How TO Establish Credibility Building a Web based Business

By Chuck Bartok | March 3, 2010

Before I start on today’s Building a Business Tips and Tricks, I want to thank John Stacy, of JNS Designz, for commenting on the last post,  Back to Basics.. John brought my attention to the Fact I forgot the Basic component of a WEBSITE.  John’s name is a hyperlink to his Business site and I must disclose, he has designed and successful sites for many of my Clients

Today’s Topic:

One thing has been obvious to me, consulting with those aspiring to establish an Internet business or integrate the Internet with existing off-line business…

Many are burdened with the concern of NOT having credibility in the On-line Market place and it IS a reality.

But a concern that can be easily mitigated, following some Obvious steps in creating your Brand and Business Venue

Credibility is one of the most critical factors that will affect your online business success. Being credible is simply the perception of being trustworthy and believable. Why do people buy brand name goods and services on the Internet and in the off-line world? One of the key reasons is that the brand represents a level of quality that they know and trust.

So how can you build credibility on the Internet for your business?

A key factor is being consistent. People are more likely to trust a business or person who acts in a similar manner most of the time. For example, if your publish a newsletter to your customers or potential clients, aim for similar quality in each issue. Also, be consistent in your style of writing. Publish on a regular basis – irregular publication schedules cause confusion in the minds of your readers.

Consistency applies to every aspect of your business. Don’t change your guarantee terms every couple of weeks. Ensure that all your products or services consistently meet the quality and value standards that your are promoting.

Credibility is something that is earned. Therefore, you need to give of yourself to get trust back in return. There are many ways to do this. Some software businesses offer free trial periods so the customer can try before they buy. Others offer a “shareware” version for people to trial. This process enables the potential customer to check that your product will do the job you say that it will.

Sharing your knowledge is a useful way to build your credibility. This can be done through monitoring discussion lists and boards that your potential customers frequent. Answer questions that they pose. Be a regular contributor to the list so that people come to know and respect your knowledge. One method I have found to be very rewarding is to regularly Podcast Talk Shows,  interacting with others about topics we share a common Bond.  Download any or all of the past episodes of The Focus Society of Overachievers and  BMC Talk Show

Making outlandish claims in advertisements or web site can harm your credibility. Telling the truth is always the best way. Ensure that your products or services provide more value than promised. (Wallace Wattles said it best, “Always deliver more REAL Value than You Receive in Cash Value”)  Take the time to walk in your customers’ shoes before writing your ad copy or your web site promotional material. This will enable you to clearly state benefits that your potential customers are looking for in a way that they will find believable.

Sincere and real Testimonials can be a powerful way to generate trust in your product or service. A testimonial is a statement from a happy customer saying how your product or service helped them. Set up systems to gain unsolicited testimonials whenever you can. When you gather testimonials to publish on your site, ensure that you have permission to publish them. Also, never make up testimonials to boost your credibility as more often than not you will be caught out and be discredited. (the New FTC regulations address these concerns very clearly)

Don’t just state what your qualifications are on your web site or in your promotional material. Instead, state how your qualifications can benefit your potential customers. For example, state how your expertise will provide the solution your prospect needs in a way he or she will understand.

Following sound business practices will help your credibility also. This includes ensure that your business address and phone numbers are clearly shown on your web site. Also, ensure that you are contactable via phone and email and respond promptly to each contact. Have you had phone messages or email that were never responded to? How did that influence your perception of the business?

Prompt delivery of what has been ordered also helps build the right impression of your business. So too does quickly responding to claims on your guarantee. Efficient business procedures that are focused on providing customer satisfaction will always help your business image and credibility. If you are delivering Digital products, periodically monitor you LINKS

Strong credibility takes a long time and much effort to build. It can be destroyed quickly and sometimes can never be regained. Have you noticed that once a person or a business gains a bad reputation it can be extremely hard to change? For your business to achieve it’s full potential, it is important that you set standards and live by them so that you are constantly building your credibility.

Remember that each thing you do in your business will affect the image of your business. Being focused on providing solutions to your customers, providing consistent quality and value for money, and being accessible will all help you achieve the credibility your business needs to succeed.

