When I first came across the GDI Business Opportunity I was a little confused. The opportunity is being marketed as a multi tiered business whereby you are constantly selling an opportunity to sell opportunities, If you get my gist. But what are you actually doing? You are purchasing a .ws domain name and some hosting.
When you start to look at the business in a bit more detail you can start to see the possibilities. Everybody who has an interest in the internet would like to have their very own domain, FredSmith.ws, TheSmithfamily.ws, the possibilities are considerable. Imagine if you have just purchased your domain name, lets call it colmat.ws , and hosting package.
You could place anything and everything on your website, the choice would be yours totally from Family pictures to Pets or places you have visited, absolutely anything.. On the other hand you could set your new website to work for you. You could display adverts for people wishing to sell their goods, known as affiliate links, or you could start your own online store via a third party such as Amazon. The possibilities are endless.
Let us look at the affiliate links option first. If you were to sign up to a company such as affiliate window you would be able to download links and paste them onto your website. Companies such as Hertz, Alamo and National, in the car rental sector, all run affiliate programs and you could therefore build your own affiliate car rental site. This applies to pretty much any service or product that you can think of.
As well as affiliate links there are sponsored links. Just about every site that you visit online will have sponsored links. All you need to do is sign up to Google AdSense and once again you can start placing ads on your site and making money. What GDI would like you to do is to promote the GDI business i.e. sell domains. Now whilst this may not seem very appealing, when you see how much money can be made it does tend to change your outlook.
If you were to build your new site around the GDI opportunity but incorporate a few additional revenue streams you would undoubtedly benefit. The thing is, when you sell a .ws domain and hosting package you earn a monthly commission. If the person that you sold to sells you earn a commission. This carries on for five generations and the commissions carry on for as long as that person retains their domain and hosting package.
Article marketing is such a powerful internet marketing exercise, and one of the most important things about it is the linking strategies utilized in article marketing. Article marketing is a truly wonderful way to get much-needed back links to your web site. When you submit your article to the various article directories, they will generally allow you to place several links back to your web site.
As you know, back link is needed for SEO purposing, it’s called off page optimization process. The question is why article directory make your website higher in search engine rank? The answer is article directory will send you one way link to your site, and this back link type is good in search engine eyes.
One way links and search engine rankings have a great cause and effect relationship. Think of it as a business referral scheme. The business with the more referrals is most popular and hence, search engines place them higher. The reason behind it, as many place it, is that the more links you have, higher are the chances of a visitor coming to your site over these links!
You can write thousands of articles and submit them in article directory websites. This is the best way to develop your website back link. Article directory is better than website directory, because article directory are not blacklisted like most website directory. And most website directories need link exchange to their site, different with article directory, it will give you one way link and it’s good for SEO advantages.
Remember you don’t only get back links from article directory, but from many website that using your article. Since the article directories have to keep your resource box intact, this gives result in a link back to your website from every site that uses your article. Since your article must be relevant to the theme of these websites, the back links are all from relevant web pages, and these are valuable in improving Google’s perception of the importance of your website to the keywords concerned. These back links can result in a vastly improved placement in search engine listings.
Important thing you must consider to create your article to submit
1. Keyword Density
Remember your back links will more valuable in search engine when it comes with relevance information, so optimize your keyword in your article. An article must have good keyword density for a search engine to “feel” its presence. Articles should at least have ten to fifteen percent of keyword density in their content for search engines to rank a site high in their search results. Getting a high rank is what articles do best for a site.
2. Good Article Content
Like what is stated above, you cannot just riddle an article with keywords. They must also be regarded as good reading materials. Articles must be able to entertain people as well as provide good information and help for their needs. Articles should be written well with correct spelling and good grammar. If you want people to trust you, make your work good and well thought out.
Every year thousands of men and women across America sign on with direct selling firm-Tupperware, Amway, or a cosmetic company-hoping to make money enough for new draperies, a new davenport, or some new clothes. They sell a little merchandise to a few relatives and close friends. Then they are through. They quit before they give themselves a chance to learn the basics of success in sales. “I am simply not a born salesperson,” they often say.
No one is born a salesperson, any more than one is born a doctor or born a lawyer. Sales is a profession. To be successful in any profession one must learn not only the basic techniques, but also
how to apply those techniques. Success in sales makes use of all the abilities one is born with, plus all those acquired through education and experience.
If you are looking for a career opportunity or “extra income” to help with the family budget, direct selling offers you dream-fulfilling possibilities. However, you must give yourself time to learn the techniques of sales. Ask yourself. “How long does a doctor to be study? A lawyer to be study?”
Direct selling is marketing a product directly to the consumer with no middleman involved. Most reliable firms are members of the National Association of Direct Selling Companies. They bring to the public fine products that are modestly priced in order to insure mass consumption.
Most direct selling companies furnish their representatives with a starter kit and essential supplies below-cost prices. In many instances the investment is under $100.
There is an old adage which says “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Many of them were able to change their lives for the better. They took their families on nice vacations. They purchased a piano or an organ and provided music lessons for their children. They saved money for college education. They redecorated their homes,
bought needed furniture. One highly successful saleslady built a new home.
The rewards of direct selling are many
1. You can be your own boss.
2. You can set your own hours.
3. You can own your own businesses with little or no investment.
4. You can pay yourself more than any boss would ever pay you.
5. You can give yourself regular raises as your business grows.
It is only fair to tell you that there are failures, too. There are people who will not work for themselves. When working for a boss, they rise early, are well-groomed, and get to the office on time. However, when they are their own boss, they are still in a bathrobe, drinking one more cup of coffee at 11:00 A.M.
If you can be your own boss and discipline yourself to do what has to be done when it has to be done, direct selling offers a most unusual earning opportunity.
THE TEN STEPS
Here are ten steps that will assure your success:
1. BE A GOAL SETTER. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to save for college education for your children? A new car? A new home? You can have whatever you want, but you must want it enough to do the things that have to be done to get it. Whatever
your goal, write it down and set a target date for reaching it.
Divide the time period into blocks of achievement that are reachable. Work consistently toward accomplishing each day, each week, each month what you set out to do. Goal-setting is a must in every area of life. Little is ever accomplished without
definite goals.
