The heart of the sales call is the presentation. Your future customer has a number of questions which must be answered during your presentation:

Why?  “Why should I listen to this salesperson? What can he show me that will benefit myself and my company?” Give the prospect a quick glimpse of the end results. For instance, you might mention at the beginning of the presentation that your program will eliminate his constant involvement in administering his present system.

What is it?  “Exactly what are your products and services?” To answer this question you must demonstrate your products, show how your different systems work, and emphasize quality characteristics. Vividly establish the balance sheet for your future customer. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and make a comparison to what you have to offer.

Who says so?  “The prospect must know who will back up or validate your claims and promises. Stress your reputation. Present the fact that your company has been in business for x number of years, that you have been innovators in your field, or that you have just started a new division that has been very successful within the last few years.

Who did it?  “Who has successfully used your products and services and has had satisfactory results?” Most people do not want to be pioneers. Testimonial letters and an invitation for your prospect to call existing customers at the time of the sales call will have a dramatic impact.

What do I get?  This is where you add it all up. Summarize the benefits that your program or product has for the customer and ask for his commitment.

Power Strategies:
Keep the Presentation Simple
Know your Product and Competition Cold
Sell Smart by Being a Know it All
Direct your Presentation to the Prospect’s Need
Do not Make a Presentation if Unnecessary

Next Article: 7 More Guidelines for Effective Presentations

Because of the fast-paced world that we live in today, the scene would usually be: so little time with so many things to do. Also, high-technology which seemed impossible before is now almost impossible to miss. Definitely, everything around us has something to do with technology.

An audio book is an example. Instead of reading books, we now have recorded versions, even dramatized ones complete with sound effects. They are so efficient; you will never miss out on any of your favorite books. You can listen to them while you’re stuck in traffic, waiting for your flight, and even while doing the laundry. Talk about multi-tasking!

So assuming that you are now convinced to get one for yourself, it’s about time for you to know the things to consider before buying an audio book.

Make sure you know what type of format you want to get. First off, check what kind of media player you are currently using. This will narrow down the choices. If you have a cassette tape player, you should opt for an audio book recorded in a tape then. But if you want, you could also buy yourself a new portable media player.

Cassette tapes are obviously the oldest type among all formats. CD’s have been around for quite some time, while mp3’s are the newer additions. Mp3 formats can just be transferred to a CD or any portable media player if you ever want to bring your audio books with you everywhere you go.

Surely you are now aching to compare how much each of them costs. Though a cassette tape is the more popular kind, they are more expensive, not to mention inconvenient. Their low storage capacity is a big disadvantage. One tape can only accumulate two to three chapters. This means you will have to buy tapes in bulk in order to finish one whole book. A CD, on the other hand has more or less the same price as with a book. But if you are on a budget, audio books in mp3 format are the best choice. They can just be downloaded on the internet for free or at a discounted price depending on the website. This could also mean that you will no longer wait for them to arrive in the mail or pay added amounts for shipping.

You should also check the store if they have a “no return, no exchange” policy. There could be some instances when while playing the audio book, you will hear some scratches and strange noises which can’t possibly be just sound effects.

Whether you are expanding your current operations into a foreign country or have partnered with an existing company to service your overseas customers, it is probable that some of your key people will need to travel to your overseas operation. Depending on the complexity of the operation and the amount of hands-on supervision required, an overseas assignment could last two weeks, two months or even two years. Certainly you will need to take a great deal of care when choosing the people you send overseas – particularly for extended periods of time. Factors such as age, health and family situation will all need to be taken into consideration; as well as the individual’s ability to get the job done without direct supervision from your home office. But finding the right person among your staff is only the beginning.

As I have written in previous articles, for the most part it is usually both more convenient and more cost effective to hire people locally rather than relocating your top people for considerable periods of time. Unfortunately, as I have seen time and time again, this is often simply not possible. Particularly in businesses which require a high level of specialized skill sets or are hands-on in nature, it is frequently not possible or practical to manage things smoothly from half a world away. Time zones and possible language barriers aside, there are simply some businesses that need a qualified executive from the home office supervising a satellite office – whether that office be in Milwaukee, Bangkok or The Hague. At the very least, many expanding businesses must have some of their key people in their overseas offices to train their local hires for periods ranging from two to six months.

