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I was researching something SEO related today when I cam across a great article about getting more traffic to your website or blog. The article actually lists 20 great ideas. There were some suggestions that I’ve been utilizing since the stone age, but there were more that I’d never considered - as in EVER.
It’s a great read and I think the suggestions will lead us all to the type of traffic jam we’re all looking for.
by John Khu
An expired domain name could be a wonderful opportunity for you to make money by using its hidden advantages and benefits. It is a boon to those people, who make it a point to study and understand its essential principles and meaning. Here are some salient points and issues that make up an expired domain name:
a) Most people buy an expired domain name either to build a web site over it or to sell it at a higher price. Of late, trading or reselling in expire domain names is a cherished industry for many people.
b) With it, you can make money from the traffic arriving at that domain during the time tenure that you own and manage it. If you feel that you have a good amount of targeted traffic that comes to your site, then you are probably sitting on a gold mine.
c) Expired domain market is a busy place, where people buy and sell hundreds of domain names everyday. Though most of the domain names are available at cheaper prices, some of them are quite costly and premium.
d) All expired domains in the market are unique in their own respect. No two names are similar! However, there may be some names that may carry similar meaning and syntax, just to confuse site visitors.
e) When you buy one, there will be general costs attached to it, apart from the ones that you need to pay to the reseller. Costs involved are registration fees and penalty fees, if you are buying those domain names that are on hold and redemption.
f) Maintaining it will also involve some costs like an annual maintenance fee to be payable to the registrars.
g) Expire domain names are very liquid in nature and highly volatile in their behavior. You may need to keep your domains for a log time before you can expect them to sell to others.
h) Once you buy it, you must ensure that you are not keeping it inactive at any time; it must either produce a substantial amount of traffic or sell at a higher price. Otherwise, it will have a zero value.
i) An expired domain market could be a busy and bustling place with many players vying for a breathing place. There are many conflicting and contradictory scenes that make up a domain market.
j) If you are intending to sell it, you may need to incur some costs as well, like paying a fee towards auctioning or a commission payable to a reseller.
k) It is always very difficult to know and fix an exact cost of a particular expired domain name. The real value of them may vary at large and from time to time.
l) Right now, the available data on the expired domain names and their volume of trade is very scanty and rare, as most of the inferior domain names are still unsold.
m) The price for a particular expired domain name is always uncertain and unsure, as the price is always negotiable between the buyer and seller at the point of transaction.
n) Dealing in domain names could be a risky venture, as wrong expired domain names could spell a big trouble to you.
As of now, effective and profitable trading in expired domain name depends directly on your knowledge and skills in choosing the best and most practical names and later registering them for either reselling or to develop a web site over it.
About the Author:
John Khu is an author and also a seasoned professional with vast experience in expired domain name business. He is the owner of the path breaking web site called http://www.expireddomainsecret.com which provides complete and up-to-date information on expired domains and their eternal secrets.
Geeks.com
is in the middle of an End of the Month Sale that’s pretty amazing. Big Deals…Huge Savings….all to the tune of up to 85 percent off in a lot of cases.
The Compaq Presario SR2170NX tower system (to the left), for example, is regularly $349.99, but it’s marked down to $299.99. Even with my math skills, I know that’s $50 saved, and I didn’t even have to use my fingers.
From the Website:
This Compaq Presario SR2170NX tower system is powered by an Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. Its 160 GB hard drive provides ample storage space for music, photos, critical data and other files. Plus, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic comes pre-installed.
Access CD and DVD media and burn CDs and DVDs with the DVD±RW Lightscribe drive. There’s plenty of room for expansion with three PCI slots, one PCI Express x16 slot and two DIMM sockets. A keyboard and mouse are included so just add a monitor to start computing!
This is just one of the big sales going on, so be sure to visit Geeks.com before all the penny-pinching geeks in the world buy everything.
They’re just so that way.
by Mac Craig
Internet video marketing : Watch your sales soar!
A lot of people prefer watching to reading, especially on the computer screen. Calling movies a ‘video’ is actually a misnomer - it is ‘audio + video’ or what is called an AV. Audio Visuals have been seen to have a far greater retention level among internet viewers than written information.
