Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Thayne Carper
Good cost reduction means you must slash your expenses and costs when possible, provided that this does not affect your product quality or harm your operations. There are numerous approaches to cutting expenses, and you cost reduction plan must identify where you can save money.
Practical Cost Cutting Measures
By reducing utilities expenses, for example, your company will save money that otherwise will have been spent inefficiently. Reducing waste programs and office supply expenses are also practical cost reduction ideas, as companies all too often burn considerable funds in these areas without looking at cost-savings alternatives.  Consider cutting insurance costs, inventory levels, or fixed asset amounts too.
Not only must a company owner find ways of reducing costs, he or she must also figure out different ways of doing business with third parties. It would be wise to research your vendor contracts and uncover whether or not you can get a better deal elsewhere.  Good cost reduction plans will have you monitor your equipment leases to seek out better opportunities for savings. The list of cost reduction methods can be lengthy, which is why you must spend careful time planning out good strategies.
Look for Other Ways to Save
Reducing daily expenses that are adversely affecting the budget may be enough for your company to obtain the objectives set forth in your cost reduction plan. However, if these reductions are not enough, then you must further investigate areas you can cut expenses that will have a positive result.
Of course, you must take care in cutting costs in business and always use good judgment. If you, for example, decide to cut staffing, then you may find there to be significant consequences. Fewer staff may mean it becomes impossible to maintain delivery schedules. Layoffs can result in impaired product or service quality, which would obviously be detrimental to your business.
Layoffs are often the easiest expense to cut at first glance, but the far-reaching consequences can prove they are simply not worthwhile, and you would be best reducing your expenses by other means. Cutting too many expenses can have other drawbacks; for example, if you cut your inventory levels too much, then your company may save some costs, yet may not be able to deliver its products efficiently within your promised or a reasonable amount of time. This will not endear you to active and potential clients.
The Benefits of Cost Reduction
An efficient cost reduction plan will ensure businesses will not let expenses run rampant even in good times. While keeping costs reasonable may appear better than reducing your expenses, you must take into account business cycles and that businesses need to be able to quickly respond to a changing marketplace.
Even in good times, you must consider cutting costs, whether it's as simple as cutting lights or something far more extensive such as fewer capital equipment purchases. Cost reduction involves both simple and extensive cost cutting measures, and your plan should address various ways of eliminating, or at least trimming, unnecessary and burdensome expenses.
About the Author:
Thayne Carper spent 4 years of college competing in student business plan competitions. He's never won a business plan competition and was dropped from his college's entrepreneurial program for lacking potential. Today, he is one of the youngest published experts on the topic of business turnarounds and cost reduction. Visit his website lower supply costs up to 30% for a copy of his report "The Definitive Guide to Doubling Your Profits in less than 6 Months" and learn how you can easily lower supply and service costs up to 30% without hiring a consultant. Learn more: http://www.ThayneCarper.com/
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
5 Essential Elements of Successful Article Marketing
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Bill Platt
If you want to understand how to be successful online, study those who are already successful, and gain an understanding of "what they do" and "why they do what they do..." Then mirror their actions...
I have been very successful using Article Marketing to promote my online businesses, since early 2000...
I have written and distributed many articles that went on to generate sales in the five figures... But for the sake of the FTC, "Very few people will make this kind of money with Article Marketing..."
If you understand the "how and why" of writing great articles, perhaps you can generate more sales from your articles than I have from mine... But if you miss the point of this article, you are likely to never make any money at all with article marketing...
There Are Five Essential Elements of Successful Article Marketing:
1. Title - Many people suggest that you should put your top keywords at the front of your article title, but I don't subscribe to that methodology. I do include my target keywords in the title, when I can, but an article that is well-optimized for the search engines is worthless if it does not get published... The #1 goal of your articles' title is to get the article opened!! You must present a title that is going to get the attention of publishers and readers; you must present a title that is going to compel a person to at least open your article to see if they will want to read it...
2. Opening Paragraph - The title got your article opened, but now you need your reader to read the article... Tell your reader why they should keep reading your article and read it to its conclusion... Any reader who does not reach your website from your article is a "missed opportunity" to sell your stuff... Show people why it will be in their best interest to finish reading your article...
3. The Article Body - The article body must meet the promise of the Article Title and the opening paragraph... The article body must retain the interest of the reader to the last word... The article body must tell a story people want to read, and leave them wanting more... The article body must successfully carry the reader to your Author's Resource Box... When finished reading, the reader must be happy to have read the article...
4. The Authors' Resource Box - The Authors' Resource Box needs to transition the reader from your article to your website, by offering a compelling call-to-action to get the reader to go to your website... Tell who you are, but don't go overboard... People do not care who you are - they only care about what else you can do for them... Jeff Herring wrote a great article that elaborates a bit further on how to construct an effective Resource Box here (http://ezinearticles.com/?id=3624961)...
5. Your Landing Page - You should never try to sell your products or services in your Authors' Resource Box. Instead, you should try to get the reader to your website, where you have an unlimited number of words, videos, pictures and testimonials to tell the real story of your products or services. Few vendors have the ability to sell a product or service in 500 characters, so you should use your Authors' Resource Box to get the reader to your website, where you will do the real selling...
Tell A Story People Want To Read
Often, the difference between someone who will try to write an article for $5 and the professional writer who understands the value of his or her work can be defined simply...
The person writing an article for $5 will "beat around the bush" for five hundred words, without ever actually saying anything of any real value to anyone... The person who works for $5 an article is just putting words on a page so that he or she can be paid...
The person who demands $40 to $500 to write an article is a master of story-telling... He or she will tell a story that people will want to read, and therefore a story that publishers will want to publish...
The authors who tell a story that "people are happy to have read" will find their articles on more high-quality websites, and they will find more people visiting their websites, as a result of having read the article...
Words on a page only please search engines, but a story on a page will ALSO attract readers, visitors and paying customers to your website...
Interestingly, most online marketing gurus who advise hiring people to write $5 articles also fail to tell a truth -- they fail to point out that articles that pass real link popularity to a website must have link popularity to pass on to your website...
People don't link to articles that are nothing more than "words on a page", but people will link to a story that needs telling... Just like with Jeff Herring's article linked above; his story is worth sharing with you, and as a result, it has gained its own links from people who do not know Jeff personally... (I have never met Jeff Herring or talked to him by phone or email. It was an honest recommendation for a great article written by him.)
Jeff's article has gained its own link popularity, by merit of it being a good story... As a result, Jeff's article will pass real link popularity back to his website, because it has real value for readers and real link popularity to share...
Article Marketing Will Not Work For Everyone...
There are a great number of us who have made a lot of money with article marketing... Then there are thousands of others who have never made any money at all with article marketing...
When you want to find success with an online business, you should mirror those people who have been successful...
Article Marketing is no different... If you have ever visited a website or purchased a product, as a result of having read an article that mentioned the website or product, take another look at the article that drove you to action... Try to understand the "how" and "why" that article worked, and then try to figure out how you can duplicate the formula for yourself...
Chances are good that you will see my "Five Essential Elements of Successful Article Marketing" in those articles that you are reviewing...
Fortunately, you don't have to take my word for what I am telling you in this article... Whenever you find an article that moves you to visit the website shown in the Authors' Resource Box, take another look at the article to see how closely it matches with the "Five Essential Elements" I shared with you in this article... You may be surprised by what you learn...
About the Author:
If you enjoyed this information, you will find that it just scratches the surface of what I have included in my article marketing ebook, "How To Use Article Marketing To Positively Impact Your SEO Efforts", available for sale on my website, http://thephantomwriters.com/ My name is Bill Platt, and I have been involved in Article Marketing since early 2000. This article was excerpted in part, from the one shown here.
Read more of Bill Platt's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Bill Platt
If you want to understand how to be successful online, study those who are already successful, and gain an understanding of "what they do" and "why they do what they do..." Then mirror their actions...
I have been very successful using Article Marketing to promote my online businesses, since early 2000...
I have written and distributed many articles that went on to generate sales in the five figures... But for the sake of the FTC, "Very few people will make this kind of money with Article Marketing..."
If you understand the "how and why" of writing great articles, perhaps you can generate more sales from your articles than I have from mine... But if you miss the point of this article, you are likely to never make any money at all with article marketing...
There Are Five Essential Elements of Successful Article Marketing:
1. Title - Many people suggest that you should put your top keywords at the front of your article title, but I don't subscribe to that methodology. I do include my target keywords in the title, when I can, but an article that is well-optimized for the search engines is worthless if it does not get published... The #1 goal of your articles' title is to get the article opened!! You must present a title that is going to get the attention of publishers and readers; you must present a title that is going to compel a person to at least open your article to see if they will want to read it...
2. Opening Paragraph - The title got your article opened, but now you need your reader to read the article... Tell your reader why they should keep reading your article and read it to its conclusion... Any reader who does not reach your website from your article is a "missed opportunity" to sell your stuff... Show people why it will be in their best interest to finish reading your article...
3. The Article Body - The article body must meet the promise of the Article Title and the opening paragraph... The article body must retain the interest of the reader to the last word... The article body must tell a story people want to read, and leave them wanting more... The article body must successfully carry the reader to your Author's Resource Box... When finished reading, the reader must be happy to have read the article...
4. The Authors' Resource Box - The Authors' Resource Box needs to transition the reader from your article to your website, by offering a compelling call-to-action to get the reader to go to your website... Tell who you are, but don't go overboard... People do not care who you are - they only care about what else you can do for them... Jeff Herring wrote a great article that elaborates a bit further on how to construct an effective Resource Box here (http://ezinearticles.com/?id=3624961)...
5. Your Landing Page - You should never try to sell your products or services in your Authors' Resource Box. Instead, you should try to get the reader to your website, where you have an unlimited number of words, videos, pictures and testimonials to tell the real story of your products or services. Few vendors have the ability to sell a product or service in 500 characters, so you should use your Authors' Resource Box to get the reader to your website, where you will do the real selling...
Tell A Story People Want To Read
Often, the difference between someone who will try to write an article for $5 and the professional writer who understands the value of his or her work can be defined simply...
The person writing an article for $5 will "beat around the bush" for five hundred words, without ever actually saying anything of any real value to anyone... The person who works for $5 an article is just putting words on a page so that he or she can be paid...
The person who demands $40 to $500 to write an article is a master of story-telling... He or she will tell a story that people will want to read, and therefore a story that publishers will want to publish...
The authors who tell a story that "people are happy to have read" will find their articles on more high-quality websites, and they will find more people visiting their websites, as a result of having read the article...
Words on a page only please search engines, but a story on a page will ALSO attract readers, visitors and paying customers to your website...
Interestingly, most online marketing gurus who advise hiring people to write $5 articles also fail to tell a truth -- they fail to point out that articles that pass real link popularity to a website must have link popularity to pass on to your website...
People don't link to articles that are nothing more than "words on a page", but people will link to a story that needs telling... Just like with Jeff Herring's article linked above; his story is worth sharing with you, and as a result, it has gained its own links from people who do not know Jeff personally... (I have never met Jeff Herring or talked to him by phone or email. It was an honest recommendation for a great article written by him.)
Jeff's article has gained its own link popularity, by merit of it being a good story... As a result, Jeff's article will pass real link popularity back to his website, because it has real value for readers and real link popularity to share...
Article Marketing Will Not Work For Everyone...
There are a great number of us who have made a lot of money with article marketing... Then there are thousands of others who have never made any money at all with article marketing...
When you want to find success with an online business, you should mirror those people who have been successful...
Article Marketing is no different... If you have ever visited a website or purchased a product, as a result of having read an article that mentioned the website or product, take another look at the article that drove you to action... Try to understand the "how" and "why" that article worked, and then try to figure out how you can duplicate the formula for yourself...
Chances are good that you will see my "Five Essential Elements of Successful Article Marketing" in those articles that you are reviewing...
Fortunately, you don't have to take my word for what I am telling you in this article... Whenever you find an article that moves you to visit the website shown in the Authors' Resource Box, take another look at the article to see how closely it matches with the "Five Essential Elements" I shared with you in this article... You may be surprised by what you learn...
About the Author:
If you enjoyed this information, you will find that it just scratches the surface of what I have included in my article marketing ebook, "How To Use Article Marketing To Positively Impact Your SEO Efforts", available for sale on my website, http://thephantomwriters.com/ My name is Bill Platt, and I have been involved in Article Marketing since early 2000. This article was excerpted in part, from the one shown here.
Read more of Bill Platt's articles.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
List Building - Is It Still Relevant On Today's Web?
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Years ago, when I first started in online marketing, all the rage was something called "list building". I immediately jumped on this subject and started gathering every list building technique one could possibly imagine. It very quickly became one of my most favorite areas of Internet marketing to explore; so much so, that when I reached my first goal of getting 1000 subscribers, I was so pleased with myself, I even wrote an ebook on list building.
But that was then, this is now.
Since that time, online marketing and even the web itself, has changed tremendously. And we are not talking about small changes or minor adjustments here - the web has fundamentally changed from the core up. People simply use the web in a different way than they used it 10 years ago. It has become so much more of a user-friendly place, so much so, that marketing on this friendlier web has become a whole new ballgame.
The question remains: is list building still relevant on today's web?
The answer is still a solid "YES", but the "WAY" lists are built have almost changed completely. Not too long ago, traditional list building meant you slapped some sign-ups forms (provided by your webhost or an autoresponder service) onto your web pages and you were in business. Subscribers who signed up to your list or newsletter, would receive follow-up emails from you or your site.
Anyone could do it since it was so straightforward and so simple, almost to the point of being idiot-proof. However, the underlying key to building a successful list was gaining loyalty and forming a lasting relationship with your subscriber. Successful online marketers and list builders will tell you, this was really the hardest part. Communicating effectively with your subscribers over a long period of time is extremely difficult to do and does require gaining some skills, especially in the copy writing area.
So what has changed the list building process?
In a couple of words, three to be precise: social networking sites. These social networking programs and sites have completely changed how lists are built on the web. Actually, these social network sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube... have made list building as easy as taking your next breath. List building is integrated into these programs so seamlessly, many users are unaware they are actually building a list.
Simply by using these social networking sites any webmaster or marketer can build a list of contacts or subscribers. Call them friends, fans or followers - they are your subscribers and you can easily reach them with your next posting, tweet or video. There are countless teenagers on many of these social networks who have subscribers that number in the 100's of thousands, even in the millions. And the rate at which they build their list of subscribers, would put many a seasoned marketer to shame.
There are several reasons why this new way of list building is much more effective than traditional list building methods. First, building your list of contacts is fully integrated into these network programs, often it is the main goal or purpose of the program. Seeing how many followers you can get on Twitter has become a world-wide sport - just go ask Ashton Kutcher!
However, from a marketing perspective, using these programs eliminates one of the major drawbacks of marketing on the web - spam. Actually, contacting your list by email is becoming troublesome, even with double opt-in, many of your emails never get through to your legit subscribers because they are blocked by spam-filters and Internet service providers. Using these social programs is a way of contacting your subscribers without the whole issue of spam being considered at all.
Perhaps, an even more important reason to use these social media sites to build your list, has to do with the tricky problem of establishing relationships with your subscribers. These sites make it much more easier to build that long-lasting relationship with your contacts. In the case of YouTube, it can simply mean making a video and talking directly to your subscribers. Communication is direct and immediate. In most cases, there's no need to acquire additional skills or techniques. Besides, in most of these social network sites, the communication is often more effective because it's just not one-way, your subscribers can easily communicate back with you.
Same goes for Twitter, which has become the list building tool of choice for many webmasters and online marketers. Twitter is an excellent medium for building your list. It can be used effectively to get your message out to thousands of like-minded followers and have that message spread rapidly around the web. Marketers are now taking advantage of such a system to market online, but be aware abusing this program will get you banned, especially if you just use it to send spam. Like any type of marketing on the web, you shouldn't have any problems if you keep all your communications/interactions real and human.
Another element of these programs which can't be denied, they are all free. Anyone can use these social network sites to quickly build their list or lists without having to worry about paying for it. Actually, in the case of YouTube, you can become a partner and earn revenue from Google Adsense while building your list.
There's also no denying these social network sites have changed not only list building, but how we use the web. These programs have a "pooling effect" on all web activity, gathering like-minded individuals into or around certain "pools" on the Internet. These concentrated pools of people can be formed around a certain topic or even around a certain person. These are excellent areas in which to carry out your list-building activities and your online marketing efforts since they provide very targeted prospects. Ones you can easily contact and communicate with by using these social networking sites.
