Have YOU been sucked in by a scam? Here's how to tell

By Derek Gehl

Whenever you come across a possible business opportunity, simply consult this handy checklist. It'll help you discover if it is a real opportunity -- or a real waste of money.

Scam Warning #1: The company can't prove a successful track record

If you've never heard of the company before -- and they can't offer solid proof they've got a successful track record -- then how can you trust them to help YOU make money? Be skeptical. Ask questions. If they say they're a successful company, ask for proof!

Scam Warning #2: You can't talk to a company representative in person

Before you make a significant investment in a business opportunity, give the vendors a call. Talk to them in person. Ask them hard questions.If they don't make it easy for you to them in person, then don't do business with them!

Scam Warning #3: Former customers have lousy things to say about the product

A little bit of research goes a long way. Try typing "the name of the program + scam" or "the name of the program + customer review" into Google and see what results you get. If the majority of the results are from former customers saying the product is a scam or a waste of money, then whatever you do, don't make the same mistake THEY did!

Scam Warning #4: Thousands of other people are selling the EXACT same thing

If your "business in a box" package includes a product for you to sell, do a search on the name of the product in Google and go through the results. How many people are selling the exact same product? Say hello to your competition!
(And how many of them are using the exact same website the company is trying to get YOU to buy?) If a lot of people are selling that product -- and you can't see any way to offer a unique selling proposition that makes your offer stand out from the crowd -- then quite frankly, you're going to find it extremely difficult to make any money at all.

Scam Warning #5: They can't show you legitimate testimonials -- from recent customers

If you are making a significant investment in a business opportunity, the company you are purchasing from should be willing to put you in contact with other successful customers. We get this request all of the time, and have numerous successful customers who are happy to give us a personal reference at a moment's notice.

(If you'd like to take a look at how we use those testimonials on our salesletters, please visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/915253.)

Look for testimonials that names, photographs, and URLs, if possible. The more information that proves the testimonial giver is a real person, the better.

If the testimonial has a URL, go to that person's website and check it out. Does it look like the website of someone who's making good money? Look for the contact info on the site and then email that person to ask him or her directly about the product you're thinking about buying.

If the person says yes, it really is a good deal, and is still experiencing good results with that product, then chances are it's the real deal.

However, be on the watch for DATED testimonials. If people were able to make money using this package two years ago -- but the profits have long since dried up -- then the product's not going to do you much good now, is it?

Scam Warning #6: The company is charging YOU money to sell THEIR products

Ask yourself this: If a company is making a product that millions of people are going to want to buy, why wouldn't they simply sell it themselves -- instead of making other people pay for the opportunity to sell it for them?

The truth is, companies like this KNOW their "affiliates" aren't going to generate any sales. That's why they need to get your money up front!

Take it from someone who has been running a highly successful affiliate program for years. If someone wants to become an IMC affiliate and sell my products for me, I'd never make them pay. Why should they? They're doing me a favor!

Scam Warning #7: The company makes outrageous income claims, without backing them up with proof

If a company says their product will have you earning tens of thousands of dollars within a matter of weeks, BE SKEPTICAL. There is no magic bullet on the Internet that can promise a five-figure income in 30 days or less.

The truth is, building a profitable business takes TIME. Sure, you can have a profitable business in less than a month... but you'll probably have to wait a few more months before the money really starts pouring in.

So whenever you see outrageous income claims, ask yourself -- where's the proof?

Look for testimonials that back up these claims. If someone claims to have made incredible money from using this system, track them down via their URL and ask them if it's really true.

And be sure to listen to your "inner radar" to determine whether the person is genuine or not.

Above all, do your research and ask lots of questions. If you follow these guidelines, chances are you will make the right decisions and pursue the right opportunities.

When it comes to online success, there is no magic pill. If you want to start a real business on the Internet you need to be prepared to put in the time and effort to build it.

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How to reduce "purchase anxiety" and persuade your visitors to buy

By Andrew Mallory

You know that moment when you're thinking about buying something... but you're just not sure if you should pull out your wallet -- or run away fast?

That's what we call "purchase anxiety." Most people feel it at some point or other, especially when they're buying a "big-ticket" item.

... OR when they're buying something sight unseen over the Internet.

Online shoppers tend to suffer from "buyer anxiety" more than offline shoppers. It only makes sense... when you buy something over the Internet, often it's for a product you've never even seen before -- from a person you've never seen before!

The good news is, by adding some very simple elements to your site you can easily reassure your visitors you're a reputable business offering a quality product -- and get them to click on that "order" button!

Here's what you need to do...

1. Add testimonials to your site

Nothing reassures visitors more than testimonials from real people who can vouch for the quality of your product. And yet so few business sites actually HAVE testimonials!

Why? The answer is easy...

The number one reason why people don't have testimonials on their site is because they don't ASK for them! They feel too awkward or shy to ask people to say nice things about their product or service.

