With many types of online businesses, you are simply trading time for dollars. Operating this type of business isn’t a bad if you like that kind of thing. However, for those who wish to have more free time, an information publishing business may be better suited for you. An information publishing business can practically run on autopilot if you apply the right strategies.
Here are some tips to help you put your information publishing business on autopilot.
1) Take advantage of available technology. Spend just five minutes online and you’ll see countless programs and tools to help you automate many aspects of your business.
For example; the email marketing service known as Aweber. You can manually send out emails to your prospects and customers as well as set up autoresponders that automatically send emails on a preset schedule.
Clickbank is another example of business automation. Selling your products through Clickbank takes practically zero effort on your part. Once you set the product up, Clickbank will handle all sales, refunds and affiliate commissions. You simply need to sit back and watch your mailbox for your monthly check.
And don’t forget about the Word Press plugins that automate or reduce your work time. There are plugins that allow you to bulk upload and schedule new posts which is great if you buy PLR or pay a writer to write content in bulk. There are also plugins that automatically send tweets and facebook updates to followers when a new post is published on your website.
2) Generate an in depth knowledgebase or FAQ. Spend some time creating an area on your website that answers your most frequently asked questions. Be sure your answers are clear and precise to avoid confusion. If you have one FAQ for multiple sites or you have a large knowledgebase, create categories or groups to help visitors navigate quickly. If possible, also add a search feature to your FAQ.
Not only will having an in depth knowledgebase save you countless hours in support time, but it will provide your prospects and customers with instant answers which will make them happy.
3) Outsource recurring tasks. Even when a business is automated, there are tasks that will need someone’s attention, however, that someone doesn’t have to be you. Business tasks such as content & product creation, customer support, project management, automation monitoring and even bookkeeping can easily be outsourced. While outsourcing may seem scary at first, once you get a good team in place and have a set schedule, you can focus your efforts on things you enjoy.
4) Build your sales strategy. From setting up an affiliate program to creating back-end offers, spend some time and map out how your sales funnel will work. If you offer an affiliate program, create tools and resources to help affiliates promote your business. When setting up products, see if you have another product that is complimentary to the first product. If so, offer the 2nd product at a discount as an upsell. Include back-end offers in your email marketing campaigns for added income. Be sure to keep track of your offers, where they are located, when they expire, etc so you can quickly update them as needed.
Putting your information publishing business on autopilot isn’t hard. It just takes a little time to set everything up, hire a team, establish a schedule and work through any kinks. After that, you’ll be on your way to generating a bigger income with less effort.