Contact forms are such a mundane part of a website that they are often neglected. But they are a very important component of a successful website, and should be given consideration.
The first thing you should do is to create a contact us page. Ideally, you should have several methods of contact – email, phone, form, chat, etc. The contact form is important, because some people may not be very adept at email and it's easier to just submit a form than type and send an email.
Once you've created a contact us page, add a link to this page to your site navigation, and make it easily noticeable. Anytime your customers have a question about something on your website, you want to be quickly and easily available to answer their questions and close the sale.
There are other important uses for contact forms. One is to convert your online leads into offline leads. Here is what I mean by that. Joe Doe is browsing your website, looking at your products. If he doesn't buy right away, he may close your website and forget about it. However, if you can get his address before he leaves the site, you can mail him a brochure. He now has a tangible piece of literature to remind him of the benefits of your product, and tell him how to buy it.
The same is true for online contact info capturing, though it may not be quite as effective. If you can get Joe Doe to signup for your newsletter before he leaves your site, you can continue to follow up with him, and his chances of making a purchase from you increase.
Of course, there are ways to increase the chances that Joe Doe will fill out your contact form and leave you his contact info. One of the best ways is to offer him a free report, ebook, or valuable newsletter in exchange for joining your mailing list.
To sum it all up, never neglect your contact forms – they are the crucial link between you and your customers!
March 10, 2010
February 25, 2010
Factoring Basics
Most sales to commercial clients usually carry 30 to 60 day payment terms. This means that as a supplier, you must deliver your products or services now. However, your client has between 30 to 60 days to pay you.
This creates a significant challenge for owners of small and midsize businesses. The problem is simple. Your clients want to pay you in 30 to 60 days, but you must pay rent, payroll and your suppliers now. As you can see, the math does not work. Unless you have a substantial bank account, this leads to an almost impossible situation.
If you are in this situation, it is also very likely that the bank will not be able to help you. As you well know, banks only lend to businesses that have three years of profitable operations and significant hard collateral. If you do not qualify for bank financing, your best bet may be to consider factoring.
Factoring is a business financing tool that helps business owners who cannot afford to wait 30 to 60 days to get paid by their commercial customers. Factoring provides you with the necessary funds to meet payroll, make rent and pay your suppliers on time.
As opposed to bank financing, factoring is easy to qualify for. The main requirements are that you have a profitable business with a strong roster of commercial clients. For the factoring company, your best collateral is the invoices from your strong customers.
Factoring is also easy to use. It enables you receive a substantial portion of your billings within a day of invoicing. It reduces the time you wait to get paid from 60 days to 2 days. The transaction is usually structured as a two installment sale of an invoice. The first installment, called the advance, is paid to you immediately. The advance can be anywhere between 70% and 90% of the gross value of the invoice. The remaining portion (10% - 30%) is held as a reserve to cover disputes and charge backs. The reserve is rebated as soon as the invoice is paid in full. The factoring company will charge a small fee for this service.
Factoring financing is an ideal tool for companies that are growing and that cannot afford to wait to get paid by the clients. It helps you to stabilize your financial situation and positions you for growth.
This creates a significant challenge for owners of small and midsize businesses. The problem is simple. Your clients want to pay you in 30 to 60 days, but you must pay rent, payroll and your suppliers now. As you can see, the math does not work. Unless you have a substantial bank account, this leads to an almost impossible situation.
If you are in this situation, it is also very likely that the bank will not be able to help you. As you well know, banks only lend to businesses that have three years of profitable operations and significant hard collateral. If you do not qualify for bank financing, your best bet may be to consider factoring.
Factoring is a business financing tool that helps business owners who cannot afford to wait 30 to 60 days to get paid by their commercial customers. Factoring provides you with the necessary funds to meet payroll, make rent and pay your suppliers on time.
As opposed to bank financing, factoring is easy to qualify for. The main requirements are that you have a profitable business with a strong roster of commercial clients. For the factoring company, your best collateral is the invoices from your strong customers.
Factoring is also easy to use. It enables you receive a substantial portion of your billings within a day of invoicing. It reduces the time you wait to get paid from 60 days to 2 days. The transaction is usually structured as a two installment sale of an invoice. The first installment, called the advance, is paid to you immediately. The advance can be anywhere between 70% and 90% of the gross value of the invoice. The remaining portion (10% - 30%) is held as a reserve to cover disputes and charge backs. The reserve is rebated as soon as the invoice is paid in full. The factoring company will charge a small fee for this service.
