All About News

Affiliate Marketing - More Than a Dream by Laurie Frias

2009-02-03T08:55:00.000+07:00

"I have a dream", the famous words of Martin Luther King is now the same vision of millions of Americans and people all over the world as the economy topples out of control and we are all left with a helpless insecurity of uncertainty.

Why is affiliate marketing more than a dream in a recession? I believe in these tough economic times, you're going to see many people starting their own home-based businesses which creates a great OPPORTUNITY for YOU to help them get started with their own online business and profit from it. Now understand this, I'm not talking about the "hype" or the "fluff" or the BS. In my career as an Internet Marketer, I have spent thousandsof dollars, I have products sitting on shelves and I was one of those who bought EVERYTHING because of a determination stronger than life that I would make it. Finally a year and a half later, I understand…..I understand that it was my HONESTY, my true belief in someone else's success that I created my own. Yes, it is more than a dream, and it can be your reality if you so choose it to be.

Affiliate Marketing can be a very cost-effective way to provide goods or services that people need, regardless of the economic climate. The opportunity that you get from a recession is that a lot of people will cap their marketing budget, therefore giving you the opportunity to get cheaper advertising to reach out to new customers with little or no competition because your competitors will be doing the opposite in an attempt to save money. There are so many easy and cost effective ways to advertise and help your marketing business succeed and many people aren't even aware of them. News releases to capture new prospects, new leads, new visitors and new buyers. You can be proactive and ready; take responsibility, charge, and control of your future by taking action, being a visionary, promoting sales and value, constantly looking for new marketing opportunities, AND if you DO that, you will live in the realm of abundance and YOU WILL PROSPER.

Another great way to get your business name out there is to do joint ventures with other website owners where you will both cross-promote each other and both benefit from the extra traffic. With affiliate marketing, there are also many free ways of advertising online like writing articles, posting in forums, blogs, social networking websites, etc. Take your pick or do them all, you're on your own time. The trend for people buying stuff online is constantly growing and WILL continue to grow, so you're offered with a continuous opportunity to market new products to the growing number of online consumers. If good products are priced right, people will buy and utilize them in their own businesses or start new ones. In this crazy economy, people need hope; businesses are suffering and need all the help they can get and affiliate marketers could be just the answer for them since they do not pay you until you send them a buyer.

With the way the economy is right now, we will see a huge surge of online businesses being started in the coming months. So for the smart affiliate marketers, they will keep building, they will continue to get better content and product development, they will be better placed to take advantage of a re-opened market when we get out of the recession. Affiliate marketing is not difficult to do at all as long as you understand what the concept involves and how to build an affiliate website.

Affiliate marketing is more than a dream and for some more than others, that dream is becoming a reality. Now many millionaires will be made and new business celebrities born or at least shoot into stardom as individuals success will grow its meaning. Even though many industries are closing their doors, this is still one way of creating huge amounts of money for people all over the world. Many people are looking this way to earn their income, with no strings attached and no trickery involved whatsoever. If you haven't looked toward this avenue yet, now is the time to find out how it can work for you.

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PPC Domination - Finally Adwords Training for the Nework Marketers Needs by Rebecca Holman

2009-02-03T08:52:00.001+07:00

I am sure it is not news nor does it come as a big surprise to you that people feel that we are living in shaky times. With all the jobs being lost, the shaky banking industry and traditional jobs tanking. There is certainly tons of fear in the marketplace.

I recently wrote a press release declaring that, in my humble opinion, 2009 is the "Year of the Entrepreneur". Where once your friends ran scared from your opportunities telling you how risky it was, they are now approaching you asking how they too can start an at home business. Traditional jobs have now become more risky than being in an MLM.

So on the scene comes a great opportunity for the thousands of entrepreneurs- new and old- that are looking for answers on how to grow their businesses. Mike Dillard and Jim Yaghi come out with a powerful training course called PPC Domination. This program will show internet marketers how to dominate their market and advertise effectively even on a shoestring budget.

Mike Dillard is the well known creator of the concept called Attraction Marketing. He has gone on to build one of the largest online training networks for home business owners. So when he comes out with a product people take notice as Mike Dillard always over delivers. Mr. Dillard has announced the release of what he says is the "best way to build any business."

The new step by step course is called PPC Domination and will officially open for sale on January 19th, 2009. You will be able to receive a 65% discount if you opt in early.

Mike Dillard's, PPC Domination is truly the first in depth training manual created specifically for the small business owner. It will show SOHO owners how to set up Internet advertising campaigns the correct way. It will also show business owners how to get paid to generate new business leads, and to be successful in this competitive market with an advertising budget as small as $50 a month.

While PPC Domination is clearly not the first training program about Google Adwords it is the first targeted for home business owners, network marketing, and multi-level marketing that explains a successful Google advertising campaign with step-by-step video training.

The power of the program lies with Jim Yaghi's successful experiences using Google Adwords. They also did market testing using a beta release of the project so that they could make sure that people would be successful applying the principles outlined in their training.

So here's just a small sample of what you'll learn inside the detailed training videos of "PPC Domination"...

* How to "glide" through setting up your first AdWords account in 13 minutes or less--even if you've never used the Internet before.
* A simple "short cut" that makes learning and profiting from AdWords twice as fast.
* The easiest way to make money with Google AdWords when starting out.
* How to make your AdWords advertising 100% FREE. (And, in fact, actually make you money every time you run your ads!)
* A sneaky way to use AdWords to get dozens of leaders to eagerly send traffic to your websites. (And without having to speak with them, make any special deals with them, or pay them anything.)
* A neat little way of using your computer's spell check function to make your Google ads draw twice as many clicks. (And no... this has nothing to do with actually checking your ad's spelling.)
* The only proven-effective way to take almost 100% of the risk out of AdWords advertising. (This is perfect if you hate risking money.)
* Why even "professionally" written Google ads--created by pro copywriters--often bomb. (Believe it or not, with Jim's system, people with no prior copywriting experience have a HUGE advantage over experienced copywriters.)
* Jim Yaghi's famous "3-minute work day" secret. (Probably the fastest and easiest way to make money with Google ever invented.)
* How to "legally steal" the branding power and name status of bigger, more "cash flush" competitors. (When Jim first demonstrated this to me, I almost couldn't believe it. Jim actually shows you how to "steal" the top Google spots by using the names and branding of big name networkers in your ads--without breaking any laws or doing anything unethical!)
* A quickie "crash course" on writing Google AdWords headlines. (Your headline is the single most important part of your Google ad. Here's how the world's top AdWords marketers create their headlines--and how you can, too.)
* Why you should almost never send people from your Google ads to your home page! (This goes against what a lot of AdWords marketers are doing. Which is why most of them are broke and pulling their hair out.)
* How to make your prospects excited about visiting your site... before they even click your ad. (This is one of Jim's most reliable ways to get leads that are so hot, they sign up without even knowing what your product, opportunity or comp plan is!)
* How to get extremely good at writing Google ads fast--even if you hate writing and find it painful now.

Mike Dillard truely has shown that he is an invaluable resource to the network marketing community by this release.

PPC Domination will have a 65% discount opportunity when the doors open on Monday, January 19, 2009.

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5 Secrets to Increase Your E-mail Delivery Rate - Part 2 by George Meszaros

2009-02-03T08:49:00.000+07:00

Stay off of e-mail blacklists. Keep in mind that being blacklisted doesn't necessarily mean that your company has committed an illegal act. When your e-mail domain is blacklisted, your e-mail will be blocked by most ISP. The result is your intended audience will never receive your e-mail because their ISPs will block your e-mails from arriving to their inboxes.

Your first line of defense should be monitoring ISPs by making sure that your e-mail is delivered to inboxes. One way to do this is to have several e-mail accounts on the largest 15 or so ISPs, and check to see if your e-mails reach the inboxes. This is an expensive a time consuming task. The fast and inexpensive way to check is to use a service such as http://www.deliverymonitor.com. For a fairly small monthly fee, they will monitor the largest ISPs to see if your e-mail is reaching the intended inbox or lands in the dreaded spam folder. If you find that your e-mails end up in the spam folder, you can directly contact the ISP to find out the reason.

