Web Assessments

Web Assessments
By L R Lindsay

Today's websites are the greatest marketing tools there are. They are the best tools for communicating with customers and showcasing your products and services. They are the lifeblood of your brand and convey your status, reputation, and position in the market. That's why web assessments are so critical to learning whether you are making the most of your website.

These are a few questions that our web assessments answer: (1) Can consumers find your website easily when they search the internet for companies that sell the products and services you do? (2) Does your company's name surface often on the internet? (3) Is your website designed to invite customers to your site's inside pages to check out your products and make a purchase?(4) Can people locate your website through social media? Do your social media sites direct traffic to your website?

Web assessment points 1 and 2 (above): Can consumers find your website easily?

Web assessments tells you whether search engines like Google and Yahoo can "read" your website, so that your company name and products come up often when people search for them on the internet. Through search-engine optimization (SEO), your website and products are located more often, and your name can even seem to popup everywhere when someone searches for your brand.

SEO considers how search engines work, what people search for, the search terms or keywords typed into search engines, and which search engines are used by your targeted consumers. The more often a website appears in search-engine results, the more often people will visit it.

By the way, can consumers access your website using their mobile phone? That's another matter to consider when you ask for web assessments.

Website assessment point 3: Is your website designed to invite customers?

Every site is designed, but few are designed well. When it comes to website design, you don't want it to look a mess. You want your brand, logo, colours, and company's personality to explode from the home page and pull consumers inside. On the inner pages of the site, they read fascinating, well-written snippets on what's great about you and your products and services. They see exciting themes-- photographs, drawings, or picture-caption copy that communicates as well as the writing.

Bear in mind that a website built from a cookie-cutter template lacks original design and can seem amateurish for companies in the business of attracting customers or even employees. If you want to look professional-hire a professional designer to make you look good. Your reputation is at stake.

Consider the amazing sites that will impress visitors

All websites can be scaled to include digital catalogs, e-commerce, forums, message boards, blogs, auctions, contests, sales coupons that flash like light bulbs, newsletters, chat, classifieds, photo galleries, games, reviews, donation buttons, event enrollment forms, comments sections, and response forms. The only limitations are your imagination. By the way, we design catchy and meaningful logos.

Website assessment point 4: Do your social media sites direct traffic to your website?

Are you on social media? Your competitors are. Do you "share" your web content on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and so on. Since you want to be on every corner of the web, it's essential to incorporate social media into your website. This means having great social media links. You want all your sites-social media and web-to communicate with one another.

Web assessments are a must. If you do any digital work at all, ensure it's focused on improving your website's design, SEO, and connection to social media.

Learn more about Web assessments

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Does Your Brick and Mortar Business Have a Squeeze Page?

Does Your Brick and Mortar Business Have a Squeeze Page?
By Chris Doe Ford

I happen to know several traditional brick and mortar business owners. Some are highly successful. However, the one common area all seem to have major challenges is creating their online presence. After all, what a faster way to grow your business than via internet.

So, the question then becomes, how do I grow my business on the internet? The very first step is gathering information for potential customers. What is the most valuable piece of information in internet marketing? You guessed it, the email address.

A Squeeze page (also known as a landing page or lead capture page) is simply a page designed to collect names and email addresses. This squeeze page contains an opt-in form where your potential customer provides his name and email address in exchange for your 'irresistible offer'.

There are several different types of squeeze pages and tons of ready-made templates where you can simply plug in your business information and offer. To determine which squeeze page works best for your business requires testing and more testing. In the internet world, when you test a certain page against another comparable page to see which one converts better, this is called 'split testing'.

All of your online potential customers are directed to your 'squeeze page'. Once the email address is gathered, then that potential customer is directed to your offer and a thank you page. Your offer may be your newsletter or a free report or a tip on whatever business you are in.

The main purpose of gathering the email address is for business follow-up. Most people don't purchase on the very first website visit. The average visits before a purchase is made, per the experts, is 7. So, that begs the question. If you collect the email address how do we follow-up? It's called an autoresponder. The autoresponder is your most valuable online tool. You simply prepare pre-written messages to be sent out at pre-determined dates to the email addresses collected. Your business name is kept in your potential customers face and will greatly increase your sales.

Their are several reputable autoresponder companies available today, including Aweber, GetResponse, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, GVO, etc. Most will provide a trial period or money-back guarantee if your not happy with the service. Be sure to educate yourself on the functions of the autoresponder of your choice. Watch the Video tutorials provided and greatly increase your efficiency.

In designing your squeeze page, make sure it provides two important elements for your potential customer. Important element number one for your customers is, make sure it provides value or benefits them. For example, if your squeeze page relates to 'care for dogs' and your in the automobile business, you probably won't collect many email addresses (opt-ins). However, if your in the auto business and you provide a free report or tips on how to better maintain your care or a coupon for maintenance, or something similar, your conversion rate (opt-ins) should do well.

Important element number two for your opt-ins is tell them on your squeeze page that you will not share their email address or name to anyone else. Respect their privacy and thank them for opt-ing in.

Develop your online presence with a great squeeze page and autoresponder follow-up and watch your sales greatly increase.

Chris Doe Ford - for more information on this and related topics please visit my homepage at http://rchrisford.com

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To the Nine to Fiver Who Wants to Start an Online Business

To the Nine to Fiver Who Wants to Start an Online Business
By Zo Slater

Are you tired of spending endless hours working for someone else on a job you hate? I used to work hard also. The 12-hour shifts. The 7-day weeks. But I didn't start making big money until I started my own online business. And it didn't take much.

Many people that hate their jobs spend hours, surfing the Internet, looking for a particular get rich quick, money making, opportunity, which only ends up being a scam or false advertisement. If this sounds like you, you are one of the many people who would benefit from creating your own mini site to start your own online business. These are websites that only contain 1-5 pages. They are basically small web sites. The main purpose of mini sites is to make money. You can do this by focusing on a very narrow niche and try to rank for solely one keyword in a search engine. Creating a mini site can be broken down into these steps:

1. Picking a product
2. Building the mini site
3. Generating Traffic
4. Optimizing the Site

The first step is to find a product which you want to promote. You can promote all sorts of products or services. Just pick a product or service you are interested in. Then your next step is to set up your site. In order to create a site buy your own domain. Ideally the domain should include the keywords you are trying to rank for. You can use HTML and CSS to build your site. Lastly, you need to generate traffic in some form to your site. You can aim at getting 1500-3000 visitors per month once the site is set up. You can achieve this by focusing on a very narrow niche market. What you want to do is to find a keyword that is related to your product. This keyword will lead thousands people per month to your site. It needs to be a keyword with little competition which makes it easier for you to rank faster and better. Also keep in mind that the keyword you are targeting should be a buying keyword. If you focus on building a site around cooking then buying keywords for cooking might be cooking course, cook training, and so forth.

With mini sites you can generate cash automatically without having to worry about much. It's also important to remember to optimize the site.

Zo Slater is a well-known internet entrepreneur, digital media producer, hip-hop producer, author and small business authority. He has written nationally published columns.

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The Most Important Metrics for Internet Businesses

The Most Important Metrics for Internet Businesses
By Hemang C Subramanian

In the internet economy - be it a web 2.0 Or the App industry, one of the most important metrics determining a firm's value is: "Customer Lifetime Value" (CLV). CLV is the value generated by a customer while using the app (or website) that is in turn captured by the website or the app. Another metric of importance is the customer acquisition cost (CAC). CAC is the cost of acquiring a customer through either advertisements, referals or through regular sales cycle.

One of the ways to calculate the CLV is as follows: (A more detailed definition and formula for the same is given here.)

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) = average sale value x number of repeat transactions x average retention time.

For example, let's say that a Netflix customer uses the service for 5 years (average retention time) and pays $8 per month (average sale value) and 12 times a year ( i.e. number of repeat transactions). The customer lifetime value for Netflix is 5 X 12 X 8 = $480.

