By now just about everyone has a blog on their site. If you don't yet, you should definitely look into starting a blog of your own. With easy and free options like Blogger and Wordpress, it's actually a lot easier than it may look.
Why bother starting a blog? Because blogs could possibly be the easiest type of site to promote that has ever been created. The whole concept of blogging is based around interlinking to other interesting sites, often without being approached by the site owner first. Most blog platforms even include a trackback feature to encourage blogging about other people's sites. This is a drastic change from the view of traditional webmasters who fear linking out will hurt their site's ranking.
Submit your blog to as many free blog directories as possible. Just like submitting a regular site to free web directories gives you backlinks and Pagerank, submitting your blog will do the same thing for it. Also, if your blog generates an RSS feed (most blogging software does this for you), you can submit that to another list of RSS directories also, maximizing your exposure.
Blogs also give you an easy way to take part in the social bookmarking (Web 2.0) phenomenon and get some great targeted traffic. While most social bookmarking sites let you post pages from regular websites, the very structure of a blog makes it a great fit for bookmarking and sharing with others in the community.
Technorati is the best place to start with tagging and pinging your blog. All you have to do is sign up for an account and "claim" your blog with a couple of easy steps. Now you can add tags to every post and your blog will show up on Technorati for those keywords. If you're using Wordpress, there are a few plugins that make tagging easy (Simple Tags and Ultimate Tag Warrior are probably the best right now.)
Technorati is just the beginning, though. There are literally hundreds of social bookmarking sites now, with more new ones popping up every day. Obviously, time becomes a factor at some point, but you should try to sign up and post your blog at as many social bookmarking sites as possible.
Of course, you can still use traditional online marketing methods to bring traffic to your blog just like it was any other site. You can get great traffic from writing and submitting articles or press releases that link to your blog. Be sure to also link to your blog in your signatures on any related forums you may participate in. Try to post quality information so people will be interested in reading what you have posted on your blog.
Blog sites are far easier to promote than traditional websites, just because of their design and interactive structure. Take advantage of as many of these interlinking features (trackbacks, comments, tagging, etc.) to maximize the traffic to your blog. Submitting to blog and RSS feed directories, along with traditional methods of directory submission, article writing, and link exchange should also give your blog a significant increase in website traffic.
Thats all.....................................................Ricky
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Hobby- Turned Job-by ?
The most popular way to make money online is by doing something that you already love to do and to make money while doing it. That's right now might be the time to turn your hobby into a job-by.
Hobbies that have proved to be very successful online are varied, but the key component to success is not necessarily in the product, but rather in the sense of community that the idea creates.
Consider a blog about scrapbooking: It's cute and creative and appeals to young mothers who want to record every family activity and every developmental stage of their child from walking to talking to going to school. The blog allows the visitor-mom to share her excitement with others, share new skills that she has learned and buy products without venturing out with the babies in tow. For the mom-preneur that owns the website, she too gets to connect with others who share the same interests but she gets to do it on a retail, wholesale and an affiliated professionals level.
How about a website with stock photography: If you have a blog, chances are you have pictures on it. Professional photographers or especially gifted amateurs shouldn't risk putting their images into the public domain. Instead they can protect and sell their images online at websites such as Fotolia or Stock Images. They might create their own blog to help potential customers find where they can download the images. Or they might develop affiliated relationships with printers, web designers and others to help direct traffic their way. Either way, they create a community that follows their talent.
The ideas are limitless. You can make money online starting today.
Go for it ....................................................Ricky
Hobbies that have proved to be very successful online are varied, but the key component to success is not necessarily in the product, but rather in the sense of community that the idea creates.
Consider a blog about scrapbooking: It's cute and creative and appeals to young mothers who want to record every family activity and every developmental stage of their child from walking to talking to going to school. The blog allows the visitor-mom to share her excitement with others, share new skills that she has learned and buy products without venturing out with the babies in tow. For the mom-preneur that owns the website, she too gets to connect with others who share the same interests but she gets to do it on a retail, wholesale and an affiliated professionals level.
How about a website with stock photography: If you have a blog, chances are you have pictures on it. Professional photographers or especially gifted amateurs shouldn't risk putting their images into the public domain. Instead they can protect and sell their images online at websites such as Fotolia or Stock Images. They might create their own blog to help potential customers find where they can download the images. Or they might develop affiliated relationships with printers, web designers and others to help direct traffic their way. Either way, they create a community that follows their talent.
The ideas are limitless. You can make money online starting today.
Go for it ....................................................Ricky
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Finding Your Niche
As an affiliate marketer, it is important to find your niche. For instance, if you are reviewing and promoting a product such as Forex, does it make a lot of sense to suddenly switch gears and promote colon cleansing products? Not really, but an intuitive marketing plan might help you interconnect many different products so that you can cross sell or up sell from one product to the next.
Cross selling is the act of selling a related product to a customer that is already making a purchase. If someone is buying a television, they might also want a DVD player or maybe a service contract for maintenance. Or consider a fast food restaurant; don't they always ask you if you want fries with that?
Once you find your niche, or a product that you really believe in and want to sell, it is easy to find other products to complement the sale. Consider the Forex product mentioned in the first paragraph. A related product might be a book to help provide clarity to the concepts presented by the software. If your customer buys the software and the book, perhaps they need a lamp to see by or a chair for comfort. If they buy a lamp, perhaps they need light bulbs. If they buy the chair, they might need a desk. Once you find your niche product and develop the right affiliations, you can make money online by connecting buyers to sellers from one product idea to the next.
keep looking.................................................Ricky
Cross selling is the act of selling a related product to a customer that is already making a purchase. If someone is buying a television, they might also want a DVD player or maybe a service contract for maintenance. Or consider a fast food restaurant; don't they always ask you if you want fries with that?
Once you find your niche, or a product that you really believe in and want to sell, it is easy to find other products to complement the sale. Consider the Forex product mentioned in the first paragraph. A related product might be a book to help provide clarity to the concepts presented by the software. If your customer buys the software and the book, perhaps they need a lamp to see by or a chair for comfort. If they buy a lamp, perhaps they need light bulbs. If they buy the chair, they might need a desk. Once you find your niche product and develop the right affiliations, you can make money online by connecting buyers to sellers from one product idea to the next.
keep looking.................................................Ricky
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Be an Affiliate ?
Become an Affiliate
Affiliate marketing is a way to generate income by creating websites that help others sell their products or services. As an affiliate, you make commissions by reviewing products, promoting products and then sending the buyer to the main site to purchase. The link that they travel is tracked by a resource such as Click Bank so that the referrer makes money on the sale.
Choosing to become an affiliate should not be a frivolous decision. After all, your reputation and the reputation of your website are connected with every linkage provided from your web. Not only do you need worry about what is actually seen by visitors to your pages, you also must be concerned with what the Internet infrastructure sees below the surface. The connections your site makes is charted and your site is optimized based on its relative links and keyword rich content.
You should really only choose to affiliate with products you would yourself use or recommend for use to your immediate family. That way you know if the product does what it says it will do and your testimonial or recommendation becomes more believable and any follow-up posts are more vibrant and dynamic.
Affiliate marketing will only work if your website utilizes search engine optimization. Your content must be informative, helpful and keyword rich. You must also advertise your website. Search engines are important, but readers are still hesitant to click on an unknown site. Get the word out about why your website is the expert in its field and you will attract more visitors, get more clicks, and create more referrals.
Works every day, something to think about..........................Ricky
Affiliate marketing is a way to generate income by creating websites that help others sell their products or services. As an affiliate, you make commissions by reviewing products, promoting products and then sending the buyer to the main site to purchase. The link that they travel is tracked by a resource such as Click Bank so that the referrer makes money on the sale.
Choosing to become an affiliate should not be a frivolous decision. After all, your reputation and the reputation of your website are connected with every linkage provided from your web. Not only do you need worry about what is actually seen by visitors to your pages, you also must be concerned with what the Internet infrastructure sees below the surface. The connections your site makes is charted and your site is optimized based on its relative links and keyword rich content.
You should really only choose to affiliate with products you would yourself use or recommend for use to your immediate family. That way you know if the product does what it says it will do and your testimonial or recommendation becomes more believable and any follow-up posts are more vibrant and dynamic.
Affiliate marketing will only work if your website utilizes search engine optimization. Your content must be informative, helpful and keyword rich. You must also advertise your website. Search engines are important, but readers are still hesitant to click on an unknown site. Get the word out about why your website is the expert in its field and you will attract more visitors, get more clicks, and create more referrals.
Works every day, something to think about..........................Ricky
Monday, March 23, 2009
Public Domain- a secret !!!!
If you are an internet entrepreneur you have undoubtedly given more than a passing thought to using articles as a way to drive traffic to your site. It's a fact of life for most internet business people it is probably the least popular activity.
But there is a way to find timely, free articles for your website - without having to write them yourself and without having to pay a writer to develop them for you. By using articles in the public domain, you can access thousands of articles on a wide variety of subjects.
And here's the good part - the authors of these articles have all relinquished rights to the work and declared them part of the Public Domain.
Which means you can use them - free of charge.
What is Public Domain?
Work in the Public Domain is any work that has no claim of ownership, rights, royalties, etc., by its original author or creator. Work is generally considered to be in the Public Domain when the work is available to anyone for either business or personal use.
Content comes into the Public Domain for a number of reasons. In some cases, the original copyright has expired, and in others the author created the work with the intent that it would be part of the Public Domain. Writers do this for all kinds of reasons - from portfolio building to just plain vanity! But it's a real boon to internet businesses - if you know how to use them to your advantage.
Where to Find Them - How to Use Them
Public Domain articles are easy to find by doing a simple search on the internet. In many cases you can access thousands upon thousands of articles from one or two sites, but there are also more creative ways to find content.
One of the ways to find unique copy is to look for books in the Public Domain. By finding and altering excerpts from books in the Public Domain, you have a better chance of posting content that other businesspeople may not have found. You can do the same thing by excerpting portions of articles and newsletters, all of which are freely available and easy to find online.
