Latest Articles by mfleischner

Optimize for Bing

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:46:19 -0500

Now that new search engines like Bing are being discussed more frequently its clear that people want to know how to optimize for Microsoft's latest introduction to search. Those who visit Bing will find that the site provides general search and a category search. Other than a large graphic, the search engine doesn't appear to have a lot behind it. However, Microsoft has reported a more intelligent search engine and new search experience.

You might be asking yourself, what does Bing mean for my website and how can I ensure that my web site is found? I have been receiving a number of inquiries from individuals who are concerned that their website will lose ranking based on this new search. I have begun to research Bing as a search engine and found out that much of it's methodology for ranking is similar to that of Google.

When looking at top ranked websites, an in depth analysis can be done to see which factors vary between top results. A recent comparison that I viewed showed that the number one ranking website on Bing was able to keep a leg up on the competition by having an older domain age, and having inbound links from websites that included the primary keyword in the referring sites title tag. In short, the top web site was successful in building inbound links from other SEO sites and directories as opposed to being from unrelated websites.

What I find of particular interest is that Bing is relying on many of the same factors that Google has been using from day one. The factor you should be most concerned with is inbound linking. All major search engines like inbound links. More importantly, they like relevant in bound links. Use this information to guide your SEO campaigns and determine which sites to target for link exchanges.

Organic search should be at the top of your list. If it is then you know where you need to focus, inbound linking. If you haven't already focused your efforts on organic search then start with on page optimization. Once your site is formatted appropriately, start with off page optimization and link building.

Another area of importance is content. Search engines like Bing look for fresh, relevant content. You want to make sure that your content is valuable to browsers and web site visitors but that it is also relevant and up to date. Consider adding a revising content on a regular basis. This helps you succeed in generating inbound links and quality scores from search engine algorithms.

You might be wondering which search engine you should be optimizing your web site for. Based on what I've seen, I'm encouraged by preliminary Bing related findings. I believe that Bing is using many of the same factors that Google uses to evaluate a sites relevance to a search query. As always, focus on white hat methods to optimize your site and follow SEO basics.

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Searching for help with your SEO campaign? Learn more about our SEO training program designed for small to large businesses. You can also get the full scoop on today's leading SEO software with our SEO Elite Software Review.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Green Energy Made Simple

Mon, 04 May 2009 09:20:35 -0500

Today more than ever people are creating their very own energy. Doing so is good for the environment and can save you thousands of dollars a year. Save on your electricity and other power bills by creating your own energy. Generating your own electricity is rather easy to do and anyone can learn how. If you are curious about energy creation or simply want to make a difference to the planet, explore the development of renewable energy resources including solar panels and wind turbines.

Having your own resources for generating power is really catching on. As more individuals consider joining the movement to go green, independent power creation is becoming more common. One of the reasons is the prevalence of new systems that can help you become energy independent with the help of solar and wind power generation systems. As a result, more people than ever are going off the grid and breaking their dependence on big power companies.

One of the most common forms of alternative energy is wind energy. Harvesting the power of the wind and converting it to power is more common than ever. This is due to the ease at which wind turbines can be created and deployed for generating electricity on a daily basis. Much of this power can be stored and utilized when necessary. There are a number of resources available today for creating wind turbines for personal use at very low cost.

If you haven't yet heard about solar panels or only know about them in abstract form, they are commonly used to produce energy by harvesting the rays of the sun. Ove the last decade, technology has significantly improved the power and reliability of solar energy. In fact, making your very own solar panels is more common today than ever before. The best way to get started is with a good list of materials and step by step instructions. When solar is used with other energy sources like wind or wind turbines, solar is a green way to achieve energy independence.

The problem faced by many first time energy seekers is that the cost of professionally installed solar powers is far beyond their budget. Additionally, could take a very long time to get a favorable return on their energy investment. The good news is that there are plenty of options when it comes to solar energy. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars in order to be energy independent. In fact, building solar panels as a do-it-yourself project is fun, easy to do, and relatively inexpensive.

