widget http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for widget Copyright 2008 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:18:08 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/widget Dress Up Your Blog With Widgets http://www.artwoo.com/article/dress-up-your-blog-with-widgets http://www.artwoo.com/article/dress-up-your-blog-with-widgets#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:40:01 +0000 widgetgooglewidgetboxmyspacefeedburnerblogmybloglog http://www.artwoo.com/article/dress-up-your-blog-with-widgets Widget for is the mantra that is raging as a top favorite among the blogging fraternity. If anything, a nice piece of widget increases interactivity of a blog, and yes it does a bit of fizz and flamboyance as well. The good news is there is no dearth of widget for blog, and if you're willing to spend a little of your time, you'll be spoilt with choices.

But before that, let's see what is a widget. And what it is that is so exciting about having one or more of it in your blog.

A widget, rather a web widget, is a small chunk of code, usually a JavaScript or a Flash Script, which when embedded in a blog or website, presents a fascinating array of interactive information. The code snippet of widget comes ready for use, and so there's no need of any programming skill to get going.

For example, if you're a user, you get a JavaScript widget that shows who among MyBlogLog users are recent readers of a blog or website. Yet another widget shows outgoing links that are clicked by your visitors, updated hourly.

In my blog-site, Kolkata Musing, I use a widget that automatically stores the recent posts. What's more, it offers readers a no-hassle ready option to include the widget of my posts in their website. Cool indeed.

Okay, what Widgetbox does is reading the rss feed of a blog, and presenting the latest entries in an eye-catching fashion. As the feed updates with addition of posts, so does the widget, wherever it may be residing.

This is pretty much the same what many other widget management systems offer, for example SpringWidgets, owned by the same company that owns . In fact if you're using the syndicated content service of (now owned by ) like this blog, you may use the syndicated feed to create a widget for embedding in any website.

Wordpress, the popular blogging platform, allows a wide variety of blog-related widgets, like calendar, recent posts, recent comments, and so on that can be chosen to be shown in the sidebar of the blog.

Yet another popular widget from WhoLinked, when placed in your website, allows you to see real-time all the incoming links to it.

Now that we've good idea about what a widget for blog can be, let's see some of the popular widget management systems that are there to explore. Here's a list of them about which the readers can find out more:

1. FunAdvice Widgets 2. Grazr 3. MuseStorm 4. Snipperoo 5. SpringWidgets 6. Widgetbox 7. Widgetoko 8. Widgets Lab 9. yourminis

A Note Of Caution

Some widgets you get to see in the sites above are so cool that you may feel inclined to include quite a few of them in your site. Better don't. Not for any apparent reason, but for the fact that the script that accompanies each widget takes time to load fully, and if several of them are there, then your blog page will take lot of time to display its full content.

Remember you'll normally have other JavaScript that are important for your blog. So, use widget for blog with care. Partha Bhattacharya is an expert SEO copywriter. Find this article, Widget For Blog (http://www.words2content.com/widget-for-blog.html), among many useful articles by him at Words2Content. As a small website owner gain from his blog on search engine marketing (http://www.prioriti.in/blogs/). ]]> Never Ever Buy Traffic http://www.artwoo.com/article/never-ever-buy-traffic http://www.artwoo.com/article/never-ever-buy-traffic#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:17:00 +0000 robot visitsconversion factorauto pilotspay per click campaigngooglescam artistswaste of money http://www.artwoo.com/article/never-ever-buy-traffic scam artists who obviously have nothing better to do than to try and steal your money. The other is people who try to dissuade you with an outright lie disguised as a legitimate solution. I am talking about companies that sell traffic. They make all kinds of claims about how great getting a ton of traffic to your website is. The other angle is how easy it's going to be as well. Some say that the system will work forever and then itself so you don't have to ever do anything again. Wow, how stupid.

First of all, if you have a new website don't ever "buy traffic" it's a by someone slicker than you. Think of it this way. Has anyone ever came to you and asked you what you are looking for and then made a suggestion on what website to go to find it? That's a no. The only possible way that you can buy traffic is to use a from , MSN or Yahoo. But, it is not easy, free, or works on autopilot. Getting eyeballs to your website involves constant strategy and constant tinkering. It also involves building a great site with lots of content and building links to your site.

This is not easy and certainly not something you do once and let go of. Ask any reputable website owner and they will tell you so.

So how do they do it? Well if you have been sucked into buying some traffic, you will get some actual visits from the service that promised them to you. This is the easiest way to explain it. The companies set up an autopilot script that sends a robot to your site, the for about 3 seconds which is long enough to register on your tracking logs, and then they leave. They then come again and again with unique codes that show they are coming from all over. What you will notice is that they never stay for more than a few seconds and they never ever buy anything. If you are serious about your site you would know that every site has a . If you sell something then you would expect that for every "#" of visitors, X amount buy something. For example, I know that for my site for every 200 people that visit I get one sale. This is measurable and useful. If you have a ton of hits and nothing is going on, then either you wrote the world's worst website or you have a problem.



They will tell you the traffic is qualified. Here is what qualified traffic is. John Doe goes on Google looking for a blue widget. He types the key word "blue widget" and gets a return. He then clicks one the sites, looks around and either buys or leaves. Because John was looking for the blue widget, he is considered qualified traffic. A robot or a computer program is never qualified. They are just a clever way to get some cash out of your hand and into someone else's. Here is my golden rule. If a company has to use "hope" and "easy" as a selling technique, run away very fast. Instead take the money and hire someone to teach you how to get traffic legitimately. Tony Scorch is a contributing editor to Do it Yourself Manufacturing which is a research site for people looking to start a new E-commerce website or business. You can find it at http://www.diymanufacturing.com ]]> Selling Your Services Without Sounding Pushy http://www.artwoo.com/article/selling-your-services-without-sounding-pushy http://www.artwoo.com/article/selling-your-services-without-sounding-pushy#comments Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:30:01 +0000 mail orderpushymost important thingsthings to remembercar salespersonsoundingmake every effort http://www.artwoo.com/article/selling-your-services-without-sounding-pushy sounding is the great hairbreadth that divides the successful salesperson =16 be it a telemarketer, solicitor, or seeking to foist an undercarriage coating =16 from the one who will be hung up on habitually, whose glossy brochures end up in the recycling bin, and who could not sell a big flannel towel to a beachgoer who forgot his. While there are a number of reasons why some folks simply sound pushy even when they do not mean to, there are also a few tips and tricks to overcome this problem and to rise up in the ranks of those who have the art of selling in their blood.

Here are the three to remember for selling your services without sounding pushy:

1. First and foremost, you must come to terms with the product and the process. Perhaps you are working at a call center and instead of being able to enter into a person conversation with the consumers =16 as it your personal style =16 you are forced to follow a specific script. This is a hard one for many people to do, and trying to sell anything when you are comfortable with the process will have you come across as being pushy and impersonal. Thus, become dedicated to using the script, memorize it so that it does not sound like you are reading something, and to find a personal approach even when using a script. Establishing personal rapport will allow you to sell without sounding pushy.

2. When someone is accused of being pushy, it is usually synonymous with someone trying to convince a potential customer of the service=12s quality even though the customer is not sold on the concept yet. As a sales person, you have missed a crucial step in the process by failing to communicate undeniable reasons why your potential customer needs the service. This in turn requires you to listen to the customer and understand their needs =16 which sometimes you only will be able to do within the first two minutes of the conversation. Therefore, do not be so quick to sell your service but instead be quick to listen and then focus on the reasons why your service will be a need for the customer.

