My Online Business Adventure

Are you wondering whether to start affiliate marketing?  Wondering when would be the best time to start up an online business?

The answer is: “Don’t wait any longer; the time is now!”

The truth is, in the affiliate marketing industry we are just coming to the end of the slow period.  As people come home from their holidays and look at the bleak prospect of getting back to their jobs, they begin to think about alternatives to the 9-5, and towards the end of August the online marketing industry really starts to pick up.

So if you’ve been hesitating and thinking about it, but have not got started yet, don’t lose out on the opportunities that will be coming soon.

Another good time for affiliate marketing is the New Year, when people review their lives and look for something new to start.  But why wait until then?  If you begin now and learn as much as you can before January, you could find yourself really reaping the benefits by the time the New Year begins.

There really has never been a better time to start this fun and exciting business.  As the credit crunch hits, and traditional jobs become more insecure, more people are looking to start a home business than ever before.

If you start up an online business now, you could be looking at earning a full time income within two years.

After that, the sky is your limit.

For opportunities, see my website below.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

If you have an online business, you will know that your most important goal is to get traffic to your website.  After all, without traffic, there are no sales!  So, finding any way of getting targetted web traffic for free is always worth looking at.

The new site, TrafficVibe builds on the way traffic exchanges work in a slightly different way.  When you join, you  will be able to post your own banners, text ads and send solo ads as long as you agree to read other ads and read email ads (though you can opt out of this one if you want to).  When you read other ads you build up points which you use to “pay” for your own advertising.

Of course, the other people using this site are internet marketers - but this means that you can advertising products and services that would be useful to other website owners.

The site also has an affiliate program, so you can build up commissions by referring other people to the site and you get paid when they upgrade or make purchases.

There is plenty of support, a forum, useful tools and links and lots of different ways of earning points.

To visit this site and find out more, click here to join TrafficVibe for free.

Web traffic for free is always a good deal!

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

Like many people when they first start affiliate marketing, I joined several programs very quickly, but then found I did not have the time to focus on all of them!  I’ve flushed a few out now, but there’s one I’m keeping because I’ve just recently realised what a little goldmine it could be!  As well as a free affiliate training program, this site offers a portfolio of products and services to sell, and high commission rates on many of them.

So, you get some high quality products to sell, and training in how to sell them - all completely free!  I think that’s a pretty good deal.

The program is The Second Tier and is owned by Russell Brunson.   You’ll get your own nice looking, easy-to-use back office, training videos and conference calls, and a set of tools and resources that pay up to $450 in commissions.

If you want to try out one of the products first, there is a free training system that Russell will send out just for the cost of shipping.  This is his Dotcom Secrets Wealth Building Portfolio that includes  dvds and worksheets.

I definitely think this one is worth keeping!  After all, it’s not often you get so much for free - so you’ve got nothing to lose!

For your free affiliate training program and affiliate website, click here.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

Yesterday I gave a brief overview of the best free ways of getting more website traffic.  Today I want to expand a little on two of my favourites: blogging and article writing.

If you don’t feel that you are a natural writer, blogging is a very good way to start and get into the habit of writing on a daily basis.  It is less formal than article writing and you can express who you are in a much more “conversational” way.

While some people like to put full articles onto their blogs (which is certainly useful) I do feel that blogs need to be more “user-friendly”.  Today’s readers are often very busy and like to find things to read that are short and easy to read.

The beauty of blogging is that it does not have to conform to a set of rules.  You can be as brief or as long as you like (though I always think the briefer the better!).

If you are involved in any form of internet marketing I would say that a blog is an essential tool.  If you make sure you use strong keyword phrases for each blog, you will get yourself in a strong position in the search engines.  Also, every time you post, with a link to your website, you create a backlink.  If you submit your blog to social bookmarking sites you then have many backlinks.

Be careful here, though.  Many social bookmarking sites will consider you as a spammer if you submit your own blog too often.  It is a very good idea to get together with some like-minded people (perhaps on a forum) and help each other out by submitting each others’ blogs.

Article writing is different.   When readers are looking for articles, they expect a more authoratative tone, and a more structured read.  You will also restricted as to what you can put in an article.  Your article must be informative and useful, and cannot be a blatant advertisement for your site or anything you are trying to sell or promote, otherwise it will not be accepted by the article databases.

When you submit an article to an article submission site such as Article Marketer,  you will be able to fill in a resource box with a link to your website or other link, as long as it is relevant to your article.  This is actually a very powerful way of marketing.  Readers who have enjoyed your article will very often be interested in finding out more about you or your products and do use these links.

If you really feel daunted by the idea of writing an article from scratch, and have no idea where to start, there is a great service called InfoGoRound, which provides public label rights articles that you can copy and re-write.   You just need to make sure that your new article is 60% different to the original.

If this is still sounds a little too hard, you can buy ready-made articles from article writing services such as  Team-Schuman.com which provides excellent, low-cost articles very quickly.

