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SITE-SELL! Issue #015
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SITE-SELL!
The World's Most USABLE E-commerce E-zine
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>A free, occasional e-zine dedicated to showing you...
> ... how to SELL on the Net!
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March 5, 2001
Issue #015
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>ALL-TIME FAVORITE SITE-SELL! ARTICLE
If a friend forwarded this copy of SITE-SELL! to you, here's
our readers' all-time favorite SITE-SELL! article. It's a
powerful example of how to makeover your own site to...
... SELL on the Net! :-)
http://articles.sitesell.com/bhh/
If you like what you see and want to keep getting more of
the same, please visit...
http://myss.sitesell.com/s-ezine.html
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>READER'S CHOICE...
Care to see the VERY BEST ARTICLE (according to reader
feedback) from each of our OTHER two e-zines?...
http://articles.sitesell.com/
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>TABLE OF CONTENTS
o SITE-SELL! Xpress News
1) Announcing the Site Build It! Sweepstakes
Win TWO Years of Site Build It!
2) Announcing New E-zine, SITE BUILD IT! EXPRESS
o Featured Articles
1) The 5 Pillar Program -- Still the Best!
And Now... Don't Miss "The 2% Solution"
2) Why Only Offer One Site to Sell?
Why Not Two?
Heck, Why Not Three?
A Sneak Peak...
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>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SITE-SELL XPRESS NEWS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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--1--
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Announcing the Site Build It! Sweepstakes
Win TWO Years of Site Build It!
Last issue, I introduced you to our new product, Site Build
It!. It's SiteSell's total solution to building low cost
TARGETED traffic to your site. It's perfect for affiliates
of ANY program, online store owners who NEED more traffic,
and anyone selling their labour of love.
SBI! reduces the tedious and sometimes baffling process of
building properly-built search engine optimized pages...
... down to the matter of clicking a few buttons.
Even the most complex, time consuming processes are broken
down into tiny simple steps, totally DO-able by anyone.
All you have to provide is the motivation.
If you've haven't checked it out yet, you owe it to
yourself to do so...
http://makemy.sitesell.com/buildit/
-----SIDEBAR-----
Site Build It! is growing like crazy. We're working on...
1) A Digital E-commerce module -- if you've ever thought
about creating and selling an e-book, now's the time to
start writing. In 2-3 months, you'll be able to sell and
fulfill EXACTLY the way that SiteSell.com sells MYSS!.
2) Completion of the Entire Search Engine Reporting module,
including an "Analyze It" module that will report on your
page BEFORE you build it.
3) An E-zine MailOut component that will allow you to
automatically take subscriptions and do mail outs (html
and/or text) to your opt-in list.
4) A Site Build It! "Action Guide" that customizes the
Affiliate Masters Course to integrate totally with the Site
Build It! tools. It will serve as a pathway of information
that pulls users from one stepping-stone-tool to the next,
until the user is up and running and succeeding...
... nice and easy.
And that's just the beginning... remember how far we've come
since early 2000? Well, by this time NEXT year, we will
have dwarfed that jump.
-----END SIDEBAR-----
This issue, however, I have some even better news! Yes,
now you can *WIN* a subscription to Site Build It!
Now's your chance to win 2 whole years of Site Build It!
-- a prize worth over US$700!
But the good news doesn't end there...
We've included a "refer-a-friend" viral element into the
sweepstakes. How's it work? We reward you for introducing
Site Build It! to your friends.
That's correct, each friend you refer counts as an entry in
our monthly drawing. The more friends you tell...
The better your chances of winning! ( A maximum of ten
entries allowed).
So...
Are you feeling lucky today?
Search through the Rolodex -- the more friends you tell
about Site Build It!, the better your chances at winning the
prize!
Polish up that rabbit's foot, and head over to...
http://makemy.sitesell.com/sweeps/
...
...
...
Back already? Great! Onwards and upwards! :-)
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Announcing New E-zine, SITE BUILD IT! EXPRESS
Thanks to feedback and great ideas from Site Build It!
owners, we're gearing up to make SITE BUILD IT! EXPRESS the
perfect "up-to-date" power-complement to Site Build It!.
