Marketing

How to Earn Extra - Make Money Online

2007-09-10T15:16:00.000+05:00

There are thousands of people making a pretty significant income from the Internet every day. Some people want to make just a little extra money online, while others want to turn it into a full-time career. Both groups of people do at least a little affiliate marketing, so I'd like to explain how that can help you make a little extra money online no matter who you are!

See, affiliate marketing is a huge industry on the Internet. There are so many opportunities available that it can almost be overwhelming! The beauty of it is that you are able to make a hefty sum of money for successfully referring people to your affiliate product/service of choice, without having to spend a dime on product creation, customer support, and even advertising!

Now obviously, the catch to it is that your earnings will depend entirely on your own efforts. But that's a pretty good trade-off in my opinion, especially for the beginner who is looking to just earn some extra money online. Affiliate marketing teaches you everything you need to know if you want to develop your own products for sale later on, while keeping your investment costs pretty low.

Once you've found your products to sell, or better yet found a system that you can implement that has already been proven to work, your job will be driving traffic to the product's website. The general idea is to try and get potential customers that are targeted to your niche market. You don't want to just send random people to a website because they won't be interested in your product!

Remember, you need to take action to be successful. Just like anything else, you need to put a little elbow grease into it if you want to make some extra money online. But in the end, you'll be able to set up a system that will almost make money all by itself!

Are you looking for information about extra make money online? If you want to discover how to make $1000 a day working at home from your computer, visit http://www.wealth-package.info for more information.

Need A Sales Boost - Try These!

2007-03-03T12:24:00.002+05:00

The telephone is still the best and most effective way to reach people. It can help generate more sales and build your business. Unfortunately most people don’t like the telephone and don’t use it effectively. In order to become more proficient using the telephone, you need to follow some basic guidelines and then practice, practice and then practice some more.

Like everything else, selling by using the telephone has changed over the years. The hard sell approach doesn’t cut it today. With voice mail, answering machines, tele-zappers, and caller ID the old fashion way doesn’t work any longer.

If you are selling a high end product, trying to do it all on the first call doesn’t work. You need to go through a couple of stages to get your end result – the sale. First you need to introduce yourself. Tell them about you, your business and your product. Next try to set up an appointment to go into further detail. Or maybe send some information before calling again. Moving one step at a time gives the customer time to become familiar with you and your product. It also gives your customer time to realize how important your product is to them.

You need to be confident and positive. As we have told many of our students, if you don’t feel like getting on the phones – don’t. That negativity and lack of enthusiasm is going to come through on the telephone. Many years ago when I was working in corporate America as a receptionist my supervisor told me to always answer the telephone with a smile on. That smile carried over into the impression the caller received when contacting a company.

So be sure that a positive attitude comes through . Remember, the old adage, “you must first sell yourself, then sell your product”.

Also of utmost importance is to know what you want to say. If you use a script, have it handy, but don’t just read it. I can tell immediately when a call I get is being read from a script. Write down an opening statement (for example, Hi , my name is Susan from Home Business Solutions. I’m calling about the home you have for sale. Are you the person to speak with? What’s your name?). Make notes of points you need to cover. Practice saying what you want to say until it comes naturally. Be sure you make strong statements. Avoid the words: maybe, could, but.

You also need to know your product. You have to perceive its value before you can convince someone else. You have to know what it does, how it works, and be able to describe it in terms that the layman can understand. You also need to explain the benefits of your product.

One of the first things I go over with our students regarding our telephone script is that they must learn to listen, and I mean really listen. You can tell a lot about your customer just by hearing what they are saying. Also be sure you ask their name, and then use it now and then. Don’t overuse their name because this can become very annoying. My philosophy is if I hate it, so will someone else.

Be sure to ask questions to encourage them to talk about themselves. Empathize. However, don’t do a lot of talking until you are sure you understand. Let them do the majority of talking.

If you pick a certain time frame to make your calls, or do a certain number of calls in a row, try to say it a little differently each time. If you don’t you will start to sound stale, lose your happy voice and sound as if you are reading a script. So if this starts to occur, take a break, or stop for the day.

As we discussed earlier in this article if your product is a high end one you will make several calls to establish a relationship. Once you have done this, and they remember who you are, introduce something new about your product. Keep a record of your calls, and details of what you discussed previously, so that you know where you stand when you call again. When I worked for a franchise company, I kept a record of every call that came in from franchisees or calls I made. First, my employer was amazed at the amount of knowledge I had about franchisees at my fingertips, and more important the franchisees felt like they were the only one, I knew them so well.

Using the telephone can help you get repeat business. For certain products, you can call customers to see how they are doing with the product. Maybe there are additional questions you could answer or problems you might be able to solve.

If everything is going well, you have a excellent opportunity to introduce your newest product, and hopefully, make another sale. This is also a great time to ask for referrals. Even if the follow up call doesn’t pay off right away, you are building a relationship with this customer. Remember it is a lot easier to keep a customer happy than to find another one. Your follow-up also builds credibility with your customers.

Doing the above will give your business a boost.

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

The Link Swapping Trap

2007-03-03T12:24:00.000+05:00

If you want to make money on the web, you must get traffic
to your website. If you want to get traffic to your website,
you must have a high rank in google's search results. Google
ranks websites based upon the number of links that point to
the site.

Many novice webmasters believe they can trick Google into
giving their website a high rank by swapping links with
other webmasters. One reason they believe this, is because
"wanna-be" web marketing "experts" keep spouting that trash.

It's only partially true that Google ranks websites based
upon the number of links that point to the site. Google
uses a highly sophisticated page ranking formula that keeps
changing and evolving all the time. Google caught onto the
link swapping trick years ago.

Novice webmasters put all their link swaps on one
gigantically long page referred to as a "link farm". When
Google's robot finds a link farm, their ranking formula
penalizes the websites listed in the link farm. If Google
finds the same site listed in many link farms, they remove
that site from their search engine.

Just about every week I get an email message saying
"I placed a link to your website on my website. Please put
a link to my website on your website. Here's where you can
find your link on my website" ... followed by a link to a
single webpage containing hundreds of links ... a link farm.

I usually reply to such a message with a request to remove
the link to my website from their webpage. The novice
webmaster often responds with a message of pure astonishment.
Link swap requests have become so common lately that I have
been responding by clicking on the "Delete" button.

Every webmaster that wants to swap links has a website
with zero traffic. Even if Google didn't penalize websites
for being listed in a link farm, why would I want to send
traffic away from my website to a website that can't return
any traffic?

Not only are these novice webmasters not experienced in the
way of the web, they seem inexperienced in the way of the
world. The first rule of the universe is "you never get a
free lunch". If you want your website to rank high in Google,
you have to pay them. If you can't afford to pay them, you
have to do the work.

It's hard work to get traffic to your website. There is
only one method I know that works: put valuable, original
content on your website. Other websites, blogs, and forums
will post links to the valuable content on your website,
not with a link swap, but as a resource to their audience.

When someone places a legitimate link to valuable content
on their webpage, the webpage has low link density.
Google's page ranking formula gives the page a high score.
If a link to your webpage is found on a high scoring
webpage, that raises the rank of your webpage.

On the other hand, a page with a high link density, with
hundreds of links and little other content, gets a negative
score from Google. If a link to your webpage is found on a
webpage with a negative score, that lowers the rank of your
webpage.

Don't try to scam Google by swapping links, and don't
cooperate with foolish webmasters who think there is a
"free lunch". If you want to get a higher ranking in Google,
resulting in more traffic to your website, there is only
one way - good old fashion hard work.

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Applying Improv Comedy Principles to Business

2007-03-03T12:22:00.003+05:00

Improv comedy is a form of theater where a group of performers take the stage with nothing prepared in advance and use audience suggestions to instantly create comedy. If you've ever seen the TV show, 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' you've seen improv comedy. Improv is fast, funny, and quite often ridiculous.

The first reaction people have to hearing about improv comedy being applies to business is, 'Come on now, business is serious. How can improv comedy apply to that?'

Well, the answer is quite simple. The key to successful improv is the willingness to take risks, the understanding of how to tap into your own creative resources, and the ability to listen to and work well with other people. Show me a person in business that wouldn't benefit from having the willingness to take risks, the ability to tap into their creativity, and the skill to listen and work with others.

An improviser must constantly take risks. The primary risk is stepping on stage with nothing prepared and trying to create something entertaining. Without embracing this risk, the improviser does nothing. In a similar fashion, a person in today's work force must push forward and try new ideas and methods. Without risk, there is no progress or innovation. Businesses that want to stay competitive require their people to keep pushing forward with new ideas. This can never be accomplished if people are not willing to take risks.

Creativity is often misconstrued as 'artistry.' In improv, it is clear that the performer needs to be creative. An improviser needs to generate interesting ideas immediately, without a moment's hesitation. While most artistic people are creative, creativity is about much more than art. Creativity is simply the ability to create. It is the ability to come up with something from nothing. It is the ability to create new ideas. These new ideas could be solutions to problems, innovative products, or new ways of handling clients. Just because artists are creative doesn't mean that other people can't benefit from creativity.

Unlike stand-up comedy, where the performer is alone, improv requires cooperation between two or more players. When one performer ignores his partners and does not involve them at all, he creates a disharmonious environment that tears at the group. The best improv happens when everyone is involved and there is a free flow of ideas that are supported and built upon by everyone. This attitude is the heart of communication. Whether talking to a co-worker, client, friend, or family member, the ability to openly and honestly listen to another person and incorporate their ideas is the key to building strong relationships.

The keys to effective improvisation are the same as the keys to success in just about any other area of life. It really should not be that surprising though; life, after all, is the ultimate improvisation.

Avish Parashar is a dynamic professional speaker who shows organizations and individuals how to get what they want using the Art and Science of improv comedy. He weaves together humorous stories, witty observations, and interactive exercises from improvisational comedy to get people laughing, learning, and motivated!

