If your online business model is centered around selling products or services online, chances are that you’re going to receive customer service and support requests. Good customer service and online technical support can convince customers to stay with an online business, or to keep coming back. At the same time, bad customer service or online tech support for an online business can cost the business customers and money.
There are a few things to consider or ask yourself before choosing customer service and tech support options for your online business:
1. Do you plan to offer all customer service and / or technical support yourself?
2. What kind of customer service and tech support would you like to make available to customers (email, live chat, phone support, etc.)? What is the competition offering? Is there an industry support standard for the type of online business that you run?
3. Would you like to be able to offer support 24/7, or only during normal business hours?
4. Do you want to provide automated customer service help in some way to cut down on manual requests? Do you plan to provide self-help resources online for common tech support issues or customer service questions? Continue Reading →
How to Accept Payments with PayPal
13 June 20072 responsesHasan
Whether you’re selling a product or service online or running a content-based website and want to be able to accept donations, learning how to accept payments online with PayPal, a popular online payment processing provider, is a good idea.
There are several reasons to accept payments online with PayPal:
1. Startup and regular fees are low for the merchant (you). There are no monthly fees, setup fees, or cancellation fees to use PayPal's basic options, and fees are taken directly out of incoming payments. The only monthly fee is for users of the Website Payments Pro package (when comparing the three most common PayPal payment solutions for merchants).
2. Accepting payments online with PayPal allows you to accept payments not only from a visitor’s PayPal account, but also through credit cards and e-checks, without needed to set up a separate merchant account to process credit cards.
3. Users don’t have to be a member of PayPal to be able to make a payment online with PayPal through their credit card.
4. PayPal can be very easy to set up on your website, and offers PayPal buttons for single items, or a PayPal shopping cart option.
5. PayPal offers secure online payment processing. Continue Reading →
There are several reasons to accept payments online with PayPal:
1. Startup and regular fees are low for the merchant (you). There are no monthly fees, setup fees, or cancellation fees to use PayPal's basic options, and fees are taken directly out of incoming payments. The only monthly fee is for users of the Website Payments Pro package (when comparing the three most common PayPal payment solutions for merchants).
2. Accepting payments online with PayPal allows you to accept payments not only from a visitor’s PayPal account, but also through credit cards and e-checks, without needed to set up a separate merchant account to process credit cards.
3. Users don’t have to be a member of PayPal to be able to make a payment online with PayPal through their credit card.
4. PayPal can be very easy to set up on your website, and offers PayPal buttons for single items, or a PayPal shopping cart option.
5. PayPal offers secure online payment processing. Continue Reading →
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How to Design a Website for Your Online Business
13 June 2007no responsesHasan
Whether you choose to design a website from scratch or use a free Web template to design a website for your online business, there are many things to consider and ask yourself from the start:
1. Is an e-commerce solution / shopping cart needed on your website?
2. Does it need to allow enough room to easily display articles?
3. Do you need to plan for on-site advertising space in the website design?
4. Does the website design need to be interactive for site visitors?
5. Do you want to run your website through a content management system (CMS)?
6. Does the website need to include an audio or video player?
7. Would your target market appreciate a flashy design, or something simple? Continue Reading →
1. Is an e-commerce solution / shopping cart needed on your website?
2. Does it need to allow enough room to easily display articles?
3. Do you need to plan for on-site advertising space in the website design?
4. Does the website design need to be interactive for site visitors?
5. Do you want to run your website through a content management system (CMS)?
6. Does the website need to include an audio or video player?
7. Would your target market appreciate a flashy design, or something simple? Continue Reading →
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How Web Content and Web Copy Can Help You Make More Money
13 June 2007no responsesHasan
Every website has Web copy, Web content, or both. That Web copy and content can help you to earn money on its own, or can help you earn more money than you’re currently making online. First, it’s important to understand the difference between Web content and Web copy.
Web content – Web content by its nature either informs or entertains. Web content consists of most articles on a website. Other forms of content include photos, videos, and audio files. Web content often is what an online business uses to attract visitors to the site, even if indirectly.
Web copy – Web copy generally refers to text on a website that is either trying to get a response out of the reader or visitor, or that works to forward the company’s message in some way. Copy may encourage readers to buy something, to sign up for something (such as an email newsletter), or even to click on a specific link on your website. Copy also includes things such as a company / site slogan, and internal / company pages on a website (about us, contact, media kit contents, etc.), which goes towards portraying an image that you want to convey to visitors. Continue Reading →
Web content – Web content by its nature either informs or entertains. Web content consists of most articles on a website. Other forms of content include photos, videos, and audio files. Web content often is what an online business uses to attract visitors to the site, even if indirectly.
