Donna Knight's Internet Marketing Tools and Reviews

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  • Free Tool To Build Your Email List with Anti-spam Feature

    Here is a nice tool you can use to help build your web business. It’s free and has been tested and found to be reliable.

    it has limitations, but if you’re on a tight budget, this script from Mr. CgiGuy, might be just what you need:

    SimpLISTic Mailing List Manager – v2.0
    A simple to install and simple to use script that allows your visitors to add their email address automatically to your email list. You can then quickly send out emails to the entire list with one form. 2.0 has many new features including HTML emails, automatic signature, and address confirmation to avoid abuse.

    Details and Download Link:
    http://www.mrcgiguy.com/free_cgi_scripts.html

  • Reverse Engineering A Business Opportunity

    By Donna Knight

    You can easily (in most cases) reverse engineer a business opportunity.

    Let’s take http://www.ecommercials.tv as an example.

    eCommercials is selling a business opportunity that helps local businesses put their TV commercials on the clients website using a ‘playerless’ video stream.

    The big advantage to using a ‘playerless’ video stream is simple: Anyone can view it. All you need is a browser. The browser will immediately play the video without plug-ins or downloading a ‘player”. For example, Macromedia’s Flash requires installing a ‘player’ on your computer before you can view content created with Flash. The video stream eCommercials is using does not require a ‘player’ to be installed on your computer- it just starts playing!

    A second advantage is that the videos are highly compressed and use very small amounts of bandwidth. Third the video is extremely high quality video.

    The business opportunity they were selling included a few ways you can make money.

    By referring clients to eCommercials and offering a service to ‘encode’ the video and upload it to your client’s website. You get paid about $500.

    If the client requires the commercial to be filmed, your commission is $1500.

    And so on.

    There were two things that were really interesting about this ‘opportunity’.

    1. eCommercials did not create the encoder or ‘playerless’ video technology. They are using another company’s software to create the videos.
    2. All eCommercials is doing is to package the IDEA/CONCEPT of ‘putting video commercials on websites”, selling the service and selling a ‘biz opp’.That’s really it. They are using someone else’s technology and packaging the IDEA/CONCEPT into a biz opp.How much are they selling this ‘opportunity’ for?

    $15,000

    What do you get for you $15,000? You get is a marketing manual, a video or two and a ‘system’ for selling their services, a laptop computer with video ‘samples”, a pre-done website (template) and the ‘right’ to sell the service.

    Then, after you successfully sell the service, you get a ‘commission’.

    You can do this yourself. Find a technology or software product whose output could be a commercially viable product that other compnaies would pay you for. Figure out how other businesses could use the ‘output’ and create a ‘business opportunity’ from it.

     

    A simple concept but it has tremendous potential. The company who developed the ‘playerless’ video encoder is http://www.grus-india.com/ and they market the technology primarily through their ‘ClipStream trademark.

    If you purchase this technology you could start the same service tommorrow, save yourself $10,000 and keep all the profits.

    The next time you see a business opportunity try reverse-engineering it first to see if you can start the business on a showstring. You”ll lower your risk and increase your profits.

  • Sell Used Musical Instruments and Equipment on Ebay

    There is a very strong market on Ebay for used musical instruments and equipment used by musician’s and performing artists.

    Such equipment includes mixers, amps, and other equipment used by musicians.

    This is the world’s largest online listing of used musical instrument prices, updated every day.

    There are over 4,000 products in the database.

    Check the current street prices for used brand names like Emu, Korg, Roland, Yamaha, and many others… for free!

    These items sell for hundreds of dollars on ebay and have good profit potential if you can buy them cheap locally…

    http://www.prepal.com

  • A Treasure Chest of Free Content

    You’ve heard that you can make money blogging, but you have difficulty writing or don’t have a clue what to write about. I’m about to reveal some free content sources that will blow you away…

    This is probably the most compelling, dynamic and incredible resource I have ever used as a source of content… as in “free” content.

    I should probably charge you for this info… it’s that good. But, in the spirit of ‘free’, here goes:

    According to the site:

    “The …books on this site are all released under an open content license that means that they are free forever. No one can keep you from using these materials, modifying them or distributing them. Also, the license guarantees that any works that are derived from these materials will be similarly free to modify and distribute, forever.”

    Wow… huh?

    Now, if you need an endless supply of content for your website (put a few highly targeted articles from this site on your web site and use AdSense for revenue) then this is perfect for anyone, any site.

