Internet Leads for MLM

 

As a South African Internet Attraction Network Marketer who has learned internet marketing and affiliate marketing from top marketer's in America, I thought I'd create a page for my fellow countrymen.

This page addresses specific issues we face here in South Africa while using the internet as a tool to market our businesses.

1. Internet Connection.

2. Buying Products from USA.

3. Target Market and Time Zone differences.

4. Payment options.

Internet Connection

 As you probably know, here in South Africa we have to deal with SLOW internet lines, expensive telecommunications and Gig caps!

If you are looking to create a global business, here's my adice:

Get a high speed ADSL line with a 3 gig or 4 gig cap minimum. I would even go as far as to say to go for an uncapped account. This is the most expensive (around R1200 per month) but it means you have no limit on the amount of content you can upload or download per month.

You have options for which speed ADSL you can get.

I suggest a 1 meg or 4 meg speed. (If you are using video at all- either for uploading or downloading, get the 4 Meg line)

Even with these tools, you will have breaks, disconnections and if you are using video marketing, you will need to always use the large file uploader option that most video sites provide. Even if your file is relatively small (under 100MB), it's helpful to use this option because if you have a break in the connection, you can just resume uploading from where you left off (you don't have to start all over again).

I am investigating an "unshaped line" vrs a "shaped line" at present. I am not quite sure what it means but I believe "unshaped" means you are not restricted when you send content (especially video files) to an overseas server. In other words, your stuff doesn't get stopped at the exit port.

If you use a shaped line, your video/photos can stand in the queue at the port for ages and chances are alot of the time, you lose the internet connection and have to start again. This has happened repeatedly to me. Its because they (Telkom) prioritise certain content (e.g emails/other content) above other content (videos/photos).

I have had better luck with my vodacom 3G connection- but once again, this type of connection is like a cell phone and can be dropped at any time- even while you are in the middle of uploading files.

Once again, getting an unshaped line costs.

If you're doing video marketing and you have the flip camera, you will not need to format the files- the camera does it for you automatically! (See below where to get one if you are South African). This makes it much much easier to upload to the internet.

Buying Products from USA

Online Shopping

Many of the books and products we need cannot be shipped by the US based companies.

I have found a solution for two much needed products

1. Books and 2. The Flip Video Camera.

To buy books, I suggest you by pass Amazon if you are South African.

The best, quickest and most reasonable place to do online shopping for these specialised books is Wantitall.co.za.

You can get everything you need and the owner will bend over backwards to order for you if he doesn't have stock.

2. The Flip Camera

Just click on the picture (above) to be taken to the South African online shop that gets it to you fast!

This is an indispensible tool for video marketing. it comes with a USP port ready for immediate uploading to YouTube (or any of the other 100 video marketing locations). It is so easy to use. You can shoot, edit and upload a good piece in under an hour.

Target Market Considerations and Time Zone differences.

We know that only 5% of our South African population is using the internet and very few of them are in the habit of online shopping.

This will change over time as our infrastructure improves (fibre optic lines are layed down) and when there's more competition from telecommunications service providers (Telkom won't have the monopoly anymore so prices will come down).

This is to our advantage. We can learn from the first world countries and get ahead of the trend in SA. It will happen. It is happening. Position yourself now and you will be ahead of the game!

For now though, it seems wise to target the overseas market, as there per capita use of internet and internet buying is far far greater than ours, and makes for a viable business model.

A weak Rand is another thing to consider. If you get clients from overseas, and are paid in their currency, its fantastic.

For example, if you sell a product and get paid $60 commission, you are effectively being paid R600 (at the time of this the ZAR is 10 to the US $.)

Of course,those of us who have made the leap into the online world, are  only too happy to be operating in a global economy and my motto is "have laptop will be paid in Dollars!".

When talking to your service providers, client, colleagues and affiliates - remember if they are in the USA, they are 7-10 hrs behind us.

To find out what time it is there, just Google in their time zone. e.g If they're on the East coast of USA, google in the words EST time. The time clock comes up and you can see exactly what time it is there.

Use Skype. Its a free telecommunications programme you install on your computer and you can talk on a headset from your computer to other skype users all over the world for as long as you like for free.

www.skype.com

Just remember your contact must also have downloaded skype.

If they haven't you can still use skype to call a landline or cell phone.

Its not free. You need to buy skype credit (its like getting a prepaid voucher). You can buy $10 or $25 at a time.

You then add them as a skypeout contact and push the green button to call.

Its still 12x cheaper than using a Telkom line for overseas calls!

The quality of the call varies from time to time. Sometimes its perfect. Sometimes theres a bad echo. Sometimes the call gets dropped (even repeatedly).

But its still worth it.

I wouldn't use it if you're doing a conference call or webinar with alot of attendees, though- rather fork out the money and make sure ou have a secure line for that type of formal business setting- especially if you are being paid to do the call/webinar.

Payment options

All sounds great to be paid in dollars- except most American merchants only pay in $US either by wire transfer or by check- which takes 3 weeks to arrive and then can take your South African bank up to 8 weeks to clear (if they will do so at all).

Some merchants do offer tele- transmission (wire) transfer, but only after you've made a certain amount of money and had 3 checks sent. And its expensive- around $45 per wire transfer.

As far as online transfers/payments are concerned, I have to say, if your merchant uses Payoneer to pay out commissions, GO FOR IT.

