Article Presented by:
Cheryl Miller
A free newsletter is a powerful way to develop your business. By this means you will be able to build your own in house opt-in list many of your readers, over time, will become your loyal lifetime customers. Your subscribers are truly VIPs and should be treated as such.
Your newsletter should fulfill these functions
1. Build your business opt-in list
2. Develop business relationships with your subscribers
3. Selling your services, products and affiliate programs
4. Income from 3rd party ads
How will your newsletter build your business opt-in list? When visitors subscribe to your newsletter they will automatically join your business list. You can do direct advertising and ad swaps for new subscribers to your publication. Ad Coops are useful for building marketing and home business newsletter lists. Cross promotion with related businesses will also build your list.
Developing business relationships with your subscribers: This is a very important part of newsletter publishing. Respond to questions from subscribers promptly. Always offer free advice and help to subscribers. Always make sure you give quality content in your publication. This will establish you as the expert in your field and inspire confidence and trust in your readers.
Selling your services, products and affiliate programs: Quality, targeted, in house ads for the products and services you sell can be offered in your newsletter. Your recommendation as a publisher will help to sell to your subscribers. Do not put too many just your best offers.
Income from 3rd party ads: These ads can bring in a little income and help fund your list building advertising. Make sure they are good quality and highly targeted to your readers. In this way you will have responsive readers and happy advertisers.
Your quality newsletter should contain
1. Good informative articles
2. Interesting tips
3. A survey
4. Disclaimer and means for unsubscribing
Content will sell your newsletter and keep unsubscribing to a minimum. People love original information. Either write the articles yourself or hire a ghostwriter. It will be worth your investment.
Tips and tricks of the trade are also popular. Readers enjoy snippets of information that they can jot down and use.
A survey is useful. It is very important for you to know what your reader wants and the more you the publisher interact with your readers the better.
Disclaimer and means for unsubscribing: In order to safeguard yourself and comply with the CanSpam Act always include your disclaimer at the top, and a way to unsubscribe at the bottom. See our newsletter for an example of this.
Important tips for good publishing and newsletter management
1. Layout
2. List management
3. Responsible advertising
4. Send out your newsletter on a regular basis
Your layout should be clear and well presented. If your newsletter looks impressive and professional people will be more inclined to read and not unsubscribe.
Use an autoresponder to take care of list management and sending your publication. There are many good ones out there. Words of caution do not use a free autoresponder as they will include their ads in your newsletter and this will make you look less professional. It is critical for your newsletter to look and be as professional as possible.
Advertise responsibly: Treat your subscribers well. Do not look at them as dollar bills, and flood their mailboxes with a ton of ads. Try to keep ads to 2-3 a week and only 4 as a maximum number in your publication.
Try to send out your newsletter on a regular basis. In this way you keep in constant contact with your subscribers and can build business relationships with them more easily.
Newsletters are the heart of your business and can be a lot of fun to publish. With this powerful free marketing tool you can build your business at a steady pace and enjoy doing it.
About the Author:
Cheryl Miller is an entrepreneur specializing in niche markets. For more information about magnetic badges and how they can help you promote your business, please visit http://www.badgemags.com/. Cheryl is also the publisher of the Magnetic Marketer Newsletter: http://www.badgemags.com/magnetic_marketer_subscribe.htm
8.31.2006
Stop Trying to Solve Your Customer's Problems
Article Presented by:
Judy Murdoch
If you're like most folks who own a small business, you enjoy solving problems. Part of the reason you enjoy solving problems is because you're good at it.
In fact, if you have your own business, it's likely that you develop solutions that are often better than what others in your profession are offering. You may also think that the value added by offering superior solutions is so obvious to prospects that they will be eager to hire you.
Another reason, you probably enjoy solving problems is that it makes you look good. You solve a problem that is causing the other person a good deal of grief and you're a hero. You feel valued and appreciated. So it's understandable that opportunity to solve a prospect's problem is, to many business owners, what catnip is to cats-irresistible.
Tempting as it may be, however, you've got to stop jumping in and solving problems-at least until the time is right to do so.
A personal story:
Not too long ago, I was talking with a wiser, more experienced colleague about a meeting I had with a prospective client. I was very proud of myself because I had shared several clever solutions to the prospect's marketing problems. But instead of praising my brilliance and insight as I expected, my colleague said, "You've got to stop solving their problems."
This took me completely by surprise. Didn't my creative, savvy ideas add value? My colleague went on to explain where I went wrong and what to do instead.
Where I erred was by jumping in too soon with my solution. I forgot that taking a relationship from prospect to customer is a process and that I needed to respect this process while at the same time, managing it.
Does this sound familiar? So when is it right and appropriate to offer solutions? Here are some guidelines.
1. Ask questions until the answers become clear.
The most successful sales people ask lots of good questions. And they keep asking questions until they're about 80% certain they know what they can do to help the customer succeed.
At a minimum, you need to know: what's the problem (source and symptoms), what will it take to solve the problem, what you can do to solve the problem and what other resources will be needed, what are the results desired by your prospect, how will you know you've achieved those results, and what is the value to the organization of attaining those results.
It is only after you and your prospect have answered those questions together that you are ready to offer a solution.
Tip: If there is a solution you think would be perfect for the customer, try framing it as a question. For example, "Have you tried doing XYZ?" or "Are you familiar with XYZ?"
2. Within 1 - 2 complementary consultations.
When it comes to sales and marketing, the number one issue small business owners raise is the amount of time they spend meeting with prospects. On the one hand, they don't want to come across like some of the more aggressive sales professionals who seem to eye prospective customers like pieces of meat and if it doesn't look like a sale is going to happen, they move on. But without standards, you risk turning meetings into informal visits where you share all sorts of valuable information that the other person appreciates but not enough to become a customer.
My rule of thumb is two complementary meetings: A 20-minute phone conversation to make sure there's a good fit and a longer, in-person meeting to ask questions, surface issues, and so on.
I don't mean to imply that this is a hard and fast rule. But as a business owner, your time and attention are the most precious assets you have. Be very conscious of the way you are spending those assets. The point is to meet until you have answered the questions mentioned in point #1.
3. When the customer is ready to invite you to make an offer.
My coach, Mark Silver, says that there is a point in the process, at which the client is ready to consider you as a business partner. The key word here is "consider." They aren't ready to sign on the dotted line or write a check but they see themselves doing business with you in some capacity.
This point comes when you and the client come to an agreement on the problem, the desired results, and the value of the results. And when you are 80% clear on what you think it will take to help the customer attain the results they desire.
It is at this point when you ask a questions like, "How do you see us working together...?" and then allow the customer to let you know how they want to proceed. It only at this point that you can now begin suggesting solutions verbally and/or in the form of a proposal.
About the Author:
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
Judy Murdoch
If you're like most folks who own a small business, you enjoy solving problems. Part of the reason you enjoy solving problems is because you're good at it.
In fact, if you have your own business, it's likely that you develop solutions that are often better than what others in your profession are offering. You may also think that the value added by offering superior solutions is so obvious to prospects that they will be eager to hire you.
Another reason, you probably enjoy solving problems is that it makes you look good. You solve a problem that is causing the other person a good deal of grief and you're a hero. You feel valued and appreciated. So it's understandable that opportunity to solve a prospect's problem is, to many business owners, what catnip is to cats-irresistible.
Tempting as it may be, however, you've got to stop jumping in and solving problems-at least until the time is right to do so.
A personal story:
Not too long ago, I was talking with a wiser, more experienced colleague about a meeting I had with a prospective client. I was very proud of myself because I had shared several clever solutions to the prospect's marketing problems. But instead of praising my brilliance and insight as I expected, my colleague said, "You've got to stop solving their problems."
This took me completely by surprise. Didn't my creative, savvy ideas add value? My colleague went on to explain where I went wrong and what to do instead.
Where I erred was by jumping in too soon with my solution. I forgot that taking a relationship from prospect to customer is a process and that I needed to respect this process while at the same time, managing it.
Does this sound familiar? So when is it right and appropriate to offer solutions? Here are some guidelines.
1. Ask questions until the answers become clear.
The most successful sales people ask lots of good questions. And they keep asking questions until they're about 80% certain they know what they can do to help the customer succeed.
At a minimum, you need to know: what's the problem (source and symptoms), what will it take to solve the problem, what you can do to solve the problem and what other resources will be needed, what are the results desired by your prospect, how will you know you've achieved those results, and what is the value to the organization of attaining those results.
It is only after you and your prospect have answered those questions together that you are ready to offer a solution.
Tip: If there is a solution you think would be perfect for the customer, try framing it as a question. For example, "Have you tried doing XYZ?" or "Are you familiar with XYZ?"
2. Within 1 - 2 complementary consultations.
When it comes to sales and marketing, the number one issue small business owners raise is the amount of time they spend meeting with prospects. On the one hand, they don't want to come across like some of the more aggressive sales professionals who seem to eye prospective customers like pieces of meat and if it doesn't look like a sale is going to happen, they move on. But without standards, you risk turning meetings into informal visits where you share all sorts of valuable information that the other person appreciates but not enough to become a customer.
My rule of thumb is two complementary meetings: A 20-minute phone conversation to make sure there's a good fit and a longer, in-person meeting to ask questions, surface issues, and so on.
I don't mean to imply that this is a hard and fast rule. But as a business owner, your time and attention are the most precious assets you have. Be very conscious of the way you are spending those assets. The point is to meet until you have answered the questions mentioned in point #1.
3. When the customer is ready to invite you to make an offer.
My coach, Mark Silver, says that there is a point in the process, at which the client is ready to consider you as a business partner. The key word here is "consider." They aren't ready to sign on the dotted line or write a check but they see themselves doing business with you in some capacity.
This point comes when you and the client come to an agreement on the problem, the desired results, and the value of the results. And when you are 80% clear on what you think it will take to help the customer attain the results they desire.
It is at this point when you ask a questions like, "How do you see us working together...?" and then allow the customer to let you know how they want to proceed. It only at this point that you can now begin suggesting solutions verbally and/or in the form of a proposal.
About the Author:
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
8.30.2006
Why Is Most Music So Bad Today?
Article Presented by:
Jason OConnor
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." ~ Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office in 1899.
"Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers." ~ Socrates
Why is popular music so bad today? I mean, I'm not that old, but jeez, the music of today, with only a few rare exceptions, kinda stinks. Some would say that when New Year's Eve 1979 ended, we were ushered into an era of lame music that we still haven't escaped from today.
I grew up in the 80's and remember listening to the Beatles, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Roger Waters and Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and David Bowie, to name a few, with my brothers or my dad. I remember seeing album covers strewn about my brother's bedroom. Albums, not CD's. (If you're a really young reader, albums are like CD's in that they're flat and round, but black, and a lot bigger. The get scratched and don't work just like CD's though).
Some say that the 60's were a turbulent time in the U.S. and the world and thus created a perfect environment and culture for innovative and creative music. But let's face it. These days are pretty turbulent as well. So where's the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young of today to sing about our involvement in Iraq? Or where is the Paul Simon of today to protest the government's stance on stem cell research? All we've gotten recently is the new Paris Hilton CD. Paris Hilton? Isn't she just famous for being famous? And her new CD actually got some good reviews.
Before anyone accuses me of painting a broad brush stroke condemning all music after the 70's, let me say that in more recent times there has been a small amount of good stuff like Phish or Midnite, and even politically-minded music such as U2, but no where near the creative amount of earlier times.
I remember when the Dixi Chicks came out against President Bush and the Iraq war. While not a bad band, they're hardly going to achieve iconic status. And they paid dearly at the hands of big business for their outspoken views. That's a far cry from the politically-charged days of Woodstock where many artists were speaking out, and changing things.
If you think about it, there are only a select few artists or bands that can regularly sell out huge arenas today. These are the icons. And the vast majority of those artists are bands from before the 80's! Between last summer and this summer, here are some of the really big concert ticket sellers: The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Eagles.
I recently read an article that suggested that music and tour promoters, large venue owners and ticket companies are all worried about concert sales taking a plunge after the legendary artists stop touring. They realize it's going to be hard to sell out big arenas after the dinosaurs become extinct. Who are the artists of today who will reach that status tomorrow?
In a recent interview with Joe Walsh on Sirius Radio Joe said there is not nearly as much improvisational rock anymore. And I agree. When asked what bands he thought were decent these days, he couldn't think of any for a while, and then finally said he thought the Goo Goo Dolls were good. Hmmm.
Maybe I'm some kind of curmudgeon, but Top 40 today is just not as good as it used to be. Is Kevin Federline really talented? I just found out recently that his nickname is K-Fed. How about fed up? I think K-Fed, J-Lo, X-tina (Christina Aguilera, no joke) and A-Rod all need to get together ASAP and rethink their feeble nicknames, just an FYI.
Here are the top 5 songs right now in the Summer of 2006:
Fergie - London Bridge Gnarls Barkley - Crazy Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous The Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
And here were the top 5 albums of 2005:
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi 50 Cent - The Massacre Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway Green Day - American Idiot The Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business
Here are the top 5 albums of 1976:
Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound Eagles - Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975 Chicago - Chicago IX Greatest Hits
And here are the top 5 albums of 1966
Original Soundtrack The Sound Of Music The Beatles - Revolver The Beatles - Rubber Soul The Rolling Stones - Aftermath The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Is it just me, or is there a glaring difference between the two 21st Century lists and the second two 20th Century lists? To be fair, I actually own Monkey Business and I like it. Also, Green Day is decent. Admittedly, Wings isn't the best Paul McCartney music around, but it is Sir Paul after all, and Chicago and The Beach Boys are a little weak. But overall, the lists just don't compare.
The music industry itself has changed so drastically that I think that is one of the main reasons there is such a chasm between today's music and the creations of yesteryear. Like sports and medicine, music in another industry that has been a casualty of big business and American capitalism.
No longer does the actual music quality drive the industry. Instead, the people with the money and power at the record companies notice some bad music selling well to young people for example, and therefore decide that from then on they're only going to find and promote that type of bad music since it made a few bucks. They've totally stopped listening to the music and instead only listen to the dollars.
No longer does the music they create determine the success of a band. Instead, entertainment conglomerates tell fans what to listen to, and that determines the success. They do this because they have such a strangle hold on the media. We only have the illusion of choice now. A vicious circle has begun where the whole industry is inexorably spinning down, unable to find purchase on the sides of some slimy corporate funnel, circling downward uncontrollably into the abyss of painfully bad music.
Some bands occasionally slip through the vortex relatively intact, sidestepping the almost institutionalized process of "making it" set in place by music executives. Phish is a great example of this. They became hugely successful in spite of the music industry. Because they were so good and so tenacious in touring and jamming, they attracted a large fan base. The sheer numbers of eventual fans Phish had gave them a power that most artists today can't have. Most other artists have to do what the people with the purse strings tell them to do. And that often makes for bad music. Unfortunately, Phish isn't even together any more. But they're a rare exception in that they came after the 70's and were highly creative and improvisational.
Another thing that contributes to the poor music of today is technology. These days, Hollywood actors who can't sing can have singing careers. The engineers touch up their voices, and use every digital sound technique there is to make an average product sellable, just like the magazines airbrush the models and actresses, trimming years off to complete the illusion. There are many ways in which the music engineers can do this in the studio and even for artists on tour.
Ashlee Simpson is a good example of this. First, we saw her on Saturday Night Live getting caught lip-sinking. Then I heard a recent interview where Joe Walsh's daughter, Lucy Walsh, admitted that as Ashlee's keyboard player, she always doubled Ashlee's voice while on tour.
I know that in any era there's going to be silly music acts like Ashlee Simpson, Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton. I realize that during Bob Dylan's time there were lots of feeble yet famous music artists then too. My complaint is that it seems like in any other era there was at least enough really fantastic and original music being created to balance things out.
