One Stop Internet Business Blog

Hello Members!

I’m into something BIG!

For those of who that haven’t already heard, I am working to organize a Global Unity Summit. This event hopes to draw influential social leaders from all over the world in an effort to facilitate global communication and cooperation. Our goals are to get to know each other on a more personal level, explore our similarities and solutions for shared challenges, and ultimately spead a renewed sense of compassion and cooperation to the general population via social channels.

Needless to say, it is very exciting and the initial feedback I’m getting from people all over the world is overwhelmingly positive. At this stage I am in the process of assessing resources and strategies as I organize this idea into a productive entity. I’ve had many people offer to volunteer contacts, ideas and support to this project and want to give you a chance to be a part of it too. If you think you have something to contribute to this effort (even if it’s just a willingness to help with details and whatever else might need doing along the way,) please email me at catwag@onestopinternetbusiness.com I’d be very glad for all the help I can get.

Still Working

Yes, while this is a big project, I am still working. Many of you have come to depend on me to be available when you need me and I expect to continue to be there for you without any difficulty. You know I am fast and it’s always a welcome diversion for me to be able to focus on more than one thing.

I plan to continue to promote the site and advertise my services to attract new customers, too. Most days do not require that I spend the whole day on the Summit, and I aim to have extra spending money during the exciting trip that will be the actual Summit!

Which leads me to my next topic…

“Do you do any Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?”

Recently, I was asked this question and it sort of shocked me. Do I do SEO? I do lots of SEO and I produce excellent results at very reasonable prices, too! Why didn’t this person know that?

My first step toward understanding this mystery was to go to my Ryze page (it was a Ryze contact who I’d actually known for some time.) Guess what? SEO wasn’t listed! I went to my web site, it’s wasn’t listed on the main page either. It wasn’t even on the page that lists all my services. Where was it? I knew I had it on there? It was only mentioned on the Virtual Web Assistant page along with lots of other sorts of odd jobs that I’ve done for people. What was I thinking?!

I tried to remember when I last updated basic elements of the site (including things like tag line and signature file) and I realized it had been ages! The tag line, for example, was actually written way back when I didn’t even offer any professional services, ONE STOP was just a resource site then!

None of these are horrible offenses. I mean hardly anyone else would really even notice them. But, I realized that I wasn’t accurately reflecting all the benefits of working with me, which is what a web site should do above anything else. Subtle differences in wording and the image you project can make a big difference in your bottom line.

If it’s been a while since you did anything with your site, take some time to analyze it from the perspective of a stranger with an interest in the type of product or service you offer. Be honest and ask for help if necessary, but take a really objective look at it to see if there’s something you could be doing better to portray all the current benefits of working with you as opposed to someone else.
Have a Profitable Day,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Delivering Profit-Pulling Results for
Ambitious Online Business Owners.
http://www.onestopinternetbusiness.com

Hello Members!

Change is in the air. Can you feel it? I can! Groundhog day has passed and the days are certainly longer; thoughts are already starting to turn toward Spring, a new beginning.

Just this morning, ONE STOP member, Toni McNulty, sent me this link to an article about how the new Day Light Savings schedule will effect our computers. I had no idea they were changing that! Check it out to find out what you need to do to insure a smooth transition to the new schedule.

I was recently inspired to make some changes by another ONE STOP Member, Viveca Stone, author of the new Fatigue Be Gone ebook guide. She pointed out that my old tagline on the site really didn’t describe my business any more and she was right! I wrote it so long ago, before I added any of the services I offer now, it had to be changed. I was so happy with the new tagline, I decided to use it in my signature file from now on, too!

I’m really seeing so many changes in so many areas, effecting so many people. What kinds of changes are you noticing or dealing with? Remember, sometimes difficulties can represent a need for change. So if something’s not going right, try and look at it from a fresh perspective and see what you could be doing differently to get better results.

Have a Profitable Day,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Delivering Profit-Pulling Results for
Ambitious Online Business Owners.
http://www.onestopinternetbusiness.com

Hello Members!