Regular features will include...
o "SBI! Stars" -- smart people using SBI! in smart ways
(some of them, ahead of OUR time!)
o updates on best ways to get the most out of paid
programs at various engines and directories
o breaking news and analysis (ex., maximizing your return
on GoTo's new policy of 5-cent minimum -- and the NEW best
deal on the Net).
It's all part of the overall SBI! policy... you should not
have to worry about a thing. Not even keeping up to date.
Becuase we do all that for you, and just bring you the key
material that you need to know, AND tell you how to use SBI!
to get the most out of the new info.
And, as we engineer major new architecture and modules for
Site Build It!, thanks to the resources of our parent
company SureFire Commerce, Site Build It! will only continue
to grow in effectiveness and power.
--
P.S. The more I get to know the folks at SureFire, the more
I respect and admire the whole organization. They've done
amazing things in transaction processing, growing from
US$250 million per year to over US$250 million per
QUARTER...
... in just one year.
And that engine will become an important part of the
upcoming e-commerce modules in Site Build It!.
For more info about SureFire...
http://www.sfcommerce.com
Download their financials and take a look at the balance
sheet...
Couple those financial resources with the people resources,
and you'll understand why I'm so excited about Site Build
It!'s direction for 2001. :-)
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>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FEATURED ARTICLES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The 5 Pillar Program -- Still the Best!
Allan Gardyne (of Associateprograms.com) is arguably the
world's foremost and most respected affiliate program guru.
-----SIDEBAR-----
Affiliate programs allow associates to pre-sell visitors
through to a merchant partner's product for a percentage of
ensuing sales.
For the merchant, an affiliate program represents cost
effective advertising -- because payouts are made only when
partners generate results.
And for the budding netrepreneur?
The perfect way to dabble her toes into the sometimes
unforgiving murky waters of e-commerce. Yep, affiliate
programs are...
E-commerce for everyone!
With that said, there's far cry between a good program that
recognizes the value of affiliates and treats them as true
partners, and well... one that doesn't.
-----END SIDEBAR-----
In fact, it was that same Allan Gardyne who's repeatedly
called SiteSell's 5 Pillar Program...
"The Best on the Web."
Every couple of weeks, Allan delivers a superb newsletter to
his 15,000+ members. Packed with great articles, Allan
delivers warnings and recommendations based on thorough
detective work, a journalist's keen nose, and subscriber
feedback.
If you're not yet a subscriber to Allan Gardyne's fantastic
Associate Programs Newsletter...
http://www.associateprograms.com/
If you ARE a subscriber, you'll have noticed that one
particular theme keeps surfacing lately. It's a little
alarming just how often this theme keeps recurring, in fact.
And what's the theme?
o So-and-so program shuts down without a word of warning to
1,000s of affiliates.
o So-and-so program renegs on affiliate payouts.
o So-and-so program removes sign-up initiatives.
o So-and so program slashes commission rates.
o So-and-so program fades away quietly into the darkness...
Whoops!
And there you were...
Building your business. Slaving, toiling, and labouring.
Tote that bar, lift that bale... start making a few bucks
and ...
Glug, glug, glug.
Somebody just pulled the plug on your business.
Oh well -- I guess you'll just have to start all over
again. :-(
A pleasant scenario?
Hardly. But not an uncommon one on the Net these days,
especially as the dot-bomb fallout continues. Sure, a few
programs will continue to limp along until creditors can no
longer be convinced that revenue lies just around the
corner. Then they'll shut down too.
And where does that leave you?
Up the proverbial e-creek, that's where!
So much for being treated like a true partner!
With so much instability in the affiliate environment,
perhaps now would be a good time to review the precepts
that built SiteSell's 5 Pillar Program into...
"The Best on The Web."
SiteSell appreciates that you don't want to build your
business on a foundation of sand - that's why our
program is built on a foundation of solid granite...