While the old traditional email list should not be forgotten, list building, as we know it, has been changed forever by the introduction of these social networking programs. And as these network sites become more and more popular, they will play an even greater role in all your list building efforts. A role that can't be ignored or dismissed, especially if you want your list building to be truly effective.
About the Author:
If you want to find out more about list building, try this handy eCourse on: list building. Or why don't you simply follow us on Twitter to get other useful marketing and list building help: twitter. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com/ This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Years ago, when I first started in online marketing, all the rage was something called "list building". I immediately jumped on this subject and started gathering every list building technique one could possibly imagine. It very quickly became one of my most favorite areas of Internet marketing to explore; so much so, that when I reached my first goal of getting 1000 subscribers, I was so pleased with myself, I even wrote an ebook on list building.
But that was then, this is now.
Since that time, online marketing and even the web itself, has changed tremendously. And we are not talking about small changes or minor adjustments here - the web has fundamentally changed from the core up. People simply use the web in a different way than they used it 10 years ago. It has become so much more of a user-friendly place, so much so, that marketing on this friendlier web has become a whole new ballgame.
The question remains: is list building still relevant on today's web?
The answer is still a solid "YES", but the "WAY" lists are built have almost changed completely. Not too long ago, traditional list building meant you slapped some sign-ups forms (provided by your webhost or an autoresponder service) onto your web pages and you were in business. Subscribers who signed up to your list or newsletter, would receive follow-up emails from you or your site.
Anyone could do it since it was so straightforward and so simple, almost to the point of being idiot-proof. However, the underlying key to building a successful list was gaining loyalty and forming a lasting relationship with your subscriber. Successful online marketers and list builders will tell you, this was really the hardest part. Communicating effectively with your subscribers over a long period of time is extremely difficult to do and does require gaining some skills, especially in the copy writing area.
So what has changed the list building process?
In a couple of words, three to be precise: social networking sites. These social networking programs and sites have completely changed how lists are built on the web. Actually, these social network sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube... have made list building as easy as taking your next breath. List building is integrated into these programs so seamlessly, many users are unaware they are actually building a list.
Simply by using these social networking sites any webmaster or marketer can build a list of contacts or subscribers. Call them friends, fans or followers - they are your subscribers and you can easily reach them with your next posting, tweet or video. There are countless teenagers on many of these social networks who have subscribers that number in the 100's of thousands, even in the millions. And the rate at which they build their list of subscribers, would put many a seasoned marketer to shame.
There are several reasons why this new way of list building is much more effective than traditional list building methods. First, building your list of contacts is fully integrated into these network programs, often it is the main goal or purpose of the program. Seeing how many followers you can get on Twitter has become a world-wide sport - just go ask Ashton Kutcher!
However, from a marketing perspective, using these programs eliminates one of the major drawbacks of marketing on the web - spam. Actually, contacting your list by email is becoming troublesome, even with double opt-in, many of your emails never get through to your legit subscribers because they are blocked by spam-filters and Internet service providers. Using these social programs is a way of contacting your subscribers without the whole issue of spam being considered at all.
Perhaps, an even more important reason to use these social media sites to build your list, has to do with the tricky problem of establishing relationships with your subscribers. These sites make it much more easier to build that long-lasting relationship with your contacts. In the case of YouTube, it can simply mean making a video and talking directly to your subscribers. Communication is direct and immediate. In most cases, there's no need to acquire additional skills or techniques. Besides, in most of these social network sites, the communication is often more effective because it's just not one-way, your subscribers can easily communicate back with you.
Same goes for Twitter, which has become the list building tool of choice for many webmasters and online marketers. Twitter is an excellent medium for building your list. It can be used effectively to get your message out to thousands of like-minded followers and have that message spread rapidly around the web. Marketers are now taking advantage of such a system to market online, but be aware abusing this program will get you banned, especially if you just use it to send spam. Like any type of marketing on the web, you shouldn't have any problems if you keep all your communications/interactions real and human.
Another element of these programs which can't be denied, they are all free. Anyone can use these social network sites to quickly build their list or lists without having to worry about paying for it. Actually, in the case of YouTube, you can become a partner and earn revenue from Google Adsense while building your list.
There's also no denying these social network sites have changed not only list building, but how we use the web. These programs have a "pooling effect" on all web activity, gathering like-minded individuals into or around certain "pools" on the Internet. These concentrated pools of people can be formed around a certain topic or even around a certain person. These are excellent areas in which to carry out your list-building activities and your online marketing efforts since they provide very targeted prospects. Ones you can easily contact and communicate with by using these social networking sites.
While the old traditional email list should not be forgotten, list building, as we know it, has been changed forever by the introduction of these social networking programs. And as these network sites become more and more popular, they will play an even greater role in all your list building efforts. A role that can't be ignored or dismissed, especially if you want your list building to be truly effective.
About the Author:
If you want to find out more about list building, try this handy eCourse on: list building. Or why don't you simply follow us on Twitter to get other useful marketing and list building help: twitter. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com/ This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins's articles.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Webmasters: There Is Nothing To Fear About PHP But Fear Itself
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Hartford Rhodes
I remember when I first started on the Internet as a webmaster. I remember I was so scared I was going screw something up, I was scared to death to install scripts into my website.
My First Experience With Online Script Customization
In those days, I had a mailing list with more than 2000 people subscribed to my newsletter. I remember thinking that people may think I was less professional, if I keep my mailing list on Yahoo groups. I remember that I had the bright idea to operate the mailing list from my domain. My web hosting company offered mailing list software, within my web hosting account.
Because I had the ability to operate my own mailing list from my server, I decided that I should move my Yahoo groups mailing list to a mailing list on my own domain. That was in 1999, the year that I had purchased my first domain name.
My very first experience with Perl scripts was when I was managing my mailing list. I recall that there was some customization that I desired to do within the coding for that script. I read the documentation for that mailing list software, and the programmers make it sound so easy...
I read the documentation several times to make sure that I understood what I was trying to do. I recall that in Perl scripting, a comment tag is denoted by the #, in front of the comment.
After three days of preparation, I opened up the Perl configuration file to customize how my particular mailing list operated. Once I opened the file and found hundreds of lines of code, I have to admit, I was deeply intimidated by the task that lay before me...
After seeing the code, I went back to the documentation and started reading again... I was so scared that I was going to screw something up that I felt I needed to make absolutely certain that what I thought I was doing was actually what I should be doing...
I was scared I was going to screw something up, and I was intimidated by the process...
To be honest, it took me more than one week to comment out three lines of code and to un-comment another eight lines of code, because I was so uneasy about what I was doing...
I Can Fix Anything I Break
Finally, I took the attitude that I could not screw up anything too bad... I took the attitude that if I broke something, then I could fix what I broke... That was the real turning point for me when dealing with computer scripts...
I figured that so long as I remembered what I changed, I could fix anything that I broke...
So, I kept good records in a notepad on my desk, documenting every change I made and where I made it...
Customizing Existing Website Scripts
For the first couple months, I only played with other people's Perl scripts... If I found something that I wanted my website to do, I would go find a Perl script that was designed to do that task for me... Then I would install that script on my server and customize it if I needed to do so...
Customization of Perl scripts was painful and slow, because I would have to look for sample online that would show me how to do what I wanted to do... Then with a sample in hand, I would try to make my website jump through the hoops I wanted it to jump through...
In my case, I spent a couple years customizing other people's scripts for my websites... In those early days, I only played with Perl scripts, because that is what I was familiar with... I had heard people talk about how easy and efficient PHP was, but it was unexplored territory for me, so therefore, I remained intimidated by PHP and stayed away from it for much too long...
In the spring of 2005, I was looking for a particular solution that I could only locate in PHP scripts... Literally, I was forced to step outside of my comfort zone and to start looking at code written in PHP...
Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone Into PHP
Using online tutorials for PHP, such as those found at PHP.net, I got to speed really quickly on PHP...
My first impression of using PHP for online programming was that I could do one line of code in PHP for ever 20 lines of code in Perl... Of course, that could only be "my impression" of the difference between the two programming languages, because I was never really skilled in Perl to begin with...
After customizing two or three scripts in PHP, I realized that PHP was a really intuitive programming language... I realized that writing scripts in PHP would be much easier for me than writing scripts in Perl...
In the summer of 2005, after having written from scratch three or four scripts in PHP, I took the plunge...
To that date, my entire website had been written and developed in Perl... I spent the summer of 2005 converting all of the primary operations of my website to a PHP format...
I spent roughly 30 days programming in PHP format, bringing my website finally into the 21st century...
It is a decision that I have not regretted...
Compared to working with Perl, I find programming in PHP to be an absolute joy...
Overcoming One Problem At A Time To Find Solutions
Over the years, I have taught myself to program for the Internet, one step at a time, only writing the code that I needed to write to make my websites do the tasks that I wanted my website to do...
What I'm telling you is that I am not the most proficient programmer on the Internet, but I can program anything that I need to program. When I needed to create a script that enabled me to auto submit to Twitter, I spent two hours studying the problem, then one hour creating the solution...
When I needed to adapt my Twitter script to enable me to auto submit to similar sites, I spent 30 minutes coding a solution... Mind you, before sitting down to write the script, I spent one week researching the solution...
After having gone through the process, I can assure you of one thing...
I purchased a half a dozen scripts, written by other programmers, to help me understand the process of submitting content - via PHP script - to the social media websites...
I can assure you, from personal experience, that most of the PHP scripts in the marketplace that have been designed to enable you to submit content and social media websites, are just plain garbage...
In almost every case, the scripts that I purchased did not even do what they were advertised to do... In fact, most of the scripts available online that you can purchase today that claim they will help you submit content to social media and social bookmarking websites require you to manually place all content, one site at a time...
At the end of the day, I wasted $100 purchasing scripts that taught me absolutely nothing... and strangely, I wasted that money purchasing scripts where the social media websites listed no longer existed... What I mean to say is that one script was advertising that it had 120 social media websites built into its scripting... But while trying to register at those sites, I quickly figured out that more than 60 of those sites were no longer in business...
I researched and analyzed more than one dozen social bookmarking scripts... I was absolutely stunned that many of those websites were not even written my own language... The scripts that pull together the ability to submit a web page to more than 100 social media websites rely upon German, French, and Far East websites to give their scripts the appearance of offering good value...
In my particular case, I wanted to only submit content to English-speaking social media websites... After all, I only speak English... I don't want to be in the minority, putting English-language tweets in foreign language websites... Much in the same way that I don't want to see a bunch of German or Chinese in my Twitter public timeline...
I found the available solutions for social media marketing to be lacking, therefore, I had to create my own solution to do this for me...
As A Webmaster, You Must Learn To Overcome Your Fears
But the point of this story is not to say that I'm a programmer with some awesome scripts; it is meant to say that as a webmaster, you must be willing to overcome your fears, to do what needs to be done for your website, or you must be willing to hire someone to do that for you...
There are also tools and tutorials online that will teach you how to do custom PHP coding for your websites... Even if you don't want to do the coding yourself, you can often find code online that will help you do what you want your website to do...
Some of the best resources online for learning how to program in PHP are:
http://www.php.net/
http://tizag.com/
http://php.resourceindex.com/
For example, if you wanted to build a custom contact form for your website, there are tutorials that will teach you how to do so... If you're intimidated by the process of learning how to do it for yourself, you can even find existing scripts that you can customize to serve your own needs... If you just don't want to have to look at the code, then there are others who are willing to do that coding for you...
I have programmed entire websites before, but most people do not need someone to build an entire website for them... Rather most people are happy with the website that they currently have; they just wish they could add specific functionality to that website... That is what I do today... I create specific scripts to solve a specific problem, then I sell those scripts to other people...
I have found real job satisfaction in knowing that I can give people the added functionality that they want for their websites...
Answering The Call For Custom PHP Scrips, One Problem At A Time
People do not want a complete website overhaul, and I cannot blame them... But when the web designer built the website, he or she may have excluded an XML Sitemap... Those folks knock on our door, and we create XML Sitemaps for them...
If you want to learn how to build you own XML Sitemaps, you should visit: http://sitemaps.org/protocol.php
But, if you want to avoid the headache of doing that, then you should consider using our services at the website shown below...
If you simply want to add a small script to your website that permits your visitors to social bookmark your web pages, then you should go to: http://www.addthis.com/
But, if you want a more automated approach, you should consider purchasing my script for doing that at the website shown below...
If you want to add a free PHP contact form to your website, then you should take a look at: http://www.ibdhost.com/contact/
However, if you want something customized just for you, then you owe it to yourself to visit the website shown below in my Author's Resource Box...
The Only Thing You Have To Fear Is Fear Itself...
After ten years of online programming, I can assure you that the title of this article is correct... The only thing we have to fear is fear itself...
The tools and resources you need to have to be able to learn how to do your own PHP coding is available online, if you are willing to invest yourself to that end...
You just have to be willing to open the source code of the files on your website and to learn your way around the code... Once you have overcome the fear, online programming with PHP really is not that hard...
You can teach yourself how to program for the Internet, or you can hunt down people who are willing to do the programming for you...
About the Author:
If you need a custom PHP script coded for your website, or if you need help installing a script that you have purchased or otherwise acquired, my co-workers and I will be happy to take care of it for you... We also do XML Sitemap installations... Visit our website at: http://99dollarwebservices.com/ to learn more... I am Hartford Rhodes, and I look forward to helping you do things on your website that until now, you may have only dreamed about...
Read more of Hartford Rhodes's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Hartford Rhodes
I remember when I first started on the Internet as a webmaster. I remember I was so scared I was going screw something up, I was scared to death to install scripts into my website.
My First Experience With Online Script Customization
In those days, I had a mailing list with more than 2000 people subscribed to my newsletter. I remember thinking that people may think I was less professional, if I keep my mailing list on Yahoo groups. I remember that I had the bright idea to operate the mailing list from my domain. My web hosting company offered mailing list software, within my web hosting account.
Because I had the ability to operate my own mailing list from my server, I decided that I should move my Yahoo groups mailing list to a mailing list on my own domain. That was in 1999, the year that I had purchased my first domain name.
My very first experience with Perl scripts was when I was managing my mailing list. I recall that there was some customization that I desired to do within the coding for that script. I read the documentation for that mailing list software, and the programmers make it sound so easy...
I read the documentation several times to make sure that I understood what I was trying to do. I recall that in Perl scripting, a comment tag is denoted by the #, in front of the comment.
After three days of preparation, I opened up the Perl configuration file to customize how my particular mailing list operated. Once I opened the file and found hundreds of lines of code, I have to admit, I was deeply intimidated by the task that lay before me...
After seeing the code, I went back to the documentation and started reading again... I was so scared that I was going to screw something up that I felt I needed to make absolutely certain that what I thought I was doing was actually what I should be doing...
I was scared I was going to screw something up, and I was intimidated by the process...
To be honest, it took me more than one week to comment out three lines of code and to un-comment another eight lines of code, because I was so uneasy about what I was doing...
I Can Fix Anything I Break
Finally, I took the attitude that I could not screw up anything too bad... I took the attitude that if I broke something, then I could fix what I broke... That was the real turning point for me when dealing with computer scripts...
I figured that so long as I remembered what I changed, I could fix anything that I broke...
So, I kept good records in a notepad on my desk, documenting every change I made and where I made it...
Customizing Existing Website Scripts
For the first couple months, I only played with other people's Perl scripts... If I found something that I wanted my website to do, I would go find a Perl script that was designed to do that task for me... Then I would install that script on my server and customize it if I needed to do so...
Customization of Perl scripts was painful and slow, because I would have to look for sample online that would show me how to do what I wanted to do... Then with a sample in hand, I would try to make my website jump through the hoops I wanted it to jump through...
In my case, I spent a couple years customizing other people's scripts for my websites... In those early days, I only played with Perl scripts, because that is what I was familiar with... I had heard people talk about how easy and efficient PHP was, but it was unexplored territory for me, so therefore, I remained intimidated by PHP and stayed away from it for much too long...
In the spring of 2005, I was looking for a particular solution that I could only locate in PHP scripts... Literally, I was forced to step outside of my comfort zone and to start looking at code written in PHP...
Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone Into PHP
Using online tutorials for PHP, such as those found at PHP.net, I got to speed really quickly on PHP...
My first impression of using PHP for online programming was that I could do one line of code in PHP for ever 20 lines of code in Perl... Of course, that could only be "my impression" of the difference between the two programming languages, because I was never really skilled in Perl to begin with...
