Information Marketing For the New Information Economy

What is information marketing? Have you ever bought a how-to book or a self-help book? Then you've bought information. Ever paid for the right to access a website? Again, you've paid for information. Information marketing is the business of marketing, promoting, and selling information.

What is the information economy? Look around you. On the train the other day, I saw people sending and receiving email, and surfing websites, from their phones. I saw a man writing a report on a laptop. Two people talking about a commercial they saw online. That's the information economy. More and more people are buying, selling, and consuming information than ever before. To a large degree, this has been made possible by the internet.

So what is information marketing for the information economy? Quite simply, it's about taking full advantage of the infrastructure of the information economy (electronic communication, the web, portable devices, and so forth) in conducting the business of information marketing. Another, simpler, way of putting this is, it's using the web to sell information.

Here are just a few examples of how people and companies are already doing this: Look at Amazon. This company sells mostly books and music (information), and it sells these things entirely online. Have you heard of Clickbank? Clickbank is a web based business that is the world's largest marketplace for downloadable digital products. Someone, somewhere in the world, buys a digital product at Clickbank every 3 seconds. Clickbank has paid out more than a billion dollars to its vendors.

One big difference between Amazon and Clickbank is that most of Amazon's sales are of physical products (in Amazon's case, physical information products), like books and cds, while Clickbank sells only downloadable digital products like e-books and software. Because there is no cost to make a copy of a digital product, the profit margin on digital products is much higher than that for physical products. Digital information product marketing is one of the most profitable business models of the new economy.

How can you get a piece of the online information marketing business? What kind of skills, programs, and strategies does it take to succeed at information marketing in this new economy? Is this something that only big businesses like Amazon and Clickbank can do, or is it a business that can be done on a smaller scale for the individual entrepreneur?

The great news is that the information infrastructure has made it possible for small businesses and individuals to create their own online information marketing businesses with very low startup costs and, potentially, very high returns. All you need a computer, a connection to the internet, and an idea. It helps if you also know a few things about promotion strategies, and it really help if you know something about search engine optimization, but these are things you can learn from online tutorials.

If you want to start your own online information marketing business and get yourself a piece of this multibillion dollar pie, where should you start. One way is to browse the Clickbank Marketplace and look for information products that teach how to start an online information marketing business. Easy IM Profits, a new product scheduled for release in early 2010, is one of the most complete and up to date products teaching online information products, but there are many other such products available on Clickbank. You could be running your own online information marketing business by this time next year!

Latest Ways To Make Money - Start Your Own Information Marketing Business!

If you are looking for the latest ways to make money, then you should stop and consider the marketing information.

If you have a business marketing information, you are no longer bound by the restrictions in the office for the boss...and you can start making their own rules. Moreover, there is no limit to the amount of money that you can do...Which can accumulate rapidly in a short period of time.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet...so how on earth to start your own business marketing information?

Well, it's simple. First, you will find specific areas of interest that people will pay to have information on solutions to their problems... And then begin to create a wide range of information products.

Well, this is a very bird bird marketing information, but in the end is what really comes down because if you have answers to the questions that people consistently asked for, and will gladly pay for these answers, you are in business.

An example of this might be people who are looking for information on how to handle their taxes. If you have such information at your fingertips, you can pack it in any media you like (online report / ebook, audio recording, screen capture video, etc.), and then charge a fixed amount of money for people to gain access to this information. If your customers are satisfied with the information that you offer, you will find yourself flooded with customers for life.

But do not get hung up on taxes... You may provide information about almost anything! Knowing how to play a musical instrument, such as the piano? Why not create a product showing beginners how to start playing simple songs and music lessons. In short, the possibilities are virtually endless!

The 10 Best Home Based Business Ideas - Online Businesses Are Here to Stay

You may have noticed that Sacramento's economic condition has not exactly been strong, of late. In fact, while conditions across the country are trying, to say the least, Sacramento, and California as a whole, seems to be leading the pack in economic devastation. With a State budget on the verge of collapse, years of arguing and posturing over the use of public funds, and what appears to be the breakdown of our State's entire public service sector, local entrepreneurs are turning to online businesses to supplement, and in some cases actually replace their income streams.

Over the last several years, but specifically in the last six to nine months, direct sales companies have seen a surge in their membership numbers. Those companies experiencing the highest growth are companies utilizing the internet as a primary means of member recruiting as well as well-developed web purchasing interfaces.

We know this economy has been hard on everyone, and we felt that this list would be timely and helpful to our readers. What follows is a list of the 10 best home based business ideas.

