Are you wasting your precious small business marketing resources and robbing your business of it's best chance for survival and prosperity? Are you guilty of the following small business marketing mistakes?

1. Not utilizing small business marketing research.

2. Not identifying the people most inclined to buy your products or services.

3. Failing to create a small business marketing plan to guide your business.

Small Business Marketing Mistake 1: Failing To Conduct Small Business Marketing Research.

Some small business owners think they can't afford to research their target market, competition and product development. But if you desire to be successful, you can't afford not to.

Without the information acquired from research, small business marketing is built on incomplete and inaccurate information. This dooms marketing efforts from the beginning.

If you fail to do this research, your marketing plan will lack focus because you won't have a clear marketing goal, won't know how to select the best marketing objectives to reach that goal, and won't know the best appeals for your target market.

Every penny that you spend on good research is money well spent. This is particularly true for research to determine your best potential customers, and the best way to market to them. Failing to acquire this information is the second major way that you, as a small business owner, may be wasting marketing resources.

Small Business Marketing Mistake 2: Failing To Target Your Best Potential Customers.

If you don't want to waste your marketing resources, you need to pick a target market and direct all your marketing to them. Otherwise, you market to everybody and don't sell much to anybody.

No matter what you think, everybody will not want or need what you sell. Marketing to those who won't ever buy from you just wastes your limited small business marketing resources. Instead you should spend all your marketing resources reaching the people who comprise your best potential market.

What you spend upfront to gather information on your target market, will more than return your investment in increased sales. Plus, it will save you from wasting your marketing resources on strategies and tactics that don't work effectively with your target market members.

With target market research, you'll also be able to:

focus on your best potential customers,

gather vital information about this target market, and

plan at least seven marketing efforts that you will deliver each year to your target market.

Target market research provides small business owners with information about:

the members of your target market,

the media to use to distribute your marketing messages,

their information needs and effective appeals to include in marketing messages,

how much spending power they have and what price they will pay.

Including this information in a small business marketing plan, will greatly improve return on marketing investments.

Small Business Marketing Mistake 3: Failing To Create And Follow A Small Business Marketing Plan.

This third mistake results from the first two. Without the proper research, you can't have a good marketing plan. And without a good marketing plan, you will more easily fall for sales pitches.

If you think that the only reason to have a marketing plan is because lenders want to see one in your business plan, then you are missing a valuable guide for your business and marketing.

If you haven't decided what marketing tactics and strategies are needed to reach your marketing goals, you are more likely to be persuaded by sales people to pursue tactics that are less effective and often just waste your marketing resources.

In order to keep your marketing efforts on track, you must have a marketing destination. You must know what it will take to get to your marketing goal, or you risk contributing to sales people's sales goals more than your own business and marketing goals.

Don't waste your small business marketing resources just because a sales person has a "great" promotion on media advertisements. If the advertisements don't reach your target market, the promotion is not great for your business.

The same is true for sales people who offer marketing products and services. If you don't have a marketing or business plan, you will fail to recognize when these are inappropriate for your target market. When you buy products and services that don't advance your business toward your marketing goals, you waste resources and sacrifice the opportunity to use those resources on tactics that would reach your goals.

People who read my blog often have questions on testing. "How can I start tracking and testing my copy? I know I need to split-test and track my sales copy, but where do I begin?"

"What is Taguchi testing? Do I need to use it? What about multi-variant testing?" It really is a complex subject!

Well, here's some good news: split-testing is easier than it sounds. It's a simple, yet effective, technique to increase conversions and gain new clients.

Today's resource is for all of you who want an easy way to split-test your copy. By using the Website Optimizer, you can easily test your writing. No, I'm not making bunches of money by recommending it - you can't buy this software! But you can have it free, and it's all courtesy of my all-time favorite site, Google.

This software is fantastic! It is very sophisticated. It performs like software you would expect to pay thousands of dollars for. It not only does simple split-testing, but it does simple multi-variant testing (if you can believe there is such a thing, and there is).

You can test everything - multiple headlines, sub-heads, copy, background, and graphic elements - all at once. And with statistically-reliable testing, you know that your results will be accurate.

Google has great tutorials right on their website to teach you how to use it, so I won't spend a lot of time explaining that.

