Strategic Internet Marketing Can Help Your Internet Business

By Andy West

Many businesses are popping up today and they want to expand. They want to take their product, service, or cause and bring it to the masses. As every business professional knows, the easiest and most effective way expand your business is through the use of the Internet. With such a vast expanse of information and the constant access to any number of potential customers, it is absolutely necessary to use the Internet to market your business. Because of this another marketing tool has evolved. Many new strategic Internet marketing firms have come into prominence and are now offering services to these businesses that were not previously afforded to them. Learning what strategic Internet marketing is exactly and how can it help your business will take some research. The answers are not all that complex and they are very important to your success.

A simple definition of strategic Internet marketing is that it is a technique for defining a potential market before you enter it. While this might be a very simplistic answer to a pretty advanced question, it is the basic building block upon which the Internet marketing industry is built. If you were to start a restaurant, hotel, or jewelry store without first looking into the possibilities within that market, you would probably fail miserably. The Internet is no different. If you want to start a business there, you must approach it as if it is a normal business. This means putting in the time and research to get things right. It also means that you probably want to hire professionals to determine what you can do within the market with your product. Some people like to look at the Internet as a huge world all its own, that you can cover the entire web at once with your product. It is actually very different. The Internet is more like a little nation, with different sects and towns liking different things. The right people will never make their way to your website if you do not put the right roads in front of them.

Through strategic Internet marketing, businesses can assess their possibilities and the reality of their situation. When that is done, it is possible to set goals and objectives for a business. In order for any business to be successful, it must have those high-water marks that it seeks to hit in order to be successful. By using a strategic Internet marketing firm, your business will know exactly what you are working with in a given market. From there, you can begin to formulate a business plan.

Strategic Internet marketing is a process that will allow you to not only define your company's goals on the Internet, but also decide who your customers are and how you will reach them. Marketing is all about specialization and getting the right information to the right people. By taking a deeper look at what the market might look like, your business professionals can work with a strategic Internet marketing firm in order to bring these potential customers into your grasp.

Strategic Internet marketing firms are a great way to get a leg up on the competition within your given market. It is important to utilize these great tools in order to be successful. Failing to prepare is almost certainly preparing to fail. Approach an Internet business just as your would any other new business venture. It should include a great business plan as well as some solid product promotion in order to be truly successful.

About The Author:

Andy West is a freelance writer for Vertical Measures. Vertical Measures is an Internet Marketing Company that can help you create a strategic Internet marketing plan for your business. For more information, please visit
http://www.verticalmeasures.com .

SEO Suitable For You

By Neoone

Optimization in deviating conversation plug in structure clean-cut changes on a lacework page to make the site or webpage improve its rankings in major search engines. These days most people like to spend time on the web and be online always. Business owners have come to realize that the web is the best place where one can market their goods and wares. So these days selling and buying goods through the web is hugely popular among the public. For doing this successfully search engine optimization is one aspect that you need to take proper care of. Search engines are the source through which people search for any kind of information on the web.

So if you want to be blooming on the lacework with your business, you extremity make active consummate that you procure proper search engine optimization of your business. Search engine optimization is nothing but the different measures which are adopted for making a site extremely popular on the web. The idea is to make the product to a brand so that everyone easily recognizes it be it on the web or anywhere else. The whole idea behind search engine optimization is to make online visitors buy goods from your business site. Search engines do not view or receive a site like humans do. To get recognition on the web, sites must get rankings and ratings from all major search engines.

Now if you are faraway a game it does not lousy that you leave be an clever in research engine upsurge as well. So the best thing that you can do for your business is the hire the services of am professional to do the search engine optimization work for you. This will work out to be an advantage for you in several ways. First you can get the services of a professional who is qualified to do the work. Undoubtedly he will do the work much better then anyone else. Second you will no longer have to lose sleep over thinking and planning how to go about doing Search Engine Optimization for your business.

Once you boost over the tour engine upturn life for your force to a professional, you will just have to review the work done on a periodically basis. Most search engine optimization specialists work in affordable rates, so you will not feel he pinch in your budget also if you hire their services. Every business is different and so the methods required for search engine optimization are also different. Whether your online business is a success or failure all depends on you. As a business owner, you are the best judge of the requirements of your business.

Make undeniable to diagram the palpable showdown in the vend and treasure out what methods commit give benefits to your business. Just because some other business has adopted certain search engine optimization strategies do not mean that the same will yield results for your business as well. You have to make a wise choice as a business owner as everything depends on this.

About The Author:

The author writes about a number of different topics visit http://www.shotdogs.info

Home Business Dream Can Turn Into Nightmare

By Dustin Cannon

Many people refer to operating a home business as having a dream job, but unless you are prepared for some of the common pitfalls it can quickly become a nightmare. It makes no difference the type of business you are operating there are some issues that are common to all of them, mostly regarding your self-discipline and the understanding of others that can ruin a perfectly good opportunity.

First, you will need to realize that although you are at home you are still at work. Every time you get the urge to take care of some household chore you need to think of yourself as not really being at home and whatever that shore is will have to wait until the end of your workday. The same is true for family and friends who believe that since you are at home, you have the time to do whatever they feel is important.

It will not take long for you to lose focus quickly on your home business job, which usually leads to failure, if you allow outside influences to adjust your work attitude. Being able to conduct your business with the understanding that location is irrelevant, and the job must be completed. It may help to retain any routine you had prior to starting your home business and had to leave the house every day.

You will need to establish a work schedule, allowing time for breaks and lunch, and then go to your office and get your work done. At first the tendency may be to enjoy some of that freedom to set your own hours, but when the rest of the family is counting on you to be home from work and you are still sitting in the office, the luster of having a home business may start to fade.

About The Author:

Dustin Cannon is owner of
http://www.NicheArticleClub.com and writes on a variety of subjects related to home business. To learn more about home business Dustin recommends that you visit: http://www.home-business.com

Directory Submission Services May Be The Holy Grail For Better Business Online

By Markus Skupeika

What Internet Marketing Firms Did not Tell you for Getting Ranked?

How can your business web site make you cash flow monthly without really having to invest in to much of SEO work?

What Internet marketing experts don't tell people is the details of the process.. Mostly because they are trade secrets and keep search engine marketers very busy in the business world.. But what you can find out is one thing that most Internet marketing firms will not really elaborate on.

What most Internet Marketing Firms do not elaborate on.

A simple and great solution to get your site ranked is using directory submissions services. You may want to do it yourself but it is recommended to really outsource this service to companies who have the man-power to do this manually. Man power as about 10 people in a room submitting to directories.

Directory Submission services are very beneficial because of the following reasons.

When you submit to a directory there are tons of other people searching throughout those directories. This is additional free traffic and promotion to your site. By simply taking the time to fill in the information correctly you can be approved with a link back to your site.

Why do you want a link back to your site from a Directory?

When you receive a link back from your site; that counts as a vote in the Search Engines eyes. The more votes you receive the better opportunity you will rank. Now within the title you submit to directories, that title should be a key phrase you would like to rank for.

When Google passes over that directory and find your site with the "Key phrase" that gives you a vote for that key phrase.

The more votes with a similar key-phrase the more opportunity of ranking.

Simple and Proven Directory Submission Services

It is important that you do not over submit with the same key phrase.
Google will notice this and actually penalize your site.

How do we get around Penalization from Google?

Simply using a service that has manual directory submission services and does not submit using the same title to thousands of directories. Be sure the Directory Submission Service offers you multiple titles, descriptions, and keywords for you to enter when signing up for the service.

If you would like manual directory submission services for your web site feel free to submit to our submission center to get you ranking fast and affordably.

About The Author:

If you would like manual
http://www.dwenterprise.com/directory-submission-services for your web site feel free to submit to our submission center Free information and tools from http://www.floridaseoguy.com

3 Commonly Asked Questions About Affiliate Management

By Alice Seba

People have all kinds of questions about starting their own affiliate program and it's always a good idea to be prepared. Starting and managing your own affiliate program isn't something that can be done on the fly. It takes carefully preparation and planning, but the results are well worth it. Here are 3 commonly asked questions:

Question 1: How much commission should I offer in my affiliate program?

How much you offer will depend on the amount you can afford, taking into consideration the lifetime value of a customer, what your competition is doing and how attractive you can make your offer.

As a general statement, information products usually have a higher commission rate - often between 25-50% with the higher end being more common. Consumer products with smaller profit margins can be as low as 5%, but don't often go above 20%.

But what you charge should be based on your own unique business. Here are some more things to help you come to a decision:

Sometimes it's okay to pay a bit more for a first-time customer who will buy from you over and over again.

Always see what your competition is offering. You don't have to get into a commission war, just be sure to make your program very attractive through good conversion rates, unique and useful promotional tools and other attractive features.


Question 2: What kind of affiliate tools should I provide to my affiliates?

The simplest answer is: Give them what they want.

Talk to your affiliates and see what they need to serve their unique audience needs, and where possible, provide it to them.

For hard-hitting promotions, you can craft email copy, conduct live teleseminars with content and sales pitch, special reports, etc.

For the content-starved webmaster (and there are plenty out there), give them things like articles, free ebooks and other informational content.

The important thing is to listen to your affiliates and watch which tools convert best.


Question 3: Q: Can I have an affiliate program with a service-based business?

Sure you can. If you have a profit margin or a lifetime customer value that allows you to pay commissions, certainly.

If you have services available that are at a set price, it's easy to automate everything and run your program, just like a product-based one.

If you charge by the hour or have to give project estimates, it's a little tougher to automate completely.

Here are a few options:

- Have a script that can track who referred your potential client to you. Ex. Affiliate recommends your service through a tracking link. Potential client clicks the link, checks out your website and fills out a form for more information. Your system tells you who referred the client and if they purchase your services, you can give the affiliate a commission.

- You could do it as a pay-per-lead opportunity where the affiliate is paid a smaller fee for every person that fills out the form for more information. This would be easy to automate in most affiliate systems that can handle pay-per-lead transactions.

- Don't want to go with a full-blown affiliate program? You can institute a client referral program where you simply allow your clients to recommend your service, in return for credit for services. When a new client comes to you, you ask where they heard about you and you add a credit to your referring client's account

An affiliate force is an incredibly powerful thing and when you consider you don't have to pay affiliates anything until they produce results for you, it's one of the best deals going in Internet marketing today. Plan your program well and you'll soon have your own active force of affiliates bringing you new customers every day.

About The Author:

For more answers to your questions about starting and running your own profitable affiliate program that your affiliates will love, claim your copy of Alice Seba's step-by-step Affiliate Manager Sweetie course at http://www.affiliatemanagersweetie.com

Building Links To Your Website - How To Do It - And How Not To Do It

By David Bain

Back-link building or creating inbound links has become a great preoccupation for web masters and search engine optimization professionals. Backlinks or inbound links are links found on another web site that would lead anyone clicking it to your web site. Backlinks have grown so important that software for auto linking have become just one of the many link building tools in the search engine optimization arsenal.

--- Why are inbound links so important ---

Links leading to your site create the impression that your web site has something worthy and relevant to say and offer. It doesn't matter whether or not you agree with this generalization. The search engines do - and that's what matters! In the formula - the algorithm - that search engine use to quantify whether or not a web page is important, relevant links into that page is extremely important.

Inbound links from quality and relevant web sites give your site high link popularity ratings and the search engines will let this count towards your page ranking. The more inbound links you have from these quality and relevant web sites, the higher your link popularity becomes, and the more they enhance your total page ranking.

--- Valuable inbound links ---

Let's now talk about the quality and relevance of the web sites from which you should obtain these backlinks. A web site is quality web site when it has a high link popularity and page rank itself. The more reputable the web site is, the higher its quality and the more valuable it would be to have an inbound link from that site to your web site.

--- Build links from relevant web sites ---

A relevant web site is one that operates in a similar or the same industry as yours. Say you are running a web site that sells antiques. In this case, inbound links from other online antiques stores or web sites that provide information on antiques are more relevant than inbound links from pet shops as an example.

You have to remember that the quality and relevance of your inbound links are more important than quantity of inbound links. Of course the ideal arrangement would be to have many quality and relevant links, but failing that, you should aim for quality and relevant backlinks rather than countless weak inbound links.

--- Reciprocal linking ---

Some web masters solicit inbound links from other web masters through reciprocal linking. Reciprocal linking happens when one web site contains a link to another web site that also contains a link back to the former web site. This was the ideal arrangement for web site administrators were are having a hard time obtaining inbound links; that is, however, until search engines became more aware of the practice.