Proper management of e-mail lists is essential. As we review bulk e-mail statistics, we are armed with the knowledge required to improve delivery. The knowledge gained from e-mail statistics enables companies to prune e-mail lists. For example, bounced e-mail addresses should be removed. A bounced e-mail is usually the result of an incorrect e-mail address, or a nonexistent e-mail address. As bounced e-mails are removed from lists, the delivery rate will improve. In addition to a more accurate list, removing bounced e-mail addresses from lists will result in savings due to smaller number of e-mails sent.

Let's face it, some people will subscribe to your e-mail list but will never become a customer. Removing old inactive e-mail addresses is another essential list management practice. Inactive e-mail subscribers should be required to re-opt-in. Hanging on to old inactive e-mail addresses will help us grow our lists, but they will also lower e-mail delivery rates.

If you prune a tree and cut the dead branches, the tree becomes much healthier. It now has free energy to sustain the leaves and branches enabling the tree to grow. Keep your e-mail lists healthy.

Only send bulk e-mail to people that had subscribed. Don't pre-check the subscribe button on the website forms. Pre-checking the subscription form may result in more subscriptions, but the quality of subscriptions will diminish. Customers expect reputable companies to ask for permission instead of assuming it. If you include a pre-checked sign-up box people may either forget to uncheck the box or just miss it in their haste to complete the form. How people got on your list is a major driver of their likelihood to delivered future e-mails. Subscriber list must only include e-mails of people that have specifically opted-in. It is better to have a smaller but higher quality list.

If your e-mails offer real value to people, you will have no problems getting people opt-in, and if there is no perceived value to subscribe, you should have all the power to create value. Original useful content always attracts subscribers.

Bonus Secret: Ask people to add your e-mail address to their friends list as they subscribe to your e-mail list. This way, you will reduce the chance of landing your e-mail in the subscriber's bulk folder. You should do this on the subscription form page or on the sign up form's thank you page.

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2009-02-03T08:46:00.001+07:00

The secret ingredient to successful e-mail marketing is a high delivery rate. Businesses that understand and manage their bulk e-mail campaigns will enjoy a higher than average delivery rate. Read on to learn about five secrets that will improve your delivery rate, taking your e-mail marketing to the next level.

Most importantly, you must know what your e-mail delivery rate is. Do you? I thought so. As it is with everything in business if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. Your first goal in improving your delivery rate is that you must be able to put a number on it. In a perfect world, we would all expect a 100% delivery rate. The last time I checked we are far from living in a perfect world, so your e-mail delivery rate will be unlikely at 100%. What is a reasonable delivery rate? If your company has a 95% delivery rate, you are doing well, but if the delivery rate is at 40% you have to make improvements.

Your e-mail host should be able to provide you with the exact delivery rate of your bulk e-mail sends. The goal is not perfection, it is rather continuous improvement. If your current delivery rate is at 80% you have to work on getting the percentage as close to 100% percent as we can. Once you have a base line understanding, you can start with making improvements.

Use a static IP address for all of your e-mail marketing needs. What is an IP address, and why should you care? An IP address is a unique number identifying a computer on the Internet. Your mail server has an IP address. Many companies send their mass e-mails from mail servers with a shared IP address, but you should do everything in your power to avoid such practice. Imagine some telemarketer using your phone number to call somebody's house at dinner time to pitch their product. Sending your bulk mail from a shared IP address has the same effect.

Sending your bulk e-mails from a shared IP address could get your domain blacklisted by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Blacklisting means that your domain is marked as a spammer even if you are running a completely legitimate e-mail system.

Let's say your company is using a hosted e-mail service where hundreds or perhaps thousands of companies are sending e-mails using the same IP address. If one of the many companies manages to get on an e-mail blacklist, your company could suffer the consequences. The ISP doesn't differentiate between your company's e-mail and the spammers e-mail, and it will block your e-mails just the same.

Now that you know all this, you can demand a dedicated IP address for your company. When your company is the only entity that is using the IP address for e-mail, your chance of being marked as a spammer mistakenly are miniscule. Before you accept a dedicated IP address for sending e-mails, you need to check and make sure that the IP address is not currently on any e-mail blacklists. To check to see if an IP address has been blacklisted, use a service like http://www.spamcop.net, or http://www.spamhaus.org. Being on any of the above blacklists tends to indicate a real spam problem, and suggests you need to investigate what's going wrong, and you need to fix it. Your first step should be to get a dedicated IP address for your e-mail system.

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Why Study Marketing and Sales Management? by Sarah Maple

2009-02-03T08:43:00.000+07:00

Courses in marketing typically deal with the study of promotion, distribution, and selling of products to people. During the course, certain modules and areas of study might consist of analysing the factors that affect the processes of marketing and what makes a successful campaign. In recent years, however, new types of marketing courses have arrived offering specialization in different areas of business. So what is different about Marketing and Sales Management?

A Marketing and Sales Management course deals more explicitly with the study of markets, advertising, and consumer trends more than a typical Business Course might. Where a business student might spend time focusing on the general concepts and methods of business, Marketing and Sales Management is seemingly more focused.

One key area that Marketing and Sales Management specifically deals with is that of market research and innovation. During a module such as this a student will be taught the methods of research used in a variety of environments, and the diversity of ways that research can then be displayed and used. Research in relation to marketing is fairly complex, not only must the most cost effective and suitable methodologies be employed, but a certain degree of study must be made of the ethical factors that affect research and data. It is from here that marketing innovations are made.

There is also a focus on consumer behaviour during a Marketing and Sales Management course. The key questions during this module are: How does consumer behaviour impact marketing strategy? And what are the reasons for such behaviour? There is an ethical focus here also, such as the extents to which ethics affect mass and individual consumer choices. Additionally, the criteria for targeting markets, such as gender and age, would also be explored in such a module.

Finally, another way a Marketing and Sales Management course differs to others is by its analysis of marketing communications and media. The diverse range of methods used by marketers to promote their products, is rivalled in few places, except perhaps by the range of ways business can be studied today. home study, e-Learning, and traditional university course providers all offer Business Courses in some form. With bigger incentives to take further education, as well as increased accessibility, it seems that Marketing and Sales Management is set to receive more enrolments in 2009 than ever before.

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How To Make Money From Internet Marketing by Joshua Gan

2009-02-03T08:41:00.001+07:00

To make money online many people jump right in before they are properly prepared. You know that to be a rocket scientist, a doctor, a brick layer, a construction worker, an office worker, a teacher there are prerequisites, things you must learn, before you can be successful, you don't just jump right in unprepared.

The same applies to the Internet marketing industry even though there are unsavory people out there who'd have you believe it's a "Walk in the Park" and requires no more than the belief that you can just do it.

And I'll have to admit, it is a walk in the park compared to what you have to put up with in the working world punching a clock being a subordinate to someone who does not have your interests in mind, but there are still rules you have to follow and pitfalls you must avoid to actually make Internet marketing work for you.

Most people will not make a dime online and yet there are others who will make more in one month than most people make in a whole year. Why is that?

My answer begins with the age-old chicken or egg question, "what comes first the chicken or the egg"? Personally I vote for, well never mind, each argument you or I make comes back to the same old conclusion - I have no clue and I don't think many of us do either.

But one thing I do have a clue about and know for sure is that to make money online you must first have Passion for the company products and/or service of any Internet business from which you expect to make money.

Passion in this sense simply means that you've researched and like the company and products or services. It is then that you translate that like (or Passion) into the education, excitement and work that usually accompany Passion.

I will have to say that many online entrepreneurs are so good at what they do that they ignore passion because they can sell anything. But I'm concerned about those of you who are not so knowledgeable at working an online business successfully.

Now, I'm not trying to make anyone believe that Passion is the only thing necessary. Because to be successful you must also have a good website, good marketing, widespread advertising, company support, effective keywords, and etc. Those things are often learned from the company you join - but sidestep Passion and you reduce your chances for success dramatically.

