Make Real Money Online Through Social Networking Websites - Be a Great Social Citizen

A lot of people are attempting to make real money online through social networking. Websites like MySpace and Facebook are no longer places where friends get together and discuss their favorite movie or book; these are now proper grounds to make some business. A lot of entrepreneurs are realizing this potential. They are building groups of people who would be interested in their product and promoting their products to them. People are buying into these products too because they are already interested groups who are looking for products such as these.

You can make real money online too. You need not have something concrete to sell too. You can make a great deal of money from the cuts that you can keep by forwarding some services to clients that are looking for them. Many webmasters look for writing, designing and SEO needs. If you get professionals in your social networking group who can give these services, you will have made a pretty bundle of money for yourself.

Many ingenuous people make real money online through networking. You could do the same too. But you will need to go about it the right way. Here are some beginner tips.

Start with a Great Profile
A good profile means half the battle won. If your profile can tell people what they can expect from you, you can expect a lot of people to join your group. And these would be targeted people who are really interested in what you are trying to promote.

Make Invitations to People
People are not going to find you just like that, at least initially. You have to put in the effort to search those people and get them to visit you. This is your preliminary activity.

Targeting your Niche
You need to find the people who would be really interested in whatever it is that you are trying to promote through your social group. Once you have these people, they become your niche.

Increasing your Exposure
Once a profile of yours has been established, move over to another website and make a profile there. That will give you a different section of people to work with and you will be able to enhance your online exposure that way.

Copyright (c) 2009 Buddy Shearer

The Grim Reaper

Oregon's unemployment is a record 9%, This past week over 2,000 jobs were lost and up north in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft announced 5,000 layoffs.

At the same time, there is a huge (up to 85%) surge in applications for Food Stamps and Public Assistance, not only here in the NW, but all over the country.

Bailout or Stimulus Package aside, there is no short term fix, and the economic picture looks dark & gloomy through 2010. In fact State economic problems are just beginning to trickle down to the local county and city level. Those layoffs and budget deficits are months away.

The "Obama Bounce" so far is a joke. Liberal Obama supporters say this is the bounce.......that the DOW instead of going down 1,000 points, would have gone down 4,000 points if McCain had won the election. Uh huh.

Gear up for survival mode folks cause it will get much worse, and in fact, may never get better. These may be the "good old days" of prosperity in 5-10 years.

Special Prosecutor for Hank Paulson?

Would you buy a used car from this guy?

I suggest that instead of trying to impeach George W. Bush, that a special prosecutor be enabled to investigate fraud and corruption charges against the Secretary of Treasury Hank Paulson.

His actions, abrupt demands, and maleficence of the use of the $700 Billion "Bailout" is not only outrageous, but I think possibly, even criminal. His original 2.5 page "Demand" for the money, with no oversight, and basically a blank check, poured money down a rat hole. His plan allowed mergers and acquisitions of major banks and did nothing for homeowners or stockholders. Could he be corrupt? Could "kickbacks" and bribes be involved? Only a Special Prosecutor can sort this out, but taxpayers should demand it!

Communication: Learning From the Past

If President Elect Obama has learned anything from studying the past he seems to have learned that the incentive to stimulate the economy must, arguably, start with jobs. After all, if consumers do not have jobs, they have no money and cannot support businesses. The big fear is that President Elect Obama's grand plans for a 'New Deal' type of job stimulus plan is not geared toward a quick fix. It is true that changes will happen slowly and the fact is there probably is no quick fix to an economy that has fallen so heavily into despair. Even in the past with the Great Depression the New Deal did not solve the problems of the economy, it only made it possible for millions of people to once again have hope—it allowed them to survive.

Survival is the key here. Getting through these troubled times without a total collapse of our way of life is the issue only this time it is not merely a U.S. problem it is global. Technology has linked every continent to the economic crisis in ways that while in good times is invigorating; in bad times it is catastrophic. Now more than ever in history the world as a whole has a stake in the well being of each and every nation's financial health.

Statistics show that a recession usually lasts about a year. We have gone beyond that time span and it is reasonable to assume this is not going to go away by itself. The economy is not going to right itself without a great deal of help and the plan proposed by President Elect Obama is at the very least a lofty goal that shows incentive and desire to provide relief to a scrambling nation. At its best over time it may just divert the scary inevitability of what a prolonged recession leads to—depression. The job stimulus plan attacks the problem at its core. Bailing out industry, shoring up banks, and other methods of salvaging a defunct economy are attempts to bandage the symptoms rather than fight the problem at its root.

