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Casual Articles - Winning the Internet Game
Calendars are great to keep your name in front of your clients and membership and summer is the time to start thinking about next year's calendars.If you've got 12 great photos, you've got yourself a nice wall calendar. You can even sell some ads on the calendar pages and make it a self-financing project. A national grassroots organization that I consulted for in the past did precisely that. It worked out nicely.Here are two very popular internet sources where you can design and self-publish your calendar in a hurry:www.cafepress.comhttp://www.lulu.com/products/calendars/index.phpThose who wish to do so can go to both sites and order your calendar directly as well. For all such sales you earn a pre-set commission.For most organizations, the first introductory pages of the calendar can be reserved for the "Message from the President" and general information about the organization.In terms of selling advertising, thin bands on the footer of the monthly pages might work best.It is true that the market competition for wall calendars is fierce but if you can offer your calendar as a freebie like some Realtors do, or offer it as a "membership benefit" then you do not need to worry about the competition as much because the chances are you won't have any.
The Advantages:
In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.
The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.
Key Word Selection
Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.
Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?
Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may
They say that life begins at 40 (whoever the proverbial ‘they’ are), and they’re right, it does. It begins to go downhill fast! That’s if you happen to find yourself unemployed in the 21st century at 40 plus. I found it a demoralizing nightmare looking for work because about 90% of my job applications didn’t even get replies. That’s diddly squat, zero, zilch. The thing that hurt the most was that there were plenty of vacancies around, but it appears they had already made their mind up on the age range. It’s not legal to specify age preference where I come from but it doesn’t mean employers are obliged to hire the experienced fossils.After a few months of feeling sorry for myself, I decided not to be defeated and change both my attitude and approach in looking for work. I realized that the medium for job search has changed a lot in recent times. We still have the employment agencies, the local rags, and of course word by mouth, which is still useful, but we’re in a different era now.This is the age of the information super highway. There’s now the speed and efficiency of the virtual application form. I was doing it all wrong as I wrote letters, included a resume, licked the stamps and manually posted the application. I set myself up for the waiting game, the no-response, and the rejection. This is no longer how folks look for work and so the time had come to get with the times!The great thing about applying for employment online is that it’s so easy to research and follow up your application. There’s more information on the job opening, and there are specific guidelines to follow when applying. I prepared an impressive resume on my PC and stored it in a folder I simply named ‘Employment’. I also created a standard cover letter along with few formal photos of myself.The law of averages told me that if I applied for enough jobs online then something would hit the jac
* Website
* Opt In
* Key Word Selection
* Email Marketing
* Ezines
* Banner Advertisements
* Affiliate programs
* Notifying Internet Portals and Directories
* Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
* Pay per click
* Blogs
* Chat Rooms
* Message Boards
* Opt In
* Ebay
To give you a better understanding of why these applications are important, let’s briefly discuss each application
Website
Your website content is one of the single most important aspects of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It must be well thought out and structured well throughout your site. You will want to be sure you focus on how your product or service solves a problem or pain for the customer. This almost sounds too simple to work, but focusing on what you have to offer and how it solves the customers problem will pay substantial benefits for the long term.
Having a website will help you increase revenue, decrease expenses, and provide your customers with a higher level of service and support. Here are some examples of how your prospects will benefit from having a Web site.
* Open up a virtual storefront that creates an additional sales channel
* Sell products online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
* Introduce new products to the market faster
* Compete with big corporations based on service, price, and quality
* Capture the impulse buyer
* Accept credit card orders online in real time
* Optimize existing advertising (add a .com to ads directing customers to your dynamic, informative Web site)expose your business to new markets you may not otherwise reach
* Establish credibility with potential customers
* Provide fast, personalized service to customers
* Provide answers to frequently asked questions 24 hours a day
* Offer special packages or deals through your Web site
* Display testimonials from satisfied customers
* Send customers exclusive online coupons or discounts
* Allow customers to set appointments online
* Facilitate pro-active communication between you and your customers
* Respond to customers’ changing demands faster
Opt In
Confirmed opt-in has become the most rigorous method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns.
What does confirmed opt-in mean? And, is it for you? Well, first let's define the terms. Then, we'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make your own decision - and I'll throw in my two cents.
Single Opt-In (with a subscriber acknowledgement email) is the most widely accepted and routinely used method of obtaining email addresses and permission. A single opt-in list is created by inviting visitors and customers to subscribe to your email list. When you use a signup tag on your website, a message immediately goes out to the subscriber acknowledging the subscription. This message should reiterate what the subscriber has signed up for, and provide an immediate way for the subscriber to edit her interests or opt-out.