These, and other Business Building topics are Discussed at length in our Forum, in the Membership site,  Beginners Marketing Class and the Weekly Subscription based Webinar series, Building a Web Based Business from Scratch Social Media has been a very productive Venue for anyone to establish Credibility on the Internet rapidly, if common sense practices are employed

Some of the links above will direct you to products , which if purchased will generate modest commission to me.
Other products are proprietary and will generate larger Gross compensation to me..I like Those kind
That is why I am in business to earn Net Income, and I hope you will soon enjoy the same benefit of being IN Charge of your Income, regardless of the Nanny State

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Topics: Building a Business | 5 Comments »

Back to the Basics of Building a Business

By Chuck Bartok | February 28, 2010

I am somewhat embarrassed not to have been back to my Favorite (and first attempt at Wordpress Blog) for so long. Last post was a guest post by Sean McNeely, a regular member of Beginners Marketing Class.

It is Time to get back to the Basics of Building a Business

This blog was launched with the help of the ole’ Bald Guy Mike Paetzold and I appreciate his professionalism.

The Blog was produced in conjunction with the Membership site Beginners Marketing Class launched to help aspiring Marketer to establish a solid BUSINESS Foundation, before investing too many dollars  Chasing Rainbows

We established an Easy One -Two-Three process of creating,  implementing and Growing Your Business, regardless the model in a community atmosphere.

The fundamentals:

• Declaring your Definite Major Purpose
• Establishing a Business plan with definite date of inception and a Plan of Action
• Creating a reasonable Budget and Cash Flow Projections
• Research the market
• Surround yourself with a Mastermind Alliance

These simple statements have been discussed and re-discussed here on the Internet and in seminars for years. But the truth is they STILL are required for the a smoother and more successful Creation and building of a Business.

But we know the way of  Getting Things Done is to create the Habit and work ethic through focusing positive energy into your Subconscious Mind for a period of time (21 Days according to Maltz)

Visit our Forum and Download the 2 years of Podcasts , showing real applications of these principles..

But OK enough of the Chatter and on to the Meat and Potatoes.

What does all this  COST?
How Long does it Take to be Successful?

For the past five years I have listened to every story possible on how so many have spent so much and have not enjoyed the Benefit of “success”, and almost everyone suffered the same Mistake…

They Bought the Farm before they conducted a soil check.
They Started framing before they Built the Foundation.

Let’s STOP making same mistakes and JUMPING in without preparation. Take the time and follow the above steps, stop by our FREE Forum , register and read, ask questions and enjoy positive answers. Join us live on our Wednesday Podcast

BASIC Costs to get started  after YOU have decided the Business model, established a Business plan and Rudimentary Budget:

1. Secure a Domain name (specific to the major Premise of your Business or it’s actual name. i.e  beginnersmarketingclass.com
   Cost: typical $10.00 for first year and any additional extensions .net .info etc. There is discussion as to whether you should secure name for only one Year or longer. Argument for longer procurement is “you are more Established” to those researching your Company’s integrity.
2. Secure adequate Hosting. I have used the service linked here for the past year and have been pleased with the UP-TIME and SUPPORT.. Price is right at $45.00 for the year. The hosting will be providing the C-panel with wonderful Video Tutorials and more information is available to Members of our Weekly Webinar series. It is from this simple Platform you can create YOUR squeeze, lead capture and Splash pages, set up your own Forum, and install Wordpress Self-hosted Blog.
3. Obviously, I encourage the Joining of our Subscription based Webinar Series, Building a Web based Business from Scratch Cost $9.95 per month and all past episodes immediately accessible through the Archive.
4. The only other Major Cost Item needed to start developing the relationships with your potential customer base is a quality Auto-response E-mail mailing system. For the past 5 years I have found none better than Aweber for my need. The Support is phenomenal (real people 6 days a week) and the crew is always introducing unique NEW twists to become more effective as a Professional Marketer, especially in the most critical follow up
5. Then the Time and Energy is spent Directing like minded Traffic to your sites..
   Cost: YOUR Habitual Time allocation to a solid WORK ethic

So there we are…
Basics of Building a Business

• Get the Foundation
• Domain name
• Hosting
• Autoresponder

If you want to feel confident about learning the How To and receive encouragement personally from peers join our Mastermind and get involved with the Webinar

Investment, beside your time and energy,
Annual: $45 (web Hosting)+$10 (Domain Name)+ $120 (Webinar series)+ $193.80 (Autoresponder)

Total $369.00  (Amortized $30.75/month) plus the BURNING DESIRE to develop and operate the Mindset of a Business Person

Experience has shown me there usually is no need for “expensive”  Courses, and Tricky Software to Create , and Build a Successful Internet Business.

