How To Make A Fortune
With A Simple Website

   Most "built for profit" websites never make their owners a dime... and are proof that no amount of technology can compensate for an ignorance of sound marketing concepts.

   Though the technology has changed... people haven't. When tested and proven marketing principles are coupled intelligently with today's technology, MAGIC can happen. One commercial website, using the formula I've outlined below, can make you a fortune.

   I know what I'm talking about... the first website I created was producing $45,000 a month within 5 months. And since its launch 18 months ago, it has generated revenues close to $800,000.

There are certain criteria
for a successful website:

1. Every successful website has one clearly defined PURPOSE
The first step in building a website that truly accomplishes it's purpose, is to clearly define what that purpose is. There are only three legitimate things that a website should do, and that is either educate, entertain, or sell a product or products.

There are a couple of ways for the website to be set up to accomplish your objective...

You can use the "open navigation" model... This model allows viewers to click on whatever page they choose. Each page in this type of site should have a "home" or "sitemap" button that takes the viewer back to the central navigation guide.

Or the "linear" model... think of it as a street that has no off-ramps or intersections, and has only one outlet - "CLICK HERE TO ORDER". A site created to sell a product should have only two navigation buttons - "Back" and "Next".

A site designed to sell a product or service should NEVER be based on the open navigation model. Build a site like that and you'll never make a penny with it. Effective selling is about keeping the prospect totally focused on the benefits available from owning the ONE product being presented.

2. A money making sales site showcases only ONE product
It's okay to sell multiple products. But if you do, then each product should have it's own set of ads, which lead to it's own sales page. I call this "focused marketing". Master this concept and it will make you wealthy.

3. A money making website must showcase the RIGHT product

What DOES sell...
There are some obvious products that are "made" to sell on the Internet.

Niche related products - such as handmade knives
Digitally delivered information
Value-added products - taking two products and bundling them together as one
Personalized service - think of a product that can be personalized for the buyer
Items that DON'T need to be handled before being purchased - CD's, books, software
What DOESN'T sell...
The most common reason that some products don't make money online is that they shouldn't be online in the first place.

Hard-to-ship items - farm fresh eggs or something that has to clear customs inspectors.
Local services - such as manicures, oil changes, etc.

4. A successful sales site must be a FAST load
Does it matter how powerful your sales copy is... or how good your site looks... if your prospect clicks off because it loads so slow? Think about why this might happen:

You may have too many graphics... strong copy, properly presented is what sells. Forget everything else.
Is there too much text on one page... break a long sales letter into several pages. And create bridge sentences. Such as..." Click here to learn how..."
Are tables formatted right... otherwise the table won't be visible until all the data has been transmitted.
Is your webserver/webhost overloaded... a super-fast account on a good server costs a little more, but it will be worth it.

5. A money making site must be EASY to read.
The following webpage design issues are listed in what I consider to be their correct order of importance:

Copy
List the benefits of your product or service... bullets work great for this... use lots of contractions... use "you" instead of "I"... when you want to emphasize a word... bold it...

Navigation
Use the "linear" model. Use only a "Next" button... or where appropriate, a "Back" button. End each page with copy that entices your prospect to click the "Next" button.

Font Choices
Go for readability. Script and Italics are definitely not recommended. Choose a font that is already installed in most computers... Arial, Georgia, or Verdana are good ones. For headings, use a font size just larger than your main copy and bold or capitalize it.

Color
Contrast is CRITICAL. It's best to use a dark text on a light background. Use colors to create a mood that is upbeat and positive. Dark sites create a different reaction than light ones .A national color study ranked blue as the #1 color choice in America... Green #2... Purple was #3, ahead of Red by 1%. So, blue or green headings and sub-headings are good.

6. A successful sales site must be SEEN
Your site is perfect. Your product is a proven winner. The sales copy is powerful. The page is crisp, clean, and loads really fast. Now all you need are qualified prospects... NEXT STEP...

   You have 2 choices... if you want to go from Miami to Hawaii by boat, you either go around the southern tip of South America... or you go through the Panama Canal. Which makes more sense?

   The gurus say that the way to get traffic through your sales site is get a good position in the search engines... give away lots of freebies... provide good content... then promote, PROMOTE, PROMOTE... all in the hopes that if the traffic is flowing, someone will actually buy something.

   Why not just go through the Panama Canal? So... having had experience in writing classified ads and salesletters... I decided to go back to what I already knew how to do... the 2-step.

   No... it's not a dance, it's a direct marketing concept.
A marketing concept that gets the traffic flowing by using short, powerful teaser ads, strategically placed in front of pre-qualified prospects... such as in e-zines and high-traffic, paid classifieds such as Excite's and AOL's. These little teaser ads are usually very inexpensive and IF they're correctly written... produce amazing results.

   Besides, when you use this strategy, it doesn't take months to get the hit-counter jumping... and the money coming in.

Article by Gary White of howtoguides™
www.howtoguides.com