Search Engine Optimization Book

Chapter

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SEO BOOK

Why Search.

Search engines take advantage of reverse broadcast networks to help save you time and money. Search allows you to "sell what your customers want, when they want it!"

Finding Prospects

I had just finished reading Permission Marketing when I exchanged in one of the most interesting chat sessions of my life. A random kid from California instant messaged me to say hello. In much the same way as other marketers do, he scouted the web to find his ideal client. This guy searched through Yahoo! profiles and found that on my profile I wrote that I collected baseball cards.

He wanted to know if Barry Bonds was my favorite player. He told me he had over 16,000 Barry Bonds cards. I told him that I had an autographed serial numbered Barry Bonds rookie, but baseball cards did not mean much to me anymore.

I asked if he did business over the internet. He, of course, said no. It was clear to me why. He had no way to display any of his cards, and he was using spam to contact people. I asked him if he wanted to have a website on which to sell his cards.

He told me he couldn't afford it. He said that it was too expensive. What is a fair

price for limitless distribution.

Baseball cards usually drop in value rather sharply once a player retires. Not only does the price drop, but demand plummets. It’s a logarithmic loss of value. I have picked up Robin Yount and Dave Windfield rookies for $5 and $8 each (both cards went for $100 or more in their heyday.) This kid wanted to buy my autographed Barry Bonds rookie card to add to his 16,000 Bonds cards that he will never sell, thinking he was doing business. I sold baseball cards back in high school, and I knew how to do it well. I did not learn it well the first day either. I was trying to sell expensive cards to people who did not want to spend much money. What solution did I learn. "Sell what your customers want, when they want it!" I still displayed some of my $400 and up baseball cards, just to get the oos and ahhs. Once you have a crowd many people follow just to see what is going on then you can make sales. I knew I would not sell these cards. So what did I change.

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