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SEO And The Content Between The Jingles Have you ever wondered why radio stations use jingles? A mini-song (jingle) is played several times each hour. Listeners can get to the place where they know that jingle by heart and can sing it even when the radio is off. The jingle is used going into a weather break or back into music. The jingle seems ever present on radio, but why? The reason many radio stations use the jingle is the same reason online business conforms to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The more you... Internet Marketing – The Art Of Capitalizing On Content I’ve said before that marketing is all about content. The carefully chosen words on your website can have a profound impact on your placement in search engines and in the perception many online users have of your website. I’m going to suggest something that you might never have considered before. When you have some spare time write an article for your website. In between other marketing efforts write an article for your website. When you have an idea write an article for y... Internet And Business Online – Startle The World With Your Next Big Idea. Thomas Edison was a ‘better idea’ man. He saw what others were doing with certain products and he believed there was a better use for the product or a way to improve the product beyond its original purpose. Online business is filled with individuals who have seen a better way to use an existing product or how to create the next phase of usefulness for a product that may have been around for a long time. The Internet is not just fertile soil for dreams it is also the per... Internet Marketing And The Integrity Of Belief Marketing by its very nature demands that you have a firm and steady belief in the product you represent. You have to count the product as so valuable that it would make no sense to keep the product away from those who would most benefit from the product. Obviously greed can be a motivator in marketing, but it will not be a sustainable motive. You may, in fact, need to hire others to help you market the product if your sole objective is the accumulation of wealth. When... Paid Surveys Minus An Emotional Investment Ben is a guy that uses his voice as a tool. He has clients around the world that will pay him to use his voice for audio advertising, podcasts or even to read books. Needless to say, Ben keeps pretty busy. There are times though when things slow down a bit and Ben has to work at finding new clients. So, in the grand spirit of marketing he seeks places where he can let others know about what he does. He pays to be included in some voice over services, but he has also been k... SEO As A Destination Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a phrase that can appear to be a catchall. It seems these words are floated around whenever anyone talks about marketing on the Internet. It can even become easy to simply think of the term in context of something we don’t understand so we ignore it. However, to ignore SEO is to invite a slow death to your online business. Search Engine Optimization is the goal, not the specific process. Essentially what it means is that that you must us... Web Design – Why Is Content So Important? What a strange title. Of course content is important! Why bring it up? That is a good question. The reason I bring it up is because for many web designers there seems to be the attitude that they should simply provide several areas of fixed content that may appeal to search engines. For most web designers this is a time saving tactic that bows to the notion that a site MUST be Search Engine optimized (SEO) without thinking about the life of the website post-launch. S... Internet Marketing And The Website Of Renown There once was a man who developed, “Ye Ole Grand Website of Renown”. It was a lovely site and he was well proud of his accomplishment. The navigation of the site surpassed Viking tales of old. Each section of the website sported a beautifully crafted signboard and Old England flare. Tidbits of knowledge were placed liberally throughout the site and the owner thought to wax fat and happy as he estimated the value of the site to his own family wealth. Lo this was a beneficent ... Home-based Business And The Roots Of My Raisin’ What happens when you determine you may no longer have upward mobility in the job you have in your current geographical location? For some this may mean locating greener grass in locations potentially far removed from where they live. For some individuals it may make sense to pull up roots and move on, but for others this scenario may be a bit more complicated. For instance if you have a close knit family you may not desire to remove yourself from that sense of support ... Home Based Business And The Attainable Dream In traditional sales you may have heard the old adage, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” I’m here to debunk that myth – at least in online business. There was a notion that provided the ability to think that even if a parent had messed up at least their children could do better, perhaps becoming a senator or President. The world of online business takes it one step further. No matter what success or lack thereof you may have experienced you can still find potenti... Internet And Business Online – The Value Added Objective Brick and mortar businesses are learning that the Internet is a powerful ally in perpetuating business. Certainly most online buyers understand that many traditional stores also supply the ability to purchase online. In fact many stores will make the online store more inviting by either making purchases available with free shipping to the nearest store or by making certain items available only online. At least one retailer allows customers to select a variety of free prod... Customer Service And The Heirloom Factor A couple in Colorado discovered a game they enjoyed. The game was not available in any of the box stores they visited so they conducted an online search one Christmas. They had first observed the game a year before. They loved the fact that while the game was fun it also provided a perfect tabletop feature for their home adding a unique aesthetic to their home. As they had remarked positively to their hosts about the game the year before so had many others as the one-of... Internet Marketing And The Tidbit Generation Take the time to look around you sometime in a public