Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

The Effects of eBay on American Merchandising

With one brilliantly simple idea, eBay was born just a few short years ago. From its humble beginnings in the Collectibles business, it went on to achieve the lofty heights it enjoys today. As eBay has continued to grow to over 30 million registered users, it has transformed the ability of individuals (as well as Corporations) to move product of all kinds. eBay is now a place where virtually an. . .

Online Auction Sellers - Seize Control Of Your Business!

As the online auction model of business continues to evolve toward a more commoditized, corporate marketplace, it is time for online auction sellers to seize control of their business, before it’s too late. In this article we will highlight some effective steps you can take to shift control back to your own business. Why is it so important to seize control? There are three Mega-trends tha. . .

How Pop-Culture Collectibles Can Increase Your Online Auc...

How Pop Culture collectibles can increase your Online Auction profits With the increasingly competitive environment for products to sell in the online auction arena, sellers are getting more creative as to the items they purchase for re-sale. While some of the Dutch Auction items that are frequently sold on eBay will always maintain their commodity status and always sell well, Pop Culture colle. . .

21 Success Strategies of eBay Powersellers

The online auction giant - eBay - has exploded on the Internet scene. Currently boasting over 29 Million members, eBay is one of the most visible and far-reaching Internet companies in existence, with a large segment of the population either using the service, or at the very least, aware of it. Among the eBay sellers, there is a designation given to approximately 4% of the people. These are eBa. . .

Taking Email Marketing To The Next Level

How to use the latest e-messaging strategies to increase profits.Many types of Internet advertising don't work as well as they once did. People have gotten used to banners and don't click on them. Some ezines have failed to keep their readers' interest and ads sometimes get less response. Search engines are overflowing with submissions. Getting your site listed high is almost impossible.More an. . .

Ashes to Ashes, Bytes to Bytes

She didn't have to die. She was young, she was beautiful, and, yes, she was exciting. Now she's gone, and it was all so unnecessary - so, so senseless!Dare I say what he did to her? Do I "point the finger" at him? Someone has to, I guess. Actually, it was a case of what he didn't do. You see, she was a charming new website and he - well, he was an inexperienced owner who thought all h. . .

How To Be Creative

Network marketing is an art as much as it is an applied science. To take a blank sheet of paper or canvas and draw or paint an interesting picture, you've got to have an imagination and creativity.The other day, I was watching some video tapes I had made of my son when he was between 2 and 6 years old. One thing that impressed me was the total freedom he had to express his imagination and creat. . .

What My Worthless Sponsor Didn't Tell Me...

...that he would not be around to help me build my network marketing business.How many distributors have you known or know that have quit because they thought they were abandoned after joining their program? Are you one of those as well? So, what is the solution to a worthless sponsor? There is no perfect company or sponsor. All companies have unique sets of problems or challenges. Their pro. . .

10 Profitable Ways To Recycle Your Content

1. Repackage your web site content in to different products to sell. You could create speeches, audio books, classes, and video tapes with your content. 2. Divide your content up and use it for promotional articles. You could submit them to other web sites or ezines for publicity. Just add your resource box. 3. Allow people to link to your web site's content. This is a fast way to get hundreds . . .

Ezine Tips

If you are anything like me, you work extremely hard to get people to come to your web site. This eats up a significant portion of very single day - well over half my "web site" time is spent getting people to visit. Most of the remainder of the time is spent adding new content, since I write anywhere from one to four articles per day. So it seems like a shame that someone could visit. . .

Where Two or More Keyboards Are Gathered Together...

Napoleon Hill, famous author of an equally famous book, "Think And Grow Rich", discussed a concept you can use to build your website's fortress against failure. I recommend this book everytime I meet someone who has that "fire" in their eyes, so if you haven't read it, I recommend it highly! This concept is one that many website companies use already to ensure they meet all . . .

Thousands Of Banner Displays - For FREE!

Here's a little trick that's quick and easy to excecute and will get your banner displayed thousands of times across the web. Putting this tip into action requires no big commitment on your part - in most cases you just do it and forget about it. Here's how it goes... You're probably familiar with the concept of banner exchanges. In a nutshell, banner exchanges facilitate having your banner dis. . .

Easy eBook Ideas

Everybody should love eBooks. You can give them away in order to promote your site, increase subscribers to your newsletter, or just as a free gift. You can write about something people want to know and sell them for a profit. There are a great many eBooks available out there for you to distribute or to purchase resell rights to, but that doesn't compare to having an eBook of your own. The prob. . .