When thinking about being energy independent, you don't have to think too long. Creating your own energy resources using wind and solar are easy to do and can support your energy needs over the long term. By creating your own energy sources, you are taking better care of the environment and reducing the negative side affects associated with power lines, chemicals and other materials found in energy production. The best way to achieve a green environment is to do your part. Start small and begin by creating something small. The result will be a healthier environment and more money in your pocket.

Generating green energy is within your grasp. Start with a popular green energy producing kit or product. Once you do your research and find resources that can help you achieve your energy goals, get started. There are many products out there that do offer guidance and support so find the one that meets your experience level. Also, be sure that what ever product you choose, you're provided with a guarantee. By finding and investing in the right resources, you can quickly get up and running resulting in limitless energy.

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If you want to start generating your own power, start with Earth 4 Energy. You will receive complete instructions as well as helpful video tutorials on creating your very own independent energy sources at Earth for Energy.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

AdWords Domination Secrets Review

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:53:51 -0600

For the past four years, I've been working hard to give my Internet marketing colleagues complete reviews of Internet marketing products that I think could them reduce marketing costs and improve results. I do my best to provide everyone with detailed information that could help make the right decision for buying one product over another or simply staying away from some types of Internet products all together.

You should know, that I only endorse affiliate marketing products to my subscribers and customers only if I am confident that the product has the value that could help my customers to make the right decision in transforming their business to the next level.

So , what does it really mean to you? It means that through this review you will be able get important information that could help you to make an informed buying decision.

This week's review is on a new affiliate marketing product called AdWords Domination Secrets

I came across AdWords Domination Secrets after receiving number of emails from big guys I respect in internet marketing. When I was first asked to take a look AdWords Domination Secrets I didn't have high hopes, because there were so many affiliate marketing products out there.

But, I finally decided to check it out.

Just Like you, I wanted to know if the e-book is filled with a revolutionary marketing techniques and strategies or if it was another rip-off.

Now, have to admit that I was very totally wrong.

I usually like e-books with a step by step guide, so I immediately jumped to see the contents of the e-book to check if the e-book follows and step by step format and if it is really packed with powerful strategies and techniques.

To tell the Truth, I was really blown away when I started reading the step by step guide. The product is filled with advanced affiliate marketing techniques and strategies which is organized in an easy to follow step-by-step format.

What I also like about AdWords Domination Secrets is that all the tools which are used to implement the powerful principles are mentioned in the guide. So, I decided to share my findings with readers of my blog so that every body of us would benefit from the e-book.

Actually, AdWords Domination Secrets is one of the few affiliate marketing products that really "connects the knowing and doing gap of affiliate marketing.

I was really excited to see such a guide which runs from the beginning to end smoothly. In fact, I am not going to discuss specific strategies in detail, because I don't think that is relevant to making a yes/no buying decision.

What I also like about AdWords Domination Secrets is that the strategies laid out are based on what works or proven to work. After reading the e-book, I have really developed a new insight and I am confident that from today onwards I will not accomplish my tasks based on assumptions and guesses.

At the same time the information in the e-book is organized in such a manner that ...

* It is Suitable for Newbies, struggling affiliates or seasoned pros...

* It is a complete guide in a sense it gives A-Z step by step guide.

* Unlike other e-books it gives every tool needed so as to follow the step by step guide smoothly.

* AdWords Domination Secrets integrates Google AdWords with Affiliate Programs taking into account the latest trends in internet marketing.

This concept makes a lot of sense because Affiliate marketing, like everything else in the web is in a constant state of change. It is in constant evolution. In order to succeed in this constantly changing industry you need to use time tested and proven techniques and strategies which follow current internet marketing trends.

AdWords Domination Secrets is designed and prepared in such a clear and easy way that you do not need to have advanced skills to understand and implement the techniques and strategies laid out in the e-book.

AdWords Domination Secrets is currently priced at very an affordable price for a program that will allow you to earn money within days without necessarily having to spend any additional money out of pocket. It is sold by the publisher with an eight week no-questions-asked guarantee. You won't find a better deal as it is essentially risk-free.

