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Contract Management Procedures You should aim to have at least 50% of your content reviewed and ready before you begin the design phase so that your designer can use it to create the perfect aesthetic and navigation for your Website.Contract management procedures can be implemented using a software system or with the help of a contract management consultant. Many corporate organizations automate the process associated with establishing contracts with suppliers using such programs. The system manages the termination, conclusion and renewal of contracts. Well-established contract management procedures help to synchronize service delivery and rapport with suppliers and contributors. They also help in the management of risks related to contract performance.An important factor for contract management to be successful is to have procedures that are efficient. This helps an organization choose competent providers and clearly define their requirements. Contract management procedures are intended to guarantee that, the performance of the provider and the quality of the services offered, are as specified in the contract.Procedures corroborate whether benefits anticipated from the contract are being attained and if value for monies paid is being acquired. Procedures help identify alterations needed to the contract, to cope with varying business demands. Contract management procedures have provisions allowing preparation and introduction of these changes.Contract management procedures help in solving problems related to the operation of the contract. They help in the anticipation of issues and in dispute resolution. Procedures cover task and resp Website Marketing Marketing your online business is similar to any corporate marketing strategy, except it enjoys the benefit of being more focused since it doesn’t require a mix of traditional multimedia. The first step is to figure out your action plan for overcoming the obstacles to your business growth, such as: How will your site get discovered by prospective customers? How will you keep their interest? What will set your business above others in your industry? How will you satisfy your visitors so that they become buyers? Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert to do it for you, some important tasks are as follows: 1. Get your site listed in the top search engines – Internet surfers typically use the most popular search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. to find what they want using keywords specific to a service or product. This random audience is far more likely to find you among your competitors if your site is listed in all the major engines, and your Website is packed with appropriate keywords. 2. Place online advertising in relevant places. If you have the funds, you can pay search engines like Google to place your company at the top of certain keyword lists, so that a random search for say, “running shoes” places your site up top and in bold print. Less expensive options include placing banner or text link ads on the Web pages of companies whose products or services compliment your own. Many companies are anxious to affiliate, meaning they will trade ad space with you at no cost. Also, don’t forget to put your URL (Website address) on everything, from your business cards to stationary to the company car, anywhere it will be seen. 3 Distance Marketing Coaching For Small Businesses Whether you’re a novice to the Internet-based business world or a technology expert, it’s important to understand what is needed to take your business online. This article is designed to educate business owners on how to navigate the online process and assess an accurate value to Web design services. By having greater understanding, you can avoid paying too much for too little or for extras you simply don’t need.For any businessman learning the basics of marketing is necessary. Marketing is the most powerful tool in carving a business’ success. Devising correct marketing strategies are important for expansion of all the businesses. Only those products that are marketed well sell in the market. They sell because their promoter has done his groundwork well. He has found out answers to the basic questions that determine the success of any business. He has found out who he is, what is he doing, which is his market, who are the potential customers, and when does he want do product launch and how does he trap customers. However, this awareness doesn’t come automatically. It has to be learnt. Marketing coaching is therefore very important.Advantages of Distant Coaching:However, small businesses have smaller operations and the business owner himself is actively involved is all the small and big activities of the company in the absence of a skilled workforce. Therefore, it is impossible for such business personnel to attend full-time coaching or spend hefty amount in being enrolled into such courses. Distant coaching is therefore plays a very important role in educating small business owners.Types of Distant Coaching:There are various types of distant coaching for marketing; eminent coaches teach on the fundamentals of marketing in special workshops, seminars and meetings. These services are also offered through the Website Design Before you begin your search for the right design firm, first consider your budget. Actually figure out how much you have to spend on this venture, with the idea in mind that your Website will be your actual online storefront—a true representation of your company, what it does, what customers can expect from it, and whether it seems unique, exciting and trustworthy. Few customers want to part with their money when they encounter a homemade-looking Website, or one that contains lots of errors, is hard to navigate or looks like a million others across the Net. If a designer claims they can build you a fully functional site for a couple hundred dollars, you can accurately presume that your site will likely be built around a template created by a fill-in-the-blank software application. If that fits your budget, fine—but don’t expect anything original, polished or fail-safe, because such mass-produced sites litter the Web and are typically rife with problems, including deadly slow load times, text bleeding into images, sloppy alignment, dead links and