Gihan Perera

Why Seth Godin is Wrong About Podcasting

I've just finished reading Seth Godin's book Small Is The New Big. It's a collection of random blog posts made into a book (Now that's an easy way to write a book!) I love Seth Godin's stuff, and I've got most (all?) of his books. But I think he's w... Read >

Why is Podcasting So Popular Now?

In 2005, the New Oxford American Dictionary defined "podcast" as its word of the year. Three key things have made podcasting spread so far and wide so quickly in the last few years. 1. Broadband Internet In the past the Internet was usable for ... Read >

Copy It Right

The Internet landscape has changed when it comes to copyright. Previously, publishers would jealously guard their material, and could even send lawyers after you if you copied it without permission. But now Web 2.0 sites like YouTube encourage users ... Read >

Step Into The Expert's Role

One of the things holding people back from creating - and profiting from - information products is that they undervalue their expertise. They don't think they are "good enough" yet, or they don't think their material has any value to their clients. ... Read >

One Red Paper Clip

Peter Gow, one of my clients, recently gave me the book, "One Red Paperclip", by Kyle Macdonald. It tells the true story of how he traded a paper clip for a house. Well, not in one trade, but in a series of trades that took him back and forth across ... Read >

Gurus Don't Need Business Cards

As an expert, your most powerful marketing tool is not your business card. It's not your glossy brochure. It's not your Web site. It's not your client testimonials. It's not any of your collateral material. As an expert, your most powerful marketin... Read >

Are You Making the Most of Every Newsletter Article?

When I talk to experts about creating information products, the most common complaint I hear is, "I don't have the time!" Is that true of you as well? If so, maybe you're not taking full advantage of the material you've already created. Creating new ma... Read >

Spread Like Wildfire

Every message has three components: 1. An idea you want to convey; 2. An audience you would like to reach; 3. The delivery of that idea to that audience. This is obvious, right? In marketing, you'd call this product / market / medium; in... Read >

Hello? Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?

I read about a survey of major consumer companies with Web sites. The survey was looking at how well the Web sites received and responded to customer comments. According to the survey, more than half of their Web sites either had no way for people to make... Read >

Make it Easy For Them To Buy

Imagine going to your local supermarket and watching the shoppers. They pick up a shopping cart, wander around the aisles collecting their groceries, and eventually take them to the checkout to pay. But imagine if two out of three shoppers got to the c... Read >

Keep Your Site Current

A few years ago, Stanford University in California, USA conducted a massive survey of over 4,000 Internet users in North America and Europe. Their objective was to answer this question: "What makes a Web site credible in the eyes of Internet users?" Yo... Read >

Don't Assume They Will Buy on Their First Visit

Many Web site owners put all their eggs in one basket. They assume that somebody will visit their Web site, read all about the products and services on offer, and immediately make a decision to buy. That's almost always a mistake. Not every site visito... Read >

Engage Your Visitors Immediately

Let's face it. Most Web sites are boring. Research about Internet users shows that if you don't capture your site visitor's attention within 8 seconds, they will leave - probably never to return. Yep, eight seconds is all you've got. That's the aver... Read >

Are You Ready To Go International?

Although North Americans were the dominant population on the Internet, that has now changed, and the rest of the world has caught up rapidly. And while English is still the most widely used Internet language, it's not the language of choice for many, many... Read >

Is your Web site turning visitors away?

One of the biggest problems with Web sites is that the very first page on the site is turning people away. Why? Because most Web site owners talk about themselves instead of talking about their Web site visitor. You know what I mean. How often have ... Read >