Choose a Sales Pulling Domain Name

How to Choose a Sales Pulling Domain Name

Why settle for second best with a meaningless domain name when you could easily find a sales pulling domain name for any website that sells a product or service?

A good domain name that describes your product or service gives it credibility, for example www.goldjewlery.com looks professional, is descriptive and easy to remember. Compare that to www.geocities.com/jewelry/gold.html...

If you have created a product, don't name it and then try to find a domain name... The trick is to find your domain name first and name your product after it using these brainstorming tips:

1) Conduct keyword research related to your product or service by using these services to see what people are searching for:

- http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

- https://adwords.google.com/select/tools.html

- http://wordtracker.com

2) List the key benefits your product or service will give to your customer, and because the shorter a domain name is the easier it is to remember, you might want to use single words that imply a benefit. For example the word "cheap" implies you will save money which is a major benefit.

Using a thesaurus will help you find all the synonyms for your words and phrases.

3) Mix and match the words you have researched to come up with a domain that is:

- Short.

- Easy to spell.

- Easy to pronounce (if it has a rhythm to it and rolls of the tongue, it will be more memorable. If it is difficult to quickly say your domain name out loud, your potential customers will mentally trip over it and not remember it).

- Descriptive.

When choosing your sales pulling domain name, pay attention to the following ten tips and you could make (or save) a pile of money:

1) Avoid using trade marked names, it's unethical and could land you in an expensive legal battle.

2) Try and avoid words which have different spellings in other countries such as color and colour, humor and humour.

3) Avoid unnecessary words and keep it simple. You would never search for "low cost high quality garden utensils", you're more likely to search for "cheap garden tools" and it's easier to remember.

4) Avoid using numbers as these tend to be forgotten.

5) Avoid starting a domain name with the word 'the' or the letter 'a' as they tend to be forgotten.

6) Avoid using domain names where the end of one word and the beginning of the next are vowels. For example, free ezines reads OK as two separate words, but as one in a domain name freeezines.com looks ridiculous and chances are people will omit the third letter 'e' when typing the domain into a browser.

The same applies where one word ends and the next starts with the same letter e.g. next topic - nexttopic

If you are using a hyphen (dash) to separate words then this is not a problem.

7) In the US a .com domain name will be noticed far quicker than any other domain name. Perhaps because .com is the oldest extension and therefore the most associated with reputable websites.

On the other hand local domain names will get the attention of local surfers. For example, if you live in the United Kingdom, mydomain.co.uk will get your attention far quicker than mydomain.com because you know it is a UK specific domain name and probably more relevant.

8) People will tend to type a domain name into their browser without dashes. For example, they will type mywebsite.com instead of my-website.com. A long domain name with dashes is easier to read, but it's more annoying to type into a browser.

If you optimize your website for the search engines, having a domain name with dashes has the advantage of making it a little easier for the search engines to understand.

9) Domain names can only contain letters, numbers, and dashes. Spaces and symbols are not allowed. Don't worry about upper and lower case characters as domain names are not case sensitive.

10) It is not true that most of the short domain names have been taken, thousands of domains expire every day and many of them are not taken up again. Type the phrase "deleted domains" into any search engine and you will find loads of websites dealing in deleted domains. Try it out and you might find the short sweet sales pulling domain name you were looking for.

How to Price Shipping and Handling

How to Price Shipping and Handling for Physical Goods

If you're running a business that sells physical goods and products, you will frequently need to dispatch your products all over the country - perhaps even all over the world. When you do this, you might pack the item yourself, or you might pay someone to do it. However you handle it, shipping and handling is an important aspect of your business, and the safety of the items you post rests partly on your shoulders, as badly packed items will often get damaged in transit.

Your shipping and handling charges are a determining factor in how competitive you will be in a niche market. Many established companies are well known for their efficiency in dispatching the product - customers trust them for their safe prompt delivery. Before you can emulate them, you need to come up with a fair pricing structure for shipping and handling as this is an additional cost paid by your customers. The costs of shipping in bulk are often cheaper than for a single item and you should consider giving your customers discounts for volume.