While the last decade has certainly seen the rise of globalization both in business and – to a lesser extent – culturally, it is important to remember that relocating even temporarily overseas is not the same as relocating within the United States or Canada. There are dozens of major and minor details that the people you send overseas will need to be aware of – everything from local regulations regarding what sort of identification foreigners are required to carry on their person, to the fact that in many countries (including most of Europe) the personal electrical items your people bring over with them might not be able to be plugged into the wall sockets in the place they are housed. While it is certainly a simple matter to check out these well in advance of sending your people and take measures to make the practical aspects of the transition as smooth as possible, there are additional things you should consider doing to prepare your people for an overseas assignment. These include:

•Basic Language Training: The odds are quite good that you will have hired a sufficient number of English speaking local employees to make it relatively simple for the people you send overseas to communicate efficiently at the office. However, much as you might like them to, your people will not be spending all their time at the office – or, probably, with their co-workers. Socialization is an important part of adjusting to an overseas assignment and having at least a rudimentary knowledge of the local language – even as little as a few words or phrases – can go a long way towards aiding in this. Particularly in Europe, a significant amount of the population will speak English, but some will likely resent it if your people expect them to be able to. By making certain that your people have at least some basic training in the local language – and at least make an effort at communicating with the locals in it – they will be likely to find that people are more friendly, outgoing and helpful, which will improve their off-work time considerably.

•Learning Local Culture and Customs: Going hand in hand with a basic knowledge of the local language, understanding some of the local customs and culture is crucial not only to off-hour socialization, but to actually doing business. While many cities and countries in the world look and almost “feel” like they are part of the United States, it is critical that your people understand that they are guests in a foreign land, and that based on that nation’s cultural evolution many of the basic customs we take for granted here could be considered rude or offensive in other countries. For example, in some cultures it is considered rude to offer to shake hands before your host has offered first. Of course this is, in and of itself, a minor thing and unlikely to cause any major business or social consequences – but it does have the potential to send the message that your people are not sufficiently interested in the people they are dealing with to even make the effort to have good manners. Again – as with basic language skills – it is doubtful anyone will take the occasional faux pas very seriously, but having your people make an effort to understand local customs will make their time overseas more pleasant and, quite possibly, more profitable.

•Blending In: Sad to say, there is a great deal of anti-American sentiment all over the world, and terrorist acts specifically targeted towards Americans overseas have never been a larger concern than they are today. While it is going to be almost impossible to hide the fact that the people you send overseas are indeed Americans, it is prudent – and in many nations even advised by the United States Department of State – that they not blatantly advertise the fact, particularly in public places. How much of a concern this is will, of course, vary greatly depending on what nation or nations your people are assigned to work in, but attempting to blend in with the local population – or at the very least not standing out – can have not only an impact on their personal security, but also actually enhance their experience of living abroad.

An assignment overseas – whether it is a prolonged one or only for a week or two – can be an exciting and rewarding experience for your employees. However, as with any other part of any other job, preparation is a key factor to success, and should not be taken lightly. It is important that your employees invest the time and effort in learning as much about the place they will be assigned to as possible, and not merely jump on a plane and assume they will touch down in a place that is exactly the same as what they are used to. It won’t be.

When sending a new product or service out into the world, a flashy launch party won’t do the trick. Here’s how to spend your marketing budget wisely

Your public launch of a product or service should be designed to raise the profile of your company. Think of it as a marketing event—a kickoff party of sorts. What you need for a launch is a compelling product or service, plus a handful of early customers providing gushing testimonials.

Don’t spend money on a flashy launch party when you have no accomplishments to show off. Spend your marketing budget on making the press and blogging community aware of your product and the companies that are using it, as well as the problems your product is solving and the specific benefits that have resulted from its use.

You should prepare for your launch by answering the following four questions. Which companies are using your product/service? What specific problems are being solved? What associated “pain” is your product/service removing? What have the tangible and quantifiable benefits been to your clients?

Your goal is to provide a clear message about the customer’s problems, and the benefits your product or service has provided and will continue to provide. This is what the press should be made aware of when you launch. This is newsworthy.