Tooting my own horn

There’s nothing I like more than a happy customer, except maybe one that will express their appreciation with a testimonial! I am pleased to share this latest with you.

“After hearing great things about Cathy’s work I approached her for some marketing ideas for my website.  The first thing she did was a thorough assessment of my site and presented some practical ideas to make it work better for me.  In her expedient way, she added some very well-written, powerful text and other site enhancements. I’m thrilled with the result.  Cathy is a pleasure to work with, flexible, efficient, and creative in her thinking.”

- Barb Desmarais
http://www.theparentingcoach.com

Thank you, Barb and everyone else who has written such nice comments about my work! Click here to view all my most recent testimonials. 

The right copy makes ALL the difference.

It really is amazing how important one’s web site copy is. Lately I’ve worked with several clients who were dissatisfied with their sales before I edited their copy or added a bit of introductory text to their main page. Once their offer became more clear, sales started to happen almost immediately!

The key to making online sales today is to present copy that is of high interest to your ideal customer. In order to do this, you must be very familiar with your ideal customer and their needs in regard to your product. In many cases, this isn’t too difficult if you use the product yourself, right? Because then you are an example of your ideal customer and totally familiar with the product, too. Or, is it harder than it seems?

I have observed in many online business owners, especially those who’ve created a new kind of product or services, describing their offer properly can be very difficult indeed. Often times they start off by explaining how they came up with the product or they give a sort of condensed version of what they’re offering that really doesn’t do it justice.

When I say “copy of high interest to your ideal customer,” I mean your words must stand out to someone who wants the type of product or service you’re offering and let them know you’ve got what they’re looking for. Talking directly to the people who have an interest in your type of offer is important. You’re not going to convince someone who doesn’t already have an interest to buy. Heck they probably won’t even make it to your site! The only people you need concern yourself with are true potential customers.

Imagine you and your best friend are actively searching for a new line of nutritional supplements, for example. You will each look at different brands, but when you get together to discuss it, you will tell each other about the high points, or the best features and benefits, of the various brands. You and your friend are not going to be interested in who founded the company (at least not to start.) You will be more interested to learn about the benefits of particular products (will they help me lose weight?) and why one brand might be better than another (perhaps it’s the quality of the supplements or the price.) This is exactly the kind of information your prospects are looking for and it should be the primary focus of your main page.

The best way I know to write effective sales copy is to get into the head of your ideal customer. Who are they? Why do they want your type of product or service? What do they hope it will do for them?What does your offer provide that other, similar products and services lack? You want to answer all their questions and basically tell them what makes your offer special enough that people should prefer yours over another.

The proof is in the results. If you’re not generating the results you had hoped, I strongly suggest taking a look at your web site from the perspective of your ideal customer. Imagine you are shopping for what you are selling. If you were reading your copy for the first time, how would it make you feel? Does it really explain all of the wonderful benefits of your offer or does it fall short of the mark in explaining why someone should choose it over another?

If you’ve tried different approaches and nothing seems to work, do yourself a real favor and get help. If there is one aspect of online business where it really pays to invest in the best, it’s your copy.

Have a Profitable Day,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Providing Freedom Seeking Entrepreneurs with
Low-Risk, Online Profit-Building Guidance.
http://www.onestopinternetbusiness.com

Happy New Year!

It’s been a long, busy and wonderful holiday! I hope you enjoyed it, too. Now I am ready to get back to work and will start by wishing you a wonderful and prosperous New Year!

Do You Have a Resolution?

Many online business owners I’ve talked to recently are making it a top priority to get their business into shape and start earning the money they really want. My reply is always, “Great! How will you do it?” Their response usually makes it obvious that their determination to improve their business is rooted more strongly in what they want to happen rather than in a plan with which they will actually accomplish it. While no one appreciates that kind of determination more than I do, I also know how frustrating it can be to make changes and makes changes and still not see the desired results.