So you see, you don’t have to be an expert writer to use blogging and article writing as a fabulous way of getting more website traffic.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

It never needs to be necessary to spend a fortune in getting website traffic, and in my experience the most effective ways to increase traffic are indeed free.  All it takes is your time and effort.

First, you need to make sure your website contains keyword phrases that have a high search volume but low competition.  This will take some research, but it is your most important step as you want to make it easy for people to find your site.  Use Google’s free keyword tool to see how often it’s searched for and then use the search engine to see how many other websites are using that keyword - the fewer, the better.

Second,  make sure your site contains unique content.  The search engines like this.  Create pages with unique articles, and make sure your home page is not a carbon copy of everyone else’s.

Get as many free backlinks as you can.  You can do this by putting a link to your website in other high quality sites.  Use free directories, or trade links with other websites that have a high PR.

Get more backlinks through forum marketing, blogging and article writing.

Tomorrow I’m going to give you some ideas about using blogging and article writing to increase traffic extremely effectively - even if you are not a born writer!

There are plenty of free ways to increase traffic to your website - you just have to put the work in.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

OK, before I start to answer the question, “What is MLM?” I need to define a few terms.

MLM is an acronym for Multi Level Marketing, and is a legal way of marketing products or services and earning a commission every time you, or someone you have referred, sells a product or refers a new marketer.

It’s also called affiliate marketing or network marketing, although there are subtle differences between the three.

A pyramid scheme involves no product and there is no legal marketing involved.  It is purely exchange of money where the person at the top of the pyramid is supposed to make a profit.  Pyramids usually collapse very quickly, and people at the bottom lose their money.  They are illegal in most countries as far as I know.

Unfortunately, many people still distrust multi-level marketing or affiliate marketing because they associate them with pyramids.  Even one of my own (free) affiliates emailed me the other day asking the question, “Isn’t this just a pyramid?”

I sighed inwardly, and then sent him a very nice email explaining the difference.

I also sent him to a website that explains all these definitions in full details and much better than I can in a short blog!  The website is called FirstClassMLM and is run by Tim Sales.  There is absolutely no hype on this website, and also no advertising or any call to sign-up with anything.  It is purely informational and is full of excellent articles explaining all the questions you might have about mlms.

Here are some links to some relevant articles:

What Is MLM?

Pyramid Schemes and Scams

How MLM Works

What is First Class MLM?

If you are interested in getting started in MLM, come back here after you’ve finished reading and have a look at my website for some opportunities.

If you want to find out more about MLM and affiliate marketing, I have given you some book suggestions below this post.

Thanks for reading.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

People who wonder how to make extra money online often search for a quick and easy answer - and there are plenty of schemes out there that will give you a quick and easy answer - but unfortunately, these are the schemes (or scams) that will not deliver.

The truth (boring though it may be) is that the secret of making money online is up to you.  You can join the best, highest-paying and most popular affiliate marketing program in the industry, but unless you are prepared to learn the skills of internet marketing, you will not get very far.  No-one makes money for you - you have to do it yourself.

There is a word I have used in my title that is the key to online money-making success.

Yes - you spotted it.  It’s the word, “learn”.

This may be off-putting for some but if you are serious about creating an online income, the only way is to learn what you need to do.

Yes, this takes time.  There is no magic fix or quick solution.  You have to take the time to find the teaching resources, apply what you have learned and continue to apply it until you start getting results.

But, on the other hand, the learning process is fun, and if you use the excellent online support systems that are available, you can meet lots of people that will help you achieve online success.

If you are thinking of earning money through an online affiliate program, you need one that will provide you with a good learning system, online support and easy-to-follow procecdures.

This is why I am always suggesting that newbies begin with the PlugInProfit Site, where you get all of the above and more.

I was a complete novice when I joined the PlugInProfit Site (or PIPS, as it is known by its members), but within 8 months I have learned the basics of internet marketing, learned how to personalise my website (that’s provided for you), improved my search engine rankings and rapidly increased the traffic to my website.  I am on page 1 of Google for my chosen keywords and have many affiliates across six affiliate programs.

How did I do this?  By following the training given to me.  Not only does this program give you a step-by-step training system, but there is a members’ forum where you can get answers to any question AND there is an excellent PIPS mentoring group where you can get more intense and personalised training from six successful PIPS experts.

And as an added bonus, I have made many friends, developed new ideas to make my own business unique and have established a niche that I know will provide me with the income I need for years to come.

So, don’t expect to just join any affiliate program and make money magically out of thin air.  You need a fully supportive training system that will help you to build a real business and give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have built your success yourself.

PlugInProfit will give you the groundwork.  Applying it is up to you.  Learn how to make extra money online, then go out there and do it.

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

I don’t watch a lot of sport, but I do love Wimbledon.  For two weeks of the year the television is constantly switched on.  I have seen some amazing matches, but last night I was deeply inspired by the most incredible come-back I have ever seen.  I do think that any of us can take many examples from sporting heroes, so if you want to know how to be a successful entrepreneur even when the odds are against you, watch, if you can, the 4th round match between Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet.