If Netflix spends $80 to acquire one customer on average, the net realizable value from a customer is:

CLV - AC ie. $480 - $80 = $400 per customer per year

Obviously the more the number of customers the higher is the firm's revenue. The net realizable revenue for Netflix with 40 million customers is 16 billion dollars over 5 years. For services that are dependent on advertisements e.g. news sites or Google, the average sale value is dependent on the average number of times a customer clicks on an advertisement (CPC ads) OR the number of times an advertisement can be displayed to the customer (Display/banner advertisements).

Most internet firms or apps try to increase their customer lifetime value by increasing either:

a) The number of repeat transactions: This is achieved by increasing a customer's time spent using the app (or the website) by making the site's value proposition very compelling. In addition high repeat transactions are achieved by making customers engage in actions such as clicking ads or browsing or purchasing digital goods.

b) The retention: This is achieved by making it very difficult to leave the application or the platform AND by making the user return to the platform over and over again.

Overall, if an internet business increases the number of repeat transactions and increases the retention of customers while simultaneously increasing the number of customers, their business will get very valuable quickly - like Whatsapp...

Hemang is a business academic (Ph.D. candidate at Scheller College of business at Georgia Tech), a product enthusiast and software professional with more than a decade of experience in the high Tech industry at IBM, Yahoo! and startups. He regularly blogs at http://www.hemangcs.tumblr.com. Hemang also serves in an advisory role and independent director level overseeing launch strategies for high tech businesses. His research is under review for publication at several top academic journals in information systems and in Strategic management. Hemang can be reached at hemang@gatech.edu

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3 Questions You Must Answer Before Trying to Make Money Online

3 Questions You Must Answer Before Trying to Make Money Online
By Bruce Woodward

Question 1:

Why do you want an online business, or income?

• If you answered "to get rich," then I have to admit that you are probably misguided about online businesses, and making money online. Let's be upfront right now, there is no magic pill or elixir (or online program or software, either) that will have you raking in money; despite what all the "guru's" and make-money-online "experts" are willing to bait out. You may well be better suited to play the lottery.


• If you answered "to work five minutes a day and spend the rest of the time traveling/doing what I want." See bullet one. Any venture, whether it is virtual or not requires time, effort and in almost all cases, at least to a certain degree, capital. Starting an online business, or acquiring an online income is not simply working for "five minutes" and expecting cash to role in. if you believe that, you have likely been hooked by a "guru." You must expect, and be willing to, invest time (at least) in your new venture - a lot of entrepreneurs starting out spend 10-20 hours a week above and beyond their current job working on their online business.


• If you answered "for financial freedom, independence and self-reliance" then you have as good of chance as any to succeed with you own online business or money-making opportunity. As long as you don't fall into any traps from the "guru's", and know upfront the time, effort and sacrifices that has to be made upfront.

Question 2:

What do you want to achieve?

• If you answered "to get rich" or "to get rich quick" - see the first bullet point above. You have to be realistic with what you want to achieve, and honestly, "to get rich" or "to get rich quick" just is simply not realistic. It does not happen.


• Begin with a reasonable goal. Something you can see, and obtain. Something that will, once met, give you inspiration for moving forward, and for continuing with your endeavor. Beware not to set your sights too high as failure in this realm is the leading cause of online entrepreneurs dropping out, giving up and cashing in.

Question 3:

Do you have the desire, commitment and self drive?

• This is probably the single most question that you must answer truthfully to be able to achieve any and all goals for your online business. Are you the type that can create the initiative to go out on your own, get up daily and know what you must do at any certain time of the day?


• Or, are you the type that has to be managed. To be given a task or tasks to achieve in a given time frame? Now, there is nothing at all wrong with this type of person, if you are indeed one of them. But, online entrepreneurship may not be the best option for you.

To be successful in online entrepreneurship, as is true with any business, you must be aware that "get rich" or "get rich quick" goals/hype are scams. You must be able to set achievable and measurable goals. And, most importantly, you must be able to do this on your own. You must have the resolve and determination to set, manage and achieve your own goals.

Bruce has been in internet marketing and most all aspects of the internet for almost seventeen years and is the owner of his own blog at http://MySocialHomePlace.com. He is also an IT professional. Don't get scammed.

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5 Simple Strategies to Help You Succeed in an Online Business

5 Simple Strategies to Help You Succeed in an Online Business
By Jinger Jarrett

Now more than ever is the time to start a business online. Microsoft was started during a recession, and a recession is often the best time to start a business. Before you get started, there are certain things you need to do. It's a mistake to jump into starting a business before you have made built a firm foundation. To help you get started, I've outlined five strategies that will help you get started quickly and start earning money:

1. Start by choosing the business model you want.

There are really only four main business models to choose from: your own products, affiliate products, MLM, and services. Your business can be a combination of these four models. This will help you earn multiple streams of income and not put all your eggs in one basket. Start by choosing only one business model at first. This will allow you to focus on earning money only one way. Learn everything you can about the business model you have chosen. It's important to do your homework at this stage and learn everything you can so that you lay a solid foundation for building your business. I would recommend you read at least three books on starting an online business, MLM, or affiliate marketing prior to doing anything so you can learn what you need to know to get started.

2. Make a plan.

Once you know the requirements of building a business, and you've chosen a business model, then your next step is to formulate a plan. You will want to answer several questions first? What type of websites will you build? Will you focus on building a list or building content to draw your readers to your site? How will you market your business? Will you outsource the tasks that need to be done for your business or will you do them yourself? Formulate a plan for how you will handle these various issues.

3. Implement your plan.

Once you have answered all these questions, then your next step is to implement your plan. If you plan to outsource, choose a reputable freelance site to get your work completed. You may also want to consider asking friends who are in business who they use to help build their businesses. If you plan to do it yourself, then gather the tools you need to help you get the job done. There is plenty of free software available on the internet to help with building websites and squeeze pages, as well as implement email marketing campaigns.

4. Market consistently.

There are certain internet marketing techniques you may use that are absolutely free. They are also the most effective ways to market your business online. Examples include: article writing, search engine optimization, free classifieds, free eBooks and reports, videos, blogging, and other types of content. You can create and distribute these types of content, and they will work as mini sales machines for you 24/7.

5. Do a periodic assessment of your business to find out if you are on track.

If you're not testing and tracking your efforts, you won't know how your business is doing. Keep your business books. Income - Expenses = Profits. This will tell you if you are making money, so it's important that you do this.

Before you start a business, careful planning is order to help you get to where you need to be. The most important part is to make sure that once you have created your plan that you take action. Without action, you cannot succeed.

Like these tips? The visit my site, Killer Marketing Arsenal, and let me show you how to a business online for free. Sign up for my 100 Day Course and quickly build a business from scratch and start making money online.

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Tips To Help Avoid Failure Online

Tips To Help Avoid Failure Online
By Bruce Woodward

Online businesses can be much easier, and cheaper, to start than traditional offline or brick and mortar businesses. However, online businesses carry the same risk of failure as traditional brick and mortar businesses. In this article, I will discuss some tips that you can do to help minimize and potentially avoid failure.

Setting Goals

Setting goals is something that I have touched on in previous articles, but the importance, I believe, warrants additional mention. It is something that usually does not take much time and has no costs associated with it, but can yield tremendous results in a critical area: Confidence.

To gain the most from goal setting, do not be over zealous. Keep your goals reachable and preferably something that you can surpass. Where goals can help confidence greatly when achieved or surpassed, the opposite is true if you set goals too unattainable and fail to reach them.

Lower, but more achievable goals, build confidence by making one feel achievement. You can sit back and see the results - and see that you have achieved what you set out to do (or surpassed.)

On the flip side, if a goal is unreachable, regardless of how it looks on paper or how "close" you may come, you feel a bit of rejection. You feel like you just could not make it. And, especially if coupled with another missed goal, it makes you more susceptible to feeling like you failed and therefore giving up on the idea altogether.