After customizing two or three scripts in PHP, I realized that PHP was a really intuitive programming language... I realized that writing scripts in PHP would be much easier for me than writing scripts in Perl...
In the summer of 2005, after having written from scratch three or four scripts in PHP, I took the plunge...
To that date, my entire website had been written and developed in Perl... I spent the summer of 2005 converting all of the primary operations of my website to a PHP format...
I spent roughly 30 days programming in PHP format, bringing my website finally into the 21st century...
It is a decision that I have not regretted...
Compared to working with Perl, I find programming in PHP to be an absolute joy...
Overcoming One Problem At A Time To Find Solutions
Over the years, I have taught myself to program for the Internet, one step at a time, only writing the code that I needed to write to make my websites do the tasks that I wanted my website to do...
What I'm telling you is that I am not the most proficient programmer on the Internet, but I can program anything that I need to program. When I needed to create a script that enabled me to auto submit to Twitter, I spent two hours studying the problem, then one hour creating the solution...
When I needed to adapt my Twitter script to enable me to auto submit to similar sites, I spent 30 minutes coding a solution... Mind you, before sitting down to write the script, I spent one week researching the solution...
After having gone through the process, I can assure you of one thing...
I purchased a half a dozen scripts, written by other programmers, to help me understand the process of submitting content - via PHP script - to the social media websites...
I can assure you, from personal experience, that most of the PHP scripts in the marketplace that have been designed to enable you to submit content and social media websites, are just plain garbage...
In almost every case, the scripts that I purchased did not even do what they were advertised to do... In fact, most of the scripts available online that you can purchase today that claim they will help you submit content to social media and social bookmarking websites require you to manually place all content, one site at a time...
At the end of the day, I wasted $100 purchasing scripts that taught me absolutely nothing... and strangely, I wasted that money purchasing scripts where the social media websites listed no longer existed... What I mean to say is that one script was advertising that it had 120 social media websites built into its scripting... But while trying to register at those sites, I quickly figured out that more than 60 of those sites were no longer in business...
I researched and analyzed more than one dozen social bookmarking scripts... I was absolutely stunned that many of those websites were not even written my own language... The scripts that pull together the ability to submit a web page to more than 100 social media websites rely upon German, French, and Far East websites to give their scripts the appearance of offering good value...
In my particular case, I wanted to only submit content to English-speaking social media websites... After all, I only speak English... I don't want to be in the minority, putting English-language tweets in foreign language websites... Much in the same way that I don't want to see a bunch of German or Chinese in my Twitter public timeline...
I found the available solutions for social media marketing to be lacking, therefore, I had to create my own solution to do this for me...
As A Webmaster, You Must Learn To Overcome Your Fears
But the point of this story is not to say that I'm a programmer with some awesome scripts; it is meant to say that as a webmaster, you must be willing to overcome your fears, to do what needs to be done for your website, or you must be willing to hire someone to do that for you...
There are also tools and tutorials online that will teach you how to do custom PHP coding for your websites... Even if you don't want to do the coding yourself, you can often find code online that will help you do what you want your website to do...
Some of the best resources online for learning how to program in PHP are:
For example, if you wanted to build a custom contact form for your website, there are tutorials that will teach you how to do so... If you're intimidated by the process of learning how to do it for yourself, you can even find existing scripts that you can customize to serve your own needs... If you just don't want to have to look at the code, then there are others who are willing to do that coding for you...
I have programmed entire websites before, but most people do not need someone to build an entire website for them... Rather most people are happy with the website that they currently have; they just wish they could add specific functionality to that website... That is what I do today... I create specific scripts to solve a specific problem, then I sell those scripts to other people...
I have found real job satisfaction in knowing that I can give people the added functionality that they want for their websites...
Answering The Call For Custom PHP Scrips, One Problem At A Time
People do not want a complete website overhaul, and I cannot blame them... But when the web designer built the website, he or she may have excluded an XML Sitemap... Those folks knock on our door, and we create XML Sitemaps for them...
If you want to learn how to build you own XML Sitemaps, you should visit: http://sitemaps.org/protocol.php
But, if you want to avoid the headache of doing that, then you should consider using our services at the website shown below...
If you simply want to add a small script to your website that permits your visitors to social bookmark your web pages, then you should go to: http://www.addthis.com/
But, if you want a more automated approach, you should consider purchasing my script for doing that at the website shown below...
If you want to add a free PHP contact form to your website, then you should take a look at: http://www.ibdhost.com/contact/
However, if you want something customized just for you, then you owe it to yourself to visit the website shown below in my Author's Resource Box...
The Only Thing You Have To Fear Is Fear Itself...
After ten years of online programming, I can assure you that the title of this article is correct... The only thing we have to fear is fear itself...
The tools and resources you need to have to be able to learn how to do your own PHP coding is available online, if you are willing to invest yourself to that end...
You just have to be willing to open the source code of the files on your website and to learn your way around the code... Once you have overcome the fear, online programming with PHP really is not that hard...
You can teach yourself how to program for the Internet, or you can hunt down people who are willing to do the programming for you...
About the Author:
If you need a custom PHP script coded for your website, or if you need help installing a script that you have purchased or otherwise acquired, my co-workers and I will be happy to take care of it for you... We also do XML Sitemap installations... Visit our website at: http://99dollarwebservices.com/ to learn more... I am Hartford Rhodes, and I look forward to helping you do things on your website that until now, you may have only dreamed about...
Read more of Hartford Rhodes's articles.
Monday, March 22, 2010
7 Tips to Be a Successful Online Marketer
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Perhaps a quick introduction and a handy disclaimer is the best way to start this article on Internet marketing. Mainly because you should know who is talking and you should definitely know what you're getting yourself into...
I have been a full-time online marketer for over 5 years now, and I run 9 or 10 sites on the wwww - wonderful world wide web. I make a very respectable living and I enjoy every minute of it. But if you're under the impression that all you have to do is to slap some content together and place it on a web site and watch the money roll in; then you are sadly mistaken. Don't get the wrong impression, you can become a successful online marketer, but it will take a lot of time and work on your part. It just doesn't happen overnight, at least, this has been my experience and we can only write about our own experiences and views.
Over the years, I have also found it helpful to get pointers from someone who is actually doing what we want to do. So below I have put together 7 Tips for becoming a successful online marketer.
1. Knowledge Up
The whole concept of online marketing may seem quite simple, just place some content or product onto a website and you're in business. The reality is quite different. It may take you years to learn all the complex techniques and tactics to compete in the online marketplace, which is becoming more and more competitive as more companies and individuals discover its great potential. Sure we have all heard stories of people who come up with a great idea and make an online fortune very quickly. People also win the lottery... but if you want to become a successful online marketer you first have to learn your trade.
You have to acquire all the knowledge you can on Internet Marketing. Read articles and ebooks, take online e-courses, study and examine successful websites and/or marketers... there is a wealth of marketing information on the web. Just find it and use it. When I was first learning all the ropes, I made tons of mistakes but I was fortunate enough to come into contact with some successful online marketers who were actually doing what I wanted to do. People like Marlon Sanders, Ken Evoy, Corey Rudl, Neil Shearing, Brad Callens... I quickly became acquainted with these individuals and learned everything I could from them.
This was not out of the ordinary or hard to accomplish, since all these marketers have comprehensive affiliate training programs to show even the most novice webmaster or marketer the ropes, most of these programs are free because these marketers want to teach you how to sell their products. This is a very simple way to get a quick education on how to market online. I personally liked the numerous free ebooks offered thru Ken Evoy's SiteSell program... many of these will drive you bonkers, especially if you're new at this game, but only because they are so comprehensive and thorough - all the information can be a little overwhelming to say the least. But if you can work you way through some of SiteSell's free marketing manuals and ebooks, you will get the basic knowledge to further your goal of becoming an online marketer.
2. Find Your Niche Market or Subject
Unless you already have a product or business you wish to market online, then your first task will be finding a good niche market or subject which you can explore and exploit on the web. Best advice, find something that you already have a strong interest in such as a favorite hobby or past-time, an area where you already have special training or something you always wanted to study and examine. This niche market or subject will take up countless hours of your time, so you have to really pick something you like doing. The major point here, if you're doing something you like, it won't seem like work.
No matter which subject area you choose, you must check out the commercial viability of your topic. In other words, if you want to be successful, there must be enough commercial interest in your market or subject. There must be enough people searching for your product each month so that it's viable. Use a program like WordTracker or Google Adwords Keyword Tool to find the number of searches made each month for a keyword. Keywords are words or phrases web users type into search engines to find what they're looking for on the web. You must have plenty of good searchable keywords relating to your subject in order for it to be workable.
Another Keyword tool I like using is Microsoft's Detecting Online Commercial Intention, which tells you the probability a certain keyword or site will have enough commercial potential customers who will purchase a product or service. http://adlab.msn.com/Online-Commercial-Intention/Default.aspx
3. Google Up!
Google is the most important player on the web. While you shouldn't ignore the other search engines, I would suggest you learn everything you can about how Google both indexes and ranks pages on the web. Getting a number one or even a top 5 listing for your chosen keywords in Google, can make or break your online business. Google simply sends/controls the majority of the quality search traffic on the web, get those top rankings in Google and you will succeed.
Now Google gives webmasters many valuable webmaster tools and devotes a whole section to help webmasters with their sites. One valuable resource which is loaded with helpful information is Google Webmaster Tools. Use it! Also, if you're just starting out, another good resource is Google's "Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide", which is a handy pdf file you can download.
Always, keep in mind, Google is only like any other company supplying a product and in this case the product is their SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), so the higher the quality of your content and pages - the higher your rankings in Google will be. Of course, seasoned webmasters know quality one-way backlinks is one of the most important keys to getting high rankings in Google. But it all comes back to quality, if you have quality content, people will bookmark it in all the social media sites, and related webmasters will link to your quality content. This does really happen, so creating high quality content should be your first and most important SEO strategy.
4. Building Your Site
Regardless of what kind of site you're building, you must follow some very simple SEO rules. Make sure your site's structure can be easily navigated by both your visitors and the search engines. Try to keep your site's hierarchy simple, with all your pages reachable from the home page. Most webmasters only use three levels - homepage, topics and sub-topics - with all pages linking back to your homepage and no more than 3 clicks away from it. It is also a good idea to have a sitemap link on each page so that you don't leave your visitors stranded. Check with Google's Starter Guide for more information on how to create a proper lay-out.
Personally, as an online marketer I seek out the top searched for keywords in my niche, and then create pages around that keyword or keyword phrase. This ensures you're getting targeted visitors/customers to your pages. You can have hundreds of these keyworded pages on your site and connect all these pages together in a thematic arrangement so that the search engines can easily find and rank them.
As for choosing a domain name, I also try to get my main targeted keyword in the domain. This helps tremendously with your search engine rankings because every backlink will have your main keyword in the URL. This will tell the search engines exactly what your site is about. Again, if you're brand new at this, I would suggest you use a program like WordPress, which is free blogging software you can use to create a blog site. Another option, is to purchase or buy a SiteBuildIt hosting package from SiteSell, but this is more than just hosting, it's a complete online marketing system you can use. It will take you step-by-step through the whole creation and marketing of your site or business on the web.
5. Promoting Your Site
This is probably the hardest part of online marketing, but it is something which is essential to its success. Too many webmasters/marketers build a fantastic site and then sit around and wait for the visitors/customers to pour in. Sad fact is, unless you actually get out there and promote your site you will get very little, if any traffic. Of course, there are exceptions, some sites instantly attract visitors and acquire countless backlinks just by word of mouth, but for the most part this simply doesn't happen.
You have to actively promote your site and URL. One method that I use is article marketing - writing simple helpful articles and distributing them all over the web. These articles have keyworded links back to your site. Simple and effective way to get your site out there. Another free way to promote your site is to tie it in with all the social media and bookmarking sites, so use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube... to promote your site. Videos also have become very effective recently and you should be taking advantage of their great potential. So too is using a simple social bookmark program like the Addthis Button, which lets your visitors bookmark and build your backlinks for you.
Google seems to be paying special attention to how many social bookmarks/links your site is receiving. It is a simple form of voting for the quality of your content if actual web users see it and bookmark/recommend it to their friends. The more Tweets, Diggs... your content gets, the higher it will rank in the search engines, besides all those links bring in targeted traffic, which is what you want.
6. Monetizing Your Site
There are countless way to monetize or make money from your website once you have a steady flow of traffic coming to your site. We are not talking about tons of traffic here, a site getting just 100 or 200 visitors a day can prove very profitable. Personally, I like choosing affiliate programs which give a residual or have a re-occurring element to their payments. Make one sale and get paid for years to come, I am still receiving monthly payments from sales I made 5 years ago. So if you decide to place affiliate links on your pages, try to go with a company or program which gives you residual income for the life of the referred customer.
I also like promoting high-end affiliate products simply because the commissions are obviously higher. Why sell a $20 item, when you can sell a $2000 one? Of course, there are countless strategies to marketing online, if you sell 100's of that $20 item, you still end up in the same place. As for finding affiliate products to promote I like using the major affiliate networks like Commission Junction, LinkShare, Shareasale, ClickBank, Affiliate Window... these networks are totally professional, do all your tracking and give you valuable information on how to market online.
Another very simple way to monetize your pages is to use Google Adsense, now the payments won't be as high as with promoting affiliate products but using Adsense is a simple and quick way to monetize all your pages. I also find Adsense very consistent and totally reliable, besides getting that check from Google each month, always puts a smile on my face.
7. Track Everything That Moves
Another major key to online marketing success is having extensive tracking in place. You must track where your visitors are coming from and what keywords they're using to find your site. And what they do once they hit your site. I like using Google Analytics for tracking all my content but I don't just depend on Analytics, I also use all hosting stats such as Awstats, Webalizer... I also regularly check my site's traffic logs and daily visitors.
All this tracking tells me what's working and more importantly, what's not working. Check your bounce rate and the amount of time people spend on your site as these are more than likely ranking factors. Also check how fast your site loads, Google is said to be making this another ranking factor which they use to rank your pages.
Carefully reading of your site's stats and logs will show you which keywords are profitable and making you money. Then you have to simply fine-tune your marketing to target those lucrative keywords or phrases. Keep building your rankings for those keywords over a period of time and you will be successful.
Bonus Step: Persistence Brings Home The Bacon
I couldn't finish this article without mentioning another key element to succeeding on the web - persistence. Maybe it's just me, but it took me around three years before any of my sites became really profitable. Now most marketers and webmasters become profitable in much shorter periods, but I still believe it takes time to build a solid online business. It takes time to build up your customer base, it takes time to build up your rankings in all the search engines.
Guess, what I am saying is this: if you expect overnight success, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. But if you take a long-term strategy and build your site and marketing up over a matter of months, more likely years, then you have a much better chance of becoming successful. Mainly because, you're not just building a site, you're building an online business that will take some time to become established and it may even take more time to become prosperous. Be persistent and you will succeed.
About the Author:
The author is a full time online affiliate marketer who operates numerous niche sites, as well as two sites on Internet Marketing, where you can get valuable marketing tips for free: internet marketing tools or try here free internet marketing tips. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com/ This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Perhaps a quick introduction and a handy disclaimer is the best way to start this article on Internet marketing. Mainly because you should know who is talking and you should definitely know what you're getting yourself into...
I have been a full-time online marketer for over 5 years now, and I run 9 or 10 sites on the wwww - wonderful world wide web. I make a very respectable living and I enjoy every minute of it. But if you're under the impression that all you have to do is to slap some content together and place it on a web site and watch the money roll in; then you are sadly mistaken. Don't get the wrong impression, you can become a successful online marketer, but it will take a lot of time and work on your part. It just doesn't happen overnight, at least, this has been my experience and we can only write about our own experiences and views.
Over the years, I have also found it helpful to get pointers from someone who is actually doing what we want to do. So below I have put together 7 Tips for becoming a successful online marketer.
1. Knowledge Up
The whole concept of online marketing may seem quite simple, just place some content or product onto a website and you're in business. The reality is quite different. It may take you years to learn all the complex techniques and tactics to compete in the online marketplace, which is becoming more and more competitive as more companies and individuals discover its great potential. Sure we have all heard stories of people who come up with a great idea and make an online fortune very quickly. People also win the lottery... but if you want to become a successful online marketer you first have to learn your trade.