Factoring financing is an ideal tool for companies that are growing and that cannot afford to wait to get paid by the clients. It helps you to stabilize your financial situation and positions you for growth.
Success in Business!
Here is a secret that may be difficult for you to believe, so prepare yourself. It is an extremely important secret that can have a most profound impact on your small business success, or it's failure.
Let's start by asking a simple question...Do you enjoy sales?
The truth of the matter is that when many small business owners are asked this question, they respond with answers like, "No way" or "I can't stand sales, let someone else do it."
Why is your answer to the above question so important? No doubt you have seen headlines like the following, which glorify how easy and simple it is to succeed in business:
"The Ultimate Lazy Way To Start Your Own Business"
"Cash In On A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry In Your Underwear"
"Easily Generate A Lucrative Income While Sleeping"
We are constantly being bombarded with these "easy ways" to make a million bucks. Does success in business actually work this way? Not in reality! Is it realistic? Not even close!
The bottom line in operating a successful long-term business comes down to your ability to sell your product...period. It doesn't get any simpler than that. You can either sell your own product or resell somebody's else's product. Either way, your success or failure will ultimately depend on your ability to market it. If you don't enjoy sales, you have very little chance to succeed in business for yourself.
The most prevalent attitude of many new business owners is that their product, once launched, will miraculously sell itself. After all, the product is awesome and everybody will absolutely, positively want one. People should be lining up to buy it, right?
Here is another truth about sales. It will take 5-7 sales attempts to close 80% of your sales. Yes, you read that correctly. That's 5-7 attempts before people will say "Yes, I want to buy your product." Running an advertisement one-time or making a sales pitch to a potential customer once in a while does not qualify as effort. Hearing that first "no" and subsequently giving up means the demise of your business and gives someone else an opportunity to turn that NO into a YES.
What most people don't realize or fail to accept is that it may take weeks, months or even years to get a product to sell according to your expectations. You may have to frequently change your sales pitch, web site, advertisement or even the product until you get it right. This dedication and determination is what separates the very few successful business owners from the many "wannabes" and fly-by-night hopefuls.
The bottom line is that to be successful in ANY business you will need talent and the ability to sell, sell, sell.
Let's start by asking a simple question...Do you enjoy sales?
The truth of the matter is that when many small business owners are asked this question, they respond with answers like, "No way" or "I can't stand sales, let someone else do it."
Why is your answer to the above question so important? No doubt you have seen headlines like the following, which glorify how easy and simple it is to succeed in business:
"The Ultimate Lazy Way To Start Your Own Business"
"Cash In On A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry In Your Underwear"
"Easily Generate A Lucrative Income While Sleeping"
We are constantly being bombarded with these "easy ways" to make a million bucks. Does success in business actually work this way? Not in reality! Is it realistic? Not even close!
The bottom line in operating a successful long-term business comes down to your ability to sell your product...period. It doesn't get any simpler than that. You can either sell your own product or resell somebody's else's product. Either way, your success or failure will ultimately depend on your ability to market it. If you don't enjoy sales, you have very little chance to succeed in business for yourself.
The most prevalent attitude of many new business owners is that their product, once launched, will miraculously sell itself. After all, the product is awesome and everybody will absolutely, positively want one. People should be lining up to buy it, right?
Here is another truth about sales. It will take 5-7 sales attempts to close 80% of your sales. Yes, you read that correctly. That's 5-7 attempts before people will say "Yes, I want to buy your product." Running an advertisement one-time or making a sales pitch to a potential customer once in a while does not qualify as effort. Hearing that first "no" and subsequently giving up means the demise of your business and gives someone else an opportunity to turn that NO into a YES.
What most people don't realize or fail to accept is that it may take weeks, months or even years to get a product to sell according to your expectations. You may have to frequently change your sales pitch, web site, advertisement or even the product until you get it right. This dedication and determination is what separates the very few successful business owners from the many "wannabes" and fly-by-night hopefuls.
The bottom line is that to be successful in ANY business you will need talent and the ability to sell, sell, sell.
Online Businesses that Provide Residual Income and Direct Daily Payments
With the cost of living on the rise, it's crucial to find ways to earn a residual income. A residual income is an income that you can receive multiple times for a one-time effort. There are many opportunities on the Internet to earn a residual income by direct daily payments or monthly payments.
