Free Marketing Tips

10 Web Site Add-Ons That Can Catapult Traffic

2007-03-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

1. Add a message board to your web site. People will visit your web site to ask questions and answer other people's questions.

2. Add a directory of web site links to your web site. People will visit your web site to find related web site links for the topic they're interested in.

3. Add an article section to your web site. People will visit your web site to read and learn new info related to their interests.

4. Add an archive of past e-zine issues to your web site. People will visit your web site to read past issues of your e-zine that they've missed.

5. Add a free ebook directory to your web site. People will visit your site to download, study and read new information.

6. Add a free classified ad section. People will visit your web site to place their own free classified ad and to read other offers.

7. Add a free link page to your web site. People will visit your web site to place their own link and to look at other people's links.

8. Add an "about us" page to your web site. People will visit your web site to read about your business and yourself.

9. Add a guest book to your web site. People will visit your web site to leave their opinions about your business and to list their signature file.

10. Add a free software download page to your web site. People will visit your web site to find new software that will make their life easier.

Get paid to automatically build your list

2007-03-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've stumbled an amazing piece of software that actually PAYS you while your list grows itself: --> http://www.viralshock.com

And it doesn't matter if you currently do not have an existing list, product or website.

For a limited time period only, you can grab one of the 129 FREE Beta testing accounts left... and see just how powerful this software is!

So go grab your account now before it's too late:
--> http://www.viralshock.com

With this software, you'll actually get paid while you see your list grow right before your very eyes.

It's that powerful.

Clich HERE to learn more

To Your Success!
Al Fresard

Monetize your blog using Kontera keyword ads

2007-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Ever since Google changed its Terms Of Service to allow other contextualized ad systems on the same pages as AdSense, I've been busy taking another look at its competitors.

And what I've found was that Kontera has been pretty busy.

Kontera has created an ad system that turns keywords on a Web page into double-underlined links. When users mouse over those links, they get a floating tool box containing an ad. It's unobtrusive and looks good. Heck, it's even fun.

I was a bit concerned that if I put more than one contextualized ad system on my pages, I'd just be showing the same ads for the same keywords in different places. I was worried that my users might feel that they're getting bombarded with ads. That hasn't happened at all.

In fact, the two systems have worked very well together. They're showing different ads, highlighting different terms and they work in completely different ways. If I'm not getting a click one way, there's a great chance that I'll be getting it another.

Have you signed up for Kontera? Click the link below...
www.kontera.com

...and Live life today!

Al Fresard

Understanding The Blogging Phenomena

2007-02-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

I just found this great recording and E-Book that explains all of the ins and outs of Blogging. It's called The Blogging Phenomena and its really quite informative.

For some reason the guy who recorded it is letting people give it away to their friends for Free!

It is really cool and I knew you would want to grab a copy of it too while he is still letting people get it for f ree.

Check it out HERE

Enjoy

Article Site Builder Software

2007-02-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

If you've marketed online for any length of time, then you should be well and truly aware of the huge income potential available to you from content web pages.

Let's face it, search engines simply love them and it costs nothing to setup when you include articles for the content. Articles are easy to source online, and are a great 'sticky' way to keep site visitors coming back.

But there's always a time-consuming part of the task right?

You know, where you turn the articles into web pages and include your header graphic, adverts etc. This can easily take days and days of hard work.

Just imagine if it could all be automated... The time you'd save would be valuable indeed.

"Article site Pro" is a unique suite of powerful software tools that will take the hard work out of the equation. Turning your articles into money-making web pages at the click of a button with very little effort on your part. You can include your Google Adsense, Amazon and ClickBank ID's to start generating revenue as soon as you upload the pages.

You'll be amazed at the features included: Click HERE to check out

How To Monetize Your Blog More Effectively

2007-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

So you've done the hard work...you've chosen

the niche market that you are going to target, you've created the content that they'd be interested in, you've implemented your onpage and offpage search engine optimization and finally you've managed to establish your blog in it's market and are being rewarded by a steady flow of traffic from the search engines and other sources.