3. Selling your services without sounding pushy requires the salesperson to understand what they are selling. Sure, you may know that you are selling a widget protection plan, but just going into the money saving, how much it will cost the customer, and what great benefits there are does precious little to convince the consumer who is practiced in saying =11No=14 to anyone who calls. Instead, you need to focus on the end-result your service will have for the customer. The widget protection plan is great, but if it means the customer gets to spend time with his or her family playing golf since they no longer have to worry about fixing the widget, then this is the hook on which to bait the sale. Once the customer is interested in what the service can do for them, it is the time to enter into your spiel about cost, and so on. Pejal D'grodt is owner of http://Degrodt.com and writes on variety of subject. To learn more about this topic Pejal recommends you visit: http://www.DeGrodt.com ]]> How To Optimise Title Tags http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-optimise-title-tags http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-optimise-title-tags#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:15:15 +0000 search engine optimisationsearch engine optimisingwebpage titletitle tagssearch engine resultsmain titlestargeted search http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-optimise-title-tags ) are currently the most important on-page factor when optimising your webpages for search engine results. For the majority of search engines the title tag is the first point of call to summarise the theme of a webpage and to help rank that webpage accordingly within their]]> title tags (< title >) are currently the most important on-page factor when optimising your webpages for . For the majority of search engines the title tag is the first point of call to summarise the theme of a webpage and to help rank that webpage accordingly within their listings. Obviously there are many other factors that generate the overall ranking but optimising your title tags right will generally provide results for your terms.

Target Individual Webpages Towards Search Terms

For , it is vitally important that your website has individual webpages with content targeted towards keywords and search terms. Each of these webpages should have their own unique title tag that includes the search terms you are hoping to be found for within search engines.

How People Search

Think about how you would type in a search into a search engine. It is unlikely you would type in a phrase such as "How You Should Optimise Title Tags". There is more of a chance that you may type "How Should I Optimise Title Tags", but people tend to shorten the total words needed to type a phrase as much as possible and will be more likely to type "How to Optimise Title Tags". Search engines would pick up the all above variations but by targeting the most popularly typed phrase you are increasing your chances of ranking better for that search term. There are many keyword tools on the Internet that allow you to research which keywords are popular and how searches are being typed.

Variations of Prime Keywords

If your website is targeted towards a certain group of keywords and search terms, then use the tags to target variations of your main keywords. For example, the on our website are targeted towards "Search Engine Optimisation" and "SEO". Notice how within our SEO blog articles we sometimes use variations such as " for Long Tail Search Results" and the title of this post "How to Optimise Title Tags". By doing this you can catch more visitors for a variety of possible related search terms.

Put Search Terms First

The closer the keywords are to the beginning of the title tag the more relevant and more weight that webpage will carry towards that keyword. So for example if your webpage had a title of "red widgets and blue widget" and another website's webpage had a title of "blue widget and red widgets", if you did a search for "blue widget" then the other website more likely to rank above your website (if all other factors are equal) simply because the search term is nearer the beginning of the title tag. A lot of companies put their brand terms first and then the page title, which is good if you are a recognised brand as it builds confidence and provides familiarity to potential visitors and may help encourage click from search listings, but it can be a slight disadvantage if you are looking to rank higher than a competitor who puts brand terms at the end of the title tag or left them out completely.

Another good reason to put the search term nearer to the beginning of your title tag is that search engines use the title to provide the link to your webpage in their listings. There is limited space (68 characters in Google) for your title within the search engine listing so it is important to make it obvious what the webpage is about.Steven Balfour writes search engine optimisation articles for various blogs and websites.]]> Project Scope Is Like A Box Of Cracker Jack http://www.artwoo.com/article/project-scope-is-like-a-box-of-cracker-jack http://www.artwoo.com/article/project-scope-is-like-a-box-of-cracker-jack#comments Wed, 23 May 2007 03:14:55 +0000 project scopescope documentcracker jack boxproject stakeholdersminor improvementscracker jacksimprovements project http://www.artwoo.com/article/project-scope-is-like-a-box-of-cracker-jack project scope.

Think of project scope as a box of Cracker Jack where the prize at the bottom of the box is the goals and objectives of the project. When you open the box (start a project) the box is full and you know the ingredients and you can see the prize but you can't reach it until you eat your way to the bottom. Well, if someone comes along with more (more stuff for your project to accomplish), it will fill up your and make it even harder for you to get to your prize. Pretty soon your box will bulge, become worn and flimsy and eventually fall apart, losing the prize.

Here are some quick hits to avoid project scope problems:

Document the scope - commit the scope to writing with regular project audits. Make sure , team members and sponsors clearly understand it. Requiring project stakeholders and sponsors to sign-off on the will help ensure the project's scope is communicated.

Avoid gold plating - Don't add more bells, and, whistles to something if they are not in scope, even if they are . If you keep adding these minor improvements, the minors can add up quickly to become major efforts. Furthermore, if you start adding out, of, scope improvements, project stakeholders will be more likely to expect you to continue to do it throughout the course of the project management.

Clearly define scope at all levels - When talking about scope the focus is usually on project scope not task scope. The project team and stakeholders need a clear understanding of the scope of the project's tasks. For instance the project might include a task "build widget". To some people "build widget" might include gathering the parts for the widget and then assembling them. To others it might include only assembling them. Project management templates can provide a valuable tool for defining the scope.

Outline scope change control procedures - Scope changes will occur, proper management of them can avoid these changes from creeping up on you. At the beginning of the project, document the procedures with regular project audits to address when communicating and executing scope changes, making sure these procedures are clearly understood by all project stakeholders.

If you find, to the best of your efforts, your project scope still bulges and is about to fall apart, here are some tips to help you get back on track:

Assess damage - Analyze where you are vs. where you should be. Make sure this assessment does not cause a great loss in the momentum of the project. Regular projects audits can prove invaluable in your assessment.

Identify causes - Determine why scope problems occurred and implement an action plan to avoid these causes going forward.

Adjust appropriate documents - Modify project management documents (scope, plan, assumptions, etc.) to reflect the change in scope. Identifying and controlling project scope is one of the key ingredients in completing a project in accordance with its plan, goals and objectives. Using the information above will help you reach the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box. Canadian Management Centre has earned the reputation as a trusted partner in worldwide professional development and management education. http://www.cmctraining.org/projectmanagement.asp ]]> How To Use The Testimonial Wizard Software http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-use-the-testimonial-wizard-software http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-use-the-testimonial-wizard-software#comments Wed, 17 May 2006 12:32:07 +0000 success storiessurvey namehelp sectionwidgetenteraddtestimonial http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-use-the-testimonial-wizard-software testimonials from customers who have agreed to provide one? The Testimonial Wizard software is the easiest to set up and use. It's a good choice for the marketer or small business person who wants an automated way to manage small surveys.

What can I do with it? 1) Collect testimonials from customers who have agreed to it; 2) conduct small products surveys effectively and cheaply; 3) conduct opinion polls with prospects and customers.

This software comes with easy installation instructions, but doesn't offer much on how to use it. So here are the steps and some tips.

Steps:

1. Login. the admin username and password created during installation.

2. Click Survey.

3. Fill in the text boxes. The on the right of the screen is a very good guide. In , I type in the product name plus "", i.e., " Success Stories".

4. Click Submit. Now you're back at the Main screen.

5. Click the name of the survey you want to add questions to.

6. Click Add Question.

7. Type your question into the first text box.

8. Select the type of form gadget you want to use to collect the answer. The choices are text, textarea (allows multiple lines of text), Option List (creates a drop down menu), Check box, Radio button, and Hidden.

9. Enter values for Width, Height and Caption. The Help section on the right of the screen should be consulted for the roll these values play. The explanation it provides is quite clear.

