MLE Alert: Conversion Calculator - Find your dollar per hit ratio

MLE Alert! (Make Life Easier)

This conversion calculator can help you figure out how much you are making per hit on your website.  (If you don't know how to measure the number of hits your site receives, I recommend Google Analytics.)

Have fun with this Conversion Rate Calculator.  Is your conversion rate higher or lower than you anticipated?  How can you increase your success on converting website visitors to paying customers?  I'd love to hear from you.  Feel free to share your top tip for converting website visitors into paying customers, and turning paying customers into raving fans!

Conversion Rate Calculator

Until Next Time, Jacki

Historypin: Knowing your place in a whole new way

I'm not going to lie, when I first saw the Mashable article on Historypin, I fully expected to be underwhelmed.  Another mapping tool with photos...so what?  Then I watched the video introducing Historypin.  I love it!

In today's online world, the latest greatest sites, apps, and tools are constantly pushing the envelope on what's new.  Historypin does exactly that, but does so in a way that links us to our past.  And not just the history book versions of the past.  This tool connects us with a very personal version of the past by collecting old photos and giving the user a chance to post the story behind the photos.

Take a look and see what you think about this tool that really DOES help you know your place...and places around the globe:

If I were still in school, I would have loved this resource for creating history projects or papers.  As a history buff, I'm still excited about searching the site in my next spare moment.  Now....if I could just find an app that would allow me to actually FIND those spare moments!

Until Next Time, Jacki

What are you saying with your voice?

You have a strong ability to influence other people's decisions. If you didn't, you wouldn't be an effective entrepreneur. Everyday you come across people that you will have to be able to influence a decision in your favor. If you're successful in this consistently, you are successful in business. If you fail at this consistently, you will go out of business. Welcome to the world of Self-Employment.

But what else are you accomplishing with your voice? I don't mean voice as in the sound of your voice. We're not talking karaoke here.

What I mean is: are you using your powers for good?

You can use your voice in many different ways.

• Support a charity that is close to your heart, and let others know about it. It can be as simple as including the charity's logo on all your communications, to actively seeking other's to support your cause as well.


• Be vocal about things that matter to you. People respect you, remember? So talk about things that matter. This doesn't have to be about charity. It can be as volatile a subject as religion or politics, or as demure a subject as the importance of spending time with family.


• REFER. This isn't a blog about referring, but I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about it. When you have a high level of regard from OTHERS, use your voice to refer business to other people that YOU have a high level of regard for. Make sense? For example, I wouldn't let the people in my network have to rely on the yellow pages to find a car mechanic. I would refer them to mine. He's above board, honest, ethical, and puts his customers first...the same way I do business. I have surrounded myself with others that I hold in high regard, and can refer at anytime....I'll be writing a separate blog on referring later!


• Let others know about a good book, movie, or TV show that left you feeling like a better person. For example, as a woman entrepreneur, I'd refer you to a book called "Secrets of the Six Figure Woman" by Barbara Stanny. It is a must-read.


• Become involved with organizations that are aligned with your values. Find like minded people. It helps you stay true to who you are and what you stand for. For instance, I attend North Ridge Community Church in Cave Creek, AZ. The people I find there help me stay on track with my belief system. (Like being a good person, staying focused on putting God first, things like that.) So are you a Christian? Find a good church. Are you Jewish? Attend a good synagogue. You see where I'm going. But not just with religion...activities, social groups, etc.

I believe we have a responsibility to use our voice to make this world a better place. And the more people you have that know and respect you, the stronger that responsibility becomes.

The most effective way to accomplish great things with the voice given to you? Just live what you know to be the truth. Whether or not people agree with you or take your recommendations, it doesn't matter. We don't try to change others, and we certainly aren't trying to control them. But others should know who you are and what you stand for, that's all.

And to think, this blog all came about because I have a friend who is a lead singer for the band Unlisted. I went and saw him perform yesterday, and was so impressed, I thought I should tell others. That's using my voice...to help him along his path to success. (Although look at the picture...I also got to use my voice in other ways...thanks Brian!) Want to see Brian Jennings and his band Unlisted. Let me know, and I'll tell you where they're playing next!

Until Next Time,
Jacki

When people matter

When I know I matter to someone, I make an effort to use their products or services instead of someone I don't know. I can't even remember the last time I pulled out the Yellow Pages to find someone to give my business to, can you? (Okay, wait. I do remember. It was to call a cab. I guess I don't network with very many cab drivers....so if you own a transportation company, get out there and meet people!)

This is why I started on a venture based on just that...letting people know they matter. This IS the law of attraction in action! When you reach out to people for any reason, it lets them know you care. And when they know you care, they WANT to give back to you. And we all know the adage:

People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you CARE.

When I joined SendOutCards, I made a commitment to send out one unexpected card every day. I've stayed true to that for the most part, and I've seen what it has done for my relationships, both personal and professional. When I started getting phone calls from my clients, saying "thank you" for thinking of them, I was floored. So it's been a truly valuable layer to building and maintaining relationships.

So what do you do that you find to work in building your business relationships?

Who is Jacki Semerau, and why do you care?

So here it is: my blog about being a woman entrepreneur. My journey into entrepreneurship has been a long one. Sometimes fun, sometimes...not so much. But along the way, I've picked up some pretty valuable information. And I am running into new situations every single day. I have no problem admitting that in many cases, I have no idea what to do. But in many other cases, I either DO know how to handle it, or I learn quickly. I figure I'm not unique in that.

So this blog is about me sharing my experiences with you. Sometimes it will be because I am offering advice. And many times, it will be because I'm SEEKING advice from my sister entrepreneurs.

In pondering the all-important question "what should my first entry say", the most logical place to start is by letting you know who I am and why you would care to read my blog. So here goes:

Jacki Semerau is:

• A business woman
• A Strategist
• A SendOutCards Independent Distributor
• A single mom
• A choreographer
• A friend

Jacki Semerau believes:

• In the power of positive thinking
• That I will be successful in any venture I put my mind to
• In the importance of a strong work ethic
• In God
• That you and I are a lot alike and can truly learn from each other

So why read my blog? Why post comments?
Because we have a lot to say! We have a lot to learn! We need each other!
If you and I are going to get ahead in the business world of the 21st Century, we will only be able to accomplish this through supporting each other.
Just a few days ago, I heard Charlie Plumb speak. He is a former Vietnam Vet and POW. He was held prisoner for 6 years in an 8x8 cell. And he credits his survival in large part to the support he received from his fellow prisoners during that 6 year period. (If you're interested in reading a portion of Charlie Plumb's inspirational story, I would highly recommend it!!)
At any rate, I was truly inspired by hearing him speak. And he's right...if we want to survive, we need each other's support. So this blog is meant to be a source of support, from me and for me.
Until Next Time,
Jacki