Leading the pack of home-based direct sales companies are those that offer access to goods and services used by people on a regular basis, and especially those that offer discounts and/or rebates on these every day purchases. People are not interested in buying things they don't view as necessary any more. Today what they are looking for is access to those items they have to have, and they are looking for ways to buy them cheaper and more efficiently.

And clearly in this list, the online options dominate. Fully six of the top 10 best home based business ideas we researched were online opportunities. There is no doubt that online commerce is just in its infancy. According to one report this $305 Billion industry is likely to triple in the next 5 years, and that is allegedly a conservative estimate. More and more businesses are finding online sales to be lucrative, as well as more efficient and cost effective. There are less employees required and businesses can sell to a broader range of clients spread out over a greater geographical territory. The potential is limitless.

So, without further ado, our list of the 10 best home based business ideas (in reverse order).

10. Home Day Care Center

Believe it or not, the home daycare center still ranks in the top ten for home-based businesses. The reason is that in these economic times it is becoming more and more difficult for families to stay afloat on just one income. Everyone is looking to supplement their incomes, and those with two spouses working, and kids at home, must have an alternative to the daily care of their children. Parents of young children looking to supplement income from home may find day care an excellent way to bring in income as well as spend time with their own children. There are some other benefits to this profession as well, such as the opportunity to socialize your own children at a young age. But, beware of the potential pitfalls of this industry: many children find it hard to share their personal space in their own home for lengthy periods of time, this may result in frustration for the care-giver's own children. Also, licensing is required in most jurisdictions, so be sure to check with your local authorities before you launch a home day care.

9. Medical Transcription

This is an excellent choice of careers for people with excellent English language skills and typing ability. Many doctors outsource their transcription functions rather than pay employees to handle them. It is more cost effective for the doctors since they do not have to pay Medicare, SDI and other taxes that accompany hiring employees. This business is excellent for start-ups since it requires very low overhead and equipment purchases, and can be done in a minimal amount of space. In fact, most people already have the necessary equipment such as a desk, computer, and tape recorder. Incomes can range from $25,000 per year for part-time work to more than $90,000 per year for full-time efforts.

8. Accounting

For those would-be stay-at-home working parents, especially those with a strong background in accounting and/or financial skills, an accounting or bookkeeping career may be just the right choice. This career option offers a tremendous amount of flexibility to the working parent, and an excellent income opportunity. You can start the business right from your own home, building on referrals and low cost advertising, but it has the potential to grow with you as your children age and become less dependent, entering school, and freeing up more of your own time. Look heavily to building relationships with other professions, such as attorneys, insurance professionals and real estate agents as they will often refer clients to you. You can begin this business from scratch, or you can buy a tax and accounting franchise (a slightly more expensive option, but perhaps a shorter start-up period). Again, check with local authorities for licensing requirements in your area. Regulations can change from state to state, and there is also a wealth of information available at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

7. Catering

Many parents love to cook and entertain, and catering can provide Moms (or Dads) an opportunity to work from home, but still get out and socialize and do what you enjoy. Most of the upfront preparation work can be done from your own home while looking after children, and then meals can be delivered, or in some cases even picked up, for delivery to the event. Parents with a modest approach can make an excellent income by simply providing the meals, those looking to satisfy a larger dream can also provide staff for set up, waiting, and tear down, or even do it themselves. Income potentials can be very good with catering services, and the most successful home-based caterers might make close to six figures.

6. Online Affiliate Programs

One of the internet's greatest introductions to home based business owners over the last decade has been that of the affiliate marketer. This is the first of our online business opportunities, and is a position that does not require you to work for a company, purchase products, carry inventory, or even to interact with customers. You can easily start a successful and lucrative affiliate marketing business by simply finding products on the internet that you are interested in, joining the company's affiliate program, and then marketing those products online. Most affiliate programs pay directly to a Pay Pal (or other payment processing service) account on a monthly basis. Of course, this business may require some start up capital if you choose to market through pay for service venues, such as pay per click. There are plenty of free marketing sources online as well, but they may require more effort. Still, this can be an excellent way for work-from-home parents to supplement a one-income family. You can find out all about it by Googling "Affiliate Programs" or on resource sites such as Affiliate Programs and Affiliate Scout. While this is a viable internet opportunity, it does require you to seek out and market individual companies and their products. In my opinion, a far better opportunity to consolidate this effort into a more lucrative, efficient and profitable business exists in item number one below.