Think of it, in a sense, like Wall Street. What happens if a company releases it's financials, and they are lower than their projections? Or, if they come out with a downgraded (or lower) projection? [Usually] their stock goes down. However, if they surpass their projections, or release an updated, higher, projection, [usually] their stock goes up.

It is about perception. And if you can measure something, and see that you set your goal and achieved it, it can greatly increase your confidence.

Know why

This could probably be melded in with goals, as it seems like it would be inherent that you would know why you are creating an online business or presence. However, I feel that this can stand on its own, and therefore have decided to list it out here.

This question you have to ask yourself and answer honestly. You have to know why you want to create a business online. If your answer is "well, I want to be a millionaire by tomorrow" then this probably is not for you. Although possible to let you achieve financial independence and freedom, despite what internet marketing "gurus" will tell you, that will not happen overnight, within a week, and sometimes not even within a year or two. That's just the reality of it folks. It takes time to build a business, either brick and mortar or online. It takes time to build the reputation. It takes time and patience.

Do what you love

This may stand to reason, but I often see people trying to sell things, or working in areas that they, at best, do not love and, at worst, hate. If you do not like internet marketing, do not try and sell it. Why would you? For most of us, that is why we have turned to the online world, because we hate our current job. Why then would you just pick something that you hate? Internet marketing is not the only niche that will make you money, and in fact, is probably a niche that is saturated, and could make you less money than another niche. Find something that you love and either make a product around it, or find a product in it that you can sell. Chances are, if you love it, others do as well.

The Bottom Line

Set a realistic goal, that is obtainable, to help increase your confidence. Know why you are doing what you are doing. Be honest with yourself. And finally, do what you love to do - otherwise your online business will like any other job, and you will grow to hate it.

Bruce has been in internet marketing and most all aspects of the internet for almost seventeen years and is the owner of his own blog at http://MySocialHomePlace.com. He is also an IT professional. Don't get scammed.

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Secret Diary of a Work At Home Business Woman

Secret Diary of a Work At Home Business Woman
By Harry V Wijeh

Let's just start out with the bottom line - work-wise, which is Kicking It!

She works around her life rather than her life needing to somehow fit in around her j-o-b's.

She gets up when she wakes up, no need for the alarm shock treatment to begin her day!

She can come and go as she pleases because she is on a 24-hour clock. There is no rush to cram everything into a small space of time, the '8-hour workday.' On the other hand, if she did need to do that for some exceptional reason, for example to free up the rest of the day, she could - it only depends on how it strikes her at the time! Every day can be different!

She knows one must be diligent (number one priority) to plan and organize her time so that all of the daily tasks are completed timely. This allows her to really enjoy her 'me' time even more - again, no rushing, no guilt, she will enjoy taking a walk in the fresh air, going shopping and running errands, off and on - and then periodically doing various business functions = in 'chunks' - or blocks of time.

Get it done and then escape! This is an important point and that is that you can and should do it the way it works best for you. Can you see how that would make you so much more creative and your mind more open if you were able to do things the way you do them best, rather than having to do them because of some bureaucratic or regimented rule of thumb.

She knows it is of the highest importance after getting everything done on time, that we get out of our offices! Break free! She knows that one doesn't want to start living in one's office! It is your office that is in your home. Not your home that is in your office. Or is it? Very important to shut the door - it is not slacking to take your mind away from business for regular periods other than when sleeping!

She can get real 'cabin fever' or start feeling like a hobbit from being 'home bound' too much. Home is where the heart is, but there is a whole world out there - whether we are working in an office building or from home for that matter, we can really miss the whole day - all daylight hours - if we are too immersed in our work all the time!

In fact that scenario is probably more prevalent with those that work from home - working too much instead of not enough. There is no going home from the office when you work at home. She knows that it is not healthy to do nothing but work. When you enjoy your work it is much easier to enjoy your life as well, however 'too much of a good thing' is still not being balanced! We need to work hard and get plenty of rest and relaxation too!

Harry HVW

http://www.online-incomemachine.com/

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What Is The Internet Current Movement - How Does It Affect Your Business?

What Is The Internet Current Movement - How Does It Affect Your Business?
By Patricia A Gaines

Is your business dying a slow painful death because you don't understand The Internet Current Movement? What is it? How does it work? Why is it important to the life or death of your business?

The Current is about surfing-the-web. It is about consistently getting customers in your door.

According to comScore, July 2014 on average, 12 billion people per month searched the web in the United States.

Other statistics report in November 2014, people spend $48.3 billion during the holidays; with 52 percent using smart-phones.

Time is critical for you and your prospects! Parents want to get a product or service as quickly and as easily as possible. One reason is the time required for their children's after school activities and home work. And then there's dinner to make and the maintaining of the home.

The younger generation is surfing-the-web for finding and purchasing products or services as a first choice.

The bottom-line is if we want or need something, we just ask Google. People use the internet to make things easier in their life.

Web-Surfing is the life-boat for a busy family. Statistics show that two incomes are necessary for the middle class to make ends meet. A significant percentage of these parents are single and work two jobs.

Are you getting the benefit of this new shopping phenomenon? Or are you still advertising old-school while your competition has learned that "technology is king?"

You build your website thinking "they will come," but do they? If the answer is no, then your competition is offering your prospects a life-boat to the shore. And prospects are jumping into that life-boat with their wallets.

Your business is either in the tide going out, or the tide coming in. The internet is much like the ocean. It is always on the move and always changing.

So how do you keep up with the change? Do you keep your website busy with traffic and turn that traffic into prospects? What are you doing to get those prospects to open their wallet and buy your product or service? Opening their wallet to buy requires trusting you and your site.

There are five ways to do it.

A variety of Social Media networks must be your priority.

Keep your website content rich.

Position your business on Google 1st page.

Keep a steady current of information streaming into your prospects computer or smart phone!

Email and text messages are critical for building trust.

There are tools and software available for keeping the Current moving in your direction. When you understand the Current and take action, you are the Captain of the Ship; you won't need to use a life-boat because your ship is not sinking.

Take action to build your profit. Hire or contract with a Professional who can keep your Current moving towards your success.

Growing small business the right way is specific and takes skillful authority. There is every reason to be successful. Do it right and enjoy the rewards. For small business consulting, marketing services and more information visit http://www.Patricia-A-Gaines.com

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Common Myths of Making Money Online

Common Myths of Making Money Online
By Bruce Woodward

Undoubtedly as a practicing, or potential, online entrepreneur you have seen the sales copy, email promotions and videos indicating how you can make money overnight, and in the some cases even in the next hour! You may have even given in a time or two, at your weakest and most vulnerable moment, when you were making no money, and there were pictures of mansions, expensive cars, beaches and yes, even those stock photos of mounds of cash. You won't be judged. I too have fallen prey a time or two in my younger years. It all seemed so good, for so little, and being young and na�ve, you buy into it.

There are certain myths to the internet world and making money with the internet.

Internet Marketing

I add Internet Marketing here as a myth not because it in itself is a myth, but the belief that you have to be proficient in internet marketing and or sell nothing but internet marketing media to make money is. Some people will say that teaching internet marketing is where the money is. I say, for the most part, internet marketing is saturated. There are hundreds, thousands maybe even hundreds of thousands of people peddling programs that claim to bring you big riches overnight by selling a program or programs that are related to internet marketing.

Internet marketing is indeed a valuable tool. It is one that will help you tremendously if you are an affiliate selling someone else's product - but, it is by no means a deal breaker if you are not good at it. So long as you are willing to explore potentially other avenues rather than affiliate business. And, even if you still affiliate market, then minimal knowledge of internet marketing may end up working out for you.

