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Internet Marketing: Online Advertising
Do you have an online business? One that revolves around Internet Marketing, then this articles is a must read for you…

Whether you fail or succeed in your Internet marketing business depends mainly on one thing, Internet users. If people surfing the Internet are interested in your business, its service or product then you will have overflowing coffers. But if these very same internet surfers are not in the least interested in what you are selling or offering, then you my friend are in grave trouble, because your next best option is to shut shop and get a job or find another means of earning.

No one wants to ‘shut shop’ even before the Internet business has kicked off. Each one wants to attract visitors to their websites and convert these visitors into loyal customers. This will sum up to building a clientele base for your business. Once you have taken all the trouble, now is the time to enjoy the benefits.

What you need to do as an Internet marketer is to turn to effective online advertising to bring traffic to your website. But how does one do that without letting the people know that well…they are needed. The trick here is to pretend that you don’t really need them. There are many ways to use online advertising and to make them work for you. There are thousand websites and companies out there that are willing to offer advertising space and at the same time there are thousands of websites out there that need their products to be advertised. But since the Internet advertising market is so large, these people cannot meet and discuss terms and conditions of advertising. So how it works is the company that wished to advertise contacts an online advertising company that will in turn provide ad space on the Internet.

So now you are obviously seeing the benefits of an online advertising firm right? But there are things to be considered before diving in.
Gather information on websites and online companies that are ready to advertise on their websites. Then select the sites that get the highest web traffic. Once you have done this start negotiating terms with these clients who need to advertise. These advertisers will give you a payout on the basis of the exposure they receive on their products and services related to the advertising site venues.

Types of Online Advertising
There are different types of advertising that can be offered to an online website or company who wants to advertise on the Internet, these are:
• Banner Ads: these are pictorial ads that can be seen on populated websites and these commonly include a hyperlink to the owner’s site. The price for this depends on the number of ads shown.
• Sponsorship ads: these are bigger that banner ads and contain a lot of text as compared to the banner pictorial ads. These are mostly placed on popular websites like ezines and online newsletters. They are priced according to the readers of the website where the ad is placed.
• Pay-per-click (PPC) ads: these ads are placed on websites, which get a lot of traffic. These ads can be text or pictorial ads. They are priced according to the number of click they generate.
Internet Marketing, Online Advertising all boil down to marketing tools. Marketing your business in the right way is of utmost importance. Not only will it bring in the big bucks but it will help where it counts the most, clientele. So choose wisely when you are thinking of making your online business grow and flourish.

By Khushnuma Irani

 

Protecting Your Data From Natural Disasters

(NewsUSA) - Hurricane Gustav sent the Gulf Coast away from home -; over 2 million people evacuated Louisiana and its surrounding states in the three days before the storm. And while Gustav did not cause the devastation that experts originally predicted, it should still serve as a reminder: Americans living in disaster-prone areas need to protect their assets.

Along with its purple mountains and shining seas, America sees its fair share of natural disasters. Hurricanes on the Gulf, brushfires in the Midwest and earthquakes on the West Coast threaten millions of homes each year. Losing a house can be hard enough, but losing important paperwork -; medical records, deeds, wills, bill statements, marriage licenses -; creates added confusion.
Even those families whose homes survive might lose important documents when their bank floods or burns down. To truly protect their assets, families should consider making their documents digital.
Digital files, especially those that can be accessed online, are more secure than paper files. Instead of keeping large file folders full of bank statements and pay stubs, Americans can consolidate all of their important information into one location, helping to organize important documentation.
One software-based estate- planning service, The Estate Vault, helps users secure their records. Users can record their credit histories, insurance policies, stock portfolios, passports, birth certificates, funeral wishes and end-of-life plans for pets, along with other information, on to The Estate Vault's protected Web site, a home computer or on to CD-ROMs, which users can distribute to family members or store in bank vaults.
Users can access their information from any location, so an evacuated family can retrieve needed information -; like a home inventory assessment that records the value of their home -; as soon as they arrive someplace with Internet access.
Of course, Americans should notice where companies back data up. The Estate Vault stores its data in a building owned by Primus Telecommunications Canada, which has won awards for its support systems. Canada does not experience earthquakes or hurricanes, making it one of the world's safest places for document security.
For more information, visit www.estatevault.com. Estate Vault trades on the NASDAQ OTC under the symbol TEVI.
 