For more free articles, downloads, and resources, visit: http://www.AvishParashar.com

To learn how to apply the powerful principles of improv comedy to your own business or life visit http://www.ImprovForEveryone.com/

Instantly Increase Your Sales and Conversions by Adding New Hover Ad Technology to Your Websites

2007-03-03T12:22:00.001+05:00

First Generation - The Popup

Popups, if you're somehow, strangely, not familiar with the term, are those little windows that open when you visit certain sites.

Popups are secondary browser windows that are opened up using JavaScript code. The properties of this new browser window are set in such a fashion that the new window does not have a address bar, status bar or the menu.

Until about a few years ago the popup was considered to be the biggest breakthrough in advertising on the web.

When they were first introduced they were a great success and click-through rates went through the roof.

Exit the banner ad - enter the popup.

Web marketers could interrupt whatever a visitor was viewing, by launching a secondary window on top of the first to draw attention to his advertisement or opt-in list or any other item that he wished to get the attention to.

After a while like most good marketing tools, popups started getting abused. Popups would open secondary popups and eventually by just visiting page that has a single popup in it, you would end up with a barrage of say about 15-20 popups. This was exploited by unscrupulous marketers to the fullest, especially those hawking porn sites.

Of course, webmasters who were in tune with the sentiment of visitors, soon began to use cookies to track if the popup was already shown and ensure it was not shown more than once per visitor.

Frustrated visitors soon began complaining about popups.

Popups are your problem? - Get a popup blocker.

Looking at the need of website visitors, software companies soon came up with popup blocking software. These applications read all the code that's going to the browser and if they find any JavaScript in the page code that's trying to open a window, BAM, it deletes that part of code. So Bye Bye popup!

Generation Two - The PopUnder

Not to be left behind, web marketers came up with another version, the popunder, which still launched a secondary window but placed it below the primary window. In most cases, the visitor didn't even notice this popunder until they closed the primary window.

Of course this was less intrusive, but a pain nonetheless and you don't get an award for guessing what happened next.

Yes you guessed right, the popup blockers soon started blocking popunders as well.

Generation Next - Enter Hover Ads

What the beejeezus are Hover Ads? They are floating ads that popup blockers can't stop.

The technology that creates Hover Ads is not new. In fact, it’s been available to web designers for at least 2 years now as DHTML (that's Dynamic HTML to those who don't know).

These ads cannot be seen by older browsers like Internet Explorer 3.0. But since most netizens are using browsers (IE 4.0 and above) that are capable of displaying this code this type of advertising has started enjoying a rise in usage.

Hover Ads are DHTML layers which can be selectively moved and displayed over the primary page that's being displayed. The basic code is still JavaScript, but since a new window is not being opened, the popup blockers can't figure out that an advertisement is being displayed.

These layers can be animated, moved around, made to appear once per session, shown after a delay, etc.

So that makes you ask "Why should I switch from regular popups to Hover Ads?"

The one and only compelling reason. Popups can be blocked! Hover Ads can't.

So the bottom line is, if you use popups as a part of your online marketing strategy you're losing out on a lot of potential revenue, coz what they can't cant see they can't buy!

Some statistics that make Hover Ads a compelling technology to use:

The Alexa Toolbar can now block pop ups (10,000,000 Users not seeing your AD).
The Netscape 7.0 Browser has a built in popup blocker( almost 52 million users never seeing your popup ad).
Earthlink provides its users with a popup blocker( prospects who cant see your ad:5,000,000.
AOL released version 8.0 with Popup Blocking capabilities. (Total Subscribers: 35,000,000).

Bottom line: 40 million customers never see your advertisement!

Hover Ads, on the other hand cannot be stopped by blocking software. Their technology is regular JavaScript that runs well in all modern environments, so they are relatively safe to deploy on your site.

"So how can I add Hover Ads On my Website?"

If you are looking for a free way of doing this then there are freely available JavaScript snippets that you can put to use on your site today without buying any fancy software.

A sample of code can be obtained from CodeLifter.com

The drawback here is that you would need in depth knowledge of JavaScript coding, which not many people know about.

Another approach is to use high end HTML editors like Dreamweaver which have DHTML scripts included under the "Layers" menu. Then again, Dreamweaver is an expensive software.

Any other easier option you ask?

One software that quickly automates the creation of Hover Ads, using a simple 3 step interface is the Hover Ad generator.

The Hover Ads created using this software can be fully customized and are very professional looking.

I especially like the opt-in style Hover Ads which lets your prospects sign up for your opt-in list by simply clicking a button. You subsequently receive a mail with their name and email-id.

I'll let you look up the other four styles on your own.

Summary

If you use popups on your website, chances are pretty good that they are being screened away by some software or another. Perhaps even by your visitor's ISP - without any active attempts on your visitor's part to block them. You'll need to do something about this situation and soon.

"So, what choices do I have?"

1. Do nothing. Pray that your content is good enough to attract visitors.

2. Visit CodeLifter to get your FREE layer generator script. You will be stuck with one style, though, if you just cut paste. If you know JavaScript you can modify it as per your liking.

3. Use Dreamweaver or your HTML editor, if it has layers support.

4. Check out Hover Ad Generator . They offer a FREE trial.

Satyajeet Hattangadi is the Owner of Novasoft Inc, a software solutions provider, who specialize is affordable customized software solutions.

How To Write More Powerful Online Text

2007-03-03T12:21:00.001+05:00

Although there are significant differences among the various types of online communication, there all have one critical thing in common - they're read off a screen. There are substantial benefits, too, in that while your message is on someone's screen usually it has their undivided attention. You are genuinely "one-to-one" with them and that's something you must respect - you are literally "in their face" and encroaching on very personal territory. The bad news about online communications is that your message can be "disappeared" faster from a screen than with any other medium.

There are a few more stark facts about online communications that significantly influence how your message is received. One, according to the world-acclaimed web expert Dr Jakob Nielsen, is that 79% of online readers don't read - they scan. That's a little like the way people browse through brochures. What it means is that your message must be delivered in a way that allows key points - and benefits, of course - to be picked up at the same speed as readers scroll and scan.

Secondly, Dr Nielsen has also calculated that when people read from a screen they do so at a rate 25% slower than they read print on a paper page. That's because, despite high-resolution screens and all the other technological wizardry, on-screen text is harder to read. For this reason your messages have to be very much more concise than they do for printed media - some experts say screen text should be just half the length of its paper equivalent. In my view, therefore, there are two very important things you have to remember if you're going to get the best out of online text.

Firstly, go with the flow of the physical restrictions and write so you minimize their effect. Also, create your text so it works well for scanners (human scanners that is) by highlighting key points in bold - not italics or underline because people think those are links. That way people get the gist of your message while scrolling, although of course they will stop and read more carefully when an emboldened section really does catch their eye.

Secondly, bear in mind that even in its short little life the internet has already started to put its early folklore on a nostalgic pedestal and this plays a key role in determining what works online now. Having begun its days as an electronic kaffée klatch for individual tekkies the net has developed a very personal informality and straight-talking ethos that, miraculously, is being preserved and perpetuated with considerable success. And that's all the more astounding when you consider the vast commercialism that's replaced the early net's endearing woolly-sweater-and-sandals innocence, naïvety and honesty.

Never mind, though. There are other good reasons why brief, straight, plain - even blunt - speaking is a sensible style to maximize the success of your online text. Obviously it helps overcome the physical restrictions (see above) and also works well in such a personal, one-to-one medium that is, literally, in your face.

Today you only have to think how emotional people get over the issue of receiving "spam," to understand just how firmly the PC or PDA or other forms of electronic screens have established themselves as part of their users' personal space. "You don't just use a computer," my late mother used to shout when she came by my office to see if I was still breathing, "you wear it."

Well, although I don't exactly read it a story and kiss it goodnight I'm bound to feel pretty close to my computer (and the messages it displays) especially as I often spend more hours a day with it than I do with my family. The moral? When you're writing online text, in fact online anything, respect the close relationship people have with their screens. Knock before entering, then be the perfect guest. Be direct, don't waste their time, but remember to say please and thank you. Then leave before you've worn out your welcome. That's the way to ensure not only that you make a good impression, but also that you'll get invited back.

E-mails

The one huge problem nobody seems to have solved yet, as I see it, is how to handle the vast amount of e-mails that most of us receive every day. Even I, as a humble one-person-band little business employing no-one other than myself and my two rescued dogs who spend most of the day asleep under the desks in my office, receive between 50 and 100 e-mails per weekday. Some clients of mine receive double that. No doubt busy business people I don't know receive even more. How do you prioritize those? How do you decide which ones to read now, which ones to read later, and which ones not to read but to dump?

Ah, ah, I hear you say, what's that got to do with writing? Let me tell you. If you're writing a personal e-mail to a friend there's no problem, particularly as you're more likely to send it to their personal e-mail address than their business addy. But what about business e-mails that you want the recipient to take notice of? How do you make the best of the medium when your e-mail is likely to be surrounded by at least 49 others all shouting for the same person's attention?

In the earlier days of the internet, if you were smart and could write a snappy short phrase you could attract attention in the subject line, perhaps including the words "relax, this is not spam." Now though, the spammers have cottoned on to that one and if you see a subject line in your e-mailbox saying "not spam" it almost certainly is - to the extent that this is the first thing looked for by most of the spam filters you can get.

Spam filters will also choke out all the obvious spammy words like "free" and "opportunity" and "give away." And you can't be believed if you write something really homely and innocent sounding like "message from your cousin Marianne" because that's what all the porno spammers do. So what's the answer?

Or, so what's the problem? If the recipient of your e-mail is likely to know you and knows that what you have to say is usually interesting, they'll open it and probably sooner rather than later. It's when they think your message is not likely to be of use, relevance or interest to them; that's when you're relegated to the delete tab.

So what's the most efficient way of ensuring people open your e-mails? You have to be interesting. That's what's in it for them, and their previous experience of your being interesting provides them with the incentive to read your new e-mail.

It's also a good idea to confirm the fact that you're interesting by getting over "what's in it for you" in the first few lines of the text. If you don't readers are often tempted to move on without going further, especially if they have 27 other e-mails to read. However here we risk straying into pure online marketing areas and once again, there is an impressive selection of reading matter available that goes into chapter and verse about that. But I do want to emphasize this point about being interesting.

