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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site? (Part 5b)

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Tags: help tips ideas holiday guide help tips ideas traffic coach quickstart guide help instructions tutorials tips ideas marketing advertising free write-up help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 2 of Tip 5 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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More Tips: Exciting Easy Ways to ...
Build More Traffic to Your Site
(Continued from Tip 5 of 5 Part 1)

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Specific Tips On Getting
More Traffic to Your Blog

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Here are some tips for getting more traffic to your go2 Blog:

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Grab your Reader's Attention

People are bombarded with information on the Internet - they'll decide whether to read your article in the first sentence. If it intrigues them, if it startles them, if it excites them, if it engages them, if it challenges them, if it captures their imagination by being extraordinary, they'll keep reading.

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See QuickTips for some easy-and-quick ideas on how to transform your business from Ordinary into Extraordinary >

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Blog Tip #2: Participate in the Community click here >

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site? (Part 2)

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Tags: help tips ideas holiday guide help tips ideas traffic coach quickstart guide help instructions tutorials tips ideas marketing advertising free write-up help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Tip 2 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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Tip # 2: Help Your Customer First ...
If You Want to Help Yourself!

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He had just added a new product to his inventory that he was very excited about. The product would save his customers time and money and make their lives easier. He knew, that once the public saw this new product, everybody would want one.

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So, he spent thousands on ads in the local shopper, the newspaper, television, radio, even billboard - the works - promoting a Big Event to be held on Saturday. The ads bragged about prizes and free give-aways and huge discounts. The merchant just knew this event would be a great success.

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Saturday came and the minutes ticked away into hours and the morning into the afternoon, and the afternoon into evening, but the huge crowds never showed. A few people wandered in off the street looking for prizes and free stuff, but interest in the new product just never materialized.

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The advertising had failed to produce the needed traffic.

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I asked the merchant if I could ask him a question.

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He was quiet for a few seconds, then said gruffly, "Go ahead ... "

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"Why do your customers buy from you?"

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He thought for a moment, then answered: "Because I take care of them ... they can ask me any question and I'll gladly answer them ... they know that I'll go out of my way to make things right ... and they know my products are of the highest quality, not like that junk they sell at the chain stores ... "

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"Sounds like you really take care of your customers and if people knew that, they'd buy from you."

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"That's right."

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"Hmmm ... just wondering ... do you think a coupon that you mail to someone's home can convince a person who's never experienced how helpful and knowledgeable you are that they can depend on you?"

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"What do you mean?"

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"Can someone looking at an ad for three seconds come to believe what your satisfied customers already know ... that they can depend on you to answer their questions, to solve their problems, to be there when you need them?"

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"Well, of course, not ... "

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"Then, why advertise? Wouldn't your money be better spent actually answering questions for potential new customers, actually showing them first hand that they can depend on you to be there for them?"

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"Well ... yeah ... but how do you do that?"

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Tip # 3: Discover New Ways to Build & Convert Traffic click here >*

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site? (Part 3)

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Tags: help tips ideas holiday guide help tips ideas traffic coach quickstart guide help instructions tutorials tips ideas marketing advertising free write-up help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing traffic articles publicity word-of-mouth

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Tip 3 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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Tip # 3: Discover New Ways to Build & Convert Traffic

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Traditionally, it would be next to impossible to do what I was suggesting. The merchant would either have to wait until a customer actually tried and liked his product or heard about it from a friend or he'd have to give his product away free to a few hundred people (to seed the market and get people talking). To do this would actually cost more than the advertising, just in manpower alone. I could see the confusion in his face.

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"What if I told you, I could clone you and that it wouldn't cost you a thing for you to talk simultaneously to potentially hundreds of thousands of people and answer their questions?"

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"I'd say, you were crazy!" he said and laughed.

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"Normally, I'd say, you were right, but ..."

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"But what?"

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I then told him about how the go2Network arms merchants with an arsenal of powerful marketing tools to help them drive new traffic to their door and then amaze potential new customers with their knowledge and extra-ordinary customer service.

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Tools that help digitally clone one's knowledge, so that an individual merchant can service hundreds, thousands even tens of thousands of potential new customers at the same time.

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Tools that help position an individual as a knowledgeable resource in the potential new customer's mind, so that the consumer comes to depend on this resource and turn to it when they need help.

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Tools that help build a solid business relationship with potential new customers.