Magic Programs

We've all seen them. This is probably one of the, if not the, biggest myth on the internet. Yet it is continuously used in marketing ploys, emails, sales pages and videos to pull at your heart strings and to make you think, in your most vulnerable time that this one may just work. Cold reality folks: They don't. About the only thing that is "magical" about having a business online is that the internet does not discriminate against you for who you are or where you are from as it does not care about your ethnicity, looks, age or really much of anything else on a personal level. So, the next time you see that advertisement, or sales page, or video, or email about how Joe Schmoe is going to give you a program that will make you money in an hour - buy it at your own risk, but do not buy it thinking that it will produce in an hour. The internet just does not work that way.

Be A Millionaire Sipping Martinis On The Beach In A Month

Folks, just like how magic money making potions are myths, so is this one. If this was fact, there is no doubt that the beach would be full of martini drinkers - your brother being one of them. Everyone would have bought the program and retired. The truth of the matter is this just does not hold water. Even the richest of the rich (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg) did not become wealthy overnight, or in a month. It may seem that way to us, as their rise and wealth did come quickly - once they were in the spotlight. But, how many hundreds or thousands of hours did they spend "behind the scenes" to get there? I would bet that it was more than a month.

Spend 5 Minutes A Day And Retire

This is part mythical and part truism. It is mythical because of the tactics used by salespeople to make you believe that only working 5 minutes a day will make you financially secure in days or weeks. That simply is not the case. Similar to the reasons above, this can be a truism after much time and effort has been invested in the early stages.

I believe that with the four myths I have outlined above that you are probably catching on to the underlying theme of them all - get rich quick, get rich overnight, etc. are simply myths. It will not happen to the average internet marketer. The dangers in buying into it, even if you are just looking to be optimistic, is that you will get discouraged when you have not made a sale in your first month or two or more and give up on the whole process.

The cold reality of it is that there is no magic system, no magic potion, no magic anything that will bring you success overnight, or within an hour. However, with that said, I am not the type to give you a cold dose of reality without at least trying to provide some tips or suggestions for what you can do help achieve your goals.

And, speaking of goals... Check out my article Tips To Help Avoid Failure Online where I touch more on goal setting.

Bruce has been in internet marketing and most all aspects of the internet for almost seventeen years and is the owner of his own blog at http://MySocialHomePlace.com. He is also an IT professional. Don't get scammed.

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Working At Home Online - Concepts and Strategies

Working At Home Online - Concepts and Strategies
By Harry V Wijeh

Building a business online is not only about achieving financial freedom, but also the freedom to do what you want to do with your time. If you want to do "everything, " kiss goodbye to time.

Right off the bat we should examine our feelings and perceptions about 'w-o-r-k' itself. It is important that we understand the attitude of the two kinds of workers. One sees work as only a means to an end = money. Others see it as something they enjoy doing while they get to the object = money. Obviously it is not necessary to enjoy working to make money, but it sure does help to feel happy and gratified with the work we do and consequently we may be motivated to 'go the extra mile.' It is that mile that sometimes makes the difference between success and failure.

If we close our mind then we never grow - in the negative scenario - we have decided we are bored with and do not particularly like working. However we enjoy eating and having shelter, so we do whatever we have to do - we go through the motions. This really sounds like drudgery and like a hamster caught in a wheel (a rut). It is no wonder with this attitude that we do only as much as is required. We do not feel particularly good about ourselves and maybe figure if we had more on the ball (upstairs) we wouldn't have to demean ourselves doing something we don't like.

Conversely if we try to enjoy our work, we are more than willing to explore new possibilities to make things more efficient and to deliver a better product, whatever it is. If we keep an open-mind and really if we don't like what we are doing, then maybe we can at least learn to respect it, as the truth is it is what is supporting our survival. It's critical. There are many things we can do to motivate ourselves when we need a little push. It can be something directly related to your work like doing a little research on the industry and keeping up with the state of the art. Even something mundane like statistics can give us a little buzz. There is life beyond the cubicle!

What if you challenge yourself to do more than usual and/or in a faster time? What if you actually stop to analyze your steps in a process to see where you can make some time by omitting a step? When it comes to working for yourself online at home you may do some research and discover that contrary to your previous belief, there are services which are affordable that can help you to do something or even completely do it for you. No problem, learn to delegate anytime you can afford to do it.

There is a pervasive situation online with people starting up home businesses and then scrapping the whole idea in under 3-months. The reasons vary but are almost always one of these: They can't afford it, they don't have time, and/or they don't understand what to do. In every one of these excuses there are ways they could make it work if they were really motivated to succeed - in more ways than just the desire to have more money. If they could see success as doing something they love, striving to do it really well, and as a result being rewarded with money, then they are really thriving!

http://www.online-incomemachine.com/

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Working-At-Home-Online---Concepts-and-Strategies&id=8863055

Vintage and the Business Platform - One Hundred Years to Get It Right

Vintage and the Business Platform - One Hundred Years to Get It Right
By Michelle Hatcher

There is no doubt about it, there is money to be made in this industry, but where that money channels itself and how you are able to jump on the merry go round it engineers is another thing. There are ways on capitalising on this wave of hemmed heritage and nylon nostalgia, and like with most things worth having, there is a key. There is always a way.

It is, as a friend said to me recently, this is now a saturated market. You can't walk down the street without falling over a pair of kitten heels or sharp suit. So you have to be quick thinking to stay ahead of the competition. One of the key secrets I found as a former trader myself, was to people watch.

Take an afternoon out and go to a Lou Lou's or a Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair. I promise you, if you can't get up to Camden, Spitalfields or Portobello, then these mobile fairs are the best ones to go to, and watch the customers. Stand back, and look carefully at your market, as indeed it is. Watch not only who buys what, but guess their age range, are they a student? Older person? How are they dressed? Do they have children of their own? Watch your market closely and see what people stop and look at. You won't need to dress in a mac and pretend you work for GCHQ, but I will tell you this, these fairs are dynamite. They draw in the most eclectic crowds in all shapes and sizes. You will find it easier to tailor your market and add to your customer research list.

Stall holders, when they are not snowed under are chatty. In fact, if you spot someone who has a queue, wait for a gap and then talk to them. They are a world's worth of experience and knowledge, and they will share that with you, so long as you don't come across as being pushy or blocking their customers getting to them.
Reputation these days is everything.

When we, as businesses, rely so heavily on social media, it is paramount that any successful business will have made it up to the clouds by gathering an excellent social media following. As a customer, you are more likely to buy from someone on the net who appears to have made good relationships with previous customers. Think like a customer and 'shop' around on line and find the traders with the biggest following. What do they post? Do they promote stock? Do giveaways? Competitions? Are they interactive with customer posts? Promote videos? All these things draw engagement from the followers. Note down what you see and apply it to your own internet image and branding.

Go for a niche. Never swamp yourself in far too much vintage from all eras and all types of vintage. You will just look as though you can't make up your mind what you like and appear desperate to sell anything. Make it look as though selling is not your priority. It is adverse marketing. You are more likely to attract a crowd of buyers if you take a small niche of vintage, like hats or handbags or day dresses of a certain era and fill your knowledge with everything about that corner. People will then see you as an expert in one thing and not a jack about everything.

Don't slap on the word - 'vintage' on everything - especially when you are selling something that clearly is NOT vintage - the customers you have may well be traders themselves and they are savvy, so don't try to fool them. They won't want to know you.

Do your homework - don't feel as though you can sit back and wait for the shoppers to arrive. You have to put your back into advertising and marketing your business as you would in every other corner of commerce. Don't forget, vintage is still an industry - it is a business. There is tonnes of competition out there so you have to keep one step above the rest.

When you are selling online, pictures are paramount. Get your stock photographed professionally if you don't have a proper digital camera yourself. Images rule on the internet for everything but they have to be gobsmackingly brilliant - consider lighting, background, appearance. It is what social media is all about. Tweets are reposted tenfold if they have a picture attached.