Make Them Yours
One of the only drawbacks to using works in the Public Domain is that they aren't, by definition, original. You found them - and that means someone else probably has, too. And while free articles are great, boring-and-mass-produced articles aren't! The good news is that there are ways you can take advantage of these works and still make them unique to your business.
The easiest thing to do is to find a few articles on the topics specific to your purposes and then adjust them a little. You can do this by taking the main themes of the articles and reworking them into a semi-new piece, or you can "clean up" the article a little, tweaking a few words here and adding a few phrases there to make it more unique.
Optimizing Public Domain articles by seeding them with keywords specific to your business is another way to make the content unique. Doing this gives you a couple of advantages in one fell swoop - you're making the articles more unique for your business, while also using SEO content to drive more traffic to your site. It's a quick and efficient way to kill two birds with one stone!
Public Domain - The Internet's Best-Kept Secret
As internet businesses continue to grow, the demand for web-based content will only increase. By utilizing work in the Public Domain, you can ramp up your business quickly and with minimal investment.
It might work for you ...................................................Ricky
But there is a way to find timely, free articles for your website - without having to write them yourself and without having to pay a writer to develop them for you. By using articles in the public domain, you can access thousands of articles on a wide variety of subjects.
And here's the good part - the authors of these articles have all relinquished rights to the work and declared them part of the Public Domain.
Which means you can use them - free of charge.
What is Public Domain?
Work in the Public Domain is any work that has no claim of ownership, rights, royalties, etc., by its original author or creator. Work is generally considered to be in the Public Domain when the work is available to anyone for either business or personal use.
Content comes into the Public Domain for a number of reasons. In some cases, the original copyright has expired, and in others the author created the work with the intent that it would be part of the Public Domain. Writers do this for all kinds of reasons - from portfolio building to just plain vanity! But it's a real boon to internet businesses - if you know how to use them to your advantage.
Where to Find Them - How to Use Them
Public Domain articles are easy to find by doing a simple search on the internet. In many cases you can access thousands upon thousands of articles from one or two sites, but there are also more creative ways to find content.
One of the ways to find unique copy is to look for books in the Public Domain. By finding and altering excerpts from books in the Public Domain, you have a better chance of posting content that other businesspeople may not have found. You can do the same thing by excerpting portions of articles and newsletters, all of which are freely available and easy to find online.
Make Them Yours
One of the only drawbacks to using works in the Public Domain is that they aren't, by definition, original. You found them - and that means someone else probably has, too. And while free articles are great, boring-and-mass-produced articles aren't! The good news is that there are ways you can take advantage of these works and still make them unique to your business.
The easiest thing to do is to find a few articles on the topics specific to your purposes and then adjust them a little. You can do this by taking the main themes of the articles and reworking them into a semi-new piece, or you can "clean up" the article a little, tweaking a few words here and adding a few phrases there to make it more unique.
Optimizing Public Domain articles by seeding them with keywords specific to your business is another way to make the content unique. Doing this gives you a couple of advantages in one fell swoop - you're making the articles more unique for your business, while also using SEO content to drive more traffic to your site. It's a quick and efficient way to kill two birds with one stone!
Public Domain - The Internet's Best-Kept Secret
As internet businesses continue to grow, the demand for web-based content will only increase. By utilizing work in the Public Domain, you can ramp up your business quickly and with minimal investment.
It might work for you ...................................................Ricky
Friday, March 20, 2009
PPC- Pay per Click
Pay-per-click marketing is a great way to get visitors when you need traffic and you need it now. But it's risky: You can spend a fortune, generate many visits, and end up with nothing to show for it.
This article will provide you with a high-level view of pay per click marketing, provide some general strategies and provide an example of what to do, and what not to do.
What is Pay-Per-Click Advertising?
On its face, pay-per-click marketing, or PPC, is pretty simple: Search engines and services, such as Google or Overture, provide listings on a per-bid basis. This is in addition to their 'natural' search results, which are still powered by a combination of keywords found on your site, link popularity and other formulae.
If you place the highest bid for a specific keyword or set of keywords, then you rank number one in these paid listings. On Google, , PPC listings show up in the Adwords column on the right-hand side of the screen. Other engines, such as MSN Search or Yahoo, display P P C listings as 'sponsored listings' in the same column as the natural search results.
If someone clicks on your PPC listing, they arrive at your web site. And you are charged the amount you bid. So, if you bid $.15 per click on 'widgets', and that's the highest bid, you'll show up first in line. If 100 people click on your P P C listing, then the search engine or PPC service will charge you $15.00.
Why PPC Advertising is Bad
PPC advertising can cost a fortune. It's easy to get caught up in a bidding war over a particular keyphrase and end up spending far more than your potential return. Some PPC engines, such as Overture, offer convenience features such as 'autobid' that will automatically increase your bid amount to maintain a particular rank. That sounds great on its face, but it can get expensive in a big hurry.
Also, ROI can be very hard to measure. Some PPC engines (Adwords and Overture, specifically) provide conversion measurement tools, so that you can track whether your pay-per-click campaigns are generating the desired result. But these tracking tools aren't 100% accurate, and at the time of this writing the smaller PPC providers don't deliver any conversion tracking. And watch out for junk traffic. Most pay-per-click services distribute a segment of their results to several search engines.
While you certainly want your listing displayed on Yahoo, AOL Search and MSN, you may not want your listings showing up and generating clicks from some of the deeper, darker corners of the Internet. The resulting traffic may look good in statistics reports but is very unlikely to generate a return.
Finally, pay-per-click advertising does not scale. If you get more traffic, you pay more money in direct proportion to that traffic - your cost per click stays constant, and your overall cost increases. Compare that to natural search engine optimization, where you invest a fixed amount of time and/or money to achieve a better rank, and your cost per click goes down as you draw more traffic.
Why PPC is Good
Pay-per-click advertising can generate traffic right away. It's simple: If you spend enough, you can get top placement, and potential customers will see you first. If folks are searching for the keyphrases on which you bid and you've placed a well-written ad, you will get clicks the moment the ad is activated.
So PPC advertising is fast: With some systems, such as Google Adwords, you can generate targeted traffic within a few minutes of opening an account.
PPC advertising is also nimble: Where natural search engine marketing or other forms of advertising can lag weeks or months behind changing audience behavior, you can adjust most pay-per-click campaigns in hours or days. That provides unmatched ability to adjust to market conditions.
PPC can also be a bargain: Sometimes, you can find keyword 'niches' for which the top bid is around $.10 - in that case, PPC is a great option, because you can generate traffic to your site for a fraction of the cost of any other form of paid advertising.
So, balancing the good and the bad, where does PPC fit in? As a focused advertising tool.
The Role of PPC Advertising
Most businesses can't afford to solely rely on PPC advertising. It's too expensive, and bid amounts inevitably climb.
Pay-per-click can fill a few important roles:
Campaign- and issue-based traffic: If you have a short-term campaign for a new product, service or special issue, pay-per-click can be a great way to generate buzz. You can start a pay-per-click campaign within, at most, 24-48 hours, and you can generally change the text of your ad in mid-campaign, so adjusting your message is easy. If you need to focus attention for a finite amount of time, PPC is perfect.
Direct-response business: If you sell a product or offer a service that folks can purchase the moment they arrive at your web site, pay-per-click is a great tool. Online stores are a great example: You know that each click generated is a real potential customer, so spending money to increase the number of clicks makes sense.
Niche terms: If you are trying to generate traffic for a highly specific keyphrase, PPC can often provide bargains. For example, you might not want to pay the top bid for 'bicycles', but 'Landshark Bicycles' is probably a lot less expensive ($.10 per click as of this writing, actually).
The overall rule of thumb? Focus, focus, focus. Natural search engine optimization is a PR-based, long-term attempt to grow your brand and image. Pay-per-click advertising, however, should be handled like any other form of paid advertising: Gingerly, and with a clear, quantifiable short- or medium-term goal in mind. In other words, concentrate on conversions, not clicks.
thats all for today............................................Ricky
This article will provide you with a high-level view of pay per click marketing, provide some general strategies and provide an example of what to do, and what not to do.
What is Pay-Per-Click Advertising?
On its face, pay-per-click marketing, or PPC, is pretty simple: Search engines and services, such as Google or Overture, provide listings on a per-bid basis. This is in addition to their 'natural' search results, which are still powered by a combination of keywords found on your site, link popularity and other formulae.
If you place the highest bid for a specific keyword or set of keywords, then you rank number one in these paid listings. On Google, , PPC listings show up in the Adwords column on the right-hand side of the screen. Other engines, such as MSN Search or Yahoo, display P P C listings as 'sponsored listings' in the same column as the natural search results.
If someone clicks on your PPC listing, they arrive at your web site. And you are charged the amount you bid. So, if you bid $.15 per click on 'widgets', and that's the highest bid, you'll show up first in line. If 100 people click on your P P C listing, then the search engine or PPC service will charge you $15.00.
Why PPC Advertising is Bad
PPC advertising can cost a fortune. It's easy to get caught up in a bidding war over a particular keyphrase and end up spending far more than your potential return. Some PPC engines, such as Overture, offer convenience features such as 'autobid' that will automatically increase your bid amount to maintain a particular rank. That sounds great on its face, but it can get expensive in a big hurry.
Also, ROI can be very hard to measure. Some PPC engines (Adwords and Overture, specifically) provide conversion measurement tools, so that you can track whether your pay-per-click campaigns are generating the desired result. But these tracking tools aren't 100% accurate, and at the time of this writing the smaller PPC providers don't deliver any conversion tracking. And watch out for junk traffic. Most pay-per-click services distribute a segment of their results to several search engines.
While you certainly want your listing displayed on Yahoo, AOL Search and MSN, you may not want your listings showing up and generating clicks from some of the deeper, darker corners of the Internet. The resulting traffic may look good in statistics reports but is very unlikely to generate a return.
Finally, pay-per-click advertising does not scale. If you get more traffic, you pay more money in direct proportion to that traffic - your cost per click stays constant, and your overall cost increases. Compare that to natural search engine optimization, where you invest a fixed amount of time and/or money to achieve a better rank, and your cost per click goes down as you draw more traffic.
