Motivational speaker Anthony Robbins once said, “If you want to be successful, find someone who achieved the results you want and copy what they do, and you’ll achieve the same results.”
It’s an idea I became familiar with many years ago…
When I was first getting started online, I made a lot of mistakes. Not because I wasn’t trying to model successful businesses, but because there simply weren’t businesses online to model. (In 1996, I was among the first handful of people to actually start selling products over the Internet.)
So I gathered as much information as I could from successful offline marketing experts like Jay Abraham; however, the challenge was adjusting their techniques to work in the online world. I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that many of the techniques used to market and sell in the “real world” either…
a) Didn’t work at all on the Internet.
Or
b) Needed to be seriously adjusted, tested, tweaked, and adjusted some more to really get results online.
The point that I’m trying to make here is that it literally took me years of testing and hundreds of thousands of dollars to discover the same techniques that you’ll now see commonly used online today.
Fortunately, there is no reason for things to be nearly this difficult for you. Today, modeling the Internet “successes” is relatively easy. (Though, be careful that you separate the phonies and fakes from the “true experts” — look for those who honestly practice what they preach and who can prove it!)
The biggest investment that you’ll need to make is your time…
If you’re interested in long-term, life-changing success, then a few extra days of reading and researching shouldn’t matter. It’s the success of your business that we’re talking about here, so don’t make the fatal mistake of thinking that you’re “wasting time.” Remember that what you learn today could be the technique or strategy that saves you not only wasted time and effort, but thousands of dollars in “could have been” profits.
It’s an extremely simple concept…
Guarantee Your Success By Modeling The Successful
1) What Should My Web Site Look Like?
Why spend thousands of dollars having a flashy site designed that’s loaded with theme music and spinning graphics? Some of the most successful web sites online today have extremely sleek, simple designs.
Of course, before I tell you to model proven successful web sites, I want you to be aware of “the catch”…
When researching web sites to model, the ones you should be paying closest attention to are your competitors’ and sites that have a profit model similar to your own (i.e. look for sites that make money in a similar way).
For example, if you sell cotton balls on your web site, you shouldn’t be modeling your site design after Amazon.com. First off, they sell books (among other things). You sell cotton balls. They offer a wide variety of titles and choices. You offer one product — cotton balls. Finally, let’s face it — their advertising budget is out of this world! If you’re a small or home-based business, you likely don’t have the same kind of luxury to experiment and make expensive mistakes.
So think practical — be realistic — and start looking for other sites that are successfully selling their cotton balls online (or one, similar product), and model your site after theirs. Your site doesn’t need to be the next Yahoo! or eBay for you to be earning a significant 6 figure income.
2) How Do I Write Sales Copy That Really Sells?
Writing sales copy that really sells takes practice — and education! I have yet to meet someone who just has a “natural gift” for writing award-winning copy without any education whatsoever.
Sure, some people might get “lucky” and stumble onto bits and pieces of the proven approach — but I can guarantee you that anyone who hasn’t studied the “art & science of sales copy” is missing key elements that could increase their sales by 400% – 1,200%. I’m not kidding here…
So rather than playing a “hit or miss” guessing game with your copy, I highly recommend looking for sales copy that makes YOU want to buy and studying it. After you’ve read enough quality copy, you’ll start to notice a distinct pattern that you can apply to your own writing.
3) How Do I Rank At The Top Of The Search Engines?
If you plan on ranking at the top of the search engines, then I can’t stress enough the importance of educating yourself. The search engines are a highly competitive arena where only those who have taken the time to “learn the rules” claim a top 10 spot.
Very rarely these days will you hear of someone “getting lucky” and just magically sliding into a top ranking.
So if you want a top 10 listing under your best keywords and phrases (i.e. you want your site to appear in the top 10 listings when someone searches the key phrase “cotton balls” in MSN, Yahoo!, Google, etc…), then you need to do two things…
a) Examine the web sites that already rank in the top 10 under your best keywords and phrases — and look for patterns.
b) Use the proven know-how of the search engine experts to learn the ropes. If you want a top ranking, then you’ll want the experience and advice of someone who makes it their mission to keep up with the constantly changing rules of each search engine and directory.
In fact, before you spend a lot of time examining the sites of your competition for clues as to why they are listed among the top 10, I recommend seeking out these search engine gurus. With their advice, you’ll be better prepared to critically examine your competitors’ web sites for clues that explain why they’re at the top of the ranks.
4) How Do I Drive Targeted Traffic To My Web Site?
If you want to increase the number of targeted potential customers who are arriving at your web site each day, then a listing in the search engines is a good start, but it’s also exactly that — a start.
Again, take some time to research your competition. How are they attracting their visitors? Do they have a lot of links on other sites? Do they have their own Affiliate Program? Do they participate heavily in newsgroups? Do they have an established viral marketing campaign?
Use the experience of your competition to your advantage by learning their secrets — and then tweaking and improving on their approach to do them one better!
Work Smarter — Not Harder — And See Bigger Rewards And Profits
Even now, I still scour the Web to see how others are creating their own success. I analyze my competition… I read everything that I can get my hands on… and I remain open to new ideas and new approaches.
Today, it’s relatively cheap and easy to get a solid education in what Internet marketing techniques work, which to avoid, and how to build guaranteed success the first time around! So why would you waste your valuable (and limited) time and money by stubbornly insisting on making mistakes that you could easily avoid with a little education?
Model the success of others and you’ll not only guarantee your success, you’ll achieve your goals in less time with less expense than you could on your own.