How to Make Your Website's Design Shine

(NewsUSA) - Whether you're preparing for your wedding, chronicling your travels or running a small business, a website or blog is the easiest way to share information with family, friends, professional contacts or customers. With advances in technology making it easier to build websites, millions of Americans are figuring out the basics of web design. Others are turning to professional designers for help.
What makes a website's design successful? According to design experts, there are five keys to effective website design. These tips will help ensure that your website attracts visitors, encourages them to browse and -- if you're selling -- entices customers to buy.

1. Minimalist design. Your website should look clean and uncluttered. Minimalist design makes it easy for visitors to concentrate on the content.

If a page has too many elements, visitors may become confused. This doesn't mean the design has to be boring -- a simple approach, focusing on a few key details, will make it look modern and stylish.
2. Fabulous photos. Avoid cliché or unprofessional photography and find images that say something genuine about you or your business. For affordable, reliable photography that makes it easier to be creative, try stock photography websites like Veer, which has images for as little as $1, or for exceptional images, try Corbis Images, which has web-resolution images starting at $5.
3. Encourage action. Whether you want people to note your wedding details, view your travel photos or make a purchase, make sure that your "call to action" is clear and concise. Use short and snappy language, and large, boldly colored, clickable buttons that are in the top or middle of the page.
4. Focus on fonts. Bold fonts help visitors recognize the important messages and call-to-action on a page, while more common fonts are perfect for explaining the details. Veer.com has thousands of unique fonts for just a few dollars.
5. Color counts. Color conveys meaning and encourages different reactions by visitors. Don't forget to make good use of white space -- the space between different elements of a design. Used well, it allows for easier scanning of your site.
Design resources like Smashing magazine or Daily Blog Tips provide more in-depth information to help solve specific challenges.
 

Watch Prime Time Online: Find Your Favorite Shows on the Web

(NewsUSA) - The average American household spends 4.5 hours a day watching TV - a quarter of every person's free time. Whether it's morning cartoons, afternoon soaps, reality shows or the evening news, one thing is clear: Americans love television. But television programs have their limitations. Network executives decide when shows air, so life's daily obligations like children's activities or class work can prevent a viewer from watching her favorite show, whether it's "Desperate Housewives" or "Heroes." Old classics, like "The Addams Family," are even harder to come by, no matter how much you feel like watching Wednesday and Cousin It.


The Internet offers fast-paced entertainment for the viewer who wants to watch "One Tree Hill" on a whim or reruns of "Lost" time and time again. Streaming videos online lets Internet-users enjoy cartoons, soaps, reality shows and news clips at any time and on their own schedule.
A recent study from Nielson Media Research found that one in four Internet users watches streaming, full-length television episodes on their computers - and that number is increasing. When "The Office" held its season premiere in 2007, one viewing in five was on a computer rather than the television, and the episode was streamed 2.7 million times that week alone.
Major networks have taken notice. Many now place full television episodes online, allowing viewers to watch prime-time programming on their own time and with "limited commercial breaks."
Still, locating and enjoying streaming videos can be frustrating for Internet users. Broken links, pixilated videos and incomplete episodes make the experience less than ideal. Some services, however, are working to make finding high-quality, online videos easier.
One of the Web's biggest video sites, "blinkx Remote" (tv.blinkx.com), scours the Internet for full-length TV shows, then organizes them by season and episode. Users can browse through over 11,000 episodes of classic and newly popular TV shows, then watch their favorites at any time and from any location with Internet access. TV enthusiasts can search for TV episodes by season, episode, title, network or genre, and quickly find their way to happy viewing.
 
Big Solutions for Small Business on the Web
(NewsUSA) - In today's digital age, small businesses have much more to worry about financially than in previous eras. But electronic payments and banking, the key transaction mechanisms for small U.S. businesses, are easing the burden. According to a study performed by software vendor CashEdge, 72 percent of small businesses,
with revenues in the $5 million to $10 million range, expressed a medium-to-high interest in utilizing online payments.
CashEdge also estimates that between March 2006 and March 2007, the number of electronic employee payments made by small businesses grew by a total of 41 percent. With the rapidly increasing number of web-savvy business leaders conducting business online, companies such as Bank of America have developed Express Invoicing services, which enable small business owners to create and send invoices electronically.
"With Express Invoicing, small business owners can spend less time on billing procedures and more time keeping their businesses running and growing," said Joe Helweg, senior vice president and small business e-commerce executive at Bank of America.
Express Invoicing, part of Bank of America's Online Business Suite, is quickly becoming a way to lighten the workload. These tools are tailored specifically toward small businesses -; a market that in 2006 totaled 26 million, with sizes ranging from one to 500 employees.
With influences such as the Internet, broadband and online advertising driving the evolution of these smaller segments of the business world, owners have become increasingly more tech-savvy and are now looking to save time when it comes to billing.
With Electronic Invoicing, the average invoice can be created and sent in less than two minutes. Services like e-invoicing are part of a larger set of online solutions that can be combined to increase a company's productivity.
Account management modules are now letting customers view their personal and business accounts -; including multiple business entities -; with one online ID. Helpful tools like direct-payment modules give small business owners the added ease of electronic vendor payments, as well as payroll solutions and direct deposit options for their employees.
In a time where small businesses are gaining ground more quickly than ever before, finding security, control and value in financial management has never been easier.
For more information, visit www.bankofamerica.com/suite.
 
