Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Is Your Website Really Working For You?

Is Your Website Really Working For You?

 by: Ajay Dhunna

The telephone does not begin ringing as soon as a website is operational. It is quite simple to identify how many enquiries flow from a website; however, it’s impossible to calculate how many visitors have not even reached your website, because it has not been marketed effectively. 3 basic steps you must take to make your website work for you are:

Step 1

Look critically at how easily and quickly visitors on your website can find what they are looking for. Web users are notoriously impatient and move to an alternative site at the least excuse. Some of the most important things you should ensure about your website are: Your website should be easy to use, and information should be easy to locate. Try to reduce the amount of effort people have to make before they find the information they are looking for, i.e. minimise click-through’s. Condense textual content to fit the time and attention constraints of today's busy Web users. Your web site should be quick to download. Studies have indicated that visitors will quickly lose interest in your web site if the majority of a page does not download within 15 seconds.

Step 2

Plan a marketing campaign to draw the right kind of visitors into your site – and implement it. Your marketing plan must address the following points: Who will your audience be? How will you use this information to make it the focus of your website? Where do you want to be? Define your goals. Up-to-date content. How will you keep your website content up-to date? What online marketing methods will you use? Many are available such as Search Engine Marketing, News groups, Affiliate Marketing and Sponsored Listings.

Step 3

Monitor the results of your campaign, recognising failures and reinforcing successes. If you’re worried that half your marketing budget is being wasted on ineffective campaigns, do you really know which half? If you're nodding in sympathy, then you're probably not measuring and maximizing the return on your marketing investment. It is critical to understand whether or not you should keep, quit or change your marketing campaigns. Run your campaigns in a way that they can be measured. By continually monitoring your campaigns you can decide which ones are providing you with maximum returns on investment (ROI), and which ones are not. Example's of monitoring your campaigns are: Email campaign: You can measure how many people visited your website immediately after the campaign, or how many people made an enquiry/bought items from the website.

Search Engine campaign: Record the average number of unique visitors to your website as well as information such as where they came from (Easily done using tools such as www.VisitorLogs.com which we will discuss next month).

Tradeshow brand awareness: Difficult to measure but you can measure the number of people exposed to your message and compare the cost of the tradeshow to a newsletter campaign which you may have previously carried out. What next?

Why not apply for a free website health check by visiting www.KeywordMarketing.com where we will create a FREE report detailing what changes, if any, need to be made to your website. We can also provide you with a competitor analysis and ranking report, as well as specific information on how we can help you. Alternatively, you may want to download our FREE Website Traffic Guide - a popular guide on how to make your website work!

About The Author

Ajay Dhunna is a Director at www.keywordmarketing.com

Copyright 2005

Ajay@aimprouk.com

Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 Brazilian version – overview for international consultant

Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 Brazilian version – overview for international consultant

 by: Arthur Ferretti

Microsoft Great Plains has substantial mid-market share in the USA plus due to the marketing efforts of former Great Plains Software (now part of Microsoft Business Solutions) in Spanish Speaking South America, South Africa, United Kingdom, Middle East, Poland – we see strong position of Microsoft Great Plains in these regions (on these markets MBS promotes two mid-market ERP: Great Plains and Navision). In Brazil situation is the following. Brazilian market has long story of local mid-size accounting/ERP systems – Microsiga is one of the major – it was developed in Brazil for Brazilian market. Great Plains Software marketing campaign was getting very strong resistance from local market commitment to Microsiga and other local ERP application. Currently MBS officially promotes Navision on the Brazilian market, however localized version of Microsoft Great Plains is available as well.

We’ll describe you in this small article the technical side of the localized Brazilian Portuguese version:

  • Translated Interface and Reports. Great Plains is written on Great Plains Dexterity programming shell with several types of resources, one of the types is Strings – localization requires you to translate String resources to have windows and ReportWriter reports show Portuguese text.

  • Tax Engine. This is more difficult. If you look at the tax code of the country of the size of Brazil: such as Russia, France, China, India – you will find that it has nuances, making such a tax code very unique and this is probably why in the above countries we find local accounting applications being very successful – these applications were developed mainly for the specific large country tax code, government tax reporting and other regulations. In Brazil this is Microsiga. Great Plains Dynamics was designed for US tax code with US Social security, later on it was adjusted to comply VAT (Value Added Tax) rules to promote it in UK and other countries. Microsoft Great Plains version 8.0 Brazilian Portuguese version was adjusted to comply Brazilian tax and government regulations

  • Payroll-related filings. These are W-2 or like in US. Brazil has its own rules and accounting application should pass certain government certifications in the country of this size

Of course, midsize accounting application requires local support, when it has adapted local version. You can imagine all the issues, related to upgrades, data conversions, customizations, integrations. Somebody should stay behind and serve local clients. Don’t worry, MBS does support it in Brazil via local partner.

Happy implementing and we are always available to help you in Brazil. Call us in São Paulo: 55-11-3826-3449, 55-113825-2586! help@albaspectrum.com

About The Author

Arthur Ferretti is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Lisboa, Coimbra, Porto, Cascais and having locations in multiple states and internationally

help@albaspectrum.com

Motorcycle Parts Touch Time

Motorcycle Parts Touch Time

 by: Maricon Williams

TOUCH TIME! Yeah! Its touch time once again. It’s the time to polish maintain and accessorize our bikes. This is the moment when we can have quality maintenance and repair time with our bikes. We’ve got to feel the mean and affable machine up close..

To lay our very hands to our loyal companion make us certain that the motorcycle parts are great and in good shape. It makes us secure and confident of our every ride.

Motorcycle parts play a critical role in the motorcycle’s performance and safety. It does not make sense if you try to save a few bucks on cheap motorcycle parts in lieu of an accident. The savings is not that valuable compared to your life. Thus, you must purchase the best quality motorcycle parts at your most trusted motorcycle parts store.

There are several reasons why you have to select the best quality motorcycle parts. So do not be tightfisted in buying motorcycle parts. They can save you from an otherwise complicated and terrible ride.

The best choice of motorcycle parts are those of OEM parts. They are same as those originally attached to your bike. However, if you want to deviate from the ordinary, aftermarket motorcycle parts can be resorted to. Aftermarket parts are those that you can utilize when you customize your bike to achieve a more stylish and unique look. Some of these parts have same quality as OEM parts. However, there are also some that are of lesser quality. Be careful with your choices. They can harm you and your bike if you mishandled them.

OEM motorcycle parts feel and look different than aftermarket parts. Taken in that perspective we can form query like - do they perform differently? Well, the answer goes back to their level of quality. Quality motorcycle parts perform excellently. On the other hand, in so-so parts expect a lesser quality performance. Thus, if you want to have a unique and stylish motorcycle look, be meticulous about the quality. Next to quality, you can now consider the price.

In ordering motorcycle parts and accessories, make sure that you order the right ones. Better yet, just visit your motorcycle parts store to personally throw queries and examine the parts. That way you can be sure of its quality plus the chance of being enlightened.

As a passionate rider, you must spend necessary touch time to make sure everything is exactly what it is expected to be! Then you can expect a fine performance.

Get your hands to work...

About The Author

Maricon Williams

Please visit Motorcycle Parts and Accessories site at http://www.motorcyclepartsbin.com/list/OEM-Motorcycle-Parts.html for comments and inquiries regarding this article.

Catching Spyware to Avoid Identity Theft

Catching Spyware to Avoid Identity Theft

 by: Mitch Johnson

Arming your computer against spyware is an important move to make to protect your personal security and private information. Statistics on the number of identity theft victims continue to rise as do the number of computers being infected with spyware. Some numbers have shown nine out of ten computers are affected by spyware, many on computer whose users are unaware of the infection. Identity theft and spyware are connected in that spyware has become a common method for intruders to gather your personal information and bank numbers so they can commit identity theft.

Spyware installs itself or comes installed with freeware and shareware programs. Once embedded in your computer it tracks your internet and software usages, records sent and received email and instant messages and logs keystrokes to identify passwords and credit card numbers. The information is sent out to advertisers or other intruders who will use it to bombard your computer with ads or at worst steal and use your accounts.

You will often lose complete control over your computer once spyware has been installed. The spyware can cause browser crashes and other unauthorized changes in your computer. The unwanted pop up ads that result from spyware can cause the computer to work slower and possible destroy some programs from being able to run. Spyware specific tools are needed to rid of and protect against spyware because normal anti-virus software is not designed to detect spyware, as it is unique from viruses. Spyware programs should also be able to detect adware, a similar application that runs on your computer by sending a constant stream of pop ups. Adware can be dangerous to the proper functioning of your computer.

About The Author

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/, a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_guard.htm as well as spyware scanner, http://www.spyware-removal-made-easy.com/spyware_scanner.htm.