Now, search engines consider inbound links and outbound links together when grading link popularity and page ranking. The former raises your score while the latter often actively dilutes it. This new scoring system could be detrimental to web sites whose SEO strategy hinges on reciprocal linking without consideration to the quality and relevance of the other web sites it's reciprocally linked to. If your web sites are linked to unpopular and irrelevant web sites, then the inbound links that these generate do not count much, if at all. On the other hand, the outbound links that point to these same web sites would still be counted against you. The result is decreased link popularity and page ranking.

--- Link farms and site interlinking ---

To obtain inbound links, some web masters have stooped to building web pages or sites that provide only one-way links to other web pages or sites. Others have created other web sites which are heavily linked to the original web site. Creation of link farms is intentional SEO practice while site interlinking usually is mere ignorant practice. However, both of these practices are unacceptable backlink building strategies that have corresponding consequences.

--- The link building problem ---

Search Engines are becoming more and more aware of 'underhand' practices from Search Engine Optimization companies who artificially raise the prominence of their clients' websites by obtaining links from low reputable sources. Although this may help in the short-term, it could result in a high number of penalties being applied to the website that is being artificially lifted.

--- The link building solution ---

There is only one way to build links to your website in a manner that will be respected by search engines in the longer term. And that's the quality orientated slow and steady approach. Any other way could significantly harm your online business in the future.

About The Author:

David Bain is founder of the internet marketing training company http://www.PurpleInternetMarketing.com. Purple Internet Marketing offers Internet marketing seminars, One-to-one Internet Marketing Training and provide E-Business Strategy Consulting. Visit their site today to find out more.

Basic Search Engine Optimization - Beyond The Mystery And Right To The Facts

By Tim Whiston

Search engine optimization has long been the Holy Grail of Web marketing. Every website owner wants to see their sites rank well in the top engines, but exactly how to achieve this remains a mystery for most marketers.

The first thing I want to point out is this fact: The exact algorithms used by the major search engines are actually proprietary, so anyone who doesn't work for one of these companies who tells you they know exactly what it takes to put you at the top is probably lying to you.

The truth is the search engine companies don't want people like me understanding their systems and creating positive results for my clients. The people behind search engine technology believe their algorithms provide the perfect solution for a Web surfer's query.

But of course you and I know better. How many times have you tried to do a simple keyword search and ended up with page after page of irrelevant results?

Whether they like it or not, the search engines do need help from proficient designers and skilled marketers. It's up to us to add the human element that robots and software simply can't accomplish in an effort to bring searchers the best possible results.

SEO (search engine optimization) is a term with a very broad scope. There is a great deal of work and diligence involved in producing favorable search results for your website(s), but this article will take away much of the mystery that shrouds this subject and give you the basic fundamentals you'll need to create some real results.

First of all, you should know there are two aspects of search engine optimization; onsite and offsite. Onsite optimization refers to what you can do within your code to make your files more search engine friendly, and offsite refers to link building from other websites back to your web
pages.

Solid onsite optimization involves the following steps:

Title and Meta Tags:

Your title tag should reflect your primary keyword phrase. This is HUGELY important.

Often when I visit a site I see the domain name in the title bar. The title tag is the first thing a search engine robot is going to take notice of, and if you blow this aspect of onsite optimization your remaining efforts will have considerably less impact.

For instance, on one of my sites I sell an e-book to online marketers about the pitfalls of business opportunity programs found on the web. The title of my e-book is Net Marketing Exposed, which is pretty cool, but do you think this would be an intelligent entry for the Title tag of my main page? Of course not. Who on earth is going to search for 'Net Marketing Exposed'?

So my title tag reads: Internet Marketing E-book Internet Business Opportunity. My target market for the site I'm referencing consists of home-based opportunity seekers and Internet marketers so I have chosen keyword phrases that match these search terms for my Title tags.

And note you can use the pipe character ( ) to separate multiple terms in your title tag. I recommend going with at least two phrases in your title tag, but do not use the exact same words more than three times in your title.

The debate as to whether or not search engines still reference your meta tags when spidering your site is a hot topic among SEO experts. I honestly don't know if the major engines still read the keyword tag or not, but I add this tag anyway because it only takes a couple of minutes and why not take this extra step just in case right?

Whether or not you utilize the Meta Keywords tag is up to you but I do urge you to use the Meta Description tag. We know for a fact the engines read this tag because if you have it entered in the head section of your html it is what displays under your site title in the search listings.

So the description tag serves not only to add keyword relevance for the search engine spiders, it also acts as your ad when a searcher views your listing in the search results. Adding a quality description in this field can improve the clickthrough rate your listing receives once it is found through a keyword search.

Search engine Friendly File Names:

I recommend naming your page files in a manner that reflects your relevant keyword phrases. If you have a page that lists your articles on your site name that file articles.html instead of something useless like page02.html

Of course the main page in every directory will have to be named index, but that's ok as the engines are hip to that; just be sure to put some thought into your other file names.

Header Tags and Page Content:

You should also use Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to illustrate important keyword phrases within your site. For example, the page title your visitor sees at the top of your content should be enclosed in H1 tags and should contain your primary keywords.

And obviously your main keywords need to appear several times in the content of each page. Placing these phrases close to the top of your content is recommended, and you should use underline, bold, and italic tags to add emphasis to your keywords within your content.

I have found the 'strong' tag to be of particular effectiveness. While on a visual level it serves the same purpose as the 'b' tag (creates bold text) my research suggests that search engine spiders respond better to the 'strong' tag.

Be careful not to emphasize every keyword phrase with special tags, and avoid excessive and unnatural "stuffing" of keywords onto your pages as the engines may pick this up and flag your site as search engine spam.

Image Tags:

Many designers and marketers ignore the value of proper image tagging when optimizing their templates for the engines. I can tell you right now I have seen a huge jump in ranking as a direct result of changing the structure of a site's image tags.

First of all, remember that search engine robots read text, not images. So avoid giving your image files names like 'header.jpg' or 'photo014.gif' unless you are hoping to be ranked for search terms like header and photo.

You should also be sure to use an alt tag with every image, and enter a keyword relevant phrase as your alt tag.

Going back to my e-book site as an example, my header graphic is named
http://internet-business-opportunity.jpg, and has an alt tag of "Internet marketing e-book reveals the truth about Internet business opportunities." And the cover graphic for my book is named
http://internet-marketing-ebook.jpg with a matching alt tag.

Onsite Link and Navigation Structure:

Finally pay attention to the anchor tags and navigation structure of your site. It's better to use keyword terms for a hyperlink text than to simply use 'click here'. I also suggest applying the Title attribute to add keyword phrases to your link tags.

Of course if you use image links refer back to the image name and alt tag rules.

And your menu should also be built around search engine friendly tags. For instance never use a 'Home Page' tag on your navigation; instead apply a relevant keyword.

If your website is about swimming lessons, the menu button for your home page should say 'Swimming Lessons' or something similar and not simply 'Home'.

This may seem like a lot to take in, but it's really a very simple formula for building search engine ready templates. Review this info until it is second nature and apply it to every site you build and you'll be on your way to stronger placement in the major engines.

The last, and the most important element of basic SEO is offsite optimization. This is a fancy term for link building.

To get the most out of your onsite optimization, you need plenty of good links pointing back to your website. And you should always strive for keyword anchored backlinks over straight URLs.

Again using my example site that retails an e-book to folks with an interest in work from home opportunities, I want hyperlink text that reads "Internet marketing e-book" or "Internet business opportunity".

A correctly built link back allows you to control what search engine spiders look for once they follow a link to your site. Once they arrive through an anchor tag that reflects your primary keywords, the spiders will proceed to look for these terms in your file tags and page content, which will of course improve your potential rankings.

This article has covered everything you need to get started with successful SEO. Master these concepts and you are certain to see a big jump in your search engine rankings!

About The Author:

Tim Whiston is a full-time entrepreneur who helps small businesses and indivual professionals develop a profitable web presence for their ventures. Have a look at his Website Design Service to find powerful and cost-effective solutions for your business.
http://www.timwhiston.com

Pay Per Click Advertising Does Help Bring Traffic To Your Site

By David Fishman

Why use Pay Per Click advertising? Using Pay Per Click advertising you can measure and statistically calculate ROI in a market within a few days for hardly any money. The popularity of pay per click advertising has generated plenty of interest from online and offline businesses.

Both pay-per-click and SEO are targeted to get your website placed as close to the top of search engine results as possible. In the pay-per-click world, your business depends on first impressions. Webmasters with open wallets have found that pay-per-click can provide traffic within hours or even minutes of a website's launch. When looking to advertise online one of the best advertising for your money is pay per click, since you only pay when some clicks, and if a potential customer clicks they are interested in your product.

PPC ads are found on websites, search engines and advertising networks these ads show up as text ads and appear on the sites, these ads will adjust themselves to what ever the theme is of each page. Of course, there's really a lot more to a successful PPC campaign, but that's it in a nutshell. The benefits of PPC are numerous.

Since there are so many companies on the World Wide Web you need to make your site and product stand out above all others. One marketing technique is to be listed in search engines -but again, with thousands of companies offering the same products and services as you, how can your scream for attention be heard.

Now, there any more cost effective marketing method. 1: Using Pay Per Click Advertising is a very inexpensive way of advertising. One thing that matters the most is how many visitors or should we say targeted visitors you can get to your site, the more qualified they are the more sales you will make. The biggest stumbling block for most home business owners is marketing their business.

When advertise on search engines you purchase clicks, you pay for only clicks you receive. When you look at search engine results and rankings don't believe all these results are from free traffic, many gurus use paid advertising to get the results they want and to get to the front page of the search engines. Businesses buy advertising on specific search phrases, and are then charged each time a person clicks through to their web site. Using the pay per click advertising you can get your site up to the top 10 in no time.

Pay per click advertising companies provide targeted traffic to your website, meaning everybody who comes to your website are looking for your products or services. Its very easy to place a pay per click ad, find the keywords your want to use, write the ad header and the body, put your link in and choose the amount of money you want to spend.

In order to get the most from PPC campaign, you have to know what keywords are going to work best for your field and what keywords are going to generate the most traffic. Choosing to bid on the right keywords can be the key to your pay per click success. Choosing the wrong keywords will negate even the most well planned Pay Per Click.

About The Author:

David Marc Fishman created
http://www.myarticlezine.com and http://www.vwutt.com sites. He offers free membership to create link exchanges at http://www.linknetics.com.

Bells And Whistles - Does Your Site Really Need Them?

By Tim Whiston

Current graphics technology is awesome, and I love a good video game. But market testing has proven websites that go overboard with graphic design and special effects actually convert far fewer sales than sites with clean, attractive layouts that do not interfere with the most important element - the content!

I hate it when I come to a site looking for a product or service and I can't get past the streaming video intro. I also hate it when a fat audio file loads on every page I navigate, or when the flash elements and high-tech animations make it hard to find the order button.

Believe it or not I'm saying this as a professional web designer. And guess what?

According to multiple independent studies the average Internet consumer agrees with me!

It's a fact - sites with too many bells and whistles will actually drive your customers away before they have a chance to soak up your offer or at least subscribe to your opt-in list. As a rule, I don't even recommend flash as a viable media for direct response marketing.

Look at some of the most productive retail sites in any niche and you'll find clean, appealing graphics. But these visual creatives will not overshadow the most important element of all. the site's content!

Unless you are marketing a video game, a movie, or sophisticated animation software/design service, it's the content that generates sales and not the bells and whistles that turn your site into a digital carnival.

Don't get me wrong, both audio and video elements can have a tremendous impact on your conversions; but not if these features are presented in place of quality sales copy and plenty of solid consumer information.

High-tech design solutions should be applied in a way that compliments your content. Your marketing message should never be upstaged by visual theatrics or dazzling sound effects unless you're in the business of selling such effects to site owners who don't know any better.

Regardless of how far technology advances it is highly unlikely the average consumer will ever stop demanding quality content prior to his or her purchase of your product or service. So lead with your message and let the special effects blend in and compliment your content delivery.

Keep the balance between graphic design and strong copy, and your visitors will be far more likely to stick around and give you the chance to close the deal.

