Online business coaching and Internet marketing training teaching you how to successfully marketing your business online.  OnlineBizU.com is an Internet Marketing community for small service business owners who want automate their business, leverage their expertise, and get more clients online.
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 Rave Reviews
Here are some of our rave reviews from our members ... .

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"Donna Gunter is THE expert for online marketing. Her OnlineBizU website has so many meaty resources for the online entrepreneur that there's no way you won't find what you need there. Her blog posts are filled with useful information that I don't have the time to ferret out for myself, and her classes and products are clear and useful. I'm glad that Donna dedicates herself to serving her customers so well, and


Sue Painter, Marketing Coach and Consultant
ConfidentMarketer.com

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"I recently joined Donna Gunter - OnlineBizU.com membership and from day one have found simply loads of useful and valuable information to support my online business. What a generous lady to share so many 'trade secrets.' Thank you so much and keep the great information coming."


Caroline Nelson, Business Coach for Salons
NelsonBeautyBusinessManagement.com

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"Look at the spring facelift your site got! I am loving the new, softer, rounder look and the colors do POP! Your care about keeping content fresh and your attention for detail is indicative of how you run your business."


Kathy Dannel Vitcak, Entrepreneur
KathyDV.com

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"Thanks for hosting such a great OnlineBizU.com member call on Internet traffic for local business. One of the questions asked was whether this would be a business model for a consultant. You said it was, and I'm here to say it is, too! The list of directories you gave that provide listings for local business was invaluable. I didn't know about most of them! I never would have thought of Craigslist.com as a place to advertise. Also, the tip you gave about setting up a 'throw away' email address was pure gold. Not only will that prevent spam in my 'real' business mailbox, but I can set up email addresses for either different types of inquiries or from different sources. Not only can I help my clients with laser-targeted advertising, this is another way I can track the sources of my own traffic!"


Georgann McCrosson, Marketing Consultant
CatchPhraseMarketing.com

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"I just finished listening to the members-only teleclass, Repurposing Profit Machine.  I soooo appreciate the value, content and clarity you put into everything you do!  The content was well worth paying for and you gave it away to OnlineBizU.com members for FREEEEEE!!!!  Your class was just as clear and to the point as your many articles and your handout was PHENOMENAL -- not one of those weak 1-page fill-in the blank sheets that some hosts use for their teleclasses -- yours is CHOCK FULL of the totally valuable content you shared within the call.  The whole topic of REPURPOSING work so we don't have to re-create the wheel is just so useful in and of itself and you broke it down into over 15 ways we can do it!!  HOORAY!!!  Thanks, as always, for being such an awesome resource!  You totally deserve your title as Queen of Online Biz Resources!  : ) 

 Stephanie Bell, Spirit Coach, Speaker, Author
GrowYourDivineSpirit.com

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"Just wanted to thank you for a great teleclass. I dialed in because I needed help to structure my own teleclasses and your method of turning a previously written article into a teleseminar was especially appealing. You led us through some easy-to-follow steps - and I'm looking forward to trying them out for myself!  My membership at OnlineBizU is proving invaluable as I build my own business online - you're very generous with all the articles and resources you share - thank you!"  

Louise Barnes-Johnston, Business Accelerator & Coach
Frontline-Results.com

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"Just wanted to let you know that you are brilliant! I'm fairly new here and have found so much helpful information already! I became a member of OBU and within a few days cancelled my memberships I was already a part of on other site(s). OBU offers SO much information and helpful products! You are so quick to answer any questions I post on the forums and you always give up to date information and guidance. I am so happy to be a part of OBU and am looking forward to seeing where my business goes from here! Thanks a million!!!" 

Camilynn Bradford
HomeBizCoach.com

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"Thank you for developing and offering Online Biz University - it is one of my top go-to resources. I get so much value from my membership. I enjoy learning new programs and tools (and Donna offers several fantastic resources for continual learning to occur). As my knowledge increases, I am able to demonstrate this new expertise to my clients and offer additional services in my practice, which has allowed me to grow my business." 

Kelly Johnson, Virtual Assistant
Cornerstone Virtual Assistance

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"Donna's OnlineBizU.com website is THE source for Internet marketing ideas and expertise. I found a wealth of information and resources that helped me strategize and find new ways to "get noticed" in cyberspace -- presented simply and intelligently. As always, Donna gives you a huge return on your investment. This is the real deal -- check it out!"

Robin Stephens, Professional Organizer
YourLifeinOrder.com

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"Donna definitely knows her stuff and seems to have an endless supply of ideas for marketing on the Internet that apply whether you are selling products or services. I found her information very helpful at a moment when I needed recharging." 