2. BE A LIST MAKER. Each evening list all the things you want to get done the following day. That gives you an organized approach to each day. As each task is finished, mark it off your list. It is amazing how much gets done when one works with a “things-to-do” list. Also, have a notebook listing appointments,
potential clients, repeat clients, and referrals, and keep it with you at all times. You will be adding to it constantly.
3. BE ENTHUSIASTIC. Enthusiasm is the high-octane “fuel” that salespeople run on. Enthusiasm generates its own energy. Energy and good health are synonymous with busy, happy people, people who are achieving.
4. RECOGNIZE THAT THE MAGIC WORD IN SALES IS “ASK.” In direct sales we don’t have to wait for business to come to us. We create our own business by asking for it. Ask for appointments, then you can do business. Ask for business, then you will close sales. Ask
for referrals, then you always have a full list of potential clients. Be quietly, yet firmly aggressive.
5. EXPECT NO’S. Realize that no’s are not personal. In sales, as perhaps nowhere else, the law of averages works. Every no gets you closer to a yes. Keep track of your ratio. It will help improve your techniques. Are you getting ten no’s to one yes? Is
your ratio five to one? Remember, the yes’s are your income. Also remember that “no” does not necessarily mean “no.” Often a “no” is simply a stall for more time to think. It may be a request for more information about your product or your service. What your client is actually buying is assurance. Assure here by your helpful attitude and your complete honesty, that you want what is best for her. She will most likely respect you and do business with you.
6. SCHEDULE TIME WISELY. A schedule is the roadmap by which salespeople travel. It takes the frustration out of the day. It assures that the necessary things get done and get done on time. Plan your work then work your plan.
7. BE POSITIVE IN YOUR ATTITUDE. Success in sales, as in all areas of life is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent aptitude. All of us must work at developing habits of constructive thinking. I am proud to be a salesperson. Sales make the wheels of our economy turn. Bernard Baruch, advisor to several presidents, is quoted as saying, “If every salesperson sat down and took no orders for twenty-four hours, it would bankrupt our country!” Every company that manufactures any kind of product depends upon
salespeople to move that product. Without salespeople business would be paralyzed.
Remember, sales is one of the highest paid of all professions. Statistics show that good salespeople enjoy incomes far above the average.
8. HAVE AN OFFICE AREA. Most direct salespeople work from their own homes, but it is essential to have a place where you can work in a organized and efficient manner. An office plus a strict working schedule gives you dignity. Both are absolutely essential
for efficient operation and accurate record keeping, so important to the success of any business.
9. BE INVOLVED. Most sales organization offer contests to stimulate production. Include winning contests as part of your business goals. Contests make your business fun as well as adding considerable dollar value to your income.
10. LEARN TO HANDLE MONEY INTELLIGENTLY. A regular nine-to-five job usually means a paycheck at the end of the second week. Direct sales “reps” handle money constantly. Direct sales is instant income and constant income. Therefore. it is absolutely
necessary to become an efficient money manager.
Deposit every penny collected from clients into a checking account set up especially for its business. Since bank statements show an exact record of all
monies collected, and business expenses can be verified by canceled checks, record keeping becomes simple and accurate. Everything except a few “petty cash” transactions can be directly taken from bank statements.
Money saved regularly and put at interest, soon develops a second income in addition to earned income. A long-term goal, which is realistic in direct sales, is to be able to live in retirement
off the interest earned on savings.
Would financial security mean a lot to you? If so, ask yourself these questions:
* Am I honest?
* Do I really like people?
* Am I willing to learn?
* Am I willing to work?
* Am I capable of being my own boss?
If your answers are yes, to find a good product
for the direct sales market, one that you like, one that fills the need of a lot of people, and go to work for yourself! You can turn dreams into reality. CLICK HERE use the password “wealth” to get started building your business..
Direct sellers don’t need a caffeine jolt to wake up to the power of the energy-drink market. They’re keyed in on the multibillion-dollar industry and are making their mark. The beverage phenomenon has grown more than a hundredfold since the likes of Red Bull and Monster were novel items on the grocery shelves. Now there are capsules, powders, tiny cups and bars filled with energy-giving formulas. The direct selling industry brings its own blend of marketing, health-consciousness and personal appeal to this product segment.
Who’s in, When
Some direct selling companies have been providing energy products for years. AdvoCare’s Spark product helped build the 15-year-old company, and components of this original product have found their way into the company’s new energy product lines. Amway launched its XS Energy drink in 2002—a long time ago for the segment—and it’s a “significant part of our business,” according to Gary Mougalian, Director of Nutrition for the company. New products like Xooma’s EDGE, Vemma’s Verve, AdvoCare’s Max 3, USANA’s Rev3 and Surge Pack, Limu’s Blu Frog, and EIRO Energy have all launched in the last year. The success has been absolutely remarkable.
Now a 4-year-old company, Vemma launched its original formula at its opening, but it added energy drink Vemma Verve in an 8-ounce can one year ago and, recently, 3-ounce shots. “We did more than $20 million of just Verve sales our first year, so it got exciting,” says BK Boreyko, President and CEO of Vemma. EIRO Research, a new company still in its pre-launch phase, has confidently added EIRO Energy for its independent associates to bring to the masses.
Building on the Foundation
Direct sellers realize that one product does not fit all. Several companies have taken their initial success and added to it by creating other products. AdvoCare’s Spark Energy Drink in a powder formulation has been a strong seller for several years. Within the last year and a half, the company added Slam, a 2-ounce relativeof Spark, with additional nutrients in a portable size. It also created Max 3, a product marketed as a weight-loss formula but which also gives sustained-release energy. “Spark has traditionally been our No. 1 seller, however it just got replaced with Max 3,” says Mark Miller, Vice President of AdvoCare Research and Development.
Amway also has added to its energy buffet with a wide variety of XS drink flavors, energy bars and DOUBLE X multivitamins that provide energy. Xooma has a companion product for EDGE in its energy-boosting capsules called MetaboWize AM. The product was launched in October 2007 and is a strong seller for the company. USANA developed a convenient Rev3 Surge Pack for the Canadian and New Zealand markets. “It’s a different delivery system, and sales have been very robust,” says Dan Macuga, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations.
In addition to Original Limu, which serves middle-aged folks and baby boomers very well, Limu has added its Blu Frog energy drink. “There’s a whole generation lined up to drink these energy products,” said Gary Raser, President and CEO of Limu. “The altruistic side is I want young people to drink something that’s good for them, so we engineered a product that’s really, really healthy for them.”
