This Booming Technology Can Help You Find More Customers

Issue #2331

• WEALTHY: Is there more room for this coffee giant to fall? (Rick Pendergraft)
• HEALTHY: Nighty night (Dr. Ray Sahelian)
• WISE: Jared Sandberg on the Internet

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Grab hold of an Internet medium that’s gaining speed (Jim Daniels)
• My all-time favorite business venture (Michael Masterson)
• It’s Good to Know… about your wallet
• Add "amanuensis" to your vocabulary

== Highly Recommended ==

Your gut started telling you something wasn’t right, didn’t it?

You did your part. You tried out some of the Internet programs, maybe even put up a website or two, but it didn’t happen as expected did it?

And yet, you KNOW a few are getting rich off the Internet by pushing a button. You see them in coffee shops with their backs to the wall, smiling at their laptops. I should know, I’m one of them…

I was about to take the rest of the week off as usual, but something compelled me to grab another coffee and write you this letter. They say writing all your frustrations down eases them. Maybe so, but I just want to be able to sleep soundly tonight… Click to continue

A Company’s Misstep Can Lead You to Profits

By Rick Pendergraft

Starbucks (SBUX) CEO Howard Schultz recently announced that the company would start offering energy drinks in its stores. He also mentioned that Starbucks would be getting into the "health and wellness business." Yep, you read that correctly. A coffee chain wants to break into the health business.

For a company known as a purveyor of fine (if not overpriced) coffee, this is a huge step outside their core competency. And, in my opinion, it’s a big mistake. With the company stock price down 50 percent in the last 16 months, now is not the time to be breaking into unfamiliar markets. For one thing, branching out costs money. For another, Starbucks risks losing brand identity as it expands its product line away from coffee.

The company is already facing shrinking margins due to increased costs of sales (up 1.1 percent versus last year) and increased operating expenses (up .90 percent). It is closing 100 under-performing stores, and reducing the number of store openings this year. Taking on the additional costs to expand into another market just doesn’t seem like a wise decision. Not to mention that the expansion would be into the highly fragmented energy drink market.

With Starbucks’ stock already down dramatically from its peak, it may appear that the opportunity to profit from these missteps is past. But I believe there is still more room for the stock to fall. And I don’t think the slide will stop until the share price is in the single digits. So taking a short position against the coffee king can add some diversity to your portfolio… and be a profit opportunity in a falling market.

Meanwhile, if you hold Starbucks stock, it might be time to dump it.

[Ed. Note: Rick Pendergraft is a professional trader and market analyst. In Rick’s new investment service, he gives easy-to-follow, step-by-step advice that you can use to create a consistent, automated income. Learn more about how he can help you produce explosive gains - no matter which way the market is trading - here.]

Click to comment on this article.

"One of the Internet’s strengths is its ability to help consumers find the right needle in a digital haystack of data. " 

Jared Sandberg

How to Use Video to Cash In On the Rapidly Changing World Wide Web

By Jim Daniels

Fact: The Web is changing. In case you haven’t noticed, over the last couple years it has gotten much faster. As a result, the Internet experience is changing for millions of users. Today, I’d like to show you how to cash in on this important development…

Broadband high-speed access is finally reaching critical mass. More people now have high-speed access than those who are still stuck on slow dial-up. This means new technology and information delivery methods are finally becoming mainstream.

The rapid growth of high-speed Internet connections has given birth to one technology in particular that you need to be focused on: Video.

The businesses adopting video in this still-early stage are cashing in big-time. Even small mom and pop Web shops and affiliate marketers are seeing amazing results.

So exactly how do you cash in on this rapidly advancing technology?

As entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk has shown, all it takes is having a niche and a little creativity. You may have seen one of his wine videos. In just a few short years, they have helped him gain widespread recognition as the world’s "informal" wine expert. Gary ’s videos are simple, yet effective. He sits on his couch, turns on his camera, and tastes wine. He then answers questions submitted via his Facebook application.

Perhaps you could become the next Gary Vaynerchuk in your niche. You have to admit, it sure would be a fun way to make a living. If you’d like to explore the possibilities, the following crash course on how to leverage video for profit will help you get started…

1. Use Video to Inform.

Video makes great content. More and more people are watching video online to learn new things.

For example, when visitors arrive at my new website for aspiring affiliate marketers, a video near the top of the page introduces them to the profit potential of affiliate marketing.

At another site, I invite visitors to watch a video featuring one of my clients. It shows them what it is really like to earn a living from the Internet, and provides some genuine insider advice on how to achieve this goal.

You no longer need expensive equipment to create videos and upload them to the Web. Any video camera from any electronics retailer will work just fine. If you have a video camera that you purchased within two or three years, its resolution will be good enough. Though, of course, any new camera will be far superior.

