Cheap and Free ways to get traffic to your Etsy Website

Etsy is an eCommerce site that specializes in helping artists of different fields, reach out to customers and sell their products. Etsy is not a setup and go kind of eCommerce store instead it requires you to put a lot of initial work to help your store rank better. This means generating traffic and optimizing your store so that Google and other search engines rank your store higher and in return increase your profits. By utilizing the following steps, you will slowly increase your ranking and drive more traffic to your store.

1. Optimize Your  Etsy Store for Search Engines

Hover over your Etsy store name and you will see a link called "Info & Appearance". In here, fill out all the information asked, especially "shop title" section. Include keywords related to your store or the product your selling in all fields. Keep your character count under 160 for your store title otherwise Google and other search engines will cut out your description when displayed.

2. Blog about your Etsy crafts 

Nothing gets indexed faster and is easier to use like a blog. Sign up for a free blog account either with Blogger or WordPress and blog away about your products. Remember to always post a link that points back to your Etsy store. This is a quick and easy way to get traffic and increase sales.

3. Tweet or Facebook  your Etsy sales 

If you don't have a twitter account, I would advise you to create one. This is another method of getting your followers to see what is new in your store and exactly what you're selling. If your twitter account doesn't have many followers, try using services such as "fiverr". Fiverr is a cool way of paying someone five bucks to almost do anything for you. Search for someone with many twitter followers and use their service to post a link to your site. 

4. Write an Article about what you are selling on Etsy 

Spend an hour or two creating a unique, well constructed article talking about your products and post it to high PR article sites such as Ezinearticles or Articlebase. When writing, remember to keep your article at a minimum 600 words otherwise it won't get accepted. Also add links at the end of your work pointing back to your Etsy store.

5. Create How too Videos and Upload to YouTube

Another easier way of getting massive traffic to your store, is by using your skills and creating how to videos. YouTube is a gateway to millions of visitors a day looking for something in line with their interests or needs. Use programs such as Camtasia to create your videos and directly upload them to YouTube or any other popular video media site. Again don't forget to add a link in your description.

6. Outsource Services

If you're not an internet guru like many people out there don't give up. You can always outsource your projects to professionals and get everything done at an affordable rate. I recommend using "Elance , which is amazingly cheap and all you do is submit your request and qualified professionals bid on your project and in the end, you chose who to reward the project. Benefit of this method, is that you can set your budget and bidders are forced to give you quotes within that budget range.

There is no particular order in completing these steps, instead try and focus on completing each one correctly. In the end, all I can tell you is that by following these steps, you have a great chance of seeing your website/store rank higher in the search engines plus drive massive amount of traffic directly to your store. Good luck.

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How to sell your crafts at craft shows

Do your research.

 Not all craft shows are created equally so you want to make sure you ask around to get suggestions from other vendors and inquire with the organizer of the craft show. Some questions you may want to ask are:

• Is this an annual craft show and if so, what's the traffic generally like? It's always nice to know that a craft show has a proven track record, there's less risk for you this way.


• Is this a juried event? Although these can be more difficult to get into, they work in your favor and they generally only accept one or two vendors in each category. This means you wont be competing with multiple vendors selling the same items as you. If it isn't a juried event, make sure you ask them the other type of vendors are participating, look for a good variety.


• How do you advertise the event? If they don't have a good answer for you, you may want to consider choosing a different craft show. A lot of effort goes into creating a successful event so you should make sure they've set up social media accounts for the craft show and have plans to either advertise it or get some media coverage.


• How much is a table? Craft shows can cost anywhere from $25 to $500 and up for the bigger shows. Consider the price of your items and how many you'll need to sell to cover the cost for the show and make a profit. If a table or booth is out of your price range but you really want to participate in the event, ask if they offer half tables or booths that you could share with another vendor.

Make sure you're prepared. Once you've chosen a craft sale to be a part of, you'll want to leave yourself enough time to get ready for it. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Start with your end goal and work backwards. How much money would you like to make at the craft show to cover your costs and make a nice profit? Once you have that number, figure out how many of your products you would need to sell to reach that goal and then get started.


• If this is your first craft show, you'll need to consider how you're going to display your products. You'll have limited space so you'll need to get creative when thinking of ways to optimize it.


• Make sure you ask what's included with your space. You may be responsible for bringing things such as a tablecloth and chairs.