Whereas the e-mail marketers might be agonising over how to write subject lines that get through the filters and get people to open the e-mail, a fair few of them may be missing the point that it's not the subject line that matters so much as the name of the sender. If the recipient doesn't know the sender it doesn't matter how cuddly the subject line is, they won't open the e-mail for fear of being sold some ugly garden furniture or pornography or even a virus. If they do know the sender but also know that he/she/they never have anything interesting to offer, they won't open that e-mail either.

Do I hear the ringing of bells in terms of the quality of message? In online communication probably more than any other kind we have a tendency to forget that all the electronic gizmos are just enabling devices, and that at the end of the day the only thing that really matters is the message, not the means of delivering it. If the recipients of your e-mails know that you usually communicate interesting messages with something worthwhile in it for them, they'll open yours even if the subject line is "more boring BS from Bobby."

Text messages

As we progress further down the route of wireless, mobile communications, happily the boffins are busy finding ways to increase the screen sizes so we can use slightly less strangled abbreviations on the screens. But text-based comms for marketing are probably the most miniaturized challenge for copywriters since the old subliminal advertising scandals of the 1950s and 1960s. (They had to keep the messages short and powerful then too.)

If you're tempted to use texting for marketing purposes, do please consult a professional, and a professional copywriter, not a professional telecommunications guru. Despite only working in half words and soundalikes, text ads are difficult to get right, because of the fact that there is so little to play with and so little room for manoeuvre.

Websites

This is the Big One. This is the topic that has given birth to more experts than there are websites, and that runs into the muchomillons. Everyone you meet has their very own views on what makes the perfect site and that varies from the all-singing, all-dancing variety that looks great on a fearfully expensive turbo-charged computer but takes ages to load into most people's cooking PCs ... to the belts-and-braces merchant who believes a website should load faster than he can sneeze and has to give him all the info he needs within the first three bullet points. Are they all wrong, or are they all right?

At the risk of sounding boring and repetitive, once again the answer lies in researching your audience. The bad news, though, is that very often websites have to do not one but several jobs to do for not one but several audiences. Unlike offline print media whose audiences tend to be easier to define, many websites are expected to work as advertizements, brochures, catalogues, shops, customer service centres and technical support bureaux all rolled into one.

This does not make life any easier for those of us who work at creating and writing websites. And although we all have our pet theories there is no single, simple answer to the question "how do you make a website that works as powerfully for audience Z as it does for audience A?"

Probably the most sensible way to define and manage the variants of your site's audience is to split it into two broad groups - new visitors and re-visitors - and ensure that home/landing pages give a clear, simple direction for either group to follow. In the early stages of a website that's probably as much as you can do, but there are ways in which online audiences can be researched and website traffic tracked which will give you clear indications of how to develop the site in the future. However that's something you should discuss with specialist internet and e-commerce experts - it's not a writing issue.

It helps to compare your website with an offline business or other organization, even down to size and proportion - from small boutique to huge department store. At the small end it's obviously much easier to map a site using common sense. At the large end common sense works too, if you take the analogy to the limit. When planning a commercial or otherwise interactive website think of an offline equivalent that works well for its customers or users, and translate its key good points for online use. The sort of offline equivalents you might use for the analogy are:

¨Shopping mall or department store

¨Large public library or government department

¨Bank, insurance bureau, travel agency, real estate agency

¨Bookshop, giftshop, etc

If your website is not a trading site as such but is to act more as an online showcase, then think your way through your organization's most successful capabilities overview presentation. If the approach and content work face-to-face, they're likely to work on a website too.

Of course you can't control the order of presentation on the site in as disciplined a way as you can live. But if you invite site visitors to look at your credentials in a logical and appealing (to them) order, there's a good chance many of them will follow your suggestions and not necessarily jump about in non-linear grasshopper fashion. That's especially true if your content holds their attention equally well at each stage of the progression - there's nothing like sudden boredom to make grasshoppers take a huge sideways leap.

Many internet purists are going to shout abuse at me for comparing websites with offline media, saying that online comms are completely different. But please hush for a moment, folks, while I explain further. I do not advocate trying to squash and squeeze offline material into online manifestations like podgy feet being squelched into shoes 3 sizes too small.

What I advocate is to use the logic from an offline application if you know it works well with people, because the people who look at your organization's website are people - and what's more, it's likely they're from the same or similar audiences as those of your offline comms.

If you know that the thought process behind your offline business communication works very well, why on earth should you consider rethinking your whole strategy and taking a completely different approach for the website? Remember that old line, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" In the same way, if a strategy works and you can't foresee any reason why it should stop working in the near future then don't change it. People are people wherever and however they receive your message.

Obviously the way you implement the logic, and what you hang off it in terms of text and other written material, yes, all that will be different online. Websites involve many considerations which do not enter into the offline picture - for example, writing text with one eye on Search Engine Optimization, which is a specialized discipline in itself.

Another very important consideration is for the writer to work very closely with the technical developers and maintainers of a website, because what and how you write is very closely linked with the way the site is structured and how visitors use it. All in all, if you're undertaking anything other than a fairly simple and uncomplicated website it's safer and more effective to use professional specialists all round, writers included.

But do not let anyone try to persuade you that creating a website requires you to undergo a brain transplant. By all means show respect for the technical expertise required to make a good website work well, but equally be aware that at the end of the day all that really matters is how well your website helps you communicate with your audience, not how to calculate the square root of its exponential gigafactor.

Okay, so now we've got the logic right, what do we say? Let's look at some key issues connected specifically with websites.

Obviously you need to create a skeleton structure first of all, and usually that needs to be done in close cahoots with the web designer. The primary objective when putting together the skeleton structure is to make the site work as well as possible for visitors and not, as some designers would have you believe, how many fancy animations and galloping gargoyles can be incorporated and to hell with how long they take to load on old systems using dialup access.

Please don't forget that some people - your customers, perhaps - are still using dial-up access and not only can that be expensive (in the UK at least) but also it's slow and often dependent on the foibles and vagaries of ordinary telephone lines. Assuming that many countries will continue to depend on dialup access for some years to come, slow-loading websites are not going to be very successful in markets outside of the mainstream industrialized nations.

That's one of the reasons why I believe simple, uncluttered websites work far better. Another of those reasons is because I think they're stronger and more effective anyway!

As for the text itself, shorter is sweeter. I normally set about both my offline and online work with hedge clippers several times before I submit it to clients and/or for publication, and when I wrote the text for my own website I took an axe to it over and over again before I was happy. As I've said earlier, it's as hard if not harder to write concisely than it is to waffle on, so writing text for websites is no picnic.

One useful tip, though, is to write down your thoughts in as much detail as you want, and then ask yourself "okay, now what is it that I'm really trying to say?" Often you'll find that you come up with a vastly simplified, shortened version of all those words and you can express your thoughts in a fraction of the space.

A good example of this happened years ago when I co-wrote a book about jewellery with Antwerp-based gemmologist Norbert Streep and we agonized for weeks over a suitable title. At the end of our fourth or fifth brainstorming session I said to Norbert, "how have we been referring to it all this time?"

"As the Jewellery Book," replied Norbert.

"Then that's our title," I said, and it was, too. The publishers loved it.

As with all online text, short, straight, simple and to the point is preferable for any form of website text, even if there is pressure from elsewhere to write it in the "corporate voice." If you do get pressurized it's worth reminding the pressurizer that no matter how big and important the corporation is, its website gets stuck straight into the faces of visitors via their screens and with that level of physical intimacy we really do have to speak to them as one human being to another.

Business website-speak should be as natural and informal as the way you would speak to someone across a table in a meeting - not as informal as chit-chat over a beer at the golf club, but certainly not as pompous and stuffy as the Chairman's Statement in the Annual Report and Accounts. And now if the pressurizer asks "why" you can say, because that's how the culture of the internet has developed since the 1980s and if we go against the grain, we are unlikely to maximize our online business opportunities. (That one works especially well with Financial VPs/Directors - remember to squint meaningfully at them while saying the words.)

One thing I must point out here is that although your website should be written in a way that's crisp, short and to the point, this does not mean that you should keep the range and variety of information to a minimum. On the contrary; one of the beauties of a website is that it can offer a great deal of information to visitors who want to read it all, but unlike with a brochure, if site visitors don't want the lengthy detail it stays tucked tidily out of sight and out of their way.

In people's understandable efforts to keep websites short and sweet they sometimes avoid including background information, archived material, back issues, related articles, etc. Yet some visitors are likely to find that stuff quite useful. And apart from the relatively small cost consideration of website size, there's no need to exclude such material - all you have to do is make sure it's sectioned off in an appropriate part of the site.

Anyway, a great many excellent books and other publications on how to create a good website exist at the time I'm writing this. In the main their advice will be excellent, but do please remember to see the wood from the trees. In the gushing welter of information you'll find about the subject you, in your role as writer, must keep your eyes focused on your audience, "what's in it for them," and how to communicate "what's in it for them" via the most direct and effective route.

Canadian-born Suzan St Maur is an international business writer and author based in the United Kingdom. In addition to her consultancy work for clients in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, she contributes articles to more than 150 business websites and publications worldwide, and has written twelve published books on business writing, marketing, publishing and humor. Check out all her current books here.

To subscribe to her free biweekly business writing tips eZine, TIPZ from SUZE, click here.

GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS

2007-03-03T12:19:00.000+05:00

You have a story to tell. Your company has developed a revolutionary new product, or an improved version of one that is known and respected in the marketplace. Most companies are media-savvy enough to take a proactive approach to publicity. Yet there are many firms that instead sit on a new development, waiting for the press to come to them because they are unsure of how to “break the news.”

The vehicle for the announcement is critical. One should avoid the “shot-gun” approach to publicity. In most cases, a technique referred to as “editorial cultivation” works. Determine the appropriate initial outlet – a magazine or newspaper, for instance – and approach that venue with your story. Once the story breaks via your primary media choice, other vehicles can, and usually will follow.