Let's go backwards. We've looked at the popular music of the 21st Century a little in the lists above and I don't see any really original music in there at all. Some may argue that the grunge era of the 90's produced some great and original music. I argue that almost all of that music was so heavily influenced by the rock of the 60's and 70's that it really wasn't that original at all.
The music of the 80's matched the hair and clothes of the time, lame. The synthesizer was new then, but the music was reasonably bad, and certainly not timeless. But then we come to the 70's and 60's. Those are the decades that last held any hope for people like me who long for fresh, original, creative and improvisational music.
In 1899 the Commissioner of the US Patent Office wrote "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Alright, maybe he was a little off. But in a way, everything that seems new is really just new combinations of existing things. Music is no different. I'm hoping that we return to the days when the combinations of beats, rhythms, harmonies and melodies become as creative as they were in the 60's and 70's.
But maybe things haven't changed much since even Socrates' times. He thought kids were tyrants, as if his generation was the last of a dying breed of angelic children. Maybe he just didn't understand the kids of his era, and maybe I'm the same way.
About the Author:
Jason OConnor runs Rock and Pop Concert Tickets - A great place to buy tickets to cheap concerts across North America. http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com/
Jason OConnor
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." ~ Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office in 1899.
"Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers." ~ Socrates
Why is popular music so bad today? I mean, I'm not that old, but jeez, the music of today, with only a few rare exceptions, kinda stinks. Some would say that when New Year's Eve 1979 ended, we were ushered into an era of lame music that we still haven't escaped from today.
I grew up in the 80's and remember listening to the Beatles, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Roger Waters and Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and David Bowie, to name a few, with my brothers or my dad. I remember seeing album covers strewn about my brother's bedroom. Albums, not CD's. (If you're a really young reader, albums are like CD's in that they're flat and round, but black, and a lot bigger. The get scratched and don't work just like CD's though).
Some say that the 60's were a turbulent time in the U.S. and the world and thus created a perfect environment and culture for innovative and creative music. But let's face it. These days are pretty turbulent as well. So where's the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young of today to sing about our involvement in Iraq? Or where is the Paul Simon of today to protest the government's stance on stem cell research? All we've gotten recently is the new Paris Hilton CD. Paris Hilton? Isn't she just famous for being famous? And her new CD actually got some good reviews.
Before anyone accuses me of painting a broad brush stroke condemning all music after the 70's, let me say that in more recent times there has been a small amount of good stuff like Phish or Midnite, and even politically-minded music such as U2, but no where near the creative amount of earlier times.
I remember when the Dixi Chicks came out against President Bush and the Iraq war. While not a bad band, they're hardly going to achieve iconic status. And they paid dearly at the hands of big business for their outspoken views. That's a far cry from the politically-charged days of Woodstock where many artists were speaking out, and changing things.
If you think about it, there are only a select few artists or bands that can regularly sell out huge arenas today. These are the icons. And the vast majority of those artists are bands from before the 80's! Between last summer and this summer, here are some of the really big concert ticket sellers: The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Eagles.
I recently read an article that suggested that music and tour promoters, large venue owners and ticket companies are all worried about concert sales taking a plunge after the legendary artists stop touring. They realize it's going to be hard to sell out big arenas after the dinosaurs become extinct. Who are the artists of today who will reach that status tomorrow?
In a recent interview with Joe Walsh on Sirius Radio Joe said there is not nearly as much improvisational rock anymore. And I agree. When asked what bands he thought were decent these days, he couldn't think of any for a while, and then finally said he thought the Goo Goo Dolls were good. Hmmm.
Maybe I'm some kind of curmudgeon, but Top 40 today is just not as good as it used to be. Is Kevin Federline really talented? I just found out recently that his nickname is K-Fed. How about fed up? I think K-Fed, J-Lo, X-tina (Christina Aguilera, no joke) and A-Rod all need to get together ASAP and rethink their feeble nicknames, just an FYI.
Here are the top 5 songs right now in the Summer of 2006:
And here were the top 5 albums of 2005:
Here are the top 5 albums of 1976:
And here are the top 5 albums of 1966
Is it just me, or is there a glaring difference between the two 21st Century lists and the second two 20th Century lists? To be fair, I actually own Monkey Business and I like it. Also, Green Day is decent. Admittedly, Wings isn't the best Paul McCartney music around, but it is Sir Paul after all, and Chicago and The Beach Boys are a little weak. But overall, the lists just don't compare.
The music industry itself has changed so drastically that I think that is one of the main reasons there is such a chasm between today's music and the creations of yesteryear. Like sports and medicine, music in another industry that has been a casualty of big business and American capitalism.
No longer does the actual music quality drive the industry. Instead, the people with the money and power at the record companies notice some bad music selling well to young people for example, and therefore decide that from then on they're only going to find and promote that type of bad music since it made a few bucks. They've totally stopped listening to the music and instead only listen to the dollars.
No longer does the music they create determine the success of a band. Instead, entertainment conglomerates tell fans what to listen to, and that determines the success. They do this because they have such a strangle hold on the media. We only have the illusion of choice now. A vicious circle has begun where the whole industry is inexorably spinning down, unable to find purchase on the sides of some slimy corporate funnel, circling downward uncontrollably into the abyss of painfully bad music.
Some bands occasionally slip through the vortex relatively intact, sidestepping the almost institutionalized process of "making it" set in place by music executives. Phish is a great example of this. They became hugely successful in spite of the music industry. Because they were so good and so tenacious in touring and jamming, they attracted a large fan base. The sheer numbers of eventual fans Phish had gave them a power that most artists today can't have. Most other artists have to do what the people with the purse strings tell them to do. And that often makes for bad music. Unfortunately, Phish isn't even together any more. But they're a rare exception in that they came after the 70's and were highly creative and improvisational.
Another thing that contributes to the poor music of today is technology. These days, Hollywood actors who can't sing can have singing careers. The engineers touch up their voices, and use every digital sound technique there is to make an average product sellable, just like the magazines airbrush the models and actresses, trimming years off to complete the illusion. There are many ways in which the music engineers can do this in the studio and even for artists on tour.
Ashlee Simpson is a good example of this. First, we saw her on Saturday Night Live getting caught lip-sinking. Then I heard a recent interview where Joe Walsh's daughter, Lucy Walsh, admitted that as Ashlee's keyboard player, she always doubled Ashlee's voice while on tour.
I know that in any era there's going to be silly music acts like Ashlee Simpson, Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton. I realize that during Bob Dylan's time there were lots of feeble yet famous music artists then too. My complaint is that it seems like in any other era there was at least enough really fantastic and original music being created to balance things out.
Let's go backwards. We've looked at the popular music of the 21st Century a little in the lists above and I don't see any really original music in there at all. Some may argue that the grunge era of the 90's produced some great and original music. I argue that almost all of that music was so heavily influenced by the rock of the 60's and 70's that it really wasn't that original at all.
The music of the 80's matched the hair and clothes of the time, lame. The synthesizer was new then, but the music was reasonably bad, and certainly not timeless. But then we come to the 70's and 60's. Those are the decades that last held any hope for people like me who long for fresh, original, creative and improvisational music.
In 1899 the Commissioner of the US Patent Office wrote "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Alright, maybe he was a little off. But in a way, everything that seems new is really just new combinations of existing things. Music is no different. I'm hoping that we return to the days when the combinations of beats, rhythms, harmonies and melodies become as creative as they were in the 60's and 70's.
But maybe things haven't changed much since even Socrates' times. He thought kids were tyrants, as if his generation was the last of a dying breed of angelic children. Maybe he just didn't understand the kids of his era, and maybe I'm the same way.
About the Author:
Jason OConnor runs Rock and Pop Concert Tickets - A great place to buy tickets to cheap concerts across North America. http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com/
Funerals Arranged Faster Than A Wikipedia Search Hurt Florists And Funeral Homes
Article Presented by:
Wesley Berry, AAF
It's a fact of life-we want everything fast and easy. Our world is all hustle and bustle and we find ourselves trying to cram 34 hours of activity into a 24-hour day. To combat our ever-increasing responsibilities, we look for quicker ways to accomplish our tasks, like using the Internet site Wikipedia to gather information on everything from historical events to current entertainers. Sadly, it seems the want for quick solutions has even stretched to funeral planning. Now, florists and funeral directors in Connecticut are working together to combat the growing trend.
When planning a funeral today, people can actually turn to the Internet to order caskets and hold super-fast funerals with very little, if any, interaction with actual professional florists and funeral homes who help make funerals a beautiful, memorable, and peaceful closure. In an effort to bring florists and funeral directors back into the equation, the Connecticut Florists Association (CFA) and the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA) will begin working together this fall. This collaboration is necessary because according to John F. Cascio, CFDA's executive director, "One industry needs the other. We will have an understanding and an open-door policy...We both want to serve the families." The two organizations will form a joint task force consisting of three representatives from each association.
To further promote traditional funerals, the CFA will produce a third edition of its Guide to Funeral Homes, which is updated every six years. Richard Provino of Rodier Flowers in Ridgefield, Connecticut serves as the chairman of the funeral directors committee. He said the guide is based on a survey of 300 Connecticut funeral directors and contains information about what each funeral director requires and prefers. It's intended to help customers choose the funeral director that will best meet their wants and needs in the most efficient manner possible.
Manny Gonzales, owner of Tiger Lily floral shop in Charleston, South Carolina offers proof that when florists and funeral directors work together, everyone benefits. Gonzales has formed a partnership with a local funeral home that has been keeping his fax machine whirring and his staff busy creating beautiful funeral flowers. In an article by Amanda Temple in the May 2002 issue of Floral Management, Gonzales said, "My wife laughs at me because I make such a big deal about every funeral order. But every fax that comes in is just more proof that this [partnership] is working, that I've earned the funeral directors' trust and that Tiger Lily is finally in the sympathy business."
His partnership is really pretty simple. Mark Smith, funeral director for McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, sat down with Gonzales to look over books of floral designs and arrangements and set prices for Smith's customers. Now, funeral directors at McAlister-Smith ask families who seek their services if they've found someone to take care of the flowers for them. If they say "yes," the conversation ends there. However, if they say "no," the director tells them about Tiger Lily and offers to place the flower order for them. There's no obligation for the funeral home to meet a certain percentage of flower sales, but in return for their support, Gonzales allocates ten percent of their total flower sales to the funeral home.
In a world of Wikipedia fast information gathering and Internet funeral planning, a small time and money commitment can really help florists and funeral directors arrange personal and meaningful funerals for families in their time of need.
About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He also works with funeral-homes.net to provide useful information about funeral homes across the nation. He has been recognized by florists nationwide as a leader in the flower business. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com
Wesley Berry, AAF
It's a fact of life-we want everything fast and easy. Our world is all hustle and bustle and we find ourselves trying to cram 34 hours of activity into a 24-hour day. To combat our ever-increasing responsibilities, we look for quicker ways to accomplish our tasks, like using the Internet site Wikipedia to gather information on everything from historical events to current entertainers. Sadly, it seems the want for quick solutions has even stretched to funeral planning. Now, florists and funeral directors in Connecticut are working together to combat the growing trend.
When planning a funeral today, people can actually turn to the Internet to order caskets and hold super-fast funerals with very little, if any, interaction with actual professional florists and funeral homes who help make funerals a beautiful, memorable, and peaceful closure. In an effort to bring florists and funeral directors back into the equation, the Connecticut Florists Association (CFA) and the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA) will begin working together this fall. This collaboration is necessary because according to John F. Cascio, CFDA's executive director, "One industry needs the other. We will have an understanding and an open-door policy...We both want to serve the families." The two organizations will form a joint task force consisting of three representatives from each association.
To further promote traditional funerals, the CFA will produce a third edition of its Guide to Funeral Homes, which is updated every six years. Richard Provino of Rodier Flowers in Ridgefield, Connecticut serves as the chairman of the funeral directors committee. He said the guide is based on a survey of 300 Connecticut funeral directors and contains information about what each funeral director requires and prefers. It's intended to help customers choose the funeral director that will best meet their wants and needs in the most efficient manner possible.
Manny Gonzales, owner of Tiger Lily floral shop in Charleston, South Carolina offers proof that when florists and funeral directors work together, everyone benefits. Gonzales has formed a partnership with a local funeral home that has been keeping his fax machine whirring and his staff busy creating beautiful funeral flowers. In an article by Amanda Temple in the May 2002 issue of Floral Management, Gonzales said, "My wife laughs at me because I make such a big deal about every funeral order. But every fax that comes in is just more proof that this [partnership] is working, that I've earned the funeral directors' trust and that Tiger Lily is finally in the sympathy business."
His partnership is really pretty simple. Mark Smith, funeral director for McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, sat down with Gonzales to look over books of floral designs and arrangements and set prices for Smith's customers. Now, funeral directors at McAlister-Smith ask families who seek their services if they've found someone to take care of the flowers for them. If they say "yes," the conversation ends there. However, if they say "no," the director tells them about Tiger Lily and offers to place the flower order for them. There's no obligation for the funeral home to meet a certain percentage of flower sales, but in return for their support, Gonzales allocates ten percent of their total flower sales to the funeral home.
In a world of Wikipedia fast information gathering and Internet funeral planning, a small time and money commitment can really help florists and funeral directors arrange personal and meaningful funerals for families in their time of need.
About the Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He also works with funeral-homes.net to provide useful information about funeral homes across the nation. He has been recognized by florists nationwide as a leader in the flower business. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com
Feeling Invisible? Stop Complaining
Article Presented by:
Kathy Gates
"I feel invisible! My kids don't listen to me, my husband doesn't listen to me. I've told my boss a dozen times about that vendor problem, but still it's the same thing."
Sound familiar? As we talked, "Mary" realized that she was feeling invisible because all she was doing was complaining. She hadn't asked a single person to take an action, or proposed a single solution.
Yelling, complaining, and whining have no constructive purpose. Rarely do they accomplish what you want. And if they do, it's only in the short run, not real change. So you get stuck in a cycle of yelling, complaining, whining.
There is a better way. Successful, effective communication has concrete behaviors that you can incorporate into your interactions with your spouse, kids, parents, teachers, bosses, hair dressers -- anyone!
First, and perhaps the most important of all, successful communication begins with and requires that you get the other person's full attention. Complaining to your teenager that she needs to rethink the way she's spending her money while she's got a rented movie and friends in the other room is guaranteed to be ignored. Yelling at an employee to redo a report as you rush out to a meeting is almost always going to generate hurt feelings.
I know it's not always easy to find time to talk one-on-one without interruptions, but as the old saying goes, if you don't have time to do it right the first time, you sure won't have time to do it again. Make the effort, choose a quiet time - and enough time so that you don't feel obliged to rush through the conversation - and you'll only have to have the conversation once.
And I'll bet you've also noticed that when you complain and whine, somehow it tends to quickly morph into a black hole and encompass everything you've ever thought about that person. The polar opposite of that - actually asking for what you need or want - involves focusing on one thing at a time.
Take some time to think through exactly what you'd like corrected, then stick to it; avoid dragging in other unrelated situations. Instead of telling your teenager that you're getting weary of her bad attitude lately, indicate an exact time when she created a fuss over something simple or usual. "Nothing has changed since you're in high school, Suzie, I still expect you to allow time to make up your bed in the morning without excuses or a fuss." With an employee, instead of saying "Chuck, you never follow-up on anything", try "Chuck, I want you to work closely with XYZ Vendor until you can get me an exact delivery date on that equipment".
Successfully asking for what you want without complaining or whining also focuses on things the individual can do something about. Asking or for something that is out of the individual's control is not useful. It only increases a person's frustration to be criticized for something they can't do anything about. Reprimanding your teenager for spending too much time on homework is unfair since she can't control her teachers' requests. Expecting your associate to write a business letter the same way you would is impossible since he can't read your mind.