It therefore follows that, if you have no Passion for the company and the products and services provided by that company, again, you won't attempt to do the work you are being taught.

Internet marketing work is typically not all that difficult or time consuming but it does take motivation caused by Passion to get you off and running with a sustained effort so that you won't stumble.

You have a great resource in the Internet search engines to search about the Internet Marketing industry for business opportunities, USE IT!

Your research should uncover a company that you like and have confidence in. It should be solid, founded on great principles, and easy to understand with great products and services that are sell-able for which you can have Passion. If you don't find it move on, You can find the right opportunity containing the attributes identified above.

Comments like, well, that one sounds good and the compensation plan is excellent so I guess I'll start that business - does not sound like a decision based on anything near Passion. And remember when you hear that an Internet "guru" does that, don't be tempted, because as I said earlier they are experienced and can sell just about anything, without being Passionate about the company products and services.

Note: By the way it's your goal to get to the point where you can sell about anything online. That end skill and goal is a worthy one indeed.

Remember, there are other steps you must make before you step into Internet Marketing but if you don't first find the right company products and services to be passionate about, all of those other steps may just cause you a lot of frustration instead of bringing you great success.

Not being Passionate about a company and products and services that has market proof that it will sell is a pitfall you simply must avoid.

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Kiyosaki Network Marketing Quadrant - Network Marketing One of Best Ways of Residual Income Creation by Anthony Severino

2009-02-03T08:33:00.002+07:00

Rich Dad Robert Kiyosaki recommends network marketing as a good choice for anybody looking to start their own business with the idea of creating cash flow in mind. Aside from the great sales and marketing experience one gains in the network marketing industry, Kiyosaki believes that of all the ways of residual income generation, the low cost entry is attractive.

Many network marketing companies make it possible to get started for under five hundred dollars. This is a bargain compared to starting a business in most other industries. This usually buys a new distributor the right to sell a product or service within the structure that is already created along with some inventory or use of the service.

Network marketing has been applied to many traditional industries and markets. Financial services network marketing company Primerica grew to be so large that it bought up some of the biggest banks and survived the credit crisis of 2008 while household names like 100+ year institution Lehman Brothers fell into bankruptcy months after wall street giant Bear Stearns imploded.

There are other ways to create residual income, like buying bonds or oil wells. The reason anybody can create residual income with a network marketing business is because it isn't capital investment that generates the income, it is the ability to duplicate one's efforts. Success depends on the ability to lead, attract, and build relationships which while this comes easier for some than others, anybody can develop these skills if they are committed.

This has made the industry a breeding ground for personal growth paradigms and personal development seminars.

For training and education on how to generate leads for ANY business online go here: http://www.teachmeprofits.com

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The Benefits Of Optimizing A Weblog by Gen Wright

2009-02-03T08:30:00.001+07:00

In today's age of internet connectivity, for any business to be successful it needs to have a web presence. And for any website or blog to be successful, it is important that search engine optimization strategies are applied to it. What is the point of having a great website or blog if it doesn't attract visitors who are interested in its content?

Search engines are a great way to attract interested visitors. If your website or blog is optimized using SEO strategies, it will show up in the early listings of search results of those keywords that are most important and relevant to you. This is bound to lead a lot of visitors to your website or blog and will help increase its profitability.

In many ways, blogs are a lot easier to optimize compared to websites because it is a lot easier to update blogs regularly with fresh content, whereas the information on a website, especially a business website, tends to remain static. On the other hand, the website address is likely to be the company name, which will not attract a lot of visitors unless it is very famous. On the other hand, the title of your blog can accurately reflect the content on your blog. This not only encourages readers to read the blog, it also leads them to it.

While you can always consult and hire an SEO expert to help optimize your blog for you, here are some tips to help you optimize your own blog and see the effectiveness of SEO strategies for your self:

As mentioned earlier, get a domain name that contains your most important keyword.

Ensure that your blog has its own unique and distinct look and is differentiated from the others.

Ensure that you are always updating your list of highly searched keywords that are relevant to you.

There are a number of blogging tools you can use. Create tabs with keywords in it, add plug in that are relevant to you, allow RSS subscription on your site and get a sitemap for your blog.

For a site map, all you have to do is sign up with Google sitemaps and feed in the relevant information.

Ensure that all your feeds are being tracked.

Look for other high ranking blogs that are related to your subject and get them to link to your blog. Provide links for their blogs on yours.

Ensure that you submit your blog URL and RSS feeds to various online blog directories.

Create a highly optimized press release and use it to announce your blog.

Also visit other forums and add comments regularly. You can then lead readers to your blog by asking for their comments on the content of your blog.

It is crucial that every incoming link, visitor and comment is faithfully tracked by you. Also it is important that all the comments on your blog are responded to in a timely fashion.

Most importantly, ensure that you are updating your blog with unique, original and keyword rich content on a regular basis.

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Get Paid Today Real Money From Home by Ken Leon

2009-02-03T08:28:00.001+07:00

IPC Instant Cash is here for you so that you can really earn lots of money from home. You can see it too if you have not already just by watching one of the online webinars that goes into detail about this amazing system. They are presented every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at convenient hours. You can get links to the webinars page to sign-up at no charge at the links below this report. The webinars are free to everyone! Go see how you can earn easy money from home.

Get started right now and see that within 24 to 48 hours you can start making real money. The compensation plan in IPC Instant Cash is like no other. Considering all of the compensation plans that exist online, IPC Instant Cash is a combination of all the good points of other compensation plans. See the free report at my web page. The url or link is at the bottom of this article. With IPC Instant Cash, your online business is 98 percent automated to help you earn money from home fast! And it keeps growing and growing. I know this works and this works for me.

The training you get via the members back office is worth thousands of dollars. There are no monthly fees or charges for anything. Believe me you need to see the free report. It explains the IPC Instant Cash system method of how to earn lots of money from home and live a life of freedom from financial worries. And if you are only looking to earn extra money from home this program is definitely for you. This is one program where you do not have to worry about having no support or not getting results.

The main objective with IPC Instant Cash is to teach people how to be successful online. The very organized and very sharp back office provides detailed step-by-step (audio and video) training, making it easy for any person with little or no experience to learn and to follow. You get all the comprehensive text and pictorial presentation that compliments over 5 hours of audio and video tutorials.

And to boot Dan Miller its founder will reward you 5,000 dollars if you follow its promoting plan and do not earn money from home. No one can come close to this offer. This says a lot about how successful this great online business is.

A retired woman of 67 years of age makes an extra 1,900 dollars a month. A laid off factory worker makes 5,300 dollars a month part time. You can do this. This is one of the most complete step by step programs you will ever find on the internet that truly shows you how to make money online. This is real income that will only continue to grow, and now it is available to you. You get all the information you need to earn money easy from home.

It is very profitable and easily affordable. Our system is simple to follow and you will know what to do and start to earn money from home fast sooner than you expect. This program provides a complete library of resources with many earn money at home ideas with it is various methods of marketing. And you can promote the IPC with free marketing methods as the training area details and explains via audio video and text. And you will always have email, and telephone support for all areas of the IPC Instant Cash program. Please see the url or link to my website that appears below this article for more information. Watch the video at my site to get a good view of what you can join now.

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2009-02-03T08:25:00.000+07:00

Attempting to measure the customer experience with a single metric such as customer satisfaction or customer advocacy is overly simplistic and risky. Instead, companies should dig deeper and establish a portfolio of measures that can determine how each touch point contributes to the overall experience.

The Total Customer Experience is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

The customer experience is a complex process that can consist of multiple touch points; a process that can be broad, long-running, span multiple channels, and can be influenced by any combination of internal and external factors. Effectively measuring the total customer experience requires a more acute understanding of its individual parts.

The customer experience process does not begin and end at a store, sales representatives, web site or call center. It extends from the moment the customer becomes aware of your company and is comprised of multiple independent interactions, transactions, and contacts along the way.

Each customer experience is made up of any number of touch points and customer encounters, each of which should be measured independently to determine their contribution to the overall experience. An issue encountered at any one of these points can dramatically influence the overall experience.

