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Boy do I feel guilty about not sending out an issue last week or what? I do have a good reason though, so I`m sure you`ll all forgive me. I got myself into a moving/packing frenzy, kinda like a total panic...lol
I packed and packed, stayed offline for just about all of 2 weeks, then went househunting. Still didn`t find anything around here available to rent though, which was a bit of a bummer considering I was supposed to be out of this house last Sunday. Ooops.
So anyway, I learnt (for the zillionth time) that to panic is just a total waste of energy and time, and I`m back to my normal(?) self again ;~)
Our first article this week, by Mike Moorefield III, has some great tips for improving your biz site. If you test them out let me know how it goes, ok? Or maybe you`re thinking of a trying something new? In our 2nd article Jennifer Dugan gives us an in-depth explanation with the ins and outs of being an online travel agent.
Enjoy Reading!
May you be happy and prosperous in everything you do!
Anna-Marie Stewart Venton
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This weeks download/ebook is Superior Marketing Tools: Tools and tactics that can help increase traffic to your site.
Visit the Members Lounge for the download link, and don`t forget to get your votes in for next weeks e-book while you`re there.
Not Just Another Interview #38 is posted now. Is it YOUR interview?
I really do STILL need more interviews from you guys though, so please do keep them coming. Don`t be shy, we really appreciate getting to know you better. (Remember, it`s a whole weeks worth of free advertising for you.) If you`re unsure of how to send one in, the form is in the Members Lounge, along with all the other forms and stuff ;~) Don`t forget, the link to the Members Lounge can be found at the bottom of this page EVERY week.
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Featured Article: 6 Tips To Improve Your Business Website
By Mike Moorefield III
There are six important characteristics that can play a
major role on the impact your website has on prospects.
Outlined below is the importance of each characteristic and
tips on how to maximize your potential. It is always
important to tailor everything you do to what your customer
is expecting, doing so will help keep you one step ahead of
the competition.
Convenience - Allowing your customers to make decisions at
their convenience is a very powerful element. Nobody wants
to feel pressured or hurried into making a buying decision.
When a customer can go to your website, browse your
products and services, and make a purchase at their
convenience, you are satisfying a crucial consumer obstacle
-- time. They don't have to keep returning to your
storefront every time they wish to evaluate your value. In
fact, most customers do not buy something the first time
they see it. Instead, they must see and consider it
several times before they finally talk themselves into
purchasing. A website allows customers to quickly review
their reasons to purchase something, leading to a greater
number of impulse buys.
Information - A website can allow you to communicate much
more information about a product or service than an
in-store display or advertisement. You can also control
the way the information is presented. Supplying
information in an orderly step-by-step process can greatly
improve the chance of a purchase.
Evaluation - Many customers will not purchase something
without searching for the best value. The internet allows
your customers to obtain the information they need to feel
like they are making an educated buying decision. Make
sure you are using your website to take advantage of this
opportunity. Inform your customer why your product or
service is of the best value compared to their other
options. Always acknowledge the competition instead of
acting like your product or service is the only one out
there.
Guidance - The pages of your website should guide the
customer towards the specific solutions they are looking
for. They should serve to help them quickly locate what
they came to find. Think of it as a store map located at
the entrance of a department store. The customer can use
this directly upon entering the store to get to the
department they are interested in, instead of wandering
around looking for it. Get their relevant information in
front of them quickly while they are still the mood to
purchase. People buy on impulse. If they have to spend 15
minutes searching for what they are looking for, that
impulse may very well fade away.
Contact - The internet also allows for another form of
contact with your customer. Some people can be hesitant
about talking to a representative in person or on the phone
if they don't feel very knowledgeable about the product or
service. Email allows them to carefully collect their
thoughts before sending them. They feel less awkward about
their lack of knowledge. Again, use this opportunity to
gain an edge over the competition. Go out of your way to
educate them about the product or service.
Entertainment - Use the informal atmosphere of the internet
to entertain your customer. The internet is used by more
people as a means of entertainment than as a means of
business. If used effectively, entertainment can
significantly improve the business relationship. Provide
clever facts, amusing presentations or even a witty
character or mascot to assist them. However, be sure that
the entertainment is used appropriately. Be sure that is
does not obstruct the information or value you are trying
to bestow upon them.
Always use your competition to your advantage. Research
how your competition uses these characteristics to improve
their customer relations. Your website does not have to be
boring just because it is informative. Create an appeal
that will set you above the competition. The internet can
be an extremely powerful tool for your business, reaching a
greater audience than ever before. A successful business
uses a complete arsenal to reach its market.
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Michael Moorefield is one of the founders of ThirdWeb
Solutions, a digital multimedia company specializing in
creating and improving the internet presence for small
businesses. Working with a range of businesses to
establish a prosperous web presence keeps Michael up to
date with online trends not only in a design & development
aspect, but a business aspect as well. Visit
.http://www.thirdweb.com for more info.
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This article is available for reprint in your opt-in ezine,
web site or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes
to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.
(c) 2004 KT Productions All Rights Reserved
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Subscriber Comments, Keep Em Coming :)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Anna!
Well I took your advice and found a couple different
viruses on my computer! Some christina aguilera one
(I thought it was the kid's music cd or something at first)
and another called W32/Spybot.worm.gen. I scanned my
computer with 2 different free online scans.