From those four questions, you’ll be able to formulate a few customer case studies that will illustrate the many benefits of using your product. Case studies should tell the story from the customer’s perspective. You can offer the case studies to journalists who are working on a story about your company.

There’s no magic number of customers or amount of sales you need in order to execute a launch. If you’re a privately held company, you don’t have to disclose either to the press. You’ll launch when you are ready to gain traction and when you have the infrastructure set up to handle an increased number of inquiries and sales. Make sure you’re ready, though—many startups sell their product for six months or more before they officially launch.

Pick a point person for the launch. This person will be internal or external, and have a blend of marketing and PR skills. They’ll spend a great deal of time on preparing marketing materials such as customer case studies, customer testimonials, and product fact sheets.

They’ll also distribute press releases, pitch journalists and influential bloggers, answer frequently asked questions, book customer interviews, and a lot more. The pre- and post- launch activities take months of dedicated time. Doing it right is well worth it.

It might be helpful at this point to tell you more about the key steps from founding to sale to better understand how your own launch process and timeline should look. In the 1990’s I got an idea for an Internet promotions company while chatting in line with a man at Starbucks. Over time, we built a team and funded the company with venture capital, built it up, and a few years later I sold my shares to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.. The route I took ended up having 12 main steps. While your own launch process will be tailored to your specific industry and product or service, seeing how one of my companies progressed provides a case study you can use to get started.

1. We wrote the business plan in order to clarify our vision. We wrote our funding pitch in a PowerPoint presentation and our first year’s budget in an Excel spreadsheet. We created a formula-based dynamic model so we could plug in numbers for different “what if” scenarios (what if our expenses were higher, what if our revenue were lower, etc.).

2. We mocked up our Web pages so others could visualize how our site would work and how consumers, retailers, manufacturers would interact with it. Always do this. Many people you’ll pitch to will be visual.

3. We designed the architecture so others could visualize how we’d do certain product functions such as data analysis and data mining. Providing a schematic of the backend architecture helped boost our credibility with the potential client’s information technology teams that would have to interface with our backend.

4. We got our first round of funding! We sold 33% percent of our company for 18 months’ worth of operational cash.

5. We hired key staff: a VP of engineering, a VP of Sales, and a VP of marketing because this company was very engineering- and sales-intensive. We needed to have a solid architecture and we needed to get started on the incredibly long sales cycle for retailers and manufacturers.

Marketing worked on collateral—sales support material like brochures and data sheets—while the sales folks hung out with potential customers and asked for their suggestions on our product design. This helped get the potential customers more emotionally engaged in our success and increased their likelihood of buying a system they had helped design.

6. We secured our first customers (both retailers and manufacturers) and Web site strategic alliances. We raised our profile with trade associations and distributed a white paper we had written that illustrated the future of our business: online, targeted promotions. We positioned ourselves as the experts. This is like declaring victory as you’re stepping onto the battlefield. Do it!

7. We launched a 90-day beta test.

8. We got our first consumers using the beta system. We gave countless speeches to manufacturers and retailers. Then we cranked up the PR engine and started getting press.

9. As a result of the above, we got more funding.

10. We demonstrated our product’s data analysis capabilities to customers. They were wowed, and we were able to up-sell them to a more premium (read: expensive) service.

11. We expanded our customer base. We released a complete Version 1 of the system. We did zillions more speeches. Whew! That was a lot of talking for me and my executive staff! And we got more press.

12. And yep, you guessed it. We got more funding.

So you see, the launch process is cyclical. Each time there is a progression and growth associated with customers and press, more funding follows. You must repeatedly demonstrate growth with each step of the launch process.

Also, you don’t need to pay a market research company big bucks to write a report on you. Like the companies Gartner Group, Jupiter, and Aberdeen, there are many reputable and influential (and expensive) groups that can raise the profile of your company.

I prefer gaining credibility from customer case studies, from showing specifically how you are solving problems as opposed to paying someone to write about you. You’ll be written up once you’ve gained traction. So hunker down and get to work! That said, you may need the credibility boost of a research report from a third party if you are selling a six-digit product to enormous enterprises and your executive team doesn’t have fabulous accomplishments in their past.