About The Author:

Tim Whiston is a full-time entrepreneur who helps small businesses and individual professionals develop a profitable web presence for their ventures. Have a look at his Website Design Service to find powerful and cost-effective solutions for your business. http://www.timwhiston.com

Don't Compete For The Most Popular Keywords

By Roy Carter

A common mistake that website owners make when trying to drive traffic to their sites, is to try to compete for the most popular keywords within their niche.

Let the novices fight over these keywords. They will have virtually zero chance of getting on to page 1 of the major search engines because every man and his dog is trying to use the most popular and competitive search terms.

Just because the Overture/Yahoo keyword selection tool, or Wordtracker says there are no searches for a particular keyword or keyword phrase, that does NOT mean that nobody is using that keyword phrase to look for your product or service.

The above mentioned tools are a first port of call for hundreds of thousands of website owners. However, that means that the keywords that are thrown up are used by thousands of people as well, making them extremely competitive.

Those tools are also skewed in favour of USA results, simply because there are more people in the USA using the tools than anywhere else.

Let me give you an example...

One of the websites that I own is to do with moving to Cyprus to live.

If you type 'Moving to Cyprus' into the Overture/Yahoo keyword selection tool it reports that virtually nobody is using that keyword phrase.

That's because very few people in the USA are looking to move to Cyprus to live.

However, more than a million people a year from the UK and Europe are thinking about moving to another country to live and Cyprus rates in the top 10 destinations that they are considering (Australia is first and Spain second, USA third etc).

The lesson to be learned here is that I get a lot of traffic to my various sites from keyword phrases that are given a zero or low score by these commonly used tools.

So, if you think of a keyword phrase that you think YOU would use for a particular search, don't decide against using it, just because these tools return a supposedly low result.

While others are fighting over the most popular search terms, you can be working smart and driving traffic to your sites using keywords that are being totally ignored by others.

Remember...Work smart not hard!

regards,
Roy Carter

About The Author:

No.1 on Google out of 59,400,000 results. Want To Drive Massive Traffic To YOUR Website The Easy Way? Work Smart Not Hard!
http://www.TrafficMadeEasy.com

What Is Pay-Per-Click? When To Use It - And When Not To

By Robert Fuess

The only way to really guarantee top placement is to use pay-per-click advertising. (This is an advertising mechanism in which you pay for every click of a potential customer.) Most search engines offer this on a bidding basis, and if it generates more money than you spend on it, it can be sound business advise. In most cases, you would DO THIS LAST - after you optimize your web site and implement other promotional techniques. If you do an effective job with your website optimization and promotion, you may already come up top naturally and not have to use pay-per-click for several keywords. (This is expecially true for MSN or Yahoo.) Or if you choose to make a big (temporary) advertising campaign while you are optimizing (and have the money for this), then you may consider this.

Some keywords will cost more than others, depending on competition. Some will generate more paying customers than others. Do the math as you go along. Figure out the return on investment. This is seldom a one shot deal and often takes a few months of tweaking to get the optimum pay-per-click bid amount for the different keywords.

YOU WILL FIND SEO COMPANIES THAT GUARANTEE YOU TOP PLACEMENT FOR YOUR FAVORITE KEYWORDS. THIS IS HOW THEY DO IT. They use pay-per-click as part of the package and point to the pay-per-click listing, showing you your top placement. The natural links are normally much cheaper in the long run, since once you achieved a top ranking without pay-per-click you will have a steady stream of customers without having this kind of per-click fee.

Google is, of course, an exception. For the first year you will not likely rank for most of your desired keywords despite any valiant efforts on your part. During this period, I would encourage using Google's pay-per-click (AdWords). Although Google is the slowest to recognize your natural ranking - it will give the greatest return in the long run. While you do this - use the information they give you while you manage your pay-per-click keywords. See what is used most often - and what gives you the most sales (conversions). They have tools to help you with that.

ANY SEO FIRM that promises or guarantees top placement for competitive keywords is either selling you pay-per-click or is being boastful. Be wary with your money. You don't need an SEO
expert to sign up for pay-per-click. You may use one to help you find the right keywords or perhaps to handle optimization techniques. If they are selling you a package, pay-per-click is
often a justifiable part of it. However, don't let such a promise be a decision factor in selecting an SEO expert.

About the Author:

Robert Fuess is a veteran website designer who specializes in making dynamic search engine optimized websites.
http://www.SpiderwebLogic.com http://www.SchoolAndTeacher.com

Copywriting Makeover: Distinction and Benefits

By Karon Thackston

In part 1 of this series (seen here:
http://www.marketingwords.com/articles/articles_subtlechanges.html), we were introduced to kneelsit.com, an Australian manufacturer of ergonomic computer chairs who was in search of a high conversion rate. After spotting several trouble areas within Kneelsit's original copy (viewable here:
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/kneelsit-home-original.html), I set out to rewrite the home page with specific goals in mind.

The Rewrite

I really felt for the users of these chairs. They had back problems and medical issues, trying desperately to find relief. I can only imagine how it must feel to sit in pain all day, every day. And, after seeing so many false claims for other chairs, I could understand how they might be skeptical. So, after reading the new home page copy, I wanted the site visitors to have confidence, to see the difference in the Kneelsit chair and to understand the benefits this chair would offer.

Of course, those in chronic pain were not the only visitors to the Kneelsit site. While they were the primary segment, the audience also consisted of those with mild back pain, those with inconsistent problems or simple fatigue, and those who simply wanted a comfortable chair that wouldn't contribute to any future back problems. The copy also needed to meet their needs and provide the information they were seeking.

You can see the revised copy here:
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/kneelsit-home-new.pdf.

The Headline

The original headline did, in fact, list benefits. It stated:

Superb Comfort, Perfect Posture, Gentle Movement, Natural Balance

However, only one of those benefits spoke to audience members. Superb Comfort. While posture may have been a secondary thought, gentle movement and natural balance didn't strike a chord simply because of a lack of knowledge. As it happens, these two benefits are important, but the general population doesn't understand what they mean. It would require educating the site visitors about these two before they would grasp their full meaning. That education couldn't take place within the headline (not enough room!), so those two benefits needed to be removed.

The headline needed to evoke feelings of trust for the skeptical and a sense of stability for the hesitant. It also needed to provide an obvious benefit - one that would catch the reader's attention.

Also, because it made sense to do so, I included one keyphrase in the headline. The new headline read:

Ergonomic Chair Design Based On Years Of Research Lets You Sit For Hours With No Back Pain

The Opening Paragraph

The original copy started out just fine by naming some important benefits, but it didn't back them up. After pointing out the relief of stress and pain, it went directly into an explanation about the chair's patent.

The new copy took a cleaner path. It started by pointing out that others (users and professionals) liked the chair, and then it proceeded (in the next section) to explain why.

The original copy tried to educate readers about the importance of continuous movement and natural balance. There is nothing wrong with educating your customers; however, you need to give ample space to do that. Because the visitors had limited information about these two benefits on the home page, they may have been confused or - at the least - unpersuaded.

The new copy held firm on one feature: the swivel axel mechanism. It explained how this helped with customization of settings to fit every body type and more. With minimal education needed, the customer was able to understand that this one, patented feature offered multiple benefits.

Rather than simply listing shipping details for the close of the copy, the new version of the home page pointed out some additional benefits pertaining to quality and stylishness.

As I wrote, I looked for places to use the keyphrases chosen for this page. This was absolutely not a numbers game. My goal was not to use the keyphrases as often as I possibly could. That approach is not SEO copywriting, in my book.

Basing your copywriting strategy simply on the sheer volume of times you can include keyphrases makes the copy sound forced and ridiculous. In fact, on this home page, the keyphrases were only used a total of four or five times. Yet, to the amazement of some, the home page ranks in the top 10 (and often top five) for its chosen key terms.

The Results

Did it work? Did the changes bring out the results we wanted? They sure did! When asked about improved conversions, the owner of Kneelsit.com had this to say, "Our conversion rate has definitely improved since the rewrite. probably by around 35-40%!"

Sometimes, even though you may have included important information in your copy, it just doesn't do what you hoped it would. Take the time to explore, experiment and test. Replace a headline. Rephrase a paragraph. Subtle changes can often make noticeable improvements in conversions and other areas of business.

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to also check out Karon's latest e-report "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)" at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

Copywriting Makeover: Subtle Changes Make A Noticeable Difference

By Karon Thackston

Changing a few words in your copy can lead to double-digit increases in conversions. If that sounds like a bunch of hype from an online infomercial, stick around and I'll show you how it's done.

That's really all that happened with Kneelsit.com, an Australian ergonomic computer chair manufacturer. They had what would be considered a successful site with a continual stream of orders. All the basic information was already included on the home page, but the owner felt as though something was not quite "there" yet. He wanted a fresh approach to the site's copy, so that's what he received. And the results were simply amazing.

The Problems

While Kneelsit had great rankings for their key terms (normally #1 to #4 in popular search engines) keeping those rankings high required some attention to the SEO piece of the puzzle. Conversions, however, were not at their maximum. The business was not suffering, but it did have room for improvement. So, after receiving a sample chair to use during the process, I set(or should I say "sat") out to work.

Once I assembled the chair and rolled it up to my desk, I kept a notepad nearby so I could jot down benefits as I noticed them. In just a few days' time, I had a long list of features and benefits to refer to.

As I read over the original home page copy (which can be seen here:
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/kneelsit-home-original.html), I noticed something else. Many of the benefits I had on my paper were referenced (at least briefly) in the original copy. Some were phrased differently than I would later phrase them, but most were there.

However, in this highly competitive industry, I wanted to be sure to keep the uniqueness of the chair on the forefront. Visitors needed to quickly see that the Kneelsit was superior to other computer chairs available. The changing of some verbiage and providing more details in some areas would help keep visitors reading and help them easily distinguish this chair from others on their comparison list.

Once my list of benefits was completed, I began relating these options to other kneeling chairs and to users of ergonomic computer chairs. I wanted to see which benefits on my list were unique in the marketplace. I also wanted to know about the users of these chairs. After all, the buyer is the center of the process and should also be the focus of the copy.

My research revealed some of the reasons users would need an ergonomic chair and also the biggest complaints about some of the current ergonomic designs. In addition, I discovered which benefits were common to other ergonomic chairs and which were distinctive.

The Solutions

Armed with the research results, I started crafting the copy to speak to that one person who was forced to sit at a computer all day, in pain, and who desperately needed help. This person had tried several other computer chairs before with little to no results and was getting skeptical about finding a solution.

I looked back over my list of benefits in search of the ones that would not be found in the competition's copy. I focused on one exclusive, patented feature (the axle design) and the fact that the chair was customizable for every body type.

I laid out a plan for the new copy including keyword selection, keyword placement, benefits and key points to be mentioned.

Similar in many ways to the original copy, the new version had some subtle, but powerful, changes. The goal of the new copy was to show the true distinction of these chairs by highlighting the most impressive benefits.

I would also focus on incorporating keyphrases in headlines and sub-heads (where it made sense to do so) and throughout the copy. I had to pay careful attention to making the copy sound natural, as I never want the SEO factors to overshadow the message of the page.

In Part 2 of this series (seen here:
http://www.marketingwords.com/articles/articles_subtlechanges2.html), we'll take a look at what went into the rewrite as well as what type of results were achieved with the new copy.

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to also check out Karon's latest e-report "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)" at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

Home Based Business: Your Ultimate Tax Shelter

By Stephen Pope

Starting and operating your own home based business is the ultimate tax shelter.

Although this article has been written from a Canadian income tax perspective, the principles should be practical in other tax jurisdictions.

1. Non-Deductible Personal Living Expenses

All of us have expenses that we incur in everyday living.

Either you rent an apartment or house or you own your residence. Utilities, insurance, rent, mortgage interest, property taxes, and maintenance and repairs are typical costs of operating your home.

Likely, you have a vehicle which also consumes large amounts of cash.

Add to this, dining out, entertainment, gifts, alcoholic beverages, office supplies, telephone and many other expenditures, and you have a significant cash outflow.

In most cases, as an employee, retired person, investor, student, or homemaker, few of these expenses are tax-deductible to you.

This means that you must earn a considerable income, pay your income taxes first, and then use what is left to pay all your expenses.

Some employees may be able to write-off some of their employment related expenses, if such are required by their contract of employment. However, even in this situation, the tax deductions are very limited.

2. Your Own Home Based Business Means Tax Deductions

Now consider the situation where you decide to start your own home based business.