Now - Your BIG question is -

"How do you convert this steady flow of traffic into money"? You will no doubt already be trying certain methods, an AdSense ad here and an affiliate link there, for example, but there's something new that I wanted to tell you about.
This "something new" will do three things for your blog:

1. It will instantly make it more profitable.

2. It will give it more keyword rich content pages which will give it more search engine rankings which will increase that "steady flow of traffic" and make it even more profitable.

3. It will give it another dimension further distinguishing it from its competitors whilst enhancing your visitors experience.

So what is this "something new"?

It's a clever piece of software called Build A Niche Store and what it does is enable you to instantly build an affiliate store made up of eBay's products and matched to your target niche.

This means that if you have a Golf blog, with Build A Niche Store you will be able to add all of eBay's golf products to it, and if you have an Antiques blog then you will be able to add all of eBay's antique items...you get the idea.

You simply install the script, choose your niche, press build and you automatically have your own niche specific affiliate store which updates automatically (Yes - NO data feeds!) and which:

1. Will generate money for you when one of your blog visitors buys an item through it.

2. Will give your blog hundreds or thousands (depending on your niche) content rich product pages which will get indexed in the search engines targeting keywords you would otherwise not be reaching.

3. Will add a shopping experience for your visitors.

It's truly a great piece of software and looks set to become all the rage in the coming year.

You can check out the official Build A Niche Store website where you'll find case studies and a live demo which is sure to get your creative juices flowing at the link below.

This one gets my thumbs up!

Click Here To Check Out Build A Niche Store

Thanks for reading
Al Fresard

Access To Over 1600 Images

2007-01-23T02:03:00.000-08:00

Successful entrepreneurs know that success in selling has a great deal to do with product presentation. If you have a great big webpage full of text and no graphics, you have a bad sales page. I mean, let's face it text is good, but when you can use graphics to help tell the story, you keep more attention to your page, hence you get more sales.

I'm not saying you can't get sales with little or no images on your sales pages, but you can increase your sales simply by adding a quality graphic or two. Liven up you're sale page with color and images of excited people!

For the next 5 days only you can download 1600 Instant Website Graphics directly to your computer for a fraction of the normal price!

Check it out HERE

Thanks
Al Fresard

10 Ways To Shift Your Sales Into Overdrive

2007-01-11T00:43:00.000-08:00

1. Publish testimonials for your free stuff. It would increase their value and if they're viral marketing tools, you'll have more people giving them away.

2. Give your visitors a good time so they will visit your web site again. Use a few jokes, humorous graphics and funny stories.

3. Make money from web sites that don't have an affiliate program, by doing a joint venture. Set up the affiliate program through a third party for them.

4. Build rapport with your potential customers by teaching them something new. Provide them with free ebooks, articles, tips, courses, etc.

5. Allow your visitors to collect things from your web site so they will stop back again and again. It could be a series of software, ebooks or articles.

6. Keep each page of your web site consistent or similar. Use similar text fonts, colors, graphics and background on every page.

7. Build a popular directory of freebies. It will draw tons of traffic to your web site and you can request that submitters place your link on their web site.

8. Create traffic generators that people can add to their site without doing all the work. It can be an article directory, freebie directory, web tool, etc.

9. Challenge your visitors to buy your product or service. People love a good challenge. Tell them if they can find a flaw you'll give them a refund.

10. Form a strategic alliance with other related but non-competing businesses. You'll be able to beat your competition by selling to a larger audience.

What do you need to convert prospects to buyers?

Sales Letter is the answer.

First class sales letter on your website will make a bigger difference that you might think. It's proven that better sales letter will help you to convert more of your prospects to customers.