10. Enter a value for Default, or leave blank. This is an optional field. You use it if you want for example, "http://" in a question that asks for a URL.

Tips:

Be specific with the question's that you ask. For example:

* What do you feel is Widget's best feature? * How has that feature benefited you? * Have you tried other competing products? * Is there anything we could do to improve Widget? Familiarize yourself with Testimonial Wizard by downloading the free guides. http://www.tecneek.com/download.php?list.3 Tim Robinson is the developer and chief geek at http://www.tecneek.com ]]> Book Review: Marketing Your Small Business For Big Profits By David Mason http://www.artwoo.com/article/book-review-marketing-your-small-business-for-big-profits-by-david-mason http://www.artwoo.com/article/book-review-marketing-your-small-business-for-big-profits-by-david-mason#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:30:01 +0000 unique selling propositionniche servicesdavid masonniche productsconvincing argumentsbbdowidget http://www.artwoo.com/article/book-review-marketing-your-small-business-for-big-profits-by-david-mason Widget as opposed to the other guys Widget? Marketing is the answer, but, marketing comes at a price. How much can you afford?

I have a friend who is a retired exec, and in his mind, marketing that widget should cost the same as the national debt of a small country. Most small businesses can hardly manage to pay the rent and other expenses, never mind a TV spot on The Superbowl.

has done a very fine job of encapsulating the important aspects of marketing into a very short read. While I am not sure that he has introduced anything new, he has put it on paper that even the most book 'resistant' company owner could manage, at a scant 121 pages this should not scare even the skittish book reader.

Of course there is a downside with using such a short format, in a word 'lists.' My wife knows me very well, and she always has stuff for me to do. But she also knows that giving me a long 'To Do' list makes my eyes glaze over. If the list has less than than 5 items, the chances are good that I will at least attempt a few of them. David Mason prefers longer lists, I believe one was 16 items long! That I found a little of a turn-off, my wife knows better than to try a list that long on me!

On the plus side, he makes very . Arguments that make sense. It is important that every business has a 'slogan,' David Mason calls it the USP (), but slogan or banner is what we are talking about.

How do you attract customers? You have your slogan, but if it only exists on your computer or in your head, who is going to hear the message? Many people have small companies, some sell , some sell , how do you sell your idea? Newspaper Ads might work, but only for the day, a Magazine might work for a month, radio and TV spots last for seconds! How about the internet?

David Mason explores all of the potentials, all of the advertising mediums have their up's and down's, cost, effectiveness, even the number of eyeballs that you get your message in front of are important considerations.

The last part of the book I found really helpful, he has included some samples of headlines and opening lines that the small business owner could use in his advertising campaign, and some simple worksheets to assist in customizing the slogans to your own specific needs.

Marketing You Small Business For Big Profits is small enough to be a quick and easy read, but large enough to contain the vital elements important to run an effective advertising program. The author also takes a very down to earth approach in offering advice on implementing the strategies. 'You don't have to do them all, just start with one and see what happens.' In other words you don't have to do everything, just do something. Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com. ]]> Instant Article Submission Strategies To Explode Your Website Traffic! http://www.artwoo.com/article/instant-article-submission-strategies-to-explode-your-website-traffic http://www.artwoo.com/article/instant-article-submission-strategies-to-explode-your-website-traffic#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 10:14:52 +0000 ezines newsletterswidgetwidgetsfall preyduplicatesearch enginesgoogle http://www.artwoo.com/article/instant-article-submission-strategies-to-explode-your-website-traffic
There are many options for driving traffic to your site. Some of them are quite costly and some of them are surprisingly cheap. You have probably heard that writing good quality content is necessary in order to achieve good page rankings and obviously to receive repeat visitors, but did you know that by writing unique articles and submitting them to content sites with your byline and website address you are accomplishing two very important advertising strategies?

First by doing this, you are presenting yourself as an expert in the field. Whether you built your website as a one stop shop for any kind of on the planet or if your site is about a very specific widget, writing unique articles about and distributing them to the various content sites that can be found all over the internet will gradually establish you as an authority in the field of widgets. You are also creating links to your website. It's always a good idea to have several incoming links to your website as this information gets picked up by the little bots that decide what your site is worth.

The important key to remember is that you need to write unique articles. This is critical to your article marketing success. Submitting the same article to many article sites, ezines, newsletters and article directories will destroy your page rank as you to the " Content Filter" has implemented, and how other view duplicate content. The more unique articles you can submit, the more they will be accepted by search engines and counted positively towards your inbound links which drive your page rank up. So how can you write hundreds of different unique articles you ask? Through article submission software that can randomly produce unique articles from your original draft. An excellent article submission software resource can be found at: www.articleprosoftware.com. It will randomly submit hundreds of unique articles to it's built in list of real publishers, and you can add your own favorite list later too.

Second, free advertising. These free content sites are actually quite widely read and the more people that see your article with your byline, the more potential visitors you have to your site. These are much better than going to one of those surfing sites in order to generate traffic and it is much less expensive than beginning a pay per click campaign.

Ultimately, the more your name is seen in association with widgets, the more credibility you gain in the great big world of widgets. Using a content site to drive traffic to your widget sales site is actually a very intelligent business decision. It's also a good idea to branch out beyond the world of widgets in your content writing. It could be that by writing an article on something that appeals to a broader market will lead to the selling of even more widgets.

It's really amazing the way things work out. There have been business cards that have made it around the world and finally resulted in a sale. Your sales page is essentially your business card on the web. The more you get people to see your page, the more opportunities you have to make a sale. Putting out unique articles where ever you can think of to do so will result in your article being seen and conversely your website address being seen by a much broader audience. Also by establishing yourself as the quintessential widget expert in many circles, you've 'branded' yourself, and people will think of your name when they think of widgets. Way to go! Visit Craig's blog at: http://www.craigsandrews.com for 'real internet business solutions'. Craig recommends Article Pro Software to create and submit unique articles that will conquer being penalized by duplicate content articles. Visit: http://www.articlesubmissionsoftwareportal.com/artsub.html ]]> The Real Reason People Buy http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-real-reason-people-buy http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-real-reason-people-buy#comments Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:08:21 +0000 california gold rushdesire experienceexperience pleasureprofit centersprospectorse bookswidget http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-real-reason-people-buy profit centers that his knowledge could bring him.

His original question was, "How can I get more appointments." He changed his question from, "How can I get more appointments" to, "How can I expand my business?" He found that in addition to generating more appointments with his patients, he could also package his knowledge into books, e-books and audio programs. The Doctor now makes more from his information products than he does from his patients AND he is selling these products online 24 hours a day!

So even if you think you have the best in the world, don't just think about selling widgets. Think about the knowledge and information you have about making the widgets that people may be willing to pay you for. Think about the other products and services that widget buyers might be interested in buying. The people who made the most money during the weren't the . They were the people selling the shovels, picks, hotel rooms, drinks and food.

The Two Things That Make People Buy....

So, why do people buy? People buy things for one of two reasons. They either perceive that what they are buying will solve a problem or they believe that it will lead to increased pleasure now or in the future. We've heard the old saying that people buy from emotions but justify with logic.

The Two Reasons People Buy:

1. Solve a problem (fulfill a need).
2. To fulfill a desire ().

The best product or service to sell is one that people already want. You can find out a great deal about what people already want if you can first find out what they are already looking for. You can find out a great deal about what people are looking for by looking through the things people search for on search engines.

This basic market research is a crucial step to make sure that there are people who actually want what you are thinking of offering. Entrepreneurs and inventors often fall in love with their idea before they have researched the market and are shattered when a lack of sales communicates a very painful message to the entrepreneur that could have been avoided if he or she did their research.

