Mom's Traffic Tips & Ideas

Generate Traffic To Your Blog With Comments

2011-03-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

A great way to generate free traffic to your blog or website is by leaving comments on other related blogs. This might sound time consuming, but it is worth the reward in the end. On my site Mommy Enterprises, my top referrers (not including the search engines) happens to be a couple of the blogs that I visit daily and comment on.

With that said, I am generating FREE Traffic to my blog by doing something I enjoy doing. I enjoy leaving comments on blog posts that I am interested in. How many comments am I leaving per day? Not that much. I currently leave about 10 to 20 comments per day on a variety of blogs that I am subscribed to.

If you find a blog that you like that has an email subscription option, I recommend signing up. You will then receive the blog's updates by email and this allows you to visit the blog when you see a post you want to comment on.

Take a peek at the video from ProBlogger that shows this concept WORKS.....

Now get to commenting. You can stop by my blog if you want to: http://www.mommyenterprises.com/moms-blog

10 Quick & Easy Ways to Increase Your Alexa Rank

2008-08-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Despite the huge webmaster bias Alexa rankings are still considered the main way in which the popularity of a website is judged. A low Alexa Rank illustrates that your site isn't particularly popular and it does negatively impact the chances of recruiting advertisers for your site.

As Alexa rankings rely on data gathered from users which have the Alexa toolbar installed they have a strong webmaster bias, with tech websites having their Alexa rankings hugely inflated. Knowing this there are a number of ways in which you can increase your website's Alexa Rank:

1) Install the Alexa toolbar and set your site as your homepage.

2) If you have an office install the Alexa toolbar on all the computers and set your site as the homepage. Encourage your employees to do the same at home.

3) Put an Alexa widget on your website. When users click through to Alexa.com this will be tracked which will help to boost your Alexa Rank.

4) Encourage visitors to install the Alexa toolbar, perhaps through featuring the toolbar, adding a link to Alexa, or even promoting it in your email newsletter. If you manage to encourage only a couple of percent of your visitors to use the toolbar the effect on your Alexa Ranking will be huge.

5) Join webmaster forums. A high proportion of webmasters have the Alexa toolbar installed so participating in webmaster or online marketing forums and adding your site in your signature can be an effective way to inflate your Alexa Rank.

6) Submit your site to social media and bookmarking sites, such as Digg and StumbleUpon. Alexa toolbar usage is particularly high amongst these users, and as a consequence many click-throughs will give you a rankings boost. As a longer term strategy try to create power profiles on these sites and compliment this by creating link bait.

7) Try Alexa auto-surfs - search on Google for these and you'll come across a number of sites which offer these programmes.

8) Write or blog about Alexa. This has two effects - it educates your users about Alexa and also attracts internet users who already have the Alexa toolbar to your site.

9) Many webmasters use the Alexa toolbar so try writing content which is targeted at them. Tools are also very effective and you don't always have to design the tools yourself - comprehensive resource pages can be just as effective.

10) This is an offline tip which can be very effective. Pay internet café owners to install the Alexa toolbar and set your site as their homepage.

For more information about online marketing visit Marketing Minefield, where you can find out more about internet marketing and ways to drive traffic to your website.

How to Get Instant Targeted Traffic Without Paying For It

2008-06-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for an instant way to generate traffic to your site, you might want to check out Google Snatch.

I have created a Squidoo Lens called "Google Snatch - The Free Click Formula".

Check it out! Might be what you are looking for.

Intermediate Tips for Generating Traffic With Squidoo

2008-06-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Squidoo is proving to be the latest tool of the generating traffic to one’s website or squeeze pages. Squidoo if used efficiently, can become a priceless advertising tool for your business. The Squidoo web site allows its users to create mini web sites called lens in which they can post links, pictures, business information, have entries made by guest books and a lot more. Squidoo has become an important means of generating traffic. Here are some intermediate tips for generating traffic with Squidoo.

The first tip is to make your lens on Squidoo content oriented. The search engines list Squidoo pages on high ranks if they are rich in keywords. If your lens on Squidoo is listed high on search engine results pages, you can drive traffic from your lens to your web page by putting links to your page. Squidoo is the excellent source of back links to your web site.

The second tip is use Squidoo as a source of list building and target the right audience by email marketing of your product. You can use the list of emails of the guest book to target the people who can possible turn into your clients.

Also you can use Squidoo as a source of increasing traffic as Squidoo is considered to be an authority site by search engines. The search engines consider the links on Squidoo as links on an Authority site. The link to your web site will be considered as a quality link and assist in generating traffic to your web site.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to generating massive traffic ‘Triple Your Traffic Fast'

Download it free here: Triple Your Traffic Fast

Download a free article marketing guide here: Secrets of Article Writing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Raymond Nesa is an experienced web marketer specializing in article marketing, traffic generation, and list building.

Using Google Adwords To Drive Laser Targeted Traffic

2007-10-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

The biggest well known secret in generating wealth in the internet based business or e-commerce is Traffic. Everybody knows it; every site wants it and every site needs it. The point of websites is to be visited and viewed. Many elaborate designs, money and countless hours of developing a site to make them beautiful and attractive are utilized. Without traffic, it is for naught.

With traffic comes a potential customer which basically means sales which in turn means profit. While many sites have collapsed in the past with the downturn of many internet based business, many smaller sites have generated good money by concentrating on a certain niche and some subniches.

This is a reason why e-commerce site laser target certain groups of people and drive them to their site to showcase their sites and products. Precision marketing is essential so that you could count on all the traffic on your site as potential customers.

Using Money to Make Money

It’s a common business notion that if you want to make money, you have to spend money. One good way of spending money for business gain is through advertising. Advertising brings in the people because through advertising, they know that there is such a company or product in existence. With the right type of advertising, you can see the spurt of traffic growth to your site. With a high volume of traffic, even if only a small portion or percentage turns out to be buying customers it is still a good average of profit generating income.

Right now, there is no other advertising scheme that would be worth every cent than using Google’s Adwords. The surge in popularity of Google’s Adwords is very evident as you can see so many sites sporting this ad scheme.

In using Google's Adwords, you pay a certain fee depending on the number of keywords your ad is keyword sensitive to. Each time a person does a search in Google, the keyword or keywords use generate ads in the side of Google which are generated by the keywords they have assigned for their ads.

This method laser targets the traffic a site wants for their site. This also ensures that you are readily visible in the first page of a search result. Paying Google for this ad scheme ensures that your target group of people sees your ads. You drive your laser targeted traffic to your site which provides for their needs and wants. You can also be sure that you can meet their demands and needs.

Aside from Google, you can also be featured in their other search networks, these includes sites like, AskJeeves, AOL Search and Netscape. These sites also show Adwords ads that react to searches done by visitors. There are also content networks, non-search engine sites that feature Google Adwords, which will also carry your ads. But this is subjected to the niche the site features. Your chosen keywords will determine which content network shall feature your ad. The frequency of your ad shall also be determined by your allowed budget.

Laser Targeting your Traffic

To get a good number or estimate of the traffic to buying customer ratio it is good to laser target your traffic. Knowing that your traffic are all potential customers and are interested in your products and company provides you with a more accurate statistics. This will show you how effective your utilizing of Google Adwords is.

Drive laser targeted traffic to your site by using keywords or keyword phrases for your Goggle Adwords that pertains to your company and to your products. There are many online internet tools that can help you in choosing keywords and keyword phrases that are currently in demand that could help drive laser targeted traffic to your site.

With your Google Adwords ad, you are ensured that every click to your ad is a potential customer that is precisely looking pr interested in what you have to offer. Make sure that your Google Adwords ad has the right keywords so that you can drive you're laser targeted traffic to your site.

Using Google Adwords to help boost the drive to increase laser targeted traffic will prove to be very beneficial as many other companies can attest to. The benefits are high with the cost relatively justifiable.

WAHM Banner Network

2007-01-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

For those of you that enjoy free traffic, I would like to invite you to join a fellow WAHM's banner network. It is called the Mommyland Network Banner Exchange. How it works is, for every 2 banners shown on your site, your banner will be shown on another site.

I know there are many banner exchanges out there, but not too many dedicated to the WAHM community. Join FREE today by visiting, http://www.mommylandnetwork.com/

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

Effectively Using Overture/Yahoo To Get Website Visitors

2006-11-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Overture or now known as Yahoo because of Yahoo’s takeover, was the original inventor of the use of the P4P or Pay for Performance. Overture saw that the internet was fast becoming the easiest and most convenient way to shop, and advertising was going to hit at an all time high because of the many businesses in the arena.

To get a person to go to a site than others, it needs to be very visible. Providing ads that could direct potential consumers and costumers to their site would allow them to have an increase in traffic as well as sales. Yahoo provides a service that can put a site or company’s ad in their sites that can be shown when certain keywords are inputted.

Yahoo offers a chance for any company to increase their traffic by using their services. With more people being aware of your site, there would be more traffic and visitors to your site given the chance to view your pages as well as your products. With even a small percentage of successful sales, with a high traffic volume this could still be a substantial figure for your company.

Getting a consistent substantial flow of website visitors is every company’s goal. Many methods are devised and utilized to ensure that there would be more people to boost the sales and to be aware of the existence of such a product or service. Website visitors are potentially the life blood of your internet based business.

Yahoo/Overture utilizes the same principle as Google’s Adwords. In fact, they are very similar to each other that they use keyword and keyword phrase searches and to determine which ads to show per search. When a person types in a keyword or keyword phrase to search for anything, the search engines gives out the results in a page. Then at the right side of the page, you will see selected ads that have paid for their ads to be viewed with certain keywords and keyword phrases searched.

For example, Lets say you run a car parts retail/wholesale site. You choose keywords that can prompt or trigger your ads to be shown in the page when a keyword is searched. When a search engine user types in Honda Accord, your ad may come up if you have designated that as one of your keywords. You don’t need to fully optimize your site with Search Engine Optimization methods and techniques.

While some labor so hard to make their site one of the high ranking sites per keyword search, you get the chance to be on the top of the list or at least in the first page of a search result increasing your chance to be clicked on. With that, you drive traffic and website visitors to your site a lot faster.

You will have to pony up some cash when using this service though. There are different ways Yahoo/Overture will charge you. It may be in the number of Keywords or Keyword phrases your ad uses or in the many times your ad is clicked on. Others offer many other services like having your ad show up not only in the search engine pages but also with some third party sites.

Third party sites support ads that have the same theme or niche as them. With more areas your ad is shown, you increase the chances of people knowing about your site or product. With more website visitors you increase the sales of your site which makes your investment with your ads a wise one.

With so many competitions in the internet based businesses, it is necessary to take a huge leap forward from the pack by advertising. Yahoo/Overture will be a great place to start. Many have utilized their services and have reaped the rewards of this decision. It’s a marketing strategy that will increase your website visitors as well as increase your sales resulting to profit.

It takes money to make money, while there are some methods that are basically low cost or free, using a marketing service such as what Yahoo/Overture offers will provide results faster and on a larger scale. Many businesses have learned this the hard way, don’t be counted with them.

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make Money
http://www.MommyEnterprises.com

Effectively Using Overture/Yahoo To Get Website Visitors

2006-11-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

Looking for WAHM related forums?

2006-10-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Looking for a way to network with other work at home moms (WAHMS)? Well online forums is a GREAT way to get your name out there and create incoming links to your sites for FREE.

Below is a list of forums in my bookmarks

http://www.networkwahm.com/community/
http://www.successmom.com/forums/
http://www.mommyportal.com/wahm-bulletin/
http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/
http://p081.ezboard.com/bamomslove
http://www.auctioncut.com
http://biz-whiz.com/forum.html?ref=Bltshw
http://www.dsmads.com/community/
http://www.ewahm.net/message_board
http://groups.google.com/group/WAHMWannabes?lnk=lr
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/hbrd
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/bb/index.php
http://www.lindasmoneynetwork.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=index
http://bltshw.proboards37.com/index.cgi?
http://www.mommyjobs.com/boards/index.php
http://mommyland.com/forum
http://mommyshelperonline.com/phpBB2/index.php
http://momsathomeus.activeboard.com/
http://www.mywahbusiness.com/community/
http://www.myhomebizads.com/forum2/
http://wahm.forumwise.com/forum.html
http://wahmbusinesstalk.myfreeforum.org/index.php
http://wittywahm.hyperboards.com/

See Ya There!

Stefani Partin

Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make Money At Home
http://www.MommyEnterprises.com

Forums - A Free Way To Advertise

2006-09-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies,

For those that don't know, forums are a free way to advertise.

On alot of forums, you can add a signature file which can include
a link to your site. For every post, your link will be added. So
just think, the more posts, the more incoming links to your
site.

Here is a few forums I recommend joining as they allow
siganture files and have special spots just for advertising.

http://www.mommyportal.com/wahm-bulletin/
http://www.successmom.com/forums/
http://www.networkwahm.com/community/
http://partyswap.com/forum/index.php
http://mommyland.com/forum/index.php
http://www.wahmbusinessdirectory.com/wahm-community/index.php
http://mommyshelperonline.com/phpBB2/index.php
http://wahm.forumwise.com/index.php

See ya there!!!!

Stefani Partin

How To Bring Large Amounts of Traffic To Your Blog

2006-08-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Have you been blogging, but not too many people are visiting it? Are you waiting for those comments to come flooding in, but all you get is spam comments? I am going to tell you just a few things you can do, to bring in steady traffic to your blog.

Many new bloggers start a blog but get easily discouraged because they have no readers reading it. Well, the readers can't read your blog, if they can't it. They also won't read it, if it's not something they want to read.

My biggest tip I will give here is, give your readers something they want to read. If you write a post that people enjoy reading, they are going to reward you by coming back. Never forget that your readers are real people, make your posts conversational. When you are blogging, remember to keep each post to one topic only and include keyword rich words in your title. Be sure to post to your blog often. Search engines love blogs and if you are posting daily, your blog is going to be indexed by the engines even faster and more frequently.

My next tip, if you are looking for really large amounts of traffic, I would like to suggest optimizing your posts for the search engine. You will want to throw a little SEO into your postings. You can do this easily by doing the following:

1. Use your primary keywords in the title of your post
2. Use your secondary keywords in the body of your post
3. Use your keywords in your anchor text of links in the body of your posts

If you follow those three steps above, you have a better chance of your posts being properly indexed by the search engines. This means more traffic for you.