5 Pillars of solid granite, to be exact. Let's review...
---
**Pillar #1**
1) Outstanding Product Line
Hmmm... nothing earth-shattering here. SiteSell's products
aren't guaranteed to be good. Nope, that's simply not
enough. They're guaranteed to be The Best.
Period.
Superb products are vitally important for your success in
*ANY* affiliate program. How can you honestly expect to
build a business around a company that sells so-so or
inferior products?
More importantly, how can you establish all important
credibility representing a product that sells inferior
products?
Really.
You don't need to be Buzz Aldron to figure this one out.
(Okay, okay, so he's not a rocket scientist -- he just flies
them!).
What two words are most commonly used
to describe SiteSell products?...
"They OVERdeliver."
---
**Pillar #2**
2) High first commission
First sale commissions should be high, and for good reason.
New customers are at a premium on the web... you should be
rewarded for introducing a merchant to a new one.
But too-high commissions can also be a warning sign...
a) Of over-priced, mediocre products that won't inspire long
term customer relationships.
Huh?
That means the first sale will also be the last sale, so
you can kiss good-bye that lifetime of commission income!
b) Of extremely low profit margins that don't allow the
company to grow. Company struggles, flounders, and finally
folds, leaving you back up that &$@% creek again!
Sigh. Back to square one.
Remember, high commission rates are perfectly acceptable on
digital products (software, infoproducts, ebooks), since
there are no physical costs (stocking, shipping, handling,
production), involved with the product.
In fact, SiteSell pays...
o 30% commission on the PDF version of MYSS!.
o 20% commission on the hard copy of the same book. Makes
sense, right? After all, we have the additional costs of
producing a physical product, plus somebody's got to package
it and stick it in the mail.
If you're seeing exceptionally high commission rates being
paid out on "hard goods", be wary. Alarm bells should be
ringing in your head (this is not a serious medical
condition, unless you've been taking too much aspirin!). ;-)
Over-inflated affiliate incentives are not a sustainable
business model in 2001.
Tempting? Sure. But it's no more advisable to build your
business around a company that can't possibly sustain
itself in the long run, than it is to build your house on
quicksand.
--
**Pillar #3**
3) Lifetime commission on all purchases of future products
by customers referred by you!
Obviously, it's much easier to build a business if your
customers are your customers for life. SiteSell has
implemented a 100% database matching system to ensure that
this is exactly the case.
Once your referred customer has made that initial purchase,
she receives a permanent cookie.
And what's so special about that cookie? It's inscribed
with your name. But, as we all know, even lifetime cookies
can disappear...
o computer crash
o new computer
o customer erases cookie.
So we back that cookie up with an elaborate database-
matching system that recognizes the repeat customer even if
someone ate that cookie!
And, just to be extra-safe, we re-write the cookie!
Congratulations! You really *DO* have a customer...
For life!
And of course, Pillar #3 is closely tied to Pillar #1. Yep,
without an outstanding product line, it just isn't going to
matter that all customers are yours for life.
Because they won't be back.
---
**Pillar #4**
4) A lifetime commission based on the earnings of your
entire team of affiliates.
The 5 Pillar Program is a 2-Tier Program -- that is, you
can earn commissions on all sales from those you refer to
SiteSell who later decide to become affiliate members.
Sure, a few companies may profess to do this, but if you
look closely at their membership agreement, you'll start to
see the close resemblance to Swiss cheese...
Full of holes!
SiteSell's 4th Pillar recognizes the lifetime value of a
visitor who becomes an affiliate. And what's so great
about that, you say?
Well, if a visitor "wearing" your cookie becomes an
affiliate, we add them to your team.
Yeah, yeah, so what, right?
Hold on, I'm getting to the good part...
You can earn a percentage of your Total Team Earnings.
That's correct, depending on your team's commission income
you'll be paid a percentage that increases proportionately
with the productivity of both you and your team members.
This inspires team leaders to help build and coach their
team by using the tools available in the 5 Pillar Club.
Payment of team commissions recognize the lifetime value
of a referred affiliate, yet acknowledges the passive nature
of this lifetime commission. Payouts are structured to
reward super achievers and serious performers.
