Articles by Scott Lindsay on ArticleSnatch.com

PPC And The Banner Ads

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Banner ads seemed to have gone the way of the Dodo bird. In essence these forms of advertising on the web were relegated to link exchange programs as Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising came to dominance. PPC relies more heavily on target consumer activity and remains a no-frills, cost effective way to reach targeted consumers. However, today we find Flash driven banner advertising that can be essentially a video that makes the advertising stand out. Google has become involved in bringing banner ads back. What was once considered a dinosaur is now getting a second look as an enhanced form of PPC advertising. No longer does the simple PPC advertising have to be the only option for online business. The common problem with link exchange programs has been that businesses can only work with a comparatively small pool of participants. The price is right, but it never really provides the jump-start to a business that other Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies can produce.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com

Forums â The Establishment Cause

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

When it comes to developing a forum as a means of marketing your online business one of the key components is the free flow of communication between members. You will discover there may be times when you need to work at initiating conversation between your members. If the site does not elicit conversation members will migrate elsewhere and may not be overly interested in returning. It may be to your advantage to hire (or offer) a moderatorâs position to a motivated early member. This moderator will work to keep conversation going and they will also monitor the forum for spam and inappropriate posts. This moderator should have an interest in the primary topic of your forum and have the technical skills to remove posts while providing new content for members to consider. There should come a time when the moderator simply provides a policing effort while allowing other members to continue to interact. One other element that may be useful is to cross-pollinate your business blog (b-blog) with your forum. Essentially you would have your moderator post your blog material within your forum. This can help drive forum visitors to your blog without the invitation coming directly from you.** End Summary**

Email Marketing â Itâs All About The Content

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Did you know you could combine email marketing, list building and podcasting? This process allows you to work your marketing strategy on three separate fronts. I have always been an advocate of powerful content for your email marketing. The difficulty is attempting to blend quality content with the potential for interactive features. In most cases the more bells and whistles you have in your email the greater the possibility it will be rejected as spam or because the filtering system believes it may have a virus. Itâs at this point that you develop, within the framework of your website, pages dedicated to additional information. The practical application of a direct website link is driving traffic to your website while seeing which topics receive the most visits. This information can be used to develop popular subject matter for future editions of your email. You can also develop a podcast with information that can be accessed through your email marketing. This information should be targeted toward existing email recipients, but it also serves a secondary purpose. You can take an excerpt from the audio file youâve created and make it available on your website and other applicable third-party sites.** End Summary**

Traffic Building â Cyber Foot Traffic

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Have you ever seen those television commercials that are essentially mini-movies? They canât play the entire production so they cut it off at a cliffhanger and display a computer graphic with a web site name and an encouragement to come by and see what happens next. The curious will visit. Childrenâs toys and cereals will also include website information in their television ads encouraging kids to drop by and discover a whole world of fun waiting for them. Even fishing shows will present website information so anglers can get the latest information on lures that will potentially bring in the âcatch of a lifetimeâ. You hear and read website addresses in all forms of media. Have you ever wondered why businesses are so intentional about promoting their website? The short answer is traffic building? The slightly longer answer is a website can be the best non-intrusive, yet highly interactive way for customers to get the best impression of your business. There was a time when businesses looked at a website as simply a novel approach to displaying a cyber business card. It may have been attractive, but certainly wasnât something visitors felt compelled to go back to.** End Summary**

Internet Marketing A Very Personal Journey

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Today someone will take their first steps toward making a fortune. Today someone will be content to make a living. Today someone will debut a website with inadequate focus. This âsomeoneâ may fail. Today someone will make the hard decision to stop conducting online business. Today someone will decide there is something they can do to save their business â and do it. Where are you â today? The role of Internet marketing encompasses so many different disciplines it can intimidate many online businesses. Some business owners feel fortunate to get their online business operational. The thought of learning various Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, integrating various marketing applications and the many hours that might be needed to get the word out can leave the heartiest business owner with a feeling of defeat or inadequacy. The first step in any online business is quality research. You need to understand whom you are targeting, what their spending habits are, what they like and how your product fits within those questions.** End Summary**

Ecommerce â What Do You Offer?