As earlier examples have illustrated, asking instead of complaining provides someone with a solution, not just hurt feelings. By being willing to give them the support and tools needed to correct the situation, you are much more likely to get the results that you want. Discuss the options, or explain the rules and clearly define the consequences.
After all, the objective of asking instead of complaining is to get you what you want at that particular moment, but also to ultimately help the person grow and not repeat the behavior. In order to do that, he'll need to see it as an opportunity to learn, instead of a threat or a meaningless argument. By offering specific examples, you will be able to relate how changing his behavior will help him achieve his goal -- and yours as well.
Decide what you want, then ask for it. The rewards will be evident on both sides of the relationship.
About the Author:
Kathy Gates is a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach in Scottsdale Arizona who specializes in focus and motivation. She will coach you via email or telephone, your choice. Take a look at Real Life Coach (http://www.reallifecoach.com) for more information. Publishers should subscribe to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles to find more of Kathy's articles as they become available.
Kathy Gates
"I feel invisible! My kids don't listen to me, my husband doesn't listen to me. I've told my boss a dozen times about that vendor problem, but still it's the same thing."
Sound familiar? As we talked, "Mary" realized that she was feeling invisible because all she was doing was complaining. She hadn't asked a single person to take an action, or proposed a single solution.
Yelling, complaining, and whining have no constructive purpose. Rarely do they accomplish what you want. And if they do, it's only in the short run, not real change. So you get stuck in a cycle of yelling, complaining, whining.
There is a better way. Successful, effective communication has concrete behaviors that you can incorporate into your interactions with your spouse, kids, parents, teachers, bosses, hair dressers -- anyone!
First, and perhaps the most important of all, successful communication begins with and requires that you get the other person's full attention. Complaining to your teenager that she needs to rethink the way she's spending her money while she's got a rented movie and friends in the other room is guaranteed to be ignored. Yelling at an employee to redo a report as you rush out to a meeting is almost always going to generate hurt feelings.
I know it's not always easy to find time to talk one-on-one without interruptions, but as the old saying goes, if you don't have time to do it right the first time, you sure won't have time to do it again. Make the effort, choose a quiet time - and enough time so that you don't feel obliged to rush through the conversation - and you'll only have to have the conversation once.
And I'll bet you've also noticed that when you complain and whine, somehow it tends to quickly morph into a black hole and encompass everything you've ever thought about that person. The polar opposite of that - actually asking for what you need or want - involves focusing on one thing at a time.
Take some time to think through exactly what you'd like corrected, then stick to it; avoid dragging in other unrelated situations. Instead of telling your teenager that you're getting weary of her bad attitude lately, indicate an exact time when she created a fuss over something simple or usual. "Nothing has changed since you're in high school, Suzie, I still expect you to allow time to make up your bed in the morning without excuses or a fuss." With an employee, instead of saying "Chuck, you never follow-up on anything", try "Chuck, I want you to work closely with XYZ Vendor until you can get me an exact delivery date on that equipment".
Successfully asking for what you want without complaining or whining also focuses on things the individual can do something about. Asking or for something that is out of the individual's control is not useful. It only increases a person's frustration to be criticized for something they can't do anything about. Reprimanding your teenager for spending too much time on homework is unfair since she can't control her teachers' requests. Expecting your associate to write a business letter the same way you would is impossible since he can't read your mind.
As earlier examples have illustrated, asking instead of complaining provides someone with a solution, not just hurt feelings. By being willing to give them the support and tools needed to correct the situation, you are much more likely to get the results that you want. Discuss the options, or explain the rules and clearly define the consequences.
After all, the objective of asking instead of complaining is to get you what you want at that particular moment, but also to ultimately help the person grow and not repeat the behavior. In order to do that, he'll need to see it as an opportunity to learn, instead of a threat or a meaningless argument. By offering specific examples, you will be able to relate how changing his behavior will help him achieve his goal -- and yours as well.
Decide what you want, then ask for it. The rewards will be evident on both sides of the relationship.
About the Author:
Kathy Gates is a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach in Scottsdale Arizona who specializes in focus and motivation. She will coach you via email or telephone, your choice. Take a look at Real Life Coach (http://www.reallifecoach.com) for more information. Publishers should subscribe to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles to find more of Kathy's articles as they become available.
The Power Of Inspiration
Article Presented by:
James M. Becher
INSPIRATION can be a powerful thing. It can keep you going when all around you cries out "quit!" It is even more powerful than motivation. Motivation gives you your basic reasons to keep going. But inspiration fills those reasons with hope, possibility and enjoyment keeping the "grind" from becoming too "grindy."
But just what does inspiration consist of? I posit three elements: purpose, vision and mission.
1) Finding your purpose is the crucial first element. Your purpose is greater than your career, or even your wildest dreams. It begins with God. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life never makes sense. His purpose is revealed in His word the Bible.
2) Once you realize your purpose, you can begin to have a vision. Proverbs 29:18 says "Where there is no vision, the people perish." But how do you get a vision? First, you need to narrow your perspective. You can't attempt to "ride off in all directions at once," so to speak. Try to decide what it is you are looking for, so you'll know it when you see it.
Next, try to locate and choose an opportunity (business, career or job) which you feel is right for you--which will fulfill your purpose and thus further your vision. You will probably have to pick several at first and study the things which each one offers and try to evaluate the potential of each one as you see it. Settle on the one which you feel has the most potential with the least amount of hassle.
Once you have chosen your field of endeavor, stand behind it in every way and don't quit or change your mind.
B.C. Forbes said "Without loyalty, nothing can be accomplished in any sphere..."
Think of yourself as being in it for the long haul, no matter what. Try to envision, based on what you know, how things will be down the road. Keep that picture before your mind, and never doubt.
Napoleon Hill said "What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve", and the Bible says, in Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Once the vision stemming from your sense of purpose is firmly implanted in your mind, let it become your driving force. Let the vision excite you with the possibility of its fulfillment and you will automatically begin the next step--you are on a mission.
3) Your mission is to bring about the realization of the vision. If you keep the vision in mind, you will move forward in the mission, accomplishing enthusiastically step by step that which is necessary to bring the vision into reality. You will have developed a sense of excitement, importance and urgency which will keep the fires of inspiration burning in your heart and moving you ever onward and upward.
About the Author:
For more articles like this, or to submit yours, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles
This article written by James M. Becher, Bible teacher, Sci-fi and historical fiction author (see: http://www.authorsden.com/jamesmbecher) and publisher of the "Inspirational Success Tips" ezine from which this article was taken. To subscribe:
1.) send a blank email to: inspirationalsuccesstips@Freeautobot.com .
2.) Click on the long link in the midst of the validation email you receive.
James M. Becher
INSPIRATION can be a powerful thing. It can keep you going when all around you cries out "quit!" It is even more powerful than motivation. Motivation gives you your basic reasons to keep going. But inspiration fills those reasons with hope, possibility and enjoyment keeping the "grind" from becoming too "grindy."
But just what does inspiration consist of? I posit three elements: purpose, vision and mission.
1) Finding your purpose is the crucial first element. Your purpose is greater than your career, or even your wildest dreams. It begins with God. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life never makes sense. His purpose is revealed in His word the Bible.
2) Once you realize your purpose, you can begin to have a vision. Proverbs 29:18 says "Where there is no vision, the people perish." But how do you get a vision? First, you need to narrow your perspective. You can't attempt to "ride off in all directions at once," so to speak. Try to decide what it is you are looking for, so you'll know it when you see it.
Next, try to locate and choose an opportunity (business, career or job) which you feel is right for you--which will fulfill your purpose and thus further your vision. You will probably have to pick several at first and study the things which each one offers and try to evaluate the potential of each one as you see it. Settle on the one which you feel has the most potential with the least amount of hassle.
Once you have chosen your field of endeavor, stand behind it in every way and don't quit or change your mind.
B.C. Forbes said "Without loyalty, nothing can be accomplished in any sphere..."
Think of yourself as being in it for the long haul, no matter what. Try to envision, based on what you know, how things will be down the road. Keep that picture before your mind, and never doubt.
Napoleon Hill said "What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve", and the Bible says, in Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Once the vision stemming from your sense of purpose is firmly implanted in your mind, let it become your driving force. Let the vision excite you with the possibility of its fulfillment and you will automatically begin the next step--you are on a mission.
3) Your mission is to bring about the realization of the vision. If you keep the vision in mind, you will move forward in the mission, accomplishing enthusiastically step by step that which is necessary to bring the vision into reality. You will have developed a sense of excitement, importance and urgency which will keep the fires of inspiration burning in your heart and moving you ever onward and upward.
About the Author:
For more articles like this, or to submit yours, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles
This article written by James M. Becher, Bible teacher, Sci-fi and historical fiction author (see: http://www.authorsden.com/jamesmbecher) and publisher of the "Inspirational Success Tips" ezine from which this article was taken. To subscribe:
1.) send a blank email to: inspirationalsuccesstips@Freeautobot.com .
2.) Click on the long link in the midst of the validation email you receive.
Preparing To Get Organized
Article Presented by:
Kyna Morrison
Actually the only thing you need to do to prepare yourself for a professional organizer visit is, contact them.
Here are two major misconceptions regarding the first visit:
#1 You do not need to clean up your disorganized area.
#2 There is no need to 'buy' anything for the first visit.
Many people think the organizer has never seen anything like their problem area. Whoa! They are so very wrong. We have seen it all.
One of our very first priorities is making you feel at ease. From the very beginning you will be reassured. We will work together or not. This all depends on what exactly it is you need done.
If, for instance, you have piles of paper which are overwhelming you, we will need to decide together what needs to be purged or saved. While doing this everything will be put in specific piles for filing later. It's good to have a shredder for personal information or offers from credit card companies, etc. These items do not need to get in to the wrong hands! Identity theft is a major issue in today's world. I believe in setting up a client specific structure. Everyone has different needs. In order to fulfill your needs we will work towards what works for you and you alone. Many clients end up with an extremely simple filing system. After all, if you've gone from 'nothing' to 'something' you don't need to be overwhelmed once again.
Other people need much more detailed systems, again, it's client specific.
Large corporations, for instance, are inevitably more complex than a working family.
We're not limited to filing systems by any means. For the family it could mean a closet, kitchen or garage. For which there is no need for filing.
For the corporation it could mean analyzing their systems for a more efficient work flow. Reevaluating specific job responsibilities as well as downsizing, if necessary. Not to mention seminars for the employees on organizing or time management. Or, possibly a particular employee is struggling with time management or disorganization. This situation often is impeding the company's profits.
As far as purchasing containers or some sort of filing cabinet, etc. There is no way to know what you will need, until your needs are evaluated. In some cases this may take numerous visits to narrow down.
Another issue often confronting an organizer is what exactly is it you the client want. Do you want to get ready for a move? Or, do you want to learn new techniques to help with you be organized. There's a big difference and you will need to make this decision before the organizer arrives.
About the Author:
Kyna Morrison
Apt Organizing
http://www.aptorganizing.com
"We're Apt to get you Organized"!
email: kyna@aptorganizing.com
Kyna Morrison
Actually the only thing you need to do to prepare yourself for a professional organizer visit is, contact them.
Here are two major misconceptions regarding the first visit:
#1 You do not need to clean up your disorganized area.
#2 There is no need to 'buy' anything for the first visit.
Many people think the organizer has never seen anything like their problem area. Whoa! They are so very wrong. We have seen it all.
One of our very first priorities is making you feel at ease. From the very beginning you will be reassured. We will work together or not. This all depends on what exactly it is you need done.
If, for instance, you have piles of paper which are overwhelming you, we will need to decide together what needs to be purged or saved. While doing this everything will be put in specific piles for filing later. It's good to have a shredder for personal information or offers from credit card companies, etc. These items do not need to get in to the wrong hands! Identity theft is a major issue in today's world. I believe in setting up a client specific structure. Everyone has different needs. In order to fulfill your needs we will work towards what works for you and you alone. Many clients end up with an extremely simple filing system. After all, if you've gone from 'nothing' to 'something' you don't need to be overwhelmed once again.
Other people need much more detailed systems, again, it's client specific.
Large corporations, for instance, are inevitably more complex than a working family.
We're not limited to filing systems by any means. For the family it could mean a closet, kitchen or garage. For which there is no need for filing.
For the corporation it could mean analyzing their systems for a more efficient work flow. Reevaluating specific job responsibilities as well as downsizing, if necessary. Not to mention seminars for the employees on organizing or time management. Or, possibly a particular employee is struggling with time management or disorganization. This situation often is impeding the company's profits.
As far as purchasing containers or some sort of filing cabinet, etc. There is no way to know what you will need, until your needs are evaluated. In some cases this may take numerous visits to narrow down.
Another issue often confronting an organizer is what exactly is it you the client want. Do you want to get ready for a move? Or, do you want to learn new techniques to help with you be organized. There's a big difference and you will need to make this decision before the organizer arrives.
About the Author:
Kyna Morrison
Apt Organizing
http://www.aptorganizing.com
"We're Apt to get you Organized"!
email: kyna@aptorganizing.com
What's All the Buzz? - Search Engine Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
Article Presented by:
Rob Favero
One of the hottest forms of advertising on the Internet today is Search Engine Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. If you've heard the terminology, but you're not sure what all the buzz is about, this article is for you.
The basis for this form of advertising is "pay per click." This means that an advertiser only pays when someone clicks on the advertiser's ad.
So let's say you have an ad, and it gets displayed 100 times. But so far no one has really been paying much attention to it. Then, person 101 comes along and clicks on your ad. Boom. That's when you pay -- only when the person clicks.
This is a great deal for advertisers. Clearly, at those points when no one is paying attention to your ad, it has zero value for you. But at the point that someone takes focused interest in your ad -- a specific, click-through interest -- the ad takes on value. So you only pay for ads with value.
But in recent years, the power of pay per click advertising has risen to a new level.
One of the most critical aspects of effective advertising, the kind that generates income, is its ability to reach people who are looking for what you have to offer. This concept is simple, but finding an audience who wants what you have is easier said than done.
So here's the question. What places on the Internet have vast awareness of the things and topics people are looking for?
The answer is search engines.
Think about it. Helping people find the things and topics they want is the whole reason for search engine existence.
The innovation in the last several years has been to combine search engine results with PPC ads.
And it's no surprise that the big players in this game of search engine advertising are Yahoo! and Google. Yahoo! provides this service through its Yahoo! Search Marketing (http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/). Google Adwords (http://adwords.google.com) is Google's offering.
Undoubtedly, you've seen this type of advertising, maybe without even realizing it. Whenever you do a search on Google or Yahoo!, more often than not your search results will include entries with a label of "Sponsor Results." They appear along the top or to the right side. These are PPC ads, and they are related in some way to the search you did.
So what's the cost for this type of advertising? It's not a simple answer.
One of the key factors in the cost is page position. It's no surprise that the top position is generally the most effective ad position. And the top positions go for the most money.
But there isn't a set amount for a particular spot on a search results page. You can't go to Google or Yahoo! and find out precisely how much a particular spot costs.
That's because page position is decided through bidding.
Now, remember, you don't actually pay to display your ad. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad. So when you set up an ad campaign, you set a maximum amount you are willing to pay for a click. This amount becomes your bid. You also choose keywords that determine the search results your ad gets displayed with.
Then, when a person runs a search, the search engine finds all ads that are eligible to be displayed for the search. It compares bids, and the highest bidder gets position 1. The next highest gets position 2, and so on.
Isn't that mind-boggling? That every search you run results in a mini-auction of advertisers vying for your attention?
Because of this bidding process, ad costs vary greatly, depending on the particular search that was run. Ads displayed on searches for which there are few competing ads can go for pennies per click. However, with searches related to lucrative business endeavors -- say insurance, for example -- top spots can easily go for dollars a click.
This description of the bidding process covers Yahoo! Search Marketing, but it only approximates the process used by Google Adwords. Google adds a variation to their service, and it provides an interesting twist to the basic model.
