Social bookmarking is a powerful tool in promoting a website. But going through all of those social bookmarking sites is very time-consuming and downloading all toolbars is madness! That’s where SocialMarker.com comes in, the free service designed to reduce the time and effort needed to socially bookmark a website
Filed under: Blogs Forums CMS, Tactics, Traffic Generation on June 30th, 2008 No Comments »
YAK is a simple, open source, shopping cart plugin for WordPress. It associates products with weblog entries, so the post ID also becomes the product code. It supports both pages and posts as products, handles different types of product through categories, and provides customisable purchase options (cheque or deposit, basic credit card form, and PayPal integration). You can see screenshots of YAK in action on this page.
Filed under: Blogs Forums CMS, WordPress on June 29th, 2008 No Comments »
SilverFast SE is especially designed for entry-level users. Images will benefit from SilverFast’s intelligent automatic functions which help to make the process of adjusting images much easier. Predictable color from the SilverFast SE preview, even for all kinds of negatives, gives imaging and color reproduction a new dimension while securing the correct workflow with the ScanPilot.
SilverFast SE can be used as a Stand-alone Application or as a Plug-in for ADOBE Photoshop.
Process all picture frames from your preview with one click in batch mode. Integrated QuickTime movie tutorials (in each dialog) will help to quickly understand and benefit from each function. The software can be upgraded to SilverFast SE Plus or SilverFast Ai.
Learn More at SilverFast.com
Filed under: Graphics on June 28th, 2008 No Comments »
Have a Brilliant idea? Enter the made in Eureka Over-Engineered inventors contest.
Over-engineered and future ready, made in Eureka is dedicated to delivering the latest in life-changing consumer technology factory direct from America’s smartest little town, Eureka.
Filed under: Contests on June 27th, 2008 No Comments »
My Wife asked that I pick up a specific pattern of Cotton Yarn for a project she was working on. Well 30 miles and 8 stores later with temperatures in excess of 100 F; no go!
When I arrived at home I found the exact yarn online for a couple dollars less than it would have been locally (including shipping). So the lesson is like online first, and save your time and money.
Filed under: Resources on June 26th, 2008 No Comments »
The following article is excerpted from Microsoft’s support website to ensure availability. The original article may currently be viewed at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315231
Important If you turn on autologon, using Windows XP becomes more convenient. However, using this feature can pose a security risk.
If you set a computer for automatic logon, anyone who can physically gain access to the computer can also gain access to everything that is on the computer, including any network or networks that the computer is connected to. Additionally, if you turn on automatic logon, the password is stored in the registry in plain text. The specific registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group. Therefore, only use this setting if the computer is physically secured and if you make sure that users who you do not trust cannot remotely see the registry.
You can use Registry Editor to add your log on information. To do this, follow these steps:
| 1. | Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. | ||||||
| 2. | Locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
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||||||
| 3. | Using your account name and password, double-click the DefaultUserName entry, type your user name, and then click OK. | ||||||
| 4. | Double-click the DefaultPassword entry, type your password under the value data box, and then click OK.
If there is no DefaultPassword value, create the value. To do this, follow these steps:
If no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows XP automatically changes the value of the AutoAdminLogon registry key from 1 (true) to 0 (false) to turn off the AutoAdminLogon feature. |
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| 5. | Double-click the AutoAdminLogon entry, type 1 in the Value Data box, and then click OK.
If there is no AutoAdminLogon entry, create the entry. To do this, follow these steps:
|
||||||
| 6. | Quit Registry Editor. | ||||||
| 7. | Click Start, click Restart, and then click OK. |
After your computer restarts and Windows XP starts, you can log on automatically.
If you want to bypass the automatic logon to log on as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows XP restarts. Note that this procedure applies only to the first logon. To enforce this setting for future logoffs, the administrator must set the following registry key:
Value:ForceAutoLogon
Type: REG_SZ
Data: 1
You can also use turn on automatic logon without editing the registry in Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and in Microsoft Windows XP Professional on a computer that is not joined to a domain. To do this, follow these steps:
| 1. | Click Start, and then click Run. |
| 2. | In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK.