Suddenly, many of your everyday expenses are now being used for business purposes and are now tax-deductible.

If you use one quarter of your home exclusively for business use, you will be able to deduct (or write-off) one quarter of all related occupancy costs. These expenses may include maintenance and repairs (that are not capital in nature), rent, mortgage interest, house or apartment insurance, power, heat, water, and property taxes.

As well, your vehicle expenses used for business purposes are another tax write-off. If you use your car ninety percent for business purposes, you can deduct ninety percent of your vehicle insurance, gas and oil, maintenance and repairs, car washes, license and registration, auto club, loan interest (within certain limits), and other costs from your income. You may also write-off one hundred percent of your business related parking. Capital Cost Allownance (C.C.A.) on your vehicle is also allowed for income tax purposes; depreciation is the accounting term for this tax deduction.

The Canadian government also allows as a deduction, fifty percent of your business related entertainment expenses.

Also tax-deductible are business related telephone expenses, Internet access, office supplies, travel, books, memberships, and a host of other expenditures.

3. Income Splitting with Your Home Based Business

If you have a high paying job, you will pay higher taxes because the rates of tax increase as your income does.

With your own business, you can pay reasonable wages to your spouse and children. In this way, you can legally divert income taxed at your higher rate to your family members that are in a lower tax bracket.

This tax saving technique is called income splitting. It is another good reason why your own home based business is the ultimate tax shelter.

4. Even a Part-Time Home Based Business Works

Even if you have a full-time job, running a part-time business can be advantageous.

Of course, you must actually run a real, moneymaking business. Any attempts to write unprofitable hobbies off will ultimately fail with the taxation authorities.

If you earned eight thousand dollars during the year from your part-time business and were able to deduct eight thousand dollars in car expenses, home office expenses, entertainment costs, office supplies, and other business related expenditures, you would have a net business income of nil. You would pay no tax on this additional income.

Don`t miss this important point! Although these tax deductions are actual, legitimate business expenses, these are expenditures you would probably have made anyway, whether you had a business or not.

Thus, by rearranging your affairs to start and operate a home based business, you have been able to convert non-deductible personal expenditures into legally deductible business expenses. You have successfully sheltered your income from tax and have split your income with family members in lower tax brackets.

Yes, indeed, your home based business has become your ultimate tax shelter.

About The Author:

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years. For more profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/

Search Engines Are A Source Of Tension In An Online Home Business

By Kirk Bannerman

For a long time I have been a member of several search engine optimization forums and I have recently noticed that the stress level of many webmasters has gone way up (this is especially
true since Yahoo and MSN have decided to seriously try their hand at competing with Google in the search marketplace). This applies not only to webmasters involved in Internet-based home
businesses, but to webmasters in general.

Additionally, it seems that many people that are in the business of search engine optimization (SEO) are, with good reason, going completely bonkers. As Google came on the scene in 1998 and quickly dominated the search business, website optimization became largely a game of shooting at a single target, namely, pleasing Google...for all intents and purposes, Google became the "800 pound gorilla" of the search engine business.

Since the advent of search engines (particularly Google) spawned the whole SEO business, I guess its only fair that the search engine industry can once again turn the SEO business on its ear, and it seems now to be sort of a cat and mouse (not desktop) relationship that can get really interesting as we move forward.

Not only are there now several viable players (most notably Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Ask Jeeves) in the search engine business, but they are all adopting different and frequently changing algorithms for determining the ranking positions for websites.

The current game is that webmasters are trying to figure out how the various search engines perform the rankings and, on the flip side, the search engines are striving to be unpredictable to those webmasters and SEO firms.

For those people using websites to promote a home based business, it can be stressful constantly trying to determine "what the search engines want" and agonizing over every downward fluctuation in rankings that their website may experience.

Looking forward in time, I think we can expect that rankings will fluctuate frequently and will not be at all consistent from one search engine to another. It will be quite common that for a particular search term a website might suffer a drop in position ranking for search engine "A" and an increase position ranking for search engine "B" at essentially the same point in time.

Rather than stressing out over every position ranking "wiggle", a better approach might be to just focus on "what do visitors to my site want?". The search engines are striving to give their users a quality (relevant) search experience and if you are focused in giving visitors to your website what they are looking for, these paths will meet somewhere down the road.

You can save yourself alot of consternation by focusing upon the needs of the website visitors you are seeking to attract, rather than chasing the frequently changing ranking algorithms of several search engines. Focus on a single target instead of chasing several moving targets at the same time.

This article pertains to natural searches only, as paid search engine advertising is a completely different situation.

About the Author

Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. Visit his website at Legitimate Home Based Business for more details.

Rss To Blog Pro - A 6-Month Review

By Will Lee

Background
Search engines are particularly interested in websites with constantly updated, relevant content. Websites that appear static without a supply of fresh content may be viewed as dormant and in their drive to provide the latest, most relevant search results to users, search engines may rank such a website lower than a website that is updated regularly.

What Is It?
RSS to Blog Pro is a fully automated blog posting tool offering self-updating websites. It's a PHP script that is installed on a single web hosting account. From this centralised installation, multiple blogs can be maintained with fresh content from various sources. Also available is an earlier, non-pro version, which has the same basic functionality, but requires a separate install for each blog it maintains.

What Problem Does It Solve?
Adding fresh - and importantly, relevant - content to websites can be a resource consuming task. Either you spend time finding and creating new content or you pay someone to do it for you. Without fresh content, your websites can appear stagnant and drop off the search engines radar. This impacts your website rankings in search results and ultimately has a detrimental
effect on any free traffic coming from the search engines. If your websites rely on search engine traffic then this can mean their downfall.

What Are The Benefits?
RSS to Blog Pro tackles the problem of needing to regularly update website content by automating the whole process from finding relevant content based upon keywords that you provide through to posting content to your website blog. In the eyes of search engines, updating a website with irrelevant content isn't nearly as good as having relevant content. The tighter your niche, the better chances you have of ranking higher as you'll be competing with a smaller number of websites. Using a scattergun approach to website content can mean you end up competing with websites across a large number of niches.

If you're building content websites with the aim of earning an AdSense income then you'll know that the ads shown are dependant upon the surrounding content on your webpages. Irrelevant content results in ads that are irrelevant to your website visitors, which means they'll have no interest in clicking on them and your generated income will be poor.

Features

* Supports multiple blog types including WordPress, Blogger Blogs, Movable Type, Type Pad, Live Journal and MSN Spaces.
* Keywords and RSS feeds can be specified for automatic content generation or you can supply your own content.
* Posting to your blogs can be scheduled at random intervals e.g. once or twice a day so that posting appears natural.
* There are no 'footprints' to identify the content as being automatically generated.
* Log records are kept so you can see exactly what has been posted and to where.
* Built-in ping functionality for blog and ping.
* A single installation will post to an unlimited number of blogs.
* Regular updates.
* User support forum.
* Two tier affiliate programme offering 40% commission to the top level and 10% for any sales from affiliates you recruit.

My Experience With RSS to Blog Pro Since August 2005, I've been using RSS to Blog Pro on an
increasing number of blogs in various niches. I'm pleased to be able to say that my income from AdSense has increased month upon month since then. With the software installed on my virtual
private server (VPS), I currently manage around 50 blogs, posting relevant new content every day or two. I'd recommend that you don't install RSS to Blog Pro onto a shared server because if you're updating a large number of websites or you're running the script frequently (every couple of minutes) then your host is likely to take a dim view on it. Considering how inexpensive and how much more reliable a VPS is to operate there just isn't any reasonable justification for risking a shared server. A VPS is like having your own server, completely isolated from any other peoples websites so you can't affect them and they can't affect you. There is the exception of disk IO, but that isn't something that should be of any real concern.

The issue of relevancy is really what makes the difference between an effective auto content generation tool and one that will never do anything for your bottom line. I can't stress it enough; without relevant content, search engines won't be able to categorise your niche and won't be able to rank you fairly amongst your peers. That means you won't do well in searches in your subject area. It also could mean your website will serve ads for tennis equipment when your niche is dog care. Visitors looking for information about dog care are highly unlikely to be interested in tennis equipment when they come to your website because it's not something which is relevant to their needs at that time.

There's no doubt that this helps to keep those websites looking fresh and my website stats show a constant stream of visits to my blog pages each month. And of course, lots of targetted visitors and lots of targetted content means a lot of clicks on targetted ads!

Support-wise, Michelle (creator of RSS to Blog Pro) has answered my email queries promptly and there's an active user forum for peer support. Michelle also visits the forum to provide assistance although some queries can take a couple of days for a response, however the user base, support forum and software is mature enough to be able to cope with almost every common question a new user might have.

Fortunately, the software is easy to install and set-up so you can expect to be running within an hour or two.

One feature that I haven't used is the ability to ping blog directories from within RSS to Blog Pro. The reason for this is that if I pinged these websites for every post made to each of my blogs then I'd actually end up pinging up to 50 times a day from the same domain (the domain on which RSS to Blog Pro is installed). Rather than risk being blacklisted for pinging too much and hogging the resources of the directories, I use the ping facility from with my WordPress blog software instead so that the individual pings come from the individual domains. Again, this will appear to be a lot more natural and it also helps RSS to Blog Pro to work more efficiently by decoupling some of the work away from it.

Conclusion
After 6 months of constant usage, I'm pretty happy with RSS to Blog Pro's performance. and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is wanting to have self-updating websites that attract targetted traffic. Care needs to be taken when selecting a host for the script, but once installed, operation of the script is simple and reliable. An excellent script in the toolbox of AdSense earners and affiliate marketers alike.

About The Author:

Will Lee is the Internet Marketing Fool (http://www.internetmarketingfool.com), sharing real life Internet Marketing advice and product reviews. RSS to Blog (http://www.rsstoblogg.com) is an automated blogging tool, created by Michelle Timothy. United Articles(http://www.unitedarticles.com) offers free syndicated content.

Home Based Business - Steps To Success

By Jon Hancock

Ready to start your home based business?

Here's some facts that prevent most beginners from ever reaching that goal, and what you need to get started. The main question lies in the fact of whether you have what it takes to run a home based business?

Take the first steps now to starting your own business and get started right immediately. The first rule is self motivation. This is a key factor to getting started, so please don't pass it off. You must motivate yourself to take action in your life by redirecting and maintaining your attitude and ambition. What drives you to push yourself to the limit when the chance arises? Is it your family, friends, certain environments, tight schedules, love, or maybe even the initial goal on everyone's mind... Money? Whatever thrives you the most is what you need to keep your mind set on during the initial setup. This is what can destroy a vast majority of new business owners during the preparation process. Don't ever lose sight on what is pushing your ambition to rise above.

Second is about attitude and confidence. If you don't have a strong business attitude, then you will not survive in the business world. Be willing to do what it takes to succeed and don't make room for excuses. Excuses don't get the job done. If something needs to be initiated, or completed, then just do it and do it right. This is where confidence comes into play. You must be confident, but not preferably OVER-confident in your jouney to succeed. If you have absolutely no confidence in yourself, then get some fast. Everyone can have ambition to succeed given the correct incentive and measurements. Make your own destiny! Don't wait for it to knock you down when you're not looking. You can take control and decide your fate for yourselves. Ambition is locked away in everyone's mind, so whatever it is you need to unlock that particular door, get it done. Clear your head from standard issues that will prevent you from succeeding for your future.

Now, set your mind to goal setting for a minute. What we want to do here is figure out what sort of goals you're looking to get out of life. Where would you like to be right now? How much money do you want to earn every week, month, or year? Have you reached 50% of your goals yet? This is a critical step in inspiration to push your agenda further than can be imagined. Imagine for a second that all of your bills are fully paid, but don't stop there. Imagine all of your bills are paid for the next 5 years without a blink of an eye. Owning your own home, and maybe a beach house or two. Drive anything you want, because it didn't even chip your bank account to purchase it. Basically, how far do you want to go. Would this be considered greed? Absolutely! That is the reason for rapidly advancing technology, health-care drugs for longer survival and better health, and amazing opportunities that are available to the general public... which will also take us to the next step.

Money management is VERY important. If you cannot control your money, then you will need to learn better patience. Patience with money earned will keep you from losing it all, after it's
been made. Control yourself, and control your money. Set your daily/weekly/monthly budget and enforce it! If you cannot control your funds now, then start today and write a strict budget. Keep your goals in mind always, so you don't make extravagant purchases that were not necessary. If you do reach high goals and use your money accordingly with investing, or other resources, then you will have plenty of time to "throw your money around". So, be sure your budget is set and let's move on to the next step.

