Holding a contest or sweepstakes can draw a lot of traffic to your Web site. You can announce your site to hundreds of Web sites that list free contests and sweepstakes. Send out a press releases about your contest or sweepstakes. Ask entrants to your contest or sweepstakes if they would accept offers from your business in the future by e-mail.
The prizes should be something your target audience would need or want. Try to be as original as possible with the prizes you are offering. Always offer more than one prize, a grand prize and runner-up prizes. Use your products or services to give away as prizes. Make sure your prizes have some value, nothing cheap. Give enough information about all the prizes, so people will be interested in entering.
Make it easy for people to enter your contest or sweeps- takes. I feel the easiest ways online are from an entry form on your Web site or by e-mail. Capture as much info. as you can when they enter your contest or sweepstakes like:
Company Name First/Last Name Street Address City, State, Zip Day/Evening Phone Number E-mail Address Web Site Address Purchasing History Survey Questions
Give your contest or sweepstakes a professional look and feel. Provide an “Official Rules” Web page for your contest or sweepstakes. Include a time period of how long your contest or sweepstakes will be held. Tell visitors how you will deliver the prizes. Include pictures of the prizes on your site. Tell visitors who will judge your contest. Check out other contests and sweepstakes Web sites to get more ideas.
1. How To Articles: they include detailed step by step
instructions. Examples: how to publish your e-zine,
how to promote your business, how to attract visitors
to your web site.
2. Tips: they are usually small pieces of information
about the size of a paragraph. Examples: tips on using
a product, tips on doing your taxes.
3. Top Lists: they are a group of tips listed in order,
usually numbered from first to last. Examples: top 7
ways to get to the top of search engines, top 10
ways to market your product.
4. News Articles: they can include news about your
industry or company information. Examples: joint
ventures, new product releases, special events,
overseas activity
5. Interview Articles: they could include interviews
from customers, employees and experts. Examples:
interview an employee that won an award, an expert
related to your industry, a satisfied customer, people profiles.
6. Publications: they include information that’s bundled
together to take with the person. Examples: e-books,
reports, software, auto responder information.
7. Business History Articles: they include information
about your business. Examples: years in business,
goals your business has accomplished, community
affairs, financial information.
8. Product Articles: they include information about
your product or services. Examples: new products,
improvements to existing products, new accessories.
9. Visual Content: they include visual helpers that help
explains, shows or supports an example. Examples:
charts, photos, graphics, graphs.
10. Entertaining Content: they include humorous and
off beat information. Examples: contests; quizzes,
trivia, puzzles, games, cartoons.
11. Excerpts: they include information used from other
resources for different purposes, but can also support
your business. Examples: journal articles, transcripts
of seminars, reprints, speeches, press releases.
12. Technology Content: they are new technologies
you can use to present your content. Examples: audio
clips, streaming video, MP3 files.
1. You’ll find out what type of content visitors want
to see at your web site. This will attract your visitors
to revisit and read the content.
2. You’ll find out how to improve existing products
or services. This will attract new customers to buy
from your business.
3. You’ll find out which products or services your
customers would like to see you sell in the future.
This will increase your back end product sales.
4. You’ll find out how to improve your customer
service. This will cut down on customer complaints
and how to better resolve problems.
5. You’ll find out how to improve your sales letters
or ads. This will increase your sales, traffic or ezine
subscribers.
6. You’ll find out what kind of articles or interviews
they want to see in your free e-zine. This will raise
your e-zine’s readership.
7. You’ll find out how to design your web site to fit
your visitors needs and wants. This will increase
the time your visitors spend on your web site.
8. You’ll find out what kind of non related products
or services your customers would buy. This will help
your business easily move into a different market.
9. You’ll find out how to better price your products.
This will help you sell your products or services at
at a price that will pull the most orders.
10. You’ll find out were your potential customers are
hanging out. This will inform you where to market
and promote your products.
So how do you eliminate your opposition without bloodshed? You must create a area of expertise for your business. A area of expertise is something that makes your business different from your opposition. To compete with other businesses nowadays (especially online) you need something that nobody else can copy. One of a kind!
Have you ever dreamed of being the best at a business? How can you set your business apart from the crowd?
First you must know: Who is your opposition? Is your business the only one of its type? I doubt it. If so, it won’t be for long. Do you know your exact target audience? If not, you will have to find out this information before creating any kind of area of expertise. Below are two ways to come up with a competition eliminating area of expertise.
1. Just Ask! The first way to come up with an area of expertise is to think like your target audience or customers. Know their exact needs, wants, goals, problems and interests. There’re two ways to do this: The first way is to think like them. The second way is to give them polls and surveys to find out what they’re thinking. Pick an area of expertise that none of your opposition are using. If you can’t find one that your opposition aren’t using pick one to improve.
2. Just Think! The second way to come up with a area of expertise is to use your brain power. Ask yourself questions like: How can I set myself apart from my competition? What could I offer that they can’t? Imagine or daydream that your business is on top of all your opposition. What area of expertise put your business at the top in your head? Now, if you keep asking these questions your mind will eventually start shooting out more ideas than you can handle. One of those ideas may be the area of expertise you’re searching for.
Now that you have your area of expertise, that’s just the start. You have to try it out. Does your idea attract your target audience? Can it bring people from your competition? If it does, you’re done, until your competition comes up with a better area of expertise. If your area of expertise doesn’t, than repeat the process above and test a new area of expertise until it works. If you want to eliminate your competition and be successful you will use this process several times in your business life.