How do you calculate shipping and handling charges for your product? It's relatively easy, if you know the basics. There are two components in the price:

1) The handling cost which includes packing material, labor, storage and other related costs. While this cost is pretty easy to calculate and depends only on you, the most common mistake is to use the lowest price possible for packaging materials in the shipping calculation. The better way is to find an average cost for packaging materials and then source the cheapest. At least this way you still have some room to "sharpen your pencil" if your shipping quote is too high.

2) The shipping cost which is the charge for postage, freight or courier charges. These costs are not so straight forward and you need to research courier and freight charges to many destinations around the world. Bear in mind that not all shipping charges are fixed, and with a little effort you can easily negotiate an agreement with your shipping company.

Shipping and freight companies usually charge based on the weight and volume of items, the distance they are going to travel, and how quickly you want them to get there. Large volume or weight deliveries carry a premium price tag, while smaller and lighter ones cost less. If the destination is within your country, the shipping charges will be rather small compared to sending packages abroad. If you need urgent goods to be delivered quickly then you will need to pay higher 'priority' charges, whereas slow, 'non-priority' delivery costs much less.

When calculating shipping costs, don't calculate the cost of shipping to each country in the world, break it down into regions or by continent. If you are shipping small items like CD's use one shipping cost for local deliveries and cost for international deliveries. Find the most expensive shipping cost you are likely to incur and use that for all countries.

When your customer purchases a product, they will be charges the cost price for the product and the shipping and handling costs applicable for the delivery destination will be added at the checkout. A total is calculated and then charged to your customer at the end of the transaction.

You may want to consider offering customers a delivery priority for their shipment. For example:

Option 1. Standard shipping within 3 to 5 days (cheapest).

Option 2. Express 2-day shipping (average cost).

Option 3. Guaranteed Next Day 1-day shipping (most expensive).

Consider giving discounts on bulk orders. Customers will often insist on insurance for bulk orders and costly items and you should consider their request; not only does it makes them more comfortable, it saves you a big PR headache if the order goes missing. On all shipments include a clearly explained shipping, handling and return policy.

Always take care to prepare the proper documentation to suit the insurance, tax and customs regulations in force in your own country and in the destination country. If you are shipping to another country, make sure your product is not prohibited. If you sign up with a trustworthy shipping agent or courier most of the documentation will be handled by them, giving you peace of mind that your items will be delivered safely and quickly.

Killer Copywriting Tips to Increase Niche Sales

Killer Copywriting Tips to Increase Niche Sales

The success of your niche website is going to depend on the quality of the copywriting on your sales page (there is no such thing as a product that sells itself). People will only purchase a product or service if they consider it a viable solution to one of their problems. Your task is to convince visitors to your sales page that your product or service is the best solution available.

It is vital you get their attention; nobody is going to read your sales page just because it is there. They need to be stopped dead in their tracks and compelled into reading your sales page.

You do this with a big bold headline. A headline that in one sentence highlights a problem your potential customer is grappling with and hints that a solution is available from reading your sales page. For example, your customer might be flat broke and desperately seeking a way of making extra money... This Headline will get their attention: "How To Start With Nothing And Create A Money Making Empire".

No matter how bold you make your headline, it's lost if the next sentence doesn't capture your reader and lead them into your sales page. This next sentence is often called a sub-headline and is often formatted to be bolder than the rest of the text on the sales page.

The sub-headline must provide a compelling reason for your prospective customer to continue reading. Saying your product or service is the best is not a compelling reason. Implying your customer will benefit in some way is compelling. For example a sub-headline like: "This New Business In A Box Can Earn You Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars While It Runs On Full Auto-Pilot" implies that money can be made in this business which runs on its own without much personal involvement. Basically your big benefit is time saving; while the business runs on its own, you can go do whatever you like.

