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Scott Lindsay -'s Articles

  • An African Hope Peddler
    “A man who refuses to move forward will never leave a footprint.” - Modupe Oluwalademi

    Modupe lived in Nigeria. He had very little in the way of wealth and had been robbed more than once, but he had an incredibly entrepreneurial spirit. His contagious spirit inspired many to do more with their lives than they thought possible.
  • Business Success: The Action Connection
    “Be patient and calm - for no one can catch fish in anger.” - Herbert Hoover

    Becoming a successful entrepreneur may rely more on perseverance than skill. The development of a business plan needs to allow room for initial failure and financial difficulties.
  • The Disappearing Silver Bullet
    Many individuals interested in a business startup are under the assumption that there is a magic silver bullet (or formula) for success. They are convinced that the successful businesses they have encountered gained access to this formula and are simply unwilling to share the knowledge with other aspiring business owners.

    Somehow if that knowledge could just be pried away from the ‘successful’ then the startup businesses might just have a chance to develop something equally successful.
  • Of Frogs And Visionaries
    It begins as an idea. Once fully developed, the idea takes on a life that has roots in marketing, research, customer service and personal vision while wrapped in a unique blanket of promise.

    The growth of the entrepreneurial spirit has much to do with creativity. The following quote is not attributable to any author, but certainly goes to the heart of being a pioneer in business; “Visionary people are visionary partly because of the very great many things they don't see.”
  • Protect The Visionary?
    “You cannot protect something by building a fence around it and thinking that this will help it survive.” Wim Wenders

    In America there is a push to provide protectionist status to American positions to ensure the viability of American business as well as American jobs.
  • The Fear Factor In Russian Business Startups
    “Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.” – Bill Gates

    In communist or even socialist governments there tends to be lackluster entrepreneurial efforts. The individual wishing to start the business often finds little in the way of ‘vested interest’ in committing their time and talent to something they will never really be able to benefit from.
  • No Barriers: An Aging Population Breathes New Life Into Entrepreneurialism
    “Age is no barrier. It's a limitation you put on your mind.” - Anonymous

    We’ve all seen the hamster running in the wheel. He’s going nowhere, but he’s fast. This concept is clearly understood by a workforce that is aging and a business climate that is outsourcing or looking to a younger generation to fill critical roles in the workplace while often demanding more from their present employees..
  • Working From Home: Scam Or Dream Come True
    “Home-based business.” The name itself either leaves you with a squeamish feeling that has its roots in words like shyster, huckster and con or it has you thinking you may have found the answer to financial difficulties you may be facing.

    Many home-based job opportunities are simple investment opportunities. The primary difference is a job isn’t really a job unless you are paid. Most home-based ‘jobs’ require an investment on your part to participate. This doesn’t mean the opportunity isn’t worth looking into, but it’s incorrect to refer to it as a job in the traditional sense of the word.
  • Success In Coming Home
    "Somehow I can’t believe there are many heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret can be summarized in four C’s. They are: curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of these is confidence." - Walt Disney

    Stan Wilson had been involved in writing and editing a newspaper for more than two decades. He had written to assignment and word count, but when his son needed someone reliable to take care of his son while he worked, Stan received the motivation he needed to establish a home-based business.
  • Success In Coming Home
    "Somehow I can’t believe there are many heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret can be summarized in four C’s. They are: curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of these is confidence." - Walt Disney

    Stan Wilson had been involved in writing and editing a newspaper for more than two decades. He had written to assignment and word count, but when his son needed someone reliable to take care of his son while he worked, Stan received the motivation he needed to establish a home-based business.
  • The Pioneer Spirit Lives Once More
    The development of a home-based business is generally a very personal decision simply because it involves moving away from all that is familiar toward something that is profound in the amount of unanswered questions.

    There is risk involved in going it alone. There is risk in being the one solely responsible for the administration of your own business. There is financial risk if the venture should fail.
  • Using Time
    “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of.” - Benjamin Franklin

    One of the primary keys to developing a home-based business is an understanding, appreciation and proper use of time.
  • Keep Your Eye On The Prize
    “You can't move so fast that you try to change the mores faster than people can accept it. That doesn't mean you do nothing, but it means that you do the things that need to be done according to priority.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

    Many home-based businesses begin with a very specific goal in mind. The destination is firmly fixed in the minds of the entrepreneur. However that goal is rarely realized in an ‘overnight success’ fashion.
  • The Extra Mile Principle
    "To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity." - Douglas Adams

    The sincerity and integrity mentioned in the above quote often leads to trust. Trust turns a prospect into a customer. For home-based businesses the customer is the lifeblood of the economic fuel that runs your business.
  • Business Accountability At Home
    "We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