What Good Is An AutoResponder?

A term that confuses just about everyone is "autoresponder". When I mention that to friends or associates, they almost always reply with a blank stare, a "what the heck is that", or "I don't like those at all". Even though the concept is very simple, autoresponders are very, very powerful if properly used. Okay, here's the short answer: an autoresponder is an a. . .

The Number 1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional

Have you ever walked into a store and things looked sloppy? Stores should have nice neat displays, right? Normally, yes, but sometimes they get a bit messy on busy days and we all understand how that can happen. But what if you were to walk into a store as soon as it opened in the morning and the place looked liked it had been ransacked? What would you think? You'd probably think it wasn't very. . .

A Wake Up Call To Always Remember

I received two emails this weekend. Both were as a result of autoresponder follow ups these people were receiving from my business.The first was full of expletives that aren’t worth repeating. The second I shall remember always. It affected me so much that I felt compelled to write this article and share my story with you.I received an email from a woman who had been receiving follow ups regard. . .

Are you building a business or a downline?

A common mistake *A LOT* of affiliates make is to focus too much Energy on building their second tier and not enough on selling Their business on the first tier.I myself belive that two-tiered affiliate programs are overrated, If you have a website that PRE-sells effectively you stand to make Quite a bit more by concentrating your efforts on your first tier. Simply put, if you plan to make a li. . .

Advertising Cost Reduced to Zero !!

At the bottom of this article you will find my "sig file". I attach it to every article that I write. As you can see it bears my name, web-site address and e-mail address. This is not done out of vanity, or a desire to see my name in print. It is done because it costs me nothing. When I submit my article to an Ezine or other publication, I do so on the condition that the article be re-printe. . .

Selling Niche Items on Ebay

A website is great to have for residual income, for presence, to have a place called home on the internet. I admit I love it. Instead of hunting for sites to host my pictures and software for free, I have a place and it is all mine. But nothing beats eBay for instant, in your face sales.Its like having a mall with millions of visitors a day built just for you. I mean, you could sell used vacuum. . .

Caring for Your Customers

You probably think I am going to say something like, "The customer is always right." Right?? Wrong. I have many philosophies when dealing with customers, but I definitely do not believe that the customer is always right. However, when the customer is wrong, you must handle the situation delicately. There are many types of customers and each one needs to be treated with respect and consideration. . .

How to Get Your Talent Online and Earning Income

Finding fresh ideas for an internet business is a difficult task. Everyone is good at something but they don't know how to cash in on their knowledge. You may think what you know is of no value but you're wrong! You would be surprised to find out how many people are earning a comfortable income on seemingly trivial subjects.Find Your NicheYou've heard it before but it bears repeating. Why? Beca. . .

A Beginner To Beginners

You may be just starting, or contemplating, your first online business. Or, just like me, you may be trying out yet another online business scheme.No doubt you are reading about all those guys who got rich just doing what you have started to do, or contemplating to do. Many claim to be making 10s of 1000s of $$ per month! So how do you, poor, moneyless, no-clue would-be, get to become a success. . .

Gullible's Travels

A journey by a web-footed gull through a sea of sharks.Definitions:Gull - a dupe, a fool; vulnerable to deceive; to trick; to defraud.Shark - voracious marine fish; swindler; rapacious fellow; an expert. Shark-skin - stiff, smooth-finished!As a gull with newly acquired webbed feet, I set out to test them on new waters. My new webbed feet allowed me to surf on waves I had never seen before, soar. . .

Truth and Lies

How low can one get? The number of encounters I have had in the few months as a network marketer with liars is astounding. Why do people need to stoop to lying in their attempt to succeed? Do they really believe that they will attract customers by using deceptive means. Hey friends, I've got news for you! You are the ones who have been deceived!When I placed a single ad with the URL of my newly. . .

Choosing a Winning Business Idea

You've probably heard it a hundred times by now - if you want to make alot of money with an online business you have to offer your own product or service. Well, make that a hundred and one times... It's true. Although affiliate programs are a great way to add additional streams of income, the best money maker is still a unique product or service that you control. That way you earn all of the mo. . .