Having got your readers full attention, its time to elaborate on the problem and how your product or service can offer a solution. You must speak on a one to one basis; imagine your friend is sitting opposite you and you are explaining why your product or service is the solution they have been looking for.

You need to get involved in the conversation that is going on in their mind. In essence you need to create a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) which asks and then answers as many questions as possible. Put yourself in your friend's position and ask:

- What are they feeling?

- What are they scared of?

- What do they disbelieve?

- What are their expectations?

- What is their dream solution?

Each of your answers must introduce how your product or service is the solution. In your final copy, you may choose to list these points or you may choose to re-write them so they flow from one point to the next. There is no "best method" and only testing will show which method works best in your unique circumstance.

By explaining the many ways your prospective customer will benefit, you begin to create a desire for your product or service. Don't fall into the trap of implying you have improved on what is available from your competitors. Running down your competitors won't get you anywhere. The only way to heighten your prospective customer's desire for your product is to show them more and more ways they will benefit from owning your product or service.

The only time you list the features of your product or service is when they add to the benefits your prospective customer will receive. For example, a key feature of a new computer could be that it has a Pentium 4 processor, but owning a computer with a Pentium 4 processor is irrelevant to somebody who only uses it to download email; it is relevant to somebody who needs the extra processing power of a Pentium 4 processor if they use their computer as a full multi media center.

Having established a desire for your product or service, you need to call your prospective customer to action. Put simply, you need to ask them for the sale and state it in an obvious manner. For example, if your want them to order, use a very obvious graphic order button which states "Click here to order now".

Copywriting is a skill that takes a lot of learning and practice to perfect. You are not going to be a copywriting expert on your first time out, but experiment using these simple tried and tested copywriting tips and are bound to increase your niche website sales.

How to Profit From Drop Shipping

How to Profit From Drop Shipping

Smart Internet marketing involves smarter business strategies - and one such strategy is drop shipping. With drop shipping, you can save your time and put it to better use making you more money.

Drop shipping is an entrepreneur's dream, offering a host of benefits. To put it simply, drop shipping allows you to sell goods online at a price of your choice without keeping any inventory. When the customer purchases the goods and makes payment for them, you will place an order for the product though your supplier, a drop shipper. Your drop shipper then charges you a wholesale price for the product and ships the product directly to the customer. You get to keep the difference between wholesale and retail price.

Drop shipping offers many unique advantages to you:

1. You don't need to keep stock or inventory.

2. You don't need to bother with packing and shipping.

3. You can make money easily by just taking orders.

4. Your profit margin could increase.

Even though drop shipping can have many advantages, however, there are some things you need to consider:

1. Any product or service you intend to sell online must be in demand.

2. The product you choose must sell in high volumes: the fact that you could sell the profit cheaply and make a good margin doesn't mean anyone is buying. Research the market for any product line you're considering. Try to determine demand for the product, how much competition there is, and what they're charging.

3. Signing up with a well-known supplier offers you many benefits. For instance, you will probably find it easier to return unsatisfactory products. Some drop suppliers will even pay the return costs in these cases. As a promotion, some suppliers will even offer you products for free if you meet their targets.

4. Target one or two products at a time -- don't be in a rush to sell lots of different ones. Maintaining a large drop shipping business is often difficult and can become unmanageable.

How do you set your drop shipping business? To get started, find a directory of legitimate drop shippers with excellent reputations. Make a list of drop shippers who are established in the business and have a proven track record. Next, take the top five from the list and look through their website for products and services. In most cases you will find that their catalogue is massive, with all sorts of things available. Above all else, you need to be sure that you can sell what you choose.

Once you've done your homework, make contact with the drop shipper, either by phone or by mail. Don't start prematurely telling them all about your project, though -- you should start by asking for additional information on the terms and conditions. You will have read every clause and sub-clause thoroughly, taking care to understand the business model you're signing up to. Terms and conditions and service policies often vary with different drop shippers -- look out for any hidden clauses that could cause you trouble in the future.