There is nothing wrong with the standard news release, except that most are written without first contacting the appropriate editor at the preferred publication. The first hurdle is deciding who to contact.

Finding your target audience Establish your subject and audience. Once you have done so, the job becomes a matter of prioritizing the several most important print outlets for your story. If you already know your audience’s preferred industry publication, put it on the top of your list. For backups, refer to a directory like Bacon’s Magazine Directory, The Ayer Directory of Publications, or Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory, all of which provide names of the leading magazines and journals listed under each industry. For each specific magazine, in addition to circulation figures, these sources list the outlet’s primary editorial contacts, including addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Weigh the impact, immediacy and relevance of your story. In some cases, your news may have an impact on a wider marketplace and editorial audience than the sphere of influence of a trade magazine. Examples would be a merger, an acquisition or an initial public offering. Such news must be immediately disseminated. The best avenues may be: a national newspaper such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal or USA Today; a national wire service, such as The Associated Press or Reuters; a business wire such as Dow Jones or Bloomberg; a business magazine like Business Week or Industry Week; or even a national news magazine such as Time, Newsweek or U.S. News & World Report.

A number of Internet resources through which breaking news can be disseminated quickly are the PR Newswire http://www.prnewswire.com and Businesswire http://businesswire.com. PR Newswire and Businesswire will carry a story over their wires and on the Internet for a fee paid by the source. Newswires provide the “insurance policy” that a story will definitely get out. Even if the article is printed in a newspaper or magazine, the newswire provides a good secondary backup for the dissemination, and the article will appear exactly as it has been provided to these outlets.

News releases, especially informative, well-written and succinct ones, are the sources of the majority of ideas and leads for a trade magazine editor. The news releases should be written in what is called the “inverted pyramid” style, with the “fattest,” most pertinent facts on top, and the less salient facts further down. The headline should capture the essence of the story, and the subheadings should clarify the impact.

For a technical news article, details are vital. Keep them as clear as possible; and translate technical jargon and “buzzwords” specific to a certain segment of the industry you are targeting, into terms that even a lay person can understand.

Reach out and touch someone For trade magazines and national news magazines alike, the initial phone call – or “cold call” – must be well-planned. Develop a pitch, or verbal presentation, that informs the editor of the significance of the story, and its relevance to his or her outlet. Keep your pitch short, succinct and newsworthy. Just as you would write a news release with the “fattest” or most pertinent facts on top, organize your verbal pitch to give the most important and interesting details right at the beginning.

One thing I do for all of my pitching is to capture in my mind the “essence,” “vision” and “overview” of the story, especially in the context of the news of the day and the aspect of the story that may be “evolutionary” or “revolutionary” in the context of historical perspective.

Try to keep the tone conversational. Communicate your story in a clear, concise, yet enthusiastic fashion. Point to the relevance and impact of your story on the editor’s readership, as well as to what is new and unusual about its content. If the editor “bites,” or at least seems interested, offer it as a first-exclusive if this particular media outlet is a prominent one and important to your organization. In all cases, be prepared to e-mail or fax the information, and send photos, technical illustrations or diagrams to visually describe technical information. Schedule interviews between the editor and your spokesperson if this is requested, or if it’s important to your organization to get its representative quoted.

Try to avoid voicemail, unless you have honed the pitch to a point where it is brief, clearly worded and convincing. Voicemail is a notorious playing field for “phone tag” and does not allow you to ask follow-up questions or to gauge the editor’s response, thereby fine-tuning your own approach. Voicemail is also used by some journalists as a method to “screen out” calls. Leaving a voicemail message supplemented and elucidated by an e-mail message does make sense, and in my experience e-mail often works, particularly after a live conversation has occurred (no matter how brief) or voicemail message has been left. After an initial communication, whether by voice and/or e-mail, follow-up in a day or two if you’ve not yet heard back from the editor.

Etiquette and other matters Respect deadlines. If you reach the editor live, and you discover he or she is near deadline, immediately indicate that you’ll return the call later. Better yet, learn in advance when that magazine’s deadline is occurring, and avoid reaching the editor at that time. If you do call at a good time, be personable, keep your pitch brief and relevant.

Know your story. Keep your enthusiasm high (but stay centered), and make sure you understand the story thoroughly. Confidence in the importance and viability of the story always communicates over the phone. Be warm, polite, professional and clear. If the editor is in a bad mood, be astute enough to know that you are not the cause.

If the news is very important to the company, the person entrusted with the call should be someone who has public relations or prior journalistic experience. It is prudent for a professional communicator to initiate the approach and deal with the editor as the primary contact. If the editor requires someone with technical expertise and in-depth knowledge of the technology, an expert’s name and contact information should be provided for a follow-up interview. Media relations representatives should always lead the editor back to themselves as the primary contact. And, this is important: as the media relations rep, remember in very “hot” news stories with short deadlines to get out of the editor’s way once you’ve “pitched” and “sold” the story. After that, see yourself as an “assistant” in helping the editor get the facts and the interviews, end of story. Don’t try to manipulate the story or get in the editor’s way, in any way. You’ll be respected for that, and will be able to come back to that person in good graces in the future.

On some occasions, the reporter or editor may wish to speak to the chief executive officer (CEO). If this happens, know in advance if the CEO is available for an interview. If so, make sure that he or she is prepared, as some CEOs may not be seasoned spokespersons. In this case, a conference call could be arranged between the CEO, p.r. representative and the editor.

Listen to the editor. Whether you initiate a cold call, speak to an editor calling in response to an e-mail message, or receive a cold call from an editor who is querying about a story or lead obtained through the newswire, it is as important to listen as it is to talk. Be sensitive to any verbal feedback, cues or clues that can assist you in fine-tuning your response.

Respect the “no” and be prepared for it. After an initial rejection, ask quick, important questions: “What is it about this story that doesn’t seem right for you? Is there any way this story can be adapted to better suit your needs?” Suggest changes. Best of all, prepare three to five different angles in advance, as this reduces chances for rejection.

What may be appropriate for one editor may not be appropriate for another. Before concluding a conversation, ask if the news might be more appropriate for someone else with a different beat, or in a different section of the magazine. If referred to a new person, introduce yourself by way of that referral. If you have exhausted all your angles to a story, thank the editor for his or her time and release yourself from this connection. Sour the contact, and it will be difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a credible relationship in the future.

Cultivate your contacts. Whenever feasible, try to meet the editors and reporters who are important to you. Offer to take them out to lunch, but do not be insulted if they decline. The better you get to know the journalist on a one-to-one basis, the better your chances of winning a receptive ear.

Do not be discouraged by the rejection of a story idea. If is far more important to keep the channels of communication open. Record the vital information about your journalistic contact in a Rolodex or software address book, such as Sharkware. Also, supply your most important contacts with your home phone number and/or cell phone number, signaling them that you can be reached after business hours. This practice communicates professionalism and reinforces your reputation as someone who goes “beyond the call of duty” to meet editorial needs.

Packing the punch. If your company is one of the fortunate few whose news is printed in a national publication, the story automatically becomes a prime candidate for the leading magazines within your industry, as well as for generic print and broadcast media. Remember, too, that broadcast often follows print (especially if you’ve placed a major wire service story or placed a story in a USA Today or Time Magazine).

When working with the media, remember to do your homework, hone your pitch and maintain a positive attitude.

THE PUBLIC RELATIONS CHECKLIST

* News releases should be double-spaced. Include the media contact’s name, phone number and e-mail, as well as the date and location from which the story originates.

* If a new product is being announced, include all operating parameters. Clearly described how the product works and how it differs from what currently exists in the marketplace. Do this by quantifying the benefits and advantages of this product and comparing it with competing technologies. Stress the user or customer benefits, and explain tangible results.

* Avoid terms such as cheaper, more efficient, fastest, unique and revolutionary without providing parameters by which these benefits can be measured.

* Products or other news leads should tie in with current trends or larger- scope news stories.

* Do not use acronyms without spelling them out, or buzz words without explaining them for the layman.

* For financial news releases, focus more on how the takeover, merger or acquisition will impact the reader or the marketplace, as opposed to the details about money and market shares.

* Provide quotes from executives who can comment on both technical and market information. And always go to the bottom of the line in asking.

* Use photos, charts, graphs or tables, with captions and information, to elaborate upon your story, especially if this is a new trend.

* Ask the journalist what he or she will require to make the interview successful.

Mike Schwager is President of Worldlink Media Consultants, Inc., based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He is an accomplished veteran of media interview training, and has conducted successful trainings for scores of CEO’s and other senior executives, politicians, celebrities and authors. Website: http://www.mediamavens.com. E-mail: michael@mediamavens.com.

How to Start a Relationship with a Drop Ship Supplier

2007-03-03T12:17:00.001+05:00

Finding a reputable and reliable drop shipping partner is a critical ingredient when establishing yourself as an online retailer. As important as finding and locating a drop shipper, is fostering a long term relationship that will be rewarding for both parties. This article will outline some guidelines to be aware of when approaching drop ship manufactures for the first time.

The benifits provided by a drop shipper are tremendous when you consider the overall benifits it gives to the online merchandiser. As a retailer you're able to sell and market products without the hassel of stocking inventory. This business model allows ordinary people to start on a part time or full time basis and operate without incuring huge over-head costs. A terrific advantage when operating on a shoestring budget. Having established the fact that using drop shippers is a good idea, how do you go about building a relationship.

You Should Look for the Direct Drop Ship Manufacture.

Getting involved in this business requires that you understand the different levels of retailing. Foremost, to truly operate on a reasonable profit margin you need to purchase merchandise from as close to the manufacturing level as possible.

Unfortunately, many just starting out get hood winked by third or fourth tier distributors posing as wholesalers. Thus tricking people into believing they are buying at wholesale when they are not.

It's important to get a clear picture of the distribution process. At the top of the distribution chain of course you have the manufacturer. They mass produce one or many products, they in turn sell them in large bulk but sometimes they will ship in small quantities. Depending on the product they will drop ship directly to your customer. This would be the optimum place to gain a drop ship partner.

