Have you ever got to that point when you stop and ask yourself “so should I keep doing this or not?” The fact is that everyone has and we all will a few more times in our life. It’s the inevitable “is it worth it” moment.

And what makes this question and the answer to it so important is that we all know that time is of essence. We all know that it has been said that “time is money”.

So what if we are investing our time and perhaps even our hopes of making money on an Internet business? How do we know if it is merely a matter of waiting it out only to fail or if it is an investment? Can we know the answer to that question?

First of all one thing that we do know is that there are many among us out there who are successful in the Internet business industry. And there are certain consistencies that we have to accept and understand. Here are the main ones you should be aware of. To be successful in any Internet Business you must know and apply these methods.

• SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a must. This entails having a working knowledge of the Internet and how to make the most of marketing through maximizing the search engine process.
• Web Site marketing. Going beyond the search engine you can market your web site by other proven methods. It will include applications of concepts like affiliate marketing, traditional advertising, cross promotions, email promoting, on air interview promotions, and so on are some of them.
• Using a variety of Internet tools like HTML. It is not mandatory to use all the technology and methods available but you should know your options and which tools could be most effective.
• Know your business and your target audience.
• Be patient and have realistic goals.

So if you are not doing and applying these applications then you are wasting your time. You are playing a useless waiting game. Very few things in life just develop automatically on their own. Think about it for a moment. Take something as basic as a child growing up.

A child is born and put into the care of preferably his or her parents. The reality is that a child that is born will grow physically without much help from anyone and they will naturally learn some lessons in life from observation and experience. However it is ultimately going to depend on the nurturing and guiding care of those responsible as to what kind of adult this child will develop into. Yes the more patience, loving care, timely discipline, and mature guidance the child receives over there malleable years the more successful the child will become. In the end it will have been an investment and not a cross your finger meaningless waiting game.

Elementary speaking this is the way you need to approach your Internet business. Like it’s your baby! You can’t expect your child to go from birth to walking in a couple days. It takes most children about a year before they start taking their own steps.

Ironically many thriving Internet entrepreneurs will tell you that it will take at least a year before things start to show progress in your Internet business. Let me be clear that is not some kind of rule. Many people have made money fairly quickly and others have taken longer than a year. I just threw that in there because it seems to be an overall average.

The basic point is not to fixate on a date or a specific amount of time however. Nevertheless you should realize that time is needed. Time is part of the investment. Beware! Time can also be wasted if you do not invest the appropriate amount of time into the things mentioned above.

This is where it gets complicated to a small degree. Depending on what type of Internet pursuit you are cultivating you may have to decide if it is worth investing some money in addition to your time. And that is a difficult question to answer. Because the spirit may be willing but the wallet may be weak.

One way to resolve this issue is to realize that all business require some sort of financial commitment. Usually an Internet business doesn’t demand nearly the amount of capital of other small businesses. What if it is a matter of being broke? And we all know what that feels like.

The key is identifying how much resources are needed. It may not be a lump sum. That would be another factor to put into the decision process. Then what?

First of all once you determine a ball park figure of what kind of financial commitment is involved then you have to examine your financial standing. At this point it may be a matter of doing the best you can with the little resources you have, which may be nothing at all. But that’s okay. Do the best you can with the methods that do not cost you anything and pour your heart into it.

Of course in the meantime you can develop ways to earn investing capital or become a better money saver with the goal of putting away some money to apply toward an investment in the future. Maybe you can find sponsors or investors? Nonetheless do not give up or let the lack of money at present to let impatience and discouragement set in. It’s just a matter of investing more time, which by the way will still produce results, again, if you use your time judiciously and efficiently of course. And as you get some money together to invest be prepared to apply it to the most productive use.

Imagine 13 months from now. You have your Internet business going and your web site has been up for some time. Things are going a little slow and the results seem lackluster. Is it really worth it to keep going? Am I wasting my time waiting for something that isn’t going to happen? Or is this part of an investment that is building a rewarding Internet business?

The answer to that can be more than answered. It can be determined by you.

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Remember when you were a young laddie or lassie and your parents set up a scavenger or a treasure hunt? It was so exciting looking high and low, or far and wide for the hidden items. As we grew older we still find satisfaction finding the needle in the hay stack.

Often times the hunting spirit matures to a desire to learn and do extensive research. And the fact is that the practical world requires gathering information and doing research. It is no coincidence that throughout history there have been places, like libraries, dedicated to supplying the world of information and documentation.

As years passed more and more businesses that rely on data often developed their own libraries. For example medical and law offices make wise use of volumes upon volumes of books, reports, files and manuscripts all the time. As do other companies.

However, more recent history has offered a way of doing research in a timelier manner. Yes the Internet enables a researcher to comb and filter through an enormous amount of data and save, prioritize, and organize this data in a palatable fashion with far less effort than manually searching through books and etc.

