Bob's Home Business Blog

People are moved to take action in their every day lives for many different reasons and they are enticed to do so in many different ways. And Internet marketing is no different because many marketers and home business owners online use psychological triggers on a regular basis to help close the sale or to encourage prospects to join their email list.

If you’re just starting out on the web with your Internet enterprise, naturally you’ll be looking for any edge you can get to help you make some money and to get off to a fast start with your venture. So why not follow the lead of your more experienced cohorts online and use psychology to help guide you to success. Here are 4 ways you can persuade your website visitors to do what you want them to do:

1. Don’t go too far to get people to buy your product. If you go overboard by giving away too much or by trying to prove yourself you’ll run the risk of coming across as being desperate. When your prospects get this impression more often than not they’ll tune you out and eventually reject you and your offer.

Studies have revealed that we are more likely to rebuke someone who appears to be anxious or worried about not making the sale. So the best approach is to appear confident by knowing what you’re doing and being knowledgeable of your products.

2. When you’re trying to close the deal whether it’s over the phone or on your sales page always ask lots of rhetorical questions. When you ask these questions try to categorize your prospect as being an intelligent, enlightened  person who would know an excellent opportunity when they see one as opposed to the individual who would say no to the chance of a lifetime.

3. If someone is buying from your home business website via your sales page try to make the experience as personable as possible by writing sales copy that speaks to the person and not at the person. Sometimes the Internet selling process can turn off your potential customers by appearing artificial and uncaring by lacking the personal touch.

Try to establish a relationship through your sales copy by writing it as though you’re speaking to a friend over a cup of coffee. If you can accomplish this you’ll see the results reflected in your month end sales figures.

4. You should know before you approach a prospect what buttons you have to push to evoke that emotional response which usually leads to a sale. By researching your market in advance you should know what they need most of all and how far they’re willing to go to satisfy this need.

When you uncover this want you can then tailor your sales page to address it at strategic points during the process thereby triggering the emotional reaction you need.

Psychology plays an important role when dealing with people in our every day lives and it’s no different when dealing with your home business prospects online. Knowing as much as you can about your potential customers before you approach them can only increase your conversion rate because you’ll know what to say and do to increase your chances of getting them to sign on the dotted line.

Bob Withers

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No matter what you decide to do as a home based business owner online, and as an Internet marketer, you will undoubtedly encounter many different objections from your prospects regarding why they can’t purchase your product or service. From my experience there seems to be 5 that stand out as the most frequently used excuses or reasons why they won’t do business with you at this time.

Here are the 5 most frequently used explanations you’ll come across detailing why your prospects won’t buy your product and suggestions on how to overcome their excuses and convince them to purchase:

1. The number 1 reason you’ll most often hear is: “I can’t afford it.” People may say this for several reasons. They simply may not want to buy your product and are only saying this as a way out or, they mean what they’re saying and really believe at this point in time your merchandise is too expensive for their needs.

In this situation you need to prove to them the value they’re receiving for their investment. You have to show how you’re over delivering and how they’re actually getting a bargain for their money. This is where having bonuses added to your offer helps close the sale. You can also explain how they’ll have their money back in no time if they purchase your product and use it the way it should be used to improve their business.

2. The second most used excuse for not buying is: “I don’t believe your product can deliver as promised or can do what you claim it can do.” In this instance a demonstration showing the results your goods can produce may be enough to convince your prospect to buy. If this isn’t possible having satisfied customer testimonials to display on your website may avoid this challenge from the beginning.

Another way to resolve their doubts may be to provide an iron clad money back guarantee stating that if their dissatisfied in any way with their purchase and its performance they will receive a no questions asked refund upon request within the first 30 days.

3. A different approach to an objection from your potential customer may come in the form of a question asking why you’re qualified to promote and sell this product. You can avoid this doubt by outlining your experience and credentials early in the process so your prospect is comfortable from the outset in the knowledge that you’re an expert in your particular niche who is also respected online as an Internet marketer.