Like the New Deal of the past the new stimulus programs are varied and widespread and do indeed include some aide to struggling corporations and banks. Like the New Deal of Roosevelt's time, however, it focuses on the people and getting the economy working again from the bottom up. Keeping people in their homes, putting food on their table, and giving them jobs so that they can stimulate the industrial world like no stimulus program possibly can is what worked in the past and will work again.

Right now it is hard for anyone to focus on anything other than fixing what is broke. Perhaps once things are working once more we can study our own recent past to see what errors were made to cause such critical failure. Certainly our rosy outlook on credit and spending are the crux of a problem that must not be allowed to happen again. It is common knowledge that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It is time we stopped repeating this particular portion of history. Some day it may be impossible to keep it from becoming total annihilation.

For more information on the job stimulus plan, visit http://www.jobstimulusplan.com.

Communication: Learning From the Past
(Thu Jan 8th, 2009, by John Parks)

Automatic Forex Trading Systems - Which Automatic Forex System Is The Best? by James V. Jackson

The Forex market is the largest financial market in the world. It is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. The trading volume in this market is 3-4 trillion USD a day. But even though there is huge profit potential, the 95% of traders fail.
Why do most Forex Traders Fail?

1) They lack discipline ( Being unable to keep your emotions under control can result in huge losses ).

2) They over leverage ( They fail to select the proper amount of leverage ).

3) They have a poor money management strategy ( They don't keep track of their gains and losses and They don't calculate their risk ).

4) They lack education. Many beginners believe that they can open an account, throw a couple of thousands dollars at it and make a profit. But this is not the case. In order to become a successful trader, you need to educate yourself in every aspect of trading, like learning how to read charts, practicing in a demo account and many others.

5) They don't use the right tools. It is essential to follow a solid trading plan and to use a reliable Forex software.

A trading software can give you all the free time you need to devote to analysis. This way you don't have to spend the whole day monitoring the market to find changes. A good automatic Forex System can actually trade better than the majority of traders, because it's not influenced by emotions. You can also trade faster using a software. Monitoring the Market 24 hours a day is nearly impossible. By using an automated system you can minimize your losses and maximize your profit, with very little effort.

Do you want to break the Forex Code and gain huge rewards?

Read this Forex Systems Review to find out which is the best forex software!



About the Author
Choose the Best Automatic Forex System. Read this Forex Systems Review!

Grim Marketing

OK, the economy, the stock market, and life as we know it, is going into the deep void of recession, faster day by day.

Like many companies, the first reaction is to cut expenses to the bone, whittle out dead wood, become either depressed or super/hyper aggressive and burn out.

Well, cutting out dead wood is always a good thing. Rules of thumb say that 80% of your accounts are from the result of 20% of your best account executives efforts. Time to get rid of, at least some of that non-preforming 80%...or at least move them into some other position.

Advertising and marketing budgets should and will come under review. However, gone are the days when some corporate heads expected $3-$5 in sales from every $1 in advertising. Did that expectation ever work?

You generally advertise:

To keep current market share, or increase market share with new customers.

Keep your brands out in front of peoples decision making buying power.

To introduce a new product or product improvement.

To stop 100% of advertising/marketing expense is to die!

Think, brainstorm, ask vendors for assistance or co-op funds, get creative and think outside the box. Evaluate current & past results vs expense, and do research. You'll cut costs and get more "bang for your buck".

Political Science for Dummies.

Some economic humor in these trying times:

DEMOCRATIC
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand sings for you.

REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature' s private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.
Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.
The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for neither.
Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best-looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegals.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders.

I got this from an MSN Group I am in and here is the original link. I really like this one.
http://www.ramblestrip.com/blog/2006/01/political-science-for-dummies-this.html

Recession? What Recession?

I went to check out a new Safeway store in the Pearl District. The Pearl is home to $350,000+ high rise condos, and the Baby boomer "yuppies", and their "yuppie puppies".

http://www.explorethepearl.com/

Everything about it is new, upscale, and well, chic. My observation is that none of these folks think they're in an Recession or soon, a coming Depression. One couple, twenty something, was buying six-packs of wine (not Ripple), and had a $30+ floral centerpiece. Remember all those news stories about declining retail sales, and folks barely able to buy food for their baby....well if your buying $30 flowers, your off in a different world.

I live about 15 blocks south of there, and looking out my window, the average car is a BMW or Mercedes. The West Hills, about 4 blocks west, is covered with $Million homes. These folks, lord knows where they work and can afford such digs, have no conception of recession. Their world is peachy keen, bright, and kinda Rosy through those pink glasses. I have heard them talking, while on the Streetcar, and avoiding the "R" word, thinking if they ignore it , they won't be effected. Uh huh.

