Beware of this when choosing a website or blog name

One of the first things a work at home business owner will deliberate is their domain name or blog url. There is a lot of advice online and even in books about what to consider, what to avoid, whether you choose your own name or a keyword rich one. The list goes on when it comes to rules of picking of a domain name. Ultimately, people will go with what they like and feels works for their niche and site.

I have several blogs, and thus I've had to play the domain name game several times. But for one blog, I made a grave mistake that hurt my business badly.

Despite all the advice, no one mentioned this one particular one: research to find out if your new domain name is similar to a banned site or once belonged to one.

I did what most people do--I chose a name, checked to see if it was available, and then set up my blog with it. At first it seemed fine. My blog was getting good traffic, my ad revenue was up and things were well with my work at home business. At one point, to do some market research, I checked to see if there were urls similar to mine and there was. It belonged to a porn site. I was a little worried, but my site seemed to be doing ok. When I did more research, I learned the site was banned from google and felt relieved. I had no idea that my site was going to punished as well.

It didn't happen right away. At first, I noticed my site's new visitor demographic had changed. My blog catered to fashionable christian girls between 18-30. So when I noticed older men were now coming to my site I was a little puzzled. Next, I noticed that my bounce increased. Finally, I saw that the referral links were coming from spammy sites and sites completely unrelated to mine.

Worried, I then did some investigation. In doing this, I found out that google had dropped my site's pages from it's search engine. I was shocked! I knew my page rank had gone down but to learn I wasn't even on the search engine after all the work I put into creating a good blog.

I found my way to a blogging forum and saw other people complaining about similar issues of having their site dropped. I connected to one woman whose story seemed similar to mine, her site url was similar to one that was shaddy.

Shouldn't the content matter? Google does take into consideration the content of a site so why were we being punished simply for our domain name. Mine wasn't even shaddy by any means.

One man explained that people set up similar sites with tweaked urls if their site is shut down. Thus, my girly sweet site's url was a little too similar to the site that was promoting underage pornography.

Google may not have deleted my blog, but they kept it from being accessed and that really hurt my online business.

When deciding on a domain, try to find out if there are similar urls that google has either banned or have low ranking. You don't want to be grouped among them as it could hurt your business significantly.

Bonobo Exteme Laptop from System76 Review

Bought: September 2013

I meant to review this product when it first arrived, but I'm glad I waited. Tech reviews about products that have only been used for a week are never accurate. It's better to know how the product lives up to months of use.

It's been over 3 months of my having and using the Bonobo Extreme from system76 and I have some very mixed feelings about the device and company.

My main reason for choosing system76 is I wanted a company that was dedicated to linux. When my windows laptop broke I promised myself not to opt for another windows machine. But I knew that coming from windows to linux would not be easy and thus wanted a laptop from a company that could offer good customer service and answer all my questions.

I also wanted a laptop that had unbuntu or another linux distro pre-installed. One can download linux onto almost any computer but I had never used the operating system before, and I know next to nothing about computers. I felt it would be less of a hassle to simply get a laptop that was pre-installed. My original laptop had died, and I'm a student that does courses via correspondence. I'm also a writer that had clients waiting on their work so I needed a new laptop asap. If I had more time to browse, I would have looked into things more carefully.

The ordering process from system76 was easy enough. I chose my specs and they 'built' it. One of the things I wished I had known was that System76 outsources some of the work. Most people don't care if their laptops are outsourced. But I do, especially after seeing how under paid and under valued outsourced workers are. Long before my laptop broke, I was researching for a company that built the parts and devices themselves. There aren't many, but system76 claimed to be one such company. Turns out this claim is false and had I known, I would have just bought a macbook.

The reason I was miffed about the false claim is that “home sourced” products are always more expensive. I could have bought an “out sourced” laptop for $800 that had the features I like instead of the nearly $2000 I spent on my bonobo extreme!

But sourcing aside, here are some pros and cons I have with this product.

PROS

1. Sturdy. I never buy consumer laptops because most of them are built too cheap to last more than a couple years. I prefer business or even gaming laptops since they often have great features and durability. The bonobo extreme is a very sturdy, very heavy laptop. It's 8.60lbs and is rightly dubbed “a beast of a machine.” It's a gaming laptop and has the weight and durability that I like in my laptops. It makes me somewhat confident that the body will hold up to daily use.

The parts also seem of good quality. My previous dell felt and looked cheap right out of the box, but this one looked rather luxe.

2. Great sound/video quality. I'm not a gammer so I wasn't too concerned about video and sound at first but when I played a video on the bonobo extreme I was impressed with the sound quality! It makes watching video a far more enjoyable experience than on my previous laptops. The videos are crisp and smooth and even normal pics look nice. Things just look better on the bonobo extreme, which really pleased me.

3. Practically worked out of the box. Now, before I rave about how this was a simple set it and go process I want to mention that not everything worked out of the box with this device and I talk more about that in the cons sections. That said, I was able to turn on the laptop and have it do basic laptop things. I surfed the net, wrote up some assignments and projects, watched a video, listened to music, and checked my email all out of the box. Coming from windows, I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to type a simple document without first programming and tinkering with it but I was able to do some serious work the very first day.

4. Good forum and service. I had some issues with the laptop when it first came and was able to talk to some one online who was patient with me as they tried to help me. I haven't had too many gripes with System76's customer service. Most people are very friendly and helpful.

CONS

Some of the below cons may be linux related, so keep that in mind as you read on.

