Bill McRea

Since the world of online business is a relatively new one, and it often attracts people who are bootstrapping it, (starting out on a small budget) there are several ways in which to track progress and measure success that do not exist for traditional businesses. We’re going to look at some of the metrics that you might consider when gauging the progress you are making in you business. Success is a relative term and it looks different to different people. If you have set specific goals for your business and you have met or exceeded those goals, then you are a success even if you’ve not made a million, or driving an Italian sports car.

For an online business there are three basic measures of how well you are doing, which will vary depending upon the purpose of your site, and the goals you have set. They include:

1. Conversions/sales
2. Traffic
3. Opt-ins

But there are additional metrics that can apply to your online business that will be important in determining whether you are getting a return on the effort, energy and finances that you have invested in your enterprise:

• Search engine rank

You have worked hard to build a website and a following, right? Your search engine rankings give you a good idea about how well you are doing on that front. You can feel proud of yourself if you’ve managed to develop a blog with an enviable page rank, so don’t discount that as a measure of your online business success.

• Engagement

Do you get a decent number of comments on your blog? Do your visitors share your content on social media sites? Do you have a growing Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn presence? Do your tweets get retweeted? Do you get likes and shares on Facebook? Are you in the circles of the influential players in your industry on Google+? All of these are measures of how engaged your audience is with you and you with them. If you are creating a sense of community around your brand, having real conversations with your audience, then engagement is high and that is good.

• Partnerships

Do you have a rolodex of joint venture partners that you can call and do projects with? Are you part of an active, committed Mastermind group? Creating mutually beneficial partnerships is a vital skill in business. When you are growing your business having the right partners is almost if not more important than having a lot of customers.

• Personal satisfaction

Of course you are the only one who can say how successfully you have achieved this metric, but if you enjoy the work you are doing, if you are proud of your business and the products or services that you offer then you should get a great deal of personal satisfaction from your business. If you left a corporate job to pursue your own online business you want to make sure that you’re not just creating another job that you will grow bored with and hate. Your level of passion for your work will go a long way towards motivating you to be successful.

Make sure you are setting goals and doing a weekly assessment of your progress toward achieving those goals. No matter how you measure your success make sure that you congratulate yourself when you achieve the goals you have set. That alone makes you a success.

For more tips and strategies for building and growing an online business, visit http://mcreasite.com/blog today where you will discover how to use Internet Marketing principles to find online business success.

If the ultimate goal of your website is to sell more of your products and services, you know that the copy on your website is what makes all the difference when it comes to conversions and sales. Copywriting has been called salesmanship in print, and this is true because on the web it’s the copy that you use to draw your visitors in that will dictate your ability to make sales and retain customers.

Everyone knows the power that the words you use can hold. You know that the right word can elicit a happy reaction, but just as important, the wrong word can leave a bad impression for a long time in the mind of the person hearing it. In that vein, we are going to take a look at some, ‘emotional power words,’ and how you can make use of them along with additional emotional selling tools to forge connections with your audience, boost conversions and increase sales on your website.

A successful conversion means that you have achieved the goal of getting a website visitor to complete a specific task, which can be anything from opting in to an email list, to purchasing a product. You must skillfully craft your copy using these emotional power words so that it bridges the gap between where your prospect is right now, and their completing a task that you want them to complete which results in a conversion.

Your goal is to create an emotional connection with the prospect because people will not only buy from other people that they know, like and trust, they are more likely to refer you to their friends and network. There are so-called, “power words” that evoke emotion in your readers. You can use them to create an emotional connection with your audience and to provoke a gut-level emotional reaction that will catch their attention and hopefully spur them on to action.

Here are ten power words from a list of 186 from copywriter Karl Stepp:

• free
• professional
• tested
• limited
• big
• valuable
• unlimited
• under priced
• launching
• better

Source: freereports.net/powerwords.html

In David Husnian’s  article, ‘Some Words Are Mightier Than the Sword: Powerful Words to Trigger Emotions,’ he writes that, “Power Words are a great way to improve your conversions and to grab the prospects emotions and should be used, judiciously, in all your sales copy.: Source: streetguidetocopywriting.com/blog/writing-copy/words-mightier-than-the-sword

Emotional selling is about appealing to the wants, needs and fears of the buyer. Judiciously using these and other power words in your copy might be just what you need to get better results from your website. Using techniques such as emotional selling and using the power words in your copy are powerful when used properly and skillfully. Remember to always operate in integrity and use your powers for good and not to use emotion to manipulate your audience into buying something that is worthless or that you do not stand behind 100%.