Why PPC is Good
Pay-per-click advertising can generate traffic right away. It's simple: If you spend enough, you can get top placement, and potential customers will see you first. If folks are searching for the keyphrases on which you bid and you've placed a well-written ad, you will get clicks the moment the ad is activated.
So PPC advertising is fast: With some systems, such as Google Adwords, you can generate targeted traffic within a few minutes of opening an account.
PPC advertising is also nimble: Where natural search engine marketing or other forms of advertising can lag weeks or months behind changing audience behavior, you can adjust most pay-per-click campaigns in hours or days. That provides unmatched ability to adjust to market conditions.
PPC can also be a bargain: Sometimes, you can find keyword 'niches' for which the top bid is around $.10 - in that case, PPC is a great option, because you can generate traffic to your site for a fraction of the cost of any other form of paid advertising.
So, balancing the good and the bad, where does PPC fit in? As a focused advertising tool.
The Role of PPC Advertising
Most businesses can't afford to solely rely on PPC advertising. It's too expensive, and bid amounts inevitably climb.
Pay-per-click can fill a few important roles:
Campaign- and issue-based traffic: If you have a short-term campaign for a new product, service or special issue, pay-per-click can be a great way to generate buzz. You can start a pay-per-click campaign within, at most, 24-48 hours, and you can generally change the text of your ad in mid-campaign, so adjusting your message is easy. If you need to focus attention for a finite amount of time, PPC is perfect.
Direct-response business: If you sell a product or offer a service that folks can purchase the moment they arrive at your web site, pay-per-click is a great tool. Online stores are a great example: You know that each click generated is a real potential customer, so spending money to increase the number of clicks makes sense.
Niche terms: If you are trying to generate traffic for a highly specific keyphrase, PPC can often provide bargains. For example, you might not want to pay the top bid for 'bicycles', but 'Landshark Bicycles' is probably a lot less expensive ($.10 per click as of this writing, actually).
The overall rule of thumb? Focus, focus, focus. Natural search engine optimization is a PR-based, long-term attempt to grow your brand and image. Pay-per-click advertising, however, should be handled like any other form of paid advertising: Gingerly, and with a clear, quantifiable short- or medium-term goal in mind. In other words, concentrate on conversions, not clicks.
thats all for today............................................Ricky
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Driving Traffic To Your Web Site
In internet marketing, traffic is the most important thing webmasters must remember in order for them to be successful with the websites they build. Without traffic, you cannot generate any clicks on your ads, acquire sales for your products, attain e-mail subscribers or any other thing that you would like to accomplish with your websites help. It shall always be the amount of traffic and a continuance of a stable flow of traffic that decides the success of your website. Driving traffic to your website does not necessarily mean you have to spend a dime. There are a lot of free methods you can use to drive traffic to your website.
The Five Free Methods:
The five methods listed here are really excellent and proven to achieve the closest results you wish and can always be applied directly. Unlike purchasing your own advertising, these methods are free but of course, they require the most of your attention and hard work.
1. Make sure your website is optimized for search engines as far as possible. Any traffic you achieve from search engines is always free. To have your website optimized, ensure that the website contains articles with a lot of keywords. When you write articles for your website, about 400-900 words, you can generate a lot of visits more often. Be sure to include catchy titles to entice visitors to read them. However, this may not likely generate the traffic you have always wanted, this could be your first step in making your website successful. In addition, you could always submit all your articles to article directories and contact publishers if they wish to use your articles on either their mailing list or website. Have your articles contain heavy keywords so that they may also appear on top of most search engine results.
2. Join link exchange programs. Nowadays, there are a lot of webmasters who invite other webmasters to take part in link exchange programs. When someone's website is linked to yours, you'll have the chance of being visited by people who visit those websites. To do this, you can look out for websites that are similarly related to yours and allow the owners of these websites to exchange links. Make use of an anchor text for the link as it will aid your search engine rankings.
3. Allow joint ventures. Joint ventures could be very powerful if done in the right way. Give your partners some really good reasons why they should promote your site. By providing them with the right promotional tools such as e-mails, signatures, articles, etc., he/she would no doubt accept your request. To ensure that your website gets better results, look for website owners that have the capability of sending a lot of traffic to you.
4. Join online groups, forums, etc. that could help you with promoting your website. For example, you may post your sites URL in your signature file for the users to see. So you can be a known member by the discussion groups you join, simply participate in discussions that interest you and contribute your knowledge and expertise to the rest of the members.
5. Get a free blog. Blogging is another free method that generates traffic to your website. Post some high-quality information regularly and don't forget to ping all your posts as it can help in driving traffic to your website.
Se ya........................................Ricky
The Five Free Methods:
The five methods listed here are really excellent and proven to achieve the closest results you wish and can always be applied directly. Unlike purchasing your own advertising, these methods are free but of course, they require the most of your attention and hard work.
1. Make sure your website is optimized for search engines as far as possible. Any traffic you achieve from search engines is always free. To have your website optimized, ensure that the website contains articles with a lot of keywords. When you write articles for your website, about 400-900 words, you can generate a lot of visits more often. Be sure to include catchy titles to entice visitors to read them. However, this may not likely generate the traffic you have always wanted, this could be your first step in making your website successful. In addition, you could always submit all your articles to article directories and contact publishers if they wish to use your articles on either their mailing list or website. Have your articles contain heavy keywords so that they may also appear on top of most search engine results.
2. Join link exchange programs. Nowadays, there are a lot of webmasters who invite other webmasters to take part in link exchange programs. When someone's website is linked to yours, you'll have the chance of being visited by people who visit those websites. To do this, you can look out for websites that are similarly related to yours and allow the owners of these websites to exchange links. Make use of an anchor text for the link as it will aid your search engine rankings.
3. Allow joint ventures. Joint ventures could be very powerful if done in the right way. Give your partners some really good reasons why they should promote your site. By providing them with the right promotional tools such as e-mails, signatures, articles, etc., he/she would no doubt accept your request. To ensure that your website gets better results, look for website owners that have the capability of sending a lot of traffic to you.
4. Join online groups, forums, etc. that could help you with promoting your website. For example, you may post your sites URL in your signature file for the users to see. So you can be a known member by the discussion groups you join, simply participate in discussions that interest you and contribute your knowledge and expertise to the rest of the members.
5. Get a free blog. Blogging is another free method that generates traffic to your website. Post some high-quality information regularly and don't forget to ping all your posts as it can help in driving traffic to your website.
Se ya........................................Ricky
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Web Site Submissions
Applying and using all kinds of search engine optimization methods has become a necessity in a day and time when the competition on the World Wide Web far surpasses competition in the real world.
Some of the main SEO strategies that most webmasters nowadays resort to are directory submissions, building link popularity, increasing text links to raise page rank, using keyword optimized content etcetera. However, many people fail to use one major SEO tool-web site submission. Website submission refers to the process of submitting your website to major search engines and directories.
Many services providing site submission services also submit your sites to internet directories, which is necessary if you actually want website submission to work for both you and your website. Search engine submission is a necessary SEO technique, which should be used much before any other, except perhaps keyword optimization.
This is because most websites do not get indexed by search engines until and unless a search engine submission is made with each particular search engine. Needless to say, your website will never feature in search engine results pages unless it is indexed.
While there are hundreds of search engine submission services who will readily submit your website to thousands of search engines for a few dollars, it is important to note that most search engines have become smart enough to reject software generated submissions.
If you want your website to be actually submitted to search engines, then make sure that you hire a quality service that makes manual search engine submissions. The same rule applies to directory submissions as well. In fact, it gets even more pertinent because almost all directories have different methods of accepting submissions.
On the other hand, almost all good directories say a complete no-no to automated submissions and reject them outright. Another major advantage of going for manual website submission to directories is that you will be able to submit to directories that deal specifically with the content on your website instead of wasting your time and effort on directories that will never list your site because it does not confirm to the genre they operate with.
Making website submission to topical directories and search engines will definitely help in generating a large amount of relevant traffic to your web site. When you are trying to make your website get ahead amidst extremely strong competition, web site submission is a strategy that will definitely help you in getting a significant lead.
While it is really not very important to submit to the zillions of search engines and directories that are present on the internet today, it is crucial to submit to search engines and directories that matter.
Another thing to keep in mind while making website submissions is that your submissions should be accepted and your website indexed as soon as possible. If you feel you are up to it, then go ahead, otherwise hire a search engine submission service to do it for you before your competition does!
Se ya .........................................................Ricky
Some of the main SEO strategies that most webmasters nowadays resort to are directory submissions, building link popularity, increasing text links to raise page rank, using keyword optimized content etcetera. However, many people fail to use one major SEO tool-web site submission. Website submission refers to the process of submitting your website to major search engines and directories.
Many services providing site submission services also submit your sites to internet directories, which is necessary if you actually want website submission to work for both you and your website. Search engine submission is a necessary SEO technique, which should be used much before any other, except perhaps keyword optimization.
This is because most websites do not get indexed by search engines until and unless a search engine submission is made with each particular search engine. Needless to say, your website will never feature in search engine results pages unless it is indexed.
While there are hundreds of search engine submission services who will readily submit your website to thousands of search engines for a few dollars, it is important to note that most search engines have become smart enough to reject software generated submissions.
If you want your website to be actually submitted to search engines, then make sure that you hire a quality service that makes manual search engine submissions. The same rule applies to directory submissions as well. In fact, it gets even more pertinent because almost all directories have different methods of accepting submissions.
On the other hand, almost all good directories say a complete no-no to automated submissions and reject them outright. Another major advantage of going for manual website submission to directories is that you will be able to submit to directories that deal specifically with the content on your website instead of wasting your time and effort on directories that will never list your site because it does not confirm to the genre they operate with.
Making website submission to topical directories and search engines will definitely help in generating a large amount of relevant traffic to your web site. When you are trying to make your website get ahead amidst extremely strong competition, web site submission is a strategy that will definitely help you in getting a significant lead.
While it is really not very important to submit to the zillions of search engines and directories that are present on the internet today, it is crucial to submit to search engines and directories that matter.