1. Some parts did not work. When I got my laptop, I was really excited to try out the webcam. None of my past built in webcams worked so I was beginning to think I was cursed. It seems the curse lives on because the webcam was dead when my laptop arrived! DEAD! I spent $2000 and my webcam was dead! I was mad. I tried everything the forums and customer service suggested until he figured out that it was dead. He told me to send it back at the cost of $100 to have it fixed. What?! I get a laptop that doesn't work like it should and I have to pay to ship it back and have it fixed, plus another $100 in customs fees to receive it again. No thanks. I'll get an external one with that money.

The webcam was not the only thing that refused to work, I couldn't get the usd card drive to work no matter what, I learned there was some bug preventing it, and the fingerprint reader was also unusable. I feel like despite it's “sturdy” exterior, my laptop was thrown together without concern. If it had been less expensive I wouldn't have minded having to buy external hardware but it was very expensive and at that price, I expect things to work without me having to spend more money on it.

2. Not as fast. This was totted as a fast laptop but even out of the box it loaded slow. In fact it's only been 3 months and it loads as slow as my old one that I had for years. I don't even have anything on it expcept school assignments so it shouldn't be this slow, this early in the game.

3. Short battery life. The bonobo extreme had decent battery life for about a month, now I can't use it for more than 45min before I get a warning that my battery is low. For the record, this is a working laptop and when it's not plugged in all I use it for is typing. Therefore, it should not deplete quite so soon when there aren't any other programs running.

4. I absolutely detest the touch pad. When I don't have my external mouse using the bonobo extreme is a pain. The touch pad is very jumpy and just difficult.  

5. Linux is fun but...I like linux don't get me wrong. I like that I can customize it, I like that I have more choice with it; I like that I can get many quality programs for free. I'm not sure I could go back to windows, but there are some things windows and mac does better. One is video. The editing programs for linux are either outdated, over complicated, or boring. As someone who does video reviews, I've yet to find a linux compatible program that can compete with some of the programs made for windows or mac.

Another issue I have is that there are a number of hardware and software that aren't linux compatible. With windows, one doesn't have to be too concerned if there digital camera, printer, or even cell phone will work with their laptop. But for every computer related device I buy, I have to check if it is compatible. This can mean spending more or buying an item I don't really like simply because it works with linux out of the box.

OVERALL

I like my bonobo extreme linux installed laptop. It does the basic things I need it to do, but there are some things I still haven't got it do well yet. System76 is not a bad company but they are overpriced. I may choose them for customer service, but I'm not sure I love their products. I didn't need a fancy laptop, I needed one that worked without too much hassle and the bonobo extreme has caused me my fair share of it and it hasn't even been a year. If I was going to buy from them again, I would opt for a much cheaper laptop.

3 surprising groups of people that can teach you how to make more online

1. People under the age of 25. Teens and young adults can do better in their online business because they're better at bringing in the social interaction required to draw people onto the blog, channel, or webstore. When it comes to social media and blogging, many teens do it better than even professional content creators, because they know how to engage their audience.

I took some insight from popular blogs and channels run by people under 21 and learned that their communication style is often better at driving sales.

Teens and young adults also tend to focus on building one blog or channel, unlike some adults who have far too many sites and accounts. Their focussed mentality of building up one business your passionate about is what allows many youths to create businesses with longevity.

2. Shy people. If you think you have to be naturally out going to successfully network, think again. Shy people often create personas online that help to drive sales.

There's a misconception that you have to be your absolute true self online. Sometimes having an alter ego can come in handy. I noticed that many work at home gurus were quite shy and introverted, but had the ability to engage their customers via a persona that seemed opposite.

Most people don't know how to interact with their audience purely as themselves and this makes it difficult to establish a connection that can  increases response. But having a persona often makes people more confident and more successful.

3. Artists. Most people think you have to have a business background to be successful working from home. But people who have no interest in business can often excel in their online business.

Artists often delegate responsibilities. They'd rather focus on doing the things they are good at and leave the other tasks to a professional. This gives them the opportunity to build a business that is successful without over working themselves. They know where their talents lie and can often spot the talents of others, which lets them make use of other people's skills.

One reason work at home gurus feel undervalued

When I tell people I work from home, I get a response similar to a group of gals gossiping..."Oooo tell me more." The conversation is often more on how lucky I am (which I am),  how fun it would be to work from home and all the other benefits of working from home.

Now, I'm glad there is a lot of enthusiasm for my work, but the issue is...working from home is not my work. That is it's not what I do it's just where I do it. Like my office counter parts, I have to complete set tasks in order to get any kind of income. I also have to do these tasks to the best of my ability the same way I would if I was working anywhere.

It also concerns me when I notice people down play my work with the automatic assumption that they can do it too. As if reading blogs, or even having a personal blog that you update once a month qualifies you to earn an income to become a high paid blogger.

The statement anyone can work from home is a myth. But this myth lives on because people put more emphasis on where they are working rather than what they're doing. Would you say "I work in a brown building on 4th street" when someone asked what you do for a living? Probably not. Even mentioning "I work in an office" or saying "I work at (name of company) is silly in my opinion, because it says nothing about what you actually do.

When people ask me what I do for a living I'll give them some job title. They might then ask what that entails and then if the topic comes around to it I say, "I work from home." It's the last thing on the list, not the first because it's the least important feature.

Your talents and skills are what make your job, not where you employ them. I'm glad I get to work from home. It suits me. It wouldn't suit everyone, but for me, it's become essential. I get to do certain tasks from home. But the point is I have to do something. I don't sit on the couch all day watching T.V. expecting money to pour in.