The Benefits Of Targeted Traffic

The key to success in the affiliate game is "targeted traffic" meaning that it is crucial to direct only those who are interested in your products or programs to your website. For instance, imagine two websites which we will call website A, and website B. Website A gets 100,000 visitors monthly while website B gets 10,000 visitors per month. Which website do you think has the largest profit e. . .

Shortcuts Will Kill Your Business

Think of your business as a living, breathing, organism. It requires you to give it a large portion of your time and effort in order for it to grow and flourish. You must spend time “feeding” it fresh content and searching for ways to improve it. I remember growing up as a child, all I ever wanted was a puppy. When I finally received it, I realized that it was a large responsibility to feed i. . .

Turn Words Into Traffic

A large portion of your business relies on your ability to deliver quality information to your visitors. Trashy websites built entirely of low-response sales letters are all too common. Your visitors and mailing list subscribers rely on you for something more.... Build a lasting relationship by offering quality information while keeping them informed of products that will improve their business. . .

Affiliate Income Optimization

In my time researching the search engines, I've noticed something rather strange. Literally millions of searches are made each month for "brand names" and actual site names. For example, on Overture alone, last month, there were millions of queries made for the term "internet explorer". Having been on the internet for around seven years (running sites for over five), I've naturally assumed that. . .

Give An Entrepreneur A Break

Why do any of us choose to work from home? The answer to that question is as diverse as the individuals who call home their workplace. For those of us who have chosen to market online, this question has many answers. But ultimately, everyone who works at home - online or off - has the same goal. To make money. For some reason, however, those of us who choose to do it online are often perceived . . .

Keeping Up With...

...the Jones's? The Smiths? The latest internet "sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, knock-down last, best opportunity?" Makes you want to pull your hair out, doesn't it? I'm here to tell you...don't get caught in that trap. I have yet to learn about anyone who has made any significant long-term income from any of these programs. Perhaps there have been a few along the way, but to be successful on the . . .

How To Write Your Way To A Fortune

We've all seen those ads that grab our attention and makes us want to pull out our credit cards and buy. Don't you wish you had that same power to persuade? but contrary to what you may have been told these skills can be learned So you're not a natural born writer so what! The first thing you need to ask yourself is who is my target audience and how many marketers are doing what i want to do? C. . .

How To Identify Ideal Money Making Web Opportunities

I was winding my way up the levels of a very crowded parking garage the other day. The line of cars desperately seeking a spot ahead of me kept turning to the right. So, of course, it occured to me that perhaps there would be less competition for a space if I went via "the road less traveled by", to the left. And indeed, there was. Unless you are an Internet Newbie, you've probably learned by n. . .

Is Your Web Site Ready For Its Visitors?

There’s a great interest among the Internet entrepreneurs about how to promote their business on the Web. There’s always a quest for new and innovative ways of promotion that promise greater results at lower cost and in shorter time. Yet with all the efforts spent on promotion it’s just amazing how many people totally ignore one basic question- is their website is worth of promoting it? With ne. . .

What Does Faith Have To Do With Marketing?

No, this isn't going to be a sermon or anything … don't worry about that! I'm no preacher, so I wouldn't even think of trying; but what I do have is faith in myself and faith in the fact that I can be successful on the internet. Now, I'm not talking about your regular, everyday take-it-for-granted-because-I-can-do-it" faith in yourself. I'm talking about the faith in yourself that comes from TR. . .

Automate Your Web Business

Whether you sell products or services on the Internet, you should get an autoresponder as soon as possible. It’s an immense time saver. And for most online entrepreneurs time is in short supply.What is an autoresponder?Without getting too technical, it’s like an automated email program that responds twenty four hours a day to any inquiries you receive about your product. When a prospect sees yo. . .

10 Critical Things To Do Before You Spend A Dime In Adver...

“Research…”Let’s say it again…“Research”…Grrrrrrrr.The word “research” can make many eBusiness owners cringe. Why? Because it sounds like such hard work. Let’s analyse the word itself. “Search” means to go looking for something and “re” means “again”. Put them together and it means to go looking for something again.Guess what? Research is hard work. However, to survive online research mu. . .

How To Get At Least 50 Visitors A Day Free

How To Get At Least 50 Visitors A Day Free!Every eBusiness owner is constantly looking at ways to get free traffic to their site. After all, if you have no visitors you will never have any sales. So getting visitors to your website is the first major step to get underway in your marketing campaign.Pay-per-click search engines are one of the most highly recommended ways to get immediate traffic. . .