However, just like with all forms of feedback, you've got to go out of your way and ask for it.

The thing is, most people are more than happy to provide you with detailed feedback on what they like about your product. But if you don't ask, you'll never receive.

When you use a testimonial, try to include as much information about the testimonial provider as possible. If you can include their first name, last name, city, and state along with their testimonial, great! If you can put in a picture as well, even better.

If they have a website, you could even include the URL, so people can go to the website and confirm that yes, they ARE in fact a real person.

However, disclosing this much personal information about your testimonial providers isn't necessary for every industry.

For example, if your business helps people dealing with alcoholism, eating disorders, or other problems that have a social stigma associated with them, then your testimonial providers aren't going to want to offer that much information about themselves. In that case, a first name and initial is probably good enough. Stick with the conventions that are normal within your industry.

WARNING: Never ever write a testimonial yourself! It's FRAUD, and you can get seriously nailed for it. People aren't that stupid... they will be able to smell your deceit from a mile away, and it will end up destroying your credibility.

2. Be specific!

When talking about statistics or results, always be as specific as possible! It makes your copy seem more credible.

(This goes for your testimonials as well as the regular content on your site.)

For example, if you sell a weight loss product, don't say that it helped one client lose "more than 100 pounds." Say that it helped her lose 107 pounds.

The more accurate you are, the more realistic your claims will be.

3. Citing a statistic? Include your source!

If you include statistics or other forms of industry information to back up the claims in your copy, be sure to cite your SOURCE of that information.

For example, if you sell natural fiber carpets, and you recently read an article in the American Journal of Public Health stating that childhood asthma is seriously aggravated by the presence of indoor pollutants, then include that infomation on your site -- and cite the American Journal of Public Health as the source of that information.

When you cite a reputable source of information, you borrow their credibility. And that makes your OWN credibility that much more believable.

4. Include your contact information

Imagine going to a site and finding a product you want to buy... but you have a few questions you want to ask about it first.

But when you look for some way to get in touch with the business owner to get answers to your questions, all you can find is an email -- and nothing else!

Nothing screams "Shady!" more than a lack of contact information. Be sure to include your full name, street address, phone number, AND email address -- and then link to that information from every single page on your site.

You might even want to invest in a 1-800 number. By showing you're willing to pay for people to call you to get answers to their questions, you prove that you're willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy their concerns and make the buying decision easy for them.

5. Let your customers know who you are

People want to buy from someONE, not someTHING. So help them get to know you.

Tell them about yourself, in a personal or honest way. (Don't worry -- you don't need to tell your whole life story!)

Your visitors want to know something about you that relates to your problem and industry. How long have you been in this business? What made you get into it? Why do you enjoy it?

Also be sure to include a photo of yourself on your "About Us" page -- as well as a photo of your employers, or the office where you work. The effort you put into making yourself seem more real to your visitors will definitely pay off.

6. Include certification from reputable organizations

If you belong to any professional or business organizations, include prominent mention of it on your "About Us" page.

(For example: the Better Business Bureau, or any state, national or international organizations that have recognition in your industry.)

Just make sure you don't feature only local organizations... the Internet is a global medium, and if you want to sell to international visitors, you have to come across like an international business.

7. Include proof that you value and protect their privacy

One of the biggest reasons for online purchase anxiety is the fear of handing over personal information -- such as credit card information -- to a virtual stranger.

Make sure you include a privacy policy on your site, reassuring people that you will NEVER share their personal information with anyone!

On top of that, you need to process ALL purchases through a secure server, so that no other computers are ever able to access any of your purchase information.

However, these days many website owners are going even further and including "security seals" on their site, reassuring visitors that they have done everything possible to protect their site from hackers.

Some of the more popular security seals are Verisign, TrustE, and Hacker Safe.

The one we personally recommend is Hacker Safe. It's the security seal we use on our own sites, because according to studies done by ScanAlert, sites with the Hacker Safe seal tend to see an average 14% increase in their conversion rates.

And we're not the only ones who like Hacker Safe -- more than 80,000 sites use it, including over 60% of the Internet Retailer Top 500.

If you'd like to learn more about Hacker Safe, please click here to continue.

... So there's my list of the things you should add to your site in order to reduce your visitor's purchase anxiety and get them to buy your product. If you don't already have these elements on your site, do your best to add them as quickly as you can.

You WILL see an increase in your conversions -- and your profits!

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Building a successful online business is never an impossible feat for common people like you and me now. With the prevail of internet and its fast spreading of internet marketing fever around the globe, many successful online business entrepreneurs have evolved.

In the past when internet is still in its infancy, being an online entrepreneur is tough as the marketing tools and resources are not readily available on the internet. But now, time has changed. Researching for a successful online business opportunity is just a breeze compared to decades ago. You can make use of ebay to sell your products and the current web2.0 technology such as blog, social networking sites and video posting site become the latest marketing platform to promote your product online.