For example, the quality of an automobile is an aggregate measurement of the quality of the individual parts combined with the integrity of the overall design and assembly process. If any one part fails to perform properly, the overall perception of quality is diminished. Likewise, even if every part is perfectly manufactured but isn't arranged or assembled in a useable manner - the perception of quality will suffer. Only when quality manufacturing is guided by quality design will the experience truly be maximized.

Although overarching metrics such as customer satisfaction and customer advocacy are quickly becoming standard metrics in today's companies, attempting to measure the customer experience with a single metric can be overly simplistic and risky. Effectively managing the customer experience requires effective measurement and management of a portfolio of metrics that will provide insights into what is - or is not - working.

Identify Your Touch Points

The customer experience is a collection of touch points encountered by the customer that includes the attraction, interaction, and cultivation of customer relationships. Touch points may include advertisements or promotions, online and in-store shopping experiences, transaction and bill processing, and post-purchase delivery, usage, and support.

The total number of touch points that the customer encounters goes well beyond the point of sale. Establishing an accurate inventory of all of your company's touch points - both intentional and unintentional - can mean the difference between success and failure.

Defining when and where the customer experience begins and ends is perhaps the most difficult task facing any business. Too often, companies define the lifecycle and customer touch points too narrowly, leaving critical elements of the customer experience to chance.

A touch point is defined as any customer interaction or encounter that can influence the customer's perception of your product, service, or brand. A touch point can be intentional (an advertisement) or unintentional (an unsolicited customer referral). In this era of broad customer skepticism, the unintentional touch points often matter the most. Which would you trust more: a company's ad pitch or your best friend's personal referral for a product? Both are touch points, but one carries much more value than the other.

When your business interacts with a customer, it's often easy to overlook what is really going on; you are touching them in many, perhaps subtle, ways. When it comes to customer experience management, the right touch can make all the difference. To do it right, you must first identify all of your potential touch points and then work to measure and optimize each one.

Measure Individual Touch Point Effectiveness

Each customer touch point is typically designed for a specific operational purpose. An advertising touch point may be designed to build brand awareness or to identify prospects. A point of sale touch point may be designed to execute transactions. A call center touch point is designed to resolve customer issues. Each touch point is unique and contributes to the overall customer experience in different ways.

Effectively measuring each touch point requires a holistic approach to understand the contribution to both operational and customer relationship objectives. For example, the operational side of an advertising touch point may be measured in terms of a conversion rate. The customer relationship side of the same touch point may be intended to influence the customer's perception or awareness of the company's brand.

Measuring the effectiveness of each touch point should balance both operational and customer experience objectives. Operational metrics are typically easily identified, while customer relationship metrics can be elusive. Ideally, timely and recurring customer feedback is collected and compared to operational results to provide a more complete picture. In doing so, companies can obtain a better understanding of how each individual touch point is contributing to the overall experience.

For example, let's say a business establishes a goal to achieve a 5% click-through-rate (CTR) with their pay-per-click campaign. If the actual campaign achieves 100% of that goal, they might consider it a success. However, customer perceptions might not be so rosy if the ad promised a product, promotion, or discount that isn't readily available or is difficult to obtain. As a result of customer confusion and aggravation, the company may achieve only 50% of their revenue goals for the campaign.

Measure the Overall Customer Experience

In order to effectively measure the overall customer experience, companies must accurately measure the contribution of each individual touch point as well as the overall level of customer satisfaction and advocacy. At times, the results of one touch point may have an unanticipated affect on other aspects of the experience.

Consider how the individual touch points associated with a fictitious product launch might impact the experience at an electronics store:

* Product Innovation: A key manufacturer is developing a leading-edge product that will be innovative in the marketplace. The media learns of these developments and publishes reports that an amazing new product is coming soon. Consumer excitement and anticipation is driven to extremely high levels, although actual ship dates remain unknown. (Score: 10/10) * Electronics Store: Employees at the store and call center are inundated with inquiries about the pending new product but are unable to provide any additional information regarding availability nor can they accept pre-orders. (Score: 3/10) * Marketing: The product launch date is set and marketing begins to actively promote the new product and its innovative features. Consumer anticipation is again driven to new highs as the launch date approaches. (Score: 10/10) * Product Purchase: On launch day, consumers flood the store and web site to get the new product. Those customers that are fortunate enough to purchase one are extremely satisfied. (Score: 10/10) * Out of Stock: Initial euphoria quickly turns sour as the store runs out of stock and thousands of customers are turned away without one of the highly coveted and heavily promoted products. Customers are told to check back again in a few weeks. (Score: 1/10)

For a handful of customers who were able to purchase the product, they are extremely satisfied with their experience and are willing to tell all of their friends about their latest purchase. Conversely, however, many other customers who were turned away empty-handed are now frustrated and highly dissatisfied with the experience.

Relying solely on customer satisfaction or customer advocacy measures may not illuminate how each touch point contributed to the overall experience. Simplistic customer satisfaction and advocacy scores may mask the underlying factors that either contribute to or detract from an exceptional customer experience.

Evaluating how each individual touch point contributes to the overall experience in this scenario can help to identify specific areas for improvement. While touch points 1, 3 and 4 scored high, touch points 2 and 5 clearly have room for improvement.

Focusing only on an aggregate metric without understanding or managing the contributing factors can yield unpredictable results. Companies seeking to improve their overall customer experience should establish customer experience measures that correlate individual touch point results to overall customer experience measures.

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Email mortgage marketing - so easy a cave man can.... by Jeffrey Nelson

2009-02-03T08:23:00.001+07:00

More and more loan officers are now turning to email mortgage marketing to keep money rolling in. While an increasing number of people say they rarely surf the Net, the vast majority check their inbox every day. Marketing with email is the most lucrative way to influence people interested in your service and keep customers informed and happy. It is also extremely cheap. Where you might have mailed out mortgage newsletters every month, you can now email a newsletter every week for a fraction of the cost.

Increasingly, loan officers need to embrace email mortgage marketing in a big way in order to stay ahead of competitors. Those who formerly used a service to send out their newsletters, loan programs, and rate updates are now doing all the emailing themselves using email marketing software specifically designed for loan officers. This new technology is powerful yet easy to use and allows any loan agent to handle their own email marketing that previously required expensive professional help.

In particular, one email program called Magnetic Email, automates the prospecting process so you can find Realtors quicker. It's a one-of-a-kind email solution that helps you meet with more Realtors so you can stop getting rejected. You can even purchase a bulk list of real estate email addresses from a preferred vendor and reach thousands of Realtors with the click of a mouse.

Where do you start? If you have no email mortgage marketing experience, no knowledge of programs and no idea what to promote, the very thought of email marketing can seem intimidating.

What clients like to know is that they are doing business with an industry leader. Make clients aware of your mortgage acumen, presence, and commitment. Practice consistency with email being your tool of choice. Itâ€™s your greatest marketing weapon.

However, unless you're testing and tracking your campaigns, you may be losing sales. You can dramatically increase your loans simply by taking the time to test and track your campaigns â€" something a good email {software|solution|program} can do for you.

Not only will it help you to determine what's working and what's not, but it will also enable you to focus your efforts on producing better results.

If you have a website, thatâ€™s great, but without an effective email mortgage marketing campaign your efforts will be anemic. So how do you take advantage of email marketing? The best method is to begin your own client list and target Realtors.

Email mortgage marketing has arrived, but are you using it? Good email marketing software can speed up your business in half the time and create less work if you will utilize it. Today, email mortgage marketing has become so simple, it's no longer excusable to say you don't do it.

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The Significance Of Market Research by Casey Adams

2009-02-03T08:17:00.002+07:00

Owning a successful business is a difficult dream to realize for most business entrepreneurs. One needs to acquire talent and master numerous disciplines in order to make a profitable and reputable business. There are quite a few people who have a natural flair for commerce, but most of us seek a way to simply learn how to become proficient in business. The first thing to consider is the many sub-streams in business, such as marketing, sales, people management, planning, financial management, customer and client relationship management. The list is endless and furthermore, as a business owner, there is an expectation to deliver outstanding and qualitative services and products at competitive prices.

