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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Work At Home Using The Internet

Author: Kenny Anderson

If you want to work at home, start a home based business on the internet. Basing a business on the internet broadens your client . It also has the advantage of low or no overhead.

Home based businesses on the internet abound. To find one that suits you, work within a field you enjoy. The internet increases your client base, but because of the competition you will have to work hard to make your product or site stand out.

Home based business on the internet can be started in almost any field of interest. If you want to offer services, writing web content and designing websites can provide good opportunities. Artists can offer services ranging from graphic design to pet portraits. You can offer advertising services on the internet. Think of any field you are interested in and search the web. You will probably find somebody offering services in that field. If the competition is too much, you narrow your services to a specific group. For example, instead of offering pet portraits you could offer dog portraits.

Most people think of selling products online when they think of home based business on the internet. You can sell through a website, but first learn about website promotion. If you promote your website well you can also sell other people's products through affiliate programs. If you don't want to build a site or don't know how to promote, consider selling your products an an auction site. Many people have found internet auctions work well for them.

If you are interested in working for yourself, consider a home based business on the internet. It works for others. Research well, know what you are doing, and it should work for you.

Warm regards,

Kenny Anderson

Friday, March 10, 2006

What Every Marketer Needs To Know

By: Marige OBrien

HISTORICALLY, business writing has been the collective term for advertising, marketing and general business information (reports, business letters, etc.). This holds true in writing for the internet. Yet on the internet, writing adapts to its environment and becomes a refined strain of itself, being at once informational, promotional, concise and entertaining. Since 85% of internet content is written -- 95% of marketing content -- understanding and mastering this skill is elemental to online marketing success.

To understand this better, below are 5 examples of how business writing on the internet differs-- and why.

1. SUPER HIGHWAY BILLBOARDS - Titles That Catch The Eye
The internet has long been dubbed the information superhighway. In that sense, titles become the billboards along the way. Whether it's the title of a site, an ad, an email subject, an article or a newsletter, it should be short, direct and irresistably enticing. A title has, on average, less than 1 second to attract its customer, even as it competes with a multitude of other ads, so it must stand out.

2. HOLDING THAT THOUGHT
while the title draws them in, the content must deliver-- and quickly. Short paragraphs, concise wording, and follow-through that provides the information promised, all ensure a visit of more than 30 seconds. The eventual goal is to create repeat traffic or repeat sales, but the immediate goal is to give the visitor a rewarding experience within the first minute. This ensures return visits.

Content that falls short include
1) Muddled or indistinct Information
2) Overly long, or "verbose" wording
3) Delays or quantifiers without explanation
4) Too many links within the text

All of these cause visitors to become distracted, possibly confused, and lose their focus, followed quickly by their interest. Splash pages are particularly prone to this, baiting readers with promises, but holding off the details as long as possible. While some may succeed, it is despite -- not because of -- this writing style.

Good content explains the overall concept in the first paragraph, expands on in the next 2-3 paragraphs and concludes in the last paragraph or sign-up. Remember: a first-time visitor has only slowed his super-highway travels for a cursory pit-stop. Turning that into a longer stay, sale or return visit is the objective.

3. LEAVING THE ON-RAMP AT SUPERHIGHWAY SPEED
Though more and more new users join the internet community daily, the vast majority are well adept at traveling its paths. Acknowledging this sophistication is a key step to marketing effectively. They are familiar with most online terminology and lose patience with unneccessary explanations. Also, by catering to experienced "travelers," it also prompts questions from new onliners, which opens dialogue. And that's always good.

At the same time, it is important to *AVOID* "verbose terminology" or "extensive exposition" That is, put it simply, in simple terms. For the sake of speed alone, stay away from any difficult, less common terms. While writers and intellectuals may cringe at this advise, the fact is, difficult terms slow down and/or lose some readers altogether. The ol' KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Rule applies well here. "Expounding" and "pontification" belong elsewhere-- not on the Superhighway.

4. STATE YOUR BUSINESS
Another vital key to successful writing is a higher than usual degree of relevancy. Any off-topic reference must be brief, return to the point quickly, and only included for a clear purpose. Just as Google rates sites by relevancy, so must effective content of all types.

5. FORSOOTH!, IN TRUTH
Last but not least, accuracy -- both in general and detail -- are VITAL to all writing for the internet, more so than in any other medium. Any who contest this are misled by the "out of sight-out of mind" mentality, thinking of webpages as fleeting and temporary. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, a webpage can sit on display for YEARS, possibly seen by millions over time.