My next tip, submit your blog to as many directories as possible. If you haven't done so, make sure your blog has a RSS feed. If you are using Wordpress, it will create a feed for you. If you don't know much about feeds, visit http://www.feedburner.com You can submit your blog url and it will give you a RSS feed address to use. I use Feedburner with my blogs hosted on Blogger. When submitting your blog and RSS feed to directories, make sure you try to submit to the big directories like Technorati, Yahoo, DMOZ, MSN, etc. Here is a large list of blog directories you can submit to:
http://www.toprankresults.com/blog-submit-list.htm

My next tip, add a option to subscribe to your blog so your reader is updated by email when you make a new post. This is a great way to get readers to come back to your site. I use a service from FeedBlitz. You can signup for a free account at Feedblitz, then login to your account and grab some code to place into your blog template. In return, you are able to capture your subscribers names and email addresses. When you update your blog, all your readers will get an email letting them know. Don't pass up this way to bring traffic to you.

My next tip, create inbound links to your blog. You can do this easily by visiting other blogs and posting comments. You can trackback to other's blogs in your posts. If you have other blogs or websites, link to your blog within those. Basically, post your link to as many places as you can.

My last tip, ping ping ping. Make sure to ping your blog to as many as the services as you can. I use a free service at Pingomatic http://pingomatic.com At Pingomatic you can type your blog url, then select the service you want to ping. They have about 20 services you can select. This saves a ton of time because you can ping all the selected services at the same time.

Happy Blogging!

© 2006 Stefani Partin, a work at home mom of three from CA who owns a network of sites for moms, blogs, a newsletter and more. Stefani dedicates her time to helping moms find ways to make money at home. Visit Stefani's blog at http://www.StefaniPartin.com or visit her main site at http://www.MommyEnterprises.com

SEO Dictionary

2006-08-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

There are many SEO terms which a self starter of SEO will not understand this article will help SEO beginners to understand the meanings of terms used in SEO, search engine optimization.

Words starting from A to D

1. Algorithm:
Algorithm is a stet of rules and regulations followed by search engines to rank websites in order. Each search engine has its own set of algorithms.

2. Alt tag:
Alt tags are HTML tags used to optimize an Image on the webpage. It can be a picture, company logo or any other image on the website. It is also called as alt attribute. The syntax of the tag is displayed until the page gets loaded.

3. Anchor text:
The text used on any link is called an anchor text. For example is there is a link Click here to e-mail , In this case ‘Click here to e-mail’ is the anchor
text.

4. Automated submission:
There are many softwares available on the internet which can be used to submit your website to hundreds of search engines and directories automatically. But it is not much useful to submit your website using a software.

5. Back link OR Backward link:
Number of links pointing out to your website is called as backward links. Backward links are also called as Inbound links.It is very important to build backward links to gain good rankings on search engines

6. Black hat SEO:
Black hat SEO are the techniques used to fool the search engines in order to bring in more traffic to websites. You are not suppose to use Black hat techniques because there is a chance of your website being black listed on the search engines

7. Black listed :

A website is black marked by the search engines for various reasons like using Black hat SEO, Illegal content, Spamming etc. Black listed websites never show up on search engines. So you have to be very careful in the SEO techniques you use for your website because once you are on the black list you will never have hits and sure toloose business.

8. Broken link:
A link that existed before but does not exist at present is called a broken link. The search engines might have indexed the link when it existed now the link may havemoved to a different page or removed in this case the search engine removes the indexed link from its database. It is not good for a website to have broken links.Broken links are also called as Dead links.

9. Crawler is also called as spider.

Crawler is a program which is similar to a browser it is owned by search engines, to "surf" the web by following links from one page to the next and from one site to the next. It collects information from the sites it visits and that information is stored in the search engine's database.

10. Cross linking:
Suppose you own multiple websites and link all the websites you own into each other it is called Cross linking. cross linking is done to improve link popularity.But when you do too much cross linking there is a chance that your website may get black listed in Google for using bad SEO process.

11. Description tag:

Description tag is a HTML tag which gives a brief description about the website to the search engines. It is not visible on the website but it helps the search engines to index your website by showing it the exact content of the page. Now a days search engines do not give much importance to the description tag.

12. Directory:
Directory is a website with a collection of different websites belonging to various categories. A directory can be a general directory and there are also directories belonging to one particular category. There are some directories which allow free site listings and few offers only paid listings.Directory listing is the best method to build inbound links.

13. Doorway page:
Doorway page is the page which redirects to another page. It is a black had SEO technique where a keyword rich page with no proper content, this page is where search engines
land you on but the page gets you redirected to another page or domain.This is not a advisable technique to bring traffic to your website.

14. Dynamic content:
Web site content generated automatically, usually from a based or user selections. Dynamic content typically changes at regular intervals, for example daily or each time the users reload the page. SERPSs are dynamically generated pages, changing depending on user input.

Words starting from E and others will be continued in the next
article of mine

Article by:

Article written by Wendy www.bizwala.com Wendy McLeod is working for Bizwala.com as a SEO consultant

Updated - Free Home Business Report

2006-08-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

I just updated my report "25 Home Businesses You Can Join Without Breaking The Bank". I added quite a bit of FREE opportunities.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy here
http://www.mommyenterprises.com/free-business-report.htm

Enjoy
Stefani Partin

Looking for places to plug your button?

2006-08-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you looking for free traffic to your site, I have put together a list of sites today I found with plugboards. These are for the button size of 88x31 only. I started to plug and within a day it was bringing extra traffic to my site.

Here is my list of places to plug your button:

http://www.mommyportal.com/places-to-plug.htm

Enjoy!

Stefani Partin

Search Engine Marketing: 20 Strategies to Compel People to Link to Your Website

2006-08-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

It is essential to establish quality inbound links from websites with high page ranks to attain a high ranking amongst search engines. The 20 guidelines listed below should be followed diligently.

1. Develop content related to your site with links on all pages. Offer other websites to post it on their sites free of cost. This will expose you more to your target audiences.
2. Permit other websites to publish your beneficial review of their business if they link up to your website.
3. Include your websites ad and link in every issue of your e-zine. Allow other sites to publish your e-zine on their site.
4. Let other sites give away free web book designed with your website title and contents on linking to your website.
5. Place a banner ad on the top of the article directory for your website. By linking to your site, visitors can add a free article directory to their site.
6. Allow other sites to use your discussion board by linking. Add your banner ad on top of discussion board.
7. Offer free membership to your "members only" websites.
8. Pay commission to visitors to sell your product or services, and an affiliate link to track their sales.
9. Create a graphic or text link award site for other websites. They will link on to it for awarding the winners, thus building traffic for your site.
10. Offer free consultation on e-mail on a particular subject i.e. astrology to people linking to your site. Traffic volumes will increase, as consulting fee is otherwise expensive.
11. Let other website publish your product approval testimonial by linking to your site.
12. Put your business ad on top of directory"s home page and let people add the directory to their site by linking to your site.
13. Exchange content of trade articles, lists etc. with other websites. All parties can include a resource box at end of the content.
14. Allow people to download software free of charge, if they link to your site.
15. Trade various forms of advertising with people who link up to your website.
16. Give web space to people for free. As a favor, request them to place ad banners of link for your web site.
17. Create a web ring by linking with a group of similar web sites.
18. Offer free membership to an online club or association, if they link to your site.
19. In exchange of linking, offer use of online services or utilities from your website.
20. Offer free e-book related to your audience to people linking to your web site.

Article by:

Sahar Aleenuh is a Work at Home Mom www.type-at-home.com Find the best deals here! www.officialdealfinder.com

Are You Chasing Your Visitors Away?

2006-07-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

To keep your visitors coming back, the main goals of
your website are for visitor participation and benefits.
Provide an interesting, beneficial and useful website
and they will come back!

If your site is annoying you can be sure they will find
another site to visit, never to come back to yours.

Here are some ways you can be sure to annoy your
visitors: (they might not annoy all, but probably the majority)

** Frames - Chopping up a site with frames is a great way
to get your visitors frustrated. These frames are very
obtrusive and make navigation and reading your site
much harder. They are also disliked by the search engine
spiders.

** Overbearing Graphics - Not only are these blinking and
flashing graphics distracting and unnecessary, they can
also cause your site to download very slowly. Most
people do not have the time to sit and wait for an
extremely slow site, and will leave before even knowing
what your site has to offer.

** No Contact Information - I cannot stress enough how
important it is to have your email address and other
contact info on every page. This will add credibility
to your site and always give your visitors a reason to
be assured that you can be reached when needed.

** Hard To Navigate -You want your visitors to be able
to get around your site without trouble. Have your
links all together in a place that is easily seen. Have
them in the same place on every page.

** Inconsistent Page Design - I have been on some sites
where after clicking on a link, I didn't even know if
I was at the same site. The page was totally different
and did not have any of the same information or links
as the previous page. After trying to find what I was
looking for and not finding it, I left. Please keep
your site design uniform and consistent. This will
make it much easier on your visitors.

** Spelling and Grammar – Always proofread your web
pages. Designing and building a professional website
is a waste of time if it reads like a five year old
wrote it. With spell checker, grammar checker,
dictionaries, etc. there is no excuse for poorly written
web pages!

** Too Many Banners -If you want banners on your site,
set up a banner exchange page for this purpose only. Do
not have your homepage or other pages so loaded with
banners that there isn't room for anything else.

** Hard To Read Text - Do not use fancy text or pale
text on a pale background. The easiest to read is a dark
text on a light background. Also, if you use a textured
or print background, be sure that it is not hard on the
eyes. One site I visited had a weave look background
that made the text so hard to read, after a few minutes
of looking around I had to leave because I was getting
a headache. If you think it is easy to see get a few
more opinions just to be sure!

** Music - Music used to be very common on the web.
Practically every site you went to had music. More and
more people started realizing that this was a major
distraction and annoyance to a lot of people. If you
really want music, have a choice for your visitors.
Let them decide if they want the music.

** Lack of Content -You've got to have content. People
visit a website to see what the site has that will
benefit them. Useful, helpful, practical content can't
be beat! This would include resources, freebies, tips,
ideas, information, interaction, contests, etc.

One thing you can do is visit several sites that pertain
to your business. Study these sites and write down
what you find annoying. Write down any reasons you
have for leaving the site. Take note of what you like
about these sites. Incorporate all these findings into
creating a sharp, clean, useful website with nothing
that will chase away your visitors!

*************
Find lots more tips, articles, and resources and a
chance to own your own profitable ebook store with
unlimited support at http://www.SeymourProducts.com
Seymour Products offers a huge selection of ebooks and
software only $1.00 each with resell rights. Business
Marketing Bulletin loaded with resources, tips, fun
and more! mailto:subscribe@seymourproducts.com

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

Hot WordPress Tips

2006-04-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a way to optimize your WordPress blog and have it start earning you money instead of costing you money, then you've got to check out this ebook package.

Click Here To Visit OptiNiche WordPress eBook

Sincerely,

Stefani Partin

Blog Your Way to More Traffic & Sales

2006-03-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Blog is short for web log. A web log is a journal of sorts that is updated frequently to keep your visitors’ interest. Blogs are generally of a personal nature and express the opinions and thoughts of the webmaster. Blogs also contain links and other resources. Many people think of blogs as “online diaries.” Blogging is becoming a very popular method of publishing as it does not require any technical knowledge and it can greatly increase the popularity of your site. Some blogs allow the visitors to post and enter there thoughts and opinions as well.

A blog keeps people coming back to your site and a blog is also very helpful with the search engines because of the ever changing content. Search engines love new content!

Starting a blog is not hard. There are sites that provide this service for free.

First step is to take a look at some other blogs to get a feel of how they are done. Simply pick your favorite search engines, do a search for blogs and spend sometime reading and studying them. Get familiar with different styles, formats and content until you feel like you know what you would want to do with your blog.

You can then get started on your own blog. There are lots of sites where you can start your own blog for free:

BlogDrive.com
Blogger.com/start
LiveJournal.com/

Take some time to design your blog. Decide what color scheme you want to use and the type of layout you want. Some sites will have pre-designed layouts and templates to choose from or you can edit your own.

After you get your blog designed and set up, test it out with a few posts. Make any necessary changes you feel it needs. Once you have it tweaked, it is time to get started with your new blog.

Once you start your blog, be sure and promote it heavily. Post it in blog directories, announce it in groups and on boards. Put it in your sigtag.

Blog Directories:

BlogWise.com
BlogCatalog.com
BlogHub.com

Do a search for blog directory or submit your blog and you will find many
more places to post your new blog!

Be sure and update your blog frequently and make it interesting. Give it
some personality! DO NOT neglect your blog!

Don't get discouraged if your blog is not an overnight sensation. As with any marketing, it takes time to get noticed. Keep it fresh and new and interesting and before long, you will be a master blogger!

Find lots more tips, articles, and resources at
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How To Build Traffic To Your Blog

2006-03-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

With the growing interest in blogging as a means of online promotion and branding, a lot of marketers are starting blogs to promote their opinions, products, books and services.

But a blog is like a website. "Write and they will come" isn't exactly a magic formula to bring in traffic by the boatload.

If you need to promote your website in order to build traffic to it, you need to promote your blog as well.

Here are some ways you can become a well-read and influential blogger.

1. Write Posts That People Will Want To Read

This should be common sense, but many marketers tend to forget that their readers are real people and that you need to use the principles of online copywriting to make your headlines and copy interesting to your readers.

If you write posts that people enjoy reading, they will reward you by returning to your blog regularly.

Make your posts conversational, pithy and topical. Keep them short and stick to one topic per post.

Write often and regularly so that both readers and search engines visit your blog more often.

2. Optimize Your Posts for Search Engines

I cover this topic in detail in my article on "Search Engine Optimization For Blogs" http://www.blog-maniac.com/blog-seo.htm

But here are the most important rules to follow to get your posts listed for keywords of your choice.

* Make sure your blog URL contains the primary keyword you want to optimize for

* Use your primary keywords in the title of your post

* Use your secondary keywords in the body of your post

* Use your keywords in the anchor text of links in the body of your posts

3. Submit Your Blog and RSS Feed To Directories

If you publish a blog you should submit your blog and RSS feed to big directories like Yahoo and Dmoz, as well as the numerous blog directories and search engines.

Here is the best list I've found of places to submit your feed or blog, compiled by Luigi Canali De Rossi, who writes under the pseudonym Robin Good.

Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

Another list of sites to submit your Blog. http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-submission.htm

4. Ping The Blog Services

There are a number of services designed specifically for tracking and connecting blogs. By sending a small ping to each service you let them know you've updated your blog so they can come check you out.

Bookmark the Ping-O-Matic ping results page so you can visit it and quickly ping a number of services with a single click.

http://pingomatic.com

5. Build Links To Your Blog

I recommend the methods here as the best ways to get links pointing to your blog

* Link to your blog from each page on your main website

* Trackback to other blogs in your posts

* Post legitimate comments on other blogs with related topics

* Offer to exchange links with other similarly themed blogs and websites

6. Edit Your Blog Posts Into Articles

One of the best methods for promoting your website is to write articles and submit them to article directories.

The suggestion for extending this to edit your blog posts into articles and submit them to directories came from the coach at "Explode Blog Traffic" who also has other noteworthy suggestions at his blog here. http://bloghit.blogspot.com/2004/11/how-to-explode-blog-traffic.html

You'll find an extensive list of article directories here http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/write-articles/submit-articles.htm

7. Create Buzz About Your Blog

Creating a buzz about your blog posts and topic in the local and online media will give your marketing a viral component.

* Create a controversy around your blog or it's topic.

* Distribute bumper stickers or other merchandise with your blog's URL and tagline.

* Write a press release about something newsworthy and tie it in with your blog topic.

8. Capture Subscribers By Email

It may seem strange for a blogger to send out updates by email, but email is still the #1 choice of most people who want to receive news and information.

Using a free service like Bloglet to manage your subscriptions is easy and it allows your subscribers to manage all their subscriptions from one interface. http://www.bloglet.com

However, if you want more control over your list and don't mind mailing out the updates yourself, you can use an autoresponder system to capture and follow-up with subscribers.

RSS responder is a new script that allows you to keep in touch and follow-up with your subscribers without the hassle of email. http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/rssresponder.htm

These tips should give you a good start to building your blog traffic.

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About the Author:
Priya Shah is a partner in the search engine marketing firm, SEO & More http://www.seoandmore.com Request the whitepaper Boost Your Search Engine Visibility With Blogs And RSS http://www.seoandmore.com/blogs-rss/

Blog Traffic Exchanges

2006-03-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

I have been a member of BlogExplosion for quite some time and absolutely love it. I usually don't participate too much with traffic exchanges but this one is fun. You can rent blog space on your blog, buy blog space, chat, review blogs, battle with other blog owners in battle of the blogs and much more. I noticed though that I while surfing Blog Explosion there are many other blog traffic exchanges out there.

Below is a list of some of the other blog traffic exchanges I feel you may enjoy:

BlogMad

Blogazoo

Blog Advance

Blog Soldier

BlogXchange - 50 free hits for signing up

The Skinny On Article Directories

2006-03-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

Article directories (also known as article archives) are searchable on-line databases of articles contributed by multiple authors. The goal of an article directory is to collect articles on certain topics and offer them to publishers to place on their website, in their e-zine or in print. Each article directory has unique guidelines for both authors and publishers.
The benefits of submitting your articles to directories are numerous and include:

1. Most directories give you a separate page for each article and some publish your photograph along with your articles. This allows an author to promote their articles without needing a website of their own.

2. Directories are a magnet for publishers. Most publishers are looking for specific articles on a specific topic and they are more likely to find such articles in a directory rather than in an individual e-zine that offers reprintable articles.

3. Many directories allow you to edit your articles and change your by-line as many times as you want.

4. Some directories offer a news feed that automatically adds your new articles to dozens of websites.

5. Article directories may have a good search engine page rank that that makes them ideal for providing a one-way link to your website.

There are hundreds of article directories on the internet. I am constantly searching the internet for new directories to add to my list but I have found that I receive the most benefits from older directories. Over time I have discovered a few directories that I absolutely love that I visit for submission and for research. A few of these are:

Alumbo! Magazine - This on-line magazine doubles as an articles directory and offers a free membership that allows you to submit articles in some very interesting categories such as ecology & environment, love relationships, paranormal & divination in addition to the normal business and career topics. Alumbo permits you to choose more than one topic for your article and often suggests additional topic pages where your article would be a good fit.

Article Alley - Allows you to register as an author for free and submits your articles across a network of sites. Allows for update of author profile, editorial access to your articles and a unique web page listing all your articles.

BPubs.com - Although this is a business site only it does accept articles in a wide variety of business subcategories.
Google(tm) visits often because it knows that BPubs.com adds fresh content from many authors every day.

Constant Content - This is a unique article directory that allows you to sell or give away your content. You must register prior to submitting your articles in many different formats - all of which are editable at any time.

EzineArticles - Owned and operated by one of my favorite article submission experts, Christopher Knight. This directory offers more submission topics than other directories and much of the enhancements done to the site are based on author and publisher feedback. When I submit an article to this directory I receive more attention and traffic than I do from any other submission site on my list.

IdeaMarketers - You absolutely must register for a free author's account at Idea Marketers. Topics covered include business, holiday, lifestyles/self-help, technology, Christian, home/family/parenting and marketing. You are provided with a professional looking author's profile that includes your by-line and your picture after completion of a lengthy form.

Establish yourself as an expert in your topic area and take advantage of the many benefits of adding your content to every established and credible article directory. You are guaranteed to be delighted with the response you will receive from publishers who find your articles in the directories they frequent.

(c) 2006, Davis Virtual Assistance. Reprints welcome providing the article and byline are published intact with all links made live. This article may not be sold individually or as a part of a database.

Bonnie Jo Davis has over a decade of experience in article submission both on-line and off. She offers an article submission service and membership site for serious article marketers. Visit Article Submission Sites for free articles, e-zine, e-books and paid access to her submission list.

SuperWAHM.com

2006-03-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Moms,

I met a WAHM tonight online tonight who is the manager for
SuperWAHM.com

It is a new site that is like a WAHM directory. I wanted to encourage
Everyone to go add your links to the site now.

Link is www.SuperWAHM.com

Looks pretty neat. I love free advertising!!!

Stefani

Avoid These 5 Web Site Blunders!

2006-02-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

by Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen”

The Web is intended to help people find information quickly and easily. So why do so many sites make it difficult for users to get what they need? While neat design can add impact to your message, make sure the message itself doesn’t get lost in the mix.

As president of a copywriting firm that writes and edits dozens of online projects a year, I've come across several common blunders that prevent effective communication via the Web. Here are my top five:

BLUNDER #1: Hiding who you are and what you do.

It's sad that many sites make it a challenge to figure out what they're about. Yes, it may be cool to have a giant dancing logo on your home page, but don't forget WHY your visitors are there: to learn what you can DO for them!

Be sure your home page includes a *short overview* that clearly and concisely describes what you have to offer. It's also a good idea to repeat your tagline or a short mission statement on *every page* of your site. Why? People can pop in and land on an inside page via a search engine/directory link that you may not be aware of. Make sure they know who you are right away.

BLUNDER #2: Writing for print.

Reading copy on a computer screen is different than reading printed text. We read online text more slowly, and we tend to scan rather than read because, visually, the words are harder to digest. Help your users find key words and concepts quickly by making your copy "scannable." Instead of intro paragraphs, use subheads. Use shorter sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Use bulleted lists. And use hyperlinks to give readers more info if they want it.

BLUNDER #3: Writing too formally.

Online readers expect a personal, upbeat tone. If you write like a bureaucrat, you risk turning off many users. Think ACTIVE voice rather than passive. (For example, instead of saying “the computer must be turned on” say “turn on the computer.”) Write to your customers like you'd talk to them, and nix any industry jargon they may not understand.

Interestingly, I occasionally see the opposite problem. For example, a respected law firm's site shouldn't shout excitedly at customers as in a sweepstakes offer. Ask yourself: "How do my customers like to be talked to?" and that's your answer.

BLUNDER #4: Designing cryptic navigation.

Unfortunately, many sites don't seem to be truly designed with the end user in mind. Consider why users are visiting your site, then turn those reasons into your main navigation choices. Try to limit them to 8 or less. Then, create sub-navigation within those choices. But if there's an especially popular page on your site, why not put a special direct link from the home page? For example, on the home page of our site, we keep a direct link to our latest article or information about new awards we’ve won.

BLUNDER #5: Making it difficult to contact you or place an order.

I recently visited the Web site of an acclaimed furniture manufacturer, and I was ready to order one of their renowned ergonomic chairs. I clicked around, found the chair I wanted, and then quickly grew irate. Not only couldn't I find where to order it online, I couldn't even find their phone number to call and order one or find the nearest dealer! The results? One lost customer.

Put your phone number, an e-mail link, and a link to your order form (if you have one) on EVERY page of your Web site. Don't rely on your users having the patience to take a few extra steps. Make it as easy as possible, and they'll be much more likely to follow through (and return)!

(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://www.ezinequeen.com.

High Rankings® Seminar in San Francisco / Oakland

2006-02-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Don't forget about the next High Rankings® seminar on March 30-31, 2006.

Learn more and see the agenda here: http://www.highrankings.com/seminar.

Seminar will discuss all aspects of search marketing so that you will come away with a good idea of how to optimize your site from start to finish, which will bring you many more targeted search engine referrals than you are currently achieving.

"Procrastination Marketing -- It Actually Works!"

2006-02-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"

I'm guessing that right now there are several marketing tasks you've been putting off. Perhaps it's revamping your website. Or sending out your first e-zine. Or getting listed in the search engines. Or putting together a media kit.

So why haven't you done it?

Believe me, this is a battle I fight with myself too. But you know what I realized?

Procrastination is NOT evil!

Instead of seeing procrastination as a terrible thing, I now see it as a tool that helps me learn how I work best.

In fact, I've arrived at six different reasons why we all seem to procrastinate. Here they are, along with what you can learn from (and do for) each.

Reason 1: You are procrastinating because you don't enjoy the entire task or job.

Solution: One of my life coaches told me several years ago that if I didn't like doing something, I should "delete it, delegate it, or automate it." What a great way to look at things! I'm a big fan of ONLY doing tasks I enjoy or am good at. The rest I outsource to people who are good at it and/or enjoy it.

Reason 2: You are procrastinating because you don't enjoy a PART of the entire task or job.

Solution: If you're putting off a whole project just because there's one part you don't want to do, figure out how you can get away without doing that part. Again, delete it, delegate it, or automate it.

Reason 3: You are procrastinating because you don't know how to handle the task or job.

Solution: The answer will not drop in your lap. Get help -- a consultant to teach you how, a book or home study course to show you how, or even better, outsource it to someone who can just do it for you.

Reason 4: You are procrastinating because you simply can't find the time.

Solution: Schedule future time to do it, or get rid of other tasks to create the time you need. If you still can't do this, then you need to find someone to do it for you.

Reason 5: You are procrastinating because you feel stuck.

Solution: You may just need to get momentum going. Give yourself permission to do just one small part of the project only. Or do the easiest part first. (That's how I started writing my entire home study course.) This usually creates momentum, and you end up doing a lot more than you intended to!

Reason 6: You are procrastinating because you don't really want to do what you thought you should do.

Solution: This means you may have the wrong objective or strategy in the first place! Is this something you really want to do, or do you just think you SHOULD do it? Or is it an old goal that doesn't fit you or your business anymore? Your answer may surprise you. Let the goal go for awhile and see what happens. : )

Start Paying Attention!

Once you start paying attention to which activities you put off regularly, you'll know sooner when to be stricter with yourself or find help to get those tasks accomplished in a more timely manner.

So take a minute and make your list right now of what marketing tasks you've been putting off! Don't beat yourself up about it, just make a note and figure out how to get them done. (Or delete them entirely. : ))

© 2004-2006 Alexandria K. Brown

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 18,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com

Get More Visitors To Your Website

2006-02-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

Create A Mailing List
I listed this first because creating a mailing list or newsletter is probably the single most important thing you can do for your website. If you are going to go through all the work to get visitors to your site, why not turn them into repeat visitors. Generating traffic is very important, but creating a mailing list is critical if you want to keep your visitors.
An auto responder is a powerful tool that will allow you to automatically interact with your subscribers. When choosing an auto responder, there are several things to consider. First, do you want to do everything yourself, or is an auto responder service the way to go. Second, how many mailing lists can you create? Don’t limit yourself. The ability to create several targeted mailing lists will increase your ability to generate maximum traffic and sales. Finally, how many messages can you have in the auto responder? You may want to automate a months worth of messages for your list.
NOTE: If you have an auto responder on your server, all mail will be sent from your server. If, for some reason, you are reported as a spammer, all mail from your domain may be blocked. I strongly recommend that you use an auto responder service to avoid this problem.

Create A Special Report – And Give It Away
A special report is generally longer than an article and shorter than an ebook. Create a special report on a specific topic that compliments your website. Announce your freebie every place you can. When visitors arrive to collect their freebie, make sure you get their email address.

Write Article And Submit Them For Reprint
For best results, write articles that relate to the topic of your site. Create a compelling byline that encourages readers to visit your site. Submit your article to all the major article directories. One thing that many people forget to do is check popular websites on their topic. Some of these may accept article submissions. Don’t completely rely on the large article directories to get your article out there.
These are just a few of the ways to drive traffic to your website. By increasing the traffic to your website and keeping in contact with those visitors, your online business can only improve.

--------------- Author Information ---------------
Jess Knutson - FutureSAHM.com.
To learn more about getting quality traffic to your site and improving your interaction with those visitors stop by http://www.futuresahm.com/wahm_resources.shtml.

Sure Fire Ways To Drive Customers Away!

2006-02-08T03:43:00.000-08:00

Call it a blind spot. Call it regimented thinking. Call it the-way-we-have-always-done-it. But by any name, there are actions and practices that far too many businesses engage in that can unknowingly drive customers away.

When I observe such practices, I move from being angry to just plain sad. Really sad. Because the truth of the matter is that no one CONSCIOUSLY set out to ruin my day. No one sat in a board room and dreamt up procedures that would have us leaving in droves. No one woke up and said, "I can hardly wait to make you miserable." It happened "because". Because the truth of the matter is that it takes courage to stop and ask the critical
question: Does this serve our customer? Our member? Our community?

We all "know" the rules of service. But sadly, sometimes we don't take the time to think through just what our actions might be do or say to the customer. Here are some actions guaranteed to drive folks from the doors of an enterprise. It's time for all of us to sit up and notice!