Failure in any of the above activities can result in the downfall of a business. However, the good news is that not all of the above skills need to be learned from scratch. Many of these attributes can be mastered from our past experiences or from our professional lives. Some are also learned from our educational careers, and many even come to us naturally. For example, maintaining good and fruitful relationships is the prime objective in business. Many people through their own personal relationship experiences acquire this skill naturally. No business is a born success

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Guaranteed Traffic Is Not Always Targeted Traffic by Fernando Morales

2009-01-08T12:54:00.000+07:00

When it comes to generating traffic to your website, guaranteed traffic may not be the best route to take. Guaranteed traffic makes the promise that it will send x amount of visitors to your site for x amount of money.
An example would be 10,000 visitors for 29.95. Sounds great doesn't it? After all getting 10,000 visitors to your site by other means can take some time, so why not speed it up?

The problem with guaranteed traffic is it's not always guaranteed targeted traffic. If you want to convert your visitors into customers, they should be people who at least have an interest in what you're selling.

Sites that offer guaranteed visitors will send you the amount of visitors that you agreed to pay for, but 9 out of 10 of those visitors will simply click and leave because they are not targeted.

There are plenty of resources available for getting targeted traffic to your website without going broke trying to do it. First and foremost, you're in business to make money, not lose money.

Your return on investment needs to be as high as possible especially when you're just starting out online. After you've generated a reasonable amount of income from the free methods, then you can start experimenting with paid traffic methods.

Interestingly enough, the truth is you don't even need a massive glut of traffic to make money online. There are marketers who are making pretty good money with a small targeted amount of visitors on a daily basis.

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Photo Poster Printing: DIY Family Portraits by Sam Nam

2009-01-08T12:52:00.000+07:00

Creating the perfect family portrait is no easy task. Convincing your spouse and children to get groomed and dressed for a trip down to the local portrait studio can be nearly impossible. An easier alternative is to create your own family portraits at home using custom poster printing services! All you need is a digital camera, good lighting and a little patience. Here is a quick guide to creating great family portraits.
1. The quality of your digital camera is one of the most important contributing factors in producing a great family portrait. If you plan to enlarge your photo beyond 8x10" inches, it is recommended that your digital camera have at least a 6.0 megapixel capability. The features of your camera are also important. It is best to use a camera that has a red-eye reduction function as well as face capture technology. Face capture ensures that the camera focuses on the details of faces and not on background objects. However, the most important function that your digital camera must have is an auto-timer or remote control so that you will not need an outside member present for the photo shoot. Read your camera's manual to understand how this feature is used.

2. Lighting can dramatically increase the quality of your family portrait. The flash from your digital camera may not be sufficient to create a great family portrait. Natural and non-direct lighting is best for portrait photography. Direct your lamps away from the portrait area and shine them against a white wall or a sheet of white poster board to create a reflective ambient lighting. The entire family should be equally lit with a healthy amount of non-direct light. Experiment with different lighting setups to find out what works for your family and camera.

3. The location you choose will determine whether your portrait looks professional or mediocre. Be sure that the location is aesthetically pleasing. Gardens and greenery are great for creating a beautiful background, but a well set living room can work as well. Be sure that there are no distracting features such as another poster or photo in the background or even a passerby.

4. After taking your family photo, find a professional online poster printing company to print your family photo in large sizes. Poster printing company has the capability to help you print your poster in custom sizes and come up with professional quality prints at great prices. Always make sure that the website you choose offers online proofs or a money back guarantee so that you are not disappointed with the photo you chose to print.

Take many pictures when creating a family portrait poster print and choose the best looking result. Be patient and you will be rewarded with great pictures for years to come. If you don't get it right the first time, don't be discouraged. Simply give it another shot!

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Poster Print Ministry: Using the Talents of Graphic Design and Photography by Sam Nam

2009-01-08T12:51:00.000+07:00

There are a variety of talents in every congregation and it is very important that every gift is put to good use. Churches often give much attention to the gifts of music, administration, public speaking or leadership. However, those that possess the gift of graphic design and photography are often given less attention, but using these talents can greatly enrich your ministry. Here are 5 poster print ideas that can be used in your church or youth group.
1. Photography collages are a great way to include graphic design and photography in your church activities. Provide the resources for gifted photographers to take pictures on camping trips, outreach activities and church socials. Collecting images and displaying them in a collage poster will bring life to your church walls and show newcomers the fellowship that your congregation enjoys. Also, it is a great way for your church members to document their growth and remember fond memories.

2. Inspirational posters can be a great blessing for church members that are visually oriented. By designing inspirational posters that apply to the daily lives of your congregation, you remind them of key Biblical messages and lessons. It is important to remember that 65% of people are visual learners and that many times an auditory sermon is not the easiest way to communicate a message. Also, the members who are involved in creating inspirational posters will be able to minister to others through the use of their talents.

3. Promotional posters are a great marketing tool in the secular world and should be used to raise awareness of your church and its upcoming evangelistic events. A great design and message catches the eye of any passerby and will help you fill the seats for your next event. Communicate your message in a way that relates with the secular world but does not dilute the sincerity of your beliefs. Christian concerts and community service events are a good starting point to implement a promotional posters ministry.

4. Group photos can be turned into large poster prints and framed for display in your church building. Never underestimate the cohesive bonding that can result from simply rallying a congregation for a photo opportunity.

5. Church progress reports are a great tool of leadership accountability. It is important to keep your congregation informed of the church's current status. A poster print of your church's budget or demographics will allow members to see where there is need for more support or encouragement.

There are countless ways to use the gifts of photography and graphic design for your ministry. This article has only presented 5 ideas on how to use custom poster printing. It is important to constantly seek out new innovations as our communities change around us. Experiment with different applications and determine what works for you.

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Small Business Tips: Poster Print Marketing by Sam Nam

2009-01-08T12:49:00.000+07:00

Small business owners are often full of great product ideas and exciting promotions, but how do they get the word out? Marketing is an integral part of small business success that is often overlooked by entrepreneurs. They reason that their idea or product is so phenomenal that people will naturally be attracted. This might be the case, but people don't become customers if they haven't even heard of your business! A wise small business owner is careful with their budget and only spends money where they believe a return on investment is likely. Advertising and marketing are areas where ROI (return on investment) isn't always easy to predetermine. An affordable way to market your business without risking too much money is poster print marketing. Here are 3 tips on maximizing the effectiveness of your poster print marketing strategies.
1. A good poster design can make the difference between a total waste of money and a genius marketing concept. The most important aspect of your poster design is the message. Is the message clear and visible? If you are having a blow out sale and marking your entire inventory down by 50%, you should be sure that this message is visible even from a distance. Many times designers and business owners become preoccupied with the aesthetics of a poster, but this isn't necessarily important. The primary objective of poster print marketing is to grab peoples' attention and tell them your message.

2. Placing your poster in a strategic location is very important to your marketing success. Visibility is the key component to a well placed poster. Be sure that your poster is placed in an area that easily visible in a highly trafficked area. Also, it is important to target the correct audience. For example, if you own a furniture store, it is not advantageous to place your poster at a skateboard park even if there is a large amount of foot traffic in that area. You would have much more success at a fitness center or shopping center where more of your prospective customers would visit.

3. How many posters should you print? Many people find that poster printers require a minimum of 250 posters; however it is unnecessary to print such a large quantity for a small business. There are online poster printing sites that will process custom orders with no minimum quantities. Try not to blanket your area and become an eyesore to the community. Instead order 25-50 posters and place them where you have permission to do so and the assurance that the posters will be left unmolested.

Poster print marketing is a great way to market a small business in a cost effective way. Follow these 3 tips to successful poster print marketing, but also experiment with your own ideas. Every culture and community responds to different types of marketing and it is important to figure out what works for you and your small business.