You have to acquire all the knowledge you can on Internet Marketing. Read articles and ebooks, take online e-courses, study and examine successful websites and/or marketers... there is a wealth of marketing information on the web. Just find it and use it. When I was first learning all the ropes, I made tons of mistakes but I was fortunate enough to come into contact with some successful online marketers who were actually doing what I wanted to do. People like Marlon Sanders, Ken Evoy, Corey Rudl, Neil Shearing, Brad Callens... I quickly became acquainted with these individuals and learned everything I could from them.
This was not out of the ordinary or hard to accomplish, since all these marketers have comprehensive affiliate training programs to show even the most novice webmaster or marketer the ropes, most of these programs are free because these marketers want to teach you how to sell their products. This is a very simple way to get a quick education on how to market online. I personally liked the numerous free ebooks offered thru Ken Evoy's SiteSell program... many of these will drive you bonkers, especially if you're new at this game, but only because they are so comprehensive and thorough - all the information can be a little overwhelming to say the least. But if you can work you way through some of SiteSell's free marketing manuals and ebooks, you will get the basic knowledge to further your goal of becoming an online marketer.
2. Find Your Niche Market or Subject
Unless you already have a product or business you wish to market online, then your first task will be finding a good niche market or subject which you can explore and exploit on the web. Best advice, find something that you already have a strong interest in such as a favorite hobby or past-time, an area where you already have special training or something you always wanted to study and examine. This niche market or subject will take up countless hours of your time, so you have to really pick something you like doing. The major point here, if you're doing something you like, it won't seem like work.
No matter which subject area you choose, you must check out the commercial viability of your topic. In other words, if you want to be successful, there must be enough commercial interest in your market or subject. There must be enough people searching for your product each month so that it's viable. Use a program like WordTracker or Google Adwords Keyword Tool to find the number of searches made each month for a keyword. Keywords are words or phrases web users type into search engines to find what they're looking for on the web. You must have plenty of good searchable keywords relating to your subject in order for it to be workable.
Another Keyword tool I like using is Microsoft's Detecting Online Commercial Intention, which tells you the probability a certain keyword or site will have enough commercial potential customers who will purchase a product or service. http://adlab.msn.com/Online-Commercial-Intention/Default.aspx
3. Google Up!
Google is the most important player on the web. While you shouldn't ignore the other search engines, I would suggest you learn everything you can about how Google both indexes and ranks pages on the web. Getting a number one or even a top 5 listing for your chosen keywords in Google, can make or break your online business. Google simply sends/controls the majority of the quality search traffic on the web, get those top rankings in Google and you will succeed.
Now Google gives webmasters many valuable webmaster tools and devotes a whole section to help webmasters with their sites. One valuable resource which is loaded with helpful information is Google Webmaster Tools. Use it! Also, if you're just starting out, another good resource is Google's "Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide", which is a handy pdf file you can download.
Always, keep in mind, Google is only like any other company supplying a product and in this case the product is their SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), so the higher the quality of your content and pages - the higher your rankings in Google will be. Of course, seasoned webmasters know quality one-way backlinks is one of the most important keys to getting high rankings in Google. But it all comes back to quality, if you have quality content, people will bookmark it in all the social media sites, and related webmasters will link to your quality content. This does really happen, so creating high quality content should be your first and most important SEO strategy.
4. Building Your Site
Regardless of what kind of site you're building, you must follow some very simple SEO rules. Make sure your site's structure can be easily navigated by both your visitors and the search engines. Try to keep your site's hierarchy simple, with all your pages reachable from the home page. Most webmasters only use three levels - homepage, topics and sub-topics - with all pages linking back to your homepage and no more than 3 clicks away from it. It is also a good idea to have a sitemap link on each page so that you don't leave your visitors stranded. Check with Google's Starter Guide for more information on how to create a proper lay-out.
Personally, as an online marketer I seek out the top searched for keywords in my niche, and then create pages around that keyword or keyword phrase. This ensures you're getting targeted visitors/customers to your pages. You can have hundreds of these keyworded pages on your site and connect all these pages together in a thematic arrangement so that the search engines can easily find and rank them.
As for choosing a domain name, I also try to get my main targeted keyword in the domain. This helps tremendously with your search engine rankings because every backlink will have your main keyword in the URL. This will tell the search engines exactly what your site is about. Again, if you're brand new at this, I would suggest you use a program like WordPress, which is free blogging software you can use to create a blog site. Another option, is to purchase or buy a SiteBuildIt hosting package from SiteSell, but this is more than just hosting, it's a complete online marketing system you can use. It will take you step-by-step through the whole creation and marketing of your site or business on the web.
5. Promoting Your Site
This is probably the hardest part of online marketing, but it is something which is essential to its success. Too many webmasters/marketers build a fantastic site and then sit around and wait for the visitors/customers to pour in. Sad fact is, unless you actually get out there and promote your site you will get very little, if any traffic. Of course, there are exceptions, some sites instantly attract visitors and acquire countless backlinks just by word of mouth, but for the most part this simply doesn't happen.
You have to actively promote your site and URL. One method that I use is article marketing - writing simple helpful articles and distributing them all over the web. These articles have keyworded links back to your site. Simple and effective way to get your site out there. Another free way to promote your site is to tie it in with all the social media and bookmarking sites, so use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube... to promote your site. Videos also have become very effective recently and you should be taking advantage of their great potential. So too is using a simple social bookmark program like the Addthis Button, which lets your visitors bookmark and build your backlinks for you.
Google seems to be paying special attention to how many social bookmarks/links your site is receiving. It is a simple form of voting for the quality of your content if actual web users see it and bookmark/recommend it to their friends. The more Tweets, Diggs... your content gets, the higher it will rank in the search engines, besides all those links bring in targeted traffic, which is what you want.
6. Monetizing Your Site
There are countless way to monetize or make money from your website once you have a steady flow of traffic coming to your site. We are not talking about tons of traffic here, a site getting just 100 or 200 visitors a day can prove very profitable. Personally, I like choosing affiliate programs which give a residual or have a re-occurring element to their payments. Make one sale and get paid for years to come, I am still receiving monthly payments from sales I made 5 years ago. So if you decide to place affiliate links on your pages, try to go with a company or program which gives you residual income for the life of the referred customer.
I also like promoting high-end affiliate products simply because the commissions are obviously higher. Why sell a $20 item, when you can sell a $2000 one? Of course, there are countless strategies to marketing online, if you sell 100's of that $20 item, you still end up in the same place. As for finding affiliate products to promote I like using the major affiliate networks like Commission Junction, LinkShare, Shareasale, ClickBank, Affiliate Window... these networks are totally professional, do all your tracking and give you valuable information on how to market online.
Another very simple way to monetize your pages is to use Google Adsense, now the payments won't be as high as with promoting affiliate products but using Adsense is a simple and quick way to monetize all your pages. I also find Adsense very consistent and totally reliable, besides getting that check from Google each month, always puts a smile on my face.
7. Track Everything That Moves
Another major key to online marketing success is having extensive tracking in place. You must track where your visitors are coming from and what keywords they're using to find your site. And what they do once they hit your site. I like using Google Analytics for tracking all my content but I don't just depend on Analytics, I also use all hosting stats such as Awstats, Webalizer... I also regularly check my site's traffic logs and daily visitors.
All this tracking tells me what's working and more importantly, what's not working. Check your bounce rate and the amount of time people spend on your site as these are more than likely ranking factors. Also check how fast your site loads, Google is said to be making this another ranking factor which they use to rank your pages.
Carefully reading of your site's stats and logs will show you which keywords are profitable and making you money. Then you have to simply fine-tune your marketing to target those lucrative keywords or phrases. Keep building your rankings for those keywords over a period of time and you will be successful.
Bonus Step: Persistence Brings Home The Bacon
I couldn't finish this article without mentioning another key element to succeeding on the web - persistence. Maybe it's just me, but it took me around three years before any of my sites became really profitable. Now most marketers and webmasters become profitable in much shorter periods, but I still believe it takes time to build a solid online business. It takes time to build up your customer base, it takes time to build up your rankings in all the search engines.
Guess, what I am saying is this: if you expect overnight success, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. But if you take a long-term strategy and build your site and marketing up over a matter of months, more likely years, then you have a much better chance of becoming successful. Mainly because, you're not just building a site, you're building an online business that will take some time to become established and it may even take more time to become prosperous. Be persistent and you will succeed.
About the Author:
The author is a full time online affiliate marketer who operates numerous niche sites, as well as two sites on Internet Marketing, where you can get valuable marketing tips for free: internet marketing tools or try here free internet marketing tips. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com/ This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins's articles.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Do You Know the Difference Between an Investment Advisor and a Broker?
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Tome Tomaj
As an fee-only investment advisor I come across clients from all walks of life. Lately I have noticed something in common with many of these investors. Many do not know the difference between an investment advisor and a broker who manages and/or makes securities recommendations for their clients' investment portfolios. With the almost unprecedented volatility in the securities markets, you cannot afford to dig your head in the sand when it comes to whom is managing your assets.
In short, an investment advisor has a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of its clients. Investment advisors are required to register either with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the states in which they operate in and are regulated under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. According to Rule 206 of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, investment advisors are considered fiduciaries, and as such, owe their clients a higher fiduciary duty. What this means in layman's terms is that advisors must operate in a way that avoids conflicts of interest, puts their clients' interests ahead of their own and make a full disclosure of their fees.
On the other hand, brokers (which are registered representatives of a brokerage firm [or in industry lingo a "broker-dealer"]) are salespeople whose primary responsibility is to help clients buy and sell securities for their accounts. While there is nothing wrong with this, investors should be made fully aware that broker-dealers are subject to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a different regulatory rule than for investment advisors. As such, their principal obligation is to make suitable recommendations (emphasis ours) to their clients and as such, do not necessarily owe their clients a fiduciary duty.
I decided to write this piece because the differences between an investment advisor and a broker-dealer have become quite blurred over the years. Many broker dealers market themselves as offering financial advisor or investment consultant services. I think it is quite critical for the general investing public to know these differences. Many investors may have a false sense of security that their "advisor" may be continually managing and acting in the best interest of their clients, when in reality this may not be the case. In addition, be aware that just because your broker may be recommending a suitable security for you, their primary goal may not be to act in your best interest, but rather to generate a commission for their employer's brokerage arm.
About the Author:
Tome Tomaj is an investment advisor representative and a financial markets investor. He is the founder of White River Capital Management LLC, an independent registered investment advisor. White River specializes in the management of separately managed investment accounts for individuals and institutions. To find out more about his investment philosophy and sign-up for his FREE market commentaries and articles, please visit: http://www.wr-cap.com/signup.html
Read more of Tome Tomaj's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Tome Tomaj
As an fee-only investment advisor I come across clients from all walks of life. Lately I have noticed something in common with many of these investors. Many do not know the difference between an investment advisor and a broker who manages and/or makes securities recommendations for their clients' investment portfolios. With the almost unprecedented volatility in the securities markets, you cannot afford to dig your head in the sand when it comes to whom is managing your assets.
In short, an investment advisor has a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of its clients. Investment advisors are required to register either with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the states in which they operate in and are regulated under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. According to Rule 206 of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, investment advisors are considered fiduciaries, and as such, owe their clients a higher fiduciary duty. What this means in layman's terms is that advisors must operate in a way that avoids conflicts of interest, puts their clients' interests ahead of their own and make a full disclosure of their fees.
On the other hand, brokers (which are registered representatives of a brokerage firm [or in industry lingo a "broker-dealer"]) are salespeople whose primary responsibility is to help clients buy and sell securities for their accounts. While there is nothing wrong with this, investors should be made fully aware that broker-dealers are subject to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a different regulatory rule than for investment advisors. As such, their principal obligation is to make suitable recommendations (emphasis ours) to their clients and as such, do not necessarily owe their clients a fiduciary duty.
I decided to write this piece because the differences between an investment advisor and a broker-dealer have become quite blurred over the years. Many broker dealers market themselves as offering financial advisor or investment consultant services. I think it is quite critical for the general investing public to know these differences. Many investors may have a false sense of security that their "advisor" may be continually managing and acting in the best interest of their clients, when in reality this may not be the case. In addition, be aware that just because your broker may be recommending a suitable security for you, their primary goal may not be to act in your best interest, but rather to generate a commission for their employer's brokerage arm.
About the Author:
Tome Tomaj is an investment advisor representative and a financial markets investor. He is the founder of White River Capital Management LLC, an independent registered investment advisor. White River specializes in the management of separately managed investment accounts for individuals and institutions. To find out more about his investment philosophy and sign-up for his FREE market commentaries and articles, please visit: http://www.wr-cap.com/signup.html
Read more of Tome Tomaj's articles.
Focus On Your Strengths
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Scott Bywater
Last year, I took over a small second office next to the one I have now. I've had it painted and recarpeted. But setting it up and getting my current office painted / recarpeted seems overwhelming.
I know. I know. I've got to make the time to plan out how I want it to all look, what I want to get out of it, where I want what, etc. because my current office just feels too congested.
But I find it overwhelming.
It's the same with clothes. Sometimes I'll put clothes on myself (or my son) on a Saturday morning and my wife will look at me and say:
"You're not going to wear that, are you?"
I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
And while I find writing easy now (although I didn't in the beginning. I can remember my sister's father in law tearing me to shreds over just how bad the writing I created for a seminar I spoke at once was) there are things which I don't have a natural talent for.
My advice for all of this stuff: focus on your strenghts.
For instance, I am not very "handy" around the house. I don't fix cars. Or hang up pictures. Or put up dryers on the wall. Or any of that sort of stuff.
The thought of it overwhelms me.
Now truth be told, with a fair bit of training, I could probably do some of it. But I think, I would do it poorly compared to someone who loves doing it and has a natural aptitude for it.
However I can make a quick phone call and pay a handyman $50 an hour to do it. He'll do it quicker and faster than me and I can focus the time I would have spent on it towards building my business or enjoying my life.
How about you?
Which tasks do you find overwhelming because they are just not your thing?
Why don't you hand them over to someone else?
For instance, if I want to learn a new piece of software, I'll seek someone out who has already mastered it and ask for their advice.
I won't try and wade through hours and hours of online tutorials to learn in 3 hours what a master could teach me in 30 minutes.
I'll get my mechanic to fix my car rather than doing it myself.
I'll get my doctor or naturopath to look at me when I am sick.
Personally, I consider myself like an advertising doctor. So if you've got an ad or sales letter which seems to overwhelming, why don't you get me to critique it by hopping along to http://www.scottbywater.com/critique
About the Author:
As a direct response copywriter, Scott Bywater strives to educate business owners on how to generate more leads, get more of the "right type" of customers, differentiate themselves from their competition, and convert their leads into sales via his underground and "outside of the box" strategies. You can get his copywriting and marketing tips delivered to your inbox via his eye opening "Copywriting Selling Secrets" newsletter available at http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au/
Copyright © 2010 Scott Bywater
Last year, I took over a small second office next to the one I have now. I've had it painted and recarpeted. But setting it up and getting my current office painted / recarpeted seems overwhelming.
I know. I know. I've got to make the time to plan out how I want it to all look, what I want to get out of it, where I want what, etc. because my current office just feels too congested.
But I find it overwhelming.
It's the same with clothes. Sometimes I'll put clothes on myself (or my son) on a Saturday morning and my wife will look at me and say:
"You're not going to wear that, are you?"
I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
And while I find writing easy now (although I didn't in the beginning. I can remember my sister's father in law tearing me to shreds over just how bad the writing I created for a seminar I spoke at once was) there are things which I don't have a natural talent for.
My advice for all of this stuff: focus on your strenghts.
For instance, I am not very "handy" around the house. I don't fix cars. Or hang up pictures. Or put up dryers on the wall. Or any of that sort of stuff.
The thought of it overwhelms me.
Now truth be told, with a fair bit of training, I could probably do some of it. But I think, I would do it poorly compared to someone who loves doing it and has a natural aptitude for it.
However I can make a quick phone call and pay a handyman $50 an hour to do it. He'll do it quicker and faster than me and I can focus the time I would have spent on it towards building my business or enjoying my life.
How about you?
Which tasks do you find overwhelming because they are just not your thing?
Why don't you hand them over to someone else?
For instance, if I want to learn a new piece of software, I'll seek someone out who has already mastered it and ask for their advice.
I won't try and wade through hours and hours of online tutorials to learn in 3 hours what a master could teach me in 30 minutes.
I'll get my mechanic to fix my car rather than doing it myself.
I'll get my doctor or naturopath to look at me when I am sick.