Hiring SEO services can help bring more customers and therefore more sales into your online business. It is very important to optimize your website to make it as accessible and visible in the online world as possible. So by now you should have a great website with a nice design and good content. However, what good is a website if your potential customers have no way of finding it? This is where SEO services become significant: allowing people to find their way into your website.

You have to understand that the kind of SEO services you get can either be a boon or a bane in your business. SEO is one of the most important components in online marketing strategy so it has become increasingly necessary. There is a large number of SEO services all over the Internet today. Unfortunately, some SEO services provided by some companies are rather shady, so make sure you do not deal with unreliable companies.

Here are some practical tips to help you look for good SEO services:

1. Use your instinct in choosing an SEO company. If you are uncomfortable with the deal, walk away. Never force yourself to make a deal with an SEO company if you do not like their terms. Or, if there are some conditions which are uncomfortable, never hesitate to ask. Their answers should address your anxiety, and will not increase it. If you still feel uncomfortable despite all the explanations, you are better off finding another company.

2. The price you pay is usually proportional to the quality of SEO services you get. Companies who have been in the SEO services industry for a long time and have established their reputation usually charge more. You may find the additional charge worth every dollar as they can offer you the best SEO services to fit your every need. On the other and, if you go for companies that give out unbelievably low prices, you run the risk of receiving poor service without substantial results. However, this should not mean that you should stop looking for cost effective SEO services. There is also a possibility that you may encounter providers which offer their services for rock bottom fees because they already earn much. There is also a number of reliable SEO services provider which offers cheap service as business strategy to attract more customers. Basically, this tip means that the price you pay for SEO services should not solely be your basis for choosing an SEO company to hire. Your main consideration should focus on the reliability and the credibility of the SEO company you have in mind.

3. Set a practical budget for SEO efforts and make the most out of it. Come up with a realistic budget that suits your business’s current situation as well as your marketing needs and goals. Your goals must be just as realistic as your budget. Do not expect that allotting only a meager portion will take you right up into the first ten search engine listings. If you intend to land on the top 10, or even just in the top 20, be ready to spend a lot as SEO services providers usually do charge a fortune to get you that top 10 slot.

4. Widen your options. With all the choices you have for choosing an SEO company, look out for several options and scout around for great SEO services providers. Do not content yourself with companies who claim that they offer the cheapest SEO services as you will probably end up with a low quality result or even have your site banned if the SEO firm engages in “Black hat” techniques. Instead, aim for those companies who provide the most efficient and effective strategy to give you the best service that they can provide. What you should aim for is one who will give you the best value for the budget that you have set aside.

SEO services these days are more expensive than ever. The main reason for this high price is the same reason why you need to get one, anyway. SEO is known for its effectiveness in drawing customers into online sites. The more visitors translate to more chances of conversion and therefore, more sales. The price you pay for SEO services theoretically is worth every penny and will pay itself. So, make sure you choose the right SEO services to provide you only the best results.

“Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.” – Warren Buffett

If you look at the title of this article you may wonder what a financial quote from investor Warren Buffett has to do with Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising.

Allow me to explain. PPC advertising does provide diversification, and if you’re an online marketer you are investing time and financial resources in a tool that is designed to provide a return on your investment (ROI), but this diversification, while varied, provides only a marginal (and short term) return on investment.

The use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques are certainly less costly while providing greater long-term ROI. After all if you could avoid paying an advertising bill wouldn’t you?

“If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians.” – Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in the world, perhaps that’s why he understands that past performance or even past knowledge doesn’t always help you manage future changes. If you are looking there for a reference point it is time to shift your focus.

PPC is propped up as the gold standard in online advertising. I’m certainly not saying it’s a horrid investment, but the truth is why should you pay for something you could get at no cost? SEO is a tool that may take a little while to see returns, but in the end SEO can make a greater impact than using a tool that provides only short-term hits, which go away when your advertising funds run dry.

“Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.” – Paul Samuelson

When you view PPC and SEO in light of the quote above you can link PPC with the $800 in Vegas and SEO with watching paint dry. It may be more exciting going to Vegas and blow some cash, however it is the slow and steady progression of paint drying that allows SEO to be noticed long after you’ve lost the airline ticket stubs from Vegas metaphorically speaking.