Nevertheless Internet research is not a piece of cake. It requires acquired and/or skills developed through training and dedication. But for those who can or want to learn to do it, this can be a rewarding occupation. It can even be done in the comfort of your home.

How could one start such a business? The answer to that question is more complicated than it may appear. That is because it largely depends on the area of research that you pursue. Researching for law firms and medical practices may be more detailed and require other skills as compared to marketing and advertising research for manufacturing or retail companies.

Where to begin? For starters though, you will obviously need dependable Internet service and a reliable computer. Then of course, aside from being a quality fact and information finder, you need to know how to skillfully use the Internet and its search engines.

The next step is contacting local business that you feel confident that you can help. You will find it to your benefit to put together a nice resume detailing your research skills and relevant knowledge and areas of reasonable expertise.

Something to consider here is that you do not let the fact that you may only have limited knowledge or expertise in any particular field. Know this, the demand for research is growing and your ability to find things will outweigh your lack of trade specific expertise. Now that does not mean that many companies will not require trade specific expertise beyond your present ability. But that will be for the potential client to decide.

You should also learn the market and have a working knowledge of running your own business. Remember your clientele is going to be from the professional arena and they will feel more comfortable dealing with a professional business minded researcher. Your business acumen will also help in marketing your business, business dealings and billing applications.

There are so many directions you can go with this that we will have to create other articles to consider the possibilities. Beginning however starts with knowing the field and the direction you are most suited for.

Let’s say for instance there is a law office in your area that needs a researcher to simply find relevant documentation to their case preparation. Maybe they need reference material to present a case. You don’t necessarily have to be a lawyer or have an extensive legal background to accomplish these tasks. However each law firm will likely have their own list of qualifications and job description.

The reality is you need to learn the ropes of the Internet research trade and also assess your own skills in this area. Then put together a presentation via resumes and a marketing strategy to advertise your business. The demand is there for Internet researchers, there is no question about that. Now it is matter of you finding the job for you.

Stay tuned for some other ideas related to Internet research………………

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Everyday businesses fail and more often than not people give up. Why is that? And what about you?

We are inundated daily with advertising and testimonials strewn all over the Internet telling us how easy it is to start your own Internet enterprise. And the money? It is going to flow like a river flowing with milk and honey, according to the “how to get rich” experts.

While there is no specific answer to why people fail or give up, there are factors to be identified and to be learned from. In fact one reason people fail or give up is tied to what we just mentioned. That is the “get rich” proclamations and the “snake oil salesman” hawking their “get rich” programs.

The impact of the reality that most, if not all, of these methods do not work and are a complete waste of time, naturally turns many people off. Thus the people who give these programs a whirl are destined to fail and are led to inevitably give up.

Then you have a percentage of people who consider a setback or a series of mistakes a failure. Whereas most people that are successful are not intimidated by stumbling, floundering or even facing rejection. Realistically and practically speaking what separates those who quit from those who forge ahead, is focus. And nothing creates an urgency and desire to remain focused more than having goals and objectives.

What is it that you want to accomplish with your Internet activity? The thing is, no matter where you are on the business landscape, whether a beginner, novice, or a seasoned pro you need to lay out attainable objectives. Then you need to follow a solid game plan to achieve your objectives.

A misconception that some of us fall for is also something we should try and avoid. Your marketing and management game plan should cover the entire basis. This includes online and offline applications, but there are more simple steps that people mistakenly overlook or have a misunderstanding of.

Many companies and individuals continually fail to grasp that not everyone has the same computer capabilities as they do. Yes, many of us have the bandwidth and the more recent technology to enjoy the glitzy glam of an electrifying web page. But many of us do not. So we would like to warn web masters out there that it is better to have a little less flash than to have a lot less viewers. What good is an eye pleasing extravaganza if many people do not have the loading capacity?

Another “must do” is to have someone or learn how to submit your site to search engines. There are professional Internet marketing services that can help you and there are web sites that provide free help. Simply type in search engine registration in your search engine bar of choice and you will see some of the helpful sites to choose from.

What about those who have a web page that invites people to join through a subscription or as a member?, or what about those who are building a mailing list? The experience of many marketing veterans and numerous studies suggest that people do not like being asked too many questions; so keep the information collecting to a bare minimum, as little as possible in fact. Some people have estimated that for every question you ask after their name and email (contact) information, you lose up to 15% of the people you got to go that far. So it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the more questions you ask, the more people that are going to bail on you.

Finally it is imperative that we remind you to let common sense direct your enthusiasm and emotions. Do not be hasty and do not be afraid to make a mistake. Of course, as this discussion implies, the trick is to avoid as many mistakes as we can. Most of all do not hesitate to get assistance or additional opinions.

