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Your Site Logs Can Help You Make A Ton Of Money

Im a busy guy. I own several traditional brick and mortar businesses, and I spend a lot of time online. Since last month Ive been spending a lot of time working on this blog and re-orienting myself on the Net.

So every morning I let my four dogs out, grab a cup of coffee and toast a bagel, then run upstairs and get on my computer. Some days I need to be out of the house at 9:00 AM to get somewhere, and some days I have nothing but time. Either way there are three things I do every morning after looking over my emails. First I go and post an article to five different article sites. This ensures that a steady stream of new one-way links to this website is being produced.

Then I go to my RSS reader and poke around for a while on the forums and blogs to see what is going on. I keep a notebook next to my computer and write down anything that I think I can use later. Then I get to the most interesting and important part of the morning I go to my awstats page.

Awstats is a basic site log analysis program that comes with most host accounts. Ive always wondered how accurate the hit counts and other numbers really are, but that doesnt matter because Im not looking for countsIm looking for trends.

Reviewing and understanding your site traffic logs can help you make more money by tailoring your site to meet the needs of your visitors.

The first place I stop is my average page counts by day of week. Ive noticed on AffiliateBlog that the traffic starts off strong on Monday, builds through Wednesday, then starts to trail off. Theres a small spike Saturday morning, but its a classic bell curve otherwise. What does this mean? It means that if I have something that I think is going to be well received I try to publish it on Sunday and get my pinging done for Monday. Ive also noticed that my RSS Feed subscribership follows the same pattern. This all makes sense, because people start off the week strong and end it tired including me.

I breeze by the countries and note the flags because I think its cool. Next I stop at the section that shows the robots visiting the site. I make sure all of them have been there recently (especially Google), and I make a note if it looks like something is not right. I recently realized that one of the minor robots had never visited, so I went to the site and submitted a listing. If youre curious about all the robots out there, go to Robotstxt.com and take a look. Make sure the major robots on the list have visited your site in the last month. If not, you need to get them there. Ive noticed that MSN, Yahoo and Google (in that order) visit my site the most. You need regular robot visits to ensure your latest content is indexed and available to prospective visitors.

Now we get to the fun part the list of the most-viewed pages. This tells you which content people are most interested in, and which content isnt really making the grade. The most popular post on AffiliateBlog has been The Ten Top Paying Programs at Commission Junction This Week. Oddly enough, a similar post about Shareasale is much farther down the list, meaning that people want to hear about top paying programs, but they want to hear about Commission Junction as well. I always watch for posts that climb up the line fast, and I always take note of them to brainstorm another entry that my visitors might like.

I get some search engine traffic but not much, so I glance at the keywords. Judging by some of the keywords that appear there, this section isnt very accurate.

Still there? Okaylisten up. Heres where you can really multiply your traffic, find some compatriots to work with and get some terrific insights into the minds of your visitors. Move down to the section that shows the external web sites that people are coming from. Understandthis is where your visitors saw something about you and clicked on it.

Go through this entire list. I look for blog sites, web sites, social bookmarking sites (like del.icio.us) and forums that have not appeared before or have moved up fast. I click on the link and see where it leads. Then I see the context in which my website appears.

Just as I do for people who trackback my blog (refer to it in their blog), I follow each link, get an email address and send off a quick email to the person thanking them for taking the time to mention my site. Nothing fancy just a quick thanks is fine.

The responses I get back are terrific. I would say that a large majority of them (80% probably) are responded to with amazement that I would take the time to acknowledge their actions. But why wouldnt I? If someone takes the time to recommend you the least you can do is acknowledge that recommendation and be grateful for it.

I love the site list because I find out some really interesting things. For example, my trackback to Googles blog when they bought Writely was actually listed on the Google blog page and brought me some traffic. And I was on the front page of del.icio.us for a little whilelong enough to get some hits that way too. Its really interesting, and its really fun to go through. SighI am a dork.

One last observationI noticed that the people bookmarking my page hovers between 7 – 10%, which isnt bad. My RSS feed list at Feedburner hovers at about the same range throughout the month, meaning that more people bookmark the site than sign up for RSS feeds. Ive pondered this all month, and Ive decided that a large majority of my visitors dont use RSS regularly. Thats why the new crimson box at the top of my blog pages has appeared today. I put together an email version of my RSS feed in digest form that Im going to make available weekly.

So theres a ton of information out there in that log file you just need to go over it carefully and think.