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Poster Printing: 5 Poster Print Ideas for Interior Design by Sam Nam

2009-01-08T12:48:00.000+07:00

Poster prints are great for decorating your walls. Whether your poster is displaying a picture of a popular musician or sports star, a poster print can bring life and excitement to any room. Custom poster printing offers us additional creativity by allowing us to print unique posters. We are free to express ourselves through photography, graphic design, collage design, photo editing and typography. Here are five wonderful ideas for custom poster prints that will add excitement and life to your interior.
1. Collage posters are a great way to display a large number of pictures in a single location without crowding your wall space. By combining many photos on a single poster, you create a visual focal point of design. When viewed from a distance, a collage poster adds color and depth to a wall, but upon closer inspection a collage poster is able to tell many stories in the form of lively and animated images.

2. Group photo poster prints are great for businesses and organizations. It is a common practice to enlarge group photos such as company photos, team photos and church group photos. Poster prints are great for group photos because they offer an affordable solution to printing photos in very large sizes. Many group photos include a large number of people and a small sized print would make it difficult to see people's faces. However, a professional poster printer will be able to create poster prints that are as large as 60 inches tall and 100 inches wide while maintaining great image quality.

3. Artistic photography poster prints have the ability to add depth and color to any room. For example, landscape photography prints create a window effect for smaller rooms by adding a visual outlet. Black and white photography prints can create an atmosphere of artistic contemplation with simple lines and contrasting detail. There are many types of artistic photography that make fantastic poster prints for decorating your home or office.

4. Typography poster prints are great for adding an element of design while displaying a message. These types of posters are often used for the walls of businesses. For example, a typography poster print might inform restaurant goers about the history of a particular restaurant. Displaying this information on a typography poster print allows the information to be available for patrons while adding an artistic element to the overall theme of the restaurant's interior.

5. Portrait poster prints such as baby portraits, family portraits or wedding portraits add a personal touch to your interior design. Parents can proudly display portraits of their children and married couples can share the memory of their wedding day. The best interior designs combine balance, color and individual personality. Portrait poster prints can contribute to all three of these important aspects.

There are a countless number of ways in which to use a poster print in your next interior design project. Custom poster printing allows for creativity and originality. Consider trying one of these five ideas the next time you decorate.

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Visual Learning Tools: Using Poster Prints in the Classroom by Sam Nam

2009-01-08T12:47:00.000+07:00

Educational research estimates that visual learners make up 65% of the population, while auditory learners and kinesthetic learners make up 30% and 5% respectively. Teachers should always keep this in mind when they are teaching in the classroom. Custom poster prints can be a great way for educators to integrate visual learning elements into the classroom. Here are 5 great ideas on how to utilize poster prints in the class room.
Science Example:

Conduct a visual experiment for your students such as mixing chemical reactants or demonstrating the laws of physics with physical objects. Document this demonstration with photography and use the pictures to create an educational poster. Visual learners will recall the experiment and connect their visual images with the information presented. By placing this poster print in your classroom, students will relive this learning experience many times over.

English and Literature Example:

Assign a short story reading assignment and ask your students to illustrate the story in drawings. Then create a poster with the title of the book and the drawings submitted by your students. Your students will be encouraged to imagine the story visually and then be reminded of the story by your poster print.

Mathematics Example:

Basic arithmetic is integral to a student's future success. Create posters with visual aids such as apples or pencils instead of numbers demonstrating addition, subtraction and multiplication.

Foreign Language Example:

As visual learners, it doesn't make sense for students to learn words in a foreign language by pairing them with their English equivalents. Use photos of common objects or scenarios and place the foreign text near the images. Refrain from placing English on these posters so that students associate the vocabulary words with actual objects instead of English words and letters.

History Example:

Create a collage of iconic images for a period in history. Allow visual students to immerse themselves in the mindset and culture of the time so that they are better able to understand the actions of key historic figures. Many students fail to understand the reasons for wars and revolutions, because they are unable to relate the people of that time period. Strong images and a cohesive theme will help the student imagine the age in which the history lesson takes place.

Here are 5 examples of how a poster print can aid visual learners in the classroom. Custom poster printing allows you to create wonderful visual aids that fit your personal lesson plan. Print a poster and try out new and exciting ways to educate your students.

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Updating your Booklet Design by Kaye Z. Marks

2009-01-08T12:46:00.000+07:00

Some people think that once a booklet is printed, their job is done. This may actually be a mistake. If you create booklets on a yearly or regular basis and always use a booklet printing template for them, you should really think this through. The world is very dynamic, and you should always change the design and layout of your booklets to match existing trends.
Do not be static or you will be left out by the times. In this fast paced world, even booklet printing should evolve even if their fundamental content is unchanged. In this article, you will learn how to review your existing booklet and update its design. This will help you produce a fresh and new full color booklet ready for release.

Review your theme: First, go through your booklet and review its design theme. It might be Greco-Roman classic, Japanese minimalist or abstract art. In addition, you might have used a popular movie as a design reference when you designed the booklet a few months ago. Look for these themes and see if they are still a prevailing norm.

Compare it to existing popular themes. If you find your older theme lacking, which is usually the case then you need to update your theme. Now, just choose a new theme to use for the template and start updating. Simply go through your booklet once piece at a time and change each layout to the fresher theme you chose.

Listen again to the tone of your content: Next, read through your booklet again and "listen" to the content. You might have used a more formal or functional tone when you wrote your instructional booklet. When you update your booklet design, why not update your tone as well.

From a functional and clinical tone, you might want to switch to a conversational or light tone. If you were happy and friendly on the last booklet, why not use a more professional view? The goal here is to sound new and fresh for the new booklet printing. Therefore, change the tone and you will be presenting a new view on your old content.

Try newly available fonts: A lot of new fonts are released each year. Of course, some fonts are considered classics. However, the new fonts being released nowadays are getting better in the looks department. So why not use them. If you are still using "Times New Roman" you really are back in the old days. Update your booklet with a new font and you will see how it makes a difference.

Update your visuals: Lastly, update your images and pictures. Full color booklets have the advantage of carrying beautiful pictures. However, if you print the same pictures and images for your booklet design as the years go by they will get boring. In some cases, people will actually forget the reference connected to such an image. So always update your images so that your color booklet looks new and fresh. In fact, if you have time, redesign your company logo or project motif. People will think it is a whole new booklet and not a re-release of the old one.

Those are the things you need to remember when updating your booklet design. This is a good yearly practice as you produce your full color booklets. If you are unfamiliar with the existing trends, ask your booklet printing company about the popular booklet designs they are currently printing. Keeping your booklet fresh and up to date keeps their usefulness well into the years, so always update when you can.

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How To Get Visitors To Buy Whatever You're Selling by Fernando Morales

2009-01-08T12:43:00.000+07:00

Getting traffic to your website is one thing, but what if you could get that traffic to make a purchase? Sounds like a winning proposition, but how? Most of the time when someone comes to your site they may browse around click a few links and leave.
Not very profitable is it?

Well before we can sell anyone anything it might be best to try to get them in the frame of mind to buy. So what are we talking about?

Preselling your customer so that may be more comfortable with making a purchase. The fact of the matter is that most people searching the web are mainly looking for information. The main objective for your customer was to find information pertaining to a certain topic, not necessarily to buy anything.

In a physical store unless we are there to buy something specific, we nomally tell the person offering to help us "no thanks, just looking". However unlike the physical store that can create the desire to purchase due to the atmosphere and it's design, we can create a virtual atmosphere that can influence our customers to buy. Sounds manipulative doesn't it? Don't worry it's not. Keep reading.

In order to presell effectively, you need to give the consumer what they want. More information and justification for making the purchase today. This can be accomplished by talking about a couple of benefits the customer can enjoy should THEY decide to check out your offer.

Does it have to be wordy? Not at all, but it should be sincere and that can only be accomplished if you are using the product in question.

With a good presell letter you can come across more like a friend who is making a recommendation based on their experience and what benefits the customer is looking for.

Sound like a plan?

