Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
LET the Countdown Begin
I will be off for the next few days .. it's almost the New Year !!! I would like to take this time to say a "Heartful Thank You" for your loyal readership over the past year. I'm looking forward to delivering more great articles and fun stuff to You in 2006.
It's celebration time so I have a great "Luscious Slush Punch" recipe that is requested often by family and friends. If You want to try something different for your guest .. then visit Flo's Fun Space and enjoy !!!
Flo's New Years Card to YOU...
Best Wishes for Health and Prosperity!
Happy New Years Eve .. be safe !!!
Dec 31, 2005
Dec 30, 2005
E-Mail Signature
Make Your E-Mail Signature File WORK for You!
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
Last night it sure got cold I had to keep my furnace running real hot !!! Are You ready to start the New Year .. finish this year with a big bang and party? I'm unsure of what to do to celebrate, I might go to Spanish New Years dance .. usually it's a lot of fun and I a always have a great time.
I don't get drunk .. I've been limiting my drinks since my middle twenties. Once every other year or two .. I'll go over my limit but I try not to do that as I get to tipsy and can't drive. If your planning on having many drinks consider bringing a friend that don't drink or in a habit of not getting drunk at all .. so You may stay out of trouble. It's better to be safe than to be sorry, so plan early !!!
The "12 Days of Christmas" is there for You through January 1st. You can register for the "12 Days of Christmas" and You will get "24 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment for a Soldier's Version "The night before Christmas". Send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year .. very touching !!!
In today's article it offers information on a perfect opportunity to promote your business with your e-mail signature (or "sig") files !!! I've been online for a very long time and still up to this day .. I see many, many businesses don't add a signature file and on their website.
Alexandria shares with You various ways how your sig file consistently delivers a clear impression of what You have to offer your prospects and how You will be rewarded in the future...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Make Your E-Mail Signature File
WORK for You!
by Alexandria K. Brown
“The E-zine Queen”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You're probably familiar with e-mail signature (or "sig") files — they're the few lines of contact information that many of us put at the bottom of every e-mail we send. Most e-mail software programs allow you to create and use sig files — even the newer versions of AOL.
I've heard some people who don't use sig files defend their position by saying, "All my clients know my info — I don't need to remind them with every e-mail." Stop! You're missing a perfect opportunity to promote your business, as well as do your clients and prospects a favor.
When you think about how many e-mails you actually send a day, it's probably more than you realized! Some people send over 100 a day. That's a lot of mail — and a lot of chances to slip in your own subtle marketing messages.
Sig Files Put You at Their Fingertips
People love it when you make information easy to find. Sure, your clients have your phone number somewhere, but they'll really appreciate it when they can grab your number right from an e-mail they're looking at. In fact, e-mail is such a part of our lives now, that if someone needs your phone number quickly, she may be more likely to grab it off your latest e-mail than to dig up your business card. (Don't underestimate this occurrence — there are many disorganized people in the world!)
Also, if people want to put your info into their contact management software (Outlook, ACT, Palm, etc.), they can simply copy and paste it right from your sig file.
Good Sig Files Tell Strangers What You Do
As a former co-chair of New York's Women in Communications Inc. (WICI), I booked speakers for our monthly cocktail events, conducting most of this work via e-mail. The speakers I corresponded with only knew me as a representative of WICI; they had no idea what I did for a living. But one woman, after spotting my sig file, promptly wanted to learn more about my copywriting services. She then hired me for a $5,000 project. Thank you, sig file!
Sig Files Are Ready to Travel
E-mails are forwarded all the time. You never know where yours may end up, and one of the recipients may be very interested in your service or product. I learned this when I got a call from a prospect in Israel. A colleague of hers here in the U.S. had forwarded her an interesting issue of my newsletter. She learned about my services and got my phone number from the sig file at the bottom.
Sig Files Are a Great Promotional Tool
Now, let's move beyond the obvious stuff. Think of your sig file as a little messenger who speaks to everyone you send an e-mail to. What do you want him to say? Do you have great news? A new product or service? A free newsletter or report? Let us know via your sig file!
Your Sig File Checklist
Here are several items to consider putting into your sig file. CAUTION: Do not attempt to insert them all! Choose what's most important for you and your business.
* your name and title
* your company name
* your company tagline, or a short phrase that describes what your company does
* your address
* your phone, cell phone, and/or pager numbers
* your fax number
* your e-mail address (sometimes people can't get it directly or quickly from your actual e-mail)
* your Web URL (be sure to include the "'http://" prefix to ensure it will translate as a hyperlink on most e-mail programs)
Now, also consider putting promotional info in your sig file, such as:
* an offer for a free report or product you offer
* an offer for a free consultation or trial offer
* a company announcement (new client, new product, award won, etc.)
* a hyperlink to your latest press release, article, or Web site feature
* an invitation to subscribe to your free e-newsletter
In the interest of space and your reader's time, keep your offer or announcement to one or two sentences only. (Tip: Always throw in the word "free" when possible. It's everyone's favorite word!)
Bonus: Most e-mail software programs allow you to create and keep several signatures on file, so you can change them easily and often. This makes it a cinch to switch your messages weekly or even daily, and maintain ones for different businesses.
Choose What's Important to You
Of course, it's possible to get carried away and include too much information. We don't need random quotes that have no relation to your business, cute illustrations made up of keyboard characters, or your weekend phone number in the Hamptons.
Try to keep your sig file to a maximum of eight lines. More than that will overwhelm the reader, and it will look silly if your sig files are always longer than your e-mail messages!
Here's a good example:
Jane Smith, President
Smith I.T. Consulting
'Take a Byte Out of Network Headaches'
ph: 800-321-0000 fax: 212-321-0001
jane@smithitconsulting.com
*Visit http://www.smithitconsulting.com and get your FREE report on the top 10 most common computer network problems and how to solve them!*
Notice that "Jane" opted not to give her mailing address here, in order to use the space for her tagline and an invitation to receive her free report. It's all up to you. If your customers frequently need your mailing address, then you should include it. (I don't include it in mine, since 99% of my work is done via e-mail.) Decide what bits of info are most valuable to keep, and use the rest of the space for a unique message or promotion!
One Last Thing: Make Sure We "Get" What You Do
I've seen some seemingly complete sig files that still leave me wondering, "Thanks for all the info, but what do you DO?" We all know what IBM and Kodak do, but the whole world doesn't know what your business does (yet). For now, it's your job to help us all learn. Include a tagline that describes what your company does or a short phrase that helps us understand. If your sig file consistently delivers a clear impression of what you have to offer your prospects, it will reward you numerous times in the future!
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing You a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
Last night it sure got cold I had to keep my furnace running real hot !!! Are You ready to start the New Year .. finish this year with a big bang and party? I'm unsure of what to do to celebrate, I might go to Spanish New Years dance .. usually it's a lot of fun and I a always have a great time.
I don't get drunk .. I've been limiting my drinks since my middle twenties. Once every other year or two .. I'll go over my limit but I try not to do that as I get to tipsy and can't drive. If your planning on having many drinks consider bringing a friend that don't drink or in a habit of not getting drunk at all .. so You may stay out of trouble. It's better to be safe than to be sorry, so plan early !!!
The "12 Days of Christmas" is there for You through January 1st. You can register for the "12 Days of Christmas" and You will get "24 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment for a Soldier's Version "The night before Christmas". Send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year .. very touching !!!
In today's article it offers information on a perfect opportunity to promote your business with your e-mail signature (or "sig") files !!! I've been online for a very long time and still up to this day .. I see many, many businesses don't add a signature file and on their website.
Alexandria shares with You various ways how your sig file consistently delivers a clear impression of what You have to offer your prospects and how You will be rewarded in the future...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Make Your E-Mail Signature File
WORK for You!
by Alexandria K. Brown
“The E-zine Queen”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You're probably familiar with e-mail signature (or "sig") files — they're the few lines of contact information that many of us put at the bottom of every e-mail we send. Most e-mail software programs allow you to create and use sig files — even the newer versions of AOL.
I've heard some people who don't use sig files defend their position by saying, "All my clients know my info — I don't need to remind them with every e-mail." Stop! You're missing a perfect opportunity to promote your business, as well as do your clients and prospects a favor.
When you think about how many e-mails you actually send a day, it's probably more than you realized! Some people send over 100 a day. That's a lot of mail — and a lot of chances to slip in your own subtle marketing messages.
Sig Files Put You at Their Fingertips
People love it when you make information easy to find. Sure, your clients have your phone number somewhere, but they'll really appreciate it when they can grab your number right from an e-mail they're looking at. In fact, e-mail is such a part of our lives now, that if someone needs your phone number quickly, she may be more likely to grab it off your latest e-mail than to dig up your business card. (Don't underestimate this occurrence — there are many disorganized people in the world!)
Also, if people want to put your info into their contact management software (Outlook, ACT, Palm, etc.), they can simply copy and paste it right from your sig file.
Good Sig Files Tell Strangers What You Do
As a former co-chair of New York's Women in Communications Inc. (WICI), I booked speakers for our monthly cocktail events, conducting most of this work via e-mail. The speakers I corresponded with only knew me as a representative of WICI; they had no idea what I did for a living. But one woman, after spotting my sig file, promptly wanted to learn more about my copywriting services. She then hired me for a $5,000 project. Thank you, sig file!
Sig Files Are Ready to Travel
E-mails are forwarded all the time. You never know where yours may end up, and one of the recipients may be very interested in your service or product. I learned this when I got a call from a prospect in Israel. A colleague of hers here in the U.S. had forwarded her an interesting issue of my newsletter. She learned about my services and got my phone number from the sig file at the bottom.
Sig Files Are a Great Promotional Tool
Now, let's move beyond the obvious stuff. Think of your sig file as a little messenger who speaks to everyone you send an e-mail to. What do you want him to say? Do you have great news? A new product or service? A free newsletter or report? Let us know via your sig file!
Your Sig File Checklist
Here are several items to consider putting into your sig file. CAUTION: Do not attempt to insert them all! Choose what's most important for you and your business.
* your name and title
* your company name
* your company tagline, or a short phrase that describes what your company does
* your address
* your phone, cell phone, and/or pager numbers
* your fax number
* your e-mail address (sometimes people can't get it directly or quickly from your actual e-mail)
* your Web URL (be sure to include the "'http://" prefix to ensure it will translate as a hyperlink on most e-mail programs)
Now, also consider putting promotional info in your sig file, such as:
* an offer for a free report or product you offer
* an offer for a free consultation or trial offer
* a company announcement (new client, new product, award won, etc.)
* a hyperlink to your latest press release, article, or Web site feature
* an invitation to subscribe to your free e-newsletter
In the interest of space and your reader's time, keep your offer or announcement to one or two sentences only. (Tip: Always throw in the word "free" when possible. It's everyone's favorite word!)
Bonus: Most e-mail software programs allow you to create and keep several signatures on file, so you can change them easily and often. This makes it a cinch to switch your messages weekly or even daily, and maintain ones for different businesses.
Choose What's Important to You
Of course, it's possible to get carried away and include too much information. We don't need random quotes that have no relation to your business, cute illustrations made up of keyboard characters, or your weekend phone number in the Hamptons.
Try to keep your sig file to a maximum of eight lines. More than that will overwhelm the reader, and it will look silly if your sig files are always longer than your e-mail messages!
Here's a good example:
Jane Smith, President
Smith I.T. Consulting
'Take a Byte Out of Network Headaches'
ph: 800-321-0000 fax: 212-321-0001
jane@smithitconsulting.com
*Visit http://www.smithitconsulting.com and get your FREE report on the top 10 most common computer network problems and how to solve them!*
Notice that "Jane" opted not to give her mailing address here, in order to use the space for her tagline and an invitation to receive her free report. It's all up to you. If your customers frequently need your mailing address, then you should include it. (I don't include it in mine, since 99% of my work is done via e-mail.) Decide what bits of info are most valuable to keep, and use the rest of the space for a unique message or promotion!
One Last Thing: Make Sure We "Get" What You Do
I've seen some seemingly complete sig files that still leave me wondering, "Thanks for all the info, but what do you DO?" We all know what IBM and Kodak do, but the whole world doesn't know what your business does (yet). For now, it's your job to help us all learn. Include a tagline that describes what your company does or a short phrase that helps us understand. If your sig file consistently delivers a clear impression of what you have to offer your prospects, it will reward you numerous times in the future!
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing You a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 29, 2005
Link "Hijackers"
3 Ways To STOP Affiliate Link "Hijackers"
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
Last night my family and friends went for a horse sled ride .. that was so neat! I haven't done that in about 4 years and I enjoyed it. The group was 17 people altogether, with 2 teams of Clydesdales, one team was red color and the other black.
The black team was my favorite, they were in training as they got there not to long ago and needed to build up muscles. Half way through the ride we stopped for hot chocolate for a half an hour, the walls was covered with all kinds of horses. I had lots of fun and plan to do it again .. it was a great ride!
The "12 Days of Christmas" is there for You through January 1st. You can register for the "12 Days of Christmas" and You will get "24 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment for a Soldier's Version "The night before Christmas". Send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year .. very touching !!!
In today's article it has great information for people that joined Affiliate Programs and how to protect yourself from Affiliate Link "Hijackers". People who knows how to manipulate the system will replace your affiliate ID with theirs and "hijack" your commissions. The bottom line is the hijackers puts your money in his pocket and You get cheated out of your rightful commission...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
3 Ways To STOP Affiliate Link "Hijackers"
By Jim Edwards
(c)2002 Jim Edwards - all right reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Let's face the facts!
Almost everyone online today is looking to make or save a buck any way they can. In the past, most of the people who clicked on your affiliate links used to purchase without a second thought... but, as times get tougher online, it seems a growing number won't!
As money gets tighter and product prices rise, people who know how to manipulate the system will sometimes replace your affiliate ID with theirs and "hijack" your commissions.
Here's an example:
Let's say your affiliate link is www.ebookaboutcats.com/?live-well.
Say the highjacker uses the affiliate ID of captain-hook. What he would do is replace your ID with his, and buy from the URL www.ebookaboutcats.com/?captain-hook.
The bottom line: the hijacker puts your money in his pocket.
In other cases, they can't stand the thought of you "making money off them" so they bypass you by simply chopping off the end of your affiliate link that contains your ID.
Instead of buying from www.ebookaboutcats.com/?live-well, the bypasser will simply "chop off" the affiliate ID at the end and simply buy from the plain URL www.ebookaboutcats.com -- without your affiliate ID attached!
Either way, you get cheated out of your rightful commission.
To help you fight these affiliate link hijackers I offer a couple of my best (proven and battle tested) tips, which will at least confuse these "hijackers" and, in many cases, often defeat and disarm them completely.
Side Note: If someone really, really wants to steal your affiliate commission, they will find a way; however, most hijackers are just opportunists who will only act if they see an easy buck.
The first and cheapest way to hide your affiliate links is using a javascript redirect page. This is where you hide your affiliate link in a page on your site using a simple javascript that redirects people to your affiliate link.
It works great not to expose your "naked" affiliate link in your actual email messages and ezine ads, but, once people get redirected to the true affiliate link, many affiliate programs expose the affiliate link along with your ID in the browser address bar.
Here's an example of a redirect script in action.
Click => http://www.ebookfire.com/esejs.html. Notice how the link takes you to a page where you can see my affiliate ID, ebookfire, in your web browser's address bar.
