Reducing Your Support Needs
By Paul Kleinmeulman

If you are selling any product, then no doubt you have had at least one support request. It’s a very important part of business, customer service, but it doesn’t directly grow your business. On the other hand, if you are handling your support poorly very soon word gets around and you are losing business left and right.

This article is NOT about how to hire somebody to do your support, which is something that I have done for the past 3 years, and I strongly recommend you do the same. It is about how to reduce your support needs right at the start, reducing the bottle necks so you don’t have as many support issues.

Here are 3 suggestions…

1) Make Your Sales Process Simple

When I launched My Mind Shift (http://www.MyMindShift.com ), via a new membership type sales system, I quickly discovered that over 50% of customers, were not able to login after they created their membership. This was because they had to click on an email link to be fully registered, a double optin method. For some reason, most of the customers, didn’t receive that email, and I was getting a lot support emails saying "I can’t login" and I had take approximately 5 minutes for each customer, to login to the admin, approve them manually, and write them an email with their username and password to try again.

When you have over 140 sales in one day, it quickly builds up to be a huge task.

Immediately, I hired a coder, to change that bottleneck and remove the need to click the link in the email, before they could login and as soon as this new system was applied it removed all these extra support issues I was getting.

The system still has some issues, such as with the OTO and the download page so I have decided to scrap that membership system entirely, as it is more trouble then it is worth.

In my experience, the simpler the system the better.

Sales Page => Payment Processor => Customer List => Download Page

Works like a charm… reducing support issues tremendously.

2)  Use Video Where You Can

If you have any difficult part for a customer to do for example, downloading an mp3 file, then don’t just tell them how to do it, show them via onscreen video.

Don’t overestimate the technical experience of your customers, especially in some niche markets. Your product might be the first online product that this customer has ever bought, and downloading the product is 100% foreign to them (some don’t even know what downloading means).

Make their first experience easy, by showing them exactly how to download your files or how to install your script. The competent customers will just skip over this, but for first timers, it will save you a lot of support issues.

But don’t just leave it at video, some people prefer to read, so give them an instruction manual with detailed screenshots.

3)  Have A Frequently Asked Questions Section On Your Sales Page & Download Page

Another major part of support, is the questions that people have. Answer them before they ask, via a frequently asked questions section, on your sales page and your download page. I have found that most people’s questions are similar, so by answering one question before it is asked, you could be reducing your support by 20%.

So there you have it, 3 ways to instantly reduce your support issues. Take the effort once, and you could be permanently reducing your support issues in the future.

All the best to your online success,

Sincerely,

Paul Kleinmeulman
Australia

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Finish That Project First!
By Paul Kleinmeulman

How many projects have you started but never finished?

At the time, they seem like the best idea world, but after 1 or 2 weeks, or even 1 or 2 days you lose enthusiasm for them, and very soon they become more digital dust for your hard drive.

I cannot count how many half finished products, and even completed products that I have never sold, that are just waiting in my hard drive, becoming less and less of a good idea. If you are just starting an online business, you are probably laughing at me right now, and saying to yourself "I would never do that!" But it does happen and it is one of the most idiotic practices, you can see with most online marketers. Why? Because you don’t make money unless you sell something and it needs to be finished before you sell it.

I don’t believe that every marketer has attention deficit disorder, but I do believe that online marketing changes so fast and there are so many distractions online, it is so hard to focus.

So how do you finish that project?

Here are 3 techniques, to help you to focus and finish that project.

1)  Make The Decision

Every change starts with a decision, and you are in charge of that decision. If you want to finish that project, then you need to decide to first. Decide right now, that nothing is going to stop you, from finishing this project off. No coder, no copywriter, no graphic designer, no content writer, everybody is replaceable. Nothing is going to stop you not even yourself.

As you have new ideas, write them down within a separate document and then start them when you have finished this project first, yes even if they are better then your current idea.

2)  Write A List

To take a product to market, there are a lot of little steps that need to be done. Some of them are good marketing practices, but are not essential, such as a One Time Offer, or a bonus to add to your sales page. Don’t let these things stop you. Take the time to write a list of everything that you need to sell your product.

Such as…
Product
Sales Page
Payment Processor
Download Page

That is basically it. Everything else is not essential, though I would strongly suggest you take 5 minutes to create the customer sign up list ;-). So what do you need to finish off to start selling your product? Write the list, and break down even further if it seems too big to you. For example, a lot of people get stuck on the sales page. So break it down. Headline, Introduction, Features, Guarantee, Closing etc.

3) Set A Launch Date

I believe there is a saying that goes something like this… "A goal without a date is a dream that will never be accomplished." If you want to push yourself, and get the project finished quicker then ever before, then set a launch date and take your list, and give each of them completion times.