Healthier Alternatives
Energy drinks have been the center of controversy in recent months, with major news media and health research facilities issuing strong warnings. Some of the big players in the industry have even been implicated in heart attack-relate
d deaths of people who consumed several energy drinks on a daily basis. Whether consumers are downing Monster, Red Bull, coffee or soda, there are health trade-offs.
Direct sellers fill the void by providing healthier alternatives. It’s the right time for such a move. Much of the recent growth in this segment has come from those who address health. According to Beverage World magazine, “Beverage categories that have a health halo… are the principal drivers of growth [in 2007].”
Excess caffeine is the most common culprit in people’s bad reactions to energy drinks, and direct sellers have addressed that. Many, such as Vemma, USANA, Limu and EIRO, have natural, tea-based sources of caffeine at lower levels than industry leaders. Vemma has 80 mg of guarana caffeine; USANA’s 80 mg of caffeine comes from green tea; and EIRO Energy, too, draws its caffeine from guarana. XS Energy has 83 mg caffeine, but it also has no-caffeine versions. Blu Frog also registers at 80 mg of gurana-sourced caffeine. Yet, there are high-caffeinated beverages being sold among direct sellers. Most say they are simply competing with the likes of Red Bull and are adding other healthy components into the products that the standard drinks don’t have.
Vitamins and nutrients are packed into most direct sellers’ energy products. AdvoCare Slam combines B vitamins with amino acids to aid energy production and support mental clarity. At USANA, Rev3 is famous for what it doesn’t have as well as what it does. It has no preservatives (as a result, Rev3 cans expire in two years), artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Rev3 does, however, have antioxidants, thermogenic agents, low-glycemic sugars and vitamins and minerals to support the body at the cellular level. Vemma has amino acids and a philosophy of blending the nutritional wisdom of Eastern and Western cultures. Upstart EIRO Energy is, as described by CEO Chris Hausman, “a balanced, natural, clean energy drink. We’re not loading with different chemical stimulants but natural extracts, so it uses guarana, green tea, ginseng and gingko biloba as its sources of energy. And it’s in a base of very healthful fruit juices to deliver a balanced level of energy.”
Many within the industry provide energy products with fewer calories than those on grocery shelves. Amway’s XS Energy was the first energy drink launched with 0 grams of sugar, making it a great source of energy without adding the crash that comes from high sugar consumption. Vemma also has a sugar-free version of its Verve drink and a reduced-sugar version as well. The first weighs in at 4 calories, and the second at 78 calories. USANA’s Rev3 Surge Pack has only 2
grams of sugar for a total of 10 calories. Xooma’s Director of Marketing Ken Marsh explains it best: “We’re in the middle of the worst obesity epidemic that the world has ever seen. The last thing anybody needs is another sugar-filled, high-calorie, acidic energy drink that’s just going to make them fatter. You add our product to water, so it’s noncarbonated, it’s nonacidic, and you end up with no sugar and only 10 calories. Everybody wins.”
Not Just for Teens
Typical energy-drink users are teens to young 20-somethings, primarily male. But the typical direct sales individual is middle-aged and female. How do you balance these demographics? Ingenuity and diversity.
Direct sellers’ energy products are geared toward everyone, from youth to baby boomers. Vemma’s first namesake product was designed to deliver strong antioxidants to baby boomers who want to retain physical and mental vibrancy into their senior years. With its follow-up product, Vemma Verve, the company went for the jugular of the big energy drink brands—the youth market.
“I was reading an article on energy drinks and saw the facts that more than 35 percent of teenagers are drinking them, with $5 billion in sales and 262 million gallons consumed last year,” Boreyko says. “I was thinking, ‘This is the poisoning of America’s youth.’ I got the idea to take Vemma and put it into an energy drink.” With a huge splash in the market and delivering more healthy components, Verve is certainly on its target.
Generations X and Y are common targets for energy products within direct sales. USANA’s Rev3 is positioned as the drink for people who are the “outdoors type”—involved in sports with healthy lifestyles. “These are the people who were asking for an alternative to the typical energy drink,” Macuga says. “Our target has expanded into a much broader audience, though, because when you throw in things like sodas and sugar-based coffee, your demographic expands.”
Limu officially added Blu Frog to its lineup on Jan. 23, 2009. It is designed and marketed for 18- to 30-year-olds, attracting a whole new set of customers and members to the corporate ranks. It gives the younger generation something they can really grab as their own, and they hold meetings around just Blu Frog.
At Amway, Mougalian doesn’t boil it down to a single target market. “XS is really for a certain mindset, not an age,” he says. “It’s for anyone who wants to live a full, active life.”
Split-Personality Marketing
Tailoring the message and capturing attention requires multiple messages to reach multiple demographics. For the teen and early-20 age group, you’re likely to find hyped-up, rocking-out Web sites. Vemma developed a site devoted to Verve that is truly youth-oriented. (Just turn down the volume first if you’re using your office computer.) At Xooma, the message for college kids emphasizes being mentally sharp and awake to study for tests. For young people just starting in careers, the pitch is that Xooma EDGE will help you get ahead in this shrinking job market yet give you energy for the rest of your life, too.
USANA’s associates are young, sports-minded, outdoorsy and very connected. Gen Y (defined here as those born between 1981 to late 1990s) is one of the company’s fastest-growing associate groups, and they’ve led the way to social media. Sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and blogs are awash with USANA links, discussions and marketing. “They’re playing a huge role in how we communicate to our associates and the public,” Macuga says. “It’s keeping up with technology. More and more people are looking toward social media sites to get their answers, to talk to people, to share thoughts on things. So that has become our primary focus.” The company even developed a viral sticker campaign, encouraging customers and associates to take a Rev3 sticker and place it in an extreme [geographic] location, interesting site or recognizable landmark and send in photos. It’s all posted on social media sites and generates its own marketing.
Limu is also going to where its young customers are. They have recruited a bevy of young beauties, christened them “Blu Frog girls,” and sent them out to college campuses, party events, and Nascar race locations to hand out free samples. The company has even sponsored three Nascar vehicles that recently raced at Daytona. Blu Frog is all over sites like MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and blogs around the Internet. The company hosts a monthly competition for whomever can produce and post the best Blu Frog video. With a $2,500 prize and eligibility for the grand prize of $10,000 plus a trip to Mexico, young folks are paying attention and posting videos constantly. “That’s where these kids live,” Raser says. “They think they’re talking when they’re typing. We’ve got lots of young people having a lot of fun with Blu Frog.”
