So how do you simplify your life instead? I have three ways to put you in the right direction right now: use a unified calendar, keep short notes in your cell phone instead of using a notebook, and Churchill your problems in the afternoon.

We all miss appointments, whether they’re webinars, launch dates or even real life issues like going to the doctor. To counteract that, I’ve started storing everything into Google Calendar (it’s built into Gmail). What makes Gcalendar extra special is that you can share your calendar with others, such as business partners. That way you can instantly know their schedule just by logging into Gmail, and they can know yours.

The next thing I want you to think about doing is if you are out and about, keep notes on your cell phone instead of carrying around your laptop or a notepad. One thing that held me up for years, and still holds up many people I know, is all the extra clutter and ideas written down. You need to go as paperless as possible. Every now and then I sit down and write sales copy longhand in a notebook, but other than that, I keep notes on my computer or on my cell phone.

Most cell phones have some kind of “notepad” application built-in. Even the first cell phone I had years ago had this feature. These apps usually only allow you to type in 100 to 200 characters, but that’s a good thing. This will prevent you from writing every last idea down. You’ll only make room for the good ones.

My final piece of advice to you is to wake up early and take a nap in the afternoon if you have to. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England during World War Two, always took a nap between lunch and dinner, even as the Nazis were attacking his country from the air. You might have a lot to do today, but you always need to make time to eat, to take a break, and maybe even take a nap or walk to clear your head and solve a problem.

To simplify your life, do those three things: place your appointments in a unified calendar, use paper as little as possible, and take a nap or break during the day to regain your focus.

Robert Plank is a master at achieving focus through mindset techniques and step-by-step systems. To get his ultimate guide on getting productive and staying productive, go to TimeManagementOnCrack.com

There are three major types of membership sites: traditional, fixed term, and newsletter.

A traditional membership site is probably exactly what you envision it is. It is the most popular type of site. A person becomes a member by paying a recurring fee and they remain a member for as long as they want. The site give them new content every month. Being a member continues to cost them money every month but it also continues to give them value in exchange for their membership fee.

These types of sites are excellent for member site owners because they continue to generate revenue every month for as long as you want to add content. However, they can be a lot of work because you have to continue to provide value. So while operating a traditional membership site can be the most profitable, it is also the most work to maintain.

The second type of membership sites is the fixed term site. Under this model a member joins a site for a specified amount of time. So they might join a site for a year (52 weeks) in order to receive a weekly lesson on how to lose 50 pounds in a year. They might pay once or they might pay every week, every other week, or maybe every month. Once the 52nd lesson gets delivered then they are no longer charged a membership fee and they stop getting the content.

Fixed term sites are often the least time-consuming to operate. This is because you just have to do the initial work of creating the site, getting it up and running, and creating the content. Once all that is done then you just have to focus on marketing your site. So you will continue to make money without doing a lot of ongoing work. However, every member you have will only pay a specified amount of money. You can’t count on one person being a member far into the future.

Another advantage to this model is that even though you only have to create the content once, you can continue to enroll members year-round. So it has the advantage of creating an information product for which you receive recurring revenue. Even though it’s for a limited time, this is still an attractive model – particularly for people who are afraid of committing to a long-term membership site.

The final type of membership site is a newsletter membership site (also known as an autoresponder membership site). A newsletter membership site can be either fixed or traditional. With this type of site you simply deliver all the content via email. So you would just send the content every week, month, or whenever you promised it would be. The members just open their emails and read the content or click on the link you provide for them to get their content.

Obviously the newsletter membership site is really fast and easy to set-up. You don’t need to worry about a site with specialized member’s software. All you have to do is set up the site with a sales page, a thank you page, and an autoresponder. Then load the content into the autoresponder and you’re done.

All three of these member site models have their pros and cons. Choose the one that fits you, your niche, and your topic best and then market your site.

