Most Commonly Asked Questions About Ezine Publishi

Most Commonly Asked Questions About Ezine Publishing

by: Terri Seymour

Getting so many emails as I do about ezine publishing, I thought maybe an article covering the most asked questions would be useful to some of you who are thinking about or just starting your own ezine.

* What is an Ezine?

An ezine is simply an electronic newsletter or magazine mailed periodically to a list of optin subscribers. Optin means that these subscribers have signedup for or requested to receive your ezine.

A good ezine will contain lots of useful information and resources for the subscribers.

* Who Do I Send My Ezine To?

You obtain a list of subscribers by advertising and promoting your ezine in several ways.

Announcement lists Follow guidelines for posting and get some fr~e exposure!

http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ListPOP

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Announce_Your_Group

Writing Articles Definitely something you want to get into. Very powerful method of fr~e promotion!

Ad swaps Running other publishersก ads in exchange for them running yours is a great way to get a lot of fr~e ezine advertising, plus you get to make new friends as well! 😉

http://www28.brinkster.com/bluesite/swap.htm

http://ezineswap.com/

Sigtag Always add a sigtag to your email with your subscribe link and an attention grabbing headline about your ezine. Very effective!

Discussion Lists Similar to announcement lists, but get involved in the discussions as often as possible.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Message Boards Similar to discussion groups. Establish yourself as an expert who is there to help.

http://www.mcpromotions.com/webbbs/webbbs_config.pl?#156

Joint Ventures Exchange thank you page ads with other publishers, participate in group pop under windows, swap publisher ads in your welcome letters to your subscribers. Be creative with joint ventures to dramatically increase your subscriber list!

* How Do I Mail My Ezine?

There are several ways you can mail out your ezine.

Autoresponder A favorite of many publishers because you are able to send out several followups.

http://www.getresponse.com/index/47152

Email Server When you are first starting using your email server is an easy and inexpensive way to mail our your newsletter.

Mailing List Manager After your list grows, I recommend you purchase an easy and effective mailing list manager.

http://hop.clickbank.net/?webcentral/lightning

Web Host When you buy your domain, you also get a mailserver from which you can send out your ezine. Your subscribe address would be something like:

mailto:[email protected]

Yahoo and Topica, etc Fr~e mailing list managers like these are a good way to get started on a tight budget. I used Yahoogroups way back when they were onelist? and then egroups. I never had any major problems with them, but eventually wanted to take control of my own list.

* What Do I Put in My Ezine?

Lots of good resources, helpful information, a little fun, motivational stories, original or guest articles, product or affiliate program reviews, freebies, etc. You must also add your personality to your ezine. That is what makes your ezine special! Write an editorial so your readers can get to know you and can interact with you. Let your ideas flow and make your ezine interesting and unique!

* Why Should I Publish an Ezine?

Publishing an ezine is important to your business because it enables you to keep in contact with the people who are interested in your website, your product and you. You can build a solid foundation of trust and respect on which to base your business success!

Answering all questions in detail is quite impossible in one article, but I hope I have covered some of the main points that you might be curious about. If I have not answered a question you may have, feel fr~e to contact me anytime. Thank you.

About The Author

Terri Seymour owns and operates MyOwnEzine.com.

Learn to publish and promote your own ezine.

mailto:[email protected]

Signup for the FR~E MOE Ezine Publishing Ecourse

mailto:[email protected]

You can contact Terri at mailto:[email protected]

This article was posted on January 21, 2003

by Terri Seymour

How To Ethically Sell To Your Prospect, Even If Th

How To Ethically Sell To Your Prospect, Even If They Say No.

by: Charles Kangethe

What you are about to read… is a closing technique I learnt many years ago whilst working as a sales rep.

Too many marketers let go on the first no.

If you really believe in the value and benefit of your product or service to your prospect, then you need to learn about กPreemptive Marketing.ก

Tip #1 Learn To Differentiate Prospects

There are three groups of prospect

1) Those to whom you will never sell because they have no need for your product or service. Vast majority

2) Those to whom you might sell, if only you can overcome initial objections. Majority of the rest.

3) Those to whom you sell automatically, because of your reputation and the quality of your products and services. Very small minority.

Your marketing should focus on the second group. There is nothing you can do about the first and the third largely take care of themselves.

Once you understand this you will be less fearful of alienating prospects which is the reason most marketers give up on a sale too soon.

Tip #2 Why Do Prospects Not Buy From You ?

There are four broad reasons why prospects will not buy from you.

* Money The product is priced too high, or too low either in absolute terms or in comparison to the competition.

* Functionality The product has too much functionality or too little. In the first case it is too complex or complicated to operate in the second it provides little benefit to the prospect.

* Timing Your prospect has just bought a competitors product, or they are just window shopping in anticipation of a future purchase.

* Competition Your competition has a powerful brand presence in the market place that makes it difficult for you to compete.

Tip #3 What Is PreEmptive Marketing ?

In order to apply Preemptive Marketing Tactics go through these stages.

Phase 1 Understand your prospect in detail. What motivates them ? What are their problems and issues ? What solutions are they looking for ? What value do they place on the solution ?

Phase 2 Brainstorm ALL of your prospectกs possible purchasing objections. Use the objection groups in step #2 to help you.

Phase 3 For each objection, decide on credible and persuasive responses.

Phase 4 Using popup technology and / or autoresponders deliver the responses to prospects who did not click on กBuy Nowก after reading your copy.

Tip #4 Examples Of Credible Responses

Here are some example Credible Responses to Frequent Purchasing Objections

* Too Expensive

Ask your prospect to make you an offer If your product has sunk costs that you have covered, then any offer is probably acceptable. If you still need to cover the production costs, give the prospect a floor price you are willing to accept and ask them to bid, above the floor.

* Too Cheap

Tell your prospect they can have the product at a discount to the already cheap price ! If they like the product then they can send another payment for what they think the product is really worth.

* Product Too Complicated

Offer a discount on standard price and offer to train the prospect for F’ree in how to use the added functionality.