AdWords Domination Secrets is simply the most powerful affiliate product on the market today. It contains simple, easy-to-understand methods for selling that have been proven to work.

So, I highly recommend AdWords Domination Secrets for both complete beginners and seasoned pros.

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Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert and author of SEO Made Simple. As a thank you for reading my complete review, you are entitled to a Special Bonus (value $47) if you decide to purchase AdWords Domination Secrets. To learn more, visit AdWords Domination Secrets Review Blog.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Focus on SEO Before You Launch Your New Website

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Are you launching a new website? There’s no better time to think about search engine optimization than prior to launching a new site. By giving consideration to your on-page optimization factors, you can increase your chances of achieving top organic search results.

To prepare your site for easy indexing, be sure to follow these basis guidelines:

1. Design your site in html or similar format that minimizes the use of java script and flash. The more complex you make your code, the more difficult it becomes for the search engine spiders to read your content and prescribe the appropriate Google PR to your web page.

2. Make sure that your meta tags are coded properly and include the Robots.txt tag. Many individuals downplay the importance of meta tags. Although meta tags themselves won’t drastically change the organic ranking of your site, they do create the display text users will see when your site appears in search results. If your meta tags are search engine optimized and compelling, you increase the changes of improving click-throughs.

3. Apply the proper tags to your page. H1, H2, and H3 tags are a great wall to call attention to your content and promote your keywords and keyword phrases. Try to use each tag at least once, but don’t force the issues. You want your text to flow and appear normal.

In addition to ensuring that you’ve made your page easy to access and presented text that is optimized, you also want to consider other factors that can help long-term with your SEO efforts. So often, web designers get caught up with on page factors, that they overlook the requirements for establishing a foundation that supports long-term initiatives.

In particular, consider adding pages that you can add to over time that support link building and accessibility for search engine spiders. Be sure to include:

1. An html sitemap and an xml sitemap. Including a sitemap on you site makes it easy for search engines to access all of your website pages and index your site accordingly. Your sitemap should be in both html as well as xml. Although users would not access the xml sitemap, search engine spiders use this version to crawl websites. Additionally, key search engine submission resources like Google’s Webmasters Tools require xml site map versions.

2. Include a partners page. Previously referred to as a links page, the partners page is essential for reciprocal linking. This strategy isn’t as powerful as developing one-way links, but until your site has been assigned a Google PR, one-way links can be difficult to acquire. So begin your link exchange program with a partners page that allows you add or remove link quickly and easily.

3. Submission pages that encourage new content. One of the most powerful seo techniques is the addition of new content. Make it easy for your users to add or submit content to your website. When search engines see new content, they rejoice. Don’t underestimate how important it is to make it simple for your browsers to add or submit content.

When focusing on search engine optimization, especially with a new website, follow the basic ideas outlined above. There are a number of other factors to consider as well. However, you should always start with a strong foundation – a site design that meets basic SEO standards but one that also supports your long range search engine optimization goals.

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Michael Fleischner is the founder of the The Good Marketing Tips Blog and has more than 12 years of marketing experience. Learn how to improve search engine rankings at http://improvesearchenginerankings.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

7 Steps for Managing Your Online Reputation

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

If you've ever Googled your name, you know how important managing your reputation online can be. Each day, thousands of individuals are searching online for information about others simply by searching on Google or other leading search engines. With information being so readily available, managing your reputation is more important than ever.

How to Manage Your Reputation Online

Fortunately, managing your reputation online isn't all that difficult, but it does take work. Here are 7 basic steps you can take to ensure that your reputation doesn't become negatively impacted by what's being said about you online.

1. See where you stand. Start your reputation management initiative by Googling your name. Try it with quotes and with out (first and last name together). Look through each of your results on page one and page two of Google. Are there any there are are negative or you wish to remove?

2. Set up a Google alert. Visit Google and set up an alert for your name. After setting up the alert Google will send you and email to confirm that you wish to receive the updates. Accept the alert and each time your name is published to the Web, you'll know about it.