You may also have a similar problem of people forgetting that working from home entails working and this neglect can make one feel less appreciated in the work force. But keep in mind that in order to be successful you have to dedicate a heap of hours, especially at the beginning to your business/career. Simply shrug of the condescending remarks and play up your job and what you do rather than where you do it from.

Official Google Statment: how to optimize your pages

In an online Q&A session, Google's Matt Cutts answered the questions of webmasters who want to get higher rankings on Google for their websites. This article summarizes the most important SEO relevant statements of this session.


The effect of +1 clicks on your organic rankings and ads

Google is still testing the effect of +1 clicks on the search results. It seems that only clicks from trustworthy people will influence the position of a web page. In other words, it won't help to buy +1 clicks.

In addition, the +1 clicks on ads will show others who have +1′d it but that is all at this time.

You cannot exclude keywords from your website

It's not possible to ensure that your website does not appear in the search results for a particular keyword. The reason for that is because that could be a way you could silence critics or not show up for negative reviews.

The age of a website is important but only one of many factors

The age of link anchors and domains can influence the position of a website in the search results. However, Matt Cutts says that you still need fresh information because old information can get stale.

Google decides per keyword if the search results show websites with newer or older content. Old websites often tend to have more links and that the links are often the reason why older domains have higher rankings.

Google will rewrite your meta description tag

Google will only use the meta description of a web page if they find it appropriate to the searched keyword. Google will also write its own description to show the searcher why the page was ranked for the query.

What to do if other websites steal your content

You should do a DMCA complain and a spam report, especially if the other website is a spammer who is scraping content completely.

Double 301 redirects are okay

A web page shouldn't redirect to more than 4 URLs. Chained 301 redirects should be only 301 redirects and they should not be mixed with 302 redirects.

Google also detects JavaScript redirects. Matt Cutts says that Russian spammers tried to fool Google with JavaScript redirects but Google could detect it.

Google uses many different factors to determine the position of a web page in the search results. Analyze your web pages with IBP's Top 10 Optimizer to find out how to adjust your web pages so that they get listed on Google's first result page for your keywords.

Article courtesy of Axandra.com

Blogger Dymanic Templates

I was so excited for the new blogger dynamic templates, until I realized they can't really be customized. You aren't allowed to add or remove gadgets which means no google adsense (unless you already have an account), you can't change the color, font, nothing. Basically if all you write are personal posts or post pics without too many words then they might work for you, but if you're a commercial blogger and make money from your site these templates are pretty useless.
I hope blogger will fix this because I like the look and feel of the templates (some remind of tumblr) and the ability to let users easily switch between them, but it needs to be customizable.

I'm testing it out on this blog to see what my readers think, and if the interaction with my is affected by the template.

Subscribers vs Followers. Is One Better?

A while ago a friend of mine mentioned that she would rather have subscribers than followers. At the moment, I didn't really take in what she was saying but now it's hit me...is one better than other?

Internet markets and web business owners no longer just have subscribers that they pitch things to. They have followers that they interact with. We don't just want to be subscribed to anymore; we want to be retweeted, reblogged, and Liked. Our lists aren't just a group of people that have decided to "subscribe" they're our "friends." They make up a kind of "follow family" that we can connect with and that we expect will share us with their "friends" so that we can have more "friends."

But is there any psychological difference between followers and subscribers? I mean aren't they both doing the same thing?

We want them to do the same thing. We want our followers to act in much the same way our subscribers do--reading what we offer, buying what we offer, sharing what we offer. But does one type do it better than others?

It's a question very similar to blogs vs websites. And the answer is always--you need both.

Subscribers are followers but they do behave and connect with you differently.

Most likely your subscribers have opted in. The have released an important piece of information (their email address) in order to receive your precious information. Most subscribers don't subscribe willy-nilly. No one wants 100+ newsletters coming into their inbox. Thus subscribers are great for their initial commitment they are willing to make to you.

They also see your information as a single email. In a sense, you're special for that moment that they decide to open you. You have a good portion of their attention and your attention is held longer.Subscribers usually find you through a keyword search, and can generally be targeted

But subscribers don't interact the way followers do. Followers are better known to ask questions, do polls, and even enter contests. They have shorter attention spans. They read a feed of sometimes 1000+ people and companies and can't afford to have their attention be consumed for too long on just one. In most cases you have 140 characters to get your point across.

They're commitment is also decreased. It's easy to "follow" someone. It doesn't take much risk. You don't give anything away. Just a click of a button lets someone into your world. It's also easy to unfollow.

With so many people doing follow for follow, the moment you let one go you can be sure to  unfollowed as well. If you're content changes (even for a day) you're at risk of being unfollowed. And there is more expectation to update regularly. Tumblr followers have been known to unfollow after just one week of inactivity. Twitter is around a month but a subscriber can be with you for months or even a year without a receiving word from you.

Followers can be, and in a way are, targeted. They follow you on the basis that they have something in common with you or an interest in you and your company. They find you through general search terms on the media platform or the recommendation of someone they follow. However unlike someone who subscribes to your fit after 40 forty newsletter, a follower may just want fitness information.

One of the main differences between a subscriber and a follower, is your subscribers can be taken with you even if you sell or close your site. Leave a social network platform and you lose your followers instantly.

Both groups of people are beneficial to an online marketer. Subscribers buy more often than followers. Followers, spread the word about you faster than subscribers and see your updates more regularly. In the net business world you need both shoppers and fan builders. One isn't necessarily better than the other. It's about figuring out how each list can work for you and then making it work for you.  

Are you playing the work at home numbers game

If you do any kind of online marketing and promotion, you know how important it is to have a list. This list should be a group of targeted readers and/or customers that you can connect with. But sites like facebook, twitter, and tumblr (social media in general) have changed the attitude about numbers and list building.