Listen up Internet nation, we all need reminders, yes even the simplest of reminders. This is the part where you stop reading and start reviewing your strategy to see if there is something simple that you have overlooked. This is also the part where I tell you to stay in the course and don’t worry about the past. Then I tell you to keep your focus, try and avoid the mistakes, but above all don’t give up!

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You got a loose screw or a broken household item? Maybe your car or a kitchen appliance needs some attention? Perhaps you just got some furniture or another item that needs assembled? So “who you gonna call?”

Most likely you are going to break out the tools and have a go at it. Even if you don’t consider yourself Mr. Fix It, chances are you have handled a screwdriver a time or two. Then again perhaps you are a handy man, thus making it more likely that you will have success with your tools.

When it comes to building, managing, and promoting your web site the need and benefit of web tools are just as important. Why is that people may wonder? And what kind of web tools are available? For that matter, where do you find the toolbox?

For the purposes of this discussion we are going to focus on the proper use of keywords. Equally as relevant we are going to review the value and need of keywords. What kind of keywords are we talking about?

As many of you know, the large percentage of Internet surfers use search engines to locate web sites that address or contain information they wish to view and digest. Obviously the most famous search engines are Google, Yahoo, and now Bing. Most surfers do not recall or have the exact name of the web site they are looking for so they use these search engines to assist them.

By simply typing in a relevant word or a “keyword” that is descriptive or related to the site they desire to find, the search engine will present a search result list. Usually that will jog the memory or offer satisfactory options for the Internet traveler. This is where the use of keywords is valuable.

Practically speaking if someone is seeking information, product, or services that you offer, your aim is to have your web page feature high on the search result list that is produced in response to the words the Net surfer types in. For this to happen, then your site needs to contain a nice array of popular or keywords words that are related to your site and its content.

The more tag words you implement combined with the likelihood they are applied, will improve the promotion miles you can gain from them. At the same time, and seemingly illogical, over use of individual keywords can have little or negative effect on our page ranking. “How do I know what is enough and not too much?” one would naturally ask.

You can use a simple percentage formula that is called by some keyword density. According to some who analyze the effectiveness of keywords, you want keep the keyword density in the 3% to 8% range, which plainly speaking means that you should not use any keyword more than 8% of the total words in your content. So if you have a post of 300 words, than no keyword should be used more than 24 times for optimum effect. At the other end of the range is 3%, meaning you will employ some keywords at least 9 times each in a 300 word post. Now keep in mind this is not an exact science so don’t be calling down evil upon me if this formula does not work 100% of the time.

Clearly the use of keywords is not the only variable to successful web marketing and search engine rankings. For example the location of keywords is important. If, for instance, your post is about classic Corvettes, you would not save your use of the words like Chevrolet and car until the last paragraph, nor would use those words 9 times in the first paragraph of your 300 word post.

Though it is important to use your premium keywords in the beginning of and in the description of your post, you want to cleverly disperse your keywords woven throughout your content. “For crying out loud, I am still confused, frustrated, and totally clueless” some of you are rebutting. Don’t worry you are not alone.

That is why help is available. Hey many of us can’t fix our car or our appliances, or like me, you hate to put book shelves together. So you let the “professionals” use their toolbox, nothing wrong with that. Search engine services, like Google, have on line tools that will analyze your site and/or the content you feature and give you valuable suggestions for keywords to use.

Many of them have keyword tracking tools that provide a chart for you to see how many people have used the keywords they are recommending. So you can see for yourself which ones are better when compared to others. Of course you will use an appropriate number of them.

So as we rap up this powwow, it is vital that we remind you of a couple tidbits. As is always the case, success breeds success. By all means use words that are productively working for you. Matter of fact, and also always applicable, you can view the success of others and the keywords used by other web masters with sites similar to yours. You can even track their keyword responses to know just how effective each of their tag words is.

In conclusion, please, and I mean please, keep in mind this is not a word “game”. You need to use keywords in conjunction with quality content. Many web promoters try and cheat the system and spam a post with a saturation of keywords or tags. Or they write a post with the right formula of keyword use but the content is senseless and completely pointless. If you want keywords to work for your Internet promotion, than you must use them appropriately.

Now you have the secret or at least the toolbox.

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Who doesn’t love a good list? The Top 100 songs of the year, the Top 5 Films of the year, the Top 10 HR hitters in Major League Baseball, and on and on. We take it all in like sunbathers in a Jamaican sun, don’t we?

Some lists are not just a subjective popularity poll or a faddish compilation of what’s “hot”, but they are actually reliable indicators of business trends or of an established pattern that decisions can be based on by taking that information into account. We are going to discuss a Top 10 list that fits that description. Let’s review the Top 10 On-line Businesses.

