In the world of internet marketing, there is always an opportunity to step back and see exactly what’s happening with your business. When you started this venture, you most likely had the idea of making money in mind. Without the appropriate tools and methods, achieving this status of profitability can be a difficult endeavor.

#1 Traffic. Your sales funnel normally begins at the moment when a prospect chooses to opt-in when they reach your capture location. This is your sign-up page or box where the person viewing the website decides to input their personal information to be added to your list. Without this critical point among your web pages, you have no opportunity to build either a list of potential customers, or develop the sales funnel. Viewers of your website will just visit and then turn to someone else’s page for what they are searching for.

The desired result is for people to visit your site and stay long enough to leave their contact information. This results in them agreeing to receive further communication from you via email autoresponders. Whether your preference is pay-per-click, e-zine articles or any other lead attraction techniques, once a prospect gives you permission to contact them, your sales funnel has begun.

However, in order for you to achieve this goal you need to master attracting people to your website. Any internet marketer must learn this critical skill from the beginning of their online venture. Generating traffic to your capture page is vital to the success of your business.

#2 Consistent Communication. Keeping your prospects interested and confident in what you have to offer is the next task on your sales funnel agenda. If your correspondence through email autoresponders is lacking substance, your chances of losing them as future customers are high. Your goal from the beginning is to prove to your customers you have something of value to offer them. Once you are known, trusted and well liked by your prospects, you raise your chances of them returning in the future.

Frequent follow-ups with quality updates for your list not only helps to prove you have quality information for them on a regular basis, but will help you to weed out those who aren’t really interested in your online business.

#3 Marketing. Marketing to your prospects begins after these relationships have been formed. This is where you start to promote more of what you have to offer to your prospects. You are still working on maintaining their trust as well as providing them with valuable information they have begun to wait for with a state of excitement. They are starting to wait anxiously for your email autoresponders to arrive with something new and interesting for them.

The more interest and excitement you can spark in your prospects, the more they will put into their business. This, in turn results in positive results for your own online business as well.

All of these steps bring you to yet another step in your sales funnel. You potentially now have both front-end and back-end sales. Both streams are working towards your sales funnel becoming the profitable internet business you’ve strived for from the start. Now with your list of prospects growing, you can stop to take a deep breath. The difficult first-steps toward success have been taken.
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http://www.quickstartguidetosalesfunnels.com

If you have yet to find your market niche, your focus needs to remain on discovering which one is the perfect business opportunity match for you. It’s impossible to build any successful sales funnel without a market for the services or products you intend to sell. Therefore, this step must be accomplished before you can go any further in your planning.

Test it – When in doubt of whether your sales funnel is within a profitable market, it’s always possible to test it before going full force into it. Begin by setting up all of your initial lead capture items in order to attempt making front-end product sales. Make it simple, such as sending out an email newsletter coupled with the sale of an e-Book. If you still don’t have a product, spend some time performing keyword research. Any topic receiving thousands of searches per month is worth further follow-up, as it appears to have a large demand.

Convert Prospects – The possibilities or potential for a sales funnel are never really a certainty until you have started to actually make money from it. Conversion rates from actual sales are far more accurate than those taken from opt-in numbers.  Although it’s a fantastic tool for keeping in touch with your list while boosting it at the same time, don’t make the assumption you have something your list members actually want to buy unless you’re able to sell it to them.

Plan Your Sales Funnel – As soon as you’re confident you have a profitable niche, you can begin work planning your sales funnel. Your primary focus point always starts at the point of meeting your customers needs. All along your funnel, this is to be done with products and services specifically tailored to your prospects. You will be able to eventually get to a point of adding high-priced items you can charge for, and make the most profit on developing quality back end products.

Tailor Your Funnel to Your Prospect’s Needs – Your initial product line may need to be broad in the beginning. Consider using a global theme, such as “I want to lose weight”. Then begin digging deeper into the subject so you can break it down into smaller sub-topics such as “Healthy eating habits to shed pounds”or “Popular weight loss methods.”Breaking it down further could include dealing with common issues such as eating out, or hitting a plateau.