Then take a further extreme. Folks in the "Home" I live in get/subscribe to lots of upscale magazines like GQ, Details, Architectural Digest, Vogue, etc. Pick one up some time...filled with dozens of ads for $50,000 watches (How many do you need? I'll bet a $30 Timex is as accurate by 5%), diamond jewelry, Aston Martins, BMW, Lexus, Jaguars, private Jets, Mega Yachts etc. Things to entice the masses, while ignoring the fact that most who have such things, got their money the old fashioned way...inheritance!

Which brings me to the crux of the whole matter. Our economy is entirely based on consumerism....buying crap we want, but don't need. Buying on credit for instant gratification. How many shoe stores in a mall do we really need? Many sell the same brands and/or are owned by the same company. Automobiles...do we really need hundreds of various models at various prices that all have four wheels, and go from point "A" to point "B"on the same road?

The Pacific NW prides itself, (a legend in their own minds) on "Sustainability" and "Green" environmental and economic policies, which in reality are a marketing gimmick to sell things and continue growth.

True "Sustainability" maintains a constant level of economy and does not need to grow. It is self sustaining, environmentally friendly by nature, does not require addition limited resources, imported cheap labor, outsourcing, etc. It is a class leveling economy...a truer "Middle Class". Unfortunately, it is also much an illusion.

The Last Election of 2008

Election Day is finally here, thank God. Two years of hell, hours of negative commercials, and rants from folks like Rush Limbaugh. Tonight, the victor will take the spoils of all this home and put it on a shelf!

2008 is the first time I have voted since the fiasco of 2000, and it will also probably be my last vote, for many reasons. One being, who really knows what happens to that ballot once it leaves your hands? Can you say "Hanging Chads"?

I fail to appreciate "Representative Government".....that's not democracy, that's a Republic...like ancient Rome. I would be content on removing all "Professional Politicians" and vote via the Internet, on all major policies. (Yes the Internet is safe for voting. You do your taxes, banking, and pay bills on it don't you?)

From my viewpoint, of the poor and working poor, the future of the USA seems lost in a fog of hopelessness and greed. 2012 approaches and many feel the End is near, in many ways. War, famine, overpopulation, depression, pandemic disease, etc. are just some of the many, and perhaps simultaneous crisis to End our world as we know it.

How does this affect our jobs, lifestyle, retirement, families and businesses?

Well, for one thing, strategic planning for worse case scenarios, can't hurt. Not planning and going ahead with wide eyed optimism may be fatal...to the country, to the world, to your family, and yourself.

More in future posts.

Global Recession: Causes

Here is an interesting article about the glabal financial mess:


The truth is, we are going through the most severe global financial crisis since the days of Great Depression. Originated in USA, economic recession is affecting all the major players of world economy. Governments and major policy makers of world economy have taken notice of the urgency of the situation and frantic steps are undertaken to stem the rot. At the core of the term 憆ecession? spirals of several financial mistakes are intermingled.

The biggest problem with economic turmoil is; it creates fear and panic amongst general people. Rumors are thick and they fly, resulting into even more fear amongst the households about their savings and hard earned income. Economic problem of 2008 is of gigantic proportions. If we look closely at the problem, we find few fundamental causes. Foremost among them is, complacent regulatory norms in USA. USA has enjoyed sustainable economic development with cushion of low inflation rates over last two decades. This resulted into complete ignorance of essential business cycle of economy. The first signs of this problem were visible 20 months ago when America was struggling with excess liquidity in the market. That was an ample sign of coming of real estate bubble and asset price inflation.

Another responsible factor is cushion enjoyed by private and investment banks. Taking their cue from good economic condition, most of these high flying banks took higher risks. Most of their business deals were highly leveraged transactions. The kind of risk undertaken by investment banks proved to be their nemesis as they failed to gather enough capital to support their risky investments. Third responsible factor is size of investment banks. Many of them witnessed huge growth when economy was on the rise. They made huge profits based on their high risk propensity ventures. These FIs (financial institutions) also contributed heavily to US corporate profits.

Another important reason was failure of top echelons of management to provide sense of direction to their dealmakers. Greed took over and the rest is history. However, USA has started taking serious policy decisions to control the worsening situation. The $ 700 billion bailout package was first step in helping the doomed institutions. Apart from that, taking over of AIG, orchestrating Bear Stearns?merger with JP Morgan, taking control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, merging Merrill Lynch with Bank of America are other crucial steps. Though, all these steps won抰 prove to be of much help in the short term. It is being said that, it will take another one year to stabilize the market and credit flow.

