There are a few options out there for going the full route.  I can do quite a bit of the work myself, pulling in help for things I’m not incredible at like web design. Or I can go with a full web product design agency and watch aspects of my site grow that I hadn’t considered.

In this case, I don’t think I will be needing a full site redesign for once. I have the logo as I like it, but I may need to go with a new theme. With how many wordpress theme’s there are, it’s major overload trying to find the right one. But I know the right theme will convert to more sales in this case. So I have been going to other sites I like for a few minutes each week and seeing what themes they are using. Visually appealing sites will help keep visitors there for longer.

The major revamping question is how to get the membership area exactly as I want it. I am close to saving up for amember and I know this is the resource that many I like to learn from use and it’s also a resource I use a lot as a customer. But it is possible for me to change my delivery at this time and use options I’m already paying for each month. One really great thing is amember is the one time charge. No monthly payment being taken out for services. I have to say that when I go back and add up how much I’ve paid over the years, this one time option is very appealing.

My list has built slowly which is good since I haven’t promoted it like it should. I have also not stayed connected with the list. So basically I have a targeted list and I’m wasting it. Definitely a big one I’m hitting. Starting this week as a matter of fact. Then I need to use this list to contact them twice a month. When I send out a quick broadcast to this list it converts to 2-8 new subscribers. DUH, isn’t that motivation enough right there? I just need to use the scheduling options in aweber and get a few done for January and February. Work ahead instead of feeling behind.

More products are in the works for said site. As the year went by (SO QUICKLY!) I came up with new ebook ideas. I started outlines for these products and in some cases they are quite close to finished. I think I will outsource making them pretty as I can have them proofread at the same time. These new products give me a start on where my marketing needs to be for next year and I can literally get my calendar out and plan when the marketing needs to get started.

Affiliates is another big place I need to hit. I need to get them more ways to advertise for me. Some graphics to match the new logo and in different sizes. A freebie they can give out or if they want to hold a giveaway. I haven’t pushed the affiliate program because I wanted to get more resources in place and better communication with them.

These are all things (except for the graphics) that I can do myself. They are things that I should already have been doing. They are things that directly convert to more sales. I will be setting my goals for this site on which one’s make me more sales the quickest. When I make more sales then I can bring in a VA to help with other aspects. With two of us working on my goals list it’s that much more of a win-win situation.

I try hard not to kick myself for things I know I should have been doing. Yes, I take a quick look at why I’m not doing them, so maybe I can watch if I fall into that poor habit again. But I can’t dwell on how much money I would have made last year if I’d done these things. I need to look ahead to growth and keep excited about the future of the site. Woulda-coulda-shoulda will just get me sitting here in the same spot next year

Do you have a major revamp or site restructure planned for 2011?

Looking at how many days we are hoping to go camping was a real eye opener. I’m already working hard to fit everything and everyone into the day. (Hence selling sites and domains lol) Marking off dates we hope to do stuff really showed me how many days were OPEN for me to work a full day. Yikes, it’s time to kick my own butt into gear.

By next June I have to have the majority of my business much more automated and I need to have quite a few blog posts scheduled for the summer.  Of course, the blogs won’t be fully prescheduled because what’s the fun in that?

So automation will need to consist of.

1. Getting Once A Week Cooking membership switched to Aweber for delivery of weekly meal plans.

2. Schedule newsletters to go out for June, July AND August. Again in aweber of course.

3. Scheduling blog posts for June, July, and August for 3 of my major blogs.

4. Get more of my ebooks and reports set up in WAHMcart so sales can be made while I’m camping

Automation to me has two different parts. There’s the part where I set it up and things reoccur such as sales and product delivery and then there is the part that I set it up and it’s scheduled such as the blog posts and newsletters. Both are key to automating my businesses and getting me outdoors with my family.

Not only that, but that automation will let me work offline on new ebooks, reports and ecourses as well! ahh, that’s where my hope of getting to outsource more in the coming months comes into play as well. It’s a never ending circle isn’t it?

This is an exciting and fantastic opportunity for business owners who know how to make the most of this powerful sales engine.

Here are a few tips to help you create a website that really sells:

#1 – Keep it simple. A great website doesn’t have to include tons of graphics or flash images; in fact, this can work against you. A website with clean lines that’s easy to read and navigate will usually have a better conversion rate. Your visitors aren’t really interested in all the bells and whistles – what really matters most to them are the answers you have to their problems. You can achieve this by offering genuine great information.

Avoid music, flashing images and too many graphics. A few well thought out graphics can enhance the look of your website but anything else may be confusing and look too “busy” to your visitor. If in doubt keep it simple, and let your words shine.

#2 – Content is king. Great content solves problems and offers solutions. When people search on the internet they’re looking for information first and foremost. If your website offers solid information, people are more likely to visit you again and trust your product recommendations too. Quality content will also attract the search engines and you’ll stand a better chance at achieving that all-important top ten ranking for your keyword phrases.