If you want to start testing, here's an easy way to begin. You will need an hour or less to get started:

Get a Google account. (use the link in this article).

Start your first test. Simply follow the easy step-by-step instructions for Website Optimizer.

Begin your test. With one click, the Website Optimizer starts your test. Google will decipher which version of your copy, which headlines and subheads, will convert the most sales. Just sit back and let your computer do all the work!

It couldn't be easier, and you sure can't beat the price!

Are you ready to start split-testing your sales letters and converting more sales? Download the Website Optimizer today, and start split-testing right away!

Leather is a byproduct manufacturered by tanning hides and skins of cows and other animals. The tanning process converts the leather into a durable material. Leather is a large industry with a very long history dating back to pre-history. Its used in the accessories industry, for example to produce leather portfolios. In the leather industry the materials are byproducts of the beef industry. Taxidermy also uses hides, but only the head and part of the back are used. Hides are used in glue and gelatin as well as forming the foundation for many leather products. There are many processes to transform the skin of an animal into a supple leather and then further into leather journals or other leather gifts. Chrome tanned leather is tanned using chromium. It is more durable, does not discolor or lose shape like vegetable tanned leather. More colors are possible using chrome tanning. Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannin and other vegetable matter.

It is brown, with shades depending on the chemicals and the color of the hide. Vegetable-tanned leather tends to discolor when wet, and can shrink if wet and permitted to dry. Boiled leather is an application where the leather was hardened in hot water.. Boiled leather was used for armor and book bindings. Aldehyde tanned leather is tanned using various compounds. This is the leather tanners refer to as "wet white" leather due to its white color. Formaldehyde tanning is another method of aldehyde tanning which includes brain-tanned leathers, These leathers are water absorbent. Brain tanned leathers are made with oils. They are exceptionally soft and can be washed. Chamois leather is also tanned with aldehydes and, like brain tanning, is water absorbent leather. Chamois leather is made by using cod oil that oxidizes well to make the aldehydes which tan the leather. Synthetically tanned leather is tanned using polymers. This leather is white and was invented when tannins were in short supply. Alum-tanned leather is tanned using salts mixed with a variety of binders and proteins like flour and egg yolk. Light shades of leather are possible; but it produces a leather that is not as supple as vegetable-tanned leather.

Rawhide is made by scraping the skin thin, soaking it in lime, and then stretching it while it dries. Rawhide is stiff and brittle, and is primarily found in uses such as drums. Oil can be applied to vegetable tanned leather to provide water resistance which adds to the natural resistance to the oils found in the leather itself. Frequent oiling or a similar material keeps leather supple and lengthens lifespan. In general, leather is sold three ways, including, full grain leather, made from the finest materials, are clean natural hides which have not been corrected. The grain is in its natural state which permits fiber strength, and enhanced durability. The natural grain also has breathes better, making the leather more comfortable. It will develop a patina and actually acquire character over time.

The finest leather accessories and bifold wallets are made from Full-Grain leather. Full grain leathers are further divided into aniline and semi-aniline. Top grain leather, which has a corrected grain, is smooth on one side and fuzzy on the other. The natural grain needs to be corrected with an artificial grain. Top grain leather must be painted to cover up the sanding and stamping. Corrected grain leathers can be sold as semi-aniline and pigmented. Suede is leather where the natural grain is completely removed by splitting. During splitting the grain and split are separated. The drop split can be further split into a middle split or flesh split. In thick hides the middle split can be split multiple times until the split is no longer thick enough for splitting. The best suedes are usually made from grain splits. Suede is fuzzy on both sides but is less durable than top grain leather. Suede is also cheaper because from the same material used to make top grain leather, multiple pieces of suede can be produced. A reversed suede is grained leather designed into the leather product with the grain away from the surface. Patent leather is leather that with a high gloss finish.

Patent leather is typically coated in some type of plastic. Vachetta leather is used in the trimmings of briefcases and wallets. The leather is untreated and is easily stained. Sunlight will also darken the leather. Nubuck is top grain cattle hide which has been sanded on the grain side to leave a feel of short protein fibers which produces a velvet type surface. Specialty leather products, such as briefcases, wallets, and luggage all tend to utilize this type of leather. Belting leather is a full grain leather used in industrial machinery. It is often found in briefcases, portfolios, and wallets, is thick and firm with a smooth finish. Belting leather retains shape without a separate frame. Napa leather is soft and supple and is found in quality wallets, toiletry kits, and other personal leather goods. Bonded Leather is a man-made material made of scrap leather material. Bonded leather is not durable and is used for low-use applications.