It is possible to come away from this article believing I have no use for PPC advertising. The truth is I actually believe moderate and strategic use of PPC can possess some short-term value, but I also think that many online businesses are taking the cue from Tom Hanks in the 1986 movie, “Money Pit”, they just keep flushing money away without ever really getting their business to the level they desire. Of course the frustration Tom Hanks experienced in that movie will also come with the territory of banking your strategy on PPC advertising alone.

Initially I think that PPC and SEO can both be used in tandem to develop a business website, but as you begin to realize SEO strategy potential, PPC advertising should be reduced and potentially eliminated from your long-term strategies depending on your overall success in SEO development.

I’m sure you’ve had this experience: you’re driving down the road, listening to the radio, and suddenly you’re transported back to a memory from ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. A song, maybe not even a great song, or a song you particularly liked very much back then comes on the radio. Maybe it reminds you of a time when you were in love, or when you were heartbroken, or when you were having the time of your life with friends.

You drift back into your memories to that girlfriend or boyfriend, remembering that first date or the date you really wanted.

I was about sixteen years old when I met my first wife. The song ‘Twenty-five or Six to Four’ by Chicago was popular at the time. When that song comes on the radio still, to this day, I’m transported back to my new Toyota Celica GT, driving through the Columbia Gorge off to my girlfriends house, full of excitement that I was going to be able to spend time with her. When I put myself in the memory, I’m driving east on 84. The car smells new. Chicago is playing on the radio. I’m full of anticipation and power and a thrill to be alive.

I’m taken back thirty years. . . okay, a little more than thirty years, to a crystal clear memory, to a palpable feeling.

You might even have an ‘our song’ with your significant other, that’s the song where when you both hear it, you say, ‘oh, that’s our song’. Or maybe you’ve had one in the past that you can remember.

What is this? And what does it have to do with persuasion?

It’s called anchoring and anchoring has everything to do with persuasion. Music has the ability to put you in intense emotional states. These emotional states are connected with the stimulus of the memory. They travel through neuro-pathways of emotions and memories that words and language cannot. And sometimes music affects us so intensely that we want to share it with others, but a song that touches me deeply may not touch you as deeply. It’s extraordinarily individual and powerful. Aldous Huxley said, ‘After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.’ We’re constantly exposed to things that we have been conditioned to react to. It’s often been said that we are far more reactive than proactive. The human brain is really more on automatic pilot than it is a conscious device. We think we’re conscious. We have a vested interest in thinking that. But we’re really not.

Most of our activities in life are habitual. At our deepest core are things we do completely automatically. As an example, how long can you pay conscious attention to your breathing? Seconds? Minutes? Maybe if you’re into meditation, you can sit for an hour and simply focus on your breath. But you certainly don’t do it twenty-four hours a day. You can’t. You have to sleep.

For persuasion purposes, the key is to elicit emotion and move it to it’s peak. Then we pair that peak emotion with a stimulus which is unique so that every time we want to elicit that peak emotion, we fire off that stimulus to remind them of that state.

Obviously we’re not going to elicit our client’s musical tastes, and play songs that are attached to their happy or special memories, but if you can understand this concept, you understand how anchoring works. The example of ‘our song’ is the concept of anchoring in a nutshell.

This information can be used in this way with clients: elicit their strongest emotional states, i.e. their criteria. When someone tells you their highest criteria, they are tapping into emotion. They feel it. And when this happens, simply pair it with a unique stimulus.

Stay tuned for future articles on anchoring as one of the most important tools in your persuasion toolbox.

As solo business owners, we sometimes feel like “Lone Rangers” on our own, trying to figure out ways to bring in more clients. A business owner’s survival and growth depends largely on bringing in new clients. Who wants to be alone on the range, single-handedly trying to figure out how to bring in clients and expand business? That takes tremendous energy, and hard work to produce average results.

Instead of operating on your own, there are ways to creating a sales force of people happy to refer business to you. Think about how big companies increase their sales. They have large sales forces out there selling their products. The sales people are educated about the product, calling on prospects, and are paid commissions based on the number of accounts they bring in. One of the differences between a big company and you is that YOU are the “one.” You are your sales force, that is, if you operate as a “Lone Ranger.”

