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SITE-SELL! Issue #029
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SITE-SELL! The World's Most USABLE E-commerce E-zine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >A free, occasional e-zine dedicated to showing you... >... how to SELL on the Net! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dec 23, 2002 Issue #029 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >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/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Table of Contents o SITE-SELL! Xpress News 1) Last Time EVER... Buy-1-Get-1 Free Holiday Promotion -- o Featured Article 1) "What's the Difference Between SBI! and..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SITE-SELL XPRESS NEWS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >-News- ---1--- >-News- Last Time EVER... Buy-1-Get-1 Free Holiday Promotion Last year's Buy-1-Get-1 Free Holiday Promotion was hugely successful... too successful, actually. We had to process all those extra orders manually and, boy, were we swamped! However, people always remember great deals. So for the past few weeks, we've been receiving e-mail asking if and when we would do it again. We said "NO" and then "MAYBE" and finally... "OK, OK, OK.... We're doing it one last time." Yes, I really mean that! This will be the last ever Buy-1-Get-1 Free special. Why? Because we're just a much bigger company and the free sites really cost us quite a bit to process and run. I try to keep SBI! as tight as I can, cost-wise, so this really stretches those margins razor-thin. Why only SBI!? We just don't have the staff to handle the manual freebies for ALL the other products, too, so we are only offering it for SBI!. And please, let me repeat... This will be THE LAST TIME we do it. Sorry to shout, but I want to emphasize... with the way SiteSell and Site Build It! are growing, and with upcoming new features about to propel it ever higher... 1) Value Exchange (REAL and effective link-exchanging) 2) Full SBI!-HTML Editor Compatibility (yes, FrontPage, DreamWeaver, etc.!) 3) Open Rate for MailOut 4) Directory HQ reporting 5) Addition of MSN to Search Engines HQ -- just added, along with several refinements to HQ reporting! Coming Early 2003... 1) E-goods (from merchant account to fulfillment) 2) 2-tier Affiliate Program (same way we do it at SiteSell) ..... there's simply no way we'll be able to allocate the (wo)man power to execute such a campaign next year. So... This is your last chance to use this special promotion to get your own business (whatever it may be) on the cyber-track to success... at a price that borders on the insane. (Even SBI!'s REGULAR price is beyond comparison to anything on the Net.) If you have been waiting all year for this special to purchase two SBI!s for the price of one, this is your positively, absolutely, definitely (is that SURE enough?) last chance to do so. (No need to start both sites right away, just let us know when you want to start the 2nd.) Or, get into the spirit of the season... Give one site TO A FRIEND AS A GIFT. What better gift than the one that keeps on giving... and earning! :-) And yes, some folks even use this promotion to split the cost, each getting a site -- yes, we know -- it's OK... as long as you don't tell us! ;-) No matter why or who you do it with, here's how this super-special works... Visit the site... <> On the home page, you will see our Holiday Promotion... From now until midnight Dec. 24, when you buy a Site Build It!, you will receive another SBI! for no additional charge. -----SIDEBAR----- But don't worry about the short notice and the fast approaching 24th midnight deadline, we are going to extend it one more week to accomodate your busy schedule at this time. -----SIDEBAR----- Instructions on how to claim the gift are posted on the Site Build It! Confirmation Page, right after your order. Happy Holidays! < > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FEATURED ARTICLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------- ---1--- ------- "What's the Difference Between SBI! and...?" Remember that age-old philosophical riddle?... If a tree falls in a far-away forest, with no one around... Does it make a sound? Well... If a Web site sits out there in "the blue nowhere of cyberspace" and no one visits... Does it make any business? And if not, why pay for it? We'll see how this applies in just a minute. ----- Site Build It! isn't the only product available claiming to be the "ultimate" solution for small business owners on the Net. However, while some of our competitors' services appear sufficient AT FIRST GLANCE, it turns out that they're masters at mastering "the first glance." So take a CLOSER look at any offering that you THINK might compete with SBI!. A closer inspection will most certainly reveal them to be anything but true "competition." In fact, all these "small business solutions" make great case studies on how to "nickel and dime" your customers to death. It must be painful, getting hit with all those nickels and dimes all year long! So what brought on this favorite pet peeve rant?... Someone sent us an e-mail the other day, asking us... "What's the difference between SBI! and Verisign?" It could have been any one of several other major providers of "small business solutions" but in this case, it was Verisign. So before I responded, I decided to check out Verisign myself... http://www.verisignwebsites.com/ -----SIDEBAR----- Thousands of SOHOs, small businesses (1-10 employees), e-merchants, service businesses, NOHOs, affiliates, local businesses with local (!) clients and reps/IBOs/distributors have used SBI! to establish successful businesses. More and more, SBI! is being recognized as playing with "the big boys," so it is kind of nice getting those questions. -----SIDEBAR----- Take a look yourself... http://www.verisignwebsites.com/ This is yet another sad (yet happy for us) example of the "state of the Net" when it