    One of the greatest killers of successful ecommerce is a lack of accountability. When these individuals worked for someone else they were held accountable and were kept ‘on task’. As a home-based business owner it can be very difficult to stay the course. Beyond the discovery of your priorities it might make sense to identify an accountability partner to help you reach your goals.
  • Business Accountability At Home
    "We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

    One of the greatest killers of successful ecommerce is a lack of accountability. When these individuals worked for someone else they were held accountable and were kept ‘on task’. As a home-based business owner it can be very difficult to stay the course. Beyond the discovery of your priorities it might make sense to identify an accountability partner to help you reach your goals.
  • Business Accountability At Home
    "We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

    One of the greatest killers of successful ecommerce is a lack of accountability. When these individuals worked for someone else they were held accountable and were kept ‘on task’. As a home-based business owner it can be very difficult to stay the course. Beyond the discovery of your priorities it might make sense to identify an accountability partner to help you reach your goals.
  • Creating A Website Winner
    Like many people, you may have been dreaming of the day when you can start your very own online business. You've got a great idea waiting to explode, and you know that it's going to be a winner. The vision is there, as are the enthusiasm and skills. Now there's just one more thing you need before you can make that dream a reality, and that's a website--your public face to the world.

    Building a website can be an exciting experience. However, when it comes to creating a business website, it is very important to look before you leap. Here are a few things to consider before launching your online presence:
  • Building Your Way To Online Success-part 1
    As your alarm clock explodes into life each morning, and you reach out to pound it back into submission for another ten minutes, does the thought ever cross your mind that there could be a way to end this same tired, old routine?

    Each day, as you make your way to and from your workplace, amidst the fumes, frustration, and financial drain that is the lot of a commuter, do you ever dream of being able to step out of your bedroom and straight into your workplace?
  • Building Your Way To Online Success-part 4
    Just as a good business plan relies on a certain number of consistent factors to be successful, so too, does a well thought out and executed website. Your site can provide any personality you wish (i.e. fun, adventurous, touching, professional, etc.), but it’s important to tune your website to the frequency of both visitor and search engine.

    For instance, if the purpose of your website is golfing, but the majority of your written material is about something other than golf it may likely provide a disconnect with visitors who are interested in golf (which is why they came to your site). Such a scenario will also reduce your ranking in most search engine results.
  • Building Your Way To Online Success-part 3
    Here is a recap of the content of our first two guidelines for getting a successful business started:

    Step 1: DECIDE WHAT YOUR BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE
  • Building Your Way To Online Success Part 5
    We’ve spent some quality time with the first two crucial elements to a successful business startup.

    Here’s a recap:
  • Building Your Way To Online Success Part 6
    MARKETING YOUR WEBSITE:

    You’ve taken the time to ensure that your site is search engine friendly, meta tags have been added and you’re ready to take the next step in establishing a successful website. So where do you go from here?
  • Website Basics - Factors Influencing Your Website's Success
    An online presence is very important for any type of business: it's probably the most cost-effective type of advertising available today. Numerous small firms use the web to sell their products and services while many companies don't really see the web as a marketplace (yet they do have a website that plays the role of an "online business card"). No matter what you want to do, inform your clients or sell products online, you need to know a few "website basics" in order to be successful.

    Basically there are two major types of websites: informative and commercial. If you are just starting out, depending on the nature of your business, you will either plan an informative website meant to attract and encourage clients to inquire your services or you will develop a commercial website that will sell your products online. Some entrepreneurs create websites that are both informative and commercial, especially when they want to promote products that are new on the market or that could bring important benefits to the users. All in all, the Web is a market and a website... your most important online marketing tool. You can achieve online success respecting the following five factors:
  • Website Basics – Increasing Website Performance
    A website is a very important and powerful sales tool. It’s this very tool that opens your business to the world. A website can substantially increase your corporate presence on the market while functioning as a very effective PR tool. To achieve public awareness it is not enough to just set up a website. You need to define the website goals that will transform your web presence from a simple announcement that you are in business into the very sales tool we were talking about.

    For this purpose, your website needs to be developed and work as a sales and marketing tool: it needs to stimulate visitors to take action or purchase a product, it needs to determine people to remember your company and come back, and it needs to provide valuable information that will convince your customers and business partners that you are an expert in your field.
  • Site Promotion Through Web Awards
    Website promotion is not an easy task, because thousands of new websites are created each day, each of them striving for a position in the first search engine results, some using ethical techniques, others try to fool the search engines. If you want to achieve a top 20 position you have to compete against spam content sites, black hat SEO sites, made for Adsense sites and powerful websites created by the most skilled web developers.