I've titled this article in a sensational way. I hope I don't offend you, but I wanted to provoke your interest.

Despite the title, I'm not a mean-spirited guy. There are many opportunities for everyone to gain wealth. I want everyone to do well; I just want YOU to do BETTER! I know you can - you just need a bit of help.

Most marketers find that it is a slug-fest to stay ahead of the competition, they struggle and struggle just to stay even with the competition, when, in reality, victory is only about 2mm away. Let me explain:

I went to a Tony Robbins event recently. You've probably heard of his events, where participants walk barefoot over hot coals. Well, it changed my life. Now, I'm not trying to brag about walking on fire (well, I want to brag a little bit, you must admit, walking on fire is a pretty amazing thing to do!). I bring it up to mention one of the most important lessons I learned from Tony - there is only 2 mm of difference between being good (or even excellent) and being absolutely outstanding.

Two millimeters doesn't sound like much. It is the thickness of two dimes. Yet it can make all the difference in the world. Imagine a pilot departing for his destination. If he only starts 2 mm off-course, think how that could affect the rest of his flight. He could end up miles away from his destination, or even miss it completely.

Or consider a world-class plastic surgeon, an expert in his field. He creates dramatic results, improving a person's looks dramatically. And yet, despite these amazing results, he only makes a 2 mm change to a person's face.

So what does this have to do with you and your business? I believe the difference between surviving in business and thriving in business is only 2 mm. Really, it doesn't take much effort to get dramatic results.

You don't need to beat your competition in every part of their business. If you can beat them in at least three categories that matter to your clients, you will win out. And remember, you only need to beat them by 2 mm!

Here are five simple "2 mm Changes" that will really make a difference. If you only pick three of these five, and excel at those three, you will shatter your competition. Try these ideas:

1. Look and Feel. By improving the look and feel of your website, you will gain an initial edge over your competition.

2. Follow-up Marketing. This makes a big impact on your customers. It makes them feel like they matter to you.

3. Tracking and Testing. Keep track of what works and what doesn't. Whether your client knows about this or not, it will make a big difference. This will help you find the language that grabs their attention and gets them sales.

4. Adwords Campaigns. I've been guilty of neglecting this myself! Most online marketers don't spend time on their Adwords marketing. This must change! By becoming 2 mm better in this area, combined with two other areas, you will destroy your competition.

5. Backend Sales. This is a process where you give the customer opportunity to buy more product from you after the initial sale. Your customers don't want you to sell to them. But, they want to buy. We all want more of what we want more of.

Of course, there are more than five categories for improvement. I bet you could find many more that apply to your business. I encourage you to decide on three of these categories - improving each of them by only 2 mm will give you a boost over your competition.

Interested in learning more? Check out today's resource, 21 Fundamentals of Online Success. Take your business to a new level by learning about the characteristics needed for success.

Many people that I speak to think long copy is dead. They say that nobody reads it, it's not effective any more, that long copy is hopelessly old-fashioned and out-of-date. I think that the demise of long copy has been exaggerated. Long copy still works and lives.

There are some very good reasons for creating long sales letters. In my online course, I discuss the differences between long and short copy, and explain how and why long copy really works. Check out my online course at WebCopyWritingExplained.com for more information.

There are three reasons why long copy is effective:

People love to read about what they love. Whatever your passion, don't you love to visit websites or read books that tell you more? There's a certain thrill in finding a great book on your favorite topic. Here in Spokane, my favorite bookstore is Auntie's Bookstore. When I go there to research a topic, I find it irresistible. I don't just buy one book on that topic - I buy ALL the books on that topic! If you could see my office here, you would see hundreds of books on marketing, copywriting, and web conversion. That's my passion. We all love to read about our favorite topics, and that certainly includes sales letters about our favorite topics.

Selling online is different from selling in person. When you deal with a client in person, you aren't only listening to what he says. You are also reading his body language, looking for clues to his thoughts. By contrast, when you sell online, you lose all those valuable visual cues. Instead, you have to define your client's objections in advance, then answer these objections. This can take a lot of words, and lead you directly to long copy!