In addition to using power words in your copy, try these other tactics to draw your readers in and get them more engaged in what you have to offer:

• Tell an engaging story that draws the reader in, grabs their interest and makes them feel something real.
• Paint a compelling mental picture so that the buyer can see themselves using your product or service.
• Be vulnerable and admit to a mistake and then share how you were able to overcome it.

Take a look at these tips and find ways to incorporate some of these power words and emotional selling tools into your copy and see what kinds of results you get.

For more copywriting tips, and other ideas for how you can build and grow your online business, visit http://mcreasite.com/blog today.

The path of the solo-entrepreneur can be a challenging one. Regardless of why you have chosen to become an online entrepreneur, there is a certain mindset or mental approach that will go a log way towards supporting you in achieving your goals. You might think that some people are just born with the ‘knack’ for business, but many of the skills that are required to be successful can be taught. Your mindset, however, is at the root of everything. If you can develop a resourceful approach to life and work you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.

Let’s look at five mindset tips that will help you to achieve success in your entrepreneurial ventures:

1.Confidence

If you don’t believe in yourself and your ability to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Self-confidence is both contagious and expansive. It seems like the more you’ve got the more it grows. When the people around you see your confidence in yourself, they have more confidence in you and in your work. It also inspires others to develop more confidence in themselves.

2. F.O.C.U.S.

I recently heard the analogy using the concept of sunlight to illustrate the power of focus. On a warm sunny day you can walk outside and soak in the comfort of the warm sun on your skin. But you can also take a magnifying glass and focus a beam of light so that it will burn through a piece of wood. Focusing your energy creates power. The acronym, F.O.C.U.S. stands for, follow one course until successful. This is useful advice because so many people scatter their energy chasing several different projects instead of having a singular focus until they bring one project to its successful conclusion.

3. Perseverance

While you are developing self-confidence and focusing on your goals, you will need to develop perseverance to stay the course in the face of the challenges that will appear in your path. It seems almost inevitable that as soon as you throw down the gauntlet and take up a challenge, obstacles begin to appear in your path. It’s almost as if the Universe wants to see just how determined you are to persevere despite the setbacks that may occur.

4. Remain teachable

Regardless of how much progress you make, how much you learn and how much money you make you will always be learning new things. The more you remain open to being teachable and coachable the better your chances for learning something that might change your life and your fortunes.

5. Look for ways to add value to others

Zig Ziglar said, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”  Looking for ways to add value to other people’s lives first is a great way to attract more success into your own life.

There are your five mindset sets for entrepreneurial success. Did you notice that none of them had anything to do with money? That’s because the inner game—getting your mental foundation in place first—is a critical step in making money and attaining any kind of success in business and in life.

For more mindset tips and strategies for building an online business, visit http://mcreasite.com/blog today where you will discover how you can use Internet Marketing to achieve online success.

If you’ve had a blog for at least six months then you’ve got a wealth of Content that you can re-purpose in order to generate even more traffic to your website.

Here are five tips for making use of all of that content that’s languishing in your archives.

1. Convert articles into Powerpoint presentations

Copy and paste the content of the article into Powerpoint slides. You can add images, transitions and animation effects if you choose. You can record an audio track to accompany the slides and even insert intro and out-tro music that will come in before and after the narrator’s voice. Save the presentation in a video format and upload it to your favorite video sharing sites. Embed the video on your website and include a link back to your site from the sites where you’ve uploaded it.

2. Post audio files with an image and publish on video sharing sites

Create a static graphic image with the title of the audio, your name and the name of your site. Then use video creation software such as Windows Movie maker, and upload the image along with the audio file. Save it as a video and upload it to your favorite video sharing sites. Don’t forget to also embed the video on your site as well.