The process of breaking it down not only gives you an understanding of your prospect’s specific needs, it can also be very handy in assisting the creation of a fantastic and profitable sales funnel.

Finding a successful, and profitable niche, often requires patience and a willingness on your part to adjust your offerings to meet your customer’s needs. Do your research, test your niche, and adapt as your prospects and customers change and grow.

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http://www.quickstartguidetosalesfunnels.com

Many people say they can spot a good letter when they see
it, but the problem is when it comes down to writing one,
they simply freeze up. That’s why I want to take you behind
the scenes of a successful sales letter I wrote and
illustrate the thinking that goes into writing a killer
letter that generated a healthy 3810% ROI. This letter sold
all of the clients overstock merchandise and they even
created a waiting list.

You’ll find my comments in the side notes below so let’s
get started…

****

Can You Get A New $8,000 Power Table For $417?

——Side Note Comments——
First off, the headline is a grabber and makes people want
to read more. Anyone interested in your product at a
bargain price would certainly continue reading.
——End Comments——

Read The Amazing Facts To Find Out How…

——Side Note Comments——
Next, the subhead tells prospects that the answer is right
inside this letter if they keep reading.
——End Comments——

Dear Friend,

Yes, it’s absolutely true. You can really replace your old,
worn-out exam table and only pay $417 out of your pocket
(But only if you are one of the first 2 people to respond
to this letter.)

Let me explain.

——Side Note Comments——
Your first sentence is absolutely critical to your letter.
If your first sentence doesn’t make people want to keep
reading, you can expect your letter to end up in the
circular file. So make sure it keeps their interest piqued
and follow up on the headline promise in the first
sentence.

In the first sentence I reiterate the fact that yes they
really can get a brand new power table for such a low
price. The second sentence I throw in a little scarcity
right at the beginning of the letter so they won’t just
toss this letter aside for further reading.
——End Comments——

Last April, our little company took a big gamble and signed
up for a power table promotion. In order to get on the
promotion we had to agree to take 3 power tables – nearly
$15,000. (And for a small company like us, that’s a lot of
money to be tied up in inventory).

Only one of those 3 tables were sold – so there are still 2
left.

——Side Note Comments——
The next paragraph I begin to explain the story of why
we’re selling this product at such a bargain price. I’ve
discovered that telling people the truth and giving a
reason why is actually one of the most powerful
psychological motivators to action.
——End Comments——

And My Problem Is Your Opportunity

——Side Note Comments——
This subhead turns the letter back around to what’s in it
for the reader. Everyone is always silently asking
themselves “So what?” and “Who cares?”. You’ve got to keep
the focus on what the reader will gain from the letter.
——End Comments——

In order to move these last 2 tables I’ve decided to do
something somewhat bold and a little daring.

First, you should know that the manufacturer’s promotion of
these power tables ends June 30th. And any unsold inventory
I have could be sold to another dealer at wholesale.

But instead of doing that, I would rather sell you the
table at a wholesale price and gain your goodwill.

——Side Note Comments——
Here I explain how and why I’m willing to make a
sensational deal.
——End Comments——

The regular price for a XXX power table is $8,000 but
during this promotion they were on sale for $5,375 (which
is a pretty good deal anyway).

But until July 15th (I’ve extended the offer 2 weeks), you
can buy one of our last 2 tables for just $4,897. That’s a
savings of over $3,100.00

——Side Note Comments——
I introduce the special offer and the reason why we’re
selling the product at such a discount. That’s a key point,
because unless you give people a believable reason for the
reduced price they won’t believe you. Nobody thinks you’re
lowering the price because you’re “such a nice guy” so let
them in on the reason behind your offer.
——End Comments——

What? I promised you could get a power table for only $417
and here’s how…

——Side Note Comments——
I answer an anticipated objection here since I promised
they could get the table for only $417.
——End Comments——

Here’s How To Get That New Power Table For Almost “Zip” By
buying a power table, you can qualify for a 50% tax credit
under section 44 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
That’s right Fifty Percent! All because a power table will
glide up and down to accommodate disabled and handicapped
patients.