4. Some people wait until the last minute before asking: “What if I don’t like it after I buy it?” Once again this reservation can be circumvented from the start by outlining your no questions asked 30 day or 60 day money back guarantee in your sales letter or on your sales page. This promise places people in a certain comfort zone by giving them the feeling they have nothing to lose by buying your merchandise and giving it a try which may lead to a positive outcome via a sale.

5. Another popular reason people give to avoid investing in your home business is: “I don’t really need it at the moment.” When this rationale is raised you can explain that this is the best time to buy as the price will be going up soon because this is a special introductory offer. You can also instill a sense of urgency by explaining that supplies are limited and you may be sold out soon so they must act now.

These are 5 of the most common objections I’ve encountered in my experience as an online home business owner and in most cases these doubts can be avoided early in the sales process by addressing each one on your website before your prospect has a chance to raise them.

Bob Withers

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I think we’ve all been there at one time or another; your prospective customer won’t say yes and on the other hand they aren’t saying no. However you feel as though if there was one more positive statement you could make about your product or your business, that hasn’t already been said, they would become a paying customer. When people are on the fence it sometimes doesn’t take much to push them off in a positive direction and convince them to buy your merchandise.

When push comes to shove what can you do or say to turn your prospective clients into paying customers? Here are 7 possible solutions to this dilemma:

1. If your prospect is haggling over price tell them you will meet or beat any offer they have found anywhere and you will keep this promise in place for thirty days after purchase. If they find one of your competitor’s has a lower price up to 30 days after buying your product you will refund the difference. This may be just the thing anyone who is price conscious may want to hear before they buy.

2. Tell your prospects you will provide free delivery no matter where they live within the city limits. Because of the high price of gas this should be a very attractive proposition which may give your potential clients the nudge they need to sign on the dotted line.

3. Offer a 30 or 60 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee. Provide a promise in writing which states that no matter what the reason, if after the stated time period they decide they no longer want your product you will provide a full refund with no explanation required.

4. Tell your soon-to-be client that if they purchase today you’ll give them a 30% discount on any future purchase they make from your business. People love to save money and by giving them this coupon they may already be thinking about what else they can buy from your enterprise. This is an excellent way to up sell your current clients and to help guarantee future sales for your venture.

5. Focus on your track record of excellent customer service and your history of following up with your customers after purchase. Tell them that after they buy you will show them step-by-step how to use your product and if they have any problems day or night they can contact your customer support team at your 1-800 number.

6. If your prospect is still having a problem saying yes show them your testimonials from your satisfied customers. People like to hear about the experiences of people who have used your product or service and these testaments as to its reliability and ease of use may be just the thing you need to seal the deal.

7. Demonstrate your product for your potential client emphasizing its ease of use and focusing on the fast results it achieves. People want positive results as quickly as possible from a product that’s easy to use and doesn’t require any extensive training on how to use it.

Closing a sale may be as simple as guaranteeing your product or promising same day delivery. So when the deal is on the line keep some of these ideas in mind because one of these proposals may be just what your prospect is waiting to hear before agreeing to purchase your product.

Bob Withers

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Attracting traffic to your home based business website is the first stage of the Internet sales process. Once you have the prospective client on your home page you now have to entice them to click on your offer and read your sales copy. Hopefully your website combined with your sales script will be enough to convince your visitor to buy your product and become a customer.

You may wonder what triggers your guests to say yes and take out their wallet and pay for your merchandise. You may also ask if there’s anything else you can do to trigger this positive response from your potential customers. Here are 5 causes of these people saying yes:

1. Customer service should be the hallmark of your home based business because this is usually the first thing people will check out before becoming your customer. They may approach current clients of your enterprise to get their feedback or they may look for testimonials on your website from satisfied customers who are extolling the virtues of you and your business.

If you have a poor reputation for dealing with your patrons then this will undoubtedly elicit a negative reaction. On the other hand, an excellent track record of customer satisfaction will usually trigger the positive reaction you’re looking for and you will have a new client.

2. Always get feedback from your current customers and from your potential clients. Create a feedback form on your home page and ask your visitors what they would like to see added to your site and ask how they would improve your products or services and your home business. You could also create a questionnaire and email it to your client list asking the same questions because your customers may be interested in purchasing something which you don’t offer from your home page.

