The LuxMob Info Tags

What keeps you up at night?

It’s a good question for you to ask yourself once in a while. For most eCommerce entrepreneurs one of the answers is the thought of revenue lost as potential customers abandon your web site without buying. That’s 97.4% or so of your visitors, according to the accepted industry average conversion rate. Are you confident that your site converts visitors into customers at the best rate possible? If so, you’re probably getting a better night’s sleep than most.

If not, you’re probably tossing and turning, thinking about ways to increase web site sales. You might think you have already tried every little conversion rate optimization tip or trick. Do you have a strong “Call to Action” benefit? Have you ever tested different messaging with tools such as split A/B landing page optimization? The web is always changing. Unless you are sure that there is no room for improvement, its clearly time to consider how you can take your website to the next level to increase online sales with a value added promotional benefit.

1. Bait your prospects with the right cheese.

Online shoppers are more sophisticated today. You should assume that your prospects will evaluate three to four competitors before deciding to purchase. You need to stand out and provide the right bait to get your prospects to stop and buy at your site, rather than move on to a competitor.. In some cases, merchants need to find a special kind of cheese that will get the mouse to click on certain shipping options or up-sells. Getting creative in what bait you use is what will increase conversion rates if you know what type of cheese will make that mouse click.

2. Create a value-added offer.

Sometimes you need to go beyond your product line to find a potential partner that could benefit from a cross promotion. Some gift items can be presented as bonus offerings that would bring a high perceived added value, such as. Phone cards with a volume discount. Such an item could even be co-branded as a special value- added thank you gift.

3. Offer free gifts that create viral marketing buzz.

Think of a gift or promotional item that prospects will keep on them at all times such as inside their purse or wallet. Giving this item away is what creates the viral marketing buzz for increased “buzz”, brand awareness, and ultimately more Internet sales. The example of a free co-branded phone card giveaway is a great way to get your customers to carry your brand at all times and increase repeat orders and referrals. Gifts like phone cards are especially effective because they are designed for repeated use. As a result, the customer will be exposed to your brand for the seven plus times experts say are necessary before a prospect is ready to convert to a sale or reorder. It’s also likely to more than carry its weight in referrals.

4. Create a personalized benefit.

Always look for ways to personalize your offer. Instead of “we” or” I”. talk to the customer individually as “you”. Make your prospects feel special, elite and make it personal in any way possible when giving away a value added benefit. Personalize your gift when possible and find a partner with whom you could cross promote a co-branded personalized items.

5. Give away a high perceived value item.

Offering something for FREE is always nice. But the word “free” can carry negative connotations. You always want to keep the perceived value of any gift or offer high.

Example:

Get a Free phone card with your order today

Vs.

Receive a complimentary phone card worth more than 1 hour of free calling to the U.S. and many other countries as a personal thank you gift for your order today.

Grab your prospects today, and give them an incentive to buy on your site. Now its time for you to find your special “cheese” that will get your prospect’s mouse to click on your personalized high perceived-value benefit.

Brian Hawkins has several years of experience providing tips on conversion rate optimization while working for two leading search engine marketing agencies. Currently Mr. Hawkins is an affiliate marketing manager for Pingo’s prepaid phone card service and is responsible for establishing phone card partnerships and affiliate relationships. Pingo phone cards are a service of iBasis one of the ten largest carriers of international phone calls in the world. Brian can be reached at 781-505-7865 or email: bhawkins (at) pingo.com 2006© iBasis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Every new parent enters their first summer season with a certain amount of reservation. With so many things to be wary of, combined with the natural anxiety of being a new parent, it can be challenging to be confident about one’s capabilities. As any parent will tell you, a certain amount of trial-and-error will come into play. On the other hand, a little bit of common sense will go a long way too.

While it is natural to want to keep your babies skin covered, parents must be careful not to overdress the little one. Yes, it is good idea to keep baby’s skin protected from the sun. Just be sure that your baby is not overdressed. Try to use clothing that is made from light cotton or linen, and always be sure to cover the wee one’s head with a great, big hat.

It is next-to-impossible to completely avoid the sun in the summer months. Many parents opt to keep their children out of the sun, as opposed to using sunscreen and letting them roam free. This is a very thoughtful approach, but not always practical. Be sure to use a high quality sunscreen, with an SPF rating no lower than 30, when you are in the sun with baby. And don’t forget that the little one will need sunscreen when in the pool, too!

