Later in this article, I’ve mentioned what to look for, when going through the rigors of purchasing a home-based business opportunity online. So to begin with, here is your official Letterman-like countdown, of the top five ways you know you’ve been duped, after buying a home-based business opportunity online. So, here we go…You know you’ve been duped, when right after buying a home-based business opportunity online…#5- It turns out that the instructions you just received about your purchase, is the actual product they tell you to sell to your own list of “dupe-ees”…that you now have the most esteemed privilege of hand-picking.You know you’ve been duped, when right after buying a home-based business opportunity online…#4- You realize it only caters to an overwhelmingly unenthusiastic audience of one- you.You know you’ve been duped, when right after buying a home-based business opportunity online:#3- You find that the “purchase now” button is the shape of a little dude snickering, in preparation of the belly laugh he lets out, right at the moment you click it.You know you’ve been duped, when right after buying a home-based business opportunity online…#2- The first tutorial you click on activates a pop-up window that says, “Please click here to pay $19 for instructions in English”.You know you’ve been duped, when right after buying a home-based business opportunity online…#1- You find out it’s a front for the largest online fraud sting in the history of the internet- right at the exact moment you hear a bang on your door with someone yelling, “Open up, it’s the police”.I know these are tragic, if not humorous extremes, but how many times have you gone online and purchased something, only to find out it’s the furthest thing from what you expected? Well, welcome to the big wild world of the internet. Home of the million and one business opportunities- just waiting for your antsy little clicker finger and that handsome sixteen digit code that resides on that piece of plastic in your wallet.But wait. With a little awareness and what I’m about to give you, perhaps we can save you from falling prey to at least some of those unscrupulous offers, shady tactics, and the dreadful brain-lock that’s typically caused by dead-end deals.What you first need to know is that not all online business opportunities are bad, assuming that with each and every one, you’re going to get the five-finger frisk, the minute you step down off of your horse. That’s simply not true. But the more prepared you are in spotting the gopher holes in your garden of prosperity, the cleaner you can keep your sassy little spurs from getting tarnished in the long run.In another article I wrote, I addressed what I call the twelve qualifiers of a solid online home-based business opportunity. And that my friend, is a good read. But for this article, since the general human attention span is probably much less than the time you’ve given me already, I’m only cover the first three of those awesomely crafted opportunity qualifiers…leaving the other nine up to you and your due diligence. So here goes..Qualifier One: Cost. If it’s not palatable to your purse or wallet from the get-go, or if you don’t feel like you’re being “sold right”- making you feel uncomfortable when it comes time to come out of pocket with your cash…or if the method in which they continually try to bump-sell you with more and more products on every squeeze page becomes unbearable- just simply back away from the whole enchilada, period.Qualifier Two: Compatibility. When you buy it, you own it, characteristically speaking. So, picture what this online business opportunity or program might look like on you. That’s right. If you feel like it’s going to show a little too much skin and it going to make you feel too exposed and uncomfortable in the public eye, well…it’s not for you, babe. Or if it swallows you up whole and you think you’re going to lose your soul in the process of making a go at the darn thing, then lose it before it does you.Qualifier Three: Ease of Set-Up. If it seems like there’s something missing in the translation or the flow of the initial delivery or presentation, that could very well be the warning flare lighting up the field of possibilities that something could be amiss as well, in the delivery of the most important aspect of the launch: your step-by-step set-up instructions. Yep, the tutorials, videos, and PDF’s that are supposed to help you, when it comes to birthing this baby into toddlehood. Still, when a bad set-up is a bad set-up, there’s simply no amount of coddling that’s going to make your investment in a online opportunity worth your time.
A Simple Product Creation and Product Launching Formula
If you tried to think of people involved in product creation, who would come to mind? You may think of Edison, Franklin, or maybe Henry Ford. Would you ever think of yourself as someone who can create a quality product? Product creation is actually relatively easy and product launching is not that tough either! If you follow a few easy to understand steps, you could be starting the product creation and product launching process sooner than you think.
The first step in creating your information product is to know and understand your market. This can be very time-consuming, especially if you are unsure of what to do or where to look to know your market. Studying your niche market and understanding the buzz words and buying patterns can ease the process dramatically. Personally, I would recommend networking with someone who has had success in the niche market you are considering and learn from their results. If they are into product creation and not very business savvy expect some hesitation. If they only sell products and have nothing to do with product launching or product creation you may your first affiliate (sales person)! Something else you can use to find hot trends is with the Google Trends tool.
The second step is the product creation process. Take your niche market and brainstorm ideas and topics relating to it. There are a lot of product launching contests going on recently relating to a newly created internet marketing tool. There are so many aspects to the mentioned niche that literally, and unfortunately, anything can be considered an Internet Marketing tool. The reason that anyone can basically create an Internet Marketing tool is because of something called Private Label Rights products.
