I just love MLMs, just kidding! I must say that my advice is to stay away from all MLMs. However, if you just have to participate in one you need to look for those that have been around for a number of years and are involved in marketing reputable products. It is important that the company have a real product that they actually try to market and not just recruit new members.

Vertical Skip Marketing was created by Paul Michaels and Mark Zuckerbrod. VSM ( Vertical Skip Marketing) works with Herbalife International in finding qualified salesmen for Herbalife products. One of the good things I can say about VSM is that they are partnered with a very good company in Herbalife that has great nutritional products. Herbalife has been around for 20 plus years and is a very financially strong company.

To start with VSM you must pay a fee of $99.00. Then you pay for pre-qualified leads that are sent to your site. The object is to build your down line and get other people selling under you. VSM uses a type of marketing that is expected to give the opportunity seeker a sense of urgency. Pre-qualified leads are placed in a down line if you happen to commit before the people ahead of you then you leap frog them, or skip ahead. This allows for people that are willing to make a decision to be placed higher in the down line.

I think that VSM is missing the boat when it comes to their business plan. Currently, they want you to buy their pre-qualified leads, contact these people and urge them to sign up as distributors of Herbalife products. It is my opinion that they would get a higher conversion rate of leads to distributors if they would get people on the products first, let them see the results of the Herbalife products then urge them to market as a second income. People are more willing to sell something they have had positive results with than an unknown product that they have never used before.

Herbalife provides a tremendous amount of training and marketing information. Herbalife is a quality company with good solid products that relate to the health and diet industry. If you are interested in that industry this is a company I would recommend. By the way you can sell for Herabalife and not be a member of VSM.

I have tried and researched hundreds of online business opportunities. Most of them have been scams and schemes but recently I have found a system that earns me a consistent monthly income with no selling at all. When I find these diamonds in the ruff I like to share them with my readers and this one is a must see. Click here to see!

