FREE Site Promotion

  Is ANYTHING really FREE in this time in which we live?  Can you ever avail yourself and/or your business of free website promotion?  Is that even feasible?

     YES, of course it is! Nowadays, your baby website can amass huge traffic in no time thanks to free website promotion.  But there are a few questions that you will need to have answered:

     How does this free website promotion go anyway? What are the things that must be done?

           1.      List your website.

     Look for the hottest Internet directories and then list your site there. This is the easiest and most effective free website promotion tactic. Start with this step and the rest of the good things will follow.  How do you find these directories?  You must use your brains a little bit here people.  You just do a “google” search for “internet directories.”  You can’t make it much simpler than that!

     Just don't forget to prep your website and make it all spruced up for a higher chance to get accepted in your directory of choice.

     2. Know your forums.

     One reason why forums are created is for free website promotion for everyone. Log in, post actively, let them know about your site in every post and you attract instant visitors right there.  You will need to use a little caution here.  No forum wants to become the “want ads” of the internet.  So don’t blatantly advertise your business site, but provide informative posts to the forum and become “the” contact for your niche.

     3. Write a press release.

     Release your writing prowess and start up a press release that advertises your site! This is a free website promotion tactic that you can do anytime. Type a brief paragraph or two and email it to your friends, colleagues, internet e-zines, newspapers and other media and massive traffic will come to you pronto!

     4. Be friendly online.

      Free website promotion means you need to be friendly to other webmasters. Why, you ask? So they can link to you immediately! Establish contacts and never tire of link requests and exchanges.  You must learn to reciprocate to others on the web so they will want to promote you!

     5. Write an article.

     Say, your website is about your travel agency. Write an article about the perks of traveling or the hottest travel spots in the world. On the concluding paragraph, mention your website in passing. This article works as an advertorial and doubles as a free website promotion approach.  You may be completely surprised at the amount of traffic you can receive once you let the cyber-space world know that you are there also!

     6. That’s right:  Just let the world know about your site.

     What is free website promotion without the word of mouth? Insert your website, its URL and features in daily conversations and let the good news spread from one mouth to another!  Make certain that your site has THE information that others would like to read and share with their friends.

     7. Make a banner ad.

     Make a banner ad for your site and ask another webmaster to do the same for his site. Then swap!  You might find that you enjoy doing this project.  There are plenty of available sites that can help you with this issue.  Just do your “google” search and get started.

     8. Take up a free website promotion course online.

     Yes, there are free website promotion tutorials. But don't you know that you can actually take a free website promotion course that can help you out further? Part of the free website promotion program is signing up for newsletters.

     When you make a website, you need not pay anything to promote it. NOBODY will have a greater interest in promoting your site than YOU!  And you can get it all started for NOTHING!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Business without promotion is like a 

childhood imaginary friend - - - 

It doesn't exist!"

Appointments

     Normally an appointment is designed to meeting someone at a specific time and/or location or to get something done by a specific time or date.  This is usually how we view our obligations when we make appointments for ourselves or for others.

     You might want to feel that your time and efforts are just as important as the next person.  But that is not how we always perceive the time of others.  It seems to me however that our general appointments actually fall into two different categories:  One that actually means a specific time and/or date and two, one that means “about” such and such of time on a certain date.

     What do I mean by this statement?  Let’s take a moment and consider some situations that would fall into the first one.

     If you purchase a train, bus, or plane ticket, you know that the departure time stated on your ticket IS your time of departure.  Just image if people decided my plane is leaving at 12 noon, but I can show up about 12:10 or 12:20 and it will be fine!  I don’t think so.  That plane will be GONE!  My wife and I were traveling on one of our trips to Hawaii several years ago.  Our flight out of Dallas was DELAYED TWO HOURS because of a computer glitch.  The flight staff at the counter informed us and the other dozen or so people who had a connection in Los Angeles that LA was holding our connection and that it would be there when we arrived.  After we got to Los Angeles our connecting flight had left on schedule TWO hours earlier and we had a L-O-N-G delay in Los Angeles!  Why does that not surprise me?  You probably have your own stories about such times when you had a specific appointment and the timing was very crucial! 

     Now let’s look at the other situation:  Where people feel that an appointment means “about” a certain time.  When was the last time you invited four or five couples to your home for a diner.  You gave an invitation (either written or oral) and specified that the time was 6:00 PM.  How many of your guests showed up at six?  There were probably some who were still strolling in around six thirty!  Why do people feel that such appointments do not really mean the time that is stated?  Why do some want to make that “fashionably late” entrance?  I don’t know, but it can be very irritating at times.