What it all comes down to is finding what people want and giving it to them, for a nice profit of course. A successful business is about finding a need or a problem and solving it. A successful business owner is someone who can look through the problem to see the pot of gold that is on the other side.Rayne Blane wants to link to your website! No reciprocal link required. Click Here to Submit your site for Free!]]> Home Business Advertising Formula http://www.artwoo.com/article/home-business-advertising-formula http://www.artwoo.com/article/home-business-advertising-formula#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:15:02 +0000 wallet sizesmall business ownersgross receiptsgeographic profileadvertising campaignseveryday operationsfresh flow http://www.artwoo.com/article/home-business-advertising-formula small business owners, these questions can add to the headaches suffered in the course of normal of their business. The how much to spend and where to spend it questions have no easy answers.

Depending on your type of business, many people suggest that the *how much* should be equal to anywhere from 4% to 10% of your . The quandary is that a business cannot survive without a of incoming customers. But, a business can seldom generate a fresh stream of customers without spending money to get the word out about their business.

THE CHALLENGE OF DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING Have you ever paid for advertising and sat back to await the fresh flow of customers, only to find yourself sitting and sitting and then sitting some more? Don't feel bad about that. It has happened to many of us before. See, knowing where to spend the advertising money is not enough to get the job done.

If all that was need was to spend money, your only limitation would be your . Unfortunately that is not the case. Try to follow these steps to create a healthy, streamlined marketing portfolio.

=95 Marketing Plan =95 Advertising Strategy =95 Headlines, Ad Copy and Visual Presentation =95 Tracking the Success of Your

The Marketing Plan is used primarily to identify your own products and services, costs, strengths, weaknesses and the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors. It's also a good idea to come up with a target for you .

Developing an advertising strategy is crucial so you know what to expect to gain from your advertising. Do you simply wish to get your name known so that when your customer will need you, they will think of you first? Or, do you wish to get your customers in your front door on Saturday? Do you want your customers to come in and take a look around to discover the next object that they cannot live without? Or, do you want them to come in and buy a specific widget? Do you hope that enough people will come in to buy enough products or services to pay for your single ad? Or, do you expect to gain a lifelong customer who will help pay for your advertising over the course of several years? When you know what you want, then you will better understand just how to do it.

You might be surprised how many business owners put out advertising without regard for the quality of the sales pitch or presentation. The quality of your distribution outlet or the amount of money you spent to get there will do little for you if the advertising vehicle is a junker. Trying out different advertising mediums such as headlines, ad copy, video, or even print advertising is essential to a winning ad campaign. Most advertising does not work in a crossover environment, which means if it was a hot motivator with an online ad that doesn't necessarily mean it will perform in a hard copy print ad. Test all of your advertising materials in smaller markets before blowing your advertising bank roll on it. You must absolutely know the value of your advertising before putting large sums of money behind it.

Tell your customers to save another 10% when they tell you they heard or saw your ad in such-and-such location. Suggest that they can register to win a free widget if they fill out a form and have them to tell you how they heard of your business. Advertise a specific widget in your ad and track the sales of that widget. There are many available programs for tracking online, some are free and others are monthly memberships, the old adage of getting what you pay for really takes place here though, so be sure to do some research before signing up! It does not matter how you track your advertising --- just make sure you do it!

The ideal way to spend your advertising budget is to buy a rifle with a high-powered scope and to only shoot your targets in the light of day. If you are not tracking your advertising, then you are shooting a pellet gun without an attached scope, with blinders on, and shooting in the dead darkness of night. Even with a bigger gun, the blinders in the dark constitute the single largest mistake made by advertisers. If you are unable to track your advertising to learn what is working well, what is working somewhat, and what is a money pit, then you are condemned to repeat your mistakes over and again. By relying only on gut instinct, you may be choosing to spend more money in the money pit and to lose all of your money in the process. When you get down to the nuts and bolts of making money from your advertising, you should plan, prepare, track and study your results. You must have factual information on which to base your advertising decisions. When you are making the right advertising decisions, then making money from your business might just come easy. Scott Sharp is owner of http://BizzOps.org and writes on a variety of subjects. Scott invites you to email him for question anytime at bizzops66@gmail.com or visit his website at http://www.bizzops.org ]]> Publicity Electricity: How To Plug Your Business Into The Media? http://www.artwoo.com/article/publicity-electricity-how-to-plug-your-business-into-the-media http://www.artwoo.com/article/publicity-electricity-how-to-plug-your-business-into-the-media#comments Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:14:54 +0000 publicity campaignsreceived publicitypublicity campaignfree publicityelectricity generatormedia outletsnewspapers tv http://www.artwoo.com/article/publicity-electricity-how-to-plug-your-business-into-the-media electricity generator is and does, but when it comes to getting media exposure for your business, how good is your "publicity generator?" If you think about it, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Whether it's your business' electricity generator or its publicity generator that fails =85either way you will be left in the dark. The key to "seeing the light" is knowing how to generate your own "publicity electricity" and plugging yourself into multiple outlets =96 that is.

Whether it's magazines, newspapers, TV, radio or the increasingly popular online news outlets, media sources all over the nation are constantly in search of stories from small and large businesses. EVERY business in the world has at least some element of it that is newsworthy. It just requires you to fire up that publicity generator and shine some light on it for the media to see.

WHERE DOES "PUBLICITY ELECTRICITY" COME FROM?

There are a number of publicity angles, but the most well received s I have ever managed involved "problem/solution" businesses or products. Media outlets, especially trade specific ones, will often profile businesses or products that are uniquely solving a problem in a respective industry. It helps to present the editor with the problem, then provide some brief research or statistics =96 not sales or ad text, just facts =96 and show how your business/product can help solve the problem. Case studies work great. Show an editor or reporter how your business positively affected one of your clients and how it can provide similar benefits to others. This may also help get some for your client as well.

Other great "newspegs" are novelty or human-interest elements. If your business has a product or service that is truly unique, unprecedented or cutting-edge, that lends itself very strongly to an effective publicity campaign. A "newspeg" gives the editor/reporter/producer the reason to run your story as opposed to the hundreds, if not thousands of other story ideas that he/she sees each week. To say that you have a new "widget" is not enough. What is different about this widget? What implications does the business/product have and how would it affect the industry or consumer market? And finally, and most times overlooked, is there an intriguing human-interest story involved? Where did the idea come from? Did anything interesting happen during the business/product development stage? Or do the people "behind the scenes" of the business have interesting story to tell? All of these newspegs are potential publicity generators for you and your business.

PLUGGING IT IN.

Now that you have your viable publicity generating prongs, how do you find the media outlets in which to plug them? Conduct meticulous media market research to find those outlets applicable to your campaign. In my extensive research for my clients, I find media outlets whose editorial profiles match the client's business/product profile and pitch accordingly. You or your staff can do the media research at a local library or you can find a PR specialist or agency that can help you. Another great way is to use editorial calendars of media outlets and plug yourself into those opportunities. If you find that a magazine or newspaper is planning an upcoming feature on Innovative New Office Products, prepare your media kit for your "new widget" and pitch the appropriate editor.

One bit of advice -- "don't expect exclusive and extensive." Very few businesses or products (with the exception of publicly traded ones) get multi-page stories written exclusively about them. Although that can certainly happen, most mentions are in the context of a themed story or article, but can generate very strong responses.