Your Site Logs Can Help You Make A Ton Of Money

Im a busy guy. I own several traditional brick and mortar businesses, and I spend a lot of time online. Since last month Ive been spending a lot of time working on this blog and re-orienting myself on the Net.

So every morning I let my four dogs out, grab a cup of coffee and toast a bagel, then run upstairs and get on my computer. Some days I need to be out of the house at 9:00 AM to get somewhere, and some days I have nothing but time. Either way there are three things I do every morning after looking over my emails. First I go and post an article to five different article sites. This ensures that a steady stream of new one-way links to this website is being produced.

Then I go to my RSS reader and poke around for a while on the forums and blogs to see what is going on. I keep a notebook next to my computer and write down anything that I think I can use later. Then I get to the most interesting and important part of the morning I go to my awstats page.

Awstats is a basic site log analysis program that comes with most host accounts. Ive always wondered how accurate the hit counts and other numbers really are, but that doesnt matter because Im not looking for countsIm looking for trends.

Reviewing and understanding your site traffic logs can help you make more money by tailoring your site to meet the needs of your visitors.

The first place I stop is my average page counts by day of week. Ive noticed on AffiliateBlog that the traffic starts off strong on Monday, builds through Wednesday, then starts to trail off. Theres a small spike Saturday morning, but its a classic bell curve otherwise. What does this mean? It means that if I have something that I think is going to be well received I try to publish it on Sunday and get my pinging done for Monday. Ive also noticed that my RSS Feed subscribership follows the same pattern. This all makes sense, because people start off the week strong and end it tired including me.

I breeze by the countries and note the flags because I think its cool. Next I stop at the section that shows the robots visiting the site. I make sure all of them have been there recently (especially Google), and I make a note if it looks like something is not right. I recently realized that one of the minor robots had never visited, so I went to the site and submitted a listing. If youre curious about all the robots out there, go to Robotstxt.com and take a look. Make sure the major robots on the list have visited your site in the last month. If not, you need to get them there. Ive noticed that MSN, Yahoo and Google (in that order) visit my site the most. You need regular robot visits to ensure your latest content is indexed and available to prospective visitors.

Now we get to the fun part the list of the most-viewed pages. This tells you which content people are most interested in, and which content isnt really making the grade. The most popular post on AffiliateBlog has been The Ten Top Paying Programs at Commission Junction This Week. Oddly enough, a similar post about Shareasale is much farther down the list, meaning that people want to hear about top paying programs, but they want to hear about Commission Junction as well. I always watch for posts that climb up the line fast, and I always take note of them to brainstorm another entry that my visitors might like.

I get some search engine traffic but not much, so I glance at the keywords. Judging by some of the keywords that appear there, this section isnt very accurate.

Still there? Okaylisten up. Heres where you can really multiply your traffic, find some compatriots to work with and get some terrific insights into the minds of your visitors. Move down to the section that shows the external web sites that people are coming from. Understandthis is where your visitors saw something about you and clicked on it.

Go through this entire list. I look for blog sites, web sites, social bookmarking sites (like del.icio.us) and forums that have not appeared before or have moved up fast. I click on the link and see where it leads. Then I see the context in which my website appears.

Just as I do for people who trackback my blog (refer to it in their blog), I follow each link, get an email address and send off a quick email to the person thanking them for taking the time to mention my site. Nothing fancy just a quick thanks is fine.

The responses I get back are terrific. I would say that a large majority of them (80% probably) are responded to with amazement that I would take the time to acknowledge their actions. But why wouldnt I? If someone takes the time to recommend you the least you can do is acknowledge that recommendation and be grateful for it.

I love the site list because I find out some really interesting things. For example, my trackback to Googles blog when they bought Writely was actually listed on the Google blog page and brought me some traffic. And I was on the front page of del.icio.us for a little whilelong enough to get some hits that way too. Its really interesting, and its really fun to go through. SighI am a dork.

One last observationI noticed that the people bookmarking my page hovers between 7 – 10%, which isnt bad. My RSS feed list at Feedburner hovers at about the same range throughout the month, meaning that more people bookmark the site than sign up for RSS feeds. Ive pondered this all month, and Ive decided that a large majority of my visitors dont use RSS regularly. Thats why the new crimson box at the top of my blog pages has appeared today. I put together an email version of my RSS feed in digest form that Im going to make available weekly.

So theres a ton of information out there in that log file you just need to go over it carefully and think.