Another thing to keep in mind while making website submissions is that your submissions should be accepted and your website indexed as soon as possible. If you feel you are up to it, then go ahead, otherwise hire a search engine submission service to do it for you before your competition does!
Se ya .........................................................Ricky
Monday, March 16, 2009
What is SEO Marketing ?
Effective Internet marketers penetrating to add essentials to search engine optimizing, or SEO often supply SEO tools that give awe-inspiring results, which at first these marketers learn some "nerve-wrecking" SEO strategies to reach the major search engine's top ranks.
Some SEO services online offer various solutions that often include writing SEO gigs.
The yuppie experts in SEO copywriting assist marketers by supplying these awe-inspiring results to the highest possible SERP range. Marketers go above the scoring system that are specs in Big Name search engines, such as Big 3, Google, Yahoo, MSN and so on.
The mission of most web ramblers is to get their pages at the top rank of the leading search engines. SEO marketing is the process of search engine optimizing that involves content written SEO and keyword density style to meet the standards in Google's outlined algorithms. To find relevant, quality keywords, marketers often use spotter tools or other tools that help them to find quality, relevant keywords.
The spotters they use to track keywords hunt keywords that help them to increase odds of reaching top ranks at the major search engines. The Internet dummies want to reach top ranks to hit Google, MSN and Yahoo's spotlight.
Most SEO services online is a Data Highway that works with marketers by helping them driving SEO solutions home using keyword density strategies. Keyword density is imperative. Quality, quantity, relevancy and keyword density factors into Google's decision to rank the web pages.
The content incorporates SEO market tools that combine to attach to H2 Tags, Description Tags, Spiders, Header Text, Meta Tags and the relevant keywords SEO experts supply.
Optimizing is the prime focus. Optimizing is the process that fills in relevancy, accuracy and easy access to users.
Users can expect top-quality content when searching properly filled SEO style web pages. Internet SEO marketing makes it possible for geeks to intensify their traffic coming to a web page by applying correct SEO marketing strategies. SEO marketing assists marketers by increasing traffic to a web site, which obviously will increase sales.
SEO and keyword density give Internet marketers customized, publishable copies that attract the major search engines online, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. Superhighway marketers aim to reach top ranks by approaching the major search engines armed with relevant, quantity, quality, and accuracy keywords and links. Relevant links should be less than 100 to reach the best results.
Copywriters or link builders often try to deliver SEO content and quality, relevant links accessorized to attract Internet users. In conclusion, SEO marketing is the process of advertising web pages.
More tomorrow............................................Ricky
Some SEO services online offer various solutions that often include writing SEO gigs.
The yuppie experts in SEO copywriting assist marketers by supplying these awe-inspiring results to the highest possible SERP range. Marketers go above the scoring system that are specs in Big Name search engines, such as Big 3, Google, Yahoo, MSN and so on.
The mission of most web ramblers is to get their pages at the top rank of the leading search engines. SEO marketing is the process of search engine optimizing that involves content written SEO and keyword density style to meet the standards in Google's outlined algorithms. To find relevant, quality keywords, marketers often use spotter tools or other tools that help them to find quality, relevant keywords.
The spotters they use to track keywords hunt keywords that help them to increase odds of reaching top ranks at the major search engines. The Internet dummies want to reach top ranks to hit Google, MSN and Yahoo's spotlight.
Most SEO services online is a Data Highway that works with marketers by helping them driving SEO solutions home using keyword density strategies. Keyword density is imperative. Quality, quantity, relevancy and keyword density factors into Google's decision to rank the web pages.
The content incorporates SEO market tools that combine to attach to H2 Tags, Description Tags, Spiders, Header Text, Meta Tags and the relevant keywords SEO experts supply.
Optimizing is the prime focus. Optimizing is the process that fills in relevancy, accuracy and easy access to users.
Users can expect top-quality content when searching properly filled SEO style web pages. Internet SEO marketing makes it possible for geeks to intensify their traffic coming to a web page by applying correct SEO marketing strategies. SEO marketing assists marketers by increasing traffic to a web site, which obviously will increase sales.
SEO and keyword density give Internet marketers customized, publishable copies that attract the major search engines online, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. Superhighway marketers aim to reach top ranks by approaching the major search engines armed with relevant, quantity, quality, and accuracy keywords and links. Relevant links should be less than 100 to reach the best results.
Copywriters or link builders often try to deliver SEO content and quality, relevant links accessorized to attract Internet users. In conclusion, SEO marketing is the process of advertising web pages.
More tomorrow............................................Ricky
Friday, March 13, 2009
Google Adsense Ads- some tips
Placing Google adsense ads on your website has to be one of the easiest ways to generate income with your site. Signup is free and all you have to do is put the ads on your site.
But easy does not always mean simple.
Google makes it easy to sign up, generate an ad and put it on your site, however, it's not always so simple designing your site for interest, finding high paying keywords and placing your ads so that they attract maximum clicks.
Here are a few surefire tips that will help draw interest to your site and your ads while helping you get the clicks that will make you money.
1. Build content rich sites
Content rich sites do several things for you. They keep viewers on your site because you are providing information of interest. It's also important to keep the information refreshed periodically with up-to-date and current content. This is not only useful for your viewers, the search engines like it as well.
Sites containing useful content will also help establish you as an expert in your field allowing viewers to respect your opinions and suggestions. But most importantly, good content will keep your viewers coming back to your site. They will bookmark your site more often and notify their friends a lot more.
2. Research and use higher paying keywords.
Develop site pages using topics that contain high paying keywords while keeping the keywords relevant to your topic.
The Overture website has a free 'keywords bid tool' that is excellent for showing you what advertisers are paying for keywords.
For example, using this tool I can see that the keyword 'pet medication' has a maximum bid of $1.51 while the keyword 'pet name' has a maximum bid of $.11. If I were looking for informational pages to add to my pet site, the clear choice here would be to develop a page about pet medications and optimize that page for the keyword 'pet medication'.
3. Place your ads in the upper left hand quarter of your website.
Studies show that people almost always scan your site from the top left working down. Placing a vertical skyscraper ad in that section can help increase your click through rate from 2% to as much as 30% or higher.
4. Don't use horizontal banners or ads.
Google recommends that you use vertical as opposed to horizontal ads. Web surfers see lots of horizontal banners and ads and they almost instantaneously avoid them.
According to Google, wider ad formats such as the large rectangle and inline rectangle also tend to perform quite well. This is probably due to the fact that they are more reader friendly allowing you to read more text at a glance without having to skip a line and return to the left margin every few words.
My experience is that positioning these ads just before or just after your main content can increase your clickthrough rate substantially.
5. Avoid the Dead Zones
Google research has shown that there are zones within your site that won't generate clicks. These areas are the top right of your site, the bottom right-hand corner and the very bottom. Ads in these areas are often ignored. Keep your ads to the upper left, and center or just above or below your primary content.
6. Coordinate the ad colors to match your site colors.
Google adsense offers an array of colors that youcan use to display your ads. Choose the two main colors of your site and use those colors for your ad. Keep the URL link of the ad in blue since this is the link color that most viewers are use to. The idea is to blend your ads with your site content so as to invite more clicks.
7. Follow the adsense program policies to the letter.
Google keeps a close eye on how their ads are displayed and they will cancel you immediately if you break the rules. Google adsense is an excellent way to bring in some extra revenue so don't risk losing a good thing.
thats all for now.................................................Ricky
But easy does not always mean simple.
Google makes it easy to sign up, generate an ad and put it on your site, however, it's not always so simple designing your site for interest, finding high paying keywords and placing your ads so that they attract maximum clicks.
Here are a few surefire tips that will help draw interest to your site and your ads while helping you get the clicks that will make you money.
1. Build content rich sites
Content rich sites do several things for you. They keep viewers on your site because you are providing information of interest. It's also important to keep the information refreshed periodically with up-to-date and current content. This is not only useful for your viewers, the search engines like it as well.
Sites containing useful content will also help establish you as an expert in your field allowing viewers to respect your opinions and suggestions. But most importantly, good content will keep your viewers coming back to your site. They will bookmark your site more often and notify their friends a lot more.
2. Research and use higher paying keywords.
Develop site pages using topics that contain high paying keywords while keeping the keywords relevant to your topic.
The Overture website has a free 'keywords bid tool' that is excellent for showing you what advertisers are paying for keywords.
For example, using this tool I can see that the keyword 'pet medication' has a maximum bid of $1.51 while the keyword 'pet name' has a maximum bid of $.11. If I were looking for informational pages to add to my pet site, the clear choice here would be to develop a page about pet medications and optimize that page for the keyword 'pet medication'.
3. Place your ads in the upper left hand quarter of your website.
Studies show that people almost always scan your site from the top left working down. Placing a vertical skyscraper ad in that section can help increase your click through rate from 2% to as much as 30% or higher.
4. Don't use horizontal banners or ads.
Google recommends that you use vertical as opposed to horizontal ads. Web surfers see lots of horizontal banners and ads and they almost instantaneously avoid them.
According to Google, wider ad formats such as the large rectangle and inline rectangle also tend to perform quite well. This is probably due to the fact that they are more reader friendly allowing you to read more text at a glance without having to skip a line and return to the left margin every few words.
My experience is that positioning these ads just before or just after your main content can increase your clickthrough rate substantially.
5. Avoid the Dead Zones
Google research has shown that there are zones within your site that won't generate clicks. These areas are the top right of your site, the bottom right-hand corner and the very bottom. Ads in these areas are often ignored. Keep your ads to the upper left, and center or just above or below your primary content.
6. Coordinate the ad colors to match your site colors.
Google adsense offers an array of colors that youcan use to display your ads. Choose the two main colors of your site and use those colors for your ad. Keep the URL link of the ad in blue since this is the link color that most viewers are use to. The idea is to blend your ads with your site content so as to invite more clicks.
7. Follow the adsense program policies to the letter.
Google keeps a close eye on how their ads are displayed and they will cancel you immediately if you break the rules. Google adsense is an excellent way to bring in some extra revenue so don't risk losing a good thing.
thats all for now.................................................Ricky
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Key Word Optimization- Important
It is a well know fact in order to succeed online and increase your websites ranking on major search engine i.e. Google, yahoo and MSN , All internet marketer must be able to learn how to optimize their website's effectively.