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Tip # 4: Focus On Providing Valuable Information click here >*

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site? (Part 4)

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Tags: help tips ideas holiday guide help tips ideas traffic coach quickstart guide help instructions tutorials tips ideas marketing advertising free write-up help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing traffic articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Tip 4 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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Tip #4: Focus On Providing ...
Valuable Information

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Here's an exciting fact (if you sell anything on the web):

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the #1 reason people go online is NOT to buy things, but to find free information.

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Why is that exciting?
How can this help me?

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Because ...

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You can build a relationship with your potential new customer immediately without any big risk being required on their part. They're looking for information, for help solving a problem that your knowledge can help them solve with one simple informational page.

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So that's great news - if you write free articles. It means you have a traffic-building plug-in you can use whenever you need more potential customers.

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But What If I Don't Write?

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Writing doesn't have to be difficult, especially nowadays with the increasing popularity of personal blogs across the Internet (and with a little help from our amazingly easy-to-use 1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart BlogCreator Templates).

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126 Million Blogs Say You Should
Blogs are unbelievably popular with over 126 million online in 2009, according to BlogPulse, an internet tracking company. Virtually everybody and his brother has one. There are blogs on just about every subject imaginable ... Scrapbooking, antique cars, retro fashions, retro makeup, retro photography, cruisin' route 66, steam locomotives, if someone's interested in it, there's a blog about it ...

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You Can Do It
Most are personal (ranging from Journal-or-Diary-style to Hobby-inspired blogs). However, many are business-related (providing valuable information to consumers). Most are written and designed by average individuals (ranging from amateurish to very skillful), while some are professionally written and designed.

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So does that mean you have a green light to throw together a poorly written and badly designed blog, packed full of mispelled words, bad grammar and confusing sentences?

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First Impressions Count ...
If you're okay with potential customers seeing you (and your company) as sloppy and unprofessional, and are willing to risk potential customers possibly not understanding a word of what you published in your blog, then just throw something together without regard to its quality.

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But if you want your potential soon-to-be new customers to see you as knowledgeable and professional and dedicated to providing quality in all you do, then you better pay attention to the details and do the job right.

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Remember, your blog is their first impression of you and what you stand for and how you can help your customers.

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Tip # 4 (Part 2): Don't Panic ... We Make It Easy! click here >*

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site? (Part 4b)

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Tags: help tips ideas holiday guide help tips ideas traffic coach quickstart guide help instructions tutorials tips ideas marketing advertising free write-up help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing traffic articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 2 of Tip 4 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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Don't panic ...
We Make It Easy!
(Part 2 of Tip 4)

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With a few simple pointers from our QuickStart Guide (and from QuickTips), you can present a professional-looking article in your go2 Blog that is helpful, informative and of great value to your potential soon-to-be customers.

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Sharing your knowledge with potential soon-to-be customers is one of the quickest and easiest ways of bringing targeted traffic to your website. Our 1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart BlogCreator Templates make the process ... well ... quick and easy. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions to get started ...

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Tip # 5: Channeling Traffic to Your go2 Blog click here >*

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site (Part 5)

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Tags: help tips ideas holiday guide help tips ideas traffic coach quickstart guide help instructions tutorials tips ideas marketing advertising free write-up help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing traffic articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth help tips ideas marketing articles publicity word-of-mouth

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 1 of Tip 5 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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More Tips: Exciting Easy Ways to ...
Build More Traffic to Your Site
(Continued from Tip 4 of 5)

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Channeling Traffic to Your Blog

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Your go2 Blog article (or articles - the more articles you create with helpful informative knowledge for your potential soon-to-be customers, the more traffic you can channel from Our Guide to Your Site), but back to the point:

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Your go2 Blog Informational Page will bring you traffic from 3 primary sources:

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• Our Guide (known as My Guide to the Backroads of America):

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A beautifully designed guide to unique sites hidden on the backroads of the Internet - our guide directs readers to targeted Groups where "People-In-the-Know" can provide valuable information and answer questions ...

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• Our Directory (the Roadside Cafe's go2 Directory of People In-the-Know):

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This directory of experts is a great place to discover answers from "People-In-the-Know" - a valuable resource that can help your entire family ...

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• The Internet - Search Engines, other sites, other blogs:

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One of the most powerful benefits of publishing a blog article is that your relevance in the topic area you wrote about will get indexed in the Search Engines and linked to from other sites and blogs (why? Because the number one reason people go on the Internet is to look for information on a particular topic) By publishing an article in your blog, you just increased your relevance to the community interested in the topic you wrote about and with increased relevance, your Search Engine relevance increased and so did your ranking.

