Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Signatures -- The Long and Short of It

What is the accepted standard for signatures? Who sets these standards? The signatures in question are those blurbs that we include after the body of our main message content in our emails for the purpose of identification and contacts.I'm really not referring to signatures in the respect that Usenet Newsgroups see them. It is pretty much agreed by established netiquette that Usenet signatures . . .

How to Get Your Visitors To "Tell A Friend

Does your website offer visitors a quick and easy way to recommend it to a friend? If not, you're missing out on a potential gold mine of free traffic.The benefits:Automated website promotion. You set up the program and your visitors do the work of promoting your website for you.You receive higher quality visitors. Your visitors will refer people *really interested* in your products or services. . .

Ten Free Ways To Promote Your Website

Often, website owners would like to promote their new business but are strapped for cash. What a dilemma! How to market your product if the public doesn't know your website exist? The odds are you will lack the flow of traffic to survive in the vast ocean called the World Wide Web. You are shaking your head in agreement. A fancy promoter service is out of the question. It will not fit in with y. . .

Being Part Of Groups

There are many different ways to have fun and socialize on the internet. One of the most fulfilling things that you can do is join one of the many social groups that exist. What is an internet social group? These are a whole bunch of people who share their experiences, thoughts and beliefs over the internet. Usually they are united by a common theme or cause (or many causes). Sometimes these th. . .

Instant Traffic Using Expired Domains

Every day thousands of domains 'expire' and are put back into the pool of available domains that anyone can register. They can be very valuable if you are looking for a quality domain for your online business, or if you want to re-sell them for profit. But wait! There is another huge advantage to a domain that was previously owned -- Instant Traffic! As I said above, expired domains have all be. . .

Signature Files: The Easy Way To Create More Business

If you do business as an affiliate, then you're constantly concerned with getting your name and your business information out there. You probably send a lot of e-mails, post on message boards, and submit articles to business e-zines. These are great techniques for making contacts, but are you taking full advantage of the visibility these forums create? One of the best ways of creating new busin. . .

Search Warrant

Search WarrantSo, you've just paid £300 - £10,000 for a new web site to be designed 'registered your URL' and now it's sitting on the World Wide Web. All your new stationery and Business Cards give the Web Site address quite clearly. The designer assures you that it has been 'submitted' to all the 'Search Engines' and, when you type in the address, there it is.You've told your customers all abo. . .

The (Not So) Shocking Truth About Getting A High Search E...

I have seen my site hit #3 at Google, and some of my fellow entrepreneurs are wondering how I did it. Well, it's no big secret, and it won't cost you anything but your time. Here's what I did: I searched online for information about the title and description tags to get a better idea of what they should say. http://www.selfpromotion.com is a great site for this kind of information. It's all ab. . .

Time Wasters and Energy Suckers

Stop wasting your time and having your energy sucked dry! What do I mean by this statement? You're all over the internet trying to find out where to promote that new business you entered into, or trying to promote your own business. You've been told by so called experts to promote your new business to free classified ad sites or FFA pages.They even told you that you will get a ton of traffic. . .

What The Home Shopping Networks Can Teach Us About Online...

Who would have thought that a TV network dedicated to selling products on a cable network could become a success?Besides most people hate commercials… What would make them sit down, watch a shopping network and, ultimately, buy?Simple… the networks applied principles that have been selling products for hundreds of years. 1. Get targeted prospect’s attention. The networks have a matter of second. . .

Using Meta Tags Wisely to Attract Search Engines and Visi...

There are certain tricks and techniques in SEO industry, which can fetch you real quick and top ranking in short run and get banned for ever, which I am discussing in this article. Before optimizing any site, always follow code of ethics and never spam.In this article, I will be discussing about meta tags. How to use the them effectively without spamming. Its not just another article about meta. . .

Solving Common Problems with Hosting Companies

For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a “host” is. It’s a company that provides a location, or address, on the Internet where your Web site resides. In other words, just like a physical business needs an address, so does a Web site. You can’t have a Web site and just “stick it up” on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you have to go through a hosting company w. . .

Target Practice And The Internet Entrepreneur

Internet marketing, a lot of the time really is hit and miss. Always keep in mind that when you promote your site you are, in effect trying to get the word out to the whole world. Not an easy task! How can there NOT be variables when you are advertising to billions? It isn't always where you advertise that makes the difference; it's HOW. First and foremost, it is SO important to have effective . . .