Web copy – Web copy generally refers to text on a website that is either trying to get a response out of the reader or visitor, or that works to forward the company’s message in some way. Copy may encourage readers to buy something, to sign up for something (such as an email newsletter), or even to click on a specific link on your website. Copy also includes things such as a company / site slogan, and internal / company pages on a website (about us, contact, media kit contents, etc.), which goes towards portraying an image that you want to convey to visitors. Continue Reading →
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Online Market Research
13 June 2007no responsesHasan
When starting an online business, it’s essential to conduct market research prior to a website’s launch. The Web offers many opportunities for conducting inexpensive or free online market research, which you can do independently. Online market research makes competitive analysis and marketing plan development a cost-effective reality for online business owners. Market research is important for several reasons:
1. To determine an actual need for the products, services, or information you plan to provide through your online business.
2. To determine whether the market is already saturated with too much competition in the niche.
3. To determine the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors as compared to your own online business.
4. To gain a better understanding of your target market, their needs, and how to effectively market to them.
5. To discover potential problems or flaws with your website, products, or services of prior to a public release. Continue Reading →
1. To determine an actual need for the products, services, or information you plan to provide through your online business.
2. To determine whether the market is already saturated with too much competition in the niche.
3. To determine the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors as compared to your own online business.
4. To gain a better understanding of your target market, their needs, and how to effectively market to them.
5. To discover potential problems or flaws with your website, products, or services of prior to a public release. Continue Reading →
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Writing an Internet Business Plan
13 June 2007no responsesHasan
Writing an Internet business plan for a website or online business is very similar to how to write a business plan for a traditional small business. An Internet business plan should include all basic business plan elements, and the primary differences between an Internet business plan and a traditional business plan will be in the details. Here are the primary components of an Internet business plan:
1. Executive Summary – Just like with traditional business plans, Internet business plans need an executive summary. The executive summary is usually the first section of an Internet business plan, although it should be the last section written. An executive summary simply serves as an overview or summary of everything else in the Internet business plan, and would include a very general company description, the company / site mission, and a summary of projected financials.
2. Website / Business Summary – The business summary or website summary of an Internet business plan will offer the reader a glimpse of who company is and what they do. It should describe the website or online business in detail, as well as some general information about the market or niche (for example, if running a niche social networking website, it should explain social networking). Answer the basic questions here of who?, what?, when?, where?, and why? – mention who owns or manages the website or online business, what the site is about or trying to offer, when the site was launched, where the site is located, and why the site or online business was launched in the first place. When updating an Internet business plan beyond the startup phase, this is also the section of the business plan which should contain past results and developments of the website or online business. Continue Reading →
1. Executive Summary – Just like with traditional business plans, Internet business plans need an executive summary. The executive summary is usually the first section of an Internet business plan, although it should be the last section written. An executive summary simply serves as an overview or summary of everything else in the Internet business plan, and would include a very general company description, the company / site mission, and a summary of projected financials.
2. Website / Business Summary – The business summary or website summary of an Internet business plan will offer the reader a glimpse of who company is and what they do. It should describe the website or online business in detail, as well as some general information about the market or niche (for example, if running a niche social networking website, it should explain social networking). Answer the basic questions here of who?, what?, when?, where?, and why? – mention who owns or manages the website or online business, what the site is about or trying to offer, when the site was launched, where the site is located, and why the site or online business was launched in the first place. When updating an Internet business plan beyond the startup phase, this is also the section of the business plan which should contain past results and developments of the website or online business. Continue Reading →
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Tips For Better Email List Retention
11 June 2007no responsesHasan
With several countries’ anti-spam laws requiring that email list subscribers be given the option to unsubscribe from each message, email list retention is just as important as email list building. Email marketing lists can shrink just as quickly, if not more quickly, than they can grow under an opt-in model. There are several things email marketers can do to improve their email list retention, and avoid having readers unsubscribe. Here are a few tips for better email list retention:
1. Don’t spam subscribers. Be sure to avoid violating anti-spam laws, by keeping email titles clear and honest, and always providing the unsubscribe option. The less there is to hide, the less likely subscribers are going to rush to leave.
2. Offer constant value. If everything sent to subscribers is a commercial message trying to sell or promote something, it will turn off a lot of readers, risking that they’ll unsubscribe. Provide articles, research, or other valuable information only available in newsletters to give subscribers a reason to keep reading, and looking forward to, those messages. Continue Reading →
1. Don’t spam subscribers. Be sure to avoid violating anti-spam laws, by keeping email titles clear and honest, and always providing the unsubscribe option. The less there is to hide, the less likely subscribers are going to rush to leave.