    The good news is that are not so many websites of genuine quality out there, so webmasters who really focus on usability, valuable content, improving user experience and so on, do have a chance to reach the top positions. However, it is not enough to create the perfect website. The job is done when the website is known and recognized, when people come back, mesmerized by the information and design, in one word, quality. That’s also the moment when a website starts paying back for itself.
  • Building A Successful Website In 10 Easy Steps
    So why do you want a website? Would you like to create a personal page to tell the world who you are and what you dream for? Or maybe you have a large family, with members living in different parts of the world and you’d like to keep the family together at least online. What about making a living online or promoting your business? No matter the reasons, here are a few tips that will help you create a professional website.

    1. Design a website focused on a particular topic and then carefully categorize its contents. If it’s a family site keep it to the subject and don’t mess it up with unrelated issues. If it’s a business site and you sell flowers, don’t put in web design services, escort services and so on.
  • Building A Successful Online Business
    In order to be successful in building an online business you must have many variables in place. Running any type of business, be it online or the traditional type, can be a challenge. It takes a lot of guts, ingenuity, perseverance, and so much more. You have issues to deal with on an ongoing basis. You may even have to make adjustments as you go along.

    Building a successful online business takes character and perseverance because you will have to face many obstacles in your path. You will be looking at legal, physical, mental, and emotional issues, not including dealing with personnel (if you have a staff).
  • How To Get People To Trust Your Online Business
    You cannot have a successful business if you fail to inspire trust. People are very cautious when it comes to purchasing services and products online. They even feel threatened by giving away personal data (email address, phone numbers, company address, name). If you want visitors to become clients you have to show them you are running a serious business. Use the following techniques to build a trustworthy relationship with your potential clients:

    Always display a clear privacy policy and disclaimer on your website, especially when you are collecting personal data. This is really important for those who don’t like to submit their private details on online forms. That’s why you should always offer flexible contact alternatives: a phone number, an email address, an online form, a fax number etc. Make communication easy.
  • Writing Web Content
    Professional writers find it hard to read web content. Not because web content lacks quality, but because it lacks literary style. Obviously writing for the printed media and writing for the web are two different matters. There are not too many people ready to give up the morning newspaper for the, let’s say, “morning e-zine”, but more and more users browse the web looking for information, news and entertainment.

    It’s easier to follow a story in the printed media than online. Reasons vary from the size of the text and the resolution of the monitor to how a page is read. While people read novels and books in sequence, web readers are unpredictable. You never know on what page a visitor is going to land and from where. People browse the web and look for specific information. Then they “scan” a page and read solely what captures their interest.
  • Go For Keywords-add Value To Your Website!
    So, what are keywords anyway? Little wonders if you really want to know. They are as important for the success of your website as the advertising and other promotional means. No keywords, no SERP.

    Linking strategy is probably the most important SEO technique, but keywords follow closely. As a mater of fact, you could exchange as many links as you wish, but, without content, your website has no real value. Without keywords your website cannot be found. People use keywords to find information. They type into the search engines’ search bars different words and phrases hoping to find relevant answers. If you want web users to find your website you have to optimize your web pages for the keywords they use.
  • Web Branding Matters – Part One
    There is a new concept in branding: online branding. If you want to know exactly what that means, you only have to take the traditional definitions of branding and adapt them to the Web. Then you’ll get a simple definition: online branding makes your visitors believe that you are the only answer to their problems.

    Every business has a brand; so don’t go around saying “I don’t need a brand”. You have a business, the business has a name, and you’ve created a website, so… welcome: you are in the world of the online brands. It’s nice here: brands evolve, brands decline… it’s a tough world, but if you can manage to create a powerful trademark you are in for a great treat.
  • In Step With The Click
    In online marketing it is imperative to understand that the customer is always in charge of an online purchase. On the web there is no long travel times and no parking spot too far away. A web customer can come and go quickly. If they don't like your price or product they can remove you from their thinking in a few thoughtless clicks.

    Because there are so many choices a revolutionary system was developed that allows your marketing dollars to go significantly further while impacting the most promising of customers.
  • Boost Traffic With Linking Strategies
    Optimizing your website for high ranking on the SERP is a step by step process. Great content, SEO optimized pages and an amazing website layout are not enough to bring traffic. Being on the Web means being a part of the Web and not an isolated entity. Google places no importance on solitary websites. To get Google’s attention and increase traffic, you need solid linking strategies. However, it is not only Google you should consider when you collect links. All other search engines follow links to spider and index web pages. Links are like channels driving search engines and traffic to your website.

    The most important aspect you need to consider at the very beginning of the process is that you’ll need quality links to rank high on the SERP. If you manage to gather more than 100 links, the quality of the links is not as important anymore. Not for Google.
  • Disturbing Web Trends: Ugliness Sells?
    Isn’t it annoying when your online competitor gets more traffic and makes more sales than you do even though their website is ugly? Your website is stunning so how can this happen?

