Staying On Top Of Changing Trends

As humans continually evolve, so too do our patterns of internet use. As internet users who are continually focusing on new strategies to stay out in front, it is imperative for us to notice and embrace those changing trends.

While many internet marketing strategies will advise you to write and publish articles online, and it’s a strategy that does it’s job, there is an even more effective way to get the word out about you, your business, and your product—video.

Recently I took the time to conduct a test between the use of articles and the use of videos. Over the course of 10 days seven carefully crafted articles were launched on the internet with many differing publishers. I gave the articles a few weeks to circulate, noting small traffic numbers from those articles everyday. Last week, I prepared a small two video series, shot in the back corner of my basement, under the most primitive conditions. The videos were launched this week online and to my utter amazement, I discovered that within 24 hours my videos were being viewed by four times the number of people than my articles were. The consistent pattern of traffic generated in my video to article comparison remains a constant ratio of 4:1.

You can view my two test videos on the marketing subject of “Speaking The Right Language” by going here:

Video #1

Video #2

Is article writing important? Absolutely! The writing of articles helps to create many web pages with links pointing back to your website. Article writing does generate traffic to your site and any traffic at all is important as it all adds up.

Is video creation important…absolutely! It’s been a long known fact amongst copywriters that people do not read all the content on a web page. People skim over web page content focusing on the highlights or bulleted points, titles, and sub-titles.

Video creation does not require much effort as to content. In researching other’s videos I was surprised to note that most videos were two and a half minutes in length, or less. From a scripting perspective, it is really difficult to communicate a solid message in less than three and a half minutes as most people will speak at a rate of 50 to 60 words a minute. In creating short videos, inorder to get your message out, the careful writing of the script is critical. While a script can be varied from slightly, one must be careful to not stray entirely as your timeline lengthens with every “add-lib”.

Video creation does not require expensive equipment. I personally use a 8 megapixel digital camera with a built in microphone on a tripod. The video is then edited in Windows Movie Maker software and it’s ready to go. While some video creators utilize a green screen behind the speaker, it isn’t necessary to provide a professional quality video. The one thing that both articles and videos have in common is the rule “content is the key”!

No matter how we evolve, or our internet useage habits change, we must all, in everything we do, remember to grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About the Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of http://www.magneticinternetmarketingstrategies.com is a published writer, business course creator and trainer. His newest books include, “Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies”, “Let Loose The Promotional Genius In You”, “The Encyclopedia Of Traffic Building Tactics”, and “Website Monetization And Paid Online Opportunities”.

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Recession Proofing Your Online Presence

With the United States showing a slow struggle in shaking it’s recession style economy, the question arises, “How does a person or business recession proof their online business, or online presence?”

Everyday I received tons of email from people and organizations offering this latest $97 or $147 solution to traffic flow to my websites. I chuckled yesterday as three different parties contacted me to offer the exact same marketing strategy program. It’s becoming very clear that much of what’s circulating on the internet today is re-hashed or an affiliate related program. Multiple approaches regarding the same product cheapens the psychological value of that product, so it’s imperative that approaches be fresh, original, and current.

As I study the internet, and global economics, there is a trend cmoing clear. As the price of oil rises, the reality of a global recession grows stronger. When oil hits US $200 for a barrel of crude, many European banks believe the world will plunge into a global recession. Financial forecasts predict oil will top the US $200 price within the next year and a half. There is not enough oil capable of being produced right now to meet current demand levels, and it would take 10 to 12 years to increase production enough to maintain current levels. The only way for the globe to avoid a recession is to reduce oil consumption to match or be less than current production levels. Our dependence on oil at this time is too great to be able to accomplish this in time, on a global level.

So how do we adapt and how do we adjust?

There is a very clear marketing problem on the internet today. Most websites are being published in only one language—the language of English.

Today’s hot economies are located in India, China and Russia. These are non-English speaking countries.

The internet provides is with access to a global clientelle, and yet most of us are limiting ourselves to the English speaking only populace.

One way you can help to stabilize your presence online during a recession, is to begin to think globally. Most of our webpages have menu bars which read “Home”, “About”, “Contact”, “Products”, and possibly “Services”. Imagine the impact, if your menu bar also included links to copies of your main web page in foreign languages. Links could be written in their foreign language for Russian, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, etc.

If we are going to position ourselves on today’s internet, then we must begin to accept a larger client base. Google Translator provides an excellent tool whereby your web page can be quickly translated into a specified language, and all you would have to do is simply cut and paste that new translation into a web page. One important tip to consider is that some languages such as Russian do use more characters than the English language and as a result, blocks of text may require a little bit more room.

Why don’t you join me! This week I’ve made the decision to take my web pages global, and in the weeks ahead, you will find my web pages changing to become multi-lingual. It’s a modern twist on internet customer service.

In all you do, take time to grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About the Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of http://www.magneticinternetmarketingstrategies.com is a published writer, business course creator and trainer. His newest books include, “Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies”, “Let Loose The Promotional Genius In You”, “The Encyclopedia Of Traffic Building Tactics”, and “Website Monetization And Paid Online Opportunities”.

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Tips On Renaming Your Website

James C. Tanner's newest release " Strategic Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies " will be released for purchase on June 16, 2008 at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Feature Article

Tips On Renaming Your Website

Discovering down the road that your website domain name is working against you can be tough. There are serious pros and cons one must consider before making any adjustments.

Existing URL’s, no matter how poor do generate traffic. Dropping an URL in exchange for a new one can set your traffic flow patterns back for a significant period of time (3 to 6 months).

Changing to a better URL does give a person the opportunity to create a new buzz through advertisements, word of mouth, press releases, email notifications etc. While creating a stir can generate great excitement, it also can generate a significant cost. The question is, will the resulting cost justify the URL name change.