It is no wonder, therefore, that video advertising is fast becoming a major internet marketing tool for selling products and services.
Advantages of Internet Video Advertising
The main advantage of Internet marketing videos over the traditional text format approach is that videos can get to the point much faster. Even a static visual is worth a thousand words, it is taught in graphic design schools. Imagine what a moving visual, or the movie, can do in delivering your message to the viewer.
The viral edge is another advantage Internet videos have over other traditional marketing channels. There is no better marketing strategy than ‘word-of-mouth’. Websites continually share and serve popular content driven by user choice. The speed at which videos are picked up, shared, and distributed is unparalleled to any other.
Internet Video sharing sites like ‘youtube’ are a rage today, and this is a reflection of the choice of internet surfers. New sites like LeadsbyVideo are coming up with video sharing innovations which are great for online marketing.
A video ad can actually demonstrate a product’s usability, so don’t just say it, show it!. A nicely produced visual message with a human touch can do wonders in reaching out emotionally to the customer. Does the quality of the video matter? Yes, of course. Like in other marketing tools, there are experts available who can produce the right movie to suit your product, and budget.
A Few Tips
1. Use the videos on the first page. It’s like handing out your business card. The first page recommends you, and the first impression is a lasting one. Don’t tuck your marketing video away, on some inside page. Make it visible.
2. Always have a ‘call for action’ - something that the customer will feel like doing immediately, like clicking on a link, or filling up a form.
3. Search for the tools that can tell you how much of your video was played before the visitor closed it, how many prospects actually decided to pay your site a visit after watching your video, how many of these visits converted into sales, and so on.
4. Today you can track traffic on the website and analyze results. Make an extra effort to measure the impact that your videos have had on the prospects, and to measure their performance.
5. Use Search Engine Optimization techniques to generate leads. Remember, videos are a gourmet dish for search engines, so give it proper time and prepare it with extra care. Use the right ingredients, so to speak.
Go ahead, share your video!
About the Author:
Mac Craig is an internet professional who has been serving several firms as an online marketing consultant. He counsels on internet video marketing and video advertising.
by Patrick Santry
Sometimes in the online world when approaching a project people seem to classify the issues facing a website as a technology issue. It’s as if building a web site is this mysterious thing wrapped in so much technology it’s just too much handle. Just sitting in the office of a technology provider gets nerve wracking; hearing all the techno geeks spitting out acronym after acronym and having no idea what any of it means - html, Ajax, XML, HTTP, Java, ASP, .NET, Web services, Web 2.0, what all does it mean?!
I’m here to tell you not to worry about all those acronyms, phrases, and geeks telling you what to do, do what you know. Websites are nothing but a different way of doing your business; bricks and mortar are the traditional way, but they both have something in common and that’s people. In this article I’m going to discuss community sites since they’re a growing influence on the web and generating plenty of interest.
Community; what do you think of when you hear community? Think of community as your own home town. Anyone who’s played Sim City should have some concept of what it takes to build a community. If you remember from the game, you had some cash to build houses, roads, and services. Now let’s look at that on the web, you have some money to build a site, network connection to the Internet, and some functionality to the site. The site is your community and to build it, you need to provide some place for people to live.
In the beginning in order to grow your community you have to provide a place for your users to live. Granted a site that is mostly static is nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there (sound familiar?). You have to provide something on your site to encourage people to want to live there. There are the usual features like forums, weblogs, profile pages and the like, that’s a good start, it gives a person a place to live.
When you add these “living spaces” for your users, consider what they provide, at a minimum they should provide your user community with the ability to express themselves. As in any community whether offline or online people want to express themselves and distinguish themselves from others in the crowd. They build this identity by the clothes they wear, cars they drive, and people they associate with. Online they do something similar; they create avatars, profiles to help them connect with others that have similar interests. And just like in the physical communities people go to churches, community activities, and other places to develop relationships with people that have similar interests. They’ll do the same on your website, but you need to provide them with a means to do. So when shopping for interactive applications ensure that they will provide mechanisms for your users to build those relationships.