Clicking into the Future, Predictions for 2007

2007-01-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

By Jim Hedger (c) 2006

While 2006 was a great year for webmasters it was a time of
great change and challenge in the search engine sector. The most
notable trend from 2006 was the continued advancement of Google
against natural rivals Yahoo, MSN and Ask, as well as its
persistent movement towards other, less obvious advertising
venues. Next week we will look back at the ghosts of 2006 but as
the New Year approaches, thoughts turn towards the spirits of
things to come.

Predictions for 2007

1/ Google's early entry to radio advertising will bear fruit
prompting Google to start examining television advertising.

When it comes to the allocation of advertising dollars, Google
fundamentally altered the rules of the game. In the past, mass
market advertisers would gamble on a shotgun approach to
ad-spending. The options consisted of newspaper, magazine,
telephone directory, radio or television. While each medium
could provide statistics showing their print-run and audience,
tracking the success or failure of these types of advertising
has always posed a problem for manufacturers and retailers. When
Google popularized the pay-per-click model in which advertisers
only pay when a person actually views the ad, a new model was
born.

Google's billing model will have to alter slightly to meet the
radio and video formats however, as digital radio and television
becomes the norm, tracking will become far easier. Google will
be able to charge by the listener or viewer though it remains to
be seen if listeners or viewers will actually listen to or view
advertisements on digital radio or television.

2/ A consortium of major newspapers and publishers will form a
consolidated advertising group to combat Google. The initiative
will fail.

In 2006, Google literally sucked much of the money out of the
pool of resources shared by publishers on or offline. With its
venture into newspaper advertising, Google has threatened the
classic golden goose of traditional news publishing, the
classified ad section. News gathering organizations, already
reeling from a loss of advertising income to other facets of the
online marketplace should band together much as several airlines
have to reduce cost and difficulties booking tickets. The
newspapers and magazines could easily promote local, regional,
national and even international advertising opportunities at a
much lower cost than they could individually. If they can band
together to undercut Google's costs is another question however
they will either figure out how to collectively raise
advertising income or they will become Google advertising
affiliates.

3/ Congress will initiate an open investigation of pay-per-click
advertising models.

We already know of closed-door congressional inquiries into the
PPC market. Stemming from the AIT vs. Google case, we have
learned of FBI and Secret Service investigations, and in-camera
hearings before congressional committees. We also know of at
least two republican and one democratic senators interested in
opening further investigations.

How this one plays out is a mystery, but it will likely play out
this year. Thus far, the investigations have been kept behind
closed doors, a silent testimony to the strength of Google's
lobby effort in Washington DC. No matter how talented and
strenuous the lobby, an investigation of Click Fraud will be
made public sometime this year.

4/ An investigation of pay-per-click advertising models will
threaten Google's stock values.

Hence the strong lobby effort. If common sense doesn't threaten
Google's stock values, the threat of congressional oversight
will.

5/ Google will drop below $450 before the end of first quarter
2007. If Google drops below $425, watch for a major landslide in
California.

The market is softening. With expected slowdowns in the housing,
building, manufacturing and retail sectors, tech investors are
showing signs of skittishness going into 2007. The first part of
January is traditionally a time when the market readjusts to
decisions made by investors in the last weeks of December. Many
sell shares towards the end of the year in order to clarify
their incomes for tax time. This year, a number of analysts have
advised clients to unload some of their Google shares as a hedge
against an expected downturn in share values.

While Google remains far above the $450 range, expect it to drop
to around $450 by mid-March. It's earnings to assets ratios are
way too extended and though it has better prospects than any of
its competitors, the search advertising market is changing
rapidly. The only thing that saves Google from dropping is
rapid entry into the television advertising market. The first
signs of a weakening AdWords market will be the catalyst of the
first round of a Goog landslide. If the share prices hit $425,
watch for major selling. If it goes below $400, buy a boat.

6/ Yahoo will find focus and direction.

Having freed itself from the sticky peanut butter mess it found
itself in late 2006, Yahoo has made the first steps towards
reorganizing their messy organization. The battle between
Hollywood and Sunnyvale has been settled with the geeks coming
out on top of the agents. This year is Yahoo's year to stage a
serious comeback or to languish into obscurity. I suspect the
former. However, all the major algorithmic search engines will
face a new challenger this year.

