Ecuador has a pretty good internet infrastructure. I have better response in Cotacachi than I do here in Florida.  Every time it rains hard here in Lake County Florida… my DSL goes haywire.    The speed is just barely capable of providing streaming on hulu.com… sometimes. Other times it is not adequate.

In the larger cities of Ecuador… the infrastructure is excellent.  On the coast… out of Manta and other larger cities, it is workable but slow.

A reader just sent me this note.

Dear Gary:  I have been seriously considering moving to Ecuador, but I have a few questions. I am working connected to the Internet all day. If there are frequent power outages, this would seriously interfere with my business. Also I have to send out some work every day. If I participate in the tours (including the Shamanic tour), will I always get back to the Meson in the evening so that I can send my work out that day?

Here was my reply:

Today, according to Alexa, my website is ranked pretty well in many countries around the world:

This means I work on the internet.. a lot… at most hours… every day of the year. I live many months of the year in Ecuador and find that I often have better internet access in Ecuador than in Florida. You bet the tours are back in time to send out and or receive data over the net.

Part of the rest of the time…when we are not traveling…we live in a remote Andean Village at our Cotacachi Hotel, El Meson de las Flores.

We can run our internet business from any one of these places…now more easily than before.

Ecuador internet services continue to develop at a rapid pace and the latest development is mobile internet in Ecuador.

Three cell phone operators now offer an internet connection via a USB modem that receives data from cell phone networks. In other words wherever in Ecuador cell phones work there is access to broadband.

If you have the little modem and a lap top computer you can hook up to the internet anywhere in Ecuador where you can receive a cell phone signal from an Ecuadorian cell phone supplier.

This gives you the freedom to go anywhere that has even a hint of civilization. You won´t receive a signal in deep ravines or the remote jungles – but just about anywhere else is going to work just great.

We have a full report about internet connections for Ecuador Living subscribers. Learn how to subscribe here.

One frequent question I receive from those interested in Ecuador is “How can I earn income there?”

One answer is… “with an internet business.”

This is why we share a free course from Michelle Toole who, after attending our self publishing seminar and Ecuador tour started and built her first web success and has started another. She shares many lessons such as the one below.

I hope you enjoy and gain from it.  We give special thanks to Michelle for sharing it.

Does Your Local Business Need a Website?

By Michelle Toole

Do you have a small business that is not using the Internet? Is your clientele mostly local?

Perhaps you think the Internet offers few opportunities for businesses with a customer base clustered in a small geographic area; after all, the Internet is “world wide”… a “global medium.” If you do, you might be surprised at how profitable a web site can be for your local business.

Yes, it is true.  As a local business, if you’re not on the web, you’re leaving money on the table!

More and more, your potential clients are forsaking those local telephone books and Yellow Pages for Google and other search engines on the Internet.   Why?  For example, if you were looking for “lawn care service” in the town of Tarpon Springs in Florida, and did not find one, you can widen the search to “lawn care Florida” to get instant results.  Try widening your search with the Yellow Pages!

According to Entrepreneur.com “Websites are perhaps the most overlooked vehicle of advertising for local, owner-operated businesses. Yes, every retailer needs one. Every dentist, lawyer, accountant and minister needs one. Every café, restaurant, coffee shop and nightclub needs one. Every wholesale supply company needs one.  Not every local business needs to transact business online, but everyone listed in yesterday’s Yellow Pages needs to also be available on the internet today–it’s where your customers expect to find you.” 

And it’s not just making sure that the potential customers find you, more and more of your competition is coming online.  They are using the Internet to:

#1: Build trust and deepen relationships with existing local customers by providing friendly, personal information about the business, great content (ex., valuable “do-it-yourself” articles), “web site only” specials, etc.

#2: Raise their local profile above that of competitors

#3: Promote locally and gain new customers from competitors

#4: Continue to stay “top-of-mind” and deepen relationships with customers through an e-zine (and build sales, too — ex., “It’s spring, which means it’s time for aerating and fertilizing your lawn.” – OR – “Announcing our Web-site-only-10%-off-your-next-oil-change coupon”)

#5: Build targeted traffic to find new customers, even add entirely new income streams

#6: Leverage their local expertise and knowledge for global clients, selling their goods online, even through online auctions.

Bottom line?

If your small, local business does not have an Internet presence to promote itself, to keep in touch with its customers, extend its reach, and increase your customer base, you are losing out on a great opportunity for profit.

Building an Internet presence can help you to grow locally, create new global revenue streams or do both! Either way it is fast becoming an essential business tool in today’s economy.

You can check out Michelle’s web sites at http://healthy-holistic-living.com and http://home-remedies-and-natural-cures.com.  To get more great tips, like the ones above and to see how and what tools she used to create a successful on-line business go to sitesell-sbi.com

Learn more about our emailed course on how to develop your own internet business.

Gary

Join Merri and me plus nine other speakers and contacts this February  at a seminar that shares ways to invest, do business and live in Ecuador or globally February 11-14  at Quantum Wealth -International Investing & Business Made EZ, Mt. Dora, Fl.

You can also come on with us to Ecuador.

February 15-16 Travel to Quito and tour Quito

February 17     Travel Quito to Manta

February 18-19  Manta & Mid Coast Real Estate Tour

February 20 Travel Manta to Cotacachi

February 21-22 North Andes, Imbabura & Cotacachi Real Estate Tour

February 23-24  Quito & Mindo Real Estate Tour

February 25 Travel Quito Cuenca

February 26-27  Cuenca Real Estate Tour

Or join us in March 2010

March 11-14     Super Thinking + Spanish Course, Mt. Dora, Fl.

March 15    Travel to Quito

March 16 Travel Quito Cotacachi

March 17-18  North Andes, Imbabura & Cotacachi Real Estate Tour

March 19-20    Cotacachi Shamanic Tour

March 21  Travel Cotacachi to Manta

March 22-23   Manta & Mid Coast Real Estate Tour

March 24 Travel Manta to Cuenca

March 25-26 Cuenca Real Estate Tour

March 27  Travel Cuenca to Salinas

Mar. 28-29   Salinas & South Coast Real Estate Tour

The Ecuador airfare war makes it cheaper to get to Ecuador than ever before… and there is still time to enjoy great Ecuador tour savings.