Below the manufacturer is what's known as a second tier distributor. These companies usually have developed trusting relationships with the manufacturers and run large distribution networks that span large regions. It is at this level where you have your best opportunity to set up drop shipping alliances. If you get any further away from this level, like third and forth tier distributors your profit margins tend to go way down. This can really hurt if your trying to remain competitive. Direct manufactures and second tier distributors is where you want to focus your efforts on building mutual relationships.

Its Your Approach that Gets You What You Need From a Drop Ship Manufacturer!

Prior to contacting anyone you must first legally set yourself up as a business or legal entity. Don't be ridiculous by thinking that your going to be able to make any progress with manufacturers or second tier distributors, without this basic non-step to start. The bottom line is drop shipping suppliers will not even think about speaking with you without a Fed Tax ID number and or resalers license.

With your proper paper work in hand you can contact product sourcing companies and manufactures. Many can be found through a directory service known as the Thomas Registry which can be accessed at http://www.thomasregister.com

Once you've decided on a supplier you can simply phone them to begin the account set up process. Some may only be available through regular postal mail or email, in that case you will have to contact them in that fashion. Be sure to include your contact information and be specific about what you want.

You will want to collect some important information, to set the ground work for a solid relationship.

1.) What are there shipping terms. While there are many shipping services out there, most will use just a select few.

Dealing with a supplier that uses a freight forwarding company that offers online tracking will allow you to provide quicker accountability of orders you have placed. Additionally, providing tracking #'s to your customers adds yet another layer of comfort and makes them feel more confident in their purchase. Further questions may include, whether or not they offer online ordering and if they will affix a customized label to your order.

2.) Negotiating the price of the products. Most manufactures or second tier wholesalers have standard pricing. If you choose to purchase in bulk you may be able to secure a lower price per unit. Usually the wholesaler or drop ship manufacture will have a set price break and schedule for bulk purchases.

3.) Formulate a payment plan that suits your business. It's best to arrange your chosen method of payment upfront. Usually you can set up credit terms through standard methods. Most times you can pay per order with either a credit card or business check.

4.) Have a clear understanding of their product return procedure. How do they handle credits and customer returns. When a customer wants to return product or merchandise do they return it to you directly or do they return it to the manufacture or the drop ship supplier. Having these issues ironed out upfront will ensure a smooth operation.

Finally, setting your business up the right way from the get go will help you handle issues as they arise. Having a reliable product sourcing company that you're able to build a solid relationship with, will be paramount to having and running a successful drop shipping business.

If you would like to discover how smart people locate real drop shippers and manufactures with just the click of a mouse, visit http://www.wholesaleanddropshipdirect.com You can also get additional info on a Drop Shipping Warehouse

SEO and Link Building - A Tip Sheet

2007-03-03T11:16:00.003+05:00

Link building is one of the key components of SEO. Because it is so vital, it is important to be aware of what to look for and how to correctly go about link building.

The important thing to remember about link building is this - are the sites you are looking at linking to relevant? You might have noticed when you do a search on a search engine like yahoo or Google, next to the website is a percentage. This is the percentage that the search engine rated the site as relevant to the key words you put in. So you might be asking how Google creates this percentage of relevancy? The answer is simple. While it is not the only factor, one of the key factors is the number of sites that contain your link. To get your link on someone else’s page usually involves something called a link exchange or reciprocal link. What this means is, basically, they will put your link on their site in exchange for you doing the same. Here is where the relevancy now comes in. It is vital to make sure that the sites you use for this portion of SEO link building are related in some close fashion to your site. For example, if your web site is on golf and golfing, then a link to a fishing site is not going to be relevant. Not having relevant links in your SEO link building can have a negative impact on your search engine rating .So think carefully before trading links.

Another key to remember with SEO link building is that most search engines prefer the turtle approach. That is to say, slow and steady wins out in the end. Search engines will usually give higher rank and relevancy ratings to those sites that show steady, slow and consistent upward motion.

There is one exception to relevancy ranking that might have an effect on your SEO link building strategies and the time frame you have in mind. Some search engines will not rank a site unless it has been active for a minimum of six months. This time when your site will be unrankable is a good time to practice your SEO link building. It allows a link to age. The longer a relevant link sits on your site and vice versa, the more favorable it is looked upon.

Follow these guidelines when planning out your SEO link building strategy to help ensure that your site makes it all the way to the top. Remember with SEO, link building is all about the relevancy.

For more about SEO Visit http://www.lambertklein.com Sign up for our FREE Newsletter and receive two FREE chapters from our new SEO Results the Organic Way e-Book.

Writing Online Articles is a Feather in Your Cap in Becoming a Professional Writer

2007-03-03T11:16:00.001+05:00

Some professional writers and authors will tell online article writers that these articles are substandard and will not help them break into the print world or help them develop a solid resume as a writer. As an online article author of some 11,000 articles I take exception with this theory and believe it to be incorrect.

In fact if I may be so bold as to state my point in a just-less-than-tirade fashion, we know that many online article authors have had their articles re-printed in many places in print. Indeed, I myself have, there are many other top online article others on the top online article submission websites that have as well. Some online article authors have come forward with their articles being re-printed.

Publishers and Literary Agents are Not Turned Off by Online Articles

Actually, when I was in NY, I mentioned that I had over 10,000 online articles and they looked it up on the Internet while I was there. In Boston, although a specialty publisher of Futurist type stuff, they too, said "hmmm" when I mentioned it. I never got any "you're not professional" comments or dirty looks for online article authoring. I did get a “so what look” when I told them. To say that publishers look down on you for having online article submission, well, that simply is not so.

Further if someone is so downtrodden with rejection letters from Professional Literary Publishers, maybe they need to change their tactics in selling themselves, and stop running redline with the rest of the pack and try new things. Online article authoring could be that new thing and another feather in your cap and listing on your resume as well.

Nobody Said Life Would Be Easy for Writers

I realize that selling your work to a publisher or attracting literary agents is tough work and might get depressing. Hell sometimes you are lucky if you even hear back at all or even get one of those stupid form letters. You know what, Smile, say thank you and make a paper airplane with it and sail it across the room and say to the next, and then next after that. Ask them what they are looking for first, know your customer and sell yourself and your pitch and stop pitching crap no one wants to read?

Every Author Wants to Win

Everyone wants to be an author these days, half of middle aged America is underemployed and wants to be an author, but only the competitive diehards who never give up are going to be published and most of them are going to paid next to nothing for it. Remember; Sun Tzu, fight the battles you can fight, move on and keep moving. Strong survive, weakness walks and professional authors should stop acting like poor sports and attacking online article marketing. If their stuff is so good, why do they care what online article authors do? I’ll tell you why, their stuff isn’t and the readers are less sophisticated, there is more competition than ever before and fewer people reading. Deal with it, as that is the stuff free markets are made of. What do they want some cheese with that whine?

Online Article Writing Rocks No Matter What Anyone Else Says

Personally, I could care less if anyone says that online article authoring does not count for your credentials as an author, it counts to me, I am proud of it and I plan on putting it on my list of achievements and resume. Because it does show you are serious. Anyone who thinks it shows un-professionalism to write online articles does not understand the future of books in the digital age. Sometimes I think that print publishers do not either, they do I think, they must see it coming too; how can anyone not?

Future of Digital Literature Commeth

You know, look at the Sony Reader, soon there will be lists of books, not in the stores for people to download onto. So you better get those eBooks written and have them edited and ready to rip when they start moving forward with it all? What about the new Google Bar search feature for Digital Books too? Digital is the new, and anything in a digital format is just as relevant as not. To the readers of the future it is very much as important as print. In the future it will only be a matter of quality and not the medium. This is not Print VS Digital; it is innovation and the forward progression of books, reading and reality.

Professional Print Writers and Sour Grapes?

Indeed a good portion of these folks who call themselves "Professional Authors" are kidding themselves in that not all of their stuff is not that good; well it is not good enough for them to get on their high horses and attack the World of online article authors. It reminds me of nearly every industry I have ever competed in. The so-called industry professionals are so worried about losing their strong hold and anyone offering services for less and anyone who might take away from their fiefdom, that they rail against what they know so little about.

Press On Online Line Article Authors!

There is more than one reason to use online article submission sites, I can think of 10 and establishing yourself and boosting your confidence, resume and your status as an author is one of them. Digital Articles, Digital eBooks and digital everything is where it is at and Multi-media will replace the fine literature of past periods the game is evolving and I suggest everyone who is serious; Play this game to WIN! Sorry, I do not buy T.G.’s logic and from personal observation, believe it sends the wrong message too.

I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Ecommerce - Historically Speaking

2007-03-03T11:15:00.001+05:00

Ecommerce was seen as a passing fad or gimmick when the pioneers of the process began. Certainly being tied to a computer screen to make a purchase you would need to wait for wouldn’t hold the interest of consumers. Yet inroads were made and sales were conducted.

One of the prevailing difficulties associated with early online transactions was the safety of personal financial information. As hackers gained access to non-encrypted data it was a rallying point for many ecommerce businesses. There had to be a better way to do online business.

The Debut of Encryption

Webopedia describes encryption this way, “The translation of data into a secret code. Encryption is the most effective way to achieve data security. To read an encrypted file, you must have access to a secret key or password that enables you to decrypt it.”

The keys to ecommerce were given back to online business when transactions became encrypted. The privacy of customer data allowed ecommerce to become a viable option for consumers once more.

Suddenly the world of cottage industry and extensions of brick and mortar stores began to flourish and entrepreneurs began to willingly dip their toe into the cyber frontier.

This was a new way of doing business in the cutting edge of intangibles. No longer did business owners absolutely need a sales staff, no longer was an outgoing personality required for business startup, no longer did business mean a storefront.

Business Without Borders

The possibilities expanded as more and more businesses began to recognize their business could be presented in a global fashion.

Business had been so associated with a town, region or district, but online business could be conducted without barriers or distinctions.