     Another situation that falls within the scope of this type of appointment is those made by those in the medical profession.  When was the last time that you had a 2:00 PM doctor’s appointment and actually got in to see the doctor at two?  They even stretch out your appointment time by taking you into an “exam” room where you sit quietly (and hopefully patiently) until the doctor finally comes in to see how you are!  You also want to notice at times that there is NO clock within these rooms so you have no concept of how long they are really taking!

     Some even take their “appointment” for their job work as an “about” time.  You probably have those who work with you from 8 to 5, but they don’t usually show up in the morning until about 8:10 or 8:15, or they take that HOUR lunch and return five, ten, (or more) minutes late!  Speaking about that: It is now 12 noon and I’m breaking for lunch before I finish this blog - - - I have just returned:  It is 1: 10!!!!!

     We seem at times to take the setting of appointed times as a casual thing to work around.  That is why we take a casual view of other aspects of our lives as well.  But, then we’re only human!       

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You might as well steal my money

as steal my time."

FREE Marketing Method

    A person would hardly believe it when they hear that something can be FREE!  But in this case it is true.  It's been years since blogging has come upon the web scene.  But it's fairly recently that it has been considered as one of the addicting fads. Many teenagers have resorted to blogging as an outlet for their emotions, a little online nook where they can blurt out whatever just bugs them or whatever makes them feel elated.  However, savvy marketers have discovered that blogging is one of the best Internet marketing methods that won't cost you a cent.

     What exactly is blogging?  Blog is the widely used term that refers to a web log. Basically, a blog is an online journal. A blog could be set up at no cost at all, and can be used just for the fun of it or for business reasons.

     Blogging for your Internet business is one surefire way to boost the visibility of your products and services. Here are a few ways to boost your internet advertising with the help of a blog:

     1. Make your clients or customers abreast on your website's alterations. Your new products and affiliate websites could also be announced through your blog.  Give them the LATEST news so they feel that they are part of your important team.

     2. Keep track of your business objectives and plans through open writing. Your blog content can be easily stored through archives. What could be better than searchable information that could be easily accessed by anyone browsing the web, right?  Let your customers (and those future customers) see how you have grown over the years.

     3. Air your opinions, advice or reviews on specific services or products that are related to your business. Publishing is a very easy process with blogging. You position yourself as “the source” of information within your niche.

     4. Include links that will fetch back links and subsequently improve your ranking on search engines. This could be better executed through putting well-written articles on your website. Affiliate links could also be included in your blog to earn more extra income.  You could probably think of many additional ways to make this “extra income” situation work better for you.

     5. Collect response through the ability of blogs to fetch comments from your blog readers. You can learn about and improve your products and services through with the feedback from your readers.

     6. Connect easily with other bloggers. When other bloggers notice that you have something good in your blog, they will put you in their favorite lists that will automatically link you to their blogs. This “mutual” association can work to the benefit of both parties.

     So, how do you set up a blog?   This is the really easy part:  Either you load blogging software or you let a blogging hosting service do it for you. Host services such as Blogger.com is one of the most popular in this field. This host will provide you with easy instructions on how to put up your blog.

     Before you know it you can have your business becoming one of the favored sources of contact for information within your particular niche.  People will want to return frequently to see what new and exciting information you have posted.  This will no doubt lead to a greater influx of customers.  Enjoy your new FREE source of marketing your business!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Marketing produces the profits of business.

It is more enjoyable when it can be gotten free."

Stress

     Today there is so much strife and conflict that at times a person doesn’t know how they should respond.  I remember years ago when I was in driver’s training class in high school.  Yes, they actually taught you how to drive and it was part of your class studies!  We were discussing the part of the instructions about what to do if you realized you were about to be in a head-on collision with another vehicle.  They had all the steps laid out that you were supposed to take.  But, I’m thinking “how are you going to follow all these steps in a matter of fractions of seconds?”   I guess the instructor didn’t care about HOW you were actually going to do it, just that you understood the steps so that you could pass the course.

     In actuality, you would probably never have the time to run those steps through your mind if you found yourself in a real head-on situation.  And that’s the problem at times.  We try to analyze every possible situation and then realize that it is almost impossible to “prepare” for the unknown!  And therein lays the stress factor within our lives.

     We often feel that if we do not “conform” to what is expected of us we have in some manner failed.  But reaching compromises or attempting to accomplish things in a different manner doesn’t mean we have failed.  As long as we do not give up there is always the chance of success.  It may not come in the manner in which we expect it to happen, but come it will!