For more information on economic recession and recession proof business refer these links.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author: jennie.gandhi



This article was printed from: http://www.easyarticles.com/article-212424.htm

Bailout? Hell No!

Why the Bailout/Rescue won't Work

It won't work

It's too little too late

It's Facism, not Free Market Economy

The American People don't want it

It won't work!

2009 Stevie Awards

Schedule for 2009 American Business Awards Announced


The Stevie Awards have announced the schedule for The 2009 (7th annual) American Business Awards. The ABAs are open to all organizations operating in the U.S.A. The 2009 edition will recognize achievements since the beginning of 2008. Complete information on the ABAs is available at www.stevieawards.com/aba.

The ABAs will open for entries in mid-September. At that time the 2009 entry kit will be emailed to all past entrants and entry-kit requesters. There will be two early-bird entry deadlines this fall - October 17 and December 12 - at which the entry fees will be discounted.

The final entry deadline will be March 31, 2009, but late entries will continue to be accepted through April 30 with payment of a late fee.

Preliminary judging will begin in April and will continue through mid-May. Finalists will be announced and notified on or about May 18. Final judging will be conducted in late May, and the final results will be announced at the 7th annual awards gala at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York City on Monday, June 22.






http://www.stevieawards.com/

Affiliate Marketing: Succeed Online

Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways for website owners to earn some extra cash. Millions of products are sold each and everyday online, and with each transaction, many individuals earn a commission.

So how can you get a piece of this ever-increasing affiliate product pie?

Simply stick to the tried-and-tested methods that have worked for many years and still continue to work well in the affiliate marketing world of today - you'll be sure to win! With the top three affiliate marketing strategies given here, you will be in a very good position to increase your sales and be successful in the amazingly profitable sphere of today's affiliate marketing programs online.


1. Having unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not just throw them all in 'en masse' to save a little money on web hosting.It is desirable to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.


Actually, having said that, there are quite a few web hosting companies that will allow you to host Unlimited Domains on your account - so hosting charges should not be a problem if you go down that road.Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial appreciation on what the products can do for those who purchase them.


Try to include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure, however, that these customers are willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.


You can also write articles displaying the uses of the product and include them on the website as additional pages. Try to make the pages attractive and compelling. Also, don't forget to include a few requests for them to act on the information.


Each headline should attract the readers and encourage them to try and discover more, possibly even to contact you. Draw attention to your product's special points. This will help your readers to learn what your page is about and will possibly make them want to find out more.


2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible, locate them at the very top of your page so they simply cannot be missed.Try to create personal-type auto responder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign-up box.


According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospective client.Only one of two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: a) a closed sale or b) the prospect leaving the web page never to return again.By placing useful information into their in-boxes at certain specified periods, you will later remind them of the product they were interested in and may find out that the sale is soon closed.


Do make sure that the content of your messages is directed toward specific reasons for buying the product. Never ever make it sound like a sales pitch.Focus on important points showing how your product can make life easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email.


As much as possible, avoid having the word "free" in there because some of the earlier spam filters dump those kind of contents straight into the junk so no-one even gets the chance to read them beforehand.Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing out on something big if they do not take advantage of your products and services.


3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are promoting, they will be among those who move on and never come again.


Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that are focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest. Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.


Always try to remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or subscribe to your services. If you can generate as many as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, this means that you can make 10 sales, based on the average statistics.


The methods defined above are not really difficult at all to do, if you think about it. It just involves a small amount of time and a definite plan of action on your part.Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end up doing something that not every affiliate marketer can do and that is, maintaining a really good source of income and being successful in this business. Besides, when you become successful, think of those regular massive pay-checks you will be receiving!

About the Author
Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert and owner of The Marketing Blog. Learn how to improve search engine rankings with The Webmaster's Book of Secrets.

Direct Response Marketing and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Principles

I produce Pay Per Click how-to training sessions geared to help online marketers increase their search marketing ROI. As Chairman for PPC Summits http://www.ppcsummit.com/overview.html?article1, I meet online marketers from around the world, and there is one common theme that seems to reoccur frequently: the myth that SEM is some kind of rocket science. What most marketers dont understand is SEM falls under the category of Direct Response Marketing.



Marketers have bought into the idea that SEM is something that can only be properly utilized by those who know the correct "voodoo" to make it work. But really, SEM is just another form of direct response marketing and many of the same principles apply. Successful marketing messaging resonates with the intended audience and the same controls apply to search marketing campaigns.