setting. Observe the people around you. Sit on one of those benches at the mall and pay attention to what you see. Yes, you will see shoppers, and there will be those who engage others in conversation. However, you will likely notice a husband calling his wife by cell phone to ask questions about a potential purchase. You will probably see many teens pulling out a cell phone or Blackberry to either read or send a text m... The Mystery And Glory Of Internet Marketing When a tenth class reunion is observed there are often those who will leave the event feeling as if nothing has changed. The cheerleaders are still catty and the jocks still think they are NFL material. Many of the same petty attitudes seem to come up and so many seem intent on attempting to impress others about their success and achievements. By the time the twentieth reunion is celebrated many individuals are interested in talking about their children and the successes t... Internet And Business Online – Tomorrow Will Arrive Sooner Than You Expect As we continue to move further into tomorrow we find fewer and fewer people who remember life before the computer. When you follow this truth to its logical conclusion you discover that there will come a time when there will be very few transactions that will not be managed except through the connections typically found in an online environment. Where you may find some who have never purchased online today there will be shift and this will be the exception and not the norm... Home Based Business And The Lemonade Rule With the subprime debacle in mortgage lending in 2007 both business as well as consumers began to take note that something had to change. The government got involved and pushed for help to be extended to those who may have already found themselves facing the potential of foreclosure. Subprime hit at the heart of home and auto lending. These loans were generally infused with creative payment, interest amounts and terms. For many this was the deal that sounded too good to... Internet And Business Online – The Price Of Common Sense Alfred Lord Tennyson once said, “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” Sometimes those with the most wisdom or common sense may not have a college degree or letters after their name. Some of these individuals never set foot in a college classroom. Some of them don’t even like to read, yet they understand people. When a crisis comes up many of these individuals refuse to panic and they can generally solve the problem by taking a step back and trying to look at the big pi... Internet And Business Online – A World Of Individuals Audio and video streams as well as mp3 players are providing an interesting shift in reality as we know it. The growth of video games has facilitated a culture that is not immune to the idea of an altered reality. A young girl in Colorado was beaten to death when a family member and friend decided to act out a scene from a violent video game they had been playing. These two teens were tried as adults in the case facing murder charges. The alternate state many of the wor... List Building, Little Black Books And A Really Big Chain In the realm of once upon a time there was a term that was often used to describe a secret list of potential dates for the owner of the list. The term was ‘a little black book’. The notion was picked up in movies, books and as a means of poking fun at someone else. The idea of the little black book had, at its core, the idea of list building. Others have used the term to describe contacts they might have in business that may be called upon when the salesman needed to r... Home-based Business And Non-traditional Income You can look across the prairie and miss it. In 1987 a water bottling company was founded on farmland near a small Nebraska town. Legend and folklore surround the Blue Creek Spring where the water runs pure, clean and cold, but for one family it has led to a home-based business that is keeping them very busy. The family employs several other people who live in the region and they bottle more than 20 gallons a minute. Pumps pull water from more than 2,000 feet below the sur... Internet And Business Online – Red Tape Removal Mike Krzyzewski once said, "The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions." Take some time to think about that from the perspective of online business ownership. Is it possible to so legislate your business that you no longer have the spontaneity you need for creating something new and flexible? Most businesses enact policies to deal with issues when a situation comes up that they don’t know how to handle at first blush. Once they work through t... Audio Streaming – The Growth And The Glory Everyday someone is developing new audio streaming opportunities for consumers. From the hobbyists to communications veterans the Internet is a new media playground. Many of these Internet based audio streams are searching for voice over professionals to manage the custom identifiers for the station or podcast. Software that allows the assembly of multiple audio elements is making is possible for unprecedented growth in audio streaming in an online environment. Wha... Internet Marketing – The Consumer Is In Control I heard someone say recently that marketing is simply an elaborate scheme to take your money by making you feel incomplete without the product being sold. It is possible that this idea matches the way many people think about marketing. However, when it comes to Internet marketing there has been a shift in focus and the tables have been turned. The focus of marketing has shifted the salesman to consumer advocate. That may sound like a conflict in terms, but the truth is ... Internet Marketing And Personality Infusion Websites develop with the personality of the business owner. So, how can you take your personal interests and use them to intensify the effect of marketing? This includes both the marketing of the site and the products or services you are making available. If your personality has a bent toward humor perhaps your website may include humorous bits of trivia that deal with your industry. You might solicit humorous stories from customers (this strategies could also work to imp... Internet Marketing – Share The Joy If you are going to be effective in marketing you have to believe in your product. You can’t just think, “This is a fine product and will do a good job.” No, you have to be so totally sold on the product that you can’t help but