Have a gimmick and be creative - something unique that sets above everyone else. Don't follow the crowd. There will be a thousand other people who are providing to the market the same thing as you so use your unique brain and think of a different way to showcase or market your brand. Be different and get known for the very unique thing you do or market.

That will be the key that will help you stay in business. It's the old unique selling point. Even in vintage, you still have to think like a business.

Using pictures of your ancestors is a good way of producing something that is 'new' to the vintage market. Photos of your grandparents when they first met or got married - it's all vintage and if you can pull out these unique pieces of you then it will not only give a feel to your customer that you have cared about what you are doing, but it will warm them to you.

Don't forget - vintage is all about what's happened in design, concept, fashion and lifestyle over the last hundred years so there is plenty still untouched! It is not just one word, it is millions of words, people, books, clothes over thousands of days and weeks before us. You cannot harness the word 'vintage' and expect it to encompass everything. Hundred years is a very long time! Your niche will be other there so go and find it!

Michelle Hatcher is the editor of The Vintage Business Digital Magazine
Sound, easy to follow advice on business start ups and development in the vintage and craft industry focusing on online business
Sign up to our newsletter today.
http://www.thevintagebusiness.net

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How to Choose The Best Online Business Opportunities

How to Choose The Best Online Business Opportunities
By Jamie Clay

My experience as an online entrepreneur has been a challenge for me. To be honest for a moment. I have not put in all the work that's required to sustain an online business or any business for that matter. I have good intentions. But I must admit I am recovering from procrastination. It sounds like an excuse, and it really is. But it is also the truth. Starting an online business is not hard, however, you must be consistent at your efforts to get as many eyeballs on your website, blog or link as you can. Those eyeballs can only see your work if you are doing the necessary steps that will lead to your online success.

So far, I have tweaked my website and social media pages to achieve the greatest results. But I have not been consistent in producing quality content and consistently implementing the internet marketing strategies that have been proven to create success in the lives of those who choose to set up their businesses online. Consistency with quality content and effective integrated marketing strategies is the key to online business success. For instance, I can't say that a product is a scam if I haven't taken all the necessary steps to give a correct assessment of it being a legitimate money-making opportunity. I would need to work the system consistently to see results.

I think a lot of people who give reviews on online business opportunities never actually give the business opportunity a chance. Usually if it doesn't produce in the time we think it should with just some of the work required to achieve success, some just automatically consider it a scam. Or if the person does not use wisdom when choosing the best money-making opportunity for them and their budget, it is automatically a scam.

I am not saying that there are no scams on in this market on the internet. There are plenty of them and you need wisdom to choose the best one for you. For those who may not understand what wisdom is, wisdom is defined as the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight. In other words educate yourself on any business opportunity before getting involved with it.

Well, my honest assessment of a good business for a beginner to the online business world should be great for any budget, not required to promote all or any of the offers included in the product package, and has the flexibility to fit any niche. The downside to this is, you still need to make the content unique to your specific interest in order for the search engines to pay you any attention at all.

So, do I recommend online business opportunities? I do but use wisdom. If you can't afford to sign up for the programs that require money, please do not put yourself in a financial bind. Do what you can afford. Every offer offered is not an opportunity for you to jump into. Proceed with caution. Simply just use wisdom.

I'm starting my new year with a new perspective. I truly am tired of the same ol' in life and I really want to maximize the possibilities allotted to me if I just stay consistent, use wisdom and create quality content while implementing integrated marketing strategies proven to help me succeed. I declare the year of 2015 will be filled with much success financially, spiritually, mentally, and physically for me and my family. I hope you declare the same for yourself.

Check out an online business opportunity to see if it is something that you can manage. If it is not simply do not sign up for it. However, there is a whole world of business opportunities on the internet. Maybe, you are not ready to start an online business just yet but would like more information. You will definitely be hearing more from me this year than you did last year.

Jamie Clay an Online Entrepreneur who serves as a liaison and information resource to the internet entrepreneur visit today for more info at: http://www.TheOnlinentrepreneur.com/?p=1341/

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Profitable Way To Make Real Income Online

Profitable Way To Make Real Income Online
By Tichaona Gombiro

The economic environment has changed drastically in the last few decades. As each year passes more and more people lose their regular jobs due to lay offs and downsizing. As queues to employment welfare lines continue to increase so is the toll on the government who in turn payout huge amounts of money in welfare assistance. Companies aren't hiring as they used to do. Even University graduates face quite an ordeal to get even a part time or temporary job.

Is there a way out? Yes!

Starting Your Own Business

Do you relate with any of the above scenarios? If you do there are several opportunities you can pursue to turnaround your fortunes.As economies continue to contract opportunities become available for ordinary people to get into business for themselves. You need to open your mind to the idea of starting your own business.

Creating business is a tall order for a majority of people. It requires skills, higher education and many years working in a successful business environment. Financial skills and ability to write a business proposal becomes very crucial, Capital or equity are often required to start a business.

If this becomes an option of your choice you will need to have the ability to be able to borrow substantial amounts of money in order to finance the creation of your business.

As you can see for yourself, this option is outside of the reach of many people.

Internet Opportunities

To date the internet has proven by far to be the best and fastest vehicle through which ordinary people are creating wealth. 2 billion people across the globe use the internet everyday. So what does this mean to you?

It means every day people are searching for solutions to their problems on the internet. As such an environment to create a successful online business solving their problems becomes evident. It is possible to start by creating a website based on your passion that you can leverage to create wealth.

Content you create on your website should be geared towards solving these problems. As your traffic increases over time you will be able to then recommend products to your customers after building a relationship of trust with them.

What is the cost of starting an online business?

Costs starting your online business are very small. You need a domain name like [http://www.yourname.com]. There are many places you can buy a domain name for $10.00 or less. Once you have purchased your domain name you will need a hosting service for your site. This will be an additional $5.00 or less.

Once you have these two main components of your business you will need to create your website. You can do it on your own or you can outsource services depending on your budget. The alternative is that you can learn to do these things on your own. It will take sometime but it will be worth your while.

When your website is up and running you will need to create content on your site that will attract visitors to your site (traffic). I wish to point out that there are few things you need to do before you purchase your website.

You need to brainstorm on the name of your website. You can use yourname.com which requires branding in order to create authorship.

Another way would be to identify your passion. Something you love to do. If you are an avid golfer and this is your passion you can create a website to cater for this niche. Again and depending on your budget you can outsource this service and have someone create your website for you.

Do some research on free methods of making money Online.

As you perform your research beware that there are a lot of scammers on the internet today. You need to perform reviews of any product or service before you buy to help you make an informed decision.

Now you can see that it is ease make money online as long as you put in some effort and being consistent in your approach to your business.

In order for this to work for you need to have goals that are strong. You need to be hungry for success and stay focused and motivated. Associating with like minded people will help you achieve your dreams.

I will leave you with a few thoughts. Do you have a passion or something you really love to do? It is far easier to establish a business based on something you already know or love to do.

So go ahead, start today, do some brainstorming and you will be surprised about the opportunities that lie ahead for you. It takes a while to build traffic as you work on your site by continuously performing keyword research from which you can now build your content around.

I need to mention that effective keyword research involves the ability to identify less competitive keyword that has less competition. You keywords need to make good grammatical sense for Google to rank your site. You also need to check the completion by using Quoted Search Results (QSR). This just means you enter your keyword in Google search with quotation marks, for example "make money online". Google will then display the number of pages competing for that exact same keyword.

A QSR of 300 on a keyword is good as long as there is any traffic. Your post or page will rank easily for that keyword.

As you can see creating a website and building content is not as intimidating as it seems. Anyone who is dedicated and wielding a strong desire can do this. If you consistently work on your website by updating your content you will get traffic over time. Once you have this traffic it will now be easy to monetize that traffic by selling affiliate products.

If a visitor to your site buys from a link on your site you get paid a commission.

I hope you managed to take something of value from this article.

