Sales from the EDGE
Back Issue #052
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Sales from the EDGE Issue #052
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Sales from the EDGE
Cutting Through The Clutter
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>From time to time, the EDGE publishes important updates.
Sent ONLY to SiteSell product owners, the EDGE cuts through
the "white noise" of Web selling, covering only the
important developments that you NEED to capitalize upon.
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May 25, 2004
Issue #052
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SiteSell Value Exchange
If you have NOT yet submitted your site,
you're letting Search Engine rankings go
to your competitor. There's no charge...
http://value-exchange.sitesell.com/
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
o NEWS FROM THE SITESELL EDGE...
1) The Buy-1-Get-1-Ecom-Free Promotion
2) SBI! Launches Password-Protected Pages
--
o FEATURED ARTICLES...
1) The Difference Between Business Success & Failure
2) Lessons from Trump and "The Apprentice"
3) How to Design a Site that SELECTS Your Customers...
*AND* Weed Out the Folks You Do NOT Want
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NEWS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The Buy-1-Get-1-Ecom-Free Promotion
Recently, I announced the Buy-1-Get-1-Ecom-Free promotion
for our soon-to-be-released "World's Best Shopping Cart"...
o three levels of power, depending on the user's needs
o integrates smoothly into SBI!
o provides several possible ways to "get the money" via
payment gateways such as authorize.net, OptimalPayments.com,
PayPal, etc., etc.
Please note...
Only CURRENT owners of SBI! receive 3 FREE months of "Level
1" SBI! E-commerce, as well as LARGE discounts off "Levels 2
and 3" (higher-end, professional levels, there's almost
nothing you can't do with the highest level -- only the most
sophisticated will need the highest version, though).
Here's the bottom line, if you do NOT already own SBI!...
purchase SBI! *NOW* and get the first level of E-com free
for 3 months (subject to the usual transaction fees by your
processor), or near-50% discounts off the regular retail
price of the higher levels.
-----SIDEBAR-----
If you *DO* own SBI!, of course, just keep
building C-T-P...
http://ctpm.sitesell.com
... so that you have lots of PREsold traffic
for your Store Build It! e-tail operation.
-----SIDEBAR-----
Yes...
If you own SBI! at the time we launch e-com, you'll get
Level 1 for free, for three full months... a great way to
start. And/or the higher Levels at a greatly reduced price.
Buy-1-Get-1-Ecom-Free...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/main/home.html#CART
... while it lasts. Because the day we launch (and it's
drawing close), this offer disappears.
-----SIDEBAR-----
If you're wondering how we generated the
image in the URL, we shot it in a grocery
parking lot, then removed the background...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/main/home.html#CART
Really. :-)
-----SIDEBAR-----
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SBI! Launches Password-Protected Pages
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"I want to password-protect a Web page.
Can you add this functionality to SBI!?"
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We get that specific request frequently.
Easy as pie, SBIers can now password-protect any page...
A visitor types a password into the field provided on the
SBIer's designated page. If she enters the correct
password, she can see the page. If not, well... bye-bye!
Why do SBIers want this?
o Protect e-goods/downloadables from unauthorized access.
o Increase the perceived value of certain offerings.
SBIers can now offer certain articles/downloads as a bonus
to prompt whatever response they are seeking.
o Protect specialized content for sale.
o Use it to sell access to a special, members-only area
(using PayPal or other methods to collect payment).
o Offer V.I.P. treatment to select clients -- use it as a
hiding area for information you want to reserve for certain
people. Let's say you're a real estate agent, and you have
3 really unique properties that you don't want competitors
to know about. Tuck them on this page, then protect them.
Give the password only to quality prospective customers.
o Use it as a safe holding place for projects-in-progress.
How much EXTRA for this valuable feature? The usual...
Zero. :-)
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FEATURED ARTICLES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The Difference Between Business Success & Failure
In the last issue of the EDGE, I spoke of Marc Liron, an
SBI! owner. Marc has used SBI! and progressed from an
ex-sailor to a Microsoft MVP. *HOW* did Marc do it?