Old school online marketers love their lists just as much as anybody. They wouldn't trade it for anything, but they value something more than just numbers. Real work at home experts and internet marketers know that it isn't about the qantity of your list but the quality. How many you have to offer stuff to isn't as important as the number of people who actually respond to stuff you offer.

An unresponsive list is simply a dead weighted number. It looks great on paper to say I have a list of  5000 people, but if among those 5000 only half are truly a targeted responsive group of prospectives, your number becomes less value.

The numbers game has always been about quantity, but the advent of social media sites has put so much emphasis on the number that few marketers today are going out of their way to find out if they've simply built a list of sitting ducks.

It's become so easy to "add" and "follow," that list builders today are saying  "follow me" without considering who they're asking to be followed by. People have become more concerned with their "friend" or "follow" count that they're not paying attention and doing market analysis on how their numbers are actually benefiting them.

It is crucial, from a marketing stand point, to know and understand how the numbers play to your overall business success. You should have a list of highly targeted and responsive prospects that are willing to eat up what you have to offer. True markets know that a small responsive list is more valuable than large unresponsive one.

Building your work at home and internet marketing list should cater around quality, not just quantity. Don't get sucked into the numbers game.

Why Headlines Need To Avoid the Shotgun Approach: Using Pet Peeves

You’ll see the waffle in headlines everywhere you look.

You’ll see a headline that’s weak.

And wimpy.

Headlines that say:“Do you fit this category?” (As in: Do you have these problems in sales?)

And then that headline proceeds to list every sort of problem, relating to every sort of target audience that could possibly be interested in sales.

And to me, that’s not a headline at all. That’s just shotgun stuff.
Fire and hope to hell it hits some one.

The funny thing is that the shotgun approach works

Sure it does.

But not quite as well, as a hit straight between the eyes. If you want to write a headline that caters to the exact wants of your clients, you need to work out the client’s biggest pain in the-you-know-where.

You need to seek out the biggest issue; the biggest problem to get your client’s attention.

What do you think is the thing that drives your audience completely crazy?

Let’s look at an example, shall we?

A client of mine, Colette, has a Meditation class that she’s facilitating. Now she may write a lot of headlines to sell that meditation class, but nothing builds a great headline as something that bugs the heck out of clients.

And if you’ve ever tried meditation, you know what I mean.

You sit quietly in one corner, trying to meditate, but your brain buzzes around like a fly on a sultry summer’s day. You swat the ‘fly’ and get back into your meditative pose. And the thoughts come gushing back all over again. Then, in frustration, you decide that meditation is not at all for someone like you.

So what’s the pet peeve in meditation?

To continue this article click the link below

Why Headlines Need To Avoid the Shotgun Approach: Using Pet Peeves

Has your website the right reading level for Google?

This week, Google introduced a new advanced search feature that enables you to filter search results by reading level. Which reading level is required to read your web pages and does this influence the position of your site in Google's search results?

What exactly did Google do?
Here's the official text about the new feature:

"We made it easier for to you pinpoint exactly the information you need with a new advanced search feature that categorizes results by reading level.
For example, if you're writing a college paper on [herbivores] you can refine to see only advanced material, or if you're a grade school teacher preparing for a class on [herbivores] you can refine to see only basic material.
To try it out, click ?advanced search? to the right of the search box and click in the new reading level section. You can filter to see only results that are basic, intermediate or advanced, and annotate results with reading levels."

What is a reading level?

The reading level refers to the readability of a document. Readability is defined as reading ease, especially as it results from a writing style. Extensive research has shown that easy-reading text improves comprehension, retention, reading speed, and reading persistence.
The better the readability of your web pages, the more people will understand your marketing message. The average web surfer has a very short attention span.

How to calculate the readability of your web pages

To analyze the readability of your web pages, check your web pages with IBP's Top 10 Optimizer. The Top 10 Optimizer will tell you the Flesch Kincaid readability level of your web pages.
In addition to the readability of your web pages, the optimizer will also tell you which elements on your web pages you have to change so that Google will give your website high rankings.
Although the readability has only a minor influence on the rankings of your web pages, a high score can mean that your web pages are too difficult to understand for many people. If your website is too difficult, you won't get many conversions. Download IBP and check the readability of your web pages now.

Article courtesy of Axandra.com

How to Make Money Online From Your Webcomic

By Daniel Ted C. Feliciano

I am assuming that you already have a webcomic so I am not going to discuss what a webcomic is and what it is made of. I will instead go straight to the point and enumerate the ways on which you can make money from it. So here we go:

Project Wonderful Ads - Visit any webcomic and chances are there is a Project Wonderful ad box on it. There could even be three ad boxes on it. The good thing about Project Wonderful is that they love webcomics. Yes, they do. You will soon find out when you sign up with them. Joining their advertising program is free so there is no reason why you shouldn't give it a try. All you have to do is sign up, add your webcomic for their approval and once it's approved, it's all but a matter of copying and pasting code to your webcomic site. Now, here's how you make money. Once the Project Wonderful ad box is live on your site, potential advertisers will then be bidding on that particular ad box. So obviously, the more popular and the higher your webcomic's traffic is, the more advertisers will bid on it. More bidders of course mean bigger payouts. Project Wonderful also allows you to place up to five ad boxes on your site. If you play your ads right, this could mean multiplying your Project Wonderful revenue by five. Not bad, huh.