Are You PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Prejudiced?

Are You PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Prejudiced?

 by: Bonnie Kotch

I was reading an article one day, that ironically I found while searching through Google for subject matter to write about. I wish I had bookmarked the page, but I didn’t. I do remember the content of the article:

Pay-Per-Click Fraud.

Now, being in and out of PPC advertising off and on as the mood strikes me, the title of the article hit me in the forehead like the snap of a strategically aimed wet towel. I believe I still sport the welt.

The article led you to believe that PPC was not only fraught with fraud, but the fraud was growing at an alarming rate with no controls to keep it in check! I read about instances of Competitors for keywords setting up “farms” of clickers to run out the PPC budgets of smaller businesses, ad copying, hackers using “click bots”, and link spamming. The two giants (Google and Yahoo), who also offer a way for people to earn by placing those same PPC ads on their sites to get paid for each click and cheating abounds! There is no way to stop it or track it! Well, there are ways to track it, but little is being done to stop it. And it will only get worse before it gets better.

The article definitely gave the impression that pay-per-click search engines not only had no effective way to stop click-fraud, but had no INCENTIVE to stop it. It’s money in the bank for them and unless you as the advertiser, are vigilant in closely monitoring and analyzing your traffic (looking for too many clicks from the same domain, for example), you are high and dry with as much as 35%-50% of your traffic possibly being fraudulent! I don’t have time to baby-sit their business, do you?

After reading this article, I went searching for others (after pulling my PPC campaigns) and found the same consensus . . . PPC providers, especially the big guys, really did not, and will not care unless they start losing MANY advertising dollars. One site even estimated as much as $1 billion in click fraud across all search providers combined! Bill Gates could probably afford to lose that much but Google and Yahoo won’t refund that to advertiser/victims.

It was also popular belief that PPC fraud-eliminating technology (if the search engines had any incentive to research it) is way behind the brilliant, bored and malevolent hackers and their motivation to “stick it” to the “man”.

Will Pay-Per-Click die in the throes of key word competition and click bots? Not anytime soon. I can tell you that I, as an advertiser, just can’t wrap my mind around the need to use a marketing method that is that rife with fraud. That’s MY money! There ARE better and more effective ways to make it work for me. PPC is not the only means to accomplish the desired end!

Do not despair. Although the popular and quickly visual advertising method that it is, there is still the good old fashioned site submission. You remember! The FREE ones! Google still takes free listings and many of the popular directories still take free listings and guess what? If you bone-up on keyword phrases and place them strategically on your web site, get some good back links with other web sites with similar keyword concentration, you can STILL get on the first page of the search results! It takes time and there is an art to it, but given some patience, you can benefit two ways . . . Traffic from those sites, and link popularity ranking in the search engines.

I’ve also noticed a few interesting alternatives popping up on the internet that should make some smaller businesses very happy. Let’s take a look at some of those:

1. Articles, if you write them, can still bring in traffic. I watched a brand new site of mine practically dominate 8 pages of Google search results for my chosen keywords within days. And every one of those articles had a link to my web site in my byline.

2. Affiliating your site. Do you sell a product or a service? Set yourself up as an affiliate manager. There are many sources out there to get affiliate manager software, or set it up through an affiliate network like CJ.com or Commission Source. Have hundreds or thousands of other people with a link on your site and pay only per sale or per lead. You will have much better ROI and it’s faster than writing web site owners asking them to exchange links to build up link popularity.

3. CPA advertising – There are tons of list owners, e-zine owners, newsletters, membership websites and the like that offer CPA (cost-per-action). Some of the most profitable campaigns I’ve ever run were through a list owner. Pay a deposit to get the campaign started, then a percentage of each sale.

4. Ad Swapping – Many think this is limited to e-zine advertising . . . it is not. It’s along the same lines as link exchanging. Dating sites and Horoscope sites do it all the time. Endorsement swapping is another way. Find a complimenting web site or business and agree to endorse each other. No money spent, and a lot of possible profit!

5. Something I’d like to see more of, like Snap.com’s approach. They have pay-per-click, but they have also implemented a CPA alternative to search engine advertising that currently does not cost you anything to start your campaign. You are charged only when you have a sale or a lead and they don’t bill you until you reach your first $100 dollars in campaign cost. (This may change and they may require a deposit as Snap has new owners, but currently, you can start your CPA campaign free).

6. Press Releases are a lot more cost effective than PPC advertising. It could also help you with link popularity.

7. RSS Feed is currently free to submit to most search engines and web sites picking it up will help you in search engine ranking.

8. Leads – Many of the big marketers buy leads and import them into auto responders. I personally don’t like the spam ramifications of doing this, but many lead promoters now offer to send them to a landing page, where the interested parties opt themselves in. Many top earners I know ONLY market this way.

I can remember as little as six years ago, PPC search engine advertising was just getting started. In six short years it has grown into a revenue monster for the search engines. There are currently over 500 of these “pay-per-click” search engines and amazingly, except for the top tier search engines, most of them have very little of their own traffic.

I have also talked to people who LOVE PPC search advertising and swear by it. However, if more noise is not made about PPC fraud, less is going to be done about it. It is your advertising dollars at stake. It is getting harder and harder to get good key word ranking and it is getting more costly. The millions they generate from it should be invested in better security. As it stands now, they will not even admit there is a sizable problem. Just my opinion, but I’d rather go with an advertising source that has better regard for it’s customers money. Until they do, consider me PPC prejudiced.

Copyright 2006 Bonnie Kotch

About The Author

Bonnie Kotch is the owner of http://www.trinintyonlinemarketingschool.com and publishes the newsletter "Trinity Affiliate Marketing Review", focusing on affiliate marketing and web site optimization and promotion.

How To Think Through Writer&#39s Block

How To Think Through Writer's Block

 by: Sophfronia Scott

In his book, On Writing, Stephen King says, "We are talking about tools and carpentry, about words and style…but as we move along, you’d do well to remember that we are also talking about magic." When something is really well-written we tend to think it was effortless for the writer, that it seems magical. We wonder, "Did that author ever have to deal with writer's block?" Yes, he or she probably did. Pretty much every writer does. But how do you work through a block when the inside of your brain feels so foggy? These tips will show you how to clear things up.

1.) Work Consistently

When I started my first novel I joined a class to help get me going. After it was over, I took a few more workshop sessions with the instructor, but when those ended all my work ground to a complete halt. Why? Because from then I was only working on the book a day or two a week, mostly on weekends. If I got stuck that meant I wouldn't write for two or even three weeks. Then I went out and got a place to write. I committed myself to going there 3-4 times a week to work on my book. Suddenly the writing got easier! I thought it was because I was putting in more time--and that's partly true--working consistently helps to build momentum. But that wasn't the whole answer. Here's the rest: I was thinking about the book all the time! Which means...

2.) Don't Leave Your Book on the Desk

When I started working consistently I found that I was still thinking about my character and plot issues when I went home at night on the subway. That thinking continued in the shower the next day and on the streets as I walked to work. Once I was flying to Cleveland to visit my family and during the flight I figured out the answer to the problem I was having with a flashboack in my novel.

So write at your desk and do your figuring out everywhere else throughout your day. Ideally you are thinking about your book while you drive, while you shower, while you watch a baseball game. In fact, Stephen King has said he has worked through a chapter or two in his head while at Fenway Park watching the Boston Red Sox. When you think about your book away from the desk, it ensures you'll have something to write when you get back to your desk.

3.) Ask Yourself Lots of Questions

Okay, you might be asking, "What am I supposed to be thinking about?" Your book, of course, but I understand how difficult it is to just have generalities floating around in your head competing with all the media we're flooded with already. To focus your thinking, ask yourself a series of questions related to the issues you're stuck on.

For instance, "What story or incident can I create to best highlight my character's strength and/or weakness?" Possible answer: a party where most of the guests snubbed my character's party which took place few weeks earlier. "How would my character be responsible for that situation?" Maybe she told a secret and everyone is upset with her because of it. "What behavior will my character display that will reveal her true essence to the reader?" Maybe she quietly vandalizes people's belongings throughout the evening, ripping coats in the closet, "accidentally" breaking glasses, spilling drinks on someone's designer dress. You can keep going that way, with each question leading you further down the path until you complete a picture in your head of what you want to write when you sit down again. No more writer's block!

4.) Remember Why You're Writing

When you do get stuck, it helps to remember why you're working on the project in the first place. As I mentioned before, I got stalled many times working on my first novel. But I was motivated by several things including my sincere desire to be a published author and my devotion and commitment to my characters. (Once, when going through a period of non-writing, I had a dream where the main character of my book was screaming at me--I knew it was time to get back to work!)

