Net Slingers: Reality TV – Secrets of the Internet Millionaire

Thanks, Kristie T., for posting this!

You, too, can be a reality star. Auditions are being held soon so follow the link to review the Reality TV opportunity.

If chosen, you’ll work with Internet Millionaires to build an online business in 90 days. Cash and prizes are worth $500,000 plus, if you win, you have a highly profitable business.

Okay, now for the downside. You have to pay for your room and board during auditions which are held in Orlando, FL. Make sure you have enough money for atleast a week. If chosen, iSpeed Productions pays for room and board after that. Also, be prepared to spend 5 months away from your family and in a different country (Toronto, Canada). Make sure you have a current passport!

View YouTube audition videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_etk_N_ErR4

To sign up, go to the netslingers site:

http://www.netslingers.tv/

The Road To Success

Found this inspirational poem at Leadership Generation, a fantastic blog written by Jim Morris that encourages and mentors the next generation of leaders.

The road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called Failure,
a loop called Confusion,
speed bumps called Friends,
red lights called Enemies,
caution lights called Family.
You will have flats called Jobs.
But,if you have a spare called Determination,
an engine called Perseverance,
insurance called Faith,
a driver called Jesus,
you will make it to a place called Success.

Bad Design IS Bad Business

I really hate badly designed websites. I mean, the point is to put your best face forward on the Web and you totally undermine yourself when you use bad design.

It’s like a businesswoman at a really important meeting. How many people would take her seriously if she came in frazzled, with her hair in a rat’s nest, torn “wear around the house only” clothes, and papers falling out of her backpack (not a briefcase because she couldn’t find it in the mess that is her house)? Not me, that’s for sure!

So, why would you do the technological equivalent to your website?

Before you design your website (or purchase a template to base your site on) keep the following in mind:

1. Two click maximum – this means that your customer can access all information within your site within two clicks of the mouse. Keep the site structure simple.
2. Use white space – surround your text with white space (negative space) so that the eye is drawn to the text. Many WAHM’s make the mistake of stuffing their pages with information, pictures, and ads without giving thought to the white space that can be used effectively to draw their customers eyes to the point of the page.
3. Keep the background simple – don’t, under any circumstance, use a repeating background behind text. I don’t care how cute the image is. Your customer will not be able to read the text. It’s distracting and it looks unprofessional.
4. Accessibility – design your site so that everyone, including those with disabilities, can access and use your site. Use alt tags, minimize the tables, use text that makes sense for text links (don’t use Click Here, in other words), etc. For more information on building accessible websites, visit WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
5. Don’t make your customer scroll – This is my biggest pet peeve when visiting badly designed sites: scrolling for what seems like forever down a page to find the information that I want. If I have to scroll for more than two seconds, I leave the site never to return. If you have that much information to say, break it down into several pages rather than keeping it in one long page. Your customers will thank you.
6. Excessive advertising – I realize that many WAHM’s use ad placement as a way to make money from their websites. This is great! I’m all for making money! But give me a break! Some sites are more about advertising than the topics that the site is supposed to be about! Of course, if the site is about advertising, this isn’t such a big deal. And, really, if I have to scroll a long time to get to the bottom of the page I’m not going to see the buttons and banners anyway. So, what’s the point?

I hope that these tips can alleviate some of the bad design out there. I love to visit WAHM sites to get some great ideas for my own stuff, the bad and the good!

If you have a site that you’d like me to take a gander at, please leave a comment! Or, even better, if you have a fantastic example of good (or bad) design, definitely leave a comment so that we can all learn!

Experiencing E-Learning

Experiencing E-Learning

6 Powerful Copywriting Tips

Copywriting is the one skill which all online business owners should learn.  As an online marketer you communicate through words – if those words aren’t effectively conveying your message, then you’re in for a long and bumpy ride.  

Here are a few copywriting tips to help you get started: 

1. Know your Target Market

Good copywriters know exactly who they’re writing for before starting.  They speak directly to ONE person and keep that same person in mind at all times.  If you try to reach too many people with your copy you’ll end up missing your target altogether and not reaching anyone at all.  Before starting, know exactly who you’re writing your copy for and stick to it.

2. Headlines that Intrigue

Use clear headlines throughout your copy to guide the reader.  Your main headline should be in bold and large letters to grab the reader’s attention.  It is often the headline which can either make or break your copy.  Use a benefit-focused headline, which explains in powerful detail how you can help solve the customer’s problem.  Then use sub-headlines throughout the copy to keep the reader intrigued so they will keep reading.

3. Don’t use Big Words

Online writing is different to the writing you did in English class.  Throw out the text book and forget all those rules your teacher taught you.  Online writing is casual and needs to convey emotion and a clear purpose.  You need to speak to the person as though you’re sitting down with them and chatting over a coffee… stay away from big words and long adjectives or risk boring (and losing) your prospects!

4. Be Persuasive

If you love your product that’s great but it’s also a bit biased.  Your customers want to hear from other unbiased people who have used your product.  Include customer testimonials but not just any testimonial will do, the more information you can include the better.

Try to include the person’s full name, city, state, website URL and if possible a picture of that person.  The more information your testimonial includes the more persuasive and believable.

5. It’s not all about you!

In fact, it’s not about you at all.  Effective copywriting is concerned with the needs of the customer.  The writer doesn’t really matter… Of course, you may need to add a little personal information about yourself in order to gain trust and to explain why your customer should trust you, but even in this case it’s all about what you can do for them.

Go through your copy, does it contain a lot of “I’s” then it’s time for a serious re-write. Go back and change most of those “I’s” to “You’s”. Your writing should always be about the customer.

6. Don’t forget the call

The call to action that is.  You must guide your visitors and tell them what you expect them to do.  If you want them to click over and purchase your weight loss product, say so. Say so in a clear way which promotes all the benefits of your products: “Click here to learn how you can lose those last 10 pounds and keep it off for good”.  Be precise in your wording and always include a clear call to action.