Saturday, December 8, 2007

Automating Your New Internet Business

If you are planning on starting a new internet business, there are three tools you will want to use to automate it:

1) Autoresponder
2) Digital product delivery software or service
3) Payment Processor

These tools can save you time and money in the long run, and also help you make more sales. Let’s look at these three tools in more detail:

1) Autoresponder. An autoresponder allows your visitors to sign up, or "subscribe", to your ezine; or "unsubscribe" if they wish by clicking on a link in your email. Everything is automated.

Here is an example of how an autoresponder automates your new internet business: A visitor comes to your website and is greeted by a "pop up" offering them a free 7-day ecourse. They then enter their name and email address. Within seconds your autoresponder sends them a confirmation email, asking them to please confirm that they subscribed before sending them the first installment of the 7-day ecourse. This is known as "double opt-in" meaning the subscriber must confirm twice that they want to receive your emails - once when they sign up and once when they receive your confirmation email. This feature is important because it can help prevent, or at least reduce, any SPAM complaints.

2) Digital product delivery software or service. If your new internet business is selling an ebook, or other digital information product, you will want to use a digital product delivery service or delivery software package. Why? Because it automates the delivery process, and also protects your download link.

If you use a digital product delivery service or software package for your new internet business, here is a typical example of how it would work: Your customer clicks on your order button, and then enters their payment information. Once the payment is processed the service or software re-directs them to your download link. The customer would then download their ebook.

Most digital product delivery services and software packages will "mask" your download link so the customer cannot share it with friends or post it on forum - which would allow others to download your ebook without paying for it.

3) Payment processor. If you want your new internet business to be able to accept credit cards or other forms of payments such as checks, you will need a payment processor. Setting up a merchant account and shopping cart for your new internet business can run a few hundred dollars.

However, if you use a third party payment processor the cost to get up and running can be as little as $50 or even free. You are then charged per transaction. Typically there is a small flat fee, plus a percentage of the total dollar amount of the sale. To find a third party payment processor, simply type that term into your search engine and start comparison shopping the various choices.

You now know three ways to automate your new internet business. However, keep in mind that there are a lot of services and software packages out there to choose from. So a good place to start is by comparison shopping the various options available in each of the three categories we discussed. You will want to consider ease of use, price, features, customer support and reliability, among other factors.

Choosing the right services or software packages to automate your new internet business can save you both time and money in the long run – and can potentially increase your sales!

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