In the process you can risk losing search engine rankings, inbound links, random visitor traffic, and the all important repeat visitors and customers.

All factors must be taken into careful consideration before venturing out into the realm of creating and launching a new URL. The variables will all be based on how much traffic your existing URL is actually drawing.

How then can one make a realistic change over?

A very effective strategy in the use of domain names is to create branches of websites. Segment your business focus into categories, and launch a website for each category, being very careful to link your sites to each other. In doing this, you have the opportunity to establish a new home site, and advertise it on each of your websites especially your existing website. Use your existing website to invite visitors to visit your new sites.

Be careful to bookmark all your new sites and provide social bookmarking links on each site. Social bookmarking does help with exposure and will promote your exposure in search engine listings.

Create mini-pages on sites such as HubPages, Facebook, MySpace, and through the creation of Squidoo lenses. Again make sure you bookmark every Squidoo lens, Hub Page, as well as social network profiles. Make sure each of these includes one or more links to your most important website URLs.

Once your new URLs are established and listed in the search engines (allow 6 to 12 weeks for this), AND as you notice a shift in your over all visitor traffic pattern to your new URLs, ask your website developer to redirect your old poorly named URL. Any visitors to your old URL, when typing in that old URL will automatically be sent to your new site of choice.

If your old poorly chosen URL has a year or less remaining before you have to renew it, simply allow that URL to sit re-directing traffic until it’s domain registry naturally expires.

In going through this process, a person or business can improve the visibility of their business brand. A stronger online presence can be established. Search engine page ranking can be improved.

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About the Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of http://www.magneticinternetmarketingstrategies.com is a published writer, business course creator and trainer. His newest books include, “Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies”, “Let Loose The Promotional Genius In You”, “The Encyclopedia Of Traffic Building Tactics”, and “Website Monetization And Paid Online Opportunities”.

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As the wind blows through the dry leaves and sage, my ear catches the eerie squeak of an old Dr’s. sign swinging from a porch gable. Mesmerized by the surrounding sounds, the scent of dust, dry vegetation, and years of weathered decay, I became uniquely entrenched by the simple Dr.’s shingle, still hanging after many years.

The letters on the old wood sign were barely readable. As the sign hung tilted, hanging now by only one chain, I allowed my mind to journey back to a distant day when a proud young Doctor first hung this emblem of future hopes and aspirations.

As I watched that old sign swing, I began to realize how in life today--decades later—many of us still hang our future hopes and aspirations on a shingle often to leave it swinging in the wind.

A few weeks ago while in a meeting with the senior partner of a major law firm, the senior partner looked at me while sitting back and in a tone of frustration began to complain about his internet presence. The firm had a great website, but something had lead the senior partner to believe, his website was not properly optimized. Their website, or electronic shingle, was out on the World Wide Web, swinging in the wind of internet traffic, but not providing much in the way of tangible results.

This week while meeting a successful banker, our conversation turned to the subject of personal belief systems which all of us have in life. Some might refer to these areas as “comfort zones”. I began to make this banker uncomfortable when I leaned forward toward her and quietly said, “I’m sure if I dug hard enough, I would discover in your own life private personal areas that you protect from anyone discovering. If I challenged those areas, I have no doubt, it would make you extremely uncomfortable or even feel quite rattled.” Sometimes the shingles we hang in life are inner, emotional shingles, meant only for our own inner sight to discover. Signs which could read, “This is my comfort zone. I don’t want you to disturb it…STAY OUT!”

Time often brings to life repetition in principles. Principles which carry with them, the full realization of cause and effect. Often we place our full hopes and aspirations on the simple exercise of posting a sign, failing to realize, the sign itself--unless seen--is nothing more than clutter.

A sign, a website, or even our inner comfort zones are nothing more than a declaration. A declaration of who you are, what you do, and what you are about? Declarations left unseen, are an investment in energy, void of results. The power lays in the arena of PRESENCE.

Presence is not wrapped up in arrogance or false claims of grandeur. Presence is an end result whereby all are aware of the existence of your shingle, having been informed of it, and as a result discovering it for ones self.

A dominating presence, a presence where the masses learn of your shingle requires forethought and strategy. How will you get your message out? How will you attract people to your website? How will you make people aware of your personal or business existence?

For the lawyer, his website challenge was not in the area of search engine optimization. The challenge for this law firm was the lack of an effective plan or strategy to make people aware of the website. His shingle (website) was simply left to hang and swing in the wind.

Many readers know I have a great history working with horses. Fall round-ups remain to this day an incredibly valuable life lesson. In range country, every fall horsemen will gather in the early morning hours to spread out individually over a large perimeter which may span miles of range country. The plan is simple. A rider and his horse will seek out lone steers, or perhaps a cow-calf unit, and upon discovery, push or herd those animals, while picking up other stragglers, down from the high country into a central holding area. Holding areas which are quite often a meadow or section of land used as a sorting pen.

In the early morning hours, the meadow or sorting pen lays totally empty, but by nightfall, hundreds of cattle can fill this area, as several riders bring their small collection of animals together to create a massive herd of cattle.

Let’s look at this analogy. What would happen if in the early morning hours, a group of horsemen gathered in the empty meadow or sorting pens, and simply called out “Here cow”? The answer is simple as absolutely nothing would happen. It requires sending out line riders, to make contact with the individual animals and draw them together into a greater collection.

Marketing on today’s internet is identical to herding cattle. The challenge remains that many of us come to our sorting pens (website) and wait there while calling out “Here cow!”

If we are going to establish a dominating presence on today’s internet, we must…ABSOLUTELY MUST…learn to release our “line riders” who can circulate through the maze on the internet, collecting and redirecting cattle (unique website visitor traffic) to our sorting pen (website).