5. Freelance Writing

Everyone has considered writing a book at some point in their lives, or at least liked the sound of that idea. Today's market for writers is wide open, everything from relevant articles on travel, the arts, local scenes and business to fully fledged e-books on both technical as well as tactical topics. Especially if you are already familiar with a specific subject, this is a great way for you to share that expertise with a very broad market. There are literally millions of people searching the internet every day for information on specific subjects, and they are willing to pay for that information. Try your hand at writing first with shorter venues, and as your skill and experience grow, branch out into more aggressive projects. An excellent resource for freelance writing on the internet can be found at the Freelance Writing Jobs Network or, become an Examiner in your area.

4. Business Coach

While this opportunity is not necessarily an "online" opportunity, it is a bit of a hybrid, and it really plays to those individuals at the top of their game. This opportunity requires someone with a very strong business background, or at least some formidable business training. In today's climate with so many people becoming displaced or seeking opportunity outside of the traditional corporate walls, there is a tremendous need for someone off which to bounce ideas, to assist in the business planning activities and to keep over-energetic CEO's feet on the ground. If you have experience in corporate management, business acumen or other specialized skills then you can share them with those who have ideas but less experience. There is even a coaching certification program and referral service provided to the members of the International Coach Federation.

3. Web Design

Web sites are a must in today's business climate, even for traditional brick-and-mortar type businesses. With online shopping and information dissemination becoming more and more a requirement companies are jumping onto the web in droves, and they need excellent web site designers to guide them through the process. This is truly a case where it is difficult to see the forest for the trees. There are so many facets to web design and a web presence that it is almost impossible to get started without some heavy duty assistance. For anyone familiar with html programming, CSS, SEO, or even WYSIWYG editors, this opportunity can be a gold mine. Much of your work can be done after hours when the kids are in bed, and this is one thing that makes this opportunity perfect for moonlighters and all-day parents.

2. Online Shopping Portal

Online shopping is already a $305 billion industry, and according to most reports, we have barely scratched the surface. There are several companies on the internet now that allow entrepreneurs and home-based business owners to purchase a web portal and profit from sales that occur through that web portal. Several of these companies will not only pay owners for purchases they have made through their websites, but also for the purchases made through the web sites of people they have personally referred. This is the affiliate program on steroids. This business is poised for tremendous growth, and companies also capitalizing on the "green" movement will benefit even more. Recent earth day articles and studies pointed out that online shopping is far more efficient and less harmful to the environment than traditional shopping. Watch this market explode in the next 5 years.

1. Online Marketing Education and Financial Training

Our number one pick of the 10 best home based business ideas - drum roll please - CarbonCopyPro. Whatever business you are in, and whether it is online or brick-and-mortar, these days you have to be able to market yourself online. It is essential in today's marketplace, and will be indispensable in the future. The best money you can spend is to invest a little in your own training before you begin your online marketing campaign. And if you are going to spend a little on yourself, why not do it in a place where you can also earn while you learn? By far, the best training (and income opportunity) we have found for internet marketing, both free and paid, is through CarbonCopyPRO. At CarbonCopyPRO you will learn from the best of the best, internet marketers earning tens of thousands of dollars online every month, and they have a rather auspicious goal of creating 100 millionaires by 2012 - will you be one of them?

So, now you have the 10 best home based business ideas. Of course, there are a number of other considerations you must keep in mind, such as which opportunity best fits your lifestyle, avoiding scams, etc.; and we will delve into some of these issues in future articles. All that is left now is for you to do your own homework and decide which opportunity is best suited to your tastes. Happy hunting.

Information Marketing - 3 Secrets To Growing Your Information Marketing Empire

Do you wish to profit from information marketing online? Many people do. But few actually go out there and make it happen. Well, here are 3 secrets to growing an information marketing empire right out of your home:

1. Build Your Subscribers List

One of the first things you should do is to get an autoresponder subscription. This is because building your email list is one of the most important activities your business should have. Having your own email list is an instant traffic source right there you can tap into and follow-up with relevant products or offers.

2. Outsource What You Can

The golden rule in Internet business is to outsource what you are weak at if you can afford it. For example, let's say you are poor at graphic design, then you'd definitely want to outsource that to a professional to get some cool graphics done. Personally, I know almost nothing about PHP and can't design professional graphics, so I hire them out to quality freelancers.

3. Master One Traffic Generation Source

Master one traffic source before moving on to others. This lets you become an expert in generating traffic from that method and you'll be able to maximize it to get the most traffic out of it. Then move on the next method and maximize that as well. Focus on one traffic source for one month each, and you'll start seeing some real results. This is what I did from day one. I got to studying and really taking action on traffic source, and once I was generating traffic from that, I moved on to mastering another strategy.

