Money saving info product web sites

Beverly Hills website on a Walmart budget
5 resources to insure profits don’t go down the drain

But now you discover that’s only half the battle. Because in order to sell online, you need a web presence. A product mini-site. Sales copy. Payment processing.

But don’t fret. Selling your products online doesn’t have to cost you two months worth of profits. If you know where to look.

There are simple low cost ways to create a dynamic professional web presence without having to eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner.

1. Fire your copywriter / Hire a template
   
   Don’t get me wrong. Copywriters are worth their weight in gold.
   
   If you can afford the thousands (plus percentage of the profits) the good ones cost.
   
   Until your blood is that rich, why not give Instant Sales Letters a shot? These fill in the blanks sales letter templates can help you get started selling quickly. And bring in enough money so you can go ahead and hire that fancy hoidy-toidy copywriter.
   
   Sure the gurus and your marketing buddies may laugh at you. But your bank account won’t.
   
   
2. Budget web designs that look like a million
   
   A slick web design can cost thousands of dollars. Sure you can shell out and then eat rice and beans for a few months. Or you can visit Template Monster. You will find literally hundreds of beautiful professional web page designs that will have your customers (and competitors) thinks you’ve moved up in the world.
   
   And I promise not to tell them it only knocked you back around 60 bucks.
   
   Yeah, its nice to have a custom design. But I’d rather invest the thousands I save into other ways to boost my bottom line.
   
   
3. Or try a blog for no bucks
   
   Of course if you’re really on a budget, you can put your sales letter on a blog. Head on over to Blogger and sign up (its free!) Choose a template. And you’re up and running within seconds.
   
   Then just pop in the copy you created using Instant Sales Letters, add your payment link and you’re set.
   
   Sure it would be nice to have a full fledged web site. But in the time it would take you to create one, you could be taking orders, and making profits.
   
   HOT TIP: Beware of putting up a quickie product selling blog on Wordpress.com. When you host your blog on their site, they are a bit e-commerce phobic. Have heard reports of folks getting their blogs deleted just for selling stuff.
   
   This caution does NOT apply when you host a Wordpress blog on your own server. But that is one rung up the complexity ladder. Stick to Blogger for a more commerce friendly quick up and running web presence.
   
   
4. Cheap help for custom changes
   
   So lets say you bought your Template Monster template. But don’t have a clue how to add your copy and customize it. Or lets say you want to pimp out your Wordpress template a tad. Are you stuck? Of course not!
   
   There is a load of inexpensive freelance help available at eLance and Rent-A-Coder. Because you used your template to take care of your major design issues, you can fill in the blanks very inexpensively. Just put out a job for bid on either site, with details of exactly what you are looking for.
   
   And let folks from all over the world who do this in their sleep bid for the privilege. Check their past work, and feedback from past customers. Select your freelancer. And then sit back and relax while they do all the geek work.
   
   
5. No merchant account required
   
   One last trick: Moving money from your customers wallets to your bank account. Its no sweat with PayPal. Simply sign up for an account (its free). Follow the step-by-step instructions to link to your bank account. Then click on the Merchant Services Tab, and then on the blue Buy Now Link in the Create Buttons Sections for their “do it for you” Buy Now Button wizard.
   
   Simply answer a few questions. And you receive a short snippet of html code to paste into your website or blog. Or pass the html code the Wizard gets you along to your eLance / RentACoder geek and have them do it.
   
   Now anyone with a credit card can buy your products. They don’t even have to be a PayPal member.

Look if you’ve got cash flow (or a lot of money to blow) go ahead: Get a merchant account. Pay the monthly fee for a shopping cart. Blow a couple mortgage payments on a fancy web design and a top tier copywriter. Someday we will all get there.

But until then, follow our five money saving tips above. And invest the savings in marketing that can really make your business grow.