In reaching Gen X (roughly defined here as those born between 1965 and 1980), companies are going to where their demographic lives: health clubs, Little League fields, offices and PTAs. AdvoCare focuses on this group and health in general by touting athletic and sports performance. “We have a lot of distributors who work in gyms and training facilities,” Miller says. In addition, there’s the parental factor at work with Gen Xers. Vemma aims to be a hip, cool energy source for youth that also satisfies mom and dad’s health concerns for their kids. EIRO is, in part, addressing Gen X mothers who are looking for a safe, healthful energy alternative that they can give to their teens.
But not all the older generation is suffering. Most baby boomers are intently focused on aging well and maintaining youthful vigor. They are looking for ways to safeguard their hearts (no mega-caffeine here, please) retain mental faculties and even have some energy to spare. This group, however, doesn’t want pumped-music messaging. They definitely want nutritional and scientific information, front and center, preferably in printed material. Xooma is making a strong appeal to boomers through a new, soon-to-be launched upscale Web site that focuses on science. There will, of course, be a hard copy brochure, too.
EIRO Research is finding an “in” with boomers by answering health concerns. “One of the groups becoming more and more concerned about what they’re putting in their bodies is baby boomers,” Hausman says. “They’re really quite savvy. When they buy a product, they read the label and not just the marketing.” With EIRO’s natural ingredients, the company feels certain that its label puts boomers squarely in their camp.
Ultimately, direct sellers are about wide appeal. Xooma’s messages about mental clarity capture the attention of younger people who never sleep and older people who are looking for their eyeglasses… again. Amway’s products and customized packaging, sampling and pro sports sponsorships bypass mass marketing altogether but manage to pull in a very diverse customer base. “NUTRILITE tends to have a ‘personality’ of being trustworthy, caring, fun and energetic but fit and nurturing,” Mougalian says. “XS is very active, very energetic, but also healthy and accomplishment-oriented.” These descriptions could work for any group.
Direct Selling Advantages
Direct selling has a big advantage when it comes to marketing. The companies don’t have the multimillion-dollar ad budget of the Monsters and Red Bulls, but they’ve got personal demonstrations and explanations from people’s close friends and associates. “Our associates are experts at explaining the difference between traditional energy drinks and Rev3,” says USANA’s Macuga. “It’s a great icebreaker at the gym, work, wherever.”
At Xooma, the company’s distributors get their message through the clutter far more effectively because it’s customized every time. Marsh at Xooma says, “We have research and clinical dosage results and can have someone tell this story even though it’s not a 30- to 60-second message.” In fact, Amway and USANA say that their salesforces are trained to explain the differences in their products and then armed with lots of samples.
When it comes to price, direct sellers are very competitive. While they pay for training and commissions, they don’t pay for space on shelves or for commercials on television. “The Verve shot is the same as other products’ retail price,” says Vemma’s Boreyko. “Our Verve in a can sells at a 15 to 30 percent premium, but when there’s someone there to explain that Verve is actually three products in one (energy drink, superjuice and ultrapremium vitamin and mineral product), there’s no pushback on price.” USANA is in line with retailers at $3 a can for a 12-pack; and Xooma’s powder sticks are $1.99 per stick, which works out to be less than canned energy drinks.
Finally, direct selling allows for a lot of flexibility in distribution. Vemma is working with a hybrid retailing model in which its distributors can stock and sell at retail outlets like fitness centers, tanning salons and health food bars. It’s even allowing 14- to 17-year-olds to sell its products—with parental permission, of course.
Scientific Backing
Careful study, clinical research and concern for consumers’ overall health gives direct selling companies an edge against many traditional retailers. From USANA to EIRO to others, safety and efficacy are top deliverables.
Amway also concentrates on providing the “Best of nature. Best of science.” It pours extensive resources into clinical testing and derives many ingredients from the company’s own organic farms. These are important selling points for consumers concerned about health and the risks of traditional energy drinks.
“A lot of energy drinks out there have dangerously high levels of chemical stimulants like caffeine and different B vitamins,” says EIRO’s Hausman. “Recently there’s been quite a bit of bad press surrounding energy drinks. Some articles and studies have shown that ingesting these high levels of stimulants can be not only addictive but cause psychological problems.” EIRO avoids these issues with its superfruit product centering on key antioxidants and phytonutrients.
The Future: Will Energy Products Crash?
No one knows exactly where the industry is headed. The growth has been phenomenal, with huge increases like 109 percent growth in 2000/2001 down to a mere 24.7 percent rate in 2006/2007. The surge seems to be slowing as market penetration and competitor entries reach a saturation point. But, drinks and products with health benefits are still appealing to consumers, as are formats beyond the can, like shots, powders and bars. There’s still plenty of promise in the market, depending on whom you ask. “The energy pie is getting much larger,” says AdvoCare’s Miller. “The mass market is truly gravitating to it.”
Hausman of EIRO Research says, “I still think this market has a long way to go in terms of growth. It’s still very, very young. We’re seeing a lot of entrants in the market, but as the population grows, the desire and demand for these products will grow…. Overall, the new trend is people are moving toward whole foods, natural foods. But it’s tough to say.”
Some forecast the $5 billion market will top $10 billion in 2010. Liquid, canned formats have been very popular, but many are betting that the small-shot market will continue to grow. “The energy shot industry is projected to go from $100 million in 2007 to $500 million in 2009,” says Boreyko. “I see the energy shot being where the energy drink was back in 2001 and 2002. Convenience is the No. 1 product in America, and there’s more convenience with a shot than a can.”
America is one thing, but the international market looms large. Amway’s NUTRILITE brand is 75 years old, and the XS energy drink is following its footsteps around the world. “International sales are very important to the company,” Mougalian says. “On XS, we have an opportunity to expand our international reach. It’s not as global as NUTRILITE. The NUTRILITE DOUBLE X is certainly one of the best-selling supplements in the world, and our energy bars are more U.S.-based as well.” Vemma is just starting its international expansion, and USANA offers its Surge Pack powder products only in Canada and New Zealand.
Story Not Over
Direct sellers are undeniably in the energy product market. They’re taking advantage of the need for healthier alternatives, convenience, scientific testing and personalized marketing. This is absolutely a market that is set to continue its growth and continue shifting into new phases.