You can also use your computer to make "screen capture recordings." That’s how I created the training videos for my ezWebBusinessBuilder program. I started by putting my lessons in PowerPoint format. I used a program called VoxProxy to create an animated narrator for them. Then I simply ran the PowerPoint presentation and recorded it using Camtasia (the best software for this). The result was a CD with a series of video lessons on how to build a Web business from scratch.

By the way, if the idea of creating your own videos doesn’t appeal to you, not a problem. There are lots of video-sharing sites where you can find informative videos that you can post at your site. Then all you have to do is paste the video’s "embed code" into your Web page. (I’ll give you a list of some video-sharing sites later in this article.)

2. Use Video to Grow Your Opt-In E-Mail List.

Developing an opt-in e-mail list is still one of the most powerful ways to expand a business online. It’s a process that you can set up once and then watch it grow.

The best way to use video to grow your subscriber list is with a "squeeze page"- a single Web page that has an informative video on it. After watching the video, your visitor can request more information about the subject - maybe in the form of a digital book or special report - through your autoresponder opt-in form.

Then, once the new subscriber has opted in to receive that information - as well as additional information they might be interested in - your autoresponder can (and should) follow up with relevant offers on a regular, pre-determined schedule. This makes sales for you literally while you sleep.

3. Use Video to "Pre-Sell."

Whether you are selling your own products/services or you’re selling as an affiliate, there are several ways to use video to pre-sell.

For example, when I sell my software, I show my visitors a video review from one of my customers. I also show them a sample training video from the software itself. From the day I added those videos to my site, I saw an increase in sales.

A good way to get traffic to your "pre-selling videos" is to e-mail subscribers who’ve opted in at one of your squeeze page videos. Remember, these people have asked you to contact them when you have information they might be interested in.

One client of mine recently sold thousands of dollars’ worth of guitar lessons with a video about his emergency plumbing nightmare. It was hilarious… and it got people to buy. (You can find it at RockGuitarTechniques.com.)

No matter what you are selling, you can use video to increase sales. Make a video of your product or service being used. Ask one of your best customers to do a video testimonial. Search YouTube.com for existing customer reviews or demonstrations of the products or services you sell. You may be surprised to find something you can use right away.

4. Use Video to Generate Website Traffic.

There are many ways to get traffic using video. A simple way is to post videos about your product or service at the Web’s popular video-sharing sites. You simply create a free account… then upload the video. Make sure you put your website address in your video description, as well as in the video itself. That will help route traffic from the video to your site.

Here’s a list of the top video-sharing sites…

YouTube.com
Video.Google.com
Blip.tv
Revver.com
Jumpcut.com

After posting a video at one of these sites, don’t stop there. Continue sharing it at several social-networking (Web 2.0) sites. When done tactfully, this can create a nice flow of viral traffic that can actually be hard to slow down… even if you wanted to!

Top social-networking sites include…

Digg.com
Del.icio.us
Furl.com
Twango.com
Vsocial.com

The goal is to have your video create a buzz and be spread virally via these networks. Only the most entertaining (and even quirky) videos go viral, so try to think outside the box when creating yours for these sites.

I hope these ideas get you thinking about how you can use video to make money online - even if you’re brand-new to the Web.

In fact, I spoke with someone today who’s been using the video marketing strategy outlined above for just a couple months… and he’s already made $6,000. And he started from scratch by promoting affiliate products. So, yes, you can do it too!

[Ed. Note: Jim Daniels has been helping people earn their living online since 1996.

Learn how to profit from the video revolution here. Use coupon code "april2008" and save $20 per month. Be sure to check out Jim’s site for examples of how you can use video in your Internet business. And learn how to set up an autoresponder here.]

Click to comment on this article.

== Highly Recommended ==

Give Yourself a Nice Pay Raise — and a Three Day Weekend, Every Weekend

By the end of this week, you can give yourself a pay raise. (How does an extra $20/hr sound?) And schedule a few days’ vacation while you’re at it!

After a month or two, how about another raise… to $2,000 a week.

It’s happening everywhere. Ordinary people — including folks who never finished school — starting their own businesses… and making side incomes in the neighborhood of $40,000… $60,000… even $100,000 or more a year.

They’re living the American Dream. Now it’s time for you to start living it too. Click here to continue…

- Charlie Byrne

Dear ETR: "Out of all your successful businesses, which one was your favorite?"

"Michael, I love your book Ready, Fire, Aim. It is fascinating to read and is full of practical strategies (that I will use!). I am curious about one thing, though. Out of all your successful businesses, which one was your favorite? Which one would you like to do again?

"Thank you for your wonderful book!"

George Ulmer

Los Angeles, CA

Dear George,

Hey… good question! I never thought about that before.

I’d have to say that my favorite was and is Early to Rise. The other businesses have all had their pleasures, but ETR tops the list because it was - at the beginning - my own baby.