7/ The major search engines will face a new and socially adept
competitor this year.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has hooked up with Amazon to
produce a human-powered search engine that will be released
sometime in 2007. This collaborative effort to dethrone Google
will be moderately successful. Wikisari will quickly become one
of the biggies, but Google will still be king.

8/ 2007 will be the year Internet marketers discover the power
of online video.

The use of video will become a standard component of online
communication. Advertisements, long-distance conferencing and
public relations in general will be affected. The advancement of
video online will set the stage for a major realignment in the
traditional entertainment industry.

9/ DIY Infotainment Distribution for fun and profit.

Using tools like the Yahoo Publisher Network, YouTube, Flickr
and distributed podcasts, webmasters and private websites will
start to replace professionally developed network broadcasts as
an information and entertainment source.

Add efficient monetization to the mix through Yahoo Search
Marketing ads and you have an effective enticement for
adventurous webmasters to try entering the market.

10/ YPN will see challengers this year.

While the Yahoo Publisher Network is by far the most advanced
program of its kind, expect to see other search entities
introducing their own webmaster friendly monetized information
and entertainment distribution programs.

11/ The search marketing environment will further fragment with
the following sectors seeing;

stronger gains: Video, Social Networking, Niche marketing,
Vertical search
weaker margins: Traditional domain-driven SEO, Small-scale PPC

12/ Changes to the SEO Billing Model

Many traditional SEOs will be forced to adopt PPC style billing.
Fees will be charged based on the success of a campaign as
opposed to flat fees charged up front or on a monthly basis.
Greg Boser has written and commented on this several times, most
recently in a conversation with WebmasterRadio's Daron Babin on
the last Rainmaker show of 2006.

13/ Consolidation in the Search Marketing Sector

In 2007, financial pressures faced by firms in the SEO part of
the search marketing industry will produce a sector that looks
very different from the one we work in now. Watch for
consolidation between allied SEO, SEM, Public Relations and
link-building firms as clients demand full-service vendors.

14/ Hasty La Vista

Early Microsoft Vista users will eat a number of worms, catch a
bunch of viruses and end up as Zombies. As a result, savvy IT
departments put off the update until Microsoft can prove it has
created a master-patch.

15/ Patch This Microsoft

That big patch will be ready for download in 2008, effectively
delaying the rollout of Vista for another year.

2 Bonus Predictions

16/ Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem Forever will be noted as the greatest game that never
was.

17/ Planet Fortune
Webmasters will have more rewarding opportunities this year than
ever. 2007 will see the fruition of several major initiatives
started in 2005 or 2006 such as the YPN, online video
advertising, and the combination of on and offline advertising.
With the largest public relations and marketing firms in the
world taking serious note of search, the search marketing
industry will be truly considered part of the mainstream ad
industry. This will empower webmasters as more attention, energy
and assistance is directed towards helping webmasters present
interesting content framed by increasingly expensive
advertising. There is a lot of fortune to be found online this
year and much of it will trickle down to the grassroots.

2007 is going to be an intense and interesting year.

About the Autor:
Search marketing expert Jim Hedger is one of the most prolific
writers in the search sector with articles appearing in numerous
search related websites and newsletters, including SiteProNews,
Search Engine Journal, ISEDB.com, and Search Engine Guide.

10 Web Site Design And Writing No-No's

2006-11-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

1. Don't load your web site with a lot of high tech clutter. Your visitors may miss your whole sales message.

2. Don't use unnecessary words or phrases on your site. You only have so much time to get your visitor's attention and interest; make ever word count.

3. Don't make the mistake that everyone will totally understand your web site message. Use descriptive words and examples to get your point across.

4. Don't write your strongest point or benefit only once. You should repeat it at least 3 times because some people may miss it.