     When under pressure over an extended period of time we may feel that we can no longer resist the stress that we are under.  But remember this:  The flaws that are in a lump of coal can be removed.  The carbon that is in the coal when subjected to a very high temperature (heat of anxiety) and very high pressure (stress) over an extended period of time produces a diamond.

     So perhaps by your fortitude to continue forward regardless of the stress that you have to endure, regardless of the anxieties that you may have to deal with, and not considering the length of time that it may take you to accomplish your goal:  You may be in the process of producing a diamond that is such great value you will not be concerned with the trials along the way of producing it!

     You must find your way of dealing with stress.  Perhaps this can be done on your own.  Perhaps you will need assistance from an outside source.  That doesn’t matter!  The important thing is to know that with your efforts to exist within your present situation you are molding a better person for the future:  YOU!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"It may be feet. It may be inches.

The important thing is to keep moving forward!"

Internet Marketing Solutions

     If you are in ANY form of business operations today you MUST have an internet presence. The internet has made this world an open enterprise. It has become important for companies to further expand their market and their consumer targets. Engaging in Internet Marketing may be a necessary risk for people who wish to be involved with this type of business.

     You must ensure that most of your target consumers will surely acquire your product. So you have to consider the best products which will definitely capture their interests and needs. This means that you need to identify specifically who these people are, their location and financial level in the society. Have a marketing knowledge and skill to achieve your goal in the field of Internet Marketing is an absolute necessity.  However, you don’t have to be the greatest internet guru who has ever existed!

     At the present, you can use varied Internet Marketing Solutions that are being offered by companies which can be your tools for support to your consumers. These solutions may be email marketing, search engine optimization or creating web pages or sites. Since you need to maximize your profits, you need to choose Internet Marketing Solutions that will help you achieve this. These marketing techniques will not cost much since they are very self-explanatory, thus, learned and implemented very easily.  Let’s take a moment and look at a few:

     Email marketing is a common Internet Marketing Solution.  This is a cost effective way of communicating and interacting with your consumers, driving them to visit your website and check out your products and/or services. It may be in a way of marketing articles, leading them to forums or newsletters or it could be a newsletter that has the advantage of expanding your consumer list as more and more sign up for it.

     Another great Internet Marketing Solution is through websites. This is a good promotion strategy to employ since you can display all the necessary information for your target consumers. The website should capture their interest and be complete since every transaction, from inquiry to payments may take place. All correspondence that will be done online must be well-facilitated by the features of your website.

      Add to those the Internet Marketing Solution of search engine optimization. This is a type of service that you can make use for your website in order to raise the number of visitors to your site.  Once a consumer uses a search engine, your website will rank higher in the list of searches which in return will increase your site's traffic. 

     Considering these Internet Marketing Solutions, there are different companies offering software products containing one or all of these solutions. It would be a great opportunity to try one of these which will match your financial capability and expected return profits.  You can always increase your marketing strategy as your business continues to grow.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"In my opinion the greatest salesman ever to live

was the person who sold the FIRST life insurance policy!

Can you hear that conversation:

"Absolutely!  You pay me every month and when

you die I'll give this money to someone you love!"

RIGHT!

Circles

     Trying to think of a topic to write about this week when it suddenly came to mind:  What words do you put to paper when you really don’t have anything to talk about?  Then the topic hit me:  Circles!

    What do I mean by that?  Actually the thought came to me when I was listening to some commercials for some of the politicians currently running for office.  Those folks can spend so much talking and talking and then come to a complete circle of the topic of discussion and conclude their discussion by saying absolutely NOTHING about the topic!

     Political speeches seem to come in three dimensions.  A certain political party member will come on the television to present a previously prepared speech that has been completely written out for them.  They will almost mesmerize you by their humdrum and boring delivery:  almost at times appearing to be in agony trying to pull the words from the page (or the prompter) and make you believe the words are flowing effortlessly like spreading butter over a slice of bread.  And when their twenty or thirty minutes of air time have passed your head will be spinning because you are still trying to figure out what they said in their opening comments!

     Now to make you feel even smaller, a another member of the speaker’s party or perhaps some television commentator will come on to explain to you what the speaker was actually saying when you heard the words that were proceeding out of his or her mouth. You will begin to wonder if you had fallen asleep during the previous speech because many of the things this individual will be telling you the speaker said you will not remember hearing those words.  Perhaps there has been some mistake and the commentator is reviewing a speech that had been given in the past because his or her analogy does not seem to jive with what you remember hearing during the actual talk.

