Boom! Zap! Zizzle!

Recently, we took a direct lightning strike at our Head Office. There were a few casualties. Luckily, no staff. But, our internal computer system did lose a few network hubs.

Your 1ShoppingCart powered system was not affected in the slightest. Not even a small shock or spark.

I guarantee that your business wouldn’t have hiccupped and your web pages didn’t even blink. Again, we want you to know that your customer information and online sales and marketing are safe with us. They’re run on redundant and well-protected systems in multiple locations.

You can take confidence in the team of people we have serving you in the background, just as I do. For your nominal monthly investment, you have a crack team of IT experts and ecommerce specialists on your virtual team.

Actually, I’d like to take this opportunity to commend my staff for their continued dedication to serving you and for their vigilance on occasions just like this. Our 1ShoppingCart system and the entire Private Label network hold uptime records of 99.9% and better for over 5 years now.

You’re already protected from lightning and other technical issues because we provide you a ‘hosted’ solution. That said, we do recommend that you download your lists monthly for your own records. It never hurts to have extra back up contingency plans. Believe me.

We handle millions of transactions and tens of thousands of merchants’ sales and marketing processes every single day, but I know that in the end, you naturally only have one account in mind – yours.

In closing, I’ll repeat my personal guarantee that we strive to do our best each and every day to serve you and your company.

Rob Bell, President & CEO
www.1ShoppingCart.com

Frank E. Deardurff III (ThatOneWebGuy.com) is one of the Co-Founders of the Ask Database™ the worlds’ first and still only search engine for surveys. It allows you to find out what your website visitors want and need. At Ask Database™, they use their 1ShoppingCart powered system for many of their business needs.

When it came time for Frank Deardruff to start creating his own products, it was only natural to use a 1ShoppingCart online sales and marketing system. As a marketing webmaster, it was the only all-in-one solution he recommended to his own friends, clients and colleagues.

Especially important is the sequential auto responders for converting those who opt-in to find out more about the Ask Database™. He also has an auto responder series for those who register for his 21-day $1 Trial. Check out the marketing process at {Insert 1Shopping Cart affiliate link}. By using sequential auto responders, Frank’s been able to convert a large percentage of his opt-in subscribers into cash.

Frank’s next sales tool of choice is the powerful affiliate program that’s included in the1ShoppingCart and Private Label (link: 1SC PL opp.) systems. He consistently generates more sales and bigger affiliate commissions for his affiliate customers. Of course, being a web expert, Frank utilizes a “custom affiliate script” using the Advanced Installation Script that 1ShoppingCart.com offers so he’s constantly building link strategies for the Ask Database as well.

Finally, the biggest use of his System is to process all his orders. The Ask Database™ is a monthly membership and 1ShoppingCart automates the recurring billing process for Frank, so there’ no missed or forgotten monthly invoices.

Frank is generally known for his work as Alex Mandossian's webmaster. You may have seen his most recent projects, including campaigns for Alex’s AccessToLeaders.com where he’s built sites for Les Brown, Brian Tracy and Stephen Covey.

Frank is co-owner of Access Café Networks, Inc. a network consulting and web applications design firm. Frank has a back-ground covering 20 years in graphic design and technical illustration, and has been a Microsoft Certified Professional since 1999.

His many clients include well known experts, like Armand Morin, Mark Victor Hansen, Lorrie Morgan Ferrero (Red-Hot-Copy.com – aff. link) just to name a few. Frank builds his own business through partnerships with recognized internet marketers, such as Willie Crawford (Change-Web-Hosts.com), Armand Morin (CBClicks.com), and Alex Mandossian (ASKDatabase.com).

Controlling the catalogue destination URL:

There are two different fields that control this within your account, a global setting and a product specific override. 

To set the global setting, click on Cart Setup on the main menu of your account.  This will open your Basic Options page where you will see 7 different options.

It is the Catalogue URL field that controls where your clients end up after they click either the Clear Cart or Continue Shopping buttons on your shopping cart page.

You can find the product specific override on the product details page.  To get here:

Click on Products on the main menu of your account.