Is It Still Possible To Make Money On The Internet?

Many people are saying that the Internet is dead. So is there still money to be made on the Internet?

The answer is a definite YES.

Research shows, time and again, that consumers want to spend more online, and that the internet is fast becoming an integral part of their lifestyle and it’ll continue to be so. Internet consumers are cautious and they want Sites that are credible and worth shopping before they part with their money.

The traditional brick-and-mortar rules of business still apply to internet business. It’s prudent to remember that the internet is not your business goal; it’s a medium in helping you achieve your business goals.

Adhere to my following Rules and you’ll be on your way to building a viable, sustainable and successful internet business.

1. Develop a viable business plan

The biggest reason why so many dotcoms failed is an inadequate business plan of how and when they will achieve profitability. To have a successful and sustainable internet business, developing a viable business plan from the outset is crucial.

Your plan must have a clear and sincere vision that has meaning to you and your business. Your main focus should be to “plan to profit within a set period of time” and this would require you to allow time for thoughtful researching, planning, execution and testing. You’ll need to test out your business model first and ensure that it’s viable and sustainable.

Don’t make the same mistakes that many dotcoms made — trying to build a global brand before their business model even worked as it’ll lead you into receivership faster.

Regardless of how fanciful and good your website is, if your aim is not to make profit, you’ll go out of business.

2. Model someone successful

It’s always wise to learn from the mistakes of other people rather than to learn from your own mistakes as this can sometimes be very costly and painful.

Track and learn from benchmarked success stories, be they your competitors or otherwise. Why would you want to spend time re-inventing the wheel when you can learn from those who have already been there and done it successfully. Learn how they design their website, create products, write salescopy, their sales process, etc.

3. Focus on a niche market

Don’t be everything to everybody by trying to dominate a huge and general market because you just simply can’t do it effectively.

Focus your internet business on a targetable portion of the market or a narrowly defined group of potential customers. Address the need for a product or service that’s not being addressed by mainstream providers. The advantage of this is that it’s less competitive in such a market as large businesses won’t want to be in it.

For this to be effective, the market niche that you’re targeting must be fast moving, its customers accessible and there mustn’t already be a dominant player in that particular market niche.

The key here is to find a niche market, assess the needs of the market and then offer them your products and/or services that meet their needs.

4. Differentiate your business

To capture a larger market share and be viable, sustainable and profitable, you’ll need to differentiate or distinguish your business from your competitors; make your business special in the eyes of your customers and/or prospects.

You can do this by creating what is called an Unique Selling Propostion or USP and then effectively convey that USP to your target market via your marketing efforts and business performance.

This is particularly crucial if you’re operating in a highly competitive market.

A USP is the one thing or idea that sets your business favourably apart from your competitors. Think about these questions: “What’s the one thing that makes your business unique and distinct? Why should people buy from you and not from your competitors? Do you promise great value, benefit or service?”

Your USP is the focal point around which the success and profitability of your business is built and so you must be able to state it and fulfill it honourably and effectively.

5. Spent your funds wisely

Costs is one of the major determinants of your internet business’ survivability. You’ll need to carefully track and control your costs from the outset and make sure you can start to show a profit soon, as unmindful spending with no thought given to incoming resources will bleed you to death.

Credible websites not only require money to set up but also to maintain; advertisements cost money. Driving traffic to your website where you lose money on sales made is suicidal. Do your sums; consistently refer back to your vision to ascertain whether an expense is warranted or meaningful.

6. Superior customer service

In addition to a viable business plan, a superior customer service will be key to your success.

Superior customer service must be a high priority in your action plan. Build a trusting and long lasting relationship with your customers and prospects, send your staff for customer service training, fulfill your orders promptly, and constantly remind yourself the reason of your very existence.

This is crucial as it costs five times more to win a new customer than it costs to keep an existing customer. Moreover, a dissatisfied customer will tell, on average, five or six people about your bad service. The point I’m driving at here is that looking after your customers saves money and boosts profits.

Learn and apply what I teach you, do it right, and you’ll rise above your competition and blow them out of the water in no time.

If you are just starting your home-based business you will need to answer some very important questions to get yourself started in the right direction.

Question#1: What type of products will I market?
Questions #2: Who will I market to?
Question #3: How much money will I need to start my home-based business?
Question #4: What type of return on investment will my online business generate?
Question#5: Who are the EXPERTS in the world of online marketing?