Now while all of these businesses are Internet applications many also refer to these enterprises as “stay at home” businesses also since you can easily do them from the comfort of your own home. Okay, why did I feel the need to present that visual for all of us to imagine? Well now that we are all awake, let’s move on.

It has been reported that hundreds of thousands of people search the World Wide Web for stay at home/Internet business information every month. Some of that is because we all hear rumors and/or experiences of people around us who have taken the steps and are actually doing it. And then there those infamous in your face ads and web pages screaming from the roof tops of how you could be rich by this same time next week. That would get the attention of many people raiding their piggy banks for some lunch money. And it’s hard to blame anyone for perking up when they hear they can get rich.

However with the glut of web pages dedicated to making money on-line and with the misleading information from the dream snatchers a vast majority of people are lost and confused. Therefore we are going to present a series of articles to give you an organized and practical look at the tried and true programs that are available for anyone who has the ambition to pursue an on line vocation or even a career.

The purpose of this article is to first give you the Top 10 list. While I cannot guarantee that every list ever made on this subject will be exactly the same, I can promise you that this is the general consensus across the Internet among the researchers who painstakingly follow the Internet racket. So here are the Top 10 “Stay at Home” / Internet Businesses, in no particular order:

1. Affiliate Marketing
2. Internet Blogging
3. Auction sales or EBay style sales
4. E Commerce – (similar to #3 yes, but also different)
5. Arts and Crafts related businesses
6. Internet Research Services
7. A Freelance Service
8. Recruiting Services
9. Consulting Businesses
10. Virtual Assistance

There is the list, now go at it. Okay, I guess just the list alone isn’t very helpful is it? And at this point we have only prospected the possibilities of having our own on line business. That is why we are going to bring you a series of articles dissecting each one of these opportunities so you can examine what each opportunity has to offer and what you would need to do to achieve any one of or any combination of them.

Note that none of these propositions are going to make you rich in a heartbeat and most likely will not make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. Bottom line is that people looking for the easy way out are not the sort of people that are diligent in their efforts to accomplish things in the first place. And if you are that kind of person than none of these options are for you. That is because it will require persistence and honest work, not sheer enthusiasm and money for nothing thinking.

So now what? Well feel free to research any of these wonderful prospects by doing some of your own homework. But by all means tune back here on BevyHost and follow the series of articles dedicated to each of these on line/stay at home business options.

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No really, I mean it, give yourself a big fat wet kiss! Yes, KISS, as in Keep It Simple Stupid! We have all heard this and yet do we get it? Do you get it?

In our audience we have Internet web masters, operators, designers, contributors, and the like who all bring something to the proverbial table. But there are some disciplines we need to consider and care for if we want our site to “blow up” as the Now! generation says. And yes I know some of you would like the Now! Generation to “shut up”. But hey some of their lingo is actually telling. Anyhow back to the point of simplicity.

We are going to take a moment then and set out a guide of some simple steps that need to be done regularly and daily in order for this explosion to occur. How to make your site ‘da bomb’ so to speak.

You see the thing is many entrepreneurs some times over think themselves and overlook the easy but important functions. And while they may be “I know that” type of things, the fact is they are sometimes undervalued and thus underperformed or done inconsistently. So let’s examine them so this is not the case with you and me.

Okay so you have your web page all jazzed and dressed to the 9’s. You are relentlessly checking your rankings and attacking your SEO, all good by the way. So what are some of us forgetting? The basics, the simple?

You need to approach your web business in a methodical and orderly fashion. The way most responsible workers do at other jobs. From CEO’s to professional athletes and fast food cooks to news editors. You have to cover the full gamut, the whole enchilada. But we are going to spell out a couple of these simple things instead of leaving it at that general but poignant statement of “do it all”.