Research, research, research! This is probably one of the MOST important steps that you are going to take in your business planning. Do your research thoroughly and make absolutely sure
that your knowledge will cover everything you need to know. Information is the most valuable commodity and most everything you'll need to know can be easily obtained online right now. Find out exactly what you need to be happy in your life, and set your mind to it. What do you have easy access to. There may be many things right under your nose, that you will kick yourself later for not thinking about it sooner. Find out what it is you enjoy. Don't always go with what your heart tells you in business, or you may not survive. Be truthful and realistic with yourself when deciding your business. Be sure that you WILL NOT LOSE MONEY. If you LOSE money from your business, then it's pointless to start in the first place.

Figure out what you want out of life. What is your primary goal? What type of schedule do you require? You can find the easy life, if you dig deep enough.

Do you have easy access to get started right now? Be sure that you know exactly what you are plunging yourself into. "Don't sink with a ship that has a near-sighted captain". What is the history of the businesses in the particular market that you're researching and what strategies were they using. You must find out whether the profit potential is endless? ...or does it have a cap-off point as well. How much time and work is it going to take to setup and ultimately operate? Be sure to keep plenty of "you" time for yourself. You don't have to work 24 hours a day to achieve your goals. Residual income is the key to making effortless money and obtaining your rightful financial freedom. Make your business work for you, instead of the other way around. Remember, you are the driver. You have the control to stop, go, and turn things around at any given point. You can start a business for less than a hundred dollars and turn it into a multi-million dollar success. So, do your research!

Now, we can move on to scheduling your business plan. Write it, or type it, and record it. This will take some time to think over and it definitely should. You should not rush this process by any means, since it will be YOU taking the action which will result in the overall consequences or rewards. Figure out how much money you want to earn on a periodic basis, and be sure to set your goals into a progressive mode. Once you've reached this point, you will need to keep site of your goals and realize you are the ONLY one that is going to make the difference. Time is much too important to waste in any circumstances, so be very careful with your decision making performance. Always take care of your well-being. Your health always plays an important role when you are taking a new leap in life.

Take care for now and good luck finding your success!

About The Author:

Jon Hancock is a successful internet entrepreneur & author for blogs & article posts. Copyrighted Find money resources for money making idea
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Web Designer's Guide to Search Engine Optimization

By Sitecritic .Net

From a search engine point of view, the perfect webpage has no graphics, no scripting, no tables... etc but just alot of normal, plain readable text. You can just take it that plain text is the food for search engine spiders. Therefore, the more text you have, the more you will keep the spiders happy. However, from the design point of view, such pages are very boring but the fact is that everyone is more interested in keeping the spiders rather than us happy. The argument is that if search engine spiders cannot find your site, no one will. Based on this philosophy, we witnessed the fall of flash and sites with strong graphics over the years. Many sites that utilized heavy graphics where no longer found. Web developers become happy because they have an excuse to create less impressive websites...

The question is can we make both the saerch engine spiders and us happy? The answer is definitely a "Yes" provided that web designers can follow certain rules when designing web pages. They need to step out of their comfort zone and learn abit more about new web technologies.

Domain Name and URL Naming Convention
Having a proper domain and url name is quite often neglected. Many search engines actually put some weightage in the way you name your domain or url files. You will definitely want to include some juicy words in your naming convention. For example, if you site is about website critics and your url is http://www.sitecritic.com, this will definitely be better than a domain like bluefish .com or someting. The same principle goes for hyperlinks. If you have 2 words as key words, you can use an underscore "_" or dash "-" to separate them.

Title
Do not fool around when writing the title. From my experience, this is the most important part of your webpage. Many designers like to put special characters such as " * "," ", " : " or " [ ] " in the title to make it look unique. If you really want to make your webpage special, I advise you to do it else where such as in the body of the HTML document. You should include your keywords in your title. Like the previous example, if your web site focuses on website reviews, make sure you have the words "Website Reviews" somewhere in the title. Noticed that "WebsiteReviews" is not the same as "Website Reviews". Spacing is important.

When writing the title, try not to write more than 8 words. There are no hard and fast rules on that but the fact is that more does not mean good. In fact, the more you write, the more your keyword density will be diminished. If you keep repeating the same keyword in the title, search engines will see your site as spam and you will be dead in no time. For example, a title like "Sitecritic Web Reviews" is much better than "Sitecritic Web Reviews, Internet Marketing, Web Design Ideas, Internet Directories, Budget Web Hosting, Melbourne". I will have to stress again, do not fool around with your title.

Meta-Description
After the title tag is the meta description tag. Many people argued that meta description is no longer important. Based on my experience, they are still relevant in SEO rankings especially if your website is new. The principle in writing the meta description tag is the same as the title. The only difference is that you want explain abit more about the services that you provide in a friendlier format. You will also want to include your keywords in the meta description.

Menu, Content and Links
You should not use any javascript menus that hid the urls. Many javascript menus are fancy but actually not SEO friendly. What ever technique you are using to create the menus, make sure that the tag is visible. You might also want to include a variation of the keywords in the menus, links or text. Like the previous example, if your keyword is "Web Site Reviews", you might not want to use the same word over and over again. You can vary it by using "Professional Web Reviews, Reviews of Websites, Site Reviews...etc". Varying the keywords makes your content more interesting and is good for SEO as well.

When writing the contents, try to put the keywords in different areas of the document. Use tags like or to make the keywords stand out. Avoid urls that say "click here" or "view". Though often used, they are not advisable for SEO purposes.

Text links are stonger than image links. It is therefore not advisable to use images as the main navigation menu throughout the website. If you would like to incorporate images in the user navigation experience, you might want to consider separating the text from the images. This can be achieved easily using CSS or the background image option in the or tag.

Images
Unlike many Search Engine Experts, I strongly encourage the use of graphics because I am passionate about Web Design and is sad to see so many websites that are well optimized for search engines but look crap on screen. You need to balance between the amount of graphics used and downloading speed. Like I mentioned before, if your header banner or important images contains text , you could split up the text and use the images as a separate background or floating layer. That way, you can make the image size smaller and also make the text visible to the search engines. Transparent gifs are very useful for laying over other content or images. Appropriate use of jpegs and gifs can also cut down loading time by alot.

CSS Technology
CSS helps you to cut down your tag and gives more room for the spiders to read your content. The problem with CSS is that it is not as straight forward as tables. At the moment, CSS is also inconsistent in different browsers, so before you publish your web page, you need to check the layout in different browsers. I am actually not against designers using tables especially if they find the time spend in creating a full CSS site not justifiable. The fact is that there are still cases when using CSS is not advisable. An example is when displaying tabular data; Tables still excel in displaying tabular data at the moment. Unless you are using complex nested tables, the, or tags should not pose too much of a problem for the search engine spiders.

Conclusion
Web pages should not be boring and web designers should not bow down to the Google revolution. A well designed site combines both form and function and yet, still able to be search engine friendly. I strongly believe that this can be easily achieved if website designers are able to follow very basic rules in designing their web sites.

About the Author

Sitecritic.net is formed by a group of web addicts, mainly volunteers from all over the world. Our goal is to create a community of web designers and developers who share the common interest in bringing out the best in creatiing effective web sites.

View their website at: http://www.sitecritic.net

7 Steps To Running a Killer Link Exchanging Campaign

By Anik Singal

It's no secret that one of the best ways to get traffic online is to trade links with other related websites. Not only does this help you get targeted traffic, but it helps with your search engine optimization as well.

Well, there's a right way to link exchange and a wrong way - if you want the most out of your linking, then be sure to follow these 7 steps:

1. Develop a spreadsheet file (in Excel) and create the following columns:

Website URL
E-mail
Contact Name
Website PR (we'll talk about how to figure this out in a minute)

Contact 1
Response to Contact 1

Contact 2
Response to Contact 2

Contact 3
Response to Contact 3

2. Finding a Website's PR.

Go to Google and download the free toolbar. This toolbar has a feature on it that will tell you the PR for any website you visit. If you plan on optimizing your website for search engines, this tool is a MUST.

3. Choosing websites to link to.

Go to any search engine and start typing in keywords for which you'd like to rank highly. Visit each website and add them to your excel file. Once you hit 50 websites, spend some time contacting them. We recommend contacting each website personally and not using any automated software (it's very easy to see when someone uses software).

There are many programs out there that will do a mass link exchange mailing, but we strongly advise you NOT to use them (at least in the beginning). These programs can get you in a lot of trouble with SPAM laws. Also, if each email is personal, you are MUCH more likely to get a link back.

4. Write your contact email.

Make sure to address the email to someone specific. Always insert some details that you enjoyed about the site. It's evidence that you actually visited the site and made a conscious decision to link to it. Briefly introduce your website, and send them the URL of your link to their site. Finally, ask for a link back to your site.

TIP: Give them specific directions on how to link back to you, what keywords to use, and what URL to link to. It always helps to give them the exact HTML coding that they would need.

5. Respond to replies.

If you get an acceptance of your offer: Thank them, and add them to a separate Excel file. This will become a list of people you will constantly stay in touch with (to submit articles, free viral reports, etc.). Register the reply in your "Reply to Contact 1" section. This way you will know NOT to send a follow-up email.

If the person rejects your offer: Add that note to your Excel file so that you don't contact them again. A good technique is to highlight that entire row with a red highlighter so there's no danger of a mistake.

If you get no reply: Follow step 6.

6. Send follow-up e-mails.

Wait one week to follow-up with those who have not replied. This is the second contact. In this e-mail, state that you wrote to them the prior week. Rephrase the email to keep it fresh.

Wait for replies, then repeat Step 5. Do not contact a "no-reply" website a third time unless you have a very good reason to.

7. Find more web sites.

After finishing your initial batch of 50, repeat the process for another 50. Once you begin getting incoming links, you will slowly start seeing similar "link exchange requests" coming to you. This will decrease your leg work.

There you have it - those are the 7 simple steps to starting an effective link exchanging campaign. Remember, a small percentage actually accept and respond, that's OK. The trick to getting lots of links is to send lots of requests so make this a daily habit.

About the Author:

This article has been authored by Anik Singal, an extremely successful and young internet entrepreneur and affiliate marketing consultant. Anik has developed his own affiliate marketing system that helped him earn over $10,466 in 60 days - Enroll in his FREE course today...
http://www.AffiliateClassroom.com/free-course.html

Become a Search Engine All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

By Judith Kallos

Everyone wants top 10 rankings as though just because they wished it that should make it so. Wishing has nothing to do with rankings. Unless you have a genie in a bottle, we all know it simply just doesn't work that way.

How about I get you thinking differently about this issue?

Don't Chase Search Engines-Let Them Chase You!

How is that possible?

Become a Search Engine All-You-Can-Eat Buffet!!

I can hear you out there.. "Yeah, sure!" Well, it's not that difficult of a methodology really. All you have to do is think differently than all the hype, amateur Web designers and unscrupulous marketing "gurus" have led you to believe about how getting found works.

First off, what search engines like is fresh content and lots of it; yummy! That's the fuel for their fire so to speak. So it goes without saying that if you keep adding new content on a regular basis that will encourage search engines to visit your site because you'll have a fresh buffet of tempting entrées.

How do search engines know you have new content? Certainly not by osmosis!

If you make the effort in the appropriate areas, much of which the costs are minimal, they'll get a whiff of the appetizing content you have to offer and act like they are at an all-you-can-eat buffet!! Your site will be like Mama's house on a Sunday afternoon. You know what I mean; dinner smells so good everyone in the house can't wait to get a plateful! That's how it goes with search engines and content.

If you don't have savory content-why should search engines visit you and give you higher rankings over those who serve up a delicious all-you-can-eat Sunday dinner? The answer is they don't.

The "build it and they will come" way of thinking does not apply to Web sites in this day and age, so everyone needs to wash that concept right out of their hair. All it takes is for you to be prepared to mix, cook and serve. Mix up a new article, cook it to perfection and serve it to the hungry search engines!

That's not too much to ask to succeed online is it? If it is, well, maybe you should reconsider your online endeavors. If you don't want to make these efforts, just forget about achieving no charge organic/natural listings. You'll never rank anywhere near the top so determine your PayPerClick budget and go setup your campaign straight away.