By applying keyword optimization, means using certain niche keywords and phrases that can assists with their search engine ranking and improve their ranking position in the crucial search engine results.
Online Business or marketing is a very competitive environment. One must be able to engage on certain strategies in optimizing their websites in order to attain success in marketing their product or information online.
One of the methods is by keyword optimization.
Keyword Optimization basic understanding
By Applying Strategic keywords and phrases placement within your websites content can not only assists but boost your website's traffic massively, thus enhancing your website's ranking in any search engine results.
The selection of keywords and how you apply them can play a critical element on how well it will perform in your marketing campaign.
In addition, the placement of keyword ( Keyword optimization ) or key phase is the more important factor to consider. This Key word strategic consideration, when placed properly will be able to rank high on search engine results as search engines give higher relevance to keywords that are in the correct places within the web page.
No Doubt, Keyword optimization plays important part of internet marketing as This is also one of the many Formula that search engine apply to rank all websites online.
By using the appropriate keyword in describing your website's, the search Engine " robot Spider" will be able to pick out the keyword found in your content and assess it accordingly and distribute it to the required readers!
Thus Your keywords should be carefully selected and most importantly relevant to the product or Web content that your site is offering. These keywords should also be prominently placed on the web page in order to enhance your search engine ranking over time thus increasing your website's traffic.
Another Important factor to note about the importance of keyword optimization is that this process will be able to assists you in finding your potential customers online as all key words are "pre-selected" towards this type of customers in advance. As a result if you can improve your website's ranking in search engines, then your prospective clients will be able to find your website much easier and faster.
By utilizing appropriate keywords or key phases to improve your website search engine result, you can expose your website on the World Wide Web better as your websites is able to achieve higher visibility by most reader online.
In addition to this by ensuring that your website is optimized with the required and major keywords that best describe your websites against your competitors, you will be rewarded tremendously with not just higher ranking but more visitors and profits online if your are promoting certain products online
In conclusion, keyword optimization is an important factors in your internet marketing effort, By doing this process properly , it will not only provide relevant information to your potential customers, but also making it easier for search engines to locate you and search engines will be able to access your websites content.
With this Keyword optimization , your websites will also be well targeted to your specific market to avoid unwanted confusion, as relevant key words or key word phase are being used appropriately that can help search engine and readers understand more about your website's content
Hope this can assists you in your keyword optimization in future :)....Ricky
By applying keyword optimization, means using certain niche keywords and phrases that can assists with their search engine ranking and improve their ranking position in the crucial search engine results.
Online Business or marketing is a very competitive environment. One must be able to engage on certain strategies in optimizing their websites in order to attain success in marketing their product or information online.
One of the methods is by keyword optimization.
Keyword Optimization basic understanding
By Applying Strategic keywords and phrases placement within your websites content can not only assists but boost your website's traffic massively, thus enhancing your website's ranking in any search engine results.
The selection of keywords and how you apply them can play a critical element on how well it will perform in your marketing campaign.
In addition, the placement of keyword ( Keyword optimization ) or key phase is the more important factor to consider. This Key word strategic consideration, when placed properly will be able to rank high on search engine results as search engines give higher relevance to keywords that are in the correct places within the web page.
No Doubt, Keyword optimization plays important part of internet marketing as This is also one of the many Formula that search engine apply to rank all websites online.
By using the appropriate keyword in describing your website's, the search Engine " robot Spider" will be able to pick out the keyword found in your content and assess it accordingly and distribute it to the required readers!
Thus Your keywords should be carefully selected and most importantly relevant to the product or Web content that your site is offering. These keywords should also be prominently placed on the web page in order to enhance your search engine ranking over time thus increasing your website's traffic.
Another Important factor to note about the importance of keyword optimization is that this process will be able to assists you in finding your potential customers online as all key words are "pre-selected" towards this type of customers in advance. As a result if you can improve your website's ranking in search engines, then your prospective clients will be able to find your website much easier and faster.
By utilizing appropriate keywords or key phases to improve your website search engine result, you can expose your website on the World Wide Web better as your websites is able to achieve higher visibility by most reader online.
In addition to this by ensuring that your website is optimized with the required and major keywords that best describe your websites against your competitors, you will be rewarded tremendously with not just higher ranking but more visitors and profits online if your are promoting certain products online
In conclusion, keyword optimization is an important factors in your internet marketing effort, By doing this process properly , it will not only provide relevant information to your potential customers, but also making it easier for search engines to locate you and search engines will be able to access your websites content.
With this Keyword optimization , your websites will also be well targeted to your specific market to avoid unwanted confusion, as relevant key words or key word phase are being used appropriately that can help search engine and readers understand more about your website's content
Hope this can assists you in your keyword optimization in future :)....Ricky
Monday, March 9, 2009
Is Your Web Site A Mess ?
It is a no-contest issue that only a properly designed web site is the key to attract visitors and to make them keep coming back. Don't forget that your company's website is often the first point of contact and therefore it holds the key to creating the first (and most often the most important) impression of you as a company, and by extension of your products and services for many of your visitors/potential customers.
First time visitors cant judge your way of conducting business, they do judge you by your site standards. The average Internet cruiser is quite weary these days we are living in the attention economy as the say. So how do you catch his/her attention? By having a qualitatively designed site! This can be achieved by employing a professional web development company.
Also you must not forget that traffic retention is equally, if not more, important than driving high traffic to your site. After all, there is absolutely no use of spending all your time and money on building a 100-page site and spending big bucks in advertising through some strategic internet marketing services company if visitors don't like to stay on.
Here are some simple tips for turning your site into a user-friendly one that brings in and retain new visitors/potential customers:
It should load fast: Your website should be fast loading .You can achieve it by using more text and fewer graphics.
It should have easy navigation: Website must be easy to navigate so that people should easily and quickly find what they're looking for without scrolling down each page. Its important to link pages in a consistent, well thought out manner so that users can easily navigate in-between them.
Use graphics sparingly: Graphics does add glitter to your site but they should be used judiciously using them where they are absolutely required. Otherwise they might distract visitors from important concepts of your site or take much time in downloading.
Use colors selectively: Use suitable colors which magnify your product otherwise your copy will be difficult to read and few people will bother reading it.
Don't let pop-ups irritate visitor: Do use pop-ups as they can be an effective way to get a higher response from visitors, but you shouldn't overuse and abuse them. Pop-ups should be used to offer something of high value to your site visitors.
Fulfil visitors expectations: Put yourself in visitors shoes and think what you want this site to deliver and try to fulfil this expectation. Ensure that your navigation and related content use keywords which are most searched, as popularity of a particular keyword related to your business reflects what a visitor wants.
Minimize number of clicks: Most visitors would leave your site if they have to click too much to get what they want. Remember a normal Internet surfer is jaded and doesn't like to waste time. So put the content on scrollable pages with quick navigation links so that people can jump to any section while being on the same page.
Fast downloading: The above mentioned argument is equally true for this point people don't wait while surfing on Internet. So avoid flash intros or bandwidth-hungry graphics as much as possible. Try making your site as lean and nimble as possible to ensure fast downloads.
Your sites credibility is also one of the factors which decide its usability which can be achieved by having an About Us and a Contact Us page. Many people would like to call while visiting your site so assure people you're a proper business by giving them options to contact you through phone, email, and related directions.
If you can develop your website on your own, good! Better idea is to contact a professional web development company which is also well versed in strategic internet marketing and let it develop your website and market it professionally for best results.
Thanks for reading.............................................Ricky
First time visitors cant judge your way of conducting business, they do judge you by your site standards. The average Internet cruiser is quite weary these days we are living in the attention economy as the say. So how do you catch his/her attention? By having a qualitatively designed site! This can be achieved by employing a professional web development company.
Also you must not forget that traffic retention is equally, if not more, important than driving high traffic to your site. After all, there is absolutely no use of spending all your time and money on building a 100-page site and spending big bucks in advertising through some strategic internet marketing services company if visitors don't like to stay on.
Here are some simple tips for turning your site into a user-friendly one that brings in and retain new visitors/potential customers:
It should load fast: Your website should be fast loading .You can achieve it by using more text and fewer graphics.
It should have easy navigation: Website must be easy to navigate so that people should easily and quickly find what they're looking for without scrolling down each page. Its important to link pages in a consistent, well thought out manner so that users can easily navigate in-between them.
Use graphics sparingly: Graphics does add glitter to your site but they should be used judiciously using them where they are absolutely required. Otherwise they might distract visitors from important concepts of your site or take much time in downloading.
Use colors selectively: Use suitable colors which magnify your product otherwise your copy will be difficult to read and few people will bother reading it.
Don't let pop-ups irritate visitor: Do use pop-ups as they can be an effective way to get a higher response from visitors, but you shouldn't overuse and abuse them. Pop-ups should be used to offer something of high value to your site visitors.
Fulfil visitors expectations: Put yourself in visitors shoes and think what you want this site to deliver and try to fulfil this expectation. Ensure that your navigation and related content use keywords which are most searched, as popularity of a particular keyword related to your business reflects what a visitor wants.
Minimize number of clicks: Most visitors would leave your site if they have to click too much to get what they want. Remember a normal Internet surfer is jaded and doesn't like to waste time. So put the content on scrollable pages with quick navigation links so that people can jump to any section while being on the same page.
Fast downloading: The above mentioned argument is equally true for this point people don't wait while surfing on Internet. So avoid flash intros or bandwidth-hungry graphics as much as possible. Try making your site as lean and nimble as possible to ensure fast downloads.
Your sites credibility is also one of the factors which decide its usability which can be achieved by having an About Us and a Contact Us page. Many people would like to call while visiting your site so assure people you're a proper business by giving them options to contact you through phone, email, and related directions.
If you can develop your website on your own, good! Better idea is to contact a professional web development company which is also well versed in strategic internet marketing and let it develop your website and market it professionally for best results.
Thanks for reading.............................................Ricky
Friday, March 6, 2009
Increase your Affiliate Income
When it comes to online sales, its very important to stay focused and to keep your website visitors focused as well. You want to lead them to your site, educate them on what your products can do for them, and why they want or need to place an order right away. No choices, no distractions - you want to keep this process simple and straightforward.