Should it contain so much as one typo, one grammatical error, one inaccurate fact then that, too, will live on-- to the endless embarrassment of its author. Accuracy and well-proofed content is the superhighway's equivalent to professionalism and conveys much more to its audience than the careless author realizes-- or wishes. In short, sloppy copy is the same as going to a business meeting in a spaghetti-stained suit.

These examples serve as the basis for internet content that is successful and appeals to a broad audience. For a greater understanding of this, visit a wide variety of sites, noting the differences in clear, attractive sites versus those that seem difficult for one reason or another. And, though the outright copying a site is unethical, finding and using a good site as a model, is fine.

Writing for the internet is a hybrid of all previous types of business writing; its form has taken the next evolutionary step to keep pace with communication's changes and is the bond by which the internet continues. When educational experts of the mid-20th century mistakenly predicted the demise of writing as an important form of communcation (because of ever-expanding alternative mediums), they failed to recognise its strength, versatility or adaptability. Time has proven otherwise. Make no mistake: Writing is -- and will continue to be -- the most vital form of communication on the internet. And writing successfully is the most vital step to success online.

For further information visit "In A Word (or Two)," (http://inawordortwo.blogspot.com) an active, online weblog dedicated to improving the skills needed in Writing For The Internet.--mo

About The Author
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MARIGE O'BRIEN is a writer, web designer and Internet Marketer. Visit her Website, Tracker Mo's Den (http://www.trackermo.com) for her latest i-marketing tools and biz opps. NEW-- RSS Feeds to Articles and blogs, plus a SPECIAL OFFER for new TCC Sign-ups.

Article Source: Article Hub

7 Steps for Improving Your Email Marketing

By: Michael Fleischner

The success of your email marketing campaign is often based on a set of complex factors. However, a number of these issues can be proactively managed to ensure an optimized response. When developing your next email campaign, consider the following guidelines.

1. Your list.
Certainly one of the most important aspects of any email marketing campaign, your list is directly correlated to your success. Are your names recent? Have they agreed to be marketed to? Have they shown an interest in products or services similar to your own? Make sure that you are using a house list (names you collected on your own) or have been purchases from a reputable broker.

2. Your subject line.
Getting a user to open your message is paramount any email marketing campaign. The best way to determine the subject line that works best is to break your emails into three random yet equal groups. Measure the response to each email and use the highest producing one as your control. In follow up emails, try to beat the response rate of your control email.

3. Your sender information.
What information appears on the sender line of your email? Will your prospects recognize it? Do they want to hear from you? Often times, emails are deleted without ever being opened due to an indiscernible sender name. Your sender name should be brief and easily understood.

4. Track your results.
Tracking allows you to determine who opened your message and clicked on a link or multiple links within your email. By determining what worked and what didnt, you can replicate success on your next email. As described above, tracking is particularly important when testing subject lines, imbedded links, and other direct response vehicles.

5. Make sure your unsubscribe method is in place and working.
The CAN-SPAM act of 2003 requires that all email messages contain clear directions on how to opt-out from subsequent mailings. Provide an unsubscribe mechanism that allows those receiving your email to send you and email and indicate their desire to opt-out from receiving further emails from you or your business. If recipients no longer want to hear from you, its in your best interest to remove them from your list.

6. Your images are correctly referenced and you've used alt tags in each image.
Improperly referencing your images can cause them to appear broken when you send your message - the dreaded red x. To insure the image is referenced correctly it must appear as, img src="http://www.yourdomain.com..../" rather than, img src="/images/picture.jpg". Alt tags are another important part of your images. The new security features on almost every email client these days disables images automatically. Having alt tags in place allow your reader to identify the image and determine if it is safe to enable.

7. Test, Test, Test!
No matter what your involvement with email marketing happens to be, it is essential that you follow the guidelines above for successful results. In addition, the key is to test, test, test! After each email campaign, measure your opens, click-throughs, and purchases. Document the specific date, time, list, subject line, and content used to produce your results. Refer back to your documentation prior to your next campaign.

Email doesn't have to be a complex form of marketing. There are many best practices you can follow and some simple rules that ensure effectively delivery, open and conversion. By following the simple rules presented in this article, youll not only deliver and effective email campaign, youll discover a consistent method for generation revenue for your business.

Michael Fleischner is the founder and President of MarketingScoop.com. With more than 12 years of marketing experience, he has appeared on major media including the TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and more. Visit http://www.marketingscoop.com/ for further details, FREE Marketing resources, or more FREE articles.