    Let’s explore further what exactly they mean by “free”?

    According to the License agreement on the site:

    “The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other functional and useful document “free” in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially.”

    Wow… again.

    Now there are several websites in this network of free content sites:

    Here’s a direct link to the book site.

    There is also a news service you can freely use here… a ’source documents’ website and much more found here and a free source of images, music, videos and more found here at the “commons”.

    There’s also a collection of quotations, here.

    If I had one complaint about this resource it’s this: Some areas are much more developed than others so you may have to do some digging to find enough content for your project. But keep an eye on this resource. It will only get better over time.

    And, much more.

    For all the resources this free content network has to offer click here:

    Wikimedia.org

    I’m amazed by this.

  • Free Screen Capture Program

     

    I know this will make a lot of people very happy.

    If you need to make screen capture videos, Camtasia is certainly one of the best programs to get the job done. The problem is the hefty $299 price tag is a little too steep a price to pay if you don’t plan to make screen capture videos very often.  Try this screen capture video program instead and see how you like it.

    Download it from this link.

  • Learn From This Legendary Copywriter

    This famous copywriter used to charge charge $300 a year for his newsletter or $7500 for a lifetime subscription.

    If you don’t know who Gary Halbert is then this won’t mean much to you… but if you do know who he is then you’re in for a real surprise.

    Over the past few years Gary was uploading his newsletters to his website. After he passed away fairly recently his son took over posting to his website.

    Gary had a very distinct writing style: kind of an in-your-face style… but it works for him because of who he was.

    If you don’t know who Gary is you should. You should get to know him and read him… his words are powerful.

    He was very self-promotional and somewhat controversial as you’ll read in these letters. He’s given himself nicknames such as “The Prince of Print” and “The Ravin’ Maven of Marketing”.

    Gary wrote about marketing for years and really knew his stuff.

    One of his more recent offerings is “The Boron Letters”… a series of letters he sent to his son, Bond, while in jail at the Boron Facility, a light security prison (I think in California).

    I told you he was controversial.

    At least 17 “Chapters” of “The Boron Letters” are available online … these are “Gary” at his finest and deserve a read.

    One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that multiple other successful copywriters have repeated the same advice that Gary has given, so you know it’s good.

    You can view the “The Boron Letters” along with a couple of dozen other letters Gary has graciously made available to us at http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/newsletter-archives.htm

  • A Free Way To Get Started Selling on eBay

    If I had to pick only one way to market online, it would be on eBay.

    I mean there are over 80,000+ new registered users coming on eBay EVERY DAY… the market is HYPER-ACTIVE.

    You can get started in a few minutes just by listing a few things laying around your house, but that’s not how the BIG money is made…

    Pay close attention because I’m going to reveal how some really big money is being made- with no investment!

    I initially started by selling stuff around the house on eBay, including a Dictaphone machine that originally cost $800 when I did medical transcription.

    I would take a quick picture of the product with my digital camera, write a brief description and list the item for 7 days, or if was really rare, 10 days to get as many visitors to the page as possible.

    If you have a collecting interest you can start generating money from your hobby by listing a few of your items on eBay today.

    But what happens when you run out of stuff of your own to sell? You could hit the garage sales and estate sales … but that is small potatoes.

    Here’s just one real secret to making BIG money on eBay:

    Specialize in ONE type of item that you have an advantage in buying cheap that few people can match. How do you find items like that?

    In your own backyard.

    Look through the phone book… find manufacturers in your area that make any kind items, contact them and see if they have any ‘imperfect’ or any discontinued items. Offer to buy them for pennies on the dollar wholesale. That’s a good way to start, without a large investment…. but it’s still an investment.

    Here’s a way to make money on ebay with NO investment:

    Take the same products but offer to sell them for the manufacturer on *consignment* … you could also look at what types of products are produced by handcrafters in your area… offer to represent one or more for a percentage of the sales you generate. Take the items on ‘consignment’ and sell it on ebaY for them.

    Take 30% or more as your commission on anything up to $2000 and then negotiate with the seller for items that sell for really big money.

    It’s a win-win… they move products and you get a comission!

    Only represent quality items that are unique. A great guide to running an ebaY consignment business can be found here,

    Ebay Consignment Business ToolKit

    Even though the Biz Kit targets ‘antiques’ I would add a ‘twist’ and go after the handcrafted items unique to your area as well as higher priced items.