Insects are another consideration, especially those pesky mosquitoes! In the past they were more of an annoyance than a health concern, but in recent times there are some valid concerns regarding West Nile Virus. Aside from the standard mosquito prevention techniques advised by the public health authorities, there are a few alternatives available. As a parent, I would not feel comfortable applying DEET to may baby’s skin. DEET is an extremely poisonous and toxic chemical designed for the military, not for babies. Try using scented oil such as tea tree oil or rosemary. These are safe, natural alternatives. If you are going to be spending time in the wilderness, make sure baby is wearing light clothing that leaves very little skin exposed.

If your little one is old enough to ride a tricycle, be sure that you have a good quality helmet for him or her to wear. Every year, hundreds of children are rushed to the hospital for easily avoidable injuries. Play it safe, and make sure your child always wears a helmet when playing with any moving toy with wheels. For smaller children that are just learning to walk, why not consider using a baby harness? This way, you can let your child run free without having to worry about scrapes and bruises! Have a great summer, and play safe.

Rachel Thompson is the proud mother of two young children, and a member of the editorial team at thebabydepartment.com - a wonderful online resource for parents and caregivers with information about crib safety, bath time, toys and more.

Many people realize that they want more money in their life, these are regular people that just want more out of their lives and they want success as much as the next man. These are hard working people that just have had some bad luck financially and maybe they have even been burned by others a couple of times.

Many people haven’t resolved these problems because they don’t have the right solution, they don’t have the time to “pull it off” and they don’t want to take risks because they are on a tight budget. They need to get out of this mess and they have to do it in a way that sounds reasonable.

It is however, possible to find a solution that will fit into your life, your schedule and you budget. A solution that many people have used to bring more profits into their lives is E-Currency Exchange. This is a business model that appeals to people from all kinds of social status.

E-Currency Exchange is a fresh and unique model in the sense that it doesn’t require much work on your behalf (it’s easy to do) and is a business that does not require a big investment to get started. E-Currency Exchange is becoming such a hot opportunity because it’s a money making system that anyone can take advantage of and it doesn’t require any special knowledge to do it. Only when you start making money with this system do you fully realize it’s brilliance and it’s unlimited potential. For most people usually this becomes a big investment in the course of a few months. One benefit that most e-traders will highlight is the little need for maintenance this business requires. Sometimes you can go for a week without doing any work and you will usually go back to find that you made money anyway.

If you find yourself struggling to keep up with your bills, you feel you want more money, if you feel time is flying by and your life is ticking away and you’re not doing what you really wanted, then E-Currency Exchange might be a good solution for you.
Many people have already found it to improve the quality of their lives after only a couple after they get started in this business. If you want to get started in E-Currency Exchange I recommend taking the easy way to get started, which is taking a tutorial that teaches you how to work the system and profit from it.

What are the best ways to learn about e-currency exchange, visit my site (http://www.currencytrading-center.com) for the inside scoop on how Dxinone works

There are many reasons why you might want to consider taking a college course online. By far the greatest advantage of taking a college course online is convenience. You can take a college course online from anywhere that has an internet connection. These days, with many wireless notebooks you can connect to the internet from almost anywhere which makes taking an online college course even more accessible. No more sitting in classes or being cooped up indoors. You can access your college course online from anywhere you want to.

Many people don’t think that they can find the time to fit in getting a college qualification with their other commitments. Taking a college course online can be the answer to this problem. You don’t have the same fixed schedule to attend classes when you take a college course online. You get to study at your own pace and at a time that suits you. It doesn’t matter if you want to do all of your college work in the evenings or at weekends, with a college course online you can do exactly what you want.

Many of the institutes that offer a college course online do not set any time limits for you to complete the course in. This means that you can take as long as you need. If you find that you are unable to study for a few days, weeks or even months there is no problem when you are studying your college course online. You simply start studying again whenever you are ready.

Another benefit of taking a college course online is that a large number of them do not have a formal exam that you have to sit at the end of it. Many of the courses are awarded based on the marks gained in assignments throughout the course. However, if the particular course that you want to take does require that you take a supervised exam to qualify then you will be offered a time and place to suit you.