Tichaona Gombiro, Online Internet Marketer.

You:
- Have the desire to change your life
- Not expecting a rich quick scheme
- Willing to learn and invest your time and effort to build your own business
- You want to create an income which brings you financial freedom
- Can commit to your success.

Me:
- Introduce you to quality up-to-date training
- Hundreds of hours of simple how to videos
- Provide access to powerful website building software
- Action steps that will allow you to earn money while you learn
- And many more benefits
- Help you avoid common pitfalls many people make

Your Life will change TODAY. Get training that will change your life from wealthy Affiliate. Read more on Wealthy Affiliate on my website.
Visit my website for information: http://www.stopinternetscam.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Profitable-Way-To-Make-Real-Income-Online&id=8836943

How to Avoid Criticism - Do Nothing

How to Avoid Criticism - Do Nothing
By Karen S Musselman

"There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." -Aristotle

You are your biggest critic. And if you want to know how to avoid criticism, the best thing you can do is Nothing.

If you're an online marketer, you need to have a pretty thick skin. You have to know how to accept criticism for:

• The company you're affiliated with
• How you look
• How you talk
• What your ideas are
• How you market
• How you advertise
• Your opinions

And if you can't take criticism from others, you're never going to succeed in any online business. Why?

Because online marketing or Internet marketing is a people business. You have to get involved, network with other business owners, listen to criticism, whether good or bad, and take it with a grain of salt.

But sometimes your harshest critic is You. And it can really hold you back from your success online!

What are the things that are keeping you out of the online spotlight? Here are some of the things I deal with every day. They may be the same things you deal with too. Well, get over it and get out there!

1. Nobody's going to like what I have to say.
2. All the top gurus have talked about this stuff already, why would anyone listen to me?
3. My hair looks like crap.
4. I'm too fat.
5. I don't have anything important to say.
6. I don't have anything to say.
7. I just don't feel like it.

I'll be honest with you, #7 is my biggest downfall. I deal fight with clinical depression every day. Some days are better than others; and lately, I just haven't felt like doing anything.

I literally feel like I have no passion for anything, seriously. So I've been slipping - a lot - taking too many "mental health days" and literally doing nothing.

It's a daily struggle for me to think about what to blog about and what to talk about, so I do nothing. That is not the formula for success!

That's my self criticism. No passion, no desire to do anything, and then I get frustrated because I'm not as successful as I want to be. But it's my own fault.

I can't blame anyone else, so I won't. But hey, I can talk about it, right? And I can blog about it. And I can do a video about it.

The bottom line is, I'm thick skinned enough to handle criticism from my viewers and from other marketers. Now I have to stop being so critical of myself and stop being a do nothing marketer or I'll only have myself to blame for not reaching my goals.

And so do you! Don't worry about what anyone else has to say or keep doing nothing to avoid criticism. Just get out there! Believe me, you will inspire people!

Karen Musselman works from home and provides "Online Marketing Help Without the Hype," and the importance of video marketing at her blog, "Working at Home with KSMusselman,, where she also has training videos for members of the marketing company she's a member of. Stop by Karen's blog today for more online marketing help.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Avoid-Criticism---Do-Nothing&id=8883347

The Rise of the App Culture

The Rise of the App Culture
By Sumana Ganguly

Ever used the HDFC Bank mobile banking app for fund transfer? The Domino's Pizza app to order your pizza? The Weight Watcher app to track your calorie consumption? Flipkart's mobile app to shop? Or played the Candy Crush app for some entertainment? Yes. Reality pinch. There is an application for every activity. May it be for fitness, travel, shopping, entertainment, work - mobile apps are now a very prominent feature of our lives.

The mobile app market is evolving rapidly. As of June 2014, there were more than 140 billion mobile apps downloaded. And according to Business Today, the downloads in India alone is expected to grow from 1.56 billion in 2012 to 9 billion in 2015. Such statistics re-instate how there is a parallel market place growing at an aggressive rate. And businesses who are present on this board will succeed in gaining market share.

What drives this growth?

A Nielsen report reveals that smartphone owners aged 25-44 use the highest number of apps per month (averaging 29 apps), while 18-24 year-olds spend the most time on them (37 hours, 6 minutes). What drives the growth of this market is the convenience brought to the end user. While websites are information-oriented, apps are task oriented and the entire process is quick, easy and economical. And the ability to be used anywhere, anytime brings about great efficiency in the process. Thus over 85% of users prefer mobile apps to mobile website claim Compuware. In-fact as per a report by MarketingCharts, in 2014 time spent on mobile apps rose by 43.7% as opposed to a decline of 3.5% on the time on websites.

What does it mean for businesses?

A mobile application is a new touch-point for businesses to connect with their customers. It provides value to the existing clients, robes in new customers, and increases the business loyalty and sales. For example, FoodPanda is a global online food delivery marketplace. Operating in more than 40 countries its service enables users to select food from local restaurants and place orders via its website or mobile application. In India this app has been downloaded over 300,000 times and contributes to 20% of the sales.

As of July, 2014 there are over 2 million mobile apps available which are either free or paid. In the former the download is free however there are in-app purchases while in the latter there is a nominal charge to download the app. Majority of the apps available are free with downloads reaching 127 billion downloads in 2014 while there are over 11 billion paid app downloaded. The revenue from free apps is higher too. Apple claims that 71% of its revenue comes from free apps, which is predicted to surpass 14 billion US dollars in 2015. However, it must be noted that of the top 10 revenue-generating apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store in Q1 2014, 9 are games.

Nonetheless, mobile apps bring in immense business opportunities for organizations. It's a direct marketing channel where they're able to capture the mindshare of the customer. The MakeMyTrip app recently crossed 4 million downloads in October 2014 and its constant mobile app promotions resulted in a rise on flight-bookings on the app to 49% compared to 43% on web.

Businesses are also able to build the brand and enhance customer engagement. ASDA's use of favourites and recipe advice are noteworthy. While the favourites listings on the app is helpful and generates brand affinity by offering a more personalized shopping experience, it also allows ASDA to push repeat purchases. Its use of recipe advice is also dual edged: it offers useful advice to consumers thereby improving the brand experience.

Mobile apps undoubtedly increase sales. But it even keeps its users up-to-date with its products and services. Zappos' uses the push-notifications option to inform consumers of the products which are in stock. As the customer requested a product update, this second stage push to sale is seen as a service and a gentle reminder, rather than as an unwanted direct response call to action.

Moreover, there are businesses based on mobile platforms. Uber is one of the fastest growing global companies in India. It is an app-based transportation network company, operating in over 200 cities. The company uses a smartphone application to receive ride requests, and then sends these trip requests to their drivers. Customers use the app to request rides and track their reserved vehicle's location.

Thus the rise in the app culture should come as no surprise. Mobile apps are here, and will increasingly become a vital element in the marketing plan for businesses as customers are looking for convenience, ease and instant results while on the move. By 2017, Gartner projects that there will be 268 billion mobile app downloads annually, amounting to $77billion in revenue. Hence apps will soon, if not already, influence our lives to a great extent. And businesses who are fore runners will surely gain a competitive advantage.

For more information on the latest technology solutions and their impact on your business, visit http://www.embee.co.in/

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Rise-of-the-App-Culture&id=8869151

Make Money Online - Learning

Make Money Online - Learning
By Bruce Woodward

I think that probably one of the most underrated and least talked about and taught items in Internet Marketing, and all types of online entrepreneurship, is the importance of learning. All too often, focus is diverted from learning, most often for "we do it for you" baloney. One of the most incredible things about the human mind is its ability to learn, and the ability to continue learning throughout our lifetime. In fact, Paul Reber, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, wrote*:

"The human brain consists of about one billion neurons. Each neuron forms about 1,000 connections to other neurons, amounting to more than a trillion connections. If each neuron could only help store a single memory, running out of space would be a problem. You might have only a few gigabytes of storage space, similar to the space in an iPod or a USB flash drive. Yet neurons combine so that each one helps with many memories at a time, exponentially increasing the brain's memory storage capacity to something closer to around 2.5 petabytes (or a million gigabytes). For comparison, if your brain worked like a digital video recorder in a television, 2.5 petabytes would be enough to hold three million hours of TV shows. You would have to leave the TV running continuously for more than 300 years to use up all that storage."