An Even better and mind-blowing secret which I am about to reveal to you. You can choose to sell any products online even without using PPC, Ezine Ads, Search Engine Optimization, forum marketing or any advertising or marketing strategies. Simply to say, you can forgo learning all these marketing strategies and you do not have to set up your website to make money on the net. So, what the **** is this Successful Online Business Opportunity which only requires you to know how to surf the internet, send and receive email?

I am not surprised that many people would think that it is crazy to start a profitable and successful online business without any experience and technical knowledge on internet marketing. I find it absurd initially but it is true that there is a very powerful but not 'magic pill' formula that is absolutely risk free for anyone - no matter age, sex, education, skill or background. Let me tell you.. You will be amazed at how simple it is to siphon off money from the internet, straight into your own pocket in no time flat...even if you don’t have an ounce of business experience. Click here to find out more!

Top Goal Setting Formula

Setting Goals are critical to your success in any endeavour. These top goal setting formula will ensure that you stay focused on your path to success in building your internet business or in general, can be applied to any venture. These are the pointers I have learnt over the years and it also serves as a good procrastination buster.

Many people set goals but never get to fulfill them. Some are due to inactivity by the goal setters and their goals will always remain part of their dream. Some who worked towards their goal gave up in the end due to procrastination set in or burn out too quickly before they see results. It is important that when a goal is set, you ought to hold yourself accountable to it.

These top goal setting formula that I am about to reveal when apply guaranteed success in any endeavour. Before revealing the formula, let me share the rules for goal setting that are equally important. Firstly, your goal must be measurable. That means you must state how much you must achieve in a given dateline. For example, you may want to increase the number of visitors to your website by 1000 next month. Secondly, your goal must be achievable but challenging. Lastly, it must be visible. This is necessary as it makes you more accountable to your goals. Be it writing down or pasting them in obvious places or tell people about your goals, make it visible.

Finally, these steps when you stick through it, though simple, guarantees success in your internet business venture. The first formula to set top goal is to set a big audacious goal. Dream Big and set a lofty big goal with a time frame of 5 years. The second formula is to set your top 5 annual goals. The top 5 things you want to achieve each year which eventually culminate to your big lofty goal in 5 years time. Setting annual goals is insufficient. The timeline is too long and most of the time, procrastination kicks in.

That kicks in third formula which requires you to break your yearly goals into quarterly goals. Set your top 5 quarterly goals. With that quarterly goals, set your top 5 monthly goals. It is not finished yet. Now with your monthly goals, set your top 5 weekly goals. What I am sharing with you is a no brainer regime which works like wonder if you stick to the regime. Here, I am breaking a lofty huge goal into smaller milestones which motivates you along the way and helps kicking away procrastination. Hold yourself accountable, use time as effective as possible and you can turn a no brainer regime into a top goal setting formula.

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Over the years, you would have noticed that many people have become very dependent on the internet. In the past, research was a chore for many. But now, information can be easily retrieved with just a few clicks. Internet has inadvertently become an inexhaustible huge collection of resources for eveybody.

I am sure the first place to search for an answer to your problem will be the internet which is a very common platform for many people. With many performing searches for their answers, Ebooks have become very popular with particular on 'how to' topic. You see ebook products popping upon most of the online sales page. You must be wondering what it takes to create an ebook.

You have to acquire an expert status on a particular topic before writing an ebook on it. Here, rising to an expert status does not need years or decades. It just requires you to know more in detail than other people. Being an expert is not difficult. If you find time to read 5 books on a topic, I guarantee you to know more on that topic than 95% of the world population.

Creating an ebook of your own to sell on the internet is not difficult at all. Writing an ebook on a topic definitely makes you an expert to people who buy from you. Of course, the content and information details in your ebook must be of good substance and truth. Only write on a topic which you are confident of.

To find a topic which you are good at and confident in sharing your knowledge with, look within yourself. Ask yourself what your interest is or something which you have gone through that can inspire others or any of your successful or valuable experience which you can share with. All these can be detailed down in the form of an ebook, making it a sellable product on the internet.

Writing an ebook requires ample preparation in terms of research for a topic. Having a topic ofyour interest is not sufficient. To sell your product, you will need to know the value of your ebook to the market. If your ebook does not cater or appeal to your market, your effort will just go down the drain. If you have carried out sufficient research on what the market is looking for, you will stand a much higher chance of creating a highly sellable ebook.

My take in writing an ebook is to provide solutions to what the wide market is looking for. You have to research in the topic which is in strong demand by the market. For instance, your research shows that many people are looking for ways to lose 5 pounds in a month or less. If your forte is in fitness, then you are in for a profitable business if you can come up with an ebook detailing how to lose that extra pounds in a quick and easy way. If the topic in demand is not of your interest, then you will have to keep on looking for a topic which you are confident of. If not, you can also develop yourself as an expert by reading up 5 books of
similar topic.