As I said in that issue...
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He supplied the ingredients SBI! needs...
BAM! (Brain and Motivation)
No way around it. Anyone with an ounce of
common sense knows that it takes some good
old-fashioned elbow grease to build a REAL
business. We're not "playing business" here.
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I've "lived" on the Net for 7 years now. I've seen "Get Rich
Quick" marketers come and go. Short-term, we've even lost
business to them, because there are always folks who are
enamored of the possibility of "making money fast and easy."
So much so, that they fall for great sales copy...
... over and over and over again.
By the time they realize that "this one didn't work and I'll
never do that again"... they fall for another one. These
"GRQ Junkies" flit from one "Get Rich Quick" to the next,
constantly in search of the Holy Grail that does not exist.
How can that be, you ask?
Well, I asked myself that question, too. And then...
It finally occurred to me!
These folks don't really BELIEVE that they are about to
build a serious, sustaining, profitable BUSINESS. They go
through the GRQ motions. They "PLAY" at business.
But, deep down, way inside where they are afraid to look,
they don't really expect or believe that they can succeed.
Or perhaps they don't feel they deserve to. But without
psychoanalyzing this to death...
Compare the GRQ attitude to the amazing folks you see here...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
Seriously, if you WANT to succeed, read their stories. It's
not important whether you buy SBI! or not. And even if you
are already successful, you'll learn from them.
These small business people not only bring "BAM," it's clear
that they EXPECT to succeed, from DAY 1.
As a result, the WORK towards that expectation.
But so many people just PLAY at business.
Another example?
We offer a unique-to-the Net SUCCESS guarantee...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/main/home.html#GUARANTEE3
It basically converts the purchase of SBI! into a "No Risk
Test Drive." How can we make such a guarantee?
Simple -- we know that SBI! works. Or, more accurately, we
know that anyone willing to work at building a business will
make SBI! work.
Yes, of course, there are folks who choose NOT to continue
and we do indeed refund them. But the key point is...
Why don't they continue? Here is the overwhelming #1 reason...
"Too much work."
Huh?
SBI! eliminates all the tech stuff (heck, they don't even
need to know HTML).
SBI! reduces the work load dramatically (no need to submit,
to resubmit, to watch spiders, to check rankings -- and
that's just for Search Engines -- there are over 50 work-
reducing modules and sub-modules!).
No need for tedious manual keyword research -- even the hard
job of creativity is supplied by the Brainstormer.
Anyway, you know all this by now -- the bottom line is that
SBI! eliminates ALL the obstacles, ALL the hard, tedious
work. In short, it does all the stuff that computers SHOULD
do.
But a SERIOUS business does not build itself. No real
business could ever do that. ONLY the GRQ schemes can claim
to do that. And anyone with an ounce of brains knows that.
If SBI! is too much work, there is simply no other way in
the world to build a real business, with real equity.
SBI! does not PLAY at business. We're serious about
building REAL businesses, with real equity, for SBIers.
So much so that we are about to launch a "sale of ownership"
module, since folks are actually SELLING their SBI!
businesses. It's a lot of manual work for us to transfer
ownership manually, so we're providing a tool for SBIers to
do it via the Web interface.
The bottom line...
SBI! = true equity.
If you expect to WORK at business and not PLAY at it, and if
you bring BAM...
You'll succeed online. We guarantee it. :-)
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Lessons from Trump and "The Apprentice"
Speaking of playing at business, I'm sure you saw the Trump
show, "The Apprentice." You may have noticed recurrent
lessons that were REALLY important...
1) A good idea vs. a bad idea gets you off to a roaring
start (ex., the female team sold advertising on rickshaws).
2) Smart execution puts that roaring start into the
stratosphere (ex., the female team pitched the rickshaw
advertising idea to business contacts they had ALREADY MADE
on previous shows, rather than waste time on new contacts).
