| Running a web business is a lot of work. Common | | | | Your system should be able to: * Respond via email to |
| day-to-day tasks such as responding to customer | | | | customer or prospect requests. * Follow up with |
| questions & requests via email, adding and or deleting | | | | prospects via email. * Process your customer's orders |
| people from your opt-in email list, subscribing and | | | | online * Automatically market to existing customers |
| un-subscribing people from your newsletter, processing | | | | with follow up offers & products. * Keep track of |
| on-line orders, following up with new prospects or just | | | | "Who" purchased "What" and "When." * And even |
| doing data entry can literally start to take over your life. | | | | permit others to earn a commission by promoting your |
| And the more successful you become, the worse it | | | | product for you. Most of the software tools needed to |
| gets. Just getting through your daily routine takes more | | | | accomplish the basics are both easy to find on the |
| and more of your time everyday, until your entire | | | | web and inexpensive as well. Let's take a look at what |
| workweek is consumed by administrative chores! Well | | | | you'll need: Autoresponders: They work much like a |
| there is a simple solution to this very common problem. | | | | "Fax on demand" system. Your customer or |
| It's called... Automation! You see automation is the key | | | | prospects sends a blank email to your autoresponders |
| to success for any successful web based company in | | | | email address, and the system automatically replies |
| the world today. Take a look at When you buy | | | | with the requested information. Autoresponders are |
| something from them, you just click on the "Add to | | | | great for answering common questions, providing |
| cart" button to add your item to the shopping cart. To | | | | information about any subject and keeping in touch |
| check out, you fill in your name & payment info online | | | | with your clientele, or automatically offering back-end |
| and click "order now." Simple! In seconds, Amazon | | | | products on a timed delayed basis. Next you'll need a |
| thanks you for your purchase, sends you an email | | | | Merchant Account & Payment Gateway: A merchant |
| receipt and ships your order to you - automatically. | | | | account allows you to take credit card payments |
| The only time a real live person is involved is when | | | | securely over the web. Doing business on the web |
| they pack your order for shipment because everything | | | | without taking credit cards is the quickest way to |
| else is automated. Behind the scenes your customer | | | | failure. Yes, can take a few days to set this, but once |
| info, payment data & purchase history are instantly | | | | you do you can reasonable expect your sales to jump |
| added to the Amazon database, and your email | | | | by at least 30%. Finally, you'll need an Online Shopping |
| address is added to an automated mailing list timed to | | | | Cart: This is one of the most important components of |
| send you offers for special promotions via email at a | | | | your automation process. You have to make it easy |
| later date. This is the power of automation. In generic | | | | for customers to buy your product. Providing a secure |
| terms, web site automation is a simply a method or | | | | shopping cart will give your customers piece of mind |
| process whereby you enlist computers to automate | | | | and make them more comfortable spending their |
| and deal with the routine and time consuming tasks | | | | money at your site. When deciding in a shopping cart, |
| that you would normally have do by hand. Any | | | | make sure that the software contains its own internal |
| business can benefit dramatically from automation - | | | | database or that it can export data into an offline |
| even yours. Automating your web business can easily | | | | database program. It's even better if your shopping |
| increase your profits from 20%-50%. It will save you | | | | cart allows you to trigger your autoresponder account |
| money in payroll, help build your prospect list, put your | | | | as well for promoting other products you may offer. |
| lead generation on auto pilot and build rapport with | | | | Spending a week or two putting together a system to |
| customers and new prospects. Now you can see | | | | automate your online business will save you hundreds |
| why it's so important! But of course the most important | | | | of hours and thousands of dollars a year. Once you've |
| aspect of automating your business is that it will give | | | | got these tools in place, they'll work in concert to do all |
| you your life back. If you're working 80+ hours a week | | | | the "gunt work" you used to have to do my hand. |
| on your web business currently, you know what I'm | | | | Even if you're on the beach or asleep in bed, your |
| talking about. Putting together your own automation | | | | web site will still be hard at work making you money. |
| package doesn't have to be complicated if you | | | | Now you can spend more time with your family, break |
| choose the right tools. Just remember what your goals | | | | out of the 9-5 rat race forever. Be your own boss, set |
| are and what you want your system to accomplish. | | | | your own hours, work on your own terms or even go |
| Here are the basics for any online automation suite: | | | | traveling for a week - or a month! |