Like it or not, someone can replace my ID with theirs and "hijack" the commission... but at least the redirect script keeps them from immediately seeing my "naked" affiliate link(http://hop.clickbank.net/?ebookfire/ebksecrets) when I publish it in my newsletter, email, or on my website.
You can get free redirect scripts just about anywhere you find free javascripts. Here is the script I use http://www.ebookfire.com/jrs.shtml.
A better way to hide your affiliate links is using a zero- frame or "invisible" frame that masks the affiliate link by making it appear you are sending people to a page on your website. In reality, you are actually sending them to your affiliate link.
This is the technique used by those "sub-domain" redirect services that provide you with urls like http://ese.ebookfire.net.
While giving someone a link like that is much better than using a "naked" affiliate link such as http://hop.clickbank.net/?ebookfire/ebksecrets, there is a problem. As soon as someone does a "view >> source" in their web browser they'll see your naked affiliate link plain as day... which instantly blows your cover!
Currently the best way to protect your affiliate commissions from ruthless hijackers is to use a combination of a zero-frame page along with URL encryption. This involves sending someone to URL that looks like a page on your site, but actually pulls in your affiliate link like those "sub-domain" services. However, there's one critical difference...
If someone does a "view >> source" in their browser, you have added protection in that all they will see is a jumble of computer code instead of your naked affiliate link.
Check out this example of a zero-frame with URL encryption in action. Click => http://www.ebookfire.com/ese.html
Side Note: Beware of cloaking scripts that use javascript to mask your affiliate link because they could malfunction in some web browsers.
Here's the bottom line: if you are going to sell through other people's affiliate programs, never send a "naked" affiliate link... you're just asking for people to hijack or bypass you if you do.
If you want to get paid more often through your affiliate links, make sure it's not obvious you're referring people to an affiliate link. If they can't easily see how to hijack or bypass your link, a lot more people who would have taken the money out of your pocket will just go ahead and buy through your link - which is, after all, the whole point! :-)
-=-=-
Jim Edwards, author of numerous best-selling ebooks, earns thousands in affiliate commissions every month! Jim has developed "Affiliate Link Cloaker," the easy, FAST, safe way to STOP affiliate link "hijackers"... Dead in their tracks!
Click Here => Hide Your Affiliate Links From "Hijackers"
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
Last night my family and friends went for a horse sled ride .. that was so neat! I haven't done that in about 4 years and I enjoyed it. The group was 17 people altogether, with 2 teams of Clydesdales, one team was red color and the other black.
The black team was my favorite, they were in training as they got there not to long ago and needed to build up muscles. Half way through the ride we stopped for hot chocolate for a half an hour, the walls was covered with all kinds of horses. I had lots of fun and plan to do it again .. it was a great ride!
The "12 Days of Christmas" is there for You through January 1st. You can register for the "12 Days of Christmas" and You will get "24 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment for a Soldier's Version "The night before Christmas". Send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year .. very touching !!!
In today's article it has great information for people that joined Affiliate Programs and how to protect yourself from Affiliate Link "Hijackers". People who knows how to manipulate the system will replace your affiliate ID with theirs and "hijack" your commissions. The bottom line is the hijackers puts your money in his pocket and You get cheated out of your rightful commission...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
3 Ways To STOP Affiliate Link "Hijackers"
By Jim Edwards
(c)2002 Jim Edwards - all right reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Let's face the facts!
Almost everyone online today is looking to make or save a buck any way they can. In the past, most of the people who clicked on your affiliate links used to purchase without a second thought... but, as times get tougher online, it seems a growing number won't!
As money gets tighter and product prices rise, people who know how to manipulate the system will sometimes replace your affiliate ID with theirs and "hijack" your commissions.
Here's an example:
Let's say your affiliate link is www.ebookaboutcats.com/?live-well.
Say the highjacker uses the affiliate ID of captain-hook. What he would do is replace your ID with his, and buy from the URL www.ebookaboutcats.com/?captain-hook.
The bottom line: the hijacker puts your money in his pocket.
In other cases, they can't stand the thought of you "making money off them" so they bypass you by simply chopping off the end of your affiliate link that contains your ID.
Instead of buying from www.ebookaboutcats.com/?live-well, the bypasser will simply "chop off" the affiliate ID at the end and simply buy from the plain URL www.ebookaboutcats.com -- without your affiliate ID attached!
Either way, you get cheated out of your rightful commission.
To help you fight these affiliate link hijackers I offer a couple of my best (proven and battle tested) tips, which will at least confuse these "hijackers" and, in many cases, often defeat and disarm them completely.
Side Note: If someone really, really wants to steal your affiliate commission, they will find a way; however, most hijackers are just opportunists who will only act if they see an easy buck.
The first and cheapest way to hide your affiliate links is using a javascript redirect page. This is where you hide your affiliate link in a page on your site using a simple javascript that redirects people to your affiliate link.
It works great not to expose your "naked" affiliate link in your actual email messages and ezine ads, but, once people get redirected to the true affiliate link, many affiliate programs expose the affiliate link along with your ID in the browser address bar.
Here's an example of a redirect script in action.
Click => http://www.ebookfire.com/esejs.html. Notice how the link takes you to a page where you can see my affiliate ID, ebookfire, in your web browser's address bar.
Like it or not, someone can replace my ID with theirs and "hijack" the commission... but at least the redirect script keeps them from immediately seeing my "naked" affiliate link(http://hop.clickbank.net/?ebookfire/ebksecrets) when I publish it in my newsletter, email, or on my website.
You can get free redirect scripts just about anywhere you find free javascripts. Here is the script I use http://www.ebookfire.com/jrs.shtml.
A better way to hide your affiliate links is using a zero- frame or "invisible" frame that masks the affiliate link by making it appear you are sending people to a page on your website. In reality, you are actually sending them to your affiliate link.
This is the technique used by those "sub-domain" redirect services that provide you with urls like http://ese.ebookfire.net.
While giving someone a link like that is much better than using a "naked" affiliate link such as http://hop.clickbank.net/?ebookfire/ebksecrets, there is a problem. As soon as someone does a "view >> source" in their web browser they'll see your naked affiliate link plain as day... which instantly blows your cover!
Currently the best way to protect your affiliate commissions from ruthless hijackers is to use a combination of a zero-frame page along with URL encryption. This involves sending someone to URL that looks like a page on your site, but actually pulls in your affiliate link like those "sub-domain" services. However, there's one critical difference...
If someone does a "view >> source" in their browser, you have added protection in that all they will see is a jumble of computer code instead of your naked affiliate link.
Check out this example of a zero-frame with URL encryption in action. Click => http://www.ebookfire.com/ese.html
Side Note: Beware of cloaking scripts that use javascript to mask your affiliate link because they could malfunction in some web browsers.
Here's the bottom line: if you are going to sell through other people's affiliate programs, never send a "naked" affiliate link... you're just asking for people to hijack or bypass you if you do.
If you want to get paid more often through your affiliate links, make sure it's not obvious you're referring people to an affiliate link. If they can't easily see how to hijack or bypass your link, a lot more people who would have taken the money out of your pocket will just go ahead and buy through your link - which is, after all, the whole point! :-)
-=-=-
Jim Edwards, author of numerous best-selling ebooks, earns thousands in affiliate commissions every month! Jim has developed "Affiliate Link Cloaker," the easy, FAST, safe way to STOP affiliate link "hijackers"... Dead in their tracks!
Click Here => Hide Your Affiliate Links From "Hijackers"
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 28, 2005
Online Video
Online Video Predictions For 2006
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
I hope You had yourself a great Christmas with your family .. I changed my plans for Christmas at the last minute. I decided to spend Christmas staying home alone and I enjoyed that very much, it was peaceful, relaxing and it was great !!!
My daughter arrived at 12:30 pm Christmas eve and we spent it together catching up on everything and that turned out really great. On Monday we went to my sisters and had a great turkey dinner amongst family and that was very nice too. I always say: Christmas is for kids and New Years is for grown-ups and there will be lots of partying going on !!!
In today's article it's about something that is already revolutionizing the way we market, sell, and communicate online. If You thought online audio was a big deal, read Jim's article and you'll see that was nothing compared to this...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Online Video Predictions For 2006
- by Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
About this time every year I make a few predictions about what will rate "HOT" for the coming year in the online world. Last year, among other things, online audio topped my list for 2005.
This year, 2006, I see full-motion online video as the "killer app" to revolutionize website communications and ecommerce.
Bottom line: with a digital camcorder and some basic software, you can transform your website into the Home Shopping Network, and with distribution tools like Video.Google.com and video Podcasting on Apple's iTunes, you can broadcast to the masses just like CNN.
Several major changes in 2005 set the stage for full-motion video online.
These include faster, cheaper computers, improved video creation and conversion software, and widespread adoption of the free "Flash" Web browser plug-in (works on PC and MAC).
Combine these changes with the fact that over 50% of all Internet users in the United States got high-speed access as of 2005, and you set the stage for an online video revolution.
In 2006, you will see the equivalent of little online TV stations cropping up all over the Internet.
Along with the free-form, "anything goes" content of video blogging (vlogging), commercial use of full-motion video will fall into 4 basic categories.
Website "Infomercials" - Any savvy business knows the Internet actually represents the largest direct-response advertising medium ever seen.
As such, infomercial techniques of late-night fitness, self-improvement, and real estate gurus will spill over into other niche markets online.
Though initially not 30-minutes long like their TV counterparts, online infomercials will last 2-5 minutes - long enough to get all the main sales points across.
Live Demonstrations - If a picture is worth a thousands words, then full-motion video is worth 100,000 words!
Any product that easily gets sold once people see it in action will greatly benefit from online video.
Also, service businesses such as Realtors can now easily and inexpensively create full-motion video home tours.
And, sellers on the popular eBay auction site can now show and demonstrate their items rather than depending strictly on text and static pictures to make the sale.
Before and After - Anyone selling a diet product, skin care, cleaning, car repair or other product promising specific results for the end user can now "show and tell" using full-motion online video.
Imagine the impact of showing concrete evidence in "before and after" video to help you make the sale online.
Product Testimonials - Despite widespread acceptance of online shopping and ecommerce, many people remain skeptical and somewhat leery of purchasing anything online, especially based strictly on promises made on a website.
With video testimonials you can put their minds at ease by showing video of people who used and benefited from the product or service.
Imagine the impact that will have on the trust and credibility for any website.
A word of caution to all would-be online videographers: dial-up users still make up a huge part of the online population, so you must always try to offer them a dial-up-friendly option to watch your video or receive your information.
Don't cater strictly to the high-speed crowd because you'll alienate a significant portion of the marketplace.
-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-step and click-by-click how to finally create your own money-making mini-sites...
"Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU to Painlessly Set Up Your OWN Moneymaking 'Mini' Websites... Without Being a Computer Geek, Buying Expensive Software, or Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!"
Click Here => www.MiniSiteCreator.com
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
I hope You had yourself a great Christmas with your family .. I changed my plans for Christmas at the last minute. I decided to spend Christmas staying home alone and I enjoyed that very much, it was peaceful, relaxing and it was great !!!
My daughter arrived at 12:30 pm Christmas eve and we spent it together catching up on everything and that turned out really great. On Monday we went to my sisters and had a great turkey dinner amongst family and that was very nice too. I always say: Christmas is for kids and New Years is for grown-ups and there will be lots of partying going on !!!
In today's article it's about something that is already revolutionizing the way we market, sell, and communicate online. If You thought online audio was a big deal, read Jim's article and you'll see that was nothing compared to this...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Online Video Predictions For 2006
- by Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
About this time every year I make a few predictions about what will rate "HOT" for the coming year in the online world. Last year, among other things, online audio topped my list for 2005.
This year, 2006, I see full-motion online video as the "killer app" to revolutionize website communications and ecommerce.
Bottom line: with a digital camcorder and some basic software, you can transform your website into the Home Shopping Network, and with distribution tools like Video.Google.com and video Podcasting on Apple's iTunes, you can broadcast to the masses just like CNN.
Several major changes in 2005 set the stage for full-motion video online.
These include faster, cheaper computers, improved video creation and conversion software, and widespread adoption of the free "Flash" Web browser plug-in (works on PC and MAC).
Combine these changes with the fact that over 50% of all Internet users in the United States got high-speed access as of 2005, and you set the stage for an online video revolution.
In 2006, you will see the equivalent of little online TV stations cropping up all over the Internet.
Along with the free-form, "anything goes" content of video blogging (vlogging), commercial use of full-motion video will fall into 4 basic categories.
Website "Infomercials" - Any savvy business knows the Internet actually represents the largest direct-response advertising medium ever seen.
As such, infomercial techniques of late-night fitness, self-improvement, and real estate gurus will spill over into other niche markets online.
Though initially not 30-minutes long like their TV counterparts, online infomercials will last 2-5 minutes - long enough to get all the main sales points across.
Live Demonstrations - If a picture is worth a thousands words, then full-motion video is worth 100,000 words!
Any product that easily gets sold once people see it in action will greatly benefit from online video.
Also, service businesses such as Realtors can now easily and inexpensively create full-motion video home tours.
And, sellers on the popular eBay auction site can now show and demonstrate their items rather than depending strictly on text and static pictures to make the sale.
Before and After - Anyone selling a diet product, skin care, cleaning, car repair or other product promising specific results for the end user can now "show and tell" using full-motion online video.
Imagine the impact of showing concrete evidence in "before and after" video to help you make the sale online.
Product Testimonials - Despite widespread acceptance of online shopping and ecommerce, many people remain skeptical and somewhat leery of purchasing anything online, especially based strictly on promises made on a website.
With video testimonials you can put their minds at ease by showing video of people who used and benefited from the product or service.
Imagine the impact that will have on the trust and credibility for any website.
A word of caution to all would-be online videographers: dial-up users still make up a huge part of the online population, so you must always try to offer them a dial-up-friendly option to watch your video or receive your information.
Don't cater strictly to the high-speed crowd because you'll alienate a significant portion of the marketplace.
-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-step and click-by-click how to finally create your own money-making mini-sites...
"Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU to Painlessly Set Up Your OWN Moneymaking 'Mini' Websites... Without Being a Computer Geek, Buying Expensive Software, or Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!"
Click Here => www.MiniSiteCreator.com
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 24, 2005
Celebrate
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
Praying that the joy of Jesus will be with You as You celebrate His birth!
Have a Blessed Christmas
Counselor
Healer
Redeemer
Immanuel
Shepherd
Truth
Messiah
Almighty
Savior
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Praying that the joy of Jesus will be with You as You celebrate His birth!
Have a Blessed Christmas
Counselor
Healer
Redeemer
Immanuel
Shepherd
Truth
Messiah
Almighty
Savior
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 23, 2005
Makes Me MAD!
"Who Are YOU Learning From
(Or .. What Really Makes Me MAD!)
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Christmas Eve tomorrow night .. are You ready? I know a few people that are not quite done! After all that snow that fell it started to melt .. yesterday was very mild and it melted down quite a bit. Tomorrow is my day off and I will take the whole weekend for the Holiday Celebration. Tonight my daughter will be home .. I'm excited !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
You still can register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will get "23 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment for a Soldier's Version "The night before Christmas". Send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year .. very touching !!!
How do you know who is the REAL deal, and who's "full of it"? There are many of these self proclaimed "gurus" out there and the only way to go about it .. is ask questions !!! Alexandria is sharing her five questions you should ask before investing heavily in anyone's products, programs, coaching, or workshops...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Who Are YOU Learning From?"