Seven Building Blocks of a Destination Website: #2 Usability by Stoney deGeyter Over the last two posts I discussed the importance of expert information in building a Destination Website. I also outlined seven different types of expert information that can be used in providing quality information to your audience. Building a Destination Website is all about serving your audience. It's about finding what they are looking for in a website and providing it in excellence. I've written quite extensively about website usability in the past so I won't re-iterate everything I've said again, but usability is one of the key aspects in building a Destination Website. Running SEO campaigns that don't address usability concerns is like running radio and TV promos to drive people to a store that is unfinished. The traffic being driven may not be a total loss, but you certainly aren't getting the full value out of each customer. Many won't find what they are looking for, others will be frustrated trying to check out, and some may turn around the moment they walk in the door. Usability addresses those issues to ensure each customer has a good experience on your website. Poor usability = poor user experience When you don't consider usability as an important part of your website's marketing effort then you are doing little more than relying on your own personal preferences to get the job done. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) not everybody prefers the same things as you. Have you ever seen a movie that you totally hated but was wildly popular? One comes to mind for me, but I dare not say for fear of being tarred and feathered! (coughshrekcough) That's personal preferences issues at work. Most websites are built almost entirely on personal preference. Sometimes it's the site owner's, sometimes the web developer's, and sometimes it's the best regurgitation of comprises by the many heads involved. That's not to say that personal preferences don't have merit, but there are many aspects of usability that must be carefully weighed, tested and measured before, during and after implementation. I've already noted over a hundred of them in the article linked above, but let me hit just some broad strokes. These are things that can cause poor user experience once someone lands on your site: Poor navigation: Navigation is one of those crucial things that you really do have to get right. In fact, when it comes to usability, almost everything revolves around navigation. Getting the visitor from Point A to the conversion is the ultimate goal of any website. Navigation, of course, consists not only of the top, left, right, and footer navigation areas, but also the links in the body of the text as well. But for now let's consider only a site's primary navigation. How easy is the navigation to follow on your site? Recently I've seen a few sites that have their navigation links alphabetized. The "Home" link would fall in the "H" Section and the "Contact Us" link fell between "Books" and "Digital Downloads." There is nothing wrong with an alphabetical navigation for some items or categories, but not for everything. This is a clear example of navigation gone wrong. The Home link should be one of the first navigational items, as should the Contact Us link. These navigation links shouldn't be mixed with the rest of the product links. I won't go into how to build a user-friendly navigation, but let's just say that if you don't consider how your customers might find stuff then you may not be giving them the best navigation options possible. Confusing site layout If you're dealing with a large website it's important to make sure the visitor has a sense of where they are at any time. When you go to the mall, at each entrance they place a map of the mall with a big "you are here" label. This allows you to find your way to any store you want based on your current location. Now imagine if you found one of those mall maps with all the stores nicely laid out but there was no icon telling you where you are at the moment. You'd feel quite lost (at least I would... I haven't been to a mall in years!) In addition to the actual site layout, you simply need to make sure you make the shopping process clear and easy to follow. When it comes to things like your shopping cart check out process, there is very little room for error before you start losing customers. Lost calls to action One of the most important things you can do on a website is to tell your visitor what you want them to do. Do you want them to call now? Add to cart? Sign up? Order now? These are all important calls to action. For some reason we often think that people will figure it out on their own. Some will, but most, without that call to tell them what you want them to do, simply won't move forward in the process. You'd be amazed at how adding a simple text or image link that says "click here to..." can make a huge difference in your conversion rates. There are two kinds of call to action you can use: visual and textual. Both are important. We often see the visual calls to action in the navigation. These are the "contact us" or "order now". These calls are necessary so as to provide a single, permanent, easy to find location for your visitors. But what often gets missed are the visual calls to action in the body content. These can be created by adding a button image of some kind within the body content area. Not only do these help break up the text, but they also grab the attention of the reader when they are scanning. Textual calls to action are just as important as the visual calls. Instead of always using a graphical image to convey the call, you also need to have calls to action linked in your body copy. Some visitors get image blindness and start skimming or reading the content. These hyperlinked calls to action jump out and helps propel your visitors forward. Little internal linking That last point brings us to one more usability issue that affects the user's experience. That is using your text to link to other areas of the website. All too often we try to let the main navigation do the job of getting the visitor from one page to the next. This is very short sighted. Just like textual calls to action are important, so are textual links to other relevant portions of your site. If your content references something else that you do or provide, why not add a link to that something else right there? If you look at sites like wikipedia.org, you'll see they are powered by links. You can get stuck on that site for hours as you keep clicking links that interest you. Your website doesn't have to be all that different, though the ultimate goal is the conversion, not just information. You want to provide a clear path to the "goal," but you also want to be sure that the user can easily get to any bit of information they need that will help them make that conversion decision. Don't rely on them to know what they need and then hunt through the navigation to see if you meet it. Link to it in your body copy and let them navigate through the site as needed. Poor user experience = visitor loss The main thing you need to understand about not meeting the usability needs of your visitors is that for