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If your ecommerce store provides customers with significant product choice you might be able to make life easier for your customer. In turn, you will likely experience an increase in online business profit. Many ecommerce sites develop an online catalogue that may be fairly comprehensive, but may also lack a satisfactory listing of your full line of merchandise. As ecommerce sites continue to grow it is important for you to develop a full listing of all your products. In order to do this effectively you will need to make the products searchable by product name, product number and/or manufacturer? Many online businesses have also taken a page from the Point of Sale (POS) playbook. In retail sales, a clerk will be made aware of complimentary products with respect to an item or items that have been purchased. The clerk can then alert the customer to an additional purchase that may be beneficial to the customerâs shopping experience. Online business has evaluating data collection processes that can pinpoint additional products that other customers have purchased in combination with the product being viewed by the online customer.** End Summary**

Video Streaming â New Products Webinar

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If you are a vendor of goods that are routinely sold through online stores you may be an especially good candidate for video streaming. You may use a phone conferencing system where multiple clients can converse with you about a new product. These types of services continue to be useful. However, a new generation of savvy vendors are finding a greater value in video streaming webinars. Imagine a growing company with several hundred vendors or affiliates. This company has several new products they are ready to make available, but short of sending a sample to every current vendor on their list they opt to use a webinar to debut the new products. They capitalize on the buzz by creating timely press releases and information on how the vendor can take advantage of the webinar. On a set date and time men and women gather in front of their computer screen to see the debut of the products. As part of the video streaming webinar the company provides practical demonstrations of the product and benefits are fully reviewed. Explanations are provided as to why this product is superior to other similar products on the market.** End Summary**

Autoresponders â An Online University

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

One of the ways I process marketing ideas is to visit as many sites as possible. By doing this I get to see some of the best and worst in online marketing. Recently I discovered a unique way to use autoresponders. The premise is brilliant in execution, successful in gaining membership, but somewhat vague in overall information. The site owner purchased a second web address that spoke to one facet of their online business. This information was knowledge based and executed much like a visual teaser to a really good movie. Applicable questions were asked and bullet points were added to let visitors know some of the things they could learn from this company. Interestingly there was no link on this secondary website to indicate who the company was or how to contact them. The only contact information was a sign up form for a free five-part ecourse. The site featured an almost university type design leaving the visitor feeling as if the information would be quality and worth their time. It was emphasized that the email information would never be sold or shared with a third party. The added touch was noting that the course started today.** End Summary**

Home-Based Business â Getting Started

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Many home-based businesses are either sole proprietor or a general partnership. These are simplified methods of developing a business and can often allow the greatest flexibility in startup and business termination. With a sole proprietor business you are the single business owner paying all taxes at years end. You will likely be required to obtain a business license and applicable permits. With a general partnership a partnership agreement is generally developed. The partnership is dissolved when one party wishes to end their stake in the business. This type of business is developed when either two friends wish to start a business together or two family members. There are also limited partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies that can be developed, but for the sake of this article we will key in on the simplest forms of business ownership. With most online business that operates as a home-based business there is not the need for an in-home showroom or customer visitation. In fact, many municipalities and or covenant communities do not allow the sale of items through a more traditional home-based business where items are actually sold out of the home to visiting customers.** End Summary**

Rss Feeds â Content Reliability

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Websites have become very sophisticated and the demand for quality content is systematically increasing. Consumers have become very demanding in terms of the knowledge-based content an online business has available on their site. One of the ways you can add new content to your site in a way that is potentially hands free is through the use of a third party Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feed. In most cases you will need permission to do what I am about to suggest, but you will also find some resources that see this idea as a marketing boon for their online business and offer it without the need to ask. If you find a source with consistently good information you might do well to consider asking this source if you can either extract personally selected content for redistribution on your site, or ask them if you can simply use the RSS feed as a third party news distribution source on your web. In the first scenario you have the most control over the information you share. In the second scenario the information can self-update leaving you free to pursue other marketing endeavors.** End Summary**

Home-based Business A Pioneering Spirit

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

It wasnât so long ago when men and women took on second or even third or fourth jobs to make ends meet for their family. Some resorted to lawn mowing, sewing, babysitting and other odd jobs to meet a payment of put food on the table. In many cases the close-knit families in small towns around the world worked together to weather tough times. Today extra income is still needed, or desired, in many homes, but the possibilities for earning that income have expanded just as surely as they have shrunk. What I mean by that is men and women are shrinking their options by looking at income producing opportunities within their home. They are expanding the possibilities by marketing their home-based business to a worldwide audience. This generation of entrepreneurs relies on the same premise their forbears did in seeking to find financial solutions where others may fail to look. In essence, the expressed need is the propulsion for the development of a business launched from home. There is an uncanny combination that can help get a home-based business launched via the World Wide Web.** End Summary**