frustrating error messages. On the other hand, don’t assume that a company that charges $10,000 will necessarily be better. The anonymous nature of the Internet makes it a breeding ground for charlatans, so do your homework. Unless your site is extremely complex (for example, has a shopping cart system designed to handle hundreds or thousands of products and images), you can get amazing quality for a fraction of that price. What to look for • The first hurdle is contacting a prospective company and seeing how long it takes them to return your phone call or email. If you don’t hear from them in a day or two, they may be too busy, understaffed or disorganized to provide solid turnaround times. We all know the old adage “penny-wise, pound-foolish.” Simply put, it’s worth it to invest some money in order to get quality work and reliable service. And if you enjoy a comparative discount while getting exactly what you want, then you have found the right company. The Supporting Services In order to take your business online, let’s forget about “bells and whistles” for now and get down to the essentials needed to establish your company on the World Wide Web. Domain Name – A domain name is your online address (URL), and the right domain name is crucial in enabling your current and prospective customers to find you. That’s why it’s vital to select a memorable, easy-to-spell domain name. Try using your business name if it’s unavailable; if not, try forming a name based on words that describe what you do or otherwise associate with your business. Untaken domain names can run from about $2-30 or more—however if the URL you want is considered a “premium domain name,” which is typically a name in high demand due to its simplicity, memorability and widespread market appeal such as homes.com, cars.com, food.com, etc., expect to pay a premium price. Premium domain names are available from Websites such as www.buydomains.com and others, but be prepared to find many names already taken. Some companies will sell their domain names to interested parties, but unless you’re certain the investment (which could be in the thousands) is worth it, you may want to brainstorm until you find an available alternate. Web Hosting – Web hosting is the service of providing server space to Website customers so they can keep their sites up and running. The server space size required varies from site to site—if yours is large with lots of pages, graphics, traffic and/or shopping options, you will require more space than a 1-3 page brochure site. No matter what your site’s size or ambitions, one important caveat when choosing a Web hosting provider is to make sure that it provides 99% uptime—companies with long or frequent downtimes mean your site is also down during that period, possibly costing you credibility, customers and sales. How do you know a host’s uptime record? Solid companies will post it on their Websites or have a representative who can give you an exact percentage. If they don’t know or say it’s 100%, pass them by. All reputable companies have their stats available, and no company is up 100% of the time, no matter what they say. A host offering 99% uptime allows your Website to stay up and running virtually 24/7, assuring your customers that your Internet doorway is always ready for business. Website Content The content of your Website is a combination of all the information and graphics on your site, most notably the text. Apart from its design, your Website’s written content is more important than any other element because it serves two key functions: It represents the professionalism, tone and purpose of your business, and it has the potential to get you found above your competitors on the Web. If you feel inspired to write your own content, that’s great. Make certain, however, that you include the important elements of your business, such as what makes it special and why its products and services are revolutionary, superior and/or necessary. Also make sure to pack it full of the keywords and phrases Internet surfers are most likely to use when they type them into a search engine’s search field. All content should be proofread by an expert in grammar and punctuation before it’s published—otherwise your business will look as if it cuts corners and lacks quality. After all, if you don’t care enough to make sure your Website is professional, why would anyone trust your company to be? If you’re anything less than a proficient writer, it is a good investment to have a professional writer create and/or edit your content so that you know it will be an accurate and positive representation of your business. You should aim to have at least 50% of your content reviewed and ready before you begin the design phase so that your designer can use it to create the perfect aesthetic and navigation for your Website. Website Marketing Marketing your online business is similar to any corporate marketing strategy, except it enjoys the benefit of being more focused since it doesn’t require a mix of traditional multimedia. The first step is to figure out your action plan for overcoming the obstacles to your business growth, such as: How will your site get discovered by prospective customers? How will you keep their interest? What will set your business above others in your industry? How will you satisfy your visitors so that they become buyers? Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert to do it for you, some important tasks are as follows: 1. Get your site listed in the top search engines – Internet surfers typically use the most popular search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. to find what they want using keywords specific to a service or product. This random audience is far more likely to find you among your competitors if your site is listed in all the major engines, and your Website is packed with appropriate keywords. 