Can, Powder or Shot?
Energy products are morphing into different formats these days, and direct sellers are there, in line with early entrants.
››› Cans The granddaddy of this market. People are very accustomed to drinking from cans and stocking home or office refrigerators with their energy drink stash.
››› Powders There are large cans of powders, which consumers use to scoop out a tablespoon or so and mix with a drink. There are also “sticks,” small packets of powder that can be mixed with water. They’re portable and convenient, and those like Xooma’s EDGE and USANA’s Rev3 Surge Pack allow users to control how much of the powder they put in their drink. It’s also much easier and more cost-effective for companies to ship these sticks.
››› Shots Reminiscent of half-and-half cream packages at your local breakfast eatery, energy products now come in these 2- to 3-ounce formats. Consumers simply open the package, down its contents and move on. They have the big advantage of portability. Some, like Vemma Verve, do not need refrigeration. These tend to be considered “cool” and at the forefront of a new trend. Red Bull is slated to launch its own energy shot in May.
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If you want to spread your entrepreneurial wings but have little or no business experience, don’t have a product or service to offer or are simply looking for a proven system for success, direct selling might be the ideal opportunity.
For more than 100 years, direct selling companies have offered independent representatives the ability to purchase products at wholesale prices and earn a profit by selling them at retail prices. Most direct selling companies also allow representatives to earn commissions for introducing new sales reps to the business. This business model relies on independent contractors, rather than traditional advertising, to spread the word about a company’s products or services. The word-of-mouth marketing approach works for several reasons: Consumers appreciate the personal service, the convenience of shopping from home, and the comfort of buying from those they know and trust.
Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money, is bullish on direct selling, especially during a slowing economy. “Direct selling is a great model…with high gross margins, low capital intensity, lots of free cash flow,” he said on a recent show. “It’s a fragmented industry with gigantic room for growth. The top 15 players only account for about half the market.”
Amy M. Robinson, Direct Selling Association Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, points out that, while many people seek additional income during lean economic times, “in all honesty, direct selling is hot because it’s a fun, convenient way to shop that people enjoy. So, poor economic times or not, people fi nd direct selling to be appealing. Great products, personal service and income potential are elements of direct selling that make it a strong economic contender at all times.”
“People motivated to get started in direct selling typically share certain attributes,” she says. “Most seek supplemental income, either short-term or long term. The social aspect also is appealing for those who love to meet new people and many enjoy buying products and services they already use—at a discount.”
With a direct selling business opportunity you can: Join an industry where business is booming and there’s always room at the top. Direct selling, sometimes referred to as network marketing, is a $32 billion industry in the United States and a $110 billion industry worldwide. The millions of individuals building direct selling businesses determine for themselves when they want to move up the career ladder and exactly how high they want to climb.
Tap into a proven system for success. Avoid wasting time or money by learning from others’ experiences and wisdom. Direct selling companies often provide high-quality, high-impact marketing tools, including personal Web sites, brochures, catalogs, DVDs and CDs to help direct sellers present a professional image—at a fraction of what it would cost to produce the same tools on their own. Additionally, training in best practices is frequently offered online and via conference calls as well as at local and national conferences.
Start a business for $500 or less. Direct selling companies offer big opportunity with minimal startup costs. For a small sign-up fee, new reps receive access to training and marketing materials, discounts on products and sample products to show and sell. You can set up office at your kitchen table with phone and laptop. Low overhead combined with minimal(if any) inventory expenses make direct selling businesses affordable. And because many companies handle online orders and deliver directly to customers, independent representatives can focus their time on connecting with potential clients and team members.
Experience flexibility and time freedom. The flexibility to work around full-time jobs or to create an income stream that fi ts into their families’ schedules is a huge perk. Because
each representative is an independent contractor, not an employee, there is no set schedule or required number of hours. On average, part-time direct sellers devote three to 10 hours per week to their businesses. Those who pursue the business full time invest 15 to 35 hours per week. In either case, representatives can set their own schedules and build their businesses during off hours and lunch breaks or on weekends.
Earn what you’re worth. When you’re the boss, you don’t have to ask for a raise—you simply go out and earn one. A results-driven industry, direct selling levels the playing field by offering the same opportunity to everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic background. Equal opportunity, a clearly defined career path and no earning restrictions mean there are no limits on what successful direct sellers can earn. While some in the industry are earning millions, it’s more common for direct sellers to use their businesses to earn extra cash per month to pay for dinners
out, private school, college expenses, cars and family vacations.
Maximize your earnings with residual(or passive) income. By building a team of people who love the products and are excited about telling others about the opportunity, direct sellers can leverage their time and maximize their income. Capitalizing on a team’s efforts means a business owner can devote 10 hours a week to their business, but with 10 other people also devoting 10 hours to their businesses, the team leader earns a commission from the collective sales and team-building results of 110 hours’ effort. It also means a team builder’s business has the potential to grow, even while he or she is on vacation.
“I like the honesty about direct selling,” says economist Paul Zane Pilzer, author of The Next Millionaires, “because it openly tells people the way to get rich is residual income: Get paid tomorrow for something you did yesterday—and let it accumulate.”
Reap the rewards of helping others succeed. Building a team definitely makes financial sense, but it also offers significant intangible rewards. Though representatives run their businesses independently, they often develop a family-like connection with their team members and others in the business. The friendships formed and the experiences of helping others improve their personal and financial lives are often as meaningful to direct sellers as the money they earn.
Get the recognition—and prizes—you deserve. In the corporate world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, much less free vacations, luxury cars or fine jewelry. Direct selling companies know most people work more diligently and with more enthusiasm for a reward. First-class incentive trips to exotic locations, free cars or car allowances, fine jewelry and cash bonuses are offered by many companies to those who excel. And the opportunity to earn such rewards is open to everyone.
Become a better you. Direct sellers are faced with numerous comfort-zone challenges, and by overcoming those challenges they grow personally and professionally. The encouragement and training these independent business owners receive from their companies’ leaders as well as others in the field spur them to step outside their comfort zones to achieve success.
Contact me at erick@paidbytheweb.com to get started with your own direct selling business.
When you start out as an affiliate, don’t fall into the trap of marketing to a huge audience. Instead you will be much more successful if you go for a niche affiliate marketing program. Really, it is sub-niches that you are looking for.