With Google, determining position on a search page depends on some combination of bid amount and relevance. The more relevant your ad is to a set of search results, the lower your bid has to be to earn a position over another, less relevant ad.
The precise definition of relevance is elusive, but surely an ad, for example, of scuba gear on a search for bicycles would almost certainly have low relevance.
So Google rewards relevance -- and creativity. Advertisers who figure out how to create a highly relevant ad can reduce costs over that of their competitors. It's a factor in the equation that evens things out a bit between small and large advertisers. It's a factor that you can leverage, if you can create highly relevant ads in your campaign.
Search engine PPC advertising has taken a prominent position on the Internet because of two primary features. First, advertisers are charged only for ads with actual value; you only pay when someone takes notice and clicks on your ad. Second, the advertising is targeted; people see your ad while they are actively searching for what you have. The combination of these two features creates a powerful tool for Internet marketing.
Copyright (C) 2006 Robert Favero
About the Author:
Rob Favero is the creator of the Laugh Vitamin Humorous Thought of the Day Web site at http://laughvitamin.goingup.us. It provides a humorous thought on a daily basis. Visit his site and sign up today for free delivery of a daily Laugh Vitamin to your email inbox. Also, do you need free, high quality content for your Web site or ezine? Join Free Reprint Articles and choose from a variety of well-crafted articles you can use today.
Rob Favero
One of the hottest forms of advertising on the Internet today is Search Engine Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. If you've heard the terminology, but you're not sure what all the buzz is about, this article is for you.
The basis for this form of advertising is "pay per click." This means that an advertiser only pays when someone clicks on the advertiser's ad.
So let's say you have an ad, and it gets displayed 100 times. But so far no one has really been paying much attention to it. Then, person 101 comes along and clicks on your ad. Boom. That's when you pay -- only when the person clicks.
This is a great deal for advertisers. Clearly, at those points when no one is paying attention to your ad, it has zero value for you. But at the point that someone takes focused interest in your ad -- a specific, click-through interest -- the ad takes on value. So you only pay for ads with value.
But in recent years, the power of pay per click advertising has risen to a new level.
One of the most critical aspects of effective advertising, the kind that generates income, is its ability to reach people who are looking for what you have to offer. This concept is simple, but finding an audience who wants what you have is easier said than done.
So here's the question. What places on the Internet have vast awareness of the things and topics people are looking for?
The answer is search engines.
Think about it. Helping people find the things and topics they want is the whole reason for search engine existence.
The innovation in the last several years has been to combine search engine results with PPC ads.
And it's no surprise that the big players in this game of search engine advertising are Yahoo! and Google. Yahoo! provides this service through its Yahoo! Search Marketing (http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/). Google Adwords (http://adwords.google.com) is Google's offering.
Undoubtedly, you've seen this type of advertising, maybe without even realizing it. Whenever you do a search on Google or Yahoo!, more often than not your search results will include entries with a label of "Sponsor Results." They appear along the top or to the right side. These are PPC ads, and they are related in some way to the search you did.
So what's the cost for this type of advertising? It's not a simple answer.
One of the key factors in the cost is page position. It's no surprise that the top position is generally the most effective ad position. And the top positions go for the most money.
But there isn't a set amount for a particular spot on a search results page. You can't go to Google or Yahoo! and find out precisely how much a particular spot costs.
That's because page position is decided through bidding.
Now, remember, you don't actually pay to display your ad. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad. So when you set up an ad campaign, you set a maximum amount you are willing to pay for a click. This amount becomes your bid. You also choose keywords that determine the search results your ad gets displayed with.
Then, when a person runs a search, the search engine finds all ads that are eligible to be displayed for the search. It compares bids, and the highest bidder gets position 1. The next highest gets position 2, and so on.
Isn't that mind-boggling? That every search you run results in a mini-auction of advertisers vying for your attention?
Because of this bidding process, ad costs vary greatly, depending on the particular search that was run. Ads displayed on searches for which there are few competing ads can go for pennies per click. However, with searches related to lucrative business endeavors -- say insurance, for example -- top spots can easily go for dollars a click.
This description of the bidding process covers Yahoo! Search Marketing, but it only approximates the process used by Google Adwords. Google adds a variation to their service, and it provides an interesting twist to the basic model.
With Google, determining position on a search page depends on some combination of bid amount and relevance. The more relevant your ad is to a set of search results, the lower your bid has to be to earn a position over another, less relevant ad.
The precise definition of relevance is elusive, but surely an ad, for example, of scuba gear on a search for bicycles would almost certainly have low relevance.
So Google rewards relevance -- and creativity. Advertisers who figure out how to create a highly relevant ad can reduce costs over that of their competitors. It's a factor in the equation that evens things out a bit between small and large advertisers. It's a factor that you can leverage, if you can create highly relevant ads in your campaign.
Search engine PPC advertising has taken a prominent position on the Internet because of two primary features. First, advertisers are charged only for ads with actual value; you only pay when someone takes notice and clicks on your ad. Second, the advertising is targeted; people see your ad while they are actively searching for what you have. The combination of these two features creates a powerful tool for Internet marketing.
Copyright (C) 2006 Robert Favero
About the Author:
Rob Favero is the creator of the Laugh Vitamin Humorous Thought of the Day Web site at http://laughvitamin.goingup.us. It provides a humorous thought on a daily basis. Visit his site and sign up today for free delivery of a daily Laugh Vitamin to your email inbox. Also, do you need free, high quality content for your Web site or ezine? Join Free Reprint Articles and choose from a variety of well-crafted articles you can use today.
How to Create a Resource Box for Your Article
Article Presented by:
Craig Ritsema
What is an article resource box? For those who may be some what new to the field of internet business and article marketing the resource box is the small biography about the author of the article with a hyperlink to his website. Most articles have this at the end of the article.
Resource boxes are not a new concept created just for the internet. Magazine articles have used them for many years. Newspapers have used them also, except maybe for staff authors. What the internet has done is add the hyperlink to the resource box.
You can think of it as a bartering exchange. The publisher benefits from the content being provided by the author, which makes his website more informative and useful to visitors. The author benefits from the increased exposure that links back to his website.
So what makes for a good resource box in an article?
The goal is to not be too overwhelming for the publisher. Yet it has to be effective in drawing the reader to click on the hyperlink and visit your website. A third but equally important requirement is to consider how the search engines view your resource box.
1 - From a publisher's perspective:
I have a website which I use to publish articles from other authors. I don't just automatically approve all articles but read them to decide if appropriate. I've learned that one of the first things I do before even reading the article is to check out the resource box for some obvious issues:
Is the author's name included? This indicates ownership and commitment.
Are there too many hyperlinks? For me, one or two links are desired. Depending on the links maybe three is appropriate. If it appears the author is simply greedy and looking for exposure to multiple sites I don't even bother with reading the article.
Does the author say something about himself or about their website or what they do? One or two sentences are usually appropriate here.
Follow the hyperlinks and check out the website(s). Is the site completed? Is it useful and appropriate? The kind of site I would be willing to link to?
These are the resource box attributes I look for before even reading the article. Again this is my option, but from what I've read other publishers look for similar requirements.
2 - From a visitor or users perspective:
For the reader or potential customer you have only a few sentences to draw them to click on your website. As mentioned previously, some basic information usually fulfills this requirement.
The real work for invoking the user's click on your link is with the article body itself. If the article content is found to be useful and interesting to the reader, they are more likely to click on your link. Under these conditions your resource box simply needs to give them a little guidance to get them there.
3 - From the search engines perspective:
From the search engine perspective keywords are everything. It is beyond the scope of this article to detail exactly how keywords are determined. Check out any popular forum (Google for one) on search engine optimization and you'll find plenty of topics about keywords.
Many experts now recommend including the keywords in the anchor text portion of the hyperlink. The "anchor text" is the portion of the link which is visible to the user. When the user clicks on the anchor text, the hyperlink directs him to the website address which is the second part of the hyperlink.
The primary obstacle with using your keywords as the anchor text is that it requires some html elements to be included when submitting your article to be published. Many automated web publishing systems automatically strip out any html elements it finds, which then eliminates your link.
To get around this obstacle authors are submitting two links as part of the resource box. One is with the html formatting to properly display their keywords as the anchor text portion of the link and another link with the plain text version of their website address. This method at least provides a basic link to their site if the html formatted link is removed.
About the Author:
You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Craig Ritsema operates a successful part time home business and resides in Michigan, USA. For more details visit his site at: http://part-time-work-at-home-opportunities.com/ to learn more.
Craig Ritsema
What is an article resource box? For those who may be some what new to the field of internet business and article marketing the resource box is the small biography about the author of the article with a hyperlink to his website. Most articles have this at the end of the article.
Resource boxes are not a new concept created just for the internet. Magazine articles have used them for many years. Newspapers have used them also, except maybe for staff authors. What the internet has done is add the hyperlink to the resource box.
You can think of it as a bartering exchange. The publisher benefits from the content being provided by the author, which makes his website more informative and useful to visitors. The author benefits from the increased exposure that links back to his website.
So what makes for a good resource box in an article?
The goal is to not be too overwhelming for the publisher. Yet it has to be effective in drawing the reader to click on the hyperlink and visit your website. A third but equally important requirement is to consider how the search engines view your resource box.
1 - From a publisher's perspective:
I have a website which I use to publish articles from other authors. I don't just automatically approve all articles but read them to decide if appropriate. I've learned that one of the first things I do before even reading the article is to check out the resource box for some obvious issues:
These are the resource box attributes I look for before even reading the article. Again this is my option, but from what I've read other publishers look for similar requirements.
2 - From a visitor or users perspective:
For the reader or potential customer you have only a few sentences to draw them to click on your website. As mentioned previously, some basic information usually fulfills this requirement.
The real work for invoking the user's click on your link is with the article body itself. If the article content is found to be useful and interesting to the reader, they are more likely to click on your link. Under these conditions your resource box simply needs to give them a little guidance to get them there.
3 - From the search engines perspective:
From the search engine perspective keywords are everything. It is beyond the scope of this article to detail exactly how keywords are determined. Check out any popular forum (Google for one) on search engine optimization and you'll find plenty of topics about keywords.
Many experts now recommend including the keywords in the anchor text portion of the hyperlink. The "anchor text" is the portion of the link which is visible to the user. When the user clicks on the anchor text, the hyperlink directs him to the website address which is the second part of the hyperlink.
The primary obstacle with using your keywords as the anchor text is that it requires some html elements to be included when submitting your article to be published. Many automated web publishing systems automatically strip out any html elements it finds, which then eliminates your link.
To get around this obstacle authors are submitting two links as part of the resource box. One is with the html formatting to properly display their keywords as the anchor text portion of the link and another link with the plain text version of their website address. This method at least provides a basic link to their site if the html formatted link is removed.
About the Author:
You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Craig Ritsema operates a successful part time home business and resides in Michigan, USA. For more details visit his site at: http://part-time-work-at-home-opportunities.com/ to learn more.
Guide to Understanding 'Green' Home Remodeling
Article Presented by:
Emerson Lockwood
Americans are now spending up to 160 billion each year on remodeling their homes and businesses. A fraction of this money has been focused on what is known as "green construction". Green construction or remodeling is using energy saving, recycled products, and is experiencing nothing less than a renaissance or rebirth. You can help restore a significant portion of the world's ecosystems by using "green construction". Such a practice can also help create a healthier indoor environment for your family.
Green remodeling is simple, but many homeowners interested in green building and remodeling have no idea what it involves and are therefore confused and intimidated. They think it consists not only of excessive expenses, but difficulty in getting the appropriate green products. Some also have misconceptions about the aesthetics of a green house. Some concern themselves about the misconception that they will appear to be living like hippies of the 1970's. But it is merely a process through which you can redefine the way you live, a clean slate on which you can express your visions, dreams, and principles. The process offers a vehicle through which you can manifest and integrate your core values into your sacred space.
The hardest part for a homeowner is deciding just how "green" they want their rooms or homes to be. When it comes to green remodeling, you don't have to do everything green, but anything you do will help. Are you updating an antiquated home? Have you outlived the functionality of your current design? Are you adding more space because of a change in lifestyle? Are you simply tired of your interiors and want something new?
The most important thing to remember is to pick and choose among the many options; design features and green building products that will best serve your interests. If you are purchasing new materials you can choose organic, low-impact, and healthy products such as bamboo flooring, natural fiber carpeting, natural plasters, low VOC paints and stains, as well as non-synthetic, natural furnishings and accessories, such as bedding, linens, and cleaning products.
You can use products made with high levels of salvaged (natural stone, lumber), recycled (fly ash in concrete), or agricultural byproducts (wheatboard and linoleum) content. These types of products reduce resource demand and help keep waste out of landfills. Choose products that are durable and low-maintenance; these are desirable because they need to be refinished and replaced less often, they save you money and save energy.
Try to use products that are locally or regionally produced. Local products support the local economy and may have lower levels of embodied energy, meaning that they require less energy and fewer resources during the production process (including the acquisition of primary material, manufacturing and handling), and especially in transportation.
There is no such thing as a right or wrong set of products. Building green is a thinking process, not a contest to see how many green things you as a homeowner can incorporate into your home. Do what you can within your budget and motivation.
As for the cost of taking on green remodeling, some green building elements may cost more, but many eventually will cost less. You will benefit from their use in energy saving costs for a long time to come, therefore making them a savings to you over the years to come. When it is part of the initial process of setting goals for the project, it becomes matter-of-fact. Many have found that the real cost is in the learning curve, not in the actual implementation of the building process.
The outward and even interior appearances of most green buildings don't look any different than other conventional buildings. The majority of green element differences can be seen only as improved energy efficiency and air quality, which are all built within the structure of the home.
Most recycled products look the same as their conventional counterparts. Most materials have a high recycled content and are non-toxic. Some examples include: recycled red oak and bamboo floors (both consist of water base finish), recycled tile floors, recycled exterior doors, and natural plaster with integrated color. Paint manufacturers are now offering paints low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at typically less than .00 per gallon. For kitchens, you can also find Silestone countertops (which has a high recycled content and is anti-microbial), and you can even find formaldehyde-free cabinets.
Recycling as much material as possible from an existing house demolition and incorporating it into your remodeling project will also save you money. Green products are now becoming increasingly affordable as major manufacturers compete and develop new lines to meet the green-building demand.
You can help restore a significant portion of the world's ecosystems by using "green construction". Just think about changing the world - one room at a time.
About the Author:
Emerson Lockwood write on topics related to Green Home Technology, Home Improvement and Home Financing. You can see more of his work at the Super Home Ideas website: http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com . Super Home Ideas covers everything to do with your home: Home Improvement, Home Repair, Buying and Selling a House, Financing a Home, Buying Homeowners Insurance, Gardening and Landscaping.
Emerson Lockwood
Americans are now spending up to 160 billion each year on remodeling their homes and businesses. A fraction of this money has been focused on what is known as "green construction". Green construction or remodeling is using energy saving, recycled products, and is experiencing nothing less than a renaissance or rebirth. You can help restore a significant portion of the world's ecosystems by using "green construction". Such a practice can also help create a healthier indoor environment for your family.
Green remodeling is simple, but many homeowners interested in green building and remodeling have no idea what it involves and are therefore confused and intimidated. They think it consists not only of excessive expenses, but difficulty in getting the appropriate green products. Some also have misconceptions about the aesthetics of a green house. Some concern themselves about the misconception that they will appear to be living like hippies of the 1970's. But it is merely a process through which you can redefine the way you live, a clean slate on which you can express your visions, dreams, and principles. The process offers a vehicle through which you can manifest and integrate your core values into your sacred space.