Here are some direct response marketing principles that should also apply to your SEM campaigns:

· It takes work. Successful marketers have to constantly test response rates: copy, keywords, placement, pricing, messages, landing pages

· You have to test. In direct response marketing, testing rules is never-ending. Just like testing in direct mail, the cost of the campaign can be justified if the lift in the conversion rate is enough to offset the expense. If the lift in conversion offsets the cost of optimizing the pages, keep testing and roll out new ones.

· You have to track results. Just as savvy offline marketers can tell which piece of mail and from which specific message a customer converted, you have to be able to tell which keyword, message and referrer drove your sale. Tracking is easy to do on PPC, harder on search engine optimization, but critical on both.

· Creative is key. Google rewards those with high click-through rates on PPC by better placement, and the way to get high CTRs is to write great copy that resonates with your audience. Similar to an offline campaign, online creative should be tested frequently.

· It's all about the benefit. Successful marketers sell on benefits, not features, and look for the messages that play on their customers' emotional responses to their product or service. Over time, you will discover offers that work only online, but like offline marketing, it comes through the same test-and-learn discipline.

· The "Lead to Sale" conversion rate is important. Just as in the offline world the key to conversions from search is providing the right hook in your listing at the right phase of the buying cycle, and then converting that lead into a paying customer with the right offer on your landing page.

· Analysis is your friend. Like any good offline campaign, you learn a great deal from analyzing your testing and conversions. One set of keywords can perform significantly better than the rest; but because even changing a keyword from singular to plural can have dramatically different results, you have to test and analyze each variable separately.

· It's all about CPA or CPL. All search engine marketing campaigns need to be analyzed by cost per acquisition (CPA) or cost per lead (CPL).

· Create customer loyalty. Search engines are looking more and more at how many websites link to yours.. You need customer evangelists driving more sales, and links can provide that.




Direct response marketing skills and experience are some of the key drivers in SEM campaigns. There are some nuances of SEM that you can only learn by experience, but if you go into it with the mindset that these rules apply you will demystify the whole experience.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary OBrien is the Chairman of PPC Summits--Gain Better Pay Per Click Results in 2 days! Mary was formerly senior director of sales at Yahoo Search Marketing and currently produces Pay Per Click workshops worldwide. To learn how to maximize your Pay Per Click marketing and gain better results on Google Adwords and other search engines, please visit http://www.ppcsummit.com/overview.html?article1 PPC Summit is coming to a city near you: Boston March 3-4, Vancouver March 31-April1, London April 14-15, San Francisco May 19-20, and Los Angeles Sept. 2008.

Recession Marketing Part 2: Internet marketing

We've talked about the four major categories of marketing and the importance of balancing your marketing effort in Part 1: Beating the Recession. So where do you begin?

If you had the time and resources to only pursue one avenue of marketing, make it internet marketing; it's one of the least expensive and most effective ways to get your name out there and it has the potential to reach the full spectrum of your client demographic.

There are four crucial investments you need to make to ensure a long-lasting return on your internet marketing. These include a professionally designed website, press releases, articles, and social media marketing.

Think of your website just like you would a brick-and-mortar location. What are some of the most important considerations when opening a store?

1. You want a good location that's easy for your customers to find.
2. The storefront should have good curb appeal; it should capture the attention of prospective customers and be pleasing to the eye.
3. The interior of the store should be easy to navigate, and customers should be able to find what they want quickly and easily
4. Maximize your layout by positioning items so that customers can find other products or services on the way to their original objectives.
5. You should have a quick and painless means of capturing customer information so that you can follow up with them in the future. (Ever given your name and phone number to a sales rep while checking out?)

The same timeless principles above apply just as readily to your website.

Location: Your domain name should be short and to the point. The longer and more difficult it is to spell or remember, the less likely it is that the customer will ever make it there.

"Curb appeal": Your front page is your image. It should convey the order and professionalism you want your company to convey to your customers.

Layout/Navigation: Your website must be easy to navigate. Customers who can't find what they want generally leave a website after SIX SECONDS, never to return.

Optimization: Buddy up your products. If you have a product that sells very well and a product that's suffered in the past, place them close together in your site navigation. Coupling a popular product with a lesser-known product will dramatically boost your traffic and sales for less popular lines.

Lead capturing: Placing your company's phone number in a highly visible location on your front page and placing a tasteful contact form in a prominent location will increase the amount of leads you get by as much as 300% in many cases. Better still, offer coupons, a free quote, a free newsletter packed with useful tips, or a chance to win a product or service to entice visitors to complete contact information.