I am an affiliate with a US company that uses Payoneer and it works very smoothly.

You get a Payoneer card in the post which you then activate online. Your commissions are paid into the card and presto, you can go down to the autobank and draw cash! It's great. (No checks, no expensive wires).

However, not all companies use this method and if you are selling goods/services directly to the public, you need your own way of collecting money.

This is where the challenges start.

I have investigated two alternatives to PayPal. As South Africans we cannot receive money through PayPal (SARS rules).

It is possible to receive money, but its complicated and NOT easy for clients to pay us. This puts us at a disadvantage to our US based competitors. Its just so much easier for a US based client to pay through PayPal. That, as well as the trust issues involved when it comes to making online payments to anyone.

As I said, there are ways. We'll just have to be better service providers and I strongly suggest using the personal touch (phone clients when they want to make a payment, establish rapport and trust and personally walk them through the payment process).

In the true South African spirit, I know we can do this!

Anyway, here are the alternatives to Paypal:

1. AlertPay

When you open an AlertPay account you need to create a business account (vrs a personal one) to receive money.

AlertPay will send you a verification email which you need to click on in order to verify your account.

You then attach your credit card and SA bank account to your AlertPay account. This allows you to upload funds to AlertPay and withdraw funds from AlertPay.

Then you need to scan a copy of your ID book and utilities bill and physically post these docs to AlertPay in Canada. (So they can verify your account.)

When customers want to pay you, there are two options.

1. Under $250

They can do this by clicking on an AlertPay button you embed in your website. The customer then creates an AlertPay account (with username, password and pin code).

They then log into AlertPay (with username, password) and make payment to your AlertPay email address (using their transaction pin) and their credit card.

You'll receive an email from AlertPay notifying you of funds received.

To withdraw funds to your SA bank account takes 3-5 working days. You select the option to convert money from overseas currency into SA Rands.

2. Clients paying over $250 (they cannot use a buy now button)

 

For your customer who are not purchasing from a "Buy Now" button here are the best recommendations:

1. Inform the customers that you will 'Invoice' them using the Request Money tool 2. Send them an email requesting they sign up with www.AlertPay.com, make sure that they keep track of the Password and Transaction PIN they register with.

3. Once within AlertPay site, inform them they can add a bank account from the account overview by scrolling over Profile->Financial->Bank Accounts, providing they Account Number and Routing Number.

4. They will be required to confirm their bank accounts which can take 3-5 business days to receive micro-deposits into their bank account which they will have to confirm with AlertPay.

5. Once confirmed they can deposit the funds into their AlertPay Account which will take 3-5 Business Days as all transfers have a bank processing time.

6. Once completed they accept the Payment Request and you receive your payment

MoneyBookers

I have just signed up with them and it was quite painless. I have attached my SA bank account to my moneybookers account and am awaiting a physical verification letter from them. Once I have this (with a pin number they'll send), I can verify my account.

I do not see any limits for customers wanting to pay (like with AlertPay where there's a $250 limit to e able to pay with a credit card), but am not 100% sure of this. 

Once again customers will have to create their own Moneybookers account in order to make payments to you.

They also have button options (for your website) as well money request options.

Will keep you briefed as we gather more information.

Setcom.com

Here's another option.

Looks good, but haven't tested it.

For sellers

1. Create an account.

2. Attach credit card and bank account (for withdrawl)

3. Verify email address (they'll send you a linl to click on)

4. Verify bank details (for withdrawl). 5 steps/doc you need to send in or fax to them.

Here's the low down

New account holders are required to verify their identity before withdrawing of any funds is allowed.

To verify your identity, you must complete all 5 of the following requirements:

1. Fax or email a scannedcopy of your bank statement or a voided cheque containing the bank account number and routing/branch number.
2. Fax or email a scannedcopy ofyour Identity Document or Social Security containing the identity number or social security number. If you are registered as a business then business incorporation/registration documents must also be faxed or emailed to us.
3. Fax or email a scannedcopy ofthe utilities bill containing the physical address as used in the sign up.
4. Fax or emailyour website address (URL).
5. Fax or email a signed Acceptance of User Agreement form (Click here to download).

Email: support@setcom.com

Fax:	Austria	+43 820 901 194723
	Belgium	+32 70 42 9534
	France	+33 821 482 900
	Germany	+49 1805 48202 52313
	Hong Kong	+852 301 59146
	Netherlands	+31 84 739 0926
	South Africa	(086) 615 1486
	United Kingdom	+44 20 7681 3303
	United States of America	+1 501 643 0401

Please remember to write your email address or mobile number on the fax.

Also remember to add your bank account and street address to your Setcom account.

5. Create button for website.

 

For clients (who will pay you)

1. Create account

2. Add credit card.

3. Setcom will verify that its a valid credit card by charging the account with a micro amount. This verifies the credit card.

4. Then the user can make the payment by logging in again (with username/email address and password created during sign up phase).

5. Setcome sends an email confirming payment.

 

Here's a short video explaining the procedure.

Here's an even better option! (Very exciting)

PAYONEER

Just send them here

https://www.payoneer.com/webapps/Load/LoadToPage.aspx?tid=zSz5yj24xR3Acznv5sVl3FKCsPxedri4PY4SWpnV0hTabierulKt

And send them your email address.

 

They load your prepaid debit card with mulah!

(Hope their credit card company approves it)-otherwise they must phone in and clear the payment and try again.