Many people start out by trying to sell Internet marketing products. Why? Because they bought an e-book by a successful Internet marketer, who pointed them in that direction. A big mistake. You see these big Internet marketers have many ways of marketing that you don’t and that is one reason why they are successful.
So how do you set up a niche affiliate marketing program? To start, you choose a market where there are a lot of products being bought, and a lot of competition. This shows that there is plenty of money there, and that is essential for you to be a success.
Use Amazon.com to find markets
To find how popular a market is you can go to amazon.com and look up the best sellers in that area – just type in the phrase you are interested in. This is a good way of finding niches. The lower the number, the more popular the market. You could also go to EBay and look for hot products, and see if there are many in the area you have chosen.
Next, go to Google and type in “weight loss”, and you will find how many web pages show these two words together. This shows you the amount of competition for that key phrase. Leave the ” ” out, and you will find how many web pages include those words, but not together – this is not useful.
This is a huge market, so next we could consider “healthy weight loss” or “rapid weight loss” or “weight loss for teenagers” or “weight loss for mothers”. We are now getting into some niches, and this is where you start with a niche affiliate marketing program.
At this point you need a lot of keywords to use in your marketing campaign, whether you are setting up a website, writing articles or doing pay-per-click advertising. Here the best tool is the free Google Keyword Tool found in Adwords. You can build a list as large as you like by typing in different key phrases, and then searching the database of the Google Keyword Tool.
Once you have this list, which you can export in a text file, yo have started your niche affiliate marketing program, and you can start marketing.
The Amway business opportunity is a fantastic way for anyone that ever dreamed of owning their own business to do so. The business model put together is second to none and has proven success. This is a great “business” opportunity and not a get rich quick scheme, you will have to work hard to get paid well. The greatest gift is an opportunity, because without the opportunity to acheive something it will never be done. This business model is your opportunity to build a very large and profitable business. If you are interested in learning more on how to get serious and get your business rolling email me at erick@paidbytheweb.com also you can visit Engelhardt Enterprises and click on the “opportunity” tab, the password to use is “wealth”
Most of the time, I do not allow any blatant spam on my blog. I try to keep the comments as clean as possible, and remove any outright spam from them.
However, I am going to allow you to spam this post… feel free to post an advertisement for your site in the “comments” section below.
There are a couple of guidelines though… No porn, gambling, or anything illegal… that’s pretty much it.
So, feel free to leave a link to your site below… PLEASE… only ONE ad per person. (Multiple advertisements from the same IP will be deleted.)
I know most of us are always looking for more ways to generate traffic to our sites … so … hopefully this will help some of you get some traffic to your site!
Have a good one,
Erick
p.s. I will be moderating all comments with links in them (just to make sure everyone is following the rules… ) … but your link will go live shortly after you post it.
p.p.s. The sooner you post your link… the higher in the comments it will be… meaning more eyeballs to your site!
Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson have an inner drive to succeed and grow their business, rather than having a Harvard Business degree or technical knowledge in a particular field.
All successful entrepreneurs have the following qualities: Inner Drive to Succeed Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and expand their business. They see the bigger picture and are often very ambitious. Entrepreneurs set massive goals for themselves and stay committed to achieving them regardless of the obstacles that get in the way.
Strong Belief in themselves
Successful entrepreneurs have a healthy opinion of themselves and often have a strong and assertive personality. They are focused and determined to achieve their goals and believe completely in their ability to achieve them. Their self optimism can often been seen by others as flamboyance or arrogance but entrepreneurs are just too focused to spend too much time thinking about un-constructive criticism.
Search for New Ideas and Innovation
All entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to do things better and to improve their products or service. They are constantly looking for ways to improve. They’re creative, innovative and resourceful.
Openness to Change
If something is not working for them they simply change. Entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping on top of their industry and the only way to being number one is to evolve and change with the times. They’re up to date with the latest technology or service techniques and are always ready to change if they see a new opportunity arise.
Competitive by Nature
Successful entrepreneurs thrive on competition. The only way to reach their goals and live up to their self imposed high standards is to compete with other successful businesses.
Highly Motivated and Energetic
Entrepreneurs are always on the move, full of energy and highly motivated. They are driven to succeed and have an abundance of self motivation. The high standards and ambition of many entrepreneurs demand that they have to be motivated! Accepting of Constructive Criticism and Rejection Innovative entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of their industry so they hear the words “it can’t be done” quite a bit. They readjust their path if the criticism is constructive and useful to their overall plan, otherwise they will simply disregard the comments as pessimism. Also, the best entrepreneurs know that rejection and obstacles are a part of any leading business and they deal with them appropriately.
True entrepreneurs are resourceful, passionate and driven to succeed and improve. They’re pioneers and are comfortable fighting on the frontline The great ones are ready to be laughed at and criticized in the beginning because they can see their path ahead and are too busy working towards their dream
It’s true business transactions are transpiring in the Twitterverse. Individuals and businesses are connecting everyday on Twitter. The sale of a product or the scheduling of a service is not uncommon across the daily Twitterers. There are even companies finding that perfect job candidate on Twitter. Talk about amazing!
Are you participating? If not, I must be the one to tell you that you are missing out, but you don’t need to take my word for it. Nielsen reported that in a 12 month period from February 2008 to 2009 Twitter grew their unique visitors by 1,382%. This brought their user base to 7 million, so let’s put this in perspective. There are 7 million people out there that you could be prospecting to. Interested? I knew you would be, so let’s talk about how to follow proper Twitter etiquette and start finding those prospects that have an interest in your products or services.
Let’s talk about etiquette, but if you do not follow proper etiquette you could very well offend and lose prospects.
1. Establish yourself as a person who is willing to share knowledge in your area of expertise. You do this by providing valuable information on Twitter on a consistent basis. This doesn’t mean you can’t be yourself or show your personality, please do. It does however mean that if your tweets are all filled with fluff, nonsense and no value it will turn off most follower and not allow them to see you as a person who can be trusted and equipped with a solution to their problem.
2. Don’t just be about plugging your products and services. You will find that followers will find this annoying and unfollow you quickly, it’s like seeing the same commercial multiple times during the same television show.
3. There are no secrets on Twitter. That’s right. You say it – it will always be there, so use common sense when tweeting and realize that what you say can always be found and can in fact haunt you in the future if it’s inappropriate or derogatory. This can detour prospects from purchasing your products or services.
