Here are seven ways to drive traffic to your website and blogs that you will find effective and useful.

1. SEO. Why are there numerous businesses that concentrate on perfecting their SEO (Search Engine Optimization) marketing strategies? The answer is simple. With SEO you are able to drive a good number of traffic to your site. There is a better chance for your website to be viewed and visited when it succeeds to land at the front page of Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. That is why there are more marketers aiming to be on the top 10 of the front page of the search engines with their particular niche. This means increased traffic and possibilities of increasing revenue for their business.

2. Article Submission. Another method of driving targeted traffic to your website is article submission. Create a keyword content rich article with your back link within the content then submit it to article directories. The back link will then lead your readers straight to your website for more information and details regarding your article. A simple trick in article campaigns is not giving out the whole thing to your audience so that they will crave for more of the information. With this style, it will push them to visit your link to get more of what you have presented to them.

3. Ping your blogs. There are many free ping sites that can help drive traffic to your blogs. Through pinging, you are telling the major search engines that your blog has a fresh new content. That is why it is important to update your blogs time and again. Take note that blogs discuss about what’s new and hot and should be updated from time to time. When you start pinging, expect more traffic to come in.

4. Bookmarking. Bookmarking can be a challenging task to get traffic to your website.
The trick to this is to sign up with social bookmarking sites such as Delicious, Diigo,
Bookmark4u, and many more. Members within the community will start bookmarking your stuff back as you bookmark their own. What’s good about bookmarking is the leniency of advertisements and promotions as compared to social news sites.

5. Add your RSS Feed Button to your Articles and your website. RSS means rich site summary which is helpful to syndicate your articles quick and easy. If your articles are socially interesting and you make your RSS feed too obvious for them to click on, you are definitely driving traffic to your website.

6. Submit to social news networks. Building a network in social news sites such as Reddit, Mixx and Digg is a great way to drive traffic back to your websites. All you have to do is to build your Karma within the site by voting other people’s work and adding friends to your network. Being active in these sites is another way of driving traffic.

7. Leave a comment on other people’s work. When you leave a good comment and link back to your blog or website, you are in one way driving traffic back to your website. This is the same as true as joining discussions and forums in the same niche you are marketing. You can leave a link after your comment that will lead readers and other commentators to your webpage. Make sure though that you are leaving a comment that is related to the blog you are commenting to.

Discover the 7 Top Reasons your MLM Business Fails

The statistic is mind-boggling –  there is a 97% failure rate in MLM (Multi-level Marketing). So what is in the MLM business that attracts thousands of people every single week, and only to end up failing and losing money? The lure of the business is the promise of a lucrative income with not much effort on your part. It seems to have let loose the entrepreneur in these people with the dream that some day, they will also become millionaires like those who have been successful in this industry.

So, somebody told you about this great MLM business opportunity, and with much enthusiasm and eagerness, you sign up and pay the fees. Then you do the preliminary things, like reading the training materials, attending the meetings and webinars, and creating your own website. And then things start to go downhill because of a countless things, like not getting the right leads, losing the drive and motivation or getting frustrated because things aren’t working out the way you envisioned it. So, you quit before your business has even started, and you haven’t figured out what went wrong, and try to find the solution.

We will now try to present you with the top seven reasons why some people fail in the MLM business, and the pitfalls that you should try to avoid as a newcomer.

•    Signing up without knowing about the company
Before you sign up with any company and give away your hard earned money, do some research. Get to know more about the company and the products that you are going to sell. Treat this as a business and read the policies and procedures, including the fine lines. Also, make sure that they will provide you with the adequate support system and training especially during the crucial initial stages. Remember that training is the heart and soul of a successful MLM business.

•    Thinking that you will become rich overnight
This business is not a get rich quick scheme as what many people think it is. As with any other type of business, it requires time, perseverance and hard work. Don’t get caught in the hype of earning tons of money in a snap of a finger. On the average, it takes about ten years for a business to really be called successful and reap millions.

•    Selling using old school methods
Traditionally, MLM marketers would go around traveling to get prospects, make phone calls or host home parties. Though these methods may still work, times have changed and the internet has made everything so easy and accessible. Take time to explore around, utilize social media, and find the right programs to aid you in running your business.