Long copy allows you to tell a story. Stories sell. If you doubt this, I recommend the book All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin. It talks about the power of story selling and why it's so important to your business.

Here's a formula for writing a four-part long copy sales letter that works almost every time, if it's executed properly. I credit this formula to John Carlton (and, by the way, I highly recommend all his material to you):

Here's what I have to offer. This clearly explains what you are offering to your readers.

Here's why it's right for you. Explain your solution to your reader's problems.

Here are some questions you may have. This could be your FAQ. Again, answering any objections they may have, in advance.

Here's what to do now. Buy! Pull out your credit card! That's what you want them to do! Right now!

Interestingly, you could even use these headlines word for word to start each of the sections in your copy, and it would work great!

Recently, private label rights articles and products have attracted a lot of attention.

Put simply, private label articles are articles that are supplied with rights that allow you to take the articles and use them as if you were the original author.

Basically, private label articles are written by professional ghost writers. They are produced using the latest research and information available. However rather than these articles being written especially for you, they are written and sold to a number buyers, making them affordable for most.

Many have made use of private label articles to gain success, and right now, you can do the same.

If you were to scour the internet for private label rights offers, it is plausible that you will identify an vast quantity of offers and commission opportunities. Most of those offers are likely to consist of software programs or ebooks.

When it comes to private label articles, several of them are written by competent freelance writers and in sizeable quantities. Countless of these writers delight in writing the articles, but they do not care much for trying to promote them.

Webmasters are people that have either created or are currently operating a website, usually that website is their own. In today's online world, websites demand to have engrossing matter on their sites, usually in the shape of articles.

By buying private label rights to a collection of articles, you can make them your own. Simply rewrite them fully and if done properly, you can then sell them onto the webmasters that under pressure to publish unique and exclusive content on their website.

If you obtain the private label rights to a collection of articles, you can look towards selling your rewritten versions. Finding customers can be done in a variety of ways. Look out for possible webmasters who are needing new, fresh and exclusive content for their sites.

If your subject matter is popular, you will be able to sell your rewritten articles. You could promote them through online advertising or even online auction sites.

To make the most out of this opportunity, you are urged to act fast. It won't be too long before others realize what a money making opportunity it is to buy and resell private label articles.

Starting a Home based business is one of the best financial decisions you can make. A business of your own is one of the fastest ways to become a millionaire according to most money experts.

An extremely fast way to get the Overnight Cash System business to succeed is to role model someone who is achieving their goals. I have seen that having a success coach, guide or mentor is the fastest track to success. When someone is doing online marketing and getting 100,000 web visitors a month, find out what they are doing and do the same thing to get the same results.

The nicest thing about owning your own business is the flexibility of time. You can work when it fits your schedule the best. I also like the fact that you can get paid for your time in accordance with how hard you work.

Now that you've decided to start your own business, you might be thinking "How can I become successful, what does it take and what do I have to do?" These secrets will help you attract 100,000 Visitors to the Overnight Cash System.

1) Vision and goals should be the first step in your business. One thing I see in most successful business owners is that they have clear defined goals. Create a special board called a vision board and post your goals and review it daily.

2) Marketing is the key to online success. Automated marketing at it's best is your ticket to wealth with the overnight cash system. Newly updated software lets you contact 200 to 1,000 people a day in marketing your site even while you sleep or go to the beach.

3) Time management is crucial to the success of your home based business. We all have 24 hours in a day but how you invest them will determine your success at the end of the year. A good thought is to work on your top priorities when you are the freshest, so you accomplish the most towards your goal. The automated software will allow you to contact people and see if they would like to do a joint venture marketing partnership with you.

4) Joint Venture marketing is the key to your success. The gold is in the lists. The special new software allows you to mine for the gold.

5) Manage your systems so that they run by themselves. The newly released software let's you set up your contacts and literally runs by itself. Imagine the possibilities of contacting 10,000 people per week!

Joint venture marketing has the potential for you to get an endorsed mailing to 100,000 + subscriber lists. Think how great it would be to have all those people sending you cash with the overnight cash system.

A final thought. It has been said that the money is in the lists. Focus your marketing efforts on building a relationship with your lists, and you in turn will reach your goals of online marketing.