What I use private label rights products for, and highly recommend them in this specific manner, is to cure writer’s block especially when it is lingering. Many people base their entire product creation and product launching on a private label rights product. This is where you can start to shine and build a strong brand for yourself. If you set goals for yourself, short-term goals to be exact, you can see your product creation come into being much faster and there is a good chance with less revision needed. If you keep hitting time restraint road blocks; however there is nothing wrong with a slow and steady approach, you can consider outsourcing portions of your project. Outsourcing can be an extremely huge benefit or just as great of a disaster.
You can find someone to outsource work to at a freelance site such as Guru.com or eLance.com. When reviewing proposals it is almost mandatory you perform a background check on them as you are in essence hiring them. Doing a background check on freelancers is as easy as asking for samples of their work and reviewing feedback on the freelance site from previous customers. Depending on the size and requirements of your project this can add up to a decent sized investment, so caution is very important. One tip I always recommend to people looking to hire an individual is to ask them what they can provide you that no one else can. This simple question gives them a chance to “toot their own horn” and acknowledge where they feel most competent as far as their skill set.
The final portion of the product creation and product launching formula is the launch. This can literally make or break the effort, time, and maybe (if you invested) money you put in to your project. There are numerous aspects to product launching and although their relevance is debated in terms to their effect, experts agree all must be followed. The person in your field who you asked for product advice from can help you substantially if you have kept in touch. If not, the first thing you need to do is to create a visually appealing website with flawless design work.
I also mentioned outsourcing before, this is one aspect of product launching I have little strength in and I always outsource this portion. The website does not have to be large however the content (ad copy in Internet Marketing) must be stellar and as perfect as possible. This is where advertising knowledge or experience is beneficial. When the site is set up you now put a lead capture form on your website.
I put two lead capture pages on all products I create on the internet and is one of the best methods of getting a solid start when you are in the product launching stage. When you gain information from a prospect or someone looking to get paid for referring sales you are able to provide them updates or specials. Many people abuse their prospect or affiliate lists by in turn emailing them with a new product daily and I find the recommendations to be totally unrelated to their original need, problem, or interest.
Another stage in the product launching stage is creating a free report or demo version of your product to entice the product to sign up to your email list. Using proper follow up with this can help generate numerous sales for you. One thing you need to ensure is that your free product completely relates to your main product that you are looking to sell.
You are now ready to advertise your product launching to customers as well as the opportunity to sell for affiliates. This is the single aspect that many product creations and launches fail on. It is actually not entirely difficult. One thing you can do is write articles (and a good amount of them) on topics relating to your product. I am a huge advocate of giving a solution in forums. When you join a forum you are normally offered the opportunity to create a signature. In your signature, you should enter the link to your opt-in or lead capture page. When you respond to posts, you are advertising your opportunity.
It is not impossible to create a product and it does not have to take a long time. You need to setup a plan and stick to it. If you get stuck, look at similar and successful products to your own and try and see how they did it. When you sit down and brainstorm you will be surprised with what you can imagine.
How to Find the Most Legitimate Home Based Businesses
Most people in search of the most legitimate home based businesses are often confronted with the ever present danger of a fraudster collecting their cash and getting out of town. What further complicates the problem is that there is a very fine line between the real thing and the fake thing. In this article, we look at how you can find some profitable and legitimate home based businesses that will create a dependable income.Your first plan of attack when looking for a legitimate home based business is to begin by eliminating all so-called “turnkey” opportunities that require money upfront for you to get started. What these folks normally do is to provide you with a website and products only to find that their money making system has been sold to thousands of other unsuspecting people like you.Such “opportunities” that are pitched as legitimate home based businesses are heavily penalized by the search engines and will never rank for any keyword as they carry duplicate content. This leaves your business out in the cold with no possibility of ever making money. Infact, you will be hard pressed to find someone who has made money from these turnkey projects.So, how exactly do you go about looking for a credible business that will make you money?While there is no science to it, there are a few guidelines that will give you the upper edge. To begin with, the most legitimate home based businesses have lots of positive reviews spread throughout the net. The best reviews are from ordinary individuals who have taken advantage of the opportunity and found it to be something of value in their lives.Interestingly, you are most likely to also come across complaints when researching an opportunity. You need to exercise judgment and weigh the positive evaluations against the negative ones in order to come to a proper assessment.Another powerful method for finding a legitimate business is to conduct research at websites that specialize on the subject of home based businesses. These are content sites that are maintained by independent professional editors whose recommendations carry a very high level of trust. They are most likely to make recommendations that will damage their reputation.Additionally, the most legitimate home based businesses are backed by solid demand for the products or services being offered. Where no demand exists, there is really no business to talk about. You will soon realize that most of the scams that are being marketed as legitimate businesses are packaged as convincing offers, yet, a closer analysis of the market clearly shows a lack of demand.You should not be drawn by attractive packaging and sales copy. You should infact be looking at an in-demand product or service that is priced competitively if you want to achieve any real success.As you can see, finding a home based business to promote is like finding a needle that has fallen into thick grass. The process is characterized by much research to identify the gold hidden beneath the rubble. The above guidelines will definitely get you started in the right direction.