Note When users try to display help information in the User Accounts window in Windows XP Home Edition, the help information is not displayed. Additionally, users receive the following error message: Cannot find the Drive:\Windows\System32\users.hlp Help file. Check to see that the file exists on your hard disk drive. If it does not exist, you must reinstall it.
|
| 3. | Clear the “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” check box, and then click Apply. |
| 4. | In the Automatically Log On window, type the password in the Password box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box. |
| 5. | Click OK to close the Automatically Log On window, and then click OK to close the User Accounts window. |
Filed under: Software - Utilities, Tech Support on June 25th, 2008 No Comments »
JScript - modal Pop-Up
Copy the code below, paste it into Your favorite text editor, then save as something .js (popup.js). Then save this file in your website.< !–begin
var exit=true;
function popup(filename){
if(exit){
var centerWidth=(screen.width/2)-(532/2);
var centerHeight=(screen.height/2)-(525/2);
showModalDialog(filename,”",’status:no; scroll:yes; help:no; dialogHeight: 525px; dialogWidth: 500px;’);
}
}
// end –>
Copy the code below, paste it into Your favorite text editor, then copy it from the editor and pste between the <head> </head> tags of your website’s HTML code.
Copy the code below, paste it into Your favorite text editor, then copy it from the editor and pste between in the <body> of your websites HTML code.
Copy the code below, paste it into Your favorite text editor, then copy it from the editor and pste between in the <A href> tags of your websites (page whixch pop-up launches from) HTML code.
Click here
Filed under: Coding on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
Providing bonuses has emerged as an important part of the
web marketer’s arsenal for a fundamental reason: they get results. Since there are numerous ways to incorporate bonuses into your promotion strategy, confining yourself to one or two could be damaging your bottom line.
Here are 12 (and a couple of extras at no charge!) ways to employ bonuses for more profitable marketing:
Author Todd Kenovas is Marketing Manager for the keyword advertising solution, Webways Media. See http://www.webwaysmedia.com for more information.
Filed under: Sales Tips on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
Of course marketing matters to your organization. You know that planning your promotional activities makes sense. Creating a formal plan on paper might not be considered as essential but there are definite benefits to be obtained. Putting your marketing ideas down on paper can help to crystallize your thoughts and help in developing an overall strategy.
The contents of your plan
Certain basics must be incorporated into your marketing plan. They should include details of your product portfolio, competitors, current and potential new customers and any other issues that influence your organization.
Details of previous years’ sales, margins and marketing tactics are useful when redefining the organization’s aims
for future projects.
Strategic Planning
In your written marketing plan, you should include the details of your company’s activities, explanations of how these activities work and how they affect the status of your company. You should figure in the numbers and projections for the future. Having all the numbers handy will help you track your progress and success.
The formal marketing plan should include information about
all facets of the organization’s endeavors and how they inter-relate. It should also include forecasts regarding the impact of planned developments on the growth of the organization. Progress tracking is made easier if all this data is held together in the marketing plan.
As your marketing progresses, it is worthwhile having pre-defined milestones. By setting smaller targets along the way, you can identify, at an early stage what is working and what is not. This is particularly important if the tactics you are using are unusual or are new to your company.
If you are experimenting with an untried marketing method, you’ll want to attempt to plan for success as best you can. This methodology also holds true when promoting new types of merchandise. You need to define your goals and then monitor whether they are being attained. Taking a step by step approach often works well.
You might even be able to use certain software programs to our advantage to help you write the marketing plan. This will makes things a lot easier for you.
The author, Scott F. Geld is the Marketing V.P. for Marketing Blaster. Feel free to write him with any questions or comments about this article at: MarketingBlaster.com.
Filed under: Copy Writing on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
Event marketing is one of the more popular forms of subtle but successful marketing.
These days, events are a large part of the marketing mix for some companies. Companies are successfully using events for marketing and promotion, as they would use any of the more traditional forms of advertising to promote their products and services.
Event marketing provides a tangible experience for consumers by bringing them into a cohesive environment and consciously giving the people direct messages about the products and services. These campaigns are planned to bring people in close and direct contact with the products and it is targeted towards a smaller audience with a more focused, personal and customized message. Another way by which brands are publicized is by making the customers try the products at trade shows, sport events and concerts.