3) When you get the first steps correct, it's amazing how
easy Monetization is. As a male member of the species, it
was almost embarrassing to watch the female team count their
dollars and beat the males so badly, week after week. ;-)
--
So what does that have to do with SBI!?
Everything. Online business success is all about using the
right process and tools, starting from DAY 1...
Content --> Traffic --> PREsell --> Monetize
http://ctpm.sitesell.com/
SBI!'s Brainstormer tool will lead you to the best idea
possible. Maybe you don't even have an idea right now.
Maybe you have ten. Either way, the Brainstormer will bring
you to *THE* single-best idea, the core of your business.
And it then proceeds to lay out the Content blueprint.
Then the rest of the C-T-P tools and process will make the
EXECUTION smart and flawless.
What's left? Just the M...
Pick up the money off the table.
Monetization is easy AFTER you have built traffic
successfully through CTP.
CTP, then M.
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
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How to Design a Site that SELECTS Your Customers...
*AND* Weed Out the Folks You Do NOT Want
I firmly believe in providing all the information people
need to make a smart, informed decision. And I believe in
the old copywriting axiom that people *DO* read long copy...
as long as you keep presenting information that is of
relevance and importance to them.
And since we launched the Content-Traffic-PREsell-Monetize
"mantra" in the new Site Build It! site...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
... folks learn, from that site, how to actually build a
successful business on the Net. Even if they don't buy SBI!
right away, they tell us over and over that they left
smarter than they entered.
The current site, which outlines the CTPM concept and why it
works, sells 60% better than its predecessor "despite" being
50% longer. After all...
If folks won't take the time to read and do their due
diligence, why in the world would I have any illusion that
they would work hard enough to build a business?
Think of it this way....
If someone won't review enough of the material from these
key sites...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
http://proof.sitesell.com/
http://quicktour.sitesell.com/
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
http://webmaster.sitesell.com/
http://directory.sitesell.com/
... are they really ready to do the WORK necessary to build
a real BUSINESS?
-----SIDEBAR-----
Invariably the "too much work" folks who
don't continue with SBI! have not read the
sites in the detail that they should have.
Of course, we refund them. Their failure to
do their due diligence upfront simply ends up
costing everyone time needlessly.
Unfortunately...
I have NOTHING to offer the "Get Rich Quick"
gang -- let them discover the disappointment
of THAT illusion as they get ruthlessly sold
by all the "hypesters" out there.
So the site weeds most of them out, and the
Guarantee eliminates the rest of them. We
don't have time to work with those who PLAY.
-----SIDEBAR-----
Back to the folks who won't read long copy...
If they won't read, will they ever realize that no other
business Web site...
o presents valuable information the way we do
o provides invaluable courses like our MASTERS courses, free
o proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that SBI! is the only
product of its kind that actually delivers the goods...
as long as you deliver the motivation.
Serious folks "get it."
Those who REALLY want to build a business "get it."
Those willing to bring BAM ("Brain and Motivation") to SBI! "get it."
Here's a review I found at Amazon the other day...
--------------------------------------------
It is amazing how many online sitebuilder
programs attempt to sell their product with a
funky, clunky, incoherent web site. They're
like a clothing salesman who dresses like a
slob and wonders why his sales are so low!
SiteBuildIt is the refreshing opposite: The
design and content of the site reflect the
quality of the product. The site:
1. Is well-written
2. Uses graphics to enhance understanding
3. Features a font size that is easy to read
and allows sufficient space between
paragraphs for smooth reading and improved
comprehension.
4. Contains numerous links to more detailed
explanations, testimonials, examples, and
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).
5. Promotes the product without resorting to
hype and hysteria.
6. Provides the visitor with an in-depth
education on web site design, Internet
marketing, search engines, monetization
strategies, and much more.
7. Features a product that is every bit as
good as advertised! (I've built 3 web sites
using SiteBuildIt).
Dr. Mark Worthen
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.
--------------------------------------------
SERIOUS business people are the folks who "fit" SBI! and who
will realize the full potential of Site Build It!.