     However, the confusion is not yet over.  After this individual spends what seems like an eternity explaining to you what the speaker said when you thought you had heard the speech the first time it was given, ANOTHER individual (usually from the opposing party of that of the speaker) will come on the television to explain to you WHAT THE SPEAKER MEANT when you heard the words that he or she said during the lengthy speech that was given!

     As if you are not completely confused at this point:  WAIT!  The individual who gave the speech will come back on the television the next day and explain to you that what you heard IS NOT what he or she said.  What you were told that he said WAS NOT the words that he or she was speaking.  And the commentator who told you what he or she meant when they spoke the words that you thought you heard had NO IDEA of their truthful meaning and had gotten everything completely wrong and you should be your own person and arrive at your own conclusion! 

     By this time you have decided that regardless of what you thought you heard, or what you were told was really said, or even against all odds of what was supposed to be meant by the words you thought you heard:  You no longer care!    

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Most politicians are only lying

when their mouths are moving!"

Networking Info Cautions

     Protect yourself when you go online.  Let’s look at your social networks.  Online social networks have rapidly increased in popularity, especially over the past several years.  Social networking websites are popular because they easily allow you to find, connect with, and develop friendships with other internet users, often ones that share the same interests as you, regardless of where they may be in the world!   To find those individuals, you must join a social networking website and create a profile.  It is often advertised that your social networking profile is the key to making and finding friends online.

     As previously mentioned, your social networking profile is important when it comes to meeting other internet users. This is because, in most cases, internet users are looking to chat with someone who has the same goals, views, beliefs, and interests as they do.  Without a personal profile, it would be difficult or impossible to tell what your interests are. That is why social networking profiles are not only important, but they are needed.  It really is hard to find your way around cyberspace without a “road map.”  This is how your profile tends to help others locate YOU from the mass of others out there.

     When it comes to social networking profiles, a lot of focus has been placed on what you should include in your profile or display on your profile page. It has been said that pictures produce the best responses, as well as detailed personal information.  Although a picture and detailed personal information may help to increase your page views, you may be getting views that you do not necessarily want.  Despite what you may believe, most social networking websites do not have restrictions on who can view your personal profile.  In fact, internet users, even those that do not belong to your online community, can easily see profile.

     Since anyone, literally anyone, can see your social networking profile, on most social networking websites, you are advised to be cautious. Essentially, this means that instead of focusing on what you should put in your online profile, you should be focusing on what not to put in.  This is one the best ways to protect your safety, both on and offline. 

     As previously mentioned, pictures are often recommended with social networking websites. If you are interested in posting a personal picture of yourself in your online profile you can do so, but you are advised to carefully choose that picture.  While you will want to look your best, you are advised against posting a picture that is too revealing or seductive in nature.  Most internet users can look at these types of pictures without feeling a thing, but for others these types of pictures spell danger.  Perhaps even suggesting that you “are available” for whatever your view may be wanting to offer!

     If you make the decision to post a picture of yourself in your social networking website profile, you need to be careful about the rest of the information that you post.  Although you may not necessarily think about it, a picture is just a picture, but combined with your name and address, it could be a deadly combination. You are advised to only post your first name in your profile. This will make it more difficult for anyone to try and contact you off of the internet. 

     It is also advised that you carefully choose your location.  A large number of online social networking sites require that you select a city, as well as a state. If it is allowed, you may only wish to list your state and not the city.  If you are required to list the city and the state that you live in, you may want to think about using a nearby city or town, especially if you live in a small town. If an internet predator wanted to contact you and you lived in a small town, it could be fairly easy for them to find you. That is why it is advised that you carefully select the answer to any location questions.

     In addition to the above precautionary measures, it is advised that you do not post detailed information on your children, the location of your home, your income, or when you will be leaving for vacation.  By keeping these and the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to enjoy online social networking without having to always look behind your back.  And also don’t forget that the information you are reading about others seeking to have contact with you may or may not truthful!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"It's a sad day when your best friend

becomes your worst enemy!"

Others

     You go outside on almost any day and look up in the sky (and if you’re not surrounded by large city buildings) you will probably see some type of bird flying by.  Perhaps you become amazed how the bird is able to ride the wind currents and seems to effortlessly glide along on an invisible highway.     

     Is this creature “showing off” when it floats along and almost endlessly continues to move in which ever direction it seems to choose?  Is a bird “flaunting” its abilities whenever it does these things which may seem impossible to us as humans?

     Also let me ask you:  Is an ostrich NOT a bird because it CANNOT fly?  I don’t think so!  If you do any research you’ll find that the ostrich is the largest living bird species.  So would it be fair to compare this creature to other birds and ridicule or “down grade” it because it is different?