3. Contact website owners for name removal. If there are sites that include your name and commentary that is less than desirable, contact the appropriate websites requesting that the information be removed. More often than not, website owners will agree to remove your name and/or inappropriate information.

4. Purchase a domain with your name. Add sites and webpages associated with your name and watch negative search results get pushed lower on Google rankings. Visit GoDaddy or another provider of website URLs and hosting, and purchase a domain that contains your name. Even if your name is rather common, experiment with variations until your name can be established in the form of a dot com. Once you own a domain, publish a webpage with your personal profile.

5. Start a blog under your name. Blogger is a great tool for setting up your own blog which can be used to publish information about yourself. Popular blog sites are often picked up by Google and you can control the content. Be sure to sign up for Technorati after your blog has been published. Submit your blog for review and its popularity will increase, improving search rankings and continuing to push down negative search results.

6. Free press release. Use free-press-release.com or a similar free press release site to publish favorable information about your and your reputation. This form of reputation management is easy and costs nothing. Be sure to use your name throughout the release and in the release title.

7. Author articles in your field. Publish article relative to a particular topic or area in which you've done some work or have experience. Use article distribution services to build online references to your content. Make sure your articles contain an about the author section that links back to your main website.

There are a variety of strategies you can use to manage online references about you, your family, or others that need to manage their reputation online. Other online sites like Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, and Squidoo, offer ample opportunity to deliver favorable search results that can push unfavorable results down in search engine rankings. The key is to start today to pro-actively manage your reputation and put yourself in a favorable light.

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Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert who has been featured on The TODAY Show and Bloomberg Radio. Discover how to improve search engine rankings at http://www.myseomadesimple.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Thinking About SEO For A New Website

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Are you launching a new website? There's no better time to think about search engine optimization than prior to launching a new site. By giving consideration to your on-page optimization factors, you can increase your chances of achieving top organic search results.

To prepare your site for easy indexing, be sure to follow these basis guidelines:

1. Design your site in html or similar format that minimizes the use of java script and flash. The more complex you make your code, the more difficult it becomes for the search engine spiders to read your content and prescribe the appropriate Google PR to your web page.

2. Make sure that your meta tags are coded properly and include the Robots.txt tag. Many individuals downplay the importance of meta tags. Although meta tags themselves won't drastically change the organic ranking of your site, they do create the display text users will see when your site appears in search results. If your meta tags are search engine optimized and compelling, you increase the changes of improving click-throughs.

3. Apply the proper tags to your page. H1, H2, and H3 tags are a great wall to call attention to your content and promote your keywords and keyword phrases. Try to use each tag at least once, but don't force the issues. You want your text to flow and appear normal.

In addition to ensuring that you've made your page easy to access and presented text that is optimized, you also want to consider other factors that can help long-term with your SEO efforts. So often, web designers get caught up with on page factors, that they overlook the requirements for establishing a foundation that supports long-term initiatives.

In particular, consider adding pages that you can add to over time that support link building and accessibility for search engine spiders. Be sure to include:

1. An html sitemap and an xml sitemap. Including a sitemap on you site makes it easy for search engines to access all of your website pages and index your site accordingly. Your sitemap should be in both html as well as xml. Although users would not access the xml sitemap, search engine spiders use this version to crawl websites. Additionally, key search engine submission resources like Google's Webmasters Tools require xml site map versions.

2. Include a partners page. Previously referred to as a links page, the partners page is essential for reciprocal linking. This strategy isn't as powerful as developing one-way links, but until your site has been assigned a Google PR, one-way links can be difficult to acquire. So begin your link exchange program with a partners page that allows you add or remove link quickly and easily.

3. Submission pages that encourage new content. One of the most powerful seo techniques is the addition of new content. Make it easy for your users to add or submit content to your website. When search engines see new content, they rejoice. Don't underestimate how important it is to make it simple for your browsers to add or submit content.