On June 16^th, 2008 I’ll be releasing online a new publication called “Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies” . The primary focus of this new publication is to teach people how to effectively “herd cattle” online. How to effectively and properly create a dominating online presence, where you can properly move (herd) large pools of traffic to your website, blog, or personal profiles.

Today’s internet has millions upon millions of web pages listed on it. One source has used a figure of over 4 billion web pages listed on the internet. One quickly begins to realize how by simply adding another website to the internet, is not going to do much good. The reality is, without a strategy to accompany it, a lone website will get lost in the crowd. It will become a squeaky shingle swinging in the wind.

I often think back to that young doctor, and in particular, I wonder as to the nature of his thoughts when he excitedly hung his new shingle on the porch gable. The house is boarded up, the roof collapsed, the porch deck rotted out with weeds growing up from the soil below it. The town around the house, was abandonned long ago, and the dozen or so clapboard buildings, what little was left of them, declared a story of a young doctor’s hopes and aspirations, dashed by the lack of business. A shingle seldom seen.

There’s little value in a shingle that never gets seen. So let me ask you, right now…today…where is your shingle hiding? Is it time to put in place the help of “line riders”?

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About the Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner is the Author of the soon to be released “Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies”. Along with this new release, will be copies of his books (in ebook format), “Let Loose The Promotional Genius In You”, “The Encyclopedia of Traffic Building Tactics”, as well as “Website Monetization and Paid Online Opportunities”. Watch for the June 16, 2008 release at http://www.magneticinternetmarketingstrategies.com .

The Right Tools For The Right Job

To have crossed my path earlier today meant catching me going through one of my many tool boxes. I have a deep love for tools, but not just any tools.

Perhaps it’s due to being raised by a father who, in my early years was a general contractor and spent many nights at home in the basement working late hours as a cabinet maker. In fact, some of my earliest childhood memories take me back to construction sites where, as early as the age of five, I was stripping down concrete forms. Tools have always been a part of my life.

In my early adult years, I could often be found under the belly of a horse or pony plating or shoeing the animal. I still smile deeply at the scent of a burning coal forge, and pause for the sound of a hammer striking hot metal on an anvil. Today, at flea markets, my best finds are old hand-made custom forged tools, which display the work of a great blacksmith. Tools birthed for a specific purpose.

There are few treasures today that would compare to the history contained in my father’s toolboxes. As one goes through the old school long boxes of antique handsaws, and museum piece tools, one quickly gains a sense of the old ways of working wood, when compared to the many new battery operated tools available today. Tools give us a sense of where we’ve been.

While many men druel when encountered by a modern tool show, I am seldom captured by that same fever. New tools are important to each and every one of us, and yet, in their newness we have not had time to gain an appreciation for how they feel as they cut through wood, or shape iron. Inspite of our lack of experience with new tools, modern tools do tell us where we are going in industry.

Even as a tool can be made or used for every building process, each of us in life often fails to work with the right tools for the jobs that face us.

Many small or home based internet business people work with tools that are outdated. With a world filled with material that`s all a buzz about Web 2.0 (the social web), and people spending big dollars on software or programs to improve their Web 2.0 experience, many fail to realize they are using and buying outdated tools. The world of the internet has already moved beyond Web 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and is now going strong in the world of Web 4.0 where the tools are newer, and different for the purpose ahead of us.

We can choose to work with old business tools, but we will lose time, and we will struggle as we push tools to do things they were never designed to do. Even the finest tools have their limitations.

Success today is often based on getting the job done right, as quickly and cheaply as possible. That requires cutting edge tools and the know-how to use them.

In business, many people can purchase new tools, but that alone won`t make us successful unless we know how to take those tools and put them to their best use. People have to know how to use a tool properly. There has to be a plan, a strategy, a blueprint to work from. Tools require guidance.

In recent weeks, people have been wondering where I`ve been hiding. I`ve been working with tools, and drawing a blueprint. No…I haven`t been building a coffee table, I`ve been writing a book. A book that teaches people

- The differences in Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, to know if YOUR pages are cutting edge or aimed at an outdated age of the internet.

- The true components of a laser sharp online marketing strategy.

- How YOU can MAGNETICALLY draw an outrageous amount of new visitors to YOUR pages.

- How to improve your defined online presence by creating a clearer online identity.

- The SECRET on how to PROPERLY pick and combine social networks, social bookmarking sites, videos, article marketing, and blogs into a POWERFUL arsenal of marketing weaponry. (I'm providing the backgrounds on over 112 social networking sites; a listing of 26 social networking sites targeted to musicians or those in businesses related to the music industry; as well as over 30 video sharing, vidcast, vlog hosting, online editors, and online video converter sites.)

- How to psychologically write YOUR web copy targeting the side of the brain that YOUR visitors use to make purchase decisions.

- Which Psychological trigger words to use when writing high-voltage innovative mouthwatering web copy.

- Which colors in YOUR online presentation are psychologically best to use and why?

- An introduction to basic Survival HTML Code language, plus how or where best to use it.

- How to step back and look at YOUR websites, social network profiles, or personal profiles through the eyes of YOUR visitors.

And FINALLY, this book teaches how to bring all these tools together in an explosive blueprint or marketing strategy.

Tools are important, but it`s really important to know how to use the right tool for the right job. That`s where many people fail. Many of us have tools in our tool box, and absolutely no skill or knowledge on how best to use them. It takes someone coming along and teaching us how to use our tools correctly.