Ecommerce allowed the ‘every man’ an opportunity to explore the world of business. What had been seen as elite and unattainable was suddenly an archaic notion. Ecommerce thrived on a ‘no discrimination’ policy. Entrepreneurs of all ages, racial distinctions and economic levels began to find value in marketing to a worldwide clientele who cared more for the product than the arena of personal definition that often made brick and mortar business more difficult.

An Interesting Paradigm

A phenomenon that has taken place in many ecommerce stores is the advent of a growing percentage of online sales while brick and mortar store sales are either static or in a slight decline. This seems to indicate a change in the purchasing decisions and shopping patterns of consumers.

Perhaps in the future we will see more product fulfillment centers and fewer brick and mortar storefronts as ecommerce continues to gain steam as a premier shopping alternative.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites.com at: http://www.highpowersites.com Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com

Tips For Writing Articles With Creative Headlines

2007-03-02T16:48:00.003+05:00

Have you ever thought about your headlines - Do they pull readers in or scare them away? When writing articles, the most important thing to consider is your headline. With so many articles, and article directories out there, you need to ensure that your article heading is clear and concise, and that it clearly explains what is contained within the article. Good article headlines will lead to read articles, and your content may be used by other website owners. This is a great way to position yourself as an expert and increase targeted traffic through to your website.

Article marketing is considered a cheap and effective way of promoting your website, as distributing articles can drive targeted traffic to your website. When you write a clear concise heading people will click to read your article. If your article is well written, people will click on links in the bio and resource box at the bottom of your article. Writing articles regularly keeps you known in the mind of your readers. Writing good keyword laden headlines can help with Search Engine Optimisation for your website, and for articles published on your blog or website.

If you have trouble thinking of creative headlines, here are some simple tips of good ways to develop positive headlines. One good type of easy to understand headline is the "Top Ten List." Your headline is easy to understand, and people will be more likely to read it. Some examples headlines could be, "Top 10 Tips for Writing Articles," "5 Tips for Quitting Smoking," or "10 Ways to Make Money Online for Little Outlay." The added benefit of a "tips" headline is that your article is very simple to write. You list your 10 tips or whatever number of tips you use, explain each a little, write an introduction, and then a conclusion.

The purpose of this article was to show you the importance of headlines, and how effectively integrate them into your articles to increase traffic to your website. With article marketing, there are many thousands of other competitors so you need to make sure your headline stands out in the clutter. A well thought out, concise headline that clearly explains the content of your article will encourage those searching article directories to click on your article above others, and it will also keep them at your blog longer if they can quickly scan to see the content of your site. Making these necessary steps in your headline writing will lead to your articles being read more often, more visitors to your site, and hopefully more sales.

This article with a lot of information on how to write articles with creative headlines was brought to you by Pierre Smith. Did you find this information useful? Then check out also his website to learn more on writing articles to get more visitors to your site, and to increase your sales.

The Truth To Working At Home

2007-03-02T16:48:00.001+05:00

There are hundreds probably thousands of online programmes and businesses out there that are promising to make you 1000's in in just a few days. The truth is no business is going to make you rich in just a few days, even businesses on the internet need time and commitment.

One of the easiest ways to earn a good income is through affiliate programmes. Even these take time to get going but once there going can be very rewarding. The best advice i can give about affiliate marketing is find a programme you are comfortable with and stick to it.

The biggest mistake people make is to start a programme do it for a few weeks think there is nothing happening and jump ship and start something new.

For all they no the very next day they could receive some sign ups to there programme and the money would start rolling in.

You need to dedicate some time to your project you may even need to invest some money (but don't be fooled into buying every product you see)

There is a lot of free info out there like how to get traffic to your sight stone evens has a great 30 day to success guide that is invaluable.

It is a great way to jump start your internet business.

All in all affiliate marketing can be very profitable just dont start it thinking you are going to become rich over night.

Good luck and I hope you succeed with your online ventures.

Best wishes!

To find the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: http://www.StickTheJob.com

Telemarketing - Cost Effective Or Just Plain Costly?

2007-03-02T16:47:00.001+05:00

Marketing by its very nature is a volatile beast at the best of times and with the maze of marketing activities on offer, it can be difficult to determine the most effective route to pursue. A successful marketing campaign takes planning enterprise, and smart use of a company’s resources, whether they are in-house or outsourced. Michael Jackson of EB Marketing suggests that Telemarketing is one of the most successful forms of marketing available and in fact gives one of the best returns on investment.

Whilst on the outside the telemarketing approach may look like a simple and easy way to generate new business is not as straightforward as it first may seem. To the contrary, it requires good communications between the telemarketing company and the client through both the good times and the bad. It also requires a new vibrant way of approaching telemarketing to be a success and with cost effectiveness at the forefront of any campaign; it must ultimately demonstrate measurable results.

It is common practice for many telemarketing agencies to offer either appointment setting or lead generation, so why do they not offer both? And why not at no extra cost?

Enter Pipeline Management

Pipeline management is simply the process of arranging appointments where the potential client is ready to discuss requirements of whom has a budget, and who plans to make the changes now.

Generating leads for those who show similar interest but suffer from budget issues or for those who are awaiting budget, requires more work and effort, but results in a bigger pipeline for the client. Naturally budget is an important factor in any marketing activity, and clearly the Pipeline Management approach is a double winner: the client gets more for their money, and the telemarketing company is able to build a long-term relationship as a result of the size of the pipeline they have built over time.

But offering Pipeline Management alone will not guarantee a long and happy client relationship – they must be offered more.

Lead Qualification

It’s one thing for someone to be interested in meeting; it’s another to know why. Qualifying appointments and leads is paramount.

Clients must ask themselves:

• What issues are you currently facing?
• Who is this a problem for?
• Who will make the final decision?
• When will the final decision be made?
• Has budget been allocated to this project?

The object of this exercise is simple - to provide a leading edge against the competition, and most importantly when walking through a prospects door you are armed with the relevant information to wow them and close the deal.

The real value of telemarketing

The biggest problem many face is the decision on whether telemarketing is the right choice and generally it is an activity that suits everyone. However it is important to take into account the cost of the campaign against the cost of the service or product being sold.

The ideal length of an initial campaign can and does vary, but on generally clients should look at no less than 10 days and the average is nearer to 20 days.

Because a campaign never finishes in the same way it started due to changes and improvements, a small pilot campaign is always sensible. Many companies agree to 3-month contracts without any prior experience of a telemarketing company, so it is vital to make sure their ability is tested before signing on the dotted line for longer-term campaigns.

It is advisable never buy data through a telemarketing company as companies like Corpdata provide similar information directly, and the data will belong to the client rather than the telemarketing company.

If carried out appropriately, telemarketing is one of the best ways to generate new business, but it is not a simple, quick fix approach and requires a dedicated telemarketing team who understand the needs of the business. Do not see them as outsiders to the business but as an integral part of the sales force and as such, they require the same input and communication as internal sales and marketing departments.

Ultimately the success of the campaign should never be based on the number of appointments; but on the quality of those appointments.

Mike Jackson is director of highly acclaimed Telemarketing Company Ebony-Bailey Marketing. After launching the business in 2004, and with the help and funding of the Princes Trust, he was able to quickly establish his credibility in the industry and now boasts an impressive client base including Gartner, Sage, Dallkia, NSPCC and Tottenham Hotspurs FC. Blackburn Rovers FC, Fulham FC, Stoke City FC, Birmingham City FC, Bolton Wanderers FC, Crystal Palace FC, and Hearts FC.

Mike has almost a decade of experience in the telemarketing industry with his last role involving the running of the telemarketing department for an ISP. In only a short time, Mike was able to radically improve the fortunes of the department, and over the years Mike has worked on behalf of some of the world’s largest organisations.

Article supplied by Media Jems - Marketing & Media Specialists. For more information contact Jenna Gould on jenna@mediajems.co.uk or visit http://www.mediajems.co.uk

Positive Attitude - How To Keep One When No One Else Has One

2007-03-02T16:46:00.001+05:00

Keeping a positive attitude is not always easy, especially when it seems that no one else around you has a positive attitude. It seems like people are always complaining about something. They have bad attitudes towards their jobs, boss, life, spouse, relationships, economy, government, kids, and even the weather.

How in the world are you supposed to keep a positive attitude when all of this negative stuff is going on around you?

One of the keys to keeping a positive attitude is to always remember your ‘WHY’. Why did you start doing what you are doing in the first place, i.e. your job, marriage, or business? If the reason you are doing these things is strong enough, then you will be able to stay positive because you know what you want your end result to be.

However, if you don’t know why you are doing what you are doing, then it’s going to be very difficult to stay positive. Maybe you started something but you no longer have a desire or passion for it. What do you do then?

The first thing to ask yourself is, have you truly lost your passion for what you started, or are you just in a slump or in a down time. You will certainly go through down times, but if your ultimate goal is still there you can work through them.

However, sometimes things change and you no longer have a desire or passion to continue with what you have been doing in life. It’s at these times that you need to re-evaluate what your life’s dreams are. Remember, you only have this one life to live, so what’s the point of living it doing things that you hate.

You will be amazed how negative attitudes will change into positive attitudes if you have a clear focus on your ‘WHY’ in life.

Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don't know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, 'Find Your Greatness'

Get it free when you subscribe at: http://www.findyourgreatness.com

Jason and Rebecca Osborn have dedicated themselves to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through their Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

Success - How To Succeed When You Feel Like You're Alone

2007-03-02T16:45:00.001+05:00

Often times your journey for success and greatness will be one that feels like you’re the only one on the road. The reason for this is very simple. Although everyone wants success and greatness, most people aren’t willing to go through the obstacles, personal growth, and challenges that are on this road. Here are 4 keys to succeed when you feel like you’re alone.

1. Remember your ‘WHY’.
Why did you start on this journey in the first place? Everyone who has done something great has had a reason, a “why”. If you lose focus of that reason, then everything that you go through will seem pointless. Remind yourself every day, or maybe even several times throughout the day, why it is that you are on this journey.

2. Inspire yourself.
When you feel like you are alone, it is probably because no one is there to cheer you on and tell you that you can succeed. That’s when it’s very important to inspire and motivate yourself. This can be done by reading, listening to, or watching something where someone else has faced impossible odds and come out victoriously on the other side. It’s amazing how empowering this can be.