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Tip # 5 (Part 2): Specific Tips on Getting More Traffic to Your Blog click here >*

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How to Convert Strangers into Advocates

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 5 of Tip 5 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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More Tips: 10 Exciting Easy Ways to ...
Build More Traffic to Your Site
(Continued from Tip 5 of 5 Part 1)

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Specific Tips On Getting
More Traffic to Your Blog

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Here are some tips for getting more traffic to your go2 Blog:

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How to Convert Strangers into Advocates

No one starts off as a full blown customer of your business. Customers go through a specific process as they get to know, like and trust you and your company.

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The Buying Process:

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1. Stranger (Doesn't Know You)

2. Prospect (Curious About Your Products & Services)

3. Sampler (Wants to Try Before Buying)

4. First-time Customer (Trusts You Enough to Purchase, if Risk is Reasonable)

5. Repeat Customer (Satisfied Enough to Make Second Purchase)

6. Frequent Customer (Happy With Your Products & Services, Depends On You)

7. Advocate (Enthusiastic About Experience & Now Attracting New Customers for You)

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Step by step, they climb the ladder, going higher and higher up through the process, and as they climb, the more profitable they become to you.

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Each step along the way, they are looking for something different. Give them exactly what they are looking for, and your business will be catapulted to success.

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We All Start Off As Strangers:

Strangers are people who don't know about you or your business, and most of them have no interest in buying your products or services.

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Most of the small One-Step ads you see in your local papers are trying to sell directly to strangers. You'll go broke trying to do the same thing.

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However, hidden within the vast world of strangers are prospects who may have a strong interest in your products or services.

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To find out more about how to convert strangers into buyers and ultimately into your most enthusiastic advocates telling everyone about your business, check out the QuickStart resources listed below ...

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Upcoming 1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart FREE Workshop:
How to Get Strangers Raving Enthusiastically About Your Business

How do you get a total stranger to be interested in what your business has to offer? With the many distractions that the average day bombards us with, not-to-mention a multi-billion dollar media industry fighting for your potential customer's attention, how are you ever going to attract a stranger's interest, let alone convert them into a prospect, sampler, and eventually a first-time buyer.

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Don't panic ... our team of small business marketing experts have an arsenal of time-tested, proven-in-the-trenches solutions that will help you ...

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
(click here if not a member),
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After logging-in as a Member of the Roadside Cafe,

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Then go here to the 1 - 2 - 3 Go! Workshop (to attend event, click Join Group)

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• Jumpstart your marketing efforts with
1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart Workshops >

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• Avoid costly mistakes
by tapping into our
QuickTips >

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• Got a Question?
Ask Us >

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And Become Prospects:
Prospects have indicated an interest in the solution your company provides. Some may be ready to buy right now. Some may be ready in a few weeks or a few months.

While many business owners only contact their prospects once and then give up, the smart ones contact them up to 7 times to maximize their sales.

From your prospects come the next level -- samplers ...

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Upcoming 1 - 2 - 3 Go! FREE Workshop:
How to Fish the Niches for New Customers

Your best chances of converting a stranger into a potential new customer (or prospect) is to find and talk to people who are actually interested in what you are selling. We call that "fishing the niches" or niche marketing. Think of it this way:

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Target Your Market: If you sell baby clothes, running an ad in the Sunday paper to reach moms with babies among the multitude of people with no children at all who have no interest in baby clothes what-so-ever would be similar to fishing the entire ocean with all its millions of fish in an effort to catch one particular kind of fish. Honestly, you'd probably sit there all day and never catch the fish you were hoping to snag. While sending out a direct-mailing piece to moms who have recently purchased baby clothes and expressed an interest in buying more baby stuff would be "fishing the niches." Your odds of catching what you want just dramatically increased.

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Targeting your message to the right audience will almost always be more successful at converting strangers into prospects and eventually into first-time buyers than any other method.

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
(click here if not a member),
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After logging-in as a Member of the Roadside Cafe,

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Then go here to the 1 - 2 - 3 Go! Workshop (to attend event, click Join Group)

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• Jumpstart your marketing efforts with
1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart Workshops >

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• Avoid costly mistakes
by tapping into our
QuickTips >

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• Got a Question?
Ask Us >

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And Eventually Samplers:
These prospects may be close to buying, but are still not quite sure if you offer the best solution. They want to be sure they will make the best decision. By sampling your product or service, they can now judge for themselves, whether your solution is for them.