Over promise and under deliver.

Bring people to the conference with the promise of cutting edge material. Lure attendees into thinking that the hotel is a four-star marvel. Tell customers that they'll have all the material they need in three days. Promise the meeting planner that the press kit will go out overnight. Then sit back and watch. Really watch. If it isn't true 100% of the time, it's a bait and switch promise.

Take the idea of "cutting edge material". I've attended conferences in which the only cutting edge was the serving knife on a buffet table. Same ideas. Same methodology. Same format.
Get a clue! Shake it up. Be provocative. If we say it, we better deliver.

How about that four-star hotel? Brochure looks great. The conference walk through is stunning. But then, could that ghastly-looking luncheon plate REALLY be the same chicken marsala you were served in the tasting? And, how about the fact that the hotel "forgot" to tell you that the major dining room would be undergoing renovation. Yikes!

The three-day guarantee. If you can't deliver it all the time, it's not true! Now, perhaps Three Day Blinds has reversed its practices, but years ago, I ordered window coverings for our new house. My mother was coming to visit us over Christmas and I needed shades. Alas, the third day came and went. I discovered that only "some" shades are three-day, not all. Beware of the implied promise.

Never walk the talk.

The brochure for the conference said, "a celebration of members", a "community that listens." Too bad it didn't play out in reality.

The setting is New Orleans. A couple thousand folks have gathered for the "celebration" and the "community". Alas, the reality is another fact. I discover that people are invited to parties based upon their status in the organization. The luncheon session I am addressing has some 50 "important people"
file into the banquet hall and take their places on a stage that is three tiers deep. Talk about a "we"/ "they" set up. I am told, "This is the way we have always done it." The intent to "honor"
these 50 people was to have hundreds watch them eat and to also set up the boundary between the "us" and the "them".

Come on. There are a few more creative ways to showcase the "us"
that is far more inclusive, educational, and community building than a camera shot of folks eating. I end up addressing an audience while have my back to 50 plus people. It's rude, off-putting, and the exact opposite of what the organization, in all good intentions, wishes to create.

Our lives had better mirror the words we use and the beliefs we profess to all. Otherwise, we're merely impersonators. I watched a very well known speaker who specializes in relationship building turn into a snarling, demanding customer who treated the flight attendants like personal servants. How many disbelievers were created on that day?

Make technology your primary form of communication.

Make sure there's a voice mail doom loop from which someone will never emerge to actually speak with a live human. Conduct all business via e-mail, assuming that a message sent is a message received. And while you're at it, hit send as soon as a message is written.

These three practices can doom any business relationship.
Amazing isn't it: having a person answer the phone can actually be a competitive advantage! How easy do we make it for people to do business with us via the telephone or even our web site? I tried to book a reservation in a lovely hotel, only to be treated to a lovely online tour of the property without ever finding a contact number!

E-mail is great for data but not perfect for relationship building or critical pieces of information. In fact, often the E in e-mail stands for escalation and error. Two colleagues almost became bitter enemies over rapid fire e-mails that had the sting of a viper and the warmth of the Arctic. Neither thought to pick up the phone and talk things out. Thus, the lop-sided "chats"
turned into internecine warfare. Talk about beating folks up!!

I discovered fascinating information about a client when we talked through my normal pre-program survey rather than depend upon an electronic transmission. I had thought my online survey was a time saving device. Instead, what it became was a gatekeeper, preventing me from digging deeper into an issue.
Likewise, multiple choice answers on written or online customer service surveys will never result in information of substantive depth.

Forget the wisdom of the outer circle.

In organizational life, there's always an "inner circle" of power and control. Boards of Directors wield it. So do powerful departments. When practices and policies come only from the inner circle, the rank and file is not only unheard, but can turn its back on the organization. Members leave associations when they feel discounted and "not in the know".
Never say "thank you".

Mother was right when she made us kids write notes to relatives after Christmas. It's a forgotten habit that can go a long way to letting people feel appreciated. Likewise, pick up the phone and call a client or member who has a complaint and THANK THEM for making that complaint known. You'll discover a huge dividend in goodwill after they recover from the shock of your call.

Three Practices to KEEP customers and members.

Common courtesy isn't common. Be uncommon.

Service is an unnatural act. It takes emphasis away from ourselves and gives it to others. Be unnatural.

Time is the only non-renewal resource. Never waste people's time.

Hope I haven't wasted yours!

(c) 2005, McDargh Communications. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.

Named by Executive Excellence Magazine as one of the top 100 thought leaders in business, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE authored one of the first books on work/life balance. Eileen is an award winning professional speaker, consultant and facilitator. Find free articles, surveys, book reviews and more at her professional speaker website.

Ignore At Your Own Peril - Article Submission Mistakes

2006-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

The most important task in the world of marketing with articles is to create relationships with editors. This is not to say that you need to invite them to dinner or even call them on a regular basis. You do have to be polite, reliable and submit quality articles. If possible, engage the editor in conversation via e-mail and let them know to ask you for additional articles when they have a need. Don't be one of those authors that drive editors crazy. If you do, editors are likely to make sure your articles end up in the "delete" folder. Follow the best practices below and editors will likely put you at the top of their "favorite authors" file:

* Be courteous and use professional language when approaching editors. Treat editors the way you expect to be treated.

* Using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is vital. Experienced editors will throw out an article with even one of these mistakes.

* Format articles properly in a text editor. Never use a traditional word processing program when writing your articles or your format will be garbled.

* Avoid boring titles and boring text. Tell a story, add a twist and have some fun while writing. Editors love receiving something new and exciting.

* Write only about things you know. You are not an expert on everything.

* Submit only your own original documents. Don't copy from someone else.

* Read the guidelines and view archived articles to make sure you follow all the rules.

* Submit on-topic articles only. Today I wasted time getting rid of articles about diving, nursing and frugal living. My guidelines clearly state I only accept articles about article submissions!

* Fill out forms completely and include contact information with e-mails.

* Savvy article writers never submit articles that are thinly disguised sales letters or advertising.

* Some editors will send you an e-mail when they use your article and some don't. Never, never, never bombard an editor and ask when and if your article will be published.

* Remove editors from your list promptly when asked. If you continue to submit when told not to then you are in violation of spam laws.

* Submit only one or two articles per week to your list. I know writers who submit dozens of articles a week to their list. This is annoying and can be seen as "spamming" even if you follow all the rules.

Remember that editors are busy people just like you and me. Don't waste their time, be professional and let them know you appreciate the opportunity to work with them. Carefully cultivate your relationship with editors and your article submission efforts will bloom!

(c) 2005. Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights reserved.
Permission to publish online or in print granted provided the
article and byline are printed intact with live links.

Ready to launch your business into the stratosphere using the proven marketing with articles technique? Learn from an article submission expert, Bonnie Jo Davis, and benefit from her wisdom by visiting http://www.ArticleSubmissionSites.com. Sign-up for her no cost monthly e-zine focusing on marketing with articles by sending a blank e-mail to subscribe-956607489@ezinedirector.net

How to Generate As Much Free Traffic As Your Server Can Stand

2006-02-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

By Jimmy D. Brown

There’s no question that THE best web site traffic is the traffic that OTHER PEOPLE send you.

When affiliates and joint venture partners send their best subscribers and customers to your site, it’s as good as it gets. (It’s free, it’s targeted and it’s effortless!)

I’ve actually witnessed first-hand a server getting so much traffic that it forced the site to temporarily shut down!

So, getting others to send their visitors to your site should be a top priority on your internet marketing agenda.

The question is: “where can these affiliates and partners be found?”
Short answer: Google.com.

I’ve found Google.com to be the best free research tool on the planet for finding new affiliates and JV partners.

There are (at least) seven ways to search Google’s massive database for potential partners:

1. POPULAR PRODUCTS. Conduct a search for the title of your competitors’ products to see which sites are actively promoting those products. Those who are already promoting similar products are likely candidates to promote yours. (And, they are obviously already familiar with affiliate marketing - especially important in “niches”)

• Ex. If your product is about “niche marketing” do a search for “Nicheology”.

2. ARTICLE TITLES. Conduct a search for the title of articles related to your product. Identify which sites are currently showcasing those articles and see if they will load your article to their site as well. (Note: You can find article titles at popular article directories such as GoArticles.com)

• Ex. If you’ve got an article related to free traffic, do a search for “How to Sell 300% More Of Your Product in 72 Hours Than You Did All Month”. (Use quotations)

3. ACCESSORIES. Conduct a search for items that are related to your offer, but not identical to your offer.

• Ex. If your product is about “web site templates”, do a search for “hosting” or “salesletters”.

4. ADVERTISING. Conduct a search for terms that are related to your product and then look for those who are currently advertising using Google’s Adwords®. (The tiny ads in the right margin of the browser window). These will be more experienced marketers and more likely to be open to a joint venture proposal.

• Ex. If your product is related to “dieting”, then search for “diet”, “diet program”, “weight loss”, “exercise”, “lose weight”, etc.

5. AUTHORS AND EXPERTS. Conduct a search for the names of well known authors and experts within your field of interest. You’ll likely find NUMEROUS sites mentioning that expert ranging from promoting their products to posting their articles to making comments about their influence. Look specifically for those who are using affiliate links.

• Ex. If your product is related to “internet marketing” then search for “Jimmy D. Brown”.

6. URLs. Conduct a search for a word or phrase related to your topic of interest in the URL of the sites listed in Google’s database. You can do this by using the search string, “inurl”. I.E. inurl:”travel discounts”. This will return a listing of all indexed URL listings that contain that phrase.

• Ex. If your product is about “rose gardening” do a search for inurl:”rose gardening”.

7. TIPS AND ARTICLES. Conduct a search for a combination of a word or phrase related to your topic of interest, along with the words “tips” and “articles”. I.E. “marketing tips”, “time management articles”.

• Ex. If your product is about “UFOs” do a search for “UFO articles”.

Finding affiliates and joint venture partners is a MUST for anyone wanting to drive massive amounts of traffic to their site.
And using Google.com’s search features makes it easier than ever.

Jimmy D. Brown is the owner of the “List And Traffic” membership site, teaching thousands of internet business owners specific things they can do every week to multiply profits.

For video training, weekly updated content and printable
checklist “systems” for growing your business,
drop by ListAndTraffic.com

Are You Content With Your Content? 5 Ways to Immediately Drive Traffic and Sales Through the Roof

2005-12-09T03:56:00.000-08:00

by Dina Giolitto

Following are Five Immediate Changes You Can Make to Drive Traffic and Sales Through the Roof!

1. Put More Oomph in Your Articles.

Don't tell the reader what he "could" do; tell him what he MUST do! Which of these sounds more dynamic to you: great copy, or brilliant copy? Speak in an authoritative tone, and you will be regarded as an authority. Go bookmark http://thesaurus.com in your favorites folder right now. You NEED power words to make your copy pop!2. Tell the Reader Exactly What to Do.

Ever read someone else's web page and find yourself going into "the zone?" That happens to your reader, too. Snap him into action while he's caught in the trance. Click Here. Buy Now. Pop Your Email Address in the Subscriber Box Below. Seems almost silly, right? But call to actions are everywhere because they really WORK.3. For the Love of God, Dumb it Down.

Here's a big goof that new web writers frequently make: writing copy that's too abstract, too esoteric, too philosophical. Translation: you MUST dumb it down. This is the web, we're all distracted as heck. I guarantee, nobody will think less of you if you simplify your concepts and language. Equate your web copy with a highway billboard. Surfers are cruising by, no heavy reading is going on here. Just trust me on this one, Smarty Pants.4. Tell Them How It's Done.

Another common content error: letting your reader know what he CAN do, but never telling him HOW to do it. Today's web has everyone falling all over themselves to give away free information. If you do not inform your reader with the basics of how to accomplish a task, perform a function or use a new tool, I guarantee he will find out from someone else. 5. Be a Branding Whore!

Spend enough time hanging out in online networks, and you will recognize the Power Players by their ID Badge - that signoff that distinguishes what they do and lists their URL. Brand your business in every single email, article, forum post and blog entry that you write. NEVER assume taht everyone in the group knows you. Someone new will always come by... and can leave again just as quickly. Make your mark everywhere you can.

Are YOU Content With Your Content? Get Top Secret Marketing Tips from the Web's Biggest Gurus and Expert Authors on The First Annual Web Content Awareness Day on FEBRUARY 9, 2006.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

To become a contributor, please visit http://wordfeeder.com/wcad/landingpage.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with over 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of information-hungry prospects. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for more details.

An awesome resource for checking links to your site

2005-11-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

I got an email the other day with the subject "Awesome Website tool" and kept the email to read later. I always keep these types of emails because I absolutely love these tools made to help us fellow webmasters.

I finally had a chance to check it out today and I would have to say that the tool is awesome. Basically you go to the link and type your domain and it finds all your backlinks. It shows the link that is pointing at your site as well as the anchor test.

I am definately adding this site to my Favorites/Bookmarks to use later.

Want the link? Here ya go. Enjoy!!

http://www.helpfulinformation.org/seo-tools/anchortext.pl

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make & Save At Home
http://www.MommyEnterprises.com

New Article I Wrote Today

2005-08-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Ideas on Promoting Your Home Business Opportunity
By Stefani Partin

Have you got yourself into a home business opportunity but don’tknow where to begin to generate yourself some leads? That happensamong many of us that join a home business opportunity, you arenot alone. Many will join and give up before really putting any effortinto the business. Those who are determined will put forth effort and succeed with effort.

When you become a home based business owner, you will want to getthe word out. First off,tell the people in your warm market, your friendsand family and maybe even co-workers. Don’t stop there. Create yourself some business cards on your computer or even order some online. Vistaprinto ffers 250 professional cards FREE of charge, you just pay the small shipping and handling fee. I have found these FREE cards very useful. What I would do is order some professional cards to hand out to those you
come in contact with. Then if you can, create a bunch on your computer that you will use as drop cards. Drop cards are business cards that you leave everywhere you go. Remember, nobody will visit your site if they can’t find you. The more cards you get out to the public, the better chance of getting someone interested in what you have to offer.

You might be thinking that you don’t know anyone to give business cards too, well if you think that you are wrong. Include a card in everything you send out in the mail. If you dine out, leave one with your tip. Always keep a stack in your car as you just never know when you will need one. There are many places you can leave cards, the sky is the limit.