And weed out the...
"Wanna get rich, but don't wanna work" crowd.
As the fourth "granite" pillar, the Team Concept has the
power to build up significant bonus income.
---
**Pillar #5**
5) A limited number of affiliates.
>From the merchant's point of view, you'd think that the
more would be the merrier, as far as affiliates go.
That's correct. However, barring a few exceptions, billions
of affiliate members is *ONLY* beneficial to the merchant.
As an affiliate, you should be interested in a company that
limits the number of members in its program.
Why?
Imagine how difficult it would be to scratch out a living
pre-selling a product that is already being represented by
1000's, even 100's of 1000's of affiliate members.
Exactly.
And that's why SiteSell will protect your business by
limiting the number of affiliates in our program. We
recognize that while a little competition is a good thing,
too much is not!
Comparably, most merchants could care less if 1000's of
affiliates are slashing each other's throats for a limited
number of customers. After all, the end result is still
the same... a sale for them, right?
But limiting affiliates is the final step in cementing that
true merchant-affiliate partner relationship. There's no
better way to say...
"We want you to succeed."
And that's why this makes up the 5th pillar of Sitesell's
5 Pillar Program.
--
"So let's get to the bottom line, Ken!"
OK, here it is...
Build your business on a foundation of granite.
Any long lasting business is built upon true partnerships.
That's why we went to the trouble of building the 5 Pillar
Program.
Other programs have a pretty simple philosophy...
Sink or swim, it's up to you!
But we want you to succeed. And we'll give you all the
tools you need to do so.
Heck, we'll bend over backwards to help those of you
interested in working to build a long-term profitable
business. Is there a caveat here?
A small one...
The key word here is "working". This is not a
get-rich-quick scheme. I cannot promise you riches. I
won't promise you riches. what I will promise is this...
If you're interested in working, we'll be there to help...
Every single step of the way.
Want to join the best team on the web? Interested in
becoming our partner in sales?
http://www.sitesell.com/affiliateprogram.html
--
Special P.S.:
We've just released "The 2% Solution." This is a special
fast-start document, guaranteed to help you get the best 90%
benefit out of the 5 Pillar Program, with 10% of the effort.
http://www.sitesell.com/affiliateprogram.html
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---2---
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Why Only Offer ONE Site to Sell?
Why Not TWO?
Heck, Why Not THREE?
A Sneak Peek...
As you know, we often offer a "quick tour" version of our
sites, as well as the longer, more complete version for
those who need enough information to really be sure.
Well, we're taking that a bit further this time. When we
release Site Build It! with its new, integrated Action
Guide, we'll also add two new ways to review the site...
1) The Quick Tour Slide Show
and
2) The "Three Minute Express" Review
It's not officially "up" yet, but I've tucked it at a URL so
you can take a quick peek...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/new-index.html
Like I said, it's not official yet. There are still a few
things to clean up. But if you review each approach, and
compare it to the original, longer site, I think you'll
agree that it makes sense to let your customers review a
site in the way that fits best with their personalities and
time availability.
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>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SITESELL PRODUCTS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Make Your Site SELL!
"The definitive work on making any Web site SELL!"
http://makemy.sitesell.com/myss/
Make Your Knowledge Sell!
"Turn knowledge into income -- sell your brain on the Net."
http://makemy.sitesell.com/myks/
Make Your Price Sell!
"Price with complete confidence & double your Net profits."
http://makemy.sitesell.com/myps/
Make Your Words Sell!
"Want to sell MORE? Become an e-persuader."
http://makemy.sitesell.com/myws/
Site Build It!
"Build income through content."
http://makemy.sitesell.com/buildit/
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Back issues available at...
http://www.sitesell.com/site-sell-backissues.html
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http://www.sitesell.com/unsubscribe-ss.html
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WANT TO CHANGE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS AT WHICH YOU RECEIVE THIS?
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Written by Ken Evoy, M.D.,
President, SiteSell.com Inc.
(c) copyright 2001 SiteSell.com Inc.