless). Also direct your attention to directories, like Open Directory (www.dmoz.org), where a human editor will look at your listing (take care here in submitting to the most appropriate category for your web site).

Still we also get quite a few hits from some of the lesser known, but relatively popular S/E's (see even this "techno-dummy" is learning the internet terminology!), like Looksmart *, Snap and Northern Light. ( we also tried Go To: http//:www.goto.com, but with limited success).

The traffic to our various sites started increasing
substantially and regular sales started materialising. Mostly,
our creative writing courses and money management
courses, but books too.

* OOPS sorry. that was written some time ago and
now Looksmart and MSN are two of the top search engines.
Things change very fast on the www!

From there things developed to getting our own domain names like
http://www.craiglockbooks.com and this helped further establish us, our presence as a bit of a "brand" in the vast and unchartered realm of cyberspace (even though living in a garden shed and in a moble van).

What's the definition of an aspiring writer?
A waiter!

What's the difference between a writer and a family pizza?
A: The pizza can feed a family!
*
Incidentally, we do all our marketing on-line; but
hope to do some off-line too, as more revenue comes in.

We are presently getting quite a few hits (increasing all the time); however, whilst sales are still nothing like we would like (and I realise it's much harder to sell products on-line than off), we started to make a small profit after 18 months on-line and sales have increased substantially since those early days on the www!

As part of our marketing strategy to INCREASE TRAFFIC, I do a lot of submitting articles on self development, internet marketing, writing and money management (based on my areas of research and work) to various ezines (mainly extracts from my various
manuscripts) and this has been the main focus of our marketing
strategy. In the last few years we've found submitting my various articles (with a resource box at the bottom of each article)
to ezines and publishers who bring publishers and
writers together (in article announcement lists, such as Shelley Lowery's original Article Announce*), has made a big difference in getting our various sites noticed - in terms of both "hits", links and SALES. By sharing and giving freely of your unique knowledge, you get back far more. So it's a FREE way of getting your site known
and it's a MOST EFFECTIVE form of marketing.

* (in another article I'll give some other article announcement lists.)
*
On reflection, living in a small isolated "city" of 30000 people
near the bottom of the world with minimal resources at our disposal,
forced us to use the unlimited power of the human imagination to
move us ahead. We got the idea (through the creative subconscious): of realising the tremendous benefits of distributing valuable and useful (hopefully) information and ideas around the world at minimal cost through modern technology. Eureka!

Also I started this one man business with minimal capital (but just one or two "very clever " friends, "real technogeeks" with
great technical expertise and even more importantly, grand visions) in "one of the most economically deprived regions of 'little old New Zealand'". Process of 'serendipity' coming across them (nice word, eh! - for a daughter). This has now developed to 3 people working (and having heaps of fun) here in "Sleepy Hollow", together with American and South African associates.

"Without a vision, the people perish."
- the Bible

In fact, having little capital can be a blessing in your
internet marketing efforts, as it makes human 'beans' extremely resourceful through relying on their initiaves. IMAGINATION is more important than capital (thanks, American business philosopher, Jim Rohn)! Put your vision out to the Universe, God, Life (or whatever you understand God to be), work diligently at your dream and watch what happens over time. You may surprize yourself!

"Each one of us has been uniquely created by God and within each of us, we have certain special 'instincts' or 'natural tendencies/strengths/inclinations' towards certain things. When you learn to trust and rightly apply your instinct, that is when your uniqueness will shine through. You will have no competition. You will attract those people that just need and love your service or
products. There are ways you can develop to let more of
your natural strengths to shine through in your business."
- author unknown (but the words extracted from an inspiring
article on an article announcement list).
.
We can't do it all alone. So use the unique skills and talents of
other people (the process of synergy at work: 1+ 1 = 3). Your
friends and business associates will surely want to help you and want to be part of your exciting venture in cyberspace.

*
A final word to sum up...