Don’t let it happen to you. If you want to improve your business, to which you are already giving your best effort, the most logical first step is to get some professional advice and direction. A professional can set you on the right track, whether you do the work yourself or not. Some fresh, experienced eyes can most likely spot ways to improve your sales process immediately.

You don’t have to spend a fortune either! I’ve met some web designers who think it’s ok to overcharge for their services and I think that is just plain wrong. My advice is to talk to people to get several opinions and estimates before hiring anyone, that way you can be sure to get the best deal. Don’t forget to factor experience into your evaluation of price. Someone who is just starting out as a designer or consultant may lack the experience to do the job as quickly and effectively as a seasoned pro.

LinkedIn

One of my goals this year is to expand my marketing efforts by joining another networking site like Ryze. I still love Ryze and find it to be a very effective tool in connecting with my perfect customers, but now that I have more time to devote to business, I’m ready to take on more and more work.

So, I am now all set up on LinkedIn and wonder how many of you might also be members. Here’s my URL and I’d love it you’d drop by and let me know that you’re a member to.

Sponsor Ads Available

Another goal of mine for 2007 is to surpass my husband’s construction income and give him the freedom to find a more fulfilling way to earn money. To this end, I have decided to try new ways of earning money with ONE STOP that also provide value for Members.

I will start by offering Sponsor Ad spots in the Member Update email messages I send. These messages go out to over 350 serious online business people twice a month and I will begin by offering this advertising space only to ONE STOP Members at just $25 per ad. Please contact me to secure your spot today.

Have a Profitable Year,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Providing Freedom Seeking Entrepreneurs with
Low-Risk, Online Profit-Building Guidance.
ONE STOP Internet Business Services

Hello Dear ONE STOP Members!

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you happiest of holidays! No matter what you may be celebrating, I hope you are enjoying the warmth of friends and family at this very special time of year.

I also want to thank you for your support and continued interest in me and ONE STOP. You are all very dear to me, even if we’ve never spoken personally. I am very well aware that I would have no success without you and I am grateful.

Last Chance Business Tax Deduction

As 2006 draws to a close, many small business owner’s thoughts turn to tax time. How will the year pan out? Will they owe taxes? Do they have enough deductions?

If this describes you, there is still time to get one last business deduction in before the end of the year. Now would be the perfect time to:

- improve your search engine ranking to attract more targeted prospects.

- invest in professional sales copy to increase sales.

- attend an Ad Writing Workshop and learn how to write compelling copy for yourself.

- add some extra functionality to your site, like a newsletter subscription form or a shopping cart, for example.

- even give your site a whole new, more professional look!

Any one of these strategies will serve as more than a timely tax deduction, it will also help you to get 2007 off to a flying start with increased sales! Contact me a.s.a.p. to talk about any business support or improvements you need. Not only are my rates very affordable, I am also very fast.

Have a Profitable Day,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Providing Freedom Seeking Entrepreneurs with
Low-Risk, Online Profit-Building Guidance.
http://www.onestopinternetbusiness.com

Hello!

Things are still busy around here, but I’m ready to take on a few new projects! The holidays are fast approaching and if your current marketing strategies are not producing the desired results, I urge you to get help now rather than later. Not sure of the problem? Write to me and I will help you get a handle on it. Maybe it’s something you can do yourself…once you know what it is.

Timely Topic

I’m still reeling from the widespread lack of control many web masters live with as the norm. All you need to have control of your site is your domain account login information and the welcome email your host sent when you signed up that includes all your account info. If you don’t have both of these things, look into it now before it bites you in the butt.

This week’s topic is search engine optimization (SEO). This is another area where an overwhelming percentage of online business owners have trouble. I’ve found some web site owners pay no attention to SEO whatsoever, they don’t have any tags at all, while others have tags, but the keywords they chose couldn’t possibly help their site get better placement.

