Creating your own website for a business can be a great way in earning extra income. However, it is not enough to just put something online. You will need to learn the right methods in internet marketing. You can start learning by reading the suggestions in this article that will point you in the right direction.

It might be common sense, but your website must be friendly for users. Imagine visiting a website where the navigation is so poorly organized that you cannot even find the contact information. Perhaps you have seen websites that are so overloaded with graphics and videos that they took forever to load. To encourage your visitors to stay on your website, you must design your website in a way that is visually pleasing and with clear navigation. Your visitors should not need to click more than three times to get to any piece of information that they are searching for.

Social networking is becoming a popular way for businesses to promote their website. Services like Facebook and Twitter give you a direct line of communication to your customers. If you have a special product or service promotion that you would like your target market to understand, you can announce that on your social networking pages where your customers can instantly see the promotion. Social networking is also a great way for your customers to give you direct feedback, which is valuable information for you.

In order for your website to show up in search results when people are looking for the products or services in your industry, you need to optimize your website. Techniques in search engine optimization, or SEO, are something that you must learn and use to give your website high visibility. If you do not use any SEO tactics, your website will be lost between the millions of other websites on the internet. Learn how to properly code your website using tactical keywords and meta tag descriptions, which are just a couple of techniques in SEO that you must apply to your website. Read all that you can on this subject, or consult with a SEO specialist.

You should have a way to keep track of your website visitors. Information about how visitors land on your website, what geographic regions they are from, and what pages they like to visit can help you make decisions about how to improve the effectiveness of your website. There are many services that you can use which can give you website visit information. Choose one that will give you the most comprehensive visit data available.

Reach out to your customers by sending out informative newsletters periodically. People welcome useful information and advice. If you can provide a newsletter that contains information that will help your customers in some way, they will value that service. Frequently, they will even forward your useful newsletter to their friends, thus helping you gain exposure. By sending out helpful newsletters, your reputation as a reliable resource will grow, which will drive more business to you.

In this article, we would like to talk about guest blogging which is becoming more and more popular as a way to bring in additional traffic to your website. Guest blogging has some things in common with article marketing and other forms of content syndication, but there are some important differences that we would like to point out.

Why you should definitely consider guest blogging for traffic generation

Let’s face it. When you build your brand-new website, it doesn’t have a lot of trust with Google and the other search engines. Although it can eventually get some really good rankings in the search engines and bring in lots of traffic and revenue, it’s going to be more difficult in the beginning. This is especially true if you’re working in a competitive niche where other affiliate marketers are trying to rank for the same keyword phrases in Google.

Guest blogging can work as a shortcut to bring you traffic and sales much more quickly than you may have thought possible. Instead of waiting for your own website to get more traffic from the search engines, you can take advantage of popular blogs and other websites that will accept your high quality original content.

Now, we’re not saying that you should abandon your search engine optimization efforts. We’re simply saying that submitting articles to other websites as a guest writer will help to bring in additional traffic to your website. In fact, guest blogging is also a great way to get inbound links from high quality websites, and this in turn will help your own websites to rank better over time, so you’re really killing two birds with one stone.

In our introduction, we explained that this process was similar to submitting articles to directories. The main difference, however, is that you are going directly to high quality websites in your niche and offering them unique content. Article directories accept a lot more content from many different writers and are less selective. Article marketing is still valuable, but you will get a lot more benefit if you put your original articles directly on a popular blog or other website within your niche.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really an easy way to find all of the websites that would be interested in your content. You simply have to search in Google by entering your keyword phrase along with terms like “guest writer” or “guest blogger” or “submit content”. You could also build a large list of websites that rank at the top of Google for a variety of keyword phrases in your industry. You would then simply contact them with a professional e-mail message and offer them high quality, original articles in exchange for a link back to your website.

This isn’t the fastest way to get links to your website, and you shouldn’t rely on it exclusively. Still, it can be a very powerful method for getting both direct traffic and inbound links to your website over the long-term.

It is not easy to build a network marketing business. The majority of people who venture into network marketing fail; only a small percentage of about 3% succeed. That is a very small percentage. What does that mean for you? That means that the successful 3% of network marketers are in a class all by themselves. They are looking at what the masses are doing and then they are venturing in the total opposite direction. They are innovators who stand out from the crowd. They are doing things that far exceed what most are willing to do. They are eating, sleeping and breathing their network marketing businesses. You will not get very far if you are just average.

