Moving Ahead Blog

Classified Ads - What Works & What Doesn't

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:12:00 GMT

Do classified ads really work? Should you include an email address or fax number in them? How about a call to action?

Questions like these are often brought to the attention of OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company specializing in helping businesses worldwide with their marketing, public relations and freelance writing services. Here are some top tips they offer based on their own client projects.

TOP TIPS FROM OHIOHELP.NET

I. CLASSIFIED AD PLACEMENT

Study the ads in publications where you would like to place yours to see what works. And STUDY them like you'll have an exam over them. If you didn't see the ad before, skip it. Only focus on those who repeatedly placed the same ads - -these people are selling off of them: bottom line.

While you're at it, call some of those companies who are not your direct competitors and ask how their ads pull (and log their replies for reference). Exchange contact information and follow up so that you can possibly team up with them later in a joint venture and send clients back and forth.

Results show that small ads placed in inexpensive publications generally bring in phone calls and clicks to websites, but no email replies. And on the average, these callers reported having limited or no Internet access along with limited or no computer / email capabilities in their homes. If they had access at work, it was limited and did not offer personal / private email. Toll-free numbers brought in more responses than local numbers with area codes. And fax numbers brought in nothing at all.

II. CLASSIFIED AD GIFTS

Sales increased with the inclusion of Gift and Reward items in a call-to-action ad. Popular items were:

A. A No-Cost Information Kit that included a variety of tip sheets,electronic books and software sent via downloadable links in printed sales letters and included on disks or CDs. All items were mailed Flat Rate via Priority Mail.

B. A Book / workbook set sent the same way or mailed Media Rate in a manila envelope. Sets were for a trial period before purchasing. And No-Cost Information Kits above were included in the package.

C. A special "Freebie" item of their choice from our bookstore was mailed or emailed with mention of the ad.

III. CLASSIFIED AD COPYWRITING

To increase customer contact, communication and overall sales, include specific pricing in the ad; for example, say, "rates from $39." Also list an email address with a domain name and specific person to contact. In other words, instead of emailing info@aol.com, email diana@ohiohelp.net using a first name for familiarity. (Note that some classifieds charge a 3-word count for URLs but only a 1-word count for email addresses.) And use an action verb in your call-to-action, "Mention Ad for..."

So sharpen your pencil or grab your keyboard and tune up your classified campaigns. Testing and improving your ads can definitely increase sales.

To learn more top tips and receive them on a regular basis at no charge in your email, sign up at http://ohiohelp.net today or email diana@ohiohelp.net. Preview your own "MAP: Move Ahead Plan" book and spiral-bond workbook set today and receive your No-Cost Information Kit along with it by visiting http://help-plan.biz

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to: diana@ohiohelp.net

About The Author

Diana Barnum, president of http://movingaheadcommunications.com and CEO of http://ohiohelp.net. For more help with marketing, public relations and writing, email diana@ohiohelp.net or call: (614) 529-9459

Advantages of Working with Outsourcing Teams and Virtual Assistants

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:36:00 GMT

If you are a business owner and you do it all yourself, you may be a little overwhelmed and stressed out. You may often find that there is just not enough time in the day to do everything.

In fact, if you admit it, you more than likely need help. So hire a virtual assistant and team.

To put it simply, virtual assistants and their teams do not work in your office, they most often work from their homes, a center business location, or a combination. And hiring a virtual assistants and teams is becoming increasingly popular in the world today, as some advantages of having one include the following.

1. If you have no employees working on-site, you have no responsibility for them. This means you are not responsible for giving them any benefits (sick leave, vacation, insurance, etc.), no worker's compensation, taxes, no pensions, no training, no maternity or paternity leave. Virtual assistants are self-employed, so they are responsible for all of these extra expenses.

2. When using a virtual assistant you do not have to deal with them sitting around talking to co-workers and telling you their life story. Virtual assistants are all business. This way you are not "paying" for personal phone calls, crises, lateness, childcare problems, etc. Having a one means they support your needs not you support theirs. For most business owners, like you, this is a selling point.

3. When you have a virtual assistant, you do not pay them if they are not working on a project. With normal employees you pay them for the hours they are in the office (in other words on the clock) each day. They record the hours they work for you. Therefore, you only pay them for work accomplished. You never have to pay for them to take breaks, lunch, or run personal errands.

4. Working with a virtual assistant means flexible hours. Being that they are self-employed like you they know how important to have the availability when you need it. They can provide service outside of normal business hours when needed. They are there for your business and your needs not for their convenience.

5. Having a virtual assistant can be a lifesaver. They can be ready and available to work when the chips are down, when you need to run to the doctor, when guests drop in and you want time off and any number of other things.

Hint: when you decide that a virtual assistant is right for you, you do make sure you hire one who will fit your needs. Do a little research and don't be afraid to ask some questions. Check into getting a detailed list of the services the assistant can provide as well as a price list. And be willing to have open communications with a little instruction as needed to get to know one another, and to learn the tasks you need completed.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Virtual Assistants today at http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

Yanik UG8 - Don’t Miss the Underground Online Seminar of 2012!

Moving Ahead Blogger — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:31:59 GMT

For those of us who are seriously into hard core online marketing and for any and all "wanna-be's" as well, missing Yanik Silver’s Underground Online Seminar is almost sinful. You’ll never forgive yourself if you do.

The Underground Online Seminar will feature Yanik Silver as well as other seriously talented and successful entrepreneurs sharing their secrets on high-level internet marketing. These speakers are already making millions online and they’re willing to share their secrets with you! They’re making money from home while you’re not.

5 Awesome Reasons to Attend

Social Media Marketing Secrets-Social media marketing secrets will be shared by individuals actually putting their theories into practice and making a living doing so. Money talks, and these speakers are rolling in mega money!

Content is King- Do you know the secrets to selling content online? Yanik’s speakers certainly do! Find out how to sell and resell unique and original content online from people who are already doing it successfully.

