*Warning: This post may contain words or phrases offensive to some.*
I received this UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email, aka Spam) message at my inbox this morning; one of several that periodically manage to get past my security software, it doesn’t happen very often but occasionally one will slip thru. What I’d like for you to take from this post today is how NOT to do business online, as well as a few pointers of how to do business online.
Let’s roll…
I’m sure by now you’ve received your share of crap like the following email below: (copied & pasted email as sent to me, edited to protect the goofballs that sent it!)
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“From: payments@easy…….biz.com - Subject: eCheck payment in progress”
“Notification of payment received floods in my inbox after using this Plug-n-Play Software that pulls instant profits! (Oh now I see, you mean the subject line was about you and not me. How clever – loud vomiting sound)
Hi (First clue, they don’t know my name!)
Do you need Instant Cash this week? (Uh, duh!)
URGENTLY Download this software that makes me $4793.65 in 24 Hours! (What they’re not telling you is, it took them years before they started making this - if they truly do at all!)
It’s Easy To Make Money Everyday From Home With This Software…Even If You’re Starting From Scratch With Zero Knowledge, Experience Or Budget! I’ll Show You Exactly How. (Is it me, or do you smell snake-oil too?)
Click Here for Instant Access!
These are just a few of the benefits: (Trust me, these are not benefits!)
NO Advertising required (BS!)
NO Affiliate Marketing (More BS!)
NO Selling required (Even more BS!)
NO Additional Costs involved (And lastly, more BS!)
So, How Does This Work? (Not like they’re telling you, I promise!)
It’s simple and takes just 15 minutes to complete. (And a lifetime to try and make money with!)
This program is hands free (only if you don’t have any) once you have it setup you never need to touch it again (see first parenthesis). Just wait for the checks to come every month and enjoy! (OMG, I can’t wait. Sign me up now!)
Click Here for Instant Access!
To your success, (LOL)
(Name removed to save them the embarrassment)
http://Instant………co.cc (another clue)
If, at any time, you wish to be deleted from our system, you may unsubscribe here.” (Link didn’t work)
- end of email, thank God! -
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So, what’s wrong with this, you may ask?
Well for starters, I can assure you beyond any reasonable doubt, I did not subscribe to this person’s list. In fact, once I traced the email back to its original source, note the ‘co.cc’ ending at the end of the URL, I saw who it was from… A spammer! But even more importantly, the subject line and the email address from which it is sent is misleading at best, not to mention false advertising.
Listen, if someone has to resort to using “payments” as a prefix to their email address, and then try to hook someone into opening their email by “informing” them that they have an eCheck payment in progress, then they are either inexperienced, stupid, desperate or all three! Anyone with any sense at all knows exactly what this type of email and, uh, “business” is about…
Get-Rich-Quick!
In other words, people who are too lazy to get off their butts and make it happen and build a legitimate online business that serves other people’s interests and solves a problem. Forgive me, please. I’m doing my best not to offend anyone, and if you’ve bought into this type of business model or system, then please, do you, me and everyone else online a favor and get out of it ASAP.
Listen, please. There is no such thing as getting rich quick, with little or no effort, and especially without having to invest in your business. Ain’t gonna happen, not now, not later, not ever! Now, do you want to know how to do business the right way online?
Okay, I thought you would 
It’s as simple as this…
These three things are what you need to succeed with an online business:
1. You need a legitimate product and/or service to sell
2. You need a hungry crowd of people who want to know more about what you’ve got to sell, and
3. You need a place for these two to meet… A website and/or blog!
In other words: Product+Website+Traffic = Sales
And sales, done correctly, lead to even more sales, more profits and a better lifestyle. However, what you do not want to do is Spam people who did not ask about your business, and who will only get pissed-off by this and then tell all their friends. The end result, we all end up looking bad.
Doing business right also means…
When building your list, be sure to attract only those people with whom you have an interest in. Be specific in who you target as a market to service. Swap the shotgun approach with a sniper-rifle approach. Don’t get me wrong, you first want to pick a BIG market of people proven to spend money, such as: Golfers. Then you want to whittle it down to Golfers within a specific age range, lefties vs. righties, etc; etc.
Next, collect name and emails with minimal or no opt-in incentive. Listen, I know this sounds contradictory to what most everyone else online teaches. However, when you send out your first email, your first follow-up email after opt in, send them an unadvertised bonus along with that email.
Why is this important? Because it was unexpected, and it’s like a present delivered to their doorstep! When your brand new reader opens their very first email from you – not fully knowing whether to trust you or not - bam! (nod to Emeril) you just exceeded their expectations and helped to build trust and credibility with an unexpected free bonus. This is not rocket science, this is just good ‘ol fashioned business where you let your actions and your content speak for itself.
Lastly, always ensure that your products & services match your readers needs, and solves a problem they are facing. Let me ask you a question: “What business are you in?” Seriously, what business do you believe you’re in?
Affiliate Marketing?
Nope!
Internet Marketing?
Uh, uh…
Making money online?
No again!
So, what business are you in? You are in the problem solving business. That’s it!
Think about this. If what you are doing with your online business does not solve another person’s problem, and offer up a solution to that problem, then what are you doing? Nothing, that’s what! Sure you may feel good about what you’re doing with your blog, and we all enjoy the many friends and relationships we build online; and that’s okay if that’s the reason you’re online. But if you want to make money online, then you are in the business of solving other people’s problems.
The correct way to do business online, is: work only with those individuals with whom you wish to work with, and build trusting relationships by offering information, products and services that solve your readers problems. And, by sending only those emails and related materials to those who have asked for it, and have given you permission to do so. Anything less than this, and your doing you and your readers a disservice.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post, until next time…
Blessings to you and yours!
James
~+~
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