Getting Free Viral Traffic Using Automated Visitor Referr...

Would you like to get unlimited viral traffic to your site, for free?It sounds too good to be true, of course. Many companies will promise to do this for you. The catch - you have to put a banner ad, text link or popup on your page. This is not a good deal as it will increase your traffic by only 1% to 2% on each level. Furthermore, it involves the hassle of an affiliate programme.However, it i. . .

X-Ray Specs, Turning 30 and Achieving Website Success

I was writing the final chapter of my book on website marketing a few weeks ago and was wondering how far I'd progressed with it in the past nine months so I ran a word count. 44559 words. And you know what this told me? Precisely nothing. Nothing of the tips and advice contained in the book or its likelihood of becoming the next global Bestseller. Last week I looked in the mirror at the 30 yea. . .

Dear Bill Gates, You Clever Fox

Dear Bill Gates.You did it. You casually left a live grenade at the Grand Charity Gala and walked out of the room to see if anybody, especially Google, will notice.Once again, you have created an innovation in marketing that is poised to take the world by storm. What I love about it is how you have just tossed it out into the public for all to see, and yet nobody seems to be noticing it. Fli. . .

"The Numbers Don't Lie!"

It's true. They don't.That's why you should look at the numbers whenever you're searching for answers.Let me explain...A lot of times, I'll start cruisin' the forums and I'll notice folks saying their web sites aren't selling.They'll complain, "I've had my site up for six months and have only sold four ebooks. This blows."They're right. That *does* blow.I'm not gonna go into all the things they. . .

Search Engine Optimization: Site Structure and Popularity

In the Global Internet era the industry presence is undoubtedly related to the company online presence. Where is the scope of the online presence limitations and does it refer only to the search engine optimization aspect or it broadens into many related components. Following the user experience line, it is easy to describe what the most important levels of access Internet popularity are and ho. . .

Outsourcing

Can your business benefit? Depending on the project, outsourcing can sometimes be a very cost-effective business decision. Sure, we can all accomplish some of it in-house, but can we do it all, and do it well? Would it surprise you to know that Compaq Computer™ outsources? How about Underwriters Laboratories™? Gateway Computers™? Yes, even the Chicagoland Area Chamber of Commerce™! I was involv. . .

URL Everywhere

Your URL (www) should be everywhere and more. I know many of you are going to think this is common sense, but how many of these are you using? Your web address should be on every piece of anything your business does, period. Your customers can come from anywhere, at anytime.  Yep, the airport at 3:32 a.m., or how about the car behind you? Below is a list of some of the obvious and the not so ob. . .

Building Traffic With Click Exchanges

Click Exchanges are one of the many ways to promote your site. The concept is simple: visit other members' sites, and you, in turn, receive visits by other members to your site.Many people ask: Are they worth the time you spend surfing? Well, my answer is yes and no. They are worth it if you make many referrals and manage to get plenty of visitors without too much surfing yourself. They are wor. . .

Website Marketing 101

When it comes to website marketing and promotions, you need to start here... Every website, whether new, old, or just a thought needs to consider the marketing that will be put that website in front of it's targeted audience. Sounds easy huh? It just takes time, perseverance, and the will to succeed! A budget will help too! The hardest part is sorting through all the crap that's available to. . .

1 Seldom Discussed Method Of Web Promotion

So you've made the perfect web site (in your eyes at least) and that all-important traffic is out there just waiting to visit you. You've done your research and followed the usual methods for making people aware about it, and you're now sat there twiddling your thumbs, regularly checking your traffic analysis tracker in case you get a sudden surge of visitors. Of course, unless you're a big bus. . .

A Look at GRSeo Software... Search Engine Optimizer

Are you having problems achieving top rankings with your Web pages? Are you interested in learning what to do with your Web site to boost your chances at more visibility and targeted traffic that converts to sales? With GR Software's Search Engine Optimizer software (http://www.se-optimizer.com), you can run your Web pages through the program, and it will immediately offer easy-to-understand su. . .

"E is for Everything?? . . ."

This article was originally published in three installments in the "Foundry Trade Journal", 2001. Just this week, a member of my audience asked me the following:"Why would a local company, with a large investment in trained, professional sales people need a Web site?"Great question! And you might be thinking the same. . . Maybe you already know many or all of your potential customers, maybe y. . .

Fair Measures Corporation: A case study in online “think...