2. Place online advertising in relevant places. If you have the funds, you can pay search engines like Google to place your company at the top of certain keyword lists, so that a random search for say, “running shoes” places your site up top and in bold print. Less expensive options include placing banner or text link ads on the Web pages of companies whose products or services compliment your own. Many companies are anxious to affiliate, meaning they will trade ad space with you at no cost. Also, don’t forget to put your URL (Website address) on everything, from your business cards to stationary to the company car, anywhere it will be seen. 3 Remove the Speed Bumps to Profitability tion of that price.Ever travel through a high traffic neighborhood that wants to slow cars down -- so they install these large speed bumps? One of two things happen: You either slow down or you continue on at normal speed and have a terribly rough ride.What are the speed bumps in your organization that keep you from comfortably traveling forward to better profits?1. Lack of a concise directionWithout a clearly stated vision and direction from the CEO, people mill around waiting for which direction to head this week. While they are waiting for the marching orders to come down from the mountain, they are profit margin dead weight, no momentum gathers, and the speed bumps result from indecision.To provide proper direction, establish a specific plan and stick with three basic pervasive priorities. Spell it out in such clear wording a 12-year-old can understand, and spread the word. Refocus everyone constantly on those basics and be unyielding in that focus. For example, if customer service is key, don’t stop training your newly hired employees in how to treat your customers no matter the short-term economic effects of investing in your staff.Be sure your middle management can effectively express and reinforce the CEO’s direction. Randomly walk through the departments and ask the department leaders what is the goal, or purpose, or direction the organization is heading. If they fumble and aren’t sure what to say, you What to look for • The first hurdle is contacting a prospective company and seeing how long it takes them to return your phone call or email. If you don’t hear from them in a day or two, they may be too busy, understaffed or disorganized to provide solid turnaround times. We all know the old adage “penny-wise, pound-foolish.” Simply put, it’s worth it to invest some money in order to get quality work and reliable service. And if you enjoy a comparative discount while getting exactly what you want, then you have found the right company. The Supporting Services In order to take your business online, let’s forget about “bells and whistles” for now and get down to the essentials needed to establish your company on the World Wide Web. Domain Name – A domain name is your online address (URL), and the right domain name is crucial in enabling your current and prospective customers to find you. That’s why it’s vital to select a memorable, easy-to-spell domain name. Try using your business name if it’s unavailable; if not, try forming a name based on words that describe what you do or otherwise associate with your business. Untaken domain names can run from about $2-30 or more—however if the URL you want is considered a “premium domain name,” which is typically a name in high demand due to its simplicity, memorability and widespread market appeal such as homes.com, cars.com, food.com, etc., expect to pay a premium price. Premium domain names are available from Websites such as www.buydomains.com and others, but be prepared to find many names already taken. Some companies will sell their domain names to interested parties, but unless you’re certain the investment (which could be in the thousands) is worth it, you may want to brainstorm until you find an available alternate. Web Hosting – Web hosting is the service of providing server space to Website customers so they can keep their sites up and running. The server space size required varies from site to site—if yours is large with lots of pages, graphics, traffic and/or shopping options, you will require more space than a 1-3 page brochure site. No matter what your site’s size or ambitions, one important caveat when choosing a Web hosting provider is to make sure that it provides 99% uptime—companies with long or frequent downtimes mean your site is also down during that period, possibly costing you credibility, customers and sales. How do you know a host’s uptime record? Solid companies will post it on their Websites or have a representative who can give you an exact percentage. If they don’t know or say it’s 100%, pass them by. All reputable companies have their stats available, and no company is up 100% of the time, no matter what they say. A host offering 99% uptime allows your Website to stay up and running virtually 24/7, assuring your customers that your Internet doorway is always ready for business. Website Content The content of your Website is a combination of all the information and graphics on your site, most notably the text. Apart from its design, your Website’s written content is more important than any other element because it serves two key functions: It represents the professionalism, tone and purpose of your business, and it has the potential to get you found above your competitors on the Web. If you feel inspired to write your own content, that’s great. Make certain, however, that you include the important elements of your business, such as what makes it special and why its products and services are revolutionary, superior and/or necessary. Also make sure to pack it full of the keywords and phrases Internet surfers are most likely to use when they type them into a search engine’s search field. All content should be proofread by an expert in grammar and punctuation before it’s published—otherwise your business will look as if it cuts corners and lacks quality. After all, if you don’t care enough to make sure your Website is professional, why would anyone trust your company to be? If you’re anything less than a proficient writer, it is a good investment to have a professional writer create and/or edit your content so that you know it will be an accurate and positive representation of your business. You should aim to have at least 50% of your content reviewed and ready before you begin the design phase so that your designer can use it to create the perfect aesthetic and navigation for your Website. Website Marketing Marketing your online business is similar to any corporate marketing strategy, except it enjoys the benefit of being more focused since it doesn’t require a mix of traditional multimedia. The first step is to figure out your action plan for overcoming the obstacles to your business growth, such as: How will your site get discovered by prospective customers? How will you keep their interest? What will set your business above others in your industry? How will you satisfy your visitors so that they become buyers? Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert to do it for you, some important tasks are as follows: 1. Get your site listed in the top search engines – Internet surfers typically use the most popular search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. to find what they want using keywords specific to a service or product. This random audience is far more likely to find you among your competitors if your site is listed in all the major engines, and your Website is packed with appropriate keywords. 2. Place online advertising in relevant places. If you have the funds, you can pay search engines like Google to place your company at the top of certain keyword lists, so that a random search for say, “running shoes” places your site up top and in bold print. Less expensive options include placing banner or text link ads on the Web pages of companies whose products or services compliment your own. Many companies are anxious to affiliate, meaning they will trade ad space with you at no cost. Also, don’t forget to put your URL (Website address) on everything, from your business cards to stationary to the company car, anywhere it will be seen. 3 Mundane Is The New Punk Rock - Vlogging ative discount while getting exactly what you want, then you have found the right company.Blogging, (for those of you in the Dark Ages- a (we)blog- n. an online journal that incorporates weblinks, reader commentary and archives of the owner/author’s posts. Can include photos or video) experienced a superboom from 2002-2005 and today’s technorati.com blogtracker shows 71.06 million blogs and counting. On Jan. 1st, 2004, Steve Garfield declared ‘The Year of the Videoblog’ and he proved to be an assured soothsayer. Video blogging, or vblogging, is the new media breakthrough within the latest presentation of web technology and interactive production and, in the case of the vlog, broadcasting.The Vlogosphere is filled with an equal amount of bizarre nonsense, biased and unbiased news, politics, sit coms and a man dressed as SKELETOR giving his semi-weekly glimpse into the world of the unemployed superhero singing karaoke, griping at home and play-acting his foregone existence in Eternia. YouTube and similar sites such as blip.tv, mefedia.com and podcasting have made it easy and accessible for anyone with a camera, laptop, broadband connection and a dream (or disturbing nightmare) to post their video thoughts and accomplishments online. Everyone’s a filmmaker and it’s more or less uncensored.These sites have existed for a few years giving way to meld the two ideas of blogging and posting your videos online together, birthing the invention of the vlog. Steve Garfield and his wife Carol, the regular Joes from The Supporting Services In order to take your business online, let’s forget about “bells and whistles” for now and get down to the essentials needed to establish your company on the World Wide Web. Domain Name – A domain name is your online address (URL), and the right domain name is crucial in enabling your current and prospective customers to find you. That’s why it’s vital to select a memorable, easy-to-spell domain name. Try using your business name if it’s unavailable; if not, try forming a name based on words that describe what you do or otherwise associate with your business. Untaken domain names can run from about $2-30 or more—however if the URL you want is considered a “premium domain name,” which is typically a name in high demand due to its simplicity, memorability and widespread market appeal such as homes.com, cars.com, food.com, etc., expect to pay a premium price. Premium domain names are available from Websites such as www.buydomains.com and others, but be prepared to find many names already taken. Some companies will sell their domain names to interested parties, but unless you’re certain the investment (which could be in the thousands) is worth it, you may want to brainstorm until you find an available alternate. Web Hosting – Web hosting is the service of providing server space to Website customers so they can keep their sites up and running. The server space size required varies from site to site—if yours is large with lots of pages, graphics, traffic and/or shopping options, you will require more space than a 1-3 page brochure site. No matter what your site’s size or ambitions, one important caveat when choosing a Web hosting provider is to make sure that it provides 99% uptime—companies with long or frequent downtimes mean your site is also down during that period, possibly costing you credibility, customers and sales. How do you know a host’s uptime record? Solid companies will post it on their Websites or have a representative who can give you an exact percentage. If they don’t know or say it’s 100%, pass them by. All reputable companies have their stats available, and no company is up 100% of the time, no matter what they say. A host offering 99% uptime allows your Website to stay up and running virtually 24/7, assuring your customers that your Internet doorway is always ready for business. Website Content The content of your Website is a combination of all the information and graphics on your site, most notably the text. Apart from its design, your Website’s written content is more important than any other element because it serves two key functions: It represents the professionalism, tone and purpose of your business, and it has the potential to get you found above your competitors on the Web. If you feel inspired to write your own content, that’s great. Make certain, however, that you include the important elements of your business, such as what makes it special and why its products and services are revolutionary, superior and/or necessary. Also make sure to pack it full of the keywords and phrases Internet surfers are most likely to use when they type them into a search engine’s search field. All content should be proofread by an expert in grammar and punctuation before it’s published—otherwise your business will look as if it cuts corners and lacks quality. After all, if you don’t care enough to make sure your