    Well, it’s not necessarily the beauty of a site that sells. There is a disturbing web trend that seems to indicate that “ugliness sells”. Is it really the ugliness that sells? Not quite.
  • What Makes A Great Web Business Great?
    Wouldn’t you like to have a successful website, as profitable as the “Giants” of the Web? Just take a look at Yahoo!, Amazon, Google, eBay, MSN and so many others. You’ll notice certain patterns you could follow to succeed.

    You hear often that you need a niche to have a successful online business. You also find plenty of “instant success” ebooks promising you the moon, the stars and a kingdom on the Internet. Nothing happens overnight. The Web giants don’t base their success on overnight fixes, but on months of research, constant development, branding, customer care and so on. Therefore: doing business on the Web means constant learning and constant promotion. There are no “instant” tools and no secret “tricks” to make you wealthy overnight.
  • Yahoo!-it – Reach High Rankings With Your Website In Yahoo!
    In terms of relevancy Yahoo! is the number one search engine, while Google leads the market in terms of popularity. The question is: could you optimize for both? It depends…

    Keyword Optimization
  • A Business Forum: Customer Experts
    “If you make a product good enough, even though you live in the depths of the forest the public will make a path to your door, says the philosopher. But if you want the public in sufficient numbers, you would better construct a highway.” - William Randolph Hearst

    One way many enterprising business owners are finding to construct that highway is through the use of an online forum. If you have clients who can create a buzz about your product there is likely to be more interest as other guests find your forum.
  • Developing A Business Forum: Focus And Function
    “Communication--the human connection--is the key to personal and career success.” - Paul J. Meyer

    It doesn’t take long to discover the incredible diversity in online forums. Some forums are saturated in Google Adsense and other advertising banners. Some are virtually ad-free.
  • Hacking: An Inside Job?
    "Leaving your Web applications insecure makes no more sense than building a brick wall but using a gate made from chain link fencing." – James Gaskin

    Whenever the President of the United States travels anywhere there are numerous individuals charged with making sure the President is secure and unharmed from attack. This is the premise behind Internet security. The work you have done on your site is the product of valuable time and energy. For some business owners the website represents significant research and creative energy. It is possible for a vulnerable website to be hijacked and remade in the image of something that only resembles your website in name only or to have safeguarded data copied for the use of a third party.
  • In Terms Of Meaning
    The world of online marketing may often seem to be speaking en entirely different language. Let’s work at demystifying some of the terminology.

    Disintermediation
  • Ezines: For Those Who Are Interested
    If you were to spend some of your valuable time searching the Internet you would find ezines for virtually every conceivable interest. Individuals who have explored the world on online marketing have come to see ezines as a productive tool in client connectivity.

    One of the primary reasons ezines are viewed with enthusiasm is that the subscriber base are opt-in members. In other words, the people you send the ezine to have asked you to send them your cyber publication.
  • Successful Online Business: Possibilities
    Building a successful online business is more than simply attempting to place a product on a webpage with the belief that visitors will be drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

    If you spend a little time on the web you will find many such sites with very little in the way of visual interest or compelling reason to explore the product any further. Many of these sites appear to have been created in the mid 90’s with only marginal skill in website creation. That’s not say they receive no business, after all their website is still up and running. However, if you turned away from the site quickly chances are many others have too.
  • Hidden Html And The Keywords They Love
    If you have a website that is not performing well it is possible that you have selected keywords or phrases that are too general.

    When you choose an all-encompassing keyword or phrase you have to understand there is significant competition for the same broad term.
  • Seven Tips For Online Business Success
    In the fall of 2006, Business Week Online reported that a New York Jewelry store named “American Pearl” added an online store to their brick and mortar storefront in 1997. This may not be news, but what happened in the years since they launched into ecommerce is nothing short of astounding.

    Following the addition of online sales the growth of the company increased 20% annually. By the fall of 2006, more than three quarters of their business was conducted online with annual sales at nearly $20 million dollars.
  • Online Security Begins At Home
    It is important to make sure the computer you use to access your online ecommerce site is secure. Too often a site owner takes great care to ensure the security of the site itself and may fail to take precautions to protect his or her own computer.

    If your website is not secure you may have difficulty accessing information, processing orders and securely accessing your own website.
  • Website Design: Welcome The White Space
    Individuals who are new to website development will often compartmentalize the web page and fill every available space with either text or graphics. After all, why shouldn’t you maximize the site design by including as much information as possible?