Fair Measures Corporation is a nationally recognized management training company made up of attorneys and professional speakers. They consult with companies such as Oracle, Sun and Cisco around preventing employee lawsuits by treating employees with respect. Their Web site, at http://www.FairMeasures.com/ contains over 500 pages of free in-depth legal information and analysis, provided for bo. . .

Search Engine Marketing 101: What Search Engines See When...

If you have a Web site, have you ever wondered what a search engine sees when it visits your site to add the site to its index? Do you know that it doesn't see the beautiful graphics or the fancy Web design? Do you know that it only sees the source code, or the "skeleton" of your Web site? Do you realize that knowing this little tidbit of information and doing something about it can make a huge. . .

Google's AdWords Select(tm) Groundbreaking Program

One of the absolute best online marketing processes available to any business today is Google's AdWords Select advertising program. It produces immediate results within minutes after being setup, drives highly qualified traffic via selected keywords and can be monitored and modified on a 24/7 basis via Google's excellent online interface. There are no hidden fees - it costs a mere $5. USD to se. . .

131 (Legitimate) Link Building Strategies...

131 (Legitimate) Link Building Strategies... "The Definitive Source of Link Building Strategies on the Internet"Co-authored by Robin Nobles, Eric Ward, and John AlexanderIn search engine optimization, "off page" factors have become more and more important as they relate to rankings. In particular, solid link popularity can literally make or break a site with the search engines. Before we go any. . .

Five Common Misconceptions to Achieving Success with your...

How successful is your online business? Are you achieving the monetary rewards that you'd hoped to achieve when you set up your Web site?If not, you may have fallen prey to one of five common misconceptions to achieving success with an online business. Misconception #1: If you put up a Web site, people will come. Regretfully, this is far from the truth. Competition is fierce on the Internet, an. . .

Search Engine Musical Chairs

News broke this week that Yahoo has purchased the Inktomi search engine for around US$235 million. This is an interesting development in the search engine industry that may impact greatly on exactly where sites get their traffic from. Another new development in the past few weeks is the change to the HotBot service but first, I'd like to look at the ramifications of the Yahoo/Inktomi deal.Here'. . .

A Visit with Adam Soroca, a Representative from Terra Lycos

A Glimpse into the Lycos Search Engine. . . A Visit with Adam Soroca, a Representative From Terra LycosBy Robin NoblesRecently, the Academy of Web Specialists (http://www.onlinewebtraining.com) had the good fortune of having Adam Soroca, a representative from Terra Lycos (http://www.lycos.com), attend a chat session to visit with our students. Mr. Soroca provided some excellent information abou. . .

Search Engine Submissions Made Easy!

One area of search engine marketing that has changed dramatically over the years is submissions. Submitting to the search engines used to be so complicated, with having to choose between manual versus software submissions; only being able to submit so many pages a day; having to be careful about oversubmitting; and the list goes on.Submissions used to be the worst part of the search engine opti. . .

How To Build Trust and Sell More Products!

If the headline is what gets them there, then it's the *proof* that keeps them there. Follow closely... A powerful headline is 10% what you say and 90% what you prove. Headlines can simultaneously create curiosity and skepticism. Until proven otherwise, your headline is an empty promise. It's important that you fully understand that the tidal wave of lies and deceit online have created a g. . .

A Look at Ask Jeeves and Teoma, an interview with Jim Lan...

Recently, Jim Lanzone, Vice President of Product Management with Ask Jeeves, attended a chat session with students from the Academy, and he answered a lot of very interesting questions about Ask Jeeves' Web properties. So, let's look at this interview with Jim, and learn more about Ask Jeeves and their relatively new search engine on the block, Teoma.As Vice President of Product Management, Jim. . .

Prophesying Profit in CyberSpace . . .

Business owners can be rushed into creating Web sites, perhaps because “my competition has one”, or because “it’s the hot thing right now”. But, as with any aspect of your business, some preliminary thinking will help to maximize the return on your investment in this key part of your marketing mix.Here are seven key issues to consider from the outset:1. Are your markets online?Who are your cus. . .

Is A Yahoo Listing Still Worth It?

In October 2002, the Yahoo! portal changed the way it delivers search results. In the past, the most prominent results were exclusively culled from websites listed in the Yahoo directory itself. Since October, sites listed in the Yahoo directory no longer enjoy this privileged status. The Google search engine now drives the primary search results on Yahoo. While this is certainly an improvement. . .

A Cost Effective Way to Advertise Online . . . Permission...