(Or... "What Really Makes Me MAD!")
by Alexandria K. Brown
"www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You know what really makes me MAD?
When I see someone acting like a bigshot with no substance behind them, asking you to pay them handsomely to teach you something that they themselves have NEVER done.
Let me explain...
Today I got an email announcing a very expensive workshop that claims to teach you how to develop information products and programs and sell them online to create wealth. (That part is fine.)
Here's the part that gets my goat...
The person teaching this workshop has absolutely NO experience creating and selling information products SUCCESSFULLY!
It just makes me sick.
There are many of these self proclaimed "gurus" out there. True, some have indeed created information products. (That's not hard to do.) And they may be selling them online. (That's not hard to do either.) But how much do they sell? How well do they REALLY do? How much money are they making? And are they working their tail off, or have they really created a great lifestyle for themselves?
Now, I know it's hard to tell sometimes who to trust and follow. Some of these 'gurus' talk a great talk using excellent copywriting, stories, and persuasion tactics. How do you know who is the REAL deal, and who's "full of it"?
Asking a few questions will help you. Here are five questions you should ask before investing heavily in anyone's products, programs, coaching, or workshops:
1. Have they DONE what they are teaching?
There are some people out there who are good "reporters" - that is, who collect information and share it - who you can learn from. These folks are good if you're doing baseline research on the topic. But if you are really looking to learn the systems and strategies that can change your life and business, and how to apply them successfully and quickly, and make a ton of money from them, you absolutely want to make sure you learn from someone who has done exactly that! This guarantees a much higher success rate on your end.
2. Are they STILL DOING what they're teaching?
It's no secret that anyone can make a lot more money TEACHING what they know than just doing what they know. Many "gurus" enjoyed one success and have been riding its coat-tails for years, teaching how they did it over and over. Just because someone had success selling one product or program online at one time doesn't mean they know the best and easiest way to do that TODAY. It's crucial you learn from someone who is still "in the trenches", continually learning and keeping up to date with the fastest and easiest ways to do what you want to learn.
3. Are they doing it SUCCESSFULLY?
This may seem like a given, but it amazes me how many people invest money in learning from people who aren't that successful in what they do. Make sure to sniff around and truly make sure that this person not only does what they say they can teach you, but that they are outrageously good at it.
4. Will they show you PROOF that what they teach actually works?
If your prospective mentor won't share numbers with you, or claims it's not your business, move on. It's likely they are not walking their talk. I'm open with my numbers because I want people to know I'm the real deal!
For example, I share an actual screen shot of my 2005 ONLINE SALES REPORT on the information page for my Online Success Blueprint Workshop. Why? I feel anyone who is about to invest several thousand dollars to learn from me deserves to see proof that what I'm teaching actually WORKS.
5. Are they doing it in a MANNER that suits what you want for you and your business?
This isn't talked about often, but you want to learn from a mentor who also works in a manner that is fits your business vision. For example, one client shared that she chose to learn from me instead of another internet marketing "mentor" solely because he admittedly works 16-hour days and hasn't taken a vacation in years. (Apparently my relaxed and fun lifestyle was a lot more appealing to her.)
Another example: I'm sure you've seen some "gurus" out there whose marketing methods are questionable and/or simply obnoxious, and that may not fit your style. If you want your business to be ethical, easy, and fun, then look for a mentor who is running his/her business that exact same way.
Once You Find Your Mentor, Stick With 'Em!
Once you choose the mentor and business model that's right for you, STOP paying attention to anyone else for awhile! Why? The #1 enemy of any entrepreneur is DISTRACTION. It's easy to jump around and get excited about the next big thing every few weeks, but your easiest road to success is to choose ONE mentor and model and commit to follow them for at least six months. I guarantee you'll move ahead a lot faster and more easily!
© 2005 Alexandria K. Brown
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.
-=-=-
Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 17,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
(Or .. What Really Makes Me MAD!)
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Christmas Eve tomorrow night .. are You ready? I know a few people that are not quite done! After all that snow that fell it started to melt .. yesterday was very mild and it melted down quite a bit. Tomorrow is my day off and I will take the whole weekend for the Holiday Celebration. Tonight my daughter will be home .. I'm excited !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
You still can register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will get "23 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment for a Soldier's Version "The night before Christmas". Send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year .. very touching !!!
How do you know who is the REAL deal, and who's "full of it"? There are many of these self proclaimed "gurus" out there and the only way to go about it .. is ask questions !!! Alexandria is sharing her five questions you should ask before investing heavily in anyone's products, programs, coaching, or workshops...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Who Are YOU Learning From?"
(Or... "What Really Makes Me MAD!")
by Alexandria K. Brown
"www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You know what really makes me MAD?
When I see someone acting like a bigshot with no substance behind them, asking you to pay them handsomely to teach you something that they themselves have NEVER done.
Let me explain...
Today I got an email announcing a very expensive workshop that claims to teach you how to develop information products and programs and sell them online to create wealth. (That part is fine.)
Here's the part that gets my goat...
The person teaching this workshop has absolutely NO experience creating and selling information products SUCCESSFULLY!
It just makes me sick.
There are many of these self proclaimed "gurus" out there. True, some have indeed created information products. (That's not hard to do.) And they may be selling them online. (That's not hard to do either.) But how much do they sell? How well do they REALLY do? How much money are they making? And are they working their tail off, or have they really created a great lifestyle for themselves?
Now, I know it's hard to tell sometimes who to trust and follow. Some of these 'gurus' talk a great talk using excellent copywriting, stories, and persuasion tactics. How do you know who is the REAL deal, and who's "full of it"?
Asking a few questions will help you. Here are five questions you should ask before investing heavily in anyone's products, programs, coaching, or workshops:
1. Have they DONE what they are teaching?
There are some people out there who are good "reporters" - that is, who collect information and share it - who you can learn from. These folks are good if you're doing baseline research on the topic. But if you are really looking to learn the systems and strategies that can change your life and business, and how to apply them successfully and quickly, and make a ton of money from them, you absolutely want to make sure you learn from someone who has done exactly that! This guarantees a much higher success rate on your end.
2. Are they STILL DOING what they're teaching?
It's no secret that anyone can make a lot more money TEACHING what they know than just doing what they know. Many "gurus" enjoyed one success and have been riding its coat-tails for years, teaching how they did it over and over. Just because someone had success selling one product or program online at one time doesn't mean they know the best and easiest way to do that TODAY. It's crucial you learn from someone who is still "in the trenches", continually learning and keeping up to date with the fastest and easiest ways to do what you want to learn.
3. Are they doing it SUCCESSFULLY?
This may seem like a given, but it amazes me how many people invest money in learning from people who aren't that successful in what they do. Make sure to sniff around and truly make sure that this person not only does what they say they can teach you, but that they are outrageously good at it.
4. Will they show you PROOF that what they teach actually works?
If your prospective mentor won't share numbers with you, or claims it's not your business, move on. It's likely they are not walking their talk. I'm open with my numbers because I want people to know I'm the real deal!
For example, I share an actual screen shot of my 2005 ONLINE SALES REPORT on the information page for my Online Success Blueprint Workshop. Why? I feel anyone who is about to invest several thousand dollars to learn from me deserves to see proof that what I'm teaching actually WORKS.
5. Are they doing it in a MANNER that suits what you want for you and your business?
This isn't talked about often, but you want to learn from a mentor who also works in a manner that is fits your business vision. For example, one client shared that she chose to learn from me instead of another internet marketing "mentor" solely because he admittedly works 16-hour days and hasn't taken a vacation in years. (Apparently my relaxed and fun lifestyle was a lot more appealing to her.)
Another example: I'm sure you've seen some "gurus" out there whose marketing methods are questionable and/or simply obnoxious, and that may not fit your style. If you want your business to be ethical, easy, and fun, then look for a mentor who is running his/her business that exact same way.
Once You Find Your Mentor, Stick With 'Em!
Once you choose the mentor and business model that's right for you, STOP paying attention to anyone else for awhile! Why? The #1 enemy of any entrepreneur is DISTRACTION. It's easy to jump around and get excited about the next big thing every few weeks, but your easiest road to success is to choose ONE mentor and model and commit to follow them for at least six months. I guarantee you'll move ahead a lot faster and more easily!
© 2005 Alexandria K. Brown
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.
-=-=-
Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 17,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 22, 2005
It's Only a Test!
Why No Online Marketing is a Failure
(It's Only a Test!)
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
I posted 2 recipes to share for this time of year at Flo's Fun Blog. Kids Corner .. Miniature Gingerbread House. Do You have a little sister or brother and would like to do something special with them for Christmas? Or mom if You want to try a new recipe with your child .. the kids will love making "kid-size gingerbread houses".
One of the reasons I love Christmas so much is because during the holidays I give myself permission to over indulge. I don't think twice about all the cookies, chocolate, chips, dips and appetizers that I consume because we are allowed to eat and be Merry during the Christmas Holidays. Spending time with friends and family and enjoying a drink and some appetizers is what Christmas is all about.
And for grown-ups to enjoy! :-) Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, it's a great appetizer to serve guests. They can be made earlier in the day and kept in the refrigerator until baking time. I'll warn you, they are very addictive !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
You still can register for the "12 Days of Christmas"
You will get "22 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment to see "The night before Christmas" A Soldier's Version .. send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year... very touching !!!
In today's article Alexandra shares with You one of the most important concepts about marketing your new information product online. She learned that You must test, test, and test again !!! You try something if it didn't work then move on to another strategy, always do test things. THEN, You won't look back and see any failures .. you'll only see "tests." : )...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Why No Online Marketing is a Failure
(It's Only a Test!)
by Alexandria K. Brown, "www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Just yesterday a colleague of mine, whom I'll call "Sandy," asked my advice about marketing her new information product online. She saw some of my banner ads on a particular Web site, and wanted to know if she should put her own up there.
I said they didn't work that well for me, but I suggested she try it, because it was a site often visited by her target market.
"But how do I know it will work for me?" she said.
"You don't," I answered.
"What?" she said.
"Test it!" I said. "Try anything for a bit and see how it works for you."
Test, Test, and Test Again
I then shared with her one of the most important concepts I've learned over the past eight months of going to live internet marketing seminars.
Here were guys (yes, all guys, for now : )) who have each made millions -- millions! -- from selling information online.
But they didn't just become millionaires out of the blue with their first idea and their first marketing strategies. They had failures. In fact, after talking with them, I learned they had MANY failures.
I looked at these guys, whom many in the audience considered Internet marketing demi-gods, and tried to imagine them "failing." It was hard. After all, there they were, up on stage, teaching what works.
But they'd failed many times. They tried something, it didn't work, and then they moved on to another strategy. They TESTED things, and they still always do test things.
If I tried something online and it didn't work, I saw it as a failure. But they just see it as a test.
It's Time to Reprogram Your Mind
In school, if we didn't have the right answer, we "failed." But in marketing, that's bullsh*t.
In marketing, if we don't get the right answer, we LEARN. We learn what does not work and where not to spend our marketing money anymore. That's damn valuable information!
Now, I know this concept may seem like a "duh" to you, because it did to me too. I heard stories over and over about testing, but every time I did, my mind answered back, "Of course ... I know that."
Isn't it funny how our minds assume we know things? But we don't really know something unless we're LIVING it.
I thought I knew what was working and what wasn't working, but how could I when I wasn't tracking anything?
And also, how could I take others' marketing advice without seeing if their advice was really working for ME?
Tracking Is Your Key to Riches
So I started tracking and testing.
Twelve months ago, I couldn't even tell you how many visitors I was getting to my site every month. Now I can tell you not only how many unique visitors I get, but how many of them on an average buy my product, how many of them sign up for my e-zines, the maximum I should spend to get a visitor to my site, and more. Knowing this information has helped me DOUBLE my sales over the last several months.
Tracking and testing is not as hard as you think. The beauty of any type of d1rect marketing, especially online marketing, is your ability to track results.
Now, in Sandy's example above, she needs some type of ad tracker program that assigns a special link to her ad. Even better, this program should be linked to her shopping cart, so she can see how many clicks directly turned into sales. (For this purpose, I highly recommend KickStart Cart, my favorite brand of 1ShoppingCart. ((http://tinyurl.com/orhg))
For her Web site, she should track how many visitors she has each month compared with how many sales she has each month. Her reporting program should tell her how many unique visitors she has on her site (not just "hits," which is useless).
Sandy should extend this tracking mentality to every type of marketing she does -- even her free teleclasses. For every teleclass she teaches, she should track how many of those folks sign up for her e-zine and how many buy her product right away.
See where I'm going with this? The numbers don't lie, and once you start seeing the light, marketing will become much more painless. Just stop doing what doesn't work, and put more energy into what does.
THEN, you won't look back and see any failures. You'll only see "tests." : )
(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
(It's Only a Test!)
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
I posted 2 recipes to share for this time of year at Flo's Fun Blog. Kids Corner .. Miniature Gingerbread House. Do You have a little sister or brother and would like to do something special with them for Christmas? Or mom if You want to try a new recipe with your child .. the kids will love making "kid-size gingerbread houses".
One of the reasons I love Christmas so much is because during the holidays I give myself permission to over indulge. I don't think twice about all the cookies, chocolate, chips, dips and appetizers that I consume because we are allowed to eat and be Merry during the Christmas Holidays. Spending time with friends and family and enjoying a drink and some appetizers is what Christmas is all about.
And for grown-ups to enjoy! :-) Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, it's a great appetizer to serve guests. They can be made earlier in the day and kept in the refrigerator until baking time. I'll warn you, they are very addictive !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
You still can register for the "12 Days of Christmas"
You will get "22 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment to see "The night before Christmas" A Soldier's Version .. send it to your family and friends for a reminder of the man that's in war at this time of year... very touching !!!
In today's article Alexandra shares with You one of the most important concepts about marketing your new information product online. She learned that You must test, test, and test again !!! You try something if it didn't work then move on to another strategy, always do test things. THEN, You won't look back and see any failures .. you'll only see "tests." : )...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Why No Online Marketing is a Failure
(It's Only a Test!)
by Alexandria K. Brown, "www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Just yesterday a colleague of mine, whom I'll call "Sandy," asked my advice about marketing her new information product online. She saw some of my banner ads on a particular Web site, and wanted to know if she should put her own up there.
I said they didn't work that well for me, but I suggested she try it, because it was a site often visited by her target market.
"But how do I know it will work for me?" she said.
"You don't," I answered.
"What?" she said.
"Test it!" I said. "Try anything for a bit and see how it works for you."
Test, Test, and Test Again
I then shared with her one of the most important concepts I've learned over the past eight months of going to live internet marketing seminars.
Here were guys (yes, all guys, for now : )) who have each made millions -- millions! -- from selling information online.
But they didn't just become millionaires out of the blue with their first idea and their first marketing strategies. They had failures. In fact, after talking with them, I learned they had MANY failures.
I looked at these guys, whom many in the audience considered Internet marketing demi-gods, and tried to imagine them "failing." It was hard. After all, there they were, up on stage, teaching what works.
But they'd failed many times. They tried something, it didn't work, and then they moved on to another strategy. They TESTED things, and they still always do test things.
If I tried something online and it didn't work, I saw it as a failure. But they just see it as a test.
It's Time to Reprogram Your Mind
In school, if we didn't have the right answer, we "failed." But in marketing, that's bullsh*t.
In marketing, if we don't get the right answer, we LEARN. We learn what does not work and where not to spend our marketing money anymore. That's damn valuable information!