The hardest part for a homeowner is deciding just how "green" they want their rooms or homes to be. When it comes to green remodeling, you don't have to do everything green, but anything you do will help. Are you updating an antiquated home? Have you outlived the functionality of your current design? Are you adding more space because of a change in lifestyle? Are you simply tired of your interiors and want something new?
The most important thing to remember is to pick and choose among the many options; design features and green building products that will best serve your interests. If you are purchasing new materials you can choose organic, low-impact, and healthy products such as bamboo flooring, natural fiber carpeting, natural plasters, low VOC paints and stains, as well as non-synthetic, natural furnishings and accessories, such as bedding, linens, and cleaning products.
You can use products made with high levels of salvaged (natural stone, lumber), recycled (fly ash in concrete), or agricultural byproducts (wheatboard and linoleum) content. These types of products reduce resource demand and help keep waste out of landfills. Choose products that are durable and low-maintenance; these are desirable because they need to be refinished and replaced less often, they save you money and save energy.
Try to use products that are locally or regionally produced. Local products support the local economy and may have lower levels of embodied energy, meaning that they require less energy and fewer resources during the production process (including the acquisition of primary material, manufacturing and handling), and especially in transportation.
There is no such thing as a right or wrong set of products. Building green is a thinking process, not a contest to see how many green things you as a homeowner can incorporate into your home. Do what you can within your budget and motivation.
As for the cost of taking on green remodeling, some green building elements may cost more, but many eventually will cost less. You will benefit from their use in energy saving costs for a long time to come, therefore making them a savings to you over the years to come. When it is part of the initial process of setting goals for the project, it becomes matter-of-fact. Many have found that the real cost is in the learning curve, not in the actual implementation of the building process.
The outward and even interior appearances of most green buildings don't look any different than other conventional buildings. The majority of green element differences can be seen only as improved energy efficiency and air quality, which are all built within the structure of the home.
Most recycled products look the same as their conventional counterparts. Most materials have a high recycled content and are non-toxic. Some examples include: recycled red oak and bamboo floors (both consist of water base finish), recycled tile floors, recycled exterior doors, and natural plaster with integrated color. Paint manufacturers are now offering paints low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at typically less than .00 per gallon. For kitchens, you can also find Silestone countertops (which has a high recycled content and is anti-microbial), and you can even find formaldehyde-free cabinets.
Recycling as much material as possible from an existing house demolition and incorporating it into your remodeling project will also save you money. Green products are now becoming increasingly affordable as major manufacturers compete and develop new lines to meet the green-building demand.
You can help restore a significant portion of the world's ecosystems by using "green construction". Just think about changing the world - one room at a time.
About the Author:
Emerson Lockwood write on topics related to Green Home Technology, Home Improvement and Home Financing. You can see more of his work at the Super Home Ideas website: http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com . Super Home Ideas covers everything to do with your home: Home Improvement, Home Repair, Buying and Selling a House, Financing a Home, Buying Homeowners Insurance, Gardening and Landscaping.
8.29.2006
Wireless Home Security: Is it for You?
Article Presented by:
Amy Herndon
Unquestionably, we live in a more dangerous world today. In the past it was common to leave our keys in the car, our doors unlocked, and let the children run through the neighborhood - it was okay, we knew everybody, it was safe. Crime was a distant thing and not something that was up close and personal.
Even though danger is in our streets, your home is still your castle, so you must protect it and you can't dig a moat. What are you to do? Home security systems are your modern day moat - providing an invisible barrier between you and the outside world.
But with so many choices how do you choose? And which is better for you - wired or wireless?
'Wireless' is a big part of our modern lives for a good reason. Wireless home security offers virtually the same security as wired and it's easier to install.
The system operates simply. A wireless home security system includes the security device itself which sends a radio message to a receiver that then sets off an alarm or calls the police or security agency. Really simple.
One big advantage to a wireless home security system is that the devices can be placed in an area where a hardwire system is impossible or undesirable. Remember that the security device that you hook up to your wireless home security system can be a video camera, a motion detector, or a mechanical device that tells you when a door or window is opened. You can even hook a wireless home security system, particularly in the case of a camera, right to your computer.
Wireless means portable and with the right software you can even keep an eye on your domain while you're at the office or on vacation. Mom or dad can monitor the interior of their home while away: watching children, babysitter, pets, etc. You can have a powerful, global-wide video surveillance system in just a few minutes.
Another plus for wireless home security is that it's not just for people who live in houses or who own their own homes. When you're renting someone else's place you certainly don't want to spend a lot of money putting in a wired security system - you need a portable, wireless security system.
Just like the old adage says "Yesterday is gone" and it's taken "wired" with it - but that's okay. Tomorrow is going to be even better. Technology is taking us to places we could never have gone yesterday. And the things we can do because of it! Wireless security may be just a small part of our new technology, but it is definitely an important one - enabling you to fortify your castle better than any king ever could.
About the Author:
Amy Herndon is an authority on home security and personal safety. Her web site: http://www.azhsurveillance.com has even more information and tools for home security and surveillance.
Amy Herndon
Unquestionably, we live in a more dangerous world today. In the past it was common to leave our keys in the car, our doors unlocked, and let the children run through the neighborhood - it was okay, we knew everybody, it was safe. Crime was a distant thing and not something that was up close and personal.
Even though danger is in our streets, your home is still your castle, so you must protect it and you can't dig a moat. What are you to do? Home security systems are your modern day moat - providing an invisible barrier between you and the outside world.
But with so many choices how do you choose? And which is better for you - wired or wireless?
'Wireless' is a big part of our modern lives for a good reason. Wireless home security offers virtually the same security as wired and it's easier to install.
The system operates simply. A wireless home security system includes the security device itself which sends a radio message to a receiver that then sets off an alarm or calls the police or security agency. Really simple.
One big advantage to a wireless home security system is that the devices can be placed in an area where a hardwire system is impossible or undesirable. Remember that the security device that you hook up to your wireless home security system can be a video camera, a motion detector, or a mechanical device that tells you when a door or window is opened. You can even hook a wireless home security system, particularly in the case of a camera, right to your computer.
Wireless means portable and with the right software you can even keep an eye on your domain while you're at the office or on vacation. Mom or dad can monitor the interior of their home while away: watching children, babysitter, pets, etc. You can have a powerful, global-wide video surveillance system in just a few minutes.
Another plus for wireless home security is that it's not just for people who live in houses or who own their own homes. When you're renting someone else's place you certainly don't want to spend a lot of money putting in a wired security system - you need a portable, wireless security system.
Just like the old adage says "Yesterday is gone" and it's taken "wired" with it - but that's okay. Tomorrow is going to be even better. Technology is taking us to places we could never have gone yesterday. And the things we can do because of it! Wireless security may be just a small part of our new technology, but it is definitely an important one - enabling you to fortify your castle better than any king ever could.
About the Author:
Amy Herndon is an authority on home security and personal safety. Her web site: http://www.azhsurveillance.com has even more information and tools for home security and surveillance.
3 Ways to Respectfully Handle Your Less-Than-Ideal Clients
Article Presented by:
-2009, All Rights Reserved Written by: Kendall SummerHawk
If you're charging what you're worth then you're going to be cutting loose the bottom 10-15% of your clients each year. But nobody likes to be "the bad guy" so when the time comes to move on what do you do? The answer isn't to just pack their bag and say, "See you later Charlie!". Nor is it to hang on to the guilt-and the clients-"because you don't want to hurt their feelings."
First let's be clear about the clients I'm talking about. They're the ones that they love you and what you do, but typically can't afford to pay your top fees. They're still a fan of yours, although they're unlikely to make the kind of changes-and get the kind of results-your top clients make. In a nutshell, they're nice, you like them, but they're always on the fringe of your core service.
What we're not talking about are the clients who take up buckets of your time and attention, complain, and cost you far more in energy than they ever pay (when they do get around to paying, which is usually late). I call these "dread-not" clients because when you hear their voice or see their email, you dread it and think, "not again!"
Here are three simple, respectful steps you can use to take great care of your fringe clients, increase your income, AND work less!
Step #1 Decide what's best for YOU and your business first!
I know you love to help everyone, but the plain fact is, you can't. When I faced up to this fact, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Decide right now to focus on your most profitable clients and your most profitable services.
You're probably immediately launching into the "what if's" and the "yes but's". My coaching on this? Don't go there. Those are just excuses and guilt weighing you down and keeping you where you are now (which is working too hard, right?) What's best for your business is YOU feeling fresh, inspired, and having fun so you can create extraordinary results for the people you personally work with.
Step #2 Create an alternative solution for your fringe clients
Now that you've decided to focus your time on your most profitable clients and services, you've opened up an opportunity to create optional products and new delivery methods that expand your business, while taking up lots less of your time.
For example, I am so into creating information products I can hardly sit still. Information products are easy to create, can be sold 24/7 on your website, and instantly position you as an expert. They are the perfect solution to offering a solution to your fringe clients without spending any of your precious time. (By the way - I am putting together an incredibly fun and easy solution so you too can have your own information product. Watch for my special announcement later this summer).
Another example is rolling fringe clients into a group, a class, or a workshop. This isn't just a bone you're throwing them. It's actually a powerful way to build your brand and your bottom line. People who buy your products or attend your classes know, like, and trust you. They'll refer others like them, and, may eventually turn themselves into core-service clients.
Here's one more example: turn how you work with clients into a series of steps (very simple to do because I bet you're already taking clients through steps now) then train a colleague or apprentice how to deliver the starter steps. Clients can either stop there, or continue on with you personally for your core service. They're getting what they want and you're getting clients who are polished, primed, and ready to go with your more advanced solutions. Everybody wins!
Step #3 Create crystal clear "who this is right for" criteria for each service you offer
When you're clear about precisely who each of your services is right for your clients will naturally self-select into the right solution for them. You look like a genius because you've made it so easy for your clients to purchase the right service. They feel smart because they made the right choice.
Once you put these steps into place (and remember, the first one you can do today. It's to decide!) you'll need to have a conversation with existing clients to help them transition into the new option. Keep the conversation short and focused on them.
Tell them how much you've enjoyed working with them. Tell them how important it is to be able to help other people like them who were in their same situation. Then share with them how to make that possible, you've created new options for them to choose from. Make one of those options the opportunity to step up to your core service, and offer your new offers for them to choose from as well.
About the Author:
Kendall SummerHawk, the "Horse Whisperer for Business" delivers smart, savvy ways entrepreneurs can turn their hectic business into a smooth-running, fun, 6-figure money-making dream. To learn more about her book, Brilliance Unbridled, and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at: http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com
-2009, All Rights Reserved Written by: Kendall SummerHawk
If you're charging what you're worth then you're going to be cutting loose the bottom 10-15% of your clients each year. But nobody likes to be "the bad guy" so when the time comes to move on what do you do? The answer isn't to just pack their bag and say, "See you later Charlie!". Nor is it to hang on to the guilt-and the clients-"because you don't want to hurt their feelings."
First let's be clear about the clients I'm talking about. They're the ones that they love you and what you do, but typically can't afford to pay your top fees. They're still a fan of yours, although they're unlikely to make the kind of changes-and get the kind of results-your top clients make. In a nutshell, they're nice, you like them, but they're always on the fringe of your core service.
What we're not talking about are the clients who take up buckets of your time and attention, complain, and cost you far more in energy than they ever pay (when they do get around to paying, which is usually late). I call these "dread-not" clients because when you hear their voice or see their email, you dread it and think, "not again!"
Here are three simple, respectful steps you can use to take great care of your fringe clients, increase your income, AND work less!
Step #1 Decide what's best for YOU and your business first!
I know you love to help everyone, but the plain fact is, you can't. When I faced up to this fact, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Decide right now to focus on your most profitable clients and your most profitable services.
You're probably immediately launching into the "what if's" and the "yes but's". My coaching on this? Don't go there. Those are just excuses and guilt weighing you down and keeping you where you are now (which is working too hard, right?) What's best for your business is YOU feeling fresh, inspired, and having fun so you can create extraordinary results for the people you personally work with.
Step #2 Create an alternative solution for your fringe clients
Now that you've decided to focus your time on your most profitable clients and services, you've opened up an opportunity to create optional products and new delivery methods that expand your business, while taking up lots less of your time.
For example, I am so into creating information products I can hardly sit still. Information products are easy to create, can be sold 24/7 on your website, and instantly position you as an expert. They are the perfect solution to offering a solution to your fringe clients without spending any of your precious time. (By the way - I am putting together an incredibly fun and easy solution so you too can have your own information product. Watch for my special announcement later this summer).
Another example is rolling fringe clients into a group, a class, or a workshop. This isn't just a bone you're throwing them. It's actually a powerful way to build your brand and your bottom line. People who buy your products or attend your classes know, like, and trust you. They'll refer others like them, and, may eventually turn themselves into core-service clients.
Here's one more example: turn how you work with clients into a series of steps (very simple to do because I bet you're already taking clients through steps now) then train a colleague or apprentice how to deliver the starter steps. Clients can either stop there, or continue on with you personally for your core service. They're getting what they want and you're getting clients who are polished, primed, and ready to go with your more advanced solutions. Everybody wins!
Step #3 Create crystal clear "who this is right for" criteria for each service you offer
When you're clear about precisely who each of your services is right for your clients will naturally self-select into the right solution for them. You look like a genius because you've made it so easy for your clients to purchase the right service. They feel smart because they made the right choice.
Once you put these steps into place (and remember, the first one you can do today. It's to decide!) you'll need to have a conversation with existing clients to help them transition into the new option. Keep the conversation short and focused on them.
Tell them how much you've enjoyed working with them. Tell them how important it is to be able to help other people like them who were in their same situation. Then share with them how to make that possible, you've created new options for them to choose from. Make one of those options the opportunity to step up to your core service, and offer your new offers for them to choose from as well.
About the Author:
Kendall SummerHawk, the "Horse Whisperer for Business" delivers smart, savvy ways entrepreneurs can turn their hectic business into a smooth-running, fun, 6-figure money-making dream. To learn more about her book, Brilliance Unbridled, and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at: http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com
The Argument Women Can't Win
Article Presented by:
Bob Grant, All Rights Reserved
When it comes to fighting and disagreeing with a man in a relationship, women frequently make a critical mistake which ends up causing them to feel hurt and lonely. Here is the scenario that typically happens. During a routine conversation there is a disagreement between the woman and her husband/boyfriend. It starts out in a logical manner with two competent speaking adults simply talking about a problem or disagreement. Then at some point in the discussion that woman gets her feelings hurt and responds in an emotional manner. All of a sudden the entire dynamic of the conversation has changed and the man feels he has been betrayed.
While the discussion was logical and factual, it had the similar feel of a business meeting where everyone has the sole goal of finding the answer to the problem. No one would dare interject their feelings into such a discussion for fear they would be viewed has weak and childish. In the business world, accomplishing the task is the primary goal, not making everyone feel good. This is how a man views a discussion that is logical and factual. He believes that if her idea is so good then she should be able to prove it. "She wants to prove her point so I'll prove mine. May the best man win," is how he thinks and has no idea that what she might really want is just to be heard or understood.
When women interject their feelings into a discussion that has become competitive, it makes men feel as though they are being blamed for being logical which often causes them to react in anger in an attempt to defend themselves. He has been blind sided by the one thing that makes him feel powerless, her feelings. She tricked him by pretending to be strong only to pull the feelings card out when she was starting to loose the argument so now he feels entitled to punish her. That really is how most men think in that scenario.
Women, a practical rule when arguing a point is that if you want to debate, prove or compete with your boyfriend/husband then stay in that role throughout the discussion. If you want to be understood, then relate to him by sharing how you feel about the subject. Don't switch to becoming a soft, feeling and vulnerable woman after you have presented yourself to be tough. All that will do is encourage him not to discuss things with you in the future. Most of the time I would suggest that you start off softly by speaking to him about how you feel concerning the issue so he can recognize your feelings which will signal to him that you are not trying to be competitive. On the occasions you do need to prove your point, hold your ground regardless of how you feel. Remember it doesn't matter has much which way you relate to him, the most important thing you can do is not to combine the two.