    There seems to be an underlying fear that if there is ‘white space’ the website will look incomplete. The term white space is a common term in publishing. For instance when a newspaper is developing an advertisement they will seek to allow for some areas of the advertisement to be free from text or graphics. Most publishers have learned that white space provides a sophisticated look while drawing attention to a very specific selling point.
  • Website Basics: Taking Your Templature
    The use of template designs in website creation can be an important way to speed up the process while maintaining a quality website design. This can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of ‘reinventing the wheel’ of site design.

    One of the myths of site design is that it needs to be 100% unique. The truth is a template can generally be customized in such a way as to be perceived as something altogether new.
  • Ezines And Customer Respect
    The primary purpose of an electronic magazine (ezine) is to market a product or service.

    OK, there, I’ve said it.
  • Ezines With A Demographic Punch
    What is the feel of your ezine? Who will be reading the material? What do they expect?

    Every business tends to cater to a specific demographic. Television stations pick a targeted age and cater their programming to the tastes and preferences of that demographic. It is possible other viewers may enjoy the programming, but it’s not always geared to a wide audience, which is probably why we think television has little to offer as we get older.
  • Website Development On Your Own Terms
    Website Development On Your Own Terms

    The early days of web development saw a relatively small handful of ‘experts’ and had them seeking to find ways to make a website do what their client wanted them to do. There was very little standardized methods to make website development an easy process and each site may have been designed with customized programming that may have been totally incompatible with any other site.

    When the number of programmers raised from a few hundred to more than 30,000 it became much clearer that there needed to be some cohesive way to simplify things. This process led to new partnerships and development applications that have become the standards of the day.
  • List Building: 101
    The process of list building may best be defined as a worldwide Rolodex. You have information to share, but it’s hard to let people know about it if your ‘Rolodex’ is empty.

    List building is the process of gathering email addresses for the purpose of sending information, offers and other marketing information to clients and potential customers.
  • List Building: Free Stuff
    We’ve all hear about, read about or even been subjected to some of the amazing ‘free’ offers on the web. You know the kind where they offer an all expense paid trip to the Caribbean - all you have to do is click the link. You can get caught in an endless maze of offers and promises. In the end you click away from the site because you realize you rarely get anything for free and this tactic requires recruiting and an ultimate purchase from someone – and then the endless stream of emails begin to arrive.

    This tactic has had an amazing impact on list building. Netrepreneurs have found thousands of unsuspecting subscribers through the use of this tactic.
  • List Building: Signing Bonus
    When you implement the strategy of list building into your website design you are likely to find that customers can be highly motivated to provide their email addresses if they can gain a comfort level in the information, products or services you offer.

    Maximize Affiliation
  • Banking On Your Knowledge
    "One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

    The fabric of American home-based businesses is made up of a multi-colored tapestry that includes a wide range of experience. Statistics indicate that women and an aging workforce are finding a new career path in home-based businesses.
  • Becoming A Published Author Is Within Reach
    The sale of information is a hot property in online business. Many highly successful websites are filled with informational articles that are beneficial in both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as well as providing visitors with a reason to come back.

    There are entrepreneurs that would like to proceed with packaging the information they’ve compiled into a sellable ebook. Certain questions arise that have them wondering what they should do.
  • If You Build It: An Ebook Portal
    Did you know that you could resell ebooks that others have published? Did you know that you could often sell the work for less than the original author? Did you know you don’t have to know how to write to start an ebook business?

    In an agreement that is very similar to that of an affiliate you can retain the rights to resell a wide selection of ebooks that can produce several hundred dollars in net profit each month. I suppose what makes this venture popular with home-based businesses is that the hands-free nature of the business can allow them to work on other business projects while residual income is produced through ebook sales.
  • What Is Web Branding Anyway?
    The whole idea behind web branding will find several differing viewpoints. For some experts the basis of web branding is a means of identifying your site by providing an image association. This is typically accomplished through a logo that is used liberally on your site as well as through all forms of advertising.

    This viewpoint is valid, but may be better understood as impressions. This would be the number of occasions that a person is exposed to your brand.
  • Web Branding Letting Your Humanity Shine Through
    It wasn’t so long ago that advertising was mostly filled with unrealistic scenarios that attempted to convince the buying public that a better life was available if they were just willing to purchase a product. You could be better looking, have a better home, enjoy greater friendships and never gain weight if you simply used an advertised product. Of course this was never stated, but was often inferred.

    This type of advertising is less prevalent today. The question may be “Why?”
  • Initial Impact: Price And Performance
    How important is your website design? It could be you have a very specific look and feel in mind for your website and that vision can only be forged by a master web designer. But what if you have an ecommerce store you’d like to open and you require a simple, yet customizable web hosting and design solution?