This could help improve your future sales and also make your clients feel involved in the decision making process related to your enterprise which may help increase their loyalty to you and your business.

3. Celebrity endorsements are a tremendous tool for getting your visitors to say yes to purchasing your merchandise. Obtain a testimonial from a well known person who has used your product and display it on your home page. People who visit your site and read this endorsement from a famous person will often respond by saying: “If it’s good enough for them then it’s good enough for me.” This is why these types of advertisements are still so popular today.

4. Design your website with your visitor in mind. Create a home page where your guests can have the most enjoyable visit possible. By making your site easy to navigate, by providing easy to find products and product information, by adding entertainment such as videos and or games and by adding a news ticker or even a contest where you announce a monthly winner you will increase your visitor return rate and eventually increase your sales and profits.

We all know from experience that people seldom buy on their first visit, so by creating an enjoyable experience for your guests you’re increasing the probability they will return and purchase your merchandise.

5. Make something of value to your target market available from your website free of charge. People love getting freebies and this is a great way to begin the relationship building process with your visitors. When your guests perceive the quality of the gift you’re giving away for nothing then they begin to have a feeling of trust of you and your home business.

When you continue to build upon this relationship by emailing your offers to your potential customers they now begin to feel as though they know you and as we all know people are more likely to do business with someone they know and trust rather than with a perfect stranger.

By exploiting these five sales triggers from your home business website you will soon see the results translate into an increase in positive responses and an explosion of profits for your enterprise.           

Bob Withers

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Once you’ve attracted visitors to your home business website your next task is to convince them to purchase your product or service. This can be a daunting proposition at the best of times because it usually takes several visits by your potential customers before they decide to become paying clients.

However, as webmasters we’re always looking for different and rarely used tactics to employ to persuade them to take out their wallets sooner and perhaps make that initial buying decision on their first visit rather than on their fifth. Here are 5 exceptional methods you can use to help speed up the decision making process by your website visitors:

1. Scope out the competition to discover how much products similar to yours are being sold for at other home business websites. When you know what the going rate is undercut your competitors and sell your merchandise for at least a 10% lower than their asking price. This should attract more interest in your offers and bring more traffic to your home page.

Your profits should not suffer because of the lower charge for your products because of the increase in the number of sales your bottom line should become healthier because of your price point. Your cheaper rates are also a great selling point to use in your Internet marketing strategy.

2. Treat your current customers with kid gloves and make them feel special by giving them access to areas on your website that regular visitors cannot enter. You can create a members only area or backroom which is available by invitation only. You can email your customers a password and username to gain entry as soon as they become paying clients. When people feel as though their missing out on something or aren’t privy to certain information which could help them succeed online then this can sometimes persuade them to become members by purchasing your product.

3. Offer an exclusive coaching program to your potential customers as a bonus for becoming paying clients. For example, if you’re into Internet marketing you could provide a free training session from your website each week dedicated to a different aspect of advertising online. Your first lesson could be about how to drive targeted traffic to your home business website, your second class could be on search engine optimization techniques, the third seminar could be about closing sales online and so on.

4. Create a customers only discussion board or forum where members can discuss ways to improve their websites, increase their sales techniques and develop their Internet marketing strategies. They can also ask for solutions from other members to any problems they may be having related to their Internet business. This may help push some of your potential customers off the fence and encourage them to do business with your enterprise.

5. Give your customers exclusive access to any important announcements related to new developments in the world of Internet marketing or to any information on new product releases before it’s made available to the general Internet population. People hate being left out or being ignored when it comes to new developments.

They may get the feeling other Internet marketers are getting the jump on them and have gained a certain advantage by having access to this information before they do. This may encourage them to sign on the dotted line and become a paying customer.

By using any or all of these strategies on your home business website you may shorten your visitors decision making time line by persuading them to become customers sooner rather than later.

Bob Withers 

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One of the most vital areas of your home based business website is your long form sales page. Although many Internet marketers are turning to video as a way to close their sales the sales page still remains one of the most effective techniques for sealing the deal. Although many entrepreneurs online believe that the long sales letter is a turn-off for many potential customers it remains the most successful Internet marketing technique for converting your visitors into paying customers.