Can Being Green Aid In Marketing Your Business Online?

Going green can open all sorts of new marketing opportunities for your business - but can it help with marketing your company on the internet? The answer isn't a simple or an easy one, but in certain cases going green can help your marketing just as much as it helps the environment...

There are myriad ways to promote your business, and to ensure that your online profile is working for your company. Some of them will be influenced greatly by making the effort to go green, while others will only be subtly affected in minor ways.

The online marketing opportunities that will be affected to a greater or lesser degree by an environmentally friendly business model are as follows:

Conversion rates - YES

No matter how you choose to market your website, whether it's through search engine optimisation, pay per click marketing, writing and distributing articles or just crossing your fingers and wishing really hard, you'll need to pay attention to conversion rates.

And being green can really help those rates. 80% of consumers have expressed a preference for environmentally products and services. That means that if they see that you're an environmentally responsible business, they're more likely to buy from you - increasing your conversion rates and your profits.

Pay Per Click Marketing - YES

When you're paying for a pay per click advert, you need to make a big impression, fast.

That means standing out from the crowd in a very small number of characters. And being environmentally-friendly can help you do just that.

We've already learned that people prefer green products, so which AdWords headline do you think they'll click on?

Buy Printer Ink

Eco-Friendly Printer Ink

The chances are that the majority of people will click the second link, because they're paying attention to the environment, and want to make an ecologically sound choice. If you are that choice, you'll generate much more business.

Search engine optimisation - MAYBE

Search engine optimisation means putting your business' website at the top of search engines such as Google and Bing for terms that your customers are searching for. Being green won't help that, because the search engines don't care whether you recycle paper or club seals to death.

But searchers do. And they're starting to search specifically for environmentally friendly businesses.

By going green, you'll be able to attract those customers, and you'll benefit from more search traffic and more online sales.

Directory Marketing - MAYBE

The only way going green can help your directory marketing is if you choose to be listed in a carbon neutral directory.

Get your business listed as eco-friendly, and you'll market your company to a whole new set of environmentally-conscious customers.

So what are you waiting for? Go green today!

Formula For Successful Business Online Step 3 - What's in a System?

In Step 2 of my previous articles, I outlined what a successful sales process should look like. Today, I'd like to talk about it in more details of what it actually involves.

Lead Capture

Once you are getting exposure in your targeted market, you need to collect contact information of those who show interest. This is what a capture page does. You would need a web page and a data base to store your leads. You would also need a good copy that grabs attention of your potential customers, and some irresistible value they can gain without making any kind of commitment.

Contact System

Next you will need to contact all of your leads, not once, not twice but systematically. This is where you will be building a relationship with your leads and continue to provide value to them. You will need an auto-responder, and a series of emails packed with information that will show your potential customers why they should do business with you. This works best if you have something new, such as articles or free webinars that you can provide on a consistent basis.

Multiple Income Streams

The fact is, most people who come in contact with you will not purchase your product. However, you will still need to make the effort on promotion, marketing and relationship building. Find a way to capitalize on that effort. If you have alternative products to offer, you increase your chances of making a profit regardless of whether or not you make a sale on your primary product. If you don't monetize on your leads who turn down your main offer, you'll be leaving off a lot of cash.

Residual Income

Why are some of the top moguls such as Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki associated with network marketing? It's because of the residual and passive income you can generate in this business. Robert Kiyosaki illustrates in his Cashflow Quadrant - your goal should be to move into the Business and Investor categories by having a system working for you and earning passive income. Network marketing makes this possible at low cost, and in a short amount of time.

All sound good, but how do you accomplish all of this? If you are reading this article, you may not have all the resources or knowledge necessary to pull this off. You will need a good training on how to market and build your business effectively and successfully. Finding that resource will be the key. If you would like to learn about this system and receive free marketing training, continue reading below.

Three Key Benefits of Shopping Online

If you happen to be a newbie in making purchases through the internet, discover three key benefits of shopping online. Shopping online is rapidly becoming the main avenue in which most transactions occur. More and more visitors are finding out how fantastic and rewarding it is in acquiring products and services from merchants online. Seasoned online shoppers understand the values of online purchasing and ultimately have made it their way to receive goods. What are the three key benefits? Time, Convenience and Money

Time

Online shopping allows for more time in your life for other activities. Depending on your routine in getting ready to venture to the brick and mortar stores, it could possibly take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Considering travel time, depending on traffic, may use 30 minutes to 1 hour of your quality moments. Once arrived at the destination, it will take a certain amount of time to look for the item/s. Let us not forget how long it will take to get back to the home or office. You can easily see how 2 to 4 hours will whisk by.