5. Don't push all your words together on your web site. People like to skim; use plenty of headings and sub headings.

6. Don't use site content your target audience isn't interested in. If people are coming to your site to find info about fishing don't include soccer content.

7. Don't use 50 different content formats all over your web site. Use the same fonts, text sizes, text colors, etc.

8. Don't use words your web site visitors might not understand. People are not going to stop and look in a dictionary, they will just go to another site.

9. Don't let selling words and phrases go unnoticed. Highlight important words and phrases with color, bolding, italics, underlining, etc.

10. Don't forget to use words that create emotion. All people have emotions, people will have more interest when they are emotionally attached.

-

New Interactive Site Creator

2006-11-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody,

Would you like to have a winner niche website? You need to have: articles, advice, tips, jokes, games, audio, video clips...

...in other words you need to bring together all types of content in multiple formats, all in one place.

Make no mistake about it. If you want your website to attract repeat visitors, your website needs to have a lot more than just text content.

VIP Interactive Site Creator allows you to easily create and manage interactive SEO Niche sites where you can have articles, tips, jokes, pictures/images, audio, video and games, as well as have ratings and comments by site visitors, and a lot more.

Click HERE for more info

Thanks for reading
Al Fresard

Tips On Getting Your Web Site Spidered Quickly

2006-11-02T01:58:00.000-08:00

The world of internet marketing is a highly competitive place. As a beginning internet marketer there are some basic things you should know about how search engines spider and index your web site. Unless the search engines find your web site and index it, there is no way the general public will know that it is there.

After you have created your web site and chosen the products or services you want to provide, you will be ready to get your site listed with the search engines. When developing your marketing strategy, it is important to include a plan to get your web site spidered quickly. In order to get your site indexed you must let the search engine spiders know you are there in the first place.

You may have wondered if there are ways to lure the spiders to your web site other than manual submission. The good news is that many SEOs recommend the following methods rather than submitting your pages directly.

The best way to get your site spidered quickly is to link your web site to another site that is already indexed, that is related to your site, and that is spidered frequently. Having your site mentioned in news releases, blogs, and so on can get your site your web site spidered very quickly, sometimes within days.

You can also use the more traditional methods including posting in forums and providing articles for the various article directories. If you choose this route, be careful not to spam.

Follow the posted rules, give helpful answers, and do not go overboard on your "sig file". Private forums are not always indexed, so make certain that the forums where you post display recent posts and are listed in search results.

No matter which method you choose to get your web site spidered, you will need a good site map. A site map lists and links to all pages on your site.

If your site consists of over approximately one hundred pages, consider using a multi-page site map. Make certain that every site map page links to all other site map pages. You should have a link to your site map on your home page and preferably on each of your pages. You should make sure your web site pages are simple and free of useless clutter.

Getting your web site spidered quickly is the most important thing you can do to achieve success as an internet marketer. Using the methods suggested above can be very helpful in getting your web site indexed.

Thanks for reading.
Al Fresard
http://mytopbizops.com

Instant Buzz Mastery: Secrets the Pros Use to Drive Profits Through the Roof

2006-10-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

People frequently ask me "How do I get more traffic to
my web site." This is the question that is answered
by the Instant Buzz eBook, "Instant Buzz Mastery". Not
only do they tell you how to get more traffic to your
web site, but they teach you to use a tool that attracts
targetted buyers and not just window shoppers.

Check it out HERE

This book is useful for both novices and experts alike.
They go from the basics of how to use the tool and create
your ads, to in depth interviews with 3 Instant Buzz
experts who provide a ton of free tips and even some
sample ads you can reuse.

Best of all the Instant Buzz eBook is a free download.

When you confirm your membership you might want to
take advantage of the special offer for only $9.95
as they'll also provide you a list of 15 of the best
free advertising resources, money can't buy.

Click HERE to download this e-book for free now!