3. Don’t get blinded by your goal.
It’s very easy to focus on the fact that you haven’t reached your goal and become very discouraged. Don’t let this happen to you. Instead, focus on the small accomplishments that you have achieved thus far in life. Look back at where you have come from. You may not be as far along as you would like to be, but as long as you're progressing you are getting closer to success and greatness every day. The only other option you have is to give up, which is why most people never succeed.

4. Talk to yourself!
Every day, speak aloud to yourself things that will encourage you and make you believe in yourself. It’s so easy to stop believing in your own ability when it seems that no one else believes in you. One of my favorites is, ‘Every day in every way I’m getting better and better’.

Always remember that you were created to do something great with your life. Don’t give up, don’t stop, and don’t quit believing in yourself. Success and greatness are at the end of that road and all you have to do is keep on walking.

Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don't know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, 'Find Your Greatness'

Get it free when you subscribe at: http://www.findyourgreatness.com

Jason and Rebecca Osborn have dedicated themselves to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through their Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

Search Engine Optimization Versus SMO (Social Media Optimization)

2007-03-02T16:43:00.001+05:00

Social Media Optimization (SMO) is a way to optimize websites so they would be more easily connected or interlaced with online communities and community websites. SMO tactics can drive huge amounts of people to a website and can also determine whether a startup, website or idea will make it or not.

It involves driving traffic to a website through new channels because search engines aren’t the only sites that drive big traffic anymore. The result is more visibility, more exposure, inbound links and increase in targeted traffic.

SEO and SMO goes hand in hand in my opinion.

It is best not to rely on one source of traffic -- imagine if 80% of your traffic comes from Google and the change in their algorithm causes your site to lose its ranking. That's 80% of your traffic wiped out!

SMO is a strategy that has emerged that has the potential to create huge amounts of traffic for the site. Doing SMO can complement your SEO efforts.

One tactic -- creating linkbaits or great content that people will naturally link to -- people will tag, link, mention in blogs and put in their del.i.cious can boost your link efforts tremendously.

Plus, the heart of SMO is creating GREAT content -- which is also the main ingredient in a successful SEO effort.

SMO can help rethink how to do SEO. Instead of webmasters buying software to automate the request for link emails, they simply need to create great content that they can leverage in social media optimization.

I don't think social media optimization will replace SEO, but augment the free traffic companies want. In fact, new websites can benefit from the traffic from SMO until their SEO efforts mature.

Serge Daudelin, SEO Consultant.

Affordable Search Engine Optimization Services.com

Professional And Affordable Search Engine Optimization Services Trought Natural Search Engines Results. Want To learn More About SEO? Get your FREE SEO Newsletter With Hundreds Of "killer" Website Marketing Tips And Tricks.

Turnkey Home-Based Business

2007-03-02T16:42:00.003+05:00

A turnkey home based business is just what many of you would like to invest your time in. A turnkey business is one which is all done up ready for you and raring to go just at the turn of a key or in internet terms (with the click of a mouse)! All you need is the right key to the business to make it your own. In simple terms it is a business run from the proximity of your home through others who do all the back up work for you.

For those of you who want to work from the luxury of your home yet have ample time for yourselves, the ‘turnkey home based business’ is the best and in many ways the only option. The number of hours you put in or the amount of work you decide to do in this type of a business is entirely up to you. The best part being of course is the fact that your turnkey business will do most of your setup work while you reap in the good part, i.e. the money making part!

Your work could be as little or as much as you wish it to be. You may be doing as little work as making monthly payments to keep the online store going, or you could be very much involved like deciding even the smallest of details which range from deciding on the background color of your website to the list of products featured in the website. One must acknowledge the fact that there is no other business which offers one with so many benefits for so little investment, in terms of money and time spent on it.

You might well ask what the benefits of a turnkey Internet based home business actually are. The reasons that can be sighted are plenty. Within hours of deciding on your choice of business you could have a genuine business up and running. You could make money on the net in a very short time. Your business web site is ready and going without even understanding a single HTML tag. The biggest of all advantages of course is the fact that you decide your own working hours and work only when you want to. Your selling space is wide and so is your range of customers, you could be practically selling almost anything you want to.

A word of caution is necessary for those of you who want to rush in, like most other things though, there are good turnkey opportunities as well as the bad ones who are little more than a sham to rake in your money as well as your trust all for a ride. Hence it is all the more important to understand and gauge a turnkey home based business just one would for any other business opportunity that may come one’s way. At the end of the day all that we want is the best home base business for the time and money you have invested.

Swati Banerjee is the owner of Writing Ink, a web content management firm based out of India. Please take a minute to visit http://www.writing-ink.com to experience how the bright young minds here make magic with words!

Leadership - The Fine Line Between Being Lost And Being A Leader

2007-03-02T16:42:00.001+05:00

If you are like most people, you want to do great things and be known as a success in life. This often requires you to become a leader on several different levels. However, becoming that leader means you will have to become someone whom others can trust.

In the beginning, don’t be surprised if it seems like no one wants to follow you. You have to understand that, in order to get to where you know you are supposed to be in life, you will probably have to go down a less traveled road, or maybe even no road at all. That means it may be a path that most people aren’t familiar with or even comfortable with.

For instance, imagine that you are hiking with people on a path that’s been created for you. However, you don’t want to go down the predictable path that everyone else has gone down. You want to create something new, be something great. So you decide to cut off into the woods where there is no path. No one wants to follow you because they are afraid of getting lost and not being able to get back. As a matter of fact, they may tell you that you are crazy, and wonder why in the world you would not just stay on the path that’s already there.

At times, this is exactly what leadership can feel like. Everyone may think that you are wandering around lost when, in fact, you are creating something new and exciting for hundreds or thousands of others to enjoy.

Whatever you do, don’t let ‘them’ stop you! Sometimes you will need wisdom and counsel from others that have done the same thing. Make sure you listen to the right counsel. You’re not lost, you are just a leader.

Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don't know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, 'Find Your Greatness'

Get it free when you subscribe at: http://www.findyourgreatness.com

Jason and Rebecca Osborn have dedicated themselves to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through their Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

Easy Home-Based Business

2007-03-02T16:41:00.001+05:00

Are you on the look out for a means of making an extra income, that too sitting right at home? All your queries could be answered by a phrase which spells out as ‘easy home based business.’ For all practical purposes you only need a net connection to get going your very own business right from the comfortable confines of your home.

Ever since the internet has gained popularity, business owners the world over have researched for and found ways of using the internet in trying to generate a sustainable income even while sitting at home. For many people today, the internet has become a natural base for a home based business. For making a success of your internet home based business you have to first decide what you really want to do and more importantly what is it that you do really well. Be sure to choose an opportunity that highlights your strengths.

The advantages of the home based business are numerous, so much so that one might wonder if it’s all for real! Check it out the list is endless; there are no commercial rents that you have to pay, just use an extra room that is out of use. You don’t have to have expensive machinery or a large set up. Instead of maintenance staff just let the family pitch in. The best news yet of course being that you need not commute every day, which saves your time, gas as well as money and efforts! Of course as a bonus you get to spend more time with your family. Apart from working in your own convenient time you also get tax advantages available to home business setups.

For those of you who are new to this concept, a look at some of the easy home business facts and figures could not only stagger you but also increase your belief in the system. It is estimated that the Home Based Business Market in the U.S. has now reached 35 million households. You should also know that women operating home based businesses are much better off in terms of family assets than their counterparts who are not home workers. Boos your morale from the knowledge that 95% of home-based businesses succeed in their very first year of starting out. Statistics show that home-based businesses in America generate up to over $427 billion a year!

Like any other business you have to be very structured about your business. There may be three ways to structure your home business these are - sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation.

Be warned that like most ventures there is the risk of not being successful in the first count. In order to avoid such a circumstance avoid the glaringly simple pit falls. A business plan which is too difficult and technical can squash the entrepreneurial spirit. Choose a business plan which is close to your heart and in which you have a genuine interest. If you don't like what you're doing, no business plan can help you in becoming successful. Lay out a concrete and comprehensive plan from the starting, to financing, to running your business. Write down your plans, once you do that you can see your dreams turning into a reality.

Home-Based Business

2007-03-02T16:39:00.001+05:00

A home based business is essentially a small scale business which is operated from the owner's home. The most glaring difference between a regular business and a home business is the choice of place of operation, while a regular business is usually operated from an office, a home based office, as the name itself suggests is essentially operated from the home. Apart from their location, most home businesses have certain common features like a small number of employees, usually family owned or run by family members, lack of big budget, no advertising campaigns, irregular working hours, a mix of work and home chores at times, etc.

There’s good news for all of you who want to work from the comfort of home and yet don’t know if it really works? i.e. is it effective, lucrative and cost effective apart from not hampering the family life? Answers to some of these questions could be easily and confidently answered today when the world at large has woken up to the reality of working from home options which could not only be lucrative but a wise decision as well, keeping in mind your family constraints of time and traveling.

In fact the work from home option has been a fantastic option for many people who may be lacking the resources for a full fledged office set up or are physically incapacitated to move around. For such people and many more like you and me who might want to try out something that can be easily controlled as well as a good source of earning, the home office front is manna from heaven!

You will be thanking your stars that phrases like employee downsizing, corporate layoffs, job scarcity and long commutes; is not a part of your life or those who are working from home on their Home Business.

Before you start your own home business, be exactly sure why you want to do it, because like every other venture there may be a flip side to it. Be sure of your own needs and time specifications and what kind of hours you are ready to devote to your business and how you will be going about it.

Ask curious questions like, “do I need more hours with the family?”, “Do I want to do quality work with environment or other such subjects?” Answering such questions will help you in your search for what kind of a home business you actually want. One has to be careful about the scams and schemes, while choosing a business opportunity. Off course many legitimate work at home jobs as well as home based business proposals do exist on the internet.