Today, the economy is in turmoil and millions upon millions of people are struggling, out of work, and trying to figure out how to provide for their families. People are moving in droves in the direction of network marketing as the means to solve their daily problems; unfortunately network marketing is not a get rich quick type of business. You are no longer trading time for dollars. You are now putting in the time and the dollars. Network marketing is an investment in your future. You are going to have to roll up your sleeves and be prepared to give up some blood, some sweat and some tears. It is not about barreling through company after company until you hit the “JACKPOT”, the company that is going to make you rich beyond your years. Network marketing is nothing like the state lottery where you can get lucky by selecting the right combination of numbers and “BOOM” in an instant you are a millionaire. First off, the odds of winning the lottery are quite low. Secondly, there is no “jackpot” company out there. No matter what business you are in, if you do not put in the WORK you will not win.

So, how do you win in network marketing? Hard work! And then more hard work! Successful marketers will tell you that realistically it took them anywhere from six months to several years to earn real money. If you listen to the highly successful MLM icons you will hear about all the bumps and bruises that were sustained as they traveled that long and rough road to MLM success. It is a process that takes time. Like a beautiful piece of pottery, you have to take shape and mold your business. I see so many “desperate” marketers out there in internet-land on a daily basis, and yes I said DESPERATE! I get so many business opportunities shoved at me daily. Don’t get me wrong I am always open to new ways to earn income from home. But I come across rudeness and inconsideration; my Facebook wall gets spammed daily. That is not a successful business formula. It is important to study the basics of marketing. It is important to learn proper marketing and internet etiquette. And it is very important to take the time to study how the 3% of success stories came to be. These people want to zoom right past that long and rough road and fast-track right to Network Marketing Utopia. It cannot be done!

Network marketing is about building personable relationships with people. It is that fundamental, foundational “building” step that failing marketers like to ignore. I can understand the frustration and desperation of trying to replace income that may have been lost when a job was taken away. Believe me I know what it is like to be out of work with kids to feed. But trying to quickly cash in under the guise of a home-based business does not work! You must adopt the mindset of a marketer whose goal is to help as many people as possible, not a marketer whose goal is to make as much money as possible. When your focus is solely on making money and nothing else you lose. That is how you end up on the fast-track to being a 97 %er.

I know you have heard it over and over again but let me reiterate, “As a network marketer you will not be successful if you do not put in the work”….PERIOD! There is no fast-track, no magic potion, no sneaky tactic that you can pull to expedite this process. In order to be successful in network marketing you have to NETWORK! You need to build a large stream of meaningful contacts.
WHY?

Because your meaningful contacts (or leads) are the life blood of your business. They will become your distributors, customers, and dependable sources for referrals. YOU NEED THEM!

And yes it is a process. In order to build a strong team you must have leads. For every hundred people you make contact with, you may connect and build a “meaningful relationship with 5-10. That means that you are going to have to get out there and gather a ton of leads using several different methods. There really is no rhyme or reason to this industry and while I hate it when people say that network marketing is a numbers game…in a way it is. That does not mean you spam as many people as you can on a daily basis and sit back and see how many actually latch on to you. You have to actually connect with a great number of people daily. You have to prospect. But before you can prospect you have to know who to prospect to. Who is your target market? You cannot just throw your information in the face of anyone you see. You have to have a marketing strategy and a marketing plan. As a network marketer you are providing a service to those in need. You must assess who is in need of what you have to offer and target those people.

A person cannot run a successful business with just one or two, or even three to four people on their team. Even if these few people jump on board with you and are super producers you have to account for the fact that they may leave at any given time. In this industry it is quite common for people to move from place to place. You have to be smart and build up a network of people in large numbers. That takes a great deal of planning, a great deal of time and a tremendous amount of effort.

People do business with people they know, like and trust! They will not do business with people who bombard them and annoy them. Think about it, how annoyed would you be if everyday someone was taping flyers and business cards to your front door and car. No matter how many times you remove them, the next day your front door and car are cluttered all over again. I would imagine you would be livid…I think it is safe to say that company WOULD NOT be getting your business. That is the same message that is relayed online when as a network marketer relationship-building is eliminated.

Network Marketing is tough!

Successfully running your own business is extremely rewarding but HARD WORK! There is no way around that…no shortcut.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON SHORTCUTS PEOPLE TAKE THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED:

Not Staying Engaged
You should understand that a home-based business opportunity in network marketing involves you staying engaged. You cannot jump in and out of your business and expect to be successful. Your network marketing business is YOUR job. If you had a job and only showed up only once or twice a week how much money do you think you would earn? Not much! How long do you think you would last at that job? You have to stay engaged.

Skipping Trainings and Team Webinars
Participating in company trainings and webinars is very important and an excellent way for you to learn how to make your business propel forward. Trainings and webinars keep you motivated and keep you updated on new business innovations. For me the biggest advantage is connecting with other members of your company and team. You have an opportunity to hear the success stories of others as well as pick up new business techniques that are being shared by others.