We all hate e-mail spam, right? I even have the coolest software program that will help you combat spam and actually bounces the spam e-mail straight back to the user. (http://www.mailwasher.net) However, one thing that we often fail to admit (except in private) is the importance of permission e-mail marketing, where the members of your mailing list have given you permission to contact them, or. . .

Ways To Develop Your Own Outrageously Profitable Product

If you want to make big money on the web, you need to have your own product. A lot of people would like to have their own product, but they lack either, the expertise and/or have no idea how or where to begin.Before you even think about creating a product, you need to research and make sure there is a market. You need to identify your market and find out exactly what they want for a product. Wh. . .

Top 10 Design Issues According To Web Marketing!

When it comes to designing your site, there are 2 ways you can ultimately go. a) Designing for yourself and no one else, b) Designing to fit web marketing and customer attracting methods.Here are the top 10 issues you should always consider:1) Flash vs. HTML vs. ASP vs. PHP: The type of code you use for your site may have a huge impact. - Flash is not yet ready to fully intergrate within web ma. . .

Free Online SEO Tools

For anyone wanting to do a bit of their own Search Engine Optimisation, there is an abundance of free online SEO tools available on the internet. Most of them provide some pretty impressive statistics and information to help you optimise your website, analyse search engine positions, research your competitors, plus much more!There are two ways these free online SEO tools can be used:(1) For tho. . .

Submitting Your Website

Now that your site is built properly, it is time to submit it to be indexed. One common approach is the use of automated submission software, which is not a good idea and instead I suggest performing manual submissions. Below are links to the major search engines that you should submit to. It could take anywhere from one to six weeks before you get indexed, but if you trade links with other sit. . .

SEO Trade Secrets - 8 Great Tools for Search Engine Optim...

About 80% of website traffic comes through search engines. And research shows, if you’re not on the first 2 pages, most people won’t find you. This article isn’t about how to achieve a high ranking. That topic has been done to death over the past few months. We all know the basics now… Submit your site to the major search engines, scatter a generous helping of the right keyword phrases through. . .

Reciprocal Linking: A Disturbing Trend

In the world of Internet Marketing, and Web site promotion, nothing changes faster than the parameters that rule good Search Engine rankings and placement. This has led to a developed new science in the last few years, SEM (Search Engine Marketing). This new science, SEM, has been a boon to both Web Masters and the merchants that maintain Web sites as a way to increase exposure and revenue for . . .

A Network Of Web Sites Is Not Enough!

The big thing these days is your ability to capture the market. So how do you do that?Do you... 1) Use spam tactics?2) Have a massive banner campaign?3) Spends lots of money of PPC Advertising?4) Build a huge web site?5) Link to everyone in the world?or do you...6) Own a network of more than one web site? - Thinking that your network will help your search engine rankings since you can control y. . .

10 Things You Should Expect From Your Website Copywriter

As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more common, business owners and marketing managers are realising that quality web copy is every bit as important as impressive design. And with the ever increasing importance of search engine presence, the role of web copy has never been more critical. But in such a relatively new field, customers are still coming to grips with what the. . .

Make The Search Engines Love Your Site

Most webmasters have no idea on how to make a search engine friendly web site. If you are one of them this will all change by following these steps below.1. Research keywords - Before you start to build your web site you should research your keywords or your site may get hurt in the short term. Use the keyword research tool, use Overture to research the most popular keywords that are related to. . .

The most researched performance enhancing nutritional sup...

Creatine – The most researched performance enhancing nutritional supplementDoes creatine supplementation work? The February 2004 issue of the Strength and Conditioning Journal, the official publication of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, had an article about creatine loading. Why? Because it works!How does it work?I never really liked biochemistry, so I will give you the clif. . .

Another Advantage To Pay-Per-Click Marketing

Web marketing has taken on many different shapes during the last 5 years. It has gone from banner advertising to e-mail campaigns, and now we are in the age of pay-per-click systems like Overture and Google Adwords. While everybody may not agree about the effectiveness of using pay-per-clicks advertising, the one thing nobody can take away from them is their ability to drive traffic to a webs. . .

Website Promotion

Have you ever wondered why some websites get a thousand hits a day while others don't? Well, the secret lies in something called 'website promotion'.When I mean 'website promotion' it does not require you to spend loads on money to ensure that your site stands out. In fact one can easily promote their sites and at the same time save money. 1. Free LinksThere are so many sites out there which of. . .