FOCUS on the MAJOR SEARCH ENGINES in getting your web site (s) listed. Here's a simple hint we've found in getting picked up quickly by the major search engines and hopefully getting a high ranking with them. We found that including key words in the titles of the various articles we submit to article announcement lists, like Shelley Lowery's original "flagship", Article Announce has been a help here. http://www.web-source.net/article-announce..htm. Identify your key words (ie a phrase regarding your core business). For example: in my writing articles, I include (extracted from our creative writing course), or in my Inspirational articles and quotes (I put from "Inspirational Books" or from "Self Help/Personal Growth Books"). Once the article gets published on various web sites, the 'key words' get quickly picked up by the search engines... and link back to the url (with that "lingo", sounding like a real "technogeek" now, Craig!). And the more articles you submit, the better the chances of getting a high ranking for your web site with the major
search engines.

My advice is just take ONE STEP at a time and this leads naturally to the next.

"The journey of a thousand miles starts with a broken fan-belt and a flat tyre, er sorry, a single step."
- "updated ancient Chinese saying"

Have faith (in great "dollops") - an attitude of positive expectancy that you WILL one day be an online success story. Finally, I truly believe e-commerce is the way of the future (especially for geographically isolated communities, as well as
countries, like us at the bottom of the world near Antartica ) - specifically via harnessing the amazing power of the www to reach people world-wide at minimal cost. And this is the path we are following. My dream was/is to be an "internet pioneer/infopreneur" in sharing words of encouragement, upliftment, and perhaps even inspiration to make a difference in this amazing world of ours...
Let us capitalise on this unique moment in history by mobilising
the incredible power of the 'net' (and that is THE miracle for a "total non-techno", like me). We'll see where the journey takes us!

With the passing of time...
"From tiny acorns giant oak-trees grow."
*
From time to time review whether your internet marketing strategy is giving you the results expected... and if not, adjust it.

There is tremendous power in imagination. Albert Einstein once said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Napoleon believed "the human race is governed by it's imagination."

Pascal said: "Our achievements of today are but the sum total of our thoughts of yesterday. You are today where the thoughts of yesterday have brought you, and you will be tomorrow where the thoughts of today take you."

We believe an IDEA (in terms of your unique product or service, which can make the lives of others easier or benefit them in some way*),
* ie. BENEFITS humanity, like saving time, effort or especially money, or giving pleasure to people (as I try to do in my various writings), a big helping of ENTHUSIASM, together with a great deal of time and effort in implementing it, belief, FAITH in yourself (and your product), PASSION and PERSISTENCE (not necessarily in that order) is the key to internet marketing success.

Do the basics, then "hang in there being patient, mate" (as good
Kiwis, New Zealanders say) and with great persistence, patience and determination the results will surely come...
in YOUR business and in the magical journey of YOUR LIFE itself!

Hope this piece may help you readers "out there in cyberspace" and all the best in your internet marketing strategy in 2007 and beyond.

'Carpe Diem' ( = seize the moment)...
and have fun (great) as you ride the "information super-highway"

Happy travelling

"total non-techno" Craig (as he "slides down the razor-blade of life" *)

* that's a metaphor, btw!

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead
where there is no path and leave a trail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Whatever, you want to do or dream you can do,
the hardest part is making a beginning.
Once you take that first step in following your heart, your
dreams, the rest will follow naturally...
and lead to who know's where."

"Life is about finding, then following the dream...
and one's dream/vision comes to reality through believing in yourself,
making the commitment and then creating it."
- craig

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage
to pursue them."
- Walt Disney

http://www.craiglockbooks.com
http://www2.webng.com/writernz/

All proceeds go to needy and underprivilileged children - MINE!

"Another good thing about being poor is that, when you are seventy your children will not have declared you legally insane in order to gain control of your estate."
- Woody Allen

P.S: Don't worry about the world ending today...
it's already tomorrow in "little" scenic and tranquil
New Zealand

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