When you design your products, do so in a modular fashion so functionality can be added or removed to the core product.

* Product Too Simple

Offer a discount with a guarantee of F’ree upgrades when the functionality is added.

Ask your prospect to make you a reduced offer based on their evaluation of the functionality.

* Prospect Was Window Shopping

Offer your prospect a discount for buying before a date you set in the future. Make sure the discounts are removed when that date is reached, else the tactic loses credibility.

* Prospect Bought A Similar Product From Elsewhere

Offer your prospect a discounted price and an extended returns period during which they can compare your product against the previously purchased one.

* Competitor Brand Is Dominant

Do a กwarts and allก comparison of your product against the market leader. Line them up and let your prospect make the buying decision based on information rather than กbrand awarenessก

Brand your own product, service and business with your USP.

Tip #5 Practical Preemptive Marketing

Armed with your list of objections and a response for each, create your sales pages and apply an exit popup to everything except the กBuy Nowก or กOptInก buttons.

You also need to set up an autoresponder with the responses to the objections as the topics for your mails.

The use of exit popups and autoresponders in this way is nothing new. However, what is different in this tactic is the detail of objections to which you respond.

You must have answers to the entire range of objections your prospect may have to make this work.

The way you present the information on your กPreemptive Responsesก Popup and autoresponder is also critical to the success of this tactic.

The objection must be headlined in an attention grabbing way, so that if that objection applies to your prospect they will be drawn into your response.

Relevant Resources

Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business http://www.simplyeasier.com/ownarticles.html

Article by Bob Leduc Neutralize Unspoken Objections To Increase Sales available from http://www.sbishere.com/article.html/598

When Objections Get In The Way http://common.ppmg.net/NEWSltc/021108.htm

The Psychology Of Closing http://common.ppmg.net/NEWSltc/021101.htm

Conclusion

Make it a business philosophy of yours not to let the sale go on the first no !

Use Preemptive Marketing tactics to persuade warm prospects that they can and should make the purchase despite their initial objections.

These tactics will not appeal to people who would never have bought from you, but a few of those who read your copy and are still undecided may convert much to their own and your benefit.

(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe

About The Author

Charles Kangethe of http://www.simplyeasier.com is a leading new wave Netpreneur and a published author from England. The กSimply Easierก brand name is your guarantee of high value, quality Marketing Products, Services and Resources.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 16, 2004

by Charles Kangethe

Outlook… Not Just for Email! Using Your Outlook

Outlook… Not Just for Email! Using Your Outlook Calendar

by: Janet Barclay

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used software programs for email, but if you’re only using it for email, you’re missing out on a great productivity tool! This monthกs column looks at a few ways you can use the Outlook calendar to make scheduling easier.

* Add public holidays to your calendar automatically.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Calendar Options. Under Calendar options, click Add Holidays. Select the check box next to each country/region whose holidays you want to add to your Calendar, and then click OK. Your own country/region is automatically selected. Color code your appointments.

* When you select a label for each appointment, Outlook will assign it a color, drawing attention to your most important activities and allowing you to see at a glance how you are spending your time. The available labels are:

Important Red

Business Blue

Personal Light Green

Vacation Gray

Must Attend Orange

Travel Required Aqua

Needs Preparation Olive Green

Birthday Purple

Anniversary Dark Green

Phone Call Yellow

None White

* Turn a message into an appointment or task.

Whatกs the quickest way to deal with an email inviting you to a meeting or event?

Drag the message onto your Calendar and a new appointment will be created. The entire message will appear in the details section all you need to do is edit the subject line, location, date and time! Send an RSVP if necessary, and now you can delete the email!

Not sure if you’re going to attend? Set กShow time asก to ‘tentativeก and the appointment will display with a dashed border rather than a solid one. In this case you should also drag the message onto your Task Pad and a new task will be created. Edit the subject line to be a reminder to register for the event, and set the due date early enough that you won’t miss out if you decide to go.

* Print pages for your paper planner.

If you like the idea of using the Outlook calendar, but are more comfortable using a paper planner, Outlook allows you to print pages in daily, weekly or monthly layouts, formatted to fit a variety of commercial planners. Print the whole year, or just todayกs schedule!

* Itกs not just about work.

There are many websites that allow you to download schedules right into your Outlook calendar, including sports teams and TV stations, among many others. Youกll never have to miss your favorite team or show, and just think of the time youกll save!

Permission is granted to use this article, as long as the กAbout the Authorก section including the link to http://www.organizedassistant.com remains intact. An email letting me know which article you have used and where would be appreciated.

About The Author

Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant, is a Professional Organizer, Virtual Assistant and Time Management Consultant. For more information visit http://www.organizedassistant.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 08, 2004

by Janet Barclay

Crying For Help Online

Crying For Help Online

by: Jim Edwards

Anyone surfing the Internet for more than a week eventually needs help from someone else. Whether regarding an online purchase, technical support on computer hardware, software support or some other type of help, sooner or later everyone needs assistance.

The way in which you ask for help has everything to do with how fast and how well you receive assistance. In the online world where email rules, the following tips will help you get what you need and get on your way quickly.

* Remember the กpersonก on the other end *

When something on your computer or a particular website doesn’t function properly, irritation seems a natural reaction, especially when you have no clue why things don’t work or how to fix them. A sense of helplessness often leads to feelings of frustration and anger. However, no matter how upset you get, you must always remember that a live person will receive your email communication and, in many cases, they didn’t cause your problem directly.

Remember, those email กmissilesก that make you feel better in the short term will almost always come back to haunt you over the long haul.

When first asking for help, never send notes with phrases such as กIf you don’t respond to me within two hours Iกm going to contact my lawyer.ก or กI sure hope this isn’t a scam.ก Rarely do such comments produce the cheerful help or assistance you actually want.

* กPleaseก and ‘thank Youก *

Common courtesy goes a long way towards getting what you want, especially regarding technical support. Notes with nasty comments put the person on the receiving end in a bad frame of mind. However, notes with a polite tone sprinkled generously with กpleaseก and ‘thank youก will usually receive prompt and courteous attention. You can always get more severe later if you must.