share the news. Many business owners can find marketing a difficult proposition, but maybe it’s because they haven’t taken the time to fully review and acknowledge the product they are making available. When you get to the point of passion in reg... Product Launching – The Tale Of Two Products One of the key questions you will need to ask when it comes to product launching is an important one in relation to how you market the product. The question is this – what is the sales potential of the item you will be selling? In our tale of two products we look first at a hand crafted wooden box. This box has hand carved accents on the top and comes with a velvet-lined interior. These boxes are also the work of one recognized wood artisan. Several movie stars and even a ... Video Streaming And The Pop Culture Revival A group that had a significant following in past pop culture is currently pioneering another wave in pop culture. This group was famous in the 70’s and 80’s and has continued to see a broad base of fan support. They have indicated that they feel a bit like those who first pioneered television must have felt. Each month this group puts together an hour-long television type show that is free and available on demand. The video stream is produced with the same elements you wo... Internet And Business Online – Equal Opportunity For All Is it only those man and women who grow up in prosperous homes that can pursue the dream of owning their own business? Is it true that the young are the only ones equipped to deal in an online environment? Is nationality an indicator of candidacy for ecommerce? No, no and no! There was a time when successful businesses were often developed and operated by those who came from families of wealth. There was a time when youth was necessary to fully build a thriving business... Ebooks And New Life For Old Words The development of content for a website can have an impact on future marketing efforts. Every website relies on very specific content to help in managing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies as well as providing customers with the most comprehensive data on issues related to the intent of the site. Search engines like to find sites that routinely update their website. What that means is that no matter how good the content is on your site you will likely need to... Spam Blockers And A Kinder And Gentler Marketing Approach An advance in spam blocking is another really good reason to take list building seriously. The status quo in list building had been to lease a list and flood thousands of inboxes with your message. This cold call approach may result in some sales, but more often it results in angry recipients who reported your email marketing effort as spam. As spam blockers became more prominent in almost every email system this approach to email marketing has often implode on itself... Ppc And The Revenue Machine For some online entrepreneurs the advent of Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is something on par with affiliate revenue programs. This may sound like an odd statement so let me explain. In affiliate revenue programs a website is developed with the singular purpose of encouraging visitors to make a purchase through your site. The items they can find on your site are actually purchased from a third party website using the affiliate’s website as the portal. However because the... Web Design And The World’s Largest Pen Knife In the 2008 edition, Guinness Book of World Records will present the penknife with the most functions ever presented. This new life has 87 different tools and performs more than 100 functions. The knife’s case is almost nine inches long by four inches wide and weighs about three pounds. As of this writing about 500 of the $1,200 Swiss made knives have been sold. Web design is a bit like that Swiss Army knife. A properly developed website is compact and utilitarian. Your we... Internet And Business Online – The Net Working Developing a business online provides the potential for a dynamic that is available only minimally in traditional brick and mortar counterparts. The potential I’m talking about is networking. In a more traditional business environment you may be tied more closely to the day-to-day operations of the facility and face-to-face encounters with customers. Networking might happen in an after hours setting or by phone, but is hard to manage in the same terms as is possible in an ... Blogging – Getting Started Setting up a blog is generally a matter of following some online steps. The first thing any blogger (business or personal) needs to do is to find a blogging host. This could be a stand alone like Zanga or Blogger or a part of a social media site like MySpace or FaceBook. You will need to register with a typical user name and password. From this point on you will need to pay attention to the instructions the blog site provides. In most cases you can upload photos and m... Affiliate Revenue And The General Store Perhaps it is taxes that an individual needs to pay off. Maybe it’s the need for extra income to pay down debt. Sometimes the extra income might be useful in making a purchase a family wants. Whatever the reason the idea of affiliate revenue stream is finding converts among those who may have never previously considered an online business. Affiliate revenue programs are really the quintessential ‘everyman’ business opportunity. The primary investment is a website, hosting... Ezines Can Still Pack A Punch In the 1980’s many newspapers were developing their copy using a cut and paste technique. Obviously this was an improvement over typeset, but still time consuming. As desktop publishing came to prominence newspapers began to be developed on a computer and sent electronically to have a film made of the copy for print. Darkrooms were replaced as digital cameras gained wide acceptance. Now virtually all the functions of a newspaper (except for some of the interviews and photo... Video Marketing – The One They Come Back For I was sent a link recently to a video that was powerful in the way it presented the idea of going the extra mile for customer in ways that were easy, but unexpected. I left the viewing of the video inspired and wanting to find new ways to make my own businesses better. While I was inspired by the video and would willingly send anyone to the site I also discovered this video to be a video marketing strategy for a series of inspiring books and motivational