There are no age limits for people who want top take a college course online. This is ideal for more mature students who don’t relish the thought of going back to college and being surrounded by students who are half their age. So if you are 18 or 80 you can take a college course online and obtain the qualification that you have always wanted. You are allocated a personal tutor who is available to help you with questions and help you work through your assignments and will mark your college course online or by post if you prefer. Some courses also have facilities for students to chat to others taking the college course online to exchange ideas and offer support.

Tawee Subsomboon writes extensively on online education for anyone wanting to further their education, His knowledge and invaluable resources fill his comprehensive website with information, resources links and advice. www.onlinecollege4u.com

Special Requirements for Reprint: we ask only that you include Paul’s name and resource box, and keep all hyperlinks as live links.

Complete Article with Resource Box at end:

Value Based Pricing, Not Price Cutting

The oldest tactic in the world to get a sale moving is to cut the price.

And it does work…but the question is, “At what cost, and can you live with the bargain?”

In the past three years it has taken longer and longer for your prospects to make up their minds, and for you to close a sale.
And one typical salesperson’s response to people not buying-for whatever the reason-is to say, “Would you buy if… ?”
The “if” of course, is always some variant of, “…if the price was lower?”

It’s the number-one classic response from sales people and owners of entrepreneurial companies who want to stimulate the buy. It certainly was the question asked by every sales manager I’ve ever worked for. Entrepreneurs and executives feel that end-of-quarter pressure to “make the numbers” and almost automatically start playing the tumbling price game.

In many industries, it’s become an institution to give away all the profits In fact, we have even trained customers to expect it that end-of-period discounting, and many won’t even consider buying without it.

The trouble is, people today are not ‘not buying’ because your price is too high.

They can afford your product at its current price. The reason many companies aren’t buying is so they can conserve their cash and because they don’t see a sufficiently compelling value to say “YES” and part with that cash right now.

Cutting your prices won’t help. Since high price is not the problem, lower prices won’t lead to new sales and when it does, the effect on your profits can be devastating. Follow these numbers:

Let’s say you sell a product for $100. (Or $100,000, the concept is the same.) Your cost is $70. That means your product carries a thirty percent margin-your profit is $30. Now, to make a sale, you feel “forced” to cut your price by twenty percent, leaving your new selling price at $80.

All things being equal, your profit is now $10 instead of $30. That means a 20% price reduction cost you 66% of your profits.
TWO-THIRDS OF YOUR PROFITS for a 20% price reduction!
Cut your price much more and your profit quickly goes to zero. Or lower.

But that’s not even the worst of it.
Once you lower prices, they tend to stay low. That $100 widget you just sold for $80… Well, sorry to say, but it’s now an $80 widget.

And worse than that: your competitors will almost definitely lower their prices, and you, my friend, are in a price war.
To win in this scenario, you need deep pockets to sustain a losing position for the duration.

So for these three reasons-depressed profit margins, permanently lowered prices, and the devastation of a price war-it’s a bad idea to lower your prices to buy business-regardless of the economic climate.

What can you do instead?

Here’s an interesting example. One of my clients-a software company-had a hot prospect who didn’t want to pay for maintenance. They felt that 18% per year was just too expensive, and wanted to pay for support ad hoc instead.

My client knew this was a bad idea. Customers without maintenance contracts typically become your worst customers. Why? Because they know it’s going to cost them to pick up the phone for support, so they try not to. Thus, then they don’t get the right level of service. They don’t know how to use the product. They don’t get the results they want.

And even though it’s their fault for skimping, they point the finger at you and badmouth your company.

On my advice, my client offered the prospect a four year non-cancelable contract, and gave them the first year for free. Now really, this is a discount. It just doesn’t look like one. It’s a 25 percent reduction in total purchase price, but it doesn’t affect the selling price today or tomorrow.

Plus, my client locked in that customer for four full years, during which time they expect to sell them additional products and services.

Conclusion: Price cutting is the “lazy man’s” response when it’s hard to make sales. Unfortunately, this doesn’t boost sales, it merely results in drastically lowered profits on the sales that do get made. Often the results are permanently reduced prices and margins, and a price war, which has disastrous results on all players, except very deep-pocketed ones. There are other approaches that not only maintain price levels, but even support higher ones.