* Don’t use ALL CAPS *

Using all capital letters in an email rates the same as SHOUTING in someoneกs face! Ignorance of this custom online does not excuse the behavior.

Though you may think typing certain words in ALL CAPS merely shows emphasis on your part, to a กcomputer geekก you will seem rude and offensive. Once you have offended the person from whom you seek help, your chances of receiving that help diminish significantly.

* Get to the point *

Everything happens quickly online. Time ranks number one as the customer support personกs scarcest resource and they don’t have time to read long emails to figure out what you need.

When asking for help, always include your name, contact information, order information, specific dates and a clear description of the help or information you need.

Avoid including any extraneous information that won’t contribute directly in assisting someone in giving you exactly what you need.

Though the Internet and email may seem like an instant solution to many problems, people still run the technology. If you need help from another person, don’t treat the person like a machine. Youกll get a lot further by doing it this way.

(c) Jim Edwards All Rights reserved

http://www.TheNetReporter.com

About The Author

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the coauthor of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links…

Simple ‘traffic Machineก brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months… without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

This article was posted on August 23

by Jim Edwards

7 Steps To A Powerful, Useful Reciprocal Links Dir

7 Steps To A Powerful, Useful Reciprocal Links Directory

by: Charles Kangethe

The Problem

No matter how good your product or service is, if you are not receiving targeted visitors to your site or if your web site is not well ranked by the Search engines you will not sell much.

A solid, reciprocal linking strategy, properly executed will deliver both targeted visitors and improve your web site rank for your chosen keywords and all for กno money down.ก

Step #1 Specific Keyword Search

It is important that your chosen keyword phrases are as specific as possible.

Scott Buresh of http://www.mediumblue.com/ says this about keywords and using กgeographicก, กadjectiveก and กnounก modifiers to make them specific.

กModifiers are used for two main reasons: to increase the percentage of ideal prospects in the traffic the phrase attracts, and to find terms that are easier to target on search engines. Adding the right type of modifiers to your search engine key phrases will increase your chances of success.ก

This step involves effort and a capacity to brainstorm because you need a minimum of 100 keyword phrases for good results. Good search engine optimisers build lists of 300 specific or more keyword phrases.

The following resources will be of use as you build your keyword phrase list

* Overture Suggestion Tool http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

* Good Keywords by Softnik Technologies http://www.goodkeywords.com

* Use a search engine to research กKeyword Phrasesก and learn more practical details on this critical task.

Step #2 Suitable Link Partners

Your ideal link partners are web sites based on

* High quality content Ideally the material (articles, reviews, reports, ebooks etc) should be original, fresh and informative to visitors.

* Tight web site themes The content addresses a specific business, product or service type.

* Tight directory themes A link to the link directory should be prominently shown on main pages and the directory must be tightly themed and not just a กlink farmก of general, nonrelated web sites.

* Complimentary themes While you may not want direct competitors to feature in your directory, complimentary sites that fulfil the above features will provide great value to your visitors.

Step # 3 Find and Review Link Partners

Now, find web sites who may be กgoodก link partners.

Using a search engine or directory, go through each keyword phrase in your list and visit as many of the web sites that are returned as you can.

Evaluate each site on the basis of the criteria set in step #2.

Decide on the categories you want in your directory.

For an Internet marketing business these would typically be กAffiliate Programsก, กBusiness Promotionก, กIncome Opportunitiesก an so on.

Qualifying web sites, may of course fall into more than one category depending on their business, product or service offerings.

With this information you can now make another list of :

* Qualifying web sites for inclusion. * Relevant email address to which link requests must be addressed.

* Web site URL and a short description of the web site and what it offers.

* Make a note of กspecialก features on the web site which you can usefully put in your email to *prove* you have actually visited the site. This goes a long way to countering SPAM problems.

Step # 4 Build Your Partner Link Directory.

Build your Partner Linkกs directory using a separate HTML page for each distinct category.

Add the URL link and comment for each qualified site into the relevant category page(s).

Make your directory pleasurable to visit, where visitors find information quickly and easily.

Ensure ithe directory is easily found and reached from your main web pages.

Step 5 eMail The Webmaster

Using the email addresses, write to each Webmaster you have linked to.

Tell them :

* The URL address of the page where their link can be found

* Your own web site link information (URL and descriptive comments)

Finish by asking for a reciprocal link in their directory.

Make the email personal and you might like to use the *special* feature note you made to help your request achieve success.

Step #6 Maintain Your Directory

A partner directory is a work in constant progress.

It must change quickly to reflect obsolete, dead, new, and modified links and web sites.

This maintains itกs usefulness to your visitors.

Depending on size, verifying the links may be more than you can achieve easily by your own efforts. Offer prizes to visitors who find and inform you of links that are no longer useful.

Maintenance also means giving added prominence to entries for other webmasters who respond to your mail and tell you that they have added your link and web site information to their own directories.

You can add a small graphic next to each Partner link making it stand out from the other web sites that have not provided a reciprocal links.

Remember your directory exists to provide useful content to your visitors. Do not immediately remove a non reciprocating web site, if it adds value to your visitors.

Step #7 Repeat

Go through the six steps above regularly and over a period of 3 to 6 months you should notice a significant and sustained rise in targeted traffic from complimentary sites as well as a rise in search engine rankings for your specific keyword phrases.

Conclusion

Building a useful, tightly themed, Partner Link directory is a กNo costก traffic and ranking builder.

Will you devote 15 minutes to this today, and into the future ?

(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe

About The Author

Charles Kangethe of http://www.simplyeasier.com is a leading new wave Netpreneur and a published author from England. The กSimply Easierก brand name is your guarantee of high value, quality Marketing Products, Services and Resources.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 02, 2004

by Charles Kangethe

Advantages for Using FrontPage… maybe this HTML

Advantages for Using FrontPage… maybe this HTML editor has some hidden advantages

by: Robin Nobles

Ever since Iกve been doing SEO work, Iกve always griped and complained about FrontPage and all the extraneous code it puts in the section of the page, etc.