So while it may seem to some I`ve been in hiding, I`ve been busy putting the finishing touches on ``Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies``. The book is done, and in the next week or two the website for it will be ready in preparation for a June 15^th launch. In many ways, the project (book) is finished, I`ve put my tools away for now, and finally I`m in the process of ``sweeping up around the shop``.

Tools tell us where we`ve been, giving us the ability to appreciate the history, craftsmanship, and artistry of old ways. Tools also tell us where we are going, giving us the ability to produce products more quickly, efficiently, increasing our profitability.

Are YOU working with the right tools?

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About the Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity, and Internet Marketing Strategies, is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and writer. His latest book, ``Secret Magnetic Internet Marketing Strategies`` is scheduled for an online June 15^th, 2008 launch.

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The Most Common Online Marketing Oversight

No matter who we are in life, no matter what we do, mistakes and oversights do happen. It’s a part of our imperfect human nature. Unfortunately, our imperfections often pop up where we least desire them to, such as in the middle of our marketing or promotional plan.

Yesterday, while on the phone to the President of a major international consulting firm, this Corporate President was proudly reading to me a blog comment he had posted onto an industrial leaders blog in response to an article which was written. The President’s comment was excellent and well written. As the President of this large consulting firm finished reading his blog comment, he stated to me, “I haven’t had any response yet to the comment?”

“Did you provide a link to your web page?” I responded.

The conversation was silent for a second. The response came back from the President, “No! Was I suppose to?”




One of the most commonly overlooked marketing and promotional tools people can use on the Internet is perhaps one of the simplest tools available to them. To some it’s the most obvious step to take, and yet many fail to capitalize on the strength of it.

Every piece of written communication that goes out with your name on it should also include your web address in the http://www.xxxxxxx.xxx format. This should become a habit for you, a habit as repetitive as signing your name.

Two lessons I learned early in life.

1. People don’t read signs, especially the warnings signs you post to caution them of a safety hazard.

2. People are at their core, lazy. On the Internet, they want a link they can simply click on once rather than have to go through all the work of doing a search for someone.





Every email, every blog comment, should include a link to your website. Not only should it include a link to your website, but you should also include a signature line below your signature. It’s free space that few people use well for advertising and yet it’s perfectly acceptable to post a one sentence or short two sentence description of who you are, BUT include a link to your web site.

Example “A”

Dr. John Doe of http://www.xxxxxx.xxx is a leading proctologist and author of “Hey, It’s Dark In Here!”

We can dress this up a little more by substituting the URL (web address) for the web page title, making the web page tile a hyper link that people could click on to go directly to the person’s web page. To do this, a small piece of HTML code is used that enables you to swap your URL for what ever you wish to put in it's place. Where ever you type your blog comment, HTML code must be acceptable for this to work. For the sake of this example xxx.xxxxxx.xxx represents your URL. I should also tell you that in order for this HTML code to display without activating, I have had to alter it slightly. Normally, when you would go to use this code, you will not use any of the "(" or ")" as I have done. Also, immediately after the term Updates in brackets it should appear as the front half of a diamond key character, forward slash, letter a, followed by the back half of the diamond key character.

Example “B”

Dr. John Doe of (<)a href="http:/xxx.xxxxxx.xxx">Medical Updates (>) is a leading proctologist and author of “Hey, It’s Dark In Here!”

The finished product for this signature line would have the term “Medical Updates” appearing as a hyper link (in the color blue and underlined if that’s how other URLS appear on that particular page. The signature line would read as follows:

Dr. John Doe of Medical Updates is a leading proctologist and author of “Hey, It’s Dark In Here!”

Once a person creates a signature line, it becomes a simple exercise in cutting a pasting it into blog comments as needed. Most email programs allow you to enter a signature into your emails automatically as a onetime procedure.

How does this help you?

1. It provides an easy way for people to get to your website.
2. When placed on a blog comment, it provides a very valuable back link to your web site which search engines love, and on the right blog, can improve your overall web page ranking in the eyes of the search engines.
3. When people do run searches on you, your comments will show up as well, and it gives them an opportunity to gain a feel for your capability and expertise.

It’s important to remember, when building traffic for your web page, there is no such thing, as one true traffic source. Traffic, as it does in real life, comes from all directions. The more times, you place your name out where people can see it, the more traffic it will generate. Commenting on blogs 3-4 times a week is an excellent way to accomplish this. The secret to blog commenting is to place comments on blogs that accomplish one of two things for you: place you in a circle of people who bring to you through mere association, greater prestige (focus 20 percent of your energy here); and place your comments in blogs where your potential customers are actively involved (focus 80 percent of your energy here).

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About The Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of the UPDATED Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity, Internet Marketing Strategies, and Small Business Opportunities, is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and writer whose articles are enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly. He currently spends his time helping people make money online through internet marketing and home based business opportunities.

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Selecting a Search Engine Optimization Company

Things are very busy around here these days as keyboards are busily going through the paces of pulling together the final assembly of a new publication set for release in May of this year. I am incredibly excited as I watch this project come together.

Those who know my background, recognize that overtime I have written and taught business and skills training programs for clients which have included branches of the Federal Government of Canada. This new project not only represents my first foray into the world of eBook publishing, but I must admit, I’m shaking my head when I see how much information is being provided.

This new eBook, when released, will be A MUST HAVE, for any person considering a home based business opportunity; any person with a small business trying to launch out into the realm of the World Wide Web; or any person with a current or soon to be product, or business, wanting to understand how to gain a stronger position and presence on the social Internet; and how to create stronger long term traffic strategies that work! Already this project is packed with all kinds of marketing tips and strategies, and it’s only half assembled! The other half is getting some polishing touches.

Watch for further updates on a release date.