So, why are you writing? And is the reason powerful enough to make you do what it takes to get through the difficult times of the writing process? If it's not, perhaps you need to re-think your reasons and your project. But if your motivation is strong, go with it and allow that sheer force to help you break down the walls in your work.

© 2005 Sophfronia Scott

About The Author

Sophfronia Scott, "The Book Sistah," is author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully. http://www.TheBookSistah.com.

Laptop Security: How to Protect Your Laptop When Traveling

Laptop Security: How to Protect Your Laptop When Traveling

 by: Jonathan Chase

Most business people who travel these days have a laptop in tow. Since the workflow doesn’t stop when the need to travel arises, these are necessities that connect them to the rest of the world and allow them to take care of whatever business comes up during the time that they’re away. That being the case, there are certain guidelines that should be followed in order to ensure the safety and protection of your laptop when you get called away from the office.

One of the first considerations that should be made is in regard to the laptop’s security. Since thieves will target these as often as they will cash, jewelry or other valuables, it’s critical to put as many security measures into place as possible when traveling through airports, bus terminals, train stations and any other form of public travel. Of course, it’s never wise to leave your laptop unattended. It’s a sad testament to the way of the world, but you can be fairly certain that when you return, your equipment will be gone.

When packing for your trip, place the laptop in a case that’s different – and less obvious – from its standard carrying case, and make sure that it’s checked in as carry-on luggage. This will not only ensure that it doesn’t get stolen, but will be in the pressurized part of the plane, rather than the baggage compartment, which doesn’t have pressure or climate controls that are needed to ensure the integrity of the laptop.

If you’re planning to take a nap while you’re en route via public transportation, be sure to secure the laptop before going to sleep. Some people go so far as to cuff the unit to their wrist, but there are other measures that you can take, which include placing it in its case and putting it between your feet or between yourself and the wall if you’re sitting by a window. In the event that anything should actually happen to violate the integrity of the laptop – or if it should be stolen, despite your precautions – it’s to be expected that you’ll have backed up all critical information onto disks before beginning your travels.

When you arrive at the hotel, speak with the front desk clerk to be sure that their phone jacks are compatible with your unit. If they happen to use a digital phone system which differs in voltage from that of a standard phone jack, your modem will most likely be damaged when you try to plug it in and dial-up to get an outside connection. The best approach is to call ahead and check on these accommodations before making the trip, so that you’ll know what to expect and not be left with any nasty surprises.

In addition to the laptop itself, it’s always a good idea to bring an extension cord and extra batteries. Even though you may plan to use electricity, you should also include a back-up plan, and batteries may only give you a few hours’ worth of power at a time before needing to be recharged or changed. When possible, cut down on the use of those things which need large amounts of energy, such as CD-ROMs, and reduce the number of auto-saves on your machine.

By using your common sense and taking simple precautions, as well as including some back-up cords and batteries, you should be able to travel safely and simply with your laptop without a lot of hoopla.

About The Author

Jonathan Chase runs and Internet marketing business and is a contributing author to All Cheap Laptops. Read more about traveling with your laptop at http://www.all-cheap-laptops.com/Travel.htm

Email Marketing Lesson: Your Marketing Reminds Me Of My Grandmother&#39s Saggy Underwear

Email Marketing Lesson: Your Marketing Reminds Me Of My Grandmother's Saggy Underwear

 by: Joan Pasay

I moved into a new office recently and was unpacking when I realized I was fading fast and needed a caffeine fix. Seems my Starbucks cappuccino machine had gotten lost with the movers. I panicked.

"Now what?" I thought. I had never gone a full afternoon without a latte. I knew something would happen if I didn't get one, and it would probably be the kind of thing that would come up with my therapist, so skipping my caffeine fix was not an option. I already had two pages of issues we were covering. I guess the unpacking would have to be put on hold.

I set my Starbucks radar on full alert and followed the trail of casual business attire. Sure enough, two blocks later I found a Starbucks on the corner. As I pulled open the door, a tiny gentleman whisked in under my arm. And that is how I met Mr. Pibs.

Mr. Pibs had been coming to that particular Starbucks since it opened. Every afternoon about the same time as my current 'mind fade,' he too needed a fix. We got our coffees and made our way to the comfy chairs.

Mr. Pibs told me he was in wholesale pet supplies and owned his own manufacturing facility. He started up 25 years ago with a tiny shop in his garage and now leased a 200,000 square foot facility and employed over fifty workers. We sipped our coffees and chatted about business. I asked him how he marketed his products to potential retail outlets.

"We have a subscriber-based mailing list," he said. "About 2500 quality pet stores across the US."

I was impressed! 2500 leads does not sound like much but these stores had asked to be contacted. The stores were real, potential buyers looking for product. "So do you keep in touch monthly or do you find seasonal works better?" I casually asked.

"Monthly!" Mr. Pibs exclaimed in horror. "That would be $50,000 of postage a year! No, we send our full color brochure on an annual basis, costs us about $4000 in mailing fees. I pull a few ladies off the assembly line and get them licking stamps and stuffing envelopes. We've been doing our marketing like this since the second year we started. Sure is great that printing is a lot cheaper these days. Saves us a bundle!"

I gagged on the foam in my cup and felt a familiar feeling come over me. Before I knew it I was standing and waving my arms around my head in large circles.

"Mr.Pibs, are you insane?" I yelled at the top of my lungs, and started to rant, arms waving. "What marketing cave did you just crawl out of? Why not put your catalogue online? Why not use a regular Email Marketing campaign to keep in touch with the pet stores on a regular basis? Are you anti-technology? Why are on earth are you sending all that stuff by mail?.." And then I realized I hardly knew this man and was basically telling him he was a buffoon. But I didn't have time to compose myself because at that very moment, when I was in mid-sentence of my Email Marketing rant, in walked my grandmother.

Crap! I had forgotten Grammy was going to meet me at my new office! She quickly spotted me and made a beeline in my direction. As she got closer I noticed she had a very odd looking hat on her head. It was all bumpy and sort of looked like a bag. I noticed a familiar looking label:

Victoria's Secret.

Since when did Victoria's Secret make hats?

But I did not have time to ask, I had to make Grandma think we were supposed to meet at the Starbucks and I also had to make up quick with Mr. Pibs before my new friend thought I was a lunatic.

I turned to Mr.Pibs, and noticed he was frozen, mouth hanging open in shock at my Email Marketing, arm waving, soapbox speech.

Grandma grabbed the vacant seat next to Mr. Pibs and plopped herself down, scooching her behind, desperately trying to get it past the arm rests.

Mr. Pibs thawed and whispered in horror, "That women has a pair of underwear -- on her head."

And sure enough my Grandmother did indeed have a pair of Victoria's Secret underwear on her head, covering up a mass of curlers.

I gasped.

"Child," my grandmother said, "I have been looking everywhere for you!" Noticing Mr. Pibs, and unaware he and I had been having a conversation, Grandma looked a little alarmed at my tiny frozen friend. No surprise; the lack of color in his face was hard to miss. "Tiny man," she said, "You look ill, is the coffee too strong for your tiny stomach?"

"Grandma," I spoke slowly, turning toward Mr. Pibs. "This is my new friend, Mr. Pibs." Then: "Mr. Pibs, I apologize for my Email Marketing rant, this is my Grammy. We had a coffee date this afternoon."

My grandmother stretched out her hand in a gesture of welcome. Mr.Pibs sat still, staring at my grandmother's hair curler cover."Woman, why is there underwear on your head?"

"Oh this?" she said, as she whipped off the over-stretched skivvies, uncovering an array of pink and white curlers. "These are old and all stretched out of shape from too many years on the rear. This pair works great to keeps my curlers in place. I upgraded to organic cotton underwear years ago."

And with that we, or rather Grandma and Mr. Pibs, laughed and chatted away the afternoon. Those two hit it off so well I found myself a little bored. Just as well, I could not get Mr. Pibs''marketing strategy' out of my mind. Well, at least the US postal service would not go out of business anytime soon with Mr. Pibs around. I sat there watching those two laugh it up, and shook my head in disbelief at my grandmother's Victoria's Secret curler coverer. Mr. Pibs' marketing strategy was a lot like those underwear. Old, out of shape, and all sagged out.

I met Mr. Pibs again for coffee (without the distraction of Grammy and her head gitch) and mentioned to him that any company that was not active online and using Email Marketing might want to retire. He agreed that his whole approach should be put in a rest home. It was kind of tough explaining all that Email Marketing stuff to Mr.Pibs; he was a real Email Marketing newbie.

I struggled for a bit with analogies and realized the image of those saggy underwear on my Grandma's head was a perfect place to start. I kept going with the gonch theme and Mr. Pibs slowly began to understand the difference in each type of Email Marketing approach. We talked Email Marketing strategy and how a drawer full of a variety of underwear styles was truly the best option for total marketing support.