every usability issue that remains on your site, that's another chunk of visitors you'll lose. Your website isn't a movie where people will stay until the end regardless of how bad it might be. You're not going to convince them that it's "going to get good." On a website when a visitor has a bad experience, they leave. When they can't find what they want, they leave. When they get confused or frustrated, they leave. Your job is to create a path of least resistance. To build a site that essentially greases their wheels, allowing them to flow through it with little or no friction or thought. You want them to glide effortlessly from page to page on to the conversion goal. When your site is a hassle it becomes annoying. That's when you start losing real customers. Many people will go through great expense to go out of their way avoiding things they don't like. A website is no different. If you leave a bad taste in their mouth, you've lost that visitor forever. You'll rarely get a second chance to prove your value. Poor usability experiences are just as often sub-conscious as conscious. Sometimes visitors don't know why, or perhaps don't even know at all, that they had a bad experience. They just know they were not able to find something that they thought they should have. Your goals, in building a more usable website, are to find areas where visitors are not finding what they need, or are abandoning your site, understand why and then to correct the problem. In order to become a Destination Website, you have to have a site that users enjoy returning to time and time again. Read more about Destination Search Engine Marketing: Part I: Do you Deserve Top Search Rankings? Part II: What Would Sudden Exposure Get You? Part III: Standing Out in a Sea of Thousands Part IV: It's Not Just Marketing as Usual Seven Building Blocks of a Destination Website #1: Expert Information #1b: Seven Types of Expert Information #2: Usability Free White Paper: How to Optimize for Google A free 10 page white paper on how to optimize a website on Google the right way - so the website succeeds. Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:01:11 -0600 Seven Building Blocks of a Destination Website: #1b Seven Types of Expert Information by Stoney deGeyter Yesterday I started a new series on Destination Search Engine Marketing, discussing the first of the seven building blocks in creating a Destination Website: Expert Information. Before I move on to the second building block I wanted to discuss the different types of expert information which can be added to your website. There are a number of different types of expert information that can be developed for your website as a means of providing your visitors with additional, quality content. Depending on your site, some types of expert information are more applicable than others and not all will be a good fit for you. Each site must be evaluated to determine what kind of expert information will best serve the audience's needs and expectations. By finding ways to add additional expert information to your site you'll begin to build a site that can stand up above the competition. Sales and marketing copy When most people think of adding content to their website they think mostly of adding sales and marketing copy. This is the information they use to describe the product or service and then, hopefully, to convince the site visitor to purchase their products or services. The content of most sales-oriented websites revolve around this kind of expert information. You understand that in order to sell whatever it is that you sell, you have to be truly knowledgeable about it. Page after page after page is dedicated to providing product descriptions, specifications, features, and benefits. Upon reading the on-page content we want the customer to be able to taste the food, feel the comfort, experience the thrill, and see the results. All in a few words. When your words are able to make the visitor see, feel and understand how the product or service is going to meet their needs, then you're better able to make the case that you are the expert they should ultimately buy from. That's the job of the sales and marketing copy, to not only sell the product or service, but to sell you as the one to deliver it. Non-marketing information While the sales and marketing copy is an important part of most business websites, it's not the only kind of expert information that helps set you apart as the authority on your topic. There are all kinds of of other, non-marketing oriented, information that can be added to a site that does just as good a job at selling it as the sales and marketing information. Product comparisons When most people think of product comparisons they think of the charts that shows two or more products at the top, a list of features or benefits down the side, and a few check boxes that show how one product (the one trying to be sold) is superior to the other (the competitor's product.) This type of product comparison would fall more squarely into the sales and marketing copy. That makes for good sales copy, but the reader expects already expects the information to be biased. There is another way to do product comparisons that's not part of the sales hype that you typically see. And that's just a straightforward, honest assessment of how two products compare with each other. You can use the side-by-side format mentioned above or find another format that fits your purposes. Particularly, this type of comparison lends itself well to video, which is a great way for additional exposure in the "blended" search results. Regardless of what format you use, be sure that the comparison of the products is honest, unbiased and clearly states the flaws of the product you wish to sell. One way to do this is to run both products through a number of tests and document the results. Make sure the tests are fair and as closely resemble real-life situations as possible. Product reviews Product reviews are similar to product comparisons, except you're not obligated to compare your product against a competitors, or even your own. But a review of your own product, using the same methods of those mentioned above can be incredibly valuable to the site visitor. While the site visitor will undoubtedly expect the review to be positive, you can lend yourself credibility by pointing out some of the flaws of the product. If possible, take the flaws and spin them into a positive. By doing that you're not only showing credibility in your truthfulness, but you're also minimizing the negative point at the same time. The visitor knows what they will be getting, warts and all. If you have too many products to review, then find a way to generate customer product reviews. These are becoming more and more important in helping shoppers make sales decisions. They'll expect you to sing glowing praises about your products, but what do other actual buyers have to say? Give them a voice and help them sell your products. Just be careful. If you're known to delete bad product reviews you'll get a reputation for dishonesty. Tips and tutorials There is a significant searcher base that isn't necessarily looking to buy anything, but they are looking