I'm sure you'll find that once you generate your best "publicity electricity" -- you will be "shocked" at the interest you can generate. Todd Brabender is the President of Spread The News Public Relations, Inc. His business specializes in generating media exposure and publicity for innovative products, businesses, experts and webistes. http://www.spreadthenewspr.com todd@spreadthenewspr.com (785) 842-8909 ]]> No Frills Search Engine Optimization Techniques http://www.artwoo.com/article/no-frills-search-engine-optimization-techniques http://www.artwoo.com/article/no-frills-search-engine-optimization-techniques#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:14:55 +0000 search engine optimizationanchor textseosearch enginesesoteric sciencerocket sciencewidget http://www.artwoo.com/article/no-frills-search-engine-optimization-techniques esoteric science and art of will often make it all sound like a combination of and brain surgery. But, the fact is that principles of search engine optimization, also referred to as for short, are quite simple.

The basic idea is to get to understand your site and to like it. This will lead to your site ranking high in the result pages that search engines dish out in response to a query. Here is the basic low down on what this is all about.

There are primarily two categories of techniques involved in search engine optimization. The first is called on-page SEO and deals with stuff that you do on your own site to make it rank well. The second is called off-page SEO which deals with stuff that other sites do related to your site. Let us look at the basic search engine optimization methodology involved in both these categories.

On-page SEO used to be all about stuffing keywords and keyphrases. For example, if you wanted a page to rank high for the term "red ," you would make it a point to mention "red widget" many times on the page. However, search engines have become much smarter than they were in the late 90s. Mentioning the keyphrase continues to remain a good idea, but you need to make sure that the rest of the content on the page is also relevant to the keyphrase. Search engines can understand words, phrases, expressions and their correlations. Other forms of on-site SEO involve setting the correct "Title" tag in the code of the webpage. Further, if the page is relevant to the overall topic of the site, it has a higher likelihood of ranking well.

Off-page SEO is all about links. Links to your site from other sites. When talking about links, there are primarily four factors to consider: , Quantity, Importance, and Relevance. Anchor text is the word / phrase that you click to reach a site. In case of a clickable picture, the anchor text is the alt-text that is associated with the image. Having relevant anchor text is pivotal to search engine success. Quantity plays a role too -- the more the merrier. But do not forget importance -- one link from a terrific site (such as a famous news site) might be worth much more than a thousand links from lesser sites. And finally we have relevance. If the site that is linking to you is relevant to the theme of your site, the link will quite likely be worth more. Ajeet Khurana is a web enthusiast and an author. He recommends SEO Tips and Tricks at http://www.seopages.com, MBA in India at http://www.peakseekers.in and Dog Obedience at http://www.dog-obedience.net ]]> How To Boost The Value Of Your Business http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-boost-the-value-of-your-business http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-boost-the-value-of-your-business#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:25:00 +0000 company valuationjoint venture partnersvalue added resellersacquiredgoogyoutubemsft http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-boost-the-value-of-your-business Company valuation is emotional=97a company is worth what an acquirer will pay, what the market will pay, what the interested parties perceive. We see evidence of this frequently when companies with a trickle of revenue are for gushing millions or even billions of dollars.

Maybe you aren't planning on raising financing, securing a credit line, being acquired, or one day going public. You still need to continually boost the value of your company. A higher-value company has more options. It gets the right partners, preferential terms, and often a more glorious future. There's an art to value-boosting, and I am going to tell you how to do it. First, know the facts:

=95 Company valuation is emotional.

=95 Intangibles often matter more than tangibles.

=95 You can't build value if your business isn't enticing.

=95 You should always be selling: to financiers, customers, strategic partners, staff, and strangers.

I've used some or all of the following seven value-boosters to quintuple the value of my clients' companies and my own. These value-boosters have also worked for companies such as le (GOOG), Microsoft (), , and many, many more.

1. A killer team and a killer business plan.

2. A hot board of directors and/or advisory board.

3. Specific strategic alliances. An LOI (Letter of Intent) with a partner ain't gonna cut it. You need a binding contract spelling out exactly what the terms of your deal are. Clarify how many widgets they will buy/distribute/co-market, the time period, as well as what happens if they default on the agreement.

4. New sales channels. Distributors, value-added resellers, outside sales forces, affiliates, joint-venture partners=97all boost the value of your company. Of course, you'll track the performance of your sales channels. Use the affiliate tools in your online shopping cart to track the performance of your online sale channels, and use your accounting system or sales force management software to track all others.

5. Product line extension. Let's assume you sell a supercool widget. What's next? Son of Widget? Platinum Widget? Widget Extraordinaire? Map out your future product lines so financiers, partners, and staff can see where you are headed and how you plan to get there.

6. Intellectual-property (IP) portfolio. Protect your corporate jewels! A patent portfolio can be worth gold. A friend of mine sold his company for $425 million (with about $30 million in trailing revenue) because he had locked in so many patents. That's what the acquirer bought. They didn't give a hoot about the business.

7. Compelling prototype of product. This is key when you're in the zero or near-zero revenue range, as you'll see below. People need to see/touch/feel what the product will be like. Then they can envision your fabulous future.

Consider this example. A professional services firm with an initial value of $2 million hired me to help boost its value. But the trouble with services firms is they are often valued at only revenue times one. Ick. So we beefed up the board and advisers (adding $1 million in value), helped nail down specific strategic alliances ($3 million), mapped out a line of "productized" services ($2 million), and developed new sales channels ($2 million). About six intense months later, the firm sought financing with a respectable pre-money valuation of $10 million. It closed the financing in three months.

Then there is the example of the Internet promotion company I started with no revenue. Before seeking financing, my team and I had to answer the question: How do you make an idea into a hot commodity? The solution consisted of pulling in a rocking team and coming up with a hot business plan (adding $1 million in value), developing a compelling product prototype ($1 million), locking in killer alliances ($1 million), and building an IP portfolio ($2 million). We took its value to $5 million in four intense, somewhat sleep-deprived months. Then we raised $2.5 million in financing with a pre-money value of $5 million, and a post-money value of $7.5 million. The $2.5 million invested bought one-third of the company.

Value is about potential. Potential today, potential tomorrow. The main reason you keep building value in your company, in all the tangible and intangible ways (and as I've shown you, the "intangible" ways often do have dollar values attached to them!), is because a high-value company gets the financing it wants on the terms it wants. It also gets multiple acquisition offers at fabulous terms. The high-value company gets the alliances, the staff, and the opportunities it wants, too.

Remember, you are selling the future as you are selling the present. The present must look promising for the future to be potentially glorious. What are you doing to boost the value of your company today? Christine Comaford-Lynch is CEO of Mighty Ventures and author of Rules For Renegades: http://www.rulesforrenegades.com ]]> Writing Effective Catalog Copy Or Web Copy Can Be Fun! http://www.artwoo.com/article/writing-effective-catalog-copy-or-web-copy-can-be-fun http://www.artwoo.com/article/writing-effective-catalog-copy-or-web-copy-can-be-fun#comments Tue, 19 Sep 2006 18:27:07 +0000 widgetbrainstormcopywritingkeenattention getterlinen fabricpink plastic http://www.artwoo.com/article/writing-effective-catalog-copy-or-web-copy-can-be-fun
Step 1. List features and benefits, then connect them.

If you've read anything about , you've heard about the importance of including the benefits of products as well as their features. For instance, when you say your is a 2-inch paperclip, you are describing its features. When you say it enables you to color-code stacks of papers or it attracts attention on someone else's desk or it makes a great gift for your organized-like-mad teenager, you are describing its benefits.

For concise, interesting product descriptions in a printed or online catalog, it's essential to combine features and benefits, weaving them together tightly yet unobtrusively. Here's a sample excerpt from the print catalog The Territory Ahead, mixing features and benefits:

Over cobblestone or dirt, concrete or causeway, the compression-molded midsole and metatomical footbed provide all-day, all-terrain cushioned support. (In other words, supreme comfort like we've never seen in a huarache.) 's patented bumpered toe prevents stubs and smashes. The traditional, tire-styled outsole features inlay for additional strength and flex.