    What if you want a professional look, but have a limited budget?
  • Four Point Consumer Connection
    Ecommerce is essentially the art of meaningful connection. When online businesses perceive their role as merely seller they are liable to find themselves in a ‘disconnect’ with their customers.

    Connection # 1 – Know Your Customer
  • Under Development: Low-cost Site Progress
    Developing content for a website can seem a bit intimidating. However, one of the easiest ways to get started is to simply get started.

    If you are developing your website through a template-based web host you can develop the bare bones of the site and finesse as you go.
  • Simplicity In Form And Function
    Web design is an issue web owners routinely often misunderstand. Questions arise as to the look and feel of the website. There are questions as to whether a new site design is needed. These questions can be taxing on the psyche of the website owner.

    One of the primary mantras for site design is simplicity. The whole notion that a website must be simplified can actually render website owners a bit confused.
  • Web Branding: Cereal, Games And Positive Impressions
    Children can get their parents to pay for a variety of products and services. Entrepreneurs understand this so they make sure they can offer products that won’t break the bank while working to provide significant branding so kids don’t forget who these companies are.

    This happens when children watch cartoons on TV. There will invariably be toys, cereal and candy the child just can’t live without. Savvy marketers have taken the whole idea of branding to a fan club status by developing online gaming locations where children can sign up for free, play games for free and encourage their friends to come and join – for free. In some cases children can send messages to other friends through the system and enjoy all the benefits of membership.
  • Internet Marketing: Keyword Stuffing – Good Idea Or Bad Policy?
    Keywords are an important function of Internet marketing. The use of a specific set of keywords or phrases can help a website earn better rankings with search engines, but how much is too much?

    A friend of mine was asked once to provide content for a website where the key phrase had three words and that key phrase had to be used ten percent of the time. In other words, for every 100 words written the phrase has to be included 10 times. To put that in perspective the article could only have seventy original words in one hundred because the other thirty words were tied up in the mandatory use of a key phrase. My friend turned the work down.
  • Web Branding: As The Onion Peels
    Web branding is the process of condensing the focus of your web-based business to the point where there is clarity about what makes you unique. This process is more than simply coming up with a clever slogan; it is defining your business so precisely that you define a new category or description for your business.

    Ford developed the assembly line.
  • Web Branding: Unique Sells
    What do you offer your customers that no one else provides? Whatever that is may be a point of branding.

    Whatever is unique to your business may likely be a positive point of web branding. It may not be enough to simply try to be competitive on price. If your business is similar to dozens of other online businesses you need to discover what it is that makes your business unique. It may be something as simple as free shipping when no one else provides this perk.
  • Web Branding: Coffee Drinking Checker Players
    Unique selling points can be used to help understand web branding, but the essence of branding is always a much bigger picture.

    It’s only the best of ‘good starts’ to define your selling points, but at the end of the day you are wanting to help consumers understand who you are as much they understand what you do.
  • Is Anyone Out There?
    When crafting a piece of writing it is important to define who the audience for the piece will be. It doesn’t matter if the piece is fiction, non-fiction or technical. What is important is knowing a little bit about your intended reader.

    Some writers get very specific and their intended audience becomes some like this:
  • Deciding What To Write-Can You Get There From Here?
    When writing an article or story, how exactly do you decide what to write? Do your characters develop as you go when writing fiction? Does your plot unfold by chance? Do you have a clear idea of where your story or article is going before you actually begin to write?

    I have to admit there are times when I just start writing and worry about the details later. Interestingly, it is a unique exercise in taking something without purpose and finding one for it. However, there is a method called ‘clustering’ that can help you define key elements to a story before it is subjected to creative phrase turning.
  • How To Avoid Clichés - That Sounds Familiar
    When writing articles, stories for full blown manuscripts it is often in your best interest to avoid common phrases or colloquialisms. Many writers refer to the overuse of these phrases as cliché and they avoid them like the plague.

    It may take some work to find new ways to say something you’ve relied on clichés to say for you.
  • Did You Know? Understanding The Publishing World
    Sometimes putting things in perspective is useful when trying to gain a clear understanding of the many facets of the publishing world.

    This article is intended to provide some random statistics to help you understand the publishing world a little better.
  • You Might Be A Published Author If...
    You might be a published author if...

    You've ever printed up several copies of your work and passed them out at the mall.
  • You Might Be A Published Author If...
    You might be a published author if...

    You've ever printed up several copies of your work and passed them out at the mall.
  • Before Painting Words
    No matter what kind of writing you consider your forte you might want to consider the use of a ‘learning log’.

