Duct Tape Marketing – Is There a Magic Metric?

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Is There a Magic Metric?

There are many ways to analyze web traffic and web effectiveness. In fact, there are so many ways that most small business marketers can get overwhelmed pretty quickly.

The first step of course is to begin the practice of measuring and analyzing your web site’s effectiveness so that you can improve it. The easiest way to accomplish this is to install and use the free Google Analytics tool.

Once you this you can start to understand and tweak the many things it can measure. While there is no one metric that is the golden key, I suggest you start by gaining a full understanding of what Google calls bounce rate.

Bounce rate represents the average percentage of initial visitors to a site who “bounce” away to a different site, rather than continue on to other pages within the same site. So, for the most part this is often referred to a the measure of a site’s stickyness. It can give you some clues as to whether or not your content is grabbing folks or not. It can also help you understand if your ads are targeting the right traffic.

There is no perfect bounce rate number, but aiming for 50% – meaning 50% of the visitors to your site take an action leading to another page, is probably a good target. The real goal of course is designing a site and pages that allow you to lower the bounce rate. Before you ever really worry about generating all kinds of traffic and winning key search phrases, get you content sticky!

The following video of Avinash Kaushik, Google Analytics Evangelist and author of the blog Occam’s Razor helps shed some light on the bounce rate metric.

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Duct Tape Marketing – Yes But Would You Pay For It?

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Yes But Would You Pay For It?

I think the true test of many of the Web2.0 offerings out there is whether or not somebody would pay up a little cash for a service that is or was free.

For some I use I would say no, others maybe, Jott – I just did. Jott came out of beta recently with a host of new features – including two pay options. I use and love the tool so much I’m now willing to pay for. That’s a pretty big compliment because once something is free, it’s tough to move to a paid model.

My favorite new feature is a software called Jott Express that has become my daily to-do list manager. It sits on my desktop and syncs with Jott messages I give it for projects.

Here’s an overview I Jott I posted on the Digital Nomads site
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Little Known Facts About Online Business

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Starting an online business can be a nerve-wracking process, particularly if trade is unfamiliar ground to you.  Some people often think that just because they’ve never sold a thing in their life, they would be in a strange land if they so much as make a sales pitch.  Which is really too bad, considering that there are plenty of opportunities that could have provided them with extra income or a way to use their skills and talents, if only they took the chance.  These days, though, more and more people make money online with their own businesses and if they’ve enjoyed some measure of success, why shouldn’t you?

So what’s it like to make money online?

To show you what it’s like to start a business making money online, let’s outline the things that you can expect in this type of venture:

Business processes are streamlined.

Believe it or not, starting a money-making business online will allow you to run a retail business all by yourself.  It’s like manning a shop without any assistants or extra staff.  Since many of the resources you’ll need are available online, there’s no need to purchase or install physical equipment.  Inventory can be kept low and communication between buyers and suppliers is faster. 

Since feedback from customers is also faster, improving the business is also a lot easier.  In the past, customer complaints brought about by a defective product often took weeks or months before they were resolved.

A flatter organization is encouraged.

It’s not that there is something wrong with traditional organizational hierarchies but flatter organizations mean that it is easier for someone in the organization to take command responsibility.  Jobs are also easily assigned thanks to a simpler business process. 

Best of all, customers are more likely to get in direct contact with the business owner.  It’s like being able to get an appointment with the company CEO without going through four secretaries and three executive assistants.

The turnover of products in exchange for cash is faster.

Given that you have the right business model and products to go with it, a money-making online business can provide you with a means to sell and earn, sometimes literally within a matter of minutes.  If you’ve tried posting an item up for auction on a popular website, for example, you probably have noticed this phenomenon.

You can let competition bother you or improve you.

Make money online businesses are not well-kept secrets.  By now, almost anyone who has access to a computer knows that there’s cash to be made on the Internet.  As such, expect some tough competition out there.  In some industries, for example, there’s already some serious market saturation, where people may still make money but only in trickles. 