Personally, I consider myself like an advertising doctor. So if you've got an ad or sales letter which seems to overwhelming, why don't you get me to critique it by hopping along to http://www.scottbywater.com/critique
About the Author:
As a direct response copywriter, Scott Bywater strives to educate business owners on how to generate more leads, get more of the "right type" of customers, differentiate themselves from their competition, and convert their leads into sales via his underground and "outside of the box" strategies. You can get his copywriting and marketing tips delivered to your inbox via his eye opening "Copywriting Selling Secrets" newsletter available at http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au/
Understanding Personal Injury Law and Knowing When You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Keith Stachowiak
When in an accident caused by someone else's carelessness or deliberate actions, one of the first thoughts that goes through most people's minds after the panic and relief subsides, is whether they should seek out a personal injury lawyer. It's an understandable thought - one that could be acted upon, but only after you have armed yourself with all the right information. First, you should know what personal injury law is, whether you even need a personal injury lawyer, and when you should choose one.
What Is Personal Injury Law?
This type of law focuses on recompensing you should you experience injuries, lost wages, disfigurement, or any form of harm - both physically and emotionally - due to some other person's negligence or willful conduct.
Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you have been seriously injured as the result of another person's negligence, you should definitely seek advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. This is not necessarily because you're filing for a suit before the day ends. It just means you need a professional check whether there are grounds for a lawsuit, and if so, whether a lawsuit is the best choice in your case. There is no need to worry about payment at this point, as most initial meetings with personal injury lawyers are for free. Financial compensation will be discussed when you decide to hire the lawyer. The usual practice in personal injury cases is for your lawyer to foot whatever bill the case might require, and only be paid when the case is concluded. If you don't get a settlement, he doesn't either.
When Should You Choose A Personal Injury Lawyer?
You should consult a personal injury lawyer as soon after the injury as possible. There are a lot of reasons why you should do this. First, your memory is never as fresh as when you've just been through the experience. This applies to other people involved as well. You want the evidence intact as there's usually a need for photographs, witnesses' accounts, etc. Second, most probably, the other person involved is going to have people on their side - insurance investigators, their own lawyer - looking into the situation and you need to have someone who's experienced in dealing with similar cases on your side as well. And third, there are usually limits to the filing of claims, else they get terminated. For instance, unless other factors are involved, a Wisconsin negligence lawsuit should be filed within three years of the injury. There are also different limitations attached when the conduct is intentional, or if governmental entities are involved. Your personal injury lawyer can tell you the specific limitations for your case, and assist you in acting on it accordingly.
It's bad enough that you have to suffer through injuries caused by someone else. Don't make things harder for yourself. Be proactive and seek a personal injury lawyer to help you understand your rights and get the compensation you deserve.
About the Author:
Keith Stachowiak is a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Murphy and Practhauser. With 25 plus years of experience, he has represented clients throughout Wisconsin on personal injury cases caused by all types of negligent conduct. Keith is also a specialized Milwaukee car accident attorney and has successfully resolved million dollar settlements for his clients. Contact (888) 271-1022 for a free assessment of your personal injury situation, or visit: http://www.murphyprachthauser.com/
Read more of Keith Stachowiak's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Keith Stachowiak
When in an accident caused by someone else's carelessness or deliberate actions, one of the first thoughts that goes through most people's minds after the panic and relief subsides, is whether they should seek out a personal injury lawyer. It's an understandable thought - one that could be acted upon, but only after you have armed yourself with all the right information. First, you should know what personal injury law is, whether you even need a personal injury lawyer, and when you should choose one.
What Is Personal Injury Law?
This type of law focuses on recompensing you should you experience injuries, lost wages, disfigurement, or any form of harm - both physically and emotionally - due to some other person's negligence or willful conduct.
Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you have been seriously injured as the result of another person's negligence, you should definitely seek advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. This is not necessarily because you're filing for a suit before the day ends. It just means you need a professional check whether there are grounds for a lawsuit, and if so, whether a lawsuit is the best choice in your case. There is no need to worry about payment at this point, as most initial meetings with personal injury lawyers are for free. Financial compensation will be discussed when you decide to hire the lawyer. The usual practice in personal injury cases is for your lawyer to foot whatever bill the case might require, and only be paid when the case is concluded. If you don't get a settlement, he doesn't either.
When Should You Choose A Personal Injury Lawyer?
You should consult a personal injury lawyer as soon after the injury as possible. There are a lot of reasons why you should do this. First, your memory is never as fresh as when you've just been through the experience. This applies to other people involved as well. You want the evidence intact as there's usually a need for photographs, witnesses' accounts, etc. Second, most probably, the other person involved is going to have people on their side - insurance investigators, their own lawyer - looking into the situation and you need to have someone who's experienced in dealing with similar cases on your side as well. And third, there are usually limits to the filing of claims, else they get terminated. For instance, unless other factors are involved, a Wisconsin negligence lawsuit should be filed within three years of the injury. There are also different limitations attached when the conduct is intentional, or if governmental entities are involved. Your personal injury lawyer can tell you the specific limitations for your case, and assist you in acting on it accordingly.
It's bad enough that you have to suffer through injuries caused by someone else. Don't make things harder for yourself. Be proactive and seek a personal injury lawyer to help you understand your rights and get the compensation you deserve.
About the Author:
Keith Stachowiak is a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Murphy and Practhauser. With 25 plus years of experience, he has represented clients throughout Wisconsin on personal injury cases caused by all types of negligent conduct. Keith is also a specialized Milwaukee car accident attorney and has successfully resolved million dollar settlements for his clients. Contact (888) 271-1022 for a free assessment of your personal injury situation, or visit: http://www.murphyprachthauser.com/
Read more of Keith Stachowiak's articles.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Top Ten Mistakes Made in Job Interviews and How to Avoid Them
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Cecile Peterkin, All Rights Reserved
You did it! You impressed your future employer to the point where they called you in for a face-to-face job interview. This is your chance to go in there in person and shine. Now that you've been given this opportunity, it's critical that you don't waste it. Here are the top ten mistakes made in job interviews and how to avoid them.
1. Dressing Dreadfully: According to a Careerbuilder.com survey, the single most common mistake made by candidates in job interviews is inappropriate dress. It's almost a certainty that you as the candidate will be expected to wear a business suit or other formal dress to the interview. The one exception to this rule can be high-tech companies, where anything other than jeans and flip flops might make you stick out like a sore thumb.
2. Badmouthing The Boss: Believe it or not, the second most common mistake made by a job candidate was badmouthing their former boss. How do you think your perspective boss will feel if they hear you harping on your prior boss? They're going to wonder whether they'll be the topic of conversation if you should happen to move on to another company in the future. Even if you have excellent reasons to be bitter, don't do it.
3. Lack of Excitement: If you can't get excited for the job interview, your interviewer will probably figure that you won't be very enthusiastic while you're on the job. Sit or stand up straight. Smile! Make sure the interviewer knows how excited you are to be interviewing for this particular job.
4. Acting Like a Know-It-All: There's probably nothing that annoys an interviewer more than an applicant who comes in and is aggressive to the point of arrogance. While it's very important to engage with your interviewer and ask questions, there's a fine line between showing interest and monopolizing the conversation to the point where the interviewer can't get a word in edge-wise. Be sure to let the interviewer finish their sentences, and try not to ramble on when you're speaking.
5. Lack of Preparation: On the other hand, it's vital that you prepare for a job interview by researching the company and preparing for all the typical questions you're likely to be asked. If the interviewer asks a question you don't know the answer to, you're much better off telling them so than stuttering and mumbling as you grope for an answer.
6. Not Asking Pertinent Questions: An interview is a two-way street. You don't want to ask a bunch of irrelevant questions at a job interview, but you do want to ask pertinent, well-thought-out questions that require more than a yes or no answer.
7. Late on Arrival: You never get a second chance... No doubt you've heard it before. If you're going to be late, call and tell the interviewer, the sooner the better. If it's earlier in the day, ask if you can reschedule for later that day.
8. Being Inarticulate: One of the questions you're almost sure to hear at a job interview is "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" Although it might seem like a simple question, more often than not it's tough to articulate the answer, so practice. Rehearse the answers you plan to give for questions like this.
9. Being too General: When the interviewer asks you a question, do your best to give examples or connections that link your answer to the job under consideration. You're usually better served with concise, specific answers rather than longer, rambling answers that don't necessarily apply to the job you're seeking.
10. Asking about Salary: Don't be too eager to talk salary. While it's vital not to sell yourself short, you don't want to make your salary requirements the centerpiece of the interview. If it doesn't come up during the course of the interview, you can ask about the salary toward the end.
About the Author:
Cecile Peterkin is a Certified Career, Life Coach and Speaker. Feeling stuck in middle management or mid career? Claim your FR-EE Assessment and complimentary career guidance coaching session at: http://www.CosmicCoachingCentre.com/careercoach.html
Read more of Cecile Peterkin's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Cecile Peterkin, All Rights Reserved
You did it! You impressed your future employer to the point where they called you in for a face-to-face job interview. This is your chance to go in there in person and shine. Now that you've been given this opportunity, it's critical that you don't waste it. Here are the top ten mistakes made in job interviews and how to avoid them.
1. Dressing Dreadfully: According to a Careerbuilder.com survey, the single most common mistake made by candidates in job interviews is inappropriate dress. It's almost a certainty that you as the candidate will be expected to wear a business suit or other formal dress to the interview. The one exception to this rule can be high-tech companies, where anything other than jeans and flip flops might make you stick out like a sore thumb.
2. Badmouthing The Boss: Believe it or not, the second most common mistake made by a job candidate was badmouthing their former boss. How do you think your perspective boss will feel if they hear you harping on your prior boss? They're going to wonder whether they'll be the topic of conversation if you should happen to move on to another company in the future. Even if you have excellent reasons to be bitter, don't do it.
3. Lack of Excitement: If you can't get excited for the job interview, your interviewer will probably figure that you won't be very enthusiastic while you're on the job. Sit or stand up straight. Smile! Make sure the interviewer knows how excited you are to be interviewing for this particular job.
4. Acting Like a Know-It-All: There's probably nothing that annoys an interviewer more than an applicant who comes in and is aggressive to the point of arrogance. While it's very important to engage with your interviewer and ask questions, there's a fine line between showing interest and monopolizing the conversation to the point where the interviewer can't get a word in edge-wise. Be sure to let the interviewer finish their sentences, and try not to ramble on when you're speaking.
5. Lack of Preparation: On the other hand, it's vital that you prepare for a job interview by researching the company and preparing for all the typical questions you're likely to be asked. If the interviewer asks a question you don't know the answer to, you're much better off telling them so than stuttering and mumbling as you grope for an answer.
6. Not Asking Pertinent Questions: An interview is a two-way street. You don't want to ask a bunch of irrelevant questions at a job interview, but you do want to ask pertinent, well-thought-out questions that require more than a yes or no answer.
7. Late on Arrival: You never get a second chance... No doubt you've heard it before. If you're going to be late, call and tell the interviewer, the sooner the better. If it's earlier in the day, ask if you can reschedule for later that day.
8. Being Inarticulate: One of the questions you're almost sure to hear at a job interview is "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" Although it might seem like a simple question, more often than not it's tough to articulate the answer, so practice. Rehearse the answers you plan to give for questions like this.
9. Being too General: When the interviewer asks you a question, do your best to give examples or connections that link your answer to the job under consideration. You're usually better served with concise, specific answers rather than longer, rambling answers that don't necessarily apply to the job you're seeking.
10. Asking about Salary: Don't be too eager to talk salary. While it's vital not to sell yourself short, you don't want to make your salary requirements the centerpiece of the interview. If it doesn't come up during the course of the interview, you can ask about the salary toward the end.
About the Author:
Cecile Peterkin is a Certified Career, Life Coach and Speaker. Feeling stuck in middle management or mid career? Claim your FR-EE Assessment and complimentary career guidance coaching session at: http://www.CosmicCoachingCentre.com/careercoach.html
Read more of Cecile Peterkin's articles.
Online Fax Services - How Do They Work?
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Online fax services, often called "email to fax" services, are a popular form of cloud computing. To many business owners and web users, cloud computing is a relatively new concept which can be confusing if you don't have a tech or a computer background. Basically, cloud computing is simply outsourcing your computer or business tasks to an outside company, software and servers.
In this case, all your faxing services are handled by a third party who acts on your behalf as an intermediary. You can access your faxes through your web browser or an email application which you place on your desktop. These outsourced fax services are completely scalable to fit any growing company or business.
In order to use online faxing, you first have to sign up to an online fax service provider, who will give you a local or Toll-Free fax number which you can use to do all your faxing. In many cases, this may be multiple fax numbers depending on the size of your company or your faxing needs. Regardless, one of the major benefits of using cloud computing and online fax services, they can be quickly adjusted to meet your growing needs since there are no additional hardware (fax phone lines, fax machines...) to install.
Once you have signed up to online fax service, you are also given an online site (interface) where you can logon and check all your faxes. You can also send your faxes from this location - your faxes are sent as email attachments usually in Tiff or Pdf format, but there are many different formats you can use. Because it's a web-based service, you can access your faxes anywhere, anytime, as long as you have Internet access. Faxing is as easy as sending an email.
Another great benefit of using online fax, you can send and receive multiple faxes at the same time. No more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams. And if you have a large client base, you can quickly send a fax with one click of the button. Those clients can receive your faxes on their PDAs, Cell Phones, Laptops, Computers... or any device connected to the Internet can be your virtual fax machine, pardon the pun.
These online fax services cost on average around $10 a month but if you shop around you can find cheaper rates. Keep in mind, this is usually a long-term business expense so it pays to do your homework now since you can save significant revenues over the long haul. Many of these fax services will work directly with companies to set up the best custom system to match your faxing needs.
Perhaps, one of the major reasons, this form of cloud computing has become so popular with individuals and companies alike, has to do with availability.
All your faxing is available to you 24/7, 365 days of the year, which means your business is also open 24 hours of the day. If faxing plays a major role in bringing in sales, contacting clients or for providing services... one can easily see how using such a service will make any company more competitive.
If you truly want to bring your company or business into the modern computer age, then using an online fax service is the only way to proceed. This is definitely one form of "cloud computing" you should be using.
About the Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Fax Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax services. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax providers. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com/ This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Online fax services, often called "email to fax" services, are a popular form of cloud computing. To many business owners and web users, cloud computing is a relatively new concept which can be confusing if you don't have a tech or a computer background. Basically, cloud computing is simply outsourcing your computer or business tasks to an outside company, software and servers.
In this case, all your faxing services are handled by a third party who acts on your behalf as an intermediary. You can access your faxes through your web browser or an email application which you place on your desktop. These outsourced fax services are completely scalable to fit any growing company or business.
In order to use online faxing, you first have to sign up to an online fax service provider, who will give you a local or Toll-Free fax number which you can use to do all your faxing. In many cases, this may be multiple fax numbers depending on the size of your company or your faxing needs. Regardless, one of the major benefits of using cloud computing and online fax services, they can be quickly adjusted to meet your growing needs since there are no additional hardware (fax phone lines, fax machines...) to install.
Once you have signed up to online fax service, you are also given an online site (interface) where you can logon and check all your faxes. You can also send your faxes from this location - your faxes are sent as email attachments usually in Tiff or Pdf format, but there are many different formats you can use. Because it's a web-based service, you can access your faxes anywhere, anytime, as long as you have Internet access. Faxing is as easy as sending an email.
Another great benefit of using online fax, you can send and receive multiple faxes at the same time. No more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams. And if you have a large client base, you can quickly send a fax with one click of the button. Those clients can receive your faxes on their PDAs, Cell Phones, Laptops, Computers... or any device connected to the Internet can be your virtual fax machine, pardon the pun.
These online fax services cost on average around $10 a month but if you shop around you can find cheaper rates. Keep in mind, this is usually a long-term business expense so it pays to do your homework now since you can save significant revenues over the long haul. Many of these fax services will work directly with companies to set up the best custom system to match your faxing needs.
Perhaps, one of the major reasons, this form of cloud computing has become so popular with individuals and companies alike, has to do with availability.
All your faxing is available to you 24/7, 365 days of the year, which means your business is also open 24 hours of the day. If faxing plays a major role in bringing in sales, contacting clients or for providing services... one can easily see how using such a service will make any company more competitive.
If you truly want to bring your company or business into the modern computer age, then using an online fax service is the only way to proceed. This is definitely one form of "cloud computing" you should be using.