Confirmed Opt-In (a.k.a. double opt-in) is a more stringent method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns. Confirmed opt-in adds an additional step to the opt-in process. It requires the subscriber to respond to a confirmation email, either by clicking on a confirmation link, or by replying to the email to confirm their subscription. Only those subscribers who take this additional step are added to your list.
ISPs and corporations are now doing everything they can to stem the tide of spam flowing into their users' email inboxes. Without a foolproof solution to turn to, some ISPs, like Road Runner (@rr.com email addresses), now require confirmed opt-in for email delivery. They do this because the subscription tracking capabilities associated with confirmed opt-in can help them differentiate legitimate commercial email from spam and protect their customers from receiving spam.
Is Confirmed Opt-in for You?
While usage of confirmed opt-in is not widespread today, and we can't tell just yet if it will become the industry standard, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of confirmed opt-in so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for your business.
The Advantages:
In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.
The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.
Key Word Selection
Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.
Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?
Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may
Recently I received a prospecting voice mail message from a salesperson. The salesperson explained his company was "the leader in Microsoft hosted Exchange solutions" and he encouraged me to visit his company's website. That was it - that was the "meat" of the voice mail message.If you received that salesperson's voice mail message, what would go through your mind? Do you think it might it be a question like, "What the heck is a Microsoft hosted Exchange solution?" Do you think the voice mail message would inspire you to call the salesperson back?Why did the salesperson's voice mail message fail to accomplish the desired end result? Because it focused on a solution rather than a problem.If your prospecting calls and related voice mail messages talk about a solution, in effect you are assuming that your prospects are already aware of the problems that your solution can solve for them. If your prospects are not able to relate your solution back to their own specific problems, your message will probably just "bounce off".If you use industry-specific jargon to describe your solution, you are making the additional assumption that your prospects are familiar with the jargon that you are using. If they aren't, it further reduces your chances of attracting their attention!How could this salesperson restructure his voice mail message to be more effective? Instead of talking about his solution, he could talk about one or more of the problems that can be solved by using a hosted Exchange service. A revised voice mail message might sound something like this:"We help small companies look like big companies to their prospects and customers; plus, we help companies of all sizes focus more of their time and resources on their core businesses, which accelerates growth and profitability. If you'd like learn how we do this,
Having a website will help you increase revenue, decrease expenses, and provide your customers with a higher level of service and support. Here are some examples of how your prospects will benefit from having a Web site.
* Open up a virtual storefront that creates an additional sales channel
* Sell products online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
* Introduce new products to the market faster
* Compete with big corporations based on service, price, and quality
* Capture the impulse buyer
* Accept credit card orders online in real time
* Optimize existing advertising (add a .com to ads directing customers to your dynamic, informative Web site)expose your business to new markets you may not otherwise reach
* Establish credibility with potential customers
* Provide fast, personalized service to customers
* Provide answers to frequently asked questions 24 hours a day
* Offer special packages or deals through your Web site
* Display testimonials from satisfied customers
* Send customers exclusive online coupons or discounts
* Allow customers to set appointments online
* Facilitate pro-active communication between you and your customers
* Respond to customers’ changing demands faster
Opt In
Confirmed opt-in has become the most rigorous method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns.
What does confirmed opt-in mean? And, is it for you? Well, first let's define the terms. Then, we'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make your own decision - and I'll throw in my two cents.
Single Opt-In (with a subscriber acknowledgement email) is the most widely accepted and routinely used method of obtaining email addresses and permission. A single opt-in list is created by inviting visitors and customers to subscribe to your email list. When you use a signup tag on your website, a message immediately goes out to the subscriber acknowledging the subscription. This message should reiterate what the subscriber has signed up for, and provide an immediate way for the subscriber to edit her interests or opt-out.
Confirmed Opt-In (a.k.a. double opt-in) is a more stringent method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns. Confirmed opt-in adds an additional step to the opt-in process. It requires the subscriber to respond to a confirmation email, either by clicking on a confirmation link, or by replying to the email to confirm their subscription. Only those subscribers who take this additional step are added to your list.
ISPs and corporations are now doing everything they can to stem the tide of spam flowing into their users' email inboxes. Without a foolproof solution to turn to, some ISPs, like Road Runner (@rr.com email addresses), now require confirmed opt-in for email delivery. They do this because the subscription tracking capabilities associated with confirmed opt-in can help them differentiate legitimate commercial email from spam and protect their customers from receiving spam.
Is Confirmed Opt-in for You?
While usage of confirmed opt-in is not widespread today, and we can't tell just yet if it will become the industry standard, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of confirmed opt-in so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for your business.
The Advantages:
In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.
The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.
Key Word Selection
Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.
Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?
Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may
I began affiliate marketing almost exactly a year ago. Fortunately, I have to say that I am in the black when it comes to making money from affiliate marketing. However, it has taken nearly a year and some hard learned lessons that have kept me in the black. Here are a few issues that have come up for me and have made me wiser in my attempts at becoming a money making affiliate marketer:Is a website really necessary?One of the issues I think I notice most about affiliate marketing is that it is a business and because affiliate marketing is a business, it needs to be treated as such. As an online business, one of the main things the serious affiliate marketer needs to consider is having a website of their own.Having your own website or many website allows you to do several things. For one a website allows you to control the content and the landing pages. If you are simply using the affiliate links in the search engines, you have no choice but to accept the landing page the vendor provides you. The other advantage of having your own website is that you can use it to market several similar products allowing the consumer to make comparisons for themselves. Secondly, you can use your own website to create subdomains for different products or different topics. This technique works well especially when using ppc advertising. The use of subdomains works well because you can put the product name as the subdomain. The technique I find that works really well is to have a theme centered website with a keyword in the domain name. This technique alone has saved me a considerable amount in ppc advertising and the cost of registering the domain is offset by this savings.Ingore the hypeWhenever something changes in ppc advertising or a new scheme is devised to make money with affiliate marketing, a new guide generally comes out that is strictly hype. Those that write the
* Allow customers to set appointments online
* Facilitate pro-active communication between you and your customers
* Respond to customers’ changing demands faster
Opt In
Confirmed opt-in has become the most rigorous method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns.
What does confirmed opt-in mean? And, is it for you? Well, first let's define the terms. Then, we'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make your own decision - and I'll throw in my two cents.
Single Opt-In (with a subscriber acknowledgement email) is the most widely accepted and routinely used method of obtaining email addresses and permission. A single opt-in list is created by inviting visitors and customers to subscribe to your email list. When you use a signup tag on your website, a message immediately goes out to the subscriber acknowledging the subscription. This message should reiterate what the subscriber has signed up for, and provide an immediate way for the subscriber to edit her interests or opt-out.
Confirmed Opt-In (a.k.a. double opt-in) is a more stringent method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns. Confirmed opt-in adds an additional step to the opt-in process. It requires the subscriber to respond to a confirmation email, either by clicking on a confirmation link, or by replying to the email to confirm their subscription. Only those subscribers who take this additional step are added to your list.
ISPs and corporations are now doing everything they can to stem the tide of spam flowing into their users' email inboxes. Without a foolproof solution to turn to, some ISPs, like Road Runner (@rr.com email addresses), now require confirmed opt-in for email delivery. They do this because the subscription tracking capabilities associated with confirmed opt-in can help them differentiate legitimate commercial email from spam and protect their customers from receiving spam.
Is Confirmed Opt-in for You?
While usage of confirmed opt-in is not widespread today, and we can't tell just yet if it will become the industry standard, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of confirmed opt-in so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for your business.
The Advantages:
In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.
The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.
Key Word Selection
Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.
Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?
Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may
Most organizations have more project proposals and ideas than they can realistically fund. This means project teams are competing for project approval and funding. Consequently, project champions often conceal or exaggerate the true value of their projects. Teams and organizations typically focus on the up-front costs of a project and the expected return. Other costs are glossed over or ignored entirely, and risk assessment is treated as a perfunctory afterthought. This focus on the up-front costs and the net return is only half of the story, however.It may be time to stop thinking of risk assessment as the killjoy exercise which drains the enthusiasm from your project and to start thinking of it as a tool for enhancing your project's value.Understanding the Fundamentals:A project risk is any problem that could cause some loss or threaten the success of the project1. Risks differ from issues because they refer to the future or to the potential for adverse outcome.“A risk consists of a condition which is not currently true, the likelihood that the condition will materialize, and a consequence or impact on the project if the condition does materialize.”Risk management is the process of identifying, analyzing, and addressing project risks proactively to maximize positive consequences (opportunities) and minimize negative consequences (losses). Risks are addressed by formulating mitigation plans, which are aimed at reducing the likelihood that the condition will materialize, and contingency plans, which are aimed at addressing the condition when it does materialize.As mentioned above, the value of a project is determined by its net return and its risks. The net return on the project is equal to the present value of the project minus the costs (return = present value - costs). This return assumes that the project will proceed as planned and budgeted - that is,
ISPs and corporations are now doing everything they can to stem the tide of spam flowing into their users' email inboxes. Without a foolproof solution to turn to, some ISPs, like Road Runner (@rr.com email addresses), now require confirmed opt-in for email delivery. They do this because the subscription tracking capabilities associated with confirmed opt-in can help them differentiate legitimate commercial email from spam and protect their customers from receiving spam.
Is Confirmed Opt-in for You?