SEO, Do You Even Know What it Means? – Most people don’t know what SEO is, let alone how it can help them generate loads of cash. Get up to the minute information on the latest developments in SEO from people who know all the tricks of the trade!

Email Marketing – Can you generate genuine interest from your email marketing efforts? Our speakers know how. They’re getting good results while your emails and collecting digital dust in the spam and trash folders. Find out how to get your emails read and how to generate interest from pros who do this every day.

Everyone & Their Dogs Have Blogs- Do you have one? Do know how to use it effectively to generate income and massive amounts of traffic. Find out how as Yanik’s speakers share jealously guarded secrets about blogging.

The unique experience offered by the Underground Online Seminar is reason enough to attend. It won’t be a boring lecture for sure, but there are more reasons than that to attend. Get trusted and tested advice from industry professionals with very large portfolios. These folks are making serious money and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. Attend the Underground Online Seminar hosted by Yanik Silver. You’ll be very glad you did.

By the time you return home from attending the Underground Online Seminar you’ll be fully armed and prepared to do battle in the competitive world of internet marketing. You’ll have a firm foundation to develop your home based business and you can begin implementing our secret strategies to make money from home right away. In very little time the cash could be rolling in and you could be laughing all the way to your bank.

Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to obtain top secret information from some of the richest online marketing professionals who started out just like you. Get a jump start on making money with your home based business. Get a chance to meet other motivated professionals like yourself with similar goals. You won’t be sorry.

To find out more about this event, click: HERE next!

How to Use Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants With the 3 Most Important Business Tasks

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:26:00 GMT

Virtual Assistants are a great addition to your business. In fact, outsourcing with a virtual assistant can save you an incredible amount of time, allowing you to focus on the foundation of your business.

While a virtual assistant will help you and your business by answering phones (even during off hours), filing papers and keeping your business organized, there are so many more things a virtual assistant can do for you. Outsourcing one might be the best thing you can do for your business, and you might be surprised at what they can do for you and your business.

There are three of the most important business tasks that your virtual assistant can take care of for you. These three tasks are vital for your business. They will not only do them for you, they are professionally trained to do them for you.

The 3 Most Important Businesses Tasks For Your Outsourced Virtual Assistant -

Just by glancing over the three most important tasks for your business you can easily see just how important they are. These are the three things that keep your business going. These three things keep your business bringing in profits, as well as increasing those profits for you and your business.

1. Research

Use your Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants for your business research. Your virtual assistant can conduct eBay research tools, and other online research such as studying the Best Sellers list at Amazon.com. He or she can also conduct keyword searches as Google AdWords and AdSense "Tools" areas at Google to find what people want to buy. This type of research is pertinent to your business. Your virtual assistant can do all of this for you very easily. After he or she is finished with this period's research, he or she can tell you what people want to buy so you can design your promotional, advertising and marketing towards those people.

2. Product Creation

Yes, your outsourced virtual assistant can create new products for you. Use your virtual assistant to create products you can sell such as ebooks, videos, reports, PLR (private label rights) content, MP3 files, downloads, guides, and more. This can help you free up a lot of your time because you will not have to create these products yourself, plus you will not have to spend time looking for a qualified individual to create each one for you.

3. Sales and Marketing

Use your Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants to make websites, set up and manage affiliate programs, run your online campaigns, do your sales and marketing, and so much more. Imagine how much time and money you can save by having them do all of this for you. Otherwise you would have to spend so much time hiring many different individuals for each project. Now you have just one person to go to for all of these needs.

Your business will never look so good to you until you outsource a virtual assistant. You can get them to do three of the most important business tasks. You will save a tremendous amount of money and time. Your time will be freed up for other business projects and tasks so you can focus on growing your business and making more money.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Virtual Assistants today at http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

FAQs About Outsourcing With Virtual Assistants

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:16:00 GMT

Organization is the number one virtue any business must have to be able to succeed. Whether your business is large or small, a virtual assistant may just be what you need to keep organized. Here is a list of concerns about outsourcing for your business.

1. A virtual assistant (VA) could be more efficient than a secretary who comes to the office everyday.

You won't see your VA, but you can coordinate your work schedule so that what you need to be done gets done. No worries about coffee breaks, lateness, sick leaves, maternity leaves, and so on. If a virtual assistant is committed to work for a period of time, it is all work.

Virtual assistants are usually hired on a contractual basis, either working per project or for a specified number of months. You can choose them according to particular skills that you might need and because they do not work for you for long terms, you can hire different VAs when your needs change. Or hire more than one at the same time.

These assistants have other clients and are not dependent on you as their main source of income. Therefore relieving one of their services to hire another is not as difficult as firing your in-house assistant to look for a new one.

2. A VA may not be cheaper than a live secretary but she / he can still save you a lot of money when it comes to payroll time.

Cyber-assistants are not inexpensive, but you do not have to pay extra for office space, utilities, and worker's compensation. Outsourcing means that you will pay them by the hour for equivalent requested work.

Also, they come complete with their own utilities, hardware and software: internet connection and email, phones, fax machines, and basic software. If a virtual assistant lists down Joomla! and Photoshop as skills, then they should have the programs already installed in their computer. You need not buy the software, nor any other basic utilities that they will need to do a good job.

3. A VA need not replace the secretary who comes to the office everyday.

You can hire a virtual helper and still maintain your in-house assistant. Live secretaries can take care of real time services, such as phone call management, dictation, and event management, while a VA can do all online transactions, such as client management and travel arrangements. Of course, a virtual assistant can do all these, although they probably won't be able to make you a cup of coffee.

4. A VA does not need to be retrained to do her job.

VAs advertise their list of skills so that you can get one who can fulfill all your requirements. Of course, when you start working with anybody, there will be specific ways of doing things that you'd like to be followed. After that, a very efficient assistant should be able to pick up on those details right away and do the rest of their work smoothly, without any trouble.

