Posts Tagged ‘virtual assistant’

How to Make Your eBook Investment Pay Off

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

If you have written an eBook, then first off – well done! It is not a simple project, and it requires solid effort, patience, determination. Now you need to reap the rewards for all of your hard work, through selling your very own eBook. Here are 3 options you should consider carefully:

The first option is the most simple, least expensive and also the most “DIY” option of them all – PayPal!

It only takes a few minutes to set up a PayPal account. Once you login to PayPal, do a search for “Buy Now Button”. Here you will be able to configure your settings, and in just moments it will produce an HTML code for the button which you can simply place on your site. Voila! It’s almost instant.

The second area to consider is to take this process further, giving your customers more payment choices, and also providing others with the opportunity to sell your ebook as an affiliate. As a professional virtual assistant, I would recommend you set up a Clickbank account. There is a one-off fee for using Clickbank, however it will pay off. This choice is very popular amongst affiliate marketers, and with this service, the chances are you could find your eBook being sold all over the internet.

This option does require some level of understanding of web development – or outsourcing to a professional virtual assistant, in order to set this up and meet the criteria. You will need a page on your website where you intend to display and sell your product; you will also need a thank you page too. Once you have finished these tasks, and completed their approval process, ClickBank will place your eBook in their active product list.

If you would like to sell your eBook in other marketplaces, you could also try websites such as LULU, YUDU, Amazon and PayLoadz for this as well. It’s definitely worth investing a little extra time in adding your book to these sites.

Your last decision has to do with the shopping cart software. This is the way almost every virtual assistant would suggest you go if you eventually intend on selling multiple products. With this, you should be able to customise your shopper experience and create a bespoke interface for your online store’ in fact; you can sell pretty much anything through a shopping cart. You will need a payment gateway such as WorldPay or something similar, and you may find yourself paying a monthly fee for both, so make sure your money is well invested, and consider selling other items so you can really make this investment pay off.

I’m barely touching the surface with these possiblities, as there are quite a few different products and services available which will let you promote – and sell, you ebook. These are the most commonly used options, and are widely recognised amongst both consumers and sellers alike.

Regardless of what options you decide to pursue, I wish you great success with promoting and selling your eBook!

How to Make the Most out of You PowerPoint Presentations

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

I’ve always had a rather ambivalent attitude toward PowerPoint presentations. In spite of their advantages, lots of listeners continue to find them ponderous and archaic. I have just read a book by Cliff Atkinson, author of ‘Beyond Bullet Points’, who believes PowerPoint to be the software tool associated more with boredom than brilliance. Nevertheless, PowerPoint remains a cornerstone of contemporary education delivery. So, to keep your presentations interesting and your audience engaged, let’s see how YOU can avoid delivering Death by PowerPoint!

Think of each of your presentations as if it was a website.

Design the layout of your PowerPoint presentation just like a website. Everyone pays extraordinary attention to detail with every aspect of the branding on their website – your presentation should follow this same rule. Aesthetic concerns are of the utmost of importance, and your presentation should appear flawless and carefully designed. Utilise a theme running throughout the presentation, and refrain from using bright contrasting colours, as they will distract your audience from the information which you’re endeavouring to teach.

Stay away from the ClipArt!

Always use high grade graphics from top notch stock image sites to add a unique quality to your slides. There are lots of sites where you can purchase photos for as little as $1 each – a great investment! A few of my personal favourites are Stockxpert, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto, however there are quite a few others out there, so if you’re interested, do a search on Google for “Royalty Free Stock Photography”.

Less is More

Don’t crowd your slides with irrelevant text – make them succinct and uncomplicated. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. With PowerPoint, your main goal is to convey knowledge through words, images and flow charts. The presentation is a visual guide of what you’re dicussing – not something in place of the presenter. Even if it’s a simple line or quote, less is often more.

Use 3D

Give your diagrams added interest by making them 3D, and they will visually hold the viewers attention far more than flat, uninteresting diagrams. This works really well with pyramids, and it will make your objects leap off the page, instead of being static and boring.

And Finally… Don’t Over Animate

Going animation happy and overdoing the movement on your template is a definite no no. Having items whizzing in and out from all over the place, moving sideways and bouncing up and down – will only confuse people. Should you wish to employ animation in your presentations, stick to simple and stylish fading in and out. Leave the flying about to your favourite cartoon characters!

Follow these simple steps and your presentation should be a pleasure to watch, rather than an uncomfortable coffee break, and if you decide that all of this sounds like too much hassle – hire a virtual assistant to do it for you!

Michelle Dale is The Managing Director of Virtual Miss Friday, an Experienced Executive Virtual Assistant who collaborates with businesses and individuals with the sole aim of accomplishing their professional goals. Want to learn more about these comprehensive online business building success strategies? Join the Campaign for FREE Virtual Assistance right now!

Ebook Marketing for Beginners

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

If you have written an eBook, then first off – well done! It’s not an easy task, and it takes real determination, persistence and patience. Now is the moment to begin working on ways to promote and sell your prized ebook. Here are 3 categories you should give special attention to:

The first option is the most simple, least expensive and also the most “DIY” option of them all – PayPal!

It takes only a few moments to set up your PayPal account. Once you login to PayPal, do a search for “Buy Now Button”. Here you will be able to configure your settings, and in just moments it will produce an HTML code for the button which you can simply place on your site. Voila! It’s almost instant.

The second area to consider is to take this process further, giving your customers more payment choices, and also providing others with the opportunity to sell your ebook as an affiliate. As a professional virtual assistant, I would recommend you set up a Clickbank account. There is a one-off fee for using Clickbank, however it will pay off. This choice is very popular amongst affiliate marketers, and with this service, the chances are you could find your eBook being sold all over the internet.

This option does require some level of understanding of web development – or outsourcing to a professional virtual assistant, in order to set this up and meet the criteria. You will need a page on your website where you intend to display and sell your product; you will also need a thank you page too. Once you’ve completed this step, and gone through the approval process, ClickBank will insert your product into their market centre.

If you would like to sell your eBook in other marketplaces, you could also try websites such as LULU, YUDU, Amazon and PayLoadz for this as well. It’s definitely worth investing a little extra time in adding your book to these sites.

Your final choice is in the selection of shopping cart software. This is the way almost every virtual assistant would suggest you go if you eventually intend on selling multiple products. With this, you should be able to customise your shopper experience and create a bespoke interface for your online store’ in fact; you can sell pretty much anything through a shopping cart. You will need a payment gateway such as WorldPay or something similar, and you may find yourself paying a monthly fee for both, so make sure your money is well invested, and consider selling other items so you can really make this investment pay off.

I am merely skimming over the surface with these opportunities, as there are many different products and services out there which will allow you to sell – and promote, your eBook. These are the most commonly used options, and are widely recognised amongst both consumers and sellers alike.

Regardless of what options you decide to pursue, I wish you great success with promoting and selling your eBook!