Work at Home Based Business

Archive for March, 2008

One of the most important aspects of internet marketing is the ability to sell multiple items to the same customer.  If every person who came to your site only bought one item and never came back, you would have to continuously drive more and more fresh traffic to your site to experience growth in profits.  This is how many internet marketers go about running their online home business. 

I have found that the more sales you can make to each and every one of your visitors, the easier your job becomes.  It is a known fact that people who have already bought from you once will be much easier to sell to on subsequent occasions.  Think of how much more profit your online business would be producing if every one of your customers made at least four separate purchases from your site over time. 

One of the best times to get many people to make a second purchase is immediately after they place an order.  It is at this time that their trust in you is at an all time high.  You have successfully convinced them that you are looking out for their best interest and are offering something of great value.  If they didn’t feel this about you they would not be ordering.

So how do you go about selling the person another item right after they have finished making their first purchase?  It is actually quite simple.  I am amazed at the number of internet marketers who fail to utilize this tactic.  Here is what you do:  Create a thank you page your customers are taken to after they finish ordering.  On this thank you page include an enticing offer for another related product.  This product should compliment or enhance the item the person just purchased.  The reason this works so well is that you catch them when they are still in the mindset to buy.  They probably still have their credit card out.  This makes selling them on the second product much easier.

You will find many people respond positively to your thank you page offer and order.  This will make your profits explode.  My online business profits increased by about 60% after implementing this simple thank you page offer. 

If you don’t have a second product to offer that’s no problem.  You can easily offer an affiliate product. All you need to do is find something that matches what you already offer and recommend it.  This is a simple and effective remedy if you don’t have a second product of your own.  I strongly recommend that you don’t let this powerful internet marketing technique go to waste.  Add this simple offer and watch your online business profits explode!

Okay, the holiday is over and it’s time to get back to work. But, I have a question to ask you…

Are YOU focused?

Here’s why I’m asking. See, a lot of us, when we sit down to do our day’s work, think we’re actually getting something done, but we’re not.

Tell me if this day sounds familiar to you.

7 AM – Get up, wash up, and have breakfast.
7:30 AM – Read the morning newspaper.
8:30 AM – Turn on the computer.
8:45 AM – Read some emails. Reply to some emails.
9:15 AM – Surf the web a bit. Maybe go to Youtube and watch some videoes.
9:45 AM – Go to our favorite forums. Answer a few posts and maybe start one of our own.
10:30 AM – Pull up one of those online rpgs. Get lost in that until lunch time.
12 Noon – Have lunch.

Okay, I’ll stop there. You know what I’m talking about. It takes you forever to actually get to your work and that is IF you ever get to it. Getting focused is the hardest thing in the world for you. And you know why that is?

You have NO schedule.

I wake up EVERY morning and know EXACTLY what I’m going to do each day. It’s all written out for me. I then check off each item as I complete it. I try to complete at least 8 items each day. Depending on how time intensive an item is, that may be a little tough, but I always accomplish a lot.

If you’re not focused, I don’t care how much smarts you have, you’ll NEVER be successful online.

So get out your Outlook scheduler or whatever you use and make a schedule for the next day and STICK TO IT.

The days where you don’t feel like working, reward yourself for completing a task. I do it by playing my guitar.

It works wonders and is a big part of the reason why I banked over $122,000 in 2007.

Get focused!

Make money.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim
4 Steps To Building Your Business…FREE
http://www.stevewagenheim.com/4steps.html

The Easter Bunny has a surprise for you at the end of this blog post, but you better act quick because it’s only good for today.

Today is a special day for a lot of people. For others, not so special. And in today’s day and age when you have to be so politically correct, you have to be very careful about offending certain people. Something as simple as saying “Happy Easter” can be devastating.

What happened to the world I lived in, back in the 60s and 70s, when you could wish anything to anybody and they didn’t get so bent out of shape because it was a holiday that they didn’t celebrate? Oh how I wish those days where here again. The world was a lot simpler.

This politically correct attitude has crawled into our marketing lives as well. We have to be so careful with everything we say. A sales message with one word taken out of context can get us flogged over at Digg or some other place where others can’t wait to hook their claws into you.

Let’s face it…it’s just plain nasty out there.

As a result, I think sales messages are getting way too generic. I think they’re watered down and people are too afraid to take chances. Oh sure, the big boys don’t care. They’ve got loads of money already so they can put up these outrageous sales pages. But the guy just starting out…he has to be VERY careful.