You can keep this approach, and still integrate affiliate promotions into your business model. However - you want to do this strategically. You don't want to clutter your website with banners or distractions, or confuse your visitors before they've purchased your own products.
It's also important to choose affiliate programs that are complimentary (but not competitive) to your own products or services, or that compliment your website content. Your customers will appreciate your sincere recommendations, and this will help to create loyalty and trust with them.
Here are six simple steps that you can take to increase your income, and make backend affiliate sales from your website visitors and customers:
1) Offer a bonus or an incentive for each sale or subscription: You can give away free ebooks that relate to your topic and contain your affiliate links (these are called "rebrandible ebooks"). You can also find many affiliate programs that offer freebies, and pay you for each lead.
You might also create your own Tip Sheet or Resource Guide to give away that contains your affiliate links. It's important that you don't 'bribe' your visitors, but rather offer a great value for your price.
2) Follow-up with a Special Offer: You should already be sending an automated confirmation email to everyone who purchases or subscribes through your website. This is a perfect place to include their bonuses... and also to mention a Special Offer (or perhaps an upgrade package of your own).
This Special Offer might be something that compliments the product they just purchased, or is another item that your targeted market would be highly interested in.
3) Place Special Offers on Confirmation or Download pages: When your visitor subscribes, orders or downloads a free report from your website, they should be taken to a confirmation or 'thank you' page (Never redirect them back to the main page and leave them wondering!).
At this point, the visitor has done exactly what you hoped they would do, and you can now safely direct them off the site to view other products or offers via your affiliate link. Don't confuse them by adding five banners - choose a program that you feel would entice them and recommend it professionally.
4) Offer resources or great deals to your Newsletter Subscribers: Research various merchants, and offer your Subscribers the 'best deal' or let them know of a current contest or promotion (via your affiliate link). You might also offer product reviews, personal recommendations following a how-to article, or free resources (that pay you for each 'lead').
These tactics work *much* better than a blatant advertisement. Don't be afraid to promote products to your Subscribers! Just be sure that you do it in a way that captures their attention, and serves their interests and needs.
5) Use an Exit Pop-up or Hover Ad to offer an alternate choice: You can set your exit pop-up to open only if the visitor does not order or subscribe from your website. If they close the page, or otherwise leave your website without taking action, you can use this opportunity to offer them a free resource or lead them to an alternate website (via your affiliate link).
This would be another great place to offer a free Guide or Tip Sheet that you have compiled on your topic, using your affiliate links.
6) Following up with Bidders of your eBay Auctions: If you sell on eBay, you can easily include relevant affiliate links in several locations: on your About Me profile page (which you may link to from your auction descriptions), in your email signature (in ALL correspondence with bidders and potential bidders), and even inside of the package that you ship - include a business card with your confirmation letter, or a flyer!
You can also follow up either by email or postal mail to confirm receipt, that they are satisfied with their purchase... and this is the perfect opportunity to present a special offer or 'great deal' as a way of showing your appreciation for their business ;)
Keep in mind that someone who has already ordered from you once is much more likely to make a repeat purchase than anyone is to buy from you for the first time. With this in mind, your customer database or mailing list is your most targeted and responsive list of prospects for future sales. Implement one or more of these methods right away, and enjoy an increase in your profits... and happy customers that appreciate your offering everything that they need in one location!
A few places to start...........................................Ricky
You can keep this approach, and still integrate affiliate promotions into your business model. However - you want to do this strategically. You don't want to clutter your website with banners or distractions, or confuse your visitors before they've purchased your own products.
It's also important to choose affiliate programs that are complimentary (but not competitive) to your own products or services, or that compliment your website content. Your customers will appreciate your sincere recommendations, and this will help to create loyalty and trust with them.
Here are six simple steps that you can take to increase your income, and make backend affiliate sales from your website visitors and customers:
1) Offer a bonus or an incentive for each sale or subscription: You can give away free ebooks that relate to your topic and contain your affiliate links (these are called "rebrandible ebooks"). You can also find many affiliate programs that offer freebies, and pay you for each lead.
You might also create your own Tip Sheet or Resource Guide to give away that contains your affiliate links. It's important that you don't 'bribe' your visitors, but rather offer a great value for your price.
2) Follow-up with a Special Offer: You should already be sending an automated confirmation email to everyone who purchases or subscribes through your website. This is a perfect place to include their bonuses... and also to mention a Special Offer (or perhaps an upgrade package of your own).
This Special Offer might be something that compliments the product they just purchased, or is another item that your targeted market would be highly interested in.
3) Place Special Offers on Confirmation or Download pages: When your visitor subscribes, orders or downloads a free report from your website, they should be taken to a confirmation or 'thank you' page (Never redirect them back to the main page and leave them wondering!).
At this point, the visitor has done exactly what you hoped they would do, and you can now safely direct them off the site to view other products or offers via your affiliate link. Don't confuse them by adding five banners - choose a program that you feel would entice them and recommend it professionally.
4) Offer resources or great deals to your Newsletter Subscribers: Research various merchants, and offer your Subscribers the 'best deal' or let them know of a current contest or promotion (via your affiliate link). You might also offer product reviews, personal recommendations following a how-to article, or free resources (that pay you for each 'lead').
These tactics work *much* better than a blatant advertisement. Don't be afraid to promote products to your Subscribers! Just be sure that you do it in a way that captures their attention, and serves their interests and needs.
5) Use an Exit Pop-up or Hover Ad to offer an alternate choice: You can set your exit pop-up to open only if the visitor does not order or subscribe from your website. If they close the page, or otherwise leave your website without taking action, you can use this opportunity to offer them a free resource or lead them to an alternate website (via your affiliate link).
This would be another great place to offer a free Guide or Tip Sheet that you have compiled on your topic, using your affiliate links.
6) Following up with Bidders of your eBay Auctions: If you sell on eBay, you can easily include relevant affiliate links in several locations: on your About Me profile page (which you may link to from your auction descriptions), in your email signature (in ALL correspondence with bidders and potential bidders), and even inside of the package that you ship - include a business card with your confirmation letter, or a flyer!
You can also follow up either by email or postal mail to confirm receipt, that they are satisfied with their purchase... and this is the perfect opportunity to present a special offer or 'great deal' as a way of showing your appreciation for their business ;)
Keep in mind that someone who has already ordered from you once is much more likely to make a repeat purchase than anyone is to buy from you for the first time. With this in mind, your customer database or mailing list is your most targeted and responsive list of prospects for future sales. Implement one or more of these methods right away, and enjoy an increase in your profits... and happy customers that appreciate your offering everything that they need in one location!
A few places to start...........................................Ricky
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Forum Marketing
Forum marketing has recently been touted as a type of free, organic marketing. But because many marketers go into forums purely with the intention of marketing, their actions and attitude unwittingly causes exactly the opposite to its desired effect.
Forums, after all, are not marketplaces. But when used as such, the marketers' actions become offensive and will only inspire the wrath of fellow members and marketers, not to mention the moderators. Before a marketer can effectively market on forums, they must first understand that this type of marketing -- in order to be effective -- carries a certain degree of commitment, responsibility and respect.
To successfully market on any forum, the first requirement is to take a personal interest in the main topic of the forum. Not only does that mean visiting it regularly, but also developing a good relationship with both other members and the moderators, as well as taking an active interest in helping others. And, of course, it means abiding by any and all rules that exist.
By doing this, one develops a reputation and, since it is human nature to work with a trusted colleague, business will naturally develop from this. Because this type of marketing has already suffered some abuse, many forums have recently (and rightfully) developed stringent rules designed to protect their members from abusive or overly-aggressive marketing tactics.
One forum, for instance, grants signature files only after a member has created 100 valid posts; another has disallowed ads in sig files altogether. Marketers must respect that the purpose of a forum is to be a platform to exchange ideas on a given topic, NOT merely to advertise their wares. And, contrary to what might be thought, this is especially true in marketing forums, where EVERYONE has something to advertise. But by focusing on the topic and posting responsible questions and answers, a marketer's reputation will grow.
From this, the potential sales/sign-ups will naturally follow. Also, there are different types of forums, beyond the obvious topical types, of "marketing" or "special interest", etc. These are examples of one type of forum, referred to as "open forums." But there are also business and professional forums, which do not operate under the same rules and, more often than not, disallow any and all types of advertising or self-promotion.
Forums created to support the membership of a particular program are especially adamant on this topic and often request that all members check their adverts at the door. They ask this because advertising other programs -- especially to newer marketers -- can often compromise the very program the the forum was created to support.
With all that said, it is still possible to successfully market on forums. But in all cases, a pre-requisite for success is developing a good reputation and a good relationship and maintaining both. So, while this is a free form of advertising, it does require a certain amount of investment as far as time and energy are concerned, not to mention subtly and finesse. Below are seven practical suggestions to successfully market on forums.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Prior to joining any forums a certain amount of research is required.
1. Join relevant forums or forums that are in some way related to the promotion's primary sales market. For someone involved with a health related product, for instance, many types of forums -- from holistic medicine to mom's at home -- could apply. But to join a forum about punk music, for instance, would not be very productive.
2. Choose popular forums. Page ranking and the amount of active members are two good ways to check for this. This ensures that the forum will have enough members to remain active. Because forum marketing requires a certain amount of time invested, this also ensures that it will be there beyond tomorrow.
3. Choose forums that allow sig tags. If it's possible read the rules before joining and pay close attention to them. Your time is important, too. It is better to discover if a forum does not allow posts of any kind prior to joining.
YOUR FIRST DAY
4. Read and follow the rules. Every forum is different. Some allow links only to your own website. Others only allow a certain number of links. One forum allows no more than five lines in a sig file, for instance. Beyond .sig files, respect all the rules and be a model member. Complaints will also give you a bad reputation, whether you're aware of it or not.
5. Keep your signature tag short and update it regularly. Ideally, limit yourself to one link, preferably to your main website. It presents a much more professional appearance and is less offensive to members and the moderators.