Paul Lemberg helps people and their companies succeed faster and more profitably than they ever thought possible. Over the past 14 years, he has transformed more than 200 companies and is currently President of Quantum Growth Coaching, Inc., the world’s first Business Coaching Franchise built to systematically create more profits and more life for entrepreneurs… Guaranteed. More articles by Paul can be found at http://www.marketingsuccessdaily.com

Softball bats were at one time made chiefly of wood, but
advances in technology have introduced materials such as
aluminum, graphite, and composites. Each material has its
positive and unique features.

Wood: Wood softball bats are very rare but are slowly regaining
favor with softball enthusiasts who would rather hear a whack
and not a ping when the bat meets ball. A wood softball bat is
bottle-shaped and can weigh between 32-35 ounces (around 8
ounces heavier than an aluminum bat). Traditionally, wood bats
have been made from ash. However, ash is light and soft and bats
made from ash tend to splinter and dent fast. Wood from maple,
oak, and bamboo is also used for these bats. Maple is harder and
its grain is denser as compared to ash, making it less
susceptible to splintering and chafing. Bats made from Chinese
bamboo are the closest wood bat equivalent of an aluminum bat.
Bamboo is extremely light-weight and ha a tensile strength
higher than that of steel.

Aluminum: The increased research and engineering in the science
of bat making has resulted in high-tech aluminum softball bats
that can cost upward of $300. Aluminum bats are lighter thereby
enabling batters to generate greater bat speed and control. They
are stronger and more durable than wood bats and they do not
break; however, they may dent or crack over a period of time.
Aluminum bats are available in different alloy and weight
combinations. Light aluminum alloys that are thinner are more
resilient and provide a larger hitting zone or “sweet spot”.
Aluminum bats are made in single-layer and double-layer
combinations; double-layer bats are used by the power-hitters.

Graphite/Titanium lined: Aluminum bats are lined with graphite
or titanium. These light, durable, and strong materials are
added to aluminum bats with thin walls in order to make the bats
lighter. Lighter bats help batters to generate more power in
their swing. Bats lined with graphite or titanium have a greater
hitting zone or “sweet spot”. These materials are
shock-absorbent as well and aid in reducing the shock felt when
a stroke is mistimed.

Composite materials: Bats made from composite materials such as
carbon, glass, or Kevlar are light weight, rigid, and sturdy.
Composite materials enable bat manufacturers to incorporate
varying strengths and stiffness in different parts of a bat. The
result is a bat with stiff bat handles for greater control, low
stiffness hitting areas for better performance and reduced
shock, and differentiated swing weights. Bats made from
composite materials have a large hitting surface with a more
pronounced “sweet spot”. However, the extreme velocities at
which the ball rebounds off the bat can pose a safety hazard to
the pitcher who has to react in a very limited time.

The Term Technician Tool Kit is in my opinion such a broad term that could cover many aspects of Electronic Tools today. There are many different things to consider when making a purchase of this magnitude, especially when it deals with Electronic Tools that you will most likely be using daily as part of your new profession. I will not go into great depth on all of the different Technician Tool Kits that you could purchase, instead I will touch briefly on some of the more popular Electronic and Technician Tool Kits used today.

The first Tool Kit I purchased was one that I personally used when attending school for Electronics. It came with a good 60 watt Soldering Iron and a Desoldering Tool. As an apprentice I think I probably went through twice as many Desoldering Tools than any other tool in the Tool Kit. Of course this Educational Tool Kit also included a student calculator, a professional Analog Multimeter, and other basics like pliers and cutters. It was moderately priced and had all of the essentials for the Electronic Student.

Once you have graduated from Electronic training wherever that may be, you will have most likely chosen your favorite part of the Electronic Field in which you want to make a profession of. At this point you will most likely find that although the Electronic Tools you used while studying Electronics were quite adequate at the time, they will not be enough to continue with in your new founded career as an Electronic Technician.

If you will be working in the field of Computer Technology you may find it necessary to purchase specialized tools for repairing computers. While in other instances you may not only be servicing
computers, but you may also be involved with networking as well. In that case you may also want your Technician Tool Kit to includes test equipment like Lan Testers, Stud Finders and specialized Crimping and Networking Tools.

Telecommunications has become the industry of this century. The Technician Tool Kit for computers is certainly not going to contain all of the tools necessary to work on Telecom Equipment. In my opinion there are two choices when it comes to purchasing a Telecom Tool Kit and the choice you make should be based on whether you are Installing Telecom Equipment, or if you are repairing Telecom Equipment.