    The process of writing generally requires research. Unless you are recounting personal events in a first person non-fiction narrative the use of research tools is a highly valued counterpart to effective writing.
  • One Epic Flashback
    You've probably watched a movie where you observe the lead character in a quiet, contemplative moment. It's not long before you hear a sound similar to a camera and the movie shifts to an event from the past that provides a clue about what is happening to the character in the present.

    This is a common technique in storytelling called flashback (analepsis). The use of this technique often adds a sense of mystery to the story. The use of flashback allows the author of the story to interrupt a storyline by taking the reader back in time to a point that helps define the character, setting or plot line. By revealing flashback clues throughout the piece the reader can catch a sense of the struggle that had placed the lead character in such a predicament.
  • Genuine Imitation Flattery-Use Of Parody
    The old adage "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" should apply to the world of literature as well - although we shouldn't be surprised when it is not perceived that way.

    In order to imitate a certain style requires one of two approaches. The first is designed to imitate the style for the purpose of creating a similar work. The second approach is the theme of this article - parody.
  • What’s In A Name? Naming Characters
    You have developed a plot, setting and have even come up the main characters for your latest story. You start to write, but it isn’t long before your come to a road block. It’s not the storyline; after all you know where you’re headed. It’s not the setting; you mapped that out before the first word was committed to paper.

    No, the thing that you are missing is the perfect name for you characters. You have a couple of throw away names you are using, but you know the names just don’t fit the characters in question.
  • Being Paid To Learn
    The term content writing has taken on a new meaning with the advent of the internet. In strict writing discipline the term refers to adapting your writing to match a specific style or voice. This type of writing has nothing to do with personal taste or style preference. It is, however, a means of forcing yourself to learn to write in a style that you may have never chosen on your own.

    In the realm of writing for internet providers the term has a similar meaning, but there is the added component of writing specifically to fulfill the content needs of a client’s website.
  • Writing As A Business
    If you are looking at making writing a means of providing a personal income it may be important to understand how to develop your passion for writing into a successful small business.

    The first step is one you've already taken. Discover what you are passionate about. If you are reading this article you are probably most interested in the written word.
  • Non-fiction Salesmanship
    The research you have conducted has been exhausting, yet the first draft of your non-fiction work is complete and you are in the midst of revisions and personal editing. Your plan is to send it on to a publisher soon.

    Are you really finished with the work at that point?
  • A Few Magazine Publishing Terms
    The business of writing for magazines is often speculative in nature. It can often seem fruitless to conduct research on available paying magazines, attempt to understand their style and unique requirements, write the article, send the article, and then wait for what can seem a never ending response.

    It can be even more daunting when you have invested significant time and energy and have received multiple rejection slips. It can cause an author to wonder if they should hang it up and head back to the ‘real world’.
  • Submission Allowance
    When you understand what an editor allows in the way of submissions you can begin to see there may be more options available to you than you may have realized. By understanding the ‘big three’ submission types you will find a greater ability to maximize your publishing potential.

    What is a Parallel Submission?
  • Simply Academic
    Start at the beginning - or the end - or somewhere in the middle. It may not be as where you start as long as you start somewhere in the process of academic essay writing.

    The importance of academic writing is to supply a thesis or an arguable point. Academic writing cannot stand on its own by simply presenting the observations of others. As a writer, you must present your own argument and then supply points of support that assist in furthering your argument. You should be fully aware of what questions you are seeking to answer in your work.
  • Have You Read My Book?
    Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have your own book published. Your publisher might be a large firm with allocated resources to manage the Public Relations (PR) for your book or they might be a smaller firm that relies on their authors to do some of the legwork in promoting the book.

    Some authors are well acquainted with the process of promoting their own book while others feel inadequate to the task of self-promotion.
  • Off The Top Of My Head- Freewriting
    In writing there is a technique known as Freewriting which is essentially designed to encourage you to write and it comes without bounds of structure, format or plot.

    Freewriting may seem frivolous to some, however it is useful in bringing creativity to the forefront in ways that are often surprising to those who try this exercise.
  • Doctor, Doctor, Give Me The News
    You may have heard of the term, "Book Doctor" in your writing career. Maybe you've wondered what a Book Doctor does and if it's a good idea to utilize their services.

    In essence, a Book Doctor is an individual who promises to assist you in making your manuscript ready for submission to an editor or publisher.
  • Have Pen - Will Write
    The term freelance has been described as "A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them." This is essentially the truth of freelance writing. In many ways a freelancer works as a subcontractor. A freelance writer accepts work offered by a magazine or newspaper with no long-term commitment or promise of ongoing assignments.

    It is possible that someone you have written for on a freelance basis will return to you with an additional assignment, but you have no guarantee.
  • What's In A Name? The Use Of Pseudonyms And Pen Names
    Have you ever wondered why a writer chooses a pseudonym or pen name? Is it possible they believe that they are more important than other writers are? Do they demonstrate their views of superiority by simply choosing to rename themselves?

