How do you market on the Internet?
DD: I use a variety of methods,
primarily e-mail marketing, to pre-qualify leads.
This has proven to be by far the most effective
type of marketing.
CF: There are many sources that
I use. I buy my leads from ProStep, Leaders Club,
and ProfitLeads. I also do double opt-in e-mails,
ad swaps, and e-zines. Without traffic or leads,
your business doesn’t exist.
MG: I do not market on the Internet.
I use something called word-of-mouth and person-to-person
contact. This is by far the most powerful advertising
tool on the planet.
FK: I primarily use opt-in e-mail
marketing to generate traffic to my Websites.
These visitors either buy, join my e-zine, or
leave without taking action. I use direct-response
copywriting to influence people to become customers.
If they join my e-zine, I use autoresponders to
follow up with them and establish a relationship,
so they'll eventually become customers. If they
leave without taking action, I use pop-up windows
to make additional offers, usually for a free
item in exchange for an e-mail address and permission
to keep in touch. I also use joint ventures to
create profitable alliances with other companies
and marketers.
MR: We contact a client first via
the Internet. Then we send a follow-up e-mail
note with our firm’s Website link (instead
of a brochure).
JZ: Affiliate marketing and my own
database.
Do you recommend using a toll-free number
in advertising?
DD: I think this issue has good
arguments for and against it. I fall in the "for"
side and recommend using a toll-free number for
both contacting me directly or via voicemail and
to provide voice-on-demand information to prospects.
I love voice-on-demand, because I can get a lot
of information to the prospect, which helps qualify
them. This saves me time explaining the same things
to each caller.
CF: No, I only want serious people
calling me. If a person is not willing to spend
a few cents to make calls, they are not serious
at all.
MG: A toll-free number in advertising
would be useful if it was for the selling of a
product, but as far as the business is concerned,
encouraging someone to call for free would probably
not work. When pursuing your own business, you
must realize that you must spend some money.
FK: This depends. If I were selling
a high-ticket item, and the customer needed to
have personal contact by telephone in order to
feel comfortable, then yes. You could also use
it to let people hear pre-recorded information
and then ask for a response. This really depends
on your business. I personally don't use one.
JZ: Yes. It will increase your ad
response by a small percentage.
What are some of the advantages
to working at home? What are some of the disadvantages?
DD: I’m a family man. Being
home to send the kids off to school and then greet
them as they walk through the door every day means
everything to me. The other side of the coin is
with six kids all coming in from school at 3 p.m.
every day, it’s often a challenge to stay
on task.
CF: The advantages are working at
your own pace and being your own boss. There are
only a few disadvantages, such as staying home
all the time. This can become quit lonely, but
it’s worth it.
MG: Advantages: not having to drive
to work, saving time on the road, and not dealing
with the wear and tear on your vehicle. Also,
downtime between customers and distributors can
be spent doing things you enjoy, getting some
sun, watching a movie, mowing the lawn, or spending
time with your family. The downside: having so
much fun that you forget about work. This is how
most work-from-home businesses fail. You must
develop the discipline to work when you need to
work and identify needed downtime. When you’re
not used to working from home, you must identify
the skills you need to keep your business functioning.
Always ask, "Would my employer allow me to
do this?" If the answer is no, you shouldn't
do it.
FK: The advantages are that you
don't have to get up early and commute to an office,
you can work in your bathrobe, and you can be
with your family more. The main disadvantage is
that it's easy to become totally obsessed with
what you're doing and, therefore, end up working
all the time.
MR: Many people feel that a major
disadvantage is that it’s more difficult
to set aside time for personal activities while
working at home. I don’t have this problem.
I see many more advantages, such as lower expenses
(no office rent), a flexible lifestyle, and home-office
business write-offs and other tax advantages.
JZ: Being able to be totally relaxed
and see my wife and family whenever I want. No
one is looking over my shoulder. There's no office
rent to pay. There are no disadvantages, unless
you don’t have the discipline to go to work
and stay at work as needed.