While usage of confirmed opt-in is not widespread today, and we can't tell just yet if it will become the industry standard, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of confirmed opt-in so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for your business.
The Advantages:
In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.
The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.
Key Word Selection
Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.
Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?
Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may
Active listening is a two part process that builds trust in your prospects, customers or clients and helps them to become more focused and candid in their response to your questions. The following list outlines the activities that make up active listening skills.Phase I• Give solid dominant eye contact (right eye) when your customer is speaking.• Murmur a lot and nod your head to let prospects “hear and see” that you are listening.• Ask the customer to clarify a point that is not understood or is of further interest.Phase II• Paraphrase back what you have heard your customer say(NOTE: paraphrasing doesn’t mean you agree with what is said, it just lets your prospects know you heard what was said.)• State your impressions or feelings from what has been said.In one of the laboratories in Washington, D.C., there is a great magnifying glass that measures over three feet across. It's like the “sun glasses” we used to treasure when we were young. This great glass gathers the rays of the sun and then focuses them to a single point in space a few feet below. That single spot is so hot that it can melt through a steel plate as easily as a red-hot needle burns through paper. The terrific heat cannot be measured because it melts all instruments. It is just three feet of ordinary sunshine concentrated on a single point. Scattered, these rays are hardly felt, perhaps just pleasantly warm; concentrated, they can melt the strongest of all metals.This magnifying glass is an example of the power of focused concentration. It also suggests to the serious sales professional a way to achieve the sales and cross-sales success you are seeking. If you want to improve any skill, including vital questioning and listening skills, you need the power of focused concentration to help you improve these important selling activities.Improvement is almost assur
The Advantages:
In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.
The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.
Key Word Selection
Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.
Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?
Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may be searching and optimize accordingly.
More online consumers know exactly what they're searching for when it comes to retail products. You should try optimizing for products by part or model number?
Example: nokia 8910 cell phone
Example: hp deskjet 5550 printer
Also, try adding "" quotes around your product and model number within the
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available for communicating and developing relationships. But, email marketing can only be that powerful when it’s done well.
Using your standard email client (e.g. Outlook, Eudora, hotmail, AOL, Yahoo etc.) to send a Bcc text or HTML message to your list is not doing email marketing well. Why not? Because your standard email client is not designed for email marketing and therefore has significant limitations that can actually undermine vs. aid your email marketing efforts.
The good news is – you do not have to go it alone. There are Web-based email marketing services that are inexpensive and designed to make email marketing simple for the non-technical user. By using a good email marketing service, you can just easily avoid common mistakes and truly get the most out of your email marketing efforts.
Here are the top ten reasons you need an email marketing service. Coincidentally, these are also the top ten critical email marketing benefits that you will never get from any standard email client.
1. Are approved as bulk mailers
2. Follow professional mailing practices
3. Provide list hosting and management
4. Require no technical skill or support staff
5. Handle formatting
6. Create great looking emails
7. Get higher email deliverability
8. Deliver measurable results
9. Include frequent updates and enhancements
10. Comply with email laws
Ezines
An Ezine is a periodic publication distributed by email or posted on a website.
Ezines are typically tightly focused on a subject area. Ezines in concept are reworking of the popular magazine format of monthly, or weekly topical publications, in an electronic format.
Ezines range greatly in size and scope, from irregular newsletters reaching a handful of subscribers to daily journals reaching hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Writing articles for ezines increases your visibility on the Internet. By writing articles, you establish your credibility as a market leader. By including your name, company name and website address, you will drive traffic back to your web site.
Banner Advertisements
Probably the most popular method of online advertising is through the use of banner ads. These are the advertisements, most often in rectangular boxes, that seem to appear on almost every page you look at on the Web. In addition to banner ads, some other ways you can advertise your online business include having your ad placed with a newsletter distribution service, and inserting your domain name (www.yourbiz.com) in offline advertisements.
If you are unfamiliar with the process of running a banner ad, then you'll be surprised at how fast you can actually start pulling in visitors with this medium. While in the offline world it can take months to actually get your advertisement placed in a publication, in the online world the whole process can be accomplished in a matter of days. Another advantage of online advertising is that you can change your ad in the middle of a campaign.
Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs offer you a way to make money for your online business by advertising for other online businesses. In their simplest form, affiliate programs establish a business relationship between your business and another business, where you will receive a percentage, or a fee, for the sales that you generate for the other business. In a sense, by joining an affiliate program, you become an agent for another business and get a commission every time you sell something for that business. For instance, let's say that you joined an affiliate program that paid you a 15% commission on every sale that you made. If you sold an item worth $100, then you would receive a $15 commission from the affiliate program.
In order to join an affiliate program and begin earning commissions, you
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