    The truth is, there are a multitude of valid reasons for an author to select a pen name and very few have anything to do with pride.
  • A Writer’s Need For Community
    I’d like to present three easy steps to getting published. Well, I’d like to, but there’s usually more than three and they are never easy.

    Many aspiring writers I encounter believe if they can just get their article to an editor the editor will see the value in the work and want to sign them to a contract of some sort. Now, this is rarely verbalized by the author, but the dream-dashing is very evident when they receive their first rejection slip.
  • Meeting The Deadline
    A nemesis to all writers is an imposed deadline. Whether that deadline is from a publisher or as part of a writing contest or challenge the deadline screams at us to hurry up while our muse is certain the story just isn’t quite right yet.

    As you develop your writing career or writing business you will likely find deadlines come more often and from a variety of sources.
  • Free To Fail
    I enlisted the help of several authors who knew something of fame in their work, yet surprisingly had much to say about failure. In truth, these authors aren’t answering the specific questions I pose, but their wisdom in the field of writing is worth considering.

    We will start with a question writers will often ask themselves or others about their craft and then review an applicable quote from a noted author.
  • Exploring All Paths
    I suppose it is the dream of every writer to have a book published with a major publishing house, well known and well respected in the industry. With such publication one might encounter fame and perhaps a bit or fortune. If you could land such a publishing contract perhaps you could find time on major radio stations, television stations and reputable podcasts to share the wisdom you have to share. Newspaper and magazines might contact you for interviews and photo opportunities.

    Did you know that only a small percentage of writers that will ever have a book published by a major publishing house?
  • Cover Letters
    I will routinely advise new writers to make sure their cover letters are professional in tone. All additional correspondence with an editor should be similarly professional.

    There are a few other details regarding a cover letter that may be of interest. For instance, if you can't say what needs to be said in one page, you need to say it again. It is bad form to send a cover letter that is longer than one page. The person you are sending the cover letter to may make a judgement about your potential based on the first 20 seconds of your cover letter. If your cover letter is not concise and professional, the letter may be put aside without further consideration. One thing that may help in keeping your letter concise is to work at keeping your sentences short. Twelve to fifteen words should be the target word count for sentences in your cover letter.
  • Appealing To The Reader
    You’ve worked hard on your manuscript and are prepared to send it to a publisher. You realize your manuscript was not something the publisher asked for specifically, yet you feel it matches their stated purpose. You have created a one page, concise cover letter and have made sure it contains no spelling or grammar mistakes.

    The line is long at the post office, yet you gladly wait to personally send the manuscript on its way. You watch as the heartless postal worker twists your package like a Frisbee into the ‘out’ bin. Quietly you walk back to the car and hope for the best.
  • Query: Opening The Lock On Magazine Publishing
    Every time you pick up your favorite magazine you pour over it, looking through every article. By the time you are finished many of the pages are dog-eared and you’ve discovered that so many of the articles are in line with your own personal interests and writing style.

    As a writer you find yourself considering the possibility of submitting something for the magazine to consider. You have even written an article or two, but never had the courage to send them on. You have dozens of ideas, but they never go any further than the dream you have every time you look at the publisher information and see the word ‘Submission’.
  • Self-Publishing: How Important Is An ISBN Number?
    You've weighed all your options and have determined that self-publishing makes the most sense for your foray into publishing. You understand that there is an increase in the need to self-market your title, but there is also a correlating increase in profit margin. Other risks have been assessed and you’re comfortable moving forward in the direction you've chosen.

    Have you applied for an ISBN number?
  • The Write Stuff: Are You Freelance Ready?
    Your love for writing is evident to any who know you. You have always enjoyed drafting phrases that assist you in telling a story in a positive way. You’ve always wondered if you had what it takes to become a freelance writer.

    A Few Questions
  • Make Way For A New Freelance Writer
    The avenues for successfully publishing everything from articles to short stories, poetry to how-to articles and inspirational thoughts to web content has never been more impressive.

    Perhaps the greatest struggle for web writers is defining the opportunities that best suit their individual tastes and level of comfort.
  • Writing Contests: Building Writing Credentials
    One of the ways many writers can successfully add credentials to their portfolio if to participate in a variety of literary contests. This type of contest encourages writers to put their best foot forward in both creativity and attention to detail.

    It is true that there are some contests that provide a cash award for their top finishers, but there are also publishing scams that will accept your work regardless of quality. When you receive notice that your work has been accepted for publication it can be a real boost, however, a quick look at many writer’s websites can help you define the contests that are essentially vanity publishers willing to print just about anything if they believe you will purchase copies of the book for friends and family.

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