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Some variations on sampling are: free samples, discount coupons, free demos, free first visit, free workshops, etc.

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From samplers come first-time customers ...

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Check Out our Upcoming QuickStart Workshop ...

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Upcoming 1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart FREE Workshop
11 Quick & Easy Ways to Compel Potential New Customers
to Test Drive Your Product Like There's No Tomorrow ...
There are all kinds of ways to sample or test-drive a product or service. The goal is simple: to help the potential customer determine for themselves if purchasing a new product or service is worth the risk. Do the potential benefits outway the risk of possible disappointment?

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
(click here if not a member),
*

After logging-in as a Member of the Roadside Cafe,

*

Then go here to the 1 - 2 - 3 Go! Workshop (to attend event, click Join Group)

*

• Jumpstart your marketing efforts with
1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart Workshops >

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• Avoid costly mistakes
by tapping into our
QuickTips >

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• Got a Question?
Ask Us >

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And Ultimately First-Time Customers:

At last, they have become your customers. But, you're not home free yet. You want them to come back and buy from you again and again.

Your first-time customer still has a decision to make. Should they continue buying from you in the future, or should they continue searching for a better solution?

Let them know that they have made the right decision by treating them right, and they'll move up to the next level; repeat customers.

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Upcoming 1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart FREE Workshop
How to Get Customers to Rave About Your Business ...
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Simple: Be Extraordinary!
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If you want to get repeat business, then you have to stand out from the crowd. To do that, you have to do something more, something better, something extraordingary that captures their imagination and compels them to tell everybody.

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This workshop shares the experiences of dozens of small merchants just like yourself, as well as the time-tested in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions designed for the little guy ...

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
(click here if not a member),
*

After logging-in as a Member of the Roadside Cafe,

*

Then go here to the 1 - 2 - 3 Go! Workshop (to attend event, click Join Group)

*

• Jumpstart your marketing efforts with
1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart Workshops >

*

• Avoid costly mistakes
by tapping into our
QuickTips >

*

• Got a Question?
Ask Us >

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And If We've Done
Our Job Right ... Repeat Customers:

This is the level that makes your profits soar.

Make your good, repeat customers feel important. Show them special attention, and send them special Perferred Customer offers.

Let them know that you really appreciate their business and they'll move up to the next level; frequent customers.

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Upcoming V.I.P. TrafficBuilder Workshop
Success Strategies of those In-the-Know ...

Success can often be measured in how well you pay attention to the details, those little often overlooked insignificant things that appear to really not matter, but ultimately make all the difference in the world.

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When asked why most people don't frequent a particular restaurant, the answer was overwhelmingly because the waitress had failed to refill their coffee cup before it became empty. Details matter.

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This workshop has gathered together the experiences of various merchants and marketing experts on the most effective ways to build repeat business.

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
(click here if not a member),
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After logging-in as a "Member" of the Roadside Cafe,

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Then go here for your FREE PASS

to the V.I.P. TrafficBuilder Workshop

(to get your Free Pass to attend event, click Join Group)

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• Jumpstart your marketing efforts with
1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart Workshops >

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• Avoid costly mistakes
by tapping into our
QuickTips >

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• Got a Question?
Ask Us >

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Continued on Next Page >

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< How Do I Participate in a Discussion Group?

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< How Do I Stand Out from the Crowd?

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< Return to QuickStart Guide

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Participate in the Community

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 3 of Tip 5 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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More Tips: Exciting Easy Ways to ...
Build More Traffic to Your Site
(Continued from Tip 5 of 5 Part 1)

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Specific Tips On Getting
More Traffic to Your Blog

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Here are some tips for getting more traffic to your go2 Blog:

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Participate in the Community

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People want to buy from people they know, like and trust. We want to know the people or company we do business with. We want to like them and the way they do business. And we must trust that they are honest, ethical, competent and will charge us fairly for their services.

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The only way you can determine this is by "trying" their services. Just because they say they are honest and trustworthy in their ads doesn't mean a thing. We all know that advertising can often be exaggerated and self-serving. You determine these things based on how they perform and how they treat you.

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But how can people "try" your services without actually "buying" from you? And why would they buy from you BEFORE they know, like and trust you?

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That's where participating in a community comes into play. By providing your help and knowledge in a community (see our go2 Directory to find a Community that's right for you), your potential soon-to-be new customer is given the opportunity to see you in action, to get to know, like and trust you.