Even I find myself watching what I say. Well, that’s ended. I’ve started a new video series called “The Real Truth About Making Money Online” and I don’t care how politically incorrect it is. I’m going to blow the lid off of all the lies that are being spread about making money on the Internet. It’s been fun so far and the response has been good.

Anyway, you can find my Easter Special at the end of this blog entry in my signature.

Happy Easter!

Boy it felt good to say that.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wageheim
My Easter Special – My Secret Articles At 42% Discount
Today ONLY!
http://www.mysecretarticles.com/easter.html

Nuts…Salted, plain, peanut, cashews.

Or…

Crazy people, crazy marketers, crazy just about anything.

Or…

Okay, I won’t go there.

Interesting how one word can have so many meanings. Well, that’s pretty much what it’s like in the Make Money Online World. You have many words that have multiple meanings when it comes to earning a living on the Internet.

For example:

Guarantee:

This could mean the promise on a sales page that if you’re not satisfied with your purchase, you’ll get your money back.

It could also mean that your business partner has just promised you that your latest promotion is going to knock the socks off the Internet marketing world…right before it bombs out.

It’s a funny thing about guarantees. They’re so easy to make, but so few people really honor them.

I’ve sometimes had to write multiple emails to a company to get my money back on a product that not only didn’t perform as promised, but didn’t work at all. The great “blog blaster” is a perfect example of this…It did nothing.

If you’re going to be in business, you MUST honor your guarantee. You don’t have to make the greatest guarantee in the world (though I recommend it) but whatever guarantee you do make, honor it. Back it up with actions.

The consequences of not doing this are severe. It only takes a minute to totally ruin a reputation that took you years to build. Yes, I know, some people take advantage of guarantees. They’re called serial refunders and we all get them. But they are few and far between and we can’t allow those few people to influence the way we do business.

I’m a firm believer in karma. Do what’s right and it will come back to you many times over.

As for nuts, personally I think they’re a little too dry for me.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim
Creator Honest Income Program
Because Integrity Matters
HONEST INCOME PROGRAM

When you’re a work at home mom (WAHM), it can be very hard to find some quiet time away from kids so you can actually do your work. There are ways you can create time to work and below I have given you 5 ways to make extra time each day so you can work at home in peace.

1. Nap Time

One of the easiest ways to work at home with kids in the house is to do it while they nap. That way you’ll have the quiet you need in order to make phone calls, write emails, and otherwise concentrate on all the work you have to do. Scheduling naps for your children at the same time each day is a good way to get them adjusted to the routine so it’s not a chore to get them down each time. And if your children are older, you can still impose regular quiet times each day. Most older kids will be happy to get time alone in their rooms knowing that you won’t be disturbing them either.

2. Movie Time

As long as it’s structured, monitored, and kept to a reasonable and defined period of time, there is nothing wrong with sticking your kids in front of the TV for a little while. Allow them to watch a movie or TV for a certain amount of time each day while you work. Most children’s movies and television shows are fairly short to keep their attention and many of them are also educational. Your kids will love you for it, and you know you will be able to work at home without being interrupted constantly because your kids will be glued to a screen.

3. Structured Playtime

Once your child gets a little older they can be started on a fun activity they can enjoy while you’re working. This can be a puzzle, a model, drawing or coloring, working with logos, or any other activity you know they’ll find interesting and engaging. You can even place a little table right near your work desk so they can “work” right alongside you. Checking in with them and offering some assistance periodically will also give you a nice break from work every hour or so.

4. Playing Outdoors

If your kids are old enough to play outside unsupervised this is a great way to get some time away from them while you work at home. They get to have fun, burn some energy and get their much needed exercise while you get to have some free time to work. This is an especially easy solution if you have a fenced-in yard. You might even be able to ask a neighbor to keep an eye on them while you work. You should also give everyone a time frame for how long they are going to stay outside so they don’t keep running in and out disturbing you.

5. Computer Time

Working at home doesn’t necessarily mean you will be on the computer all the time so allowing your children to get on the computer can be a fun way for them to pass time quietly if you are on the phone or doing other business tasks. There are many educational websites and games that they play online and even smaller children will enjoy typing if you just open up a blank document and let them hammer away. As they get older, this will also be a good way for them to learn typing and become more familiar with the computer.

As a work at home mom you want to be there for your children but you also need some free time away from them so you can get your work done. Use the five ideas above to take the stress out of finding quiet time and keeping your kids busy while you complete your work.

Need some ideas for working at home? Check out my top home based business opportunities.