Now, I know this concept may seem like a "duh" to you, because it did to me too. I heard stories over and over about testing, but every time I did, my mind answered back, "Of course ... I know that."
Isn't it funny how our minds assume we know things? But we don't really know something unless we're LIVING it.
I thought I knew what was working and what wasn't working, but how could I when I wasn't tracking anything?
And also, how could I take others' marketing advice without seeing if their advice was really working for ME?
Tracking Is Your Key to Riches
So I started tracking and testing.
Twelve months ago, I couldn't even tell you how many visitors I was getting to my site every month. Now I can tell you not only how many unique visitors I get, but how many of them on an average buy my product, how many of them sign up for my e-zines, the maximum I should spend to get a visitor to my site, and more. Knowing this information has helped me DOUBLE my sales over the last several months.
Tracking and testing is not as hard as you think. The beauty of any type of d1rect marketing, especially online marketing, is your ability to track results.
Now, in Sandy's example above, she needs some type of ad tracker program that assigns a special link to her ad. Even better, this program should be linked to her shopping cart, so she can see how many clicks directly turned into sales. (For this purpose, I highly recommend KickStart Cart, my favorite brand of 1ShoppingCart. ((http://tinyurl.com/orhg))
For her Web site, she should track how many visitors she has each month compared with how many sales she has each month. Her reporting program should tell her how many unique visitors she has on her site (not just "hits," which is useless).
Sandy should extend this tracking mentality to every type of marketing she does -- even her free teleclasses. For every teleclass she teaches, she should track how many of those folks sign up for her e-zine and how many buy her product right away.
See where I'm going with this? The numbers don't lie, and once you start seeing the light, marketing will become much more painless. Just stop doing what doesn't work, and put more energy into what does.
THEN, you won't look back and see any failures. You'll only see "tests." : )
(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 21, 2005
A Published Author
Let's Get One Thing Straight About
Being A Published Author
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Yesterday I was thinking how to do my driveway with my arm in much pain. By 3:30pm my job was still waiting for me .. then I hear a truck that was just roaring. I looked outside and a community friend was cleaning my driveway .. such a neighborly thing to do !!! When done he looked at me and smiled, I smiled back nodding my head to thank him...
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit to see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "21 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment to see "The night before Christmas" A Soldier's Version .. send it to your family and friends to remind of our man that is in war at this time of year... very touching !!!
In today's article Jim Edwards with his friend, David Garfinkel, wrote the article below because they know that many people are very interested in writing and publishing ebooks. This article, PROVES that in fact anyone can write and publish a book... even you! :-) Enjoy!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Let's Get One Thing Straight About Being
A Published Author
(c) by Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
All Rights reserved
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Just for fun, evaluate the following statement:
"Most people want to write a book and get it published, but that's simply impossible 99% of the time."
Is the above statement true?
Not exactly. What's true is that most people THINK they can't write a book and get it published.
And while that's a widely-held belief, just the opposite is true.
In fact, it's easier to write and get published today than ever before - especially thanks to the ebook "revolution."
The field of ebooks is literally wide open for all who are interested - including, perhaps, you!
What does it take to write and publish your own ebook?
Three things:
1) A TOPIC you are interested in that others would also like to know more about.
2) The DESIRE to get the ebook written (note - you can write it yourself, but you don't have to. There are other proven and simple ways to get your ebook written and published for you.)
3) A simple, one-page, "sales letter" WEB SITE to sell the ebook.
Does it take a lot of money or any special aptitudes?
Oddly enough, not really. You have to be willing to take action, certainly, and learn as you go, but there are no special educational, financial or talent requirements to become a successful ebook author.
The truth is, it costs very little to get started. You can get a domain registered and online for as little as $9 to start and $6 a month for website hosting.
In fact, there are actually six ways you can create an ebook without ever writing a word of it - so you don't need to be a skilled writer. We'll tell you about one of them, in-depth, right now.
Think of a topic you know something about that you'd like to write an ebook on.
Once you have that topic in mind, then all you need to do is write a list of questions other people would pay to get the answers to... give that list to a friend... have the friend call you on the phone and ask you those questions... record the call... have the recording transcribed... and edit the transcription!
Presto - you've just created a "meaty" ebook fast! (Yes, it *really* is that simple!)
By the way, if you don't want to transcribe or edit the ebook yourself, you can get both of those things done for you for surprisingly little money... as little as a few hundred dollars, total, in many cases.
That's how we wrote one of our most recent ebooks.
As authors ourselves, we came up with a list of questions, got on the phone, recorded the answers, and had the entire 4 1/2 hour conversation transcribed.
Using this phone call - transcription - edit route we created an ebook in about a week. It cost us a total of $163 to produce it. (We hired out the transcription, and did the editing ourselves.)
So far we've spent *zero* money on advertising and, as we write this article today, we've sold over $91,924 worth of that ebook in less than 15 months!
We're not unique in that way. We know many others who have successfully published ebooks - including another small publisher who has uses this exact same method to create dozens of ebooks.
If you can clearly understand a specific problem, want, need or desire of a large enough target audience and then create a publication that helps them get what they want, you stand to make a lot of money and help a great number of people at the same time.
If there ever was a "golden age" of publishing, NOW is the time.
The truth of the matter is, today anyone can become a published author with an ebook in less than a couple of weeks. Between us, we have 15 ebooks online and we're making money every day, even as you read this.
You can do the same. Opportunity awaits you right now. It's never been easier to seize the day and go for your dream - become a published author!
-=-=-
Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel are co-authors of "eBook Secrets Exposed," the authoritative resource for making a lot of money quickly writing and publishing your own ebook. Guerrilla Marketing series author Jay Conrad Levinson says, "If ever there was a 'must-read' for this century, it's this book." For more information... Click Here> www.ebooksecretsexposed.com/.
-=-=-
Wish You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Being A Published Author
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Yesterday I was thinking how to do my driveway with my arm in much pain. By 3:30pm my job was still waiting for me .. then I hear a truck that was just roaring. I looked outside and a community friend was cleaning my driveway .. such a neighborly thing to do !!! When done he looked at me and smiled, I smiled back nodding my head to thank him...
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit to see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "21 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment to see "The night before Christmas" A Soldier's Version .. send it to your family and friends to remind of our man that is in war at this time of year... very touching !!!
In today's article Jim Edwards with his friend, David Garfinkel, wrote the article below because they know that many people are very interested in writing and publishing ebooks. This article, PROVES that in fact anyone can write and publish a book... even you! :-) Enjoy!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Let's Get One Thing Straight About Being
A Published Author
(c) by Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
All Rights reserved
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Just for fun, evaluate the following statement:
"Most people want to write a book and get it published, but that's simply impossible 99% of the time."
Is the above statement true?
Not exactly. What's true is that most people THINK they can't write a book and get it published.
And while that's a widely-held belief, just the opposite is true.
In fact, it's easier to write and get published today than ever before - especially thanks to the ebook "revolution."
The field of ebooks is literally wide open for all who are interested - including, perhaps, you!
What does it take to write and publish your own ebook?
Three things:
1) A TOPIC you are interested in that others would also like to know more about.
2) The DESIRE to get the ebook written (note - you can write it yourself, but you don't have to. There are other proven and simple ways to get your ebook written and published for you.)
3) A simple, one-page, "sales letter" WEB SITE to sell the ebook.
Does it take a lot of money or any special aptitudes?
Oddly enough, not really. You have to be willing to take action, certainly, and learn as you go, but there are no special educational, financial or talent requirements to become a successful ebook author.
The truth is, it costs very little to get started. You can get a domain registered and online for as little as $9 to start and $6 a month for website hosting.
In fact, there are actually six ways you can create an ebook without ever writing a word of it - so you don't need to be a skilled writer. We'll tell you about one of them, in-depth, right now.
Think of a topic you know something about that you'd like to write an ebook on.
Once you have that topic in mind, then all you need to do is write a list of questions other people would pay to get the answers to... give that list to a friend... have the friend call you on the phone and ask you those questions... record the call... have the recording transcribed... and edit the transcription!
Presto - you've just created a "meaty" ebook fast! (Yes, it *really* is that simple!)
By the way, if you don't want to transcribe or edit the ebook yourself, you can get both of those things done for you for surprisingly little money... as little as a few hundred dollars, total, in many cases.
That's how we wrote one of our most recent ebooks.
As authors ourselves, we came up with a list of questions, got on the phone, recorded the answers, and had the entire 4 1/2 hour conversation transcribed.
Using this phone call - transcription - edit route we created an ebook in about a week. It cost us a total of $163 to produce it. (We hired out the transcription, and did the editing ourselves.)
So far we've spent *zero* money on advertising and, as we write this article today, we've sold over $91,924 worth of that ebook in less than 15 months!
We're not unique in that way. We know many others who have successfully published ebooks - including another small publisher who has uses this exact same method to create dozens of ebooks.
If you can clearly understand a specific problem, want, need or desire of a large enough target audience and then create a publication that helps them get what they want, you stand to make a lot of money and help a great number of people at the same time.
If there ever was a "golden age" of publishing, NOW is the time.
The truth of the matter is, today anyone can become a published author with an ebook in less than a couple of weeks. Between us, we have 15 ebooks online and we're making money every day, even as you read this.
You can do the same. Opportunity awaits you right now. It's never been easier to seize the day and go for your dream - become a published author!
-=-=-
Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel are co-authors of "eBook Secrets Exposed," the authoritative resource for making a lot of money quickly writing and publishing your own ebook. Guerrilla Marketing series author Jay Conrad Levinson says, "If ever there was a 'must-read' for this century, it's this book." For more information... Click Here> www.ebooksecretsexposed.com/.
-=-=-
Wish You a Happy Holiday Season and a very prosperous 2006!
Have a great day
Dec 20, 2005
"Radar Defenses"
Increase Sales By Flying Under
Your Prospects "Radar Defenses"
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
It finally stop snowing at noon yesterday but a cold wind decided to blow itself around. A beautiful sun this morning but I still have to shovel .. I have tons of snow drifts to remove .. at least it's not all the driveway but partial of it !!! Three days left for my daughter's arrival .. I've been counting the days, I'm so anxious to see her it's going to be a great Christmas.
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "19 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment to see "The night before Christmas" A Soldier's Version. Please share it with your family and friends so they may be reminded of our man that is still at war at this time .. it's very touching!!!
Jim Edwards published a really cool and unique free report for you :-) As an ebook author, online business owner, and affiliate marketer, this report will reveal a *proven* technique he use to get thousands of people to his websites each month... and he don't pay a cent in advertising costs!
Today's report is a 2 part .. at the end see the second part if you wish to learn more...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Part 1: Increase Sales By Flying Under
Your Prospects "Radar Defenses"
- by Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
How do you persuade someone to do what you want them to do?
A whole world of marketing exists around us trying to do that every minute of the day. Do you even notice it anymore or, like your prospects, have you subconsciously set up a system of "radar defenses" against the daily bombardment of marketing messages?
Take a minute and count up the advertising methods which fight for your attention (and money) every day. Just the basic list includes:
· Yellow page ads
· Newspaper and magazine ads
· Postcards, catalogs, and direct mail circulars in your "snail mail" box
· Radio pitches interrupting the flow of your favorite songs
· TV ads - about 20 minutes worth per hour now
· Hundreds of storefronts, "mega" malls, and strip malls
· Highway billboards by the thousands
· Circulars hung on your doorknob
· Illegal signs on stop signs and telephone poles
· Legitimate email messages
· Spam email or UCE (unsolicited commercial email)
Just these 11 sources can overwhelm your brain with marketing messages. Like trapped rats, people develop defenses against this never-ending onslaught. They throw up a wall or a "radar defense" that goes into action the minute they smell a "pitch" or a sales job. Don't blame them... We all do it!
So how can you, as an online merchant or affiliate marketer, get around this psychological wall against the constant sales and marketing messages?
Well, the answer does NOT lie in hitting people with more frequent and obnoxious advertising or sly, sneaky tactics. You might get them to trust you for a minute, but it will backfire in the long run.
You must do two things instead:
1. First, you must establish credibility for yourself and your business as an expert in your field or "niche" market.
2. Second, you must reduce your prospect's fears about doing business with you.
Doing these two things will get you past their defenses and allow you the opportunity to persuade them to buy your product.
So how do you accomplish these two "simple" things?
What will win someone's attention, raise your credibility, and lower their fear factor all at the same time? The one-word answer really applies to most everyone.
Trust!
If you, as the marketer, can get behind their defenses with information which makes them trust you, then that credibility will carry over into a sale much of the time.
How can you get this credibility quickly?
Well, take this next fact as online marketing "gospel," for many, many people have proven its effectiveness.
Fact: Publishing and promoting with free articles gives you one of the most powerful opportunities available to tip the buyer's credibility scale in your favor.
How can I prove this works?
Quite easily actually! Take a break from reading this and go check out a newspaper or magazine for a minute.
Which do you trust more, the ads or the articles? Most people will choose the articles hands down. Why? Because the articles don't try to "sell" you anything. Instead, they hand out useful information for educational or other practical purposes.
Most of us grew up in a culture which says we can believe and "trust" what appears in the standard "news" or "information" format. In other words, if it appears in print, then we can believe and trust the author.
So go ahead! Use this lifetime of conditioning to your advantage in selling your products and services!
Very few things will create an atmosphere of trust and confidence in people as reading one of your articles on a subject that greatly interests them. It shows you know your business. It also demonstrates you will do more than just try to "sell" them something.
Publishing articles literally lets you fly under their advertising "radar defenses" by establishing trust and credibility.
So remember these points when deciding whether or not to use articles to promote your business:
1. Few things create as much trust and confidence in the minds of potential customers as reading an article you wrote on a subject which specifically and intensely interests them.
2. Articles establish credibility quickly because, right or wrong, we've all been trained to trust the "news."
3. An article, or series of articles, will differentiate you from the competition, who bombard people with nothing but sales messages and "pitches" while providing little useful content.
4. Providing content-rich, non-sales-oriented articles will also help build and solidify your relationship with existing customers so they give you repeat business... and also help you attract new customers and subscribers who find your approach a refreshing change to what they're used to getting from your competitors!
-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook, "Turn Words Into Traffic," that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate link!
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for using FREE articles to drive Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here> www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com.
-=-=-
Part 2: Video
"How To Get 72,000 Qualified Visitors To Your Website... Without Spending A Dime On Advertising www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com
*When you arrive to the page scroll all the way down to Part 2 .. requires flash 6 or later.
-=-=-
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day.
Your Prospects "Radar Defenses"
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
It finally stop snowing at noon yesterday but a cold wind decided to blow itself around. A beautiful sun this morning but I still have to shovel .. I have tons of snow drifts to remove .. at least it's not all the driveway but partial of it !!! Three days left for my daughter's arrival .. I've been counting the days, I'm so anxious to see her it's going to be a great Christmas.
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "19 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Please take a moment to see "The night before Christmas" A Soldier's Version. Please share it with your family and friends so they may be reminded of our man that is still at war at this time .. it's very touching!!!
Jim Edwards published a really cool and unique free report for you :-) As an ebook author, online business owner, and affiliate marketer, this report will reveal a *proven* technique he use to get thousands of people to his websites each month... and he don't pay a cent in advertising costs!
Today's report is a 2 part .. at the end see the second part if you wish to learn more...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Part 1: Increase Sales By Flying Under
Your Prospects "Radar Defenses"
- by Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
How do you persuade someone to do what you want them to do?
