My book, Secrets of Internet Marketing: Streamline, promote, communicate and sell more effectively on-line is a 170 page paperback. It's now available in .pdf, with chapter links, for cheap. Just $1.95 USD. Yes, that's under two bucks.
Yesterday, I was looking this book over, that I wrote and published in 2003, and it is still a great read. I originally only printed 100 books. Today, those original books sell through used booksellers online (for more than triple what I originally sold them for) as rare, out-of-print books.
The introduction to the book gives a little history about me. It tells you how I began selling adult novelties (a.k.a. marital aids, bedroom toys, sex toys) on-line in the early internet days, twelve years ago. This part is really quite revealing (so to speak). If I've already captured your attention, there is a buy button at the bottom of this story. If not, read on (if you can concentrate that is, ha ha ha).
The book is somewhat historical, because it has some references to people getting started in using email and the internet that seem kind of funny today. It also has a very good overview of H'obbe's Internet Timeline, written in layperson's language. As well as other details, this timeline includes when the Queen of England sent her first email, when Amazon launched its business plan for an online store, and when "surfing" the internet became available for everyone through browsers.
What I also still like about my book is the section on analytics (Strategy eight: tracking your success) and how you can use them to track your website traffic and make improvements to your internet marketing. Now, I use Google Analytics for free and it gives me great daily reports on my blog traffic, traffic coming in from search engines, traffic coming in from Twitter, the types of searches people are finding me from, and so on. If you have a website or a blog, I highly recommend that you incorporate Google Analytics. If you want insight into what their reports mean, you should read that section of my book.
Strategy One: Determine your objectives, is still relevant and helpful. It talks about your overall marketing strategy and what you want your internet marketing to achieve. These concepts still apply today, whether you are marketing on Twitter, Facebook, blogs or through your website and traditional media.
The section about Strategy Three: Gather text, is also still a great one for giving you ideas on how to get content for your website. I've personally seen how new content gets me Twitter followers and traffic and increases my credibility. In fact, just this week, I did a lucrative training session with a Kelowna business on how to use social media tools. I attribute it solely to publishing new stories on my blog this past month. They were so happy with the training, they gave me a nummy almond flavoured coffee on my way out the door, a hug, and a cheque. Now, those are the kind of results you want from putting good content on your blog or website. (Okanagan wine and dark chocolate would be good too.)
If you are a brand new internet marketer, you will find that this book will give you many ideas on how to develop your website. Even experienced professional internet marketers will find Strategy Seven: Promotion helpful. In that section, I talk about media relations and how to feed the press with stories about your business. There is nothing better than good press to push your site traffic and Twitter followers up.
If you are a professional internet marketer, you'll probably get a kick out of reading this book. It will take you back a few years and you'll say to yourself, "I remember that. Wow, that's different now". If you do read it, I'd love your comments about it on how things have changed, or what sections you think are still helpful and relevant to those new (and old) to internet marketing.
The .pdf is $1.95 USD, and I will email it to you. It is laid out in chapters and you can connect to various parts of the book from the table of contents through links. (There is a buy button at the bottom of this Table of Contents.)
Here is the Table of Contents:
Introduction
Internet Marketing History
Strategy One Determine Your Objective
What is Internet Marketing?
The Web
Intranet
Extranet
The Webmaster
Leave it to the pros!
Internet Marketing Manager
Give Your Customer A Reason To Visit
Who Benefits From Internet Marketing
Website Objectives
Realistic Expectations
Website Advantages
Website Disadvantages
Consider Your Timeline
Don’t get e-screwed!