•    Lack of selling skills
This could be one of the major reasons for failure in this business because they have no previous experience in selling anything, in dealing with people or in facing rejection. People start out excited and think that everything will be smooth sailing, and when they get rejected, their eagerness fizzles out.

•    Inability to generate good leads
After they sign up and learn everything about the products and how to sell them to family and friends, they think that it is going to be easy talking to these people and convincing them to buy their products. The problem is most of them are scared of imposing them to people they know, and would rather present them to strangers. Remember that in this business, leads are everything, whoever they may be. Also, as a word of caution, never buy leads.
•    Lack of upline support
Being a new MLM marketer, you need all the help and support in starting your business from your upline. They should have an active role in training you and in teaching you the fundamentals, or else it could lead to your failure. Some uplines don’t really bother to assist their downlines once they have signed up, and that could spell disaster.

•    Quitting too soon
The MLM business requires a lot of time to nurture and prosper, and this is where most people stumble. Statistics reveal that more than half of the people in this business quit within 30 to 60 days. You cannot expect to see results right away. Dedicate your time and effort to it for at least 1 to 2 years before you could see if your business is thriving or dying, and then make the appropriate adjustments. From then, you can decide whether this is the right business for you or not
Now that you know what things to avoid, bear in mind that getting in the MLM business is not easy, and would require a lot of determination and persistence before you could enjoy success and reap the benefits, like financial freedom. Failing is part of the game, but getting up and picking up the pieces are the keys because quitting is not an option.

The Marketing people are a big help to Sales people in generating high quality sales marketing leads or Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) to convert them into buying customers. Their focus though is not only on the quantity of leads that they send to Sales but also the quality of these leads. It will, in turn, lead to Sales closing more sales instead of just prospecting.

There are certain steps to follow for the sales marketing leads to go through to ensure that they need and want the product and service that you are offering. You propose something to them at every step, and then you can gauge when Sales can step in and do their thing.

1.    Offer a product or service that will create interest in your potential customer
As the initial step, you are just offering something that they may ultimately want and need. But even if they respond to the proposal, it is not an indicator that they are ready to buy.

2.    Design a content that will persuade and convert
The content should attract them to go to your site, and will also convert them into buying customers, like an ebook. Try to strike for a balance between lead generation and managing these leads.

3.    Attend to these leads
At this point, you would need a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, a contact management system or an email marketing system to do this task for you. You need to know who among our leads has accepted the offer. Also, this will tell you when to take the next step.

4.    Classify and qualify your leads
The best tools to attain this are demos, webinars and buyer’s guide. A qualified lead is willing to invest his time or money to know more about your product or service.

5.    Ensure that your Sales people know the right offer that the lead will respond to
The goal is for the Sales team to call the leads which have responded to the proposals that will classify them as near buyers. The CRM will be useful in this process because it will advise which offer the lead has responded to, so they will know how to deal with them.

6.    Quantify the quality of your leads and close rates
You should be able to quantify and measure different parameters like, how many leads who responded to each step actually bought your product or service? These figures will help you identify which offers work and which ones don’t, and make the appropriate adjustments.

7.    Make your Sales people responsible for following these steps
It is the responsibility of the Sales people to know each step of the process, and to
document the action they took for each step. The time they spent on following up leads is very critical because they cannot just call everybody on the list. They should have a clear idea of the goals and procedures for each step to ensure a successful closing of the sale.

8.    Determine the offers that converts your leads and promote them
Finally, identify the offers that were most effective in converting the leads, and promote them in your website and within your Sales group. You could use CTAs (Calls to Action) in your website, emails or blogs. Communicate these to your Sales team as well, so they will know which ones closed the most sales.

By following these steps, you can lead your Sales team in following the good leads and eventually, convert them into buying customers. Generating quality sales marketing leads is not a science but is a step-by-step process that the Sales people can employ to drive better results for the business.

How to Get Quality Sales Marketing Leads

            Getting quality sales marketing leads is just as important as investing money on advertising and promotions. Generating leads is tricky because you have to balance between spending money and knowing if there is a substantial return on your investment. Ideally, there is little money spent, the results are measured, necessary adjustments are made, and then strengthen the investment, the leads and the profits. Remember that the ultimate goal is to close more sales.

            The Marketing people are a big help to Sales people in generating high quality sales marketing leads or Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) to convert them into buying customers. Their focus though is not only on the quantity of leads that they send to Sales but also the quality of these leads. It will, in turn, lead to Sales closing more sales instead of just prospecting.