downloads. Th... Traffic Building And The Mark Of Integrity If I go into a neighborhood convenience store and discover they make homemade soup and a hand crafted sub sandwich at a good price and with great taste I am likely to go back again. They just improved their foot traffic because I plan to come back. If I see a sign that tells me a roadside diner has the world’s best cup of coffee and I get a cup that tastes a bit like motor oil I will likely refrain from visiting that location again. They have just decreased their potential... Rss And A Statement Of Terms The way the world views media has changed. Was it so long ago that we grabbed a TV schedule magazine off the rack of a grocery store shelf and perused it to find what we wanted to watch? If we knew we were going to miss it we set the VCR to record it while we were gone. Today we can receive a full compliment of audio and video programs on demand and online. No longer are we bound by limited choice or availability. Anywhere you have Internet capabilities you also have the ... Internet And Business – One Bite At A Time A family friend once asked me, “How do you eat an elephant?” When I didn’t know how to respond he said, “One bite at a time.” This seems like either an obvious statement or an attempt a humor. For Internet marketing it is perfect advice. There are multiplied millions of web pages available online and multiplied millions of web sites to consider. How can a new website manage the marketing of a site that will exist in the midst of what may seem an infinite number of ot... Internet And Business Online – A Family Affair An executive in a big city firm develops a consulting firm online and helps non-competing businesses succeed. A farmer in Kansas develops a site that sells wheat products developed on his farm, his cookie recipe is award winning. A mom in Michigan develops products to keep kids warm in winter and her clientèle is global. Using the Internet to develop a business is making it possible for individuals from all walks of life to access paying customers that fall outside their o... Product Launching And The Emotional Investment Product launching can be a bit of an unnerving experience. Imagine what it was like for executives to roll out products like the wii, iPhone and Xbox? The manufacturer wanted to get everything right and if the buzz was significant (and it was with the three products listed), public scrutiny would likely be intense. Your product may or may not be as publicly visible as these products, but it does bear your individual stamp. Your reputation is represented when you unveil a n... Internet And Business Online – Developing Chicken Scratches Sometimes we can have some pretty incredible ideas for what we want from our websites. We can scratch down a few ideas and insist ‘this’ is what we want from our website. We can either hire someone to make the perfect website from our chicken scratches or we can use web builder technology to develop something on our own. So, what happens when we get another brilliant idea after the website is developed and in use? Well, usually we just find a way to tack the information... Internet And Business Online – Reverse Psychology Online business isn’t for you. No, it’s far too much work and there are too many unknowns. It’s ridiculous to think that anyone would seriously consider developing a business for the web; after all there are marketing strategies that are somewhat different than traditional stores. You have to think things through. There’s merchant accounts to set up, a web site to design. You have to worry about terms like SEO, PPC and RSS and how they might affect your business and its... Traffic Building And Tool Creativity There have been some amazing stories of individuals who have been very successful in traffic building in relation to their auction offerings. There have been incredible stories of how an individual will write a description of the product that reads more like a column by Ann Landers with the humor of Dave Barry. The description itself is so entertaining and relatable that individuals flock to the auction site simply to read the description. I recall one story of a mom... Paid Surveys And The Waiting Game If you’ve ever played the lottery than you have some idea what paid surveys are like. Surveys used to be a bit like telemarketing calls; disinterested pollsters would contact you at inconvenient times and rush through questions and even lead you along from time to time in how to best answer their question. Today many surveys take place online with an offer to pay the participant for their time. This idea seems a bit like free money to many who will flock to a paid su... Forums And The Coin Of Marketing Many online businesses view forums as a means of marketing goodwill to their customers, and it can do just that. However, forums are equipped with two sides, standard. If you make a forum available to site visitors you have accepted one side of the coin. You can, in fact, utilize that forum as a means of marketing trust with your customers. Feedback is an important component of a forum and this mechanism allows for the free flow of thought and allows every individual a voi... Web Design And The Cookie Cutter House If you live in a large city or if you travel you can often find a large section of homes that look nearly identical. If you’ve never lived in one of these homes it can be easy to believe that finding your home in a sea of similarity might be difficult. However each home, although incredibly similar at first glance, are amazingly different inside. Each home has a custom floor plan with multiple options that help the homeowner make their home distinct in spite of any similar... Internet And Business Online – It’s Just My Opinion The wonderful thing about writing an expert article is simply that I can project what I think about any given topic for which I have experience. Strangely this freedom may actually conflict with someone else who may have an opinion that varies from mine. Does this divergence of opinion make one individual superior to another? Probably not, but it does point out one very telling feature. You see life’s experiences are designed to be very personal so when I dispense advic... Site Promotion And The Tattoo Man There are so many ways you can market a product. Some of the more unique approaches to traditional advertising came in the form of sandwich board signs and willing men and women who would stand on busy corners