A whole world of marketing exists around us trying to do that every minute of the day. Do you even notice it anymore or, like your prospects, have you subconsciously set up a system of "radar defenses" against the daily bombardment of marketing messages?
Take a minute and count up the advertising methods which fight for your attention (and money) every day. Just the basic list includes:
· Yellow page ads
· Newspaper and magazine ads
· Postcards, catalogs, and direct mail circulars in your "snail mail" box
· Radio pitches interrupting the flow of your favorite songs
· TV ads - about 20 minutes worth per hour now
· Hundreds of storefronts, "mega" malls, and strip malls
· Highway billboards by the thousands
· Circulars hung on your doorknob
· Illegal signs on stop signs and telephone poles
· Legitimate email messages
· Spam email or UCE (unsolicited commercial email)
Just these 11 sources can overwhelm your brain with marketing messages. Like trapped rats, people develop defenses against this never-ending onslaught. They throw up a wall or a "radar defense" that goes into action the minute they smell a "pitch" or a sales job. Don't blame them... We all do it!
So how can you, as an online merchant or affiliate marketer, get around this psychological wall against the constant sales and marketing messages?
Well, the answer does NOT lie in hitting people with more frequent and obnoxious advertising or sly, sneaky tactics. You might get them to trust you for a minute, but it will backfire in the long run.
You must do two things instead:
1. First, you must establish credibility for yourself and your business as an expert in your field or "niche" market.
2. Second, you must reduce your prospect's fears about doing business with you.
Doing these two things will get you past their defenses and allow you the opportunity to persuade them to buy your product.
So how do you accomplish these two "simple" things?
What will win someone's attention, raise your credibility, and lower their fear factor all at the same time? The one-word answer really applies to most everyone.
Trust!
If you, as the marketer, can get behind their defenses with information which makes them trust you, then that credibility will carry over into a sale much of the time.
How can you get this credibility quickly?
Well, take this next fact as online marketing "gospel," for many, many people have proven its effectiveness.
Fact: Publishing and promoting with free articles gives you one of the most powerful opportunities available to tip the buyer's credibility scale in your favor.
How can I prove this works?
Quite easily actually! Take a break from reading this and go check out a newspaper or magazine for a minute.
Which do you trust more, the ads or the articles? Most people will choose the articles hands down. Why? Because the articles don't try to "sell" you anything. Instead, they hand out useful information for educational or other practical purposes.
Most of us grew up in a culture which says we can believe and "trust" what appears in the standard "news" or "information" format. In other words, if it appears in print, then we can believe and trust the author.
So go ahead! Use this lifetime of conditioning to your advantage in selling your products and services!
Very few things will create an atmosphere of trust and confidence in people as reading one of your articles on a subject that greatly interests them. It shows you know your business. It also demonstrates you will do more than just try to "sell" them something.
Publishing articles literally lets you fly under their advertising "radar defenses" by establishing trust and credibility.
So remember these points when deciding whether or not to use articles to promote your business:
1. Few things create as much trust and confidence in the minds of potential customers as reading an article you wrote on a subject which specifically and intensely interests them.
2. Articles establish credibility quickly because, right or wrong, we've all been trained to trust the "news."
3. An article, or series of articles, will differentiate you from the competition, who bombard people with nothing but sales messages and "pitches" while providing little useful content.
4. Providing content-rich, non-sales-oriented articles will also help build and solidify your relationship with existing customers so they give you repeat business... and also help you attract new customers and subscribers who find your approach a refreshing change to what they're used to getting from your competitors!
-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook, "Turn Words Into Traffic," that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate link!
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for using FREE articles to drive Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here> www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com.
-=-=-
Part 2: Video
"How To Get 72,000 Qualified Visitors To Your Website... Without Spending A Dime On Advertising www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com
*When you arrive to the page scroll all the way down to Part 2 .. requires flash 6 or later.
-=-=-
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day.
Dec 19, 2005
At Your Fingertips!
The Ultimate Self-Promotion Tool Is Right
at Your Fingertips: An E-mail Newsletter
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Hope your weekend was great, mine was quite busy at shoveling snow, I don't think my arm can handle anymore abuse. Today is still snowing .. it's the six day but at least its not a heavy fall like it's been for the last five days. I have four days to wait until my daughter arrives and that's something I'm really looking forward too !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "19 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Today's article is about a self-promoting tool that is right at your fingertip. Once your publish to the WWW .. You must promote your website. What a better way than with your own e-mail newsletter, or e-zine and a low-costs solution! Alexandra is sharing with You six good reasons why You shouldn't wait to promote in this matter for best results...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Ultimate Self-Promotion Tool Is Right at
Your Fingertips: An E-mail Newsletter
by Alexandria K. Brown, “www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
If you're looking for low-cost ways to promote your business (and aren't we all?), I hope you've considered publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine." Here are six darn good reasons why you shouldn't wait any longer:
1. An e-zine is the perfect way to STAY IN TOUCH with your clients and prospects on a regular basis.
Unless you continually follow up with clients and prospects, they'll soon forget about you. But imagine calling or writing each and every one of your clients and prospects every week! That would be nearly impossible to pull off.
Well, an e-zine achieves the same goal — keeping you on their "radar screens," but in an unobtrusive way. This constant contact makes these folks more likely to think of YOU — not someone they heard about yesterday — when they need to hire a coach.
2. An e-zine allows you to effortlessly SPREAD THE WORD about you and your business.
If you write a decent e-zine, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. Remember that old shampoo commercial that went, "And I told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on, and so on..."? That principle — clients passing on the word about your product or service — is called "viral marketing" these days.
Most publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers who are their clients and associates. But after several months, you can have thousands of readers on your list — thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork.
3. An e-zine is a CREDIBLE and SUBTLE way to promote your services or products.
Instead of simply *saying* how great your business is, an e-zine lets you *show* how great you are by sharing your expertise through tips or client stories. (As my old journalism professor used to say, "Show me, don't just tell me!") You're avoiding simple bragging, and are instead offering useful information that demonstrates your knowledge. Bravo!
4. Publishing an e-zine positions you as an EXPERT in your field.
By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you're likely to attract more and better clients. And by sharing what you know well, you're saying, "Hey, I know my stuff! I'm an expert." If you make a living by providing a service, you're an expert in your own right. If you're still uncomfortable with that term, try on the word resource." (Okay, feel better?)
5. An e-zine is the ideal way to CAPTURE the e-mail addresses of your WEB VISITORS.
If I visit your site today but aren’t ready to buy from you today, you’ve likely lost me forever when I click away. BUT if you invite me to sign up for your free newsletter that features helpful information on the topic at hand, I’ll be happy to sign up.
NOW you’ve got me to market to, over and over, as long as you continue to give me the practical content you promised. This is especially powerful because statistics show that consumers don’t usually purchase a product or service until after they’ve seen multiple messages about it.
6. An e-zine is CHEAP and EASY to publish — especially compared with a print newsletter.
If you were to produce and mail a snazzy-looking *printed* newsletter, you could easily spend thousands of dollars each year. But an e-zine is essentially FREE to put together and publish — it just takes a bit of your time.
And you can make it as long or short as you'd like. (Some of the best e-zines I get feature only one tip per issue and are less than one computer screen long.) For best results, keep it simple!
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas...
Have a great day
at Your Fingertips: An E-mail Newsletter
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Hope your weekend was great, mine was quite busy at shoveling snow, I don't think my arm can handle anymore abuse. Today is still snowing .. it's the six day but at least its not a heavy fall like it's been for the last five days. I have four days to wait until my daughter arrives and that's something I'm really looking forward too !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "19 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Today's article is about a self-promoting tool that is right at your fingertip. Once your publish to the WWW .. You must promote your website. What a better way than with your own e-mail newsletter, or e-zine and a low-costs solution! Alexandra is sharing with You six good reasons why You shouldn't wait to promote in this matter for best results...
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The Ultimate Self-Promotion Tool Is Right at
Your Fingertips: An E-mail Newsletter
by Alexandria K. Brown, “www.EzineQueen.com"
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If you're looking for low-cost ways to promote your business (and aren't we all?), I hope you've considered publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine." Here are six darn good reasons why you shouldn't wait any longer:
1. An e-zine is the perfect way to STAY IN TOUCH with your clients and prospects on a regular basis.
Unless you continually follow up with clients and prospects, they'll soon forget about you. But imagine calling or writing each and every one of your clients and prospects every week! That would be nearly impossible to pull off.
Well, an e-zine achieves the same goal — keeping you on their "radar screens," but in an unobtrusive way. This constant contact makes these folks more likely to think of YOU — not someone they heard about yesterday — when they need to hire a coach.
2. An e-zine allows you to effortlessly SPREAD THE WORD about you and your business.
If you write a decent e-zine, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. Remember that old shampoo commercial that went, "And I told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on, and so on..."? That principle — clients passing on the word about your product or service — is called "viral marketing" these days.
Most publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers who are their clients and associates. But after several months, you can have thousands of readers on your list — thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork.
3. An e-zine is a CREDIBLE and SUBTLE way to promote your services or products.
Instead of simply *saying* how great your business is, an e-zine lets you *show* how great you are by sharing your expertise through tips or client stories. (As my old journalism professor used to say, "Show me, don't just tell me!") You're avoiding simple bragging, and are instead offering useful information that demonstrates your knowledge. Bravo!
4. Publishing an e-zine positions you as an EXPERT in your field.
By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you're likely to attract more and better clients. And by sharing what you know well, you're saying, "Hey, I know my stuff! I'm an expert." If you make a living by providing a service, you're an expert in your own right. If you're still uncomfortable with that term, try on the word resource." (Okay, feel better?)
5. An e-zine is the ideal way to CAPTURE the e-mail addresses of your WEB VISITORS.
If I visit your site today but aren’t ready to buy from you today, you’ve likely lost me forever when I click away. BUT if you invite me to sign up for your free newsletter that features helpful information on the topic at hand, I’ll be happy to sign up.
NOW you’ve got me to market to, over and over, as long as you continue to give me the practical content you promised. This is especially powerful because statistics show that consumers don’t usually purchase a product or service until after they’ve seen multiple messages about it.
6. An e-zine is CHEAP and EASY to publish — especially compared with a print newsletter.
If you were to produce and mail a snazzy-looking *printed* newsletter, you could easily spend thousands of dollars each year. But an e-zine is essentially FREE to put together and publish — it just takes a bit of your time.
And you can make it as long or short as you'd like. (Some of the best e-zines I get feature only one tip per issue and are less than one computer screen long.) For best results, keep it simple!
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas...
Have a great day
Dec 18, 2005
What's It All About?
Pay Per Click: What's It All About
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Hope your enjoying your weekend! Here in the Sudbury area it's the fifth day that it's snowing. I like it because it insulates my home and I don't because I have to shovel my driveway everyday. I wouldn't mind shoveling if I didn't have Tennistitis, it's painful and now the pain is intense! I wear a brace but with cleaning Savanna shelter and the driveway my arm is getting a beating... ouch !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "18 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Today's article is great information for people that don't quite understand "Pay Per Click". Alexandra is sharing the Pay-Per-Click search phenomenon so You may have a better outlook at what it's all about. Join Flo's Coolest Community on the web for FREE, we have a "Pay Per Click" for You...
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Pay Per Click: What's It All About?
by Alexandria K. Brown, “www.EzineQueen.com”
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No doubt you've heard the phrase "pay per click" before. This refers to any type of advertising where you only pay per click-through.
Traditional Web advertising, such as banner ads, charged advertisers based how many people SAW your ad. But with pay-per-click deals, you only pay for how many people actually CLICK on your ad (to get to your offer page or Web site).
This is great because essentially you only pay for RESULTS.
THE PAY-PER-CLICK SEARCH PHENOMENON
One of the most popular places pay-per-click has become a phenomenon is within search engines and Web directories. For example, let's use one of my own listings.
Go to http://www.yahoo.com/ right now and search for "ezine publishing." On the search results page, you'll see at the VERY top a section called "Sponsor Listings."
Guess who is listed up here? Yours truly!
In fact, at the time I wrote this article, my book site www.ezinequeen.com/tutorial/index.htm is listed at number one.
Underneath the sponsor listings is the section called "Web Matches," which shows the regular search engine listings that are submitted and indexed the traditional way.
If you do searches for "ezine publishing" on Lycos, AltaVista, and CNET, you'll also see me in the top "Sponsor Listings."
How did I achieve this? Did I pay some search-engine-optimization guru thousands of dollars to tweak my Web site in the favor of all these search engines' algorithms?
No way! I'm on a small business budget, just like you. I achieved these listings myself, and you can too. In fact, it's ridiculously easy.
I simply opened an account with Overture and bid on the phrase "ezine publishing." Overture (http://www.overture.com) provides the "sponsor" listings at all of these sites.
Now, don't let the word "bid" scare you — it's actually a simple process. Once you have an Overture account, you can go in and see exactly who is bidding on the keywords you want, how much they are bidding, and how many clicks these keywords get each week. Then you can choose an appropriate amount to bid and estimate your budget. Some popular keywords go for several dollars, while others go for as little as 5 cents.
AIM TO LAND ONE OF THE TOP THREE SPOTS
Your goal should be to land one of the *top three* spots for your keywords at Overture, because most of the affiliate sites (such as Yahoo) ONLY show Overture's top three listings at the top of the page in that "sponsor" section, which people see FIRST. If you're number four or five in Overture, you may show up at the bottom of the search page, if at all.
Right now Overture has contracts with Yahoo, MSN, Netscape, Lycos, AltaVista, CNET, and more search sites, and they claim their listings reach more than *80 percent* of all U.S. Internet users!
EASY TO SET UP, QUICK RESULTS
I'm the first to admit that while I'm "The E-zine Queen," I'm NOT a technical person. I do none of my own Web design, programming, or computer maintenance, and I'm apt to throw money at anyone who can help me avoid technical tasks! But I found Overture easy to figure out.
It only takes them a few days to approve and post your listings. This means if you sign up today, your site can be listed for the keywords you choose by next week. And that means more TARGETED TRAFFIC to your site by next week!
THERE ARE OTHERS TOO
There are a few other popular pay-per-click services out there. Google AdWords Select (https://adwords.google.com/select) is one of them. Their service works very similarly to Overture, although your listings appear a bit differently — in little boxes alongside of the regular search listings. And your position is determined not only by your bid, but by your ad's popularity (number of clicks).
The only drawback I found with Google's service is that they absolutely will not accept any listing for a site that features a pop-up window. Even if the pop-up features content that is completely related to the site, such as for a newsletter. I hemmed and hawed to their editorial staff ... and got nowhere.
GIVE THEM A TRY!
So be sure to give pay-per-clicks a try. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, so why not see what type of results you get?
It's important to remember that pay-per-clicks are just one tactic in your bag of online marketing tricks. Don't rely on them for all of your Web site traffic. You should still put effort into achieving regular search engine listings and gaining online exposure in other ways.
As your mother likely told you, don't put all your eggs in one basket! ; )
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
I wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day
Welcome to Flo's Business Blog
Hope your enjoying your weekend! Here in the Sudbury area it's the fifth day that it's snowing. I like it because it insulates my home and I don't because I have to shovel my driveway everyday. I wouldn't mind shoveling if I didn't have Tennistitis, it's painful and now the pain is intense! I wear a brace but with cleaning Savanna shelter and the driveway my arm is getting a beating... ouch !!!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas, please visit and see how You can help!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "18 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Today's article is great information for people that don't quite understand "Pay Per Click". Alexandra is sharing the Pay-Per-Click search phenomenon so You may have a better outlook at what it's all about. Join Flo's Coolest Community on the web for FREE, we have a "Pay Per Click" for You...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Pay Per Click: What's It All About?
by Alexandria K. Brown, “www.EzineQueen.com”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
No doubt you've heard the phrase "pay per click" before. This refers to any type of advertising where you only pay per click-through.