Whether you run a large company looking to either replace or merely append to your work staff, or a small business, outsourcing a VA more than justifies the minimal additional cost, if any. In the long run, with increased productivity through efficient organization of your work flow, virtual assistants would have been a big factor in your business' success.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Virtual Assistants today at : http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

Wondering How to Hire a Personal Assistant?

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:05:00 GMT

If your attention is distracted by menial and unavoidable chores, and if this is affecting your focus, then it is time to get a personal assistant. Once you decide to hire help, though, how exactly should you go about the task?

Here is how you should proceed:

a. Create a job profile for the helper. The phrase 'personal assistant' is too vague and encompasses all possible interpretations.

A person will apply for a job only if he or she understands what the job is all about. The job profile will help remove all doubts as it clearly lays down the duties and responsibilities involved.

b. Post your ad in newspapers, on the company website, on job sites. Place an announcement for the position up on the company bulletin board and in your newsletter and / or ezine if you want to give insiders a chance before searching outside the company. Invite resumes and have them delivered to your workplace email.

c. Prepare a list of eligible candidates. Sort through the applications, reject the unsuitable candidates and prepare of a shortlist of candidates to be invited for an interview.

d. Do not focus on experience alone. Fresh graduates or college students can be trained a lot faster, as they do not have any past experiences to confuse them.

e. Inform the candidates about their selection for the interview. Inform them about the date, time and venue of the interview. Then conduct an initial screening to weed out the unsuitable persons.

Finally prepare a short list of five to ten suitable candidates. Personally conduct the interview of the short listed persons.

f. Interview the candidates and determine whether any one satisfies your requirements. Consider the skill set, the expected remuneration and other such factors to select the best candidate.

g. Once you feel you have found the best candidate, negotiate all other matters to finalize the appointment. If you wish, conduct a short test to determine the proficiency of the candidate in computer programs.

h. Finalize the appointment and inform the successful candidate to report to work. Convey your regrets to those who did not succeed.

i. Treat the first three months as the trial period. Use the three months to verify whether you have made the right choice or not.

Follow the steps and you should quickly find the person you are looking for. The above procedure can be best described as a guideline. You may be required to make changes to the procedure depending upon the signature on the ground.

If you come to realize that the person appointed as your personal assistant is not the right person for the job, do not make the mistake of firing the person and beginning the search all over again.

Rather, begin the search and find a replacement before firing your personal assistant, if possible. Hint: never throw away information on all applicants who were found suitable for the job until after a suitable amount of time has passed. This can help you locate a replacement in a short period of time.

Do keep in mind that the job of a personal assistant is not as easy as it sounds. Nine times out of ten, you may have to patiently wait for the person to learn the ropes. A patient approach will help your personal assistant overcome the initial jitters and settle down on the job.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Virtual Assistants today at : http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

How Your Business Can Grow by Outsourcing With a Virtual Assistant

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:52:00 GMT

Having a virtual assistant is now increasingly becoming not just what you want, but what you need in today's hectic world, online and off. An online assistant can take care of a lot of tasks for your business, and allow plenty of time for you to be doing other tasks for you and your business.

By outsourcing, you also receive many more benefits than just adding help to your business. Outsourcing can save you a lot of time and money, for instance. Plus if you constantly have too many To Do lists, outsourcing can save you some stress and hair-pulling, improving your health - and appearance.

In addition, trying to run a business takes a lot of hard work and organization, as things can get really hectic at times. However, when your business is organized, it automatically runs much smoother. Thus place the burden of time-consuming daily and other regular tasks on your virtual assistants to help get and keep your business organized.

Growth by outsourcing with a virtual assistant basically means that:

1. A virtual assistant will work on your essential, but time consuming administration tasks that need to be completed. This allows you to focus on what makes your business successful. You can even free up more time to expand your business.

2. Outsourcing will save you money, not just time, giving you more of each to invest elsewhere in your business. You do not have to provide your outsourcing team with office space, benefits, salary, worry about taxes, sick days, and insurance. When you outsource to virtual assistants, they will take care of all of that for you. You do not need to add these people or the business to your payroll, saving you a bundle of money. Just imagine how much you pay employees when they don't even have any work to do during down time. You only pay your helpers when they are working.

3. Virtual assistants are completely professional. They work for you and your business, and will not bother you in any way. You get to specifically outline what you need out of your assistant (VA), as a VA is a professional and business person, too. These assistants are on the same side as you. They have the resources available to them for administration tasks that you may not have; that means that they can work through these tasks quicker, and sometimes find solutions to some problems that you may not want to waste time handling.

4. As a business person yourself, you just do not normally have the time to make small talk or address many concerns of a full staff that comes with all of the woes of socialization. Since your virtual assistants are outsourced, you never have to see them or make small talk with them. All of that time and frustration is gone. In addition, if you are self employed, an online assistant would be perfect, as you would probably not want to let someone into your home to work where your family & you reside. When you outsource, your virtual helpers work in their own offices and / or homes with their own equipment, and bill you for the hours they actually work for you, not for socializing.

5. Your virtual help can clean up your business and create a highly organized situation for you. They can keep track of all of your incoming email messages, phone calls, snail mail, passwords for websites, keep track of your clients or customers for you, get rid of papers by scanning, manage your merchant account, take orders, file your papers properly, and so much more. This will keep your business on track, up to date, clean, and well organized.

There are many more reasons why outsourcing with virtual workers can benefit you and your business. This is just a brief overlook of what you can expect, and how this type of help can get and keep your business running smoothly.

In short, be able to focus on other tasks, grow your projects and promotions for them, and stop worrying about phone calls, emails and other daily assorted tasks by seeking help from virtual assistants. All of this and more can be taken care of for you. And your business can finally grow.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Virtual Assistants today at: http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

Outsource Your Work to Virtual Assistants and See Your Business Grow

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:42:00 GMT

Are you feeling overworked? Badly need an assistant but you do not want to or have the money to hire someone? Watching all that work pile up and dreading your deadlines?