However, for your sales page to accomplish a higher than average conversion rate it must contain, at the very least, these five key sections:

1. Testimonials from your satisfied customers are a must. People need proof from your clients who have used your product that it accomplishes what it says it does before they even consider purchasing your merchandise. You can provide this evidence by adding either written or video testaments from happy clients with their names included to add to the credibility of their remarks.

Some Internet marketers believe video tributes from your patrons are more effective at swaying your potential customers because you can actually see the person deliver his or her opinion about your product. On the other hand a text version of their testimonial with a picture and name included has proven to be just as successful. So whatever method you chose the important point is that you include these testaments on your sales page.

2. Along with the verbal or text evidence provided by your satisfied customers you should also include actual visual proof that your product works as claimed in your sales pitch. For example, if your home business theme is Internet marketing and your product is a software package which drives targeted traffic to your customer’s websites then you could demonstrate it’s viability by using a before and after technique.

You could have one of your client’s display their monthly traffic statistics before using your product and then show the results after having used your software for a month and also by showing the results over a more extended period of time. By employing verbal and or text references along with actually demonstrating your product in action you are reinforcing within your visitors the actual validity of your statements and thereby establishing a trusting relationship with your guests.

3. Be sure to include a bonus section on your page. People love to get stuff for nothing and by providing valuable gifts in exchange for their business your newly created clients believe they are getting a bargain or an offer they can’t refuse. The key here is to make these freebies important and relative to your current offer and to the needs of your potential customers. Bonus offers are very effective because people feel the need to do something nice for you in return for your generosity such as buying your product.

4. Money back guarantees are critical because people don’t feel the sense of loss of their money when they know they can always ask for a refund within a certain period of time. By including this pledge on your sales page you’re taking away any risk from your guests by purchasing your merchandise and squarely placing it on your own shoulders as the home business owner. This helps make the buying decision a little easier for your visitors especially if they believe they can’t afford the cash outlay at the moment. It also gives them a sense of confidence that they’ve made the right decision by buying.

5. Try to instill a sense of urgency within your potential customers. You can accomplish this in several ways such as including a limited time offer phrase in your sales text. Word your statement in such a way as to relate to them that if they don’t take advantage of your offer now they may lose out and never receive the same deal again.

You can also add a counter on your web page counting the number of items left in stock before you’re sold out. Or you can have a clock showing the time left before your offer is taken down, never to be made available again. Another tactic is to explain the price will be increasing substantially the following day so they must act now to receive the discounted pricing.

By adding all 5 five of these strategies within different sections of your sales page you’ll greatly increase the odds of boosting your sales and profits for your online home based business.           

Bob Withers

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All home based business owners online are looking for new and innovative ways to sell their products on the web. From the so called newbie’s, who are just getting their feet wet, to the more experienced seasoned professionals, they all have one thing in common; they’re all trying to find original techniques to sell their merchandise.

Some of you, who are in the latter group and have been on the Internet for quite awhile, may have used some of these tactics in the past, while others, who are seeing them for the first time, can implement their favorites and benefit from the results.

Here are five novel approaches for promoting your online home business merchandise:

1. You can Offer other Internet marketers the rights to reproduce your product. This would give them the permission to make changes and claim your merchandise as their own as well as set their own sales price. There are two different arrangements you could offer each prospect including selling these rights for a one time price or collecting royalty payments from each sale made.

2. You can create an arrangement with other home business owners online to package your product with theirs and sell them as joint effort. Under the terms of this agreement you would split the profits evenly with the other business while each party would advertise the merchandise. This can create a more profitable situation for each enterprise because people who are interested in one product only may purchase both just to get the one they want.

3. You can set up a subscription site and allow people to pay a monthly fee to access and use your merchandise. This works best for people who have been on the web for awhile, have created their own merchandise and are into selling Internet marketing or digital products which provides ease of download.

4. You can become a wholesaler by selling your merchandise to retail websites at wholesale prices. This gives you the opportunity to sell your products individually or as a package deal to these retail operations.