And here’s what else. You can also take the amount of the
power table and deduct it off your taxes using Section 179.
(That is if you haven’t spent over $18,000 on capital
equipment this year.)

That’s not all, here are a few more incentives for you: We
will give you a $150 trade-in for your old table (or you
can donate it to charity for another tax break). And add an
extra 2-year warranty ($1,000 value), plus, we’ll pick-up
your old table and deliver the new one all for free!

Pretty good, right? Wait, I have even better news for
you…

——Side Note Comments——
Here I’ve explained each of the incentives and how they can
really get the table for such a low cost. Plus added in a
few extra bonuses and now I’ll another bonus to really
increase their desire.
——End Comments——

You Can Pay In 3 Easy Installments With Zero Interest We’ll
break up your payments into 3 easy installments, spread
thirty days apart.

Why You Must Act Before July 15th First, I doubt if these
tables will still be around until July 15th because the
first 2 doctors that put their deposits down will take
them. And when they’re gone this offer expires.

But even if they are still here (highly unlikely at this
bargain price) this offer has to expire anyway because we
will be shipping out these tables to other dealers in the
area.

——Side Note Comments——
I bring back the deadline here and scarcity again. So not
only do they have a limit on the number of units available,
but there is also a time deadline. This is a double whammy
to get people to take action immediately.
——End Comments——

Here’s What You Should Do Now

Pick up your phone and dial xxx-xxxx and reserve one of
these last 2 tables with your credit card. Or in case,
you’re still undecided call us and ask for some more
information to be faxed to you.

Otherwise, you’ll be giving up the ease and convenience of
having a power table at this bargain price. I really hope
you’re one of the 2 lucky doctors who decide to take
advantage of this golden opportunity.

——Side Note Comments——
In this closing paragraph I give readers a little pain by
mentioning what they’ll be missing if they don’t act on
this offer.
——End Comments——

Sincerely,
XXXX

P.S. Hurry! This letter is being sent to 1,283 local
doctors and this offer is strictly limited to the first 2
people who respond.

——Side Note Comments——
The P.S. is your last place to help prospects make a buying
decision. People go from the headline in a letter to the
signature to the P.S., so your P.S. should be powerful.

Here I introduce even more scarcity. I let them know
exactly how many people (specifics sell) are receiving this
letter and it makes the limited quantity seem even more
limited since so many other people are getting this same
announcement.

——End Comments——

****

I guarantee by using the same elements, I just illustrated,
you’ll see your next sales letter produce incredible
results.

(c) Surefire Marketing, Inc.

==========================================================
Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on
creating automatic, moneymaking websites…and he still
doesn’t know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best-
selling resources including - http://www.InstantSalesLetters.com
==========================================================

If you’re already selling anything online this article is
going to show you how to add extra revenue you didn’t even
know you had “hiding” in your site without getting any more
visitors.

* Overlooked Way #1 – An Upsell:

If you’ve been in marketing for any time you’ve probably
heard of “upsells” or “bumps”. Car dealers are excellent at
using this technique. Once you have agreed to buy a car you
then go into the finance office. This finance guy is really
another place where they try to extract as much money as
possible from you; dealer financing, extended warranties,
rust coating, a low-jack security system, etc.  These
additions will normally add as much, or more, profit to the
dealer as the original sale. These are upsells or cross-
sells.

Another great example is if you’ve ever called a late night
infomercial you will be given an upsell. They will offer
you a special deal on the third bottle of super grime
cleaner if you buy 2 bottles. These upsells usually end up
bringing more profit than the original item people intended
to purchase.