Google AdSense - AdSense is the provider of the best contextual ads in the internet. It serves your site with highly-relevant ads. Highly-relevant means the ads are related to the content of your webcomic so visitors will more likely click on them. This is very important because Google AdSense pays you based on the number of clicks on the ads present on your webcomic site. Click rates range from a few cents to several dollars. Google AdSense also has great help and support for publishers. It provides you with tools which you can use to track the performance of your ads.

Donations - This is a very good way to make a few dollars from your avid fans and followers. If a lot of people like what you publish, there are those who will be willing to hand over a few dollars as a way of saying thank you. There are many ways of asking for donations but the most effective of these is by placing a PayPal Donation Button on your webcomic. PayPal is a popular online payment system. If you still don't have a PayPal account, it's time you go over their website now and sign up. All you need to register is an email address. After registering, just grab the PayPal Donation Button code and paste it on your website.

Cartoon Commissions - Once your webcomic starts building its readers and traffic, expect that you will soon be receiving emails from visitors who want you to draw a few cartoons for them in exchange for cash. You should take advantage of this and start your career as a freelance online cartoonist.
Ebooks - Once you have enough cartoons in your webcomic archives, you can compile them all in one document such as a PDF file and sell such document as an ebook.

Making money from your cartoons and webcomics is not a very hard thing to do when you play your cards right and take advantage of all the monetization strategies that come your way.

The author of this article writes and publishes a webcomic over at: http://dcfeliciano.blogspot.com/
View his compilation of the 101 funniest webcomics here: http://www.squidoo.com/the-101-funniest-webcomics-on-the-internet-

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Money-Online-From-Your-Webcomic&id=5355839] How to Make Money Online From Your Webcomic

My SBI Experience And Why I Left

There are a lot of opinions out there regarding SBI vs blogging. Some have even gone as far as to say that SBI is anti-blogging. As an ex-SBI user I have to say that SBI isn’t anti anything. But I do see where some people may get the idea. SBI promotes websites almost to the point of annoyance, but that’s because that is what they are. For those who are on the fence about whether or not to go with SBI, read on about my experience, why I left it and whether or not I’d go back.

When I first got onto the work at home, bus I started with blogging. It was simple and a good way to learn how to develop content for a niche without the technical hassle. But blogging on a free platform like blogger has the drawback of inflexibility. There are a lot of things you can’t do, at least not without some proficient technical knowledge. Thus I wanted more and, after doing some research, decided that SBI was a good fit.

My  few years with SBI were pleasant. SBI has a great community of helpful knowledgeable people that will walk with you through the process. This is indeed a very powerful tool for a beginner who is still learning about online marketing. There are several videos and several guides that if you use give you basic fundamental knowledge about building a niche business.

But the action guide, while up-to-date, doesn’t provide advanced knowledge about using an online platform to build success. In fact, a number of the things in it I learned while blogging and you can probably Google and get the same information.

SBI likes to pride itself on being some kind of “coach” but the site itself is not fantastic in that regards. It’s the forum users who really offer the tips and you can actually gain access to the forum simply by being an affiliate and not buying the package.

Ken provided a lot of different case studies and website examples of different niches, giving confidence to anyone with any niche idea that their website may work. I chose to go with a self help magazine type site and noticed that with SBI it had the potential to be successful. I followed the action guide, hung out in the forum asking and answering questions, and made sure to use as many of the tools as were necessary for my site. Like with anything, it takes time to see success but slowly there was a buildup of traffic, adsense and affiliate revenue and subscribers. So why did I leave?

Something that I wish I had known about SBI before joining is just how tailored it is for people who provide physical or e-products or services. SBI is not the best platform for those who aren’t selling something of their own.

As much as it likes to toot about being an infopreneur site, it isn’t. For those who aren’t selling an ebook, homemade chocolates, or counseling services, SBI can be a difficult money making platform. The reason being most of the tool are geared to those who do more than just provide great content and affiliate products. If I had an ebook and wanted to presell it, then SBI would have been perfect.

 But I was simply writing helpful lifestyle content and after a while I noticed my SBI site was getting too cluttered with the information, especially since I was writing every other day. The site was not as easy to navigate anymore and it was getting difficult to manage all that content, especially if I had to update. With SBI, 30 pages seems to be the maximum in terms of content. Ken Envoy says after that you should be looking at simply promoting your site or building another one, and I agree completely. If you plan to create more than 30pages worth of content, SBI can seem small.

Another thing I disliked about SBI is how difficult it actually is to change the template. People say you don’t need to be tech savvy to work it, but you do. Because these days with all the vibrant hip looking blog templates, it’s essential that your website looks at least close to ranks of “pretty.” Users expect more now and SBI was slow to react to what many web readers want today.

 I had fresh content on my site, Google liked my site, but my site looked and felt outdated. It didn’t have a fresh look or even up to date tools. And updating it wasn’t easy anymore. All this made the revenue generation slow. I thought I was alone in this, but noticed that many SBI users had the same complaint of having clunky looking websites with a lack of community building tools.

The biggest thing with SBI however is the expense. It claims that all the tools together would cost more than they charge, but honestly a number of their tools can be found free and are provided by some blog platforms.  It was costing me $300 to run a site and learn about web marketing at the same time. If you have your own products some adsense and affiliate programs and are market and tech savvy, you may be able to break even by the time you have to renew. But if you’re purely on affiliate programs and aren’t a skilled marketer, you can easily get the 2 year blues where you see your site close up sooner than expected.

SBI does have many advantages and it is a good site for those who want a web business. So, if I did have the time to create and manage my own product or service I would choose them over a blog. However, if sharing great content and gaining sponsors or hosting advertising is your main goal, then blogging may be a more economic and easier platform.