Traditional Web advertising, such as banner ads, charged advertisers based how many people SAW your ad. But with pay-per-click deals, you only pay for how many people actually CLICK on your ad (to get to your offer page or Web site).
This is great because essentially you only pay for RESULTS.
THE PAY-PER-CLICK SEARCH PHENOMENON
One of the most popular places pay-per-click has become a phenomenon is within search engines and Web directories. For example, let's use one of my own listings.
Go to http://www.yahoo.com/ right now and search for "ezine publishing." On the search results page, you'll see at the VERY top a section called "Sponsor Listings."
Guess who is listed up here? Yours truly!
In fact, at the time I wrote this article, my book site www.ezinequeen.com/tutorial/index.htm is listed at number one.
Underneath the sponsor listings is the section called "Web Matches," which shows the regular search engine listings that are submitted and indexed the traditional way.
If you do searches for "ezine publishing" on Lycos, AltaVista, and CNET, you'll also see me in the top "Sponsor Listings."
How did I achieve this? Did I pay some search-engine-optimization guru thousands of dollars to tweak my Web site in the favor of all these search engines' algorithms?
No way! I'm on a small business budget, just like you. I achieved these listings myself, and you can too. In fact, it's ridiculously easy.
I simply opened an account with Overture and bid on the phrase "ezine publishing." Overture (http://www.overture.com) provides the "sponsor" listings at all of these sites.
Now, don't let the word "bid" scare you — it's actually a simple process. Once you have an Overture account, you can go in and see exactly who is bidding on the keywords you want, how much they are bidding, and how many clicks these keywords get each week. Then you can choose an appropriate amount to bid and estimate your budget. Some popular keywords go for several dollars, while others go for as little as 5 cents.
AIM TO LAND ONE OF THE TOP THREE SPOTS
Your goal should be to land one of the *top three* spots for your keywords at Overture, because most of the affiliate sites (such as Yahoo) ONLY show Overture's top three listings at the top of the page in that "sponsor" section, which people see FIRST. If you're number four or five in Overture, you may show up at the bottom of the search page, if at all.
Right now Overture has contracts with Yahoo, MSN, Netscape, Lycos, AltaVista, CNET, and more search sites, and they claim their listings reach more than *80 percent* of all U.S. Internet users!
EASY TO SET UP, QUICK RESULTS
I'm the first to admit that while I'm "The E-zine Queen," I'm NOT a technical person. I do none of my own Web design, programming, or computer maintenance, and I'm apt to throw money at anyone who can help me avoid technical tasks! But I found Overture easy to figure out.
It only takes them a few days to approve and post your listings. This means if you sign up today, your site can be listed for the keywords you choose by next week. And that means more TARGETED TRAFFIC to your site by next week!
THERE ARE OTHERS TOO
There are a few other popular pay-per-click services out there. Google AdWords Select (https://adwords.google.com/select) is one of them. Their service works very similarly to Overture, although your listings appear a bit differently — in little boxes alongside of the regular search listings. And your position is determined not only by your bid, but by your ad's popularity (number of clicks).
The only drawback I found with Google's service is that they absolutely will not accept any listing for a site that features a pop-up window. Even if the pop-up features content that is completely related to the site, such as for a newsletter. I hemmed and hawed to their editorial staff ... and got nowhere.
GIVE THEM A TRY!
So be sure to give pay-per-clicks a try. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, so why not see what type of results you get?
It's important to remember that pay-per-clicks are just one tactic in your bag of online marketing tricks. Don't rely on them for all of your Web site traffic. You should still put effort into achieving regular search engine listings and gaining online exposure in other ways.
As your mother likely told you, don't put all your eggs in one basket! ; )
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
I wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day
Dec 16, 2005
Web Site Blunders!
Avoid These 5 Web Site Blunders!
Welcome To Flo's Business Blog
It's been snowing since Wed morning and it stormed through the night. Today it's still snowing but not as wicked and no cold wind. I didn't do my driveway yesterday so today I got myself quite the job .. I get lots of snow drifts so it's worse in many areas. My day off tomorrow, it's been a tough week so I'm looking forward to it!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "16 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Today's article is interesting to me and good information for designers. One should consider to find information quickly and easily .. would be the best choice when it comes to designing your site pages. Alexandra is sharing her 5 top common blunders that prevent effective communication via the WWW...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Avoid These 5 Web Site Blunders!
by Alexandria K. Brown, “www.EzineQueen.com”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Web is intended to help people find information quickly and easily. So why do so many sites make it difficult for users to get what they need? While neat design can add impact to your message, make sure the message itself doesn’t get lost in the mix.
As president of a copywriting firm that writes and edits dozens of online projects a year, I've come across several common blunders that prevent effective communication via the Web. Here are my top five:
BLUNDER #1: Hiding who you are and what you do.
It's sad that many sites make it a challenge to figure out what they're about. Yes, it may be cool to have a giant dancing logo on your home page, but don't forget WHY your visitors are there: to learn what you can DO for them!
Be sure your home page includes a *short overview* that clearly and concisely describes what you have to offer. It's also a good idea to repeat your tagline or a short mission statement on *every page* of your site. Why? People can pop in and land on an inside page via a search engine/directory link that you may not be aware of. Make sure they know who you are right away.
BLUNDER #2: Writing for print.
Reading copy on a computer screen is different than reading printed text. We read online text more slowly, and we tend to scan rather than read because, visually, the words are harder to digest. Help your users find key words and concepts quickly by making your copy "scannable." Instead of intro paragraphs, use subheads. Use shorter sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Use bulleted lists. And use hyperlinks to give readers more info if they want it.
BLUNDER #3: Writing too formally.
Online readers expect a personal, upbeat tone. If you write like a bureaucrat, you risk turning off many users. Think ACTIVE voice rather than passive. (For example, instead of saying “the computer must be turned on” say “turn on the computer.”) Write to your customers like you'd talk to them, and nix any industry jargon they may not understand.
Interestingly, I occasionally see the opposite problem. For example, a respected law firm's site shouldn't shout excitedly at customers as in a sweepstakes offer. Ask yourself: "How do my customers like to be talked to?" and that's your answer.
BLUNDER #4: Designing cryptic navigation.
Unfortunately, many sites don't seem to be truly designed with the end user in mind. Consider why users are visiting your site, then turn those reasons into your main navigation choices. Try to limit them to 8 or less. Then, create sub-navigation within those choices. But if there's an especially popular page on your site, why not put a special direct link from the home page? For example, on the home page of our site, we keep a direct link to our latest article or information about new awards we’ve won.
BLUNDER #5: Making it difficult to contact you or place an order.
I recently visited the Web site of an acclaimed furniture manufacturer, and I was ready to order one of their renowned ergonomic chairs. I clicked around, found the chair I wanted, and then quickly grew irate. Not only couldn't I find where to order it online, I couldn't even find their phone number to call and order one or find the nearest dealer! The results? One lost customer.
Put your phone number, an e-mail link, and a link to your order form (if you have one) on EVERY page of your Web site. Don't rely on your users having the patience to take a few extra steps. Make it as easy as possible, and they'll be much more likely to follow through (and return)!
(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
I wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day
Welcome To Flo's Business Blog
It's been snowing since Wed morning and it stormed through the night. Today it's still snowing but not as wicked and no cold wind. I didn't do my driveway yesterday so today I got myself quite the job .. I get lots of snow drifts so it's worse in many areas. My day off tomorrow, it's been a tough week so I'm looking forward to it!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas!
Register for the "12 Days of Christmas" You will have "16 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
Today's article is interesting to me and good information for designers. One should consider to find information quickly and easily .. would be the best choice when it comes to designing your site pages. Alexandra is sharing her 5 top common blunders that prevent effective communication via the WWW...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Avoid These 5 Web Site Blunders!
by Alexandria K. Brown, “www.EzineQueen.com”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Web is intended to help people find information quickly and easily. So why do so many sites make it difficult for users to get what they need? While neat design can add impact to your message, make sure the message itself doesn’t get lost in the mix.
As president of a copywriting firm that writes and edits dozens of online projects a year, I've come across several common blunders that prevent effective communication via the Web. Here are my top five:
BLUNDER #1: Hiding who you are and what you do.
It's sad that many sites make it a challenge to figure out what they're about. Yes, it may be cool to have a giant dancing logo on your home page, but don't forget WHY your visitors are there: to learn what you can DO for them!
Be sure your home page includes a *short overview* that clearly and concisely describes what you have to offer. It's also a good idea to repeat your tagline or a short mission statement on *every page* of your site. Why? People can pop in and land on an inside page via a search engine/directory link that you may not be aware of. Make sure they know who you are right away.
BLUNDER #2: Writing for print.
Reading copy on a computer screen is different than reading printed text. We read online text more slowly, and we tend to scan rather than read because, visually, the words are harder to digest. Help your users find key words and concepts quickly by making your copy "scannable." Instead of intro paragraphs, use subheads. Use shorter sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Use bulleted lists. And use hyperlinks to give readers more info if they want it.
BLUNDER #3: Writing too formally.
Online readers expect a personal, upbeat tone. If you write like a bureaucrat, you risk turning off many users. Think ACTIVE voice rather than passive. (For example, instead of saying “the computer must be turned on” say “turn on the computer.”) Write to your customers like you'd talk to them, and nix any industry jargon they may not understand.
Interestingly, I occasionally see the opposite problem. For example, a respected law firm's site shouldn't shout excitedly at customers as in a sweepstakes offer. Ask yourself: "How do my customers like to be talked to?" and that's your answer.
BLUNDER #4: Designing cryptic navigation.
Unfortunately, many sites don't seem to be truly designed with the end user in mind. Consider why users are visiting your site, then turn those reasons into your main navigation choices. Try to limit them to 8 or less. Then, create sub-navigation within those choices. But if there's an especially popular page on your site, why not put a special direct link from the home page? For example, on the home page of our site, we keep a direct link to our latest article or information about new awards we’ve won.
BLUNDER #5: Making it difficult to contact you or place an order.
I recently visited the Web site of an acclaimed furniture manufacturer, and I was ready to order one of their renowned ergonomic chairs. I clicked around, found the chair I wanted, and then quickly grew irate. Not only couldn't I find where to order it online, I couldn't even find their phone number to call and order one or find the nearest dealer! The results? One lost customer.
Put your phone number, an e-mail link, and a link to your order form (if you have one) on EVERY page of your Web site. Don't rely on your users having the patience to take a few extra steps. Make it as easy as possible, and they'll be much more likely to follow through (and return)!
(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown
-=-=-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.EzineQueen.com.
-=-=-
I wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day
Dec 15, 2005
How To Accept Credit Cards Online
Jim's article shares a unique solution that enables smaller online merchants to accept credit cards at a fraction of those high start-up costs. And with no long-term commitment and with zero minimum monthly fees...
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How To Accept Credit Cards Online?
By Jim Edwards
© All Rights reserved
TheNetReporter.com
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Anyone with an online business, whether for auctions, services, or virtually any type of product, has asked the same question at some time during their quest to create the ultimate online business - "How do I accept credit cards?"
Since over 90% of all transactions on the Internet involve customers paying by credit card, accepting plastic money rates a must for almost any business.
The problem for most small online business owners involves the high cost of setting up and maintaining a credit card merchant account.
With start-up fees ranging from $200 to $500, minimum monthly fees of at least $40 to $50, plus per transaction fees and a percentage of sales, most people who want to supplement their income online or test an idea can't risk that kind of money.
Add in credit checks, 48-month service contracts, expensive equipment purchases or leasing, financial statements, and last 3 years' tax returns and most people throw up their hands and give up before they even get started.
Fortunately several companies responded to this problem with unique solutions that enable smaller online merchants to accept credit cards at a fraction of those high start-up costs with no long-term commitment, no equipment purchases, and zero minimum monthly fees.
~ http://www.PayPal.com ~
PayPal has gotten some negative press over the last couple of years, but that press has been mostly undeserved.
PayPal makes it easy for you to collect money for your online sales, send money to merchants, bill people monthly, collect dues and donations and integrate a free shopping cart into your site.
Of all the payment and money transfer services online, PayPal ranks as the absolute lowest in cost and the easiest to set up.
PayPal allows merchants to sell physical and downloadable products along with personal services.
~ http://www.ClickBank.com ~
For a $50 one-time fee ClickBank enables online ebook, software and other electronic information sellers to not only accept credit cards, but provide instant delivery of their products to online purchasers.
ClickBank allows any merchant to accept virtually every major credit card on the planet.
The online merchant simply adds a purchase link to their site, the customer clicks the link, fills in their payment information and the credit card gets authorized on the spot.
Once the card gets approved ClickBank redirects the buyer to a page that enables them to download the ebook, software, or other product they have just purchased.
ClickBank also operates a fully integrated affiliate program that automatically pays affiliates who sell your products for you.
ClickBank heavily restricts what merchants may sell through the service and does not allow the sale of physical goods.
~ http://www.PaySystems.com ~
Of the three, Paysystems behaves most like a traditional credit card merchant account.
The service allows the merchant to integrate with a number of third-party shopping carts as well as use the PaySystems shopping cart system.
Merchants pay a small transaction fee and a percentage of the sale, but don't sign up for any long-term service contracts or equipment leases.
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Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> Write Money Making Ezine Articles FAST!
-=-=-=-
Love and Success
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
How To Accept Credit Cards Online?
By Jim Edwards
© All Rights reserved
TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Anyone with an online business, whether for auctions, services, or virtually any type of product, has asked the same question at some time during their quest to create the ultimate online business - "How do I accept credit cards?"
Since over 90% of all transactions on the Internet involve customers paying by credit card, accepting plastic money rates a must for almost any business.
The problem for most small online business owners involves the high cost of setting up and maintaining a credit card merchant account.
With start-up fees ranging from $200 to $500, minimum monthly fees of at least $40 to $50, plus per transaction fees and a percentage of sales, most people who want to supplement their income online or test an idea can't risk that kind of money.
Add in credit checks, 48-month service contracts, expensive equipment purchases or leasing, financial statements, and last 3 years' tax returns and most people throw up their hands and give up before they even get started.
Fortunately several companies responded to this problem with unique solutions that enable smaller online merchants to accept credit cards at a fraction of those high start-up costs with no long-term commitment, no equipment purchases, and zero minimum monthly fees.
~ http://www.PayPal.com ~
PayPal has gotten some negative press over the last couple of years, but that press has been mostly undeserved.
PayPal makes it easy for you to collect money for your online sales, send money to merchants, bill people monthly, collect dues and donations and integrate a free shopping cart into your site.
Of all the payment and money transfer services online, PayPal ranks as the absolute lowest in cost and the easiest to set up.
PayPal allows merchants to sell physical and downloadable products along with personal services.
~ http://www.ClickBank.com ~
For a $50 one-time fee ClickBank enables online ebook, software and other electronic information sellers to not only accept credit cards, but provide instant delivery of their products to online purchasers.
ClickBank allows any merchant to accept virtually every major credit card on the planet.