The widget's feature X gives you benefit Y. In one way or another (and there are at least 16 different ways to make this connection), this forms the foundation of catalog copy.

Step 2. angles and choose one as your opener.

Almost always, you'll also need an attention-getter for the headline and first sentence of your product description. Use the checklist at the top of this page, or the expanded one in 73 Ways to Describe a Widget, described below, to come up with an interesting way to think about the item. For instance, The Territory Ahead actually starts the product description quoted above with this answer to the question, andquot;Who is it for?andquot;:

Ultralightweight, anatomically logical and muy guapa, Keen's huarache overhaul was done with the global wanderer in mind.

You can weave other elements from this brainstorming into your descriptive copy as space allows.

Step 3. Polish up your descriptions in a consistent voice.

Did you notice the way that the writing from The Territory Ahead has personality? Technically, this element is called voice, and it's what unifies the descriptions at a web site or in a catalog so that they have a corporate identity. When there's a tight match between the writing voice and the customers' interests and needs, the shopper feels the company is speaking directly to them, and that they're looking at the kind of widgets they'd most like to buy.

While the samples above from The Territory Ahead have a kind of masculine romance about them, a catalog or web site's voice could be efficient, technical, playful, practical, compassionate, soulful... There are a zillion possibilities.

Whatever the voice chosen, it must be consistent throughout the catalog or web site, or prospective customers get confused.

Step 4. Proofread, checking details.

As with any marketing or sales piece, the last step consists of proofreading, to make sure that you've included all the elements that people need to know before making a buying decision - size, color, composition, weight, price, etc. - along with making sure that the details provided are accurate.

Four steps - that's all there is to mastering the art of tantalizing product descriptions for catalogs or web sites. Marcia Yudkin, author of Persuading on Paper and 10 other books, specializes in compelling, yet hype-free copywriting. This article is adapted from her report, 73 Ways to Describe a Widget: Never Be Brain Dead Again When Having to Write Catalog Copy or Sales Material: http://www.yudkin.com/catalog.htm . ]]> How To Market To Technology Innovators, Part 1 http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-market-to-technology-innovators-part-1 http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-market-to-technology-innovators-part-1#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:25:01 +0000 crossing the chasminnovatorshigh tech marketingmarketing high technologyludicrousearly adopterstalc http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-market-to-technology-innovators-part-1 TALC). The TALC is the paradigm that describes their prospects' mindsets your sales staff is likely to encounter as they market your products and services. And it all begins with the technologists themselves: the .

Innovators are the first market you're likely to encounter when products and services. These are the people highlighted in the far left-hand side of the curve you see above. They love to be the first ones to jump on a new technology. And for good reason: they're technologists, themselves.

These technology enthusiasts sometimes go by other names. Things like "techie," "computer-nerd," or "propeller-head." They'll appreciate your technology product simply because it's cool. Oh, and if it happens to have an advantage over what they're using now, so much the better.

As Geoffrey Moore says in his landmark book, ","=85

"They [Innovators] will forgive your ghastly documentation, horrendously slow performance, omissions in functionality, and bizzarely obtuse methods of invoking some needed function - all in the name of moving technology forward."

You have to market to innovators before you can get the attention of the . And it's a good thing: these guys are technology savvy enough to give the early adopters the thumbs-up.

So by all rights, this group should be a pretty easy one to market to. Yet I see high-tech companies miss the boat all the time when marketing to them.

B2B Copywriting: Getting Innovators' Attention

Innovators care about technology issues first. If they care about business issues at all (admittedly, few do) they weigh in at a very distant second. So business benefits won't get an innovator's attention.

What will get his attention is new technology - "new" is the operative word. They want to be the first to get a new widget that accomplishes something cool that has never been done before. They're happy to sign your non-disclosure agreement, as long as they can be among the first to get their hands on your widget.

Innovators have the most advanced brains in the company (really, they do), and they know it. So tell them so in your copy. Paint them a word picture of themselves being part of an exclusive group of advanced engineers who truly appreciate what your breakthrough technology means to the unsuspecting world.

One other thing about innovators: they know they have to live within the confines of corporate America. But that doesn't mean they have to like it. Though they may not admit it outright, they have a sharp disdain for the "suits" who limit their creativity by demanding something so mundane as a return on investment.

In my next article, I'll give you an example of direct response copy I've written to these Innovators that worked very well in the past. So watch for Part 2 in this series. Eric Lynch is makes it easy to generate leads for your company's products and services. As a talented B2B copywriter - as well as an engineer - he writes copy that compels prospects to give you your most-wanted response. http://www.ericlynchcopywriter.com ]]> Download Adware Completely Free http://www.artwoo.com/article/download-adware-completely-free http://www.artwoo.com/article/download-adware-completely-free#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:50:22 +0000 free email clientsprivacy invasionpop upsadobe readermessenger websoftware developersadwares http://www.artwoo.com/article/download-adware-completely-free Adobe Reader, an AOL or Yahoo Messenger, web-hosting programs, , some widgets, and a few free programs here and there. These are some of the many software applications we installed and what we all do not know offhand is that we also download adware completely free when we downloaded and installed them.

Surprised? You shouldn't be, and you shouldn't feel cheated or angered too. Why? These are harmless - they only want to display some ads related to you so the developers of your favorite programs can go on developing other applications you may want to download too later on.

When we download adware completely free with the applications we choose to install, we help the recover some costs for software development, and for future upgrades. These are also a way for them to maintain and sustain the freebies or sharewares they offer users.

Yes, there are adwares that are considered really harmful since they act like the malwares, spywares, or viruses. But this type of adware that we're talking to here is that program, which keeps track of your surfing habits so it can pull the right ads to display and possibly offer you products or services that you may be interested in.

The term adware may have a negative implication because of the . The popping of advertisements here and there too, can disturb us during work or play so we find ways to get rid of them.

Many spyware programs carry advertisements with them. These ads pop on a regular basis, say one for every minute, or whenever the user opens a certain application, or browser window. Others display ads when a specific website is visited. These are all attractive to advertisers so developers make the most of them.

Advertisements are in the form of banner ads, , or flickering banners which appear because you did download adware completely free when you installed a nice program.

There are several programs that can detect these programs and remove them from the system. Some of these clean up programs can clear both adware and spyware. But make sure you're getting the right ones. The more popular ones are Ad-Aware and Spybot. These two can detect spyware but not viruses but there antivirus software applications that can do more.

Adwares have distinct fingerprints in your computer system in the form of registry entries, files, folders, or memory processes that an anti-spyware can detect.

So, the next time you go surfing with the intention to find the latest upgrades for any existing widget, messenger or email client you have, remember that aside from the actual programs that are offered for free, there are freebies attached to these programs in the form of advertising-supported software.

If you can tolerate having the ads popping on your screen then you can always download adware completely free together with the latest upgrades of your favorite widget and utilities.Does the download adware free version work? We tell you your exact problem and how to fix it for FREE today at www.Registry-Cleaners-Exposed.com - Your registry is the reason why your computer is running so slow. Fix the problem TODAY!]]> How To Save Money Shopping Online http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-save-money-shopping-online http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-save-money-shopping-online#comments Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:51:40 +0000 email newslettersshipping dealsoverstockedfree shippingmortar storecouponsaffiliate program http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-save-money-shopping-online coupons, getting , comparing prices and researching the brands.

Many consumers think that online shopping is more expensive because they wouldn't have to pay shipping at the brick-n-. They don't know what you're about to find out.