If you are looking for great web hosting or want more information visit SBI today

How To Find An Effective And Free Internet Marketing Course

Are you an Internet marketer? Perhaps you are just aspiring to become one. If you are doing business online, then maybe you are looking for ways to boost your website's traffic or have it more visible to the search engines as well as to your targeted customers.
But, are your methods and efforts fruitful? Have you reached your expectations? Have you accomplished something out of doing the things you thought can help you become successful?

However, fret not. Even though you may think that you're only good in failing or that you have only wasted your time and effort for nothing, there are still so many things left for you to do.

When it comes to making money online or promoting your business on the web, the chances and opportunities are always countless. All you have to do is be keen and determined in finding effective and suitable ways to prop up your website or the business itself.

You should never close your doors to possibilities as you can always find ways to succeed or stay on top. Online marketing is about trial and error, application of the best means and maintenance and continuous search and learning as well as practice and application.

     You should always keep your mind open and make yourself busy discovering methods, information and other interesting stuffs. You must come out of your shell and explore as much as you can. Have yourself trained in a regular manner so as to sharpen your ideas and skills.

So to be able to supply yourself with the appropriate, effective and updated skills or information with regards to SEO and other related things, you must take part in an SEO training or other means of gathering helpful stuffs for the sake of your business and online growth. Participate in an Internet marketing class and see to it that you get into the best group.

You can even get a hold of free stuffs. Many expert marketers are sharing their ideas for free. Search for free internet marketing courses or SEO trainings where you can possibly get the best of everything for free. It doesn't matter if you have to pay for the training so long as you can guarantee yourself that you can learn more valuable and effective techniques.

Roam around the web as much as you can. Go from one website to another so you can gather sufficient resources and references. Find loads of internet marketing courses especially those offered for free by some experts.

You should be able to determine the reputation or credibility of a particular website offering SEO training or internet marketing class. The least that you would want to is to participate in some form of a scam or something that would only waste your time, effort and even money.


     Nowadays, you can certainly get a hold of free stuffs provided you actively participate or visit their website. Of course, it will always be a win-win situation.

Ask around: either online or personally. Perhaps you have friends who are also making money online or doing business through the Internet. Gather information as much as you can. Compare services or offers. You should pay attention to remarkable benefits or things you can get during the training and after that.

Inquire as many questions as you can to the website offering SEO training or free Internet marketing course. Ask who would train, the modules involved and other necessary information to determine which training is truly worth everything.

It pays to go for trainings rendered by seo experts or Internet marketing gurus. Pay if you have to. That is why you need to make a thorough research so you can compare and choose wisely.

     About the Author: Maurice Manhattan - Have a successful online business by looking for effective and free Internet marketing courses. You can find loads of resources online so do your best in getting a hold of the best Internet marketing class.

The unseen work at home business problem

In a classic work situation people are set up in specific positions that allow them to do tasks based on a skill they possess, thus becoming specialists in the task. Most of the working society is used to having very set tasks to accomplish that don’t leak into other realms of specialization. The front desk personnel at an office most likely does not handle reviewing business plans. Now jump online to a work at home business and you see a work situation where people are required to become task generalists at a specializing level.

  By this I mean they are required to be able to be jack of all trade and master of all trade. This is practically impossible since most work at home members fall into one of the following categories.

1. Idea architects: These are people who have the ability to come up with ideas at a quick pace. They can enlighten others by taking bland topics and niches and spinning them in an creative fashion to make them more appealing. Work at home business coaches fall into this group.

2. Idea Constructionists: These are the people that actually build the ideas. They create the websites or blogs. They execute ideas with precision.

3. Idea Pushers: You find a lot of these types online. Think you’re average affiliate marketer. These people know how to connect with others that would have an interest in an already standing idea.

The problem however is most people only fall under one category and if you are truly blessed you can convincingly shift your way into another. But usually idea architects don’t execute ideas as well as actual builders and the builders have trouble selling it to the world.

It is because of this reason that people have come to rely on outsourcing. They focus on the realm they excel at and depend on the talents of others for everything else. Thus bringing back the office work concept, where each person focuses on a specific skill.

The main issue however, is 90 percent of people are forced to wear multiple hats in their first three years of operating a work at home business, because they just don’t have the financial resources to outsource.

It’s difficult enough to master a new task online but learning 3 makes for a steep learning curve. It’s no wonder people give up easily. How can they build websites that can compete with those that employ the talents of others when they are left working with simply themselves?

Here is where skill swapping comes into effect. Instead of paying someone to write articles for you, ask them to trade skills. You may be good at ad analysis, a skill that could be of use to a writer who most likely has a lot of ads out. Trading skills gives you the opportunity to gain other people’s talents and ease the work load without having to pay the high prices of corporate companies.

Most companies know they cannot build a successful business with just their skills, even if they are multi talented, which is why outsourcing has become so important. Instead of paying for outsourced work try trading skills with someone.

Four reasons why Google might not use the anchor text in the links to your website

The text that is used in the links that point to your website has a major effect on the position of your website in Google's search results.

For example, if many people use the text "buy blue widgets" to link to your website, then it is very likely that the linked web page will get high rankings for the keyphrase "buy blue widgets" in Google's search results.

The link text (also called anchor text) is the text that is used in text links. Example:
this is the link text

Unfortunately, not all anchor texts will be used by Google. Check the following things to make sure that the links to your website pass the correct anchor tag:

1. The nofollow attribute
This is a no-brainer. Links to your website that use the rel="nofollow" attribute don't pass the link text to
Google. Example:
great keyword
 
You can use IBP to find out if the websites that link to you use the nofollow attribute: start IBP, click the "Links" button and click "Check links".