5. You can offer a leasing arrangement for your products with the option to purchase at the end of the time period. People who lease your merchandise and enjoy using them will buy at the end of the term and perhaps recommend them to others.

6. You can enter into joint agreements with other home business owners to promote each other’s new products. This can be a very effective sales strategy if you make this arrangement with similar but non competing enterprises on the web with the focus being to help boost your sales and increase your profits.

7. You can allow other businesses on the Internet to sell your product for a specified percentage of each sale. In return you can promote their merchandise from your home page with the same arrangement in place. Once again these must be similar but non competing ventures on the web.

Successful sales strategies are the life blood of every home based business online and generating new Internet marketing techniques on a regular basis will ensure the long term profitability of your enterprise.    

 Bob Withers

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A sense of urgency within your potential home business customers is a good thing because for most of them this will be their only visit to your website and if they don’t buy on their first trip chances are they never will. Urgency gives your visitors the uneasy feeling that if they don’t buy your product now this offer may not be available to them again and they won’t have the opportunity to purchase under the current terms and conditions.

Therefore the greater the sense of urgency you can instill in your guests the more likely they are to purchase your merchandise now rather than later. This uneasy feeling can be a tremendous antidote for procrastination which can sometimes be the number one enemy of home business owners on the web. People often decide to sleep on your offer and either they forget about it entirely or they find something they think is better and they never revisit your opportunity.

So how can we create such an intense must have it now attitude within your potential clients that they can’t resist your offer and they must buy it now rather than tomorrow or next week?

Putting a limited time on your offer will help create this urgency to buy now and there are several ways you can accomplish this. First of all you can create a limited time discount offer by setting a deadline for being able to apply your 15% saving on your purchase. For example, you can state on your website that this opportunity, at this discounted price, will disappear as of midnight tonight. A count down clock displaying the time left to take advantage of this offer in diminishing seconds and minutes format will also help turn up the pressure.

Another method you can employ is the diminishing quantities tactic. You can explain that your merchandise is only available in limited supply and to take advantage your visitors must act now while there is product still available in inventory. To increase the intensity of having to act now you can display how many of your goods you have left with the number counting down toward zero with each sale you make.

You could also use the limited time offer at the current price strategy and show how much your potential customers will save by purchasing now. If you prefer you don’t have to tell them when the price will increase only that it will happen soon; or you can use the diminishing time tactic we mentioned earlier to turn up the heat to buy now.

You can offer your home business website visitors a bonus if they take advantage of your opportunity now. Once again when using this technique you must emphasize that this bonus may not be available for long and may be gone if they put off their decision and return at a later date. The more attractive and valuable your added benefit is the more pressure there is on your guests to purchase now.

By using one or more of these tactics to help persuade your potential customers to not put off until tomorrow what they can do today you will attract paying customers to your online home business who might otherwise have been lost forever.

Bob Withers

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Sales and profits are the life blood for your home based business on the web and are crucial for any enterprise, for that matter, whether it’s online or off the Internet. However, the tactics used for driving traffic to your website are very different and, in many cases, much cheaper than some of the strategies you would use to attract customers to your corner store on Main street USA.

The Internet marketer is always trying to devise unique approaches to bring more potential customers and more interested people to their online offers. By “more interested” of course we mean targeted toward our products or services on our home page.

Here are five such stratagems which I like to believe are distinctive when compared to the more traditional methods used to boost sales and profits on the Internet today:

1. It has been my experience, both online and in the normal every day world, that people enjoy humor. We shouldn’t take things so seriously all the time. Try to inject some wit into your blogs, your articles and your website in general. For example, implement a “joke of the day” feature on your site or just relate something funny that happened in your life or to someone you know.

Your visitors will appreciate the effort and, who knows, if they enjoy your stories they may come back on a regular basis to look for more. Remember, people are more likely to do business with you if they’re in a good mood, and if they’re dower when they arrive why not make them happier before they leave.

2. Involve your visitors in the sales process. Make them feel important to the process, which of course they are, by being interested in what they think and feel. You can accomplish this by asking thought provoking questions which arouse feelings and emotions which will help motivate them to buy.