Now that you've finished your website, you need to get the word out to customers. Of course, you'll want to do this in the most powerful, long lasting way possible for the least amount of money.

Well written, internet optimized press releases and articles are an incredibly powerful means of getting publicity, generating buzz, and attaining highly qualified leads for your business. Unlike running an article or a press release in a print publication, press releases and articles on the internet stay on the web permanently, getting you traffic and qualified leads for months or even years to come.

An experienced PR firm will get your press releases into venues such as Google News, Yahoo News, MSN News, and Reuters, and your articles into high traffic information sites such as about.com, ehow.com, and work.com. If the pieces are properly optimized, they'll include a link back to your website and tastefully include keywords related to your business to boost search engine results.

Lastly, we have social media marketing. Think of it as business networking online. By utilizing pre-existing networks such as Face Book, MySpace, LinkedIn, and business forums, and even creating your own business blog, you can forge partnerships, acquire affiliates, and generate word of mouth with thousands of prospects and business owners. Better still, you can repurpose all of those excellent articles and press releases as blog content.

Following the advice in this article and I guarantee you, you will get results. Keep an eye out for the next article in our Recession Marketing series, Part 3: Television Marketing.

About the Author
Tony D. Baker is Oklahoma’s leading Internet marketing expert with over 1,000 clients and over 12 years of Internet marketing experience. As an author and public speaker, Baker has written several ebooks and has spoken at conferences throughout the United States. Tony D. Baker is currently the host of Xeal Radio, Sunday at 12 noon on Tulsa's Talk Radio 1170 KFAQ AM.

Introduction to Trade Show Displays

When it comes to displaying items at a trade show, you have many options from banner stands, literature stands and pop-up displays. You may choose to use more than one type of trade show display unit since each one can be used together to give a more full effect and useful information.

Banner Stands
Banner stands come in an array of sizes and designs. the majority of banner stands are portable are designed to be set up in very quickly and have a practical existence for several trade shows as long as they are treated properly. Deciding on which type of banner stand is best for you is to decide among the varieties available. The main types are retractable, spring back and telescopic.

Rollable banner stands are great for creating a floor standing photo mural. This type has hardware that allows the graphic image to be seen from the floor to the top of the image. The main selling point for this type is that from the front of the stand all your potential customers will see is the image. All of the hardware is either hidden or a small portion is at the top or the bottom of the stand. Therefore, the hardware is not what is noticed by visitors to your display. The rollable display can also be attached side by side with other rollable banner stands to create a much longer imager that can be as long as ten feet or more.

Retractable banner stands may be better if you are seeking durability. The graphic in this unit is rolled in and out of a metal housing, which is at the bottom of the display. With retractable banner stands, the lamination is on both sides this will aid in preserving and protecting the image from any type of damage.

Literature Racks
Literature racks also come in many different styles, designs and sizes that will enable you to fit all of the literature that you would like to offer to potential customers. Most of the time trade show literature racks are silver or black and have 3 to 5 pockets. A few larger ones are similar to a magazine rack that you commonly see at the grocery store holding comic books.

The most popular literature rack is probably the Zed Up. This great literature rack has a shelf system that can be folded down and put into its own bag for transporting. The main reason this type of literature rack is popular is that you do not have to remove the literature when you are ready to pack up. There are two sizes of the Zed Up, one with 3 pockets that will hold single brochures and another that will hold larger quantities of literature in each pocket.

You may desire a more sleek and modern design which would be the Slope literature rack. It is also very easy to transport by just folding the rack flat. It has 3 pockets that will hold literature 10 inches wide by 57 inches high and 16 inches deep. The slope has its own carrying bag as well for easier transport.

Pop-up displays
There are quite a few different types of pop-up displays that you can enjoy using for your trade show needs. There are five fashionable types that most people prefer which include the Standard Pop-up Displays, the Photo Mural Pop-up Displays, the Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays, the Commercial Pop-up Displays, and the 3-D Style Pop-up Displays. Each one has their own unique qualities and style to enhance your trade show experience.

The commonest is the standard pop-up. These are normally around 10 feet wide with a curved design. They are usually made with lightweight aluminum frame, PVC or steel channel bars, individual aluminum, or Velcro fabric panels.

The photo mural pop-up displays are pretty much like the standard pop-up displays except they use photo mural panels instead of the Velcro fabric panels. The photo mural pop-ups draw more attention because of the large format graphics that they use.