The online merchant simply adds a purchase link to their site, the customer clicks the link, fills in their payment information and the credit card gets authorized on the spot.
Once the card gets approved ClickBank redirects the buyer to a page that enables them to download the ebook, software, or other product they have just purchased.
ClickBank also operates a fully integrated affiliate program that automatically pays affiliates who sell your products for you.
ClickBank heavily restricts what merchants may sell through the service and does not allow the sale of physical goods.
~ http://www.PaySystems.com ~
Of the three, Paysystems behaves most like a traditional credit card merchant account.
The service allows the merchant to integrate with a number of third-party shopping carts as well as use the PaySystems shopping cart system.
Merchants pay a small transaction fee and a percentage of the sale, but don't sign up for any long-term service contracts or equipment leases.
-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> Write Money Making Ezine Articles FAST!
-=-=-=-
Love and Success
Dec 14, 2005
"Page Hijacking"
Block Ads, Defeat Pop-Up's, and STOP "Page Hijacking"
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
It's gloomy today, since Saturday the sun was out shinning brightly! I see snow here and there coming down .. I need to go do business out there. In my area I'm surrounded by small towns as I live in the country and the banking days are Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's here. At one time they were open 7 days a week .. it's not fun the lines are ridiculously long!
Reminder to Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas!
Register for the "12 Days Of Christmas" You will have "14 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
We all have the annoying problem with the various ways webmasters uses to advertise their product/service. In today's article Jim is sharing with us some great advice that will help You if You feel extremely irritated by online advertising...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Block Ads, Defeat Pop-Up's, and STOP "Page Hijacking"
- by Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You're not alone!
Who hasn't surfed the web looking for information only to have their session interrupted by those annoying pop-up windows displaying everything from banner ads to newsletter sign-up's?
Though pop-up windows and other methods of influencing a user's online experiences originally had positive intentions, they now seem only to annoy and manipulate users at every turn.
For anyone who ever felt extremely irritated by online advertising, the following advice should help.
** Pop-Up Ads **
Pop-up windows open new pages in your browser without your permission and, sometimes, without your knowledge.
They slow down your surfing and cause confusion, even for the most experienced surfer.
If you don't want to see pop-up windows in your browser, you should get a free pop-up blocker like the ones that come with the Google tool bar (http://toolbar.google.com) or the Alexa tool bar (http://download.alexa.com).
Either of these free tools "plug in" to your web browser and will stop the majority of pop-ups, including the situations where 5 or 10 pop-up windows fly up on your screen and "attack" you all at once!
** Page Hijacking **
Have you ever surfed along peacefully when all of a sudden you hit your back button and nothing happened?
Click-click-click - no matter how many times you hit the button, it seemed your web browser had been "wheel locked" to a certain site and no amount of effort allowed you to back track.
This nasty little trick, otherwise know as "page hijacking" involves inserting a small bit of code into a web page that disables your browser's "back" button.
To defeat this little nasty just click and hold the down arrow next to your browser's "back" button (on both Internet Explorer and Netscape) to see a list of the last few pages you've browsed.
Click on a link in the history list to free yourself and resume surfing.
Careful though, you may not have been hijacked, you may have been the victim of the next dirty trick.
** Fast Meta Refresh **
A predecessor of the pop-up window, the fast meta refresh trick involves opening one page and almost instantly having your browser redirected to another page.
This tactic, often used by search engine promoters, often leads to wasted time on pages that have little relevance to your search.
It may also entail opening five to ten additional windows, frequently displaying offensive material such as pornography.
Closing all your browser windows and starting over seems the only sure-fire way to defeat this tactic. Hitting your back button to retreat from the problem will usually just cause more windows to appear.
Quick Tip: If you find yourself attacked by multiple pop-up ads, hold down the key and hit the key repeatedly, all the web browser windows on your screen will disappear faster than new ones can pop open.
If you feel a website operator appears to openly abuse visitors with annoying or unscrupulous tactics, feel free to complain to their hosting company or the search engines.
By doing so you might save the next person a whole lot of inconvenience.
-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr-e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
-=-=-
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> Write Money Making Ezine Articles FAST!
-=-=-
I wish You and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
It's gloomy today, since Saturday the sun was out shinning brightly! I see snow here and there coming down .. I need to go do business out there. In my area I'm surrounded by small towns as I live in the country and the banking days are Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's here. At one time they were open 7 days a week .. it's not fun the lines are ridiculously long!
Reminder to Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas!
Register for the "12 Days Of Christmas" You will have "14 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now" it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
We all have the annoying problem with the various ways webmasters uses to advertise their product/service. In today's article Jim is sharing with us some great advice that will help You if You feel extremely irritated by online advertising...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Block Ads, Defeat Pop-Up's, and STOP "Page Hijacking"
- by Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You're not alone!
Who hasn't surfed the web looking for information only to have their session interrupted by those annoying pop-up windows displaying everything from banner ads to newsletter sign-up's?
Though pop-up windows and other methods of influencing a user's online experiences originally had positive intentions, they now seem only to annoy and manipulate users at every turn.
For anyone who ever felt extremely irritated by online advertising, the following advice should help.
** Pop-Up Ads **
Pop-up windows open new pages in your browser without your permission and, sometimes, without your knowledge.
They slow down your surfing and cause confusion, even for the most experienced surfer.
If you don't want to see pop-up windows in your browser, you should get a free pop-up blocker like the ones that come with the Google tool bar (http://toolbar.google.com) or the Alexa tool bar (http://download.alexa.com).
Either of these free tools "plug in" to your web browser and will stop the majority of pop-ups, including the situations where 5 or 10 pop-up windows fly up on your screen and "attack" you all at once!
** Page Hijacking **
Have you ever surfed along peacefully when all of a sudden you hit your back button and nothing happened?
Click-click-click - no matter how many times you hit the button, it seemed your web browser had been "wheel locked" to a certain site and no amount of effort allowed you to back track.
This nasty little trick, otherwise know as "page hijacking" involves inserting a small bit of code into a web page that disables your browser's "back" button.
To defeat this little nasty just click and hold the down arrow next to your browser's "back" button (on both Internet Explorer and Netscape) to see a list of the last few pages you've browsed.
Click on a link in the history list to free yourself and resume surfing.
Careful though, you may not have been hijacked, you may have been the victim of the next dirty trick.
** Fast Meta Refresh **
A predecessor of the pop-up window, the fast meta refresh trick involves opening one page and almost instantly having your browser redirected to another page.
This tactic, often used by search engine promoters, often leads to wasted time on pages that have little relevance to your search.
It may also entail opening five to ten additional windows, frequently displaying offensive material such as pornography.
Closing all your browser windows and starting over seems the only sure-fire way to defeat this tactic. Hitting your back button to retreat from the problem will usually just cause more windows to appear.
Quick Tip: If you find yourself attacked by multiple pop-up ads, hold down the
If you feel a website operator appears to openly abuse visitors with annoying or unscrupulous tactics, feel free to complain to their hosting company or the search engines.
By doing so you might save the next person a whole lot of inconvenience.
-=-=-
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr-e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
-=-=-
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> Write Money Making Ezine Articles FAST!
-=-=-
I wish You and yours a wonderful Christmas .. have a great day
Dec 13, 2005
During the Holidays
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
I got up early this morning .. it's because I got tons to do and get done fast. My daughter is coming on the 23 and I need to decorate for the Christmas Spirit. This year I will not get a real tree I will use a small table tree .. it's quicker to set up! I finished my Christmas cards and I'm a little late!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas!
Register for the "12 Days Of Christmas" You will have "13 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
In today's article Alexandra will share some great ideas that will help You if your business sales are slow at this time of year...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10 Things to Help Your Business When
Sales Are Slow During the Holidays
by Alexandria K. Brown, " www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Twiddling your thumbs and waiting for some business to come in? Why not use this downtime to set yourself up for greater success in the new year? Here are my 10 picks, but you don't have to do them all. Even doing just one will get you another rung higher on your business ladder.
1. Evaluate your virtual team and make changes if necessary.
Are administrative tasks taking up most of your time and keeping you from working ON your business? Then hire a virtual assistant. (See my article on this topic at www.ezine-queen.com/everything.htm.) Are you paying too much in taxes? Meet with your accountant to talk about getting more aggressive with write-offs, or make appointments to interview new accountants. Same goes for your lawyer -- do you love him/her? If not, take this time to ask around for referrals.
2. Learn how to get more leads and sales automatically via your Web site.
Would you like to be getting business leads and sales 24-7 using your website and email? Then finally take time to learn how it all can work for you. It's really a simple process, and you can set it up for the new year! Either register for a live workshop to learn how (such as my Online Success Blueprint Workshop coming up in March 2006) or buy a home study course and follow it step by step!
3. Revamp your e-zine or launch an e-zine.
Remember that having a ready list of warm prospects is your goldmine, and having an e-zine positions you for more sales on a regular basis and for the LONG-TERM. The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to release your first issue! If you're not publishing yet, get ready with all the great free resources at www.EzineQueen.com.
4. Clean out that e-mail inbox once and for all!
Unanswered e-mails, people to follow up with, information not recorded or filed in the proper places --- need I say more? Delete e-mails that are more than a few months old. Set up e-mail folders to help you stay more organized in the future. And if your program allows, set "rules" to automatically sort incoming e-mails into those folders.
5. Clean out your filing cabinet, bookshelf, desk, etc.
Is your office a fire hazard? Do you have to rustle through giant stacks of paper like a large rodent to find anything? Will your spouse not even enter the premises? Put on some good music, start digging, and make piles. Make sure to have plenty of trash bags and cardboard file boxes on hand. (And a good glass of wine always makes it more fun.)
6. Upgrade or clean up your computer.
Your computer probably holds most of the information that's crucial to your business, so take care of it! Now's a great time to do an overhaul. Upgrade your operating system (do you STILL have Windows 95?), get rid of unnecessary files, archive old files to CDs, add more disk space for all those downloads, and do system maintenance. Not sure how to go about this? Find a geek-for-hire to come and help you out.
7. Let your clients know how much you are thankful for their business.
Whether it's holiday cards or thank-you notes, this is a good practice for both your business and you. Letting the universe know you're grateful for what you have will only bring you better things in the future.
8. Plan an upcoming teleseminar.
For a quick cash-flow boost, plan a paid teleseminar! These phone-based events are easy to do and can be great income generators. Either host it yourself on a topic you're qualified to talk about, or invite a special guest to interview. To encourage holiday signups, offer special pricing for those who register before the new year. (Learn how to host a successful teleseminar at www.EzineQueen.com/teleseminar.htm)
9. Write down your 25 best accomplishments for this past year.
This simple exercise is extremely powerful. Time goes by so quickly that we forget to celebrate the good things that happen. First I light a candle and write down my 25 accomplishments. Then, taking each one in, I read them aloud. After the last one, I blow the candle out, and then IMMEDIATELY make a list of 10 goals for the new year. (After truly acknowledging all the amazing things you did this year, you'll feel incredibly powerful and set even higher goals!)
10. Actually enjoy the holidays!
Yes! I realized that for the past few years I've been running around like a nut every December and suddenly the next year is here. Christmas and New Year's blaze by like a freight train, and I'm back to the grind shortly thereafter. Where's the joy, peace, and love?
Remind yourself what the holidays are for -- to take a step back and appreciate what you have, to enjoy your family and friends, to give to others, and to be good to yourself. So take that walk in the snow, go to that tree lighting with your kids, get that massage, and plan a leisurely shopping day during the week.
Remember, we only have so many Christmases in a lifetime.
© 2003-2005 Alexandria K. Brown
-=-=-=-
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 17,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com
-=-=-=-
Have a great day
I got up early this morning .. it's because I got tons to do and get done fast. My daughter is coming on the 23 and I need to decorate for the Christmas Spirit. This year I will not get a real tree I will use a small table tree .. it's quicker to set up! I finished my Christmas cards and I'm a little late!
Holiday Season Once A Year Events...
It's the 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive, in affiliation with the official U.S. Marine Corps "TOYS FOR TOTS" Program. PLEASE Donate or Help with "The Internet Toy Drive" and make a HUGE difference in the lives of Needy Children this Christmas! We hope we can count on You to Help Kids this Christmas!
Register for the "12 Days Of Christmas" You will have "13 Free Gifts" to choose from .. I highly recommend taking a look and "grab them now it's a Holiday Treasure of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost !!!
In today's article Alexandra will share some great ideas that will help You if your business sales are slow at this time of year...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10 Things to Help Your Business When
Sales Are Slow During the Holidays
by Alexandria K. Brown, " www.EzineQueen.com"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Twiddling your thumbs and waiting for some business to come in? Why not use this downtime to set yourself up for greater success in the new year? Here are my 10 picks, but you don't have to do them all. Even doing just one will get you another rung higher on your business ladder.
1. Evaluate your virtual team and make changes if necessary.
Are administrative tasks taking up most of your time and keeping you from working ON your business? Then hire a virtual assistant. (See my article on this topic at www.ezine-queen.com/everything.htm.) Are you paying too much in taxes? Meet with your accountant to talk about getting more aggressive with write-offs, or make appointments to interview new accountants. Same goes for your lawyer -- do you love him/her? If not, take this time to ask around for referrals.
2. Learn how to get more leads and sales automatically via your Web site.
Would you like to be getting business leads and sales 24-7 using your website and email? Then finally take time to learn how it all can work for you. It's really a simple process, and you can set it up for the new year! Either register for a live workshop to learn how (such as my Online Success Blueprint Workshop coming up in March 2006) or buy a home study course and follow it step by step!
3. Revamp your e-zine or launch an e-zine.
Remember that having a ready list of warm prospects is your goldmine, and having an e-zine positions you for more sales on a regular basis and for the LONG-TERM. The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to release your first issue! If you're not publishing yet, get ready with all the great free resources at www.EzineQueen.com.
4. Clean out that e-mail inbox once and for all!
Unanswered e-mails, people to follow up with, information not recorded or filed in the proper places --- need I say more? Delete e-mails that are more than a few months old. Set up e-mail folders to help you stay more organized in the future. And if your program allows, set "rules" to automatically sort incoming e-mails into those folders.
5. Clean out your filing cabinet, bookshelf, desk, etc.
Is your office a fire hazard? Do you have to rustle through giant stacks of paper like a large rodent to find anything? Will your spouse not even enter the premises? Put on some good music, start digging, and make piles. Make sure to have plenty of trash bags and cardboard file boxes on hand. (And a good glass of wine always makes it more fun.)
6. Upgrade or clean up your computer.
Your computer probably holds most of the information that's crucial to your business, so take care of it! Now's a great time to do an overhaul. Upgrade your operating system (do you STILL have Windows 95?), get rid of unnecessary files, archive old files to CDs, add more disk space for all those downloads, and do system maintenance. Not sure how to go about this? Find a geek-for-hire to come and help you out.
7. Let your clients know how much you are thankful for their business.
Whether it's holiday cards or thank-you notes, this is a good practice for both your business and you. Letting the universe know you're grateful for what you have will only bring you better things in the future.
8. Plan an upcoming teleseminar.
For a quick cash-flow boost, plan a paid teleseminar! These phone-based events are easy to do and can be great income generators. Either host it yourself on a topic you're qualified to talk about, or invite a special guest to interview. To encourage holiday signups, offer special pricing for those who register before the new year. (Learn how to host a successful teleseminar at www.EzineQueen.com/teleseminar.htm)
9. Write down your 25 best accomplishments for this past year.
This simple exercise is extremely powerful. Time goes by so quickly that we forget to celebrate the good things that happen. First I light a candle and write down my 25 accomplishments. Then, taking each one in, I read them aloud. After the last one, I blow the candle out, and then IMMEDIATELY make a list of 10 goals for the new year. (After truly acknowledging all the amazing things you did this year, you'll feel incredibly powerful and set even higher goals!)