Drive your car a lot? Why not use your vehicle as a method of advertising. I did this last year by buying two magnets for each side of my vehicle’s door. The magnets have a few bright colors on them, therefore catching attention. Be sure you magnet says something catchy and make sure you have ways of contact on your magnet. Be sure to include a phone number and your website link if you have one. I got mine online and very affordable at www.jalapenodesigns.com.

Another great method in generating leads is by online advertising. You got to do your research first before jumping into this one. You will find you can place ads on all sorts of websites and online newsletters. My preference would be placing ads in newsletters. Be sure that the ad is placed in your “niche” market. Don’t place an ad on a site or newsletter that is not similar to your companies market. Also, when placing ads on websites, be sure to ask the webmaster what their unique daily or monthly visitors is, not the hits. Most people, not familiar to webstats will look for the hits which is not an accurate number of the visitors to a website. Remember to do your research first, there is LOTS of places online that you can WASTE your hard earned money.

One of my favorite ways on generating visitors to my sites is through online message forums and discussion groups. There are millions of forums online. The forums range from every kind of topic you can think of. Find a message forum on a topic you can relate to and become an expert in that topic. Most forums will let you put a signature line at the end of your post. You will be surprised the amount of visitors that will come to your site coming from a signature line in a post. I have been very successful with this method and have tracked my website stats to verify it. It won’t bring in millions of visitors, but it’s better then nothing.

And lastly, don’t forget your signature line of your emails. If you send emails all the time and don’t have a signature file that goes out with each email, you are losing out on lots of free advertising opportunities. If you are the type of person that receives lots of say joke emails and forwards them, you are missing out on even more advertising. You just never know who is going to see an email, see your link and click it. Don’t miss out on any free advertising you can get. Every bit of effort counts.

Don’t give up in the beginning like most do. If you believe in your company, stick it out. There are always ups and downs and any real business takes work and effort to build it. Find something you have a passion for and you will fly upwards.

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

Stefani owns MommyEnterprises.com as well as a few other
websites that focus on helping moms work from home. Subscribe
to her free newsletter "The Making Money Newsletter For Moms"
and receive a free work at home ebook and more. Subscribe by
sending an email to makingmoneymoms-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

My upcoming traffic exchange blogs

2005-07-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

For those that believe in traffic exchange programs, I am creating a blog that will review various online traffic exchange programs or also known as startpage programs. There are techniques in using these, tips and secrets I want to share as I learn.

I myself have gained alot of FREE traffic from these types of programs.

Here is the link to my upcoming blog

Traffic Exchange Notes
http://www.mommyportal.com/traffic-exchanges

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

Some SEO Tips To Remember

2005-06-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

Below are some tips to remember when setting up a new website.

1. First make sure that you buy a good domain. Try to include
your type of business in your domain. For example I have a website
with classifieds for work at home opportunities. I own the domain
www.TheWorkAtHomeClassifieds.com.

2. When naming each file of your website, try to use the theme of
the page in your filename as well. If you are using something that
is two words use the - and not the _ . For example if you were
creating a page on mortgage refinancing you could create the
filename mortgage-refinancing.html.

3. Be sure to add the title tag to your website . Use your important keywords in this tag and try using thest ones in the beginning. For example, if your webpage is about mortgage
refinancing tips, be sure that your title tag reads "Mortgage Refinancing Tips".

4. Be sure to include your main keywords in the content of your
webpages as well. Don't overdo it. Each search engine determines
your keyword density of the webpage in differnet ways. Here is a
neat little tool to anyalyze your keyword density:
http://www.ranks.nl/tools/spider.html

5. Last but not least, don't forget to get inbound links. I recommend
creating a link directory of some on your website. Make sure you
welcome your visitors to exchange links. Don't refuse a link to your
site because it is not the same theme of your site. If you have a good
website, people will naturally want to link to your site.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

15 Easy Ways to Grow Your Subscriber List

2005-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"

While there are seemingly endless ways to promote your e-zine and attract new subscribers, here's a list of my favorite 15. Which ones are YOU using?

Print this out and check those you already do, and note those you should "get a move on."

___ 1. Tell your clients, associates, and friends. Send out one of your best issues (or your first issue) as a sample issue, inviting them to sign up if they like it. (Never sign anyone up without his/her permission.)

___ 2. Put a signup form on your home page and every page of your Web site. No matter what page people may land on, this way they'll know about your amazing e-zine. Don't let them click away and lose them forever!

___ 3. Use a pop-up or pop-under box on your site. Yes, they're irritating if abused, but I can tell you they work. Studies show pop-ups/unders can increase your e-zine signups by up to 10 times! Give it a try and test it. (You can see my pop-under here.)

___ 4. Offer a free goodie for new subscribers. We all get so much e-mail these days, that you have to work hard to get anyone's e-mail address. Offer new subscribers a valuable free article, report, resource list, e-book, etc.

___ 5. Offer a free sample issue on your Web site or have one available by e-mail autoresponder. Some people won't sign up for anything until they can see it first.

___ 6. List your e-zine in free e-zine directories. There are hundreds of these on the Web where people visit to search for e-zines on particular topics. Make sure you're here so you can be found! (One of the best is Charlie Page's Directory of E-zines.)

___ 7. Swap ads with other e-zines. Search online e-zine directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and contact their publishers. Swap at least three ads in a row for best results.

___ 8. Buy ads in other e-zines. Again, search those directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and see their ad specifications and rates. Purchase at least three ads in a row for best results.

___ 9. Plug your e-zine in your e-mail signature. After your usual contact information at the bottom of all your e-mails, be sure to include a two- or three-line plug for your e-zine.

___ 10. Get published in OTHER e-zines. There are dozens of Web sites where other publishers visit to pick up free content for their e-zines. Why not post YOUR articles there for them to use? You get free exposure and plenty of traffic back to your site

___ 11. Do a co-op with other e-zine subscribers. You can cross-promote with other e-zine publishers on your own, or use an automated service such as Subscription Rocket.

___ 12. Try a pay-for-subscriber service. These services advertise your e-zine for you and bring you subscribers automatically for as little as 10 to 30 cents apiece. One with a good reputation is Lead Factory.

___ 13. Announce your e-zine to all of the professional organizations and associations you're a member of. They usually allow you to make announcements in their newsletters or on their online bulletin boards.

___ 14. Advertise your e-zine on the back of your business cards. In the text, be sure to tell people how they can sign up for your e-zine.

___ 15. Become active in a few online forums where your ideal readers hang out. In your posts, position yourself as a resource in your area of expertise, and include a signature file that promotes your e-zine!

For STEP-BY-STEP instructions on all of these strategies (and dozens more) see my SPECIAL REPORT: "101 Simple, FREE and Low-Cost Ways to Quickly Build a MASSIVE EMAIL LIST".

© 2003-2005 Alexandria K. Brown WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit
"EzineQueen.com".

Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche Websites

2005-04-20T21:58:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, I am busy adding content to MommyPortal. I found an article I thought you might enjoy.

Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyportal.com

Three Ways to Get Top Quality Content for Your Niche Websites

Good, popular, profitable niche topic websites need good content.Period. You and I both know this.

Now, there are many ways to get content online...

1. You can hire freelance writers, and have them create custom contentto be used by you exclusively. This is the best way to get content,because if you choose your writers well, you can get decent content onthe topic of your choice. And chances are pretty slim that anyone elseonline will have the exact same content you have. The cheapest rateI've seen this service at though, is $4 per article. Usually it's morelike $10 and up per article if you want good content. So a mere 20articles will cost you at least two hundred bucks!

2. Another great way to get content online though, is to joinmembership sites like Nicheology and Push Button Health. These sitesgive you a steady flow of rough draft content for one set price eachmonth. The content usually needs some work, but it's generally worthit for the price paid. The catch though, is that these sites areusually filled to their limit. So if you want to join, you'll findyourself waiting in line... sometimes for over 6 months!The other problem with membership sites is the number of people whohave access to the exact same content. Nicheology for instance, limits the number of active members to 1500. That's 1499 other people besidesyourself who have access to the exact same content. BUT... that's notincluding all of the previous members who ALSO had access to thatcontent... and it's not including all of the new members who will comearound in the future. They'll have access to that same content as well.

3. Now, one more excellent way to get website content is through freearticle distribution websites and mailing lists. You can literally getthousands upon thousands of articles completely free this way. There'sa couple of catches to this method though... First: You have to keepthe author's name on the article. You're not allowed to change or editthe article. Usually you're not even allowed to link to one of yourwebsites, pages or affiliate programs from within the article either.Then you have to include the "bio box" at the end of the article. This- by the way - tends to be an advertisement of some sort. And last butnot least: You have to link to the author's website. And in manycases, you have to link to several of the author's websites.

Oh yeah... one more thing about these free articles: Since they'refree - tens of thousands of other websites use them too!

Putting quality content on your website will help bring in relevant,targeted traffic. And that usually brings in more clicks... and moresales. Hopefully the above brief comparison helps you understand thedifferent ways to get content for your site. Study them fully, andchoose which one works best for you, your site needs, and your budget.

2005 Kathy Burns-MillyardVisit The Guru Gazette at http://www.gurugazette.com/ for more ofKathy's articles, tips and advice. Also check out her brand newarticle content packages: http://www.gurugazette.com/Content-Packs/You can get 20 quality articles for niche topic websites at just $0.74each!

10 Keys to Cop That Sells

2005-04-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"

Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ... to get results! These guidelines can apply to Web copy, e-mail, sales letters, brochures, direct mail, and more. As long as your goal is to elicit a reaction from your reader, you've come to the right place.

1. Be reader-centered, not writer-centered.
Many ads, brochures, and Web sites talk endlessly on and on about how great their products and companies are. Hello? Customer, anyone? Think of your reader thinking, "What's in it for me?" If you can, talk with some of your current customers and ask them 1) why they chose you, and 2) what they get out of your product or service. TIP: To instantly make your copy more reader-focused, insert the word "you" often.

2. Focus on the benefits -- not just the features.
The fact that your product or service offers a lot of neat features is great, but what do they DO for your customer? Do they save her time or money? Give her peace of mind? Raise her image to a certain status? Here's an example: If you go buy a pair of Gucci sunglasses, you're not just looking for good UV protection. You're buying the sleek, stylish Gucci look. So that's what Gucci sells. You don't see their ads talk about how well made their sunglasses are. Think about what your customers are REALLY looking for.

Now, what does an insurance broker sell? Policies?
Nope -- peace of mind. (See? You've got it.)

3. Draw them in with a killer headline.
The first thing your reader sees can mean the difference between success and failure. Today's ads are chock full of clever headlines that play on words. They're cute, but most of them aren't effective. There are many ways to get attention in a headline, but it's safest to appeal to your reader's interests and concerns. And again, remember to make it reader centered -- no one gives a hoot about your company.
Bad: "SuccessCorp Creates Amazing New Financial Program" Better: "Turn Your Finances Around in 30 Days!"

4. Use engaging subheads.
Like mini-headlines, subheads help readers quickly understand your main points by making the copy "skimmable." Because subheads catch readers" eyes, you should use them to your benefit! Read through your copy for your main promotional points, then summarize the ideas as subheads. To make your subheads engaging, it's important to include action or selling elements.
Bad: "Our Department's Successes." Better: "Meet Five Clients Who Saved $10K With Us."

5. Be conversational.
Write to your customers like you'd talk to them. Don't be afraid of using conversational phrases such as "So what's next?" or "Here's how do we do this." Avoid formality and use short, easy words. Why? Even if you think it can't possibly be misunderstood, a few people will still be confused. Plus, being conversational helps prospects feel like they can trust you more.

6. Nix the jargon.
Avoid industry jargon and buzzwords -- stick to the facts and the benefits. An easy way to weed out jargon is to think of dear old Mom reading your copy. Would she get it? If not, clarify and simplify. (This rule, of course, varies, depending on who your target audience is. For a business audience, you should upscale your words to what they're used to. In some industries, buzzwords are crucial. Just make sure your points don't get muddled in them!)

7. Keep it brief and digestible.
No one has time to weed through lengthy prose these days. The faster you convey your product or service's benefits to the reader, the more likely you'll keep her reading. Fire your "biggest gun" first by beginning with your biggest benefit -- if you put it toward the end of your copy, you risk losing the reader before she gets to it. Aim for sentence lengths of less than 20 words. When possible, break up copy with subheads (see no. 4), bullets, numbers, or em dashes (like the one following this phrase) -- these make your points easy to digest.

8. Use testimonials when possible.
Let your prospects know they won't be the first to try you. Give results-oriented testimonials from customers who have benefited immensely from your product or service. Oh, and never give people's initials only -- it reminds me of those ads in the back of magazines with headlines like "L0se 50 P0unds in 3 Days!" Give people's full names with their titles and companies (or towns and states of residence) -- and be sure to get their permission first.

9. Ask for the order!
Tell your reader what you want her to do -- don't leave her hanging. Do you want her to call you or e-mail you for more information? 0rder n0w? Call to schedule a free consultation? Complete a brief survey? Think about what you'd most like her to do, and then ask her. It's amazing how many marketing materials I come across every day that don't make it clear what the reader should do. If you wrote interesting copy, your reader may forget you're trying to sell something. Tell her what to do, and she'll be more likely to do it.

10. Have your copy proofread!
Good. Now have it proofread again. Don't risk printing any typos, misspellings, or grammatical mistakes that will represent your company as amateurs. Hire a professional editor or proofreader to clean up your work. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impession! Oops -- impression.

© 2001-2005 Alexandria K. Brown

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit www.ezinequeen.com

Need Content?

2005-04-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

I have found myself recently looking for free content for
my websites.

Below are some sites that I found useful for free content:

Free Sticky - Free content and webmaster tools

Home-Based Business Online Articles by Elena Fawkner

Saving Secrets - Free Money Saving Articles

Find Sticky - Lots of various website content

Enjoy

Stefani Partin

Mommy Portal
The Web Portal For The WAHM
http://www.MommyPortal.com

3 Reasons why your site isn't being visited

2005-03-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Every wondered how all those other sites get tons of visitors and your doesn't?

Below are 3 reasons why your site isnt being visited:

1. You don't offer something free. People like to see the word FREE. Offer
some sort of freebie on your site. Some ideas include a free contest,
free ebook, free recipes, free report, free tips, and free shipping.