If your talents take you in the direction of installing Telecom Equipment then you need to start with a professional quality Butt Set. This will be the heart of your Telecom Tool Kit, so money spent here on a better quality Butt Set up front will save you time and money in the future. Along with a good Butt Set you should consider a professional grade Tone Generator as well. Both the Tone Generator and the Butt Set will be the heart of your Telecom Tool Kit, so don’t skimp here, remember your tools reflect to your customer the quality of the work you do, long before you ever complete the job. Your Telecom Tool Kit should also include a good set of screwdrivers, pliers, cutters and punch down tool that will have interchangeable blades.

Now on the other hand if you are considering repairing Telecommunication Equipment then you should seriously consider purchasing what is called a Communications Tool Kit. It
includes a Butt Set, Tone Generator and Punch Down Tool, but will also include tools like Nut drivers, Precision Screwdriver Sets, Tweezers, Flashlight, Adjustable Wrenches and Electricians Scissors.

Service Technicians also require a specialized Tool Kit. Generally you will find included in these types of Tool Kits a professional grade Digital Multimeter, Security Screwdriver Set, Professional Grade Soldering Iron, Mini Vacuum Cleaner, Voltage Test Screwdrivers, Inspection Mirror and Wire Stripper.

Now needless to say these Technician Tool Kits contain many other Electronic Tools in them, but there are far too many to list here in this article. I have tried in this article to recommend the most important tools found in each type of Technician Tool Kit to help give you a better understanding of the differences between
each one and the importance to take the time to choose the Technician Tool Kit that will best fit into the field of Electronics your talents happen to take you.

Mark Boehm is the president of M-B Electronics. He has over 25 years of experience in the Audio Visual and Electronics Industry. You can contact him by calling 800-872-9456 ar e-mail him at etbinc@comcast.net

For more information on this subject ==>http://www.mbelectronics.com/view.aspx?id=322

Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy our service, product or idea. Here is how to create powerful marketing copy to make your job easier: INTERVIEW YOURSELF.

If you hired a writer to create the copy for you, he/she would likely start by interviewing you. He would ask every question he could think of about your subject and keep probing until he found illuminating answers. You could find a colleague to help in this endeavor. Or, if you are feisty, you can interview yourself.

Write out a series of questions about your subject. (I’ll suggest what kinds of questions below). Then ask your colleague to pose these questions to you and record your answers. Or you can write your own answers down.

The key to interviewing is to keep probing. If an answer doesn’t make sense,say so. “I understand that your clients need to create strategy at the corporate level, but I don’t understand how your software is going to help them do this.” If you don’t believe an answer, say so too. Keep asking for further and better particulars until you get answers that interest you and which you believe in.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Here are some high-level questions to ask yourself.

What is the business problem?

Can you describe the problem in plain English?

How did the problem arise?

Is it a new problem?

Why is it hard to solve?

Why hasn’t anyone found a solution to it yet?

Does your client know he has this problem?

Is he willing to pay the price in time or money to solve his problem?

What is his key concern?

What is your solution?

What services / products do you offer to solve his problem?

What benefits will these produce? (This is the hardest question to answer. It means going beyond the features we offer and really understanding the solution from the clients’ viewpoint.) If you are going to work on producing only one answer, this is the one to work on.

Which benefit is the most important? (This will be your core message).

Why should your client trust you to solve their problem?

Who are you?

How long have you been in business?

What can you say about the stability and creativity of your organization?

Who are your clients?

Is your service unique? If not, why is it better than others’?

Do you have a robust marketing plan to execute against? How clear and persuasive is your website, brochure copy or direct mail? Call Neroli Lacey NOW to win more business TODAY.

CALL ++ 612. 215. 3826 NOW

or email: neroli@beyondcommunications.com

I’m Neroli Lacey of Beyond Communications Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. I’ve been helping executives transform their businesses and their lives with outstanding marketing materials since 1995. VISA, 3M and Perot Systems are some of my bigger clients. I have worked with clients in Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Delhi. I used to be one of the top journalists in Britain writing for The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, New Statesman, Vogue and Tatler.

Before newspapers I was an investment banker. I grew up in London, England, studying Latin with Greek at Bristol University.

Please visit my website: www.beyondcommunications.com

Or contact me at: neroli@beyondcommunications.com

612-215-3826