Article Source: Article Hub

The #1 Secret to Money Making Success

By: Jeff Watt

I'm about to share with you the common thread that ties together all successful entrepreneurs. This single trait launched the businesses of Microsoft, Intel, Hershey, JP Morgan, Amazon.com, Nike and so many others. It's not anything you'll be taught in Business School, it has nothing to do with accounting, and it doesn't even have anything to do with what you're selling or how you're selling it. I'll sum it up in two words:
GET STARTED!
That's it! It's laughable at first, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. It's the missing "million dollar" idea, hiding in plain sight. We hear variations of this all the time: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Think back to your first writing classes in school. How were we taught to write a paper? First we start with a basic outline - that's our money-making idea, whatever it may be. Next, we make a rough draft - that's right, we start working on something that we know for a fact will be imperfect. Finally, we use our rough-draft as a basis to begin revisions, eventually ending up with a final draft, the "perfect" version.
Planning for tomorrow is a sound business strategy. It's good to spend time thinking about the future, and how to handle the challenges it will bring. But, if we want to succeed, we must create the future by taking action today. We can't possibly predict everything that might happen once we start doing business. Microsoft started out selling programming software. After a few years, an opportunity presented itself to sell a computer Operating System to IBM, and they took it. The result was MS-DOS (which they didn't even create themselves, they bought it from someone else when they saw how much money they could make!), followed by Windows; quite possibly one of the most lucrative products ever. If Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Microsoft, had sat on the sidelines of the growing computer industry thinking "programming software is an OK idea, but it's not perfect, there really isn't a big enough market for it...we need something better", would they be where they are today? Would IBM have given them that golden opportunity? Not likely.
Did Michelangelo's sculpture of David emerge from a single tap of a chisel upon a block of marble? No, it took Michelangelo over 3 years of effort to release his masterpiece from the stone, one tiny chip of marble at a time. It probably wasn't very pretty after only 1 month, or even a year. But years of careful improvement resulted in a classic work of art.
I hope I've made my point. Do something. Do anything! If you do something, and the result isn't what you wanted, what's the worst that could happen? You either have something to improve upon, or you have a very good idea of an approach that doesn't work (think of it as addition by subtraction...the process of elimination). Either way, you're one step closer to success than you were before you started.
Go for it! Give it a shot! Your financial success is waiting for you, go and get it! Get Started Today!
Good Luck!

Jeff is an Internet Marketer with big ambitions and a desire to help others success. Visit his latest website at http://www.ProfitReactor.com for insight's into Jeff's techniques and stratagies. Pick up a free e-Book containing invaluable marketing insights and instructions http://www.ProfitReactor.com

Article Source: Article Hub

What You Need to Know Before You Design Your Own Logo

By: Karen Saunders

Everyone's got 'em. You likely see the "Nike swoosh" logo everywhere you go. And you know the Texaco station at the corner by its distinctive "star." So, you're thinking, "My company needs a logo, too." Maybe you want to design your own logo too.

Why create a logo for your company?

Because a logo:

-- visually represents your company in a graphic form (a picture is worth a thousand words, remember?)
-- instantly communicates your company's essence: what it does and what it stands for
-- complements your company's ongoing identity package so your customers can recognize it year after year.

But not just any logo will do. A good logo is simple yet sophisticated. Don't be fooled that a logo design that looks simple (like the Texaco "star") has been easy to create. Less is better, but getting to "less" requires a process of combining symbols, colors, typography, negative and positive space into a compact unit. Once these elements have been combined, they have to be refined and the best one selected. That's why designers present several preliminary designs (called comps) for decision-makers to analyze, modify, and then accept.

What should you know about creating the right logo?

Your job as designer or decision-maker is to make sure the logo is a strong, balanced image that communicates clearly and has no clutter. The logo should be bold and easily seen at a glance. For example, on a well-designed logo, strong lines and letters show up better than thin, delicate lines and fonts.

The logo's graphic imagery must be appropriate for the business. The graphic itself should work as a unit with the company name. It should achieve a look that's distinctive, yet not trendy. It's best to avoid trendy type styles and extremely tall or wide shapes. You want your logo to look good for a long time.

Choose an appropriate spot color (or two) and make note of its ink formula. The formula is a blend of various inks that's given a PMS number so the color combination is easily communicated to the printer. You'll refer to that PMS number when you print jobs in the future so you can be sure the color on your logo will consistently be the same.