By bringing products and services directly to delegates at major events, a company is increasing the chance of sales, and sales leads at the very least. In a store, you might sell some products incidentally to people looking for something else. But at an event, where consumers can touch and try products, maybe even sample them, they are much more likely to buy. This is because experiential marketing holds the key to securing the dollar from today’s audience.
And not only can events help a company to pitch to a new audience, event can also help to solidify a relationship with an existing customer. Free entry to such as n event is often touted to an existing customer, if they might be able to gain a benefit from attending such an event. Knowing that they are more than likely to speak with your company about your products and service while in attendance is the key driver here.
Event marketing is a popular tool because it works on the premise of giving the actual experience of touch and try, and experiences are what stay in people’s memory. The demonstration of the product at the events should be such that has maximum audience involvement and interaction, so that people remember and recall your product later at the time of buying also.
Event marketing is also now a specialist career profession. People study at college and university in order to harness the special skills needed to host and run major events of all sizes and types. Event marketers are often employed by big business and contracted by SMEs, as all business now see the value of event marketing at a strategic marketing activity.
The author, Scott F. Geld is the Marketing V.P. for Marketing Blaster. Feel free to write him with any questions or comments about this article at: MarketingBlaster.com.
Filed under: Tactics on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
To copy a Web site to a local computer, follow these steps:
Click Publish Web site.
Import a Web Site by Using the Import Web Site Wizard
To import files from an existing Web site to your computer by using the Import Web Site Wizard, follow these steps:
Note: In FrontPage 2003 the publishing procedure, including all dependent files, is done automatically as part of the importing process on an extended Web site. In earlier versions of FrontPage the user had to publish the Web site to import all the files.
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 825448
Filed under: Tutorials, Website Editors on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
The key to having sales pages that convert is to be sure you include a few essential elements. There is a basic formula to writing good copy that has been tested and is proven to work. Once you’ve created a successful sales page, you own a template that you can use repeatedly, customizing it to fit other products. Your template will be like having a golden goose.
If you writing the sales copy yourself, or you are hiring a copy writer to create your online sales page, these are the necessities for it to be effective.
The Headline: Most headlines include three parts. One: the pre-head is to set up the main headline by letting your target market know you’ve got what they’re looking for. Two: the main headline. Using the largest font you plan for any part of the page, describe the product’s main benefit for the buyer. Three: the post-head. You don’t have to have a post-head unless you want to elaborate or clarify the main headline.
Introduction: The first few sentences of the letter should grab the visitor’s interest at an emotional level. The introduction draws the visitor further into the copy, allowing you to make a presentation of your product and offer. To appeal to the emotions, show the reader the benefits of your product or service by describing how they will feel or how their life will improve once they own and use the product.
Credibility: On-line, this is especially important. Some ways to build your credibility include using specific and real numbers rather than approximations. Use results-based testimonials that include at least the full name of the testifier. Give your background and expertise, if it is related to the product. Explain product test results, if applicable, or quote favorable reviews. Always give your contact information and address - it proves that you’re real. No one is going to show up on your doorstep, and if someone calls you, all the better; you learn from contact with your clients.
The Benefits: Itemize the benefits of the product in a bullet-formatted list. Put them in some order of importance and include an overload. Often, it takes only one bullet to convince a visitor to make a purchase, but you don’t know which benefit will be that visitor’s hot button, so have plenty of possibilities. Use a bulleted list because it is easy to scan.
Features and specifications: You say, in effect, “Here is what you are getting. This is what the product is.” These are the details about the product.
Bonus: Include something valuable in addition to the main product. A bonus should be something that people might order the product just for the bonuses, but the bonus doesn’t have to be costly for you. Quick start guides or tutorials are good. Or be creative and joint-venture, including a free sample of someone’s introductory product. Give a specific value to the bonuses so you can use that during the value build-up.
Build-up of value: In addition to adding in the dollar value of the bonuses, be explicit about why the product price itself is a good deal. Compare to similar products that cost more or provide less. If possible, offer a guarantee. Counter any objections that might come to the visitor’s mind. Create urgency, either because you have a limited number of inventory, a limited time period for an introductory offer, or whatever. Just make sure that your urgency is real; if you give a deadline, keep to it.
Ordering: Make this absurdly easy. Assume the visitor has never ordered on-line, and give clear step-by step instructions and several options of how to purchase. Offer a secure on-line credit card page, Pay Pal, call to order, or how to send a check, (it is rare that anyone ever actually does this). And remember, ask for the order! Write, “Order Now.”