• Have a schedule: Yes while it may be a nuisance, humanity is habitual and rhythmic. While there is room for flexibility as far as rigidness goes, do not skimp on the amount of time you need to get it all done.
1. Schedule out how many hours you need for the week and each day to do everything you must and want to do.
2. Proportion that time accordingly but include time for everything. Like what? Read on my brothers and sisters
• Marketing: We will not dwell on this because this is not among what I am calling the simple things. Nevertheless it is on your schedule!
• Update info: Please for the love of all that is good keep your information up to date! I cannot believe how many times details change and the web site does not reflect the changes. For example if you are a retail store and/or site, do not say you have things in stock that you don’t have in stock. This is why you need to set specific time aside for updating. Do it as often as needed. Did a phone number change or a price change? Is your blog yesterday’s or last week’s news? Which leads to ………………..
• Fresh content: Some web guru’s say a blog or the like can be added to up to 2 -3 times a day. And not that you can’t do it 100 times a day if you wish or if there is that much to say. The point is schedule time to be sure a steady flow of fresh content is finding its way on to your web page.
• Accuracy and variety (editing): In some ways this overlaps with updating information. But I am separating this point in this regard. Make time in your schedule, preferably after you finished preparing something for posting, and make sure things are spelled correctly and that the grammar is at least acceptable. We should try and be flawless in this of course, but at least make a conscientious effort to be on target with your command of the language. And try not to be redundant. Don’t simply and routinely recycle the same article or post and naively just present the same substance with different words. Now of course in many cases the topic will be the same and a number of points may bear repeating. Naturally your readers may miss things also and therefore repetition is perfectly natural. Just don’t be a broken and predictable record. Don’t “mail it in” as they say. Mix the emphasis and/or mix topics as much as is possible.
• Be a student and researcher: Make time to keep up with your topic or area of discussion. Be as current and thorough as you can be. Know what you are talking about.
• Be yourself: Don’t try and wow us or impress us with intellect. Be creative and interesting. Intelligence is relative to a large degree. I mean knowing a lot about sports does not make you an MIT prospect but you can present sports in a knowledgeable light. But don’t try and pretend to be something or someone you are not. This also requires some of your time. Schedule time to think about how you are going to present your site.

There you have it: an overview on how to kiss yourself. Bear in mind that after examination of these items you may conclude a couple things, among them perhaps will be the conclusion “man I have no time to do all of this!”

Don’t sweat it if that is the case. That merely means you need to delegate. Yes you need help. Get it. Don’t decide “hey I’ll just do the best I can”. Because the reality is you can do better if you seek assistance. And assistance shouldn’t be met with resistance. Frankly it can be embraced. Better yet it can be FREE of charge. You have friends don’t you? Or maybe you can fish out some business partners and work out a pro bono arrangement. You may be pleasantly surprised.

What time is it? Time for a kiss, that’s what time it is. Roll up your sleeves then and plot out your week and your day. Be certain that you account for all of the duties needed to maintain a money making and/or popular web site. Realistically speaking whether money is your aim or not don’t you want your time to be worth something? So then make your time worth something by allocating your time efficiently. And remember to Keep It Simple Stupid!

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If you have any connection to the news in the USA than you have heard of the infamous buyout plans that are allegedly supposed to jump start an ailing economy. Realistically unless you work for AIG ( and I say that tongue and cheek) you aren’t going to benefit from any Government bailouts.

Frankly anyone who thinks that any of these loans and payouts are going to help the general public is an eternal optimist and I don’t know ……… drunk? Okay so I am a cynic by nature. But the point is maybe you don’t need the Government or the stock market to bail you out. Excuse me?

Yeah many of us slave at our day job and come home and enjoy our family time. And then many of us also have a little hobby time on the side. Maybe we work on our car, sew, read, knit, paint, watch tv, or spend some time on the Internet, or a combination there of.

Some of us, actually many of us, have sought out or have thought about getting a second job. Or maybe we are in a layoff or hardly working. Nevertheless did you realize that you have an outlet to create a source of income right in your house? You’re looking at it now!

Yes, I know you have heard people advertising “get rich while you’re scratching your butt” and you looked these ads up or tried them to no avail. Most of them usually involving some misleading rah rah rah scheme that just piles up your email inbox with garbage you don’t want. Or it means fooling others into the same dumb scheme for a few bucks for each sucker you can bring in. But that is not you.

In contrast however there are legitimate avenues of income out there. It is a matter of you patiently sifting through the lame and smarmy stuff. But the more you do so the better you will become at it. Where do you start?

First it is helpful to understand what is happening on the Internet. It is quite fascinating in fact. And there are many things going on in unison. Like what? Here is an overview.

1. The Internet technology is growing at unprecedented speed. Some report that technology doubles every 2 years! Regardless of just how accurate that is there is no question that things are moving forward very quickly.
2. Proven ways of making income are getting easier. People who are already way ahead of you are willing to help you as a way to boost their own income.
3. Buying and selling over the Internet continues to be on the rise.
4. People looking for news, stories, and information on line is also on a meteoric rise.
5. The amount of and the value of advertising keeps expanding and ascending upward.
6. A word of caution though is “Nothing happens overnight”.

Where do you fit in? The next step is to find out what it is that you would like to do and what options you have. Here are some examples.

• Do I want to run a blog?
• Do I want to sell products or a service over the Internet?
• Do I want to be a writer of articles, stories, or eBooks?
• Do I want to run a forum?
• Do I want to be a web manager or designer?

The next step is understanding how money is made on the Internet. Naturally we then need to determine which of these will be put to work for us, the main ones being as follows.