As a community grows it needs leadership and this is the same online. For example, if your site becomes popular and has forums, usually you’ll see a few of your posters become pretty prominate in their activity, posting frequently. By providing them with moderator privileges or some special designation you allow leaders to step up, and provide the community with people who appear to have some connection to the site and help build community and participation. You could extend the moderator concept to enable your users to host online chats, or even participate in podcasts or weblog posts.
As time goes by your site leaders will come and go, and it will be up to you to monitor activity within the site and find leaders. This further enhances the community aspect and allows your community to be dynamic.
Another thing to foster growth and participation is to have periodic contests, contests that allow for some user contributed content is ideal. For example some sites have users submit stories, graphics like humorous graphics, basically anything that builds content for your site, but still enables your population to contribute to the site. The cost is relatively low, and if you have the traffic you may be able to work relationships with sponsors to provide the spoils to the winner.
The main idea to take from this article is community sites are not about technology, they’re about people. Find out what people like and enable them to “own” your site. If you do this your site is sure to grow and prosper. Good luck!
About the Author:
Patrick Santry has been conducting web and eBusiness strategy for over 13 years. He has authored numerous books on web technologies, and is a sought after speaker on web topics. His current project is helping his daughter on JonasBrothersFan.com which is a community for fans of the band The Jonas Brothers.
by Domenic Macchione
Anyone who is uses computers today will be familiar with Windows and Linux as operating systems. Some prefer Windows because it is extremely easy to use - both hardware and software - and some prefer Linux because it is much more flexible is use; above all it is open source ware and hence it is free. Those who enjoy Linux are totally baffled as to why people would want to pay for something that you can get absolutely free.
Actually there is a simple and logical answer to this question. When the Windows was launched some 20 plus years ago, it caught like wild fire because it was all of a sudden so easy to use and so convenient to install. The best things that it maintained a constant identity - as the product of Windows, while on the other hand Linux went along under many names, such as Knoppix, Mandrake, SuSe, Windows, and so on. With each name (different companies) Linux as an operating system had slight variations. Hence, it was bothersome for people to keep track, and sometime use Linux due to this aspect.
Then comes the inherent difference between these operation systems. Technically speaking, you will find the GUI is optional in the Linux operations system while it is part and parcel of the Windows. The separation of the GUI directly affects the reliability and speed - not to mention efficiency - of a server and hence here Linux scores over the Windows.
Another major difference is in the way these operating systems handle their command prompts. While Windows uses similar command interpreters for its Windows 9x versions, the NT series have a different style but common to each other. Linux on the other hand, being a UNIX version has the capability of handling multiple command interpreters, which can be a boon, though it mostly favors Bourne Again Shell (BASH). The other interpreters that you will find in Linux are C Shell, ash, Korn shell and so on.
The best and most highlighted difference is the price tag attached to the operating systems. Windows is an expensive to say the least, operating system which comes with a copyrighted license, while Linux is free for all, easily downloadable anytime you want it. The downside here is that Linux has instruction which will tell you what to do - which may be why people are indeed reluctant to move away from Windows; though there are a few low cost Linux versions which come with automation and manuals.
Another plus in favor of Linux is the lack of any security requirement. The viruses, spy wares, malawares and what not you have it are all a product of Microsoft, for Windows. Hence, while you have to use high security firewalls with Windows, you are free from any such headaches with Linux.
Lastly, you have the difference of availability of software. The majority of the software that you find on the market are for Windows and they will not run on Linux unless Windows is somewhere configured as a subsystem which actually goes against the reason of using Linux in the first place.
Hence, till a suitable interface is found where Linux can be compatible with Windows without using Windows itself, have a few clear-cut instructions for first time users and sufficient information on its technicalities, people will prefer Windows to Linux, even if they have to pay to use it.
