What is it that they say? If you don’t have a plan, then you plan to fail. The same can be said about starting a successful online business. In particular we are talking about membership sites.

Just about everyone has seen at least one membership site. It is a website where you have to be a paying member to gain access to the content and other materials that are showcased on the site. Members can pay anywhere from $9.99 to about $199.99 or more per month to be a part of the site.

Membership sites are money makers because they have a simple model that provides everything a person needs and they do it all on one spot. If you’ve ever searched the web for information then you know how frustrating it can be. Some of the content that you find is well-written and some is not. And, even if it is well-written it is not necessarily the truth.

Membership sites help people avoid all that and those people are willing to pay for it. You can capitalize on the new trend towards membership sites with a site of your own. But first, you need to have a plan.

What’s in a Plan?

 Begin with some thorough research. Check out other membership sites. What are the basics of their offering? What is the fee? These are just two of the questions to ask yourself.

The perception with membership sites is that members will be getting more for less. For a low price each month, they will have access to bona fide information on a certain topic. And this information can take several forms.

Here are just a few of the most common membership site ideas you’ll find online:

• Internet Marketing Business Owner Training
• Mentoring for Online Business Owners
• One-on-One Coaching

The expectation from your members will be that the quality of your content will be a cut above the others on the Internet. That means keeping your finger on the pulse of the trends in your area of expertise. And, yes, if you know enough about a topic to see a need for a membership site then you are a self-proclaimed expert.

A fully rounded plan will include ways to set your membership site apart from the others. Maybe you offer a new service or a new twist on an existing service. Before you can put that in writing, however, be sure that you can do it. Technical stuff like setting up websites and all of the things that go on behind the scenes are like Greek to many people. But, if you can find someone who can do it for you, then you are in business.

Don’t forget about security. This is a private membership site and access to certain areas can only be gained through a password. Maintaining that privilege against gatecrashers is crucial. Always have a plan before beginning any business venture. Do your homework to come up with a list of services or information that you can offer to a certain group willing to pay for it.

How to Leverage Social Media:
Social Media is a huge part of the business world and if you are
not currently using Social Media to increase your business you are
missing out on a big chunk of CA$H. 

Did you know? Dell Computers has one person
managing their Twitter Account which brought in sales of more than
3 Million Dollars. 

Social Media Marketing has made it much easier for the little guy
to get BIG results without a large amount of $$ for advertising
costs.

Here are a few things you should have in your social media
marketing arsenal:
>> Twitter Account - easy to sign up for and free.   Have a custom
background created for you or create your own so that links to your
website and branding is visible on your Twitter Account.

>> Facebook and Business Fanpage- easy to sign up for and free. 
Make sure you have customized using custom sign up boxes on your
fanpage, and brand with your logo.

>> YouTube Channel  - post videos and post on your YouTube Channel,
these videos may also be used as blog posts.
 
>>And last but not least a Blog.  Make frequent blog posts, at
least 2 to 3 per week.  The more you post the more traffic flowing
to your site.

Your business needs to be EVERYWHERE!  Syndicate your content so
that when you are posting to the various sites your content is
being broadcasted to hundreds if not thousands of different places
all at once.  Take the work out of the process, and put systems in
place to automate.

The biggest complaint I hear from small business owners is that
they do not have the time to do these things.  If you don’t
personally have the time then hire someone who can help you, then
outsource the work to someone like us or hire someone to do this in
house. 

Success Streams Online Marketing Group is putting together a few
packages to help you tackle these tasks this summer.  Some of these
programs are Do It Yourself and others are Ship It Off to Success
Streams.
>>Custom Twitter Background Pages
>>Website Makeover Program
>>Lets Start a Website
>>Custom Web Banners
>>3 Month Social Media Marketing Post Campaign

Information about these programs may be found at
http://www.adirondackoffices.com/summerprograms.htm

Start at a point that your budget can handle, but the key is to
START today!

Are you using contests with Twitter.  Submit your answers to our Twitter Survey which should pop up! Please submit your survey and any comments below on the blog. Check back for analysis of surveys submitted.

Most of you have a website to attract clients and many of you have caught on to the idea that you need more than one website. I believe all business today need a minimum of two, and let me explain why.

Every business needs a main website, this would be the site that you use to sell products, give away a free download, or system in place to capture leads.  Then a business should also have a Blog.  Ok I hear the moans and groans already.  Blogging is a little bit different today then it was just a few short years ago. You need to create a blog where you are consistently adding content to the blog that is based upon your target market.  Using your keywords in the blog posts and blog titles.

Video blogging today has also become very popular, and soon Google will be able to index the words that are spoken in your video.  So make sure you are using your keywords in your videos as well. 

To get the most from your blog I suggest you begin article marketing as part of your marketing system. Here is a simple schedule that you can put into place for your business:

>> Tuesdays & Thursdays write a 300 word blog post.

>> Wednesday & Friday submit those blog posts to Article Directories.  This will in turn drive traffic to your website.

If you prefer to use Video:

>> Tuesdays & Thursdays create a video blog post and upload to your blog.

>> Wednesday & Friday upload those videos to Youtube.  This will also drive traffic to your website.

I would suggest using both written posts and video posts and posting them to article directories and youtube to get the most exposure and traffic to your site. 

The key as always is to use your keywords in your posts to get targeted quality traffic to your site.  It is great to say you had a million visitors to your site, but are they visitors who bought and were truly interested in your product or service.

As always if you are having difficulty starting a blog, or would like more information on video blogging please contact us directly.