To me, the first scenario is another instance of fear making decisions about your business. Most of us have heard of keywords and meta-tags, we know we need them, but some people will put a task like this on the back burner because it seems too hard or expensive. Truthfuly, anyone who knows how to work on their own site can install the proper tags in their web page themselves. And, if you’re not comfortable editing your pages, you could find someone to create tags for your site at affordable prices. I charge $100 for the first page and $50 for subsequent pages with the same product focus, so it’s not nearly as expensive as it used to be.

For those who have taken on the task of SEO for themselves, I applaud your determination but must emphasize how important it is to choose the right keywords. I worked on a site recently where the keywords included terms like “teacher” and “speaker.” Can you imagine how many results someone would get if they typed the word “teacher” into a search engine? Too many, they’d have to search again to narrow their parameters. And “speaker,” most people using this term to search are actually looking for audio speakers, not someone to speak.

Good Keywords (one of my oldest recommendations inside the ONE STOP members area) is still the best tool I’ve ever come across for keyword research. Not only will it tell you how many times any keyword has been used to search at Overture, but it will give you lists of related keywords and data on how many times they were used too. Be creative and try to put yourself in the place of your perfect customer. What words will they use to find your type of product or service?

Once you’ve found the best keywords, be sure to include them in your page titles and copy as well as meta-tags.

Hello ONE STOP Members!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who live in the US!

Over the years I’ve come to realize just how important gratitude and being thankful really are. While life may not be perfect, it’s important to focus on the good instead of the bad if we want more good in our lives. Whether you’re celebrating today or not, please take a moment to reflect on the positive aspects of life and also your ultimate goals in terms of how it will feel to accomplish them. The power of the mind is a wonderful thing.

Techno-Fear

I said I would address what seem to be important online business topics and right now, I can’t think of a more pressing topic than techno-fear. I’ve taken on a lot of new clients lately and it’s reminded me that almost every time I work with a new client, I encounter many of the same issues. I think most of these issues can be traced to techno-fear.

Now, many online business people will laugh at this saying, “I’m not afraid of technology! I do business on the Internet!” But ask those same people to change their host or provide access to their web pages and suddenly, there it is! I can almost hear them hesitate and become uncomfortable at the mention of such procedures, even via email. These kinds of requests cross a line into territory that is frightening and unfamiliar. Some will go so far as to stick with an old solution that really isn’t working because they’re simply too afraid to take the chance of getting in over their heads.

I understand this feeling completely. I’ve been there. The first time I transferred my site to a new host, I was a wreck. I even paid three times the amount necessary to register my domain for three years before I finally screwed up the courage to transfer it to a new registrar. The funny thing is, in both cases it was so much easier than I could have imagined that I really felt silly to have made such a fuss and waited so long.

If you don’t know how to access your web site pages, I urge you to find out now. If you don’t have the login information for both your hosting account and your domain name account, you do not have full control of your online business. If you have a crappy host (and by this I mean a host that makes you contact them for every little change, is not properly set up to handle standard business scripts, or does not give you full email and statistics capability through a control panel,) then do yourself a favor and get a better host, you’re probably paying way too much anyway.

And, if you need help with any of this kind of stuff, please let me help you. I’ve worked with a variety of hosts and domain name registrars; I have transferred direct control to almost every single one of my web site clients. It’s easy. In an hour you can be properly set up and placed in full control of you online business, where you belong. You’ll be thrilled with a much better deal and you won’t have to worry about it again.

Even if you never go into your own domain name or hosting accounts yourself, you need to have a handle on this to have complete control of your business web site. Don’t risk your business out of fear, especially when you know someone who’d be glad to help you!

For a more complete discussion on domain name and web hosting, please see my article, “Are You the Master of Your Domain?“ 

Real Estate Web Site Design

I’ve just launched a new web design package especially for real estate agents. After working on several real estate web sites, it’s become apparent that real estate agents have special needs when it comes to their web site. Homemade sites just don’t cut it for them if they want to attract the best properties. They need a professional design, good search engine optimization, special features like MLS, and regular maintenance as their listings change. All this adds up to be pretty expensive! Many web designers get dollar signs in their eyes when they hear “real estate web site” and it’s all too easy for agents to be overcharged for something that could have been done for a lot less.