            There are certain steps to follow for the sales marketing leads to go through to ensure that they need and want the product and service that you are offering. You propose something to them at every step, and then you can gauge when Sales can step in and do their thing. 

1.      Offer a product or service that will create interest in your potential customer

As the initial step, you are just offering something that they may ultimately want and need. But even if they respond to the proposal, it is not an indicator that they are ready to buy.

2.      Design a content that will persuade and convert

The content should attract them to go to your site, and will also convert them into buying customers, like an ebook. Try to strike for a balance between lead generation and managing these leads. 

3.      Attend to these leads

At this point, you would need a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, a contact management system or an email marketing system to do this task for you. You need to know who among our leads has accepted the offer. Also, this will tell you when to take the next step.

4.      Classify and qualify your leads

The best tools to attain this are demos, webinars and buyer’s guide. A qualified lead is willing to invest his time or money to know more about your product or service.

5.      Ensure that your Sales people know the right offer that the lead will respond to

The goal is for the Sales team to call the leads which have responded to the proposals that will classify them as near buyers. The CRM will be useful in this process because it will advise which offer the lead has responded to, so they will know how to deal with them.

6.      Quantify the quality of your leads and close rates

You should be able to quantify and measure different parameters like, how many leads who responded to each step actually bought your product or service? These figures will help you identify which offers work and which ones don’t, and make the appropriate adjustments.  

7.      Make your Sales people responsible for following these steps

             It is the responsibility of the Sales people to know each step of the process, and to

document the action they took for each step. The time they spent on following up leads is very critical because they cannot just call everybody on the list. They should have a clear idea of the goals and procedures for each step to ensure a successful closing of the sale.  

8.      Determine the offers that converts your leads and promote them

        Finally, identify the offers that were most effective in converting the leads, and promote them in your website and within your Sales group. You could use CTAs (Calls to Action) in your website, emails or blogs. Communicate these to your Sales team as well, so they will know which ones closed the most sales.

                 By following these steps, you can lead your Sales team in following the good leads and eventually, convert them into buying customers. Generating quality sales marketing leads is not a science but is a step-by-step process that the Sales people can employ to drive better results for the business.

Requirements: what you need to consider to start a small business accounting online:

Determine whom you want to provide accounting services to. Yes, small businesses offer a stable and growing market, but let’s not forget about individuals with large financial portfolios who need accounting services too.

• You could start off with an accounting peer. This can help expand the services of the firm so you can cast a wider net. You’ll be sharing start-up expenses and revenue, however, you’ll save time, and money later down the road with this strategy.
• Develop a written Business Plan. This is an essential aspect of your start-up, yet too many individuals are neglecting it, or overlook it completely. You’ll be able to forecast on profit, trends, costs, and everything that will put your business ahead of the game.
• Find ways to cut costs without compromising the quality of your service, staff, office, furniture, computer equipment, software, and other related items. Too many businesses slash their advertising and marketing budget when in fact they should do the opposite.
• Know your State’s business guidelines on how to operate this kind of business - Small Business Accounting Online service provider.

Equipment that you need:
A powerful computer equipped with internet security and antivirus. Powerful internet connection (because your business is online!), a reliable printer, a reliable email system and of course, a very efficient accounting software for your small business accounting online.

Success tips:

• Online Blog – successful CPA firms run blogs updated with tips and information of interest their audience will find super valuable. A weekly blog will provide your clients with gold nuggets they cannot find elsewhere. You’ll be the premiere CPA to offer indispensable resources in a language they can understand. You’ll make your clients’ life easier.
• Educate your Prospective Online Clients – your blog gives you the unfair competitive advantage to start educating your clients, something that not many accountants are doing. Accounting should not be a dull and anxious activity. Show your clients you know more than just accounting, show them you can also teach better than any other competitor out there.

Follow-up

Your blog is a key follow-up system. Use autoresponders and phone calls to personalize your correspondence with your clients and serve their needs better than other CPAs. You’ll stand out in the crowd, that’s guaranteed!

Online Freelance Sites That May Need Your Small Business Accounting Online services:

Find out more and register on these recommended sites.

www.elance.com

www.guru.com

www.liveperson.com

www.odesk.com