Patty Kreamer, CPO® (Certified Professional Organizer) is the President of Kreamer Connect, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company that works with residential and corporate clients to become more productive and perform better while at the same time simplifying their work and lives.  

But I Might Need It Someday!

Imagine being able to find things when you need them…not 3 weeks later. If you’ve been miserable because clutter and chaos are ruling your life, But I Might Need It Someday is for you. Patty’s program offers simple, practical solutions on how to organize your life and WIN the clutter battle once and for all! Increase your morale and decrease the stress and frustration of disorganization. Finally uncover the complete process on how to get organized. 

• Learn how to make quick, logical decisions.
• Find Out how to easily maintain the daily flow of paper.
• Discover a system that will keep your desk free of papers!
• Implement the E.A.S.Y. system — Organizing has never been easier.

You have nothing to lose but the clutter!

So are you in?  The call with Patty Kreamer has already happened, but you may download the MP3 recording and listen at your leisure.

Click Here For the Recording

This is the first step in our series for helping you creating Book Buzz! 

Purchase your domain names here!

So, you’ve got your website designed and you are still not seeing the results that you had anticipated.  Not to worry there are a few things you can do to your website to start getting the results and sales to help you grow your business.   A website should be about building a relationship with new visitors rather than trying to sell them on their first visit to your site.  Yes, sales the first time are great, but in reality you need a few high touch contacts with them to get the sale.

To do this, you need to take the first step in your lead generating system and give them an offer that they just can’t refuse in exchange for their name and email address.  What would be an offer they can’t refuse - Well in many cases it may be a Special Report, Ten Tips to What They Are Looking For, Free Audio Download or CD … you get the idea and the offers you come up with are endless.  Using this strategy is not new, but it is the most effective.

The key to profits is in your list! Treat your list like GOLD!  Never sell or share your list with anyone.

When I get to this point many business owners ask, but how do I get them to my site in the first place? There are many ways to drive traffic to your site, but you want to make sure you are driving qualified traffic, which would be your ideal client.

Let’s back up a little at this point, and take out your description of your ideal client.  Put the picture of her / him in your mind or on your bulletin board and begin to think like your client.  Where would that person go for information?  Make a list of the places you might find that person, and put yourself in those places. 

Five few easy ways to attract your ideal client:

1.     Affiliate Programs - use a simple shopping cart system like KickStartCart.com which has a built in affiliate program.  Advertise to your current clients, which are thrilled with your product and service, and reward them with a cash % of sale with each referral.

2.     Advertise in eZines - Reach out to other eZines that reach your ideal client and purchase a series of ads.  Don’t buy just one - you need to be seen more than once to make the most impact. Normally the cost of advertising in a series of eZines is about $100.  Promote your free gift in these ads to drive traffic to your site and build your list.

3.     Article Marketing - write several articles about your expertise and post them in various article directories. This will position you as an expert and drive traffic to your website.

4.     Social Networking - Network with other business people on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN.  Take the time to complete the profiles on the social networking sites, add a great photo of yourself, and begin to make connections online.  As with all networking it does take some work, and it is about giving.  What kinds of resources and information can you give that will be of value?

5.     Offline Networking - Let’s not forget about the face to face networking events which take place daily in every city around the world. Attend them on a regular basis and make great connections, share business cards, and follow up with those you meet.  The key is in the follow up.

Choose two or three of these activities today and start implementing them right away. Doing them consistently will bring additional traffic to your website.  Track that traffic and you will be on your way to building a solid foundation to your business which you can build upon.

Look for additional tips in our Success Streams Newsletter. Subscribe Here
Contact info@adirondackoffices.com for a free evaluation of your website.

I’m curious. Do you view the summer months as a time to kick back, relax, and do just enough business to get by? Or do you consider it one of your hottest months (no pun intended)?

I ask because I’m intrigued by the new teleclass Millionaire Entrepreneurial Coach Ali Brown is hosting. It’s called “Ali’s Top 10 Recommendations to Kick-Up Your Revenues This Summer!”

Ali believes it doesn’t matter what else is happening in the world around you, if you want to grow your business, you will.

In fact, it was over a summer when she took her business from the low 6-figures to breaking 7-figures.

Click Here to check out her teleclass and sign up.

But don’t forget to leave a comment. I really want to know - are you planning on growing your business this summer, worried you won’t be able to grow your business, or are you planning on taking it easy?

It’s noisy out there! The marketplace is cluttered and crowded. Entrepreneurs and business people shout louder and louder in an attempt to get heard. But if you’re singing the wrong note, singing it louder doesn’t help!

Tsufit is on a mission to bring color to business. This teleseminar will show listeners how to dig for and find their color, their buried treasure, and then polish it, showcase it, publicize it and take it to market.

·         Inventory and organize the author’s source documents

·         Research the target reader

·         Get permission to use the work of others, including quotes and interviews in a book

·         Coordinate professional peer and target reader reviews

·         Research potential publishers

·         Do a competitive analysis

·         Coordinate the self-publishing process

·         Get an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for a book

·         Get the Library Cataloging Information for a book

·         Get a bar code

·         Coordinate testimonial requests

·         Review the proof copies of a book

·         Get the Copyright registered                                         

·         Coordinate book marketing activities

·         Coordinate the author web site and media kit

·         Get listed and maximize the books’ Amazon web page

·         Create a virtual book launch and book tour

·         Organize a live book event

·         Launch an Amazon best seller campaign 

To find out more about Book Tours Virtually and Adirondack Virtual Offices visit http://www.booktoursvirtually.com