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Is Your Business Website Ready for CSS? by Jeremy Gislason

2009-01-08T12:39:00.001+07:00

What is CSS ?
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets is a great tool to add a unique look to your web pages. CSS enhances fonts, colors, and even the spacing of your web pages. It is a useful tool to let you separate your HTML content from your style. For example, you can use your HTML file to create and organize the content, but all of the visual presentation including the background, fonts, colors, link effects, text formatting, and spacing are created with a CSS file.

Benefits of CSS

As discussed, CSS makes it easy for you to separate the style and layout of your HTML files from their informational content. This means you can determine the look of your site in one file, and change the whole site by modifying that single file. It also means you can make your HTML changes by accessing one file.

This structure provided by CSS also means that you can work with your web pages so that they look good on any browser. For example, a page on Mozilla can look very different than a page seen on internet explorer. CSS eliminates that difference.

CSS gives you more control over how your pages look because it is a more detailed mechanism than HTML. HTML wasn't designed for style, it was designed for document structure. CSS was designed for style. This means it is easier for you as a business owner seeking brand development and recognition to define your "look" and give it a unique and consistent feel.

Users say that CSS also prints better than HTML documents. Important if visitors are accessing your content, which they hopefully are, printing it, and taking it with them or better yet - sharing it with their friends and associates. Additionally, the pages allow visitors to print the entire page as opposed to the partial pages that HTML often prints.

CSS decreases your page size significantly, making it easier for your visitors to load your site and all relevant graphics and copy. It also means that your web pages can be seen quickly and clearly with handheld browsers. This is huge because many people are now surfing the internet on their cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs. If your site doesn't load quickly, chances are people are going to leave. If your site is quickly and clearly accessible - you may have a new customer! Additionally, it will take up less space on your server if you're running close to your limit - and save you less money if you're being charge by bandwidth. This is because CSS requires less code.

CSS enables you to position the code for your content at the top making your page search engine friendly. Properly marked up, HTML pages can easily found and properly categorized by search engines.

It is also fairly easy for anyone to learn because CSS already uses well-known coding elements and principals.

The benefits of CSS include making your web site: • Faster to create • Easier to maintain or change • More adaptable to fit new and emerging technologies • Compact • Neater and cleaner in the HTML code

How do I use CSS ?

Cascading Style Sheets can be used in two ways - internally or externally. When used internally the CSS code is placed within the 'head' tags of each HTML file. The HTML code basically looks just like this:

Externally, your CSS code that would be placed in the HTML file is now placed in a separate file and linked to the location. The file type for the CSS code can be created with any text or HTML editor such as Notepad. Once created there are two ways you can link to your CSS file:

1. In the head section of every (X)HTML file, appearing as:

2. Using the @import method, appearing as:

So what method do you choose? That depends on what you need. For example, internal is used when a designer needs to style only one page, or different pages with different styles. Web page designers tend to prefer an external cascading style sheet. This is because, as noted earlier in the benefits list, you will only need to edit one CSS file to change the entire website. Webmasters also find external is better because they are easier to maintain, they're more compact, and generally the appearance is easier to control and stylize.

Potential Concerns

Not all browsers can read CSS. This is a real concern; however, the percentage has decreased to the point where less than 1% of browsers are affected. What sites are affected? Older browser versions, created before CSS was standard, including Netscape 4.0. Because the vast majority of browsers are significantly newer than this, and because the World Wide Web Consortium has recommended the use of CSS, making it a widely acceptable and recognizable mechanism around the world, all concerns about using CSS are negligible.

Bottom Line

CSS is a tool that will make your web pages easier to organize and maintain, your website easier to change, your brand potentially stronger, your website more compact and easier to load, your search engine optimization will improve, oh and your pages will just look better. There really isn't a reason to not experiment with CSS and integrate it into your web site. Once you begin using and designing with CSS, you'll likely find building sites is more fun, faster, and they look amazing.

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Understanding HTML For A Better Business by Jeremy Gislason

2009-01-08T12:11:00.001+07:00

What Is HTML?
HTML or Hypertext Markup Language, is the predominant language in which most Internet web pages are based. HTML accomplishes a number of tasks via a web page, including describing the structure of text based information to be displayed within the page (font sizes, text colors and formats, etc.), providing a means for the user to interact with the site via web forms, and embedding images and other types media for display to the user.

When an HTML page is provided to a user's web browser over the Internet, the web browser will "translate" the HTML code into the format that will be displayed to the user. HTML is written in the form of labels (known as tags). Each tag includes an "open" tag and a "close" tag, and the text that is contained within the opening and closing tags. For example, text can be made bold by using the and tag pair, so that the following HTML code will display the bold text word "Hello" in the user's web browser. Hello HTML pages can also incorporate or embed the code for one or more "scripting languages", including JavaScript, PHP, CGI, and ASP.Net.

What Can HTML Do for Me?

HTML provides the basic structure for your website, so it's the foundation for your business getting its message to customers and potential customers. When you understand the basic principles of HTML, you can begin to format your web pages to have a more unique and in- house appearance. Brand recognition is important in business, and a little HTML coding can change a template style web page into something that is unique and recognizable. In addition to displaying advertising copy, pictures, brochures and the like, you can also:

· Provide users with a feedback form to submit basic information to you through the website. · Generate an email · Offer a Guestbook

How Do I Learn HTML?

As you might suspect, there is a seemingly endless supply of web-based tutorials and instructional materials for learning about HTML. There are a number of Internet-based tutorials to get you started, and to instruct you on any particular detail or HTML feature that you're interested in.

Another way to "learn" HTML is simply to create you website using a web-authoring program, and examine the HTML code behind it. We'll talk about a few of the leading web-authoring programs later in this article.

Do I Need To Learn It?

Strictly speaking, you don't need to become an HTML expert to build and administer your businesses website. Many of the most popular tools for website construction include powerful capabilities (including many that most websites may never utilize). As an added benefit, some of these programs are available at no cost.

Since the HTML that serves as the backbone of a website is basically just text, any text editor (including Microsoft's Notepad) can be used to create a website. Even though writing HTML code directly in a text editor can eventually help you to better understand what's going on "under the hood", spending the time necessary to become a hardcore HTML coder might simply not be an option.

In contrast, there are also popular programs that make it much easier to create your website layout and design through graphical user interface. These programs do the heavy lifting, and will automatically assemble the HTML code based on the design you make.

Dreamweaver

Adobe's Dreamweaver is one of the leading commercial web design software packages available today. Dreamweaver has a reputation within in the web design community as being very rich in features, and one that generates very "clean" or more standards-compliant code. (This means that, in theory, the Dreamweaver code should run more predictably on a broader range of web browsers.) Dreamweaver also has strong support for CSS, JavaScript, XML, and a variety of other functionalities that are commonly used on "higher end" websites. In addition, Dreamweaver has tight integration with Adobe's other design programs, including Photoshop and Flash. This can be a time-saver if you are using (or decide to use) those other programs.

On the other hand, Dreamweaver is expensive, compared to other commercial options. In addition, many feel that because there are so many features and functions available in the program, it can be intimidating for new users and designers.

Expression Web

Microsoft's Expression Web (the successor to the venerable FrontPage software) is Microsoft's web authoring tool and is considered to be one of the leading web design tool available today.

Expression Web has many (if not most) of the same tools as are available in Dreamweaver, and boasts strong integration with Microsoft's other design and infrastructure products, such as Visual Studio, SharePoint, and the Office suite of products. In addition, Expression Web's menu structures and look-and-feel will be familiar to users of other Microsoft Office products, which can make it easier for those already accustomed to Microsoft products.

Note, however, that the source code that Expression Web generates is sometimes not as clean as that created by Dreamweaver (or coded directly into HTML using a simple text editor), so this may result in some problems (or at least some additional time required) if you decide to use Dreamweaver to modify a page that was created in Expression Web. In addition, some page elements (such as tables) can require additional work if created in one program and then edited in another.

Nvu

For those who want to create relatively simple websites, without some of the fancy features that are available with Dreamweaver and Expression Web might wish to consider the open source product Nvu. Nvu has a graphical user interface like Dreamweaver and Expression Web, and is very efficient at making much HTML coding easier and quicker. As an open source product, Nvu is free of charge, and relatively well supported by its user community.