• Affiliate marketing
• Adsense marketing
• Banner ads
• Email ad sprees / Newsletters
• Hosting services
• Web design services

So as you can see this is a pro active method of taking your own economic future by the neck and creating a source of income. The plan then will start by making reachable goals and then taking the Internet one rung or one crossbeam at a time.

Are you still holding your breath waiting for the Government and there bailouts to kick in? Yeah well, before you die from lack of oxygen take advantage of methods that have been proven to work. Get yourself going in the budding and mushrooming world of the Internet. It is waiting for you!

FOOTER:

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Have you ever watched a surfer at his craft? Not metaphorically speaking that is, I mean a “dude” or “dudette” in the ocean. It can be very interesting in some ways. Or maybe I am easily amused? Stay with me on this one nevertheless.

As you view the mighty waters crashing the beach with a majestic display of power and rhythm the surfer sees another day of opportunity. You watch as they saunter into the water with board under their arm as if it were a newspaper, only to plop it down and hop on laying stomach to board, then wading out into mother nature’s rinse cycle.

As they bob over and through the perpetually serene constancy of the incoming waves they set their site on the spot where the shoreline and the massive expanse meet. This is where the waves crest and are most inviting. As the surfer settles into their slot they then sit upright with their legs straddling their board and often turn and become parallel with the coastline. Then they begin their calculation.

Here is where it becomes interesting to me. Why? Because they have an uncanny or better yet a trained eye as to what to expect and what to look for. They know what to make of it when they see it. Yes indeed as the waves begin to build I often think to myself and sometimes embarrassingly say out loud on the beach, “wow this is going to be a big one”. And the surfer shakes it off like a baseball pitcher who doesn’t like what pitch the catcher called for. And in the meantime the waves continue to build and approach the shore.

But then there it is, the next “one”. The seasoned Kahuna stations himself and then begins to paddle into position. And then he or she calculates the moment when the wave is ready to be boarded and they try to lacerate the surging mass of ocean. And in the end it’s all good “brah”.

A lesson can be learned here for the e – tailer’s and Internet entrepreneurs reading this. When it comes to the activity of your web page do you know what you are seeing? Do you understand the numbers and what to do with them?

The simple fact is that selling product and advertising has certain indicators that help you in your aim to make money. A good salesman understands that the good waves are coming. It is basically a numbers game. Bluntly put 1 out of “?” or ?% of your traffic will result in sales.

In retail and advertising this is called a conversion number. Now while it is not an exact science it is something to be on top of or at least aware of. It is also a number that will often vary for explainable reasons. For example if you sell bathing suits you can expect a rise and dip in conversion numbers due to a seasonal pattern. But it should also be noted that some business people are just better marketers, may have more perceived desired items, or work harder than others.

When it comes down to the conversion number the fact is it should help you approach things in a more strategic and methodical method. Picture our surfer again. The Kahuna is not willy-nilly, arbitrary, or random. Candidly speaking we should not be any of those things either with our Internet scheme and practice.

One good thing is that in general conversion rates are fairly consistent. So while you should learn how to determine your conversion rate for your specific scenario you can start with this reference point. Time has revealed that roughly speaking a business conversion rate usually falls into the 1 – 3 % range. In other words relatively speaking, 1 to 3 out of every hundred people who visit your web page will act upon it. Again remember we are including all types of business models here. So while this is pretty accurate for a ball park view, this may not be the case in your business. But assuming you are doing the basic business applications it shouldn’t likely be lower than 1 out 100. Now if you are new or totally clueless there is no telling what that translates into. Your conversion rate would be unpredicatable and illogical in that case.

So while you are mulling that over and making it one of your new goals to calculate your own conversion table here is some more helpful tips that will help you boost or maintain your conversion numbers.

1. Well defined site: Everything should be simple enough for a kid to find information and items. Not to say it should be a “goo goo, ga ga” or “I know you are an idiot” type of a presentation. Just simple and conducive to being fast. For example many sites have a search option. Is yours set up to work quickly and accurately?
2. Right product at the right price: There is a fine line between reacting to competitors and knowing your own business. Do your own research and make informed decisions. Don’t just match the other guy or copy the other gal.
3. The easier and faster your shopping cart is the more sales you will complete. You don’t want people to bail on you because it is taking too long to purchase something from you, do you?
4. Woo the customer with attractive options. Sales is a visual medium. That doesn’t mean you offer everything under the sun either. Assortment is a good word to apply.
5. FREE always works! Any way you can offer free in your promotions and sales is a good thing. But DISCOUNT is also a good word and is likewise very effective.
6. Do not leave room for confusion or questions. You have been shopping, you know what people want to know. Include that information. The more veiled references and/or implications instead of direct communication you have the lower you conversion rate will be. People get enough of that from politicians and smarmy sales people.

You ready to crunch those numbers? Ready to ride the waves? Apply yourself to this and you will be the Big Kahuna of the web world of business!