Selecting a Search Engine Optimization Company

A Search Engine Optimization Company can be an invaluable asset in your Internet marketing campaign. They specialize in knowing how to raise your search engine positions, monitoring those positions on the regular basis, and adjusting their strategies to account for undesirable results in any given month. Since this takes a lot of time, effort, and specialized knowledge, it can be in your best interest to go to an outside source rather than try to maintain high search engine positions on your own.

However, like every business, there are good companies and there are lemons. Knowing the right questions to ask and the criteria to look for will help you in choosing an affordable, effective search engine optimization company.

When looking at different companies, begin by considering the approach they employ to raise your search engine positions. Steer clear of companies that use cloaked, doorway, or bridge pages to raise your positions. These techniques violate most search engine policy, and in the worst case scenario, will only get your website severely penalized, if not removed entirely from a search engine's index.

A cloaked page is a page that is created which is invisible to the regular visitor to your website. The cloaked page is coded to detect a search engine spider and divert them to this special page, which is set-up to artificially boost your search engine position. Doorway or bridge pages utilize the same concept, but often reside on an entirely different server. Google, one of the largest and most important search engine on the Internet, will remove your website from their index if they detect you have cloaked pages. Never...never... never employ any company that uses this technique!

Another important element is to get a guarantee that the company you hire will not work with your competitors while they are working for you. Obviously, this would seriously compromise the effectiveness of the search engine optimization campaign. Be aware that some companies will use the success they achieve for your website to sell their services to your competitors. So get your guarantee in writing, and make sure it is legally binding.

Of course, one of the most important factors you want to check out is the company's track record of results. However, don't take the company's word for it. They will undoubtedly be slanting their results in order to sell their services to you. To go beyond their simple statement of success, ask them a few pertinent questions, and verify their answers.

Ask them which engines they have achieved the best results on. The ones that are important are the most popular engines, and these are the ones you want to see good results on. Since the popularity of search engines can change with the landscape of the overall Internet, check out the Nielsen Net ratings page at Search Engine Watch. You can access this at http://www.searchenginewatch.com/article.php/2156451 .

Next, find out what keywords and phrases they are claiming great results with. It's easy to get high rankings with unpopular words. For instance, the keyword "cat leashes" will get high popularity ranking because no one else would think of using it. What you are looking for is good results using popular keywords. Check out the software Wordtracker, available at www.wordtracker.com. You can order a free trial, or a subscription ranging from 1 day to 1 year. This software rates the popularity of keywords and phrases based on actual search engine use.

Next, look for good results over an entire site that the company claims to have successfully worked for. You want to see a wide range of positions over a number of different search engines using different keywords or phrases for the entire site. Request a report for any client the company claims to have done well for. This report should show good positions on a number of the most popular search engines for a variety of different, popular keywords and phrases.

When you are checking out search engine optimization companies, make sure they have actually done the work they are claiming to have done. Some companies will use other company's results in order to get you to sign on with them.

If you are in doubt, call the company they are showing you results for, and ask for the name of their search engine optimization company.

It's important to keep in mind that a successful search engine optimization campaign will result in maximum exposure across a wide range of popular search engines using a variety of keywords and phrases. This is the formula for a successful campaign, and you should keep it always in the forefront of your marketing strategy.

Ask the search engine optimization company you are considering for a report that shows you rankings across a number of popular search engines for a period of at least six months. Remember: search engine marketing is a process that is continual, and you need a company that not only understands this, but keeps constant tabs on your search engine positions. That company must also be able to adjust its strategy in the event that search engine rankings drop.

Since search engine marketing is an on-going process, your positions must be constantly monitored. If you want your search engine optimization company to do this for you, request a sample of a monthly report. It is essential that this report should show rankings for the most popular search engines. Don't be impressed by a report that only shows great results for a limited number of small search engines. These are fairly easy results to acquire. Also confirm that the popular search engine results they are showing you are indeed the popular search engines currently.

Be sure the sample report the company shows you is in a format that you can easily understand. For example, it could be in the form of a chart that covers a period of at least six months and presents data such as the top 50 positions broken down on a monthly basis or the top 5 pages each month. Then, ascertain that the company you are considering actually monitors these positions or pages every month, and that the sample report they show you includes findings and recommendations for the specific site. This insures that the company will actively monitor and make adjustments to their strategy on a continual basis rather than simply gather statistics on your positions. You need a company that is actively participant in your search engine marketing campaign, not just an information gatherer.

Obviously, your finances have to figure into your choice of company, but bear in mind that a search engine optimization company is crucial the success of your marketing campaign.

It is not just a casual accessory. If you cannot afford a company that will do a thorough and reliable job for your website, you might consider waiting until you do have the finances in place.

If you have to find a company and can't wait for your finances to catch up, you may be able to find an affordable company that will also be able to supply quality, reliable work, such as a fairly new company. Just remember that there are risks involved with using a company without a proven track record - and that risk is your money! Don't take that leap unless the company can supply you with a least a few references.

References are the most reliable indicator of a good company. Don't use a company that won't show your references because of any reason, confidentiality included.

Remember - even doctors will provide references! The firm you choose should provide you with a minimum of two references, one that is from the past, and one that is current.

When you contact these references, be prepared to ask precise, specific questions so that neither of your time is wasted. Ask them what their experience was like with the company, such as their availability to answer questions and deal with problems and their ability to meet deadlines. Ask the reference to rate the overall performance of the company.

Find out if the company requested that the reference make significant changes to their web pages that affected the visitors coming to their site. You are looking for a search engine optimization company that can balance the needs of both search engines and site visitors without compromising either.

The most essential question to ask is whether the work of the search engine optimization company resulted in higher profits for the reference. Without profits, it doesn't matter whether your positions are at the top of the list or not.