What elements make a successful logo? Here are 10 logo design tips that professionals use:

1. Simple, yet sophisticated
2. Distinctive, bold, and graphic (no thin lines)
3. Not extremely tall or wide
4. Not trendy or old-fashioned
5. Looks in balance
6. Works well in all sizes
7. Works well in color or black and white
8. Graphic element and name work together as a unit
9. Communicates your business clearly
10. Uses graphics and fonts appropriate for your business

A powerful logo is the first step in pulling together your visual brand. Did you know that a tag line is as essential as a logo? Be sure you have a memorable tag line that complements your logo.

Karen Saunders is the author of "Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal". Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! Click here to listen to a FREE audio recording, "Put the 'Bling' into your Brand" and learn how to create your own logo and tag line: < href="http://www.macgraphics.net">www.MacGraphics.net

Article Source: http://www.ArticleSphere.com

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Computer Profits From Home

By: Diana Ennen

On your mark - Get Set -Go!!! You’re ready. You’ve finally got it, the top of the line, latest and great computer that moves at the speed of sound and has everything you need, plus some. But will it make you money. Absolutely - We’re going to show you how.

There are numerous ways to utilize your computer for a home-based business. The key is finding the right one for you. First, consider your skills and expertise and most importantly what you enjoy doing. Remember, it’s a combination of the three that make for a winning business. Those with good secretarial and Internet skills might want to consider virtual assisting, whereas those with a flair for figures might prefer accounting or bookkeeping. For those who live on the web and have the creative touch, how about starting a web designing business or desktop publishing? Then, there’s computer tutoring, resume consulting, real estate transaction coordinators, etc. The possibilities are limitless and with the growth of the Internet, and the advancement in technology today, it just keeps getting better.

As an example, virtual assisting businesses are constantly in the media today and businesses are taking note and looking for VA’s to assist them. For example, it was recently noted in Time Magazine, other top books and magazines that VA businesses are considered among the top 10 home-based businesses to start. Entrepreneur Magazine rates it as one of the top 5 home-based businesses.

What’s a Virtual Assistant? A virtual assistant provides service from a home office to anywhere in the world using their high-speed access, e-mails, fax machines as well as many web-based applications. They can handle your publicity, typing, scheduling, e-mails, real estate transactions, legal briefs, medical transcription, your website, and more. The virtual revolution has truly begun and businesses are taking full advantage of the expertise of these professionals.

Once you decide on a business, then you’re ready to make it happen. The first thing you’ll want to do is to write everything down. All your thoughts and dreams and how you plan to achieve them. Decide on the hours you want to work, the price you want to charge, the marketing you plan to implement, the equipment and supplies required, and your goals and visions for the business. This is your plan for success. This is essential. Too many leave this vital step out and then don’t have a clear focus for their business.

Next, research and read everything you can on starting your business. Find out how the pros have done it and gain from their experience. Don’t just limit yourself to reading books - that’s only one avenue, although a good one. For those wanting to start a virtual assisting business, my book, Virtual Assistant the Series, Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA, is considered one of the best in the Industry. This book is written with Industry Leader Kelly Poelker, and has helped thousands start their business already.

Look to the Internet. Find message boards and chats that relate to the area that you want to go into. Often times these are managed by people who have been in business for years and are willing to share their experience. Not only will you gain their expertise, but also that of those who frequent the boards. These will be others who are starting a business, or who are succeeding in business, and willing to share their knowledge with you.

Also, do a search on the Internet for the type of business you want to go into. Look to their sites. Find the common denominators. What associations do most belong to? What services do most offer? This is just research, but it will help in providing you ideas for what you want to do with your business. Look to their links page and check out their links. This is especially true for the organizational websites. Again, write down all your findings.

Sign up for newsletters. The knowledge is tremendous and the motivation well worth it. If you go to Publicity VA, http://www.Publicity-VA.com you can see a complete listing of great newsletters that will provide tips and suggestions on starting a business and other marketing ideas.

Get additional training if necessary. Once you decide what you want to do, then find out exactly what other skills you will need to make it possible.

With the knowledge that you have now, and with it all written down in your plan, you’re ready to take the next steps in starting a business - your business. Your dream. Enjoy and remember nothing is impossible as long as you give it your all. Success happens when you make it happen.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Diana Ennen, Author; Virtual Assistant the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA, and Words From Home, Start, Run and Operate a Successful Word Processing Business available at www.virtualwordpublishing.com. She also does publicity and book marketing and has published the science fiction thriller, Sledgehammer by Paulo J. Reyes, M.D. Free to reprint article as long as author’s bio remains intact.