To Your Success
Al Fresard

$97 training manual - FREE

2006-10-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

I have a special offer for you today:

Nothing to buy, so put your wallet away. :o)

I was given the "Thank You Page" for Derrick VanDyke's newly revised "Affiliate Cash Secrets" and was told I could share it with anyone...A $97 Value absolutely F-R-E-E with no strings attached.

Check it out HERE

The package includes the "Affiliate Cash Secrets" ebook, The "Free Traffic Secrets" training manual, and the "Affiliate Organizer" software.

You can download the whole package HERE

Have a great day,

Al Fresard.
MyTopBizOps.com

Free Marketing Software Package

2006-10-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

I just discovered a breakthrough Software products giveaway resource.

It's Free to download and have some great products that you can get with Master Resell Rights...

Go ahead and see what all the fuss is about right now.

Click HERE for more info.

Thanks for reading
Al Fresard

10 Ways To Shift Your Sales Into Overdrive

2006-10-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

Would you like More Visitors To Your Blog?

2006-10-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Brand New! Just Launched:

Free Blog Advertising offers you 9 different ways to drive targeted traffic to your blog.

They have combined a Traffic Exchange, Banner Exchange, Toolbar Exchange and a Text Ad Exchange, all on the same credit system.
This is a powerful combination and is FREE TO JOIN

Click HERE for more Information!

Why Blogging is Essential to Your Business

2006-10-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

In the 'good old days' - about three years ago - you used to keep in-touch with your customers using phone calls, email messages and face to face meetings. Nowadays the world has changed. People expect even more frequent updates, yet it's nearly impossible to meet with every business contact on a regular basis.

Thankfully, blogging has come to the rescue. Setting up a blog on your web site - and having an associated RSS feed - means you can keep in constant touch with your clients and potential customers. Plus you don't have to email them and they can get your latest news without having to visit your web site.

So how does this all work? A blog is really a fancy name for a web page that gets updated regularly. It's nothing special. There are several methods of writing 'blogs', but they are nothing more than computer programs which allow you to easily update a web page. Far and away the easiest way to start a blog is with a website called blogger.com.

However, for keeping in touch with your customers, RSS is the key. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. What this means is that your blog can be automatically delivered to people who want to read it - you don't have to send it to them and neither do they have to come and collect it. All they need is the address of your RSS Feed and their RSS Newsreader can do the job for them. There are several RSS readers available and new web browsers incorporate the ability to read RSS feeds and keep them updated.

Whenever you add new content to your blog, the RSS Feed automatically gets updated in everyone's Reader program or web browser. That means you are guaranteed to be able to keep in touch with clients and prospects. You don't have to do anything other than produce the content. Equally, you don't face the problems of email filters and anti-spam programs blocking your email. Furthermore, people tend to read RSS Feeds because they have subscribed to them whereas they tend to ignore non urgent emails.

As you can see, there are several advantages to Blogs and RSS Feeds. But it doesn't stop there. Search engines love them. That's because blogs provide fresh and new content - precisely what searchers are looking for. Hence the search engines are actively pushing blogs higher up the search engine ranking. This means if you don't have a blog for your business, you are seriously reducing your chances of a high search engine ranking. You need a blog nowadays to get noticed by the search engines.

So, blogging is essential. Not only does it improve your web presence, it also means you can keep in touch with clients and prospects more easily. And all the marketing research you can find will tell you that keeping in regular touch with your customers is an important component in gaining new business. So get blogging!

Going beyond the Google AdSense basics

2006-10-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Even though Google AdSense for Content is the biggest of the AdSense programs, AdSense for search is a powerful and potentially lucrative program in its own right.

Google AdSense for search allows the owner of the web site to add a Google search bar to the web site, and this in turn allows visitors to the site to search the internet directly from the web site. The difference between this concept and a normal Google web search, of course, is that you make money in the process. When a user performs a search using Google AdSense for search, the page that is displayed to that visitor also displays Google Ads (using AdWords) next to the usuallisting, just as it would if the search were performed from the Google site. If the visitor clicks on any of those Google ads, you get a payment. Therefore, adding a Google search bar to your can provide an additional stream of income while at the same time increasing the usefulness of your web site for viewers.