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Blog Tip #3: Shine the Spotlight On Your Biz click here >

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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Shine the Spotlight On Your Biz

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 4 of Tip 5 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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More Tips: Exciting Easy Ways to ...
Build More Traffic to Your Site
(Continued from Tip 5 of 5 Part 1)

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Specific Tips On Getting
More Traffic to Your Blog

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Here are some tips for getting more traffic to your go2 Blog:

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Shine the Spotlight On Your Biz

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The public is under constant relentless assault from a multi-billion-dollar media machine hungry for their attention. Television. Magazines. Books. Radio. Billboards. Direct-mail. The Internet. The list goes on and on and on and on.

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So, how can your humble web site ever stand out? Simple ... fish the niches!

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Imagine you're out in the middle of the ocean trying to catch fish. There are millions of fish in the ocean, so fishing the ocean sounds like a good idea. But remember, the ocean is a very BIG place and your hook may or may not ever come near a fish. That's why fishing the niches makes more sense. By positioning your bait near or among a school of fish, you greatly increase your chances of catching what you want.

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The go2 Network's Guide (My Guide to the Backroads of America) attracts targeted groups of consumers with various interests and then channels (or guides) them to Special Interest Groups (such as, the one you are in). A jewelry group. A parenting group. A gardening group. And so on.

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The more targeted (or specific) the Group you are in, the better the chance that you will "catch a fish" ... the place to be is in one of the Special Interest Groups that are linked to directly from My Guide.

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Blog Tip #5: How to Convert Strangers into Advocates click here >

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If you have any Questions, Ask Us ...

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If you're Not A Member, it all starts by joining our community ...

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First: Join our community for FREE

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Then: Once on your Account Page, scroll down to Latest News and look for the following words ... New Member? Start Here >

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How to Convert Strangers into Advocates (Part 2)

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How Do I Get More Traffic to My Site?
(Part 5 of Tip 5 of 5)

by Michael Traveler

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More Tips: 10 Exciting Easy Ways to ...
Build More Traffic to Your Site
(Continued from Tip 5 of 5 Part 1)

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Specific Tips On Getting
More Traffic to Your Blog

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Here are some tips for getting more traffic to your go2 Blog:

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How to Convert Strangers into Advocates
(Part 2 - Continued from Previous Page)

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Then ... Frequent Customers:

It doesn't get much better than this. Not only are they happy with your products or services, but they buy from you frequently.

Offer them frequent buyer discounts. Show your appreciation at the holidays.

Don't neglect this golden group of frequent customers and many of them will advance to the highest level--they'll become advocates for your business.

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Upcoming V.I.P. TrafficBuilder Workshop
The Incredible Power of Word-of-Mouse ...

Merchants often tell me that their best advertising is Word of Mouth. Why? Because one happy customer can outsell a thousand flashy salesmen any day of the week. A happy customer is credible, personally vested, enthusiastic, believable.

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And if word spreads like fire in dry grass with Word of Mouth. It spreads like fire in a field of gasoline on the Internet through Word of Mouse. What is word of mouse? Simple. It's word of mouth being spread with the help of email, discussion rooms, etc.

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Whatever could be accomplished through traditional word of mouth ... well ... just multiple that by roughly a hundred ...

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

*

Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
(click here if not a member),
*

After logging-in as a "Member" of the Roadside Cafe,

*

Then go here to get your FREE PASS

to the V.I.P. TrafficBuilder Workshop
(to attend event, click Join Group)

*

• Jumpstart your marketing efforts with
1 - 2 - 3 Go! QuickStart Workshops >

*

• Avoid costly mistakes
by tapping into our
QuickTips >

*

• Got a Question?
Ask Us >

*

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And Hopefully ... Advocates:

This is what you are striving for. Happy customers who buy frequently and rave about your business to their family, friends and neighbors.

Treat these customers like gold, because that's what they are worth to you and your business.

You may even want to reward them for referring new customers to your business. Strive to motivate all of your customers to reach this level, and you'll have more business than you can handle.

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Upcoming V.I.P. TrafficBuilder Workshop
How to Appreciate Your Best Customers ...

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So they reward you over and over and over ...

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Most customer rewards programs reward customers for buying frequently or purchasing a certain volume, which basically sets up what I like to call a "Disloyalty Program" ...

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In other words, by rewarding customers for spending their hard-earned money with you, the following situation has been established: they'll only be loyal to you IF they are rewarded monetarily, which means that they can be bought-off by a competitor who offers them a better reward.