Now let's setup your buffet! Start a blog that you post to continually and submit it to all the blog directories. Make sure your blog offers a subscribe feature so visitors get notified by e-mail when you enter a new post. Also offer RSS and podcasting feeds of your blog posts so that visitors can get your information in as many flavors as they choose. See? Your mouthwatering buffet is growing!

Onliners visit your blog and then follow the links to the scrumptious new articles on your site. They like your articles and link to them or post them on their site with a link to yours. Incoming links to your site; lip smacking good!

You also offer an RSS feed of your top articles to get the word out. You add your new articles to your site map. Google checks for your site map XML file and updates its index with your freshly baked content. You add your seasoned articles to all the article banks that have popped up in the last year or so-more delectable links to your site! Can you see what is happening? We are creating a feeding frenzy!

This interactive medium called the Web is now more interactive than ever. At first when it all began, "interactive" meant some flashing this or moving that. Now interactive means just that; you need to interact and be involved by using all these tools or you'll be left in the dumpster by those who do.

One thing is sure; chasing search engine algorithms is a futile effort at best. But when you have the nourishment they want, tasty content, search engines are hungry little bots and it's hard to keep them away. Food for thought? You bet! Open your own buffet today and feed the beast!

About the Author:

Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her new Dot Com Business Starter Kit @
http://www.DotComStarterKit.com

Going To An Online Vocational School

By Low Jeremy

Not everybody is able to get into a good college or even have enough money. This is the reason many Americans have decided to just find work after secondary school without anymore dreaming too far ahead into the future.

Years later, these people will realize that the money being earned isn't enough to support the needs of the family. When this happens, this is the only time people decide to back to school to acquire a better skill or degree. Since most universities will let the student still go through a
four year curriculum, those who don't want to stay that long can choose to go to a vocational school and get a diploma or certificate in two years or less.

Another stumbling that many students will face will be how to get an education and at the same time work. Some schools provide night classes and if the individual is still unable to, it is still possible to make it happen by acquiring the skills online.

The first thing the person should do is request information from these colleges. Some of these places are not located in the neighborhood and the rest are from out of state. The student should just fill up the form and a brochure will be delivered in a few days.

Most of the vocational schools will require the individual to have at least passed the general education test or GED. After passing the interview, the student will be allowed to enroll in any program of your choice that is offered.

Since the classes are done online, the person will have to get a computer with a good Internet connection. This should be compatible with the software used by the school so there won't be any problems in receiving lectures and perhaps exams that are given out by the instructor.

The cost of online vocational schools is a bit cheaper than what many universities or colleges will offer charge to a student. Given the difference, those who want to specialize in something should take advantage of this and use the tools given to get a higher paying job.

People have said time and again that nothing will ever happen to a person without the value of education. Though some geniuses have provided otherwise by not even graduating from college, many people are not that lucky.

These individuals still have to learn a skill in order to have a job and a better quality of life, which only an online vocational school can provide.

About The Author:

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Vocational Schools & other useful information, please visit
http://vocational-schools.articlekeep.com

Ezine Marketing - Get Subscribers

By Razvan Rovinaru

Nowadays there are a lot of people that begin to work from home on line and after building their website they start an Ezine as well. The question that many of them ask is how come they don't get more subscribers for their newsletter.

I'm going to talk to you about a few things you can do to get people to subscribe to your newsletter.

A good start would be getting your Ezine listed on as many newsletter directories as possible. So start submitting your newsletter to these directories even though you might think this is time consuming. If you really don't have the time to stay and submit your newsletter to Ezine directories you can always try newsletter submission services.

I recommend you go to Google, type in "Ezine Directory" and start submitting.

If you want people to subscribe, offering them something usually works best. Try to give them something free. It can be whatever you like such as an e-book, or a free report or free ad on your site. The better the things you will give them the more subscribers you will have.

It is always important to promote your newsletter. A good free way to advertise your newsletter is through your sig file or email signature. Mostly every email program allows you to add a signature file at the end of every email you send. It is usually a few lines long, so you have enough space to promote your Ezine.

By holding a contest on your website is another good way to gain subscribers. How? Well hold a contest and make it a requirement to be subscribed to your newsletter in order to participate in that contest. This usually works and gets you more signups.

Start visiting message boards and forums and begin posting on them. Write on forums you enjoy and after you make yourself credible other forum members will more than likely want to see what you have to offer. Before you post make sure you read the rules of that forum. Most forums permit you to ad a signature file when you post. This is a very valuable way through which you get traffic to your website.

A very common topic on forums is "ad swap" which brings us to the next way through which you will possibly get more subscribers to your Ezine. Swapping newsletter ads between publishers is a very common thing. You need to find a newsletter who's audience will enjoy your Ezine. Then all you need to do is ask the publisher to swap newsletter ads and you will probably receive a positive answer.

Remember though that getting a big mailing list doesn't happen over night. These are just a few tips and methods you can use to get you started in your endeavor. Remember to have good
content in your newsletter and always plant your link wherever possible. Getting your link out there is very important because this will bring you a lot of subscribers.

About The Author:

Razvan Rovinaru is the owner of the
http://work-from-home-on-line.blogspot.com Blog, where he gives you step by step guidance on how to start and develop a successful home based internet business.

Real Home Based Business Opportunity - Site Promotion Tips

By Razvan Rovinaru

In this article I'm going to point out the things you should look for when you are trying to promote a website.

First you should know that this is a real home based business opportunity and that a growing number of people are starting to do this.

The first thing you should do before you get started is scout the market. Find a website you are interested in promoting and start gathering information about the products or services offered by the website. You should take your time here, because this step is really important.

The next thing you need is to choose your website name, careful what name you choose for your website. It should be something that implies or is very similar to the name of the website you want to promote. You should keep your .com domain name within 2-3 words - it is recommended that the domain name contains your major keyword, for better SE placement.

Now you can start putting together your web page. There are a few things you should look out for though. Try to keep your pages between 60-70Kb, as Google ranks this kind of pages higher. Don't use borders or tables unless they are necessary, avoid spasm such as hidden text or a keyword density bigger than 10% (this could get your site banned) etc. Make sure you have a sizable number of HTML pages before you upload and it might be a good thing to validate your web pages with something like "http://validator.w3.org/.

Now that you have your site you will need a web host. There isn't s shortage of those around so this should be such a difficult task but here are some pointers when choosing one. Look for response times and the committed up-time, check for PHP support and of course technical support and also for how long have they been in the business.

Now that you have a host, upload your web site to the web address. FTP is the most commonly used protocol for uploading web sites. After the upload, check the website and see if it works properly and all the links are functioning.

Now you can start using this real home based business opportunity to make money. Promote your web page to search engines. You should start by submitting to Google Yahoo!, DMOZ. Also you should promote to Fast, Altavista, Lycos, Hotbot or Teoma. Don't be upset if nothing happens for the first 2 months, that's the time it takes for your web site to be indexed. Bring as many backlinks to your site as possible, as this will increase link popularity and give you a higher ranking in the search engines.

Now you need to bring customers to your website. Do this by always updating the content of your web page, posting in forums, using PPC (pay per click) advertising and by exchanging
links with similar topic sites. Take your time evaluate the market and learn how to market your web site wisely, and you will get pretty soon to thousands of customers each day.

About The Author:

Razvan Rovinaru is the owner of the
http://work-from-home-on-line.blogspot.com Blog, where he gives you step by step guidance on how to start and develop a successful home based internet business.

Work At Home Success

By Bobby Ryatt

The First step to Work at Home Success "Achieving the Work at Home Dream"

You can download every e-book on work at home success available and in every one they will all cover one specific topic. Work at home success comes from motivated work at home income. Every work at home e-book will tell you that without a dream or passion, your work at home success will turn into work at home failure. You have to be driven.

Working at home is a dream for many people from all walks of life. Often people have a preconceived notion as to what work at home success really means, and as they start the journey they find they wished they were better equipped before proceeding.

Working at home and making a healthy living is possible. Hundreds of thousands of people transition home to the work at home successful marketplace every year. There's no reason that with a little planning and a bit of passion you can't join them in their successful work at home endeavors.

Passion about Working at Home "Achieving the Work at Home Dream"

Passion is the first step in your work at home success. You must feel strongly motivated to bring home that paycheck in order to make it work. There will be bumps in the road that may try to dissuade you along the way, and your passion has to be prepared to take up the slack and run with it even when the road isn't so smooth.

There will be numerous roadblocks to your successful home based entrepreneurial dreams. One of the biggest roadblocks is other people. Don't expect friends and family members to support your idea. If they do, consider yourself lucky. But people are often jealous of those who put themselves out there and make successful working at home an option. Some people believe that
work at home businesses are scams and nobody can really make them successful. Do not let their words deter you. Focus on your passion and you will begin to see yourself growing and learning and reaching your milestones.

Most people never really try to find their own work at home success because they are afraid to fail. Fear of failure is a serious motivator to keep a job they hate and rely on security they've come to trust. Of course we all know there is no such thing as security any more. Some people need to believe that there is, and they will not support your work at home success. That's where your passion can bring you out ahead of the game.

Work at home e-books will tell you that your fire has be able to endure the time it takes for your successful home based entrepreneurial dreams to begin to show concrete results. It takes work in the beginning. And at first you will be working your regular job plus growing your home office into your final work space. You will be tired sometimes and there will be moments you will think about quitting. How badly you want your work at home success will determine your actions during those moments.

Motivated Work at Home Income "Achieving the Work at Home Dream"

Your motivated work at home income is based on exactly that. Any work at home e-book will tell you that motivation will get you there. As you proceed to develop your home office, you will
have to find a few basic traits within yourself to keep going. Chances are you already have them since you devised the plan to work at home in the first place. For starters, you need to believe in yourself. It is basic psychology. If you think you can do it, you can. If you believe you are wasting your time, you are. Believing in yourself is not a negative trait. Self confidence is a positive understanding that you are a capable human being able to face challenges and make good decisions. In our society, we have unflattering names for women who are self confident and hold a high belief in themselves. Tune it out. A strong belief in yourself will carry you very far as you work toward your work at home success.

Work at home success takes a bit of courage. You are still stepping out of the box even with the masses that are transitioning home to work carving the path for you. Most people in society believe working involves leaving the house and taking care of your family's financial obligations by putting in your time and working a job. Leave their opinions far behind you as you find your own work at home success.

Motivated work at home income requires discipline. Discipline has two faces. The first face is the discipline to do something every single day to help foster your work at home success, but any good work at home e-book will tell you that you also need the discipline to put it aside for a time every day as well. Becoming stressed, obsessive, or placing so much pressure on your success will only create the counter effect. Keep yourself focused on your goals without ignoring the needs of people around you. You are still entitled to vacations and day trips and special time with the family. You don't have to work it to absolute death every single day.

Motivated work at home income requires flexibility. Flexibility is of course one of the reason why you are building your work at home success to begin with. Getting there also requires flexibility. It is okay to re-evaluate your plan and adjust along the way to make your work at home success more attainable. Come to your work at home project every day with energy and determination, but notice where your actions are taking you and concentrate your focus on those things that are proving you successful. If you plan wisely and strategically, you will begin to see positive results in a fairly short period of time.

Focus on short term goals at first. Set a reasonable mark for each and every month, one that you are reasonably sure you can achieve without setting the bar too low. You want your goals to be something you can hit without killing yourself but you want them to help keep you motivated as well.

If at first you are failing at your goals, this does not mean your work at home success is out of reach for you. It just means you have to re-evaluate your plan of action and adjust. Failure is only failure if it means you walk away from your motivated desire. Learning from your mistakes makes you more likely to succeed in the long term rather than ride a short term wave of success.

Failure I no way means that the nay sayers in your life were accurate about your work at home success. It just means that you have the courage to try something different and you are entitled to a learning curve along the way. You don't have a boss breathing down your neck telling you exactly what to do and how to do it and making you re-do it if you mess it up. You have your brains, support, a few notions and a dream. You have the ability to make reasonable decisions along the way and the courage to keep chasing what can ultimately be yours.

Work at home success does not have to take years. It can be accomplished in a surprisingly short period of time. You have to maintain a passion for your business as well as your dream, but that work at home success is not elusive. It is within your reach if you simply follow a few basic guidelines like we illustrated above.