The other Google AdSense program is the Google AdSense Premium service. This program provides more advanced functions and features to those web sites which qualify for the program. It is important to point out that only a small percentage of web sites will qualify for Google AdSense Premium service, as the criteria are very strict. The base requirement for participation in the Google AdSense Premium service is that the web site must have received at least five million search queries or 20 million page views per month. Chances are that those web site owners who qualify for this premium service are already old hands at using AdSense.

No matter what the level of service or type of Google AdSense program you choose, one of the first questions you have will no doubt be how much money you can make. We have, of course, all seen those ads and come ons promising thousands of dollars in a matter of days, but the fact is that this is generally not the case. Even so, however, it is possible for web site owners to make a great deal of money through the AdSense program, and many people are doing just that. Better yet, once the HTML code is in place and the web site is part of the program, very little is needed in terms of ongoing maintenance and intervention on the part of the web site owner or webmaster.

The concept of earning money from Google AdSense is simple to understand. Every time a visitor to your web site clicks on an ad on one of your pages, you are entitled to a percentage of the money Google earns for the ad. This can equate to very high levels of income, especially for the more high profile and high traffic sites. In addition, even owners of small but successful sites in niche markets can enjoy a great deal of income through AdSense. If your site focuses on keywords for which there is a great deal of demand, that demand will result in higher ad prices for Google, and better ad revenue for you as visitors click the ads that are being served.

Let's look at a quick example of how that revenue can ad up. For this example, the clickthrough value of an ad is 30 cents. This means that Google is paid 30 cents each time the ad is clicked. The payout ratio for the ad is 50%, or 0.5, close to the current payout rate for most ads. Let's assume the ad is displayed 100 times through out the day and then clicked by nine visitors (for a clickthrough ratio of 0.09), and that the web page traffic is equal to 150 visitors.
The formula used to calculate possible earnings revenue would be as follows: Clickthrough value (.30) times payout ratio (0.5) times clickthrough ratio) times website visitors (150) times ad display (100). This formula of 0.30 * 0.5 * 0.09 * 150 * 100 gives us a dollar figure of $202.50.

If this average daily income were to be repeated throughout the month, the monthly earnings under this scenario would be over $6,000. Pretty good earnings, especially considering how simple and automated the Google AdSense program really is.

Creating an effective newsletter

2006-10-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Creating a successful newsletter can be extremely rewarding. Subscribers and customers respond with glowing feedback, online sales jump and your customer relationships and brand loyalty deepens.
Here are some useful tips that might helpin creating a successful newsletter.

Define Success
Ask yourself "What is the purpose of your newsletter?" A newsletter is a substantial investment of company resources in terms of time and energy, and you need to define in as tangible terms as possible the purpose of your Newsletter.

Voice and Personality
Establish a voice or editorial personality - whether newsy, serious, gossipy or funny - that is synergistic with the image you want to portray and connects with your audience. Remember that email newsletters aren't email promotions designed to stimulate immediate action. Sales and promotional copy don't suit e-newsletters. Nor does the traditional tone of broadcast corporate communications. Think of your newsletter as a one-on-one conversation. Just imagine sitting in a coffee shop talking informally with a customer. That's the starting point for your approach- a more personable and appropriate "human" voice will comenaturally. Drop the jargon, drop the sales pitch, be as honest as you can, and talk like a human being. You can have as much or as little personality as is appropriate. Consider adding a brief editorial, a comment or two, an editor's note, a couple of lines of commentary, a touch of opinion; adding a little human element here and there. Sign editorials, give authors a byline, or list some names down in the administrative section of each issue to which your readers can relate to.

From Line
Whether a person's name, name of the newsletter or company name - determine what will resonate best with your readers and stay with it.