The first one (TrendMicro) didn't pick up the
W32/Spybot.worm.gen one. So it definetely pays to scan with different programs!!
Thanks a bunch for the info Anna!
Have a great day!
Wendy
Don`t you just hate viruses? I know I do...!! So glad you managed to find and get rid of the ones you had, and really happy to hear I had a slight "helping hand" in that :~) anna
Many people are unclear about the travel industry. Travel
agents are often thought to be the same as real estate
agents. Becoming a travel agent or more specifically a
home based travel agent is an exciting career change or
retirement option. Some people do it full time while many
do it as a part time business.
A travel agent books travel for customers and is paid by
suppliers a commission on the booking. For bookings that
suppliers do not pay a commission on, a travel agent also
can charge the client a service fee for his/her time. An
example is if you were to book a hotel for a client, the
hotel would then send a check to the agency after the
client checked out. Most hotels pay 10% of the price of
the hotel before taxes and fees. A $100 per night hotel
reservation would mean $10 a night for the travel agent who
made the booking. This hotel would cost the same whether
the customer uses a travel agent or books through the hotel
directly. In many cases the travel agent can get a better
price. It costs the customer nothing to use the travel
agent unless the travel agent charges service fees.
Can anyone do this? In order to work with suppliers, you
must have an account set up with the supplier. Most
require an agency to hold an IATAN, CLIA or ARC number.
IATAN stands for International Airlines Travel Agent
Network. CLIA stands for Cruise Lines International
Association. ARC stands for Airline Reporting Corporation.
Each of these memberships requires different things
including sales, money in the bank, experience or training
in the industry, and membership fees. Many will require
Errors and Omissions insurance of $1,000,000 or more.
For the average travel agent, membership is not a
possibility with some organizations so the agent will team
up with an agency and work as an independent agent or
outside agent. There are also advantages of working with
an agency because most travel agents cannot make enough in
sales with a particular supplier to obtain higher
commission levels and bonuses. Working with an agency with
many agents can increase the commission percentages the
agent gets because of the joint sales of all the agents at
the agency. Support is also a very important aspect of
being a successful agent. Agents who do not work with
others tend to feel more isolated and have to learn to do
it all solo. Since no agent can have the experience of
being everywhere in the world or staying at every hotel or
resort, having others that you can get advice from is
really helpful.
The future of travel agencies is always questioned. The
truth is the industry has changed in many ways. Some
changes were for the better, some for the worse. Many
airlines have cut commissions for travel agents. However,
there are many other suppliers who are paying travel agents
more than they were ten years ago. Cruises used to be
booked by only the rich and now people in every income book
cruises. Each year more and more people go on cruises.
Most people say they want to go on a cruise at least once
and many who go on their first come home to want to book
another.
You can earn commission on many travel reservations.
Hotels
Rental Cars
Tour Packages
Cruises
Some airline tickets
International airline tickets
Travel insurance
Ground transportation including limos
Attraction tickets
Train tickets
People all need travel arrangements at some point in time.
Those who take road trips need hotel reservations. Those
who need to travel for business need airline tickets,
rental cars, and hotel reservations. Families want to
experience vacations with their loved ones. People visit
family and relatives. Most people who win money say they
are going to spend it to take a nice vacation. Newly
married couples go on honeymoons. You are not selling
something that is hard to sell. People contact you for
help, you are not calling them or approaching them trying
to sell them something they don't want.
Educating the public is the main thing any travel agent
must do. Most people put travel agents into the same
category as real estate agents. They believe it costs
additional to use a travel agent. This is untrue. In many
cases a travel agent can get a better price than the
general public through the suppliers who work only with
travel agents. Many people do not know all the options for
booking a vacation. A good travel agent does. Once people
are educated on how a travel agent gets paid, they are more
willing to work with travel agents. If a person knows that
if he or she let you book a hotel and it will cost the same
price regardless, she or he will work with you. It is
important to let people know how you can help them save
time and money on their travel arrangements.
So how do you get into the industry? Many people think
they must go to school or become certified. This is not
true. You can get into the industry and begin training. I
don't recommend anyone spend thousands on a travel school
until he or she knows this is a career that he or she will
really want to pursue. The truth is you do not have to
spend thousands to get trained. There are many courses
free to travel agents from suppliers. There are also
organizations such as ICTA (Institute of Certified Travel
Agents) who offer courses as you get more years experience
in the industry. CLIA also offers courses. There are some
agencies that will offer training. Even if you decide this
is a career you would like to pursue, you do not need to
spend thousands to become an educated and competent travel
agent. There are many courses you can take with suppliers
and organizations to get a better education in travel. I
truly believe a hands' on approach is the best way to
become a better travel agent. Learning to work with
suppliers and how to find the information your clients need
is an important part of becoming a good travel agent.
How can you find an agency to work with? There are a few
organizations dedicated to independent travel agents.
NACTA and OSSN are the top organizations. NACTA stands for
National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents. OSSN
stands for Outside Sales Support Network. You can also
search online for home-based travel agent programs. I
would never recommend anyone spending a lot of money to
start this business. It is key to first try and see if it
is something you would really want to do and get training
before you invest too much money into it. Get involved in
the industry first and see if it is really a career that is
best for you.
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Jennifer Dugan CTA
Owner of Dugan's Travels
Travel agent since 1993 http://www.duganstravels.com
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web site or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes
to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.
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