The decision to buy from you is the result of a multi-stage process for your prospect. It's not a single event made in isolation. The entire purpose of each point of contact is to sell them on the next point of contact until, finally, they have enough information, and enough confidence in you, to buy from you.

Of course, if they keep on getting information intended to get them to buy, they can become irritated and frustrated. They may decide NOT to buy — or, worse still, to request a refund!

That's why our "Hot Swap" sensing feature is so vital, and why a fully-integrated system — not just a bunch of separate applications cobbled together — is so critical to your success. Your zip-cart system senses the moment they buy, and stops sending them any more BUYING messages. Instead, it switches them to your new customer series of messages, which can congratulate them on their decision, tell them how to get the best results from their purchase, how to access customer service, promote your affiliate program and more. They're now swapped by your zip-cart system to your CUSTOMER mailing list, to which you send newsletters, special offers, handy hints'n'tips, etc using your email broadcast system.

Making a sale to an existing customer is SEVEN TIMES EASIER than making a sale to a new customer.

Can you see the power and versatility that your zip-cart gives you?

The ultimate purpose of your online selling activities should always be to turn your buyers into your most productive, profitable SELLERS.

They've already experienced the benefits of what you offer. They're excited by the difference it's made in their own lives or businesses. They want to tell everyone about it, with no thought of being paid for it. This is normal human behaviour.

So how much more excited will they be if you offer to pay them a commission on every sale that they refer to you? And, if you decide to use your two-tier* commission feature, they can earn commissions on any sales referred by their own customers!

Every successful Internet marketer has said that their #1 selling tool is their affiliate program, and their #2 selling tool is their mailing list. Your zip-cart system delivers both — and more!

Your mailing lists (one for each autoresponder) allow you to segment your target audience intelligently and provide them with the information they need to move forward in buying from you. All with NO active involvement from you! You can send them up-sell incentives and offers, reminders, mini-courses, eBooks, price lists, newsletters and ezines and anything else you can think of that will help turn them into an enthusiastic promoter of you and your products or services.

You can qualify them further into even more narrowly-focused niche markets using additional autoresponders. And because your lists are all opt-in, you know that they're interested in the messages you're offering. If they lose interest, or realise that their needs are different, they simply unsubscribe. And you still have no active involvement in the process!

Your email broadcast system allows you to communicate, at any time, with all or any of these three important groups...

• your subscribers
• your customers
• your affiliates

Submitting your web site to search engines, advertising in ezines, swapping links with other sites, swapping ads with ezine publishers, writing articles and other promotional activities may drive traffic to your web site, but your zip-cart system gives you the tools to maximise what happens once they arrive.

Educating, qualifying and emotionally bonding them to you is much more effective when it's interactive in securing their name and email address, upselling them to your other goods and services, and encouraging them to drive traffic to your site as a member of your own affiliate team.

Here's an overview of the intelligent, fully-integrated power-selling toolkit you'll enjoy with your personal zip-cart

• Serial autoresponders with the ability to personalise messages with prospects' and customers' names (and other details) and to send them follow-up messages. Plus smart features like being able to tell when a prospect becomes a customer, then switching them to a new series of messages — like how to get the most from their purchase, a mini-course, your customer ezine or a special up-sell offer.
   
• Opt-in mailing lists and broadcast email so you can build targeted, niche product or service opt-in subscriber lists, then contact subscribers easily and quickly with bulletins, special offers or a newsletter or ezine* whenever you want.
   
• A dynamic shopping cart plus online catalogue and price list that can be updated at any time, so your prospects can buy your products, services and memberships with an automated system.
   
• Secure online payment facilities so you can accept the client's payment through PayPal (free Business or Premium accounts), 2Checkout.com or Authorize.Net. (Note: Additional merchant account and payment gateway fees apply if you choose 2Checkout.com or Authorize.Net.)
   
• Instant, online delivery of digital products (if that's what you sell) — with cloaked delivery URLs so unscrupulous clients can't share them with cronies!
   
• Membership site management software and interfacing with your zip-cart system so you can run as many membership programs as you wish — or protect your digital product downloads. Quick and easy to set up and administer.
   
• Your own single- or two-tiered affiliate system so you can leverage your selling efforts through duplication. Prospects can view your searchable catalogue of products and services, view detailed info (with photos if you wish) and prices, order, check out and pay through your choice of PayPal, 2Checkout.com or Authorize.Net. (Note: You'll need to open your own account with your chosen payment gateway. See Payment Gateways page for details.)
   
  Calculate real-time commissions and export commission statements to your favourite spreadsheet. Payment of affiliate commissions can be made by cheque (check in USA) or through PayPal Mass Pay*. Set commission rates, tier structure, etc for each item. Pay your affiliates whenever you choose, with any minimum payment amount.
   
• Real-time, searchable reports for you and your affiliates. Check sales, products, commissions, affiliates, dates, months... complete control, and easily exported to your favourite spreadsheet application.
   
• Reliable ad tracking for you and your affiliates. Add notes, identifiers, etc for more accurate results and reporting. Keep your ad campaigns accountable. Test and fine-tune your promotions to improve your sales results.

Click on the icons at the top of every page to learn more about each of these power tools in your zip-cart, or use the links above.

*PayPal's Mass Pay service will not accept payments for more than one tier of affiliates under their terms of service. We recommend offering only a single tier commission structure if you plan to use PayPal's MassPay service.