If you are having a tough time explaining Email Marketing to your antique boss or your clients, feel free to try on some of these. They worked with Mr. Pibs so I am sure they will work for you.

Broadcast Messages are like Thongs: These little numbers work great at announcing, "Hey look at me,look at all the stuff I have to offer...right now!" You do want to exercise some restraint, however. Just like you don't want to be wearing a thong everyday, neither would you send a broadcast message everyday.

Auto-Responders are like Full Figured Women's Petty Pants: If you are not up on full-figured petty pants, they look more like a pair of long tight shorts. Large figured women wear petty pants to prevent the thighs from rubbing together. Similarly, auto-responders prevent the chafing away of your time and resources due to answering the same queries over and over and over. Women's petty pants make all figures, regardless of size, look like a million bucks. Auto-Responders make you look like a hero with timely helpful responses no matter if it is just you running the show or a whole office full of customer service reps.

Regularly Delivered E-Newsletters are like 100% Cotton Briefs: For regular wear you can't beat a pair of 100% cotton briefs and for customer retention you can't beat a regularly delivered e-newsletter. Everyone prefers a different cut of brief depending on the amount of desired coverage, and it's no different in the email world. Every company has a different idea of what their regular e-zine will cover and what kind of promotion it will give their products and services.

Mr. Pibs and I still meet at the Starbucks once a week or so for our afternoon caffeine fix. His company has really taken off since he got on board with Email Marketing. I think he will probably be moving into a larger warehouse in the New Year just to keep up with orders. He even launched a new product line (via email, of course)to celebrate - Pudgy Puppy Petty Pants.

And the infamous curler cover? We did not realize it until later that day but Grandma's saggy underwear got left on the table at Starbucks along with a business card I had whipped out during my Email Marketing rant. I wonder who discovered the saggy gonch? Would I ever find out? Would the discoverer of those skivvies become a future client? I'll keep you posted if anything materializes.

And me? My Starbucks cappuccino machine surfaced after three months of traveling around the western states but I still find my way down the block most afternoons. I've also been reworking my own regular email marketing campaign in light of my decision to try a lower cut brief for regular wear. Revealing more product details is proving to be very effective. My conversion rate indicates my customers are really appreciating the increased exposure I'm giving my products and services.

Is your marketing approach a little sagged, over stretched and worn out? Try Email Marketing on for size. It comes in all sorts of cuts and styles guaranteed to boost your bottom line.

About The Author

Joan Pasay

Brought to you by the -- Email Marketing Club: The only place on the Internet where Email Marketing is FUN!

Join now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss. Click below: http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club

Check out Joan Pasay, The Email Marketing Coach at http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/coaching

Earn good karma, forward this article to everyone you know who has an email address. Heck, you can even print it and post it everywhere, the Internet karma gods won't know the difference

Copyright Joan Pasay - 2005

Playing Baccarat Online: Free Tips and Rules Before You Play

Playing Baccarat Online: Free Tips and Rules Before You Play

 by: John Tinney

This is a general outline to playing the game of Baccarat online. Some of the features may differ depending on the online casino you choose to play with but this guide should give you a good understanding and provide you with the knowledge needed to get started.

To get started click on a chip of desired value to select it, then move your cursor to the middle of the screen and click on any of the three areas on the table (player, banker or tie) to place your bet there. Every click on the area adds one chip to the bet. Select another chip if you wish to increase the bet by some other amount. Right clicking on the area removes one chip. You can place several chips into several areas at the same time.

Now that you have placed your bet you are ready to deal. Click the Deal button and cards will be dealt and you will see the game result. Click New Game if you wish to play again. Place your bets as described above and click Deal. You can also click Rebet to place the same bet as in the previous round.

The standard button layout for online Baccarat us as follows:

Deal: This will deal out the cards, you must first place your bet.

Rebet: Place the same bet as in the previous round and deal the cards.

Skip Turn: This will skip your turn when playing in multiplayer mode.

New Game: This will start a new game round.

Game History: This will show you the dates, bets and results of your previous game rounds.

Chat: Used too chat with other players, in multiplayer mode only. Click this button, type your message and then click this button or simply press enter on your keyboard..

Help: This will provide you with help during game play or between game rounds.

Options: Open the Options dialog box .

Lobby: Press this to exit the game and go back to lobby. You can't exit in the middle of a game round.

If you are disconnected from the Internet in the middle of a game, re-establish your Internet connection and log back into the casino. You can then click the Game History button to see the outcome of your previous round. Your play will still be valid and any winning will have been credited to your account.

You are now ready to begin playing online Baccarat. Good luck and, as always, please play smartly!

About The Author

John Tinney

To learn more about free online Baccarat and online gambling system information, please visit http://www.online-gambling-system.com

Light Your World With Xenon Headlamps!

Light Your World With Xenon Headlamps!

 by: Matthew C. Keegan

Lighting has certainly changed over the years...for cars, that is! No longer do drivers have to rely on halogen headlights as Xenon lighting is coming into vogue. Nor do owners have to go with stock tail lights, as European [or Altezza] lights are in fashion. Even fog lights have come a long way, baby! Let’s take a look at the newest kid on the block, Xenon headlamps, and how they can light up your world of driving.

If you could have a set of headlamps that produced twice the light of Halogen bulbs while expending only half the power, that would be a good thing, right? Yes it certainly would and that is the idea behind Xenon headlamps which are fast gaining acceptance as standard equipment on luxury vehicles from around the world as well as finding their way on certain popular, mass production vehicles too.

A key feature of Xenon headlamp technology is that they produce a clear white light closer to natural daylight, which has been proven to improve driver concentration. Lessened eye strain means that drivers can do what they need to do best: get to where they and their passengers are going, safely and securely.

Road markings and signs are easier to read with Xenon headlamps compared to Halogen bulbs. Indeed, Xenon headlamps are a strong, safety improvement as the field of vision for the driver increases sharply, thereby improving reaction time in emergency situations. Traveling along dark, unlit back roads can be a safety hazard even in broad daylight. However, with Xenon headlamps that buck you might have hit with your halogen-powered car will enter your field of vision much sooner with Xenon lights installed, allowing you to avoid potentially deadly contact [for the buck definitely!]. Popular surveys reveal that as much as 80% of all accidents occur because of poor visibility.

In European markets, cars with Xenon technology also come equipped with a headlamp cleaning system to ensure optimum visibility as well as an automatic leveling system to allow limited swiveling of the headlamp projector as you turn your vehicle. Some systems take Xenon technology one step further: Xenon Dynamic Bending Light or DBL technology are special headlamps that rotate the light beam according to the angle of the steering wheel. Working in both high and low beam mode, bi-Xenon headlamps help to enhance vision in wide curbs by up to 90%.

Naturally, Xenon technology is expensive and you cannot convert halogen powered headlamps to Xenon or Xenon to bi-Xenon...yet. However, some manufacturers are selling auxiliary lights that can be added to your bumper to give you an alternative.

Of course, price is one factor why Xenon technology isn’t yet widespread. Even on luxury cars I have seen bi-Xenon headlamps offered as an option, to the tune of $750 extra! As with all technological advances, you can expect that some one, somewhere is refining the technology – which hit the market in 1992 – in order to bring Xenon headlamps to the masses. This is good news for everyone as accidents associated with poor visibility should begin to drop accordingly.

About The Author

Copyright 2005 -- Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for the Race Pages, a retailer of Mustang Headlights: http://www.racepages.com/parts/headlight.html

Mustang Fog Lights:

http://www.racepages.com/parts/fog_light.html

Mustang Tail Light:

http://www.racepages.com/parts/tail_light.html

The Powerful Technique That Can Transform Your Life

The Powerful Technique That Can Transform Your Life

 by: Daniel MacDougall

Do you want to know a very powerful technique that can literaly change your life in an instant? I can assure you that if you try this as outlined here you will be amazed and thrilled beyond belief.

Are you ready to transform your life?

This will work on any situation, any hangup, and any goal you can think of. And the amazing thing is we haven’t even began to realize the full potential this strategy can do. Humans have more power than most people know or are willing to believe. And this is the quickest and easiest route to that power I’ve ever seen in my life.

This will work on any situation, any hangup, and any goal you can think of. And the amazing thing is we haven’t even began to cover what this strategy can really do. Humans have more power than most people know or are willing to believe. And this is the quickest and easiest route to that power I’ve ever seen in my life. If you will model how you would feel and act if you had everything you wanted, you'll find such amazing things happening in your life that you will not be able to contain the excitement.

How would you feel?


How would you think?


How would you act?


How would you talk?


How would you walk?

If You Already Had What You Want?