Click on the product you would like to add a specific destination URL for (either on the products name or on the edit link in the far right-hand column).

This will bring you to the product details page.  Scroll right down to the bottom of this page.  You will see two long blue fields a few options from the bottom of the list.  It is the Destination URL that you want to add your custom URL to. 

Make sure to save any changes!

Six Steps To A Successful e-Newsletter

If you’re not publishing an ezine, you’re ignoring a highly effective, low-cost channel for building stronger relationships with customers, vendors, and prospects. There’s no doubt about it — email newsletters offer customers a quick, convenient way to stay on top of news and information.

An email newsletter can be as simple as a periodic update on industry trends or as complex as a professionally designed mix of editorial content, company news, and special offers.

Thinking about jumping on the ezine bandwagon? Here are six tips to get you started.

1. Build Your List

From both a cost and quality standpoint, the best list is the one you develop yourself, rather than buying a list of names — no matter how reputable the source.

To build a subscriber list for a new ezine, place a prominent sign-up box on your site. Send an announcement to clients, friends, and colleagues, describing your new venture and inviting them to subscribe. Don’t forget cross-channel promotion — include an announcement on all your marketing materials, including business card, email signature file, voicemail message, brochures…even invoices.

Consider offering a timely white paper or other freebies to site visitors, then give them a convenient way to stay on top of trends by subscribing to your online newsletter.

2. Create An Editorial Calendar

Now that you have a list, what information are you going to send them? Mapping out an editorial calendar allows you to collect content as you come across it — a client case study, industry trend, or new product announcement. Set Google alerts to notify you when new material is posted on a particular topic. When you’re ready to create your next issue, you’ll have a treasure trove of story ideas waiting for you.

3. Map Out A Production Schedule

Production schedules go hand-in-hand with editorial calendars, helping you stay on track and avoid the 11 th-hour deadline dash. Using your launch issue as the beta tester, take note of how long each step takes in the newsletter production process — gathering ideas, writing copy, layout of the newsletter — to build a realistic scheduling framework for the year. To be effective, an online newsletter should be distributed at least on a monthly basis — any less frequently, and you’ve lost all momentum.

4. It’s All About Timing

Just as direct mail campaigns are planned around an “in-hand” date, your email newsletter should do the same. Consider the following when mapping out your production schedule:

The best time to reach business prospects is mid-day from Tuesday to Thursday. Targeting consumers at a home email address? Switch your focus to the weekend.

Consider time zones and firewalls when plotting your strategy. If you anticipate significant delays between sending and receiving, release your message earlier in the day.

5. Develop Your Content

Targeted, useful content is critical when it comes to a successful ezine. Study the online newsletters you’ve invited into your own inbox to determine what makes them “keepers.” Generally, their longevity can be attributed to well-written content that specifically addresses the reader’s interests. Don’t have time to create content from scratch? Sites like e zinearticles.com (free) or ideamarketers.com (fee-based) offer broad-based content for the ezine publisher’s use.

6. Get Your Masterpiece Opened

Be sure the “From” field uses an address that subscribers will recognize immediately. You don’t want your hard work dismissed as spam right out of the gate. Use strong subject lines that identify your transmission as a newsletter, and promote your last story, not the first, to keep readers’ attention to the very end.

Love the concept, but don’t have time to write and design an ezine? Authors Lisa Fahoury, Fahoury Ink, and Jane Tabachnick, Jane Tabachnick e-Marketing, are the creators of The Complete Ezine, a subscription-based e-newsletter solution. For details: http://www.completeezine.com.

That the World Internet Summit USA is being held in Los Angeles this September. One of our best champions, David Cavanagh, will be there presenting online sales and marketing strategies using AutoPilotRiches. AutoPilotRiches is Ted Cuiba’s very successful Private Label powered by 1ShoppingCart. Ted’s been with us really from the very beginning or our company.

We’re proud to have him and his entire team at the World Internet Summit as part of our Private Label Network. If you want to know more about it, all you have to do is visit www.WorldInternetSummitUSA.com