Well, fear no more, we have the answer to all your problems right here - Virtual Assistants. That's right, the solution to your problem lies in outsourcing your work to a virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants are completely changing the way work is done. They will happily step in to help you get your work done. They take away the monotony of all the administrative work and leave you free to calm down and be more creative. This way, you can give your full attention to making more money. Virtual assistants are proud of the fact that most of the times, they not only get the work done but they do it better than ever before. They are what you need to succeed. And they are gaining recognition everywhere.

Just take a look at Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, Woman's Day, and Entrepreneur - all of them have written about virtual assistants. CBS News, the Today Show, etc have even covered them on TV. And here is the main reason why virtual assistants (VAs) are becoming more popular, especially during this depressed economy.

Most major international companies have downsized their workforce to save money. But there is still real work to be done everywhere. So, instead of overburdening existing workers and harming productivity even further, VAs are called in to help.

In today's work from home scenario, virtual assistants will take the burden of your shoulders and leave you to do your work in peace. If you are still not convinced, here are the top reasons why you should consider hiring these assistants:

o They will take over tasks you don't want to do and hence leave you free to make money the way you want to.

o They have the required experience and skill in the areas they are needed the most. So you can always be assured of quality work.

o They will actively add to your company's success through their dedication and efficiency.

o They are familiar with all the latest technologies and will make sure that your business is in good hands.

o They are always learning and keeping themselves on the cutting edge, giving you all the benefits.

o They will often know what you need even before you realize it yourself.

o They are professional but they are also fun to work with.

o They frequently have connections and databases at their disposal that will help your company make fast progress.

o They will see things in an objective manner and help you take the correct decision every time.

o They collaborate with you for finding ways to improve your business.

o They will be your survival kit in this and any economy.

So when you have had enough of worrying and feeling overworked and overwhelmed, know that it is time to hire a virtual assistant. Take a chance and grow with unlimited VA opportunities.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Virtual Assistants today at : http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

How to Work With Outsourcing Teams and Virtual Assistants - Three Tips of the Trade

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:35:00 GMT

Virtual assistants are rapidly becoming a popular alternative to hiring directly. A virtual assistant or outsourcing team can provide many of the same services that an in-person assistant does, but there's less of the hassle that direct hires bring. Virtual assistants don't require office space or equipment, and because they're considered outside contractors, instead of employees, you don't need to worry about safety concerns or benefits. The virtual assistants or outsourcing team are either employees of the firm your contract is with, or they're independent contractors, and self-employed. This means that they're responsible for their own work space.

Since you pay for time spent on your work, overhead can be significantly reduced. The organization that a virtual assistant provides can help you save time and money, as well as reducing your workload. For instance, hiring an assistant to deal with your email responses can be a big help, saving several hours a day in certain circumstances. Your virtual assistant or outsourcing team can also manage passwords, keep track of clients and customers so you don't have to, and create timelines. Like traditional secretarial services, these virtual employees are also able to help you set appointments and remind you where you have to be and when.

While virtual assistants can be a great help and save you a lot of money, there are some tricks to working with them effectively. Going about things wrong can be a big headache, both for you and for your outsourced help.
Here are just a few tips to help you work with an outsourcing team or virtual assistant to get the most done with the least hassle:

1. The world is a big place. Remember that outsourced employees can be working from anywhere in the world, and that they need sleep to. It's wise to find out what hours your virtual assistant or outsourcing team members are likely to be active, and time requests to coincide with those times.

2. Communication is vital. While outsourcing teams usually speak and understand English very well, even if it's not always their first language, that doesn't meant that they'll automatically know what you mean unless you spell it out. Standards for simple things like reports and letters can vary widely between clients, so if you want something a particular way, be sure to make it very clear. Don't be tempted to rely on the "standard." That standard can vary enough that you might end up with work that's not what you were expecting. Having work done over wastes your money and your virtual assistant's time. Appropriate communication will ensure that everything gets done right the first time.

3. Get to know your long distance workers. If possible, find out what their strengths and weaknesses are. Then, you'll know what tasks will work out really well, and what jobs are better off done yourself. Most virtual assistants have backgrounds in other fields. You'll be surprised by the amount of knowledge and the variety of skills they can offer. However, don't assume that your virtual assistant has the same background that you do. What you consider common knowledge may not me, outside your field of expertise.

If you have too much on your plate and aren't sure about hiring an in-person assistant, consider outsourcing the work. A virtual assistant and / or outsourcing team can do a lot for you, if you keep communication channels open.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Personal Virtual Assistants today at : http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com

10 Ways to Attract People to Your Website

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:06:00 GMT

A very common perception is that if a website is setup, it will attract visitors and generate sales. This is, however, not true. Your target audience needs a reason to come.

If you want to use your website to promote something, you will need to publicize your website, and attract visitors to it, otherwise there will be no visitors. It's just that simple. A website is merely a passive form of marketing, much like a public signboard displaying the products and services you have to offer.

Some of the ways in which you can generate traffic are:

1. You can offer some sort of freebie. You could give some form of free content or information. Original, interesting and relevant content is always considered to be of significant value.

2. Another option is to offer your website readers a free subscription to an electronic magazine. Add value by giving a free gift along with the subscription.

3. You can also offer a directory of interesting ebooks and ezines for free, inviting contributions and reviews from others. If the content of these books is of significant value, then people will continue visiting your website.

4. A free ebook or software download as a gift to your readers also makes an attractive incentive to get them to visit your site often. You can outsource the content of the ebook or your software creation, if you want. You may include advertisements for your products and services in the items, too.

5. You can also hold classes or seminars online, and the live interaction will attract a large audience to your website. These can be organized in your website's chat room and it will also serve to position you as an expert about any topic relevant to your field.

6. Another important money-spinner is to hold free contents with prizes of interest to your visitors. The promise of prizes will attract a large audience, and ensure that people who enter the contest come back to your website in order to check the results of the contest.