About the Author:
Bob Grant, "The Relationship Doctor" is the author of the best-selling book, "The Woman Men Adore...and Never Want to Leave." His coaching firm has been helping women achieve the relationship of their dreams throughout the United States and World. In addition he has published a Free Report entitled "How to be Irresistibly Sexy to Men," which is available at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com/freereport.htm . You may learn more by visiting him at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com
Bob Grant, All Rights Reserved
When it comes to fighting and disagreeing with a man in a relationship, women frequently make a critical mistake which ends up causing them to feel hurt and lonely. Here is the scenario that typically happens. During a routine conversation there is a disagreement between the woman and her husband/boyfriend. It starts out in a logical manner with two competent speaking adults simply talking about a problem or disagreement. Then at some point in the discussion that woman gets her feelings hurt and responds in an emotional manner. All of a sudden the entire dynamic of the conversation has changed and the man feels he has been betrayed.
While the discussion was logical and factual, it had the similar feel of a business meeting where everyone has the sole goal of finding the answer to the problem. No one would dare interject their feelings into such a discussion for fear they would be viewed has weak and childish. In the business world, accomplishing the task is the primary goal, not making everyone feel good. This is how a man views a discussion that is logical and factual. He believes that if her idea is so good then she should be able to prove it. "She wants to prove her point so I'll prove mine. May the best man win," is how he thinks and has no idea that what she might really want is just to be heard or understood.
When women interject their feelings into a discussion that has become competitive, it makes men feel as though they are being blamed for being logical which often causes them to react in anger in an attempt to defend themselves. He has been blind sided by the one thing that makes him feel powerless, her feelings. She tricked him by pretending to be strong only to pull the feelings card out when she was starting to loose the argument so now he feels entitled to punish her. That really is how most men think in that scenario.
Women, a practical rule when arguing a point is that if you want to debate, prove or compete with your boyfriend/husband then stay in that role throughout the discussion. If you want to be understood, then relate to him by sharing how you feel about the subject. Don't switch to becoming a soft, feeling and vulnerable woman after you have presented yourself to be tough. All that will do is encourage him not to discuss things with you in the future. Most of the time I would suggest that you start off softly by speaking to him about how you feel concerning the issue so he can recognize your feelings which will signal to him that you are not trying to be competitive. On the occasions you do need to prove your point, hold your ground regardless of how you feel. Remember it doesn't matter has much which way you relate to him, the most important thing you can do is not to combine the two.
About the Author:
Bob Grant, "The Relationship Doctor" is the author of the best-selling book, "The Woman Men Adore...and Never Want to Leave." His coaching firm has been helping women achieve the relationship of their dreams throughout the United States and World. In addition he has published a Free Report entitled "How to be Irresistibly Sexy to Men," which is available at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com/freereport.htm . You may learn more by visiting him at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com
First Date Magic for Women
Article Presented by:
Bob Grant
As a relationship coach, I am frequently giving Relationship Advice to single women regarding men and dating. At least once a month one of my clients comes into my office upset about how her date went the previous weekend. Either she feels she did something wrong or worries that the guy didn't seem to be too interested in her. For the next 45 minutes we dissect the evening in question and I offer suggestions on how to salvage a second date or I congratulate her on discovering that he wasn't worth another chance.
Many times though the problem lies with my client not understanding the purpose of a first date. Too often women (and men) concentrate on such things has compatibility, attraction and past relationship history. All of these things are important but not for a first encounter. They are too in-depth for a casual get-to-know-you conversation. The only thing a woman really needs to be concerned with is conveying her femininity. This is the easiest and most reliable way toward making a good first impression. The three keys to a great first date are; wear a dress, smile often and allow him to speak first at the start of the date. Those three things will make him feel masculine and he will naturally find you more attractive because the first date is about being a girl, not revealing everything about yourself.
If those suggestions seem silly or sexist then I am afraid you don't understand men. Men like women in dresses because it radiates softness making a man want to hold and cuddle her. Smiling at him always makes him feel more attractive. Letting him speak first conveys respect which is every man's greatest desire, even more than being loved. Show him that you have the ability to be the woman he has fantasized about and he will beg you for another date Once you have gone out 3 or more times then you are free to let him get to know you has an individual. Since you have shown him that you are every bit a woman, he will be much more motivated to get to know you as a person.
About the Author:
Bob Grant, "The Relationship Doctor" is the author of the best-selling book, "The Woman Men Adore...and Never Want to Leave." His coaching firm has been helping women achieve the relationship of their dreams throughout the United States and World. In addition he has published a Free Report entitled "How to be Irresistibly Sexy to Men," which is available at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com/freereport.htm . You may learn more by visiting him at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com
Bob Grant
As a relationship coach, I am frequently giving Relationship Advice to single women regarding men and dating. At least once a month one of my clients comes into my office upset about how her date went the previous weekend. Either she feels she did something wrong or worries that the guy didn't seem to be too interested in her. For the next 45 minutes we dissect the evening in question and I offer suggestions on how to salvage a second date or I congratulate her on discovering that he wasn't worth another chance.
Many times though the problem lies with my client not understanding the purpose of a first date. Too often women (and men) concentrate on such things has compatibility, attraction and past relationship history. All of these things are important but not for a first encounter. They are too in-depth for a casual get-to-know-you conversation. The only thing a woman really needs to be concerned with is conveying her femininity. This is the easiest and most reliable way toward making a good first impression. The three keys to a great first date are; wear a dress, smile often and allow him to speak first at the start of the date. Those three things will make him feel masculine and he will naturally find you more attractive because the first date is about being a girl, not revealing everything about yourself.
If those suggestions seem silly or sexist then I am afraid you don't understand men. Men like women in dresses because it radiates softness making a man want to hold and cuddle her. Smiling at him always makes him feel more attractive. Letting him speak first conveys respect which is every man's greatest desire, even more than being loved. Show him that you have the ability to be the woman he has fantasized about and he will beg you for another date Once you have gone out 3 or more times then you are free to let him get to know you has an individual. Since you have shown him that you are every bit a woman, he will be much more motivated to get to know you as a person.
About the Author:
Bob Grant, "The Relationship Doctor" is the author of the best-selling book, "The Woman Men Adore...and Never Want to Leave." His coaching firm has been helping women achieve the relationship of their dreams throughout the United States and World. In addition he has published a Free Report entitled "How to be Irresistibly Sexy to Men," which is available at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com/freereport.htm . You may learn more by visiting him at http://www.relationshipheadquarters.com
Choosing Easy-Care Shrubs
Article Presented by:
Ted Roberson
Shrubs tend to be the centerpiece of most people's front yard gardening. I think that's because shrubs are easy, but they're also expected. Homes without a row of shrubs lining the front look kind of naked and unloved.
But it can be difficult choosing the right shrubs for your yard. There are so many possibilities and so many conditions in front yards that no one shrub is going to be perfect for every situation. I think what most people are looking for in their shrubs, though, is something that is easy to care for.
Shrubs are something you don't want to have to think about, you just want to plant them and have them survive with a minimum of watering and pruning. And if you're looking for easy-care shrubs, evergreen shrubs simply can't be beat.
Evergreen shrubs are the perfect combination of easy good looks and minimum care. They look good year round, which is perfect for something that's in your front yard where everyone can see it all the time.
When I moved into my current home, the front yard was filled with a bunch of evergreen boxwood shrubs. These little evergreens are super-easy to grow and will look good with almost no care. If you take the time to water them occasionally, they will reward you with more growth.
Though they're called "evergreens," boxwood shrubs grown in the sun will actually turn orange in the winter. I think they're prettier than the plain old green ones, and we actually kept our boxwood that were in the sun and got rid of the ones in the shade (they turn green again when it warms in the spring).
We replaced the boxwood shrubs we got rid of with evergreen azaleas. Azaleas are one of the stars of the shady garden, producing beautiful and bright flowers in the spring. The rest of the time they look nice, too, with small, waxy, dark green leaves. The azaleas are a little more work than the boxwood was; we water them through the summer and apply acid once or twice a year. Still, not much effort for solidly beautiful shrubs.
Another good choice for shade is hydrangeas, which have big puffballs of flowers in the late spring or early summer (some also bloom in fall). Hydrangeas are fun because the plants that bloom pink or blue can actually bloom different colors depending on the condition of the soil. A low pH (acid soil) makes blue blooms, while a very alkaline soil makes hydrangeas bloom pink. Even if you buy a plant that is supposed to bloom the other color, the pH of your soil may give the plant other ideas. (Like azaleas, not all hydrangeas are evergreen, so be sure to check the label.)
Holly shrubs are another good choice, and they make a nice hedgerow if you have an expanse of house that you want to cover up. They'll need pruning to stay looking nice and to keep their shape, but they are worth it because they make these beautiful, large, lush shrubs that have berries in the winter, which bring color to the yard and attract birds.
Leaving the world of evergreens, for an informal sunny garden, butterfly bush is a great choice. These shrubs have huge cones of colorful flowers that bloom in high summer and are very attractive to butterflies (and bees, so be careful planting these if someone in your household is allergic to beestings). Some varieties of butterfly bush are huge, growing up to six feet tall and five or six feet wide. If you don't have room for that kind of commitment, smaller hybrids are now available.
Those shopping for shrubs in the Deep South for sunny spots should also consider crape myrtle. These large bushes or small trees make great quick-growing hedges. New cultivars bloom twice a year or have extra-long blooming periods. This is another great shrub for attracting butterflies and other fun insects.
Easy-care shrubs make a great foundation for your flower garden, whether in the front yard or back yard. When these reliable performers are in place you can focus your attention on the fun stuff: planting and caring for your flowers and other plants.
About the Author:
Ted Roberson owner of landscape living is a landscape and garden enthusiast who has years of experience working and creating outdoor living areas. Discover how you can improve and maintain your landscape and garden area with simple projects you can do around your home and garden that will give you a beautiful restful area to enjoy. http://www.landscapeliving.com/
Ted Roberson
Shrubs tend to be the centerpiece of most people's front yard gardening. I think that's because shrubs are easy, but they're also expected. Homes without a row of shrubs lining the front look kind of naked and unloved.
But it can be difficult choosing the right shrubs for your yard. There are so many possibilities and so many conditions in front yards that no one shrub is going to be perfect for every situation. I think what most people are looking for in their shrubs, though, is something that is easy to care for.
Shrubs are something you don't want to have to think about, you just want to plant them and have them survive with a minimum of watering and pruning. And if you're looking for easy-care shrubs, evergreen shrubs simply can't be beat.
Evergreen shrubs are the perfect combination of easy good looks and minimum care. They look good year round, which is perfect for something that's in your front yard where everyone can see it all the time.
When I moved into my current home, the front yard was filled with a bunch of evergreen boxwood shrubs. These little evergreens are super-easy to grow and will look good with almost no care. If you take the time to water them occasionally, they will reward you with more growth.
Though they're called "evergreens," boxwood shrubs grown in the sun will actually turn orange in the winter. I think they're prettier than the plain old green ones, and we actually kept our boxwood that were in the sun and got rid of the ones in the shade (they turn green again when it warms in the spring).
We replaced the boxwood shrubs we got rid of with evergreen azaleas. Azaleas are one of the stars of the shady garden, producing beautiful and bright flowers in the spring. The rest of the time they look nice, too, with small, waxy, dark green leaves. The azaleas are a little more work than the boxwood was; we water them through the summer and apply acid once or twice a year. Still, not much effort for solidly beautiful shrubs.
Another good choice for shade is hydrangeas, which have big puffballs of flowers in the late spring or early summer (some also bloom in fall). Hydrangeas are fun because the plants that bloom pink or blue can actually bloom different colors depending on the condition of the soil. A low pH (acid soil) makes blue blooms, while a very alkaline soil makes hydrangeas bloom pink. Even if you buy a plant that is supposed to bloom the other color, the pH of your soil may give the plant other ideas. (Like azaleas, not all hydrangeas are evergreen, so be sure to check the label.)
Holly shrubs are another good choice, and they make a nice hedgerow if you have an expanse of house that you want to cover up. They'll need pruning to stay looking nice and to keep their shape, but they are worth it because they make these beautiful, large, lush shrubs that have berries in the winter, which bring color to the yard and attract birds.
Leaving the world of evergreens, for an informal sunny garden, butterfly bush is a great choice. These shrubs have huge cones of colorful flowers that bloom in high summer and are very attractive to butterflies (and bees, so be careful planting these if someone in your household is allergic to beestings). Some varieties of butterfly bush are huge, growing up to six feet tall and five or six feet wide. If you don't have room for that kind of commitment, smaller hybrids are now available.
Those shopping for shrubs in the Deep South for sunny spots should also consider crape myrtle. These large bushes or small trees make great quick-growing hedges. New cultivars bloom twice a year or have extra-long blooming periods. This is another great shrub for attracting butterflies and other fun insects.
Easy-care shrubs make a great foundation for your flower garden, whether in the front yard or back yard. When these reliable performers are in place you can focus your attention on the fun stuff: planting and caring for your flowers and other plants.
About the Author:
Ted Roberson owner of landscape living is a landscape and garden enthusiast who has years of experience working and creating outdoor living areas. Discover how you can improve and maintain your landscape and garden area with simple projects you can do around your home and garden that will give you a beautiful restful area to enjoy. http://www.landscapeliving.com/
The Formula For A Successful Online Business
Article Presented by:
Tod Kilgore
Many people dream of starting their own home business and having it become wildly successful. You can find stories everyday of people who have done this, and they talk about how much money they made and how great it is to work for his or her self. But just what is the formula that one must follow to operate one of these successful home businesses?
When it comes to Internet home businesses, there are certain characteristics that a website needs to have in order to be profitable. Once merged, these characteristics become a repeatable formula for success. Let's take a look at just what these characteristics of a successful home Internet business are:
A Solid Commitment By The Owner To Make The Business A Success.
Operating an Internet business from your home is not as simple as setting it up and forgetting about it. Running a home-based web company requires dedication and work on your part, if you want it to be truly successful and profitable. There simply is no get-rich-quick scheme that will bring you success.
A solid commitment by the owner means that you will need to continually learn about your business model and your customers. Successful home-based businesses all share the trait of an owner that is committed to making that business a success. A home-based Internet business requires that you in fact treat it as a business, not a hobby. This means that you will dedicate time to the business, especially in the beginning, to get it set up and to work out all of the bugs. No program, no matter how good it is, can instill this commitment level into you.
Solid Products And Services, With A Secure Shopping Cart, And Easy Navigation For The Customers.
A customer on the Internet, much like a customer offline, requires that you sell products or services that are of high quality. Customers are not willing to buy shoddy products and they look for things like guarantees and warranties, especially when they are shopping on the Internet. Since these customers cannot feel or touch the product that you are selling, they require some sort of promise from you that the product or service will be of high quality.
There are still many customers that do not feel comfortable shopping online for fear that their credit card information will not be safe and secure on the Internet. This is why it is essential that your home-based online business offer a secure shopping cart to the customers when they make a purchase. A shopping cart is the method of which the customer actually makes the purchase and can track exactly which of your products or services that he or she is purchasing.
Easy navigation is a must if you want to make sales. Too many webmasters make sites that are flashy and neat looking, but these sites often confuse and frustrate potential customers. If you have ever been to one of these websites then you know exactly what I am referring to. A website where you cannot find the information that you are looking for, such as the price of the product or an accurate description of that product, results in customers leaving without making a purchase.
Quality Products And/Or Services That People Want To Purchase.
Any business, online or offline, which sells something that nobody wants to purchase, is doomed to fail. It has been said that on the Internet you can find a customer that will buy whatever you are selling no matter how odd or useless that product is. While this may be true that you find "a" customer that will make a purchase, successful companies look for products and services that "many" customers will want to purchase.