Always concentrate on creating value through quality content, and you’ll build a business that will pay you back for years to come. You really can’t go wrong with providing good content.

#3 – Get their information. Even with a great website it’s likely that your visitors won’t buy from you the first time around. It takes time to build confidence and trust on the internet. This is why it’s important that you have a method of collecting their name and contact information when they first land on your site. You can then communicate with them through emails and start to build a relationship which will bring them back to your website.

To get the highest number of subscribers, place an opt-in box in a prominent position on the home page of your website. But don’t stop there; make sure the opt-in box is prevalent throughout the site so that visitors can access it from any page. Include a catchy headline to draw their attention to the area.

And don’t forget to give your visitors an incentive for signing up. People really don’t give their names and email addresses out as freely as they once did due to the high levels of spam on the internet. Give them an incentive to sign up by offering a free report or other great offer.

Building a great website is not difficult. Always think about your visitors first and help them by providing a website that’s clean and easy to navigate. Then add great content as a solution to their problems, and finally get their information so that you can keep helping them further in the future. Concentrate on these three basics and you’ll design a website that truly is a 24-hour sales engine.

What are eBooks?

EBooks are digital reading media that is easy to pass along to others. Many are opting for electronic books over printed books these days for several reasons. One, eBooks are shorter versions of more traditional books that can be created and published by you.

Secondly, eBooks are easy to use and store. They fill files on your computer instead of space on bookshelves in your home. EBooks can be read in PDF format online or printed to take with you. Unlike traditional books, as soon as you order an eBook, you can have access to it in minutes.

What does that mean to you?

Do you like to write? If you have a way with words and a talent for enticing readers, you can use eBooks to bring a profit to your blog or website. Use your niche as subject matter for your eBooks. Since you already have knowledge about, say, Internet marketing, put your experience to work by offering it to others in the form of an eBook.

The cost to you is negligible. With a blog or website, you already have access to the Internet and a computer that is probably filled with software that is needed to work with eBooks: Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word. It is not a matter of creating the inside of the eBook. There are books and online articles that give tips for writing eBooks people will want to read.

EBooks vary in size. You may be able to charge more for longer books or you may command a good price for shorter ebooks that provide very concise and valuable information.

An eBook can be composed in a Word document on your computer. Use Microsoft Publisher to format your work and add extras to attract readers. Turn your Word document into a PDF file for easier downloading and printing by customers.

Selling EBooks

Now that you have created this eBook, you’ll need to find a way to get it into people’s hands. Marketing your eBook follows the same lines as marketing your website or blog.

Use article marketing to draw attention to your eBooks. Create an article series based on your eBook. Submit these articles to article sites and on your blog or website. Give just enough information in the articles to have the reader wanting to know more. In the resource box, mention the eBook and link to your website. Submit articles to social bookmarking sites with links to your website page showcasing the eBooks.

For customer ease, link your eBooks with your checkout process. Once the customer pays (PayPal, credit card, debit card) they will receive a link via email or automatically where they can download your product.

EBooks cost you next to nothing to produce so the money you make is all profit. Turn your writing skills and expertise in a certain area into money for your business.

Do you sell digital products?  How do you deliver those products?

I sincerely hope that you are using instant download.  It is a minimal cost depending on the other functions you want. E-junkie starts at only $5 and can put upto 10 products. If you can not afford this as a business, then you are not serious about selling your product. My preference and what I use is Wahm Cart because I have more control and there are no additional costs. I have a lot of ebooks I want to add and I can put up lists and autoresponders. PLUS!, I can have the affiliate program right there with the shopping cart.

What is my point? I bought an ebook in the early, early hours on sat. night. I was going to be up for hours and again had time the today that I REALLY wanted to read this ebook. I didn’t get a link to the download instantly. I checked my email all night, morning and day and paid very close attention to my spam folder. No link/email.

I was very disappointed. Typically when I purchase an ebook it means I have the time immediately to read it. That doesn’t happen often. So now my window is not open any longer and I have to make time to read it. I emailed the site because I did want to make sure it wasn’t a malfunction of the shopping cart. I would totally understand that and definitely want to let other’s know if there are issues they wouldn’t be aware of. I’m so thankful when I get emails letting me know problems on my sites. But the email I got back was not the case. THEY SEND OUT EACH EBOOK THEMSELVES!!!

Are you kidding me? You’ve got to be kidding me. Really? All of this technology and supposedly you are so intune with the WAHM and you are going to wait until who know’s when to deliver a digital product? WOW. I’m not going to pass on the site, but it’s been around a long time and the traffic alone would make me want to purchase it, as it is for sale. BUT wow, it wouldn’t have to be for sale if they were in touch with the internet.

Ladies, if you learn anything from my site it is this. AUTOMATE! Do not make people wait unnecessarily for products. Or even worse, send an email to you about it like I did. Believe me, this product could be the best thing since ice cream, but I will not recommend it to anyone now because I can’t trust how long it would have taken to get to me if I hadn’t emailed them. Very poor business.