Benefits Of The Business Cards

By: Robert Thatcher -

Sometimes being at the right place and time can do wonders for the business. This can happen in the street or in the mall and starts by just approaching a stranger. New contacts occur everyday and with a little initiative, the person may be able to close a sale or be referred to someone who may need it.

There are many ways that a person can attract customers to one’s business. Some do this by launching a marketing campaign in the form of an ad in the paper or on a billboard. Some don’t use marketing at all and just flourish through word of mouth.

On a more personal level if that person travels around, the best thing to carry and give out is a business card.

Business cards are used by people in big and small time business. It reflects who the person is. It gives people an idea of what the person is capable of doing in the event that the service one offers is needed in the future.

Such instruments are easy and light to carry along. It saves a lot of time and trouble for the other person to jot down one’s contact details.

Making a business card is easy. One can do this at home and just print it in the computer. Should the person decide to have it done by a small printing firm, the individual should be sure that the spelling and the design is correct. This will make it easy for people to get hold of the services one can do.

Business cards should always have some important details such as the name and contact number where the person can be reached and the company that one works for. If the person is self-employed, this can also work to get more customers for the business.

Since most people who get business cards simply put it in the drawer with the others, one should be imaginative in letting people recall it.

A few good examples are giving it in the form of a magnet that can be placed in the fridge. Should that person drink coffee in the office, one can have a coaster made that people will surely notice. Since computers are a necessity in the workplace, a mouse pad will also be a good idea to give away.

There is also another way of making oneself noticed by other people. That is carrying the business cards of other people and giving it to those who need it. When this happens and the person asks how the card went to that person, the individual will be remembered and one’s services will surely be called upon in the future by these two potential customers.

Businesses survive due to a regular customers and having new clients. This will bring additional revenue for the company and allows the company to flourish. By using the resources one has such as the use of business cards, this will happen.

These small hard pieces of paper are things that one can give out at anytime. Be it in a convention or some other function related to work or in parties and other social gatherings that will really help increase customer traffic. Small things do come in small packages and bringing this handy thing around can really help the person a lot.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides business card resources on www.aboutbusinesscards.info.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

4 Areas Where Your Business is Losing Money

In my 18 years of consulting I have heard it all. Everything from competition to managed care as reasons why it’s hard to create the business of your dreams. New customers are needed to keep any business going but it is how you and your staff manage these customers that determines your success in business.

In every business that I have gone into over the years, what amazes me most is the amount of lost income from poor handling of the major income generating areas of any business. I will cover four of them.

The actual amount of lost income can be calculated. I will describe where you are very likely losing large amounts of money and why. These areas if handled will help you lose less money in your business or in other words, make more money.

Where am I losing money in my business?

Business owners are always looking for ways to increase revenue but we seldom address the areas where buckets of money may be slipping from your fingers. It is common to look at the cost of handling a situation in your office, but little attention is paid to the fact that not handling a weak area of your business is costing you way more than what it may cost to solve the problem.

You need to be able to measure the top basic areas and the way to do it is with statistics. How can you evaluate how close you are getting toward handling any weak area of your business or enhance an area already doing well if you are not using statistics? Operate off of statistics.

Most business owners commonly fail to look at what they are currently losing from weak business management and poor training of staff. Here are four of the key areas of lost income within the organization.

1. You can lose money with poor reception control.

Ideally, with proper reception control at the front desk, on the phone and certain procedural actions in place you can achieve a higher percentage of closed customers. To the degree that the control at the front desk is missing or the customers are dictating when they will come in or not, you will be losing money. A good receptionist is key to directing the incoming traffic, whether via phone or in person to the proper staff member quickly and with good control. This is quite honestly an easy fix and can improve your bottom line quite markedly.

2. You can lose money from having a poor collections ratio.

Depending on your business, once you make the adjustment in your production for other plans such as managed care, etc. you should be collecting 95% of the remainder. Ideally, when calculating your true collection ratio you would use the last six weeks of collections divided by the previous six weeks of production. There are actually eight areas, if fully handled, that will put your collections ratio in a whole new range.

3. You can lose money from having an untrained or poorly trained staff.

Take your average weekly collections divided by the number of Full Time Equivalents (FTE). Don’t forget to include the owner’s hours and if he or she works 60 hours that is a 1.5 FTE. Every staff member has value to the organization, but some are clearly more valuable than others. When you have a staff member that knows what to do, is very efficient in his or her ability to get the job done and somehow motivates others, you know they are worth their weight in gold. What is sometimes difficult to understand is that getting employees to actually do their job with a high degree of productivity IS attainable. Every time you hire someone within your organization you should have a certainty as to how much income per week they should bring to the table through their efforts. The average should be somewhere around $3,500 a week for each FTE.