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with people who are ready to create their Online Success – starting from where you are! To claim your copy of the 10 Steps to Online Success video, visit OnlineSuccessIncubator.com

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Storytelling – we all grew up listening to stories told by the adults in our lives. When we started school we heard even more stories. Over time we became accustomed to hearing stories that shaped the way we make sense of the world around us. When you think of someone who has motivated or inspired you, it is very likely you will connect them with the story they tell. I have heard Les Brown speak twice now, and each time it is his stories that make him so memorable.

Craft your own story to let people know who you are and where you came from. It will allow them to make sense of who you are and how you can help them to succeed. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable in the eyes of your prospects. They will respect you for being honest and sharing a part of your life they may have never heard otherwise.

E-courses – you may have heard the story of internet legend Joe Vitale. He purchased a new sports car from the proceeds of his e-course, back in 2003. He asked his list what they wanted from him and then created an e-course that would provide that exact information.

You can do the same thing with your topic. Divide it up into several lessons that can be delivered by autoresponder. Every day you send them the next lesson in your e-course until it has all been delivered. People are willing to pay for the information and you can respond to them when they ask you questions during the course of your training. This is an excellent method of interacting with your list and monetizing the process.

When you are just starting out you will want to offer a free e-course to your prospects. This will give them a taste of what you have to offer. Be sure to include appropriate affiliate links for each lesson. This can prove to be very profitable over time.

Blogging – your blog is your home on the internet. It is also a way for you to speak to your prospects in a very personal way. Post an often as you can, as long as you have something you want to share. Then email your list with a link to your post. Tell them what you were thinking when you wrote it and ask them to visit your blog and leave a comment. We all assume that everyone on our list is reading our blog regularly. This is usually not true, so they will appreciate you letting them know what you have written about and how it will help them to achieve their goals. Another benefit to this is the added value of having more visitors to your blog. Make sure you have other posts and information they will be able to see when they are there.

Use these techniques to start connecting with your list, no matter what size it is currently. When I had less than a hundred people on my list I asked them for ideas on what to talk about in my next blog post. I had more than twenty responses! If you can get your list to be responsive, take action, and click on the links you provide, you will be on your way to having a successful online business. You truly can make huge profits from a very small list.

Connie Ragen Green teaches new entrepreneurs how to make huge profits from a tiny list. Visit BigMoneyTinyList.com to download your Special Report on ‘21 Tips For Making Money With Your Small List’.

It can be a tough call. In today’s online world it’s easy to get caught up in the “well I’ll just do it all digital because then it doesn’t cost me anything” mindset. But there are several costs you need to consider when selling information products.

1. The cost to actually produce a physical product and ship it to your customer
2. The cost of returns if your product is returned by your customer for refund
3. Your opportunity cost of lost sales because there isn’t a physical component

Let’s take a look at each of these “costs” individually.

Yes, you will have out of pocket costs to manufacture and ship a physical product to your customer. Costs can vary anywhere from a couple dollars to a hundred or more depending upon the complexity of the product you’re producing. How many CDs and/or DVDs and how many manuals are all factors that go into determining the cost of the finished product.

Then, of course, you have your actual shipping costs (which should be a pass along to your customer) on top of the production costs. All the money you’re spending certainly makes it seem as if the digital version is the way to go.

But, what impact does actually putting a physical product in the hands of your customer have on your “stick” rate? If your return rate is lower with the addition of a physical component to your information product then you may net more on your bottom line when all is said and done by having a physical product.

Bottom line is there is no “right” answer. It’s a matter of testing your market and finding out what works best for you. Some niches expect physical products while others are more than happy with digital delivery. If you’re marketing to a group that “demands” physical products because they like something they can curl up on their couch with and read then you may be losing sales by not offering a physical component.

You need to determine what’s going to work best for you. But don’t assume digital is the only way to go, it could be costing you a lot of money.

Bret Ridgway is co-founder of Speaker Fulfillment Services, a company dedicated to helping information marketers succeed. For a free copy of the “Information Product Development and Launch Checklist” go to http://50BiggestMistakes.com

One of the most frequent comments you’ll hear when discussing internet marketing is “I’ve spent a fortune on products – but I’m still not earning any money.” Yet in the same breath they’ll say “But ole Larry – he found the secret – and he’s raking it in!” So what’s the difference? Why do some people “get it” and others continue to search?