During the course of the entire process, never forget to grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About the Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of THE RECENTLY UPDATED Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity, Internet Marketing Strategies, and Small Business Opportunities, is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and writer whose articles are enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly. He currently spends his time helping people make money online through Internet marketing and home based business opportunities.


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How To Write The eBook That Will Promote Your Business

Promoting your business can often prove to be a bit challenging for even the accomplished marketer. Every successful online marketer knows and understands the importance of the ebook industry, and how ebooks can promote a person’s small business opportunity, or home based online business opportunity.

The question for most first timers becomes one of “How do I write or create an eBook?”




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How to Write an Ebook
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The hardest part of writing is the first sentence. When you look at the whole project, it seems like an impossible task. That's why you have to break it down into manageable tasks. Think of climbing a mountain. You are standing at the foot of it and looking up at its summit vanishing into the clouds. How can you possibly scale such an immense and dangerous mountain?

There is only one way to climb a mountain...step by step.

Now think of writing your ebook in the same light. You must create it step by step, and one day, you will take that last step and find yourself standing on the summit with your head in the clouds.

The first thing you have to do, as if you actually were a mountain climber, is to get organized. Instead of climbing gear, however, you must organize your thoughts. There are some steps you should take before you begin. Once you've gone through the following list, you will be ready to actually begin writing your ebook.




Beginning Steps to Writing an ebook

First, figure out your ebook's working title. Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you'll find that one that will grow on you. Titles help you to focus your writing on your topic; they guide you in anticipating and answering your reader's queries. Many non-fiction books also have subtitles. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell books as long as it's not too cute. For example, “Remedies for Insomnia: Twenty different ways to count sheep”. Or: “Get off that couch: Fifteen exercise plans to whip you into shape.”

Next, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem. All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement. Once you've got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you've built your foundation. From that foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter.

Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your ebook. Remember: all chapters must support your thesis statement. If they don't, they don't belong in your ebook. For example, your thesis statement could read: We've all experienced insomnia at times in our lives, but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to give you back a good night's sleep.

Once you have your thesis, before you start to write, make sure there is a good reason to write your book. Ask yourself some questions:

* Does your book present useful information and is that information currently relevant?

* Will you book positively affect the lives of your readers?

* Is your book dynamic and will it keep the reader's attention?

* Does you book answer questions that are meaningful and significant?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you can feel confident about the potential of your ebook.

Another important step is to figure out who your target audience is. It is this group of people you
will be writing to, and this group will dictate many elements of your book, such as style, tone, diction, and even length. Figure out the age range of your readers, their general gender, what they are most interested in, and even the socio-economic group they primarily come from. Are they people who read fashion magazines or book reviews? Do they write letters in longhand or spend hours every day online. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your ebook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you want to enhance your reputation?

Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do you want to sell it as a product on your website, or do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use the chapters to create an e-course, or use your ebook to attract affiliates around the world? The more you know up front, the easier the actual writing will be.

Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent. Perhaps you plan to use an introduction to your chapter topic, and then divide it into four subhead topics. Or you may plan to divide it into five parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.




How to make your ebook "user friendly"

You must figure out how to keep your writing engaging. Often anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos, graphs, advice, and tips will keep the reader turning the pages. Sidebars are useful for quick, accessible information, and they break up the density of the page.

Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a formal tone such as textbook diction. Reader's respond to the feeling that you are having a conversation with them. Break up the length and structure of your sentences so you don?t hypnotize your readers into sleep. Sentences that are all the same length and structure tend to be a good aid for insomnia!

Good writing takes practice. It takes lots and lots of practice. Make a schedule to write at least a page a day. Read books and magazines about the process of writing, and jot down tips that jump out at you. The art of writing is a lifetime process; the more you write (and read), the better your writing will become. The better your writing becomes, the bigger your sales figures.

In an ebook that is read on the screen, be aware that you must give your reader's eye a break. You can do this by utilizing white space. In art classes, white space is usually referred to as "negative space." Reader's eyes need to rest in the cool white oasis you create on your page. If your page is too dense, your reader will quit out of it as soon as their eyes begin to tear.

Make use of lists, both bulleted and numbered. This makes your information easy to absorb, and gives the reader a mental break from dissecting your paragraphs one after the other.

Finally, decide on an easy-to-read design. Find a font that's easy on the eyes, and stick to that font
family. Using dozens of fonts will only tire your readers out before they've gotten past your
introduction. Use at least one and a half line spacing, and text large enough to be read easily on
the screen, but small enough so that the whole page can be seen on a computer screen. You will have to experiment with this to find the right combination.

Of course, don't forget to run a spell and grammar check. You are judged by something as minor as correct punctuation, so don’t mess up a great book by tossing out semicolons randomly, or stringing sentences together with commas. (By the way, that's called a "comma splice.")

Last of all, create an index and a bibliography. That's it! You've written a book! Now all you have to do is publish your ebook online, and wait for download request from your website visitors.

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About The Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of the UPDATED Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity, Internet Marketing Strategies, and Small Business Opportunities, is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and writer whose articles are enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly. He currently spends his time helping people make money online through internet marketing and home based business opportunities.


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Search Engine Optimization Through Keyword Selection

There is much talk and much advertised on the subject of Keyword Selection. It’s an important subject that one cannot ignore, but as with many other aspects of the internet, times have changed, and people who are involved in home based internet businesses need to stay informed on the latest internet marketing strategies for their small business opportunity.

It use to be that all search engines relied totally on your keyword tags as the one of the key determining factor for your page ranking. Recently Google has undergone some changes and quite often doesn’t even pay attention to your keyword tags but instead pays attention to the content in your headings, sub-headings, and first two to three paragraphs. The other search engines (i.e. MSN, YAHOO, and others, etc.) account for 50 percent of internet searches, and still rely totally on the use of keywords. Keywords still remain important to the website developer, but carry less significance today than they did five years ago.