2. You don't offer original content. Be sure to have content on your site
that isn't offered on another site. It is okay to use others content such
as articles but be sure to include content of your own. If you offer your
visitors something they can't find somewhere else, they will be bound
to visit your site.

3. You do not have any incoming links to your site. The search engines
will not find you if there is no other sites linking to you. In fact the more
your site is listed on others sites, the more likely your site will be indexed.
If you don't have a link exchange or directory on your site, I would advise
setting one up. Then exchange links with sites related to yours.

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

Url Affiliates
A Mom's Affiliate Directory
http://www.urlaffiliates.com

How to get your customer's email address legitimately

2005-02-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

Need a few pointers on how to obtain your customers and site visitors email address legitimately? Below is a few tips on how to legitimately get an email address from your customer.

1) Put a subscription box on a prominent site of your home page. Another good idea for those of you that have templates and/or menus on your sites, put the subscription box on your menua and/or template. The more pages your subscription box is shown, the better chances of signups to your newsletter/mailing list.

2) Create a webpage just for your newsletter or mailing list. Some of you will just put a subscriptoin box to your (autoresponder/mailing list vendor). So the people just signup trusting you have something to offer them. What you want to do is create a seperate webpage just for this list. See my newsletter homepage here: http://www.mommyenterprises.com/newsletter
One MommyEnterprises.com I have the subscription box on my menu in the template and have a link to the newsletter's webpage as well.

3) Offer your visitor's and/or customer's something of value for joining. I have put together an ebook library and newsletters are given access to download valuable ebooks and reports. See the link above for an my tip put into action there. It WORKS.

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

Mommy Portal
http://www.MommyPortal.com

I am over 5000 incoming links

2005-02-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have done it. Mommy Enterprises is now showing on MarketLeap's Link Popularity tool 5,167 incoming links.

Read a blurb from one of my past blog posts:

"As of today 09/19/04 there are a total of 1,954 links to www.mommyenterprises.com. I hope to increase this by the hundreds within the next month. It takes a long time to build up good link popularity."

Wow, that is 3,213 more links. I am excited. I can definately say that my building of my website and trading links, etc is starting to payoff.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

Google's Sandbox

2005-01-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

I just got done reading a very interesting article about Google that I thought I would share. For those of you with new websites you will want to read this.

Google's Giant Sandbox
by Mark Daoust

If you pay any attention to the search engine optimization community, you have probably heard about Google's sandbox. Knowing exactly what the sandbox is might be a little confusing, but it is an important concept to know if you hope to eventually be successful with Google.

What is the Sandbox?
Before we get too far into an explanation as to what Google’s sandbox is, it must be noted that not everyone even agrees that the sandbox exists. The sandbox is actually nothing more than a theory developed to explain what many different SEO experts have witnessed with their listings. Whether or not the sandbox really exists is actually irrelevant when we know that the effects of the sandbox exist.

Google’s sandbox is a relatively new filter that appeared to be put in place back in March of 2004. This happened after the widely publicized updates of Austin and Florida, and the implementation of what is known as the Austin update. If you are not sure what those are, there is no need to worry as those updates are now for the most part in the past. The sandbox filter seems to affect nearly all new websites placing them on an initial “probation” status. The effect of this is that new websites may get into Google’s SERP’s (search engine results pages) relatively quickly and may even perform well for a couple of weeks. When the filter is applied to the new website it is referred to as being put in the “sandbox”. The new website will still show in the result pages, but it will not rank well regardless of how much original, well optimized content and regardless of how many quality inbound links the site may have. The filter restrains new websites from having immediate success in the search engine result pages.

The sandbox filter seems to affect almost all new websites, with very few exceptions. It is important to note that the filter is not a punishment for anything the webmaster did with their new website. The filter is merely an initiation period for new websites.

The sandbox filter also affects more competitive keyword driven sites more than sites that key in on less competitive keywords. If your website focuses on very competitive keywords, you are likely to remain in the sandbox for a longer period of time than if you focus on keywords that are relatively non-competitive keywords.

Does the Sandbox Exist?
There is a lot of debate as to whether the sandbox filter is a good thing for Google to implement or not. Obviously webmasters who are trying to get their sites well positioned in Google do not like the sandbox filter as it prevents them from receiving the huge levels of traffic that a top listing in Google can bring. The filter was not implemented at random, however, and there is some good reasoning for the filter existing.

As the SEO community figured out the basic elements of Google’s ranking algorithm, inbound links, original content rich with keywords, and the proper use of anchor text, search engine spammers began to take advantage of these elements. Search engine spammers would setup websites that were in clear violation of Google’s policies with the knowledge that eventually their website would be banned from the listings. This, however, did not matter. If a search engine spammer could get their website to rank well in Google for even one month, the profits they could make from that one month would justify the cost of building the site in the first place. All they needed to do in the future was to rebuild their spam websites with different domains and slightly different content.

The idea for spammers was a simple one. Capitalize off of Google’s traffic for as long as they can (before they get banned), then do it all over again with a new website. The method was extremely effective and easy to implement.

What made this all the more easy to accomplish was Google’s extremely fast indexing. While other search engines would take several months to index a new website, Google could index a website in as little as one month (they are now indexing sites within a few days). Search engine spammers were living large off of Google’s generosity.

To solve this problem, Google determined that it would compromise. They would still index websites quickly, attempting to get as much new, fresh content out to the general public as possible, but they would not trust new websites implicitly as they had in the past. All new websites that were launched would be put on probation. As time passed, and as the sites continued to pass any spam filters they ran, the website will not be held back from performing well in the rankings. Eventually, after quite a bit of time had passed, a site would be allowed to “leave” the sandbox and join the rest of the established websites.

How Does This Affect My Website?
If you have a new website, there is a good chance that you will be placed in the sandbox. This should be expected, but it should not change the way you build your website or market it. You should use the sandbox filter to your advantage.

Google still ranks websites in much the same way that they had in the past. Websites are judged on the quality of their inbound links and the quality of their content. Google will continue to change how they evaluate inbound links and content, but the basic elements of their rankings will remain the same.

While your website is in the sandbox, you should use this time to build your traffic using regular traffic building methods such as writing articles, building a strong community of visitors, and partnering with websites that offer some synergy to your visitors. During your time on probation, you have an excellent opportunity to build all the elements that cause websites to perform well in the search engines. When you finally do leave the sandbox, your website should be very well positioned within Google.

Is My Website in the Sandbox?
When webmasters learn about the sandbox filter, their first question is always whether or not their website has been placed in it. Determining whether or not you are in the sandbox is a relatively easy task to do.

First, being placed in the sandbox is different than having your website banned. If you do a search for your domain in Google and they return zero results for your website (and you had been previously listed in Google), there is a chance that you have been banned. One of the best ways to determine if you have been banned is to look at your log files to see if Google is visiting your website. Banned websites typically do not see Google visit their websites, regardless of who is linking to them.

If you have not been banned, but do not rank well with Google, you should look at the quality of your content and the quality of your inbound links. You should also see if you rank well for non-competitive keywords. Remember how the filter affects competitive keywords more than less competitive keywords? Well, you can use this to determine if you have been sandboxed. Finally, if you rank well in all the other major search engines, but do not show up at all in Google’s rankings, you have probably been sandboxed.

Is There A Way to Get Out of the Sandbox?
The quick answer to this is yes, there is a way out of the sandbox, but you will not like the answer. The answer is to simply wait. The sandbox filter is not a permanent filter and is only intended to reduce search engine spam. It is not intended to hold people back from succeeding. So eventually, if you continue to build your site as it should be built, you will leave the sandbox and join the other established websites.

Again, if your website has been placed in the sandbox you should use this time to your advantage. It is a great opportunity to build your traffic sources outside of the search engines. If you have a website that does well in the search engines, you may be tempted to ignore other proven methods of traffic building such as building a community, or building strong inbound links through partnerships. However, if you establish traffic sources outside of search engines, when you finally leave the sandbox, you will see a welcome increase in your traffic levels.

Conclusion
Google has been going to great lengths to cut out on search engine spam. Some have faulted them on the lengths that they are going to claiming that it is effecting legitimate sites as well as the spam websites. While this is probably the case, as an owner of a website you need to place yourself in the position of Google and ask yourself what they are really looking for in a website. Google is looking for websites that offer quality content. Google still relies on the natural voting system that was first used to establish pagerank. They may change the way that they qualify content or inbound links, but the basic elements of a quality website will always remain the same.

No website owner in their right mind will “like” Google’s sandbox. However, a smart website owner will use the sandbox as an opportunity to build a website that Google simply cannot refuse.

Mark Daoust is the owner of Site Reference.
Discuss this article and others in our Search Engine Forums

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

What is your subscription box doing for you

2005-01-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Is your subscription box giving you subscribers? Have you just started a newsletter and don't know how to gain subscribers.

Here a couple key two tips to remember.

Put your subscription box right on the main page to your website if not
in the menu bar of your website if you have one. If they don't see it, they
won't or can't subscribe.

Offer your visitors something of value for subscribing. I did offer my
newsletter subscribers a free ebook. Now that I am offering a library
of ebooks for them FREE my subscriber rate is going up like crazy.

I thought I would share that success story.

Stefani Partin

http://www.mommyenterprises.com

Ways to get inbound links to your site

2005-01-07T22:21:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for additional ways to receive inbound links to your site and maybe get some without providing one in return?

Below are ways to get "inbound links" to your website. The more inbound links the easier the search engines have in finding its way to your site. While some links may cost you there are several free methods as well. I would suggest starting with the free methods first

1. Articles - Have something to write about? Create your own articles and submit them to websites to be published. The key is to include a little bio about you at the end and include your website link. The more the article is published, the more links you will have pointing to your website. There are tons of places online to submit your article to as well.

2. Link directory - Create a link directory on your site. With your link directory require a recipricol link back to your site. Be sure to link with sites that are related to yours. Linking to related websites will improve your search engine rankings.

3. Directory Listings - Purchase a listing in some popular directories for the market your website is in. If you are in the candle business find online candle directories and get listed. Do your research first before purchasing ads, you will want to get your money worth. Ask the webmaster how many visitors the site gets and do a comparison of ad rates with other sites.

4. Free Ebook - Write an ebook and offer it free to webmasters in exchange for a link on your site. There are free software programs you can download as well to create the ebook. You don't have to be a professional to write an ebook. Be sure the ebook will be helpful to the readers. Don't forget to add a link to your website in your ebook as well.

5. Blog - Create a blog and include a link to your site in your template. Then publish your blog frequently. Search engines tend to spider blogs quickly and the more you publish your blog, the more webpages it will create online to be spidered.

6. Resourceful website - Make sure your website has lots and lots of information. Include helpful content, articles, resources and tools your visitors will benefit from. If your website provides its visitors will helpful information you will most likely get links to your site without even asking for them.

I think that is going to sum it up for now. Remember to keep building and building those inbound links to your site. It will pay off in the end when you end up with thousands of links to your site. I have been very successful over the last year creating inbound links.

To check your link popularity please visit: http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

Mommy Portal
The Web Portal for the WAHM
http://www.mommyportal.com

Things You Don't Want To Do To Your Website

2004-12-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief list of things you want to avoid when creating and maintaining your website. Remember to always think from your visitors point of view.

1. Don't repeat the same content on your webpages. Make each and every one of your pages have fresh content. Make your content unique and appealing.

2. Don't use alot of animation/flash. You might think that you are impressing your visitor but in reality you might be making your visitor frustrated. Those without a fast internet connection or older computer might not be able to load all the high tech website tools you might want to add.

3. Don't change the size and type of your font on your pages. Keep to a normal size for your text content. I prefer to use size 2 and I make my headings a size 3.

4. Don't forget to add your title tag to your webpage. A majority of the search engines use the title tag in your search engine listing results. If you don't design your own webpages ask your webmaster to make sure your title tags are done.

5. Don't add a ton of images to your webpages. The more images you have the slower your webpage takes to load. This could cause your visitor to get frustrated and click off your site before it finishes loading.

6. Don't change your topics. Try to keep only one topic per webpage. If your webpage seems to be long you might want to try rewriting it and breaking it down into additional topics.

7. Don't use "Page Under Construction" signs on your site. If the page isn't ready, simply don't publicize it. Make sure to customize your 404.html error pages. You don't want to lose a visitor.

8. Don't change your links. As you build your site, people will begin to link to these pages on your website. If you change your links those links coming into your site will lead your visitors to a dead link, not good.

9. Don't misguide your visitors to your site. If you are selling products from your site, you will want targeted visitors, not visitors that thought they were coming for something else.

10. Don't put a hit counter on your webpage. Yeah put one on your ebay auctions for the fun of it but don't put them on your webpages, it looks tacky. The hit counters stats don't count as actual visitors. Each image on your page counts as a hit so if you have lots of images on each page its going to count each of those images as a visitor.

Hope you enjoyed these tips on things to avoid.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
The Web Portal For The WAHM
http://www.mommyportal.com

Do you use Trafficswarm

2004-12-04T22:56:00.000-08:00

There are so many traffic exchanges out there, how do you choose which one
to use? I have tried many with not much luck.

Some time ago an online friend of mine told me how she used these traffic exchanges to her advantage. She told me she sets her startup page as a rotator script. I asked her for the script
and have been using it ever since. Everytime I startup my browser, it will randomly open
one of my traffic exchange programs. So instead of just being able to start my browser on one program, I can actively use as many programs as I want. I currently am only using about 4 of the programs that are working the best for me. My friend also suggested putting your referral links in each of the other programs you are using, let your credits build up and then put your regular links in the programs. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. :)

Well as for traffic exchanges my favorite is going to have to be TrafficSwarm. Now this program is actually bringing a swarm of traffic to my links. I am a free member too. How TrafficSwarm works is you get your own unique TrafficSwarm link. You can either set your browsers startup page as this or you can put it in your favorites. When you visit this link, you will see a list of other sites, when you visit those sites listed you earn credits towards your links shown on other users screen. You can also upgrade to Pro and earn even more traffic. I have placed a few links and have created a downline underneath me now of 108 (87 1st level & 21 2nd level). As of now I have earned 10,010 credits just from my downline. I am going to have to give TrafficSwarm a thumbs UP.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

Mommy Portal
The Web Portal For The WAHM
http://www.mommyportal.com

Link building

2004-11-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

I find myself constantly finding other websites to exchange links with. I also have a great number of link requests in my inbox daily. I try to add at least one link to one of my sites per day.