So what are your Waiting For?

Let’s get together and Prosper

Disclaimer:  Some of the links above will direct you to products , which if purchased will generate modest commission to me.
Other products are proprietary and will generate larger Gross compensation to me..
That is why I am in business to earn Net Income, and I hope you will soon enjoy the same benefit of being IN Charge of your Income, regardless of the Nanny State

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Topics: Building a Business | 4 Comments »

Having a Positive Mindset, Christmas Happiness

By Sean M | December 6, 2009

Having a Positive Mindset helps you make it even in the worst of situations.  I had a situation happen to me over the weekend which brought this point home.  My wife and I were getting ready to put our Christmas tree up and decorate the house this past Saturday evening, I even passed up being on the FSMM Webinar ( which is such a great business planning tool by the way) when I ran into a major problem.

I moved a chair we have in the corner of our living room to make room to put up the Christmas tree up.  I then picked up a board game we had stored under the chair.  When I picked up the board game I noticed the bottom of it was soaked.  I did not know what was wrong at first, and felt the carpet and the entire carpet in the area was drenched.

I then began to look around to find out where the water was coming from and could not see any water damage on the roof or walls.  It was at this point that I realized that the hot water heater was behind the wall in my wife’s closet.  I made my way to the closet and after a few minutes of making my way through the jungle of clothing and shoes I found the hot water heater and in the bottom of the drain pan there was lots of water.  Me and the wife began to inspect the closet and found no water in the closet just on the other side in the living room by the corner wall.  It was around 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday night and we did not have a clue what to do.

My mind started to go crazy and worry about mold, how much it was going to cost, can we get a person out on the weekend, is the house going to cave in, the usual dreadful thoughts you have in a hectic situation.  It was at this point I caught myself and started to think what can we do to take ACTION and fix this issue now.  We looked on the internet to find out how to clean up the water, prevent mold and called a repair that night to come out on Sunday.

Now I think back to about 3 years ago before I started to read about gaining a positive mindset and began to plant the seeds of positivity in my mind.  I would have gotten angry, cursed, and called everyone I knew to complain about the problem.  Instead I looked at what could be the positive here.  It was not long until I found a few positives to this situation.

My wife and I  have been wanting to get new hardwood floors installed in our house for about 3 years but never did due to cost and the hassle of moving furniture.  The repair man said we would have to replace the carpet so we went to Home Depot Sunday and bought hardwood floors and are having them installed next week.  The second thing that was positive is since we are going to have all the furniture moved out of the living room we are going to have it painted something else we have been wanting to do but never did.

If you have a problem not matter how small or big there is always as positive, if you look at if from all angles.  It is really in how you view the situation and what mindset you are in.  Yes, I could have written on Facebook, twitter, E-mailed, and called everyone to complain about how such a horrible weekend I had.  Now I am going to tell everyone I am getting new flooring and am having my living room painted.  This is the McNeely’s  Christmas gift to ourselves, due to a situation that I could have looked at as being tragic.

Staying positive and looking for the good in all situations is how life should be lived, not trying to find the negative in it.  Turn the negative into a positive and you will be a happy more productive person.  You can bring this to your business life also, sometimes bad things are going to happen but even they have a positive, if you change your point of view.

I really wanted to share this with everyone because I finally saw how far I have come in the past 3 years in mindset growth.  This might seem weird to some people but for me it shows that my hard work and daily routine now turned into habits has paid off.  Instead of having my weekend ruined and telling my tragic story to everyone on Monday morning.  I am now looking forward to getting my house back together and our Christmas tree up next Saturday night.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays.