Security â Online Security Guards

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If you go back just far enough in our collective history you come to a pleasant place where doors were left unlocked. Neighbors and even strangers were trusted while neighborhoods were considered safe and welcoming. It wasnât long before a few bad guys made locks standard. In fact, multiple locks were used and locking mechanisms were even placed on windows. Now, fast forward to recent innovations where motion sensors and alarm trips not only alert a family to the presence of an intruder, but also triggers a response from appropriate law enforcement personnel. The security issues that have made new methods of home security mainstream have also brought about dynamic improvements in security measures in an online environment. There may have been a time when virus software was not needed, but those days likely are a throwback to monochromatic screens and extremely small hard drives. Would anyone truly consider using personal information in an environment where password protection was not in use? Would anyone truly feel that all websites are absolutely trustworthy? Would anyone knowingly welcome intruders onto their site where they can disable, alter and damage content while mining personal and security data for nefarious uses?** End Summary**

Social Media â The Friendship Advantage

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If youâve ever heard of Inspector Gadget then you know this detective had access to several personal devices to assist him in unraveling mysteries and determining who the bad guy was. Beyond the cartoon a couple of live action movies were developed in response to this larger than life comic hero. Social media has become the cyber equivalent of Inspector Gadget. A variety of websites have been developed to allow social media users to develop their own special site designs. This freely available resource is actually designed to facilitate marketing for those that develop these artistic backgrounds. Every site that uses one of these designs will have a link to the originating site designerâs website. Beyond this function social media users can include personally developed videos. Codes are available for most widely used video sites like YouTube. Simple copy and paste the code in your bio or âAbout Meâ section and the video is up and running. Music clips can also be placed on social media sites to allow you to express your individual tastes better than many other forms of media. You even develop a business or personal pictorial slide show that includes music.** End Summary**

Affiliate Revenue No, Go, Whoa, Know

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Recently Iâve noticed an increase in the number of Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising links that direct visitors to sites that are wholly dedicated to the development of affiliate revenue. There is no online store on these sites; they are simply highly organized portals for online shopping with a grouping of affiliates based on the type of product you may be interested in purchasing. These sites may include knowledge-based content with the end goal of directing you to one of their online partners to facilitate a purchase. If they can do this effectively it may mean a relatively hands free way to derive increased residual income. Just Say âNoâ If you develop a website like the one described make sure you only work with companies that provide a cookie-based system to track referrals for proper affiliate payment. If they canât provide this you should consider a different firm. Just Say âGoâ If you develop an autoresponder newsletter you will also want to make sure that any traffic derived from an email marketing campaign can also be tracked specifically for your affiliate revenue website.** End Summary**

Email Marketing â The Timing And The Relevance

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If you look hard enough you will find research on almost any given topic. For instance, were you aware that there are certain times when sending email marketing is probably a bad idea? There are also times when sending marketing emails makes perfect sense. Monday and Friday â These two days are not as useful to email marketing as other days of the workweek. The primary reason is Monday is generally a time to get back into the swing of work, while Friday is a time to gear down. Your email is likely to be lost in the shuffle. Since most email marketing can be sent out on command this is something to consider when developing an email marketing campaign. Saturday and Sunday â The weekend is generally throwaway days for email marketing for much the same reason as Monday and Friday. If someone is in the office on the weekend, the last thing they are interested in is marketing emails. If your email comes in over the weekend chances are pretty good your email marketing campaign will be subject to a readily used email purge without serious consideration.** End Summary**

Site Promotion Tools â Is The Cart Before The Horse?

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Have you ever wondered why it is important to submit your website information to directories? Itâs a valid question. After all, if a search engine will eventually crawl your website isnât it enough to simply make sure the site is infused with beneficial Search Engine Optimization (SEO) procedures while avoiding potentially time consuming directory submissions? If you have used comprehensive optimization strategies, but have failed to submit to web directories Iâd like the opportunity to make a case for directory submissions by viewing this process as valuable site promotion tool. It is probable that you have the belief that the primary interest from site visitors will come as a result of a search engine query. Let me just say up front you are correct in looking at this as a key component to site promotion. Most of your visitors will come directly to your site based on a qualified keyword search. At this point you may be thinking I am struggling with finding my original point, so Iâll cut to the chase. Answer this question, âWhere do search engines go first to find new websites?â The answer? Web directories.** End Summary**

Social Media â Welcome To Reality Online

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The use of social media encompasses a broad range of online media types. While some might only think of a social network like MySpace there are actually several social media formats that contain significant marketing potential for online business. While others may think you are simply enjoying the multiple aspects of social networking, the truth of your interest may likely be tinged with a business focus. What that doesnât mean is that you post simply to leave a traceable link back to your business website. Those who visit any social media site see through posts that are overtly geared toward marketing. In many cases social media consumers view this as spam even if the social network owners do not. In the end, you can lose credibility of you donât work as a meaningful contributor in a social media environment. Social media can be presented in many different forms. Letâs take a peak at a few of them. YouTube and other similar video sites â These videos can be funny, serious, off the cuff and sometimes political in nature. You can show your business in a humorous light and allow individuals to be curious about you and your business.** End Summary**