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Wouldn't it be better to establish a relationship based on being attracted to you for your knowledge and extraordinary customer service AND your overwhelming appreciation of them whether they buy from you or not? I mean, if you reward them upfront (whether they buy from you or not) with extraordinary customer service and appreciation by sharing your knowledge with them, by helping them and their family, THEN haven't you created a relationship that cannot be compromised by a competitor?

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Your customer then would be loyal to you because of the way you treat them and your value to them, not because they've been bribed by financial compesation. Isn't that the kind of loyalty you are looking for? Isn't that the kind of customer who will be your most fervant advocate, telling everybody about your wonderful business, products, service and knowledge?

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How Do I Stand Out from the Crowd?

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How Do I Stand Out from the Crowd?

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Simple: Be Extraordinary!

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If you want repeat business, then you have to stand out from the crowd. To do that, you have to do something more, something better, something extraordinary that captures their imagination and compels your happy customers to tell everybody.

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But how do you do that? Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed a workshop that shares the experiences of dozens of small merchants just like yourself, as well as the time-tested proven-in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

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How Do I Make My Site Indispensible? >

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How Do I Make My Site Indispensible?

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How Do I Make My Site Indispensible?

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Focus On: Being Valuable!

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Running a family is probably one of the toughest, most draining (yet rewarding), most important jobs a parent will ever do. The hours and days are long and the years are short. There never seems to be enough time and there's always another crisis just around the corner.

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By positioning yourself as Mom's Helper, Mom's Researcher, Mom's Resource, you become an invaluable asset to her, making life just a little bit easier ... although there aren't enough heroes in the world nowadays, you'll certainly be one if you save her even a few minutes of precious time ...

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Join us in discovering some of the best kept secrets in the world of Internet Marketing ... our team of "People-In-the-Know" have assembled an amazing collection of tips, ideas and strategies that can help position you and your business as one of Mom's Most Valuable Helpers ...

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How Do I Get Repeat Business? >

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How Do I Get More Repeat Business? >

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How Do I Get Repeat Business?

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How Do I Get Repeat Business?

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Do More Than Expected!

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Anyone can deliver LESS than expected. Some can deliver what is expected. But few can and will deliver MORE than expected. If you want repeat customers, then under-promise and over-deliver ...

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But how do you do that in a time when you yourself can't count on your suppliers and employees to do what they're supposed to? Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed a workshop that shares the experiences of dozens of small merchants just like yourself, as well as the time-tested proven-in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

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Join us in rediscovering the age-old secrets of superior customer service and begin enjoying the reward of more and more repeat business ...

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How Do I Make More Sales? >

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How Do I Make More Sales?

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How Do I Make More Sales?

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Simple: Participate in the Community!

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People want to buy from people they know, like and trust. We want to know the people or company we do business with. We want to like them and the way they do business. And we must trust that they are honest, ethical, competent and will charge us fairly for their services.

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The only way you can determine this is by "trying" their services. Just because they say they are honest and trustworthy in their ads doesn't mean a thing. We all know that advertising can often be exaggerated and self-serving. We determine whether we can trust a particular company based on how they perform and how they treat us.

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But how can a potential customer "try" your services without actually "buying" from you? And why would they buy from you BEFORE they know, like and trust you?

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That's where participating in a community comes into play. By providing your help and knowledge in a community (see our go2 Directory to find a Community that's right for you), your potential soon-to-be new customer is given the opportunity to see you in action, to get to know, like and trust you.

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But how do you do that? Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed a workshop that shares some tips and ideas, as well as the time-tested proven-in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

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Join us in rediscovering the age-old secrets of good old-fashioned customer service with a new modern electronic twist ...

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How Do I Build Customer Loyalty? >

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How Do I Increase Sales in a Bad Economy? >

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How Do I Build Customer Loyalty?

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How Do I Build Customer Loyalty?

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So they reward you over and over and over ...

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Most customer rewards programs reward customers for buying frequently or purchasing a certain volume, which basically sets up what I like to call a "Disloyalty Program" ...

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In other words, by rewarding customers for spending their hard-earned money with you, the following situation has been established: they'll only be loyal to you IF they are rewarded monetarily, which means that they can be bought-off by a competitor who offers them a better reward.

*

Wouldn't it be better to establish a relationship based on being attracted to you for your knowledge and extraordinary customer service AND your overwhelming appreciation of them whether they buy from you or not? I mean, if you reward them upfront (whether they buy from you or not) with extraordinary customer service and appreciation by sharing your knowledge with them, by helping them and their family, THEN haven't you created a relationship that cannot be compromised by a competitor?