An effective way of creating your sales force is through your referral network. A referral network is a group of people who already know you, understand your business, and can refer people interested in buying your product or service. With a powerful referral network, an unlimited flow of quality prospects start coming to you quickly and effortlessly. You never have to cold-call again! This is the easiest and most effective way to establish an ongoing stream of warm leads.

Building a referral network begins with educating people you already know, your clients, colleagues, friends, and people you meet. You want to clearly articulate what you do, who your ideal client is, how your product or service helps your clients, and what’s unique about working with you. Once these people are educated about your product, they become your own “sales force.” However, just like any sales force, it helps to motivate them to sell by giving them something special as a thank you.

Consider offering a referral fee or a special gift to those people who refer business to you. People will be motivated to refer business to you, if they’re rewarded for it. I know, as a sales person, what motivated me the most to bring in those sales was the commission check I received at the end of the month. And, I still love receiving those checks. I’ve been referring business to a colleague and I’m delighted when I receive a thank you note and check from him. It’s an incentive to think of other people who can benefit from his service.

By organizing a healthy referral network, you’re going to be able to rely on other people out in the world, all educated about the merits of your product or service, willing to become your marketing machine.

Here are six steps to follow that will help you set up a powerful referral network.

1.  Change Your Mindset: For some people, there’s hesitancy when it comes to asking for referral business. We have thoughts like, “They won’t want to help me,” or “How do I even ask?” Before you project these fears, step back and consider. If a customer’s satisfied with you, they’re delighted to help you out. Also, people in your personal and professional circle who believe in you, want to help you grow.

2.  Be Proactive: Rather than waiting for people to offer referrals, ask, because more than likely, they don’t think to offer. Occasionally, they may say to you “I told my friend about you.” It’s really great when that happens, but don’t rely on it.

3.  Write What You Want to Say: To help you gain confidence, write the words you want to say. Then practice saying it aloud until you’re comfortable with it. We all feel uncomfortable doing something new. It’s just like going to the health club and working out. You have to use that muscle over and over again in order to build strength. It’s the same thing with asking for referrals.

4.  When to Ask a Client: The best time to ask a client for a referral is immediately after you’ve received a compliment, and/or once the sale is closed. Once your client utters the words, “I’m happy working with you. I really have enjoyed this.” That’s your cue to ask if there’s anyone else they know who would benefit in the same way from your services.

5.  Referrals Fees: Establish a referral program whereby people receive a referral fee or special gift for the people they refer to you. Let your referral network know in advance what they can expect in return for their referrals. Giving referrals works both ways. If people refer business to you, tell them you will do the same for them.

6.  Keep Track: Once the steady flow of referrals starts coming in, it’s time to start managing all these leads in an organized manner. There are several software programs designed to you help track your business and referrals. Outlook, ACT, and Goldmine are several software programs to check out.

ASSIGNMENT

*  Write a clear and compelling message of what you do, who your ideal client is, how your product or service helps your clients, and what’s unique about working with you.

*  Practice saying it aloud and role play with a buddy until you are comfortable saying the words.

*  Start calling the people in your personal and professional circle, educate them about what you do, and invite them to be part of your “Referral Network.”

*  Ask your buddy to role play being the client and practice “asking for a referral.”

*  Create a “referral fee or special gift” program you can start offering to your clients, colleagues, friends, and people you meet.

(c) All Rights Reserved.

All of us buying domain names for several years now can share a few stories on the satisfactory return on investment that we’ve had. Nevertheless, when considering investing in more domains (or simply holding to the ones you already own) there are some factors to evaluate on the durability and appreciation of those assets. The following are potential domain investing scenarios where the asset could depreciate in value:

* Internet market consolidation – In a mature Internet market consolidated into a few dominant leaders, there is a possibility of encapsulating the user (think of AOL) into a user experience controlled by the roles set out by those leaders. In this scenario, users could be led to a new form of browsing dominated mostly by “proprietary” keywords owned by influential players.

* Excess domain supply – Opposite to an Internet market consolidation, in the event of an open Internet with relaxed domain extension creation protocols (read ICANN) the market could become saturated with domain extensions. In this scenario domain supply goes ad infinitum. When users have the availability and Internet knowledge to browse through .whatever, then whatever.com could lose value.