Using the Web to Support Small Business
(NewsUSA) - In years past, Americans asked their neighbors about the best mechanics, dry cleaners and plumbers in town. Today's local gems often go undiscovered while consumers head to well-known chains, regardless of the service they receive. However, Americans can use consumer rating Web sites to find and support the high-quality, local businesses that they've never heard of.
From restaurant reviews to the latest buzz on local pet sitters, childcare centers or physicians, Web sites provide valuable consumer information.
"With so many people moving across the country and fewer of us knowing our neighbors well, it's gotten harder to find that over-the-backyard-fence reference," said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List (www.angieslist.com), a Web site that reviews local home service companies as well as personal services or healthcare. "We take that neighborly referral concept to the next level. So, instead of taking one neighbor's word, you have the firsthand accounts of 15 or 20 people in your city."
Angie's List, now the nation's leading provider of consumer ratings on local service companies, started out by visiting homeowners door-to-door. Hicks asked locals about their experiences with nearby businesses, then developed memberships. Today, over 650,000 homeowners use Angie's List to find businesses in more than 330 categories, from architects to dentists to window cleaners. In addition to its Web site, Angie's List also takes phone calls and publishes a magazine.
"I really enjoy being able to tell people about good companies and accentuate the positive out there," said Vicky Polito, an Angie's List user. " I really think that people who work hard to provide good service really like knowing that they are going to have a satisfied customer who can and will tell about that (experience)."
Supporting high-quality, local businesses helps create vibrant communities. A dollar given to a local business often recirculates before leaving town, helping support several small shops and their employees.
 
Students on Budgets Turn to Online Schools
(NewsUSA) - Bill McGann knew that he needed a master's degree.
As a disaster-planning specialist at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a county fire commissioner in Loudoun County, Va., McGann needed to keep up with an ever-changing field. But natural disasters don't arrive on any schedule -; between travel and work commitments, McGann couldn't attend traditional university classes. So like many Americans, McGann earned his degree online.
"The fact is, in many careers, continuing education is a necessity," said McGann, who decided to enroll in American Public University (APU), a regionally accredited online institution. "These fields are constantly changing, and the importance of staying in the classroom cannot be overemphasized."
As food and fuel prices rise, many Americans struggle to meet day-to-day costs, much less pay college tuition. But with a stagnant job market and more unemployed workers competing for jobs, many adults are returning to school.
Employees with degrees typically see more job opportunities and earn higher salaries than less educated workers. Continuing education helps adults stay ahead in the workforce and helps America stay competitive in the global marketplace -; companies require skilled employees.
While some adults attend traditional institutions for post-secondary degrees, less expensive, more convenient alternatives are starting to hold wide appeal. As gas and oil prices fluctuate, students look to eliminate long commutes. Taking classes online helps students further their education without spending gas money.
Some online schools offer students further incentives. For example, APU established a book grant so that undergraduate students don't have to pay the price of purchasing or shipping expensive textbooks. They also offer some of the least expensive rates with undergraduate courses costing approximately $750 a course and graduate courses costing $825 a course. In a time when tuition only seems to increase, APU has not raised their undergraduate rates in over seven years.
Online coursework also offers students flexibility -; they can earn their degree while also working, traveling or meeting family obligations. For more information, visit www.apu.apus.edu.
 