and attempt to capture the attention of those passing by. Magnetic signs were (and still are) used to place a business logo on the side of a vehicle. Some individuals have sold a portion of the space on their head for a tattoo with the promise to leave their head cle... Product Creation And The Midnight Stroll Imagine being asked to climb a mountain. You gaze at the snow-capped peak and you are excited to undertake the adventure. Your instructor tells you there is a reward for reaching the summit. This only fuels your desire to get on the trail. You gather all the supplies you will need for travel and you place the burden on your back as you prepare to take the first step in your journey. You grab your walking stick and begin to take a step. “Hold on,” your instructor says. “... SEO And The Gem Dealer Some people have a hard time understanding the concept of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The notion of developing a website based on principles that involve certain words seems confusing and perhaps even a bit like hocus-pocus. In its most simple form SEO is something like the brightest thread in a tapestry or the point leader in a basketball game. This method is something like finding your favorite sports drink in a store filled with similar bottles. The use of Sear... Social Media And The Pop Culture Why would a popular musician or singing group put a social media page together? After all, aren’t they busy enough without adding the interaction that seems to be required of a social media site? In most cases these artists do not develop these pages as a result of having too much time on their hands. In fact, most of these artists do not have a significant amount of free time to devote to a social media site. That being said the social media site becomes an incredible ... Email Marketing And The Cold Call Cold call email marketing is becoming less and less effective in both return on investment (ROI) as well as recipient conversion. So why do so many online businesses continue to use leased or purchased lists to market their business. In some cases the email marketing plans that are developed are used by affiliate revenue sites that are looking to capitalize on their new venture. The net effect is not much different than a telemarketer call during the evening meal – not wel... Video Streaming And The Impatient Consumer As websites continue to grow in size and function the use of video streaming has become a comprehensive way to manage what may seem to be complicated changes for site visitors. The development of professional video streaming tours can help site visitors learn how to manage certain tasks. One of the primary reasons these video streaming tours are so successful is that they can visually guide the visitor through the most complicated of sites. Obviously the best-case sc... Internet And Business Online – A Step Toward Independence The diversification found among many businesses is having an effect on the public at large and the result is entrepreneurial diversification. General stores of a bygone era have been replaced with general stores of a super-sized variety. Stores the size of football fields (and sometimes bigger) are in line to furnish you with virtually everything you can imagine – all under the comfort of one roof. Within one store you might find a car repair department, lawn and garden... Auctions Are Not Just Hard Luck Stories If you spend any amount of time in rural America you will likely see signs that indicate an auction is planned. In some cases these auctions are the sign that hard luck finally met the banker and neither were thrilled at the meeting. A family could be displaced from a home or farm, a businessman could be liquidating assets to satisfy creditors or the passing of someone in the community has rendered their property and goods to an estate auction. An auction never really seem... Internet And Business Online Revert To Childhood Kids learn early about the need for marketing. Whether it’s cookie or candy sales, popcorn or knick-knacks or even holiday wrapping paper and cheese balls children learn what it takes to succeed. Many of these school or youth organization fundraisers thrive on the sale of products to help fund certain activities, programs or a needed purchase. These same fundraisers often reward the children for their efforts by offering increasingly spectacular prizes for those childre... Traffic Building And The Interstate There was a time when roads across America were ‘paved’ with dirt. Gravel was an improvement to these roads, but often came with a washboard feel as the vehicles chattered on to their destination. Simple two lane paved roads would eventually follow and the famed Route 66 took folks on a hill strewn ride across the country. As more and more Americans traveled the demand on these roads increased giving rise to the Interstate system. These four lane systems brought relief to ... Internet And Business Online - The Shifty Pride Factor There are practical and even motivational reasons to market when you are seeking to establish a business online. In this article let’s take a look at some of the motivational reasons. First of all, let’s break down a very specific wall that is generally erected when someone who is not comfortable with marketing objects to the idea that they need to promote a business. That wall is in many ways a reverse sense of pride. A wall is erected because they believe that if t... Business Online And The White Picket Fence Using the Internet for business has become one of the most cost effective ways to allow the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive. No longer does business aspirations mean a 2,000 square foot show room and multiple sales associates. No longer do you need to pay incredible fees for a building lease and expensive utilities. In many cases you can manage an online business from the comfort of home. This can allow you to spend more time with your family while pursuing a business ... Domain Names For A Single Word World How important is a domain name to your business? Oh, it’s not especially important if you are expecting all your traffic to come from search engines and you have a site that has used Search Engine Optimization (SEO) effectively. But what happens when you want to post a link and the full URL is listed? For some businesses that have chosen to operate their online business as a subdomain of an existing site service this URL can be especially long and