Everything was against Murray right from the start, and at 2 sets down, in the 3rd set, with match point against him, it really looked like it was going to be all over.  Not once had he broken Gasquet’s serve.  It looked like a done deal.

Yet from somewhere in this guy’s psyche, he managed to find a way to finally break the other man’s serve at this crucial moment.  Going on to win the set with the most impossible back-hand return, he went on, sometimes struggling at a see-saw deuce/advantage stalemate, but went on, looking more in control at each moment, to win the 4th and the winning, final set.

So, why am I talking about tennis in my home business blog, you might ask?

Because Andy Murray showed all the qualities that are needed to be a success in business.  Let me just list these:

• Positive thinking.  If you ever seen Murray interviewed, you will find that his focus is on what’s possible, not what’s not possible.  When his interviewer pointed out he would face Nedal in the quarter-final and he’d never beaten him before, Murray’s response was “but I’ve had some good chances against him…and I believe I can beat him…”  Positive thinking allows you to stay focused on what is possible in your business - and this will create your reality.
• Determination.  Some of the balls Murray faced in that match yesterday looked impossible to return - but he managed to return them through sheer determination.  It was almost as if his will to succeed allowed him to achieve the physically impossible.  If you are 100% determined to succeed, nothing can stop you.
• Tenacity.  Time after time, things went against him in the first 2 sets.  It was almost painful to watch.  But this is a guy who does not believe in giving up.  No matter where you are in your business right now, with tenacity and refusal to give up, you can get to where you want to be.
• Focus.  Despite the odds against him, Murray continued to remain focused and keep his eye on the ball.  His mind was set on winning, even with match point against him, and not once did he become distracted or allow mistakes to upset him.  In business, it is essential that you remain focused on what’s important and set your sights on your goals.

These are not qualities that someone like Murray just happens to have.  These are qualities that ANYONE can choose to have in any given moment.  We all have the power to succeed; we just have to choose who we are going to be in order to achieve that success.

If you want to know how to be a successful entrepreneur - or be successful at anything - I recommend that you watch your sporting heroes, whoever they are, and take some tips from them.  You too can be a hero.

No doubt I’ll be back with some more inspirational tips during the Olympics!

Ros Bott

Achieve Financial Freedom Online

Earn While You Learn Success

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to buy the things you want without having to check your bank balance first?  To feel secure in the knowledge that you have money saved for those occasional emergencies?  To treat your family to a holiday or buy a new car when you want to?  For many people having these things means working extra hours or getting an extra job, but this also means losing time that you could be spending with your family and friends.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could work half the time for more money by creating a residual income opportunity?

See the rest of this article here…

The world of affiliate marketing can be a bewildering place when you are just getting started.  Without a helping hand or proper guidelines, the novice can easily get trapped into paying for expensive marketing without really knowing what they are doing.  If you are a novice in affiliate marketing, or are interested in getting started, here’s my list of essential first steps:

1.  Set a budget.  Decide, realistically, what you can afford to spend every month.  Do not be tempted to go over this in the hope that you will get your money back quickly.  This is the way to run up an enormous credit card bill and get yourself into debt quickly.   Even if you can only spare a few dollars every month, that’s fine, as long as you know this and are prepared to keep within it.  Making money takes time and you need to look after your finances before you get to this stage.

2.  Get In Communication with Your Sponsor.  I am often amazed at how many of my affiliates just don’t seem to want to communicate.  Unfortunately, these are the ones that pull out a few months down the line.  This may be a business that you work at alone, but you don’t have to BE alone, and everyone needs support.  If you get a welcome email from your sponsor, reply and tell them what your goals are.  It’s quite possible that your sponsor is an expert and will be able to help you build your business without falling into any of the traps that they will have experienced.

Sadly, there are some sponsors who do not communicate with their downline!  This is madness.  Affiliate marketing is all about helping your downline, because when they succeed, you do.  If you are unfortunate enough to have signed up with an uncommunicative sponsor, then don’t despair!  Step #3 is the next best thing for getting support and encouragement.

3.  Use Forums  Most good affiliate programs will have their own forum.  Join this.  If it doesn’t have a forum, join some general internet marketing forums such as Conquer Your Niche, or the Warrior Forum.  Many people who use these forums are experienced internet marketers and are usually very helpful if you have any questions or need some support.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to communicate with other people in this business.  Doing this on your own is extremely difficult - you need guidance and positive input.  By interacting with other people you can also have fun and make new friends all round the world.  I certainly have.

4.  Learn, learn, learn.  Use any training your program gives you, ask your sponsor, ask in the forum.  Try not to learn too many things at once - you will feel overloaded.  Take it one step at a time.  Learn one thing thoroughly, put it into action and then go onto the next step.

Above all, it is important that you learn that this business is a real business that takes time and effort to build.  However, it has many advantages over other businesses because it’s easy to start and you don’t have to have a huge capital.

Novice affiliate marketing is an exciting time, and if you are still looking for some excellent money making ideas, have a look at my website here.   As your personal sponsor, I won’t let you down.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online