About the Author:
Domenic is co-founder of Rebel Networks. Rebel Networks is a leading provider of outsourced Internet infrastructure and related managed web solutions. Rebel Networks services include the provision of managed dedicated servers, unmanaged collocation services, domain names services, & shared web hosting solutions. All backed by a 100% SLA visit http://www.rebelnetworks.com
by Jeff Casmer
As long as there are internet businesses, there will be people trying to steal your income. Affiliate theft and fraud are on the rise. More than ever merchants need to monitor the actions of their affiliates and arm themselves against fraud. Especially if you consider that the FTC is now making merchants responsible for the action of their affiliates. While good affiliates can make you money, naughty ones can cost you a lot.
The first action to take is to find out what type of frauds your affiliates may be capable of. Below are a few examples.
Typosquatting: Also know as URL hijacking. Typosquatters register several variations of a high traffic domain names and then sign up for that same merchants affiliate program to sell them what should have been their own traffic.
Spammers: Affiliates who send unsolicited e-mails featuring a net marketers product, this can essentially tarnish the product. Spammers also make it difficult for the legitimate e-mailers to separate themselves. In many cases complaints have gotten the merchant’s domain on blacklists.
Fraudulent and Fake Transactions: This can be in the form of the fraudster creating scripts to generate phony clicks, leads, or transactions. Or they may sign up as affiliates and then make large purchases uusing a stolen credit card.
Malware: Some affiliates use adware that is inadvertently installed on a person’s computer is designed to steal traffic from legitimate affiliates by replacing their links with new ones. Thus legitimate affiliates don’t get paid and eventually move on.
Once you are aware of the types of frauds out there, you will want to screen all your affiliate. Yes, you may have hundreds or even thousands of people signing up for your affiliate program, but among these may be unserious hobbyists, spammers and sophisticated con artists. It is important to weed people out in order to be left with serious marketers. You can not afford to be lazy.
Below are some screening tips.
1. All affiliates must have an active website. A lack of one may mean theyre spammers
2. The affiliate site content must relate to your products and services. Having back links that do not relate to your site can harm your search engine ranking.
3. The site should be optimized with content.
4. Make sure your affiliates understand the policies surrounding the use of content from your site.
Most importantly you must communicate with your affiliates. A new product is not needed as an excuse to contact them; often a quick note to see how their doing, if they need anything, and to check up on them works fine.
The important thing is that you know what they are doing, how they are performing and what means they are using to make sales. You may feel as if you are annoying them but this is your business, the more control and organization you have the better you’ll do.
About the Author:
Jeff Casmer is an award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and internet marketing consultant with career sales over $25,000,000. His “Top Ranked” Work at Home Directory gives you all the information you need to Earn Money in the 21st century.
There’s a fascinating article on MSN about 25 web sites to keep your eyes on. They’re being pegged as the next Big Thangs, even being mentioned in the same breath as YouTube. Talk about walking in tall cotton!
Click HERE to check them out when you get a chance - you could be witnessing the birth of a phenomenon.
by Francois du Toit
It is clear that web audio and web video are taking the Internet by storm. Many webmasters are realizing that although it is very important to get more traffic to their websites that it is even more important to convert traffic into sales.
Many internet marketers agree that a conversion ratio, between website traffic and website sales, of between 1% and 3% seems to be the industry norm and that 2% is a good average ratio. What this means is that, on average, only 2 out of every 100 visitors will actually become a customer.
Webmasters often make the mistake of only focusing on ways to attract more traffic instead of also finding ways of converting more visitors into customers. However, more and more webmasters are realizing that website success is a two tier approach, namely:
1) Getting Traffic, and
2) Converting Traffic into sales.
In the case of paid advertising, very often website traffic can only be increased by spending more on advertising. It is common for the ratio between traffic and advertising to be 1:1, meaning that if you are currently spending USD 100 to get 500 website visitors you will need to spend USD 200 to get 1000 website visitors.
With the cost of paid advertising becoming more expensive, many webmasters are now looking for ways to rather increase the conversion ratio between traffic and sales instead of spending more money to attract more visitors.
A 2% traffic versus sales conversion ratio leaves a lot of room for improvement and by only increasing the ratio by 1% to 3% sales would in fact increase by 50%. Talk about powerful leverage, and without spending extra money!