7. Giving away free downloads will also attract a large number of visitors and ensure that they keep on visiting your site regularly. You may even create a listing or directory of downloads. If the software is one that you have created, you can include your advertisement inside it and let other people distribute it as well.

8. You can also consider giving away free services from your website will attract a large number of customers as well. These can be search engine result collation, unique mail addresses, and proofreading and similar services.

9. Offering inexpensive service as a consultant in your field is another good way to attract others. Give valuable advice to your potential customers, and they may think about returning to you for their future purchases.

10. Creating an online club generates a feeling of community and also helps to promote your website, where the online club might have its discussions.

It is extremely important to remember that the Internet is used by many as a free source of information and that readers are not always interested in buying. Thus, you have to gain their trust by giving them good advice, tips and other info.

People who trust you often end up happy clients down the road. They even come back for repeat purchases and send their friends!

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Personal Virtual Assistants today at : http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com - visit the links to sign up for their free newsletter packed with tips!

10 Awesome Ways to Attract More Orders

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:58:00 GMT

Websites are no longer seen as just necessary inclusions or cyber-shingles for shoppers, they can be used to generate revenue too. With newer and more innovative ways of earning profit, people have come up with ways to make money on their investments in websites as well.

So why waste all that hard work on just a pretty looking site for your customers to admire? Follow these steps and earn money while your customers surf through your website.

1. Include a directory of free, downloadable ebooks on your website. Make sure the popular books of the day are available on your site. That will induce the customers to visit your page to read them, and they might notice your products and ads as well.

2. For the more specialized parts of your website like the FAQs or the Troubleshoot sections, convert them into 'Members Only' parts. Customers might not want to pay outright for accessing that information, but you can use that access area as a bonus you offer on the sale of your products or for subscribers who can often receive automated communications from these areas better via email that tends to filter out a lot of other autoresponders . Offer games, personalized help and other exclusive material in these sections, and your customers will feel privileged to have access to the sections.

3. Also include a free classified ad zone on your page. You could use it to exchange ads with others as well as invite ads from others to bring in traffic. This way, you get visibility among numerous sites and people without the costs of paid advertising.

4. To make your site more user-friendly have an ad-free version of the webpage too, even a PDF to download and print out. That way, the customers you dislike going through scores of ads to subscribe for just to view one product will not be discouraged and will appreciate the thoughtful act.

5. Your online magazine or ezine will be something that regular customers will look forward to for new updates, products and other news. Make sure they can access this ezine from your site only. This will ensure customers return to your site every month or so to download or view your magazine to catch up on the latest news.

6. Use some small percentage of space on your product, like the cover, to advertise. You can earn extra money on something that would normally be wasted.

7. Like frequent-flyer miles, you could introduce special bonuses and benefits to the most regular visitors of your page. Set limits like one hundred visits, one thousand visits and so on, and offer discounts or gifts to the users who reach these levels. This will boost traffic to your page tremendously as everyone will clamber to visit your page again and again.

8. Let your customers have access to free downloads from your page in return for their referrals. Allow them to get books or games off your page, if they will send out references to five friends, and so on.

9. Get the publishers of online magazines to join your affiliate program by offering them discounted or free ads on your ezine. This way, you will earn a commission on each ad that you print on your magazine.

10. Have a temporary 'free period' where you offer your product at no cost over a short period of time for joining your affiliate program. There will be boom of customers who will want to sign up for your program during that period of time and get the freebies.

One important tip is to include loud, catchy headings and slogans. People surfing through sites are impatient and hurry. They do not want to nor have the time to read through page-long ads and product details. Have catchy phrases which describe your product briefly, highlighted boldly throughout your page to grab their attention and decide if they want to purchase it.

10 Benefits of Submitting Articles to Ezines

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:52:00 GMT

Online marketers all have their own web pages that talk about the products or services they offer. Part of a successful business strategy is directing ample traffic to these websites. And an online marketer may accomplish this goal in many ways.

Purchasing advertisements is a good way, for instance. But this can cost big bucks.

Hiring someone to make top notch videos can be great, too, for video marketing on the web. But this, too, can cost bucks.

Writing articles about the product or service and including back links on the web page in a byline or resource box that directs the visitor to the sales page is a better way. Whether you write the articles yourself or hire a ghost writer, costs are minimal. And on the World Wide Web, there are lots of ezines, article directories and free content websites that are always on the lookout for new content.

Note some of the benefits:

1. You get to create your very own branded message at the bottom of your articles. Don't neglect to leave out your name, business identity, all your credentials, email address, web page URL and other details in your resource box.

2. You will be treated as a professional in the field of the subject of the articles you write. As you work on, you earn credibility and this helps you survive in a world where the competition can be tough.

3. If you are lucky, the articles you write may be published on the publisher's home page or other places for extra exposure to search engines and people.

4. Some ezine publishers archive their issues on their web sites. This will show off your articles to a lot more people than you ever imagined, as consumers often read back issues before actually subscribing.

5. Advertising will come virtually free. As a result, you can invest your profits in other more innovative forms of advertising for your business; for example, you can buy advertising space in ezines that don't yet publish your articles.

6. There is always the possibility of raking in some extra cash. People who have read your articles might want you to do some writing for them. You may be asked to pen your own book or speak at prestigious seminars. Talk about income supplementation!

7. You can let ezine publishers publish your articles in their free reports or ebooks, as people tend to share these resources, so you can get noticed in a big way.

8. Your article can end up being published all over the internet if you submit it to such an ezine that has a free content directory on their web page. Visitors can use your articles for their own needs, and you can be the center of attention of a lot of people in this way.

9. Subscribers will come to trust you. Once they've read your article and rated it positively, they will be open to buying your product or service or idea. Automatically, profits can start soaring.

10. Work in sync with other ezines and business people in general. If they publish your writing, agree to publish theirs.

The best thing about ezines is that you brand your articles and yourself in the long run. The resource box is the tool that will allow you do achieve this.

Growing Your Business - 10 Ways to Multiply Your Sales

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:42:00 GMT

Time to get tough with sales! Ready set go...