Then recently, I had the opportunity to visit with a group of advanced search engine optimizers, and I was shocked to find that many of them use FrontPage and love it.

FrontPage??!!

The first thing I learned is that there are ways to keep out the extraneous code! With FrontPage, you can remove the code, but it keeps comes back again and again and again. But, there’s a way to get rid of it forever.

How to Get Rid of Extraneous Code and Headers

Dave Barry, Webmaster of SmartCertify Direct (http://www.smartcertify.com), explains how:

FrontPage 97 or 98 users:

Click on Start, then Find, then Files or Folders. Search your hard drive (generally your C drive) for a file named frontpg.ini. Click on the file.

When it opens, look for a line that says, ขVersion 3.0.ข

Add this line under Version 3.0:

HTMLREFORMAT=0

The next time you use FrontPage, remove the extraneous code and headers, and they won’t come back.

FrontPage 2000, 2002, or XP users:

Look at the menu bar at the top of the Open Web. Click on Tools, then Page Options.

You’ll see an option box. Under HTML Source, at the top of the page under General, you’ll have this choice:

When saving file(s):

Preserve existing HTML or Reformat using the rules below

If you choose Preserve existing HTML, and if you delete any extraneous code and headers, you won’t see the code or headers on your pages again.

(To view an example screen shot showing the above, click here: http://www.academywebspecialists.com/newsletters/fp2.gif)

Dave added:

ขTo disable the HTML changing of FrontPage 2000, a registry entry is also needed. This registry file (http://www.academywebspecialists.com/newsletters/noreformat.zip) will do it automatically. Just open the file with Notepad to verify its authenticity before using it.

ขThe attachment and registry entry must occur on the server.

ขOr, if you want to edit the registry manually, here is the code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared

Tools\Web Server Extensions\All Ports]

‘reformatHtmlก=ก0ก

AddIn that Generates META Tags

FrontPage also has an Addin that will delete META tags without going into the source view. It’s called META Tag Maker 2002, and it will create and manage META tags through one dialogue box, without having to go into source view.

http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/downloads/addin/searchdetail.asp?aid=80

In fact, the FrontPage site has an amazing number of Addins for FrontPage that are free for the taking. http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/downloads/addin/def ault.asp

Some of the more popular Addins include:

Multimedia/Special FX, Windows Media Addin, that will easily embed audio and visual into your Web pages;

Clear Teal Template, that is a 16page easytouse Web template that lets you easily create a Web site;

Scripting/Database Tools, JBots Plus 2002 Trial. According to the FrontPage site, JBots components make FrontPage Web sites more customized by adding JavaScriptenabled features, but you don’t have to know how to write code or cut and paste. Simply fill in dialog boxes, click Generate, and the JavaScript is created for you.

Other Advantages for Using FrontPage

* Server side includes are easy with FrontPage. Before we go on, let me explain what ขserver side includesข are.

Server side includes (SSI’s) generate parts of Web pages dynamically on the ขserver side.ข They allow you to add customization features to your Web pages, such as an email form. Unlike other forms of dynamic content, or content that’s created on the fly, server side includes have a normal URL that’s easy for users to remember and doesn’t create problems for the engines.

In other words, SSI’s embed special commands into an HTML document that tells the server to perform specific actions when a user requests the page. The server then creates the Web page on the fly by merging files or inserting requested information.

How might you use SSI’s on your Web page? Let’s say you want to add a form to your Web site for your users to complete to sign up for your newsletter. You could create the form using SSI’s.

For more information on creating SSI’s with FrontPage, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/using/default.htm and click on FrontPage Server Extensions.

* Dave Barry, who recently created two major sections of the Dell Web site using FrontPage, manages 40 to 50 Web sites at SmartCertify, and he easily moves back and forth between those sites using FP. With that many sites, there is a lot of duplicity, and he can effortlessly share objects with FP or edit multiple Web sites. With FrontPage, you can cut and paste between the sites, use shared borders, and easily drag and drop files, thus saving a lot of time versus handling each site separately.

If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), FrontPage also makes using them a breeze. You can even create DHTML using FrontPage.

Dave created a video on how to copy and paste, how to use Cascading Style Sheets, and how to use shared borders with Front Page:

http://www.smartcertify.com/seo/frontpage.asp

(Author Note: When viewing these videos, make sure you have the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Player. To download the latest version (7.1), click here (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;enus;Q299321). Also, I found that I was unable to view the videos if my firewall (Zone Alarm) was running.)

* Another benefit to using FrontPage is being able to create virtual directories with ease. As you know, when you specify a home directory, all of the subdirectories beneath than home directory automatically become subdirectories of the Web site as well. However, you can also designate a folder located elsewhere on the system as a subdirectory of the site by creating a virtual directory out of it. A virtual directory is a directory or folder on a server that is not in the actual server directory structure.

Again, Dave created a video on how to create virtual directories using Front Page:

http://www.smartcertify.com/seo/iis.asp

* If you want to create a database, it’s no problem with FrontPage. It will virtually create a database for you and import data without any database knowledge at all. The program works with Access, SQL, Oracle, and ODBC, and you can set up an SECcompliant database within 30 seconds and begin working with asp pages with no prior knowledge whatsoever.

Click here for Dave’s video on how to create a database using FrontPage:

http://www.smartcertify.com/seo/dwizard.asp

* To Lee Davies of #1 Internet Marketing (http://www.1internetmarketing.co.nz), the main advantage to FrontPage is that you can so easily manage all your html pages from the folders section.

For example, ขIf you were to rename an image, which is something that needs to be done when optimizing, it will rename the links to the images from every page,ข he explains.