Do your due diligence regarding the many options available in the world of home based businesses and making money online. You want your home based business to be as successful as possible so I suggest choosing to market a product you really are passionate about. Do you like sports?, Travel?, Money?, Cars?, Boats?

Working from home and making money online will allow you to market your products to the entire world. Think about the reach you will have, its incredible! Time zones, age, education level, hours of operation; the internet does not discriminate when it comes to making money online.

The start-up costs of your new home-based business will include initial product purchase, online advertising and marketing budgets, Web site hosting fees, telephone bills, software, hardware, educational materials, office products, Domain name, merchant account fees, etc. The good news is having a home based business affords you many tax benefits so get with your accountant regarding these perks!

Making money online requires just as much work as traditional brick and mortar businesses. Research the return on your investment when choosing what products you will market in your new home based business. Choosing a product that nets you $10 per sale vs. a product that nets you $1000 per sale makes a big difference in your online marketing success.

Once you determine the industry and products you will market study the successful home-based online marketing masters. No need to reinvent the wheel follow the lead of these gurus making money from home.

I am a home based business owner and am available for consulting with you as you are getting your new business up and running.
Check out my websites and feel free to contact me.

Good luck in your new home-based business!

Everyone dreams of getting rich quickly and easily online. Unfortunately the truth is making money fast online is easy but only after you gain the knowledge and pay your dues.

You must be willing and disciplined to pay the price. Only those who consistently work to gain and apply the knowledge will achieve their financial goals online.

Online businesses are one of the fastest growing markets in the financial world. Making money online has many advantages over traditional brick and mortar establishments.

Businesses on the internet have very low start-up costs, little overhead, and are virtually always open and can provide automated streams of income. You do not even need to have any of your own products. Physical products are not required to create a fortune either. Digital products provide the highest profit margin imaginable for any online business. Usually employees are not required as well.

In contrast, traditional brick and mortar businesses do require employees, real estate costs, utility bills, insurance, among others and can only be open for business a limited number of hours.

But why do so many people fail to make money fast online? There are two major reasons.

First, many people who are looking to make money fast online are not willing to work. The truth is you cannot instantly amass a fortune overnight by magic or by flipping a switch. Yes, work is required to make money fast on the internet. Greed and laziness are two common characteristics many naturally own. Simultaneously these two characteristics are the most commonly exploited and preyed upon by shady individuals to profit from themselves.

Second, those who are willing to work, lack the knowledge of how to drive large amounts of traffic to their websites at a low cost. Failing to market properly to potential buyers often times breaks the bank, making it impossible for someone just starting out to make money fast on the internet.

Then how are so many people amassing fortunes quickly online?

Online fortunes are produced by those who simply gain the knowledge, then apply that knowledge, and are willing to apply it over a relative number of months rather than a few fleeting days. Making money fast and effortlessly online does not happen instantly. But it does happen fast every time knowledge is exercised.

Fast can be defined when understood within a contrasting timeline. For example, in order to become rich working for someone else in the corporate world, years and decades are a requisite to climb the financial ladder of success. Now compare the corporate world timeline to the online world. The ladder of financial success on the Internet is realistically weeks or months as long as real knowledge is gained and continuously applied.

The fastest way to gain the knowledge is to personally hire a mentor or coach as a systematic guide. However this student and teacher relationship can be expensive. A mentor will require substantial payment upfront in return for their time to properly teach a student. For example, a university or college expects students to pay their tuition in full before the semester begins.

Also, there is nothing in place to hold the mentor accountable to ensure your success. Once that mentor has been paid there is no guarantee you will be successful. As well, if you fail to graduate from a university, a refund will not be provided.

The alternative to hiring a personal mentor is to simply find a successful product or service where the supplier will financially benefit from your success. Selling a product where the profit is split between the student and the teacher holds both sides accountable. The teacher will be motivated to make sure the student is successful selling their product or service. Each time a sale is made, profit is divided among both sides in a previously agreed upon cut.

The bottom line is the more money made within a team, the more money divided among all members of that successful team. The secret of the very wealthy in any business field is leveraging the efforts of teamwork to produce the highest and fastest amount of money for all partners.

Now, you just need to find the right money-making relationship where both sides are held accountable to fast financial success. When you do find the right relationship, you will then be able to earn money as you learn the knowledge. As you continue to apply the knowledge, more money will be earned and you can then leverage more to make more and thus a relatively fast fortune is acquired.