may only refer to your... Web Design Extreme Makeover The development of a web design must be intentional and with purpose. I know this runs counter to any idea of freeform and learning as you go, but there is a solid reason for making sure you know where you’re going before you try to get there. Because Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies can take so long to have a pronounced effect on your website, and subsequently your traffic, it becomes important to make sure your website matches your objectives by at least 85% b... Ebooks To Facilitate Marketing The use of ebooks has become a huge marketing tool. I’m not just talking about the use of electronic books as a means of marketing a product. Ebooks have become a prominent source of marketing information. The sites that describe marketing ebooks can be a few thousand words long. They are written in a way that may remind you of headline news. These sites can ask questions that stir the imagination without offering full disclosure on any of them. They appeal to the emotiona... List Building And The Hollywood Movie The head of a movie company sits down with his or her executives and discusses potential movie deals that have optioned. They make a list of the prospects and then reduce the selection to a few they really feel have potential. The executives take that list and begin exploring ideas with creative staff and casting directors. The most promising films go into development with screen tests, costume and production and the film moves forward. The day comes when filming begins... Audio Streaming The Future Is satellite radio the future or just a stepping-stone to something different? Satellite radio is popular because it airs multiple channels commercial free and is often standard in many new car purchases (with a temporary paid subscription). HD radio is another method used by terrestrial radio stations to improve their listenership, but very few listeners are spending the money to purchase an HD receiver, which remains largely unavailable. Let me see if this makes se... Product Creation – Big And Plenty If you are involved in product creation you could take a lesson from rabbits and rats. I know, I can just imagine you scratching your head as you wonder what furry creatures have to do with product creation. Both of these animals were designed to be productive when it comes to the number of offspring they can have. For instance the rabbit can mate by three months of age. Their gestation period is slightly more than a month and they can have as many as 12 kits in each li... The Forum Lifecycle And Those Who Monitor Them Online forums thrive on the idea of a free exchange of thought. If your business provides a forum you are making it possible for people around the globe to share their ideas and perspectives. Because a single perspective may be at odds with another divergent idea the employment of one or more moderators is vital. This does not mean that the business owner must moderate it, but they can either hire a freelance moderator or they can accept a volunteer moderator from their me... Video Streaming And Hollywood Studios What did the writer’s strike in 2007 mean? Were the writers just hungry for additional capital for their skills? Certainly there are some that think so, but the primary reason for the walk out had to do with an understanding that video streaming on the Internet caused a wrinkle in their contract. In most cases Hollywood writers are not granted payment for video streaming of content they helped to create. As more and more content is made available online the writers ... Business Online – The Art Of Effortless First time online users usually have no idea how the Internet works. What they probably have heard most is that if they really want to find something they need to find a place called Google or Yahoo and type in what they want in the search field. They may quickly draw conclusions that these search engines are a lot like phone books or dialing information on the telephone. They will likely be further astounded when they discover they can make a purchase on line and then ... The Power Of The Podcast Podcasting is an equal opportunity venture. You have homespun hobbyists and longtime professionals developing their own bit of audio for worldwide consumption. You can find podcasts on politics podcasts, tax tips, music of the 80’s, original drama, humor, classic automobiles, and guitar instruction. In fact, the list of additional podcasts is limited only by your imagination. Some producers use a simple USB microphone attachment that is picked up and recorded by softwar... Web Development – A Little Help From My Friends A community concert will be talking place somewhere this weekend. A lot of preparations have been made for the event and everyone is looking forward to enjoying themselves. Would you believe me if I said that the concert was the brainchild of one individual and that this singular person put the entire event together without the help of anyone else? No, you probably wouldn’t believe me, and you’d have good reason to question the claim. Web development is a lot like a ... The Autoresponder Outline The auto-responder note was short, pointed and just what I wanted to read. In fact, I thought the email was a representation of the near perfect auto-responder message. Let me break down the elements that make an auto-responder message successful. 1) Order Tracking. The section provides the order number for easy referral if there is a problem with the order. Customers can use this number when contacting the company with any customer service question. 