3. Use slideshow animation software

Try one of the many slideshow animation websites such as animoto.com where you can upload your own text, images and audio to create visually stunning video compilations. The magic happens with the software which adds animation and visual effects to make a compelling video presentation. It takes just a few minutes, and when the video is finished rendering you can share it to video sharing sites such as youtube.com

4. Save time with a video syndication service

Check out one of the video syndication services that will take your video file, upload it to several video and other content sharing sites and some will even promote your videos as well. They come at various price points for the different services. Here are three sites that you might want to take a look at for syndicating content:

• ContentBuzz
• Hey!Spread
• OneLoad

5. Optimize your videos and your channel

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your Marketing videos and your video sharing site profiles:

• Write a keyword rich title
• The full URL to your website (indlude the http://) should be the first thing in the video description
• Use lots of keywords in the video description
• Use the Google XML Sitemap for Video plugin if you’re running a WordPress blog
• Keep the video short (under 2 minutes)
• Add a watermark to your video with the URL to your website
• Use captions and subtitles
• Add tags to your videos relevant to the content
• Share your video on Facebook and the other social media sites where you participate
• Share on Pinterest.com and ask your friends to pin your video and share it with their network
• Transcribe the video and include the text
• Write a descriptive title for your channel
• Include a clear, keyword rich description for the kind of videos that your channel will contain
• Use a compelling, appropriate avatar image
• Choose or have created a background image that fits in with your branding

video marketing is so easy and it is such an effective method for generating targeted traffic for your site. Try these tips today and start filling up your channel with lots of compelling videos that point right back to your website.

For more tips and strategies for making the most of video marketing, you are welcome to visit http://mcreasite.com/blog today.

Do you hear the sound of crickets chirping when you visit your blog? Are you looking to generate some activity, and engagement, attract more visitors who are interested in your blog? In order to do that you’ve got to generate some buzz using social media and all of the other Marketing channels at your disposal. In this article we’ve got five fab tips that you can use to make your blog juicier, more appealing and increase the buzz around your blog and your brand. We’re going to banish the boring and bring in activity, engagement and with any luck increase your traffic and sales.

1. Establish measurable goals for your campaign

The term, “buzz,” generally means you’ll be drumming up interest and activity around your brand and your website. You want to attract attention, let your audience know what you are up to and how getting involved will benefit them. But without setting some goals at the outset you’ll never know if you’ve achieved success or not. Take a look at your current traffic stats, the number of friends and followers you’ve got on your social media profiles, and then decide to what degree you want to grow those numbers. Aim to meet or exceed your goals.

2. Develop a content creation plan

Your content is what is going to attract the visitors and bring the desired attention and engagement that you are looking for. Whether you are going to create a free ebook, a series of videos or blog posts, take the time to create the content that your audience is craving. Make it so that they are wondering why you are offering this stuff for free. Write up some press releases and submit them to directories. Write a series of articles using your primary keywords and submit them to the top article directories. When you have created valuable content that your visitors will comment on and share with their network, this will begin to create that buzz.

3. Work your network

Contact a few of your colleagues and let them know about your campaign. Ask them to share your content with their network and maybe even send an email to their list about your campaign. It helps to already have established network or tribe that you have established a mutually beneficial working relationship with.

4. Decide which social media platforms you will focus on

Are you active on Facebook? Do you have a lot of followers on Twitter? Have you gotten started with Pinterest.com yet? Choose which social media platforms you will focus on and begin to customize your content for these platforms. Write up some status updates for your Facebook and Google+ profiles. Host a live Twitter party on Twitter, Get some images created that are related to your campaign and share them on Pinterest. Host a Hangout on Google+.

5. Execute your plan

Create a schedule for your campaign and make sure that your audience knows what is happening when. If you will be hosting a contest, make sure the deadlines are clearly communicated. Follow up on your plans and ask for help and support where you need it.

When your campaign is over, be sure to compare your analytics reports to the benchmark reports you created before you began. If you achieved your goals, then celebrate your win. If not, look at how you can improve next time. social media marketing can be a fun and effective way to attract all of the buzz and targeted traffic you will need for your blog.

For more social media marketing tips and strategies, visit http://mcreasite.com/blog today where you’ll discover how you can grow your online business using Internet Marketing techniques.