• Leave enough time to tag and price all your products, create signage for your table and pack them up for transportation. You want to make it easy for people to shop your table and recognize who you are.


• Make sure you have all the necessities; bags, business cards, cash to make change, food, water, something to keep track of your sales and an emergency kit to make any last minute fixes.

Enjoy the day and try to find some time to walk around and meet some of the other vendors either before or after the show.

Erin is the founder of Made Urban http://www.madeurban.com/ an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade goods locally.

Using fundraising to build your Direct Sales Party Plan Business

Holding a fundraiser as a direct sales distributor is an excellent way to find new customers and possibly even a new distributor.

Fundraisers are a win-win for both sides. The group or organization raises funds and you find folks who like, use and buy your products.

It is always my suggestion that you start with small, local organizations. You'll find more support, have a way to work one-on-one with the group and you'll begin to build a local client base.

If you have business cards, add the phrase "Fundraising Expert" or "Ask Me About Fundraisers" alongside your name and phone number. This lets anyone holding your card know that they can raise funds through you.

Prepare a packet to give to potential groups , schools and organizations. Your packet should contain an introduction letter, an earnings sample chart, a catalog, a business card and any flyers you plan on giving to the fundraising participants. For example, I give the following letter to all participants to show to those who might make a purchase:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for considering a purchase with Tupperware products. The money we raise from this fundraiser will be used to _______________________. Our goal is to raise $______. We hope to make this purchase by ___________.

I fill in the blanks based on information I collect from the group and then on each catalog I staple a copy of this form.

As you begin hosting fundraisers, collect testimonials from the groups. Include copies of these testimonials in the packet you prepare. If you personally have never done a fundraiser, ask your upline if he/she has a testimonial they can provide to you that shares the company experience. It's always wonderful to read that another organization was pleased with the company products and service.

If your company does not offer a fundraising program, create your own. If you earn 30% commission on sales, consider giving the group 20% for their fundraising efforts. This allows 10% of the sales commission to be used to purchase the supplies you'll provide the group. Remember this is not a moneymaker for you, but rather a moneymaker for the group and a way for you to find new customers.

At the close of the fundraiser, prepare a thank you form that will go into each order. Your thank you should be very simple and say "Thank you for your product purchase. If you have any questions or comments about the products you can reach me at ________. If you would like to make an additional purchase or receive information about selling ____ I would be happy to help you" Then sign your name.

If you are having the orders direct shipped to the organization or to the individual customers, consider sending out a personal thank you via postal mail.

Begin marketing fundraisers and watch your sales increase and your team grow.

Audrey Okaneko has been in direct sales since 1983. and you can check her out  Become a Tupperware Consultant

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Party Plan Success Secrets: The Alternative to Cold Calling

Don't do what you don't want to do is number one on Party Plan Success Secrets List!

Why is it that prospecting just doesn't work like it used to? I remember when the Avon lady used to ring my bell, and I enjoyed answering the door and talking with her.

Those were the days where people had time. But these days people are holding at least one full time job and maybe more (if they're lucky), and those who are at home are in no place to be spending money!

Does cold calling work these days?

Maybe a little. But definitely not worth your time when you compare to the alternative to cold calling: the party plan success secrets of online marketing.

The problem with cold calling is that nobody answers their phone anymore. We all have cell phones and caller ID. Do you answer your phone if the caller is "unknown"?

And today's preferred alternative to cold calling online marketing...

Why? Because of Rule Number One!

Rule Number One of the Party Plan Success Secrets: You can't do what you don't like to do.

Because you just won't keep doing it. No matter now diligent you think you are, sooner or later you'll lose that passion that you need to keep the momentum. And, multilevel marketing has to do with looking "attractive" so people will want to buy from you.

Appearing Attractive is the Second Rule of  Party Plan Success Secrets... You must appear attractive enough for people to want to follow you...

Are you more inclined to buy from that attractive girl online where you inquired for information and she was nice enough to call you back, or some random guy calling you at dinner hour or when you're on your way out the door to work?

Granted, multilevel marketing is a people business, and people tend to buy and come aboard with people who they know, like and trust. However, most of us are finding our friends online these days... and some of us even find out spouses online!