When you get your answers in mind...jut do it. Think that way, talk that way, walk that way, move that way and feel that way. What you are actually doing is removing every block in your system that is blocking your true potential, your energy, your intelligence, your magnetism…

Now, you may be asking "Why would we want to get into the state of mind and body of having a thing before we actually get it?" The answer reveals an amazing fact about us and the way we work… What you have, you get more of…


What you think...you become.

If you have Confidence, this will cause things to happen that causes more Confidence.

If you have fear, this will cause things to happen that attracts and causes even more fear.

When you are totally confident, your body and mind is more relaxed, free and open. This causes you to do and say the right things, make the right moves, which creates success, which in turn creates even more confidence.

Same thing with fear. Fear causes you to shrink and withdraw. Avoid any changes and make the wrong moves. This leads to even more fear. It’s really very simple. What you have, you get more of.

People throughout time have noticed something very interesting. When we get ourselves worked up, stressed, needy and grasping after a something, we never get it. Or it doesn't come easy. When we let go of the neediness it seems what we want comes to us in great abundance. It’s as if it’s everywhere.

Most people think what they get in life comes from outside themselves. They never realize that what’s coming from the outside is due to what’s going on inside. Your state of mind and body determines it all. Even when it doesn’t seem to be so. Follow this closely and you’ll see this to be fact.

I’ve seen people begin to use this idea and completely turn their lives around in matter of days or in an instant.

So there you have it. If you already had what you want...? Begin now.

About The Author

Daniel MacDougall is a writer, speaker, and artist. He and partner Marie, make their living online teaching people how to manifest their dreams. Go to http://attracting-wealth.com and learn more about how you can have all the wealth and abundance you desire in life. Free newsletter available.

redrobotproductions@gmail.com

Learn How To Appreciate Yourself and Others

Learn How To Appreciate Yourself and Others

 by: Bill Knell

I grew up in a home that was filled with guilt. As bizarre as it may seem, that guilt grew out of very generous behavior. My parents always thought of other people. In many cases, they were forced to. Both worked hard and were always striving to do better. While not rich or even financially comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, relatives were often envious of the fiscal stability that they had achieved. This led family members to drop their problems at our doorstep. I can’t remember a time when some poor or sick relative wasn’t living in our house. When children couldn’t be easily managed or needed temporary shelter, family members didn’t think twice about leaving them with us for extended periods of time.

Despite the added responsibilities heaped on to our family, I can honestly say that I never felt slighted. However, there was an emotional price to be paid for the generosity forced out of us. Most of our acts of kindness were rewarded with jealousy and ingratitude. This led us to hold each other to a higher standard when it came to appreciation. That higher standard was actually guilt in disguise and began to affect everything we did for each other. As a child, it was particularly upsetting to me. Almost anything I did for myself brought about a response like, “Think of someone else besides yourself for a change.” So I did. In fact, thinking of other people and putting them first became a really bad habit. Not because there’s anything wrong with being unselfish, but because I often forgot to be as generous with myself as I was trying to be with others.

It took me years to see what a flunky I had become. I began to see how those I tried to help often rewarded my efforts with the same ingratitude and jealousy that my parents had experienced. It was a classic case of personal neglect. My entire existence had become focused on satisfying the personal guilt that had been burned into my soul during the early years of my life. When your life is driven by guilt, there’s very little room for personal appreciation, achievement or growth. The best way to step out of that mold is by beginning to understand that actions driven by guilt and those motivated by kindness are two separate things.

Guilt is a Dictator. It says we have to help someone or face the inevitable emotional backlash that we heap on ourselves. Kindness is self-sacrifice. It motivates us to help someone without any reward. Unlike guilt, it allows us to pick and choose those whom we decide to assist. It also gives us a choice as to how that help is dispensed. Guilt always insists that we have a direct part in helping people. For better or worse, it makes us the unwilling instrument of everyone’s deliverance. Kindness motivates us to find others who can assist people we encounter in ways better then we can. And not just people!

Guilt promotes obsessive behavior. When you’re under its spell, it doesn’t seem that way; but it is a fact nevertheless. A good example is Pet Rescue people. I’ve met many over the years. Some are very well meaning individuals who volunteer their time and efforts to bring unwanted animals into legitimate shelters. Others have convinced themselves that no one can care for abandoned animals like they can. As a result, they flood their homes with unwanted animals. Lacking the finances, knowledge or facilities to care for these creatures, they end up doing far more harm then good. Each year, all kinds of abandoned animals are found in people’s homes or on their property. Despite the fact that most are starving and many are already dead, the individuals responsible for these makeshift shelters gleefully stand up in court and exclaim their ‘better dead then abused‘ philosophy toward animals.

Once you learn to ignore guilt as a motivation for helping people, you can really begin to appreciate yourself and others in a normal way. True appreciation is a halfway point between what’s good for you and what’s good for someone else. You must learn not to cross completely over to either side. Instead, maintain an awareness of those who assist you on a regular basis. When you get a chance to return that assistance, do so in a measured way. People with a good grasp on reality understand and respond well to that kind of give and take.

Self-appreciation is not a difficult thing to learn, but it is a tough goal to achieve. Everyone around us who feels bad about themselves will do their best to make sure that we join their ranks. More then just ‘glass is half empty’ people, they are noisy negativists who see the bad side of everyone and everything. Even when something good happens to them, they focus on the things that do not. When something bad happens, they immediately assign blame and ignore solutions to the problem. Part of mastering self-appreciation is being able to admit that no one is perfect. People who appreciate themselves and others know how to face mistakes. Instead of assigning blame, they look for a way to fix the situation to everyone’s satisfaction and benefit. What better expression of appreciation could anyone offer?

About The Author

Bill Knell

Author's Email: billknell@cox.net

Author's Website: http://www.billknell.com

Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address: http://www.billknell.com

Author Retains Copyright

Commercial Real Estate Addition to Tyson’s Corner

Commercial Real Estate Addition to Tyson’s Corner

 by: Steve Jonas

Tyson’s Corner Center, already one of the nations largest malls, hot bed for real estate and the regions largest has proposed a new development plan that will expand the shopping mall into its own "self-sustained" city.

The proposed plans will double the mall in size by adding more than 5 million square feet, or more than twice as much as the Empire State Building! The project is a mix of mid-rise buildings containing hotel rooms, commercial space for offices, retail space and condos. Northern Virginia is planning to add 2 million square feet of office buildings, 600 apartments, and a 120-room hotel and a few shops adding to the existing market for commercial real estate in Northern Virginia.

The project faces at least two obstacles to the addition of more

Northern Virginia commercial real estate. First, it must win the approval of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Board would like to create a traditional downtown at Tyson’s Corner, and this plan would move that vision closer. The plan would also merge the now separated buildings into something more like a city block. However, they will have to face vehement opposition from homeowner groups about traffic problems and the effects of even more buildings, cars and people. By adding more commercial real estate and increasing the traffic it will create an even worse situation in Northern Virginia. One resident of McLean, Virginia commented on the proposed plan and said “We’d like to be able to drive from McLean to Vienna in less than a day!"

The plan would add some community aspects to the Tyson’s area including an outdoor ice skating rink. Currently there is no place to sit outside, only commercial office buildings.

The second obstacle is that only about a third of the project can be built before funding for the $1.5 billion Metro rail expansion from West Falls Church through Tyson’s Corner is approved. Members of the community are invited to attend the planning commissions meetings.

About The Author

Steve Jonas is a commercial real estate agent in Northern Virginia and is founder and president of Monument Investments, a real estate investment firm based in Tyson's Corner. For more information visit http://www.commercialrealestate.lnfre.com.

Take Your Sauna With You!

Take Your Sauna With You!

 by: Ron King

The health benefits of saunas have been well documented. They improve circulation, keep the skin soft and supple, and promote relaxation: all key to a healthy lifestyle.

Are there any drawbacks? Yes -- they aren’t accessible enough! Until recently, you either had to go to a spa or health club to use a sauna, or have 1 installed in your home.

Now there's an alternative. You can take a portable sauna almost anywhere you go: home, business trips, vacations, even to your office.

Portable saunas come in 2 basic styles. The first, which is truly portable, is a folding box-like structure that 1 person can sit in. The second type is the pre-built, which is portable only in the sense that your desk is portable -- you can take it when you move, but you wouldn't take it for a weekend trip.

The Folding Sauna

The folding sauna is both economical and practical. It collapses quickly into a compact package that can be carried anywhere. It sets up easily, and doesn't need any special plumbing or electrical connections. Just plug it into a normal wall socket.

You sit in the sauna with your head and hands protruding from the unit. It fits snugly around your neck and has slits for your hands. You can sit in the sauna and read, watch TV, or talk on the phone: all things you couldn’t do with a regular sauna.

Heated by Invisible Light

This sauna uses Far Infrared (FIR) as its heat source. FIR is different from other heat sources because it heats people and objects without warming the air in between. Infrared is part of the natural spectrum of light, but it’s outside the visible range. This is the type of radiation that provides most of the warmth from the sun.