Marry that kind of clientele with the power of SBI!, and no
wonder you get these kinds of results...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/sbi-businesses/traffic-alexa.html
http://results.sitesell.com/
--
I had a good chuckle the other day. I was in a meeting with
our team of SBI! advisors -- these passionate SBI! owners
answer questions that arrive via...
http://question.sitesell.com/
One of these owners-advisors forwarded me a rather rude
e-mail, which I'll clean up and summarize as follows...
-------------------------
"Geez, can't Ken say
it in 250 words or less?"
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We all laughed.
OK, so we're known for our "long sites." :-)
But then I took it as a challenge...
Can I boil SBI! down to the core?
Sure I can.
I reviewed all the sites that we feature on...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
I scanned the hundreds of sites on...
http://results.sitesell.com/
The folks who do best bring their passion. "Passion" makes
it easy to bring BAM... Brain And Motivation.
So here it is, in under 250 words...
http://passion.sitesell.com/
If you bring THAT to SBI!, and if you follow the Action
Guide, you simply can't lose.
Of course, I expect serious business people to use that
simple explanation as a launching pad to our other sites.
Our longer sites pre-select folks who "get it." These
people see through the "Instant Gratification" promises of
every other small business service...
What THOSE services do NOT tell you about is the "Delayed
Failure" part of their offering... a year of your life and
thousands of dollars spent, all down the drain.
Other sites, pure sales pitch, simply present the glitter of
"Instant Gratification" -- "yup, get that site up NOW." It's
really just another form of GRQ -- even the biggest
companies (in subtler copy) promise "Get Rich Quick."
Sorry, there's no such thing. YES...
SBI! DOES remove all the barriers...
o no need to be an HTML, CGI, PERL, PHP (etc.) whizbang
o no need to be a Search Engine Optimization guru
o no need to spend hours staying up to date in Net marketing
(we do all that for you and boil it down for you).
Yes, SBI! does all that and MORE.
But the site has been designed to ELIMINATE the GRQ, not
attract him. After all...
You want to build a REAL business. That takes some time and
elbow grease, no way around it. NO business builds itself.
(If it did, EVERYONE would be rich beyond their wildest
dreams! But if it did... why would YOU be necessary?)
Please take another look at these inspiring PEOPLE...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
The smart folks, willing to work, and truly EXPECTING to
build lives of independence and self-reliance, "get it."
And that, dear reader, is exactly who we want as clients.
Our sites' Most Wanted Response?
Attract and convince the people who EXPECT to succeed, and
are ready to work at it to make it happen. They'll use SBI!
to get it DONE with far less work than any other small
business solution on the Net, which means that they'll get
10 times more DONE in the same amount of time, once
EVERYTHING is factored in.
Which leads me to my all-important question for you...
What is YOUR site meant to do?
"Between the lines," are you delivering the right message to
select the right customers, while simultaneously getting rid
of the types of people you don't want as customers?
Remember, part of being profitable is NOT selling to those
who end up costing YOU time, money and/or joy.
If you're struggling with your existing site, it may be time
to take a fresh look at doing it right...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
And if you're just about to get started, please don't fall
for the siren call of "Instant Gratification." There is
much, much more to just "getting a site up."
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SiteSell Discount Directory~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.sitesell.com/discount-directory.html
Please bookmark this page -- it's the only page that you
will EVER need to buy SiteSell products at an owners-only
discount. For owners of SiteSell products ONLY, it provides
discounts on SiteSell products.
SiteSell Discount Directory
http://www.sitesell.com/discount-directory.html
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Back issues available at...
http://www.sitesell.com/edge/backissues.html
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WANT TO CHANGE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS AT WHICH YOU RECEIVE THIS?
http://www.sitesell.com/change-email.html
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SiteSell Support...
http://support.sitesell.com/contact-support.html
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Written by Ken Evoy, M.D.
President, SiteSell.com
(c) copyright 2004 SiteSell.com
Hudson, Quebec
Canada J0P 1J0
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