Autoresponders â Make Sure You Respond

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Autoresponders can be a great way to interact with customers in a hands-free way. It is ideally suited to providing visitors with a specialized ecource or newsletter. In fact, online businesses are finding autoresponders a wonderful marketing tool. Many businesses use an autoresponder on email inquiries. However, there is a problem that can develop when using standard email autoresponders. The premise is that the customer can receive an immediate response letting them know the email has been received. Often that email looks something like thisâ¦ âThank you for contacting the XYZ Company. This is an automated response, but be assured we will respond to your email. âWe appreciate your contact and will be contacting you shortly.â This sounds pretty good, doesnât it? However, the problem comes when follow through on email inquiries are lax or a response is delayed. If a customer (or potential customer) took the time to contact you they are looking for answers â now. If you donât respond in a timely manner they will look elsewhere. Weâve all received those autoresponder-generated emails. In some cases that original generic email is the only one the company ever sends.** End Summary**

Entrepreneurialism â Pothole Avoidance

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If youâve ever thought of becoming an entrepreneur you should know there are dozens of online companies willing to provide assistance in helping you launch your big idea. Thatâs the good news. The bad news is not all of these sources are worth the time and money you might invest. Then again, thatâs a common cautionary take in all of lifeâs pursuits I suppose. So, where exactly does one go to learn more about starting their own business? Certainly the access of online articles can help. This can take some quality time with a search engine, but you will likely find a great deal of information that would have been hard to locate twenty years ago. There is one thing that is a bit âold schoolâ that could assist you in answering your questions about becoming an entrepreneur. You could simply ask someone whoâs âbeen thereâ for advice. This doesnât have to be someone directly involved with the idea you have, but simply someone who has already traverse the potholes of entrepreneurialism and lived to find continued success with their idea. Many of these individuals would welcome the opportunity to âtalk shopâ.** End Summary**

Seo â Wearing The White Hat Part # 1

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If you have heard the term âBlack Hat SEOâ then you know the term is applied negatively to websites that use methods of optimizing their website that are frowned on by search engines. In fact, these search engines will ban these sites from their rankings when they are discovered (and they almost always are). There is another term used for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) referred to as âWhite Hatâ, and just like the movie westerns of yesteryear you get the picture that there is a struggle between good and bad between these optimization approaches. Newsweek reported in a December 19th, 2005 article, â[Search engines] are increasingly tolerant of ethical or âwhite hatâ [SEOs], who primarily help their clients knock down the virtual walls that prevent search engines from fully indexing their site.â To be clear, search engines view âBlack Hatâ SEO as spam while âWhite Hatâ SEO is not only accepted, it is encouraged. Matt Cutts from Google has said, âTo Google, SEO only becomes spam when it goes against our quality guidelines and moves into things like hidden text, hidden links, cloaking, or sneaky redirects...** End Summary**

Ecommerce â Delayed Gratification

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

âPeople often say that motivation doesnât last, Well, neither does bathing â thatâs why we recommend it daily.â â Zig Ziglar Humanity desires acknowledgement and weâre not used to delayed gratification. We want what we want â and we want it right now. There is an unfair proposition in online marketing. This inequality can be found in list building, blogging, site promotion and virtually every other area of establishing a web presence. For the site owner there is no such thing as instant gratification. You will not likely receive the feedback youâre hoping for and it can seem as if you are improving your web presence for only one person and frankly youâre getting tired of impressing yourself. Sometimes it can seem like establishing your ecommerce is a bit like being asked to fill the Grand Canyon with a teaspoon. You keep at it, but itâs hard to see the results. The good news is while you keep working to establish your web presence you are finding better ways to say things, better content to present while the rough edges are smoothed out.** End Summary**

Ppc â The Moderation Key

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is often viewed as a quick way to get traffic to your website. After all, the advertising itself is just a few words so it shouldnât take too long to put it together, get it online and wait for the customers to be delivered to your website on a silver platter. Right? Maybe not. Many businesses use most of the words available in their word count to place the name of their business and they donât take advantage of researched keywords. PPC advertisers could be paying more money for their ads then they need to because they havenât investigated less popular keywords that are just as effective and provide a similar return on investment (ROI). In most cases you can even take advantage of a negative keyword. What this means is if you have a company that sells a variety of nuts, you might consider placing a ââ cashewsâ if you donât actually sell cashews. Essentially this eliminates the PPC advertising to show up on any sites that feature cashews.** End Summary**

