It’s human nature to want things to be perfect before we introduce them to the world. The thought of creating a site that isn’t as good as it can be makes most of us feel like we’re failing. But in reality, your customers will never notice. They don’t know what your ultimate vision is, so they don’t know what hasn’t been done yet. Instead of obsessing over the details, aim for progress over perfection. Keep your business moving forward and as you go you’ll learn, change and grow.

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Although you may be on a tight budget, you have to be realistic about where your strengths lie. Are you a great software developer but can’t write a sales letter? Are you an expert at graphics but don’t know how to use them to build a web page? Be honest about what you’re good at and outsource or let someone else take care of the rest. Although it may cost you a little bit of money, in the end it will save you a lot of time. And when it comes to online business, the faster you can get things done the better. After all, a half finished project is not earning you anything!

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The people around you have a huge influence on your business. If they are supportive, dedicated individuals who are willing to help you work toward your business goals, you will be significantly more likely to succeed. That’s why you may frequently hear seasoned online marketers suggest that you find mentors. Mentors can help you get through the rough spots, keep you encouraged and open up business opportunities.

Remember, anyone who is not helping your success is hindering it. So cut off contact with those people early on to avoid the distraction they bring.

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When it comes to defining your target market, the more specific you are the better. One of the biggest mistakes is trying to please everyone. In the end it’s an impossible task – and all you end up doing is not truly pleasing anyone. So choose a very targeted audience and work on offering them EXACTLY what they want. You can always branch out later to other customers with similar interests.

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In the world of internet marketing, we are often taught to monetize our sites through various avenues such as banner ads and text links. Placement is critical to obtaining a high click through rate (CTR) from these sources. Below are some pointers for placement of banner ads and text links that will improve the chances of visitors clicking on your ads.

Banner Ads

• Place dynamic banner ads, i.e. banners with movement, “above the fold” or near the top of your page.

• For web pages, banners in the left column generally do better (have a good CTR) than banners in the right column.

• Use the rectangle (468 x 60) banner at the top of your page, but under the navigation or immediately under the title for best results.

• Insert rectangle banners immediately after content (i.e., the bottom of a story).

Text Links

• Make sure text links are relevant to your topic.

• Use relevant words as the anchor text of your text links.

• For reviews or stories, include three text links to the merchant to maximize the CTR: one toward the beginning of the content, a link in the body, and a link towards the very end of the content.

• Note: Text links placed in the navigation bar may also improve CTR.

These tips are a guide to the placement of links and banners on your site to increase your CTR. The success of these guidelines will vary from site to site and, as with everything about your site, you should continually test and compare in order to improve.

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You never get a second chance to make a first impression. So why not position yourself to make a positive and lasting first impression on your site visitors. This can be done by using one of the most powerful, but often overlooked and poorly utilized tools: the bio or “about me” page.

Effective bios are ideal for various networking and marketing purposes such as your website, blog, social bookmarking and social networking profiles, or article submission bio boxes. You should treat your bio as a short advertisement for you and your business. It is not a resume and should not contain your entire life’s history. Resume-type bios do nothing more than drive visitors away. And in an age where Content is King, you want visitors to “stick” to your site rather than click away, never to return.

A well-written bio can convey to your potential clients and visitors that you are fun, creative and entertaining. Don’t think of what you want to tell, but, think of what reaction you want, and how best to present your bio to accomplish that response. Equally important, differentiate youself from others and tell a story that is relevant to your target market. Your bio should be memorable, with a layout that is inviting and copy that captures the reader’s attention and compels them to read more. Readers want to know:

• who you are,

• your expertise,

• how it addresses their problem or goal, and

• how they can contact you.

Below are some sample sentence starters adapted from Barbara Sundquist to help you write your bio.

______________ (your name) is a _________ (identify expertise) who helps _________ (your target clients) to ___________ (a problem or goal your target clients have). Prior to establishing her/his business, _______(your name) spent _______ years as a ________________ (your relevant experience). ________ (your name) offers a wide range of programs and services – from ___________, to __________ and __________ (your services).

________ (your name) specializes in (identify expertise) ______ (target clients) to ___________ (problem target clients want to solve, or goal they want to achieve).

 

After a successful career __________ (what you’ve been successful in), _______ (your name) now (identify business).

_________ (your name) is no stranger to ________ (the industry or problem you help to solve). She/he spent ___ years as a ________ (occupation: e.g. mother of three, professional dancer, corporate executive). Her/his book ________ (book title) was published in ____ (publication year) and has since helped _______ (number: hundreds? thousands?) of people to _______ (problem book solved for them, or what it taught them). To contact _______ (your name) please email ______ or go to _______ (your website)

Now that you are armed with the tools to write a highly effective bio, remember the following key points:

1. Be conversational. Write your bio as if you were talking to a close friend or business colleague.
2. Stack the facts up front. Convey what you have done, how you did it and how you can help.
3. Don’t ramble on about passions and purpose. Your bio needs to sell you, not your philosophy. Stick to your most impressive facts.
4. Convey a sense of personality in your bio so that your audience gets a sense of who you are and respond to that. Get people interested in you because they feel something about you.
5. Be creative. Some of the best bios have been written in the form of a poem.
6. For article submissions, limit your bio to three or four sentences.
7. For profiles and about me pages, limit your bio to three or four paragraphs. Make sure you keep the paragraphs to no more than three to four sentences. Short paragraphs increase the likelihood of people reading your entire bio.

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