Did you know that there are thousands of websites that exist just to provide you with coupons for online stores? Did you know you can find sites that compare prices, and brand features, or that entire forums and networks are dedicated to allowing users to voice their own opinion about a product or service? Did you know many stores use their online portal and as a quick way to unload products at below-cost prices? Did you know some stores allow you to combine free with dollar off deals, with percent off deals, with buy-one-get-one deals=85? Did you know there are companies that allow you to join their and save hundreds of dollars by selling yourself their product? I know of one that lets me buy a hosting package for $95 including taxes, and then deposits $100 back into my affiliate account a few months later. They are actually paying ME to buy their product. It says nothing against doing this in the agreement I signed, and as far as I'm concerned it is a don't ask; don't tell situation.

Most of these sites did not exist five years ago, at least not with such economic success while providing such unprecedented value. We have the emergence of Affiliate Marketing to thank for this, as you will see below.

The Digital Coupon

I was shopping for a relative's Christmas present last year and my mother saw me get onto a coupon site. It was http://www.thecouponmatrix.com , which has little coupon-like dashes around the logos, and she asked "Are you going to print that coupon out?" It dawned on me then that perhaps not 'everyone' knew what an affiliate program was, or that thousands of merchants pay bloggers and website owners in every conceivable industry to distribute online coupons via special codes that the buyer types into a field during the checkout process: "Save 25% on everything =96 today only! Enter Code: 12345 at Checkout." Others just apply the code automatically when you click on the link: "Get free shipping. Click Here." If you are going to buy the Blue Widget brand of widgets, for example, go to Google and type: 'blue widget coupons' or 'blue widget coupon codes'. You'll be surprised at how many there are!

Double Dipping

Most ecommerce systems these days are smart enough to allow stores to make coupons not applicable with any other offers. But the employee behind this million dollar ecommerce system doesn't always have his coffee in the morning and you can often find online stores that allow multiple coupons to the point of practically getting something for free: Free shipping + 25% off + $10 off + Get one free = A heck of a deal! Do a Google search for "you can use multiple coupons" and see if you can find any of your favorite stores.

Compare Prices

There are plenty of websites out there that will check databases from thousands of online stores and return the result that has the cheapest price for the product you asked for. You might already know some of them, such as: amazon.com, pricegrabber.com, bizrate.com, and Nextag.com.

Compare Brands

Less common than the price comparison site, but equally as useful, is the brand comparison. Before you try to find where to buy, you need to know what to buy. That's where sites like http://www.comparethebrands.com come in. They take two brands (i.e. Treo VS Blackberry Smart-phones) and compare features, price, consumer opinion from other review websites, and come up with an unbiased suggestion as to which brand is the best buy, thus saving you money both short-term and in the long run with a higher quality product.

Join Newsletters and Feeds

Get a free Hotmail or Gmail account, and use it only to subscribe to your favorite stores' newsletters. Before long you will have a library of emails from which to select coupon codes, limited time offers and deep, deep discounts on overstocked items. I often see the price being offered in the email to the newsletter group can be as much as half of that listed on the website for everyone else to see. Feeds are slowly taking over instead of newsletters, and have the added benefit of being more anonymous. You can sign up for Compare The Brand's 10 Most Recent ever-flowing feed of product reviews just by copying and pasting the URL into bloglines or Google feed reader. You can even get a widget and put it on your desktop.

Sell Yourself and Double the Winnings

Affiliate programs gave birth to this type of service and utility in the ecommerce industry by allowing regular Joe's to place a link on their own website, or in an email, and get a percent of the sale every time someone went from their link to the merchants' site and purchased something. What those new to the affiliate marketing industry do not know is that most merchants have no clause in the affiliate agreement about using the discounts to buy for yourself. Just join all the programs you can, keep a page somewhere online that you can put all of the links on, and next time you want to buy something just go through your own link. Not only will you save by using the coupon code, but you get a percent of the sale. How much cash back does Visa give - 0.02%? Hop on over to Commission Junction, Shareasale or Linkshare to get up to 25% back every time!

Remember: Compare the brands, join the newsletters, compare prices and double dip those coupons while selling yourself on a Great Deal! You'll be the best customer you've ever had. I promise. Everett Sizemore is an online copywriter for websites like http://www.comparethebrands.com and has worked with affiliate programs, search engine optimization and online marketing for five years. ]]> Pushing Traffic From Content Sites To Sales http://www.artwoo.com/article/pushing-traffic-from-content-sites-to-sales http://www.artwoo.com/article/pushing-traffic-from-content-sites-to-sales#comments Mon, 01 May 2006 22:32:03 +0000 google adwordsgoogle adsensesite traffictraffic generationmoneylotproduct or service http://www.artwoo.com/article/pushing-traffic-from-content-sites-to-sales traffic generation directly to sales letters.

That method is the content site. There are literally thousands of people making a living online by simply creating content sites, placing code on those content sites and collecting a check from Google every month.

There are literally thousands of others who have sales pages selling products and services who have never created a content site and pay for their traffic through the program. Much of that traffic is coming from those who are creating the content sites and placing Google Adsense code on their pages.

Isn't that interesting? If you have a sales page selling a ; how much could you save by cutting Google out of the loop? A ! If you have been creating content sites and depending on Google for a paycheck, how much more could you earn if you sent that traffic to a site selling an information product of your own? A lot!

There is even more to be gained with this strategy then you might first imagine. At first, you might be tempted to think that the only money being left on the table is the money going to Google for providing the Adwords and Adsense programs. Nothing could be further from the truth. If that was the only money involved, then the percentages that Google keeps are very small... their service is well worth that price.

But it's not! That money is only the start. Let's consider the following facts to see that we can actually earn a multiple of whatever you are currently earning from your Adsense check or from your product site if you cut Google out of the loop.

1. The Adsense algorithm isn't perfect. It often shows ads that aren't very relevant. If you cut Google out of the loop, you can make your content site to sales page 100% relevant 100% of the time.

2. Adsense publishers often only get 0.5%-15% click through rates on any Adsense ad due to a number of factors. The method I will show you in this article will deliver 25% of the hotest buyers from your content site to your traffic site continually.

3. Adsense is currently a negative ranking factor on all three major search engines (see RankingFactors.com for more information on that). That means that by running Adsense on your content sites, they are slowly losing search engine traffic month after month. By removing the Adsense and sending that traffic directly to a product site, you will retain your search engine traffic.

4. Many have reported getting banned by the Google Adsense program. You came to the Internet to make money because you wanted more control and freedom over your life. By getting a large percentage of your income from a single company (Google), you are sabotaging your efforts. You are at the mercy of Google just like you were/are at the mercy of any employer.

5. If you are selling a product using Adwords traffic, you also are at the mercy of Google and bidding wars. You must continually improve your conversion ratio or the ongoing bidding wars will eventually eat up your profit. Google (or Overture or any other bid PPC system) is slowly allowing your competitors to either receive more traffic while you receive less... or causing you to pay them more and more of your profit every month as you are forced to raise your bids to continue to receive traffic.

Wouldn'tyou rather generate your own traffic and not be held hostage to bidding wars?

So we are agreed that you want to cut Google out of the loop whether you are a content site creator or the seller of a product or service; right? How?

Well, first of all you will nead to learn the skills of the other side. They aren't difficult whichever side of the fence you are on. If you are a content site creator, you can pick up InfoProdCreation.com and have your own product 35 hours from now with 5 hours of work. If you are a seller of a product or service, you already have the skills to create content sites. Just write articles instead of sales pages and give information instead of trying to sell. Make it a multi-page site instead of a single page sales letter.