Why not do the same online?

This little “magic trick” can instantly increase your
profits 20-66% even without getting any additional business
or website visitors. It works great because your prospect
is all hot and heavy and ready to buy. They’ve got their
credit card in their hand and they’ve already made the
commitment. (If you read Robert Cialdini’s book “Influence:
The Psychology of Persuasion” you’ll see commitment and
consistency is a key psychological trigger.)

There are a couple ways I’ve successfully used upsells on
my sites:

First you can use an “intermediary” page. Once prospects
click on the order buttons they’re taken to a new page (and
not the order form). This page tells people about a special
offer that is for today only and that they can get a
‘deluxe’ or ‘gold’ version of the package for X dollars
more. You can make the upsell a big dollar amount or a
small insignificant little ‘bump’. I do this on
www.Instantsalesletters.com and my numbers have been quite
good using this technique  – as high as 68% some days. So think
about my additional profit margins just by inserting this
one extra page. Awesome!

Another way of doing this is by “recommending” a product.
Anytime you buy something from Amazon – that’s exactly what
they do. Up comes a page that “Customers who bought __ also
bought__” and then they have a slew of products.

Next, you can also have the upsell right on the Order page.
I’ve even used something as simple as putting a check box
on my order form on www.InstantInternetProfits.com. It could
be that simple. On this we get a 25% upsell rate. Take a look
at what appears at the bottom after the customer has
already filled out their info to buy the course

You have to play fair and let people get the original price
and package you offered but there’s no reason you shouldn’t
add a complimentary upsell immediately. The upsell is one
of the easiest (and most profitable) techniques you can
start implementing tomorrow. This is like the “would you
like fries” strategy. Unless you’re offering “fries” you’re
missing out on tons and tons of profit. You simply need to
come up with a couple more compelling bonuses, packages or
up-sells that people will get for the upgrade.

* Overlooked Way #2 – Thank You Pages:

After upsells, I’d say ‘thank you’ pages are one of the
most overlooked profit hot-spots. Once again, there are
several ways I’ve used this technique. First of all,
anytime somebody buys a product from you online – they are
taken to some kind of thank you page. Most people will
simply put “Thank you for your order” and that’s it. They
leave the customer with their credit card in their hands to
go off to some other website and give them money. Why not
give people a special deal on the thank you page or at
least give them links to your other products or other
people’s products that you make an affiliate commission on?

Now if it’s a digital product – then they need to get their
download but you can also put some recommended resources
right on the download page. At the bottom of the digital
download page for www.PublicDomainRiches.com  we have a
recommendation for the new Public Domain Gold Mine(tm)
package.

Those aren’t the only thank you pages. Many people totally
forget about the ‘thank you’ pages that come up after
someone signs up for your list. Now where you want to send
them will depend on where they are in the sales process -
but you can have a list of recommended resources that comes
up AFTER people subscribe to your email list. Why not? If
that’s the last action you were expecting – you should look
for ways to profit from this.

* Overlooked Way #3 – Thank You Emails/Confirmations:

Don’t forget the initial email confirmation you send back
to your customers. Last technique we talked about making
offers on the thank you page but your ‘thank you’ email is
one of the most read emails. In addition to the ‘typical’
stuff you should include like customer service information,
who will bill their credit card, etc why not add a simple
P.S. to the bottom of the email like I do offering
additional resources (or even a special deal just for
customers).

I guarantee just putting these 3 easy overlooked ways to
work on your site will help squeeze out even more profits
for you & without adding a single visitor. Give it a try.

(c) Surefire Marketing, Inc.

==========================================================
Yanik Silver is recognized as the leading expert on
creating automatic, moneymaking websites…and he still
doesn’t know how to put up a website.

He is the author, co-author or creator of several best-
selling online marketing books and tools, including his
newest resource - http://www.UltimateCopywritingWorkshop.com
==========================================================