Remember that a successful online business requires useful products or services and repeat business from satisfied customers. A useless product may result in a few sales here and there, but in the long run it will not give you the profitability that you need to succeed.
Consistent Promotion And Advertising Of The Business Over The Long Haul.
The Internet is extremely competitive when it comes to acquiring customers. It seems that almost every website has something to sell and each site is working hard to attract customers. This is why you need to develop marketing plan that includes consistent promotion and targeted advertising. No business would be successful in simply creating one marketing campaign and then forgetting about it their marketing altogether. Even companies that have been around for decades, such as the soft drink and automobile companies, are constantly promoting their products, even though everyone knows their brand and their products.
Tracking The Results Of The Home Business Via Metrics.
Quality metrics are a must for any successful venture. Metrics are the methods that you use to learn about your customers and their purchasing trends. Via metrics you will learn what products are actually selling, the demographics of your customers, if there is a particular time of year that your products are in higher demand, and much more.
Without metrics a business owner will not be as efficient as he or she could be. You need to know who your customers are, what they want from you, and how much they are willing to pay for your products or services.
An Owner That Is Willing To Keep Learning, From The People Who Know Have Been Successful Before Them.
When running a home-based business, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Mentoring programs have shown us for decades that learning from those that have been successful in the past is the most effective method of learning. Find any successful business person and you will find someone that is not afraid to learn from others, and more importantly, to learn from others who are more successful than they are in their business model.
Unfortunately, none of us will ever know it all when it comes to running a successful venture, and this is where the continued learning comes into play. There are always new strategies being utilized and developed that you will need to understand in order to be as profitable as you can be.
An Owner Who Is Willing To Invest In His Or Her Own Future.
Investing in your own future means many things when it comes to running an online business. This means that:
you are willing to reinvest some of your profits into marketing campaigns that can give you a solid return on investment, you will be willing to pay for continuing education, and you will be willing to spend money to make money
Profitable companies know that they can increase profits by investing into their business and developing new products and services for their customers. They learn from metrics what their customers want to purchase and how to reach those customers.
Of course it is always advisable to take a good look at the payoff, or return on investment, before making a particular investment. Some investments will bring you a higher return than others, so it makes sense to figure out how you can best spend your working capital. It is important to remember that any business not willing to invest and reinvest in itself is sure to fail. Successful businesses are successful, because they continually invest into growing their business.
In Conclusion...
These characteristics of successful online home-based businesses are proven traits that successful business owners have utilized for years. These are the characteristics that will help you and your home-based business grow and prosper. Together, these characteristics comprise a formula that you can apply to all online business models, no matter how large or small. If you follow this formula for your business, your chances for success are greatly improved, and you will be light years ahead of many of your competitors.
About the Author:
Tod Kilgore is the owner of WebFromHome.com
Discover how to start a successful home business that can bring in staggering profits and create total freedom by using this strange but completely proven system that Guarantees a home business that can start making you money as soon as tomorrow.
Get our Free Report here: http://www.webfromhome.com/
Tod Kilgore
Many people dream of starting their own home business and having it become wildly successful. You can find stories everyday of people who have done this, and they talk about how much money they made and how great it is to work for his or her self. But just what is the formula that one must follow to operate one of these successful home businesses?
When it comes to Internet home businesses, there are certain characteristics that a website needs to have in order to be profitable. Once merged, these characteristics become a repeatable formula for success. Let's take a look at just what these characteristics of a successful home Internet business are:
A Solid Commitment By The Owner To Make The Business A Success.
Operating an Internet business from your home is not as simple as setting it up and forgetting about it. Running a home-based web company requires dedication and work on your part, if you want it to be truly successful and profitable. There simply is no get-rich-quick scheme that will bring you success.
A solid commitment by the owner means that you will need to continually learn about your business model and your customers. Successful home-based businesses all share the trait of an owner that is committed to making that business a success. A home-based Internet business requires that you in fact treat it as a business, not a hobby. This means that you will dedicate time to the business, especially in the beginning, to get it set up and to work out all of the bugs. No program, no matter how good it is, can instill this commitment level into you.
Solid Products And Services, With A Secure Shopping Cart, And Easy Navigation For The Customers.
A customer on the Internet, much like a customer offline, requires that you sell products or services that are of high quality. Customers are not willing to buy shoddy products and they look for things like guarantees and warranties, especially when they are shopping on the Internet. Since these customers cannot feel or touch the product that you are selling, they require some sort of promise from you that the product or service will be of high quality.
There are still many customers that do not feel comfortable shopping online for fear that their credit card information will not be safe and secure on the Internet. This is why it is essential that your home-based online business offer a secure shopping cart to the customers when they make a purchase. A shopping cart is the method of which the customer actually makes the purchase and can track exactly which of your products or services that he or she is purchasing.
Easy navigation is a must if you want to make sales. Too many webmasters make sites that are flashy and neat looking, but these sites often confuse and frustrate potential customers. If you have ever been to one of these websites then you know exactly what I am referring to. A website where you cannot find the information that you are looking for, such as the price of the product or an accurate description of that product, results in customers leaving without making a purchase.
Quality Products And/Or Services That People Want To Purchase.
Any business, online or offline, which sells something that nobody wants to purchase, is doomed to fail. It has been said that on the Internet you can find a customer that will buy whatever you are selling no matter how odd or useless that product is. While this may be true that you find "a" customer that will make a purchase, successful companies look for products and services that "many" customers will want to purchase.
Remember that a successful online business requires useful products or services and repeat business from satisfied customers. A useless product may result in a few sales here and there, but in the long run it will not give you the profitability that you need to succeed.
Consistent Promotion And Advertising Of The Business Over The Long Haul.
The Internet is extremely competitive when it comes to acquiring customers. It seems that almost every website has something to sell and each site is working hard to attract customers. This is why you need to develop marketing plan that includes consistent promotion and targeted advertising. No business would be successful in simply creating one marketing campaign and then forgetting about it their marketing altogether. Even companies that have been around for decades, such as the soft drink and automobile companies, are constantly promoting their products, even though everyone knows their brand and their products.
Tracking The Results Of The Home Business Via Metrics.
Quality metrics are a must for any successful venture. Metrics are the methods that you use to learn about your customers and their purchasing trends. Via metrics you will learn what products are actually selling, the demographics of your customers, if there is a particular time of year that your products are in higher demand, and much more.
Without metrics a business owner will not be as efficient as he or she could be. You need to know who your customers are, what they want from you, and how much they are willing to pay for your products or services.
An Owner That Is Willing To Keep Learning, From The People Who Know Have Been Successful Before Them.
When running a home-based business, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Mentoring programs have shown us for decades that learning from those that have been successful in the past is the most effective method of learning. Find any successful business person and you will find someone that is not afraid to learn from others, and more importantly, to learn from others who are more successful than they are in their business model.
Unfortunately, none of us will ever know it all when it comes to running a successful venture, and this is where the continued learning comes into play. There are always new strategies being utilized and developed that you will need to understand in order to be as profitable as you can be.
An Owner Who Is Willing To Invest In His Or Her Own Future.
Investing in your own future means many things when it comes to running an online business. This means that:
Profitable companies know that they can increase profits by investing into their business and developing new products and services for their customers. They learn from metrics what their customers want to purchase and how to reach those customers.
Of course it is always advisable to take a good look at the payoff, or return on investment, before making a particular investment. Some investments will bring you a higher return than others, so it makes sense to figure out how you can best spend your working capital. It is important to remember that any business not willing to invest and reinvest in itself is sure to fail. Successful businesses are successful, because they continually invest into growing their business.
In Conclusion...
These characteristics of successful online home-based businesses are proven traits that successful business owners have utilized for years. These are the characteristics that will help you and your home-based business grow and prosper. Together, these characteristics comprise a formula that you can apply to all online business models, no matter how large or small. If you follow this formula for your business, your chances for success are greatly improved, and you will be light years ahead of many of your competitors.
About the Author:
Tod Kilgore is the owner of WebFromHome.com
Discover how to start a successful home business that can bring in staggering profits and create total freedom by using this strange but completely proven system that Guarantees a home business that can start making you money as soon as tomorrow.
Get our Free Report here: http://www.webfromhome.com/
Priming and Bottling Your Home Brewed Beer
Article Presented by:
Mark Thurnau
Bottling their first batch of homebrew is a big step in the lives of novice homebrewing enthusiasts. While the beer still will not be ready to drink for several weeks after bottling, there is definitely a strong sense of satisfaction that can be gained from finally moving the brew from the fermentation container into the bottles. While this step is often a great deal of fun, it is important to keep some basics in mind when priming and bottling to create the most successful final product possible.
The first step in bottling your homebrew is, obviously, to obtain the bottles. Many homebrew supply shops will sell bottles that you can use in homebrewing, and you can also obtain them from bars and restaurants. Bottle caps can be picked up from homebrewing supply shops.
Perhaps the most difficult part of bottling for the homebrewing novice is discerning when to bottle. The bubbling that serves as a visible indicator of fermentation typically stops after only a few days, but fermentation is not complete at that point. It is important to wait some time after the visible signs of fermentation have disappeared to ensure that the process has run its course. A couple of bad things can occur if the beer is bottled before fermentation has completed. The quality of the beer will certainly suffer, since many of the unpleasant tasting precursor compounds will not have been metabolized by the yeast and will remain in the final product. Another, much more spectacular, problem that can occur is that the fermentation process may continue in the bottle which causes excess amounts of carbon dioxide to build up until the bottle finally explodes. Many homebrewing veterans have at least one "exploding bottle" story from their early days of homebrewing. The amount of time required for fermentation to complete varies according to recipe, strain of yeast used, temperature, as well as other factors. It is therefore important to carefully follow fermenting instructions if you are using a recipe, or ask other homebrew hobbyists for advice.
Once you are certain that fermentation has completed, it is time to begin the bottling process. Since the beer will be left in the bottle to age and prime, it is important that all bottles and caps be thoroughly sanitized prior to use. Be sure to thoroughly rinse with boiled water if you use a bleach based sanitizing agent.
Once the bottles and caps are ready, it is time to prime and bottle the beer. Priming is an important step since it adds a small amount of sugar which allows a limited amount of fermentation to occur in the bottle, thereby carbonizing the beer. The best way to prime the beer is to boil sugar and water together in a sanitized container and transfer them to the sanitized bottling bucket. After the primer sugar is in place, you can then siphon the beer from the fermenting container into the bottling bucket. If you do not have a bottling bucket, you can also add the primer directly to the fermenter prior to bottling.
Once the beer has been primed, it is time for that big final step--bottling. It is important to fill the bottles slowly to avoid any aeration, which can destroy the flavor of the final product by adding too much oxygen to the beer. After the bottle has been filled, it is time to add the sanitized cap and then repeat until all bottles have been filled.
Of course, the real hard part comes next, which is waiting for the beer to age and prime. This can take up to a month or more, depending on the type of yeast used. However, if you simply must have a taste before then, the beer should be serviceable within one week, but you should wait at least a month before consuming more than a few bottles.
Bottling and priming is the final step of the homebrewing process and great care should be taken to ensure that you don't destroy your hard work by allowing unwelcome microorganisms to contaminate the brew. Be sure to sanitize every piece of tubing, every bottle, and every bucket that comes into contact with the beer. If all goes well, you will be enjoying your creation in a few weeks.
About the Author:
Mark Thurnau is the owner of The NFL Directory at: http://www.nfldir.com
Mark Thurnau
Bottling their first batch of homebrew is a big step in the lives of novice homebrewing enthusiasts. While the beer still will not be ready to drink for several weeks after bottling, there is definitely a strong sense of satisfaction that can be gained from finally moving the brew from the fermentation container into the bottles. While this step is often a great deal of fun, it is important to keep some basics in mind when priming and bottling to create the most successful final product possible.
The first step in bottling your homebrew is, obviously, to obtain the bottles. Many homebrew supply shops will sell bottles that you can use in homebrewing, and you can also obtain them from bars and restaurants. Bottle caps can be picked up from homebrewing supply shops.
Perhaps the most difficult part of bottling for the homebrewing novice is discerning when to bottle. The bubbling that serves as a visible indicator of fermentation typically stops after only a few days, but fermentation is not complete at that point. It is important to wait some time after the visible signs of fermentation have disappeared to ensure that the process has run its course. A couple of bad things can occur if the beer is bottled before fermentation has completed. The quality of the beer will certainly suffer, since many of the unpleasant tasting precursor compounds will not have been metabolized by the yeast and will remain in the final product. Another, much more spectacular, problem that can occur is that the fermentation process may continue in the bottle which causes excess amounts of carbon dioxide to build up until the bottle finally explodes. Many homebrewing veterans have at least one "exploding bottle" story from their early days of homebrewing. The amount of time required for fermentation to complete varies according to recipe, strain of yeast used, temperature, as well as other factors. It is therefore important to carefully follow fermenting instructions if you are using a recipe, or ask other homebrew hobbyists for advice.
Once you are certain that fermentation has completed, it is time to begin the bottling process. Since the beer will be left in the bottle to age and prime, it is important that all bottles and caps be thoroughly sanitized prior to use. Be sure to thoroughly rinse with boiled water if you use a bleach based sanitizing agent.
Once the bottles and caps are ready, it is time to prime and bottle the beer. Priming is an important step since it adds a small amount of sugar which allows a limited amount of fermentation to occur in the bottle, thereby carbonizing the beer. The best way to prime the beer is to boil sugar and water together in a sanitized container and transfer them to the sanitized bottling bucket. After the primer sugar is in place, you can then siphon the beer from the fermenting container into the bottling bucket. If you do not have a bottling bucket, you can also add the primer directly to the fermenter prior to bottling.
Once the beer has been primed, it is time for that big final step--bottling. It is important to fill the bottles slowly to avoid any aeration, which can destroy the flavor of the final product by adding too much oxygen to the beer. After the bottle has been filled, it is time to add the sanitized cap and then repeat until all bottles have been filled.
Of course, the real hard part comes next, which is waiting for the beer to age and prime. This can take up to a month or more, depending on the type of yeast used. However, if you simply must have a taste before then, the beer should be serviceable within one week, but you should wait at least a month before consuming more than a few bottles.
Bottling and priming is the final step of the homebrewing process and great care should be taken to ensure that you don't destroy your hard work by allowing unwelcome microorganisms to contaminate the brew. Be sure to sanitize every piece of tubing, every bottle, and every bucket that comes into contact with the beer. If all goes well, you will be enjoying your creation in a few weeks.
About the Author:
Mark Thurnau is the owner of The NFL Directory at: http://www.nfldir.com
8.28.2006
Untapped Linking Tactics
Article Presented by:
Kim Roach, All Rights Reserved
Links are the pathways by which all information on the Internet is connected. Whether you are traveling your preferred search engine or your favorite website, your paths are directed by the links you come in contact with.
Because of this, links have become the lifeblood of the Internet. Major search engines like Google evaluate your incoming links to help determine your search engine positions.
However, a link is much more than just a ranking factor. A quality inbound link can bring your website a steady stream of targeted traffic and buyers.
In this article I will reveal the untapped methods of obtaining quality inbound links. We all know that reciprocal links are dead. Smart internet marketers also know about the power of article marketing and rss syndication. This article looks to explore beyond those techniques, unveiling linking tactics that are largely undiscovered.
Read on to find out about which links you can gain to build buzz, how to leverage the power of wikis, why everyone needs an affiliate program, and how to use the web 2.0 craze to garner hundreds of high quality inbound links.
We will begin our journey with editorial link opportunities.
The right links can generate massive buzz and word of mouth marketing. This type of marketing can occur from links like Yahoo Picks, Forbes Best of the Web, and USA Today Hot Sites. Get listed on the following sites and you've certainly got a winner.