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Search Engine Keyword Selection
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Search engines are the vehicles that drive potential customers to your websites. But in order for visitors to reach their destination - your website - you need to provide them with specific and effective signs that will direct them right to your site. You do this by creating carefully chosen keywords.

Think of the right keywords as the Open Sesame! of the Internet. Find the exactly right words or phrases, and presto! hoards of traffic will be pulling up to your front door. But if your keywords are too general or too over-used, the possibility of visitors actually making it all the way to your site - or of seeing any real profits from the visitors that do arrive - decreases dramatically.

Your keywords serve as the foundation of your marketing strategy. If they are not chosen with great precision, no matter how aggressive your marketing campaign may be, the right people may never get the chance to find out about it. So your first step in plotting your strategy is to gather
and evaluate keywords and phrases.

You probably think you already know EXACTLY the right words for your search phrases. Unfortunately, if you haven't followed certain specific steps, you are probably WRONG.
It's hard to be objective when you are right in the center of your business network, which is the reason that you may not be able to choose the most efficient keywords from the inside. You need to be able to think like your customers. And since you are a business owner and not the consumer, your best bet is to go directly to the source.

Instead of plunging in and scribbling down a list of potential search words and phrases yourself, ask for words from as many potential customers as you can. You will most likely find out that your understanding of your business and your customers' understanding is significantly different.

The consumer is an invaluable resource. You will find the words you accumulate from them are words and phrases you probably never would have considered from deep inside the trenches of your business.

Only after you have gathered as many words and phrases from outside resources should you add your own keyword to the list. Once you have this list in hand, you are ready for the next step: evaluation.

The aim of evaluation is to narrow down your list to a small number of words and phrases that will direct the highest number of quality visitors to your website. By "quality visitors" I mean those consumers who are most likely to make a purchase rather than just cruise around your site and take off for greener pastures. In evaluating the effectiveness of keywords, bear in mind three elements: popularity, specificity, and motivation.

Popularity is the easiest to evaluate because it is an objective quality. The more popular your keyword is, the more likely the chances are that it will be typed into a search engine which will then bring up your URL.

You can now purchase software that will rate the popularity of keywords and phrases by giving words a number rating based on real search engine activity. Software such as WordTracker will even suggest variations of your words and phrases. The higher the number this software assigns to a given keyword, the more traffic you can logically expect to be directed to your site. The only fallacy with this concept is the more popular the keyword is, the greater the search engine position you will need to obtain. If you are down at the bottom of the search results, the consumer will probably never scroll down to find you.

Popularity isn't enough to declare a keyword a good choice. You must move on to the next criteria, which is specificity. The more specific your keyword is, the greater the likelihood that the consumer who is ready to purchase your goods or services will find you.

Let's look at a hypothetical example. Imagine that you have obtained popularity rankings for the keyword "automobile companies." However, you company specializes in bodywork only. The keyword "automobile body shops" would rank lower on the popularity scale than "automobile companies," but it would nevertheless serve you much better. Instead of getting a slew of people interested in everything from buying a car to changing their oil filters, you will get only those consumers with trashed front ends or crumpled fenders being directed to your site. In other words, consumers ready to buy your services are the ones who will immediately find you. Not only that, but the greater the specificity of your keyword is, the less competition you will face.

The third factor is consumer motivation. Once again, this requires putting yourself inside the mind of the customer rather than the seller to figure out what motivation prompts a person looking for a service or product to type in a particular word or phrase. Let's look at another
example, such as a consumer who is searching for a job as an IT manager in a new city. If you have to choose between "Seattle job listings" and "Seattle IT recruiters" which do you think will benefit the consumer more? If you were looking for this type of specific job, which keyword would you type in? The second one, of course! Using the second keyword targets people who have decided on their career, have the necessary experience, and are ready to enlist you as their recruiter, rather than someone just out of school who is casually trying to figure out what to do with his or her life in between beer parties. You want to find people who are ready to act or make a purchase, and this requires subtle tinkering of your keywords until your find the most specific and directly targeted phrases to bring the most motivated traffic to you site.

Once you have chosen your keywords, your work is not done. You must continually evaluate performance across a variety of search engines, bearing in mind that times and trends change, as does popular lingo. You cannot rely on your log traffic analysis alone because it will not tell you how many of your visitors actually made a purchase.

Luckily, some new tools have been invented to help you judge the effectiveness of your keywords in individual search engines. There is now software available that analyzes consumer behavior in relation to consumer traffic. This allows you to discern which keywords are bringing you the most valuable customers.

This is an essential concept: numbers alone do not make a good keyword; profits per visitor do. You need to find keywords that direct consumers to your site who actually buy your product, fill out your forms, or download your product. This is the most important factor in evaluating the efficacy of a keyword or phrase, and should be the sword you wield when discarding and replacing ineffective or inefficient keywords with keywords that bring in better profits.

Ongoing analysis of tested keywords is the formula for search engine success. This may sound like a lot of work - and it is! But the amount of informed effort you put into your keyword campaign is what will ultimately generate your business' rewards.

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About The Author

Copyright © 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity, Internet Marketing Strategies, and Small Business Opportunities, is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and writer whose articles are enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly. He currently spends his time helping people make money online through internet marketing and home based business opportunities.

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Discovering Promotional Powerhouses

In a fast changing market place, businesses are always trying to stay on top of the latest marketing strategies, promotional tactics, customer trends and demographics. After all, anyone with an online business opportunity, small business, home based internet business, all understand the value of effective marketing. The key to dynamic marketing results can be found in one phrase, “Fish where the fish are!” Knowing how to keep your marketing message in front of your targeted audience is critical to any effective marketing campaign. Once it’s there, then shake those dice and start rolling sevens, because seven is the magic number of times people must see your name or Web site to remember it.