* Increased user knowledge – Many of the wealthiest domain investors rely on type-in traffic at generic domain names as its major source of revenue. The current user, unaware of the existence or nonexistence of a website is wrongly trained to type in the topic they are searching for and add the “.com”. Thus, owners of generic term domain names are currently earning millions of dollars from this practice. These domain names are usually resold based on yearly earnings multiples ranging in average of 8 to 15 times. However, as users grow more tech savvy, there’s a possibility that the type-in water well dries up.

* Widgets and applications – Similar to the first point, as Internet widgets and applications proliferate user browsing behavior could change. A user that interacts with the Internet through a collection of widgets and applications could reduce its dependence on traditional domain browsing (think Facebook apps).

* Evolution of television – currently, there are powerful companies pushing for the creation of an interactive television experience, studies show that users are ready. Depending on the extent to which televisions supply the tools for browsing the Internet, users might find themselves interacting in a whole new way detached from the need of domains.

* Liquidity – Domain names have very low liquidity. As a result, investors facing an urgent need to sell their domains will most likely see a huge decline in the selling price from the actual domain worth. This by itself reduces greatly the amount of investors and investment money available by traditional and wealthier investors.

The constantly evolving Internet technology poses many more risks in the way a user interacts in cyberspace. A recent example of how a domain extension’s viability was seriously questioned is the .mobi extension in response to the launch of the iPhone and the way the cellphone allowed for regular browsing, rather than limited mobile browsing.

When deciding to purchase a domain name as an investment, the investor should consider the above factors and understand that domain investing is a high risk investment with a strong chance of having a relatively low durability.

If you are like me, your email box is usually flooded with junk mails screaming for your attention with titles like ‘Earn money fast and easy!’ or ‘Attract money instantly’. Do you open and read these mails or do you just simply delete them and mentally scolding the person who sends you these spam mails?

Sure, most of these mails will be asking you to buy something. However, we have been conditioned that earning more money is not easy and so, our tendencies to delete these mails is much higher. If you do just that, will you be missing something?

I bet that when you read the title of this article, you will think that I am going to debunk all these get rich quick, money making schemes by people who just want to get their hands on your money, right? You have expected me to tear apart this myth that money can be made easily. Well, although some of the senders of these emails may be scam artists, I am convinced that money can be made easily and legitimately, especially over the internet.

Don’t worry, I am not going to ask you for a single dime or to join any get rich quick schemes. In fact, I am giving away free ebooks about attracting money on my blog. Just click the links at the end of this article to visit my blog.

The days of having to work hard to make money are over for those who know how to make easy money over the internet. Of course, you have to put in some work to create your websites or blogs to create multiple sources of passive income.

Why am I sharing this with you? This is because I believe that the more we give and share, the more we shall receive. Even if this thinking is not true, then it will still make me feel good if people are getting better life because they are making more money.

You see, if you believe that you have to work hard to make money, then your mind will work in that direction and earning easy money will forever be a myth for you. If you believe that it is difficult to earn a lot of money, then you will be sabotaging yourself because you will not find ways to make easy money. Your closed mindset will not allow you to think of the possibilities and ways of making easy money.

There are numerous ways to earn money on the internet even if you have no products of your own. One way is to host advertisements on your sites and the most popular pay-per-click is to host Google’s advertiser’s advertisements commonly known as Google Adsense. All you need to do is to create a website or a blog and Google will put relevant ads on your site and any who clicks on those ads, you will be paid a commission.

Another way is to promote products of merchants. This is called affiliate marketing. It simply works this way. You join an affiliate program, promote products of merchants and when someone buys something from the merchants you are promoting on your websites and blogs, you get paid.

Of course, you must then drive targeted visitors to your sites and make them click on your ads or buy the products you are promoting. If you search the net, you will find many books and courses on how to drive traffic to your sites.

In this way, you can earn easy money over the internet by just setting up websites or blogs. Your visitors are like shoppers in a shopping mall and your websites and blogs are the shops in the mall. If there are no shoppers coming into your shop, then you will have no business and there goes your dream of making easy money on the internet. So do your homework and then watch the trickle of money coming your way until it becomes a cascade. Who says earning more money is not easy?