About the Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Fax Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax services. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax providers. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com/ This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
The Online Fax Revolution: Have Fax Will Travel
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Sometimes it's the little things that revolutionizes our lives, not the big ones. Just look at how a little thing like the simple email has completely changed our lives. And not only our personal lives, but also the way we do business. Just imagine how completely different our world be if we didn't have email?
Likewise, online fax has been just as revolutionary, especially when you consider how business is done in this new computer age. Companies and small business owners have embraced this new way of faxing, totally changing the workplace setting or where work is done. Since online fax is simply using your email system (your faxes are sent as email attachments) and your Internet connection, your faxes are available anywhere, anytime.
It may seem to many, using words like revolution or revolutionary to compare online fax services may be going a little overboard, but when you consider that online fax turns every portable device, such as a cell phone, PDA, laptop or netbook into a fax machine; revolutionary is the only word that comes to mind.
Revolutionary because it has changed our whole concept of where we can work and do business. It has opened up a whole new area of opportunities and has made our workplace much more mobile. We can truly take our work with us, no matter where we travel. This can have significant importance if our business depends upon faxing to make sales, obtain new clients or for communicating with our employees.
Perhaps, even more important, online fax truly modernizes the whole idea of faxing, bringing it into our computer/Internet age. It makes all our faxing chores simpler, easier and much more efficient since there are no more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams. You can also send and receive multiple faxes at once which can be a major benefit if your have a large client list or need to contact a large group of customers immediately.
Then you have to factor in the point that online or Internet faxing is much more cheaper than the traditional way of faxing. Especially when you factor in the low monthly costs since most online fax services run around $10 a month, but you can find much better rates if you shop around and your faxing needs are minimum. Plus, you don't have the monthly cost of an extra fax phone line because everything is handled with your computer and your email system. You also don't have the monthly expense of inks, toners and paper since online fax is totally paperless faxing.
In order to use online fax you have to first sign up to an Internet fax service provider who acts as an intermediary to handle all your faxes. You are given an online account or interface where you can logon and check your faxes. You can also send your faxes from this online account, but there are many different ways to send your faxes. You can use your email system and many companies also have a desktop application which you can use to send and receive your faxes.
Perhaps, one of the most beneficial aspects of using these online fax services, you can get your own local or Toll-Free fax number within seconds of signing up. Within minutes you can be sending and receiving your faxes from wherever in the world you're located.
How revolutionary is that?
About the Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to learn more about: online fax. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Titus Hoskins
Sometimes it's the little things that revolutionizes our lives, not the big ones. Just look at how a little thing like the simple email has completely changed our lives. And not only our personal lives, but also the way we do business. Just imagine how completely different our world be if we didn't have email?
Likewise, online fax has been just as revolutionary, especially when you consider how business is done in this new computer age. Companies and small business owners have embraced this new way of faxing, totally changing the workplace setting or where work is done. Since online fax is simply using your email system (your faxes are sent as email attachments) and your Internet connection, your faxes are available anywhere, anytime.
It may seem to many, using words like revolution or revolutionary to compare online fax services may be going a little overboard, but when you consider that online fax turns every portable device, such as a cell phone, PDA, laptop or netbook into a fax machine; revolutionary is the only word that comes to mind.
Revolutionary because it has changed our whole concept of where we can work and do business. It has opened up a whole new area of opportunities and has made our workplace much more mobile. We can truly take our work with us, no matter where we travel. This can have significant importance if our business depends upon faxing to make sales, obtain new clients or for communicating with our employees.
Perhaps, even more important, online fax truly modernizes the whole idea of faxing, bringing it into our computer/Internet age. It makes all our faxing chores simpler, easier and much more efficient since there are no more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams. You can also send and receive multiple faxes at once which can be a major benefit if your have a large client list or need to contact a large group of customers immediately.
Then you have to factor in the point that online or Internet faxing is much more cheaper than the traditional way of faxing. Especially when you factor in the low monthly costs since most online fax services run around $10 a month, but you can find much better rates if you shop around and your faxing needs are minimum. Plus, you don't have the monthly cost of an extra fax phone line because everything is handled with your computer and your email system. You also don't have the monthly expense of inks, toners and paper since online fax is totally paperless faxing.
In order to use online fax you have to first sign up to an Internet fax service provider who acts as an intermediary to handle all your faxes. You are given an online account or interface where you can logon and check your faxes. You can also send your faxes from this online account, but there are many different ways to send your faxes. You can use your email system and many companies also have a desktop application which you can use to send and receive your faxes.
Perhaps, one of the most beneficial aspects of using these online fax services, you can get your own local or Toll-Free fax number within seconds of signing up. Within minutes you can be sending and receiving your faxes from wherever in the world you're located.
How revolutionary is that?
About the Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to learn more about: online fax. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax. Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins's articles.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A False Economy I NO LONGER Practice Do You?
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Willie Crawford
Many of us go out and buy some of the best software and hardware tools available. We read about some tool that could easily DOUBLE our business, or TRIPLE our productivity, so we wisely purchase it.
Many of us realize that we lack certain skills in critical areas of our businesses, so we register for online classes.
Many of us realize that we don't really know how to use those whiz-bang pieces of hardware or software mentioned above, so we track down and register for in-depth tutorials.
Then we do the DUMBEST thing... we never go through the training. We never learn to use those tools that could easily make our lives easier, and our businesses much more profitable.
We rationalize that "we don't have the time!"
This is one of two areas that has contributed the most to the growth of my productivity... and to my bottom line recently. I've started actually "making the time" to go through those tutorials and really learn to use the software or hardware tools that I have. I've actually made the time to go through several tutorials on how to develop critical skills that I need.
As an aside, I've also "made time" for more fitness, which is also essential to my long-term productivity.
How does a busy businessperson do this?
You simply put it right on your schedule... and then you do it. You allocate blocks of time for it, and then you don't "find" something more important.
I spent 20 years and 10 months in the U.S. Air Force. During that time I spent many, many WEEKS sitting at a desk or computer, actually learning how to use a piece of equipment, or learning to do some process. I often wondered if that was the best use of my time, but I wasn't given a choice! So, I cheerfully completed the training.
I not only learned to use my equipment, but I had to then take "practical exams" to prove that I knew how to do it.
Major corporations, governmental agencies, universities, etc, ALL put their personnel through extensive training to make sure that they actually know how to use the equipment and do the processes that are a part of their jobs.
This training is often VERY expensive.
Many of these corporations consult with major think tanks, and expensive consultants, in looking for ways to improve productivity... and their bottom lines. It's rare that they are advised to cut training.
Many of us online entrepreneurs have never run our own businesses before, and for some reason don't fully appreciate the value of properly training our employees (or ourselves). So, we flounder for days, weeks, then months! We operate at a fraction of our potential productivity because we never really learn to use the tools at our disposal.
Consider... if setting aside an hour a day for a week, to actually learn to use the tools that you already use every day more efficiently, would increase your productivity by 20 percent, would it be worth it?
To me, the answer is a resounding yes. Over the next year the return-on-investment would be huge.
When you consider the amount of time many of us spend on time-wasters (we all know what they are), we have to acknowledge that we really can fit proper training into our schedules. That's just a matter of discipline.
There IS a reason big businesses and governmental agencies set aside training days, or even training weeks! Perhaps we should take our cues from them.
Just food for thought!
Oh - earlier, I said that going through the training was one of two ways that I've experienced the most growth in productivity. The other one was that I learned to outsource and delegate more. I learned to focus on those chores that are the highest and best use of my time, and to get someone else to do the rest. Like many, I'm still working on that one, but that's the topic of another article anyway.
Commit to actually learning to use your equipment today.
About the Author:
Willie Crawford operates his own online businesses, brokers joint ventures, teaches online and offline entrepreneurs, and consults with numerous commercial and non-profit corporations. One of Willie's favorite tools, used for project collaboration is called BaseCamp. It's at http://timic.org/BaseCamp
Follow Willie Crawford on Twitter.
Copyright © 2010 Willie Crawford
Many of us go out and buy some of the best software and hardware tools available. We read about some tool that could easily DOUBLE our business, or TRIPLE our productivity, so we wisely purchase it.
Many of us realize that we lack certain skills in critical areas of our businesses, so we register for online classes.
Many of us realize that we don't really know how to use those whiz-bang pieces of hardware or software mentioned above, so we track down and register for in-depth tutorials.
Then we do the DUMBEST thing... we never go through the training. We never learn to use those tools that could easily make our lives easier, and our businesses much more profitable.
We rationalize that "we don't have the time!"
This is one of two areas that has contributed the most to the growth of my productivity... and to my bottom line recently. I've started actually "making the time" to go through those tutorials and really learn to use the software or hardware tools that I have. I've actually made the time to go through several tutorials on how to develop critical skills that I need.
As an aside, I've also "made time" for more fitness, which is also essential to my long-term productivity.
How does a busy businessperson do this?
You simply put it right on your schedule... and then you do it. You allocate blocks of time for it, and then you don't "find" something more important.
I spent 20 years and 10 months in the U.S. Air Force. During that time I spent many, many WEEKS sitting at a desk or computer, actually learning how to use a piece of equipment, or learning to do some process. I often wondered if that was the best use of my time, but I wasn't given a choice! So, I cheerfully completed the training.
I not only learned to use my equipment, but I had to then take "practical exams" to prove that I knew how to do it.
Major corporations, governmental agencies, universities, etc, ALL put their personnel through extensive training to make sure that they actually know how to use the equipment and do the processes that are a part of their jobs.
This training is often VERY expensive.
Many of these corporations consult with major think tanks, and expensive consultants, in looking for ways to improve productivity... and their bottom lines. It's rare that they are advised to cut training.
Many of us online entrepreneurs have never run our own businesses before, and for some reason don't fully appreciate the value of properly training our employees (or ourselves). So, we flounder for days, weeks, then months! We operate at a fraction of our potential productivity because we never really learn to use the tools at our disposal.
Consider... if setting aside an hour a day for a week, to actually learn to use the tools that you already use every day more efficiently, would increase your productivity by 20 percent, would it be worth it?
To me, the answer is a resounding yes. Over the next year the return-on-investment would be huge.
When you consider the amount of time many of us spend on time-wasters (we all know what they are), we have to acknowledge that we really can fit proper training into our schedules. That's just a matter of discipline.
There IS a reason big businesses and governmental agencies set aside training days, or even training weeks! Perhaps we should take our cues from them.
Just food for thought!
Oh - earlier, I said that going through the training was one of two ways that I've experienced the most growth in productivity. The other one was that I learned to outsource and delegate more. I learned to focus on those chores that are the highest and best use of my time, and to get someone else to do the rest. Like many, I'm still working on that one, but that's the topic of another article anyway.
Commit to actually learning to use your equipment today.
About the Author:
Willie Crawford operates his own online businesses, brokers joint ventures, teaches online and offline entrepreneurs, and consults with numerous commercial and non-profit corporations. One of Willie's favorite tools, used for project collaboration is called BaseCamp. It's at http://timic.org/BaseCamp
Follow Willie Crawford on Twitter.
Conducting Effective Career Aspiration Discussions with Employees
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Andria L. Corso
One of the key steps to having impactful talent management and development solutions is to ensure that the talent within the organization is aware of what is being done to manage and develop them; as well, it is vital that company leaders are aware of the employee's individual career aspirations. This can be accomplished through a Career Aspiration discussion. This should be a formal and focused conversation that occurs between a leader and an employee that centers on the employee's career aspirations as well as the potential growth that is available for that employee within the organization.
In order to make this conversation most productive and impactful, there are some key questions that leaders should ask the employee as well as ask themselves.
To prepare for the conversation, leaders should first pose the following questions to themselves and be prepared to share this information with the employee during the conversation.
1. What do I see as this person's ultimate potential?
The response should focus on the highest level that you, the leader, believes the employee can reach inside the company and the indicators (drive, willingness, performance) that you have seen which demonstrate that the employee can get there.
2. What do I think the employee needs to do to get there?
This response should focus on the additional training (perhaps leadership training or specific skills training) or development (maybe an expanded leadership role or a role in a different function inside the company) that the employee will need to advance to this ultimate potential.
3. What do I feel are the employee's key strengths?
This answer should highlight the strengths that the employee brings to the table and should continue to leverage throughout his or her career.
4. What do I know are this employee's immediate key developmental needs?
This response is about the shorter-term development goals as opposed to what was referred to in question two. This might be something such as "needs additional senior level exposure" so others inside the company get to know this individual, or "needs presentation skills training".
5. What do I see as this person's next assignment?
The response here should focus on realistic next assignment and the timing of when it is likely to happen.
When sitting down with the employee to have the conversation, it should be time that is uninterrupted and set-aside specifically for that person. It is important for the conversation to be interactive so, as leaders pose questions to their employees, they should refer to their own self-questions and interject their thoughts throughout the discussion to keep it interactive.
The following questions are recommended to ask employees during the discussion.
Questions for employee:
1. What are your short-term career aspirations? (I.e., next assignment: 2-5 yrs)
2. What are your longer-term career aspirations? (I.e., ultimate career goal - level of position)
3. Do you know what it takes to get there?
4. Are you willing to do what it takes to reach that position?
5. What do you feel are your key strengths?
6. What do your feel are your key development areas?
7. What steps and actions are you willing to take in the next 12 months to grow in these areas?
8. What would you like to do as a next assignment?
These conversations should be documented and conducted on an annual basis, at a minimum. Some organizations conduct them with employees every six months, which is also effective however, annually is the minimum recommendation. Conducting these discussions is a vital step in ensuring that organizations have impactful talent management and development practices in place. Career aspiration discussions not only let employees know where they stand, but gives them a say in their development. Additionally, these types of discussions ensure that leaders are differentiating their resources and appropriately developing the employees who have the strongest desire and potential to reach the most senior level positions in the company. It also enables the appropriate development of those who prefer not to excel to the highest levels but are the true technical subject matter experts. Developing the talent in a differentiated manner gives companies the best return on their dollar.
About the Author:
Andria Corso is an Executive Coach and Human Resources leader who works with clients to develop leadership skills and talent strategies that align with business strategy and drive results. She is the principal owner of C3-Corso Coaching and Consulting, a premier executive coaching and strategic HR consulting firm specializing in the design of customized coaching and performance excellence programs for companies looking to increase employee engagement and deliver outstanding results. Visit http://www.andriacorso.com/ for more information on how C3 can help you or your company.
Read more Articles written by Andria L. Corso.
Copyright © 2010 Andria L. Corso
One of the key steps to having impactful talent management and development solutions is to ensure that the talent within the organization is aware of what is being done to manage and develop them; as well, it is vital that company leaders are aware of the employee's individual career aspirations. This can be accomplished through a Career Aspiration discussion. This should be a formal and focused conversation that occurs between a leader and an employee that centers on the employee's career aspirations as well as the potential growth that is available for that employee within the organization.
In order to make this conversation most productive and impactful, there are some key questions that leaders should ask the employee as well as ask themselves.
To prepare for the conversation, leaders should first pose the following questions to themselves and be prepared to share this information with the employee during the conversation.
1. What do I see as this person's ultimate potential?
The response should focus on the highest level that you, the leader, believes the employee can reach inside the company and the indicators (drive, willingness, performance) that you have seen which demonstrate that the employee can get there.
2. What do I think the employee needs to do to get there?
This response should focus on the additional training (perhaps leadership training or specific skills training) or development (maybe an expanded leadership role or a role in a different function inside the company) that the employee will need to advance to this ultimate potential.
3. What do I feel are the employee's key strengths?
This answer should highlight the strengths that the employee brings to the table and should continue to leverage throughout his or her career.
4. What do I know are this employee's immediate key developmental needs?
This response is about the shorter-term development goals as opposed to what was referred to in question two. This might be something such as "needs additional senior level exposure" so others inside the company get to know this individual, or "needs presentation skills training".
5. What do I see as this person's next assignment?
The response here should focus on realistic next assignment and the timing of when it is likely to happen.
When sitting down with the employee to have the conversation, it should be time that is uninterrupted and set-aside specifically for that person. It is important for the conversation to be interactive so, as leaders pose questions to their employees, they should refer to their own self-questions and interject their thoughts throughout the discussion to keep it interactive.
The following questions are recommended to ask employees during the discussion.