1. Following up on your sales is a great way to ensure they keep increasing. Send an acknowledging email of gratitude to your customers or perhaps a Tweet (Twitter message). Follow up from time to time, too, to let them know that their business is important to you and that you are taking care to attend to their specific interests. This could be done every three months or so to remind your customers of your services and also to inform them of any upgrades.

2. 'Upselling' is another effective tactic to use to make your sales soar. Although the customer usually calls in with a specific product in mind, you could discuss their issues at length and suggest other products that would maximize their benefits. Suggest products in a casual and helpful manner, and your customer is likely to see the advantages of your suggestions, possibly adding on to their original order.

3. After a sales transaction is completed, offer your customer options to join your affiliate or other incentive programs: collecting bonus points, winning special gifts, free reports and so on. The incentive of their earning a commission on their own spending will encourage them to buy more products from you and more regularly.

4. Also offer your customers the chance to earn rebates and discounts from your business by referring others to your site. An offer like a 25% discount for every five new customers that they bring to your business, could be a very attractive package. Furthermore, you will get the added benefits of advertising and of increasing your clientele without any added costs.

5. Collaborating and cross-selling with other products is a good solution too. Combine two similar or related products: one from your business, and one from another and sell them with a discount together. This package can benefit you as well as your collaborator and will generate sales for both. Also, the lure of two products is bound to be stronger than that of one independent product. Make sure you promote this offer with leaflets and flyers all over your store and throughout your various online promotions.

6. You could also opt for selling the rights to the reproduction or reprinting of your products and include advertising for other products on the same flyers that you use for selling your rights (that way you get to promote other goods at no extra advertising cost).

7. After your customers are done buying products, mail them a list of complementary add-ons, upgrades, plug-ins and so on. If they are happy with the initial product, they may look forward to enhancing their experience with the add-ons.

8. Freebies are always a good idea to draw in sales. The more visibility the better; i.e. make sure your logo is clear on the freebies that you send or include with sales. These could include caps, pens, key-rings, bags, mugs or t-shirts. Free goodies help customers remember your business and encourage them to buy from you again later.

9. You could also try offering gift certificates for sale. People often resort to gift certificates to present to their loved ones. This doubles up as a gift for the person looking to present it, as well as a way to spend money on your products for those who have been gifted the certificate.

10. If your products are being delivered by shipping or air transport, include rebate coupons for other products. Many people are in the habit of saving coupons to use later, and they may remember to visit your business to redeem those coupons. That way, they end up saving money and are happy with their purchases, plus you end up making more sales than you would normally.

Don't stop short with your sales activities! If you need help with any of the above, seek assistance by outsourcing with affordable personal virtual assistants and ghostwriters. Keep on working with your clients before, during and after sales to help grow your business.

10 Ways to Reduce Your Business Expenses

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:17:00 GMT

Any time is a good time to get your business expenses under control. Here are some ways to cut back on costs.

1. Barter - Reach out and offer to exchange products and services you offer with those of other businesses. Trading things is an age old idea and it works even today.

2. Wholesale / bulk - try buying supplies in large quantities at a time to save money on individual costs. You could subscribe to a wholesale warehouse or get the items via the Internet through a wholesale supplier.

3. Network - good networking can change your world. Exchanging ideas could open new doors.

4. Borrow / rent or lease - there is no use buying equipment you won't need more than one time. Why not borrow it or lease it, when the opportunity arises?

5. Online / offline auctions - sometimes you can get supplies and equipment cheaper at auctions on and off the web. Bidding could be great, and it would be wise to try it before going to a retailer.

6. Free stuff - there are lots of sites on the net that actually offer you things for free. You commonly get software, graphics and website backgrounds for no cost. See what's out there before you buy.

7. Search - Look into changing suppliers. Initial costs are often lower than the market price. And many suppliers offer great deals at low cost, and quality is fine, too.

8. Used equipment and other items - if you buy used things for your business, you may end up saving a lot of money. Try yard sales, message boards at local hardware stores and online, and with various newsgroups.

9. Negotiate - bargaining can and often does pay off. There is no harm trying to get things for a better rate.

10. Plan ahead - decide on what you need in the future. Then, when there is a mega sale, purchase at a much lower cost, even though you won't need them for a few weeks or months.

Clever thinking, planning and good decision-making will see your business through the good times and bad. Make the best decisions you can, and move ahead with a better expense budget.

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10 Ideas For Increasing Your Website Traffic

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:25:00 GMT

Put in enough effort into creating or revising your website, and it can pay off. Remember the number of people visiting your website directly spurs on and multiplies your revenue figures. So the goal is to try and make your website traffic click.

There are a number of ways of doing this. For example, add adequate and appropriate pictures, links and additional content. Other ways follow.

1. Have trade connections with other webmasters. Advertise their links, products or services on your own site in exchange for their advertising on your site. This can lead you to share a considerable part of their traffic. Links could be replaced by classified ads, banner ads, half page ads, etc.

2. Try and forge an online community into place. This could be a forum or blog, for instance, where people discuss your niche and top news stories in the industry, driving traffic and revenue your way. This could also be done by setting up chat rooms, message boards, email groups, etc.

3. Develop a signature with a call to action. And use this in as many of your promotions as you can, online and off.

4. Try and combine your sales with big business package deals. This can again incorporate useful partnerships or joint ventures with others to help ensure that the traffic will multiply, increasing your advertising without the added expense.

5. Open an account on YouTube, a video archive that can help bring you lots of traffic.

6. To increase your ad exposure, develop electronic freebies like ebooks with your ads in them. These ads can circulate or go viral as you allow your visitors to circulate them, too.

7. List your website, RSS feeds and even your freebies in online directories to help bring more targeted traffic your way.

8. Circulate your business information via other ezines and send their subscribers regular updates of your offers, etc. via ad swaps and paid classified ads.