* What I kept hearing again and again as I interviewed users of FrontPage is that FrontPage saves you time in creating Web pages, because it’s so easy to use. Don Hammond with DonOMite (http://www.donomite.com) explains,

ขStraight HTML pages are a breeze with FP. I know a lot of programmers scoff at using it, but it means I can crank out a basic HTML page in seconds rather than minutes. And when I get paid by the job, it means more $/hr to me.ข

* Dawn Rowlett with Web Submission Services (http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com) explains further:

ขFrom the first day that I was introduced to FrontPage, I was instantly able to catch on to some of the many features because it was so easy to use. I think the most beneficial factor to the program for me was that I was able to go in and design a page, knowing nothing at all about HTML. I could include hyperlinks, tables, images, change colors, backgrounds, insert text, create paragraphs, etc. with absolutely no background in coding. I was able to do all of this on my first day with the program!

ขI remember one time in the beginning when I was involved in a discussion with a designer who was using another HTML editor and was completely stuck on the coding of how to create a simple table. My first thought at the time was, using Front Page, that is such a simple task.ข

* Many professional SEO’s also like to use FrontPage because it’s a program that’s simple enough for their clients to use. So, when the SEO turns the site back over to the client, the client can easily make changes with FrontPage without having to know HTML. As Tom Altman with RSM McGladrey, Inc. (http://www.rsmmcgladrey.com) explains,

ขMost of the folks already have the office suite, so they are used to using Word and the like. FrontPage is not that much different, and it lets them maintain their own site.ข

Make FrontPage Work the way YOU Want it to!

At the Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions Resource Kit, you’ll find links to all of the possible ways to make FrontPage work for you, instead of the default values after installation.

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/frontpage/wpp/serk/apndx03.htm

Take a Free Course in using FrontPage!

Dave Barry at SmartCertify Direct (http://www.smartcertify.com) created a free course in using FrontPage. Simply register at the following URL, and take the free course:

http://www.smartcertify.com/seo/registerseo.asp

In Conclusion

As you’ve seen, some very experienced Web designers and search engine optimizers use FrontPage as their ขeditor of choice.ข Its ease of use and variety of readymade templates make it a program that’s easy for beginners yet has the functionality that advanced designers need.

It also allows the designer or SEO to get a page designed quickly and easily, and time adds up to money for a busy SEO.

As Nancy Nelson with Search by Design! (http://www.searchbydesign.com) said,

ขIs it a perfect tool? Certainly not, but FrontPage combined with minor HTML knowledge can take you a long way…ข

So FrontPage users, don’t be ashamed to admit that you use FrontPage! Some of the best Web designers in the industry use it, with good reason.

Special Thanks to Dave Barry

Dave Barry with SmartCertify created the videos, screen shots, and free tutorial available in this article. Plus, he gave me the work arounds for getting rid of extraneous code, and he verified the accuracy of the content. Thank you Dave – there’s no way I could have created this article without your help.

Copyright 2002 Robin Nobles and Dave Barry. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Robin Nobles, Director of Training, Academy of Web Specialists, (http://www.academywebspecialists.com) has trained several thousand people in her online search engine marketing courses (http://www.onlinewebtraining.com) and is the content provider for (GRSeo) Search Engine Optimizer software (http://www.seoptimizer.com). She also teaches 4day hands on search engine marketing workshops in locations across the globe with Search Engine Workshops (http://www.searchengineworkshops.com).

Dave Barry is a professional Webmaster, Web designer, programmer, and search engine optimizer, all rolled up into one amazingly talented man who works for SmartCertify Direct. (http://www.smartcertify.com) He has also begun working with Search Engine Workshops to put on ขhands onข training workshops at locations across the globe. (http://www.searchengineworkshops.com).

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 01, 2002

by Robin Nobles

Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business And Make More

Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business And Make More Sales

by: Charles Kangethe

This may come as a surprise… to you, but Branding is more than just Logo and Business or Product Name recognition.

Branding is ‘the total emotional and intellectual involvement your prospects and customers have with your business and products.ก

This article addresses 5 basic problems and questions about Branding:

How Are Brands Created ?

=> Branding by กPersonal Experienceก

This creates the strongest bond between your customers and your business and products.

Your customer service, front and back end offers must be of high quality, in order to create exceptional กPersonal Experienceก. This starts a virtuous cycle.

Exceptional กPersonal Experiencesก lead to general public and market acclaim spread by word of mouth and other publicity. In turn, this feeds into a still stronger Brand, starting the cycle all over again.

However, always remember it is easier to create a negative Brand than it is to create a positive one, by offering low or poor quality and value products, services and customer support.

=> Branding by กIndirect Experienceก

For many direct marketers, กPersonal Experienceก Branding is difficult and not easily achieved because sales that lead to กPersonal Experienceก are not easily made !

The กIndirect Experienceก strategy relies on creating a consistent, repeating association to the product in your prospects mind.

Marketers use a variety of tactics to achieve this aim.

* Jingles in audio \ visual media

* Using Slogans

* Advertising through classifieds, display, press releases, and give away products and information.

* Sponsorship of media, cultural, sporting and other events

Brand Building On The Internet The Issues

The Internet has redefined Branding models of the past because it has levelled the playing field, for both consumers and businesses.

Prospects and customers are more involved with businesses and products than they were in the past.

Research of products and services, before purchase is easier.

Consumers have so much choice now they are no longer easily ‘taughtก loyalty to a particular Brand.

Consumers are less willing to form bonds or create กloyalก associations with products and businesses.

On the other side of the coin, businesses have much more competition and must be more customer focussed than ever before.

Companies that thrive and stay in business recognise building lasting relationships with existing customers is more profitable, than always trying to find new customers.

A World of stronger consumers who bypass your direct and indirect experiences with a click of the mouse, is difficult for Brand builders.

On the Internet those that succeed make profits, the rest fail.

The Cost And Value Of A Brand.

Brand building has a cost in time, money and effort.

The cost of Brand building is easily quantified in Dollar terms.

The value of a Brand is harder to establish because it involves measuring emotional and intellectual associations that might not necessarily translate into cash sales.

Not understanding the value, but clearly understanding the cost of Branding, some marketers decide to get round this problem by competing solely on price.

This is a short sighted tactic because it invites กprice warsก, and if you get involved in a กprice warก against an opponent with deeper pockets you are bound to loose.

A better strategy is to compete on high product value and build quality Brand recognition over time.