Subject Line
"Vol. 1, Issue #8" or "Company News" are not enticing subject lines. They are certainly consistent and simple, but they don't tell your readers anything that will motivate them to open your email. Your subject line is your calling card - entice your readers with the most interesting or intriguing information in your Newsletter..

Style/Format
Establish a format and layout of your Newsletter that is clean and simple, with elements of the Newsletter (table of contents; "Tips", subscription information, etc. located in the same spot each issue).

Content
Figure out what your readers want and give it to them. Seek continuous improvement by obtaining reader feedback and monitoring click-through rates to determine what types of articles are most popular. Another dilemma that we all confront is too much information and too little time. The newsletter's job is to keep readers on top of trends and the latest developments in the industry. Aim for articles and feature stories to meet one of the following criteria by including either: major industry occurrences, forward thinking industry ideas, education on issues or new techniques, or business opportunities. Whether your customers work out of a corporate or home office, employees need answers to questions and tips for improving business activities. E-newsletters provide you with an opportunity to point out work inefficiencies, and share relevant best practice. When you create a newsletter, try changing your focus from selling products and services to solving your customers' problems. Think about what they need and give options they don't know exist.

Frequency
Determine how frequently your readers want to hear from you/receive your Newsletter - and what you can commit to. As a thumb rule, a weekly newsletter is ideal. However, don't launch a weekly newsletter if you are not absolutely certain that you can distribute a quality Newsletter every week. A fortnightly newsletter is a good option too.

Timing
Test and pick a day and time that works best ...and stick to it. Readers should almost be able to set their watches by the receipt time of your Newsletter.

Make it Viral
Provide information readers can act on or that stimulates reaction - forwarding it to friends and peers, stimulating purchases or requests for additional information. Make it easy for readers to forward articles and information to peers and friends. Provide a "Forward to a Friend" link that enables readers to forward the Newsletter with a personalized note.

Search
Make it easy to find articles of interest and back issues. Provide a table of contents and links to articles within the newsletter and to resources and past Articles on your site.

Printing
Consider providing "printer-friendly formats" on your Website.

Personalize
At minimum address the reader by name. The most successful newsletters have a human being associated with them... and a personality. If possible, your Newsletter should be "written by a person" at your company... not the company.

Write in layman terms with simple vocabulary
Not everyone has the vocabulary that you and editors do. Use words that are easy-to-understand, and if you do use technical terms, provide a definition that people can relate to. There is nothing more frustrating then a definition that makes less sense than the word itself.

Test
Test the Newsletter on few email addresses to check for errors and other issues - before sending to the entire distribution list. If you lack experience in print media, seek out assistance if you know someone in the field. If not, don't worry - the above mentioned basic principles apply. Plan to research your material thoroughly and avoid factual or editing errors, as they will make you seem less credible. Add hyperlinks and include updates on old material should new information surface. The typical form of newsletter is a one-way communication where you provide information to customers, such as product updates and announcements. You have the option of formatting your e-mail by including colorized text and a variety of fonts, but not all e-mail software supports HTML mail. Consider writing your newsletter in plain text or offer two mailing lists- one for plain text mailings and the other for HTML e-mail.

Make sure you Include:

Table of Contents
Hyperlinks for customers who want more information for a featured topic
Exciting secrets or tips related to your product or service
Contact information

E-newsletters can take up a good amount of time if not managed correctly. The use of a list server (a piece of software that runs on your Internet provider's computer or on your own web server) is a good option. It will automatically manage a list of e-mail addresses. Once you send your newsletter to the list server, it distributes the letter to the stored addresses. For more information on list servers, contact your Internet service provider. If you opt to use another method, make sure you have a plan for handling incoming and outgoing mail when your customer base increases.

In conclusion, your newsletter can serve as an extension of your business that will reach out to your customers. It will allow you to maintain regular contact with them and serve as an effective and rewarding addition to your marketing arsenal. These tips should help you put it all together and help you create an exceptional newsletter.