9. Develop your own ezine for optimal results. This can be an exclusive emagazine boasting your own content, ads and offers that bring readers to your site.

10. Free ad groups, online news sources, classified ad sites, blogs, forums and other sites are available where you can post ads and announcements. Find those in your niche and start posting.

10 Ways to Increase Online Sales

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:18:00 GMT

Wondering how it all works in online sales? Use these ten keys and open the locks to your online sales fortunes.

1. You could start off by including a number of sales incentives that your customers are sure to fall for. Free gifts, bonus packages and discounts always work well. So never cut down on them. Customers will return again and again for your products.

2. Incentives could also include your attempts to ship the product faster to your customers or even free home delivery, free gift wrapping, etc. Buy one get one free is also an incentive which customers like.

3. You should give your customers links to your websites whenever you communicate with them. This will allow them to tell their co customers whenever they are going to make similar purchases. This way you will build a long chain of consumers.

4. Also advertise your website via the press. Send timely press releases to add on to your public relations value. Stronger headlines and even stronger content will help attract traffic to your website and increase the number of potential customers.

5. It also might be useful to fill your website with attractive headlines. These could be about FAQs or additional offers or product launches, etc. Your listings will look value-packed when you do so, and the customer will feel that he/she is getting greater value for money.

6. Make your web content understandable so that your customers do not have to wonder what it was all about in the first place. Instructions should be clear and adequate. Focused content always helps.

7. Try to cross promote and work joint ventures with others, hooking up with other website owners to get your products and services advertised on theirs, for example. You can do this by designing colorful links and buttons, templates and banner ads for the other sites plus even featuring reviews on your website. This mutual understanding can definitely pave the way for greater sales for all parties involved.

8. Your website and blog designs should be as attractive and unique or special as possible. Online design has actually come a long way, so get familiar with the latest website building software and templates out there from time to time to spruce up your sites. A crisp, professional look can always help attract way more people to your website.

9. Your products, logo and URL could be advertised on apparel and accessories like t-shirts, caps, bags, etc. This will tell people on the street and thus a lot more potential customers about your product and your website, to help bring more traffic your way than before.

10. Time saving promo software can be a lot more useful than manual advertising. For example, search engines can be made automatic advertisers via pay per click (PPC) campaigns, definitely saving you a lot of time and perhaps money too in the long run.

Try these and see how they help your sales efforts. Adjust them to fit your needs and plan ahead to grab more online sales.

Top 10 Family Issues to Deal With For Work at Home Parents

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:00:00 GMT

You might have become a work-at-home parent because you felt that such a decision would be best for you and your family. But sometimes you have to deal with unexpected family issues that might become a real headache for you. Read on to find out about the top 10 family issues that you might have to face as a work at home parent.

1. You will find it really difficult to separate work from family life. If you were an office worker earlier, your kids might want to talk or play with you because you are 'not at work' in their perception!

2. Your daily chores will come in the way of your work. Taking the kids to school, bringing them back, feeding them and tending to them, can leave you with little time to work!

3. If your kids are young teenagers, they might not take your work seriously. This problem can be more acute if the parents of their buddies are office workers.

4. It can be a real drama if both you and your spouse are working at home. Then there is no one to tend to the kids and things can go out of hand very easily!

5. Even if your spouse is a stay at home mom or dad, tempers might flare when he or she has to cope with all the housework while you don't participate despite being at home.

6. In case you do not earn enough money, there might be a lot of discontent in the house. The kids, in particular, might find it difficult to accept that you are not working at an office like most other parents.

7. Lack of space and privacy can also pose major problems. Your kids might simply refuse to accept that the part of the house where you have set up office is off-limits for them.

8. You may also not be able to shut the door and work, without hurting your kids' feelings.

9. Working at home might also tempt you to work longer and harder, thus distancing you from your kids.

10. On the other hand, when you are at home, you might get involved with your kids and thus neglect your work.

Consider these issues carefully before you become a work at home parent. Find solutions and overcome any issues before they escalate and get out of hand. That's the key to successfully working from home.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Personal Virtual Assistants today at: http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com - visit the links to sign up for their free newsletter packed with tips!

Top 10 Ways to Tell If You Have What it Takes to Work From Home

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:45:00 GMT

Working from home is a lucrative option for many. It entails several advantages that you will not get if you have to be in an office working under your boss. And there are many home business opportunities available nowadays due to the rising demand of options in this field and the growing spirit of entrepreneurship.

More and more people are looking for ways to earn money from the comfort of home. Who wants to rush to office in the morning and then slog throughout the day? Who wants to get orders from the superior? Who wants unrealistic goals that may not bring in the desired income when annual review time comes around? Working from home can help you get rid of all these headaches.

However, it might not be as easy as it sounds. If you are planning to set up a home business, there are certain qualities that successful home based entrepreneurs have in common. See if you have what it takes:

1. When you choose the field of your business, choose wisely. Go for something positive that you enjoy doing for the long haul.

2. You need to know how to set your priorities straight. You have to know which aspect of your business requires more attention than other aspects, and when. Timing can be crucial.

3. You need to have organizational skills. Though you are on your own, you need to organize your business, set specific, targeted goals and then work towards achieving them.

4. Remember that there will be no one to supervise your work. So you need to learn how to control self-interruption. In short, refrain from indulging yourself when you are at work, especially online where sites can carry you away in clicks.

5. If your work is based online, do not keep your email inbox open. This will distract you from your work. Similarly, curtain other online and at home activities that can mislead or take valuable time away.

6. You need to have a fixed schedule for your work. Though there is no stipulated time like in an office, yet having a disciplined routine is essential when you work from home. Know which tasks must be done daily.

7. Be particular about your work. Don't take off-hand breaks during work hours. And don't except every job or work proposal that comes your way. Carve out your business targeting a solid foundation of cash flow combined with plenty of growth potential. Seek help and continued education in business and your niche areas of focus along the way from experts like those at the Small Business Administration (SBA.gov), local colleges and online learning centers.