Immediately you will know what you need to do during the coming weeks so that you will be ready for your launch date.

So there you have it, 3 strong techniques to help you to avoid distractions and focus to finish off that project.

All the best for your online success.

Sincerely,

Paul Kleinmeulman
Australia

10 Ways To Grow Your Business In 5 to 30 Minutes
By Paul Kleinmeulman

It’s 5:30pm, you have just come back from work and there is 30 minutes before dinner. You are feeling motivated to do something to grow your business, and you need to do it while your wife is not looking ;).

What do you do?

Most people would check their email, or read a sales page, or read a few forum posts… but that doesn’t really grow your business does it?

No it’s dead time, it’s treading water, and you have been doing that for far too long. It’s time to change that attitude and do something that will grow your business even with those few spare minutes of your time.

Here are 10 ways to grow your business with just 5 to 30 minutes.

1) Write An Article or Blog Post

Writing an article can take time, especially when you have to do research, or you have come back from work and mentally drained. But with the right mindset and an ounce of motivation, you can use your time to grow your business. You must put content out there if you expect people to find you. This article took less then 20 minutes to write, you can do it.

2) Submit An Article or Old Blog Post

Along the same lines is to take that article or old articles you have previously written for your blog and submit them to different article directories. I find that it is easy to write articles, but I don’t get around to submitting them very often. 5 to 30 minutes is just the right amount of time to submit one article to numerous different places.

3) Research And Write For Links

Building links to your web site is very important, and not just for search engine optimization, and increasing your ranking. It is also building relationships with other related sites (how else will they hear about you?). 5 to 30 minutes is just enough time to research and contact webmasters requesting links, and putting links to their site on yours.

Or if you don’t want to do it yourself, then take the time to write or video showing how somebody else can do it for you.

4) Research And Write To JV Partners Or Affiliates

Emailing JV partners or affiliates shouldn’t just be a ‘one off when you launch’ thing… You should be constantly contacting new JV partners and or affiliates to promote your products. Take 30 minutes and send them a personalized message on how you can help each other.

5) Add Another Message To Your Autoresponder

What is so good about an autoresponder? It sends out messages when you are not there, building relationships, and promoting products. But you need to fill it first, most people just have 7 messages… BEEEEEP… WRONG!

Use this dead time, and add another message to your autoresponder, either a content message, or a promotion message, or even just a link to your blog if you are adding content to it regularly.

This is a great example, of doing something once, and getting paid for it constantly.

6) Add A "Recommended Product" To Your Download Page

Your download page, is most likely your most underutilized page on your whole website. Take the time to add a ‘Recommended Product’ for your targeted customers and increase your $ value per customer.

7) Rotate Some Ads On Your Blog

If you have had the same ads on your blog for more then a month, then take 30 minutes, to rotate them, and give your blog a minor face lift. We are not talking about a major redesign here, we are just talking about a few changes, so people can notice the difference, and it looks like you genuinely care about your blog.

Write A Script For Your Next Video

I’m the type of person who can’t record a video in less then 30 minutes, I need a lot of preparation time, but I can write a small script in that time. Take the time, to write your next JV video, or a personal message to add to your autoresponder or website, to grow your relationship with your prospects. And then record it later. Or if you care somebody who can just record… then just do it.

9) Research Your Competition

Most people when they come home from work, just want to waste the time and surf the net. Ok but how about we do something useful with our time. How about you do a little bit of spy work on your competition.

Find out…

What keywords they are using for Adwords?
How long they have been online?
Who is linking to them?
How many links do they have?
How many articles they have in Ezine Articles?
etc,

And then see what they are doing that you are not and then do it better!

10) Brainstorm How You Can Drive More Traffic To Your Websites

You can’t have enough traffic, and there are times when you need to think out of the box. Take that dead time and sit down with a pen and piece of paper and think of all the methods you are NOT using to drive traffic to your websites.

Try and come up with 30 different methods, and sort through your list, to find the ones that are going to give maximum results for minimum time. And then use your next spare 30 minutes to do number 1 and so on.

10 things only just cracks the surface, as I was writing this article, I was thinking about all the other things, I could add. Why don’t you take the time to write your own list right now, you will find that it really focuses your mind? Post it near your monitor, and the next time, you want to waste those precious minutes online, do something constructive instead.

Hope that helps,

All the best for your online success.

Sincerely,

Paul Kleinmeulman
Australia

Make More Money Without More Niches…
By Paul Kleinmeulman

As promised this is an article to continue on from yesterday.

You want to make more money right? Of course you do, we all do.

So if one niche is making $100/day how do we make it $200/day or $1000/day without entering another niche?

Let me share with you 5 different ways to make more money from a single niche without going into other markets.

1)  Increase Conversion

If you want to make more money without getting more traffic, then simply increase your conversions. If you sales page is converting at 1% by increasing your conversion rate to 2% you have suddenly doubled your profit, without any extra traffic.