    Here’s how I would do it:

    Take a look at the Big Ticket items that are selling on ebay and possibly specialize in one or more of them,

    Big Ticket Items Being Sold On eBay

    There’s money on eBay… just start looking for items in a category you would like to sell in, source a product and start selling… it’s easy – and there is no investment if you operate on consignment.

    I’ve heard of at least 3 people, who operate in their own areas clearing $200,000 or more each year doing this.

    For Members only benefits and a clear and ‘insiders’ view of this type of business take a look at this,

    Ebay Consignment Business ToolKit

  • Ebay Slaps Digital Product Sellers In the Face

    By Donna Knight

    In March 2008, popular online auction site, Ebay.com announced that sellers selling digital products with automatic download will no longer be allowed to list their products in auction-style listings. They will only be able to list them in classified ads. Ouch!

    The only way you can sell digital products using auction style listings is if you are going to ship the product to the customer.

    The disadvantages of selling digital products by classified ad listings are:

    • Classified ads are a lot more expensive at $9.95 per ad.
    • There is no feedback for ad listings.
    • More time-consuming to ship products than to have an automated pay and download system.
    • Classified ad sellers cannot qualify for power seller status.

    The reasoning given for this upsetting change was that too many digital product sellers were using auctions to manipulate the feedback system. For example, sellers could list products for a penny. While they would lose money, they could gain lots of feedback doing this.

    My prediction is that many digital product sellers will go out of business or leave eBay in search of someplace else, probably more expensive, to sell their digital wares.

    My guess is that eBay didn’t make much money from sellers selling very cheap digital products anyways, so it probably won’t hurt this billion-dollar company that much if all these cheapo product sellers leave.

    As an ebook reseller, I have mixed feelings about this. I never liked the fact that people buy expensive ebooks then turn around and sell them for $1; however, I do not think that this move by eBay is justified. They could have set a minimum price for feedback or something similar. This change on eBay will definitely hurt a lot of the little guys and render a lot of books about selling on eBay outdated.

  • Cool International Business Trends Website for Business Ideas

    Here’s a site you can use and refer to when you’re looking for cutting edge business opportunities and ideas…

    The idea behind this site is cool: They enlist ’spotters’ who then submit interesting new businesses they’ve spotted around the world to the site. The site then reports on those new businesses to its members.

    The best part: It’s free.

    There are many, many interesting ideas on this site (like the one above) and one of my best kept ’secret weapons’ for generating business plans and ideas.

    Check it out:

    http://www.springspotters.com/

    P.S. SpringSpotters also run a newsletter at TrendWatching.com which, while different in focus, complements the Spotters site extremely well. Be sure to sign up to receive future issues (they’re pure Gold).

  • Imagination in Business

    One of the most interesting books you could read in all of business and marketing literature is by Lorin Deland’s, “Imagination In Business“.

    Published in the early part of the last century it is PURE GOLD. He may have been the first one to ask the question “Why should anyone do business with you over your competition?” (page 86).

    Deland was a ‘business consultant’ who specialized in sales and marketing at the turn of the century. The book reads like it could have been written just a few years ago… it just goes to show you that things change, but human nature doesn’t.

    It’s been said that “… people buy our products and services for their reasons, not ours.”

    One case study he relates expresses this idea very well.

    A retailer came to him for advice. The retailer was on a busy street, but so were his 4 main competitors.

    He wanted to know from Deland how he could increase his business with so much competition.

    All of the retail stores were fairly close to each other and all were selling the same merchandise.

    Deland stated that the retailer is really only entitled to one-fifth of the business (after all there were 5 stores!) and that for every dollar above that amount that you want to make, there must be a reason. And he had to create that reason, if he was going to get any more of the business!

    Deland also said that if he discovers he’s getting more than his share of the business, he should discover what that reason is. He said, “…some customers travel on the line of least resistance, you must make that line of least resistance lead directly to your store!”.

    Deland continued, “Again and again you must ask yourself, ‘Why in the world should these people pass four other stores and come into this one?‘”

    There has got to be a reason for people to do business with you over your competition. Find out what that reason is and put it in every communication to your prospects.

    By the way… a used copy (it’s been out of print for almost 100 years!) – has sold for as much as $395! If you’re lucky you might be able to find a cheaper copy once in a while by regularly searching http://www.bookfinder.com …