Why You Need a Residual Income from Home
Jobs are no longer secure as more and more companies find ways to run their factories and businesses with fewer employees or send their jobs to other nations. Earning a residual income from home even on a part-time basis will help ease the burden of monthly bills, medical bills, credit card debt, mortgage debt, and other obligations. It might also give you the extra money needed for your child's college tuition, a new home or vehicle, or a much-needed vacation!
The key is to find a home business opportunity that pays again and again, perhaps monthly, weekly, or yearly. Some home businesses that work like this include ongoing services such as web hosting, website design, subscription sites, consulting, or any number of turn key Web businesses.
MLM Opportunities for Residual Income
A residual income can also be earned through many online MLM opportunities. These involve forming a downline with people under you who are selling for you. You'll not only earn money when you initially sell a package, product, or service to someone, but you might also receive commissions from their efforts for years to come.
This business model can be very advantageous online because you're able to target your promotional efforts. In the past, MLM prospects were difficult to target because you would have to rely on network marketing in your community with people who may or may not be interested. On the Internet, however, you can advertise to specific groups of people for more targeted campaigns. This can enable you to make money daily, monthly, or yearly from your efforts without cold calling.
Internet Home Business Benefits
Owning an Internet home business offers much freedom and opportunity for residual income, whether selling your own products and services or working with an MLM company. You can still hold a day job while working on your business and work flexible hours. You can promote any time of the day or night, and even receive direct daily payments while you sleep. If you're a parent, you might want to stay home with your children or have more flexibility in your schedule so you can spend more time with them. A home business allows you to do this.
With an Internet home business, you're not limited to only the residents who live or work near your business. You can receive thousands of visitors to your website if you promote it consistently. This can result in amazing daily money when building an MLM downline! There are millions of people online, so maybe just a few of these will be interested in your product or service. Your goal is to target your promotions and find these individuals so you can get paid daily for your efforts.
You can also place your Internet business on autopilot and allow your website and marketing team to sell for you. Many Internet MLM businesses offer turnkey websites that have already been tested for results. They also provide a sales team and call center so you won't have to do the selling. All you'll have to do is promote your website to start earning a residual income.
Other benefits of an Internet home business include savings on gasoline, reduced car wear and tear, and low business operation expenses. If you're ready to start earning daily cash through a residual income, go online today to find the perfect business model for you!
Why You Need a Residual Income from Home
Jobs are no longer secure as more and more companies find ways to run their factories and businesses with fewer employees or send their jobs to other nations. Earning a residual income from home even on a part-time basis will help ease the burden of monthly bills, medical bills, credit card debt, mortgage debt, and other obligations. It might also give you the extra money needed for your child's college tuition, a new home or vehicle, or a much-needed vacation!
The key is to find a home business opportunity that pays again and again, perhaps monthly, weekly, or yearly. Some home businesses that work like this include ongoing services such as web hosting, website design, subscription sites, consulting, or any number of turn key Web businesses.
MLM Opportunities for Residual Income
A residual income can also be earned through many online MLM opportunities. These involve forming a downline with people under you who are selling for you. You'll not only earn money when you initially sell a package, product, or service to someone, but you might also receive commissions from their efforts for years to come.
This business model can be very advantageous online because you're able to target your promotional efforts. In the past, MLM prospects were difficult to target because you would have to rely on network marketing in your community with people who may or may not be interested. On the Internet, however, you can advertise to specific groups of people for more targeted campaigns. This can enable you to make money daily, monthly, or yearly from your efforts without cold calling.
Internet Home Business Benefits
Owning an Internet home business offers much freedom and opportunity for residual income, whether selling your own products and services or working with an MLM company. You can still hold a day job while working on your business and work flexible hours. You can promote any time of the day or night, and even receive direct daily payments while you sleep. If you're a parent, you might want to stay home with your children or have more flexibility in your schedule so you can spend more time with them. A home business allows you to do this.
With an Internet home business, you're not limited to only the residents who live or work near your business. You can receive thousands of visitors to your website if you promote it consistently. This can result in amazing daily money when building an MLM downline! There are millions of people online, so maybe just a few of these will be interested in your product or service. Your goal is to target your promotions and find these individuals so you can get paid daily for your efforts.
You can also place your Internet business on autopilot and allow your website and marketing team to sell for you. Many Internet MLM businesses offer turnkey websites that have already been tested for results. They also provide a sales team and call center so you won't have to do the selling. All you'll have to do is promote your website to start earning a residual income.
Other benefits of an Internet home business include savings on gasoline, reduced car wear and tear, and low business operation expenses. If you're ready to start earning daily cash through a residual income, go online today to find the perfect business model for you!
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