Wikis
Wikis are some of the best sources for link building. With a bit of digging, you can find plenty of wiki pages with high link popularity and PageRank. Not to mention, many wikis rank well in the search engines. This is especially true for Wikipedia.
However, like everything, there is a wrong and right way to go about it. Many people try to spam wikis with hundreds of links. Because of this, there have been strict measures taken to find and eliminate these culprits.
To benefit from the Wiki community, you must be an active participant adding quality and relevant information to their collection of content. You must add value to a page. Once you have done this, you can then incorporate your link if it's a good fit.
However, don't just add information to pages that present linking opportunities. You should also be contributing to the wiki just for the sake of adding great content to the database. When appropriate, add quality links to articles, even links you do not control. Using this strategy, it is much more likely that you will be able to benefit from the many wikis available online.
To find potential linking opportunities, simply go to Google and type in "your keywords" inurl:wiki. This will help you to find sites that have wikis related to your keywords. For example, if you are looking for wikis related to search engine marketing, you would type in "search engine marketing" inurl:wiki.
For a comprehensive list of wikis you can start contributing to , go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wikis.
Library Sites
Ok. Are you ready for the MacDaddy of all links? You may be surprised to hear that some of the best links on the Web can only be obtained from public shool library Web sites. Yes I know, it's hard to believe that an unattractive school website that lives out in the .us or .org jungle would be of value to you. But in fact, these are some of the most trustworthy links you could ever hope to obtain.
Library web sites are some of the most trusted sources on the Internet and Google knows it. So, if you have an extremely valuable site that would prove a valuable resource to people around the world, then you should certainly get in contact with a librarian to suggest your site as an addition to their list of resources.
Below is a list of library sites to get you started:
Affiliate Links
Affiliate programs are one of the best ways to obtain thousands of inbound links to your site. With the right software, you can use an affiliate program to super charge your search engine rankings.
Using an affiliate program, you can get hundreds and even thousands of other people to promote your products with no risk on your part. Your affiliates send visitors to your web site using banner ads, text links, articles, and email promotions. For every visitor who decides to buy, you pay your affiliate a percentage of the sale.
The beauty of this system is that it allows you to create extra revenue without spending any additional advertising dollars. You can use affiliate marketing to explode your online sales and catapult your search engine rankings with no risk to you.
However, you have to make sure you have the right software to do this. Some affilate tracking software doesn't lend any link popularity back to your site.
Go to Assoctrac.com to find out about some very powerful affiliate software.
Press Releases
As I wrote about in a previous article, press releases enable you to tap into multiple news sites across the Internet, including Google News, Yahoo News, and MSNBC Searchbot.
In addition to attracting thousands of targeted visitors to your site, press releases can also create thousands of quality inbound links.
However, to realize the full potential of your press release campaign, you must take time to optimize your press release properly. Press releases should be optimized in much the same way that search engine optimization specialists optimize ordinary web pages to achieve higher rankings. By optimizing your press releases for the search engines, you will receive much higher visibility.
For example, one press release from MarketingExperiments.com resulted in 2,200 visitors and 5 interview requests by journalists. This is the power of a highly optimized press release.
Some of the best places to distribute your press release online include:
prweb.com
internet.com
businesswire.com
prnewswire.com
bacons.com
e-releases.com
prfree.com
pr.com
webwire.com
marketwire.com
24-7pressrelease.com
pressreleasenetwork.com
i-newswire.com
Start your own press campaign to begin creating invaluable buzz, attracting targeted visitors, and gaining thousands of inbound links.
Social Search Engines
With the growth of Web 2.0, social bookmarking services have become extremely popular this past year. However, these search engines are much more than simply a tool for searching and saving your favorite websites. These social communities can also drive massive amounts of traffic to your site and build brand awareness.
Popular submissions can expect to receive an onslaught of traffic. In addition, popular sites also receive an abundance of link love. These social search engines influence bloggers, publishers and journalists. On average, a website that is Dugg receives an average of 500 to a thousand new inbound links within a short period of time.
If you have a very informative site, your traffic may increase permanently after being Dugg. The key to succeeding with social search engines is to be a true contributor to the community. You must have quality content if you want to submit any of your links. Otherwise, you are simply wasting your time.
In addition, don't just submit your own links. Share the love and submit other sites that you feel would provide a great resource to the community.
Some of the best online social communities include:
Digg
del.icio.us
Furl
Shadows.com
MyWeb
StumbleUpon
PreFound
Technorati
In today's generation of web 2.0, publishers have been given multiple outlets for their work. It's time that we start taking advantage of the changes occurring in the online publishing world.
Podcast Syndication
Another publishing opportunity that is undergoing rapid growth online is podcasting. The Internet is changing. Broadband Internet connection is allowing millions of Internet users to start downloading podcasts on every imaginable topic, from search engine strategies to the adventures of parenting.
According to Forrester Research, podcasting will reach 12.3 million households by 2010. Unfortunately, many webmasters are not taking advantage of this amazing opportunity.
To begin marketing your own podcasts, submit them to the following directories:
PodcastingNews.com
MasterNewMedia.org
Integrating these new distribution models can vastly increase your exposure online.
New Forms of Article Syndication
Article syndication has become quite popular among internet marketers. It has enabled writers and website owners to gain hundreds of quality inbound links simply by syndicating their articles to article directories, article groups, related websites, and newsletter publications.
However, web 2.0 has transformed the publishing platforms that are available today. Because of this, there are now many more outlets for your articles and your valuable resource box. Fortunately for you, many online marketers have not spotted these opportunities so I advise you to jump on them quickly.
One of the most exciting new publishing platforms is Squidoo.
Squidoo was created by a revolutionary online thinker named Seth Godin. At Squidoo, you can create your very own lens, which is simply your view on a particular topic. This is a single web page that can point to blogs, favorite links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, eBay auctions, Amazon books and other resources.
Best of all, these lenses are getting traffic, credibility, and even showing up in top Google results. You can use a lens to increase the number of authoritative inbound links to your site, position yourself as an industry expert, announce the latest news within your niche, or promote your podcasts.
I've seen lenses ranging from a pagerank of 3 to 5. Below are some great examples:
FxBootcamp : PR4
Cool Laptop Bags : PR5
To start your own lens, go to Squidoo.com.
The last linking opportunity in this series taps into one of the largest sites on the Internet.
Craigslist
Craigslist was founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark and serves billions of unique visitors each month. So, how can you use this to your benefit?
Classified ads can be very lucrative when used correctly. Since Craigslist is free, this is a great place to start with absolutely no risk.
Your presence within this massive site will increase your exposure and link popularity. Many of the ads also appear in Google and Yahoo. This is especially true for those who optimize their ad properly.
I would highly suggest that you incorporate CraigsList into your overall business plan. You can begin placing your own ads at CraigsList.
Now that you know about many of these untapped linking techniques, I urge you to begin your own campaign. Just remember, if you're not distributing quality content, you are simply wasting your time. The first step is to become an authoritative site. After that, you will find that links come quite naturally. In fact, many of them will come without ever asking for them.
About the Author:
Kim Roach is a staff writer and editor for the SiteProNews (http://www.sitepronews.com) & SEO-News (http://www.seo-news.com) newsletters. You can contact Kim at: kim@seo-news.com
This article may be freely distributed without modification and provided that the copyright notice and author information remain intact.
Kim Roach, All Rights Reserved
Links are the pathways by which all information on the Internet is connected. Whether you are traveling your preferred search engine or your favorite website, your paths are directed by the links you come in contact with.
Because of this, links have become the lifeblood of the Internet. Major search engines like Google evaluate your incoming links to help determine your search engine positions.
However, a link is much more than just a ranking factor. A quality inbound link can bring your website a steady stream of targeted traffic and buyers.
In this article I will reveal the untapped methods of obtaining quality inbound links. We all know that reciprocal links are dead. Smart internet marketers also know about the power of article marketing and rss syndication. This article looks to explore beyond those techniques, unveiling linking tactics that are largely undiscovered.
Read on to find out about which links you can gain to build buzz, how to leverage the power of wikis, why everyone needs an affiliate program, and how to use the web 2.0 craze to garner hundreds of high quality inbound links.
We will begin our journey with editorial link opportunities.
The right links can generate massive buzz and word of mouth marketing. This type of marketing can occur from links like Yahoo Picks, Forbes Best of the Web, and USA Today Hot Sites. Get listed on the following sites and you've certainly got a winner.
- Yahoo Picks of the Day/Week
- Forbes Best of the Web
- USA Today Web Guide/Hot Sites
- NY Public Library Best of the Web
- Exploratorium Ten Cool Sites
- Librarians Internet Index
- Reference Desk
Wikis
Wikis are some of the best sources for link building. With a bit of digging, you can find plenty of wiki pages with high link popularity and PageRank. Not to mention, many wikis rank well in the search engines. This is especially true for Wikipedia.
However, like everything, there is a wrong and right way to go about it. Many people try to spam wikis with hundreds of links. Because of this, there have been strict measures taken to find and eliminate these culprits.
To benefit from the Wiki community, you must be an active participant adding quality and relevant information to their collection of content. You must add value to a page. Once you have done this, you can then incorporate your link if it's a good fit.
However, don't just add information to pages that present linking opportunities. You should also be contributing to the wiki just for the sake of adding great content to the database. When appropriate, add quality links to articles, even links you do not control. Using this strategy, it is much more likely that you will be able to benefit from the many wikis available online.
To find potential linking opportunities, simply go to Google and type in "your keywords" inurl:wiki. This will help you to find sites that have wikis related to your keywords. For example, if you are looking for wikis related to search engine marketing, you would type in "search engine marketing" inurl:wiki.
For a comprehensive list of wikis you can start contributing to , go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wikis.
Library Sites
Ok. Are you ready for the MacDaddy of all links? You may be surprised to hear that some of the best links on the Web can only be obtained from public shool library Web sites. Yes I know, it's hard to believe that an unattractive school website that lives out in the .us or .org jungle would be of value to you. But in fact, these are some of the most trustworthy links you could ever hope to obtain.
Library web sites are some of the most trusted sources on the Internet and Google knows it. So, if you have an extremely valuable site that would prove a valuable resource to people around the world, then you should certainly get in contact with a librarian to suggest your site as an addition to their list of resources.
Below is a list of library sites to get you started:
Affiliate Links
Affiliate programs are one of the best ways to obtain thousands of inbound links to your site. With the right software, you can use an affiliate program to super charge your search engine rankings.
Using an affiliate program, you can get hundreds and even thousands of other people to promote your products with no risk on your part. Your affiliates send visitors to your web site using banner ads, text links, articles, and email promotions. For every visitor who decides to buy, you pay your affiliate a percentage of the sale.
The beauty of this system is that it allows you to create extra revenue without spending any additional advertising dollars. You can use affiliate marketing to explode your online sales and catapult your search engine rankings with no risk to you.
However, you have to make sure you have the right software to do this. Some affilate tracking software doesn't lend any link popularity back to your site.
Go to Assoctrac.com to find out about some very powerful affiliate software.
Press Releases
As I wrote about in a previous article, press releases enable you to tap into multiple news sites across the Internet, including Google News, Yahoo News, and MSNBC Searchbot.
In addition to attracting thousands of targeted visitors to your site, press releases can also create thousands of quality inbound links.
However, to realize the full potential of your press release campaign, you must take time to optimize your press release properly. Press releases should be optimized in much the same way that search engine optimization specialists optimize ordinary web pages to achieve higher rankings. By optimizing your press releases for the search engines, you will receive much higher visibility.
For example, one press release from MarketingExperiments.com resulted in 2,200 visitors and 5 interview requests by journalists. This is the power of a highly optimized press release.
Some of the best places to distribute your press release online include:
prweb.com
internet.com
businesswire.com
prnewswire.com
bacons.com
e-releases.com
prfree.com
pr.com
webwire.com
marketwire.com
24-7pressrelease.com
pressreleasenetwork.com
i-newswire.com
Start your own press campaign to begin creating invaluable buzz, attracting targeted visitors, and gaining thousands of inbound links.
Social Search Engines
With the growth of Web 2.0, social bookmarking services have become extremely popular this past year. However, these search engines are much more than simply a tool for searching and saving your favorite websites. These social communities can also drive massive amounts of traffic to your site and build brand awareness.
Popular submissions can expect to receive an onslaught of traffic. In addition, popular sites also receive an abundance of link love. These social search engines influence bloggers, publishers and journalists. On average, a website that is Dugg receives an average of 500 to a thousand new inbound links within a short period of time.
If you have a very informative site, your traffic may increase permanently after being Dugg. The key to succeeding with social search engines is to be a true contributor to the community. You must have quality content if you want to submit any of your links. Otherwise, you are simply wasting your time.
In addition, don't just submit your own links. Share the love and submit other sites that you feel would provide a great resource to the community.
Some of the best online social communities include:
Digg
del.icio.us
Furl
Shadows.com
MyWeb
StumbleUpon
PreFound
Technorati
In today's generation of web 2.0, publishers have been given multiple outlets for their work. It's time that we start taking advantage of the changes occurring in the online publishing world.
Podcast Syndication
Another publishing opportunity that is undergoing rapid growth online is podcasting. The Internet is changing. Broadband Internet connection is allowing millions of Internet users to start downloading podcasts on every imaginable topic, from search engine strategies to the adventures of parenting.
According to Forrester Research, podcasting will reach 12.3 million households by 2010. Unfortunately, many webmasters are not taking advantage of this amazing opportunity.
To begin marketing your own podcasts, submit them to the following directories:
PodcastingNews.com
MasterNewMedia.org
Integrating these new distribution models can vastly increase your exposure online.
New Forms of Article Syndication
Article syndication has become quite popular among internet marketers. It has enabled writers and website owners to gain hundreds of quality inbound links simply by syndicating their articles to article directories, article groups, related websites, and newsletter publications.
However, web 2.0 has transformed the publishing platforms that are available today. Because of this, there are now many more outlets for your articles and your valuable resource box. Fortunately for you, many online marketers have not spotted these opportunities so I advise you to jump on them quickly.
One of the most exciting new publishing platforms is Squidoo.
Squidoo was created by a revolutionary online thinker named Seth Godin. At Squidoo, you can create your very own lens, which is simply your view on a particular topic. This is a single web page that can point to blogs, favorite links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, eBay auctions, Amazon books and other resources.
Best of all, these lenses are getting traffic, credibility, and even showing up in top Google results. You can use a lens to increase the number of authoritative inbound links to your site, position yourself as an industry expert, announce the latest news within your niche, or promote your podcasts.
I've seen lenses ranging from a pagerank of 3 to 5. Below are some great examples:
FxBootcamp : PR4
Cool Laptop Bags : PR5
To start your own lens, go to Squidoo.com.
The last linking opportunity in this series taps into one of the largest sites on the Internet.
Craigslist
Craigslist was founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark and serves billions of unique visitors each month. So, how can you use this to your benefit?
Classified ads can be very lucrative when used correctly. Since Craigslist is free, this is a great place to start with absolutely no risk.
Your presence within this massive site will increase your exposure and link popularity. Many of the ads also appear in Google and Yahoo. This is especially true for those who optimize their ad properly.
I would highly suggest that you incorporate CraigsList into your overall business plan. You can begin placing your own ads at CraigsList.
Now that you know about many of these untapped linking techniques, I urge you to begin your own campaign. Just remember, if you're not distributing quality content, you are simply wasting your time. The first step is to become an authoritative site. After that, you will find that links come quite naturally. In fact, many of them will come without ever asking for them.
About the Author:
Kim Roach is a staff writer and editor for the SiteProNews (http://www.sitepronews.com) & SEO-News (http://www.seo-news.com) newsletters. You can contact Kim at: kim@seo-news.com
This article may be freely distributed without modification and provided that the copyright notice and author information remain intact.
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