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Article Surfing ArchiveWhat Do You Know That I Don't Know? - Articles SurfingWouldn't it be ideal to have your own home business? Or better yet, your own internet business? Work at home, be with your family and schedule your time however you want. It's a popular dream, but it's often just that, a dream. Well my friends, you can turn that dream into reality. Did you know that according to marketingvox.com, online retail spending totaled $81.6 billion for all of 2005, up 24 percent from $65.8 billion in 2004. The figures are not in for 2006 but undoubtedly they've gone up. Before you say you don't have a product to sell, keep reading. When most people think about an online business, they think they must have their own product or service to sell, when in actuality, there are thousands making a pretty great living online who do not have products at all. They are in the business of affiliate marketing. Here's how it works. Affiliate marketing is about offering information on a topic or a product that fills a need or a desire, and offering merchant products or services that complement it. Sales that you make from your website for merchant products that you promote earns you a commission. So how can affiliate marketing work for you? Think for a minute about a hobby or expertise you have. If it's truly a hobby or something you are familiar with then I'll bet you know a thing or two about it. If you've been doing it for years, then you've gained experience and knowledge that probably millions of people would love to hear about. Perhaps you don't have a lot of knowledge on a topic, but you are passionate about it. In that case, I'll bet you're willing to learn more. Why not take that knowledge or expertise and let it earn an income for you? How is it done? First of all, you must understand what people come to the internet for, and it isn't to buy things. They come to the internet for information. Think about that, if you want to buy a lounge chair, will you go the internet? Most likely not, however, if you want information about lounge chair features or the best lounge chair to buy , you're likely to check out the web first. Having a successful web business is about offering information to an information starved society, but it doesn't stop there. If you have a web site that offers such information you are laying the ground work for convincing a viewer to buy a product that you have or that you endorse through affiliate sales, but first you must present your case. The mistake that many online business owners make is building a website, loading it up with products and expecting people to buy. If you're not Amazon.com, Dell computer or Overstock.com, you're not likely to make a sale. Why? Because, unless you are a household brand name, your viewers are not familiar with you like they are with Amazon, Dell or Overstock. Therefore, you are first going to have to win your viewers trust and confidence. There's a tried and true formula presented by one of the internet's foremost online marketers, Dr. Ken Envoy. Ken has spent several years cultivating an online sales formula that works. However, it not only works, it has made many a successful business owner of the online business community. Ken's concepts include creating a content website, bringing traffic to your site, pre-selling your products and finally monetizing your visitors for income. His concepts are most associated with affiliate marketing, however they are a firm foundation for any online marketing strategy. It's important to remember that your visitors must trust you and they don't want to feel they are being sold to. This is done by knowing your topic, your products and offering as much useful information about them as possible. If you can find interested, targeted viewers, offer them information they can use and then complement that information with useful products that fill a need, you are in business. So what's your hobby? What's your Passion? Where do your interests and experiences lie? Unless you've been under a rock all your life, you have something to offer. Why not turn that knowledge into revenue for you. Whether you have a product or you possess the knowledge, build a site about what you know and offer your products or affiliate products that complement it. Here's just a few ideas that could get you started in our own online business: Affiliate Sales What's your expertise? Publish what you know and love... then monetize it. Build a knowledge site with a blend of affiliate programs along with Google AdSense ads and earn several nice paychecks a month. Create an E-Book Do you like to write? Take your expertise and write an e-book. Ebook software makes it so simple. Build your website around your ebook. Service Businesses Do you have a service to offer? Offer a service related to your expertise. For example, if you like to write, offer a copywriting service or show someone how to write for success. Create Needed E-Software Are you a programmer? Create a niche-filling software program. If you are not a programmer, hire one. Are You a Photographer? Create a site with collections of e-photos, the e-photo sales market is booming! Digitize it and sell it. Hard Goods Creators/Sellers Are you a small business or a craftsman that creates/manufactures/retails your own hard goods You can create your own store. Either use your own products or find a wholesale dropshipper. Referrers/Finders Get paid a referrer or finder's fee by an offline business for finding a customer or a "lead". There are lots of programs that pay website owners who send them leads. Auction Sellers Use Ebay as a supplemental source of income to auction a product that relates to your theme. Especially useful for local businesses or vendors that sell hard goods, and even for service-sellers. And obviously, for those who want to start an online auction business. Local Offline Businesses If you own an offline business, a Web site is a must. Use it to grow your business locally and, in many cases, to extend your market globally. Putting your hobby or your expertise to work for you is an excellent way to create a side business, a full time home business or simply create a few extra well deserved paychecks each month.
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