Remind them of fond memories growing up by asking about a certain product they used as a child or, if they’re older, ask about something your parents enjoyed. Warm feelings and happy memories are strong motivators no matter what the situation.

3. Make the sales process a little more personal for your visitors by drawing their friends and families into the equation. Ask what they believe their friends would think if they purchased your product? For example, if you’re selling cars you could ask, “what would your Dad think if he saw you driving down the street in this brand new Porsche?”

Would your best friend be impressed if they saw you in these $300.00 Italian leather shoes? What other people think are serious influencers in the final decision making process and you can use this to your advantage.

4. Always make a great first impression. Your home business website should always look professional and well cared for by using specialized web design, graphics and content. Emphasize customer service at every opportunity by following up after the sale, by providing discounts and bonuses and by implementing a yearly customer appreciation day to show your gratitude to your clients. A professional attitude and appearance combined with stellar customer service will go a long way toward closing many sales and increasing profits.

5. Brainstorm different ideas for creating additional income streams for your home based business. For example, if you’re business theme is providing Internet marketing products for your customers and you’re into article writing you can combine your editorials into an e-book to sell on your website. You could also sell the reprint rights to your articles and or any reports you’ve created.

As you can see there’s no shortage of techniques you can employ to help enhance your home business sales and profits. Whether they’re more traditional Internet marketing techniques or more off the wall and unique tactics the end result is what matters most. And always remember to leave’em laughin’, so here goes, courtesy of the late great Rodney Dangerfield:

I asked my old man if I could go ice-skating on the lake. He told me, “Wait til it gets warmer.”

I remember the time I was kidnapped and they sent back a piece of my finger to my father. He said he wanted more proof.

This morning when I put on my underwear I could hear the Fruit of the Loom guys laughing at me.

A girl phoned me and said, “Come on over. There’s nobody home.” I went over. Nobody was home!

A hooker once told me she had a headache.  

I was tired one night and I went to the bar to have a few drinks. The bartender asked me, “What’ll you have?” I said, “Surprise me.” He showed me a naked picture of my wife.

Bob Withers

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After creating your home business website and deciding which products you’re going to sell your attention should now be directed toward developing your Internet marketing strategy to increase your sales. Once you have your advertising strategy in place you should always be brain storming for new techniques and tricks to help boost sales when they seem to have leveled off. Here are five tactics you can employ to help jump start your product sales:

1. Ask influential Internet marketers to beta test your product in exchange for a free copy. These entrepreneurs could then provide testimonials outlining the benefits of your merchandise by highlighting all the problems it can solve for your consumers.

This approach has a double barrel effect in that you not only get a great referral to post on your home business page but you also have a high profile name associated with your product which can only increase your sales and give added credibility to your business in general.

2. Offer your product at discount prices which undercut similar merchandise prices on the Internet market. Even if this initial sales point only covers your cost of production you will have new customers to up sell more expensive merchandise to so you can make your money on the back end of the process. This is also a great way to move products which have become stagnant and aren’t selling well at the time.

3. Make sure you include lots of free items and bonuses for purchasing your product. Add up the value of this merchandise as it’s presented on your sales page so the potential customer can see the added value associated with their initial investment.

This is a great influencer because people believe they’ve gotten a real bargain and come out of the process feeling good about their purchase. This positive feeling may also influence future buying decisions by your current customers.

4. Always approach the sale as if your potential client is going to say yes. Always be positive and upbeat in your ad copy and try to avoid words like “if” and “suppose”. Influence the consumer by saying “when you purchase you’re going to experience profits like you’ve never seen before.” People will begin to envision these final outcomes and see themselves as the recipient of all of these benefits.

5. Make a free trial version of your product available to your potential customers. Give it to them for free for 30 days as a trial period and when they see that it really does what you claim it can do then sell them on the final version. This is also a great way to request testimonials and product endorsements from your free trial recipients. You could offer a 10% discount on their purchase for their words of approval to post on your home business website.

By using some or all of these tried and true sales techniques your customer base, your email list and your home business profits should increase exponentially thereby firmly establishing you as a force to be reckoned with online.   

Bob Withers

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