6. NEVER, EVER create posts that are nothing more than an advertisement. This is an all-but universal rule and only displays the marketers lack of experience. At best, the post will soon be edited, and, if left on the forum (although an author can always delete their own posts), will only serve to hurt the marketer's reputation. At worst, it could be grounds for being banned.
Some forums have a special Advertisement Section, an area where all members can post ads, though they are usually limited to no more than one per day. If no such section exists, after being a member for at least a few weeks, a marketer can send a Private Message (PM) to the moderator(s) and politely suggest that an advertising section be added.
Point out that this would mollify any members from putting links in their .sig files, while allowing them a place to post their link. And, too, the advertising could become a service, since it would be at the members' discretion to view them. Of course, they may refuse, but at least you made the attempt.
7. Work the (for)room. That is, be an active member on the forum. Plan to spend at least an hour each day there and take the time to get to know the issues and other members. Depending on the forum's topic, both new and experienced marketers can introduce themselves well with intelligent questions.
As a marketer becomes a regular member, they will develop a (hopefully) good reputation and, without saying a word about their promotion, those interested in their product or promotion will approach THEM.
Be honest and have fun with it..........................Ricky
Forums, after all, are not marketplaces. But when used as such, the marketers' actions become offensive and will only inspire the wrath of fellow members and marketers, not to mention the moderators. Before a marketer can effectively market on forums, they must first understand that this type of marketing -- in order to be effective -- carries a certain degree of commitment, responsibility and respect.
To successfully market on any forum, the first requirement is to take a personal interest in the main topic of the forum. Not only does that mean visiting it regularly, but also developing a good relationship with both other members and the moderators, as well as taking an active interest in helping others. And, of course, it means abiding by any and all rules that exist.
By doing this, one develops a reputation and, since it is human nature to work with a trusted colleague, business will naturally develop from this. Because this type of marketing has already suffered some abuse, many forums have recently (and rightfully) developed stringent rules designed to protect their members from abusive or overly-aggressive marketing tactics.
One forum, for instance, grants signature files only after a member has created 100 valid posts; another has disallowed ads in sig files altogether. Marketers must respect that the purpose of a forum is to be a platform to exchange ideas on a given topic, NOT merely to advertise their wares. And, contrary to what might be thought, this is especially true in marketing forums, where EVERYONE has something to advertise. But by focusing on the topic and posting responsible questions and answers, a marketer's reputation will grow.
From this, the potential sales/sign-ups will naturally follow. Also, there are different types of forums, beyond the obvious topical types, of "marketing" or "special interest", etc. These are examples of one type of forum, referred to as "open forums." But there are also business and professional forums, which do not operate under the same rules and, more often than not, disallow any and all types of advertising or self-promotion.
Forums created to support the membership of a particular program are especially adamant on this topic and often request that all members check their adverts at the door. They ask this because advertising other programs -- especially to newer marketers -- can often compromise the very program the the forum was created to support.
With all that said, it is still possible to successfully market on forums. But in all cases, a pre-requisite for success is developing a good reputation and a good relationship and maintaining both. So, while this is a free form of advertising, it does require a certain amount of investment as far as time and energy are concerned, not to mention subtly and finesse. Below are seven practical suggestions to successfully market on forums.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Prior to joining any forums a certain amount of research is required.
1. Join relevant forums or forums that are in some way related to the promotion's primary sales market. For someone involved with a health related product, for instance, many types of forums -- from holistic medicine to mom's at home -- could apply. But to join a forum about punk music, for instance, would not be very productive.
2. Choose popular forums. Page ranking and the amount of active members are two good ways to check for this. This ensures that the forum will have enough members to remain active. Because forum marketing requires a certain amount of time invested, this also ensures that it will be there beyond tomorrow.
3. Choose forums that allow sig tags. If it's possible read the rules before joining and pay close attention to them. Your time is important, too. It is better to discover if a forum does not allow posts of any kind prior to joining.
YOUR FIRST DAY
4. Read and follow the rules. Every forum is different. Some allow links only to your own website. Others only allow a certain number of links. One forum allows no more than five lines in a sig file, for instance. Beyond .sig files, respect all the rules and be a model member. Complaints will also give you a bad reputation, whether you're aware of it or not.
5. Keep your signature tag short and update it regularly. Ideally, limit yourself to one link, preferably to your main website. It presents a much more professional appearance and is less offensive to members and the moderators.
6. NEVER, EVER create posts that are nothing more than an advertisement. This is an all-but universal rule and only displays the marketers lack of experience. At best, the post will soon be edited, and, if left on the forum (although an author can always delete their own posts), will only serve to hurt the marketer's reputation. At worst, it could be grounds for being banned.
Some forums have a special Advertisement Section, an area where all members can post ads, though they are usually limited to no more than one per day. If no such section exists, after being a member for at least a few weeks, a marketer can send a Private Message (PM) to the moderator(s) and politely suggest that an advertising section be added.
Point out that this would mollify any members from putting links in their .sig files, while allowing them a place to post their link. And, too, the advertising could become a service, since it would be at the members' discretion to view them. Of course, they may refuse, but at least you made the attempt.
7. Work the (for)room. That is, be an active member on the forum. Plan to spend at least an hour each day there and take the time to get to know the issues and other members. Depending on the forum's topic, both new and experienced marketers can introduce themselves well with intelligent questions.
As a marketer becomes a regular member, they will develop a (hopefully) good reputation and, without saying a word about their promotion, those interested in their product or promotion will approach THEM.
Be honest and have fun with it..........................Ricky
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Financial Freedom- six mistakes
Can't seem to get ahead financially? Debts piling up? Maybe you're making some of these mistake unknowingly. These mistakes listed below will help you understand where you may be going wrong and how to get back on track quickly. You can be debt free.
Mistake 1. Living Beyond Your Means
This is the real cause of your worry and stress. If you are spending more than you are earning, whose money are you spending? It's the credit card provider's or the bank's. The cost of this money is interest.
The way out - Make a Commitment to yourself only to spend within your income limits. Maybe you could increase your income (or cash in) by applying for more skilled positions, selling some of your unused articles or assets. Is the second car really a necessity? What about working out ways to make your hobby pay for itself?
Why not find ways to reduce your spending? How much would you save each year if you decided not to have the daily coffee shop coffee? Why not make your work lunch each day rather than buying it? Commit to only buying the necessities.
Mistake 2. Paying Off Less Than the Full Credit Card Balance Each Month
Get this debt under control and your life will be much easier. If you are like many others and only pay the minimum balance each month, the interest on the interest makes those purchases oh so expensive.
The way out - Find ways to put aside more money to apply to the credit cards. It will take time to reach this goal. However, if you don't make a start now you may never pay them off. This situation did not occur overnight and neither will the solution. But, by diligence and commitment you'll get there.
Mistake 3. Not Really Knowing Your Financial Situation
Before you can set meaningful goals and develop savings strategies you need to know your financial situation now. The best, proven and tested method by far, is by developing your own personal budget. This is not hard to do. Please don't give up now. Just follow these simple steps:
The way out -
a) Find your latest credit card statements. Write down all the unpaid balances.
b) Are there any other unpaid debts (not home or car) then include these balances as well.
c) List out your (or family) monthly income. Only the amounts "brought home". Include all types of income.
d) Work out your monthly spending. List out where all the money goes. Don't leave anything out.
e) Minus the monthly spending total from the monthly income total and review the answer.
This will give you an initial idea as to whether you are living within your means or on borrowed money.
Mistake 4. Continually Adding to Your Debt
If debt has got you into this situation it is critically important not to add to the state of affairs and thus make it worse.
The way out - cut up the credit cards, keeping only 1 for emergencies. Don't buy on impulse. Ask yourself twice or three times before you buy anything "Do I really need this?" before you hand over your hard-earned money. Don't buy at the height of the fashion or fad. Commit to never paying full retail for anything. Get it on sale or negotiate a lower price.
Mistake 5. Spending All Your Income
It may sound OK to spend any money you earn but there are risks attached to this strategy. How are you going to pay for emergency items? What about major car repairs. What about major electrical appliance replacement? Are you going to pay for these on credit? Bad idea! How are you going to save for a substantial deposit on the next car?
The way out - Once you've prepared your budget you will clearly see what you need to do to put some income aside for other needs such are emergencies and repairs.
Mistake 6. Spending Without Caring About Your Future
Unless you are planning for your future and financial security, you cannot be really happy. There are always worries lurking in your mind about how you would survive in a financial emergency if you have no savings. It can be very rewarding to see how quickly your savings multiply over time with only a small investment each payday.
The way out - Take stock of your life and realize that tomorrow won't look after itself. It needs your attention. Keep some funds aside to put away for your retirement, children's college costs, emergencies, holidays and major purchases.
Avoid these 6 spending mistakes and you'll be well on your way to financial freedom. Guaranteed.
Good luck....................................................Ricky
Mistake 1. Living Beyond Your Means
This is the real cause of your worry and stress. If you are spending more than you are earning, whose money are you spending? It's the credit card provider's or the bank's. The cost of this money is interest.
The way out - Make a Commitment to yourself only to spend within your income limits. Maybe you could increase your income (or cash in) by applying for more skilled positions, selling some of your unused articles or assets. Is the second car really a necessity? What about working out ways to make your hobby pay for itself?
Why not find ways to reduce your spending? How much would you save each year if you decided not to have the daily coffee shop coffee? Why not make your work lunch each day rather than buying it? Commit to only buying the necessities.
Mistake 2. Paying Off Less Than the Full Credit Card Balance Each Month
Get this debt under control and your life will be much easier. If you are like many others and only pay the minimum balance each month, the interest on the interest makes those purchases oh so expensive.
The way out - Find ways to put aside more money to apply to the credit cards. It will take time to reach this goal. However, if you don't make a start now you may never pay them off. This situation did not occur overnight and neither will the solution. But, by diligence and commitment you'll get there.