To do this you must test, test, test again, via A-B split tests or multivariate testing and tracking. I recommend starting with your headline, and testing a variety of different versions of your sales page to find out which one works best.

Also I recommend you try video (don’t forget to test, that it does increase conversions) as an easy option to be more personal to your potential customers, and convey more information quicker.

2)  Increase Traffic

The formula is simple, Traffic * Conversion = Sales. We’ve already increased the conversion, so to double our efforts, increase the traffic as well.

Write more content, and get it out in more places. Think social media, article directories and related sites.

Get more links to your site. Use banners, ask for links, create WordPress templates be creative.

Find more partners and affiliates to promote your site. You don’t get, if you don’t ask.

Use invite a friends with rewards.

SEO your site, target your main keywords better.

Multiply your sites, to target more keywords.

Focus on a new method of traffic everyday, and build up that site to dominate every avenue of traffic.

3)  Increase Profit / Sale

If you want to make more money, then make sure you are maximizing your profit per sale. Increase the price (test it to see if that increasing the price, decreases your conversion rate, sometimes it increases conversion).

Turn your digital product into a physical product and maximize your profits that way.

Add more bonuses to your product, and justify the price increase or update and revise it to version 2.

4)  Increase Profit / Customer

The good thing about customers, is most of the time, they buy more then just one item. Don’t stop at the first sale.

Give them a One Time Offer (OTO), but don’t stop at one there either. Give them upsell after upsell. I know marketers that have over 6 upsells in a row, personally I think that is just annoying, but who can argue with more profits.

Build the relationship, and offer follow up or advanced courses/products to your customers to take them to the next level. Promote related affiliate products.

More sales for more products = more profits.

5) Don’t Waste Traffic

A prospect has read your sales page, but doesn’t want to buy (at this time)… what happens? They leave and you lose the customer forever.

Don’t waste that traffic, build a prospect list, via an exit popup or one of those ’save a sale’ scripts, you know the ones with the ‘operator’ that ‘talks’ to them.

Give them something free, and build your email list, to build that relationship with your prospect, so you make more sales.

So there you have it, 5 ways to make more money from your niche, without entering a new one. Can you do this? Absolutely… Is any of this too hard for you? NO!

Implement these 5 methods, before you enter another niche, to maximize your profits and minimize your headaches.

All the best for your online success,

Sincerely,

Paul Kleinmeulman
Australia

Too Many Niches Spoil The Broth…
By Paul Kleinmeulman

This article is a continuation from yesterday’s article about ‘the benefits of multiple niches’ but this one is in the opposite vein. It’s about how too many niches can make your business weak and your cash flow pitiful.

Here are 5 reasons why too many niches can sap the strength from your business.

1)  No Focus

The success of any business is being focused on a strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP). The key element is ‘focused’ on the customers needs and if you have too many niches it is impossible to focus on them all.

2)  No Time

It takes time to not only start your business, to build it, but also to maintain it. When you have too many niches, it becomes impossible to maintain and give them the attention that they need to grow. Otherwise they will be in constant decline.

For example, let’s say that you are advertising 20 different sites via Adwords. Now if you have ever used Adwords, you will know how costly it is if you have just one campaign that is not profitable. Every time somebody clicks you would be losing money.

Let’s say that it took 5 minutes every site to check whether you made money that day. That would be 1 hour and 40 minutes everyday for those 20 sites.

Pretty soon, your time is being eaten away just to maintain sites, and maintaining doesn’t mean growing… which brings us to…

3)  No Growth

What do you need to grow a business? You need focus, time, creativity, relationships, new products, new partners and the list goes on.

It is impossible to do that for multiple sites, every day. When you neglect the above aspects of your business… it declines, growth = more cash.

4)  Multiplication of Problems

Outsourcing is a great way to get a lot more done, in a lot more areas. But with the multiplication of people, comes a multiplication of problems. Lets say a writer you have been hiring for 6 months to constantly create new content for Niches A, C and F suddenly disappears. What do you do? Now you are back to square one.

And I haven’t even touched support and technical issues, hosting, payment processors, and list management.

Too many niches can create too many problems, that even an outsourcing, delegating, intelligent owner can’t handle.

5)  No Information

Markets change, it’s a fact and if you are in too many niches, you can miss when it moves or a new competitor comes to town, and suddenly you wonder why you are making less sales or no sales at all. If you even notice because you can’t check your stats everyday.

If you were watching that basket carefully, nobody would steal all your eggs.

So there are just 5 reasons why too many niches can hurt you rather then help you.

Stay tuned for our next article, about how to make more money without entering more niches.

All the best for your online success,

Sincerely,

Paul Kleinmeulman
Australia