Brands Are Not Eternal

Brand building is an ongoing Business strategy.

The emotional and intellectual associations and recognition that together make up Brand loyalty wear off if not reenergised frequently.

Brands are subject to fashion, fads and change, and understand recognition is not the same as popularity.

Your market may recognise your Brand, but that may not translate into sales if the association is unfashionable.

The temptation, in such circumstances, is to spend less on Branding, cut prices, or , drop the business line altogether.

These are knee jerk reactions to uncontrollable events when taken in the short term. A measured initial response is to reinvent the Brand, freshen it up and market it to a new generation of consumers.

Many businesses reinvent, and rebrand themselves and go on to achieve new consumer acclaim.

Strategies For Brand Building

Here are a few short to medium term tactical measures you can start using today to kick start your Brand building program.

* Get a professional web site with customised headers, footers and logos Make your กvisitor experiencesก happy ones.

* Advertise regularly using paid channels where you can. If money is a problem, use f’ree advertising, but advertise regularly !

* Write useful articles and publish regularly. Invite visits to your site through your resource box.

* Syndicate your articles and build personal name recognition using a tool such as Name Branding Syndicator available from http://www.highprofitsoftware.com/syndicator/

Visit http://www.simplyeasier.com/mbd to see how you can get this tool for F’ree as part of a product bundle.

* Brand your business by associating and complimenting other succesful products Develop a quality reciprocal link and partnership strategy.

Try products like Zeus (http://www.cyberrobotics.com/) and Arelis (http://www.axandra.com/index.htm) for this tactic.

* Use a good autoresponder service and communicate frequently with your customers and prospects giving useful, and personal information.

There are many good tools for this tactic, but try Getresponse (http://www.getresponse.com) or Aweber (http://www.aweber.com) for a start.

* Use Zip Brander available from Russell Brunson of http://www.zipBrander.com/ to put your products, affiliate programs and other offers in front of your purchasers easily and frequently.

Branding your business and products is a key part of your success strategy.

You want people to associate your business name and products with high quality, and high value.

Successful Brands make money just ask Microsoft, Levi, Ford, Coke.

Start Branding your business and products today, and generate maximum lifetime customer values.

(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe

About The Author

Charles Kangethe of http://www.simplyeasier.com is a leading new wave Netpreneur and a published author from England. The กSimply Easierก brand name is your guarantee of high value, quality Marketing Products, Services and Resources.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 02, 2004

by Charles Kangethe

Not Tracking Your Clicks? You’re Competition is..

Not Tracking Your Clicks? You’re Competition is…

by: Andrew Murray

In this article we will discuss the importance web site tracking and explain to you why it is so important to pay attention your current web traffic.

Understanding what your visitors do on your site is crucial information, not to mention interesting.

For example, I continuously track what happens once my prospects hit my Emerald Passport site http://www.joinemeraldpassport.com since it makes me $1000 per sale.

Knowing what my prospects do gives me a better idea as to where I need to improve and whether my advertising campaigns are cost effective.

If your visitors proceed to purchase a product but then a large majority leave the site when they get to a specific page in the order process then you need to know about it. It could be that this page is confusing or hard to use. Fixing it could increase your sales by 200%.

This is just an example; there are many reasons why you want a detailed analysis of your site visitors.

Most website hosting services offer a stats package that you can study. If you’re not sure where this is, call up your hosting service and ask them. Statistics are a vital part of tracking your marketing progress. If you don’t have access to website statistics get a package that can help you in this area. Do not get a counter that just shows how many visitors youกve had. Youกll be missing out on vital information that can help strengthen weaknesses in your site.

A good website hosting service would offer traffic logs that provide an invaluable insight into the traffic being referred to a web site from various sources such as search engines, directories and other links.

Unfortunately traffic tracking provided by web hosting services is often in the form of raw traffic log files or other difficult to understand cryptic formats. These log files are basically text files that describe actions on the site. It is literally impossible to use the raw log files to understand what your visitors are doing. If you do not have the patience to go through these huge traffic logs, opting for a trafficlogging package would be a good idea.

Basically two options are available to you and these are: using a log analysis package or subscribing to a remotely hosted traffic logging service. A remotely hosted traffic logging service may be easy to use and is generally the cheaper option of the two. WebTrends Live and HitsLink are two good, remotely hosted, trafficmonitoring services worth considering. However, WebTrends Live is a more complicated system and is suitable for larger ecommerce websites. ขSuperStatsข is another recommended traffic logging service.

These services do not use your log files. Typically a small section of code is placed on any page you want to track. When the page is viewed, information is stored on the remote server and available in real time to view in charts and tables form.

Log analysis packages are typically expensive to buy and complex to set up. Apart from commercial packages there are also some free log analysis packages available, such as Analog.

************************************************************

A good traffic logging service would provide statistics pertaining to the following:

************************************************************

* How many people visit your site? * Where are they from? * How are visitors finding your site? * What traffic is coming from search engines, links from other sites, and other sources? * What keyword search phrases are they using to find your site? * What pages are frequented the most what information are visitors most interested in? * How do visitors navigate within your web site?

Knowing the answers to these and other fundamental questions is essential for making informed decisions that maximize the return on investment (ROI) of your web site investment.

The most important aspect of tracking visitors to your website is analyzing all the statistics you get from your tracking software. The three main statistics that will show your overall progress are hits, visitors and page views. Hits are tracked when any picture or page loads from your server on to a visitor’s browser. Hits, however, can be very misleading. It is quite an irrelevant statistic for your website.

The statistic that is probably the most important for a website is Page Views/Visitors. This gives you a good indication of two things.

First, how many people are coming to your site, and secondly how long are they staying on your site. If you have 250 visitors and 300 page views you can figure that most visitors view one page on your site and then leave.

Generally, if you’re not getting 2 page views per visitor then you should consider upgrading your siteกs content so your visitors will stay around longer.

If you see the number of visitors you have increasing as well as the number of page views per visitor increasing then keep up the good work! Always look for this stat as an overall barometer of how your site design is going and if your marketing campaigns are taking hold.