FIR heat passes deep into the body tissues where it can promote increased blood circulation and metabolism. Many proponents of FIR claim that it allows the body to break down toxins and promote healing. Whether or not this is true, FIR offers an efficient heat source that is ideal for portable saunas.

Pre-Builts

There's no doubt about the convenience of portable saunas. But if you want a "real" sauna experience, you don't have to go through the hassle of permanently installing a spa-grade sauna in your home. Pre-built saunas are 2- or 3-piece units that can be assembled in less than half an hour, and can fit almost anywhere. They have the look and feel of a traditional sauna, right down to the wooden benches. They simply plug into a regular wall outlet to supply electricity for the heaters and the lights.

Like portable saunas, these pre-builts usually use Far Infrared (FIR) heaters as their heat source. Pre-builts are available in sizes for 1 person or up to 5 people.

Have Sauna, Will Travel

The advantages of portable saunas are obvious -- you can take a sauna wherever you go. When used at home, a portable sauna is a big space-saver because you can fold it up and store it under the bed.

Pre-built saunas also have their advantages. Even though they are less portable than true portable saunas, they still offer the possibility to take the sauna with you if you move.

Disadvantages? The portable sauna can't approach the heat level of a regular sauna. The thin walls don’t provide the insulation to support this level of heat build-up. Pre-built saunas provide heat build-up similar to regular saunas, but the box-like structure, particularly the 1-person units, make some people feel claustrophobic.

Still, if you don't want the expense and hassle of installing a permanent sauna in your home, portables and pre-built saunas allow you to get all the sauna benefits with very few drawbacks.

About The Author

Ron King

Visit http://www.sauna4u.com to learn more. Copyright 2005 Ron King. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Smoking and Eye Damage

Smoking and Eye Damage

 by: Namita Nayyar

The chemicals in cigarette smoke (around 4000 of them) get into the bloodstream of smokers and may induce the damage to the eye.

The chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause inflammation of the conjunctiva (the thin membrane covering the eye), resulting in bloodshot, irritated eyes.

In a study of nearly 21,000 U.S. male physicians, spanning an average of 13.6 years, researchers found a direct link between smoking and the development of cataracts. The study, known as Physicians Health Study I, evaluated physicians between the ages of 40 and 84 who had no prior history of cataracts before 1982. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires that included information such as: number of cigarettes smoked daily, age when they started smoking, and their age if they stopped smoking. Each participant received annual eye exams and were required to report the results to the study investigators. The participants' ophthalmologists and optometrists confirmed the results.

Smoking has also been linked to eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. The causes of macular degeneration are not completely understood, but smoking is believed to be the main preventable risk factor. Evidence indicates that more than a quarter of all cases of AMD are linked to current or past exposure to smoking.

Study results appear mixed about a direct association between smoking and diabetic retinopathy, but most experts agree that smoking should be avoided to help help stop progression of the disease.

Smoking causes shrinkage or constriction of blood vessels, shown to be directly linked to rising inner eye pressure (intraocular pressure) that can lead to glaucoma and accompanying optic nerve damage.

Optic neuritis : A landmark study found a strong association between factors such as poor nutrition and smoking linked to a 1992-1993 epidemic of optic nerve damage among Cuban citizens. Although smoking is associated with several eye diseases, including nuclear cataract and thyroid eye disease, the most common cause of smoking related blindness is age related macular degeneration, which results in severe irreversible loss of central vision.

How does smoking damage the eyes?

When you inhale cigarette smoke thousands of chemicals get into your bloodstream and can travel throughout your body. These chemicals cause damage to the macula (the most sensitive part of the retina, at the back of your eye). Tiny blood vessels can burst through the macula, leading to irreversible damage, or alternatively, the cells of the macula slowly die. Both ultimately lead to loss of vision.

Can this damage be reversed?

No. Laser treatment can sometimes kill the new blood vessels before they hit the macula. However, most people are not able to be helped this way because the blood vessel has already involved the very centre of the macula, and even after treatment, the condition recurs in half the cases and in almost all those who continue to smoke. A new treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be able to help some to reduce the severity of vision loss, but the majority of people with macular degeneration will still not be able to be treated.

If I quit smoking will my eyes recover?

Your risk of macular degeneration will be reduced if you quit smoking, however existing damage to the eyes cannot be repaired, particularly once vision is affected.

About The Author

Namita Nayyar

Kindly click the contribution site: http://www.womenfitness.net/

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

He&#39s A Stalker If.........................

He's A Stalker If.........................

 by: Monica M. Burns

Ladies have you come home from a long hard day at work only to find your estranged or current partner hiding in your bushes, parked in his car further down the street with binoculars watching your house, hiding behind the neighbors tree or just blatantly sitting in your house waiting on you! If you answered yes to any of these questions.....................honey he is a stalker.

There is nothing cute or loving about a spouse (estranged or current), watching your every move. It is stupid and dangerous. Some women mistake this type of behavior as him “really loving her.” He doesn’t love you. He wants to control you and everything that you do. Most times the results of stalking are tragic and it’s not a game. If you have broken off a relationship and he just absolutely refuses to accept it and always wants to “talk about it,” he is very unstable and will more than likely become a stalker.

According to The National Center for Victims of Crime, 1 in 12 women will be stalked in their lifetimes, 87% of stalkers are men, and 81% of women stalked by a current or former intimate partner are also physically assaulted by that partner.

Some signs to look for in a stalker are: Following you and showing up wherever you are, Repeatedly calling you including hang-ups, Damaging your home, car, or other property, Using technology such as hidden cameras or global positioning systems to track wherever you go, Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets and they will also go so far as to find information about you by utilizing public records, online search services, and private investigators. Source: The National Center for Victims of Crime.

Never accept forceful and controlling behavior from your partner. If he jokingly tells you that “he’s never letting you leave him” he really means it and it’s no joke to him. You’ll see that once you leave him and the stalking begins. What are you going to say and think then, “He said he was never letting me leave him, but I didn’t think he was serious.” When you have finally realized the seriousness of the situation, sometimes it’s too late.

So if you are presently experiencing any of the above and need assistance, contact The National Center for Victims of Crime at 1-800-FYI-CALL and always alert friends and family.

Visit my websites at http://monicaburns.tripod.com, www.monicamburns.vstore.ca and www.flashbuilder.net/users/monicaburns.

Monica M. Burns

© 2005 Monica M. Burns. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author

Monica M. Burns is a writer, expert author, and editor of Monica M. Burns, Inc., websites, small web based businesses providing informational self-help products for women. She has authored several eBooklets and other reading information materials and is a featured Expert Author on many websites. She has also contributed to several poetic anthologies.

monicaburnsinc@yahoo.com

Are You Content With Your Conversion Rate? The #1 Reason Why Your Web Content Isn&#39t Bringing Sales

Are You Content With Your Conversion Rate? The #1 Reason Why Your Web Content Isn't Bringing Sales

 by: Dina Giolitto

The sole most important reason why you aren't converting sales is this: your credibility isn't cutting it. Why is that? Because your articles are not providing hands-on tricks, tactics, secrets and strategies that your customers are dying to get their meaty paws on.

These words I mention... they're not just words that marketers throw around to impress you. These marketers are trying to communicate something that most people don't catch because they're simply too distracted to get the message.

The message is this: Successful marketers make specific plans, and carry them through.

You cannot market "randomly," throwing out an offer when you feel like it, and expect to make substantial profit. If you do, I assure you that you'll only succeed in running yourself ragged.

The good news is, if you've been doing the marketing freestyle boogie and not making sales off it, you can make a plan to change for the better and start as soon as tomorrow. Remember, if you've been doing it wrong all this time, that doesn't mean it was all for nothing. Your name IS out there after all! But it does take planning, preparation, timing and follow-through to properly execute a marketing campaign that makes you money.

When you write articles, develop content and send out free information to your subscribers, that information must be something that they can put to practical and immediate use.

Your talent as a wordsmith is a huge plus in this industry, but it will only get you so far. You must include substance in your content if you want people to stare at your emails and go, "WOW, that person REALLY has it together. Maybe I should keep following along with what they have to say."

Two things you MUST explain when writing content that will reach your key customer:

1. WHICH resources you used to create your marketing materials.

I'll give you mine now.

http://nvu.com - a free web page editor


http://formmail.com - a low-cost form creator tool


http://ezinearticles.com - the best place to submit articles on the web

2. HOW you go about creating your materials.

Here's an example of how I would go about explaining how to put together an e-book.

