Do You Have To Be Hit By A Car To Learn?

When you're a parent it seems you're constantly trying to teach things to your kids.

When they're very young you're trying to teach them the basics like walking and talking.

A couple of years later you're trying to teach them to look both ways before crossing a street and to not interrupt someone who's already talking.

Why do you do these things?

Because they need to know the basics and they need to know how to do them correctly. Walking in front of an oncoming car is Not doing it correctly. Take it from someone who learned the hard way, getting hit is NOT the way to learn that you need to look both ways. (I actually got hit by a motorcycle).

Now let's pretend you're fairly new to internet marketing and someone like me is trying to teach you the basics. We tell you that you should be doing something but for 1 reason or another you don't do it.

Since we aren't sitting next to you at your computer we can't pull you back from the oncoming car and scold you. We have to assume that once you've been told you'll heed our advice and do it.

While the above is true for most who offer advice I am putting my secret "mother's-method of knowing what you're doing" to work and scold you for not doing something that I and many other internet marketers have told you to do...

Use 2 of the freest forms of promoting your site or products:

1. Signature files
2. 404 error pages

At least 85.7% of my readers are not using both of these methods and at least 77.78% are not using the 1 that everyone can use whether they have a site or not - Signature files.

Maybe you're not doing these because you think they don't work. In truth - they won't make the bulk of your income unless that's the only way you promote your site and products however, it's free advertising and getting only 1 new subscriber or 1 sale from them makes them worth more than you paid for them.

Do internet marketing giants use them? Sometimes - it depends on:

1. If they remember to set them up. (Sometimes even gurus forget things.)
2. Who's getting the email. (They have several email accounts. Personal friends, family and business partners accounts won't have a signature file but replies to all potential customers like subscribers and previous customers often do.)

Let's check a couple of popular sites to see if they're using 404 error pages - and remember, we're doing research so don't stop to buy anything.

Last week we talked about the butterflys so let's check:http://www.butterfly.com/. Ok, now go to http://www.butterflymarketing.com/xyz.htm. How about http://www.getresponse.com/ and http://www.getresponse.com/htl.htm.

Heck, why don't you check Google and Yahoo too. Just type /makeupsomething.html after the .com part.

Here are the important things to remember when you're deciding if you should take the time to create your own signature file and 404 error page.

1. It will cut down on the frustration factor for site visitors who are trying to find your site.
2. It may get you a subscriber or a sale.
3. It's free and used by the "big guys" when they remember.
4. The "big guys" have the luxury of forgetting because of the amount of traffic they get - you don't get that much traffic and need to use every possible resource available.
5. If it's good enough for the best known sites on the web, Google and Yahoo, it's good enough for me.

Now consider yourself pulled back and scolded because you're not doing 2 of the basics. And remember, I have my methods and will continue to get on you about this every once in awhile until I think you've got it right.

To Your Success,
Susan