Also, a good stat to look for is unique visitors. Once a person visits your site they will not be added to the unique visitors’ category if they visit again. This is a good way to track new visitors to your website. Page views are a good indication of how กstickyก your website is.

A good statistic to keep is Page Views divided by the number of Visitors you have. This statistic will give you a good idea if your content is interesting and if your visitors are staying on your site for a long time and surfing.

Some people are intimidated by web traffic statistics (mostly because of the sheer volume of data available), but they shouldn’t be. While there are many highly specialized statistics that can be used for more indepth web traffic analysis, the above areas alone can provide invaluable information on your visitors and your website performance. Remember this data is available for a reason. Itกs up to you to use it.

About The Author

Andrew Murray is a top 10 Director with Emerald Passport and

Profit Masters Team. In 9 months, he has made 105,000 using

his unique marketing system. To learn more about his amazing

system visit http://www.JoinEmeraldPassport.com.

This article was posted on September 08

by Andrew Murray

The Magic Of Exponential Business Growth

The Magic Of Exponential Business Growth

by: Ewen Chia

Is there a กmagicalก way to exponentially grow your business?

Itกs about the timeless business principle known as ‘reinvestmentก.

Look, one of the most exciting times for any new business is the time when effort begins to pay off. Finally, the sales are coming in and you have profit to show for all your hard work. It is very tempting during this time to splurge those profits…

But youกve to resist this urge and stop!

You do deserve a reward. You deserve the greatest reward of all: a highly profitable, growing and thriving business with LONGTERM stability. You deserve to take your business from where it is to where you dream it to be.

Again, one quick and easy way to close that gap between reality and desire is simply by reinvesting a potion of your profits back into your business.

Itกs the same for any business offline, and itกll be the same for any successful business online.

Letกs look at why this is so.

Every business requires a minimum budget to get off the ground. Likewise, every business requires an expanded budget in order to grow and increase profitability. Remember that your budget covers more than กoperating expensesก and advertising. It is also there to cover the purchase of new software, fund new projects or your continuing education.

Keeping this in mind, what are some areas you can reinvest in:

* Increased Reach and Exposure

When you begin with a small budget, your advertising options are naturally somewhat limited. Once you have the money to reinvest you can begin testing new channels to deliver your message. This may mean placing an ad in an ezine you couldn’t afford to before, or even taking your efforts offline to print and radio advertising.

* Expanded Tactics and Improved Testing

You have the opportunity to try out new approaches. You also have the opportunity to increase your current ad spend in existing campaigns and test the results. This is critical especially in pay per click advertising. For example, your minimum daily budget for a Google Adwords campaign affects the number of times your ad is seen and clicked on. A simple increase in your daily budget may turn a mediocre campaign into a winner.

* Rapid Growth Through Efficiency

There are any number of tools you can invest in to improve how you organize your business, how you manage customer service and even how much tracking of sales and traffic you can accomplish.

Anything which shortens the time you spend on the detail work of your business means more time to focus on the activities which improve your bottom line.

* Improved Products

You must constantly strive to create new products and improve on existing ones in order to remain competitive. Perhaps your first product didn’t quite fit your vision? Perhaps your web page could use a tune up? You can reinvest in improved graphics, improved design and other multimedia enhancements. This not only makes your product more attractive, it also increases its value and what you can charge for it.

The principle of business reinvestment is really about profitable growth through momentum and careful planning.

A business is very much like a seedling you want to grow into a tree. It requires air, sunlight, water and food. You tend to it and nurture, even when the immediate benefits aren’t obvious.

This is because you know the tree WILL one day bear fruit all year round.

When you tend to your business with the same care, every cent you invest will return to you tenfold and bear profit for years to come.

If youกve been doing this, great…

If not, maybe itกs something to think about, starting right now.

Copyright 2004 Ewen Chia

About The Author

Ewen Chia is the CEO of Instant Marketing Secrets Inc, delivering realtime uncensored marketing content to help marketers skyrocket their traffic, sales and profits. Sign up for more profitpulling marketing letters, tips and strategies instantly here:

http://www.InstantMarketingSecrets.com

This article was posted on October 10, 2004

by Ewen Chia

Learn the money saving secrets of an accomplished

Learn the money saving secrets of an accomplished Software Engineer.

by: Steve Garratt

* Have you ever forgotten a password, or a user name, or some other piece of important information?

* Do you have a system for remembering your passwords but forgot the system?

* Do you avoid registering for things because you can’t cope with yet another password?

* Would you like to keep all your important details safe and remember just one single password?

* Would you like to find a free tool that will solve all your problems?

I had the same problems and more for years, I was getting so frustrated trying to remember all this important security stuff that I got to the point where something had to be done. It isn’t just Internet passwords either, what about bank card PIN numbers, credit cards PINกs, passwords for the telephone answering machine. The list goes on and on and it never stops getting bigger and bigger.

*** Good News I Found a free Solution ***

Iกve been using a utility called KeyPass for some time now and itกs made my life a lot easier. I would like to show you how it can make your life easier too.

First of all take a look at my review of this program at: http://howdoi.com/keypass.shtml

Now take a look at the tutorial at: http://www.codeproject.com/tools/KeePass.asp

If you have read the review and you think that KeyPass can be of use to you, follow the instructions below to download and start using it to manage your passwords.

1. Download And Install KeyPass

Download the latest stable version of KeyPass from http://keepass.sourceforge.net/download.php

Now this is not the easiest of web sites to download stuff from so if the instructions for downloading look too daunting or you have any trouble with the download then please email me at [email protected] and I will email it to you.

The source code is available for this program but you can ignore it unless you are a developer.

Click the link: กDownload from one of the SourceForge.net download serversก. This will take you to another web page where you should locate the กsetupก download for 32 bit windows link. (It only works on Windows.) Clicking on this link will take you to a further page allowing you to choose the server to download from. Choose a server close to you and click the icon in the download column.

The file should begin to download after you have specified a location for it on your hard drive. When the download is complete click on the file and install it.