1. Write five short articles.


2. Save the articles to a Word document.


3. Add a Cover Page, disclaimer, page numbers, copyright line, contact email.


4. Write an introduction letter to your customer.


5. Save as a .pdf file.


6. Upload to your web server and add the link to an email that you mail to your subscribers.

These are just two small samples that illustrate what you need to tell your readers if you want them to view you as an authoritative source. You MUST tell them HOW. Anyone who fails to instruct their audience is guaranteed to lose favor within five information mailings.

It's bad enough that the web is so distracting. Make it your number one priority to catch your customer's attention and then tell him something he can put to constructive use immediately. Do this right, and you just gained yourself one loyal customer for life.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

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

Go to http://wordfeeder.com/wcad/landingpage.html for details.

About The Author

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

Ghost Mothers

Ghost Mothers

 by: Linda Joy Myers

So many women talk about their relationships with their mothers—no matter how old they are. For some, their mother, from whom they have supposedly separated long ago, still occupies a central place in the psyche. She’s too close, she’s too much. She has advice, is nosy, and interferes. The daughter wants time away, she wants boundaries, and fights for her separation from her mother.

For others, the mother still occupies the psyche, but with a wrenching kind of longing—a mother that is biological and even sometimes present, but also a mother who is so self-involved as to be emotionally absent, or literally out of the picture. This kind of mother takes up space and energy as a nagging, missing piece, a ghost. Her image hovers, her memory, or perhaps a dream of how it could have been, should have been, but never is.

Which kind of mother do you have?

My mother was a dream. I realize now, 10 years after her death, that I was always trying to get the dream to come true—to have her be warm and huggy, to have her want to know me, to visit me in my house, to know my children. To know me. It never happened. It left a yearning that I played out with men, it left a hole that I tried to fill in many ways.

When I was little, she left me when I was four years old, and once a year appeared in the landscape of my life—I lived with her mother—only to disappear too soon and in a flurry of anger at her own mother, without seeming to notice how hard it was for me.

So many people—men and women—struggle with this kind of emptiness, the burn of anger in the pit of the stomach, the unanswered questions that can’t be asked—why are you like this?

Mothers who are neglectful, selfish, and abandoning do not set out to do these things, they are a result of her own problems, her own pain, and maybe even mental illness. It is hard for us as her child to see this fully, or to forgive it.

How to help to heal the Ghost Mother wound:

1. Learn about your mother’s life—how she became the way she is—though talking with relatives, if she won’t talk to you directly, or by sitting down and hashing through history shown in photos and family albums.

2. Find adoptive mothers who will nurture you, and friends who understand your story. Learn to mother yourself—though therapy, through having children of your own. They will teach you.

3. Write your story. Tell your story. Having witnesses to your story is a part of healing. Seeing compassion in the eyes of others shows you that you are worthy of it, and deserve it.

4. Learn to forgive. Work on it. Work on being yourself and having a life you like and enjoy.

5. Learn to surround yourself with who you like, people who love and like you, and beauty that makes you feel part of the web of life.

About The Author

Linda Joy Myers, Ph. D., prize winning author of Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story, is a Marriage and Family therapist and teaches memoir-as-healing workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally. Linda’s work has been praised by reviewers, healers, and radio and television interviewers. You can visit her web site at: www.lindajoymyers.com.

10 Top Tips For Writing A Super Responsive Ezine

10 Top Tips For Writing A Super Responsive Ezine

 by: Martin Avis

One of the most often asked questions that I see is 'how can I write an ezine that people will want to read.' Anyone can tell you that there is 'money in the list' but how do you create a list of readers who are happy to send money in your direction? After all, if they don't want to read your newsletter, (I tend to use the words newsletter and ezine interchangeably) your 'list' is pretty worthless!

Over 650 issues of my ezine, Kickstart Today - http://www.kickstartdaily.com - have taught me a few things about what people really want from a newsletter.

Here are the ten top tips that I've learned the hard way:

1. Keep it short and sweet. Your ezine itself can be quite long, provided that each article is kept fast-paced and punchy. In my experience, any section that runs more than 500 words is probably too long. And 1500 words overall is enough. Many successful newsletters are around 500 words total.

2. Be as personal as you like. If people want serious business writing they can go to the news-stand. It seems to me that people love the personal aspect that ezines offer. Hence, the more I introduce elements from my own life and family into my newsletter, the bigger my positive (virtual) mailbag is.

3. Never sell. I write my newsletter three times a week and on average, about a third of my issues don't try to sell anything. As often as possible, I provide links to things that my readers can have for free. In the other two-thirds of issues, I almost never sell either - I make recommendations. My readers know that I will never recommend something that I haven't used myself - and have found to be excellent. So, in effect, my selling is a personal recommendation from one friend to another.

4. And on that note, only 'sell' (or recommend) one item in any issue. I have proved time and again with my own lists that whenever I mention two or more products for my readers to buy, overall sales goes right down. I know of several super-successful people who do manage to make multiple recommendations successfully, but it has never worked for me.

5. Never write to your list. You may have thousands of people on your list, but as soon as you start to write to 'the list' the tone of your words becomes impersonal. Always write to one person, who you imagine is sitting in front of you. If you learn to write as you would speak to that one person in front of you, your newsletter will almost automatically be a thousand times more readable than most others out there.

6. Be brave. So many ezine writers fall into the trap of avoiding controversy. The result is that their newsletters fast become boring. The truth is that people love to read a good rant. If you allow yourself to let yourself go once in a while - even if it is completely off topic, I guarantee that your list will become more responsive - and consequently more loyal.

7. Be responsive yourself. If one of your readers writes to you, make sure you write back - personally. People do business with people and they really like to know that you are a real person behind the keyboard.

8. Using other people's articles. This is a sticky one. Use other people's stuff too often and your own personality will not shine through. And if your readers see the same articles appearing elsewhere, they start to think that they might as well read them elsewhere. Personally, I don't run other people's stuff in my newsletter at all - but that is my choice, and as a fairly prolific writer, something that I can deal with. I would say that if you must use other people's articles, keep them to a fairly low percentage of each issue's total content.

9. Be prepared for the long haul. Successful newsletters are rarely born overnight. They take a long time to build their readership and even longer to regularly turn a good profit. Like any business you have to work at them - sometimes when you least want to. Get it right though, and they are worth it on so many levels.

10. Finally, find your own USP. Every product (and your ezine is a product that people have to 'buy in to' even if they don't pay for it) needs to have certain attributes that set it apart from all the others out there. Your USP (unique selling point) is the thing that people will talk about when they recommend you to their friends - so make it easy for them to notice and compelling enough for them to want to pass on the good news!

Of course, the fact that this article is available for ezine publishers to use does raise a conundrum. If my advice to avoid using other people's articles in your newsletters is valid, will anyone use this article? Or any other that is made freely available in article directories?

My suggested solution is two-fold:

a. Believe everything I say, and follow all of my rules except when applying them to articles that I have written. Clearly, those will be of far more interest to your readers than anything else. ;-)

b. Seriously, rather than blindly publishing other people's articles in your ezine, it is usually a better bet to put those articles onto your website and link to that page from your ezine. That way your readers can accept the 'gift' of an interesting article to read if they are interested, or ignore it if they so choose.

Also, you can put AdSense, or other ads onto the article page to monetize the article to those people who have shown a marked interest in the subject matter by clicking the link.

Ezine writing and publishing is a learned skill. The first few editions you produce will probably be rather rough around the edges, but keep practicing and listen to what your readers email to you. In a short time you will find your own voice and a style that will help you build a large and loyal following.

And then, the advice that the money is in the list will come true for you.

About The Author

Martin Avis publishes the acclaimed 3x-weekly email newsletter Kickstart Today - an eclectic mix of business advice, personal development, Internet marketing and unrestrained opinion. Subscription is free from http://www.kickstartdaily.com.

The Values of the "Conditioned Response Principle" in Dog Training

The Values of the "Conditioned Response Principle" in Dog Training

 by: Armen T. Ghazarians

One of the key principles of dog training is the principle of “conditioned response.” The idea is that you can set up your dog’s environment in such a way that it learns to abandon its destructive behavior through its own mistakes rather than by your instruction. Below are two common examples of problem dog behaviors and how the princple of "conditioned response" can be used to resolve them.

1. My dog is digging up my yard. How can I stop this destructive behavior? First, you must purchase some chicken wire from your local hardware store and some styptic powder from you local pet store. Before you begin, you must observe your dog’s favorite digging spots and pinpoint them in your mind. Then, you must remove your dog from the yard, and you must not allow it to watch you as you set up its environment. Cut about a 4 by 4 foot section of chicken wire and plant it under the dirt in all the locations where you dog likes to dig. Once you’re finished, release your dog and wait for the conditioned response. More than likely, your dog will go back to the locations where it dug before and proceed to dig as usual. Except now, it’s going to learn a novel lesson. Namely, that digging is going to cause it serious discomfort and pain. Once your dog associates the condition (digging) with the negative response (pain) it will automatically stop its destructive digging habit. There is, however, one drawback to this technique. If you have an aggressive digger, then you should monitor your dog for any cuts or bruises. That’s where the styptic powder comes in. If you notice a cut in your dog’s paws, gently pour the styptic powder on the cut and allow it to cauterize the bleeding. Within a matter of days, you can conditon your dog to abandon its destructive digging habit by using the principle of "conditioned response."