2) A Statement o... Customer Service At Tina’s Twisted Tins Summary: In an online environment it is not possible to have customers bring items to your store. You cannot deal with customer service issues face to face so dealing with the issues in a positive manner for consumers can go along way in supporting the notion that online purchases can be a positive option in managing your purchases from the convenience of your computer. “Welcome to *Tina’s Twisted Tins, how can we help you.” “Yes, I ordered…” “If you’d like to speak ... Auctions And The Traffic Jam Online auctions have become an online flea market and they are huge. Cars are available at auction online as well as jewelry, antiques and virtually every other commodity you can think of (including famous letters and artifacts). You can even bid on farm machinery in an online auction environment. I’ve likened online auctions to a global garage sale and I still think that’s a pretty good picture of what it’s like. You simply use cyber cash instead of spare change and you w... Ecommerce And The Power Of Belief The Polar Express is a delightful children’s story that infuses the simplicity of a cultural Christmas with an element of faith. Children ride the fabled express in an effort to reclaim trust in something they no longer believe in – Santa Claus. A pivotal point is evident at the end of the story when a little boy says, “I believe” after having steadfastly denied the existence of the jolly old elf. The magical world of childhood reopens for the boy and the children passenge... Ebooks And The Factor Of Fear “Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive -- the risk to be alive and express what we really are.” – Don Miguel Ruiz Fear is a much thought of and rarely talked about emotion that tends to paralyze while defining new ways to be paralyzed. When it comes to the development of a knowledge- based ebook fear often places procrastination on notice and the idea is left on the worry stone of life. “You gain strength, courage, and... Web Design For Search Engines Summary: Search engines don’t give higher rankings for a pretty site, but they do pay attention to what you say and how you say it – make that your priority and the rest will fall into place. There’s an old saying, “People vote with their pocketbook.” I’d like to suggest they also vote with their apathy. Current popularity choices are in a constant state of flux. There are times when site visitors seem to respond to flash technology while other times the simple site of ... Email Marketing Detractors Have you ever received one of those forwarded emails that relates a nice story or some inspiring pictures and then lays on a guilt trip if you don’t immediately send that email to a million other people in your sphere of influence, complete with the same guilt ridden message? Some of these messages even indicate dire consequences or simple bad luck of the recipient somehow breaks the chain in this email link. I’m never certain who exactly monitors this situation and how they ... Social Media And Parental Guidance Social media has significant potential for marketing, but it can also be used as a means of keeping tabs on your extended family members. Today families are linking together in social media for the purpose of keeping in touch with a cyber focal point. The results are an unusual bit of family connection in an online environment. Interestingly some parents are getting MySpace or FaceBook accounts to keep track of their teens and those they hang out with in a behind-the-sc... Coaching An Attitude Do you find yourself in a difficult work environment with no immediate view of a change in occupation? Do you labor on wondering if your work matters or if the future will ever be bright enough to wear shades? If so, you can endure the difficulties and in the end you may be better equipped to manage future assignments in either your present job or any new employment you may pursue. How can such a miracle take place? Attitude. Your attitude about even the hardest of ... The Fault Line In Paid Surveys We’ve all seen the PPC advertisements or the banner ads – GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS. What’s not to love about the idea of telling someone your opinion and getting paid for it? It’s sort of like talk radio and you get to be the host. Say what you want and be rewarded for it? When was the last time that happened? The truth of most matters falls somewhere between the overblown hype and the worst story you’ve heard. You CAN earn money by taking surveys. After all, the i... Web Development – Breathe Deep Can your website breathe? Think for a moment about your body and how it operates when you breathe. Air is inhaled, filling the lungs with oxygen and allowing that oxygen to recharge your blood cells as it cycles through your system. As you exhale the depleted waste called Co2 is forced from the lungs as the body waits for another round of oxygen. Most people don’t even have to think about breathing, it just happens. It is an involuntary action that we have the ability t... Coaching The Candle Burners Have you ever had one of those moments where it seems as if everything is chaotic one moment and in slow motion the next? In those moments there seems to be either a rushing sound in your ears or perhaps a ringing. Color fades to black and white and you can almost seem disassociated from the events that are happening around you. Sometimes this can be experienced when you are faced with bad news, sleep deprivation or extreme weariness where you teeter precariously between a... Video Streaming And The Imagination Consumer There was a time when Groucho Marx said, “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” Everyone laughed at the comment because television didn’t seem very applicable to the way people lived their lives – it was not portable and did not seem practical. At the time it was believed that television stole the imaginations of people because on the small screens in the corners of rooms across America no one had... Ezines And Product Development Perhaps one of the greatest problems with ezines development is that business owners start publishing before they really understand what they are doing. What I mean by that is that while many businesses recognize the potential marketing value of an ezine they don’t always have a clear idea of how to do the task of product development for their ezine. To be honest this is an asset for entrepreneurs, but the tendency might need to be curbed a bit when it comes to developing ... Site Promotion Tools – Twisting The Cube If you’re old enough, think back two or three decades. Everyone owned one of these and you wanted one even if you deny it today. You could just imagine yourself twisting and turning the item trying to unravel its mysteries. It was both mind numbing and time consuming, but always left you with the urge to come back and try it again. Some would get frustrated with the square shaped toy and simply remove the stickers and place them where they wanted. The Rubik's Cube was a ph... Entrepreneurialism – The Job Description Wanted: Individual willing to take a simple idea and use it to create a viable business for both personal satisfaction and long-term fulfillment. Qualified candidate must have the ability to catch a vision and run with