2. Invalid characters in the URL
If an URL contains invalid extra characters then chances are that search engines won't be able to index the link correctly. Example:
great keyword

In this example, there's a space at the end of the URL. Some webmasters found out that anchor text is not passed to Google if the link contains an extra space character.
Note that most browsers are able to correct this link and they will display the web page correctly. Unfortunately, search engine spiders seem to have more difficulty with malformed links (or they take them as a signal of low quality).

3. The links use 301 redirects
Google's Matt Cutts recently confirmed that Google won't consider all anchor texts that are used in 301 redirected links. Example:
great keyword

The web server redirects "http://www.example.com/page.htm" to "http://www.example.com" with a 301 redirect. In that case, it's likely that Google won't use the link text.

4. The first link passes the link text
If a page links twice to the same page then Google will use the first link text and discard the other link texts. Example:
This is an example. The link text great keyword will be ignored by Google.

The first and the second link go to the same URL. In this example, Google will use the link text of the first link, which is "This". The link text of the second link will be ignored by Google.
If the second link points to another page of the linked website, then both link texts will be used by Google:
This is an example. The link text great keyword will be ignored by Google.

Links are the most important factor when it comes to getting top 10 rankings on Google and other major search engines. Details about how to get links to your website can be found in the IBP manual (starting at page 91).

Article from Alexa.com

Are You Perfect?

Dr Wayne Dyer says in his book, The Sky’s the Limit that “you must allow yourself to think of yourself as perfect if you are ever going to achieve your full potential.” He then goes on to explain that thinking of yourself as perfect in no regard means that you are lacking motivation for future growth.

These words provide great truth. Many people “settle” with the status quo. Then there are notions that we associate with perfect as arrogant or a cop out to journey further in life. But the truth is you can grow, change and reinvent yourself and still be perfect.

It’s important that the essence of one’s perfection is evaluating themselves, accepting what they perceive as perfect in the present and growing from that.

When was the last time you marveled at your potential? Yesterday? Last week? Maybe you never have. Every single person should marvel at their potential each and everyday. The only way you can fully arrive into life is to view yourself with new eyes instead of meekly “going with the flow” because you don’t think you’re good enough to get into the big game.

Grant yourself permission today to grow and achieve further. Very few people give attention to the born capabilities in every human being to achieve greatness beyond the status quo.
There is no hard statistical data to measure greatness, so you don’t have to chart your data between normality and something worse.

If you feel that you are coping with life as well as the next person why not see yourself further, instead of seeing how you stack up against other people.

Begin to look at yourself in a new and exciting way.

Google uses page speed as a ranking factor

Last Friday, Google announced that they started to use site speed as one of the 200 signals that influence the position of a website in the search results:

"As part of that effort, today we're including a new signal in our search ranking algorithms: site speed. Site speed reflects how quickly a website responds to web requests. [...]

We've decided to take site speed into account in our search rankings. We use a variety of sources to determine the speed of a site relative to other sites."

Will your website rankings drop?

Google's Matt Cutts says that the change will affect only some websites:

"Fewer than 1% of search queries will change as a result of incorporating site speed into our ranking. That means that even fewer search results are affected, since the average search query is returning 10 or so search results on each page.

So please don?t worry that the effect of this change will be huge. In fact, I believe the official blog post mentioned that 'We launched this change a few weeks back after rigorous testing.'

The fact that not too many people noticed the change is another reason not to stress out disproportionately over this change."While 1% does not sound much, it can be a problem if your website belongs to the pages whose rankings will drop.

At this time, Google's new site speed signal only applies to visitors searching in English on Google.com.

How to keep your web pages listed in Google search results

There are several things that you can do to improve the speed of your web pages:

1.    Choose a fast and reliable web host with a good connection to the Internet. A "cheap" web host could cause problems.

2.    Combine external JavaScript code files into one file. The fewer files the server has to request, the faster your web pages will load.

3.    Compress your JavaScript code to make the JavaScript file smaller.

4.    Combine external CSS files into one file and compress your CSS files.

5.    If your web server supports it, enable gZip compression (your web host can do that for you).

6.    Use as few images as possible on your website and compress your images. Most graphic tools enable you to choose the compression rate when saving an image for the web.

7.    Put tracking codes and other JavaScript snippets at the end of your web pages.

The faster your web pages load, the more visitors of your website will be able to see the contents of your pages. Web surfers are impatient people. The average web surfer wants immediate results.

Page speed is not Google's most important ranking signal. The end of Google's page speed announcement contains a very important sentence: "While site speed is a new signal, it doesn't carry as much weight as the relevance of a page."

It is important to optimize the speed of your web pages but it's also important to optimize all other elements of your web pages if you want to be listed on Google's first result page. IBP's Top 10 Optimizer analyzes all important ranking elements/signals that lead to high rankings on Google, including page speed and many other factors.

   Article originally from  http://www.axandra.com/  

My experience with survey sites

When I first started working from home, one of the first places I turned to were survey sites, drawn by the prospect of earning money without selling items or even operating a website. And I will honestly tell you the first year I was highly disappointed! Unconvinced that it was a legitimate way to make money I didn’t take it seriously and looked for other options. However, something happened that changed my skepticism---I actually got a check in the mail.

Even though I wasn’t convinced that it would work, I continued to do the surveys and update my profile. I enjoyed doing the surveys for pass time sake. Some of the topics were relevant to me, and I wanted to share my opinion. Thus, without really trying I was starting to build an income with these survey sites and began learning some tips to make serious money in a not so serious way. Here are some of the things I learned.