2. My dog chews my furniture, my shoes, and my valuable belongings. What can I do to end this destructive behavior? Go to your local pet store, and purchase a spray bottle of bitter apple. Remove your dog from your house and do not allow it to see you set up its environment. Spray your valuables (i.e. furniture, shoes, and socks) with bitter apple and place them in locations that your dog can easily access. Then allow it to come in and let the trap do the rest. As usual, your dog will go back to its old habit and start to chew its favorite shoe or furniture. But now, it’s going to get a bitter surprise. Your dog will associate the condition (chewing) with the negative response (bad taste) and it will stop its destructive chewing habit. It's important to remember, however, that all dogs need to chew, so you must repeat this process a second time. Now, you must place your dog’s favorite chew toys next to the items that were sprayed with bitter apple. This time, your dog will be reconditioned to chew its own toys rather than your valuable possessions. Thus, by conditioning your dog, you can positively reinforce a good habit (chewing designated toys) over an undesirable one (chewing your valuable possessions).

As you can see, by applying the principle of “conditioned response” you can teach your dog exactly what you want without ever getting frustrated with the training process.

About The Author

Armen T. Ghazarians offers advice and articles for those interested in training their dogs like the professionals. His blog http://www.newdogtrainingsecrets.com offers information regarding many aspects of professional dog training for anyone who is not a professional dog trainer.

Golf Balance Exercises To Create A Rock-Solid Golf Swing

Golf Balance Exercises To Create A Rock-Solid Golf Swing

 by: Mike Pedersen

Golf balance exercises should be a must for every amateur golfer. One of the biggest issues with most amateurs is balance, stability and body control in their golf swing.

So often I see a golfer swinging outside their physical capabilities and losing their balance, resulting in a severe mishit that will end up being a double or triple bogey.

There is a physical requirement to maintaining your golf balance throughout your swing. The golf swing position commonly referred to as golf posture is a very unnatural position for the body to be in at address, let alone throughout the swing.

Having a forward tilt over the balls of your feet require a high level of both strength and flexibility in your hamstrings. Just get in your golf posture and reach back behind your upper leg to see how tight your hamstrings are.

If your hamstrings are tight and/or weak, you will have no chance at maintaining your golf posture and ultimately balance throughout your golf swing.

How about your quadriceps?

The play a critical role in keeping your golf swing stable. Rotating your upper body around a somewhat fixed lower body takes a tremendous amount of leg (quad) strength. Also your quads help maintain your knee flex that you had at address. If your quads are weak, your legs will straighten, causing you to come out of our swing.

As you can see, your golf balance requires muscular strength and flexibility. Without it, you’ll be falling all over your swing forever!

One great golf balance exercise (drill) is swinging and actually hitting balls on one leg. Give it a try! You’ll soon find out how difficult it is. But stick with it, and you’ll become a pro at it. If you can hit straight balls on one leg, using both legs will be a cinch.

In all of my advanced golf performance training programs, I have the golfer do a majority of their strength exercises on one leg. It is brutal! It takes so much focus and concentration, you’ll be sweating before you even grab the weight.

I have literally dozens of golf balance exercises in my dvds, books and websites that will dramatically improve your balance, stability and overall control. It’s amazing how many emails I get from golfers who thought these golf balance exercises were easy until they did a full set of just one exercise.

They thought differently after that!

This could be your missing link to a great game! Focus on those golf balance exercises!

About The Author

Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance experts in the country; Golf Magazine's expert at GolfOnline.com, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance sites. Take a look at his just released golf training manual and dvds at http://www.performbettergolf.com

Effective Postcard can Drag you to Success

Effective Postcard can Drag you to Success

 by: Maricon Williams

Postcard promotion is one of the rising trends to discover the edge of every business and consequently live the limelight of success.

You probably wanna ask how simple postcards can make your business endeavor spicy and full of zest. Well, you may not be aware of it but postcards nowadays are among the most proficient and easy to use marketing tools. Aside from the fact that they catch instant attention because they are impossible to ignore, postcards also save money. They cost less than other marketing tools however, they can generate immediate sales. This is the reason why we should never forget the call to action in order to result to sales.

Postcards are perfect for both small and huge mailings. You can use postcards for your whole mailing list or to only a few or specific products and services. Postcards printing and mailing come in a wide variety of options. With regards to printing, there are different designs and sizes available. They are now allowing personalization or customization to give their customers a chance to create their own design and to enliven their very concepts in their choice of postcards. In fact, they are also preparing it in a quick yet efficient manner. In mailing, printing companies are assuring a fast turnaround to keep the confidence of customers.

To give you a hint on how to make postcards customizations, here are some valuable tips and tricks:

1. Plan ahead of time. The key to a successful marketing endeavor is a good planning strategy. Thus, prior to your postcard design, be sure that you have conceptualized and planned on every detail even the minutest of the details.

2. A bang on the design. Your design must have impact to catch everyone’s attention. To boot, you can use Publisher New Publication Wizards to have a stunning design that will surely capture the interest of its readers.

3. Edit to the bone. Postcards can only accommodate few words. Therefore, you must remove unnecessary words for easy reading and for the words to fit the space intended for the texts. Focus on large graphics or pictures instead of texts to catch reader’s attention in a spur of the moment.

4. Be consistent with your primary goal. The message, color, typeface and graphics must reflect the primary goal of your business. All these stuffs must go hand in hand in order to achieve the common end.

5. Be wise in choosing your print and mailing options. There are a lot of printing options. You can use two-color printing if you want a budget-friendly design. You can also opt for full color postcard printing, if you want a more colorful and vibrant postcards. Further, to explore more colors, you can use six-color printing and other printing options available for your printing needs. Mailing is also flexible nowadays. Your postcards can now be delivered at your choice depending on its quantity and printing technique used.

About The Author

Maricon Williams

Please visit Postcard Printing Company site at http://www.rushpostcardprinting.com/post-card-printing-and-mailing.html for comments and inquiries regarding this article.

Breaking Goals Down To The Basics

Breaking Goals Down To The Basics

 by: Jeffrey Rolo

One of the primary reasons why people fail to execute their goals is they set forth unrealistic or overly complex goals. Most of us have the tendency to look at the finish line without paying much consideration to the distance between the end point and us. Here are a couple examples to illustrate this point:

  • My goal is to lose 80 pounds by next year.

  • My goal is to lose 8 pounds a month each month until I reach the grand goal of 80 pounds.

Or how about this one?

  • My goal is to save up enough money to take a cross-country vacation next summer.

  • My goal is to save $30.00 each week so that 50 weeks from now I will have accumulated $1,500.00 for the vacation expenses. I will do this by using grocery coupons, downgrading my cable plan and dining out one time less per week.

The majority of us lay out our goals in the general manner exhibited by the first statement in each of the two examples above, but unfortunately they are so aimless and expansive that unless you are particularly motivated and disciplined chances are good you will give up long before you reach the goal.

On the other hand, if you break down your expansive goals into an assortment of smaller goals that are easily achieved, you will find yourself far more focused and motivated. Each time you reach a milestone (the conclusion of a smaller goal), you will experience the jubilation of success and be one step closer to your end goal.

Breaking large goals up into manageable pieces also plays a bit of a trick on the mind. What would be your natural answer to the following question?

  • Is it easier to lose 80 pounds in 10 months, or 2 pounds each week?

The thought of losing 80 pounds is horrifying… that's a lot of weight. Two pounds is much more manageable. Right? But if you break the numbers down, you'll find that two pounds a week for 10 months will result in the loss of 80 pounds, which is exactly the same as your expansive end goal.

By breaking up your large goals, you allow your mind to focus on the easily achievable midpoints such as two pounds a week. At the end of each week if you see that you didn't reach your goal of two pounds, you'll know something needs to be tweaked if you are to succeed with your end goal. On the other hand no matter how frustrated you become with your diet, if you see that you are losing just two pounds every week you'll know that you are well on your way and as such you will remain far more motivated throughout the process.

No realistic goal is too great as long as you break it down to easily achievable and detailed interim goals.

Copyright 2005 Goals-and-Motivation.com

About The Author

Jeffrey Rolo is an experienced human resources manager, business owner and also the owner of Goals-and-Motivation.com, a website offering a free 20+ page guide on goal setting. Visit http://www.goals-and-motivation.com to view the guide as well as other articles about goals and management.