There are of course a few important factors to look for while searching for a legitimate work at home job, some of these might be, the product range or services must be very good and of high standard. It is also necessary to have a good understanding with Business Regulation Agencies. He or she must also have a successful business record of at least a year. Leadership qualities, apart from support and training are a must.

Free Home Staging Tips that Make Your Home Sell Faster

2007-01-10T16:04:00.000+05:00

A 2006 Chicago Tribune article cites a National Association of Realtors (NAR) study validating the importance of staging your home before going on market. The article states, Owners..."cannot view their homes as the commodities they become once they are on the market."

The article continues, "Staging the house so prospects see it in its best light "can have a profound affect." "Many folks don't know how to make their homes show well." "They fail to remove the clutter or put away all those personal items that distract visitors." "To them the house is wonderful as it is." "They don't look at it through the buyers eyes."

Most real estate agents are happy to refer their clients to Home Stagers. There's a conflict of interest between obtaining listings and critiquing your home. Some homeowners are not ready for constructive criticism. Without a Home Staging Professional, Realtors may have to rely on your broker open house to obtain the constructive criticism you need from their peers.

Every perceived problem is likely matched with a price reduction. Here are some basic staging rules that will help you avoid typical buyer complaints and sell for more money.

Exterior - Curb Appeal:

A buyers first impression begins with your listing photo or their view from the curb. Buyers can become overwhelmed by all the available listings. They start eliminating homes right here. They expect the interior to be a continuation of the image you project from the curb. Make yours the right one. A good looking exterior heightens their interest to see more.

Mow the grass. Rake up downed leaves & branches. Cut back overgrown shrubs, particularly those that obscure windows or your front door. Remove clutter such as lawn tools & kids toys. Plant colorful annuals or put containers near the front door.

Replace tarnished house numbers & damaged mailboxes. Invest in a new doormat. Check paint condition of the house, especially front door & trim. Look at the exterior colors found on new homes today. How do yours match up?

For free interior home staging tips and other ideas please visit my website @ http://www.StrategicHomeStaging.com

Bree Z has been a student of decorating and design for many years. She is an accredited staging professional (ASP) from the institute of International Design & Decorating Professionals (IDDP). She is happy to give advice helping others live better or sell faster. Please visit the savings & contacts portion of her website to submit your questions. http://www.StrategicHomeStaging.com

5 Ways to Promote your Professional Service Business

2007-01-10T16:03:00.000+05:00

Monica, a very competent businesswoman, was describing her new website. “The headline will be my slogan,” she said confidently. “You know: the part that goes, ‘More impact when you speak, every time.’”

But a slogan and a headline fill different purposes.

Naturally I’ve disguised the details but Monica’s not unusual. You’ve got at least 5 ways to brag – all different.

(1) Slogan or Tag Line.

Your slogan usually appears near your logo on your website, on your business card and (often) in your elevator speech.

Your slogan should reflect the benefits you offer your clients, not your own uniqueness. I once saw a slogan on a truck, “We know everything about lumber.” My response: “So…why should I care?”

Better: “We use wood to make your home look beautiful.”

I’ve used “Promotion with professionalism” and, “If your website isn’t making money while you sleep, we need to talk.” My current career slogan: “From career breakdown to career breakthrough.”

(2) Resource box statement.

When you send out articles to promote your business, you need a short signature block – 5 to 7 lines – to conclude your article. You’ll need a brief sentence summarizing your uniqueness, such as: “Mary Jones helps high-earning professionals lose their credit card debt and gain financial security in six months or less.”

Some professionals opt for a simpler version: “Bob Smith helped over 200 authors publicize their books to increase sales” or even, “Jane Doe has been helping corporate executives manage their careers since 1992.”

I recommend a sentence rather than a phrase because resource boxes get chopped when your article gets published.

(3) Irresistible freebie.

To motivate website visitors to sign up for your ezine, ecourse or podcast, you need a gift they can’t wait to download. Go for broke with this one: if it feels over the top to you, it’s probably just right for your readers.

Typical titles refer to a number of critical or essential tips. “Secrets” sounds corny but it still works. I’ve had considerable success with “7 best-kept secrets of client attracting copy.” Others might be “How to avoid the 5 deadly mistakes made by career changers.”

Tip: I encourage my copy clients to begin a website copywriting project with the freebie. It’s a good way to get in touch with your clients’ pain.

(4) Headline.

Your home page needs a killer headline that motivates readers to keep reading. We could spend a whole article on this topic – in fact, whole books have been written about headlines.

(5) Elevator speech.

Designing an elevator speech resembles creating copy for your website: you focus on the target and demonstrate your benefits.

I don’t recommend trying to economize on promotion by using the same concept for all 5 bragging opportunities, although you’ll find this formula applied successfully to packaged goods marketing. For professional services, each bragging opportunity calls for a new piece of copy, targeted to opportunity.

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps service professionals who want to sell themselves without sounding sales-y. See http://www.makewritingpay.com Download the 7 best-kept secrets of client-attracting copy when you subscribe to the weekly Copy-Cat Ezine: http://www.makewritingpay.com/subscribe.html

Small Business Consulting Services: The Advantage of Professional Experts

2007-01-10T16:02:00.000+05:00

Accessing Knowledge and Experience of Big Businesses:

Small business consulting services provide you complete information on different aspects of running small businesses smoothly. Services of experienced and professional small business consultants can make a great difference to the growth and success of your business. By hiring their services you get the advantage of knowledge and experience of big businesses customized to suit your requirements. When you hire a small business consulting services, you get more time to concentrate on the core activities of the business, thereby increasing the productivity.

Get the Competitive Edge and Increase Productivity:

Small business consulting services not only work as short-term business advisors but can also be your long-term aide. Moreover, you get competitive advantage and even compete with big corporations that have support staff on site. Another advantage is that hiring small business consulting services helps in increasing the employee productivity. This is because there are several one-time tasks that can be performed without involving employees who are running your business smoothly. In addition, you get the advice of experts whenever you need it without having to keep someone permanently and pay for it.

Professional Business Plan:

Small business consulting services help the small businesses right from starting a new business to achieving their ultimate goal. When you start a new business you need funds for it. For managing the finance for starting a new business or expanding an existing business, you require a professionally prepared business plan. In fact, a business plan is the document that makes the first impression on people or institutions interested in financing your business. Professionally managed small business consulting services can make this process hassle free for you.

Sound Marketing Plan:

Similarly, when you wish your sales to increase, you require a sound marketing plan. Small business consulting services can provide you a comprehensive marketing plan by performing a detailed market analysis. They will prepare the marketing plan after making a thorough analysis of the size of the market, competitors, customers, growth, segments, and the behavior of customers buying your type of product. With the help of a marketing plan and further assistance from small business consulting services, you can develop effective strategies for marketing your products or services and reach your goal.

Designing and Managing the Web Site:

In this age of Internet it has become essential for every single business to have a professionally designed and managed Web site. Small business consulting services will help you not only in designing the website but also in growing your business on the Internet.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining "The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

Search Engine Optimisation That Works

2007-01-10T15:59:00.000+05:00

There are Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques that work and there are also supposed SEO techniques that do not work. It is up to you to find what will be most effective for the purpose of bringing more traffic to your website. In order to know how to optimize your site you need to know what the practice of SEO really is. A comprehensive definition of Search Engine Optimization is the following: The act of designing and marketing a website so that it ranks high in search engine results. SEO is accomplished in a variety of ways.

One of the most important components of Search Engine Optimization is making sure that each page of a website consists of specific keywords. This is usually done by providing content such as articles or blog entries which contain these specific words. Along with that, it is recommended that site owners or operators only concentrate on one primary keyword (and its synonyms) per page. All the primary keywords on site pages are the base keywords from which are drawn more keywords. For example, a site owner may write an article that contains the primary keyword “budgeting”, and then from there are drawn secondary keywords such as financial budgeting, budgeting software, personal budgeting and so on.

You will even be able research some of the secondary keyword phrases and find even more specific keyword phrases to use on your pages which are drawn from them. For instance, you can derive “personal financial budgeting” or financial budgeting software from the phrase financial budgeting. The more specific the keyword phrase that you choose for the page the less competition you will have for a spot high in the search engine results for that page. Therefore, one piece of advice is to try to find as specific of keywords as possible which will draw a fair amount of traffic to your website. However, one word of caution is not to put too specific of keywords on your page that no one would use to search for items. Otherwise, that keyword will bring little to no traffic to your site.

Another very important aspect of SEO is the process of link building. Simply put, the definition of link building is the act of acquiring inbound links to your site from other websites. Link building is accomplished in quite a few ways. One of the ways to build links is to join link exchange groups where you can offer your website link in exchange for someone else’s. The trick to making this work for you is to gather as many relevant links from others as possible and place your site on the pages of those whose websites are of a similar subject as yours. Mutual (reciprocal) link exchange is often also though of as a great way to advertise for free as well, and can be done automatically or manually. However, you should do it manually because it will keep you away from bad neighborhoods.

Always try to provide excellent value to your visitors, which in turn can get you links from authority websites. There are also other ways to help improve your site’s popularity as well. For instance, you can join free blogging sites such as Blogger.com. When you create a free blogging site you can add links to your other website(s) and this helps increase the number of visitors that view your site pages. You can also make your site more well-known to people when you list it in e-zines, free and paid search directories, search engines, and newsletters. There is also the possibility of promoting your site by presenting podcasts, streaming video and audio, and other publications which will increase the amount of site traffic you will receive. There are countless other offsite and onsite SEO techniques that you can. Offsite techniques are measures that you take outside of designing your website (i.e. link building) in order to promote your website.

Onsite techniques for SEO are ones that involve designing your site (i.e. providing relevant content and placing primary keywords in title tag) in a way that web crawlers will be able to read it, which increases the likelihood that your site will be listed at the top of search engine results. Make your site valuable for your visitors, keeping search engines in mind; and try gaining links from authority and relevant websites.

Dan Ferguson is the founder of SearchQuest one of the UK's most experienced Internet Marketing and search marketing consultants. For more information and a free initial consultation visit http://www.searchquest.co.uk