4. No repeats, don’t post the same message multiple times. This is viewed as annoying and space consuming. It also appears as spam when the same message is seen multiple times.
5. Social media is about interaction, it’s not just a vehicle for self promotion and plugs, but rather it’s a place that you can interact with customers, colleagues, and prospects.
Now, that we’ve covered the basics in etiquette let’s talk about how to find prospects on Twitter.
1. The most valuable tool that you can use to find prospects on Twitter is the search tool . Search for terms and keywords that represent your customers. By doing this you will have a starting point that will represent a list of individuals that may have an interest in your products or services, starting following them. You’ll be surprised at what you will learn that will help you in targeting your selected market for your products and services. You will also find that many times the follow will be reciprocated and they will start following you.
2. Take the time to share information regarding your industry, not just your products and services and watch those interested in that industry follow you.
3. Locate those in your industry that are influencers on Twitter and follow them. You will gain a great deal of insight and you will also see who they are talking to that may be of value to you in promoting your products and services.
4. Create a Twitter profile that draws the interest of your prospective market. Make it informative and interesting so that it draws in your potential customers and makes them want to follow you.
5. Finally, pick a Twitter name that represents you or your business. If you are babycakes345, I doubt I’ll have much interest in what you say.
Making Your First Clickbank Sale needn’t be a hard task. You can make it as easy or hard as you want it. I make thousands of dollars every year from Clickbank and I have found formulae for repeated success.
There is a process to making money from Clickbank, which I will show you in this article. Like everything else, this process has to be tweaked and improved upon to make it the best it can be and to give you the desired results. You will find your own way but what I outline below will give you the basic process I use.
The process of making money
The process of making money from Clickbank can be broken down as follows:
• The psychology of wealth – You really have to be open to receiving money and believing that you can make money. The more you believe the harder you will try. The less you believe the quicker you will fail. This is not some airy-fairy nonsense, it is fact and the quicker you accept this the quicker you will make money.
• Being organized – Being organized is crucial if you are going to make a living from Clickbank. You wouldn’t go on holiday and leave everything to chance would you, you would get your book tickets, book your airline, make sure your passport is organized, buy some clothes, book time off work etc, and so it is with affiliate marketing. You need to be organized and know what is working and what is not working.
• Pick a product – Choose a product from the marketplace at Clickbank and research your competition. To research your competition just type the keywords into the Google search bar and that will give you an indication of how much competition you have.
• Create a landing page – You need a landing page, which is a soft sales page telling people what’s good about the Clickbank product you are promoting. It is not a full blown sales page and never make the mistake of writing one as such, the sales letter is for that. Have some nice graphics, possibly a video to make your landing page more appealing. This is not hard to do even for the most technically challenged.
• Open a Google and Yahoo ad account – Essential if you want quick traffic to your landing page. Yahoo can be a lot less expensive but Google will get you the bigger amount of traffic.
• Run an ad – As above but be sure to test and teak the ad as you go along. Good keywords can be your saviour.
• Repeat – Rinse and repeat. When you find a winning formulae go with it
That’s it. A very simple process and yet most people think there is a secret to it. The secret is that there is no secret.
There are people making thousands of dollars every day through Clickbank because they know how the formulae works. Now you know you can also start making money from Clickbank. You will not get anywhere if you don’t take action so go make Your First Clickbank Sale. www.clickbank.com
Amazon Affiliate Program - Easily create a store or shopping section on your site instead of sending your visitors to Amazon. Amazon handles the shopping cart and fulfillment.
Associated Content - If you write a story, how-to, rant, etc. you can submit it to them and they will pay you $3-$20 per article if they like it
Azoogleads – Another ad program. They do have some decent companies lined up as advertisers. You provide space, they’ll provide an ad.
BidVertiser – PPC (pay per click) program with a low $10 payout amount.
Build a Niche Store - This is a simple store / website development platform which enables you to create content based sites that generate income through the eBay affiliate programs. Pretty darn simple.
Blog – Start a blog and consistently write excellent content. With good ad placement, you may make some money. I detail my process here: Simply Said, How to Blog.
Business Opportunities Blog - I am adding this because I am a subscriber to their site and I see ideas everyday that could result in making money. A lot of the ideas pertain to online businesses. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s a good reference.
Cafepress – You provide a design, they’ll toss it on a T-Shirt, Hat, etc. No upfront costs. Get a free online shop and promote your products on your website.
Chitika – Their eMiniMalls service has shown great results for many Bloggers and site owners. You choose a keyword and they show relevant products on your site using a pretty unique interface.
Clickbank – Quickly becoming my favorite affiliate program. They have thousands of things for you to advertise on your site.
ClicknWork – Get paid $5-$150 per hour for basically doing freelance work on a per-assignment basis. You have to pass a pretty tough test to get in.
Clicksor – These are the guys that generate contextual ads on sites that show up when you hover over a double-underlined word.
Commission Junction - If you have a site, you can join Commission Junction. Once enrolled for free, you can choose companies whose ads are pertinent to your site. Companies have the ultimate say on working with you. There are easily over 1,000 companies to choose from here.
CreamAid - For blogs only, advertisers provide you with a topic and you write about it on your site. To do this, you have to install a flash widget into your blog post. The more people you bring into the conversation through the widget, the more you get paid. It’s difficult to explain.
eefoof – Think of it as YouTube + Flickr + Music. You add original content and they pay you based on the visitors you attract.
Ether – If you are an expert on something, Ether provides a way for people to pay you to talk about it in a one-on-one setting. If you want to charge $250/hr, that’s fine. You have to do all the advertising so you should have a blog or site already established.
eBay- Come on, you know what this is. Gather your junk and sell it!
eBay Stores - If you have a real store and want to sell your stuff online, this is a decent option to get you started.
ELance - Name gives it away. Programmers, Codes, Web Designers, Writers, Editors, can look for freelance opportunities.
Feedvertising – This is an arm of Text Link Ads and is currently only good for WordPress 2.0 Users. This does me no good currently, but as you can guess, they place ads in your feed(s).
Feedburner / Google - Not only are they the best place to house your feeds, they will also add ads to your feed and website. You get paid per impression and if you implement Google Adsense to your feed, you are paid per click.