Sean McNeely

Myrtle Beach, SC

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Topics: Inspiration & Motivation | 5 Comments »

Happy Thanks-for-Giving Day

By Chuck Bartok | November 25, 2009

This is a re-print of one of my blog posts from 2006..
One of my early attempts at “internet” communication.

The sentiment is even stronger today, especially because of the opportunity to develop so many Solid relationships here in “Cyber-Space”, especially through our two Communities,  Focus Society Mastermind and Beginners Marketing Class

November 22, 2006
Relationship Marketing

Here we are the day before a Holiday set aside to give Thanks for being and having. Why don’t we make it a point to Give Thanks every Day?

Too Busy?
No one to remind us?

During our walk this morning through the fog shrouded Almond Orchard, Flo (our trusted Mutt) and I noticed a few Nuts still hanging on the Trees. Harvest was several weks ago and I do miss grabbing fresh Almonds and eating them Raw as we traverse the 5 miles.

I reached up and picked a few. They were soft, poor quality but still tasted like Almonds. Never make a #1 Grade Can.

Interesting they were on the Tree the Longest, shouldn’t they be better with age? Did they “go over the hill” waiting too long “to be ready”?

Kind of like waiting for everything to be perfectly in place before we call an old friend, write to someone far away or make a concious decision to meet new people, call a cold lead.

Relationships can be re-kindled easily. Just do it. Open the Door to the wonder of sharing. Looking for new friends? Looking to add to Network of Business Associates?

Let the World know, invite people into your space, publish your feelings, give that which you want.

I was hesitant to offer my services to anyone who wanted them. Worried I would get a bunch of ridiculous requests. Also I pondered, am I ready to go back into Public, speaking Increase and sharing Abundance. Been a long time.

Did it anyway, Ready or Not . Didn’t want to wait for perfection or wait until I got old and soft.

What an absolute JOY

In the first week, three exciting marketer contacted me, asked for help and I freely gave!

Bottom line, my skills were honed, Increase came my way and I know I am the the proud Friend of three wonderful Human Beings and we know our RELATIONSHIP will explode in Abundance for all of us.

Thank you Tom Bennett, Donald Foote, and Arlene Pelz for responding to my Offer.

Realtionship Marketing, what a novel idea.
GIVE MORE, GET MORE

Today, November 25, 2009

What would happen if we Celebrated Thanksgiving every Day?
The attitude of Gratitude is still one the Pillars of Success!

I am Thankful for all that everyone has Given to my Family in the form of Love, Understanding and sincere Friendship.

Happy Thanks-for-Giving Day to everyone

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Topics: Inspiration & Motivation | 6 Comments »

Have you found Someday Island?

By Sean M | November 20, 2009

Someday Isle by Dennis Waitley

There is an island fantasy
A “Someday I’ll” never see

When recession stops, inflation ceases
Our Mortgage is paid, our pay increases

That Someday is where problems end
Where every piece of mail is from a friend

Where the children are sweet, already grown
Where all the nations can go it alone

Where we all retire at forty-one
Playing Football in the island sun

Most unhappy people look to tomorrow
To erase this day’s hardship and sorrow

They put happiness on lay-away
And struggle through a blue today

But happiness cannot be sought
It can’t be earned, it can’t be bought

Life’s most important revelation
It’s the journey that means as much as the
destination

Happiness is where you are right now,
Pushing a pencil or pushing a plow

It’s knocking on doors and making your calls
It’s getting back up after your falls

It’s going to school or standing in line
Tasting defeat, tasting the wine

If you live in the past you become senile
If you live in the future your on Someday I’ll

The fear of results is procrastination
The joy of today is a celebration

You can save, you can slave, trudging mile after mile
But you’ll never set foot on your “Someday I’ll”

When you’ve paid all your dues and put in your time
Out of nowhere comes another Mt. Everest to climb

I have decided Today to make it my Vow
To take Someday I’ll and make it NOW

The following poem really gave me some insight about myself.
I have been living a life wanting to arrive at that Island fantasy called Someday I’ll.

Today I made a decision to build my sailboat, and sail to the Island of where I know my dreams will come true.  Someday Island is a place that is full of beauty.  It has everything you have ever dreamed of, or you could imagine exist.  It is just like the Island off of the famous TV series “Lost”, you can sail for it but you can never reach it.  You will spend your entire life sailing in circles searching for this island. You will sail through terrible storms, at times not having enough to eat, hoping that you will reach that beautiful Island.

