| If you own a gift basket business, want to start one | | | | AdSense? Will you offer a newsletter? Will you be |
| or add one to an existing related business, consider | | | | selling other physical products besides your gift |
| taking your products and gift basket business online. | | | | baskets? Or maybe you only want a site to market |
| You'll need to plan ahead and know how you're going | | | | a digital product like an ebook about gift baskets? |
| to market it first. Anyone can set up a website but | | | | Plan to submit gift basket-related articles using an |
| no one will know it's there until you drive traffic to it. | | | | article distribution service and press releases using |
| So you'll need to learn a few Internet marketing tips, | | | | press distribution software. You'll get sought-after |
| tricks and techniques. I've outlined some of my most | | | | inbound links through the reprinting of your articles |
| important gift basket business tips in the following list: | | | | and press releases. Also sign up for a good link |
| 1. Learn copywriting tricks to help you write your | | | | service. |
| website pages. Write like you talk, use contractions, | | | | 6. Choose the right affiliates if you plan to include |
| short sentences, and learn the rules for title | | | | affiliate marketing. Make sure the affiliates fit with |
| capitalization. Articles (like 'a', 'an', etc.) and connector | | | | your gift basket theme. Don't add totally unrelated |
| words are not capitalized unless they're the first | | | | banners. |
| word in a sentence. Prepositions are not capitalized if | | | | 7. Learn how to use eBay in your marketing plan for |
| they have four letters or less. Check on the Internet | | | | an extra boost in sales and exposure. Use the "About |
| and keep a stylebook or grammar book handy. | | | | Me" page to hype your website. |
| 2. Choose the easiest website builder available. Text | | | | 8. Learn html code -- optional but I highly recommend |
| (WYSIWYG -'what you see is what you get') editor | | | | it. Use a simple free tutorial offered on the Internet. |
| or html editor? A text editor for website building is | | | | You don't have to write code unless you want to. |
| best. You don't need to use an html editor like | | | | It's not necessary with the text editors out there |
| Frontpage or Dreamweaver to put up a great | | | | that do the work for you. You could spend hours |
| website! And many report they're difficult to use. | | | | writing html. Why do that? You can learn the basics |
| You want a website builder with an easy interface. | | | | in a day or so. You don't have to learn the advanced |
| Plan to be your own Webmaster rather than farming | | | | code. Even if you only take two or three lessons |
| out work to Webmasters or programmers. Expenses | | | | you'll be way ahead of the game. |
| can add up fast and you may need to make changes | | | | 9. Learn how to write a free newsletter to boost |
| several times a week. Initially it'll take some time and | | | | your online presence. Take dozens of other free |
| devotion to learn how to do it, but you'll have that | | | | newsletters in various fields of interest and study |
| knowledge forever. You can build even more | | | | style and techniques. Offer your free newsletter in |
| websites and get paid for consulting too. | | | | the beginning when you first publish your site to start |
| 3. Choose a good Web host. Make sure the host | | | | collecting subscribers. Don't wait until later. |
| offers unlimited amounts of email addresses and lots | | | | 10. Choose an autoresponder service to handle your |
| of bandwidth or data transfer. Call or email support | | | | newsletter database, send out newsletter inquiry |
| to see how fast they respond. If your website ever | | | | responses and free reports you're offering. This is a |
| goes down in a high traffic period you'll want to be | | | | must if you plan to have a newsletter. It's the best |
| able to get in touch with them fast. There are | | | | way to handle your subscribers, send out |
| hundreds of Web hosts. Read what several Web | | | | confirmations, and get your newsletter out, etc. It |
| host reviewers report before you decide. They're | | | | usually costs about $20 per month. |
| usually pitching an affiliate Web host or two and may | | | | Make sure to back-up everything. Back up your |
| not be objective. Look for complaints on the search | | | | website files daily, if you make any changes. I know |
| engines about specific hosts you're researching. Sign | | | | this is basic. Make copies of your site to CDs often. |
| up for monthly service rather than annual service so | | | | Put website copies on another computer hard drive. |
| you can evaluate further if necessary. | | | | Network two computers if possible. Anything can |
| 4. Choose the right primary and secondary keywords | | | | happen to your hard drive. A surge, lightning, age, |
| for your site. Do your research BEFORE you publish. | | | | drive defect, etc., can damage your hard drive in an |
| The competition will be high for common words and | | | | instant. |
| you'll likely not end up on the first page. There are | | | | These are just a few of the gift basket business tips |
| several free keyword tools available. In the search | | | | you can use to get your online gift basket business |
| engines type in gift basket-related words in quotes | | | | up and running. It takes research and hard work but |
| to see what the competition is using. How many | | | | it'll be well worth the effort in an increased customer |
| pages come up? How many visitors for that | | | | base and a big boost in income. |
| keyword or keyword phrase? Right click on 'view | | | | When you do get your gift basket website up, if you |
| source' to see the keywords in html. Look for | | | | plan it right, it can mean lifetime income. With weekly |
| keywords in the website and ad headlines and | | | | maintenance-- adding rich content, more pages, |
| descriptions. | | | | affiliates, products and specialty baskets, and daily |
| 5. Write your marketing plan BEFORE you start | | | | good marketing, you'll get a big boost in your gift |
| buying any equipment or software, or building your | | | | basket business income. Millions go online typing in gift |
| website. You'll need to know HOW you're going to | | | | basket-related inquiries daily. I hope you find these |
| market your site BEFORE you start building it. Will | | | | gift basket business tips useful. Happy Internet |
| you be adding affiliates to your site? Google | | | | marketing! |