The 15 Skills You Need To Make It As An Independent Internet Marketer
1. Domain Registration and Hosting
If you are serious about starting a business online you really need your own domain name. So you need to know how to register a domain name and get it hosted on a hosting provider. I use NameCheap and HostGator for my websites.
2. Using cPanel
You need to know how to use cPanel to create your email accounts, manage your FTP access, create MSQL databases, create Addon Domains and sub-domains or install applications with Fantastico.
3. HTML Editing
Whether its Dreamweaver, NVU or MS Frontpage, you need to be able to create a simple squeeze page, sales page or just editing a resell rights template.
4. FTP
You need to learn how to transfer files from your hard disk to your web server. You could use CuteFTP or other freeware software to do this. Additionally, as you get more advanced, you will need to know how to change and manage file permissions with your FTP software.
5. Autoresponder
No marketer is complete without a list. I use Aweber to manage all my email list. You need to know how to create and manage a list, create and insert an opt-in form, create follow up messages and learn how to redirect subscribers to thank you pages, sales pages and even download pages if you are giving away ethical bribes to get the emails.
6. Copywriting
A good marketer would need to know how to write good copy to get better conversions on squeeze pages and more sales on sales pages. There are two very solid books I recommend for writing good copy online:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)
Web Copy That Sells: The Revolutionary Formula for Creating Killer Copy Every Time
7. Graphic Design/ Image Editing
A site is not complete without the basic header and footer graphic or if you are selling information products, you will need an eBook cover or eDVD cover to make your information product more tangible to your buyers. Today you can get ready made templates for most of these applications. However, these PSD files will still need to be edited in Photoshop or Photoshope Elements.
8. Accepting Payments
You will need to know how to use payment gateway providers like PayPal, ClickBank or other providers like PayDotCom. You will need to know how to comply with the terms of service of each provider to avoid getting your account frozen or banned. You will need to know how to create payment buttons, track your earning and withdraw funds into your bank account.
9. Market Research
Before you begin creating a product, you need to learn how to conduct keyword research and analysis and use other sources online to determine if there is a market for your product.
10. Video and Audio Editing
There was a time when web video and audio were not yet ready to be widely accepted online because of low bandwidth from Internet users. Today, video and audio are standard for most websites. You need to learn to capture audio and vide, edit them and publish them online. Additionally, you will need to learn how to use video and audio aggregators and syndication services to maximize the reach of your message.
11. Pay Per Click and Advertising
Once you know your conversion rate on your opt-in pages and sales pages, you are now in a position to pay for mass traffic to your site. You need to learn to create a Google Adwords campaign and how to write good PPC copy to maximize your advertising dollar. You will need to learn to use other paid PPC and advertising services to find the best cost per click rate for your campaign.
12. Publishing PDF and Rebrandable Books
If you are using viral marketing techniques. You will need to learn how to create ebooks and publish them in PDF format. Additionally, if you want to get your readers to forward your books, you will need to learn to create a brandable PDF to allow your readers to re-publish and forward your ebook.
13. Blogging
Blogs are essential today because it is easy to get your message syndicated and read by many people for free. You will need to learn how to set up and publish a blog and to syndicate it to blog directories and news aggregators via RSS.
14. Membership Sites
Free membership sites are the best ways to build a list and promote products today. This is because you get to kill two birds with one stone. To set up a membership site, you need to learn how to use the software, set file permissions, create a MSQL database on your server.
15. Search Engine Optimization
You will need to learn the basics of SEO to generate organic traffic to your site or blog. If you manage to establish an authority site in your market niche, you will pretty much have an asset that will feed you for life. Authority sites take time and persistence to build and it will be well worth the effort over the long term.
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