Post Script: In effect, this is a one-paragraph summary of your sales page, including a repetition of the most important parts. Also, ask a final time for the order.
Once you’ve reviewed this list, look for good examples as you surf on-line. Of course, you would never copy someone else’s sales page, not even a line of it. Instead, look for examples that inspire you, and write come killer copy of your own!
Author Loren Beckart is Marketing Director for ClickTracs Advertising Service ,specializing in highly targeted web traffic. Find additional marketing resources and articles at: www.ClickTracs.com
Filed under: Copy Writing on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
Copywriting is basically the best advertising for such means as newspapers, websites, and more. It means, getting an impressive and clear message out to all your readers or audience, for the end result you need. Great copywriting will get your reader~s attention. It will reel in your prey like a fisherman catching a great big fish. Catching fish is just an example of the rewards of your labor. You need to attract your reader~s interest and keep it, just like writing an article. Readers may be looking for different information though. You need to think about all of their needs and interests as you do your copywriting. Then you can begin writing to facilitate everyone~s need at once while they read.
You can also use copywriting on the computer for search engine copywriting. Copywriting for the Internet is now very popular because people wants to have a site that generates plenty of traffic. A site that has strong traffic will be able to generate more possible sales. Let’s explore this more.
Search engine copywriting is all about re-jigging the content on your website so it becomes more appealing to the reader/customer but also is able to be searched and retrieved by the search engines. Writing for search engines takes skill and when it is done correctly you should receive higher search engine ranking and hence higher sales.
There are many sites that depend on search engines (like Google) to accumulate traffic. Search Engines take the information from your site and cross reference it with the keywords used by the surfer. Depending on how you write and lay out your content, depends on whether the search engine can retrieve your site.
There are companies out there that specialize in this type of copywriting. There is a lot involved in search engine copywriting. It is better to leave it to a professional. Although this service may be costly, the returns you will reap will well pay for outsourcing your copywriting. If you currently own a website, but are seeing little or no traffic it would be worth it to invest in hiring search engine copywriting services.
Tina Valiedi is Marketing VP and Chief Editor for MPStrategies Firm,a company whose breakthrough service unleashes the power of the internet to drive hidden potential clients to your site. For more marketing articles visit: http://www.mpstrategiesfirm.com
Filed under: Copy Writing, Keyword Targeting on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
Want to turn your Blog into a membership site? Then check out the registered only Plugin. This plugin requires visitors to login prior to being able to view the site. Additionally the Plugin can be modified to allow Google to index it.
To get the Plugin and instructions on installing visit: Carthik Sharma’s Blog
Filed under: Blogs Forums CMS, WordPress on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
by Scott F. Geld
http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
Do you know how to really increase your sales & profits online? A guaranteed route to success used by many Internet marketers who turn a profit is to incorporate ezines & newsletters into their marketing strategy. Ezines and newsletters are a genuinely useful tool in the Internet marketer’s armory. They serve as a platform to communicate products & services to subscribers who have a qualified interest in a certain field or subject ~ either through advertising, product endorsement or articles and content. Some ezines offer free advertising - especially to new subscribers - whilst others grant advertising for a small fee. You can even purchase advertising space through auctions such as at http://www.ezineadauction.com/.
There are several thousand ezines up & running on the web, so you are sure to find a bunch that have subscribers who match your target criteria. If direct advertising in the ezine is not an option, then contact the owner/webmaster and offer to write content in exchange for insertion of your tagline or URL, and ~ hey presto! ~ free advertising! Many owners are only too glad to receive help developing fresh content.
More success can be gained if you start up your own ezine or newsletter. Not only will you be able to advertise your products & services to your own subscriber base, but you can turn it into a profit center all of its own by offering advertising space to others! As recognition of ezines & newsletters as a valuable marketing tool increases, then you will find escalating opportunities to sell advertising space to people and companies clamoring to get on board and gain access to your subscribers.
A quick tip ~ A good way to add subscribers to your ezine is to advertise it in other related ezines and newsletters ~ this will build up your subscriber base very fast!
Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic and leads: http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
Filed under: eZines on June 23rd, 2008 No Comments »