Forums â Finding Someone To Post First

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The use of a forum can be an effective means of understanding your customers. However, the start-up of a forum can be a bit like attending a get-together where no one wants to be the first to say something. Most get-togethers require some sort of icebreaker and the same is true for a forum. You can hope for the best and eventually a few people will post, but the most successful forums are often the ones that already have a visible history of posts where a visitor can easily sound off on an existing thread or conversation. So how do you make your forum a desired online destination when you initialize the message board? Well, there are a couple of ways to encourage your visitors to post. Contests You can develop contests for your visitors to participate in. This can be tied to most active member (no spam or meaningless posts allowed) or it can simply be a random drawing from all active members. It can also be tied to a variety of other creative criteria.** End Summary**

Video Streaming Reaching Out To The On Demand Customer

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

YouTube and MeTV understand that people want a creative way to express themselves. The anonymity provided by the web has allowed multiple thousands of wannabe stars to shine in low-resolution splendor. The success of these online video enterprises has encouraged others like Yahoo, AOL and a variety of other media outlets to begin streaming video for online consumption. Even childrenâs television is finding ways to allow kids to utilize online video streaming to participate in traditional television broadcasts through MeTV. Television shows are now being released as video streaming downloads because the public is interested in video content. Sure, there are uses for educational and knowledge based video streaming, but what about a lighthearted parody of your business? Some businesses use these video parodies for annual company meetings or they have their staff reenact a portion of a well-known movie. While it may have originally been a fun part of a company meeting this information can be made available as part of a video streaming download allowing multiplied thousands of visitors to gain an appreciation for the humanness of the individuals running the business.** End Summary**

Podcasts â Entertainment Marketing

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The web is being populated by thousands of podcasts. If you want a podcast featuring radio drama you can find one. The same is true for any type of music you want, comedy, poetry and more. Businesses are developing podcasts as a means of marketing their brand or product. A business podcast could be developed based on an interview with the manufacturer of a featured product, or it could be with the website owner on the value and difference customers can expect from their online business. You donât have to immediately think of an infomercial when you think podcast either. The truth is a podcast should be something the visitor will feel is worthwhile for them to listen in on. The podcast can, and should, draw attention to features of your website and tools that are helpful to them. This can be knowledge based articles that compliment the podcast material or simply a products page that provide detailed descriptions of the item or items you discussed in the podcast. The site visitor has control over when they listen and whether they visit so donât beg.** End Summary**

Articles by Scott Lindsay on ArticleSnatch.com

PPC And The Banner Ads

Forums â The Establishment Cause

Email Marketing â Itâs All About The Content

Traffic Building â Cyber Foot Traffic

Internet Marketing A Very Personal Journey

Ecommerce â What Do You Offer?

Video Streaming â New Products Webinar

Autoresponders â An Online University

Home-Based Business â Getting Started

Rss Feeds â Content Reliability

Home-based Business A Pioneering Spirit

Security â Online Security Guards

Social Media â The Friendship Advantage

Affiliate Revenue No, Go, Whoa, Know

Email Marketing â The Timing And The Relevance

Site Promotion Tools â Is The Cart Before The Horse?

Social Media â Welcome To Reality Online

Autoresponders â Make Sure You Respond

Entrepreneurialism â Pothole Avoidance

Seo â Wearing The White Hat Part # 1

Ecommerce â Delayed Gratification

Ppc â The Moderation Key

Forums â Finding Someone To Post First

Video Streaming Reaching Out To The On Demand Customer

Podcasts â Entertainment Marketing

Forums â The Establishment Cause

Email Marketing â Itâs All About The Content

Traffic Building â Cyber Foot Traffic

Ecommerce â What Do You Offer?

Video Streaming â New Products Webinar

Autoresponders â An Online University

Home-Based Business â Getting Started

Rss Feeds â Content Reliability

Security â Online Security Guards

Social Media â The Friendship Advantage

Email Marketing â The Timing And The Relevance

Site Promotion Tools â Is The Cart Before The Horse?

Social Media â Welcome To Reality Online

Autoresponders â Make Sure You Respond

Entrepreneurialism â Pothole Avoidance

Seo â Wearing The White Hat Part # 1

Ecommerce â Delayed Gratification

Ppc â The Moderation Key

Forums â Finding Someone To Post First

Podcasts â Entertainment Marketing