The secret lies in the way they use the information. As you know there is a lot of information available on how to make money online. You can buy reports, audios, video and full blown home study courses. You can use the free information or $7 reports. The possibilities for finding great infoproducts is endless.

The difference is what you do after you have the information. Those who earn a living online consume the information then immediately apply it in their business.

Those who are still struggling consume the information, say “that’s good to know” then move on to the next piece of information. They are constantly in the “search and consume” mode. They never get to the Take Action step.

And that’s the difference – Action. You cannot expect to make money just from what you know. That’s like putting your textbooks under your pillow expecting to pass the test! You know people who tried it – and it didn’t work then either!

Instead, pledge to learn one tactic that you can apply immediately to your business. Then actually use it. For best success, use it more than once, so you can perfect it for your purposes.

Only when you’ve mastered that tactic – or determined that it’s not applicable to your business – should you go on to learn something new.

Will this slow down your learning? Yes, but it will increase your earning. And that’s really why you’re learning about internet marketing in the first place. Pledge today to commit to “Learn to Earn.”

Here is what a dramatic demonstration is: something, that in a matter of seconds, communicates both the value and the proof of your biggest promise in your marketing message.

For example, one time I was selling a program on how to create information products in under 48 hours. The claim was very hard to believe, and I knew it. But I also knew it was possible for people to do it. The solution – I concocted a dramatic demonstration that basically said: “I’ll give you $100 out of my pocket if you can’t create an info product 48 hours from today using my system!”

See what I did? I communicated the core benefit of my product, and I dramatically demonstrated, with proof, that it was possible. The result: it’s become one of my best sellers. Gutsy? Sure. Worth it? You bet!

I believe in the power of dramatic demonstrations so much, I once spent several days analyzing over one thousand advertisements to get ideas for dramatic demonstrations. Then, I categorized what I found, and when I was done I discovered this: there are 7 different ways to use dramatic demonstrations. Out of those 7, the best, by far is to use instant gratification tied to proof.

Example: One of the ads I analyzed had this headline: “Drop me off in any major city in the US, give me money just for food and shelter, and in under 72 hours I’ll buy you a piece of prime real estate with no money down!” That’s a much more powerful appeal than, “How to buy real estate with no money down” wouldn’t you agree? And it has the two core elements – instant gratification (under 72 hours) and proof (drop me off in any city…).

So how could you use this example in your marketing? Here’s what I did. Once, I did a webinar promoting a new product I had created on membership sites. What I did was show the audience, in real time, a dramatic demonstration. I said, “Someone pick a completely random niche and I’ll set you up a membership site for it in under 6 minutes, using completely free software.” So an audience member typed in a niche, and I went and I did it, live, in front of the entire audience.

It’s the same concept of the ad above.

Are you getting any ideas yet? What you need to do is find a quick solution to a very pressing problem that people experience, then find a dramatic way to prove your quick solution is legitimate. Then you will get conversions on your ads that even top dog copywriters would drool over.

Jason Fladlien is a speed freak – having created over 35+ products and written over 72 winning sales letters in the last 18 months. To get some really cool stuff, go to JasonFladlien.com

There are multiple ways to Domain Your Business that you should consider.

The first type of domain name to purchase is the “Obvious” domains for you and your business.

Your Company Name – try to get the .COM if it is still available

Your Name – if people are going to know you for the business, then they need to also be able to find you!!

Your Product Name – names of any brandable titles of your products.

Your Book Title – if you are an author, then getting your title as a domain name can help increase promotional aspects of your book marketing.

Your Brand Name, Trademark or Service Mark names – these are all really important in establishing your brand online.

The second type of domain name to purchase is the “Not So Obvious” domains.

Common Misspellings of any of the obvious domains above. For example, if your name is misspelled a lot, then you should also get that misspelling. If your domain name is 1shoppingcart.com, then you should also purchase oneshoppingcart.com, because some people will type it out and some will use the actual number.