More Work at Home Success Tips "Achieving the Work at Home Dream"

Honestly, the list of guidelines and the basics to finding your own work at home success could go one forever. There is a lot to learn when making a transition from the work a day world to the
work at home program. You and your family will go through an adjustment period that may or may not be stressful. You may find that the actual day that you choose to quit your regular job and revel and grow your success is one of the scariest days of your life. This is normal.

You are not alone. You are not even close to being alone. There are hundreds of thousands of successful home based entrepreneurs that go through what you are experiencing every year, and now you can have access to their advice and their knowledge.

Website that offers hands down the most effective information for attaining your home based business success is ALLWORKATHOME. Here you will find every piece of information and inspiration you could ever hope for. This web site will effectively wipe out the nay sayers in your life and assist you in keeping your fire ablaze while you lay down the foundation for your work at home success. Whether you are just thinking about a home based lifestyle or have already made the transition home, this website is a daily must visit!

About The Author:

Bobby Ryatt, writes articles on various subjects and has a treasure chest of information and resources for you to at. http://www.allworkathomeguide.com
http://allworkathomeguide.blogspot.com

Seo Can Be Rocket Science

By Tyler Banfield

Over the past week, there has been a lot of discussion about the "SEO is/isn't rocket science" debate. Although this issue has been around for years, the spark that brought it back to life can be traced back to the Search Engine Strategies Conference and Expo in Chicago. During the Search Engines Strategies Conference in Chicago, which took place from December 4th through the 6th, Jason Calcanis (the cofounder of Weblogs Inc) completely wrote search engine optimization off as a complete waste of money and resources. His philosophy is that if you build a clean page and great content, the traffic and rankings will follow naturally.

This statement caused quite a stir among not only the audience (which was primarily made up of a bunch of SEOs) but also the search engine optimization community as a whole. Angry blog posts were flying up left and right, and there was not a lack of great discussion on both sides of the issue.

At the beginning of January, Shoemoney made the statement on his radio show and blog that ninety-five percent of search engine optimization is "super simple" and the other five percent is what really matters in the world of SEO.

After all this various discussion, Todd Friesen (aka Oilman) decided to write an excellent blog post to address all of these various issues. Although he does not update his blog very often,
the posts he does write are always well thought out. This particular post helped to give the SEO community some perspective on this issue. Even though ninety-five percent of search engine optimization may be extremely easy for someone who does it on a daily basis, it is still a complete mystery to ninety-nine percent of the population. The purpose of his post can be summed up by the idea that instead of spending time arguing within the SEO community, we need to realize that there is an entire world full of people who probably don't even know what the term SEO means.

About The Author:

The article was written to help conduct an experiment on the usefulness of article submissions for indexing sub domains like http://4.tylerbanfield.com

Hungering For Internet Success? Try Plug-in Profits!

By Merlin Richards

Many people are aware of the money making potential of the internet but simply don't know where to begin. After all, there is a bewildering variety of internet programs that promise people success, but are later found out to deliver failure. What most people need is a starting point; a place from which they can launch their internet career.

The Plug-In Profit System

The Plug-In Profit system was started by a man named Stone Evans. Evans, a self-made internet entrepreneur in his own right, designed the program so that everyone who joins it will in effect be running his or her online business. The entire concept is set-up so that anyone can, even the newest of the new to internet marketing, can take part in it. By giving the potential user practically every tool he or she needs to succeed, Evans pretty much ensured that everyone who chooses to participate will make his or her share of the money.

The Plug-In Profit System is not complicated. At the core, it is an advertising business, and all you really have to do is to post ads and pull people to buy certain products. You won't even have to write the ads yourself - they will be provided to you. All that's needed is for people to see the advertisements you've posted, and voila! There comes your commission check. Nothing could be easier.

When you sign up for the Plug-In Profit System, you will essentially be becoming an affiliate partner for five different affiliate programs, and the ads you post will be for their benefit. What is to your benefit, however, is the commission you receive for doing such relatively simple and hassle-free work. The work you'll have to do is much akin to putting up For Sale signs: if you put them up, it is almost guaranteed that someone will come. (The trick, of course, is knowing where to put up the signs.)

What makes the Plug-In Profit System so good for internet beginners is the very low price. You can begin with less than $60 dollars - a deal which will be very difficult to match anywhere else. Much of the cost will go to building your own webpage, which is an absolute must in this line of work.

If you have no experience whatsoever in internet business but would like to plunge in, the Plug In Profit system is for you. Not only is this program a great starting point, it can in itself give you the momentum you need to catapult yourself to financial success. It will give you the information and tools that you need to begin, as well as advanced strategies that will help get you where you want to be.

About The Author:

Merlin Recommends you check out His Site at;
http://www.MerlinsProfitShop.biz

How To Outsource Your Online Business - Increase Your Profits By Doing Less Work

By Tuks Engineer

You're better than me at Adwords. I'm better than you at list-building. Harry Potter's better than both of us at magic. The point is, no-one can be perfect at everything and if your business is to grow beyond a mere "mom & pop store" then at some point you'll need to start delegating responsibility and delve confidently into the world of EMPLOYING people. Someone creates your content. Someone else your website. Another markets. And you? Well you're scooping up the profits and repeating the whole process with another project. And then another.

For the internet business entrepreneur, by far the best way of hiring is through OUTSOURCING. Here's a small sample of the type of work that can be outsourced:

- Development of custom-built software & content.
- Customer support.
- Internet marketing.
- Site development.
- Graphic design.
- Creation of business plans/forecasts/research reports.
- Accounting.

I could go on for pages but you get the idea. While outsourcing tends to be associated mostly with huge companies it's every bit as important to the small internet business entrepreneur. Consider these advantages of implementing outsourcing into your business:

- "Saving time". Are you trying to do *everything* yourself? This may seem noble to you, and undoubtedly you ought to gain as much practical experience into how things need to be done in
your business in case of emergencies. But after a time, if you're doing a lot of menial tasks then you're cheating yourself out of time you could be using to do the things that a CEO of a company should be doing to grow the business. Do you reckon Bill Gates sits down every week to do his own search engine optimisation? No, his team handles it for him. What about you? If you can identify the parts of your business that are taking up way too much time, you can potentially seek to outsource them.

- "Cost Effective". With outsourcing, you only pay for services as and when you need them. In a lot of traditional businesses that employ their own staff this is not so. Often, there is over-capacity so old Dave is having a nice cuppa and reading Sports Illustrated and you're paying him by the hour to do it. Not so with Outsourcing - you pay only for what you need. Further, when you hire staff you have to deal with additional costings such as insurance and taxes. This is simply too much to handle for a small business - again, something that isn't a factor with outsourcing.

- "Let The Professionals Handle It". Certain elements of your business need to be handled by the pro's if you don't have the required skills or experience to do it yourself. When you outsource to a reliable professional, you're ensuring that the job is done right by someone who has the know-how.

So how can you get started growing your business by outsourcing? First, you need to take a long hard look at your own business and pin-point those areas that are either taking too long to complete, aren't being done properly, or aren't being done at all.

About The Author:

How Can You Hire Dirt Cheap Professionals To Work On Your Business? How To Outsource Your Online & Offline Business - Internet Marketing, Accounting, Website Design & Promotion, Graphic Design & More:
http://www.digital-resale-rights.com/outsource.html

Top 10 Advantages Of Working At Home

By Anna Allen

Not long ago, I was the kind of person who couldn't even imagine herself working from home. I was the type of person who had to be 'out of the house' or I'd go crazy. I had to be moving around and doing something. I never thought I'd end up working from home and actually like it, but I do.

Working at home, who wouldn't want to do that? There are so many ways to make money working at home and starting your own business, not to mention all the advantages. Some of the wealthiest people in the world work for themselves. If you were like me and never imagined working from home, I've compiled a list of the Top 10 Advantages of Working at Home.

1. Spending more time with your family - When I was single and had no kids I never wanted to stay home. I always wanted to be out doing something. After I became a 'Mom,' I really hated to leave my house each morning because it meant that I also had to leave the kids. I hated to see their eyes fill with tears as I would leave. I also didn't want someone else to 'raise them' as I went to work each day. I wanted to be there for their 'firsts' in life; the first time they spoke or the first time they walked. I wanted to witness those things. So spending more time with my family and being there for them meant a lot to me and still does.

2. Set your own hours - Since you are your own boss, you get to say when you will work. No more having to dread that awful alarm clock. If you want to sleep in, you actually get to sleep in. If you want to play with the kids, have lunch with a friend, visit your family or even just sit and watch TV, you can. Just keep in mind that if you do too much of these things and don't actually schedule in time to 'work' you may find yourself having to get back out there and work out of the house all over again. It all comes down to scheduling. Since it's YOUR time, you make the schedule and decide what time you'll start, take breaks and so forth. You can decide if you want to work days, nights or split shifts (which is what I do.)

3. You get to choose a job you enjoy - the beauty of working from home is finding something you enjoy doing so it doesn't seem like actual work. Turning your hobby into a profitable business is a great idea, just make sure there's a market for it.

4. You control your money - whatever money you make after expenses belongs to YOU. You can put it back in your business and make even more money (this is always best) or you can choose to spend it all. It's up to you, just be smart about it and think about the future of your business.

5. No dress code - You do not have to wear a uniform, a shirt and tie, a dress, business suit or anything else that may be uncomfortable. If you want to work in your favorite pair of comfy jeans, in your sweats, in your shorts and tank top, in your pajamas or buck naked (although I wouldn't recommend it) you actually could. Once again, YOU'RE THE BOSS.

6. No more commuting to and from work - If you're like me and hated driving to and from work, this is going to be one of your favorite advantages. For me it meant no more driving in the rain or fog in the winter. It's not that I don't trust my driving, it's the other knuckleheads out there that drive like maniacs. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with that everyday anymore.

7. Save more money - You can actually save more money if you work from home than if you work away from home. In my case, I save ton of money on gas because I no longer have that long commute to and from work, not to mention the wear and tear on my vehicle. I also save on daycare because the kids are now home with me. I save money because I no longer have to eat out for lunch while at work.

8. Tax benefits - Home Based Businesses receive numerous tax advantages. I'm not an accountant (nor do I play one on TV), but I do know I get to write off a lot of things since I work out of my house. I get to write off things like: any start up costs, a portion of my rent or house payment, my computer, any supplies I buy for my business, telephone and electric bill, advertising and many more. Talk to your accountant or book keeper to see what you can write off. Believe me, the more write offs the more you will save on taxes.

9. Less Stress - Since you're working from home you no longer have a boss telling you what you can and can't do. Stress from other coworkers is now a thing of the past. Depending on what field you worked in, you no longer have deadlines, hard to please customers and the stress of not getting paid what you're worth.

10. More Free Time - this goes hand in hand with things I've mentioned like not having to commute to and from work. Because you don't have to commute (at least by car), you have more time to do things you enjoy, whether it's spending more time with family and friends, playing golf, getting to actually make yourself breakfast instead of skipping it or eating on the run. So there is so much more free time. I actually know a guy who works at home and makes very good money. He spends most of his day playing his Xbox or watching DVD's. In the morning he checks his emails, answers any questions from his customers and checks his stats from his websites. The rest of the day is his to do whatever he wants. How great is that?

Working from home really has changed my life. I get to take advantage of all the things I've mentioned above. Plus, my family life is happier. I'm now there for my family. I don't have to answer to anyone. I can't tell you how great that feels. If you are contemplating working from home, I do recommend it. Just don't jump into it blindly. Make sure you take all the necessary steps to ensure your success or you'll find yourself right back out there working away from your home.

To Your Success,
Anna Allen

About The Author:

For more information on various ways to make money online go to: http://www.moneymakingresearch.com where you can find "honest" reviews on various ways to make money, or visit her blogs at: http://moneymakingresearch.blogspot.com and
http://wannamakemoneyonline.blogspot.com.

The Working Parent's Home Office - Organization for Success

By Ruby River

If you're a parent that works at home, you already know about the ongoing conflict between your business and your family obligations. Home based businesses are rapidly becoming the norm in our world of high technology. As a parent, this is great news, as it allows you to be in the house with your kids while still creating a necessary income. So, when combining your work life
with your home life, how do you find the proper balance, so each can be stable and successful? To begin with you need to have the correct tools at your disposal for whatever your work at home business is.

