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Going Fishing

By Bob Osgoodby

Every year about this time, we make our annual pilgrimage to the waters of the Atlantic to go striped bass fishing. Loading the boat with all the essentials, such as something cool to quaff and piles of sandwiches, we grab our rods and reels and sally forth. But wait - did we forget something? Sure did - we need to have bait. What are they biting on this time of year?

Fortunately there is a bait shop on the way out, so we tie up to the dock and go inside. There we talk with the owner who tells us they are biting on several different kinds, so taking his advice we buy several. At first we each use a different kind, and if they seem to favor one bait over the other, we all start using the one that is attracting the fish.

Hmm - sounds familiar doesn't it. We do the same thing when trying to lure customers into our online offers. Like in fishing, you need the essentials in your business. Our web site and email programs can be compared to the fishing equipment, but we have to have the proper bait. This is where your advertising comes in. Your ads are your bait, and you will need to use different ads to attract different customers.

Writing ads is a skill you must master if you wish your online business to prosper. There has been a lot written about writing effective ads. Sometimes what might be considered a bad ad by the pros is one that actually works. Why you might ask? Different styles appeal to different people, and you have to realize, that while the web might provide a level playing field for entrepreneurs, the likes and dislikes of potential customers are vary widely.

While "Glitz", and exaggerated earnings claims might appeal to some, to others it is a turn off. Wild claims about earnings potential might gather some prospects, but will be an automatic "click away" for others who prefer a low key approach. You must experiment with different ad copy, and keep records of what is drawing.

There are many ways to do this, and some suggest that you have multiple web sites geared towards ads that are running. In your ads, you point your visitors to different sites and by keeping statistics, you can see which ads are working.

But here is the dilemma. Depending on any number of factors, visitors could be coming from places other than your ads, and the results might be misleading. If, for example, a search engine picks up one site and not the other, you will obviously have more visitors to the site that has been indexed.

Bluntly, hits to your web site don't really count - sales do. Your first job however, is to get visitors to your site. This is done through a variety of methods, including advertising, the use of search engines and email. Once you get them there, you must then sell them on your product.

On our web sites, we have an "after sale" questionnaire and we simply ask them how they found us. Now these people have decided to do business with us, and their answers will most likely be truthful. We then log this information, which helps us determine what advertising is working.

Ads that don't appear to be pulling, we modify until we start seeing positive results. One of the best places to test your ads is in ezine publications that are highly targeted toward your potential customers. I don't recommend ads in publications that are not targeted to your prospects. Unless you have a very generalized product, the return you get in these will most likely be minimal. More importantly, you won't get sufficient information to determine if the actual copy is working.

Many people have been advertising in the same ezines for years. Remember that there is some "thrashing" that occurs, and some people drop off the subscription list for the publication, but others are added. This gives you a constant new group of people who will read your ad every time it is published.

Experienced online entrepreneurs will even keep the same copy year after year if it is pulling. It usually takes 5 to 7 exposures anyway until they receive "brand identification". When someone is willing to "bite", if they have the proper ad, they will remember them. To land your customers, like in fishing, you must have the proper bait.

Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday thru Friday. Instructions on how to place your ad are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at: mailto:tipofday-subscribe@topica.com




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Fly Fishing Expert Charlie Meck to sign books in PA

By Anonymous

March 29 2004--For those in York County, Meck will visit Gander Mountain on May 7, 2004, from 6 to 9pm. Gander Mountain is located at 1880 Loucks Rd, York, PA 17404. Call 717-767-2004 for more information.
Those in Lancaster County can join Meck at The Evening Rise Fly Fishing Outfitters on May 8, 2004. The Evening Rise address is Foxshire Plaza, 1953 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601. Call 717-509-3636 for more information.

Doylestown area residents can meet Meck on May 15th, 2004, at Mainstream Outfitters, 1121 North Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18901. Call 215-766-1244 for more information.

Recently published Memory Rising: Hatches: Waters & Trout is master hatch-matcher Meck’s reflection of a half a century’s angling. In reminiscences collected from waters near and far, readers will fish with everyone from angling legends Vince Marinaro and George Harvey to Vice President Dick Cheney. When Meck takes readers through the highs and lows of the West’s storied trout waters, into Canada’s river-joined lakes, and on a once-in-a-lifetime quest to New Zealand, readers can count on hooking a good story. Memory Rising is available in both general market and signed, limited editions.

Bonasa Press is a premier publisher of classically beautiful yet innovative books about wingshooting, sporting dogs, fine guns, fly-fishing and other topics in the outdoor and natural history genres.

Meck, Charles R., Memory Rising: Hatches, Waters and Trout. Illustrated by Robert Clement Kray. Bonasa Press: Columbia PA. 2004. ISBN: 0-9725594-3-4. Hardcover Limited Edition signed by author and illustrator, $65.00. ISBN: 0-9725594-2-6 General Market Edition, $35.00.



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ISHIR INFOTECH lauches BLUDRAKE.com which deals in fishing store in Dallas offer fly fishing guides offering travel vacations and saltwater fly fishing destinations.

By Anonymous

March 16, 2004--David and Cathie Coleman, owners of Blue Drake Outfitters, are avid outdoors enthusiasts and passionate about the sport of fly-fishing. As native Texans, they decided to open their own business in Dallas and fly-fishing store. In June of 1994, they opened Westbank Anglers Dallas in Inwood Village. In November of 2001, the Colemans changed the name of the store to Blue Drake Outfitters. They kept the same location, same staff, and the same quality products and services.

Over the years, David and Cathie have had the opportunity to travel and fish the world. Together they have been to and fished the following destinations: Alaska, Argentina (Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego), Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Columbia, Christmas Island, Chile, Costa Rica, Seychelles (Indian Ocean), New Zealand, and the U.S. including Arkansas, New York, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, the Texas Coasts, and the Florida Keys.



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