2. Start KeyPass and create a database

Click the KeyPass icon on your desktop to run it then select กNew Databaseก from the กFileก menu. Enter a password for the database. Click กOKก repeat the password and click กOKก again.

Select กSave Databaseก from the กFileก menu and select a suitable folder and filename for the database then click กSaveก.

You have now created a password database.

3. Add some entries to the database

Right click in the left hand pane of the KeyPass window and select กAdd Password Groupก from the context menu. Type ‘testก into the box and click กOKก. This creates a new group folder called ‘testก into which you can add entries.

Left click on the ‘testก group in the left hand pane then right click in the right hand pane. Select กAdd Entryก from the context menu.

Make up something for the Title, Username, URL and Password.

Notice that clicking the ก…ก button to the right of the Password field toggles between masked and unmasked view. When the password is unmasked you can copy and paste it into another application.

KeyPass automatically generates a password in the กAdd Entryก dialogue so you can use this one if you wish or type in your own. Clicking on the กGenก button underneath the ก…ก gives you KeyPassกs กPassword Generatorก where you can easily create a password without having to dream one up.

click กOKก to commit the entry to the database.

Add some more groups and entries by repeating the above process.

4. Set options

Select กOptionsก from the กEditก menu then click the กStart and Exitก tab.

Check กAutomatically open last used database on startupก. Check กAutomatically save database on exitก. Check ‘remember last opened.

then click กOKก

5. Save and Close

Close the KeyPass window. When you open it again it will load up your database for you after you have entered the master password.

Well thatกs all there is to it. You can now add all of your passwords into your new database and recall them whenever you want.

If you are still undecided whether to start using KeyPass then take another look at my review at: http://howdoi.com/keypass.shtml

And take another look at the KeyPass tutorial over at http://www.codeproject.com/tools/KeePass.asp for a better understanding of the application.

If you have any questions about this article or you have a request for a future กHowDoiก please email me at [email protected].

About The Author

Steve Garratt is a professional Software engineer dedicated to helping the average person get the most out of their computers and the Internet. Benefit from Steveกs Experience by subscribing to the newsletter at http://howdoi.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 12, 2004

by Steve Garratt

Work at Home Mom Hits the National Market With Pra

Work at Home Mom Hits the National Market With Prayer Plates

by: Shannan Hearne

Prayer Plates® are designed to be used at the dinner table to encourage children to say grace and teach them a variety of dinnertime prayers. All dinnerware is food and dishwasher safe. Originally designed and crafted in London Edwards own home shop, they are hitting the national market this month.

www.mylittledish.com is the company. London Edwards is the artist. The plates are nationally available through Lifeway and Family Christian Book Stores nationwide. The initial contract consists of 29 designs, including both children’s and grownup dinnerware. Confident that the licensing relationship will be a mutual success, Edwards has already begun the design phase of the second product line.

Prayer Plates® are beautiful, colorful ceramic plates with a simple prayer printed around the edges reminding children to say grace before they eat. Edwards launched her company Goodness Grace LLC in 2001, creating a line of children’s dinnerware. Since that time, her product line has expanded to include adult dinnerware. ขI have always enjoyed creating and painting new designs. I have always maintained focus on the big picture of taking a concept to market. I did not want to mass produce on my own, and the licensing agreement provides me the best of both worlds – I can create and Cottage Gardens will mass produce my designs.ข

London Edwards and Mark Timm, owner of Cottage Gardens Collections, met in New York at the Licensing! Show in June. They immediately knew that her product line was a perfect match for his company and proceeded to draft an agreement the following week.

ขFrom start to finish, it usually takes a year to develop a concept and bring it to market,ข shares Edwards. ขMark worked diligently to push the agreement through in a few short months and has already secured sales prior to the product debut at the January markets.ข London’s products will be appearing in Lifeway and Christian Family Bookstores nationwide as a result of the deal.

Publication Rules

This is a FreeReprint article. The only requirements for publishing this article are:

* You must leave the resource box unedited. Minor editing to the article is permitted.

* You may not use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email). Email distribution of this article must be optin email only.

* You must forward a copy of the ezine or newsletter that contains the article inside to the author at: mailto:[email protected]

* If you post this article on a website, you must set the links up as hyperlinks, and you must send us a copy of the URL where the article is posted.

About The Author

Shannan Hearne is the owner of http://www.SuccessPromotions.com, an internet marketing company which specializes in online marketing for small businesses and work at home mothers.

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 20

by Shannan Hearne

Why I Need a Website?

Why I Need a Website?

by: Alan Cole

* Cost Effective Advertising.

* Online selling.

* Increased geopgraphic range.

* Wider customer base

* Efficient marketing.

* Improved customer support.

* Succesful market research.

* Customer feedback.

Just a few of the reasons why your business or organisation, however small, can benefit from having a professional web presence.

Your web site can be viewed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by anyone with a connection to the internet, anywhere in the World. With more and more people using the internet as their main method of researching and obtaining goods and services this is a potential market you can’t afford to ignore. In fact, many people obtain nearly all of the goods and services they need almost exclusively from the internet. This means that if you don’t have a web site, you are losing business to those forward thinking companies that do.

A website can be many things. In its simplest form it could be a single page advertisement, similar to one you would print in a newspaper or magazine, except that it would be available all day every day. A more useful website would consist of a few pages describing your business / organisation and informing potential customers of the products or services you offer. This can be coupled with contact information and a direct email link so that your customers can easily request more information should they need it. More complex sites can contain an unlimited amount of additional information, can have complete online catalogues of the products you offer and even allow customers to order and purchase products from you online.

Some websites can even offer facilities and functionality that are not available via any other medium. A well designed website brings customers to you and brings you closer to your customers, opening up new opportunities for your business and providing your customers with the service they deserve. It is an ideal way of enhancing the service you provide.

About The Author

Alan Cole runs www.pixelwave.co.uk, a oneperson web design studio. His aim is to provide cost effective website design production and maintenance by offering professional web solutions that stand out from the crowd.

http://www.pixelwave.co.uk

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 19

by Alan Cole