And I'm about to give you the secret to traffic delivery from a content site to a traffic site. It's very simple. Create a home page with only the following elements:

1. A very short 2 paragraph, 3-5 sentence description o your product or service (no selling here).

2. A large (size 6) link that says either "Enter Site" or "Enter Here". This link leads to your product site.

3. Three smaller links (size 2) on a single line below the above link that lead to the rest of your content site. They can say "Widget Articles", "Widget Reviews", "Widget Forum" or whatever types of content you have on your content site... about widgets in this case.

You will find that about 50% of the traffic on a content site eventually ends up at the home page. You will find that about 50% of those that end up at the home page will choose to click the "Enter Site" or "Enter Here" link. You will find that those 25% of the content site visitors (50% of 50%) will be fairly pre-qualified to read your offer. In many, many split tests, this traffic has out-performed Google Adwords traffic.

Have fun and please leave a comment and let me know how much more money you are making with this strategy. I would love to hear from you. Come check out my other ramblings on my blog at: http://www.JamesBrausch.com ]]> Ebay Photo Tips http://www.artwoo.com/article/ebay-photo-tips http://www.artwoo.com/article/ebay-photo-tips#comments Fri, 02 Nov 2007 07:30:01 +0000 ebay bidderauction photosebay sellernatural lightingprofessional photographeramateur photographerauction terms http://www.artwoo.com/article/ebay-photo-tips Ebay seller.

Your potential /buyer cannot touch, smell, taste, or hear what you have for sale. But they can see your photos, and many will make their decision based on what they see. While an accurate description and clear remain very important, it is often the visual representation (i.e. your photos) which will make or break a sale.

It is not necessary to be a or even a good to get good results with your Ebay photos. Nor is it necessary to have top of the line equipment. An average quality digital camera is quite adequate for most three dimensional items. (For those selling sport cards and other flat items, a flatbed scanner may be a better choice).

Below are a few tips to get the most from your Ebay photos:

1. Keep it sharp =85.There is probably no greater turnoff than which are fuzzy. The easiest way to get sharp photos is to use a tripod. After you have set up for your photo, set the self timer on your camera to make the actual exposure. This eliminates any possibilities of accidental vibration and also allows for longer exposures in low light conditions.

2. Unclutter the background=85.You want all of your buyers concentration focused on your widget. Remove anything from the cameras view that is not for sale. It is also a good idea to use a background which contrasts with your item. Lighter backgrounds for darker items, and vice versa. A hardwood floor or a solid colored fabric remnant can work quite well as background material for many items. Clothing can be photographed hung up in front of a neutral colored wall.

3. Lighting is very important=85. Lighting can be one of the more difficult areas to master. Turn off your cameras automatic flash and use whenever possible. Your object is to avoid flash glare and harsh shadows while keeping the color rendition as accurate as possible. Soft natural light filtered through a white curtain can often produce good results. Where shadows appear, position white poster board to reflect light back onto your subject. If you must use flash, the best results will be with an external bounce flash that will provide indirect lighting. It may take a bit of experimenting to get the setup just right, however it will be time well spent.

4. Watch the file size=85.. Keep in mind that you are publishing on the web =96 not making a door poster. Using the mid range settings on your camera will keep the file size down and allow the photos to load faster.

5. Use editing software with caution=85. It is fine to use editing software to crop a bit and touch up the background. Use caution however when editing any aspect of the actual subject. Regardless of the magic you can do with Photoshop, it remains quite important that your photo be as accurate a representation as possible of the real thing.

6. Show the bad stuff=85. When selling used items be sure and photograph any defects in the item. (they should also be noted in your written description)

Number seven is an easy one =96 quite simply practice until you have a system that works well for you. Objectively look at your photos and ask yourself if you would buy that widget based on the pictures alone. If the answer is yes, you can then be reasonably comfortable that buyers will feel the same way. Visit http://www.auction-lynx.com Internet Auction Directory for more tips and links to hundreds of online auction sites. ]]> Split Testing - The Most Powerful Marketing Strategy You Will Ever Learn http://www.artwoo.com/article/split-testing-the-most-powerful-marketing-strategy-you-will-ever-learn http://www.artwoo.com/article/split-testing-the-most-powerful-marketing-strategy-you-will-ever-learn#comments Sun, 21 Jan 2007 16:27:04 +0000 mail salesdirect mailmarketing strategykey codeletter campaignsales letterswhat the heck http://www.artwoo.com/article/split-testing-the-most-powerful-marketing-strategy-you-will-ever-learn marketing strategy that works like magic to grow their business. Well, I hope you're sitting down because I am going to tell you the most powerful marketing strategy you will ever learn. The strategy is called split testing.

" is split testing", you ask? Split testing is the process of comparing the results (sales, leads, etc.) of one marketing piece against another marketing piece to see which generates the most sales. Clear as mud, right? To make split testing easier to understand, I will show you an example of split testing using direct letters.

You write 2 to sell the sales training course you are offering. Both sales letters are identical except for one thing -- they each have a different headline. Sales letter "A" has the headline, "How to easily double your sales in 180 days with this little known marketing strategy" and sales letter "B" has the headline, "Learn the marketing secret twelve small businesses recently used to increase sales by over 173% in less than 180 days." Then, you send letter "A" to 2,000 prospects and letter B to 2,000 prospects. You then track which sales letter produces the most leads and sales. The results tell you which sales letter is the stronger sales tool -- letter "A" or letter "B".

"But how do you track which sales letter is producing the most leads/sales" you ask? Easy. You add a unique to each so you can track it. So, for letter campaign "A" you use the key code 111 at the bottom of each letter and for letter campaign "B" you use the key code of 222 at the bottom of each letter. When a customer calls (or places an order), you simply ask them for the key code in their sales letter. Then you track these codes in a spread sheet so you know which letter produced the lead and the sale. After a few weeks to a month, you will know which sales letter is producing the most sales and you can feel confident sending the stronger sales letter to the rest of your prospects.

"What happens if both sales letters bomb and produce poor results?" Then you write two more sales letters and test them against each other on a small scale (sales letter "C" versus "D"). Testing like this is far less expensive than sending a single, untested sales letter to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of prospects. By split testing different messages on a small scale, you can test the pulling power of a sales message without breaking your bank. And, you learn which sales message is the one that generates sales like crazy and will grow your business. If you want to be successful in marketing, always test on a small scale and once you find a winning message, then market on a large scale. NEVER market on a large scale with an untested sales message or you will almost certainly lose a ton of money.

While testing the headline is one of the most important things you can test when testing marketing pieces against one another, you can also test things like price, ($99 per widget in letter "A" and $79 per widget in letter "B"), coupon versus no coupon, promotional specials (get 3 widgets for $197 versus get 4 widgets for $249). But the key is to only test one thing at a time. Do not test a headline in one letter against a price in another letter because you cannot compare the two. Only test a headline against a headline and a price against a price.

"This sounds like a lot of work" you say. "Explain to me again why is split testing so important because I still don't get it?" First of all, you are right. Split testing is a lot of work. However, the reason it is so important and worth all the work is that it is the one market tool that allows you to significantly increase your marketing return on investment while greatly reducing your financial risk. Split testing allows you to determine which sales message (campaign) is producing a profitable result while eliminating marketing campaigns that are not producing profitable results. Using the sales letter example above, let's say that the results of your split test of letter "A" versus letter "B" showed that letter "B" produced 34% more leads than sales letter "A"? Wouldn't you rather use letter "B" for marketing to the rest of your clients instead of letter "A"? Of course! That is why you do split testing. You do it to find out what sales message is going to generate the most sales and make you the most money! So, split test your way to success. Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group Marketing Company. Peter develops and implements strategic marketing programs for small businesses. For more information please visit http://www.marketing-consulting-company.com ]]>