Web-Based Programs and Templates

Finally, be aware that there are a number of web-based authoring programs (such as Homestead) and template services available. These options often require very little effort in terms of design and coding, and are generally available at very reasonable prices. Keep in mind, however, that because most templates are or have been available to other users, you might wind up with a design that is not unique, or doesn't provide your website with a sufficiently distinct identity.

How to Move Forward

At the end of the day, any web authoring tool is likely to have both have pluses and minuses. Before committing to license any particular package, take a little time to try any available online or downloadable trial versions of the package. The key to deciding is to identify your current and future needs, and balance this against your budget for the project. While choosing a particular tool won't forever tie you to using that same tool in the future, making a thoughtful decision at the outset can help you to avoid spending time making corrections and adjustments down the road.

In closing, if you'd rather NOT learn HTML or just find it too confusing but still need it to help you with your business you should check out MemberSpeed software solution.

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How To Build Traffic To Any Website You Own by Chris Rohrer

2009-01-08T08:08:00.000+07:00

If you own a website chances are you know how important it is to get good quality traffic to your website. You probably also know that it can be time consuming and expensive to drive high quality targeted traffic to your website. So how are you supposed to get traffic to your website if you have no marketing budget or only a small amount of money?
Good question. First you must know that you best traffic will come from paid methods. However this doesn't mean in any way that free traffic doesn't work or convert. You just need to know where to advertise for free, and how to effectively use these little hidden gems as I like to call them.

The most effective form of free traffic that I've found online comes only from a few types of marketing methods. These methods are writing articles, using traffic exchanges, and posting to forums or message boards.

Writing articles is a great way to increase your traffic. They can send laser targeted traffic to your website, and you can post as many as you wish any time of the day.

Traffic exchanges are a simple yet effective way of getting people to your website. You simply look at other people's websites for a cretin amount of time, and in return people will see your website.

As for forums and message boards not only will you get good traffic from the people who click your website link in your signature. You'll also grow your knowledge by following the discussions that are going on at the forum.

If you set a goal to use each of listed forms of free advertising above once a day you'll have no problem getting traffic to your website. Each topic listed is not only proven to work, but they've been around for years so you can count on them time after time.

Just remember though that free traffic will take a lot more work, and it will take more effort to make it convert. Never let anyone tell you free traffic is a waste of time, and it doesn't work. I've started my business from scratch using nothing but free traffic, and it's what gave me my start to a successful business.

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Internet Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales by Modekurti Sarma

2009-01-08T08:05:00.001+07:00

The Internet has now become strategic tool to market product and services through advertising. Most of the companies advertising through print, radio and TV have now started placing advertisement on the Internet.
But with millions of websites on the net visited by millions of computer users it important to ensure that advertisement can be seen by your target customer groups and that your leads will be followed by these users? Some of the tips are listed below that will help reaching targeted customers:

Targeting Customers:

Post an advertisement on the websites frequented by your target customers. But, you need to define who will be your target customers before placing an advertisement. Posting advertisement on sites frequented by customers will increase the possibility that your advertisement will be seen by your targeted customers.

Purpose of advertising on the Internet is all about conveying particular message. Hence, you must cross-promote your message to as many visitors as you can. The choice of a target in terms of website or other online avenues assumes paramount importance.

Cost of Advertising:

Posting advertisement on some sites cost some money. However, there are also sites that can place a link to your site, product or service in exchange of having their link being displayed on your site. This is also true about the newsletters sent by site owners to its mailing list members regularly.

Also, having helpful links placed on your site and having sites link to your pages help in boosting search engine ranking. This is similar to making a statement that your site's content is important that other sites have links to your web pages.

Advantage of PPC Advertisement:

Pay-per-click (PPC) is one of the good methods in Internet marketing. You will only pay for the advertisement if the link is clicked. If you prefer this method of advertisement, make sure that you are using services that set limits on daily budget. There are also services that help you determine effective keywords and monitor the PPC results.

Importance of Content:

Make sure you have useful content on your sites. While keyword density is important in search engine placement, having information not related or annoying will not increase your customer's confidence in your site. It may even affect traffic to your site and your site may even be removed from search engines. So ensure that keywords are used strategically.

Target Customers with Keywords:

You need to think of keywords with an intention to reach your target customers. For this to happen you have to get into customer shoes and choose appropriate keywords to increase traffic to your site. You also need to use specific keywords or key phrases. Submitting a single word or generic phrase to a search engine will not get you to the top of the search results compared to submitting specific keywords that describe your product and services correctly.

Monitor your Advertisement:

Always track at regular intervals amount spent on placing links on frequently visited sites and on PPC. There are services that allow you to monitor PPC transactions and how many of these result in sales. You also need to consider if the advertisement posted on these websites are helping you reach your target customers resulting in generating revenue.

Final Tip:

Selling the benefits of your products and services is the bottom line in advertising on Internet. It will help your marketing strategies if you highlight the benefits of choosing your products and services instead just letting customer know product specifications. Product specifications may not mean much to customers, unless customers know how these specifications affect the quality of the product or service.

Many people say getting to the top of search engine results is difficult since millions of websites exist, which can be using the same keywords. While this is true, this doesn't mean that your website has to stack under your competitors' websites when presenting search engine results. Strategic advertising and linking, together with useful content, can also get you to the top of the search results.

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4 Ways to Make More Money At Home Without Investing a Fortune - Free Traffic For Smart Minds Only by Ian Ross Hollander

2009-01-08T08:03:00.000+07:00

Who else wants some quick and easy advice on how to make more money online without having to invest a fortune? If you are anything like most of the people reading this right now, your income could probably use a bit of a kick in the pants, right? It's true...with the economy in a deleterious and destructive downturn, most of the smart people I know are taking preventive measures to protect their families, and insulate their income from utter devastation in 2009. How can you do the same? Very simple! Simply start generating a little easy online income and watch as your worries go away.
Want 4 quick and easy ways to start making easy money online, this month, without much risk? Great! Let's look at a few simple ways you can do just that, using both your own ideas, or better yet, borrow existing products and services and sell those instead!

- Article Marketing - Squidoo & Social Profiles - Press Releases - Start Blogging

Now, each of these items is simply a tactical approach to an overarching strategy, which is to build a business around selling stuff. Have your own expertise ready to share with the world? Simply create your own information product and sell it using the 4 methods illuminated above. But what about those of you who have nothing to sell? Are you left out in the cold? hardly! Simply jump in and sign on with some of the popular affiliate marketing networks (for free!) and find high converting products, services and offers you can sell using the same 4 methods above.

The key is to always have something to sell, a way to monetize your traffic before you start building a bunch. Using the above strategies are very easy, and if you start today, you can ( and should) be seeing some profits THIS week for sure!

What We Have: A Brand Spanking New, 28 page Power Packed PDF on Advanced Article and Affiliate Marketing Strategies You Won't Find Anywhere Else for Free.

Who it's For: ANYONE who wants, needs and CRAVES More FREE Traffic, easier sales, better copy and more push button, autopilot online profits.

How To Get It: Simply Click the Article Marketing Manifesto Link and Download it for FREE anytime between now and Christmas Day 2008.

And what do my Readers Have to Say.....I'll let the recent UNEDITED reader comments speak for themselves..:-)

"In one niche, my article click through rate jumped from 10% to 64% JUST by putting some of those techniques to action."

"I still wondering why you would give this information away free! I have read this FREE report three times now and I absolutely love the information. I have made notes and started using some of your suggestions. I do article marketing, but my CTR is only around 12%. It was obvious to me that I could improve this Big Time. After using your ideas for just 2 things (Article Titles and Resource Boxes) I have increased my CTR to 23%. Did I mention it's only been three days since I read your report the first time? Thank You!"

"I honestly was looking everywhere for the proper techniques to implement into affiliating my website. And when i read your ebook it showed me the demographics i needed to know for finding a niche product and the stragagies you use are very effective...."

"Just wanted to say I love your writing style. Your straight forwardness, and practical way of explaining processes makes it really enjoyable to read."

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