When focusing on search engine optimization, especially with a new website, follow the basic ideas outlined above. There are a number of other factors to consider as well. However, you should always start with a strong foundation - a site design that meets basic SEO standards but one that also supports your long range search engine optimization goals.

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Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert who has been featured on The TODAY Show and Bloomberg Radio. Discover how to improve search engine rankings at http://www.webmastersbookofsecrets.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

7 Ways to Improve the Stickiness of Your Website

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Today more than ever, consumers are overwhelmed with choices, and distractions. The cost of attracting users to your website continues to increase and keeping them engaged is more important than ever.

Engagement doesn’t end with an individual browser reading content or clicking on an ad. Rather, engagement is an ongoing process that results in loyal customers who come back again and again, becoming more vested in your web site.

How can you make sure you’re engaging and keeping customers?

In order to create a loyal following, there are some basic principles you need to consider. From first impressions to life-long membership, put yourself in the shoes of your browsers and make their experience a valuable one.

1. Reduce Clutter. How many times have you visited a website only to be overwhelmed and confused? What is this site about you may have asked yourself. Or perhaps you found yourself asking, ‘Where is the information I’m looking for?’

Don’t ask your browsers or potential customers to figure this out. Make your site clutter free and create a visual priority that emphasizes the information, resources, or actions your browsers want. By reducing obstacles you build trust among new web site visitors and allow for simple decision making – which benefits everyone.

2. Make Navigation Intuitive. There are many ways to navigate a web page but intuition rules the day. Don’t try to get fancy with your navigation or overuse java script. Basic navigation that follows current convention is the best way to lead individuals through your web site to the information they’re looking for.

3. Make The Initial Site Interaction Relevant. When a browser reaches your web site, you have less than seven seconds to get them engaged. Making your initial site interaction relevant to what individuals are looking for is essential for keeping them interacting long term.

If you are promoting your web site with Google Adwords, or any pay per click advertising for that matter, be sure to create customer landing pages that are truly relevant to the individual who clicks-through your ad. Once you’ve established relevancy, you can move them deeper into your content, tools, and resources.

4. Ensure That Your Content Is Up-to-date. Web site content that isn’t up to date does not serve your audience and browsers are likely to move on. One way to ensure that information is timely is by providing a feed of relevant news or information. If including static text on your web pages, try not to include specific dates. However, if you must publish dates, be sure to update this information on a regular basis.

5. Start An Interaction With Your Users. Each time a browser views your web page, you have an opportunity to interact with them. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. One great way to interact is to offer something of value at no cost. This can be a white paper, access to an exclusive list, or simply a 30 day free trial. Be sure to capture an individual’s valid email address and include them on your mailing list. An auto-responder is best if you wish to engage these individuals on an ongoing basis.

6. Provide Plenty Of Support. Don’t hesitate to offer support right from your home page. Prominently display your 800 number, support email address, and additional information for your prospects and customers such as mailing address. This information is viewed favorably by search engines and also creates a sense of legitimacy. Contact information builds trust among prospects and elicits interest in your company.

7. Make Sharing Easy. Once you’ve made your web site easy to use, don’t hesitate to offer browsers the ability to share your web site with others. This can be in the form of a simple widget that allows users to bookmark your page, subscribe to an Rss feed, or submit your content to popular news sites like Digg.com.

Individuals are much more likely to visit a web site based on a friend’s recommendation versus some other type of marketing initiative. Leverage the power of viral marketing with easy sharing tools.

Your web site can be your greatest asset. Unfortunately, many marketers and website owners are so focused on increasing traffic that they lose site of the audience that’s already visiting their web pages but are simply not converting.

Don’t make the same mistake. Improve the quality of you site through relevant content that is up-to-date and easy to find. Once you’ve engaged users, encourage them to share. Doing so will make your site perform better, increase conversions, and deliver value for all involved.

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Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert who has been featured on The TODAY Show and Bloomberg Radio. Discover how to improve search engine rankings at http://www.webmastersbookofsecrets.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Alexa Rankings Have Changed, Here's How

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When Alexa began displaying rankings in 1998 it was with the goal of showing Alexa Toolbar users how popular any given site was within the Alexa community.They generated the rankings through an analysis of Internet usage by people who use the Alexa Toolbar. Since that time they've seen that the Alexa Rankings have become a yardstick by which website popularity is measured.