it without the oversight of an advisory board or supervisor. Qualified candidate may have specific training in this idea, but it is not mandatory, however, this same candidate must be flexible and willing to adapt to a rugged on-the-job training program (... Team Building Strength Through Adversity Who was the person that most inspired you? Maybe it was your mom or dad, coach or neighbor, aunt or uncle, grandma or grandpa. What did they do to inspire you? Maybe it was their life example or their ability to encourage or possibly they always seemed to have the best advice. No mentor or friend is ever going to be perfect. They will fail you and it will probably hurt. The truth is you will fail someone else in some way in your lifetime too. The point is not to pay ... Entrepreneurialism – The Power Of The What If There are two words in the English language that hold the incredible power of personal change. These two common words challenge a set standard and looks to exact a revolution on what is status quo. These two words have alternately disturbed and excited mankind through the centuries and continue to do so today. When answers come as a result of asking this two word question people often find their personal views will have to change – sometimes dramatically. This is the po... Coaching – The Philanthropic Gesture It used to be the standard practice of businesses to participate in generous charitable giving. These businesses would try to give to as many charities as possible with their charitable giving budget divided among those who asked for contributions. Simply imagine one pie cut in as many pieces as possible – everyone gets a pretty small piece. Today the process has changed for many businesses. It is not uncommon to see businesses actually create a charitable foundation with ... Internet Marketing – Tuning Up Internet marketing may be a bit like directing an orchestra; there are many parts played by many instruments and when they are out of sync you know it, but when they blend it can be pure and sweet harmony. We’ve all heard elementary school bands where one or more students play off key or squeaks. We applaud their effort and may even smile at their various faux pas. What we can appreciate and overlook in a beginner we tend to frown on when someone should really know bett... Team Building Because They Need A Coach Team building can be uncomfortable for many long-term managers. It’s not that they can’t change their personal status quo it’s just that the thought of coaching a team is, well frankly it’s work; work they may either feel is not necessary or may not feel they have enough time to accomplish such a lofty ideal. One particular type of employer will hire based on experience. The belief is that by hiring ‘experience’ the employer will be required to invest less time and money i... Blogging For SEO If you’ve never heard the term SEO, let me explain briefly what it is, what it does and what it’s for. SEO is the abbreviation for Search Engine Optimization. This is a web design technique that, when done effectively, draws positive attention from search engines. When your site is optimized for search engines you will discover that search engine users can find your web presence easier to locate when potential customers conduct their first online search. When developing... Team Building Prevents Espionage We’ve all seen the television shows where someone enters the office of a high profile businessman and uses a pocket camera to, through nefarious means, photograph some of their trade secrets or other insider information and then, under cover of darkness, escape undetected. It all seems disreputable as we stare at the flickering screen. Invariably a janitor makes his way into the office just as the thief dives under the desk and hopes not to be noticed. The music is tense, ... Web Design Breaking Down The Walls The Internet has broken down multiple walls between cultures, generations and economic boundaries. The Internet is available to anyone. While this is certainly a powerful dynamic this article is not about your ability to connect with a worldwide consumer base. The broken down walls that I’m talking about come in the form of access to a wide variety of talented freelancers who can kick your website up a notch. An online business owner can tap into the developed talent po... SEO – A Face Behind The Keyboard The apartment is dim except the light from the laptop as slender fingers move deftly over the keyboard. The window to her right is open slightly and the noise of the city is welcomed in the midst of the previously silent room. A quick trip through the favorites and an online station begins playing music while she strolls to her favorite search engine and enters a search term for a line of cosmetics she saw in the mall. The list of sites that carry the product is impress... Web Branding And The Big Horn Mountains On a ranch near the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming a rancher listens to the local news on the radio on his way to work. He stops and looks over a meadow filled with grazing cattle. His pickup door squeals a protest as he steps out of the warm cab into the cold mountain air. He’s been up since five and watches as the sun begins to peek over the range to the east. He tips his hat back and stretches and twists as bones pop and crackle. He downs another mouthful of what will ha... Ezines As An Affiliate Revenue Generator Many business owners utilize ezines as a marketing tool that can assist customers in understanding more about the products they provide and how best to use those products. This is free information for the interested and how-tos for those who have actually made a purchase. If you are an individual who is a part of an affiliate revenue sharing program you might do well to consider the use of an ezine in your marketing plan. When you look at a magazine you find it provides... Traffic Building And An Empty Theater What can you provide your site visitors that will inspire them to come back? There was a time not so long ago when the content on website remained essentially static. No one felt compelled to provide fresh information because at that time it was fairly easy to get a suitable ranking through SEO methods that are not acceptable today. If you could achieve a top ten ranking on a search engine your work was done. You simply sat back and let customers come to your site – and...
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