strictly for information. Providing tips and tutorials in various formats (text, video, diagrams, etc) can help you create a site that is not only visited for the things that you sell, but also for the quality of information you provide. This may seem counter-intuitive for a site who's main purpose is to make money. After all, why try and bring in an audience that isn't going to buy? That philosophy is short sighted. Certainly, we want our conversion rates to go up, not down, but providing this kind of information is an investment into future customers. This kind of information builds loyalty, repeat visits and promotes branding. If a visitor is known to frequent your site for your information, then it's not to big of a leap to realize that you'll be the first place to they go to when it comes time to become a customer. They are familiar with your site, your information, and they trust you (which is why they keep coming back in the first place.) That goes a long way to beating out the competition that may well be unknown to them up to this point. Helpful opinions Another great form of useful content is industry opinions. People spend hours a day doing nothing more than reading opinions on the web from people they don't know. If the opinions are reasonable, well-considered and backed up with facts, then an opinion maker can become an opinion leader. You can use this not only to bring people back time and time again, but to engage with them in conversation. By building that relationship, you're building trust and respect which, again, bleeds over to the products or services that you sell. Company and exec background info Typically, we call this the "about us" page, but unfortunately, most of these pages are lacking the type of quality information that helps establish trust to the ordinary shopper. Many visitors look to the about us page to get a sense of security. They want to know more about the company they are considering dealing with, how long they've been around, their credentials, etc. Don't make the mistake of letting the PR department be the only ones to have their hands on these pages. Avoid being "corporate". Let the personality of the company come through in this information and show the true faces behind the company. Visitors are not looking for a list of education credentials, they want to know they are dealing with real people that won't hide behind a corporate veil when they are in need of a solution. "Ask the expert" section This is a great way to not only provide expert information, but also to get some user generated content. Give your visitors a forum in which they can ask questions that get answered on the website. You can not only establish yourself as an industry expert but also build relationships with your potential customers. One note, don't be afraid to answer difficult or critical questions and don't ever be defensive. Doing so will only hurt your credibility. These are only a few ways to generate content for your website that goes beyond the boundaries of traditional sales and marketing copy. Use this information to establish trust. Many visitors will gladly pay more for a product from a site they can trust vs. paying less on a site where they really aren't sure. Even if the competition is bigger and more well known, the information you provide can really help you establish that relationship with current and future customers. There really is no shortage of what you can do or how you can do it. As noted above, you can invest time in building a library of videos, articles, and even image tutorials that will bring your visitors back for more, and build a solid, long-term customer base that'll have no need to go anywhere else. Read more about Destination Search Engine Marketing: Part I: Do you Deserve Top Search Rankings? Part II: What Would Sudden Exposure Get You? Part III: Standing Out in a Sea of Thousands Part IV: It's Not Just Marketing as Usual Seven Building Blocks of a Destination Website #1: Expert Information #1b: Seven Types of Expert Information #2: Usability Free White Paper: How to Optimize for Google A free 10 page white paper on how to optimize a website on Google the right way - so the website succeeds. Publ.Date : Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:40:37 -0600 Small Business Blogging Case Study: Tinku Gallery by Mack Collier One thing I love about blogging is that it gives a small business the ability to quickly and easily build awareness for itself online.  This is exactly what Amrita Chandra is doing to get the word out about her Toronto-based art gallery, Tinku Gallery. Perhaps the most important aspect of a blog, is making sure your content is positioned from the reader's point of view.  Many small (and large) businesses completely miss this, and want to use their blog as an extension of their website.  They want to use the blog to directly promote their products and services, which is the exact wrong approach to use. But think about the people that would attend an art gallery.  Why are they there?  More than likely, they are there because they are drawn to the beauty of the artwork on display, and probably drawn a great deal of inspiration from the works the gallery contains. Which is why I think the blogging approach of the Tinku Gallery's blog, Tinku Tales, is perfect.  Amrita makes a point to delve into the works that her gallery displays, discussing the artist's inspiration for the artwork, and the messages they are trying to convey.  As a bonus, she even talks to some of the artists, so they can share their thought processes, and how they create their works.  I also love how Amrita includes links to the artists that are being featured at her gallery, and complete contact information for the gallery, as well as her picture AND bio!  But most of all, I love how she promotes the artwork and the inspiration behind its creation.  She is looking at the blog through the eyes of the reader.  If your business is blogging and you aren't getting the results you were hoping for, step back and look at your content through the eyes of your reader.  What value are you creating for them?  Are you attempting to sell to them, or are you trying to create content that they can find value in?  If you aren't sure how you should be doing, check out Tinku Tales as a good example of the type of blogging experience you should be striving to create! And if you need specialized blogging help, don't forget that branding expert Christina "CK" Kerley and myself will be conducting a special blogging site clinic during the next Small Business Marketing Unleashed!  In this clinic, we'll carefully analyze blogs that are submitted by attendees, making sure they are positioned properly so that they can give your readers the valuable content they are looking for, while also helping your business grow.  You can get more information on the blogging clinic here, and find out the complete schedule for the next SBMU here. Free White Paper: How to Optimize for Google A free 10 page white paper on how to optimize a website on Google the right way - so the website succeeds. Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:51:24 -0600

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