Phonetic Sounding of the domain names above. If your company was ForSaleBuyOwner.com, then you should also get ForSaleByOwner.com

Your Search Engine Keywords – if you sell a kidney stone ebook, then you will want to get a domain name that has “kidneystones” in the domain. It’s preferable to get one of the key search terms people look for your product with on Google or Bing.

How People Know You ? If you are “That One Web Guy”, then you should buy ThatOneWebGuy.com

The third type of domain name to purchase are those domains that are “REALLY NOT SO OBVIOUS” domains to you.

Geographically Targeted Domains of Your Profession or Industry – for example, if you are a chiropractor who practices in New York, then you would want to get NewYorkChiropractor.com Or if you are a dry cleaner in Denver, then you would want to get DenverDryCleaner.com

Your Main Domain Name with words around it – for example, if you are DomainCoach.com, then you may able want to own TheDomainCoach.com, DomainNameCoach.com, and ADomainCoach.com

Street Address of a Home You are Selling – if you are a real estate agent, then you might want to own the street address of the home that you are selling. 127ParkAvenue.com and use it to help specifically sell your client’s home. How many other agents would do this ? Stand out from the crowd.

Now there are other reasons to purchase and market your business with domain names. Next time, I’ll talk about “Type In Domains” and the Benefits of Registering Search Engine Keywords as part of your strategic use of domain names to Domain Your Business!!

Wade Thomas has been buying and selling domain names for over 13 years. He teaches classes on the topic and has a soon-to-be-released book called “Domaining Your Business – Strategically Using Domain Names To Grow Your Business.” For more information about Wade or to enlist his help in purchasing a domain name, visit DomainCoach.com

Choose a topic that solves a painful problem for your niche.

Clients need to see that you really understand their challenges, needs, problems and desires. The best way to determine a topic that strikes a chord with your niche is to survey them to find out what some of their greatest concerns and challenges are.

You can conduct a survey by simply talking to many people in your niche, sending out a simple survey to your niche through email, or using internet tools such as survey monkey. Many times groups such as trade organizations will allow you to survey their members through the group’s newsletter.

Develop a workshop that helps your audience define their challenge.

People often feel anxious or frustrated but cannot clearly define what their challenge is. In order for your audience to solve their problems or overcome their challenges, they must clearly define what those challenges are. People can often tell you what the results of their challenges are but they cannot define what is causing the outcomes they do not desire.

If you do not have enough clients to make the income you desire and your are frustrated by the fact that you are not making enough money then workshops may be your business building answer. Not making enough money is a symptom of the problem. The actual problem could be one of many issues such as not having a marketing plan, not knowing how to develop a marketing plan, not having clearly defined your niche, fear of asking people to consider buying your product or many other things. The first part of your workshop should help your audience define what their specific challenge is.

You must agitate to motivate.

People make changes and take action when the pain is enough to cause them to step out of the existing pattern and act. It sounds cruel but in fact, you are helping your audience solve their problem when you agitate their pain. A simple way to do this is to make a list of the common pains they could be feeling and ask them to identify the ones that apply to their individual situation. You can ask them to describe how they are affected. Once they feel the pain at a deeper level, they will be more motivated to take action.

Help them solve the problem.

The solution will come from within each person as you guide him or her to determine the areas that need change. Ask them to write down three steps they can take for each area of change. This process will produce a three-step plan of action for each area of change.

Make a call to action and establish accountability. Ask your audience to commit to taking the actions they have outline and ask them to find an accountability partner in the audience. Have the partners exchange contact information and follow up with each other.

Have a short form ready to collect name, phone, and email for each person who would like to receive a gift from you. Your gift could be a free session, free report, or ezine.

Suzan Schmitt is known as “Zee” – hence her title of Zee Coach Marketer. Although she comes from a marketing family, she earned her reputation as a tough sales woman in the challenging radio advertising market of Houston. Suzan’s rapid rise to a profitable coaching business brought other coaches to her door, asking for help. She offers it regularly at her ZeeCoachMarketer.com

How did the idea get from that person’s head to your chair? They followed a proven four-step process:

1) They recognized that they had an idea and they took the time to capture it. When you’re an idea person you have a LOT of ideas. If you don’t capture them as they flit across your consciousness, you’re likely to lose them. That’s why it’s critical that you have a defined process for capturing and documenting your ideas.