At ONE STOP, our team approach enables us to create web sites for less than anyone we know. Our experience has produced excellent results for our real estate agent clients and we can do the same for you! 

Have a Profitable Day,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Providing Freedom Seeking Entrepreneurs with
Low-Risk, Online Profit-Building Guidance.
ONE STOP Internet Business Services

Hello Members!

Wow! It’s been a couple of incredibly busy weeks…yes! This is truly my busiest season and with the extra time I have to devote to work, I am busier than ever!

I hope the season is being kind to you, too. If not, it may be time to take a more critical look at your sales process and make adjustments. Perhaps your image needs improving and if that’s the case, I can certainly help you for far less than you might expect.

I am finding the expense of professional web design is actually decreasing in terms of hours which translates to lower costs. Even a fancy site like this one costs much less to create today than it did just a year ago! And, depending on your own interest to work on your site, it’s possible to get a whole new design for less than ever before. Please take a look at my samples and feel free to contact me directly to talk about your site.

Special Thanks!

I’d like to take a moment to thank Kathy Browning for her recent effort of writing an article about a notable entrepreneurial woman…me! I was delighted to be asked, enjoyed working with Kathy very much and am pleased to provide a link to it on Associated Content.

Next Week

As I get accustomed to my new schedule, I expect to be able to provide more in-depth information about topics that are of particular interest to online business people. Working with new clients is always the best way I’ve found to get in touch with the most common issues. Another great way is through the valuable feedback of Members like you. If you have a topic that you’d like to learn more about, please leave a comment and I will address it in the coming weeks.

Have a Profitable Day,

Cathy Wagner
Online Business Expert
Providing Freedom Seeking Entrepreneurs with
Low-Risk, Online Profit-Building Guidance.
ONE STOP Internet Business Services

Thank you K.C., for responding to last week’s post. Maybe I’m totally off the mark in thinking that people are doing business on the Internet to help make the world a better place. But I’ve met lots of people, including most of my clients, who can see ways in which their online business benefits the world, whether it’s helping people achieve their goals by offering some kind of coaching or training, or it’s selling a product that will have a positive impact on people everywhere.

In today’s world I think it’s important for people to realize their full contribution and I’m willing to bet, given proper time and consideration, we can all find positive benefits for the world through our business endeavors. Perhaps some of you were just too busy to comment and if that’s the case, please feel free to comment when time permits.

I know I’ve been busy and I love it! I’ve got a web site project in the works and just completed several copy writing projects. One was for my friend Janet Legere, creator of Contact List Builder, who offers the most comprehensive online business training around. If you’re very new to online business or if you’ve been frustrated with your results in the past, I urge you to consider working with Janet. Her commitment to her students is unparalled and her system works for everyone, no matter what business opportunity they represent. She’ll show you how to build a responsive contact list from start to profits. She even offers a 100% money back guarantee.

Is Janet making a positive contribution to the world? You bet! She’s showing people exactly how to make their online business dreams come true. She is truly a generous and caring person who’s fondest wish is to help others succeed! 

Be positive on your way toward you online business goals. Celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes. And, if you’re having trouble or need advice, please get some help from someone like Janet or me before you think about giving up.

Regards,
Cathy

Hello Everyone,

Recently I’ve been asked several times how my business fits in with my personal goals for my life. Of course we all work to support ourselves financially, but I think those of us who have chosen to do business online often have other reasons for doing so.

My goals are all about making the world a better place and I feel strongly that my work is focused to that end. If I can help people succeed in creating the life they want, I believe they will feel more fulfilled and at peace with themselves and the world around them. Can you imagine a world where everyone felt happy and secure? Sounds wonderful doesn’t it?

I invite you to comment on how your busiess reflects your personal goals. I think the results will help to illustrate that there are many caring people on the Internet who desire to make a positive contribution to society.

All the best,
Cathy