With the fabric mural pop-up display, you do not have to worry about set up as much. The mural is attached to the frame, which makes setting up faster and easier than with the standard or the photo mural style. This type also weighs less than most standard pop-ups on the market today. You can choose from a curved or non-curved design and most come with their own carrying bag.

Commercial Pop up displays may be what you need, but they are a bit more expensive. This type is sturdy and can take a bit more mistreatment or mishandling than other units can.

One of the newest pop up displays on the market today is the 3-D Style Pop-up Display. These are similar to the fabric mural displays in that the fabric image is attached to the frame, but you can choose from different shapes such as square or round. Set up is easy and quick.

Author Bio
Everything Displays is an online retailer offering a full selection of trade show displays, booths, exhibits, and display accessories. Their website is www.everythingdisplays.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Recession Marketing, Part 1

Recession Marketing Part 1: Beating the Recession
02/05/2008 - By Tony Darrick Baker

An unspoken air of tension hangs over the populace. Whispers spread back and forth…"The market's down, hard times are coming."

Sound familiar? There's a lot of negativity about the state of the market right now, but let's look past the gossip and examine the facts.

All markets fluctuate to varying degrees. Economic cycles come and go, businesses rise and fall. But look at companies like McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson and Colgate that have survived and even grown in periods of economic recession. What's their secret?

If you've ever been busy and on a budget, you've probably eaten at McDonald's. What makes them worthy of the title of "largest fast-food chain in the world?" Ba-da-ba-ba-ba, I'm luvin' it! Ever had that stuck in your head, followed by a slight tinge of resentment because you're now craving a burger, fries, and a Coke? Super-size it!

And after that, don't forget to brush your teeth. How do you protect your teeth for 12 hours after brushing? Colgate!

If you're a parent, you've probably used Johnson's Baby Powder at some point; it's almost a conditioned response. Why? Because we hear that warm, maternal voice articulating how smooth and clean it leaves our skin feeling. We see the happy, giggling baby laying in the sunlight, clutching her parent's finger after a changing.

All of these companies have one thing in common, and this is their secret:

They all understand the value of marketing. Each of these companies continued to market and even expanded their marketing during past recessions.

Marketing during a recession

A series of six studies conducted by the research firm of Meldrum & Fewsmith showed conclusively that advertising aggressively during recessions not only increases sales but increases profits. This fact has held true for all post-World War II recessions studied by American Business Press starting in 1949.

With that being said, marketing can be a costly enterprise, and there's never been more information to absorb or avenues to choose from. How do you make the right choice?

What are my options?

A combination of marketing techniques is the most effective strategy.

Here are the four major categories of marketing media you can focus on:

1. Internet

2. Television

3. Radio

4. Print (newspaper, magazines, journals, etc)

Be aware that each category is generally more effective within different age groups. Internet marketing has the highest impact on the 18-35 age group. Television is more effective with the age 35-50 crowd. Radio reaches a fairly broad age range, but doesn't always grab attention as effectively as the other venues. Print media marketing is generally more effective for an audience of ages 35-75.

So how do you get the most out of your marketing dollar?

• Tailor your marketing mix based on your client demographic

• Get better results and save money with traditional advertising (by cutting excess spending and integrating your website with traditional marketing)

• Shift spending towards more traceable marketing venues (internet, track, capture info/etc)

Here are a few tips for recession marketing that will save you money and keep your company at the head of the pack:

Know Your Clients

Consider your own client base. What are the average ages for the top 20% of your clients? How many of your clients are over 50? How many of them are over 35? This will help you narrow down where your clients go for information. Identifying the strategic ground is crucial to winning market share.

No matter what form of advertising you use, everyone's favorite radio station, TV station or blog is W.I.I.F.M., "What's In It For Me?" That's what everyone's tuned in to. Make sure your ads answer that question in 10 seconds or less.

Run a Lean, Focused Campaign

Look for ways to cut excess spending while still maintaining visibility. Focus on results by driving marketing and traffic to your website. Then you can convert those visitors into leads and a database of contact information.

Waste not, want not. A ¾ page ad in the yellow pages can be just as effective as a full page. Rather than running a full page sales letter in a magazine or tabloid, offer a free report that people can print out online once they visit your web site.

Negotiate with your stations to buy filler inventory. Often radio stations will have 10 to 15 seconds where they have to push filler in order to start a show on time. Those 10 to 15 seconds could easily be your ad at a significant discount. The station gets the extra dollars they need during a recession and you get the extra exposure.