A storage capacity of roughly 2.5 petabytes. I think it is safe to say that it would be pretty close to impossible to reach the learning capacity of a human brain in your lifetime. But, with that said, it does seem that a lot of people willingly choose to stop learning, at least in things that can help them improve their life, or the lives of others.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." - Chinese Proverb

Sure, someone can promise to do the things you could do for you, most often at a price and "feed" you. Or, you can learn how they do it, and then feed yourself for a lifetime, with less out-of-pocket expense. And, we all know, less out-of-pocket expense equals a healthier bottom line.

"Knowledge is power." - Francis Bacon

With the advent of ever-growing expanse of the internet, learning, especially free learning, has never been more attainable. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to learn about business on your own, you would need to go to a library and spend hours finding books on your subject. Skip ahead twenty years, and you only have to type a keyword or two and behold you are presented with millions of records. For instance, take Make Money Online and enter it into Google. "About 565,000,000 results". About 565 million hits. Try Internet Marketing. About 337 million hits. 337 million references and potential training materials on internet marketing and making money online.

Granted, there is a lot of "fluff" and outright scams buried in those results, but there is also a plethora of information that can help you succeed in any aspect of your life. The great thing about the internet is that, no matter what your passion, or how "weird" your passion is, someone, somewhere on this earth, shares that same passion. Normally, a lot more than you would think. And, if you can learn more about that passion than them, you have just realized a niche market.

The bottom line is that regardless of what you do, what you want to do, what you dream of, continue learning. Never lose the eagerness to learn.

*: Source: http://scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-memory-capacity/

Bruce has been in internet marketing and most all aspects of the internet for almost seventeen years and is the owner of his own blog at http://MySocialHomePlace.com. He is also an IT professional. Don't get scammed.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Make-Money-Online---Learning&id=8889461

If It Looks Too Good to Be True It Probably Is

If It Looks Too Good to Be True It Probably Is
By Anne O'Dwyer

Offers that look too good to be true, beware! This week I decided I would look at what cars there were on offer and see if I could find any good deals, as my car is looking a bit shabby and is rather aged. It still runs well and regularly passes its MOT with little more than a light bulb replacement.

The last two cars I've owned I have made them earn their keep and kept them to a ripe old age before I have parted with them. Well perhaps I should say abandoned them as they probably went to the scrap yard. When I have kept a car for a number of years and it has served me well, I feel it's like an old friend and really don't want to part with it.

Looking back over the last 30 years or so my cars have been predominately Nissan cars, so once more this would be my choice and it was these cars I was targeting. I found what appeared to be a great offer but on ringing the dealer I discovered a mistake had been made on the website and it wasn't such a good deal after all. So at this point I am keeping my trusted friend.

Also this week looking at my statistics on Google analytics I had some strange unexpected statistics. It looked like great results, but again it looked too good to be true. On Googling the details I found a website explaining the cause and how to prevent it, yet another example of things not being what they appear to be.

Now if you see the similar problem here is a website that offers code to fix it here it is http://mikepricetw.com/buttons-for-website/. I am very lucky to have Pete my techie adviser to look after my website, he resolved the problem for me, but according to the website, it is an easy thing to fix by inserting some code.

So with some hard work I will press on to get some authentic clicks from legitimate sources. I have found another forum website that looks promising and also accepts videos so that should bring me some good traffic. Videos are a great way of attracting traffic and fun to make. They also make your website more interesting and hold visitors longer, really helping to engage them.

So we warned when you find an offer or situation that looks too good to be true it probable is! I must return to my search for a car. Look out for my article on video making it can be great fun.

My name is Anne,

"We always aim to give more value than you expect"

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The 3 EASIEST Ways to Launch an Authority Site From Scratch (No Gurus or Gimmicks Required)

The 3 EASIEST Ways to Launch an Authority Site From Scratch (No Gurus or Gimmicks Required)
By Ian Ross Hollander

Who else would love to build a hyper profitable authority site out of thin air? Would you love to take a simple idea, or a simple passion, and parlay that into a 6 (or 7) figure blog, brand or business you could love, grow and nurture for years to come? If you are anything like most people who try to start a business online, you are probably wasting tons of valuable time, effort, energy and INCOME on BAD ideas, from online "guru's" who simply don't have the real world experience to deliver what they promise.

I want to share with you some things I've learned about launching profitable authority sites in niches, markets and verticals I have lots of passion for, while simultaneously building a growing online agency that I love.

Curious to know more? Continue reading as we take a closer look below:

1 - Pick Your Passion: If you are going to build an authority site, do it in a niche or market that you truly love, or in a market that you have a natural connection to the community that you will target (for example, if you are a real estate agent, and your passion is real estate, it makes sense for you to build your first authority site in THAT niche, rather than a most esoteric idea that you don't know quite as well).

2 - Leverage Tools and Templates to Simplify the Strategy: For example, rather than worrying about how you are going to step up and stand out in a hyper saturated niche using a conventional blog, use tools and templates like specialty plugins and themes to create communities instead. There are marketplace themes, social networking themes, job and classified boards and plugins, crowd funding tools and templates, directory site themes and so much more that will allow you to create communities that are USER oriented, and that leverage community content to quickly, easily and ethically build BIG sites with minimal effort.

3 - Always begin with the End in Mind. In other words, have your big picture goal at hand as you launch your site, service or strategy. Know who your ideal audience is, and how you are going to monetize it before you begin the process of placing the first pixel on the page. I've seen far too many people LAUNCH something new with enthusiasm and excitement... only to find themselves totally clueless on how they are going to monetize their marketplace once the idea catches on.

Here is a quick example from my own recent experience: I have a lot of personal passion for the spiritual/mindful and personal development niche, and decided I wanted to build an online agency that focused on "enlightened entrepreneurs" and wellness workers. With that in mind, I build a directory of spiritual professionals using an inexpensive premium template that looked great and added a lot of value to folks who wanted to get "discovered" in their local community. I then paid someone an hourly rate to email professionals who were in my ideal audience, throughout 5 or 6 major cities, and invitation to be listed for free in our directory.

About 20% of those who got the email submitted a listing, and about 25% of those people actually paid for a PREMIUM listing, making the site profitable pretty quickly. But more importantly, I've also been inundated with requests to help these folks improve their marketing, their blog building, their book writing and 4 or 5 other offers I identified from jump that I wanted to offer as new online agency.

serving in the spiritual services market.

Not only did the authority site model help me quickly and easily grow a large site (over 300 members) in under 5 months, we have a community curated BOOK being published this month on Amazon. (and I didn't have to do anything other than accept submissions) and I've managed to build relationships with thought leaders in this field far more quickly than I could have, or would have on my own, and so TOO will you!

NEW for Coaches, Consultants, Teachers, Trainers, Mentors, Marketers and PASSION Professionals: Want the simple SECRET to earning GREAT Money Online Everyday WITHOUT Tricks, Gimmicks or Guru's? Click HERE and I'll give it to you 100% Free!

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If You Want Something Enough You Can Find a Way

If You Want Something Enough You Can Find a Way
By Anne O'Dwyer

Wendy and Susan sat talking over mugs of steaming coffee. They were having their usual conversation about lack of funds and how much everything cost. But today they had another topic one of their friends had married an Australian and moved to Australia. That was 3 years ago but now they had a baby daughter. If only they could afford to visit. How could they find their fares? "What business can we set up at home, that's our only hope" said Susan. With that thought she opened her laptop searching for ideas.

