July 8th 'Seminars with the Experts' Call.

Internet Growth Techniques from Jesse Jameson.

After eight years in Corporate America, Jesse Jameson ventured into Internet Marketing feet first and gradually established his credentials as a "behind the scenes" expert. Jameson has personal coaching and mentoring experience, but is particularly skilled at partnering with companies that want to establish a winning web presence.

Jesse's initial online breakthrough came via the "Interview the Experts" path. Creating interview products is a "WIN-WIN" situation for aspiring entrepreneur and guru alike. So, if you like communicating and are prepared to sell yourself, seek out 5-10 experts in your niche and develop your own interview products.

Starting from Scratch...

The path to Internet Marketing glory starts with recognizing and exploiting a "viable" passion. To that end, Jesse Jameson suggests that individuals:

1. Make a list of hobbies and interests that you really enjoy or always wanted to try.
2. Narrow your list to hobbies for which you already possess specialized knowledge, or are prepared to learn and access that knowledge.
3. Do market research on 3-5 choices from your list to determine their viability (case studies, networking, surveys, results of people already in niche, etc.).

Blazing "Old" Trails.

Jameson provides newbies with some counterintuitive advice:

"DON'T be a pioneer!"

Choose innovation over invention; long-term viability means swallowing your pride and leaving the "lab" work for later. Competition must not intimidate beginners. In fact, it is the best indicator of a healthy niche that supports multiple players - provided you can supply a superior product that everyone wants, and can connect with a hungry target market. Find out who the major players are, and how they are making money.

Filling the Market Gaps.

Foregoing original product research and education does not mean ignoring existing opportunities in your chosen market. Jesse strongly advises newbies to sign up to several established marketer lists to learn about expert tactics and current results. More importantly, learn about their weaknesses and how you can stand out with a better approach. Top marketers often volunteer great information:

• Website statistics and information collection methods.
• Price points, i.e.; how to decide what the market will bear.
• How to partner with established marketers.
  

JV marketing is Jesse's #1 prosperity method, so consider how to create such alliances (e.g. interviews, offer front-end products, technical work, etc.).

Internet Marketing Basics.

Jameson lists the "brick and mortar" aspects of your online business:

• Web page
• Domain name
• Domain hosting service
• Autoresponder
• Merchant account or shopping cart

He also enumerated the traffic tactics that are at your disposal:

• Organic search engine traffic.
• Joint Venture traffic (i.e. partnerships).
• Pay-per-click (PPC)
• Web 2.0 (social networking, bookmarking)
• Article marketing with legitimate content
• Affiliate programs with integrated marketing tools
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Note that there is division within the SEO community concerning the use of black hat and white hat tactics. "White Hats" employ traditional methods and always try to play by the rules to organically grow long-term traffic. On the other hand, "Black Hats" focus on dominating search engine rankings and making money today. They have been described as sneaky and short-term, and are susceptible to delisting. That is why Jesse and others advise white hat strategies for newbies and other marketers.

Jameson's Campaign Management Strategies.

Jesse tells aspiring Internet marketers to overcome their fear of rejection. Ask prospects for their contact information on your opt-in forms and landing pages. Face it - if you cannot ask people to join your list, how can you ask them to pull out their credit card later on?

Ongoing testing and tracking will tell you if web surfers want freebies to join your list. Regardless, Jameson advises us to stick with a double opt-in process, followed by 'Thank You' pages that offer high-quality products. Industry research shows that buyers need seven 'looks' on average before making a purchase, so take advantage of every opportunity to bond with your subscribers. Do not use misleading traffic tactics to manipulate prospects' search and buying decisions.

The Wave of the Future and Present.

Many entrepreneurs mistakenly abandon their past experiences and interests to dive head first into the Internet Marketing niche. Although digital product creation and various 'pick and shovel' services can be lucrative, Jesse Jameson cautions against leaving the offline world all together. If you do not sell real products, you risk losing touch with the corporate world and limiting your options for growth.

Internet marketing is becoming more and more mainstream, and its value as a direct sales channel opens up great opportunities to help 'brick and mortar' companies establish a web presence. So consider developing long-term marketing skills that will be useful for authors, publishers, etc. (e.g. copywriting). Seek alliances with micro and macro businesses; create 'win-win" partnerships that are financially, and spiritually fulfilling.

Closing Tips from the Expert.

Jameson offered his final thoughts to future and current marketers:

• Avoid distractions. Don't buy products unless you can use them immediately, or if you are able to make them pay for itself.
• At live events, "face-to-face" encounters with fellow networkers and presenters are often more beneficial than the scheduled lectures.
• Before launching an online campaign, contact your merchant account processor and website host to ensure that they can handle sales "spikes" and increased traffic.
• To maximize the benefit of outsourcing, create process maps that clearly define your objectives and ensure duplicability.
  

Conclusion.

Jesse Jameson created his Internet lifestyle by sticking to fundamentals - practicing what he preaches with beginners and high-powered corporate clients alike. He foresees a time when Internet Marketing (e-business) will become a core component in university management programs. He believes in the role of mentoring and personal development in entrepreneurship. At the same time, he has found balance in his life by looking beyond dollars and cents. For Jameson, traveling the world brings peace and serenity, but something else might do it for you. Get a life!

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Rahul Majumdar is co-author of The Best of List Profit Academy with Brian Edmondson. To claim privileged insider information about it's impending launch, click here.