10. Actually enjoy the holidays!
Yes! I realized that for the past few years I've been running around like a nut every December and suddenly the next year is here. Christmas and New Year's blaze by like a freight train, and I'm back to the grind shortly thereafter. Where's the joy, peace, and love?
Remind yourself what the holidays are for -- to take a step back and appreciate what you have, to enjoy your family and friends, to give to others, and to be good to yourself. So take that walk in the snow, go to that tree lighting with your kids, get that massage, and plan a leisurely shopping day during the week.
Remember, we only have so many Christmases in a lifetime.
© 2003-2005 Alexandria K. Brown
-=-=-=-
WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 17,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com
-=-=-=-
Have a great day
Dec 12, 2005
Try Doing Good !!!
Doing Great? Try Doing Good
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
It's a beautiful sunny bright day today and that's an uplift !!! Saturday night it snowed all night and it looked real pretty coming down .. I always enjoy watching. Last night during the night the sky was lit up and I was able to see everything and that looks pretty cool too!
Today's article is about "The Internet Toy Drive" an event that comes around once a year .. the Holiday Season is that time. Today I would like everyone to open their hearts and somehow participate in any way you can to help the greatest gift we receive and that's our children. Take a few minutes and see how you can participate, if you can't financially there is other ways that you can help...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Doing Great? Try Doing Good
by Charlie Page
The Internet Toy Drive
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
We are a blessed people on the Internet. Whether you are a “newbie” just learning the ropes (and perhaps suffering from a bit of information overload) or your business is starting to gel, bringing in some much needed income, or you are an Internet veteran earning a full-time income, you have so very much to be thankful for.
At no other time in the history of mankind has there been so much opportunity!
Just think; anyone, anywhere who can connect to the Internet (and that means you if you are reading this right now) can learn what he or she needs to know to succeed online and turn his or her dreams into reality.
Consider this. If you wanted to succeed on your own, wanted to be truly independent, in the 1960s you would have needed to finish college, get a bank loan, sign a long-term lease, hire employees, work unthinkable hours, and hope that your heard work was rewarded.
If you wanted to succeed in the 1980s you would have been able to go the route described above, the same path to success your parents had available, or you could have done a new thing called buying a “franchise”. If you went the franchise route you would still have needed the bank loan, the lease, the employees, and the very hard work. And you would still need to hope that the market rewarded you because you would owe a very large amount of money for the franchise itself.
Fast forward to 2004 and take a peek at 21st Century success.
Today you can learn much of what you need to succeed online from eBooks, teleseminars, and low-cost membership sites. There is a world of information at your fingertips! No degree needed to succeed. No lease needed to succeed. No employees needed to succeed! No gender or ethnic limitations. No glass ceiling. And no need to take on massive debt in order to reach your dreams.
Yes, we are a blessed people online.
And now our turn has come to bless others … and it won’t even cost you a thin dime.
This year the 4th Annual Internet Toy Drive takes place between November 25th and December 25th and it couldn’t be more important that you help.
Rick Beneteau, Anne Marie Baugh and jl scott have teamed up with the U.S. Marines Toys For Tots Program again to bring hope to children in need.
And they are in need my friends. They need you.
What happens with the Internet Toy Drive is powerful and is simplicity itself. All that Rick, Anne Marie, and jl ask is that you host a simple banner on your site. If you have a mailing list, they ask that you send a message along about the Internet Toy Drive to your list as well. They provide the copy. You Click Send.
That’s it … a banner and an email and you can help change the world! If you feel led to donate, they have a way you can do that too. No begging for your help. No guilt trip. Just a sincere desire to help kids in need combined with our complete confidence in the goodness of people to help kids in need.
If you have kids, stop right now and look at them if you can. Now picture them this Christmas without toys, without joy, without hope.
Now realize that the only thing stopping them from having even a single toy, from having that hope, is someone like yourself who won’t take time to place a banner on their website or send an email to their list.
Yes, we are a blessed people online and now we can bless these little ones who need our help. The time is now and the need is very real indeed.
The law of reciprocity says that when you give you will receive, but don’t do it for that reason.
Do it because, if it were you, you would forever love and admire the people who took action, who took the time, to be a blessing to your little one in your time of need.
That alone is reason enough to stop what you are doing right now and visit The Internet Toy Drive
To be a blessing to you, Rick, Anne Marie and jl have arranged a number of gifts for you, their way of saying “thank you for helping” and “well done my friend”.
While at their site, take a moment to view the list of names of top Internet marketers who know what you now know; we are a blessed people on the Internet.
If you are blessed enough to be reading this now, be a blessing today in the life of a little one who needs your help. All it takes is a moment of your time. We provide every tool and instruction you need. We provide the banner. We provide the email you can send. We provide the site where you can change the life of a child in need.
Thank you for your time and thank you in advance for being the blessing that you are. Be sure to visit "The Internet Toy Drive" today and make Christmas a time of real celebration for someone special.
© 2004 Charlie Page
-=-=-=-
( Please use the below ad )
Help Yourself By Helping Children . . .
The 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive!!
We are proud to be a partner with the official U.S. Marines "Toys for Tots" program in The Fifth Annual Internet Toy Drive. It's a sad fact that millions of children in the United States will NOT have a single gift to open on Christmas Day! We aim to change that and make sure EVERY child has at least one present 'from Santa' under their tree. Help a needy child in YOUR community right now: http://www.internettoydrive.org
-=-=-=-
Have a blessed day
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
It's a beautiful sunny bright day today and that's an uplift !!! Saturday night it snowed all night and it looked real pretty coming down .. I always enjoy watching. Last night during the night the sky was lit up and I was able to see everything and that looks pretty cool too!
Today's article is about "The Internet Toy Drive" an event that comes around once a year .. the Holiday Season is that time. Today I would like everyone to open their hearts and somehow participate in any way you can to help the greatest gift we receive and that's our children. Take a few minutes and see how you can participate, if you can't financially there is other ways that you can help...
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Doing Great? Try Doing Good
by Charlie Page
The Internet Toy Drive
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We are a blessed people on the Internet. Whether you are a “newbie” just learning the ropes (and perhaps suffering from a bit of information overload) or your business is starting to gel, bringing in some much needed income, or you are an Internet veteran earning a full-time income, you have so very much to be thankful for.
At no other time in the history of mankind has there been so much opportunity!
Just think; anyone, anywhere who can connect to the Internet (and that means you if you are reading this right now) can learn what he or she needs to know to succeed online and turn his or her dreams into reality.
Consider this. If you wanted to succeed on your own, wanted to be truly independent, in the 1960s you would have needed to finish college, get a bank loan, sign a long-term lease, hire employees, work unthinkable hours, and hope that your heard work was rewarded.
If you wanted to succeed in the 1980s you would have been able to go the route described above, the same path to success your parents had available, or you could have done a new thing called buying a “franchise”. If you went the franchise route you would still have needed the bank loan, the lease, the employees, and the very hard work. And you would still need to hope that the market rewarded you because you would owe a very large amount of money for the franchise itself.
Fast forward to 2004 and take a peek at 21st Century success.
Today you can learn much of what you need to succeed online from eBooks, teleseminars, and low-cost membership sites. There is a world of information at your fingertips! No degree needed to succeed. No lease needed to succeed. No employees needed to succeed! No gender or ethnic limitations. No glass ceiling. And no need to take on massive debt in order to reach your dreams.
Yes, we are a blessed people online.
And now our turn has come to bless others … and it won’t even cost you a thin dime.
This year the 4th Annual Internet Toy Drive takes place between November 25th and December 25th and it couldn’t be more important that you help.
Rick Beneteau, Anne Marie Baugh and jl scott have teamed up with the U.S. Marines Toys For Tots Program again to bring hope to children in need.
And they are in need my friends. They need you.
What happens with the Internet Toy Drive is powerful and is simplicity itself. All that Rick, Anne Marie, and jl ask is that you host a simple banner on your site. If you have a mailing list, they ask that you send a message along about the Internet Toy Drive to your list as well. They provide the copy. You Click Send.
That’s it … a banner and an email and you can help change the world! If you feel led to donate, they have a way you can do that too. No begging for your help. No guilt trip. Just a sincere desire to help kids in need combined with our complete confidence in the goodness of people to help kids in need.
If you have kids, stop right now and look at them if you can. Now picture them this Christmas without toys, without joy, without hope.
Now realize that the only thing stopping them from having even a single toy, from having that hope, is someone like yourself who won’t take time to place a banner on their website or send an email to their list.
Yes, we are a blessed people online and now we can bless these little ones who need our help. The time is now and the need is very real indeed.
The law of reciprocity says that when you give you will receive, but don’t do it for that reason.
Do it because, if it were you, you would forever love and admire the people who took action, who took the time, to be a blessing to your little one in your time of need.
That alone is reason enough to stop what you are doing right now and visit The Internet Toy Drive
To be a blessing to you, Rick, Anne Marie and jl have arranged a number of gifts for you, their way of saying “thank you for helping” and “well done my friend”.
While at their site, take a moment to view the list of names of top Internet marketers who know what you now know; we are a blessed people on the Internet.
If you are blessed enough to be reading this now, be a blessing today in the life of a little one who needs your help. All it takes is a moment of your time. We provide every tool and instruction you need. We provide the banner. We provide the email you can send. We provide the site where you can change the life of a child in need.
Thank you for your time and thank you in advance for being the blessing that you are. Be sure to visit "The Internet Toy Drive" today and make Christmas a time of real celebration for someone special.
© 2004 Charlie Page
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( Please use the below ad )
Help Yourself By Helping Children . . .
The 5th Annual Internet Toy Drive!!
We are proud to be a partner with the official U.S. Marines "Toys for Tots" program in The Fifth Annual Internet Toy Drive. It's a sad fact that millions of children in the United States will NOT have a single gift to open on Christmas Day! We aim to change that and make sure EVERY child has at least one present 'from Santa' under their tree. Help a needy child in YOUR community right now: http://www.internettoydrive.org
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Have a blessed day
Dec 9, 2005
Biggest Giveaway
Welcome to Flo's Business & Fun Blog
I'm late today at posting I apologize to my regular visitors! I had a Virus that landed in my computer and I needed to get it out. It took a whole part of my day but I got it out and I'm Virus free now. It's my day off tomorrow so I will enjoy it - it's not easy to remove Viruses from a computer!
Many people don't realize when they leave their "ports" open all day long they welcome unwanted intruders... Trojans, Viruses and other types of malaware to come in. If You have Messengers, Skype, Hello and other similar programs You need to close the "ports" to these programs!!!
What I mean is... do not let the programs open... You must sign out or exit the program so no one enters through the open "ports". Many of my friends have these programs open all day long and don't realize it's an invitation to intruders to invade your computer. To stop the spread of these vicious intruders it's very important to close all ports when You are not using them !!!
In today's post I would like to remind friends and visitors about the "12 Days Of Christmas Holiday Gifts". These "Holiday Treasures" has started on December 1st .. thousands of dollars worth of Internet Marketing products given away free. Mark Hendricks has put together his own version of "12 Days Of Christmas" the biggest giveaway beyond your imagination!
If You want to be a Webmaster and don't have a product or service to offer to get You started ... than look at this opportunity and take advantage of these fantastic "FREE Holiday Gifts". If You're a Webmaster You will benefit too just like I am right now.
Many products provided come along with resale rights, distribution rights, branding rights and so on. You'll be getting some great gifts from some very sharp people this month so You can startup your very own business with. You'll be able to add more products to your current membership site and provide free downloads to your subscribers… all is yours free!
You will build a stable foundation on which to generate a secure LONG TERM and EVER INCREASING income from the Internet with these excellent free gifts that 12 Days Of Christmas has for You!
Promote your website using these powerful free methods to build your mailing list. This is essential to building return traffic to your website, this can greatly increase not only the size of your mailing list, but also the respect that the people on your list have for You. The more traffic your website receives, the more money You make!
Remember, once someone has joined your mailing list, You can contact them and bring them back to your site every time You have a good reason to do so. As your mailing list builds, so will the amount of traffic You receive from your mailing list...
*Starting today You will have "9 FREE Gifts" to choose from, You will benefit with your online business !!! So the first thing You must do is "register here" to receive the "12 Days of Christmas Updates" and by filling in your information.
I highly recommend taking a look, because it's a treasure chest of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost! It'll be 12 months till You can get this many quality products for free again, so 'grab them now!!!
Take advantage of this opportunity with this "Special Holiday Season" of "Free Gifts" and enjoy all the great goodies from all the 12 Days contributors!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Yours!
To your success...
I'm late today at posting I apologize to my regular visitors! I had a Virus that landed in my computer and I needed to get it out. It took a whole part of my day but I got it out and I'm Virus free now. It's my day off tomorrow so I will enjoy it - it's not easy to remove Viruses from a computer!
Many people don't realize when they leave their "ports" open all day long they welcome unwanted intruders... Trojans, Viruses and other types of malaware to come in. If You have Messengers, Skype, Hello and other similar programs You need to close the "ports" to these programs!!!
What I mean is... do not let the programs open... You must sign out or exit the program so no one enters through the open "ports". Many of my friends have these programs open all day long and don't realize it's an invitation to intruders to invade your computer. To stop the spread of these vicious intruders it's very important to close all ports when You are not using them !!!
In today's post I would like to remind friends and visitors about the "12 Days Of Christmas Holiday Gifts". These "Holiday Treasures" has started on December 1st .. thousands of dollars worth of Internet Marketing products given away free. Mark Hendricks has put together his own version of "12 Days Of Christmas" the biggest giveaway beyond your imagination!
If You want to be a Webmaster and don't have a product or service to offer to get You started ... than look at this opportunity and take advantage of these fantastic "FREE Holiday Gifts". If You're a Webmaster You will benefit too just like I am right now.
Many products provided come along with resale rights, distribution rights, branding rights and so on. You'll be getting some great gifts from some very sharp people this month so You can startup your very own business with. You'll be able to add more products to your current membership site and provide free downloads to your subscribers… all is yours free!
You will build a stable foundation on which to generate a secure LONG TERM and EVER INCREASING income from the Internet with these excellent free gifts that 12 Days Of Christmas has for You!
Promote your website using these powerful free methods to build your mailing list. This is essential to building return traffic to your website, this can greatly increase not only the size of your mailing list, but also the respect that the people on your list have for You. The more traffic your website receives, the more money You make!
Remember, once someone has joined your mailing list, You can contact them and bring them back to your site every time You have a good reason to do so. As your mailing list builds, so will the amount of traffic You receive from your mailing list...
*Starting today You will have "9 FREE Gifts" to choose from, You will benefit with your online business !!! So the first thing You must do is "register here" to receive the "12 Days of Christmas Updates" and by filling in your information.
I highly recommend taking a look, because it's a treasure chest of great stuff from some of the top names around, at no cost! It'll be 12 months till You can get this many quality products for free again, so 'grab them now!!!
Take advantage of this opportunity with this "Special Holiday Season" of "Free Gifts" and enjoy all the great goodies from all the 12 Days contributors!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Yours!
To your success...
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