Sounds great but seems like a daunting task? The advent of web audio and web video have given webmasters access to a great tool for breaking the silence of the world-wide-web.
Instead of visitors coming across a “silent movie” type of website (actually even worse than an old black-and-white silent movie) they can now be greeted by a warm and friendly voice that make the website seem a lot more human and customer friendly, thanks to web audio.
By using web audio, a webmaster can tell his visitors more about the site, the products or services being offered and let them know exactly what to do when they are ready to place an order.
It has also been proven that web audio can significantly increase ezine opt-in rates by simply explaining to visitors the benefits of signing up for a free newsletter in a couple of sentences.
Research have shown that by adding web audio, it is not uncommon for website performance to increase by up to 312% This is equal to increasing a 2% traffic versus sales conversion ratio to over 8% without spending any additional money on advertising.
A common concern for webmasters, that have no prior experience using web audio as a marketing tool, is that they think it is difficult to install web audio buttons on their web pages. In fact, nothing can be further away from the truth.
A good flash audio software program should allow you to add web audio to any web page in less than 3 minutes.
It is clear that web audio has had a dramatic impact on internet marketing and we can safely assume that it will continue to grow in importance as more and more webmasters realize the importance of converting more traffic to customers instead of only focusing on ways of getting more traffic.
About the Author:
Francois du Toit is the owner of http://www.FlashAudioSofware.com, a site dedicated to providing webmasters with easy and affordable solutions for adding web audio to their websites. Sign up at http://www.FlashAudioSoftware.com for our FREE 7 part “Audio Secrets” course and receive great tips for maximizing web audio.
by Jim Edwards
Viruses and spyware usually show up on your computer one of two ways.
Either they invade your system with a frontal assault like the Huns attacking the Romans, or they sneak in a back door like a cat burglar.
Either way, once a virus or piece of spyware gets on your system, getting it off can rate harder than curing a severe case of trench foot!
Viruses, malicious programs designed to disrupt normal computing, and spyware, programs intended to literally “spy” on your activities, can enter your computer a number of ways.
Most commonly they enter your system through an email attachment, by sharing files with an infected computer by disk, as a “ride along” with a 3rd party program you install, or through a “back door” port in your computer.
Regardless of how they get on your system, once in place, they cause no end of headaches and frustration.
The following represent typical signs you may suffer from infection by a virus or piece of spyware.
Your computer starts acting oddly by doing things it never did previously.
Your modem starts trying to dial out to the Internet without you initiating a surfing session.
You notice that files start disappearing, the system stalls, runs slowly, or even crashes frequently.
Your computer takes progressively longer to boot up every time you start it or you notice that your available hard drive space has disappeared. Strange popup windows appear, even when you’re not surfing the web, or you delete a program and it “magically” reappears next time you boot the system.
If you suspect you a virus or a piece of spyware has invaded your computer, follow these steps to first identify and then delete the offending code:
Step 1 - Back up your important files, but remember to scan these files for viruses before reinstalling to avoid accidentally re-infecting your system.
Step 2 - Update your anti-virus definitions and perform a scan of your hard drive.
If you don’t carry virus protection, or you suspect your anti-virus software got corrupted somehow, then log on to www.pandasoftware.com and use the free Panda Active Scan service to check your hard drive for viruses.
Follow the instructions for quarantining and removing the offending files.
Step 3 - Scan your hard drive with an adware, scumware, or spyware detection and removal tool like Adaware www.lavasoft.de/support/download/ or Spybot http://spybot.safer-networking.de/.
Step 4 - In many cases, when the virus or spyware program gets installed with a free utility or game you download from the Web, you must usually uninstall the utility or game to finally get rid of the problem once and for all.
Step 5 - Avoid re-infection by keeping your anti-virus and firewall up-to-date at all times.
As a last resort, if you run into a program you simply can’t get rid of, but can figure out the offending file’s name, do a search for the file name on Google.com. Often you will find you’re not the first victim and may get valuable advice for cleaning up your system.
However, be very careful of the information you find and think twice before modifying any system files.
more here: http://computer-virus.50webs.com
About the Author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links.