While this may sound easy, the lack of organization can be a death knell to your home based business. Beyond strong organization, you'll also need to be able to communicate with your family effectively, set limitations, prioritize your day, stick to your commitments, and learn how to be flexible. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? It's not only possible, it's very manageable, and while the balance will rarely be perfect, optimizing your schedule and your office will lead you to not only a stronger business - but a stronger family unit, as well. The following steps will help get you started:

Communication

Whether you're running an internet home based business or another type of work at home career, start with communication. Explain to your family what your home based business will require in order for it be streamlined. This is all about expectations, and may include establishing protocol for interruptions, discussing your normal working hours, and basic rules to be followed. Be ready to listen, question, and explain every detail fully.

Organization

It's essential to have the proper tools in order to work at home successfully. Be sure to have a strong internet connection (especially if you have an internet home based business), a dedicated telephone (it can be a cell phone), a place to keep files and notes so you can find them quickly, and a way of organizing your incoming work.

Limitations

Your family is important and they are probably the main reason you're in a home based business to begin with. However, your children need to understand you're working - even if you're only in the next room. You'll need to set limitations with them so they know how to approach you in non-emergency circumstances. You could designate a signal that will visually tell them you cannot be interrupted unless it is an emergency. This can be as simple as a closed door or a sign you hang outside of your office.

Prioritize

Invest in a calendar, whether the old-fashioned type or computer software, to use as a planning tool. This is one of the most important steps you can take if you work at home, because you need a place to pencil (or type) in appointments, school activities, deadlines, etc. Get into the habit of updating your planning tool throughout each day so you can set your priorities well in advance.

Commitment

If you tell your son that you'll be at his soccer game - be there. If you tell a business associate you will be available to talk on a certain day and time, make sure you are. Your word is important within your family and your business - so unless something happens that you cannot control, live up to what you say. If you do have to break a commitment, be open and honest about it and be ready with an alternate plan. If this happens - it is essential that the alternate plans you made are adhered to.

Flexibility

As with anything in life, learning to be flexible will save you, your family, and your home based business unnecessary stress. Things happen in life, try to find different solutions and different methods when issues pop up. A work at home office can truly make a difference in narrowing the gap between career and family, especially if the office is organized and the expectations with your family are firmly in place. Combined, it will allow you to remain the stabilizing force you need to be - both in your home based business and in your family.

About the Author

Ruby River is the proud owner of an established, home based business with a system that cuts through the hype and presents a genuine oppurtunity to exceed your income goals working from home. motivated entrepreneur minded individuals, visit http://www.livegreatlife.com

http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/db/r/the-working-parent

The State of Search Engine Advertising: Reality and Alternatives

By Mel Strocen

The herd mentality never fails to amaze me. When the pay-per-click concept was first pioneered in 1997-98 by GoTo.com (now Yahoo! Search Marketing), it was years before the model was widely accepted. GoTo virtually created the market for pay-for-performance search single-handedly and redefined how businesses market online while other search engines sat on their collective hands. Then, when it was obvious that there was "Gold in Them Thar (PPC)Hills" hundreds of search engines entered the PPC arena and hordes of advertisers followed suit.

As a search engine advertising model, pay-per-click was, and is, brilliant in its simplicity. In theory, it is a perfect way to bill advertisers based on consumer interest in their advertisements. Unfortunately, in real life money can bring out the worst in human, and business, nature. In today's search engine reality, pay-per-click should be on its last legs. But, as anyone with a knowledge of the search engine industry knows that simply isn't the case.

Let's first examine the main reasons why advertisers should be abandoning PPC in droves:

1. Cost

According to the Fathom Online Keyword Price Index(http://www.fathomonline.com/120506.html), the average keyword price paid by online advertisers reversed a downward trend and increased 16.5% percent to $1.48 in the third quarter of 2006, up from a $1.43 per click at the end of 2005.

That's one report. Another compiled by Click Forensics
(http://www.eadp.org/index.php?q=node/14525) concluded that the average pay-per-click search-term cost was $4.51 across retail, financial services, health and fitness, technology and entertainment advertising. Whatever the average cost, it's too high for most small to medium-sized businesses.

More stats and information on PPC trends (conflicting or otherwise) can be found at the links below:

SEM Services: Trends and Predictions
(http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-17-2006-105774.asp)

DoubleClick Performics 50 Search Trend Report Q1 2006
(http://www.doubleclick.com/us/knowledge_central/
documents/trend_reports/dc_search_q106.pdf)

Advertisers Cutting Google AdWords Spending With Surge of Keyword Prices (http://searchengineland.com/070108-154101.php)

2. Click Fraud

You gotta love stats. In researching this article, click fraud was cited as running anywhere from a low of 2.0% to a high of 35% - a range guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of government flunkies that like to boggle the public with reams of out-of-context figures. Since stats can be massaged to support just about any argument, I won't bore you with a list of supporting links.

If you're interested, just do a search on "Click Fraud percentages" or "35% Click Fraud" and review at your leisure.

3. No Accountability

PPC engines bill without providing any backup as to the origin of the clicks received. It's the "trust us" philosophy of business. Hey, if you're not savvy enough to look for, or find, fraud, then obviously there wasn't any. Why would you think otherwise?

Not all advertisers, however, are content to accept the "trustus" approach to customer relations. Expect more suits like last year's class action suit against Google.

Google Agrees To $90 Million Settlement In Class Action Lawsuit Over Click Fraud
(http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060308-152034)

Click Fraud Concerns Hound Google
(http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1934655)

Of the three reasons noted above, the first and third are known to any PPC advertiser and the second is widely ignored. Why? Because many advertisers would prefer to believe that the big PPC players are doing their best to monitor and control the click fraud problem. And, of course, they believe this because companies that make billions of dollars from PPC ads have no vested interest in padding their bottom line and making their investors happy. Also, there's the fact that the Internet is immune to scams and rip-offs. Plus, as we all know, history has shown that industries and companies that police themselves are above reproach.

Is this the world we live in? Remember Enron and WorldCom? In the real world, the equation reads as follows:

Money + No Accountability = You Ripped Off

But to be fair, not all advertisers turn a blind eye to the threat of click-fraud. The sad fact is that most are either unaware there is a problem or are ignorant of the extent of the problem. These advertisers simply do not have the technical know how to investigate click fraud as it applies to them or to determine how it affects them - by which I mean how much money they are losing.

Generally, this group is impressed with numbers. If they receive hundreds of clicks per day on a PPC ad, they are in click heaven. The same group is especially enamoured with all things Google. All other advertising models are measured against Google's AdWords and AdSense programs and found wanting. The problem is that only God and Google really know where their clicks and impressions come from, but why worry since both subscribe to "Do No Evil".

So, how bad is click fraud? Worse than you think and worse than has been reported and, if you've missed what has been reported, the links below provide an overview:

1/ The Sausage Manifesto
By Jeffry K. Rohrs, December 18, 2006
http://www.sausagemanifesto.com/the-sausage-manifesto/

2/ New Click Fraud Allegations, With a Twist
By Kevin Newcomb December 8, 2006,
http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3624150

3/ The Silent Epidemic of Botnets
By Jim Hedger, December 6, 2006
http://www.sitepronews.com/archives/2006/dec/6.html

4/ The Vanishing Click-Fraud Case
By Ben Elgin, December 4, 2006/
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2006/tc20061204
_923336.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_
more+of+today%27s+top+stories

5/ A True 2nd Tier PPC Click Fraud Story
By Carsten Cumbrowski, November 15, 2006
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=3996

6/ Click Fraud The Dark Side of Online Advertising
Business Week Magazine October 2, 2006
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_40/b4003001.htm

7/ Google, Yahoo Click Fraud Audits: When Will Advertisers Demand Them?
By Donna Bogatin, August 25th, 2006 ZDNet
http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/?p=381

8/ Yahoo Used in SpyWare Click Fraud Scheme
By Jim Hedger, Tuesday, April 04, 2006
http://news.stepforth.com/blog/2006/04/yahoo-used-in-spyware-
click-fraud.php

Still not convinced? then, listen to the following interview with the CEO of AIT Inc. Clarence Briggs who was one of the lead plaintiffs in last year's Google class action suit:

http://www.webmasterradio.fm/breakingstory.php

These stories should serve as a wake up call to any thinking person that a large number of clicks don't necessarily equate to sales or money well spent. And, if you think click fraud is just part of the cost of doing business, then there are thousands of scam artists out there who are ready to be your best friend.

Can the PCC industry be saved? Not without accountability from the major players. In any other industry if you paid for something - say 100 widgets - you would expect to get 100 widgets. If you received 60 widgets, you would want to know what happened to the other 40. And, if the supplier said, "trust me, I sent a 100", you would demand proof.

Even when there are external and independent monitoring agencies working on behalf of consumers and investors, fraud occurs, as in the case of WorldCom and Enron. When an industry polices itself - well, you figure it out.

So, if pay-per-click is a poor choice for your advertising dollars because of rising costs, fraud and lack of industry accountability, what are the alternatives?

1. Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The blanket term used to describe the unpaid, algorithm-driven search results of a search engine, and the methodologies used to achieve such website rankings. (Source: http://www.mediumblue.com/newsletters/organic-seo.html)

Entails a learning curve to become knowlegeable in accepted SEO techniques but worth the time and effort given that it's generally accepted that around 80%-90% of all traffic to websites originates from search engines. If time is money to you, hire a reputable SEO consultant. Use the savings from the money you would have spent on a PPC campaign.

2. Paid Inclusion: Refers to the payment of a one-time fee for placement of a website listing within a search engine's paid or organic search results. Not as popular an advertising model as it once was (read not as much money in it for search engines) but could be poised to make a comeback.

This model used to be the main revenue generator for a number of search engines with Inktomi being the best known proponent. Advertisers would pay an annual fee to appear in Inktomi's search results as well as the results of other engines powered by Inktomi. The hook was frequent crawling (every 48 hours) which allowed webmasters to see the results of their SEO efforts quickly.

Paid inclusion hasn't died, but it has morphed with variations still being offered by Yahoo! and other engines. Probably, the most interesting variation was launched about 18 months ago by ExactSeek.com and the ISEDN (Independent Search Engine & Directory Network). In a nutshell, the ISEDN offers a hybrid advertising model which offers rotating top 10 site listing exposure across a growing network of smaller search engines as well as web, blog and article directories (currently, there are 260 ISEDN members) for flat fee rates. Pricing is based on time rather than keyword bidding. Buying a single ad listing for 3 months costs $12 and $36 for 12 months. The model is simple and affordable, offering all of the advantages of the PPC model without any of the drawbacks. More details at:

http://www.exactseek.com/featured_listings.html

3. Cost Per Action: From an advertiser's perspective, this could be the ideal advertising model since the advertiser would only pay for an ad when a specific action had occurred such as a sale or a registration. Back in June of 2006, there were several reports that Google was testing a version of its AdWords product using the CPA model.
(http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3615476).
Not much has been heard since. The CPA model is widely used in the affiliate and lead generation industries, but don't hold your breath waiting for wholesale adoption by the search engines.

4. Pay-Per-Percentage: Put forward by Microsoft as a solution to both click and impression fraud. Below is a quote from a Microsoft research paper:

"In this system, an advertiser picks a keyword, e.g. "cameras" and purchases, perhaps through bidding, a certain percentage of all impressions for that keyword. For instance, an advertiser might pay $1.00 to MSN Search. In return, the advertiser might receive 10% of all impressions for "camera" for 1 week. What does this mean? It means that for 1 week, one out of ten times that someone searches for the word "camera", they will see the ad."

You can read the full abstract for an in-depth explanation.
(http://research.microsoft.com/~joshuago/percentageworkshop-final.pdf)

The Microsoft PPP advertising model was proposed, perhaps not coincidentally, around the same time Google was testing the CPA model. Again, not much has been heard since then.

Will any of the above alternatives dethrone PPC? Time will tell. Which brings us back full circle to the herd mentality. If and when the advertiser herd twigs to the fact that PPC is a hype driven industry with very little substance and begins to move to a new advertising model, expect PPC engines to shift advertising gears faster than you can say "Who wants to stay a billionaire".

About the Author

Mel Strocen is CEO of the Jayde Online Network of websites and founder of the Independent Search Engine & Directory Network. The Jayde network is comprised of more than 20 websites, including ExactSeek.com (http://www.exactseek.com), SiteProNews.com (http://www.sitepronews.com), SEO-News.com (http://seo-news.com), and GoArticles.com (http://www.goarticles.com).