*

Your customer then would be loyal to you because of the way you treat them and your value to them, not because they've been bribed by financial compesation. Isn't that the kind of loyalty you are looking for? Isn't that the kind of customer who will be your most fervent advocate, telling everybody about your wonderful business, products, service and knowledge?

*

But how do you do that? Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed a workshop that shares the experiences of dozens of small merchants just like yourself, as well as the time-tested proven-in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

*

Join us as we share numerous ways to reward your customer upfront in ways that increase loyalty without enabling your competitor to woo them away with this week's newest promise of discounts, savings and rewards ...*

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
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How Do I Increase Sales in a Bad Economy? >

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How Do I Increase Sales in a Bad Economy?

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How Do I Increase Sales in a Bad Economy?

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Realize: Life Goes On!

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During uncertain times, unstable times, fear runs rampant through the streets and through the hearts and minds of almost everyone, all of us and almost certainly your customers. During these times, it's quite common to want to play it safe, to protect what we have, to stay close to those we love and wait for the storm to pass.

But not everybody is waiting out the storm. Some shrewd business owners are recognizing the opportunity at hand and acting upon it. They realize that while their competitors are playing it safe, there is a massive opening in the market for them to gain control of their competitor's neglected customers and increase their own profits through word of mouth.

The reality is, whether the sky is falling or not, life still goes on. Bills still have to be paid. Children still have to be fed. Money still changes hands. The question is: will consumers be spending it with you or your competitor?

During the Great Depression, a lot of fortunes were built. We often have the mistaken impression that business came to a grinding halt, but that's just not the case. My grandfather went from having 25 cents to his name and sleeping on a loading dock with his wife to (through hard work and ingenuity) owning a fleet of trucks. He took the last 25 cents he had in his pocket and turned it into $20 million fortune during his lifetime. The principles that made that fortune are taught in the workshop below ...

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Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed this workshop around time-tested, proven-in-the-trenches strategies that have been shared with us by merchants just like yourself, as well as marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

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Join us in exploring the secrets of those who have carved their way through the small-business wilderness, uncovering the tried-and-true principles that work in good times and bad ...

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How Do I Create Word of Mouth? >

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How Do I Use Blogs to Build My Business? >

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How Do I Create Word of Mouth?

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How Do I Create Word of Mouth?

*

Simple: Give 'em something to talk about!

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During bad times, it's wise to align your business with warm and safe and comforting things, to do everything you can to make your potential customers feel secure. I call this evocative reframing.

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By helping your customers remember that life does go on, that this too shall pass and that at least we have each other and that's what is really most important, you are helping put their fears to rest and ignite the spirit of hope and determination, the American Spirit, the same spirit that carved a nation out of the wild frontier.

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It really is all a matter of perspective, all about how you look at things, how you reframe the picture in front of you in your mind's eye. Take the Cracker Barrel restaurants, for example. They serve basic homecookin', chicken and potatoes, meat loaf and green beans, pork chops and corn. Now, their food is good. But there's a whole lot more to Cracker Barrel than just their food ...

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The Cracker Barrel experience begins as you walk onto a wooden porch with rocking chairs, an apple barrel and a checker board game. It continues as you walk inside to a general store, rich with nostalgic appeal from yesteryear.

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You are greeted by folks dressed in clothing that fits the nostalgic atmosphere and led to wooden tables and seated in wooden chairs. The walls are adorned with more items from yesteryear and your drinks are brought to you in mason jars.

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Cracker Barrel is not just selling food. They're selling a dining experience and evoking memories of yesteryear and all the good feelings that come with it, feelings of an old-time general store, grandma's house, a taste of small town country livin' and connecting all those feelings with the Cracker Barrel dining experience.

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This is the secret to succeeding in a bad economy (or a good one), the formula for competing against larger chain stories outselling you on price.

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By adding value to what you sell, whether through superior customer service, atmosphere or simply by caring more ...

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... you win, your customers win, everybody wins.

*

After all, you are more than just a bunch of products on a shelf. You are more than just an employee being paid minimum wage. Your current customers buy from you, because of your vast knowledge and experience. They buy from you, because of the great service you give them. They buy from you, because they have grown to trust and depend on you as a valuable resource.

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All of this is what you are actually selling. This is why your customers buy from you, rather than the big chain store. And it is this experience as a whole that you must find a way to show to potential new customers, if you want them to buy from you.