The next step is to select the best offers from the drop shippers and start negotiating for better commission rates. If you have a thriving web business with a lot of traffic, it's possible to make a case for a better commission rate. Once the terms and conditions are acceptable to both of you, you can add the products to your online store.

When you work with a drop shipper, you become a "merchant" or "trader". This usually means that you will need to register with the relevant authorities. To become a merchant you may have to register to file tax returns and get a valid license to sell your products. Such regulations vary from region to region, so you should check it out with your local authorities.

The biggest headache associated with drop shipping is product returns. Don't expect it to be anything like smooth sailing. You'll run into back orders, product returns or even refund demands, if products are defective. As the shipping isn't under your control, it's difficult to explain your customers what's going on when products are unavailable or delivered late. Your own terms and conditions, user policy and other such notices must be precise and explain everything in detail to the customers. Always aim to avoid legal hassles, but do be prepared to contest customers' claims.

How to Develop Your Own Niche Products or Services

How to Develop Your Own Niche Products or Services

If you create a product based on what you like, or what you think people will like, you will be extremely lucky to sell one single copy, and you'll probably have to bribe the person to buy it!

The only way to create niche products or services that become best sellers is to discover what your potential customers want. What problems are they facing that you can solve. What pain are they experiencing that you can soothe.

There's only one way to get this information... You have to conduct some research. You have to uncover your potential customers needs, their pain, even their dreams and aspirations. Here are a few idea to get you going:

~Use Forums

Use the search engines to find a number of forums related to the niche your're interested in. Visit these forums regularly and find out what questions people are asking and how often they are asked. The same question asked by many different people on many different forums is a possible topic for your product or service.

~Use Surveys

If you own an opt-in email list, send a brief survey to your subscribers to discover the problems they are facing. If a common problem emerges from your survey, providing the solutions to this problem is a possible topic for your product or service.

If you don't own an opt-in email list, you could send a solo advertisement to a few ezines with a large subscriber base and invite people to take part in your survey by offering a useful reward for their participation.

If you own a website which receives a lot of traffic, you could use a popup to invite people to your survey.

~ Use Wordtracker

Wordtracker.com is one of the most useful research tools on the internet. You can use it to uncover what people are searching for on the internet.

Not only that, you can use it to find out how often people search for different topics. It is a great tool for discovering niche markets.

On its own, Wordtracker is unlikely to point you to your next best seller, but when used in conjunction with surveys you have a very powerful research tool.

Once you have discovered what problems your potential customers are facing it is time to set about creating a product to solve them using any of the following three methods:



1) Use products which come with Private Label Rights.

If you purchase a product with Private Label Rights you can do virtually anything you want with the existing product, you could:

- Insert your name as the author/creator

- Re-arrange the contents

- Add to or remove contents

Private Label Rights is by far the quickest method of creating your own product. The only real disadvantage is other people will be using the same content as their own, so if you use the contents "as is" you won't have a unique product.

2) Use products found in the public domain

If a product is in the public domain, it means the copyright on it has expired and you are free to use the contents. While not as quick as Private Label Rights products, using a product from the public domain means you can get yourself a unique product.

Do a search for public domain products and once you have found one purchase a copy and have it digitized (made into an e-book). You could do this yourself with a scanner and good character recognition software, but you will be busy for many hours proof reading and correcting. A quicker route is to have the work professionally digitized as they do all the proofing and correcting as part of the service.

You can copyright your new digitized product, meaning nobody can sell copies in that particular format.

3) Create your own product

Even going this route doesn't mean you have to do all the work. There are many people willing to write articles, write e-books and even code scripts for a price.

By going to websites such as Elance.com you can negotiate a fair price with people willing to do the work for you. Part of the contract being you keep the copyrights, they simply provide the finished content (known as ghostwriting).

The biggest disadvantage is you have no idea whether they have used other people's content. If they have you will be charged with copyright violation, not them. Before using a ghostwriter, try and do a background check and check their references thoroughly.