Then one day you see a glimpse of this beautiful Island.  You finally see how close you are because you have done everything you should have done in life.  You passed all the trials and tribulations that have come your way.  You have sailed through the terrible storms, fought off starvation and disease.  You have paid all your dues, now you have the right course set and are on your way.  Then out of nowhere a rogue wave comes crashing down on your sail boat destroying it. The once sturdy sailboat is rendered helpless and you are left drifting in the ocean until one day you die.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to become that person who spends their life trying to sail to a place that is almost impossible to get to.  Why spend the rest of your life searching for it then die before fulfilling your dream.  You can get to that wonderful place but there is only one obstacle or requirement standing in the way of getting to this paradise.  The obstacle and requirement is you must sail to an Island that is a prerequisite before you can make your journey.  Most of us want to bypass this Island and navigate around it.  We even try to take the short cut to the wonderful Island, because getting to this Island requires focus, attention to detail, many rocks to navigate around and even failure along the way.

The Island I am talking about is ACTION Island, a place that you must sail to first before you can do anything.  In order to even get to this Island you must choose the right sailboat, and provision it to your needs.  This is the first place most people including myself have always made the fatal mistake and in the end this is what causes disaster at sea.  When choosing the right sailboat to make this journey, you must have one that can withstand the violent storms, has a strong hull, good safety equipment and the right navigational tools.  If you were given the option of standing on a dock looking at a row of sailboats, and you could choose any sailboat to make your journey.

Most of us even with that many choices choose the wrong sailboat, one that is envious with never getting to the destination you set.  The name of the sailboat is almost always the same each time; we call this vessel “procrastination” and try to set sail using this doomed sailboat.  When we first step foot on our new boat we sometimes seem lost and don’t know where to start.

Your Sailboat might even have the most sophisticated-high tech navigation equipment on the planet.  If you’re like me the name of the vessel “procrastination” starts to take shape and you never leave the dock.  You have to wait until you know how to use every piece of equipment on board.  You might even wait until the next high-tech navigation device is shipped to you, so you can install it before you can ever set sail.  Even if what you have now works just fine.

This is also related to life in general, you might wait until your business cards are printed before you can start your business, or you wait until you get your office space, phone system installed, you get the point.  When trying to set sail with your new sailboat you say to yourself I will wait until hurricane season is over.  Then you say to yourself I will wait until the weather is warmer.   Then before you leave you find something minor that you have to repair, this is a never ending cycle of doom.

What I have learned is when you have chosen the correct sailboat and arrived on ACTION Island, this is where everything starts to take shape.  Once you reach your ACTION Island you should have realized by now that Someday Island is really a place called Goal Island.   Goal Island is a place that you can get to, if you get to ACTION Island first.  Goal Island is a destination that you have set up in your mind and have a clear picture of what you want and how to get there.  Once Goal Island is clear in your head, you must find it on the map.   Once you have found Goal Island you must begin to draw out your route and the details of how you will get there.

Once you are on your way you will have to adjust to all the conditions at sea.  This might include storms, pirate ships, equipment malfunctions, and even temporary failure along the way.   The most important thing to keep in mind is to keep going.  If you have a strong desire to reach Goal Island (just like Columbus did on finding a quicker route) and keep your sailboat heading in the direction of your goal.   It is only a matter of time before you will find the treasure you now seek.  Now it is time to release the ropes from the dock, and take the first step towards Goal Island by taking ACTION!!!!

The blog post was written by Sean McNeely, except for the poem “Someday Isle” which was written by Dennis Waitley.

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Topics: Building a Business, Podcasting | 2 Comments »

100 day challenge…updates

By JeffBeeman | October 10, 2009

My 100 Day challenge is simple enough…Get a professional web marketing campaign up and running for the new year.  After adding Aweber to my arsenal of tools I now have News letters ready to roll for different blogs I am using to promote. Next step is to get on board with a good web hosting service and get a site up and rolling.

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Topics: Building a Business | 3 Comments »

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