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Is the present standard of applying SEO becoming outdated?
For those of us who have a few years under our belt, we have lived through changes in philosophical approaches and realities. At times the change is progressive and steady. Often the conversion takes on the form of innovation and advancement. And yet many modifications are gradual and subtle.

At any rate there are the developments that come out of nowhere or sprout up unexpectedly. Those are the times when we wished we were paying closer attention. Especially if the development is in a field in which you are connected with. My point, you ask?

For the readers among us that operate an on-line business or those of us who are interested in an on-line venture, it is imperative that we stay abreast of the latest and most effective marketing tools. When it comes to a web page there are a few “have to do’s” to be successful. And I am sure some of you already have an upper leg in carrying out these duties. Then again maybe you have not noticed some of the recent trends?

Aside from the design and maintenance of your web site there is the unavoidable and intrinsic job of marketing your creation. Of course we all know that the chief marketing tool is the efficient use of search engines. Hence, that is why the term Search Engine Optimization was unleashed onto mankind.

Managing a high ranking on Search Engines is very instrumental to building traffic and popularity of your web site. Additionally, the ranking and documented traffic helps increase the value of your advertising space. But have times changed? Is the present standard of applying SEO becoming outdated?

There are those who say yes, and still and all there are those who claim it is more accurately described as an evolution of the previously proven methods. What does reality bear out?

Frankly, many people will still be wise to follow SEO protocol, including always relevant items like keyword rich text and fresh well written content. But keep in mind you are still basically still aiming for a spot high on a search engine result list, which has its merit for sure! But there is more.

Whether it is an evolution or a change, there is no denying that there are additional practices and applications to carry out that will enhance your SEO business scheme. And it may surprise you from what source this added boost in SEO comes from. Where is this evolution leading?

Straight to none other than the Social Media realm; yes, no one is devoid or unaware of the impact and the status in pop culture that MySpace, Facebook put into motion. However, many are unwittingly ignorant of how this erupted and spawned sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and many more throughout the World. And as the Internet mushrooms even more in China, India, and other countries, these sites will be joined by even more.

Why and how is this relevant? Because using these mediums has reaped valued rewards in many a SEO strategy. Yes many have found that utilizing these social platforms has netted multiple listings on search pages. And after all that is part of the intended objective of any SEO stratagem or the essence of its execution.

And in the spirit of our conversation, we should be on alert that more adjustments and added features will surely emerge quietly onto the scene or burst in the front door. So are you on the lookout? And are you ready to grow with the times?

As always I find it my responsibility to also share a word of caution. Not all change is good or a path to better things. So why we are sitting in the catbird seat eyeballing ingenuity and expansion, we are going to remain disciplined and avoid careless actions. This calls for a diligent and studious examination. That means learning what others are doing, meditating on your own ideas, and doing the research of any SEO formula you may consider putting into play.

So what are you doing? Don’t you have work to do? I’ll be looking for you out there, so could you make it easier for me to find you, please?

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Some years ago in one of my early bands we all got the itch to record some of our songs. At that time the cassette was still a hot item and tape was still the standard in professional studios.

Just to get a feel for what we were doing and a rough idea of what we sounded like, I set up a cheap cassette recorder and used a mixer as an “interface” of sorts so that I could use 4 microphones to record instead of just using only the one that could plug directly into the tape recorder.

I used 2 microphones for the drums and 2 for the rest of the band. Frankly it was a train wreck but for the time period it was bearable.

As a result, the bass player, also known as the financial backer, decided that I was now an engineer. Okay I admit for knowing nothing about recording I did get a balanced sound. But it was no where near the desired quality. He of course concluded that was only because I was using inferior equipment. Which did have an impact on the quality, but believe me I was guessing the entire time.

Yes I knew what it should sound like and I had a general idea of what needed to be done but that is often times a far cry from getting the results you set out to get or want.

Anyhow, we were now not only going to record our first LP, but we were going to do it ourselves! No kidding. Previously mentioned genius/money man calls me one afternoon and asks if I can come over early before rehearsal. I get to our jam room and there is a brand new 8 track multi track recorder in the room.

3 months later in our story, I finally figure out how to work the machine and we record a demo. It sounded slightly better than the recording I made with a junky portable recorder. “This couldn’t be” my friend repeated to himself over and over. To make matters worse I met this guy who was a techno geek and he actually knew how to use this machine. He came by one night and we knocked out a few songs. And it sounded noticeably better than the slightly better tracks I got. The lesson learned?

We should have used the $1000 spent on machine on studio time instead of doing it ourselves. The other lesson was I’m not a sound engineer. Although as a side note, I have gotten better with recording on computer software. But back to our discussion.