4. You can lose money from lack of effective marketing.

Effective marketing is a big area where businesses fail. They usually plan their promotion like they plan their meals – one at a time. It pays to have a marketing plan and be able to correctly determine the ROI (Return On Investment) from marketing actions. Most businesses send out one promotion piece and then tally the responses, not the amount of money produced from those responses. This gives a false picture. Then business owners think that their marketing “isn’t working” so they quit - just as quickly as they started. Likewise, when they quit, they do so not realizing that repeat mailings are the key to generating more responses and more income. Executives commonly do not “put themselves in their prospects/customers shoes” and look at their marketing from the customer’s viewpoint. An example of this is taking a look at how you actually respond to direct mail. Do you jump at every mail piece that arrives in your mailbox? Or, more realistically, do you start to really take notice of a company’s promotion once you have seen it repeatedly?

The marketing medium is something to consider as well. There are inexpensive ways to get started with marketing that will get you a good Return On your Investment and that will enable you to generate enough income consistently before you start branching out into other more expensive media. A postcard is a particular medium that works well for a number of reasons. I highly suggest finding a reputable direct mail postcard company that gives free marketing advice as your source for direct mail marketing. I would make sure that postcards are all they do, get references from them to investigate and call those references for data about that company. And remember, the absolute cheapest price isn’t always the best – you get what you pay for. There is a lot to learn about marketing. It is a powerful tool to expanding your business.

This four-point checklist that can help you discover where your business is losing money. Each of these points can be improved when you apply the correct tools. I base the validity of those correct tools on whether they get results – not by my opinion – but whether they actually work no matter what industry you are in.

Jeffrey F. Lee is CFO and Co-Founder of Measurable Solutions Inc., a consulting firm engaged in all areas of business management. He has found that all the basic principles of how to expand a business apply to any business when delivered in a very precise way. With his partner, he has built the most rapidly expanding company of its kind in the world. Visit his website at www.measurablesolutions.com


More information: http://www.measurablesolutions.com

Article Source Freezine Articles

Friday, March 03, 2006

Communicating Through Newsgroups & Forums – the effective promotional tool
by: Anjula Sanders

A very easy yet effective way of promoting your online business is through Newsgroups and Forum participation.

Once you have a content rich website, you should start participating in online discussions through newsgroups and forums of your interest. Once you get familiarized with the level of interaction taking place between other participants, you will feel comfortable to answer the questions.

You should start giving answers and participate in the conversations. Along with your answer you can add your signature line, having a small description and address of your website and products.

Make sure your answers are honest and useful. Soon you can become a trusted information source, or at least a helpful online friend to other members. You will be surprised to find, most people are so curious that they would like to know more about you and your website.

Note you should NOT Post Direct Ads in newsgroups or discussion forums or you will be flamed. You should only use a short signature about some products or services you offer.

The terms Forums and Newsgroups are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference between them. A forum is a website or part of a website where you can read and post your messages like many other members through your web browser. There are thousands of forums with different themes, to find out more check Forum Directory http://forumdirectory.net .

Newsgroups are bit difficult; you need a newsgroup reading software to participate. Some of this software are available free on the net. Some popular Newsgroups are Google Groups http://groups.google.com and Yahoo Groups.

It’s a very useful way to get targeted traffic to your site and that too without spending a penny. As you participate in forums of your interest, you will find people who share the similar interest, so you can spread your news to a much focused target group.

Other than getting traffic, participation in forums and newsgroups will also increase your knowledge on subjects of your interest. You will find experts of various industries hanging out there. If you have any queries, you can post them to find suitable answers.

Some forums sites are so popular that they get a very high ranking in the top search engines. These forum pages having the link of your site, will enhance your link popularity and help in your search engine ranking. This is a big advantage you can get free of cost.

There is one community forum of which I am a member you can check it out at http://specialprize.sitesell.com/goingonline.html

About The Author

Anjula Sanders is an experienced copywriter with a leading ad agency and is passionate about electronic advertising. She writes for various magazines and sites. Some of her articles will be available at http://www.fastforwardincome.com.

You are welcome to reprint this article, provided you don't change the content, author info and keep the byline as it is along with the link.

anjula@fastforwardincome.com