Consistently skipping company trainings and webinars is an easy way to become disengaged. Unless you already know all there is to know about your company, you don’t need to be sitting these things out. As with anything in life the more time spent learning, training and perfecting a skill the better you will get. Not staying connected to your company limits your knowledge and motivation. Trainings keep team members motivated. Listening to the challenges and struggles of others allows you to see that you are not alone. They bring back the momentum that gets lost as you venture out and try to succeed on your own but run into roadblocks. People who stay connected are the ones who are less likely to quit at the first sign of trouble.

• Not Following the System…Then Becoming Frustrated When Magic Doesn’t Occur
• Failing To Get On The Phone And Connect With Your Prospects
• Jumping From Opportunity to Opportunity Hoping to Land on the Golden Egg
• Allowing Negative Feedback and Comments from Others to Break Your Spirit

Network marketing is not a hobby. On our road to success we are experiencing so many things; triumph, frustration, inspiration, failure, joy, success, disappointment…it is a vicious cycle but you have to keep working. Eventually you will get there. It is your company and if you want it to take you all the way to your dream world of financial freedom you have to work it!

The recent years have brought about the huge growth and popularity of social and business networking sites. Though people were skeptical in the beginning that these sites would really work, nowadays, most people and businesses have realized that these networking channels have opened up opportunities that had not been available in the past.

LinkedIn is the largest business networking site online, with over 120 million users and still growing. As a direct seller, you may have set up a profile with LinkedIn, and you may occasionally visit the site to keep updated with what’s happening, but are you really using this site to the best of your advantage? Have you realized the various ways you can use LinkedIn for building your business?

Though you may think that LinkedIn is great for increasing your sales, the real power of this business networking site is that it’s a powerful tool for building and maintaining relationships. Successful companies and entrepreneurs know the importance of networking in the world of business. And as the saying goes, sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know.

Here’s a step-by-step guide in using LinkedIn for Business:

1. Craft a Compelling Profile

Before you should go ahead with networking and using other LinkedIn features for building your business, it’s important to start with creating and crafting a compelling profile. A good profile will help you attract people’s attention, increase your visibility, and help you achieve better rankings in the search engines. As a direct seller, there’s a lot of value in achieving these three things.

Some quick tips for creating a compelling profile:

• Put up a professional-looking photo

• Make sure your professional headline really sums up what you do

• Take advantage of linking to your websites

• Include your work history and education

• Write a great summary of what you do

• Add a bit of personal information

• Complete your profile as much as you can

2. Form connections and build up your personal brand

Since LinkedIn is a social networking site specifically for professionals and business owners, the real power of it comes from the connections you form within it. After you’ve created an attractive profile, it’s now time to add people you know and connect with these people. This is the best way to build up your personal brand and increase your credibility.

To be truly successful in business, one of the most important things is to build trust. The more you form healthy connections and build relationships with people, the more people trust you.

Here are some tips for using LinkedIn to form connections and build your personal brand:

• Post status updates

• Comment, like and share other people’s status updates

• Contribute to Answers

• Contribute to Groups and participate in discussions

• Show off your expertise

3. Find people who can help you achieve your goals

As a direct seller, what exactly are your business goals? Do you want to increase sales, get new customers, acquire new partners, or generate new leads? It’s a good idea to be very specific with your goals.

After you’ve defined your business goals, you can now use LinkedIn to find people who can help you achieve these goals. The power of LinkedIn lies in the network you have.

When you think about it, the real value of LinkedIn actually comes from your 2nd and 3rd degree connections, not your 1stdegree ones. Your 1st degree connections are people you already know and interact with, but if you really want to take your business further, you need to network with people whom you don’t know but may be able to help you achieve your goals. And because LinkedIn easily shows the connections you have, you can ask the person you know to introduce you to the person they know who can help you. This is the best way to get their attention – through a mutual friend or acquaintance.

4. Harness the power of LinkedIn Groups

Perhaps the greatest value of using LinkedIn for your business is its Groups feature. Because here is where discussions happen, where people exchange ideas and information, and where relationships and connections really form.

Through LinkedIn Groups, you can ask questions and get valuable answers from the members. You can also answer questions to help you gain visibility and build credibility. Don’t try to do a sales pitch – this is not the platform for that. By providing really useful information, you increase people’s trust in you, which is more valuable.

Also, when you’re a member of a group, you can actually contact other members directly, even those not within your first, second, or third degree network. This can prove invaluable in business, since it’s all about forming connections and building relationships.

Truly, there’s a lot of value that LinkedIn can provide for your business. Once you really understand how to use this excellent platform, you can really take your direct selling business to new heights it has yet to reach. So if you haven’t gotten started, the right time to do so is now.