I hope all of this hard work pays off in the future as so many things change so fast in the
SEO world. Right as I started to learn how to create my own tags to better my search engine
results, they change their algorithm on me. It seems hard for an average web designer to stay on top of the new trends of the search engines.

For the past year I have used Market Leap's Link Popularity tool to view the incoming links to my site. On Sept 27, 2004 I checked my number of links, it said 2,427. As of today I now have 3,110, not too bad huh.

Just shows that my strategy is working!!!

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin

The Making Money Newsletter For Moms
http://www.mommyenterprises.com/newsletter

Linking Is Queen

2004-11-17T23:57:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Linking is Queen
By Shawn Campbell

If content is king, then linking is the queen that shares his throne. We have all heard about adding content to your site to give the search engines fodder to consume. But the sëcret to luring the search engines is the links to your site. Today's search engines look very carefully and critically at who is linking to you, and what it is that they are saying about you. A link from a leader in your industry carries a lot of clout and means that your site is important. Two links from industry leaders means your site is even more important. 100 links from random web sites, from industries you are not even related with, means almost nothing. Thus, getting links is only the start; the important thing is getting good links from quality web sites.

Why Do Links Matter?
Since the arrival of Google and their PageRank, search engines have put a lot of emphasis on links to a site. There used to be simple ways to get good rankings: Meta tags, titles, keyword density, etc... Today, things have become more complex, with search engines using a very complicated algorithm that involves:

* links to your site,
* what is written in those links,
* who is linking to the site that links to yours,
* what are the keyphrases used in those links,
* what is the quality of the site that is linking to yours,
* how many other links does that site have,
* how many links out (and to what sites) does your site have,
* and other such criteria.

To use a rather appetizing analogy, these new criteria are added to the stew that is your site, along with the quality and quantity of the content. Left to simmer on the worldwide web, this stew is then eaten up by the search engines depending on how well your site matches the aforementioned criteria. Put differently, the king and queen must join together to turn your site into a number one result.

How Do We Get Links?
It all starts with content. No one will link to you unless you offer quality information about a particular subject. If you are in real estate, you must offer information about the area you sell. If someone wants to buy in your area, first s/he will want to learn about it, so you will need to have good resources about that area. The next step is to find new sites that would benefit from your site's information; new sites whose clients would potentially buy your real estate. For example, one of our clients (www.monlac.com) sells real estate in the Laurentians area of Quebec. Their site has content on activities in Quebec and the nearby Laurentian mountains. Thus, we will be soliciting links from web sites such as the nearby water parks and ski hills, nearby towns, lake and boating associations, and local construction web sites to name just a few. To these web sites, not only will linking to www.monlac.com make their customers happier, but it is in their best interest that the site sells real estate since it brings in more business for them.

How Do You Solicit Links?
To solicit sites you have to use a lot of elbow grease. Send out personalized emails to these sites. Don't send out mass emails or sp@m. Be friendly, and point out the benefits of linking to your site. If you are lucky, maybe 1 in 3 emails will get a response. It is frustrating and discouraging, but keep your spirits up. Many times a site is perfect but they don't ever update it, so your site won't get the link in because nothing ever changes on the solicited site. Don't waste too much time on sites that haven't been updated in years. It is also important to follow up. Until you get a flat out denial, keep saying "Hi", and keep it personal. Keep track of who you have contacted and what you have written or said because you have to make it seem like they are the only person you are contacting. As soon as they get a sniff that you are sending out a mass email, or that you are using the exact same approach with other sites, you will probably losë their respect - and their business!

Do not forget to submit to the directories such as the Open Directory Project, because getting listed at DMOZ counts for a lot in all the big search engines. Take your time and choose the right category to submit to. Also, read about how they want their descriptions and titles written, and write them that way. These are the keys to getting into the directories.

Soliciting links is a very time-consuming (and frustrating) venture, but it is essential to getting good rankings in the search engines. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of time. Getting your first link is like getting your first sale. It is just as hard - and just as satisfying.

Good luck, Shawn Campbell

About The AuthorShawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc.. He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field. Contact: shawn@redcarpetweb.com

Guaranteed Ways To Build Up Your Ezine List

2004-11-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry I haven't been posting much here lately but things have been crazy at home. I just became a broker for AmeriPlan®, which provides a great health benefit plan for only $11.95 a month by the way. This new business is keeping me quite busy, so much to learn. I read this article and thought it would be useful to those who have a newsletter or are in the process of creating one.

Enjoy!

Guaranteed Ways to Build Up Your Ezine List By Suzanne Falter-Barns (c) 2004

Here are tips gleaned from roughly 5 years spent building up an ezine list. I've also incorporated comments and tips from Jenna Glatzer, who successfully built her list up to 75,000 at her excellent site, www.absolutewrite.com.

1. 'Free' Stuff. Pick genuinely useful frëe stuff that you know your audience wants and needs. For instance, my brand new ezine, Expert Status, attracted 600 readers in just a few weeks by offering a report, "25 Top Self Help Literary Agents". The practical freebie works. Jenna Glatzer offers two frëe ebooks/reports to subscribers on agents who are receptive to new writers, and on writer's markets. She notes: "Before I did that, my subscriber numbers were in the hundreds, not thousands.

2. Put a subscribe box on every page of the site. This has worked for both Jenna and me. Mine is parked in the left hand column of the site. Experts advise putting a simple sign up box (with freebie mentioned) in the top left hand corner, as that's where the eye naturally travels first. A simple sign up box that requests only email address works best.

3. Ad swaps. Exchange plugs for your ezine with another website, to run in each other's ezines. Be sure to mention those freebies! Doing this on a regular basis with a rotating selection of web partners will keep your subscription page busy.

4. Cross-registration. I've found subscribers by having a plug for my ezine on the thank you page of a comparable (but not directly competitive) website. This offer is made to folks who just signed up for an ezine, and are therefore deemed 'in the mood for more.' Offer a swap with your site, and try not to list more than about two other ezines. Also, make a point of including only really good, reliable publications that reach your target market.

5. Give away a bonus for other sites to use, based on your ezine. A popular web marketing technique is the special one or two-day promo that offers big bonus lists when you buy a certain product on those particular days. (I cover this promo technique in more detail in my ebook/binder, Get Known Now; How to Build Your Platform as a Self Help Expert.) So collect some of your best ezine essays, pack 'em up in a downloadable PDF-based e-book, and offer it as a bonus these sites can use in their special promos. Don't forget juicy descriptive copy about your ezine, and a subscribe link at the end of your ebook. I've gotten hundreds of new readers this way, and much traffïc to my site.

6. Announce ezine 'events' on PRweb.com and other PR sites. There's an entire world of web-based press release distribution services out there, some of which are low cost or even frëe. So use them. But be sure to only plant press releases that are truly newsworthy, and thus likely to get press attention. Even if the media don't use your words this time, they'll hopefully file you as an expert for future use.

7. Use discussion boards or groups. These are sites frequented by gangs of people interested in the same thing. Avoid the unmoderated sites, because they're likely to be sp@m targets that generate little bonafide traffïc. Boards found on member sites are the best. Don't sp@m the board with your subscribe message. Instead, offer some genuinely helpful info. Then sign off with a signature line that includes ezine and subscribe info. You can find some of these groups at groups.yahoo.com, topica.com, and mail-list.com for starters.

8. Sponsor other people's contests. Jenna Glatzer gives away products like her paid newsletter, Absolute Markets Premium Newsletter, to writers' groups, contests, and conferences that request it, regardless of size. I've tried this too, to good effect. Simply run an announcement in your ezine that you'd be happy to sponsor comparable events. Ask them to provide a URL for an event description so you know it's legit. Then offer up your gifts, and ask for a plug for your ezine and for them to talk up your dazzling freebie, as well. Jenna notes that groups she sponsors "often send out ads for us to their lists... just as a thank you."

9. Run quality content. There's no substitute for heartfelt writing plus solid information about a subject that matters. Jenna writes: 'The main reason our list stays so big is our 'letter from the editor' ... Each week, I chronicle my writing life and my triumphs and failures ...when an article is killed, when I'm having trouble finishing a book ... And I share personal things, too, like when my grandfather died... . People write: 'I feel like I know you so well.' And I think that's why they stay on the list, even when their mailbox fills up with dozens of other writer's newsletters.
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10. Allow reprints. Allow any newsletter that wants to reprint your articles do so. I like to have an email requesting permission, so I can enter their info into a big database I use to track where I can send more articles in the future. I end each article with the line: You may reprint this article in your own ezine or website. Simply send an email requesting permission to Email Address. Please be sure to include our full bio box at the end.

11. Create a survey or contest. This would be one of those newsworthy 'ezine events' I mentioned above in point # 6. Make it a fun, relevant question that you could really develop a good, newsy story from. I did a survey asking people what they fought with their spouse/partner/boy or girlfriend about. The results made for the kind of reading offline media enjoy running short, 100-word pieces about (fillers.) I made sure to attribute the survey to my ezine, The Joy Letter, with a mention of the site's basic URL. You can get the technology to run your own survey and collect responses at surveymonkey.com (for a fee) or bravenet.com (for frëe.)
I think I could actually go on and on. The possibilities seem to be endless. If you try even half of these techniques on a regular basis, you'll find your subscriber rates double and even triple. Here's to building your list... the foundation that much of your traffïc and success rely on.

About The AuthorSuzanne Falter-Barns' website, The Self Help Salon offers tips and tools that help you build your platform and get known as an expert in your field. Sign up for her frëe ezine, Expert Status, and receive her frëe report, "25 Top Self Help Literary Agents"

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
AmeriPlan® Independant Business Owner
http://www.mommyenterprises.simpleasabc.com

2004-10-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Get Your Web Visitors Off the Couch!
By Sandi Smith

You've built your Web site, you've implemented your SEO ideas, and people are actually visiting your site. Are your visitors turning into clients? Perhaps some are, but surely you'd like to have more. Here are some tips to get your Web visitors off the couch and calling you, sending you emails, and buying your products or services:

1. Make sure every page of your Web site has a call to action listed at least once.

Your pages should be carefully designed to drive the visitor into taking the action you want them to. That could be buying a product,calling you, setting an appointment, signing up for your newsletter, or taking a quiz.

Calls to action look like the following:

--For more information about our work, please call or email
--Sign up for a free information session
--Register for our newsletter
--Read more
--Click here
--Add to Cart
--Register now!
--Get started today by contacting __ at __.

It might be a no-brainer to have these calls to action listed on yourproduct or service description pages, but what about your other pages?Do you have them listed on your articles pages? Right after you'vedemonstrated your incredible knowledge is a perfect time to mentionthings like "Do you have questions? Email us at ___." Or better yet,say "This is a tip from our ebook. Want more?", then send them toyour ebook product page.

Take a look at all of your pages and see what calls to action area ppropriate for each one.

2. List enough information to let the visitor make a decision about your business.

You want to list everything you can think of when you're developing your products and services pages. Here is a generic list:

1. Describe the product or service physically if possible, and includea photo.
2. Include benefits, value, features, and what's different about your product that other products don't have:
--What pain will it ease?
--Who usually buys it?
--What type of customers benefit from it?
--Is there a guarantee?
--What will the buyer experience when working with the product or service?
--Are there instructions?
--How does a customer get started with it?
--What results will it produce?
--Is there a methodology or philosophy?
--How can a visitor learn more

There's a reason why those long sales letters work. In addition to evoking emotions, they confront every objection a buyer has by givingthem more information -- enough to make a purchasing decision.

3. Create a sense of urgency with a deadline or special offer.

If visitors feel like they'll be missing out by not acting now, they will be more likely to get off the couch.

4. Mention pain.

I just wrote an article last week called "Avoiding Major Pain in Web Design." Years ago, I wrote an article similar to "Twelve Steps to Recovery for Executives in Denial of the Internet." For some reason, I get the most reader response to these negatively worded titles. Mentioning pain that evokes guilt or greed gets people off the couch.

5. Create actionable content.

As you write your Web copy, use phrases like "Have you thought about___?", "You owe it to yourself," and other language that invokes interaction on the part of the visitor. Include lots of "you" statements, making it about the reader. Your reader should relate towhat you're saying and even empathize with your words. It's all about getting your visitor to take the first step towards starting a relationship with you. Then you'll have a chance down the road to turn them into a customer.

These ideas on getting more business from actionable content havecertainly helped my clients, and I hope they will help you as well!

Sandi Smith
http://www.sandismith.com

Hope You Enjoyed This Article!

Until Next Time
Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyportal.com

Google Page Rank - Important or Just Another Number?

2004-10-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a article I got in my inbox today that I thought I would share.

Google Page Rank - Importantor Just Another Number?
By Richard Grady (c) 2004

In my last newsletter, I wrote about how your website's Alexa rating is not actually that important to the success of your online business. In this issue, I want to look at another popular statistic - Google Page Rank - and ask a similar question - is it that important?
First a quick overview as to what the Google Page Rank actually is...
Google Page Rank (or PR as it is often referred to as) is simply an indication of the number of websites that link to a specific website. It also attempts to indicate the quality of those links. PR ranges from 0 to 10 (with 10 being the 'best' PR and 0 being the 'worst'). The vast majority of small business websites will usually find they have a PR of between 0 and 5.

To calculate a particular sites PR, Google uses a fairly complicated algorithm based on the number of web links that it is aware of that link to the site in question. This algorithm will also take into account the PR of the page that is providing the link. Thus, a link from a web page that has a PR of 7 will be considered more valuable than a link from a page with a PR of 4.
Because of the way in which links from higher PR-ranked sites are considered more important, many people are choosing to buy links from websites with high PR's just so that they can increase their own PR. I have seen sites selling a simple text link on their home page for over $700 a month purely based on the fact that they have a PR of 7 or above. This may seem like a lot of money but when you consider that the website owners who are buying these links often have websites that are in no way relevant to the content of the site linking to them, it is absolutely ridiculous.
Take this example, let's say you have a website about health and fitness and you buy a link for $500 a month from a random website because it has a PR of 7. This random website has no relevance to your health and fitness site so what is going to happen? Well, your own PR may increase as a result of the link. You may get a bit of extra traffïc but probably not much since people don't click on links that that they are not interested in. You will definitely be $500 poorer at the end of the month!
Instead, why not spend the $500 on pay-per-click advertising and benefit from some quality, targeted traffïc?