Some years ago the big term in marketing was “positional marketing”. Then came “guerrilla marketing”. Today, the fuss in the world of marketing is all about creating a “Buzz” about you, your business, and your product. The more “Buzz” you can create, the closer your customers come to that magic number seven!

So how in a world of crowded marketing techniques, does a small operation get their foot in the door? There is one method which offers incredible opportunity for growth and development. The creation of Ebooks which directly, or indirectly, promote you, your business, or your product.




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Ebooks are Promotional Powerhouses
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Ebooks are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge. Each day the number of people accessing the Internet grows, causing the exposure of your ebook to increase incrementally. It's obvious why electronic self-publishing has become so popular so quickly.

The publishing industry, I hope, does not intend to forever banish the printed word to the dustbin of history. Books in print have their own special qualities and merits, and the world would be diminished by their disappearance.

Having said that, let's look at what makes ebooks so important and so unique. Ebooks have certain abilities and qualities that other mediums do not possess.

For example, ebooks are fairly easy to produce, and their production cost is inexpensive. Just think about it: you don't need a publisher, an agent, a printing press, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor. You just need a great concept, the ability to write it or to hire a writer, and the right software.

Additionally, ebooks are easily and rapidly distributed online. They are also easily updated; they
do not require a second print run. All you need is to go into your original creation and modify the text or graphics. Because of this flexibility, ebooks can change and grow as fast as you can type.

Ebooks are also immediately obtainable. You don't have to go to a bookstore or search through endless titles at an online bookstore. All you have to do is download it from a website, and presto! It's on your computer, ready to be read.

Ebooks are interactive. This is one of the most unique and specific qualities that ebooks offer. You can add surveys that need to be filled out, order forms for customers to purchase your products or goods, sound and video that draw your reader into the virtual world of your ebook, even direct links to relevant sites that will expand your ebook outward. The potential is virtually limitless.

Ebooks have a particular kind of permanence that other mediums do not possess. Television shows and radio shows air once, and then may rerun a few times. Ebooks remain on your computer for as long as your choose, and they can be read and reread whenever you choose
to. They can even be printed out and stored on the shelves of your traditional home library.

Another wonderful quality is that ebooks have no barriers in terms of publishing. You don't need to go through the endless process of submitting your manuscript over and over again, and then once you land an agent, having the agent submit your manuscript over and over again. Nor do you have to shell out thousands of dollars for printing a self-published book. All ebooks require is a writer and appropriate software. Figure out your market, write your book, post it on your website, and with the right business savvy, your audience will come to you.

Finally, you have creative control over your ebook. You don’t have to compromise with an editor or the publishing trends of the time. You don't have to haggle with a designer or wait for copy edited galleys to arrive by snail mail. You are in complete control of the design and the text.


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How to Use ebooks for Marketing and Promotion

There are innumerable ways to use ebooks to promote your business and drive quality traffic to your website. Once posted on your site, you can turn them into a daily course, which brings your customer back to read the next chapter. You can use them as a free gift for making a purchase or for filling out a survey. Put your ebook on a disc, and you will have an innovative brochure. Blow your competition away by inserting the disc into your sales packages.

The most effective marketing products are those that are unique. Copyright your ebook, and immediately, you have a powerful tool that you, and you alone, can offer to the public. People will have to visit your site to acquire your ebook, which increases the flow of quality traffic and the potential of sales and affiliate contacts.

Make sure that you keep your ebook current. Update it frequently as the market and trends change. Add new advice and techniques to show your prospects how your goods or services can enrich their lives. By constantly keeping abreast of new trends and techniques, you can continue to see profits from your ebook for years after your original creation.

Another phenomenal advantage of ebooks is that you can test their marketing potential without putting out hardly any cash at all. You can even produce an ebook one copy at a time, each time you receive an order, eliminating the need for storage and inventory. By this method, you can gauge the sale ability of your ebook, and make adjustments as necessary until the orders start pouring in. Ebooks allow you to learn about your market and customer habits and motivation
over a period of time, without risking your precious financial resources. They also provide you with an invaluable way to gather marketing information, which you can use in many different facets of your business.

Use your ebook to discover what the specific goals and problems are in your specific industry. Then figure out how to solve these problems, and publish an ebook with this invaluable information. This will increase the value of your business, upgrade your reputation, and get you known as an expert in your field.

You can extend the value of single ebook by breaking the book down into chapters for a serial course, into special reports available on your website, or into audio or visual tapes. Ebooks can be broken down into several different promotional materials by excepting some of the articles and using them to promote your product. You can include a catalog in your ebook to promote all the products or services you sell. You can include a thank-you note for reading your book and an
invitation to download a trial version of your product. Or you can include a form for your audience to contact you for further information or with questions, thereby building your business
relationships and your mailing list.

Using ebooks in this manner helps to cut the cost of individually producing separate promotional materials. You can use a single ebook to entice new prospects and to sell new products to your current customers.

No other medium has this kind of flexibility and ability for expansion. Think of your ebook like a
spider spinning a beautiful and intricate web. Now go and create that web, and see how many customers and prospects you can catch!

Grab hold of the excellence life has to offer.

About The Author

© 2008 James C. Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

James C. Tanner of Make Money Online With A Home Based Business Opportunity , Internet Marketing Strategies, and Small Business Opportunities, is a retired entrepreneur, business trainer, investigator, and writer whose articles are enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly. He currently spends his time helping people make money online through internet marketing and home based business opportunities.



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