They both spent all their spare-time for the next few weeks reading advertisements, visiting the library, and searching the internet for business ideas. Googling search terms, visiting forums, and reading articles, there was so much information but nothing seemed quite right.

They were drawn by affiliate marketing, maybe it was the answer it did offer promising features:-

They wouldn't need their own products, just a chosen niche they were passionate about.

They would need a website, but there were free websites like Weebly.com, where you could convert it to a.com website later. Weebly.com sounded like a good idea as it was simple to use and offered tutorials, Wendy had made a travel blog last year. They could also use WordPress a popular platform.

The sales letter would be professionally written by the company supplying the product and the delivery would also be taken care of. It did seem quite interesting but what they wanted was a step by step guide, a plan that took you by the hand.

When 'Eureka'! Susan found a website offering just that, a website offering a course on setting up an affiliate marketing business. It came in weekly parts and promised virtually anyone could do it. It didn't say how fast it would be until the money flowed, but it did say it offered complete instructions and a 60 day guarantee.

That was it they would both start their own hobby business and share the course. It wasn't too expensive and you paid for it monthly. If they both worked together they could share ideas and help each other. So with that decision the course was ordered and their goal for visiting Australia in the not to distant future was set. What had they to lose? It seemed like the only way. It would be fun to have a new hobby anyway and the burning desire to see their friend would keep them on track.

First they had to choose what niche they were passionate about to base their business on. They looked at Amazon for ideas, if there were books on the topic there was a possible market of "hungry people" wanting to buy their products, also magazine racks and ClickBank.com an online bookstore. They would then be ready to follow the course.

Wendy was interested in fitness, weight loss, healthy eating etc, so somewhere within that area she would make a business. Susan was interested in living in Spain in the future maybe that would pay the bills when she retired. It would certainly be an interesting topic to research. What a brilliant idea they set to work to make their new plans work, and the trip to Australia was their goal.

They knew they would need visitors to their website, so started looking on the internet for some advice and found some helpful looking books on Amazon:

"99 Ways to Flood Your website with traffic" by Mick Monro which contained pages and pages of great ideas, they could use a proportion straight away and others later when they were a bit more experienced, Also because they had heard creating a business page on Facebook was import for getting their business known, they also ordered "Sam's Teach Yourself Facebook" by Sherry Kinkolf. There were loads of other books they liked the look of but that would be a good starting point.

Wendy also looked on Wikipedia and found information on Perry Marshall an American marketing expert, but that was enough for now or they would be struggling with information overload. They also had all the information in the course, there were only 24 hours in a day. They had lives to lead, it was a hobby after all, but it was good to know how much information there was on the internet.

My name is Anne,

"We always aim to give more value than you expect"

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It always seems impossible until it's done. - Nelson Mandela

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It's No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk

It's No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk
By Anne O'Dwyer

I walked into the kitchen to make a coffee to find a large pool of milk seeping out of the fridge. The 4 pint carton had oozed out onto the floor from a tiny puncture. This prompted me to write this article

When things go wrong it is usually an opportunity to improve something in the future. Sometimes but not always they are caused by negligence on our part. When this happens it makes us more diligent in the future. Sometimes we just can't win!

My Granddaughter a student visited recently and told us about a whole succession of disasters that had happened to her in the last month.

Her phone had been stolen from her bag whilst she was at work, sad and inconvenient but luckily she had the foresight to insure it. However as it was in an unlocked locker at work it didn't pass the insurance criteria, so despite her efforts it wasn't covered. Next her car was broken into, her Sat Nav and music system was stolen, despite a police notification number, the insurance as yet hasn't paid out.

Next she drove a bit too fast around a bend skidded on ice and ended up in a ditch and the car written off, and only 3rd party insurance! Last but not least she dropped her laptop which couldn't be repaired or her years work rescued from it. Bless her, hopefully her exams coming up soon will go better.

When we hit a patch like this we can let it destroy us, or we can press on and get over it. Maybe we should take the opportunity to examine our lives. Have you backed up your laptop lately? Do you have all your belongings insured? Is your house insurance up to date? Do we always do everything we should do? Are we as organised as we would like to be? How good are we are planning our future, or do we just let the days slip by knowing we should change our lives?

Here are books I found interesting the might help you re-assess your future:

"Thank God it's Monday", by Charles Cameron and Susan Ellusorr

The book covers how to find work or set up a business that is totally right for you, with strategies and techniques to help you enjoy you current work meantime.

"Take Time For Your Life" and "Time Makeovers" by Cheryl Richardson

She is one of America's best-selling life coaches, and suggests ways you can relieve stress and take the pressures away from a busy life. Her suggestions help you cope with the pressures of a tight schedule of work and bringing up a family. How to make time for your own dreams and needs and how to choose and prioritize and live the life you want.

"Getting what you want" by J.H. Brennan

Everything you have ever wanted is within your grasp - this could be your way forward!

Are you constantly short of cash and always find more month than money? Do you have a big enough pension plan to take care of your future? Take charge of your life, get everything insured, make a plan of where you would like your future to take you.

If you are short of cash consider starting a hobby business in your spare-time. Turn your hobby or interest into a paying hobby and give yourself some security for the future. Plan your life and work your plan, see how being organized can free up your time and improve your stress levels.

Sometimes when disaster strikes it prompts us to take stock and improve our future. I hope this jolts you into action without the disaster, making you more organized and your future more exciting and successful.

My name is Anne,

"We always aim to give more value than you expect"

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It always seems impossible until it's done. - Nelson Mandela

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Starting an Online Business - It Is All About Mindset

Starting an Online Business - It Is All About Mindset
By Harry V Wijeh

Let's compare and try to guess which one is the winner.

Mr. Positive gets up every morning with a warrior attitude. He is out to conquer whatever he has to do to get through the day. He is confident in himself and in what he is doing. In this case he knows he has some work to do to promote his business. He has a little list of things that he does so that he can focus on the tasks at hand. With a list he knows he is less likely to get lost in space. Some of the tasks he is not crazy about doing, maybe wishes he could pay someone to do it, but since he can't he gets those out of the way first.

When he is done with his list then he is ever in search of more techniques that he can add to his strategy. He goes to a search engine and he starts to research - he has heard about various things that are popular right now. He reads the reviews and analyzes whether or not it is worth trying something new. He knows he will have to give it some time to work once he implements it; in the end if it doesn't produce results, he will just try something else.

If he finds that he really isn't getting the results he had hoped for, he may restructure everything. There are no 'sacred cows' so anything that is not working after a fair trial has to go and is replaced by something new. If it is something he has to learn how to use he gets the information he needs. He knows not to 'throw out the baby with the bathwater', and he doesn't dwell on what didn't perform satisfactorily or blame anybody. He knows if not today, then tomorrow. Always focusing on the 'light at the end of the tunnel' rather than on the darkness.

Mr. Negative wakes up 'on the wrong side of the bed' most days - He is not a happy fellow and he spends a lot of time being suspicious and skeptical about anything he doesn't fully understand. He never considers that maybe if he took the time to learn about it that he might then trust it at least enough to give it a try. He doesn't really like working and wanted so to believe that he could find some magic formula that would make him wealthy without investing any time, effort, or money.

He gives his usual half-hearted attempt to accomplish something and when he then doesn't see any direct results right away, he is sure that he has been scammed. He can go down the list of the people and things that have betrayed him. He is sure everybody has lied to him and that they want to steal his last dime. He never considers that it is him that didn't really want to work and that he just copped an attitude about everything from A to Z. However the good part for him is that now he has an excuse to quit (fail).

Not surprisingly he gives up way too soon without even giving himself or anything he is doing a fair chance. This likely depresses him on a certain level, although on the outside he is probably feeling relieved to be out from under such a tedious mess as trying to start a business online. He then becomes complacent and decides to just be 'satisfied' with whatever he has rather than to try to improve his lot.

http://www.online-incomemachine.com

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