Often times in life, we pay for things we could do ourselves. Now we have self serve gas stations for example. But seriously folks, doing it yourself is commendable, educational and rewarding.

However there are the times when doing it yourself is not always the best thing to do. See above story. You see in that case, we had a specific goal that required us paying for a reputable service. We ignored that fact, well not all of us did, but I don’t want to point fingers 25 years later. Nevertheless, we ended up throwing money away by trying to save it.

So here you are with your web page and you just aren’t getting the traffic you want or need to earn the income you realistically were seeking. Maybe for now your in over your head. No, you are not stupid and there is plenty of free information and marketing tools to avail yourself of. “But it’s not working” you say.

You are at an impasse, the proverbial cross roads. You need to decide what your immediate goals are. Do you want to master the Internet and then earn some money or earn some money while mastering the Internet?

Most of us would probably choose the latter, making money while learning. Either is great by the way. Why not examine the possibility of paying for help?

Let’s take something as rudimentary as applying keywords for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purposes. The fact is although seemingly easy, keywords play a huge role in SEO. And there are plenty of free sources for help. But maybe you are not ready for that or maybe you don’t have the time for that right now. After all you probably have a “day job” and other responsibilities. Your Internet venture is just starting or building. Or maybe you are so new, you wouldn’t even know where to begin to do a keyword finding search.

You have got your site up and running but it is sputtering and lacking activity. Now is the time to swallow the reluctance of spending a few bucks and find qualified help. And it doesn’t have to be the most expensive service or the first one you discover. Take a little time, ask around, and find yourself someone who knows the SEO game. Negotiate a fair fee and let them do what they do. If you are calculating and patient it will pay for itself in no time.

If your motivation is purely for fun, educational and self improving than go ahead and try and do it on your own. I mean even in my music story I shared with you I had fun trying to accomplish our goal on our own. But in the end it wasn’t productive or cost effective. (It was misguided though)

Is it that time to pee or get off the pot? Is your clock ticking? Or are you spinning your wheels while fighting an uphill battle? Then maybe it’s time to realize it’s okay to pay for help.

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Have you ever heard that saying? “It is only as strong as the weakest link”. Yeah my brother, who is 13 years my senior reminded me of that a million times. You see we are both musicians and he having a head start in life, would pass this gem on every time I would complain about the present band I was in. You know something? He was right, the saying really holds water.

I don’t want sound like a prima-donna or a gift to the music world, but it is true, your band will only be as good as the weakest link. Ideally if you are a good musician, it would be nice if you were the weakest link. That way your band will be at least good, and you will likely learn a lot from the band mates that are even better than you.

But we aren’t here to discuss music groups. No, we are here to discuss reminders in basic search ranking.

When marketing your web page and utilizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO), there are a few things we need to be clear on.

Content is of utmost importance, but blogging alone will not bring the “peeps” or should we say the “masses” to your site. Of course you do need to maintain fresh and appealing content for the traffic you create.

Putting the word out by posting your link or address on forums is also a helpful tool but that too will not get the job done on its own. For one, it may take a while for you to have found the “right” forums that will prove productive for your particular site. For a simple example, if your web page is for the purpose of selling a cook book, you might not get much response posting your site link on a motorcycle club forum or a UFO watchers site, even if it is a site that may seem relevant, like perhaps a meet people forum. You may conclude, hey woman are always looking for recipes to try out on their dates. Maybe that is true, but the relevance may be a bit of a stretch on your part. You need to think carefully on this one.

Writing blogs about your blog or your web page is also good but this too has a target audience, which is fine. However, let’s face it not many people like to create content to get people to see the content they are already feeling pressure to create. Did that make sense? In other words, many of you are not as prolific at writing as others so you therefore do not want to be constantly writing and creating articles about your web page. Nevertheless, don’t overlook this approach on occasion. In fact consider the option of paying a writer to do it for you.

Affiliate or partnership marketing is very good for bringing people over for a visit. You may post your site on a variety of sites for people to see and click your link. You may even set up a Pay Per Click (PPC) whereby you compensate others to bring people your way. The bummer here is this will most likely not have any influence on your search page ranking.

That brings us to backlinks. This is also a very effective way to increase your traffic and page ranking. But here is where our old cliché comes in “it’s only as good as the weakest link”. Yes, major search engines like Google, have a set method of following who is paying attention or viewing what. But even those things are weighted by the information that Google (or any search engine) programs it to respond to.

So the trick is finding the links that Google (or said search engine) “prefers”. Simply put, find high ranking sites and grab hold of their “skirt tails” by way of backlinks. You will find yourself climbing the ranks of search engine result pages in no time.

Do your homework and get more familiar with the various items that effect search rankings. Learn more about what high ranking sites are out there and attractive for your link. And remember the more popular or successful they are, will only help your cause.

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