Mistake 3. Not Really Knowing Your Financial Situation
Before you can set meaningful goals and develop savings strategies you need to know your financial situation now. The best, proven and tested method by far, is by developing your own personal budget. This is not hard to do. Please don't give up now. Just follow these simple steps:
The way out -
a) Find your latest credit card statements. Write down all the unpaid balances.
b) Are there any other unpaid debts (not home or car) then include these balances as well.
c) List out your (or family) monthly income. Only the amounts "brought home". Include all types of income.
d) Work out your monthly spending. List out where all the money goes. Don't leave anything out.
e) Minus the monthly spending total from the monthly income total and review the answer.
This will give you an initial idea as to whether you are living within your means or on borrowed money.
Mistake 4. Continually Adding to Your Debt
If debt has got you into this situation it is critically important not to add to the state of affairs and thus make it worse.
The way out - cut up the credit cards, keeping only 1 for emergencies. Don't buy on impulse. Ask yourself twice or three times before you buy anything "Do I really need this?" before you hand over your hard-earned money. Don't buy at the height of the fashion or fad. Commit to never paying full retail for anything. Get it on sale or negotiate a lower price.
Mistake 5. Spending All Your Income
It may sound OK to spend any money you earn but there are risks attached to this strategy. How are you going to pay for emergency items? What about major car repairs. What about major electrical appliance replacement? Are you going to pay for these on credit? Bad idea! How are you going to save for a substantial deposit on the next car?
The way out - Once you've prepared your budget you will clearly see what you need to do to put some income aside for other needs such are emergencies and repairs.
Mistake 6. Spending Without Caring About Your Future
Unless you are planning for your future and financial security, you cannot be really happy. There are always worries lurking in your mind about how you would survive in a financial emergency if you have no savings. It can be very rewarding to see how quickly your savings multiply over time with only a small investment each payday.
The way out - Take stock of your life and realize that tomorrow won't look after itself. It needs your attention. Keep some funds aside to put away for your retirement, children's college costs, emergencies, holidays and major purchases.
Avoid these 6 spending mistakes and you'll be well on your way to financial freedom. Guaranteed.
Good luck....................................................Ricky
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Writing your first E-Book !
Writing your first ebook may seem like a daunting task. But like many projects, it won’t seem so bad when it’s broken down into manageable chunks.
Like many things in life, what often seems impossible can be attained with the right attitude and the right equipment. It could be a marathon run, climbing a mountain or finding parking space at the supermarket.
If you want to play golf, you will need clubs, balls and some practice. There’s no guarantee you will become another Tiger Woods but you will become a golfer.
If you want to write an ebook, you will need a computer, software and some directions. Assuming you have a computer and software or access to them, here are some directions.
Establish Your Reasons
Your reasons for wanting to write an ebook will have a major impact on your success. It may be for financial gain, promoting a business, advancing your career, education, self satisfaction or something entirely different. Whatever your reasons, write them down. It will help to motivate you if the going gets tough.
Choose Your Subject
There are countless subjects that you can write about. It’s wise to choose something you have an interest in or knowledge of. It is worthwhile spending time on this. The more you know about your subject, the easier it will be to write about.
Choose Your Title
After you’ve chosen your subject, you’ll need a title for the ebook. It’s worth writing down a few different ones before deciding on the one you’ll use. This will help to keep your focus and may give you some other ideas. The title should give a clear indication of the content in your book. A catchy title may help to sell it, but remember to balance this with clarity to keep it in context. I’ve written down two examples. Feel free to use them if you have a sense of humor.
A Clubbers Paradise - Golfing in Ibiza
20 Minutes Late – The Future of Trains
Choose Your Audience
The subject and style of your writing will determine your audience. Decide who your desired audience will be. Age, gender, culture, social background and education are factors you may want to consider. What you write should be targeted at your desired audience.
Write Your Thesis Statement
Although it’s possible to write your ebook without a ‘thesis statement’, it is not recommended. If you are unfamiliar with this term, there are many sources available that will provide you with all the details you need. Unfortunately, there are some differences of opinion that may lead to confusion.
The ‘thesis statement’ deserves a separate article of its own but for now I have written a general definition of a thesis statement for ebooks. This may leave the door open for criticism but is a small price to pay if it removes some of the confusion. More importantly, it will give you a base on which to start. Only use it as a guideline. If you want a more specific definition, Google is a good place to start your search.
A thesis statement is a sentence or two written to clearly show the reason(s) for your ebook and what you expect to write about.
Although I have referred to this as a general definition, keep in mind that your actual statement should be as specific as possible.
Think of it as the foundation for your ebook. It should contain the following:
1) Your subject
2) Your opinion on the subject
3) A supporting reason for your opinion
4) The significance of 1), 2) and 3)
Create Your Document
Now that you have the foundation, you can begin writing.
A standard application like MS Word is a good choice.
While you are writing your document you can revise your thesis statement at any time up until it is published. This provides a good degree of flexibility.
Choose the format and layout of your document, including chapters, headings and introductions. Dependent on your subject, you may wish to add photographs, anecdotes or testimonials that keep the reader’s attention.
Since an ebook is generally read from a screen, you may want to break up the text more than in a printed book. Experiment with a few different fonts and look at other ebooks for ideas you can use. Spell check and save your document regularly. MS Word has an auto recovery feature. This is useful if you don’t save the document on a regular basis and later experience a system crash. Always backup your document. As a precaution you should also keep a copy on another media such as CD.
Choose Your Ebook Format
This is a personal choice. You may decide to create an executable (.exe) file or a Portable Document Format (.pdf) file. By no means an exhaustive list, here are some points to consider before you choose.
EXE files are compiled using an ebook compiler
EXE files may offer features that are not available with PDFs
EXE files can only be read on a PC
EXE files don’t require any other software to be read
EXE files are easy to open, easily branded, and good viral marketing tools
EXE files may be susceptible to viruses although some compilers offer virus protection
More information on the better compilers can be found at
http://www.ebook-site.com/ebook-compilers.html
PDF files can be created using Adobe Acrobat
PDF files can be created with several other 3rd party applications
PDF files are an industry standard
PDF files can be read by both PC and MAC
PDF files require Adobe Reader to be read
PDF files are highly unlikely to become infected
More information on PDFs can be found on the Adobe website (www.adobe.com)
Create Your Ebook!Do it now ...........................................Ricky
Like many things in life, what often seems impossible can be attained with the right attitude and the right equipment. It could be a marathon run, climbing a mountain or finding parking space at the supermarket.
If you want to play golf, you will need clubs, balls and some practice. There’s no guarantee you will become another Tiger Woods but you will become a golfer.
If you want to write an ebook, you will need a computer, software and some directions. Assuming you have a computer and software or access to them, here are some directions.
Establish Your Reasons
Your reasons for wanting to write an ebook will have a major impact on your success. It may be for financial gain, promoting a business, advancing your career, education, self satisfaction or something entirely different. Whatever your reasons, write them down. It will help to motivate you if the going gets tough.
Choose Your Subject
There are countless subjects that you can write about. It’s wise to choose something you have an interest in or knowledge of. It is worthwhile spending time on this. The more you know about your subject, the easier it will be to write about.
Choose Your Title
After you’ve chosen your subject, you’ll need a title for the ebook. It’s worth writing down a few different ones before deciding on the one you’ll use. This will help to keep your focus and may give you some other ideas. The title should give a clear indication of the content in your book. A catchy title may help to sell it, but remember to balance this with clarity to keep it in context. I’ve written down two examples. Feel free to use them if you have a sense of humor.
A Clubbers Paradise - Golfing in Ibiza
20 Minutes Late – The Future of Trains
Choose Your Audience
The subject and style of your writing will determine your audience. Decide who your desired audience will be. Age, gender, culture, social background and education are factors you may want to consider. What you write should be targeted at your desired audience.
Write Your Thesis Statement
Although it’s possible to write your ebook without a ‘thesis statement’, it is not recommended. If you are unfamiliar with this term, there are many sources available that will provide you with all the details you need. Unfortunately, there are some differences of opinion that may lead to confusion.
The ‘thesis statement’ deserves a separate article of its own but for now I have written a general definition of a thesis statement for ebooks. This may leave the door open for criticism but is a small price to pay if it removes some of the confusion. More importantly, it will give you a base on which to start. Only use it as a guideline. If you want a more specific definition, Google is a good place to start your search.
A thesis statement is a sentence or two written to clearly show the reason(s) for your ebook and what you expect to write about.
Although I have referred to this as a general definition, keep in mind that your actual statement should be as specific as possible.
Think of it as the foundation for your ebook. It should contain the following:
1) Your subject
2) Your opinion on the subject
3) A supporting reason for your opinion
4) The significance of 1), 2) and 3)
Create Your Document
Now that you have the foundation, you can begin writing.
A standard application like MS Word is a good choice.
While you are writing your document you can revise your thesis statement at any time up until it is published. This provides a good degree of flexibility.
Choose the format and layout of your document, including chapters, headings and introductions. Dependent on your subject, you may wish to add photographs, anecdotes or testimonials that keep the reader’s attention.
Since an ebook is generally read from a screen, you may want to break up the text more than in a printed book. Experiment with a few different fonts and look at other ebooks for ideas you can use. Spell check and save your document regularly. MS Word has an auto recovery feature. This is useful if you don’t save the document on a regular basis and later experience a system crash. Always backup your document. As a precaution you should also keep a copy on another media such as CD.
Choose Your Ebook Format
This is a personal choice. You may decide to create an executable (.exe) file or a Portable Document Format (.pdf) file. By no means an exhaustive list, here are some points to consider before you choose.
EXE files are compiled using an ebook compiler
EXE files may offer features that are not available with PDFs
EXE files can only be read on a PC
EXE files don’t require any other software to be read
EXE files are easy to open, easily branded, and good viral marketing tools
EXE files may be susceptible to viruses although some compilers offer virus protection
More information on the better compilers can be found at
http://www.ebook-site.com/ebook-compilers.html
PDF files can be created using Adobe Acrobat
PDF files can be created with several other 3rd party applications
PDF files are an industry standard
PDF files can be read by both PC and MAC
PDF files require Adobe Reader to be read
PDF files are highly unlikely to become infected
More information on PDFs can be found on the Adobe website (www.adobe.com)
Create Your Ebook!Do it now ...........................................Ricky
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)