Note:  I have never joined a paid survey program; all the groups I belong to are free, so this article focuses on free survey sites.

1. You have to join multiple sites. The first mistake I made is actually a very common one—thinking one or two survey sites was enough. In actuality, you need to be signed up with at least 6 different sites to increase your earnings. Many survey sites are connected or merged with other sites so having an account with several sites ups your chances of qualifying and completing more surveys.

2. The points matter. Most survey sites reward with points. When I first learned this, I rolled my eyes thinking it was a scam. However, I quickly learned the points add up and because the points are redeemable for cash it really adds up to the same thing. When I saw one day that my 1000 points added up to 50 dollars, I was not only surprised but happy. It wasn’t something I was paying attention to, so to receive a check in the mail for that amount made me want to do more surveys.

3. Don’t ignore surveys for draws. Another common mistake is deleting surveys that are for prizes. These don’t give points or cash value, but give you a chance(s) to win a grand prize of some sort. Again, when I first started I thought it was a stupid waste of my precious time. But then I learned two important things:

a) Not many people complete those surveys so your chances of winning are higher (and I actually have won before…an Amazon gift card for 50 dollars)

b) These surveys boost the amount of high paying surveys you're offered. Contest surveys are a way for these sites to weed people out.
If you complete a few you are then offered “better” survey opportunities such as, big point surveys, being invited to join focus groups which can pay 40-100 dollars and being able to test products.
In the years I have been doing surveys I’ve tested chips, pop, cheese, and makeup products all before they hit the shelves and was paid to do it. I’ve sat in on several focus groups; none were more than a couple hours.

4. Reply fast. When you get an invite don’t put it off like I used to. Surveys are becoming more popular as more people are learning they can make money with them, so quotas fill up faster than they used to. Try to complete the survey within the day it was sent.

5. Complete your profile. The more complete your profile, the more chances you’re given.


Now before you get too excited, understand that doing surveys will in no way give you a full time income, not unless it’s all you do, and you belong to over 50 survey groups. Most will find it a good way to add to your income. You can make money to buy those “want” items on your list, or even earn a part time income. If you enjoy giving your opinion or being the first to try things then taking surveys is good idea.

Do banner ads still work?

There have been some claims lately that banner ads as an internet marketing technique are ineffective. And in some respect I can see why.

Banner blindness is term used to describe a lack of notice when it comes to banner ads. A user may no longer see the ad because they’ve seen it so many times. They’re used to it. This is very much real and I’m sure we’ve all experience it.

You visit a website and the first couple times you notice a banner ad that may or may not be enticing. However, after a few more visits you no longer notice the ad. It’s still there; it’s still calling for your attention, but you’re indifferent to it. You’ve experienced this and so have your users.

If do affiliate marketing, you understand how damaging this can be to your business. Unless your visitor notices your merchant’s ad, they won’t click it to visit the site and take action, and all this translates to a loss of income.

Fortunately, there are some simple tricks to keep your visitors from suffering from banner blindness.

1. Rotate your banners. It’s such a simple thing, that many people don’t do. Every couple months change your banners. Use a different size, style, message, whichever but don’t have the same banner sitting for more than 5 months. Visitors become easily immune to sales pitches, especially in the affiliate marketing industry, since that same banner is on countless other sites. Changing your banners makes them aware of the ad again.

2. Create your own or use a unique one. There are a number of free tools to create individual banners or you can ask your merchant if they can create a unique one for you. This will help you stand apart from other affiliates in your niche.

3. Remind your merchant to update. If your merchant has not come out with new banners in a while, gently remind him to do so. By offering many different banner options, you will not only have several to rotate with, but it makes the business look fresh. Banners that hold the same style as those used in the 90’s are not as effective. Let your merchant know an update is in order.

It doesn’t take a lot to save your visitors from banner blindness, use the tips above to ensure that this marketing method continues to stay effective.

4 easy ways to get motivated for your work at home business

Working from home feels great in the beginning. The excitement is there and the hope of finally being able to conquer your financial future makes you feel motivated.  However, somewhere down the line things go astray. Your eagerness to get up and work starts fading and those sparks are barley a twinkle. But you can get back to the stage where you wanted a work at home business by considering the following.


1. Get organized. Clutter, whether it is directly in your office or on your computer, i.e. emails, exhausts the mind. You just can’t do your best work in an area that doesn’t promote productivity. Organize your paper files, make use of programs that help you organize your emails and online files and toss out/delete any old documents that are no longer adding to your business.   

2. Unsubscribe. Work at home business owners have a tendency to subscribe to every ezine. Some of these offer real value to you business, but others simply clutter your inbox. Take some time to look through you’re your emails to see who’s helping your business and subscribe from those that are simply taking space.

3. Blog. I don’t mean a business blog, but a personal blog or diary that allows you to take down all the good things your work at home business does for you and visa versa. Often times we’re so busy working we forget to acknowledge our success. Having a platform that allows you to write and recall your mile stones will encourage you and remind you of why you put in the many hours.

4. Take a day off. One study showed that home business owners work more hours than their office counter parts. This makes sense, especially when you consider all the things that go into building a successful business. However, all work and no play is a recipe for boredom and resentment. Set aside an actual day off for yourself. Do something simply for yourself. Relax and clear your head. You’ll come back to your business a little more refreshed and in control.

   Working from home doesn’t have to be a battle. Your work at home business should give a sense of satisfaction, but if it isn’t try the tips above to get re-motivated and become more productive.