Stephanie Buehler, MPW, PsyD, CST,
TheBuehlerInstitute.com

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"The uniqueness of what Donna offers is what is most impressive. She'll either have an idea or lead you to a source that no one else who might have a similar product is talking about. I LOVE having that kind of unrivaled information. I rate it as one of the top return's on investments for people who want to get more clients online." 

Pat Weber, America's #1 Coach for Introverts, Shy and Reluctant Who Sell,
ProStrategies.com

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Donna knows her stuff and will go the extra ten miles. I highly recommend that anyone starting an online business check out her excellent consulting and coaching services. You can't go wrong!" 

Ana Young

home | Sample Articles | 6 Secrets to Online Business Buildin . . .
 

© Photographer: Carl Durocher | Agency: Dreamstime.com
© Photographer: Carl Durocher | Agency: Dreamstime.com


6 Secrets to Online Business Building Success
Donna Gunter
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The Internet marketing industry and online business industry is fraught with fraud. There are more "get rich quick" schemes here than in almost any other industry. After all, who doesn't want to sit on home on his rear end and make tons of money by working only a couple of hours per week? The allure of such a promise is quite appealing. However, remember the adage about promises that sound too good to be true--typically such promises will lead you to great disappointment.

Building a business online is neither easy or quick. It's just like any other business. It takes time and dedication to generate the kind of results you desire. Here are 6 "school of hard knocks" lessons that I believe are the "real" secrets to successfully building an online business:

Lesson 1: Acknowledge your expertise. One of the great difficulties of online business owners is their inability to acknowledge their expertise in an area. I, too, suffered from that problem in the early years, thinking, "I'm not really an expert -- everyone knows this stuff, don't they?" It took me years to realize that while others did have a higher level of expertise than me, there was a very large group of people who knew less than me -- and it was to those people I could become an expert! And, better yet, they would pay me to learn it so they didn't have to do through the same trial-and-error method I did. In 2006, I decided to officially declare my expertise by crowning myself as "The Online Business Resource Queen" because I know more about running an online business than just about anybody I know. So, go ahead and crown yourself as an expert!

Lesson 2: Niche your way to riches. Finding the exact market that needs what you have to offer is one of the primary keys to success in any business, but especially when you're trying to do business online. Taking a shotgun approach and foolishly believing that "everyone" needs your product or service is the quickest way to failure. You need to be able to identify and describe your niche market, from determining what problem the niche market is actively trying to solve and what they'll pay for (as well as how much they will pay) to what publications they read, to what groups/associations do they belong, and where they hang out both on- and off-line. The more narrowly focused your niche, the better. So, owners of Golden Retrievers are a better defined niche than dog lovers, and executive female golfers are better than women athletes.

Lesson 3: Build relationships online. Even though an online business is virtual and you meet few of your clients and prospective clients face-to-face, it is still possible to build trusting relationships online. The most important thing to remember is that your personality needs to shine throughout all of your online ventures. So whether you share personal stories about your life or business (these will be very popular with your visitors), or write articles or website text in the same way you speak, you need to give visitors an experience of what it means to do business with you. You can also use audio and video on your website as well as photos of you in action in your business. Remember, most people need to get to know, like and respect you before they'll decide to buy what you have to offer.

Lesson 4: Create several "stay in touch" devices. An ezine (email newsletter), blog (web log), and autoresponders (series of automated follow up emails) are the quickest and easiest ways to stay in touch with your current clients and to bring prospective clients into the fold. I think the most effective ezines are published weekly -- it gives you one excuse every week to reach out to your contact database. Blogs tend to be attention hogs, so they are most effective as a marketing strategy when you post to them 3-4 times per week. Once you've written the content for a series of autoresponders, they can serve as a personal marketing arm for you, as they can be personalized and give prospective clients the impression that you're writing a personal email just to them. The more "stay in touch" strategies you use, the quicker your prospective client base will get to know you and expect to regularly hear from you.

Lesson 5: Be willing to give your info away for free. Some experts will tell you never to give away your information or expertise ("why buy the cow if the milk is free" theory). I advocate that you should demonstrate what you know, as that is key in helping you build online relationships, and those who are really ready to implement your strategies will seek you out, as most won't or can't do it on their own.

Lesson 6: Don't expect overnight success. Despite what the television ads might state or what the information products might claim, success in the online world doesn't happen overnight. There will be a few who will spot a profitable trend before anyone else does, but eventually the income will fizzle and they'll have to find another profitable trend. Just like any other business, an online business takes a great deal of time and attention. Some of the tasks can be automated, but you still have to pay attention to what's happening so that you can effectively create your marketing and promotion strategy.

By adopting these Internet marketing mindsets into your daily marketing mantra, you'll be well on your way to positioning your online business for many years of success!
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