2) They organized their ideas. Remember the story of Edison having to try 10,000 times before he got the light bulb to work? He had to have 10,000 different ideas of how it might work. Imagine if he had not organized his ideas. He might have tried the same thing multiple times, wasting his time and not getting closer to his goal. Organization is key.

3) They monetized their ideas. Someone purchased everything around you. That means that between the original idea and its appearing in your space, someone had to figure out how to manufacture and market that idea. Without this step the “idea person” would have no income – and you wouldn’t have the item. This is the lubricant to keep the idea machine working.

4) They systemized the process. It may be a formalized process or it may just be in their head. But they repeat the same steps in order to keep turning their ideas into “things” you purchase.

When you market information you follow the same four-step process. The difference is in the types of ideas you have and the “manufacturing” process you use.

As an information marketer you are primarily interested in information as the product. Granted, it’s different types of information. But you don’t need to spend time sketching your ideas or having prototypes built (unless it’s software.) You’re dealing with ideas and information as the product.

When it comes to monetizing your ideas, it’s a relatively easy production process. The biggest decision is the type of packaging and delivery mode you’ll use. And when you sell a digital product online, it’s fast and inexpensive.

So what’s an idea worth?

It depends on the idea and the way you market the resulting product. There is no limit to the potential value of an idea. That’s why you owe it to yourself to discover and adopt a systematic process for recognizing, organizing, and monetizing your ideas. Because you can never be sure which idea is the BIG idea.

The Idea Organization System was created around the four principles – Recognize, Organize, Monetize & Systemize. It’s the exact system I use in my business to turn ideas into dollars. Claim your free mini-workshop at OrganizeYourIdeas.com

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1. Choose a market

This is the group of people you are going to sell to. There is no magic to this process. You merely choose the people you want to serve.

Sometimes it’s a group of people you are a part of. For example, you like to play golf, so you sell to golfers.

Sometimes, it’s a group of people who are likely to buy. For example, even if you are not a golfer you know that golfers are always trying to improve their game, so you choose to serve the golfers’ market.

2. Find something to sell

Now that you know the people who you are going to serve, you’ll get to know them. You’ll discover the problems that they face on a daily basis. Then you’ll find a solution to offer them.

Naturally you can create the solution yourself. Or you can pay someone else to create the solution. Either way, it’s considered creating your own product.

Or you can find an existing product and tell them about that one. That’s the affiliate marketing model.

3. Capture their information

While you can send them directly to the sales page, you will never build a successful, long-term online business doing that. So you want to offer them a reason to give you their name and email.

For that you generally offer a free report or audio or video. Something that is about solving the very problem they’ve come to solve.

Once they are added to your list you’ll add them to an autoresponder sequence that relates to that topic.

4. Sell something

This is the first place you make money. After all, you already know your audience. You know what their problems are. And you’re presenting them with a solution to those problems.

So they are likely to buy if they recognize that this solution solves their problem. Or offers them the opportunity to do what they love better, faster or with less work.

Over time you will work to improve the number of sales you make, whether it’s by
- getting better, more targeted traffic
- getting more people to opt in to see the sales page
- improving your sales page, if it’s your product
- or a combination of these factors.

But for right now, on the basic Online Success Map, your job is just to offer them the solution to purchase.

5. Sell related products

One of the biggest mistakes new marketers make is stopping after the offer of the solution. Whether your visitor buys or not, your job has just started!

For everyone on your optin list, you should be providing steady information to them on the topic for which they signed up. Ideally you want to provide frequent messages for the first couple of weeks, then settle into a minimum of one message per week.

What do you include? Information that is helpful, as well as other recommended products to help them solve all of their problems or fulfill their wants.

If you follow the simple 5-step map, you’ll quickly create your Online Success.

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with online business owners who are ready to create their Online Success. She offers a free video overview of her Steps to Online Success at the OnlineSuccessIncubator.com