Budget
Target Market
Revenue
Expenses
Price
Summary of Strategy One Determine Your Objective
Strategy Two Gather Images
Digital Assets
Images – Graphics
Image Speed
Hire a Photographer
How to choose a Photographer
Setting Up a Photo Shoot With Models
Getting Extra Mileage From Your Images
Dressing your models for a photo shoot
Using the right model for your target market
Don’t point
Stock Imagery
Supplier Images
Go digital and do it yourself
Product shots with a digital camera
Touch Ups
Maintain a portfolio
Illustrations
Give credit where credit is due
Graphic Formats
JPEG/JPG
GIF
Resolution
Supplying Files To The Webmaster
Size – Bigger is Better
Scan
Not all scanners are made equal
Logo
Repurpose
Summary of Strategy Two Gather Images
Strategy Three Gather Text
How To Get Text
Hire a copywriter
Supplier brochures
What Text To Include
Contact
About Us
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Staff
Company Structure
Products
Services
Prices
Shipping
Testimonials
Warranties
Employment Information
Business, Training or Franchise Opportunities
Vision Statement
Values
Mission Statement
Sample Mission Statements
Upcoming Events
Community Involvement and Sponsorships
Media Releases
Investor Relations
Packages
Partners
Resources
Promotions
Customer Care
Awards
Owner’s Manuals
Electronic Newsletter
Design
Name
Format & Content
Story Ideas
Photos
Subscription
Track Response
Call-to-Action
Time Sensitive
Issue, Volume Number & Date
Idea File
More Information
Summary of Strategy Three Gather Text
Strategy Four Digital Asset Management & Delivery Systems
Digital Asset Management
MetaData
Content Management
Rich Media
Games
Surveys
Webinars
Streaming Media
PDF
Flash
E-Commerce
Shopping Carts
Security
Databases
Database Program
Search Tool
Store Finder or Store Locator
Site Map
Forms
Listings
Web-Based Interface
Summary of Strategy Four Digital Asset Management & Delivery Systems
Strategy Five Send it to Bid
Qualifications
Graphic Design For A Static Site
Flash
Photography and Illustrations
Copywriting
Domain Name
Databases (shopping carts, etc.)
Credit Card Processing
Internet Marketing
Website Tracking & Statistics
Hosting
Connectivity Speed
Virtual Server
Growth Capabilities
Dedicated Server
Disk Space
Disk Transmission
Detailed Web Statistics
POP3 Email Aliases
Email Aliases
Catchall Feature
Email Virus Scanner
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP Mail)
Email Control Panel
Shell Accounts
CGI Bin
Free Scripts
Raw Log Files
Perl Support & PHP Support
Password Protect Directories
MSQL
Weekly and Daily Backup
24-Hour monitoring
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Support
Maintenance
Checklist
Summary of Strategy Five Send It To Bid
Strategy Six Construction & Presentation
Navigation
Font
Meeting With The Web Design Team
Incorporating all Images and Text
Under Construction Process
Meta-Tags
Back It Up
Ownership
Timeline, Pricing, Terms
Summary of Strategy Six Construction & Presentation
Strategy Seven Promotion
Domain Names
What Is A Domain Name
How To Register A Domain Name
How To Choose A Good Domain Name
How To Purchase A Domain Name
How To Park A Domain Name
Business Cards
Staff
Email Addresses
SPAM
Search Engines
Top Search Engines
Submitting To Search Engines
Checking Your Rank
What is a good Rank?
Ranking high – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Fixing Low Rankings
Doorway Pages
Banner Advertising
Questions To Ask To Determine The Best Banner
Advertising For Your Company
Ask Customers To Bookmark Your Page
Involve Your Audience
Sell Something New For Cheap
Pop Ups
Community Portals
Ebay.com
Community Shopping Malls On-Line
Cooperative Marketing
Associations – Trade Related Sites
Coupons
Classifieds
Exchanging Links
Media Release To Announce The Site
Summary of Strategy Seven Promotion
Strategy Eight Tracking Your Success
Tracking Programs
Hits
Page Views
Search Engine Reports
Keyword Reports
Referring URLs
Most Requested Pages
Average time spent on the site
Unique Visitors
Path Reports
Return Frequency
Other Items Which Can Be Tracked
Summary of Strategy Eight Tracking Your Success
Strategy Nine Maintenance
Useful Information, Resources & Suggested Surfing
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