And why is it that not doing what you don't like to do number one of all Party Plan  success secrets? Because the whole idea behind network marketing is to get people to want to join your business. What do you think people will want to do once they find out that the way you make your money is by spending all day on the phone (assuming you don't like it)?

Is that attractive? NO!!

Rule Number 3 of the Party Plan  success secrets is to have a system in place where it becomes easy for people to follow you...

When you can show people how to market through autopilot, you've conquered the third of the Party Plan  success secrets!

People really are secretly begging to be led. If you ask me, I would be far more likely to join someone in their business if they showed me how to market online as compared with "we'll help you sell that $2200 worth of product after you purchase it".

And just how do they do that? "Make a list of 100 people you know, and ask them who they know... yada yada yada". That's where I'd say, "I don't want to join a business to become a telemarketer".

So if you're convinced that you do want to take your business online to achieve the ultimate MLM success... That leads us to the most important of all MLM Success secrets...

How in the heck do you do it?

Here are my 3 easy MLM success secrets for online marketing...

1. Begin with a blog.

While  marketing has to do with getting people one on one to like and trust you, your personal blog is the "internet you". Once people start following you and reading about what you have to say and pay close attention to the videos you embed in your blog, they feel they know you. Then, when that magic time comes when they call you to find out more about your opportunity, they do feel like they know and like you!

2. Market your blog.

All that blog posting is just a waste of time unless someone is out there reading what you have to say! There are different ways and strategies of doing this. You'll want to check out my blog post about the blogging for traffic for more information about this.

3. Use an auto-responder to keep in touch with your leads.

Constant Contact email  makes it easy and affordable to build strong relationships with your customers. Try our FREE 60-Day Trial.

Keeping in touch with your leads on autopilot is a cool party plan  success secret!

Most people need to be approached, on average, seven times before they choose to purchase something or join a business. Seven times? OMG! Who on earth would ever do that? No wonder the drop off rate with party plan  is so high!

An email auto-responding system will get in touch with your leads with the emails that you create yourself so your leads will get a response immediately (while they're hot)!

I also advocate email broadcasts on a regular basis providing real value to your lead. Prove to them that you're their friend who wants to help. Reveal proof of your personal accomplishments and tell about the system you have put in place to make their life easier.

Bottom line, everyone wants to make money. And, nobody wants to work hard. When you can present a system that will reveal how you can make money with little effort, the battle is pretty much won, and you're on your way to making that new friend/customer!

If you're looking for an easy way to promote your business online with a front end eye catcher with built in sales pages, you're in the right spot. Simply click the following link to access a proven system for MLM success secrets for online marketing. A system that not only trains you how to market online but pays 100% commissions to help you fund your business is a no-brainer!

How Much Money Can You Make Selling Avon Cosmetics?

If you are looking for a great home based business opportunity and think that the world of beauty and cosmetics might be the answer you are looking for then you can't go past the world leader in cosmetic direct sales - Avon.

You probably have even used one or two of their products already and so know how universally loved many of their range is - from the popular bubble bath, the iconic Skin So Soft Bath Oil and now the innovative Anew range of skin creams.  

But is it a good opportunity for you? I mean what you really want to know is how much money can you make selling Avon, am I right? Well that's good because I'm here to tell you exactly how much.

Well, except I can't really, tell you EXACTLY, because everyone is different. You could make $1000 a year, or a month or even a week. Or you could even make nothing at all. It's really all about the effort that you put into it - like everything.

But I can tell you that the commission generally ranges from 20% to 50% depending on your personal sales level. And of course you can increase the amount of money that you earn also by building a team of representatives under you that you will earn a small commission from their sales as well (up to 12% in fact).

There are also lots of different performance bonuses from holidays, cars and even big cash payments - although you need to be doing exceptionally well to get those, but it's nice to know that it's possible. Even the big earning representatives at Avon had to start right at the beginning just like everyone else.

At the very low end, you could just sell to friends and family and make enough to keep you stocked in all your favourite Avon products. Or you could decide to make it a really home business and actively seek out customers who are willing to place orders with your directly, or from your representative website online.

Now that Avon has gone online, it's a much easier way to get people to buy from you, all you need to do is give them your web address and Avon will handle the order and shipping for you. Of course you still need to do the groundwork to find the customers so that they know your website address - but having a website makes things a lot easier and frees up a lot of the time spent packing orders and delivering them yourself - time that you could spend finding more customers and making more money for yourself.