5 Compelling Reasons to Choose a Wellness Opportunity

I actually have two separate online businesses - Selling wellness products and Selling digital information products (eBooks)Because I can look at things from both perspectives, I often tend to compare the two businesses from the point of view of the better opportunity.But if I were asked to recommend a single business as the best way to make a living online, the Wellness Business would win han. . .

Get More Customers – With Less Work!

A lot of website owners work tirelessly at increasing their traffic. They submit to FFA pages and classified sites. They participate in startup programs and pop under exchanges. There is no end to the gimmicks they will try, all in the hopes that they’ll get more customers.If you’re one of these website owners, there is an easier way to increase your sales!By improving your conversion rate you’. . .

Internet Nostalgia - Remember "This Dumb Little Ad?"

Watch out - if you do, you're showing your "Internet Age!" I am, of course, referring to the now infamous "Cookie Cutter" marketing program which was all over the internet when I first began exploring the online business world (circa mid-1999). If you have no idea what I'm referring to, then you can consider yourself a relative newbie to the internet. I bring up Cookie Cutter as an example of. . .

How Two Powerful Words Can Guarantee You Success

How Two Powerful Words Can Guarantee You Success By Al Martinovic I see it happen all too often on the internet including the programs I am involved with. It's a disease called quit-itis. You know what I'm talking about. It's when you join a program and if you don't make any money within the first couple of weeks you say this program is crap! Then you quit and join another program hoping this w. . .

10 Tips for Effective Email Sales Letters

1. Write Your Objective - Before you write your sales letter, write down your marketing objective. Is it to generate inquiries about your products? Is it attract subscribers to your ezine? Is it to find a joint venture partner? Having an objective will help you focus your copy. 2. Make A List Of Your Product’s Benefits - How will it improve your prospect’s life? How will it save them money or t. . .

5 Powerful Article Writing Tips

Writing articles is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful methods of building your reputation and your online business. Not only do you get unlimited exposure, but it is fre^e as well! If your article is well-written, you will probably get listed on numerous websites as well as in several ezines. This will establish you as someone who knows what they are talking about and will more. . .

Why I'll Never Make Millions Of Dollars On The Internet...

Don’t get me wrong, I make a decent living online. I have a passion for what I do, and my hard work has paid respectable dividends, both to me, and to my visitors. The sad part is that what got me interested in making a living online just so happened to be the same empty promises, and the same “Get Rich Quick” hype countless crooked businesses and individuals use each and every day to lure in a. . .

Tips To Power-Up Your Sales Copy

We are were guilty of it at one time or another. Getting too caught up in our website design.. making sure the links work...checking our site in different browsers and resolutions etc. We see cool templates we want to use to make our site more 'razle-dalze'....and cool animation scripts, etc. (Yes, I my self am guilty on multiple accounts ^_^ ) Then we get caught up in writing/finding quality . . .

Become An Affiliate Champion: 10 Tips

Affiliates programs are one of the easiest ways to make money in the internet. Small fortunes have been made for smart people who have taken advantage of this powerful marketing technique.This tips intend to help you on your way to become a high-earning affiliate champion, use it as a guideline to your success. Feel free to contact me if you need further information. First thing first: Target . . .

Internet Marketing

What is Internet Marketing?Internet Marketing is application of Internet and related technologies to achieve the organization's marketing objectives. Internet Marketing is about…. Internet is a distribution channel. The Internet can be used as a PLACE to promote a product or service, provide information to prospective customers and to reach different geographical regions and niche markets. CUS. . .

Stealth Selling and Online Marketing

There's a hilarious yet so fruitful money-making formula, that can be deployed by anyone doing business on the Internet.Your goal is to generate cash and abundance with your web site, but... you don't know how to prolifically endorse your affiliated products.For the fact that I've heard numerous times, the substandard "objection", which is "What's Wrong with my Web Site?", let me share this ama. . .

MLM, Pyramid Schemes, and Matrices

Have you ever wondered what the difference is? MLM operators claim they're not operating a pyramid scheme. Matrix and "forced matrix" operators claim that what they have is better than MLM. So what are the differences?Pyramid Schemes:Pyramid Schemes are illegal in the USA, and probably abroad. We all know how these schemes work, or at least get the jist of the idea. A person (the originator) st. . .