comes to meeting the needs of the small business person. Verisign's product (called "SiteToGo10") reflects the quintessential difference between SBI! and every other "small business solution" on the Net. We call their approach... "Instant gratification followed by slow, steady frustration." By the way, try their process shown at... http://www.verisignwebsites.com/ I did. I followed the process illustrated on the Versign site. And I really suggest you do the same in order to understand the approach. Yes, it really DOES only take 10 minutes to build a 5 page Web site. And it costs $99 (by extension, a 10-page Web site = $199). After you complete the "site-building" process, you end up with a "templatized tree in the blue nowhere"... o These aren't the sort of pages that draw targeted traffic from the Search Engines by focusing on the keywords unique to your clientele. o These pages don't build relationships or instill the trust necessary to inspire a potential client to pick up the phone and call you. This is, very simply, an unvisited "e-Yellow Pages" site. Just one more lonely "About Us" brochure that no one visits except a couple of current clients, who'll never return. ------ But wait, that's just the beginning... Try to protect your head! You're about to get pelted with nickels and dimes. Here's the actual copy on the site once you're about to sign up, after you've gone through their quickie process... """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" SiteToGo10 The ultimate in business Web sites for those with their own Web hosting. SiteToGo offers the flexibility of 10 professionally-designed Web pages for your business, plus live chat online support and 30 days access to the Web Site Manager FREE ($6.95 a month thereafter). If you decide not to keep Web Site Manager, you will need to make your own arrangements to edit your Web site. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Yes... $6.95 a month just to keep using the Web Site Manager. Disillusioned? Hold on, it gets worse still (I feel like an infomercial IN REVERSE!)... """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" A domain registration fee of $35.00 per year will be billed separately by VeriSign. After registering your web address, please allow up to three business days for it to become active. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" .... and believe it or not, the nickels and dimes continue to bang you all over your noggin. So far we've got... o $199 for a 10 page Web site o $76.45 for the use of Site Manager for the remainder of the year o $35.00 for domain registration. And this does not yet include your site's hosting (no, I'm NOT making this up!), which ranges from $20 to $100 PER MONTH on top of everything else. So add a MINIMUM of another $240 (maximum of $1200!). All those nickels and dimes added up to... $450.45 for a 5-page site or... $550.45 for a 10-page site .... up to a MAXIMUM total of over $1500 ANNUALLY. ------ So how can Verisign get away with it? Most small business people are used to paying at least $50 per month for a Yellow Pages ad, and do so without blinking. My local pharmacist pays $14,000 per year for a variety of Yellow Pages ads that he buys in various categories. And they don't expect much from that investment -- it's simply something they must do. So for many on the Net, it's the same sort of thing. Someone told them they needed a Web site, so they got a Web site. And they pay the $50-$100-$200 per month... month after month, secure in the knowledge this is simply something to be added to the everyday cost of doing business... .... just like their Yellow Pages ad. Heck, it's cheap compared to the Yellow Pages! But NOW... People are discovering Site Build It!. Do you know what the most common question is, by phone AND by e-mail... "What's the catch?" I LOVE that question. No catch. Compare Site Build It! against its major competitors... http://buildit.sitesell.com/compare.html No catch. Except for all the wonderful e-mail we CATCH... """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" We are just coming up to our second anniversary and will break 50,000 visitors for the first time this month. Since August, our traffic has tripled, probably because of the Google and Yahoo deal. Our first year we had 77,000 visitors and this year we will have 293,000. We have had visitors from over 90 different countries the past few months. Ken and Cheryl Bryski Nanaimo, British Columbia http://www.quick-easy-recipes.com gramma-cookie@quick-easy-recipes.com """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" -----SIDEBAR----- We just did a really important piece in the 5 Pillar Report on offline businesses with LOCAL clientele, the Yellow Pages, and the truly tremendous potential that the Net holds for these "last to get the Net" businesses... http://buildit.sitesell.com/yp.jpg The above little ad, placed in a single location in the Yellow Pages, costs more than SBI!, which literally builds sites that attracts tens of thousands of customers. If you are not yet a 5 Pillar Affiliate, get this back issue (#107) by joining at... < > And we are not the only ones catching on to the needs of the "local" small business... Local small business owners will be interested in Sharon Fling's wonderful e-book, "How To Promote Your Small Business On The Internet." It is without a doubt, the single best publication on this topic. If you're familiar with SiteSell.com, you'll know we don't make recommendations often, nor lightly. But I have been mentioning Sharon's book because it's a book that makes a difference. I am a big believer in the importance of the Net to local businesses. And Sharon's voice is one of the first in this wilderness. Her voice is clear, sharp and original. So I'm doing something that I've never done before... If you are a small business owner trying to figure out how to get the most out of the Net, we've arranged for YOU to buy the book at 50% off the posted price, by giving up our affiliate