Invest in a Strong Web Presence

Think of ways to drive people to your website. Consider using an easy-to remember URL with your promotions, like "KFAQLovesPizza.com." Make sure your URL is easy to spell and contains no symbols. This strategy makes it very simple to track your promotions.

In addition to your phone number and URL in your advertisements, offer a free report, a free newsletter, coupons, or some other free information of value to your target market. This is always appealing to customers, even more so in difficult times.

One crucial aspect of your website marketing mix is capturing your visitor's information. A simple contact form tastefully placed on your front page with places for name, e-mail address, and phone number will dramatically increase the amount of leads you receive.

About the Author
Tony D. Baker is Oklahoma’s leading Internet marketing expert with over 1,000 clients and over 12 years of Internet marketing experience. As an author and public speaker, Baker has written several ebooks and has spoken at conferences throughout the United States. Tony D. Baker is currently the host of Xeal Radio, Sunday at 12 noon on Tulsa's Talk Radio 1170 KFAQ AM.

Blogvermercial Podcast in the Works!

Coming soon, in about two or three weeks, this blog will be available by Podcast.

The content will be new, different, and yet similar to the blog. I hope to include more original content, with writings, video, and original music.

Stay tuned !

Ten Simple, No Cost Methods to Take Your Marketing to the Next Level

No cost marketing methods, are you crazy? To answer that question, no, I’m quite sain. Every online marketer can use ten methods to boost marketing for nothing out of pocket. With these free marketing methods you can try them, and find the ones that fit your needs, with no cost you can put them all into use and watch your sales boom.

1. Remember it is all about your visitors. Your ads are not the place to get a case of the “Me’s”. Your visitors will want to know that their needs and wants will be met. They want to hear what your product or service will do to make their life easier, and better. So remember, your ads are not the place to boast about awards won, or your genius. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and write the ad for them.

2. You can allow visitors post a free classified ad on your website. Let them post the ad and in return they must give you a valid e-mail address. If it suites you, require them to return after a agreed upon time to re submit. You can also get them to give you a reciprocal link on their site. You will get an address for you list, as well as get your link post on another site for free.

3. Are you an ezine article writer? Allow others to publish your articles on their sites. By including your website ad and link in each article published, you will then get your information out every time someone uses your material.

4. Are you one who likes to leave feedback on a product or service you have received? If so don’t let that go without getting something out of it for yourself. When you email your testimonial to the company give them permission to use your praises on their site as long as they link to your site. Simply put your name under your testimonial and your site information.

5.You can give away the soft ware as a gift to customers as a way of showing appreciation. Place an ad along with the gift for a back end product you are offering.

6. Since your subscribers are most likely to invest in upgrades and pass information onto friends, try giving them free copies or limited memberships to new products you may have. What you may offer free today, will be put back into your business plus more when upgrades are bought, or full memberships purchased.

7. People buy product when they see the ad repeatedly. Give away a follow-up email course on anything pertaining to your product. With each lesson remember to include your ad. By keeping your advertisement in your customer’s mind they will be more likely to buy from you.

8. Contest’s are always a hit with people. When they think they can win something for free, people will always sign up. You can use short polls or surveys for people to enter the contest, and it will increase your opt in list. By giving away ebooks or reports, or if you want something to send them go with t-shirts, caps, or anything with your company logo. Then notify everyone by email to announce the winner of the contest.

9. If your site does not have message boards or forums on it, you may want to change that. It will let your customers be more active on your site. When members get active on a message board or forum, they are more likely to return later.

10. How to articles or stories are a fantastic way to keep people reading your site. Everyone enjoys a good story or interesting articles. By using tall tales and humor on your page you will find more people taking time to read from start to finish.



About The Author

Jason Pearson is an online marketing expert who wants to share his secrets with the world. To find out more visit http://www.thewinningbusiness.com

"Luck" Marketing?

Does Luck have a place in marketing management?


On a scale of 1-10, with ten being the "Perfect Product and Plan" and one being let's cut our losses and file Chapter 13, Luck is at least a 5. Timing is everything, but like the saying goes "stuff happens", that even the most savvy management team could not see without a crystal ball, Luck comes into play.

How does luck, good or bad, compare to budgets, advertising plans, media blitzes, and pages of statistical figures? There is gorilla marketing, voo-doo marketing, , new age marketing, old school, hip hop marketing, even punk marketing. Taken as part of a managed effort, being in the right place at the right time is really a matter of careful and brilliant planning...or not?

What the credible manager needs is to make sure that all his "marketing ducks" are in the proper row, and get lucky! "Well, punk, do you feel lucky?"