In recent months, Alexa users' thirst for knowledge beyond Internet usage outside of the Alexa Toolbar was increasingly of interest. This is the fundamental reason for a revision in Alexa methodology which has signifianctly changed the ranking for millions of websites.

Alexa's new rankings system is much closer to what users want and based on many more factors. Alexa now aggregates data from multiple sources to give everyone a better indication of website popularity among the entire population of Internet users - a vast improvement over the past method of assessing rank.

Below are a few common questions Alexa anticipates from the Alexa community, along with their answers. These common questions are possible based on the first changes to the Alexa algorithm in many years.

My site's ranking has changed. Was it wrong before?

Your ranking wasn't wrong before, but it was different. Alexa toolbar users' interests and surfing habits could differ from those of the general population in a number of ways, and we described some of those possible differences on our website. While the vast majority of sites' rankings were unaffected by such differences, we've worked hard on our new ranking system to adjust for situations in which they could matter.

The new rankings should better reflect the interests and surfing habits of the broader population of Web users.

Why are the long range graphs gone? I can only get 9 months of historical data.

We are recalculating historic traffic data and will continue to add it over the coming weeks. We apologize for the inconvenience, but should have several years of data back on line shortly.

Will you change the rankings again?

We are constantly working to ensure that we provide the most useful data that we can. We will continue to fine tune our algorithms but don't foresee any additional big changes. If you think something is amiss please let us know.

I liked the old rankings better. Are they still available somewhere?

We liked the old rankings as well. However, we developed the new system in response to the huge number of requests we got from users like you, and now that it's done we like it even better. We hope you will too.

We think that having more than one ranking system at a time would be confusing, so we have removed the old rankings.

Do you want to know what I think about this?

Definitely. We've been collecting suggestions and ideas for months now, and would love to hear more. If you have thoughts on what we've done so far, or ideas on what we should do next, please share them with us.

Now you know how Alexa has changed their methodology and they are now open to an ever improving system of ranking. This is in stark contrast to the Alexa of the past. I guess they realize the importance of listenting to their customers.

Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert with more than 12 years of marketing experience. To learn how to improve search engine rankings on Google and other major search engines, visit http://www.webmastersbookofsecrets.com or http://improvesearchenginerankings.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Developing An Affiliate Program For Your Website

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

One of the best ways to improve traffic to your website is with the help of targeted websites who earn money promoting other peoples products. One of the websites I work on generates more than 35% of its revenue from other sites selling their products and services. If developed correctly, affiliate programs can have a significant impact on your revenue.

What Is and Affililate Program?

An affiliate program is a way for you to sell your products through other websites. Essentially the process is simple. You provide another website with the necessary promotional items to sell your product(s). However, the affiliate never takes actually inventory of the product you are selling.

A great example of this is the website that sells mystery novels. For this example, let’s call the primary website Mystery Novels Central dot com. The website provides an affiliate website (affiliatewebsite1) with some banners and buttons promoting mystery novels. When a browser of affiliatewebsite1 clicks on the banner, it redirects him to Mystery Novels Central dot com. If the user purchases a novel, Mystery Novels Central dot comp pays affiliatewebstie1 a percentage of the sale – also known as a commission.

How Do Affiliate Programs Work?

When your promotional assets are placed on another website, each asset has a tracking URL. This tracking URL is invisible to the browser but keeps track of his activities. When he passes through the purchase process and receives a payment confirmation page, additional tracking code confirms a sale. This information is captured and tracked back to the initiator of the sale (i.e. the affiliate).

In its most simple form, an affiliate program works like a real life sales force. Imagine having sales reps spread our across the Internet selling your product to each of their new and existing customers. Each time that sales rep sells your product, you fulfill the order and pay the rep a small commission. In a nutshell that’s an affiliate program.