Of course, there is a bit more to it than that and the reason that most people want to increase their PR is because Google takes this statistic into account when determining where a website will be displayed in their search results. Many people assume that a high PR automatically equals a high search engine placement for their chosen keywords. Not so....
PR is just one of over 100 different factors that Google takes into account when deciding where your website will feature (and these factors and the main algorithm change on a very regular basis). It is perfectly possible for a website with a PR of 5 to get a higher ranking than a PR 7 site if it has better content or is more relevant for the search term in question.
Remember that relevance is all important with Google and a link from a website that is not relevant to your own site will be considered far less important than a relevant one (which makes buying links from random sites primarily because they have a high PR even more crazy).
I have read several rumours lately that Google hasn't updated PR's for a couple of months and they are considering phasing PR out or modifying it in some way. This is pure speculation but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. PR is easily manipulated (for example by purchasing links as described above) and Google doesn't like to have their calculations or search results manipulated. It stands to reason that they are looking at ways of preventing this.

Google Page Rank - Importantor Just Another Number? By Richard Grady (c) 2004 In my last newsletter, I wrote about how your website's Alexa rating is not actually that important to the success of your online business. In this issue, I want to look at another popular statistic - Google Page Rank - and ask a similar question - is it that important?
First a quick overview as to what the Google Page Rank actually is...
Google Page Rank (or PR as it is often referred to as) is simply an indication of the number of websites that link to a specific website. It also attempts to indicate the quality of those links. PR ranges from 0 to 10 (with 10 being the 'best' PR and 0 being the 'worst'). The vast majority of small business websites will usually find they have a PR of between 0 and 5.
To calculate a particular sites PR, Google uses a fairly complicated algorithm based on the number of web links that it is aware of that link to the site in question. This algorithm will also take into account the PR of the page that is providing the link. Thus, a link from a web page that has a PR of 7 will be considered more valuable than a link from a page with a PR of 4.
Because of the way in which links from higher PR-ranked sites are considered more important, many people are choosing to buy links from websites with high PR's just so that they can increase their own PR. I have seen sites selling a simple text link on their home page for over $700 a month purely based on the fact that they have a PR of 7 or above. This may seem like a lot of money but when you consider that the website owners who are buying these links often have websites that are in no way relevant to the content of the site linking to them, it is absolutely ridiculous.
Take this example, let's say you have a website about health and fitness and you buy a link for $500 a month from a random website because it has a PR of 7. This random website has no relevance to your health and fitness site so what is going to happen? Well, your own PR may increase as a result of the link. You may get a bit of extra traffïc but probably not much since people don't click on links that that they are not interested in. You will definitely be $500 poorer at the end of the month!
Instead, why not spend the $500 on pay-per-click advertising and benefit from some quality, targeted traffïc?

Of course, there is a bit more to it than that and the reason that most people want to increase their PR is because Google takes this statistic into account when determining where a website will be displayed in their search results. Many people assume that a high PR automatically equals a high search engine placement for their chosen keywords. Not so....
PR is just one of over 100 different factors that Google takes into account when deciding where your website will feature (and these factors and the main algorithm change on a very regular basis). It is perfectly possible for a website with a PR of 5 to get a higher ranking than a PR 7 site if it has better content or is more relevant for the search term in question.
Remember that relevance is all important with Google and a link from a website that is not relevant to your own site will be considered far less important than a relevant one (which makes buying links from random sites primarily because they have a high PR even more crazy).
I have read several rumours lately that Google hasn't updated PR's for a couple of months and they are considering phasing PR out or modifying it in some way. This is pure speculation but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. PR is easily manipulated (for example by purchasing links as described above) and Google doesn't like to have their calculations or search results manipulated. It stands to reason that they are looking at ways of preventing this.

So, in summary, is Google Page Rank important to your business?
Well, it is a good indicator of how many other sites link to yours and how important Google considers your site to be, but I personally don't place too much importance on this statistic and I certainly won't be paying out for a link from a website just because it has a high PR.

As I said above, Google changes it's rules on a regular basis and I see little point in chasing a particular PR on the basis that it might get you higher search engine rankings. If Google does decide to do away with PR, all your work will have been for nothing.
Instead, concentrate on building quality, relevant links from sites that are connected in some way to your own site content. This will ensure that any traffïc you receive via these links will at least have an interest in your site. Building links on this basis will automatically increase your PR over time (without the need to pay out for overpriced, irrelevant links). If you do things this way and Google does scrap the PR indicator, it shouldn't affect you in any way and the links you have in place will continue to benefit you.
Remember, in the same way that a low Alexa rating doesn't guarantee traffïc or sales, neither does a high PR. Sure a high PR is a 'nice to have' but lots of traffïc and high sales is even nicer :-)
About The AuthorRichard Grady has been helping people earn online since 1998. Find out more about Richard at: TheTraderOnline.com.Fr-e-e wholesale search engines: UK- Wholesale 118and US- TheWholesaleTrader.com

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
http://www.mommyenterprises.com

Free traffic for your blogs

2004-10-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

I was looking at my stats for one of my blogs on BlogPatrol and seen that one of the top referrers on my visitors stats was BlogExplosion. BlogExplosion is a traffic exchange program for blogs. I signed up last week and been doing a little surfing here and there.

I just logged into my BlogExplosion account and I already have a downline of 15 under me. That is exciting! Looks like a few in my downline haven't surfed with the program yet but a pretty good percentage of them have. Everytime anyone in my downline surfs up to three levels deep, I earn credits towards my blog on someone elses screen.

Just an idea on getting a few extra hits to your blogs!

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

Mom's Traffic Tip ~ ~ #2

2004-10-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

Looking for a way to drive some extra visitors to your site?

Place a "Tell A Friend" script on your website and let your visitors advertise for you. I know I have used these in the past and I am sure lots of other people in this BIG world do too.

There are many websites that provide free scripts to do this for you. I have found a pretty neat looking one called TellaFriends.com. I am installing it on MommyEnterprises to give it a try. The TellaFriends program allows a visitor to enter in the email addresses of their friends or family that they would like to tell about your web site they have just discovered. It will then send that person an email inviting them to your website. Most of these programs you can customize the email that is sent to the people you invite.

This is a great way to get some word of the mouth referrals :)

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
http://www.mommyportal.com

A Tip To Get Others To Publish Your Aticles

2004-10-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Do you write articles but wish you had more places publishing them? You need to offer them with an incentive. Make them have a reason for wanting to publish your article on their site or newsletter.

For those that write articles about your own products you could offer them the right to replace your affiliate link or your link with their own affiliate link. This is a win, win situation. You get your article published with your bio at the bottom with your link and the other person gets great content plus the posiblity of making a sale.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin

Mommy Portal
The Web Portal For The WAHM
http://www.mommyportal.com

Link Popularity

2004-09-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Link Popularity - Pretty popular phrase these days!

I have been slowly but surely gaining inbound links to Mommy Enterprises through link exchanges, advertising, etc.

On 09/19/04 I checked my link popularity with Market Leaps Link Popularity tool. On the 19th this tool told me that I had 1,954 links to Mommy Enterprises. Eight days later, I check to again see how popular I am!!

Wow, as today Mommy Enterprises now has 2,427 links to it. Pretty impressive huh? That is 473 more links in just eight days.

How am I doing it you ask? Well I am always looking for ways to get my link out there. I have signature files in all my mailing lists, discussion groups, forums. I also have a link directory for link exchanges.

Want to build your link popularity? A few things you might want to try are:

Add a link directory on your site. Make sure to add a page just with a variety of image and text links for your site that other webmasters can use.
Join a few discussion groups/forums and become an expert in your area. Make sure to include your signature file, if permitted on these forums you join.
Write your own articles and include your website info in your bio. After writing your articles, submit them to related websites to be published.
Browse related websites and sign their guestbook if they offer one. Most guestbooks include an entry for your website url.
Take advantage of free advertising. Some webmasters will offer free advertising spots when they are new to the web.

There are many more ways to increase your link popularity out there. The methods I mention above are the methods that I have tried and are proven to be working for me.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
http://www.mommyenterprises.com

$110.00 in FREE PPC Advertising Money

2004-09-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hope all of you have been using PPC advertising to drive targeted traffic to your websites. Most that do use PPC advertising use either Google or Overture. But there are thousands of other PPC engines out there that everyone is missing out on.

I have heard that advertising on Overture can be expensive. I myself have not tried Overture but am in the process of experimenting with Google and the smaller engines to test the waters. As some of these smaller PPC search engines don't provide the large amount of traffic that the search engine giants provide, the smaller engines give you free advertising money. Some give you $5.00 to open account where I have seen others offer $25.00 in free money.

I found a few of them that offer free advertising money just for opening an account. There is no money required to open an account. This money is completely FREE.

A1 Search - Offering $25.00 free
911 Search - Offering $5.00 free
Combustive.com - Offering $10.00 free
Federacy - Offering $10.00 free
KwickSearch - Offering $20.00 free
My Town Search - Offering $10.00 free

Below are a few offering free money but you have to put a deposit money first before you can receive your free bonus.

$10.00 free with Dot Surf. This one requires a $10.00 deposit
Jumpfind is also offering $25.00 free with a $25.00 minimum deposit.

Wow, that is a total of $110.00 in FREE PPC advertising money for you to practice with. Have fun!

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
http://www.mommyportal.com

Want to build your list of subscribers

2004-09-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Do you have a newsletter but don't have the subscriber list you once imagined having? Going a little extra out of the way may bring in a few extra subscribers per week. Those few new subscribers per week can add up, leading to more advertisers and more sales.

Here are a few ideas to get you going to build your subscriber list.

* Free Stuff - Offer your subscribers a free gift for joining. Heck, you might want to offer them several free gifts. Some free great gifts are free ebooks, free reports or maybe free advertising in your newsletter. There are a ton of ebooks online that you can download and brand with your website name to give away.

* Ad Swaps - Look online for newsletters that have an audience that would enjoy what you have to offer and ask the publisher to swap newsletter ads. There are forums/boards online just for this ad swap purpose. Here is a forum on Internet Based Moms that serves just for ad swaps.

* Contests - Offer a monthly or weekly contest for your newsletter. Make the prize available to those who are members of your newsletter. You can also ask others to sponsor your contest and provide the winner with the prize. Of course you would give the contest sponsor free advertising somewhere but I heard contests bring in lots of new subscribers.

* Ezine directories - Get your newsletter listed in as many online ezine directories as you can.

* List Building Services - There are services online that can help with adding to your subscriber list too. One of the services I recommend is ListInferno. How these services basically work is you put a line of code on your site. This line of code produces a list of newsletters. As you receive hits to your page with that code on it, your newsletter is then shown on others list of newsletters, easy enough!

There are plenty of other ways of gaining subscribers to your list. Just practice with different methods and find the ones that work for your newsletter.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Partyswap
Direct Sales Resources
http://www.partyswap.com

Mom's Traffic Tip ~ ~ #1

2004-09-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Mom's Traffic Tip #1

Get as many links as you can to your site. Im talking thousands and thousands of links.

I would suggest adding a link directory on your websites and exchange as many links as you can with other sites in your niche.

I love Google! So I am always trying to find Google tips. If you are looking rate high on Google and you want your site to get indexed more frequently work on getting more links to your site. Google's bots are going from webpage to webpage via hyperlinks. So the more links you have going to your site, the more likely you are to be found by Google. Make sense?

You can use MarketLeaps Link Popularity tool to keep track of your incoming links to your site too!

Have a great weekend

Stefani Partin
Mommy Portal
The Web Portal for the WAHM
http://www.MommyPortal.com

How many people are linking to you?

2004-09-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Do you ever check on who is linking to you? I have been using a free online tool for about a year now from MarketLeap. It is a link popularity check.

Check your link popularity free here:
http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/

You put in your website as well as three other websites you want to compare against. So therefore, put three urls to your competitors.

I just put in my url of http://www.mommyenterprises.com compared to http://www.wahm.com. Wow, I got quite a long ways to go before I have as many
links as http://www.wahm.com.

The results that are given back from the link checker are from AllTheWeb, AltaVista, Google/AOL, HotBot and MSN. So these are not all the links to your site but you can a pretty good feel on how many people are linking to you just from one quick search.

As of today 09/19/04 there are a total of 1,954 links to www.mommyenterprises.com. I hope to increase this by the hundreds within the next month. It takes a long time to build up good link popularity.

Make sure to check out this neat little free online link tool and save it in your bookmarks.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make & Save Money From Home
http://www.mommyenterprises.com

Great Tool ~ Google Alerts

2004-09-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a new tool the other day called Google Alerts. I have heard of Google Alerts before but really paid no attention to it. Then, the other day I read how these alerts can help you with bringing in traffic to your website.

Google Alerts are updates that are delivered via email of the latest Google results (web, news, etc.) based upon your search terms.

There are two sites from which you can create these alerts:
http://www.google.com/alerts
http://www.googlealert.com

I myself created my alerts at http://www.googlealert.com/. This site allows you to choice three different search queries free. You can also upgrade if you prefer more alerts. I set my three search terms to my name, my website name and my link.

Now, after setting up these alerts I will receive a daily email from Google with new results of my search terms that were indexed by Google. I now can find out when people are linking to me, using my name or using my website name. This is great for you that write articles because you can find out when someone is using your articles.

To help increase your traffic with these alerts you can create alerts for your competitors and find out when and who is linking to them. With that information, you can then email the person who linked to them asking for a link to you as well.

Google Alerts is also a great way to keep up with web pages that get indexed with specific content you are interested in. A great way to find other sites to ask for a link exchange!

I started a thread on Lynn Terry's forum on Google Alerts here: http://selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2405

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make & Save Money At Home
http://www.mommyenterprises.com

My new website traffic blog

2004-09-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

To Whom It May Concern,

I am now starting my second blog. This blog is going to be about driving traffic to our websites. Daily, I look for more and more ways to increase the visitors coming to my website. As I found new tips, techniques, ideas, etc, I plan to share some of them with you.

I currently have a section on Mommy Enterprises that I update regularly called "Free Ways To Generate Traffic To Your Website". So far I have 29 different ways but I plan to add more. In my journeys I have came across way more then 29 different ways. I learn new traffic stuff daily, I just choose to add certain ways to this section.

Until Next Time

Stefani Partin
Mommy Enterprises
Helping Moms Make & Save Money At Home
http://www.mommyenterprises.com