However, there’s hope.  Experienced internet marketers continue to create innovative ways and means to provide other online entrepreneurs a way with which to earn.  Expect these new opportunities to emerge in order to meet new demands.  One of these opportunities, for example, is Big Ticket to Wealth, a network marketing program that follows the established formula of MLM and yet, effectively came up with a unique way of allowing its members to earn more with its matching override scheme.  Through this scheme, sponsors are able to earn more commissions from businesses brought in by their members.  It’s programs like this that you should watch out for, where efforts are well rewarded.

Sometimes, it truly is about you.

Sometimes, all it takes to make money with an online business is a skill or a talent, literally.  Since all the traditional requirements often needed to run a business offline is no longer required online, anyone with the right set of skills or marketable talents can use these qualities and turn them into a saleable product or service. 

Think about it: if you’re a graphic designer, for example, all you truly need in order to turn your skill and experience into a money-making online business are a computer, software for graphics creation and editing, an Internet connection and a website from which to advertise your skills and attract clients.  Plus, it’s a one-man operation; you offer your own services and get to pocket every penny you earn.  No need to pay the middleman, your manager or your staff.  When you can run an online business that lets you make money you can claim as 100% yours, what could be better than that?

And the easiest way to start your online business?  Model someone who’s doing what you want to do!  Check out

SecretCashRecipes.com to get the best advice and assistance with your online business building strategies. 

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Innovation Weblog – 25 tools for capturing ideas anywhere

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The popular LifeDev blog recently posted a fascinating list of 25 tools for capturing ideas, any time, anywhere. Here are several of my favorites, which I’m now using.



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Duct Tape Marketing – Top 10 Business Applications for Facebook

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Top 10 Business Applications for Facebook

In it’s very generic, vanilla form, Facebook is just so-so as a business tool. Lots has been written and said about its use for business, but to me the real power comes when you hang the proper accessories, known as applications, on it and really trick it out for business and professional use.

There are thousands of application available with one click once you have a Facebook profile. But, don’t get caught up in adding every goofy dodad, just because you can. Think logically about your goals for being on Facebook and then choose the tools that will help your communicate, achieve and amplify those objectives.

Here’s a directory of Facebook applications

And, here are my favorite applications for business use.

Telephone – With Telephone you can call, send and receive voice messages through Facebook, just like having voicemail on your phone. All you need is the application and a microphone and you can start sending messages to your friends.

Slideshare – SlideShare is the world’s largest community for sharing presentations. You can upload your own PowerPoint, OpenOffice, Keynote or PDF files and view presentations shared by others. This is a great way to spread thought leadership and expertise through presentations you may have delivered locally.

CircleUp – For Groups and Events is a lightweight collaboration app for groups and events. This tool facilitates some of the communication needed to promote your group activity and events on Facebook and elsewhere. This is particularly useful if you’ve created and maintain your own group on Facebook or often promote teleseminars and workshops.

Free Conference Calls - Use Free Conference Calls to organize a business meeting on the fly. With free conference call you can call in from anywhere; your home, mobile, Skype, or any VoIP service. Using this app inside of Facebook can help make some immediate connections a little deeper.

Facebook Video – Facebook Video provides a high-quality video platform for people and pages on Facebook. With Video, you can upload video files, send video from your mobile phone, and record video messages to your friends. This application is so easy to use that it makes sending video introductions or message a powerful way to network on Facebook

Testimonials – Use Testimonials to gather your personal and professional references in one place. Encouraging customers and contacts to post testimonials about your work and expertise adds great marketing content to your profile.

Introductions – Introduce your friends to each other and make new ones. Ask for an introduction to a web programmer or good lawyer. Then make introductions for your friends. This application speeds the process of effective networking by helping focus on giving and receiving introductions in a systematic way.

Business Cards – Business Cards helps you network better on Facebook. Personalize your card and attach it to your Facebook messages! View postings and network with others! This application is much like the signature common in email messages. It’s just one more way to say business when using Facebook.

My LinkedIn Profile – Makes it easy to promote your LinkedIn account with a badge on your Facebook profile. Cross promoting social network activity is a great way to extend your reach.

What I Do – Allows you to promote your services/products to your Facebook network. Display your skills/wares on your profile box and list yourself in a business directory. Recommend your colleagues services and products too.

So, I would love to hear how you have effectively used specific Facebook applications for business.
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