2. Offer constant value. If everything sent to subscribers is a commercial message trying to sell or promote something, it will turn off a lot of readers, risking that they’ll unsubscribe. Provide articles, research, or other valuable information only available in newsletters to give subscribers a reason to keep reading, and looking forward to, those messages. Continue Reading →
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Offline Tactics For Email List Building
11 June 2007no responsesHasan
Email marketing may be a form of Internet marketing, but that doesn’t mean an email list can only be build online. There are many offline tactics for email list building, especially for offline businesses wanting to improve their email marketing efforts. Here are ten ways to help build an opt-in email marketing list offline:
1. Offline businesses can place a book or simple sheet of paper near their checkout area for buyers to add their name and email address for updates, news, or special offers. Bands and other entertainers often do this too, when selling their CDs or merchandise.
2. A line for an optional email address and simple check box to confirm email list subscriptions can be added to customer satisfaction surveys.
3. Postcards for easy email list subscriptions can be included in other direct mail campaigns to customers or a company’s target market.
4. Add a newsletter subscription option to bill or invoice tear-offs that are sent back to the company with payment.
5. Add a newsletter subscription notice to any letters or correspondence sent to customers, clients, or others in the industry. Continue Reading →
1. Offline businesses can place a book or simple sheet of paper near their checkout area for buyers to add their name and email address for updates, news, or special offers. Bands and other entertainers often do this too, when selling their CDs or merchandise.
2. A line for an optional email address and simple check box to confirm email list subscriptions can be added to customer satisfaction surveys.
3. Postcards for easy email list subscriptions can be included in other direct mail campaigns to customers or a company’s target market.
4. Add a newsletter subscription option to bill or invoice tear-offs that are sent back to the company with payment.
5. Add a newsletter subscription notice to any letters or correspondence sent to customers, clients, or others in the industry. Continue Reading →
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Email Marketing Lists and the Can-Spam Act
11 June 2007no responsesHasan
The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 was the first federal legislation passed in the US regarding email marketing. Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the CAN-SPAM act applies to commercial email messages with minimal exceptions, and mandates heavy fines for violations. The CAN-SPAM Act directly affects email list building options, with the following rules and limitations:
1. Email addresses for mailing lists cannot be harvested from websites.
2. The person or company running the email marketing campaign is legally liable if they hire a contractor who harvests email addresses on their behalf, even if they don’t personally participate in list building efforts.
3. Members of an email marketing list must have the option to opt-out of future mailings, or essentially remove themselves from the email marketing list.
4. Email marketers can’t simply say “I didn’t know,” if they purchase or rent a cheap email list, or join “safe lists,” that later prove to be a list of non-opt-in subscribers. Email marketers have the responsibility to know who they’re buying from, and understand standard rates of legal email lists to avoid “too good to be true” deals that are often illegal email collections. Continue Reading →
1. Email addresses for mailing lists cannot be harvested from websites.
2. The person or company running the email marketing campaign is legally liable if they hire a contractor who harvests email addresses on their behalf, even if they don’t personally participate in list building efforts.
3. Members of an email marketing list must have the option to opt-out of future mailings, or essentially remove themselves from the email marketing list.
4. Email marketers can’t simply say “I didn’t know,” if they purchase or rent a cheap email list, or join “safe lists,” that later prove to be a list of non-opt-in subscribers. Email marketers have the responsibility to know who they’re buying from, and understand standard rates of legal email lists to avoid “too good to be true” deals that are often illegal email collections. Continue Reading →
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Benefits of An Opt-In Email Marketing List
11 June 2007one responseHasan
Using opt-in email marketing lists isn’t only the law in many countries, but it also offers several benefits to email marketers. Here are some of the benefits of using an opt-in email list in your email marketing efforts:
Improved Conversions / Response Rates – When readers of commercial email messages have independently signed up for an email list, they generally have a direct interest in the subject matter or offers. That makes it more likely that those subscribers will convert to buyers, will convert to ad clicks, or will respond to email campaigns needing a reader response (such as surveys).
Targeted Readers – Those improved conversions and response rates are a direct result of the fact that opt-in email lists allow marketers to reach a highly targeted market or reader base, including readers with an interest in the niche or industry all the way to a list so targeted that it only includes past customers or clients. Continue Reading →
Improved Conversions / Response Rates – When readers of commercial email messages have independently signed up for an email list, they generally have a direct interest in the subject matter or offers. That makes it more likely that those subscribers will convert to buyers, will convert to ad clicks, or will respond to email campaigns needing a reader response (such as surveys).
Targeted Readers – Those improved conversions and response rates are a direct result of the fact that opt-in email lists allow marketers to reach a highly targeted market or reader base, including readers with an interest in the niche or industry all the way to a list so targeted that it only includes past customers or clients. Continue Reading →
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