8. Put in as much "smart" work, not necessarily "hard" work, time and effort as you can. In short, the smarter you work, the better return you can get. Find a mentor or coach to find the fastest success route in your niche.

9. Stay focused and patient. You might not make profits overnight, but keep striving for long term success.

10. Don't try to be perfect. No one can be, so take small steps and give your best, rewarding your efforts and giving back along the way. It's an adventure. Enjoy!

Do you have it in you to do these ten things? If yes, then you can start working from home without further delay! If no, get busy and polish up rough spots to smooth out a path for your home based business success.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Personal Virtual Assistants today at: http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com - visit the links to sign up for their free newsletter packed with tips!

Top 10 Ways You Can Use Viral Ezine Articles

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:27:00 GMT

Create an electronic newsletter or ezine in HTML or text. Provide a print version, too. Then check out the following helpful tips to make the most of your newsletter articles below.

1. Provide original content for your website and publish it along with your own resource box or byline on the site. In order to cover a wider base of the market you should allow others to post your articles from your website, making sure they also post the box attached to the particular content. This will give you higher circulation of your content throughout the internet.

2. You should do the exact same thing with your ezine. An ezine is a virtual magazine that is circulated throughout the internet so that more people can read it. If you publish your content on your ezine along with a resource box of your own and allow others to repost these articles as long as they also add your resource box, you will have better circulation.

3. Everybody understands the value of "free". Whenever you attach the element of "free" to your product, more people will be curious about it. Therefore, you will have more potential readers for your website or ezine by offering free eBooks and bonus gifts to your customers and propects, better viability in the market.

4. You should also do the same for your ezine. Offer free courses to those who read your ezine regularly. Make sure you add your resource box in each of the above circumstances mentioned above, as well as in this case. Offer them lucrative conditions if they take up your opt-in list on your ezine.

5. If you create a viral eBook and distribute it online by attaching your own resource box or byline to it, you will have better advertisement result. Allow others to also circulate your eBook as long as they use your byline along with it at all times. An option would be to give these distributors free bonus gifts based upon tracking results, when possible.

6. You should provide your content to ezine directories so that when people search for a topic related to what you have provided as content, they will come across your article, which will advertise your product better.

7. If you publish a "For Sale" format of your content and consider publishing a revised version, adding video components to existing articles based on that topic, mention your name at the end as an author and publish it anywhere as long as you have the relevant resource box attached to the article.

8. You can opt for an exchange program with other websites by offering to publish their content on your site while they publish yours on theirs; the only condition being that the respective bylines also stay attached to these articles.

9. You will find many ezine publishers who are searching for additional content to publish on their ezine. Use them to circulate your content better on the Internet. However, don't forget to add your resource box or byline when you give your content up for publication.

10. Act as an affiliate by advertising others' products in your ezine and inviting readers to pass the issues along to others. Set up an affiliate program for your products and services, too, and do the same thing here: mention your affiliate program and invite readers to pass the ezine along to others.

Save these tips and put them to use! Start and grow your business by taking positive action using what works for other successful business people.

Advance with Affordable Business Support Services & Products, Outsourcing with Personal Virtual Assistants today at: http://www.ohiohelpgroup.com - visit the links to sign up for their free newsletter packed with tips!

Top 10 Successful Work From Home Businesses

Moving Ahead Blogger — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:17:00 GMT

These days it's not very difficult to come across jobs that can safely and easily be done from home and that also pay well. The following lists some of these awesome opportunities, so if you are interested you are at the right place.

1. Data Entry - Data entry is one of the most common work from home jobs. One of the best things about this type of work is that it doesn't involve any special hi-tech skills or rigorous training. Plus you can find plenty of data entry work from online freelance bid boards like Elance.com.

2. Telesales / Telemarketing - Business to business telesales AKA telemarketing is very popular among the various work from home job opportunities. You can often can paid by the hour plus receive a bonus per sale or lead.

3. Websites / SEO - Another popular job is web designing, creation and maintenance. While some prefer freelancing in this field, the rest might work for some company or the other. These workers also often help with search engine optimization (SEO), getting links, coding the site correctly and a lot more, to attract both search engines and human visitors.

4. Writing / Ghostwriting - Often enlisted among the top ten jobs from home, writing is popular. Many people choose to work as ghostwriters while some specialize in technical writing, web writing, copywriting or other area.

5. Instruction / Consulting - Teaching and tutoring can be profitable work from home opportunities. From helping young students to adults seeking advanced educational training, instructing others can indeed one of the best ways to earn a good income or even a few extra bucks part time. Some people even do this as a side business; for example, they might offer consulting services.

6. Sales - Sales work is another field that doesn't require much but a computer, fax and / or telephone. This type of work can be found via both hourly rates and on the basis of commission. Sell other people's products and services or your own!

7. Graphic Design / Photography - Working from home using digital images, art and graphic designing may require certain levels of training using special programs and software for competence, but can be very rewarding. Help people with their websites, marketing materials and more.

8. Virtual Assistant - Working as a virtual assistant might be the ideal option for you if you want to make money from home. This generally involves a person working for somebody in a higher position at first who acts as the supervisor or project coordinator. Learn the ropes then grow your own virtual assistant business with your own clients and subcontractors right from the comfort of home.

9. Blogging - You can also become a part time or full time blogger. There are several blog owners out there who do not have the time to update the content of their blogs. Therefore, they hire people to write blog articles for them focused around certain themes, keywords or topics. Learn to set up and maintain blogs, too, monetizing them for blog owners and build more value into what you have to offer clients.

10. Affiliate Marketing - You can always start your own internet enterprise by becoming an affiliate marketer. Just contact merchants via popular affiliate programs like those offered by Clickbank.com and PayDotcom.com who let you join their affiliate programs for free and then provide you with the resources to help you generate sales of their products. Each time someone purchases the product you're promoting using your affiliate links, you earn a commission or set amount per sale.

So, ready to start making money from your own dining room table? How good does that sound!?

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