How Can I Start My Own Affiliate Program?

You can start your own affiliate program in a variety of ways. One of the most simple methods is to use and affiliate marketplace like ClickBank or PayDotCom. These affiliate sites aggregate many affiliate products. For a small fee, and sometimes simply a percentage of the sale without an upfront fee, you can join their program.

When you join, you agree to let the marketplace add your product to a list of products that third party websites can promote. When you do so, you also agree to let the affiliate marketplace (ClickBank or PayDotCom) receive a percentage of each sale. Remember, you will also have to pay a commission to the actual affiliate website that promotes and sells your product. The fees can add up quickly but are worthwhile if your product has a good margin.

There are other programs from well established companies like Commission Junction, but they charge a significant fee for joining and a larger percentage of each sale. For those starting out, CB or PayDotCom is your best choice.

What I particularly like about affiliate programs is the scale you can achieve. Affiliate programs are relatively easy to set up and can have a significant impact on your top line. If you have a product to sell and haven’t started using affiliates to promote your program, get started today.

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Michael Fleischner is the founder of the Marketing Tips Blog and has more than 12 years of marketing experience. Learn how to improve search engine rankings at http://improvesearchenginerankings.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Create a Resume That Rises To the Top

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Today's job market is difficult. With fewer available jobs, getting the job you want can be a real challenge, even if you're qualified. One way to stand out from the crowd is with a well written resume that makes the selection process easy for hiring managers. Make sure your resume answers who you are, what you can do for the hiring managers company, and how you can be contacted.

Who Are You?

This topic includes your name and any professional designations you have obtained, such as an MBA, Ph.D., RN, MD, or any of a number of professional distinctions. By including these designations with your name in the header of your resume, you are providing the hiring manager with immediate and valuable data regarding your candidacy and career level.

The manner in which you present your name is also important. Including familial designations such Joe Jones, III may very well be seen as pretentious by a hiring manager. Using a “Jr.” after your name may be applauded by your family, but it could give a hiring manager the wrong first impression – that you are young and inexperienced. Caution is always advised in these instances.

A quick word about the use of nicknames. Nicknames can work for you or against you given the circumstances. If you were named “Kendrick,” but go by “Ken,” use of your nickname would be appropriate as Ken is more modern and sounds more youthful than Kendrick.

However, if you were christened “Barbara,” but are known as “Babs” - even at work - it would be best to err on the conservative side during your job search, especially if the targeted industry is a traditional one such as banking, accounting, or education. Once hired, you can then decide whether using your nickname is appropriate.

What can you do for my company?

The purpose of reading a resume is largely to determine what you can do for a particular hiring manager and the company he works for. What makes you unique? How can the company be sure that you would provide significant value?

When forming your resume, put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager who has to look at dozens of resumes. Be sure to highlight your skills, industry expertise, or knowledge that sets you apart from all other applicants. Place this information at the very top of document. Don’t make hiring managers search for this all important information.

How You Can Be Contacted?

This data should be instantly obvious to a hiring manager. Your phone number and email address are your most important contact data. For easy access by hiring managers, phone numbers and emails should be bolded and in a larger type than the physical address, as hiring managers rarely, if ever, contact a successful candidate by “snail” mail.

A quick word about phone numbers. Although you may be tempted to list numerous phone numbers, including fax numbers, don’t.

Never include a work number even if your boss knows you’re searching for another position as this sends the wrong message to a potential employer. He or she will wonder about your loyalty and whether you’ll be using company time at your new job to speak to prospective employers.

Never include cell phone numbers because you may just be contacted while you’re in traffic which brings intrusive background noise, or where the phone signal is weak which could irritate a busy hiring manager.

Stand out from other candidates by answering the simple questions of who you are, what you can do for the company you are applying for, and basic contact information. Make this information easy to discern and you’ll have the edge you so desperately need in a challenging labor market.

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Michael Fleischner is the Managing Director of Resumeedge.com which provides Resume Writing, Sample Resumes, and Cover Letter Services.

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Source: http://www.articletrader.com