I don’t mean to imply that I did it alone. Quite the contrary. I relied heavily on the hard work and expertise of other people. But the idea of creating a publishing business around my personal interests - achieving health, wealth, and wisdom - hadn’t been done before.

Until then, all the businesses I was involved in sold more narrowly focused products: investment newsletters or travel books or merchandise. And each had its own unique market. Putting three diverse topics together in one publication contradicted conventional marketing wisdom. But I wanted to do it anyway.

Health, wealth, and wisdom. They are all connected, don’t you think? And all three are equally important if you intend to lead a balanced life. At least, that’s the view we take at ETR.

Another thing that makes ETR unique is that all the advice we give comes from staff experts with actual experience in their field. We don’t write about systems and programs we’ve only read about or heard about. If it doesn’t have a track record of proven success in the real world, or if we’re not in the process of testing or improving it ourselves, we don’t talk about it.

The third thing I like about ETR is that we started it on a shoestring. Because of my access to capital and human resources, we could have started it with a multimillion-dollar budget. And had we done that, it might have grown faster. But I wanted to start ETR the way most of our readers have to start their businesses - with just a few people and a few thousand dollars.

It was tougher that way. It took us about two years to reach a million dollars in sales. Then MaryEllen Tribby came in (one of the best hires I’ve ever made in my life). And at the end of 2007, we had broken through the $26 million mark.

The numbers were gratifying, but the most gratifying thing about ETR is that everyone who works for this company is totally devoted to customer service and product quality. If you go to an ETR (or AWAI) seminar, you will see how true this is. Ask anybody - and I mean anybody - to help you, and they will be glad to do it.

I no longer work full-time on ETR. The great people you hear from every day do 98 percent of the work… and let me enjoy the many rewards of it.

So that’s what I’d recommend to anyone who is thinking about building a business. Enjoy it as you grow it. If you can, start from scratch and make it into something that you will one day be very proud of.

- Michael Masterson

[Ed. Note: Send your questions to AskETR@ETRFeedback.com. Include your full name, your hometown and state, and the ETR team may answer you in an upcoming issue.]

Alternative Medicine for Sleep, Part 2: A Natural Way to Get Your Zs

By Dr. Ray Sahelian, MD

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, don’t ask your doctor to pull out her prescription pad just yet. Prescription sleep drugs are often effective, but can have side effects. These include memory loss, decrease in sexual desire, and morning grogginess. Instead, consider taking sleep-inducing herbs and supplements.

Supplements and herbs are safer than sleep drugs. The bad news: They are neither as consistently effective nor as potent as pharmaceuticals. The good news: By combining certain herbs and nutrients, most people see good results.

Good Night Rx is one supplement you might take to help you sleep. It is a combination of 5-HTP, melatonin, GABA, taurine, kava, valerian, hops, chamomile, and several other herbs. I am quite proud of this formula - which took me years of trial and error to develop. And thus far, feedback has been quite positive, with an 80 percent satisfaction rate. (Quite high for an herbal product.) One to three hours before bed, you take one capsule on an empty stomach. When taken with or just after a meal, this supplement will not work as well. So wait at least half an hour after taking Good Night Rx if you plan to have a late night snack.

Some people say they notice the sleep-inducing effects are even better the second or third night of use. But please note that dosage and timing can vary significantly among different people.

[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, MD, the author of Mind Boosters, is internationally recognized as a moderate voice in the evaluation of natural supplements. Visit Dr. Sahelian’s website at www.RaySahelian.com, and read more of his articles about the supplements you should and shouldn’t be taking at ETR’s free natural health e-letter.]

Click to comment on this article.

It’s Good to Know: Photocopying Your Wallet

Losing your wallet - or having it stolen - can be devastating. Your driver’s license and credit cards are replaceable. But what do you do until you get a new license - not drive? And do you know the customer service phone numbers and account numbers for all those credit cards?

The solution: Take a few minutes, today, to photocopy the contents of your wallet. Copy the front and back of all your cards. Then store the copies in a safe place.

(Source: Consumerist )

== Highly Recommended ==

What If There Was A Way To Legally Beat A Traffic Ticket?

“When Attorneys Get Speeding Or Traffic Tickets, This Is What They Do… No Points, No Increased Premiums & Definitely No Stupid Driving School. These Tricks Work Like Magic.”

If you’re like me then the simple sight of a police car in your rear-view mirror is enough to send shivers down your spine, but…

When the lights start flashing…

There Goes That Safe Driver Discount… Right? Not anymore…

Click here to read more.

Word to the Wise: Amanuensis

An "amanuensis" (uh-man-yoo-EN-sis) is a person employed to take dictation or copy manuscripts. The word is derived from the Latin for "by hand."

Example (as used by Barbara Crooker in "Transcription (Poem)"): "On this blue day, I want to be / nothing more than an amanuensis / to the birds, transcribing all the bits / and snatches of song riding in on the wind."

Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008