Google Adsense - Come on, you don’t need an explanation; these ads are all over the place. Google displays relevant ads based on your site’s content
Google Adwords - Create simple text ads and choose keywords that determine when they are displayed. This is where the Adsense Content comes from. You do not need a site for this.
H3.com - Get paid to fill jobs. Commissions range from $50-$5,000. It all depends on how tough the job is to fill and how desperate the hiring company is. This is another one that’s tough to explain.
Indeed.com - Add their job board to your site. They then post jobs based on the geographic location of visitors and the position types you pre-select. I tried it and I they continually report that I sent 0 visitors and I know that’s not right. Nevertheless, I may have an isolated problem so they make the list.
InnerSell - If you have a customer that wants to buy something you cannot sell, you can sell the lead here.
Jellyfish - This is a shopping site that pays you a percentage of the purchases made by people you refer. They are not part of a wider affiliate program so you do it direct.
Jigsaw – It’s a pretty flaky model but if you have a Rolodex full of good contacts, you can sell them here. I can’t make sense of it but it looks like you get $0.10 per profile.
KarmaOne – They are basically a recruiting website. If you fill one of their jobs by finding a good candidate, you’ll get paid anywhere from $50-$12,000. It all depends on how desperate the hiring company is.
LinkShare.com - If you have a site, you can join Linkshare. Once enrolled for free, you can choose companies whose ads are pertinent to your site. Companies have the ultimate say on working with you. Like Commission Junction, there are a ton of companies waiting to evaluate your site.
Microsoft Adcenter - Bid on keywords and Microsoft places your created ads then they are searched for. This is similar to Google Adwords. You do not need a site for this.
Pageflakes – This is a company that developed a user-defined Ajax homepage to show feeds, flickr photos, and a ton of other things. Think of it as a replacement for your Google Homepage. Anyway – they’ll pay you $1 per referral that you send over. They are not part of a wider affiliate program so you do it direct. This one is pretty simple.
Pay Per Post - I don’t agree with this model entirely but they have advertisers that will pay you to write about their products on your blog.
Pheedo – If you have an RSS feed, run it through Pheedo. Like Feedburner, they can include ads into your feed and if you really become large, advertisers will pay a premium for you to show their ads.
Shareasale.com - I’ve never really worked with them but I do have an account. They are similar to Commission Junction and Linkshare however they seem to have lower tiered companies with advertising offers.
Shoemoney – This is a blog that can teach you a ton on making money online. I’ve spent hours reading his old stuff.
Software Judge - They will pay you up to $50 to review software.
Text Link Ads – I have never made a dime here but I know people that have. You can earn by sending advertisers to them or by selling spots on your site. You must have a real site or blog to do this – nothing on a shared domain (i.e. /blogspot).
Vibrant Media - Don’t bother unless your site has 500,000 page views of text based content a month. If you have that readership, these are the guys that display bubble box ads to underlined words on your site.
West Work At Home Agent – Not entirely online but this is worth a mention because it’s won awards and is very legitimate. If you are an at-home Mom or free-lancer without work, you should check this out.
Search engines favour well designed web sites with plenty text content for their top rankings. Here’s some tips on how to design a web site to be ranked at the top in the search engines.
Text Content
The cornerstone to your web site is the text content. Make sure the site contains plenty subject matter right from the start. Your home page will introduce and describe the content of the site while each section goes into more detail on the relevant subject.
When adding text content to your site, identify the key search terms and use them in context. Where possible highlight the search terms by placing them in bold text or within H1 tags. This makes the key search terms stand out so that search engines mark them as being important.
Frames
Although all search engines claim to be able to navigate frames, they still complicate matters. The best advice is to avoid frames entirely. Framed sites are listed in search engines, but no matter how many tricks are employed, they never seem to get listed as high as their non-frames equivalent. If you have a frames based site, consider rebuilding it without frames. You’ll see your listings skyrocket.
Page Forwarding
Many sites are now using page forwarding. It is used on the home page of a site to determine if a visitor has Flash installed, or what browser they are using. After testing the visitors machine, they are then forwarded to the appropriate real home page.
This practise does not help with search engine listings. Your home page should be designed to work with any browser, and visitors should be given the choice of proceeding into a Flash site or a standard HTML site. In any case, forwarding past your home page is missing the chance to introduce plenty of good text content to visitor or search engine.
Heavy Graphics
Don’t use too many graphics on each page, and certainly don’t embed valuable text in your graphics. Search engine spiders see all graphics the same – indecipherable binary code – and embedded text will not be read.Where you do use graphics, make sure to add alt-tags to describe the image, including key words and search terms where applicable.
Dynamic Pages
One of the great things about the internet today is the immediacy of information. Dynamic web sites make it possible to keep content bang up to date with minimum effort. There is a fallacy that if your site contains dynamic pages it will not be indexed by search engines. This belief is only partly true.
Search engines will visit any page, .asp, .php, .cfm etc. If the URL for the page ends with the extension such as /pagename.php it will be indexed and added to the search engine. If however dynamic information is passed within the URL e.g. pagename.php?section=2&user=xyz, then the page will not be indexed.
The idea behind gaining listings for your dynamic pages is to ensure that your home page and other top level section pages do not include dynamic information in the URL. Deeper into the site, sure, include all the dynamic information you want, but at the top level make sure there is enough apparently static information to gain some search engine listings.
If you already run a fully dynamic site, take a look at our optimisation section for some ideas on promotional and traffic capture pages.
Flash
Try and avoid building your main site entirely in Flash. If you do, you’ll also have to build an alternative site in HTML or you will receive no listings whatsoever. Search engines cannot read anything within a Flash file.
The use of Flash within a web site is acceptable, provided its use is monitored. Animation and moving logos are great – they add interest and depth to a site. Flash buttons and text embedded within Flash is not so great. Search engines will not follow the links to other pages and cannot read or index any text within the Flash file. Use Flash sparingly.
Navigation
Search engine spiders start at a site home page and follow all the links within the site until they reach a dead end before jumping to the next site on their list. The key to good navigation is to make sure that search engine spiders can reach as much of your site as possible before jumping to the next site.
At the very least, every page within your site must have a link back to the home page. This is crucial.
In addition, links to each of the other main pages within the site help the spider move around more efficiently.
If your main navigation is a set of buttons at the top of the page, like in this site, add some small text links at the bottom of each page just to make it easier for search engines and visitors to get around your site.
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