Questions for employee:
1. What are your short-term career aspirations? (I.e., next assignment: 2-5 yrs)
2. What are your longer-term career aspirations? (I.e., ultimate career goal - level of position)
3. Do you know what it takes to get there?
4. Are you willing to do what it takes to reach that position?
5. What do you feel are your key strengths?
6. What do your feel are your key development areas?
7. What steps and actions are you willing to take in the next 12 months to grow in these areas?
8. What would you like to do as a next assignment?
These conversations should be documented and conducted on an annual basis, at a minimum. Some organizations conduct them with employees every six months, which is also effective however, annually is the minimum recommendation. Conducting these discussions is a vital step in ensuring that organizations have impactful talent management and development practices in place. Career aspiration discussions not only let employees know where they stand, but gives them a say in their development. Additionally, these types of discussions ensure that leaders are differentiating their resources and appropriately developing the employees who have the strongest desire and potential to reach the most senior level positions in the company. It also enables the appropriate development of those who prefer not to excel to the highest levels but are the true technical subject matter experts. Developing the talent in a differentiated manner gives companies the best return on their dollar.
About the Author:
Andria Corso is an Executive Coach and Human Resources leader who works with clients to develop leadership skills and talent strategies that align with business strategy and drive results. She is the principal owner of C3-Corso Coaching and Consulting, a premier executive coaching and strategic HR consulting firm specializing in the design of customized coaching and performance excellence programs for companies looking to increase employee engagement and deliver outstanding results. Visit http://www.andriacorso.com/ for more information on how C3 can help you or your company.
Read more Articles written by Andria L. Corso.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Online Brand Protection: Don't Get Crazy
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Enzo F. Cesario
Previously we discussed some of the issues surrounding the protection of your online brand. It is true that there are people out there who intend to misuse and abuse brand associations that others worked hard to create, and there are steps to take to limit them. After all, hard work should be protected, and there's no reason to let someone trash your brand just because you didn't consider every single eventuality.
However, there is such a thing as overzealousness. Planning ahead is good, but the Internet is a dynamic and fluid place that has its own rules. It is in many ways a living entity, growing and evolving as more input is provided and refined by the collective efforts of billions of minds working together, or even at cross-purposes. Attempting to outright control the Web is an exercise in folly, and we provide a clear example of when going too far can go wrong.
Living Language
Language is an odd thing. It requires a certain degree of agreed definition otherwise it's worthless. So consider the interesting case of Adobe Systems and the trademark usage document they recently published on their site. In short, the document goes into the various approved ways to use the names of their products such as Reader, Acrobat, and Photoshop, as well as ways not to use them.
Adobe's Photoshop and other Adobe products have been driving forces on the Web, leading toward greater standardization of document and file types. As the popularity of the format grew, the language surrounding them adapted.
Creating an image using Photoshop became 'Photoshopping,' and then just, 'shopping.' These words entered into the popular use of language on the Internet fairly quickly, leading to Adobe's decision to publish a trademark guideline document. Now, before going further, this is both an example of good and bad efforts to protect a brand.
The Good
The document does clearly state that these are guidelines for official promotional uses of the Adobe trademarks. This is their legal right - having trademarked the term, they can provide information on how they are to be appropriately used. Adobe is clearly making an effort to ensure their brand is presented in the spirit they intended.
The Bad
The document addresses some issues that seem somewhat nitpicky, and outside the realm of official trademark uses. The portion on 'don't abbreviate Photoshop to PS' in particular doesn't seem like something that would come up in official promotional material, and really comes across as a jab at popular forum culture.
As we've discussed before, people on the Internet are not robots, but people with a sense of individuality, their own rights, and quite frequently an ironic sense of humor. Again remember the infamous 4chan protests of Scientology. These were not a protest in the traditional sense - these users got together to do this as a lark. The average Internet user doesn't respond well to patronizing commentary, and such efforts usually backfire.
Something Old, Something New
The phenomenon we are discussing is not unique to the Internet, either. Before the Internet was created, people were calling every tissue a Kleenex, despite this referring to only one brand out of many (Puffs, Scott, etc). Making a photocopy is still called Xeroxing in many circles, because Xerox made the first major breakthroughs in office photocopying. Both of these occurred before the Internet provided the tools to speed the process along, so consider how much harder it would be to arrest the process now.
Measured Steps
Again, the Adobe document provides both some good and some bad elements. Having information available is never a bad thing, especially where official trademarks are concerned. Letting people know how you want them to use your trademark on official documents is a good step. Instead of requiring time to be wasted contacting people and looking the information up, they can go to your resources page and find what they need without a hitch. You've made their lives easier and given your brand a positive image.
On the other hand, there is something to be said for letting pop culture have its way. People might call it Xeroxing, but if they're buying Canon machines has anything really been lost? Make allowances for the whims of pop culture, and consider contacting your user base.
When you're putting your trademark document together, run it by your audience for consideration. Put up a comment page and ask for feedback, jokes included. Then you may just find you have the most honest evaluation you could have ever asked for, free of charge.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the "voice" of our client's brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
Visit Enzo F. Cesario's website.
Copyright © 2010 Enzo F. Cesario
Previously we discussed some of the issues surrounding the protection of your online brand. It is true that there are people out there who intend to misuse and abuse brand associations that others worked hard to create, and there are steps to take to limit them. After all, hard work should be protected, and there's no reason to let someone trash your brand just because you didn't consider every single eventuality.
However, there is such a thing as overzealousness. Planning ahead is good, but the Internet is a dynamic and fluid place that has its own rules. It is in many ways a living entity, growing and evolving as more input is provided and refined by the collective efforts of billions of minds working together, or even at cross-purposes. Attempting to outright control the Web is an exercise in folly, and we provide a clear example of when going too far can go wrong.
Living Language
Language is an odd thing. It requires a certain degree of agreed definition otherwise it's worthless. So consider the interesting case of Adobe Systems and the trademark usage document they recently published on their site. In short, the document goes into the various approved ways to use the names of their products such as Reader, Acrobat, and Photoshop, as well as ways not to use them.
Adobe's Photoshop and other Adobe products have been driving forces on the Web, leading toward greater standardization of document and file types. As the popularity of the format grew, the language surrounding them adapted.
Creating an image using Photoshop became 'Photoshopping,' and then just, 'shopping.' These words entered into the popular use of language on the Internet fairly quickly, leading to Adobe's decision to publish a trademark guideline document. Now, before going further, this is both an example of good and bad efforts to protect a brand.
The Good
The document does clearly state that these are guidelines for official promotional uses of the Adobe trademarks. This is their legal right - having trademarked the term, they can provide information on how they are to be appropriately used. Adobe is clearly making an effort to ensure their brand is presented in the spirit they intended.
The Bad
The document addresses some issues that seem somewhat nitpicky, and outside the realm of official trademark uses. The portion on 'don't abbreviate Photoshop to PS' in particular doesn't seem like something that would come up in official promotional material, and really comes across as a jab at popular forum culture.
As we've discussed before, people on the Internet are not robots, but people with a sense of individuality, their own rights, and quite frequently an ironic sense of humor. Again remember the infamous 4chan protests of Scientology. These were not a protest in the traditional sense - these users got together to do this as a lark. The average Internet user doesn't respond well to patronizing commentary, and such efforts usually backfire.
Something Old, Something New
The phenomenon we are discussing is not unique to the Internet, either. Before the Internet was created, people were calling every tissue a Kleenex, despite this referring to only one brand out of many (Puffs, Scott, etc). Making a photocopy is still called Xeroxing in many circles, because Xerox made the first major breakthroughs in office photocopying. Both of these occurred before the Internet provided the tools to speed the process along, so consider how much harder it would be to arrest the process now.
Measured Steps
Again, the Adobe document provides both some good and some bad elements. Having information available is never a bad thing, especially where official trademarks are concerned. Letting people know how you want them to use your trademark on official documents is a good step. Instead of requiring time to be wasted contacting people and looking the information up, they can go to your resources page and find what they need without a hitch. You've made their lives easier and given your brand a positive image.
On the other hand, there is something to be said for letting pop culture have its way. People might call it Xeroxing, but if they're buying Canon machines has anything really been lost? Make allowances for the whims of pop culture, and consider contacting your user base.
When you're putting your trademark document together, run it by your audience for consideration. Put up a comment page and ask for feedback, jokes included. Then you may just find you have the most honest evaluation you could have ever asked for, free of charge.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the "voice" of our client's brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
Visit Enzo F. Cesario's website.
My New Top 10 Free Website Traffic Generation Methods - Part 1
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Willie Crawford
In 2008, I wrote an ebook that revealed my most effective methods of generating free website traffic. As online conditions and technologies change, I feel it's now time to update that ebook.
However, instead of revealing my new top 10 free website traffic generation methods in ebook format, I'm going to do it in a 10-part article series.
While I do list these methods in order of my preference, it's not necessarily by which ones produce the most traffic. Instead, I list them also considering which produce the highest quality traffic, and therefore adds the most to my bottom-line.
Let's get started...
My number one favorite method of generating free website traffic is via an affiliate program. I like releasing simple, inexpensive products that pay as much as 100% commission on the front-end. Properly done, this can create thousands of affiliates all working frantically to send you highly-qualified BUYING traffic.
They find and send you traffic that you wouldn't otherwise have, and you reward them for doing so.
If you'd like to see a live example of how I do this, visit: http://sellmorebigticket.com The product there is a $17 audio/ebook combination where I pay affiliates 100% commission. That ebook is called "The Secrets To Selling More Big Ticket Products" and is an MP3 and PDF transcript where I share exactly how I do that :-)
There are a number of keys to making this most effective, and I see many people who attempt this tactic missing some of the most important elements. Those keys are:
1) You want to make managing the whole system as easy as possible. If your system is too burdensome, you won't use it for very long. I use the Rapid Action Profits system, developed by my friend Sid Hale, to manage this affiliate program. I use it because once I set up a site, RAP makes management practically hands-free. The script can be configured to pay any percentage commission that you desire on a front-end and/or back-end product.
The beauty of the system is that when a sale is made, the affiliate is paid instantly directly to their Paypal account, and the customer is redirected to a download page. At that point, my affiliate has sent me that prized traffic, but as importantly, is also building me a mailing list.
2) You need to also have a good back-end product in-place. I typically have a second product that I offer immediately after that first sale. You can offer affiliates any percentage commission on this sale, and I often don't offer any since I've given them all of the money from the front-end sale.
The key though, is that if you do offer a back-end product (or one-time-offer) you will often get a major percentage of customer take it. So, if you don't have that offer in place, you're leaving behind much of your profits.
3) You need to have follow-up in place. It does little good to build that list if you don't later follow-up with them. Another reason that I like using Rapid Action Profits is that it builds a database right within the software.
Since some web hosting companies limit the number of emails that you can send from their servers (at one time), RAP also offers the capability for automatically building your list on a third-party system (such as Aweber.com or ProfitAutomation.com).
I have at least 30 sites built using RAP. Those are all traffic generation systems. Can you tell that I like RAP? You should check out RAP at http://timic.org/RAP
4) Here's where a lot of people using this traffic generation method cut corners, and fail...
You need to give affiliates lots of great tools so that it's really, REALLY easy for them to register as affiliates and then promote like crazy.
Many of your affiliates won't feel comfortable creating tools on their own. So, if you don't give them the tools, they'll end up doing nothing. Tools should include:
Banners in a variety of sizes
Solo emails
Blog posts
Tweets
Classified ads (suitable for Google AdWords)
The tools should have the affiliates' links automatically inserted in the proper places - something RAP handles beautifully. If you force your affiliates to have to track down links, and then manually edit the tools you offer, many won't bother.
5) Here's how you make your traffic generator go viral...
Invite your customers to become affiliates after they purchase. I've seen many merchants put links to their affiliate program right on the sales page. I don't like this technique since I feel that it can distract customers that your affiliates worked hard to send you. So, I don't feel that it's fair.
Instead, I put links to sign-up for the affiliate program on my product download pages, AND often in the products themselves. Simply explain to customers that they can register, promote the product, and earn instant commissions. This is very effective, especially when you have all of those great affiliate tools in place.
It's also very effective because the INSTANT commissions helps those who need the cash now!
Ok, I've just shared with you my very favorite method for generating free website traffic. I basically get others to send me the traffic, and then I have tools in place to leverage that traffic.
Stay tuned for part 2...
About the Author:
Willie Crawford has been marketing goods and services over the internet since 1996, and teaches many of his tactics in his free ezine. Be sure to not miss the rest of this series by subscribing at http://WillieCrawford.com/
Follow @WillieCrawford on Twitter.
Copyright © 2010 Willie Crawford
In 2008, I wrote an ebook that revealed my most effective methods of generating free website traffic. As online conditions and technologies change, I feel it's now time to update that ebook.
However, instead of revealing my new top 10 free website traffic generation methods in ebook format, I'm going to do it in a 10-part article series.
While I do list these methods in order of my preference, it's not necessarily by which ones produce the most traffic. Instead, I list them also considering which produce the highest quality traffic, and therefore adds the most to my bottom-line.
Let's get started...
My number one favorite method of generating free website traffic is via an affiliate program. I like releasing simple, inexpensive products that pay as much as 100% commission on the front-end. Properly done, this can create thousands of affiliates all working frantically to send you highly-qualified BUYING traffic.
They find and send you traffic that you wouldn't otherwise have, and you reward them for doing so.
If you'd like to see a live example of how I do this, visit: http://sellmorebigticket.com The product there is a $17 audio/ebook combination where I pay affiliates 100% commission. That ebook is called "The Secrets To Selling More Big Ticket Products" and is an MP3 and PDF transcript where I share exactly how I do that :-)
There are a number of keys to making this most effective, and I see many people who attempt this tactic missing some of the most important elements. Those keys are:
1) You want to make managing the whole system as easy as possible. If your system is too burdensome, you won't use it for very long. I use the Rapid Action Profits system, developed by my friend Sid Hale, to manage this affiliate program. I use it because once I set up a site, RAP makes management practically hands-free. The script can be configured to pay any percentage commission that you desire on a front-end and/or back-end product.
The beauty of the system is that when a sale is made, the affiliate is paid instantly directly to their Paypal account, and the customer is redirected to a download page. At that point, my affiliate has sent me that prized traffic, but as importantly, is also building me a mailing list.
2) You need to also have a good back-end product in-place. I typically have a second product that I offer immediately after that first sale. You can offer affiliates any percentage commission on this sale, and I often don't offer any since I've given them all of the money from the front-end sale.
The key though, is that if you do offer a back-end product (or one-time-offer) you will often get a major percentage of customer take it. So, if you don't have that offer in place, you're leaving behind much of your profits.
3) You need to have follow-up in place. It does little good to build that list if you don't later follow-up with them. Another reason that I like using Rapid Action Profits is that it builds a database right within the software.
Since some web hosting companies limit the number of emails that you can send from their servers (at one time), RAP also offers the capability for automatically building your list on a third-party system (such as Aweber.com or ProfitAutomation.com).
I have at least 30 sites built using RAP. Those are all traffic generation systems. Can you tell that I like RAP? You should check out RAP at http://timic.org/RAP
4) Here's where a lot of people using this traffic generation method cut corners, and fail...
You need to give affiliates lots of great tools so that it's really, REALLY easy for them to register as affiliates and then promote like crazy.
Many of your affiliates won't feel comfortable creating tools on their own. So, if you don't give them the tools, they'll end up doing nothing. Tools should include:
The tools should have the affiliates' links automatically inserted in the proper places - something RAP handles beautifully. If you force your affiliates to have to track down links, and then manually edit the tools you offer, many won't bother.
5) Here's how you make your traffic generator go viral...
Invite your customers to become affiliates after they purchase. I've seen many merchants put links to their affiliate program right on the sales page. I don't like this technique since I feel that it can distract customers that your affiliates worked hard to send you. So, I don't feel that it's fair.
Instead, I put links to sign-up for the affiliate program on my product download pages, AND often in the products themselves. Simply explain to customers that they can register, promote the product, and earn instant commissions. This is very effective, especially when you have all of those great affiliate tools in place.
It's also very effective because the INSTANT commissions helps those who need the cash now!
Ok, I've just shared with you my very favorite method for generating free website traffic. I basically get others to send me the traffic, and then I have tools in place to leverage that traffic.
Stay tuned for part 2...
About the Author:
Willie Crawford has been marketing goods and services over the internet since 1996, and teaches many of his tactics in his free ezine. Be sure to not miss the rest of this series by subscribing at http://WillieCrawford.com/
Follow @WillieCrawford on Twitter.