So whether you want to build a huge Avon empire by building your Avon downline, or just want to sell to your friends and family (or even just buy for yourself) it's possible with Avon.

You can find some great tips and ideas for building your Avon business at: http://www.avon-selling-secrets.com/

How to use Facebook in your Home Direct Sales Business

Are you using Facebook to help you market your  home party direct sales business? If so, you are missing the a huge part of marketing your business. 

 Get a Facebook vanity URL so that users can easily find you. A vanity URL can be the name of your business, a product, etc.  For example if you are selling Avon  make your page  Mary Smith Avon Rep  or you want to target an area do Mary Smith Avon Rep for Atlanta 

Post business updates to your wall that focus on the business activities. If you are having  party or a 

Add your Facebook URL to your signature line for email, marketing campaigns, and other social media outlets so that prospects are able to find you.

 Combine Facebook with some of the other social medial tools such as LinkedIn or Twitter. For example, someone asks you a question on Twitter, then post your answer to your blog and link that to your Facebook page. You see how you can bring things round circle and create cohesion.

Post a picture of your product brand or a professional photo of yourself. It's always great to use a logo whenever possible.

 Use your page to grow your branding. Add basic information to the page including links to your company website, information about the company, a mission statement, a newsletter subscription, etc.

 Make sure you update your Facebook page regularly with helpful information, answers to questions, promotions being offered, etc. Remember the more you can engage your fan the more times they will visit, and the more people they will share the page with.  You should update your atleast daily.   Highlight a new product coming out, a shout out to new .

If you are a pampered chef rep, you can ask engaging questions like  My favorite fall dish to make is __________ (fill in the blank). Click here for our Easy Pasta Carbonara recipe: 

 Use Facebook search feature to find other fan pages related to your industry, business, career, or location and then network with these pages.

 Use Facebook ads to bring people to your page. Pages that are interactive and offer the individual value with have no problem turning visitors into fans. Remember those fans can share with their friends and those friends can share with their friends. You can see how you can quickly grow your page.

If you want to generate some new leads make sure you create a call to action. You can optimize your page using lead generation. Did you know that links that are shared in Facebook actually have a high impact on search engine results page rankings?

The about area immediately underneath your cover image and profile picture is one of the most important elements on your page. It’s the only space near the top where you can actually include a clickable and direct link back to your site (you aren’t even allowed to write out a link in your cover image), but it’s even more important because most people will land on your wall first, so this becomes your visible elevator pitch.

Take advantage of things like polls. Post a question and then choose 'add poll options.' You can use polls to acquire feedback from fans on page content, products, wall posts - really your possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Polls can increase participation while at the same time providing you with valuable information.

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the Facebook official blog, where you will find all the announcements for new features. You can give yourself a head start by finding out about these features before others do. After all, it's a game of strategy so stay ahead of your competition.

Facebook for business isn't a secret anymore. However, not everyone has learned how to maximize the value of the Facebook page to grow their business. Start with these ten tips on how to use Facebook for business and you will be well on your way to learning the true power of Facebook and business.

How to Build Your Home Party Business to 6 Figures in Just 15 Hours Per Week

Susie Nelson built, and maintained, one of the top organizations in her home party sales company and became its second Independent National Sales Manager (a level that was only reached by six consultants in the history of the U.S. company).

From the day she made the decision and commitment to build her business and organization to the top level in her company, and to create a six-figure residual annual income, Susie focused her efforts, developed and implemented a strategic plan, and created systems to build her business quickly.

She is now sharing her ideas in her new  ebook.  I Did It, and You Can, Too! How to Build Your Home Party Business to Six Figures in Just 15 Hours Per Week

Here is what some are saying 

I have been selling candles 12 years and recently I came across Susie Nelson's as a DS trainer. I have found her instruction credible to a successful DS business. This book does not make it complicated to work your business in 15 hours a week and if you follow her simple plan, there should not be a reason for lack of business. This book is basic, easy to read and simple to follow, especially for a new or seasoned Direct Seller. She teaches you to step back to the basics and not make it a science project, which many of us tend to do the longer we sell. As a more laid back personality, I did not find her approach to be an "in your face" or "do it my way" leader. She seems to be able to fit into the mix of personalities that everyone would be able to approach without offending. I would highly recommend her book to anyone who is considering a party plan or currently direct seller.