     However, the human species is very different.  We compare ourselves to EVERYONE!  I’m not as tall as they are.  I’m not as thin as they are.  I’m not as pretty as they are.  I’m from the wrong side of town.  My job is not as important as theirs.

     The list of comparisons could go on and on.  My point is WHY do we do this?  Back in 1970, Ray Stevens had a number one Billboard hit song with a line:  “Everything is beautiful in its own way.”  And that is certainly true.  However, we humans become consumed with that fact that we are DIFFERENT as if that is a bad thing!

     There’s nothing wrong with being different.  And in the final analysis it’s doesn’t really matter how others view us.  The important thing is how we view ourselves.  Take for example the following situation:

     “It is also commonly said that [the boy] had ADHD — because he daydreamed in school when he was young and was famously forgetful — and Asperger’s Syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum characterized by problems with social interaction and repetitive patterns of behavior. In 2003, the BBC reported that researchers at Cambridge and Oxford universities said they believed that [the boy] displayed signs of Asperger’s as a young child, when he was a loner and repeated sentences.  Whatever he had, it didn’t stop him from becoming arguably the most famous and brilliant scientist in history.”

     This “boy” was different!  But today we are still amazed at the things that Albert Einstein left behind for the scientific community.  Now I’m not saying that you have to be an “Einstein”, but you should be the best that YOU can be!  Whatever that may turn out to be. The wonderful diversity we have within the human species makes each and every day more enjoyable.  Who knows what that person may become in the future?  They may provide the cure for some presently unknown disease merely because they are different!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you complain about people being different.

Imagine a world where all people were like YOU!"

Social Networks --- Getting the Most our of YOURS!

     What’s the use of having all this new tech capability and not using it to the full?  Do you belong to an online social networking website? With their continued rise in popularity there is a good chance that you do.  However, it is one thing to be a community member and another to actually participate in online discussions, as well as the many other network features.  That is why it is advised that you learn how to make the most out of your social networking experience.

     Many internet users already think that they know everything that they need to know about their social networking community.  Unfortunately, not everyone does. In fact, you can find numerous posts online of people ranting or stating that they wished that their social networking website had a particular service or feature.  Too many times, those posters did not look before they started speaking because, as it turns out, many social networking websites have what people want, just everyone doesn’t know about it and many are not willing to spend the time in finding out how to use it!

     The first step, in making the most out of your social networking experience, is to familiarize yourself with the online community or communities that you belong to. This can easily be done by closely examining the website. There are too many internet users who are focused on meeting new friends that they get started right away.  While it is nice to start meeting new people right away, it is also nice to know what your social networking site has to offer.  This can only be done by closely examining the website.  Whether you take one hour or one day examining the website, you will likely be pleased with your decision to do it and you may be completely surprised at what you find is available.

     When examining the website of the online community that you belong to, it is advised that you examine the terms of use agreement.  Yes, I’m talking about that L-O-N-G, boring list of things you can and can’t do on the website.  Despite the fact that a large number of online networking sites have little rules, there are other websites that have them.  These rules and restrictions may limit the content that you can have on your site, as well as your pictures, videos, and other media.  Many websites, including social networking websites, will terminate your membership if you are found violating these agreements.  By reading all of the rules and restrictions of the social networking website you belong to, you should be able to ensure that you can continue to use and enjoy the site for a long time.

     One of the many benefits to fully examining the social network you belong to is that you could be alerted to network benefits, features, or services that you were previously unaware of.  In addition to giving you your own profile page and allowing you to invite other internet users into your network, there are a number of other things that you can do with online social networking websites. A large number of websites have created features and sections that include horoscopes, quizzes, polls, instant messaging, chat rooms, and much more.  However, before you make use of these member benefits, you must know that they exist and what is expected of you if and when you use them.

      If you are interested in making new online friends, it is likely that you have already joined an online social networking community. Whether you are interested in joining more or you are a first time user, you will want to carefully choose your networks.  By researching each social networking website online, you should easily be able to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each. And, since most social networking websites are free to use, there are no risks associated with giving the network a try.  If you happen to come across a website that requires a paid membership and you would like to try it, you are advised to lookout for free membership plans or free trail periods.  They may be able to help you determine whether or not the social networking website that you are interested in joining is worth the cost.

     As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways to go about making the most out of your social networking experience. The control is in your hands.  It is your decision as to whether or not you want to spend a small amount of time researching your network and everything that it has to offer.  However, it is important to note that not doing so may literally mean that you are missing out on all of the fun.  You may later find yourself complaining about something that should really be no concern!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"I love parties.

I love get-togethers.

I love reunions.

I just don't much care for people!"