Hitting Your Stride: Four Keys to Timing Your Blog
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Enzo F. Cesario
There are a number of important factors that go into the production of a first-class blog. Quality of content, the layout of the page, how best to integrate video, formal versus informal tone, each of these is a decision that must be made during the creation of the project. That all comes before more esoteric concerns, which include the integration of meta tags, link building, traffic generation, and keyword/SEO implementation.
Yet underlying these important issues is one that many people wrestle with: How often should the thing be updated? Innocuous as it sounds, post frequency is actually vital to the success of any content project, and especially to blogs. Equally, it is a surprisingly complex decision that can involve numerous factors. Time, place, and availability of content all have parts to play in determining just how often you need to update your blog.
Finding the Right Frequency
Blogging is an extension of the principles of marketing. You want to get your content the exposure you feel it deserves, so you market it as best you can to cultivate an audience. This involves doing the legwork and research necessary to act on good information, and testing your ideas while allowing room for adjustment as you work and grow. Chances are you will not hit the right rate of posting immediately, and that is all right as long as you're prepared to adjust when it's required.
No single article can cover every eventuality of course, but we can break down a few core principles to get you thinking in the right direction. The key is to consider these ideas and extrapolate from them, using the other lessons you've learned, to build a solid, whole-picture approach.
1 - Make content king.
More than almost any other community, web users are keenly attuned to fluff pieces that don't really say much. This isn't true for 100% of the community of course, but those who can pick out an airy, pointless piece will almost invariably be sure to point it out, leading to some word of mouth you probably didn't want. Don't pick an update schedule that can't live up to the content you have available. Stick to a schedule that you know you can provide a quality post for, every single time you sign on.
This has a twofold effect. One, it keeps the 'pressure to post' at a minimum. Content drives the posting, and you aren't struggling every third day to come up with more information, or worse to rehash the information you've already posted. Secondly, it shows you have respect for the community, and keeps them interested and coming back.
2 - Set the time and day.
Even though the web never sleeps, a great part of the world still functions on a Monday to Friday, 9-5 schedule of sorts. Taking these rhythms into account can help you build the ideal web traffic for your project. For example, a blog focusing on home and family concerns and selling books related to it might not find as much of an audience during traditional business hours as during the time when people are at-home with their families. Granted this is only a rule of thumb, as many people surf the web for their favorite blogs during lunch breaks.
Another part of this element is the Monday-Wednesday-Friday cycle. Many business blogs and publications settle on a three-a-week update schedule, and the MWF routine works out very well for this. They're all business days, and the schedule covers the start, middle, and end stretches of a workweek.
Of course since this ends up being something of the default, it means that Tuesdays and Thursdays end up with comparatively little content for people to peruse. Sundays suffer a lack of content as well, for the obvious related reasons. If you find yourself preferring less frequent, longer posts, consider a T-Th routine to take advantage of the 'gap' between other updates.
3 - Have a conversation.
One of the most interesting contributions to modern marketing is the blog comments section. Every blogging software out there has some feature for allowing or disallowing comments. As we've discussed before, consumer input can have an incredible effect on any brand, and blogs are no exception.
Taking advantage of this resource requires a certain amount of patience. Conversations develop in the comments section as people discuss, dispute, and debate the merits of what you've posted. In short, you need to not just let this happen, but cultivate the effect. Allow reasonable discussions to grow, and comment yourself on the more relevant points. Let the consumer know their input is being seen, and that you care enough to respond to it. Posting new blog posts too frequently overruns this tendency, and could rob you of vital feedback.
4 - Be nimble.
As we've mentioned, you are not likely to get it right just out of the gate. You may bite off too much to chew, or update too infrequently for people to care. Evaluate the data, ask your consumers questions, and be prepared to change as needed. Flexibility is the ultimate survival tool on the web, and your blog will benefit if you approach the affair with an open mind and a willingness to try several approaches. Pick an update schedule, observe it, and then experiment with others until you have the one that best fits your needs.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is an online brand specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the "voice" of our client's brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
Read more of Enzo F. Cesario's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Enzo F. Cesario
There are a number of important factors that go into the production of a first-class blog. Quality of content, the layout of the page, how best to integrate video, formal versus informal tone, each of these is a decision that must be made during the creation of the project. That all comes before more esoteric concerns, which include the integration of meta tags, link building, traffic generation, and keyword/SEO implementation.
Yet underlying these important issues is one that many people wrestle with: How often should the thing be updated? Innocuous as it sounds, post frequency is actually vital to the success of any content project, and especially to blogs. Equally, it is a surprisingly complex decision that can involve numerous factors. Time, place, and availability of content all have parts to play in determining just how often you need to update your blog.
Finding the Right Frequency
Blogging is an extension of the principles of marketing. You want to get your content the exposure you feel it deserves, so you market it as best you can to cultivate an audience. This involves doing the legwork and research necessary to act on good information, and testing your ideas while allowing room for adjustment as you work and grow. Chances are you will not hit the right rate of posting immediately, and that is all right as long as you're prepared to adjust when it's required.
No single article can cover every eventuality of course, but we can break down a few core principles to get you thinking in the right direction. The key is to consider these ideas and extrapolate from them, using the other lessons you've learned, to build a solid, whole-picture approach.
1 - Make content king.
More than almost any other community, web users are keenly attuned to fluff pieces that don't really say much. This isn't true for 100% of the community of course, but those who can pick out an airy, pointless piece will almost invariably be sure to point it out, leading to some word of mouth you probably didn't want. Don't pick an update schedule that can't live up to the content you have available. Stick to a schedule that you know you can provide a quality post for, every single time you sign on.
This has a twofold effect. One, it keeps the 'pressure to post' at a minimum. Content drives the posting, and you aren't struggling every third day to come up with more information, or worse to rehash the information you've already posted. Secondly, it shows you have respect for the community, and keeps them interested and coming back.
2 - Set the time and day.
Even though the web never sleeps, a great part of the world still functions on a Monday to Friday, 9-5 schedule of sorts. Taking these rhythms into account can help you build the ideal web traffic for your project. For example, a blog focusing on home and family concerns and selling books related to it might not find as much of an audience during traditional business hours as during the time when people are at-home with their families. Granted this is only a rule of thumb, as many people surf the web for their favorite blogs during lunch breaks.
Another part of this element is the Monday-Wednesday-Friday cycle. Many business blogs and publications settle on a three-a-week update schedule, and the MWF routine works out very well for this. They're all business days, and the schedule covers the start, middle, and end stretches of a workweek.
Of course since this ends up being something of the default, it means that Tuesdays and Thursdays end up with comparatively little content for people to peruse. Sundays suffer a lack of content as well, for the obvious related reasons. If you find yourself preferring less frequent, longer posts, consider a T-Th routine to take advantage of the 'gap' between other updates.
3 - Have a conversation.
One of the most interesting contributions to modern marketing is the blog comments section. Every blogging software out there has some feature for allowing or disallowing comments. As we've discussed before, consumer input can have an incredible effect on any brand, and blogs are no exception.
Taking advantage of this resource requires a certain amount of patience. Conversations develop in the comments section as people discuss, dispute, and debate the merits of what you've posted. In short, you need to not just let this happen, but cultivate the effect. Allow reasonable discussions to grow, and comment yourself on the more relevant points. Let the consumer know their input is being seen, and that you care enough to respond to it. Posting new blog posts too frequently overruns this tendency, and could rob you of vital feedback.
4 - Be nimble.
As we've mentioned, you are not likely to get it right just out of the gate. You may bite off too much to chew, or update too infrequently for people to care. Evaluate the data, ask your consumers questions, and be prepared to change as needed. Flexibility is the ultimate survival tool on the web, and your blog will benefit if you approach the affair with an open mind and a willingness to try several approaches. Pick an update schedule, observe it, and then experiment with others until you have the one that best fits your needs.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is an online brand specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the "voice" of our client's brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
Read more of Enzo F. Cesario's articles.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Online Brand Management: Brand Protection Basics
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Enzo F. Cesario
One of the greatest strengths of the Web is that it gives everyone with a connection the ability to publish content, period. Anyone can register domain names and build attendant webpages, often for what amounts to a pittance. Some domains cost as little as ten dollars to register, or less if the buyer wishes to bundle the purchase of several names at once. Naturally, this flexibility has attracted the attention of people with less than honest motives for their efforts.
Like it or not, there are individuals online who aren't content to promote their brand through their own efforts and hard work, but would prefer to profit by the work of others. They accomplish this through a number of unfortunate methods. They domain-squat on names they expect to become famous, use similar names and domains to get attention, and in general rely on the good name of brands they have nothing to do with to draw in business.
As part of the effort to build up a brand into something to be proud of, it's important to focus on brand protection. It may sound silly on the surface; after all, who could be confused by Makdonolds as opposed to McDonalds? However the issue isn't always quite so ridiculously clear, and can lead to a number of hassles a brand just doesn't need. Here we share three common hazards and their solutions for safeguarding your brand.
Hazard 1 - Cybersquatting
In short, cybersquatting is a series of methods for registering and maintaining a domain name solely with the intent to profit from another agency that desires it.
The first method revolves around predicting the need for the domain name itself. As in the above example, suppose in the early days of the Internet someone outside McDonald's had registered all the relevant domain names. When McDonald's finally goes to establish a Web presence, they find the names they need are all taken, and thus have to bargain with this individual for terms under which he'll sell them back, obviously at a profit to himself.
Other methods involve registering similar domain names to existent ones. Suppose again that McDonald's had possession of McDonald's.com, but not McDonald's.net. The squatter picks up the .net domain, knowing that at least some people will come to the page out of curiosity or by accident. Once again, they can bargain with McDonald's over ownership, or they can provide a link to McDonald's own webpage, and thus get click-through traffic that can be monetized with ad revenue.
Solutions to Cybersquatting
Due to the fight over free speech and free market rights pertaining to the Web, cybersquatting is not easy to define as illegal. It is certainly unethical, but given the myriad of international laws governing the use of these domain names there is not always a clear recourse in overcoming these activities.
There are always methods that can be used, however. First, there is the legal recourse of going through ICANN for arbitration. However courts can and often have overturned ICANN's rulings upon further review. The legal fees associated with this process may exceed the cost of simply buying the domain outright from the squatters.
Another option is to be creative with your domain names. Google, Yahoo, icanhascheezburger, and similar domain names share a certain nonsense quality. They aren't commonly used words, and are less likely to get snapped up by squatters. If your business isn't tied strongly to a real world word already, consider coming up with something outside the box to prevent yourself from getting squatted. Purchase several of the more common variations on your domain name as well, to prevent the parallel name style of squatting.
Hazard 2 - Typo Squatting
Typo squatting relies on common typing errors or shortcuts to redirect users to a site other than the one they intended to visit. For example, information.com could be typed as iformation.com or info.com, and lead to the squatting site instead of the intended location. While this may seem like a variant on cybersquatting, it ends up being rather different in practice.
As with parallel naming, the intent here is to use a similar name to draw in users looking for one site. However the intent is very rarely to sell the url to the parent company. More frequently, these sites direct to 'gripe' pages, spambots, malware propagators and other malicious activities.
Solutions to Typo Squatting
Once again, legal action can be taken to protect a brand (particularly if the squatters are profiting from the venture), but can quickly become expensive. A more cost-effective route for a smaller brand just getting started would be to post information to your Social Media News Room and webpage about any such sites you come across, with warnings and information on how to circumvent them. Taking responsibility for your brand is the best way to protect it and cement its value in your audience's mind.
Hazard 3 - Complacency
It's tempting to register a domain name and trademark, and think that's all you need to do. However, neither of these confers automatic protection. Yes, they allow for recourse to the law in the event a case goes to court, but the Internet is a place where information moves quickly. By the time you fight things out in a court case that you may or may not actually win, people already have associated your brand with the spambot they accidentally got directed to.
Solutions to Complacency
Be proactive. Education is your best defense on the Web. Learn about common cybersquatting and typosquatting tactics. Check your domain and see if others are using these tricks to hurt your brand (consciously or inadvertently). Be aware, be informed, and take every step you can. The Internet is a dynamic place, and it falls to you to make sure that benefits you, rather than blemishes your brand.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the "voice" of our client's brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
Read more of Enzo F. Cesario's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Enzo F. Cesario
One of the greatest strengths of the Web is that it gives everyone with a connection the ability to publish content, period. Anyone can register domain names and build attendant webpages, often for what amounts to a pittance. Some domains cost as little as ten dollars to register, or less if the buyer wishes to bundle the purchase of several names at once. Naturally, this flexibility has attracted the attention of people with less than honest motives for their efforts.
Like it or not, there are individuals online who aren't content to promote their brand through their own efforts and hard work, but would prefer to profit by the work of others. They accomplish this through a number of unfortunate methods. They domain-squat on names they expect to become famous, use similar names and domains to get attention, and in general rely on the good name of brands they have nothing to do with to draw in business.
As part of the effort to build up a brand into something to be proud of, it's important to focus on brand protection. It may sound silly on the surface; after all, who could be confused by Makdonolds as opposed to McDonalds? However the issue isn't always quite so ridiculously clear, and can lead to a number of hassles a brand just doesn't need. Here we share three common hazards and their solutions for safeguarding your brand.
Hazard 1 - Cybersquatting
In short, cybersquatting is a series of methods for registering and maintaining a domain name solely with the intent to profit from another agency that desires it.
The first method revolves around predicting the need for the domain name itself. As in the above example, suppose in the early days of the Internet someone outside McDonald's had registered all the relevant domain names. When McDonald's finally goes to establish a Web presence, they find the names they need are all taken, and thus have to bargain with this individual for terms under which he'll sell them back, obviously at a profit to himself.
Other methods involve registering similar domain names to existent ones. Suppose again that McDonald's had possession of McDonald's.com, but not McDonald's.net. The squatter picks up the .net domain, knowing that at least some people will come to the page out of curiosity or by accident. Once again, they can bargain with McDonald's over ownership, or they can provide a link to McDonald's own webpage, and thus get click-through traffic that can be monetized with ad revenue.
Solutions to Cybersquatting
Due to the fight over free speech and free market rights pertaining to the Web, cybersquatting is not easy to define as illegal. It is certainly unethical, but given the myriad of international laws governing the use of these domain names there is not always a clear recourse in overcoming these activities.
There are always methods that can be used, however. First, there is the legal recourse of going through ICANN for arbitration. However courts can and often have overturned ICANN's rulings upon further review. The legal fees associated with this process may exceed the cost of simply buying the domain outright from the squatters.
Another option is to be creative with your domain names. Google, Yahoo, icanhascheezburger, and similar domain names share a certain nonsense quality. They aren't commonly used words, and are less likely to get snapped up by squatters. If your business isn't tied strongly to a real world word already, consider coming up with something outside the box to prevent yourself from getting squatted. Purchase several of the more common variations on your domain name as well, to prevent the parallel name style of squatting.
Hazard 2 - Typo Squatting
Typo squatting relies on common typing errors or shortcuts to redirect users to a site other than the one they intended to visit. For example, information.com could be typed as iformation.com or info.com, and lead to the squatting site instead of the intended location. While this may seem like a variant on cybersquatting, it ends up being rather different in practice.
As with parallel naming, the intent here is to use a similar name to draw in users looking for one site. However the intent is very rarely to sell the url to the parent company. More frequently, these sites direct to 'gripe' pages, spambots, malware propagators and other malicious activities.
Solutions to Typo Squatting
Once again, legal action can be taken to protect a brand (particularly if the squatters are profiting from the venture), but can quickly become expensive. A more cost-effective route for a smaller brand just getting started would be to post information to your Social Media News Room and webpage about any such sites you come across, with warnings and information on how to circumvent them. Taking responsibility for your brand is the best way to protect it and cement its value in your audience's mind.
Hazard 3 - Complacency
It's tempting to register a domain name and trademark, and think that's all you need to do. However, neither of these confers automatic protection. Yes, they allow for recourse to the law in the event a case goes to court, but the Internet is a place where information moves quickly. By the time you fight things out in a court case that you may or may not actually win, people already have associated your brand with the spambot they accidentally got directed to.
Solutions to Complacency
Be proactive. Education is your best defense on the Web. Learn about common cybersquatting and typosquatting tactics. Check your domain and see if others are using these tricks to hurt your brand (consciously or inadvertently). Be aware, be informed, and take every step you can. The Internet is a dynamic place, and it falls to you to make sure that benefits you, rather than blemishes your brand.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the "voice" of our client's brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at http://www.iBrandCasting.com/
Read more of Enzo F. Cesario's articles.
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