Purchasing online takes only a few minutes. This can allow for more time with loved ones, your business, or for yourself. In today's busy society, it is more important than ever to find ways to save time. Be sure to choose online shopping.

Convenience

When it comes to convenience, nothing comes closer than online shopping. You have access to 24 hours, 7 days a week of acquiring products all at your fingertips. From the comfort of your home, bed, living room, the patio, or by the poolside, you are able to shop at your leisure. Imagine the convenience for a family with young children.

There is no need in getting yourself or the children dressed and ready to go, deal with traffic, and be confronted with pushy or inattentive clerks and hundreds of other shoppers. All of this and the amount of energy expended can have unfavorable consequences to one's temperament.

Money

Probably the most important key benefit that you will find to be quite rewarding is money saved. Many merchants will have great deals and savings sometimes up to 80% on selected items. Merchants may offer other generous savings through coupons, special offers and discounted items. Another wonderful incentive is shipping cost. Some will absorb the shipping cost for free after a certain amount of purchase (each merchant's guidelines will vary). Additionally, you will increase your savings by not using gas for transportation to the brick and mortar store.

It is not surprising that online sales are increasing each year. Shoppers desire all of the benefits that will help make their lives much easier.

Starting a Business - Trade Marks, Company Names, and Domains

Your business name can develop to become one of your most valuable assets, through marketing and the development of a relationship between the public and your brand. This is why it is important to protect your name from misappropriation. When you start a business you might naturally be aware of the need to clear the company name with companies house, and if you intend to develop an online presence you may also check the availability of domain names for your brand, but too often businesses are not aware of the importance of trade mark registration.

Differences between Company names, Domain names, and Trade Marks

Registration of your company name, and your domain name do not offer the level of protection necessary to prevent other businesses from using your brand names and logos in connection with competing products or services. Also if someone else has trade mark rights over the name, then your company or domain registrations can be cancelled. To properly protect your brand it is necessary to search the trade mark registers, and if the name is available to you to register, then apply to secure a trade mark.

Unregistered Trade Marks and Passing Off

Since 1994 unregistered trademarks are not afforded protection under the Trade Marks Act. So, if you want to stop someone using your unregistered brands, you can only do so through a different type of legal action called 'passing off'. This action arises out of the common law, and its success involves proof of damage to your reputation, and confusion by members of the public, among other things. This type of legal action can be extremely expensive, and is difficult to establish.

It is important therefore to register a trademark, and to do so before you begin to use a name for your business. As part of the process you will discover whether someone else has rights over a similar name, allowing you to make a change if necessary, rather than trading with a name that you cannot own, and that you may later be prevented from using. If the name is available, then it is advisable to register and thereby secure the necessary ownership rights straight away. If you instead delay registration, waiting to see if your venture succeeds, you may find yourself unable to secure. This could happen if someone else, in the meantime, registers a trademark which prevents your registration succeeding.

Protecting the Goodwill in your Brand

So, trade marks are an investment in the future success of your business. The more established and well known your brand becomes, the more likely others are to piggy back on your brand success. Goodwill in your business name is built up through substantial investment and marketing, and to avoid wasting this investment it is crucial that you check the availability of the trademark beforehand.

A proactive strategy for protecting your brand will save business funds in the long run, providing a powerful tool to dissuade imitators and counterfeiters, and to take action to enforce your rights when necessary.

Ideas For Starting Your Small Business Online

Starting a small business but don't know where to look? Want some great ideas for generating income online?

Here are two websites that I recommend for small business owners (or future owners).

BixBuySell has thousands of business for sale. To find the ecommerce businesses just use the Business Category list and select the B2C (Business to Consumer) or B2B (Business to Business) entries listed under INTERNET BUSINESSES (they used all caps - not me!).

You can narrow your selection down to small businesses for sale by state but why would you want to? Search every site for sale in the US.

Listings can be sorted by Asking Price, Cash Flow or Location. Cash Flow is king so pay close attention to that number.

Sitepoint is an incredible small business and web development resource. The section of the site I visit regularly is the Marketplace. Once you've arrived at the marketplace check out the Established Sites for Sale and Premium Sites for Sale.

Bookmark these sites and visit them regularly. They should help you get a good idea of what types of sites people are building to generate revenue. On Sitepoint you can monitor the sites that sell to discover how websites are valued based on their content and revenue stream.

Even if you decide to start your business from scratch instead of buying a small business these websites can be valuable tools to learn more about starting a business online. Don't procrastinate about your success - visit these sites today.