*

But how do you do that? Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed a workshop (see below) that shares the experiences of dozens of small merchants just like yourself, as well as the time-tested proven-in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

*

Join us in exploring the secrets that far too often are staring us right in the face, but we just can't see them ...

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Space is limited. Reserve Your Spot Now! >

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Simply, log-in to your free Roadside Cafe Membership
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After logging-in as a "Member" of the Roadside Cafe,

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How Do I Use Blogs to Build My Business? >

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How Do I Use Blogs to Build My Business?

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How Do I Use Blogs to Build My Business?

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Step One: Get 'em involved!

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pumpkins One of the best examples I've ever seen of "getting people involved" is Benner's Farms (an actual old-fashioned family farm - private fifteen-acre homestead, first farmed in the 1700's). This particular 15-acred family homestead is surrounded by larger farms with much more to offer in terms of animals and facilities in a time when small farms are dying out.

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So, why is their small farm succeeding when others aren't and what does one do when the competition is bigger and better financed? Answer: get the people involved. And that's just what Jean and Bob Benner did.

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Nestled among picturesque rolling hills with a tire-swing hanging from a big tree out back, the Farm magically transports one back in time from the moment you arrive. The magic continues as Jean gathers everyone in a circle and starts a group sing-along (complete with her on guitar). Piece by piece the atmosphere is created, layer upon layer, until the big city and all its noise and congestion fades away into some distant far-away memory.

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Children are seated at long wooden picnic tables where they are invited to participate in old-fashioned crafts and activities (my 4-year-old son helped make potato salad and milk a goat). The children get to go on tractor rides and play on the tire-swing out back and help pot plants and care for that baby animals.

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The atmosphere is so warm and inviting that you feel like your visiting grandpa and grandma on the farm, which is what makes Benner's Farm so special (and is the magic ingredient that allows them to succeed in a competitive market against larger, better financed competitors).

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Step Two: Share Your Story

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That's all well and great, but how does a Blog help me do that? Well, the way the Benners did it is by painting a picture and sharing it with everyone ...

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In combination, their printed newsletter, web site and blog describes ...

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Activities (both in words and with photos), such as:

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• exploring the baby barnyard

• pumpkin carving time

• children starting their own gardens

• watching chicks hatch from eggs

• helping with the farm chores

• caring for the new little goats and lambs

• enjoying tractor rides (and trips to the big swing)

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Educational Benefits:

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• Tells the history of the homestead

• Shares interesting slices of history about various aspects of farm life (such as, Bob writes about the history of the porch and the relaxing thoughts and memories that drift through one's mind while sitting on a porch and why people built porches in the first place)

• Teaches us about weeds and that some of them are actually edible and can have possible health benefits

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Community Spirit:

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• Comings & Goings - trips the Benners took, workshops they attended, downsizing from a forty-foot bus to a twenty-three-foot camper, bunnies being born, their goat having triplets and the arrival of a couple of fuzzy yellow ducklings ...

• Events - humorous Easter Egg mishap (such as, several packages of eggs flying off the roof and exploding all over the highway)

• Congratulations & Thanks - thanking people for helping on the farm, congratulating people on weddings, births, etc (in this area, they are very specific - thanking Vivian, congratulating Greg and Laura and so on)

• Upcoming Activities - Fall classes, festivals, concerts - inviting people to help and/or attend

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Step Three: Simulate the Real World!

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Whenever possible, try to simulate the real world online in your blog ...

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For example, create an online coloring book. Let the kids color their own online barnyard or garden. If you can't create an online coloring book, then do what you can! Blogs are made up of words and pictures. So, you know you have that capability available to you. Why not create a treasure hunt game? Tell a short story (something a paragraph or two long), then ask kids to hunt for the missing farm animal (a goat or pig or duck). Of course, you'll have to weave the particular animal you want them to find into the story. If you want them to find the missing pig for example, then repeat the other animals several times in the story and only mention the pig once.

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This same concept can be done with pictures. Hide the pig in a photo of a farm scene. Place several other animals in the farm scene making it harder to find the pig.

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To make the game educational, simply provide some interesting "Did you know ... " stuff about farms and animals either below the game or off to the side.

*

Our team of "People-In-the-Know" have designed a workshop on "How to Use Blogs to Build Your Business" that shares the experiences of dozens of small merchants just like yourself, as well as the time-tested proven-in-the-trenches strategies of marketing gurus who have discovered results-driven solutions tailored for the needs of the little guy ...

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Join us in discovering those hidden ingredients that will help transform your blog into a valuable familiar resource that keeps people coming back time and time again ...

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