Website is professional, why would anyone trust your company to be? If you’re anything less than a proficient writer, it is a good investment to have a professional writer create and/or edit your content so that you know it will be an accurate and positive representation of your business. You should aim to have at least 50% of your content reviewed and ready before you begin the design phase so that your designer can use it to create the perfect aesthetic and navigation for your Website. Website Marketing Marketing your online business is similar to any corporate marketing strategy, except it enjoys the benefit of being more focused since it doesn’t require a mix of traditional multimedia. The first step is to figure out your action plan for overcoming the obstacles to your business growth, such as: How will your site get discovered by prospective customers? How will you keep their interest? What will set your business above others in your industry? How will you satisfy your visitors so that they become buyers? Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert to do it for you, some important tasks are as follows: 1. Get your site listed in the top search engines – Internet surfers typically use the most popular search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. to find what they want using keywords specific to a service or product. This random audience is far more likely to find you among your competitors if your site is listed in all the major engines, and your Website is packed with appropriate keywords. 2. Place online advertising in relevant places. If you have the funds, you can pay search engines like Google to place your company at the top of certain keyword lists, so that a random search for say, “running shoes” places your site up top and in bold print. Less expensive options include placing banner or text link ads on the Web pages of companies whose products or services compliment your own. Many companies are anxious to affiliate, meaning they will trade ad space with you at no cost. Also, don’t forget to put your URL (Website address) on everything, from your business cards to stationary to the company car, anywhere it will be seen. 3 List Building With JV Partners III ing that period, possibly costing you credibility, customers and sales. How do you know a host’s uptime record? Solid companies will post it on their Websites or have a representative who can give you an exact percentage. If they don’t know or say it’s 100%, pass them by. All reputable companies have their stats available, and no company is up 100% of the time, no matter what they say.That’s all I do – nothing pushy, or anything like that. Generally, I get between a 25 and 50% response rate when I send those emails out, one at a time, personalized with their name. I usually get a few bounces, but that is okay too.So what do I like to mail for the swap? Like I said, I like to use a free offer. Here is the one I use for all my swaps:Subject: (firstname) - a free gift for you...Email:Hi (Firstname),I've been speaking to my friend Sean Mize about his brand new report, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide', and trust me, you'll want to check this out.Sean's report tells you exactly why article marketing is still one of the most effective methods of profitable traffic generation, and step by step how to write articles that create massive traffic and signups. Download it absolutely fre.e here:http://www.secrets-of-internet-success.com/articlewriting4.htmlAll the best,PeterP.S. I think this new report has the potential to rock the modern foundations of traffic and list building. Catch it while it is still free:http://www.secrets-of-internet-success.com/articlewriting4.htmlThat email itself has a high clickthrough rate, and the squeeze page converts on these swaps at about 65%.Of course, you are going to have to figure out what works for you. And it is a lot easier with 1000 subscribers to test things than A host offering 99% uptime allows your Website to stay up and running virtually 24/7, assuring your customers that your Internet doorway is always ready for business. Website Content The content of your Website is a combination of all the information and graphics on your site, most notably the text. Apart from its design, your Website’s written content is more important than any other element because it serves two key functions: It represents the professionalism, tone and purpose of your business, and it has the potential to get you found above your competitors on the Web. If you feel inspired to write your own content, that’s great. Make certain, however, that you include the important elements of your business, such as what makes it special and why its products and services are revolutionary, superior and/or necessary. Also make sure to pack it full of the keywords and phrases Internet surfers are most likely to use when they type them into a search engine’s search field. All content should be proofread by an expert in grammar and punctuation before it’s published—otherwise your business will look as if it cuts corners and lacks quality. After all, if you don’t care enough to make sure your Website is professional, why would anyone trust your company to be? If you’re anything less than a proficient writer, it is a good investment to have a professional writer create and/or edit your content so that you know it will be an accurate and positive representation of your business. You should aim to have at least 50% of your content reviewed and ready before you begin the design phase so that your designer can use it to create the perfect aesthetic and navigation for your Website. Website Marketing Marketing your online business is similar to any corporate marketing strategy, except it enjoys the benefit of being more focused since it doesn’t require a mix of traditional multimedia. The first step is to figure out your action plan for overcoming the obstacles to your business growth, such as: How will your site get discovered by prospective customers? How will you keep their interest? What will set your business above others in your industry? How will you satisfy your visitors so that they become buyers? Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert to do it for you, some important tasks are as follows: 1. Get your site listed in the top search engines – Internet surfers typically use the most popular search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. to find what they want using keywords specific to a service or product. This random audience is far more likely to find you among your competitors if your site is listed in all the major engines, and your Website is packed with appropriate keywords. 2. Place online advertising in relevant places. If you have the funds, you can pay search engines like Google to place your company at the top of certain keyword lists, so that a random search for say, “running shoes” places your site up top and in bold print. Less expensive options include placing banner or text link ads on the Web pages of companies whose products or services compliment your own. Many companies are anxious to affiliate, meaning they will trade ad space with you at no cost. Also, don’t forget to put your URL (Website address) on everything, from your business cards to stationary to the company car, anywhere it will be seen. 3 Getting Quality One Way Links For Free You should aim to have at least 50% of your content reviewed and ready before you begin the design phase so that your designer can use it to create the perfect aesthetic and navigation for your Website.As you probably know, building your link popularity is the best way to get good search engine placement and free traffic for life for your websites. A lot of people have trouble with this, so I decided to make a small list with the methods I use to get tons of quality one way links to my sites.1. The first and best way to do this is to write articles related to your site. Now this technique may not be new to many of you out there but I can assure you that a lot of people don’t know how to take advantage of this great opportunity. Your articles should be somewhere between 300 – 500 words with your resource box attached at the end. This should contain a small 3rd person description of yourself, something like: “John Doe is a well respected senior writer and owner of the site http://.....”After you have your article written all you need to do is go to http://www.google.com and do a search for “article directory”. At the time of this writing there are 374.000.000 results for this search. You should send your articles to as many article directories as possible. The more you send the more traffic you get. The more traffic you make, the more sales you have. The more sales you have, the more money you make. Get the picture?Consider sending your articles to the first 2 pages of results on your first day, then do the next 2 pages the following day, and so on.2. After Website Marketing Marketing your online business is similar to any corporate marketing strategy, except it enjoys the benefit of being more focused since it doesn’t require a mix of traditional multimedia. The first step is to figure out your action plan for overcoming the obstacles to your business growth, such as: How will your site get discovered by prospective customers? How will you keep their interest? What will set your business above others in your industry? How will you satisfy your visitors so that they become buyers? Whether you do it yourself or hire an expert to do it for you, some important tasks are as follows: 1. Get your site listed in the top search engines – Internet surfers typically use the most popular search engines, like Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. to find what they want using keywords specific to a service or product. This random audience is far more likely to find you among your competitors if your site is listed in all the major engines, and your Website is packed with appropriate keywords. 2. Place online advertising in relevant places. If you have the funds, you can pay search engines like Google to place your company at the top of certain keyword lists, so that a random search for say, “running shoes” places your site up top and in bold print. Less expensive options include placing banner or text link ads on the Web pages of companies whose products or services compliment your own. Many companies are anxious to affiliate, meaning they will trade ad space with you at no cost. Also, don’t forget to put your URL (Website address) on everything, from your business cards to stationary to the company car, anywhere it will be seen. 3. Write newsletters, articles, blogs and other Web-based material so that your name is out there. This low- or no-expense practice can get your message dispensed throughout the Web and establish you as an expert in your field. If you’re not a writer, hire a professional to write this content for you. People who find value in your posts will forward them to others, who will in turn forward them, and so on. As you know, word-of-mouth travels fast on the Net. Take advantage of people’s love of sending forwards to generate some free publicity for your company. Maintenance Now that you understand what is needed to take your business online, you’ll want to make sure that the cost for each necessary element doesn’t end up depleting your overall budget. For example, you might find a Web design service that touts its low prices, but always inquire what that low price includes. Oftentimes such “deals” are like ordering from an ? la carte menu—once you include everything you want, the price can end up being an unpleasant surprise. Ask up front if your design company offers everything you might need, such as search engine submission, hosting services, marketing consultation services, ad campaign creation, copywriting services, tech support and other elements your company may require to launch your online business. How are the prices for these services structured, and what do you get for your buck? One company may give you a break on your Website design, then charge you a whopping $50 a month for hosting. Does their bargain-priced Website include any other services, like customization, graphics, branding elements or Flash animation if you want them? Will they allow updates to your site when you need them? If you encounter technical trouble, will there be anyone on staff to help you? If so, do they charge for the service? All these so-called extras can really pad your final invoice, so find out before you sign on the dotted line.
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
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