news Got a great idea for a Web site, but can't find a decent .com Web address that suits you?
(NewsUSA) -Over the past 25 years, more than 95 million .com addresses have been registered by corporations, organizations and individuals. As a result, the pool of meaningful .com names is nearly exhausted. Fortunately there are a few solutions:
If the Web address you want is owned by someone else, you can offer to buy it -- but sometimes sales can range from several hundred to several hundred thousand dollars.
Using an alternate domain extension, such as .net, .org, .info and .biz, might help you find the name that you want, but Internet users can easily overlook these target niche audiences. Perhaps the best way for you to get the Web address you want is with the new .CO domain extension, which launched in July and generated nearly half
a million registrations in the first few weeks alone!
Here are just a few reasons why the .CO domain extension has been such an immediate success:
* It's Familiar -; .CO is very similar to .com, so it's easy for people to remember. People around the world already associate "co" with "company," so it's easier for them to make the leap from .com to .CO. Also, it's already used in 20 country-specific domains like England (.co.uk), Canada, (.co.ca), Japan (.co.jp), and others.
* It's Available -; Since there are so many .CO names to choose from, people all over the world are jumping on the .CO bandwagon. You can search for available .CO domains through registrars such as GoDaddy.com, Register.com, Network Solutions and others.
* It's Safer -; .CO takes a tough stand on all forms of domain name abuse. They've taken steps to protect the rights of brands and trademark holders and have made it harder for cyber-squatters and fraudsters to hide from authorities.
Thousands of major corporations, such as Apple, Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonalds and Sony, have already secured their .CO domain names. Many companies like Overstock.com (o.co) are using .CO to create new content, reach new audiences or offer new services.
It may take a while for .CO to catch up to .com, but at least you can get in on the ground floor and secure the .CO domain that best fits your online business, blog or personal Web site. For more information, visit www.cointernet.co.
 

Parents should know where their children go when they're online.

Are Your Kids Savvy About Internet Safety? (346)

(NewsUSA) - The Internet is an important educational tool. With a click of a mouse, kids can find information on just about anything. Unfortunately, children who don't practice basic Internet safety may expose themselves and their parents to certain risks.

Children can easily stumble upon inappropriate content. Chat rooms have a reputation for encouraging Internet predation, but pedophiles can stalk victims from Web sites like Facebook as well. Many kids don't realize that anyone can read what they write on the Internet, so they post home phone numbers, addresses, their full names or the names of their schools.

Social networking sites may also expose children to bullying, as peers can send demeaning e-mails, instant messaging and text messages without attracting attention from parents or teachers. Finally, children may download pirated music or movies, or even computer viruses or spyware.

"The Internet is an important resource for kids, if they know how to use it," says John Goslin, chief technology officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), a non-profit organization that strives to help young people realize their potential. "Parents need to be aware of the potential dangers and create guidelines to help kids avoid them."

CA Technologies, which serves as the BGCA's national information technology security partner through its global philanthropy program, CA Together IT, helps keep 56,000 BGCA computers secure. It starts off with security software, including anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware technology, and prevention measures that restrict unauthorized use.

"Software can help prevent viruses, spyware and inappropriate spam messages, and allow parents to monitor and help protect their children online," says George Kafkarkou, general manager of CA Technologies. "But parental supervision is the best security measure available to kids."

Parents should know where their children go online and with whom they communicate. Placing computers in a family room can help you keep an eye on their activities. Parents should instruct children not to give out personal information online, even on sites like Facebook, and ask children to come to them if they encounter anything that makes them nervous or uncomfortable.

For more information, visit www.bgca.org.

 
Consumers Turn to Money-Saving Web Sites
(NewsUSA) - As the economic recession continues, Americans look to pinch their pennies. And while a good pair of scissors and sales flyers can go a long way toward cutting expenses, many people are printing, rather than clipping, their coupons.
Here are some top Web sites that consumers are using to find deals on items ranging from prescription drugs to home furnishings:
BidRx.com. Here, the pharmacies bid for your business. This Web site allows registered users to access an auction, where they can view different pharmacies' rates for prescription medications. If a user notices that a pharmacy in another state charges less than their local pharmacy, they can place a mail order to receive their medications at a lower cost. BidRx.com also lists similar drug options that fulfill the same function as their current medications, but at a lower price. When registering, enter M4E014 in the referral code box for immediate savings.
Bradsdeals.com. Basically a savings tracker, the Web site bradsdeals.com tells users when their favorite stores and companies offer sales, bargains and other promotions. Users can print out coupons or access codes that save them money online. Products range from groceries to electronics to clothing. The site updates daily.
Pricegrabber.com. If a user knows what item they want to buy, they can search for the item at www.pricegrabber.com. The Web site will show the price of the item as it is sold by different vendors, so users can quickly hone in on the best deal.
Bookfinder.com. Whether a user needs text books or a pleasure read, bookfinder.com will show what different vendors charge for the same used or new titles.
Mint.com. If an Internet user struggles to keep track of their online spending, they can create a free account at mint.com. Users enter financial information, including credit and debit cards, bank accounts and budget information. The Web site will then help users track and categorize their spending. Mint.com also alerts its users when they receive paychecks or when they exceed a preset budget.
 
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