commission of 50%. You can buy it at... http://geolocal.com/ss/sitesellspecial.htm You can read more about the book at... http://www.localbizpromo.com/ And, of course, Sharon won't mind if you prefer to buy it at full price, which you may do by clicking to her order page! ;-) Either way, "How to Promote Your Local Business on the Internet" is a fantastic MUST-read publication for anyone wishing to use the Net to expand a LOCAL BUSINESS. Highly recommended!... http://geolocal.com/ss/sitesellspecial.htm -----SIDEBAR----- Sorry, I got a little sidetracked there. But heck, that's why I call them "SIDEBARS." :-) So, back to Versign and the other major players in the small business hosting business... http://buildit.sitesell.com/compare.html Bottom line?... Versign says it's possible to build a bona fide Web business in 10 minutes flat. While this will appeal to some, all except the "get-rich-quick" folk understand that NOTHING of value gets created in 10 minutes. Nothing. ----- Although I've been picking on Versign here, it isn't the only company that fails to recognize the realities of the needs of the small business/netrepreneur in cyberspace. None of the "big name" providers are doing any better. And here's the worst news about all those nickels and dimes... they don't begin to deliver the functionality required to build a real, live, breathing, thriving business. SBI! includes a staggering array of functionality... http://buildit.sitesell.com/index.html#FEATURES And we're not stopping there. Coming soon... 1) Value Exchange (REAL and effective link-exchanging) 2) Full SBI!-HTML Editor Compatibility (yes, FrontPage, DreamWeaver, etc.!) 3) Open Rate for MailOut 4) Directory HQ reporting 5) Addition of MSN to Search Engines HQ (Live NOW!) 6) E-goods (from merchant account to fulfillment) 7) 2-tier Affiliate Program (same way we do it at SiteSell) .... all at no added cost (except for the upcoming e-commerce bundle which will also offer unparalleled value). Please do compare, head to head, and see how Site Build It! measures up against the major competitors... http://buildit.sitesell.com/compare.html In the end, RESULTS speak for themselves. As thousands have testified, Site Build It! just plain SUCCEEDS... ------------------------------------------- Today is my birthday and what a birthday present I got thanks to SBI!. I opened it up this morning to count 75 - that's Seventy Five! - #1 Search Engine ratings. Things have not gone this well for me in decades and I am flying high on myself and my site. I have this great site selling something I love, and money in the bank from selling it. A great Birthday Present. Thanks to you guys at SiteSell! Karen Copeland? Golf South Africa golf-travel-packagessouthafrica.com ------------------------------------------- Got a business to build? Just thinking about it? Take advantage of our last ever Buy-1-Get-1-Free sale. And take advantage, too, of our "Money-Back Satisfaction & Success Guarantee." It turns your purchase into a "no risk take-it-home-for-a-test-drive" trial. For full info about Site Build It!, please visit... < > After all... Why build JUST a Web site, when you COULD build a BUSINESS? < > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SITESELL PRODUCTS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Site Build It! "E-commerce for the rest of us" < > Take the SBI! Quick Tour at... < > Make Your Site SELL! 2002 "The definitive work on making any Web site SELL!" < > Make Your Knowledge Sell! "Turn knowledge into income -- sell your brain on the Net." < > Make Your Price Sell! "Price with complete confidence & double your Net profits." < > Make Your Words Sell! "Want to sell MORE? Become an e-persuader." < > Make Your Net Auction Sell! "An e-biz in every closet... Get into Auction Action!" < > Surefire Premium Processing "Premium Processing for Premium Companies" < > ----------------------------------------------- SiteSell University: The Masters Courses (Free) ----------------------------------------------- SiteSell University is free. The Masters Courses cover all the vital "must-get-it-right" issues with fresh, original, and valuable thinking. You won't read this anywhere else on the Net. And, best of all, the courses are free. Take the courses that interest you today. You'll receive your first e-mail installment immediately, followed by four more installments daily. Service Sellers Masters Course Attract new clients from around the world... Or from around the block < > Affiliate Masters Course Shows you how to become a high-earning affiliate champion. < > InfoProducts Masters Course How to brainstorm, create, produce, and sell your very own infoproduct online < > Pricing Masters Course "How much money are YOU leaving on the table?" < > Netwriting Masters Course Want to sell more? Write better. < > Net Auction Masters Course Start and grow a profitable Net auction business. < > ------------------ Other Free Goodies ------------------ SiteSell.com's 5 Pillar Affiliate Program Graduated from the Aff Master's Course? Get your PhD, Free! And Earn Substantial Lifetime Income at the Same Time. < > The SBI! Sweepstakes Win a Free Site Build It! < > ***The Best Free Books on the Net*** Including the Invaluable Bible on Pricing < > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back issues available at... http://www.sitesell.com/site-sell-backissues.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO UNSUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe, go to the following URL and enter your e-mail address. If you use more than one e-mail address, be sure to enter the same one that you used when you subscribed. http://www.sitesell.com/unsubscribe-ss.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WANT TO CHANGE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS AT WHICH YOU RECEIVE THIS? http://www.sitesell.com/change-email.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Written by Ken Evoy, M.D., President, SiteSell.com (c) copyright 2002 SiteSell.com