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How do I create a web site? How do I start selling online?

How do I make money using the Internet? Is Internet Marketing Valid? People who know me and know that I’m a web developer and programmer ask me a lot of questions about web sites, web pages, HTML code, CSS, JavaScript code, ASP, PHP, Databases like MS SQL and MySQL.

One question I answer often is: Should I create my own web site or use a “free” site like MySpace? Sometimes instead of MySpace, it’s the free web space that comes with their ISP account they’re asking about, but the question is really the same.

Establishing a web presence with a professional image requires your own web site and domain name. MySpace is awesome, however it’s a social networking tool used to “network” or find people and stay in touch with them. Like most of the tools in your toolkit, it has a function and can be very useful. Use MySpace and other social networks as a marketing resource: to help people discover you or your business and lead them to your main web site.

If you are in business, or a serious amateur or hobbyist, you need your own web site. You can setup profiles on all of the social networking sites like MySpace and use those profiles to direct people to your web site. But you need your own web site and domain name. Each site like MySpace has rules and will sometimes delete accounts, either for breaking the rules, or by mistake. You don’t want your only site on the Internet exposed to this kind of risk. In addition, you want to look as professional as you possibly can.

How do I get started? How do I start my own web site? I’ll outline the steps.

1) Domain Names: You need to register a domain name. Select a name that is as short as possible and that reflects your site’s function. There are sites on the Internet that you can use to help research this. Once you decide on a domain name that’s available, you need to pay for it – this is called registering. You can register it for 1 year up to several years. I use registerFly.com for this. They also have a domain spinner tool that can help you find available domain names; you simply enter two words and the tool makes variations and combination of the names and checks their availability.

2) Web Hosting: You need to a place for your web site.

There are a lot of hosting providers you can choose from.

They all work in a similar fashion. You rent space on a web server and bandwidth (traffic to and from the server) by the month for your web site. Prices range from less than $20 per month all the way up to the sky depending on how much space and bandwidth you’re using. I can recommend a hosting service if you need help selecting one.

3) Putting the domain name and hosting together: If you registered your domain name with a different service than the hosting provider, you’ll have to tell the domain name registrar where your web site is hosted. You do this by telling the registrar the addresses of the “name servers” of the hosting facility. The hosting provider will usually configure your DNS (domain name server) records for you web site on their DNS server and you need to give the name server’s address to the registrar of your domain name so that your domain name points to the correct DNS servers. It sounds complicated, but it’s really not. If you registered with the same service that you’re using for a hosting provider, then this is usually done for you.

4) Create the site: Finally, make your web site. You should spend some time researching popular web sites of the same type as the one you intend to build. This will give you a good idea of what works in that area. One of the keys to being successful in any area is to follow the lead of someone who’s already successful. Find some successful sites by doing searches on Google, Yahoo, or MSN and looking at the top sites that are returned. Even if you have no experience making web sites, you can still create a very nice web site. I offer online courses for beginners on how to create web sites – see my info below for the link.

In a few hours you can have a very nice looking, functional web site.

I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion about web sites, social networking sites like MySpace, and how to start your own web site.

About The Author

Fred Black recommends http://www.WebScriptingOnline.com, Learn How To Make Web Page Scripts and Create Interactive Web Pages.

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Start-up Your Own Business, Or Work For A Boss?

Are you tired of working as a wage slave? Of being expected to carry out orders? Of being assessed by mindless superiors? Would you rather build a business of your own, instead of helping your boss expand his? Then perhaps the time has come for you to start thinking about becoming an entrepreneur yourself.

Some people are born entrepreneurs, others thrive as employees in a nine to five environment. Business ownership is a natural state to some, but would be a complete nightmare to others. In fact, these two classes of people are fairly strictly divided. Of course there are people who, at some point in their lives, cross the divide by accepting paid employment or by becoming their own boss. Even so, it is safe to say that overall, most employees stay employees until their retirement (although they will change jobs in the meantime), while most entrepreneurs stay independent throughout their working lives (although they may change tactics from time to time). That is not to say that all entrepreneurs will deny the benefits of paid employment as a matter of principle, and no doubt countless employees sometimes play with the idea of becoming self-employed. The purpose of this article is to encourage the latter type of move – from paid employment to entrepreneurship. After all, this is a step that offers people the best opportunities to develop their potential, and it has the added advantage of promoting employment and economic growth.

As an employee, there will come a time when you feel you are expected to carry out boring tasks and pointless orders, or discover that you could earn much more money if you sold your services to your own clients, rather than via your boss. Except for the born entrepreneurs, most people who set up a business of their own do so out of a variety of motivations, positive ones (freedom, self-development, earning potential) and negative ones (conflict at work, annoyance with working practices, unpleasant colleagues etc.). Whatever your reasons for deciding to work for yourself, you should bear in mind that in order to be successful your decision will have to be based on a solid foundation. The following preconditions constitute the mix of ingredients that will help your decision bear fruit:

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Professional skill
Bear in mind that any business is doomed unless it is based on the owner’s personal strength. Trying your luck at something just for the fun of it is not a sound basis for success. In fact, this type of entrepreneur is responsible for a lot of the daunting statistics that might keep you from setting up your own company in the first place, such as the fact that over a third of all business start-ups go bust between the first and fifth years of their existence. However, people who have based their business on a real, commercially productive and recognised strength have much better chances of survival. In a way, what successful start-ups sell is professional expertise, as much as anything else. That may come in the form of a product or a service, but it always embodies the business owner’s personal strength.

Commercial skills
No matter how talented you are, you won’t be able to make a living from your professional expertise unless you have the commercial skills to sell it. By commercial skill we mean the ability to find the people who might be interested in your product or service, the ability to convince them that it is your product or service that they need, and the ability to make them pay a reasonable price for it that will help you make a decent profit and give your clients the feeling they’ve bought something that is worth the investment.

Perseverance
Success normally does not come easy, but depends on the fulfilment of a host of preconditions. Before convincing your clients, you may need to convince a bank that your product or service is worth investing in. You will have to find and attract the people you need to set your business in motion and keep it running. You will have to find suitable accommodation and reliable suppliers. In all, it may take you quite a while to create the optimum mix of tools to deliver a high-quality product for your clients, and even then you may have to adjust it to their taste. You may also have to defend yourself in court against third-party claims, engage external consultants for advice about evolving legislation, sort out disputes with your staff or make huge investments for potential orders that may eventually be granted to a competitor. Success is not for the faint-hearted.

Planning skills
Above all, clients like clarity. When you offer them your product or service, they will need to know exactly what it costs and when they will get it. This calls for careful planning in your production system – not only the part that you actually run yourself (e.g., your own work planning and that of your staff members), but also the part for which you depend on others, such as your suppliers. Delays in the final delivery to your clients are fatal to their confidence in your business. Apart from being potentially harmful to the client, late deliveries will make him feel that you have no control over your business and are a strong incentive for him to look for another company next time.

HR skills
Sooner or later, most entrepreneurs will find that they need others to make their business a success, or to make it grow (which usually comes down to the same thing). Staff recruitment is a skill in its own right, because you will need to find effective ways of testing the candidates’ professional and personal contributions to your business. Unlike professional actors, applicants cannot usually avoid presenting themselves as they are in real life, so contrary to popular belief it is not the candidates’ acting skills but rather your assessment of human nature that determines the success of your selection procedures. And once you have found the right people, you should carefully think about the practicalities of employership. What are you going to pay them? What do you expect to do about issues such as absenteeism, maternity leave and overtime? The more staff you take on, the higher the percentage of your time that you will have to spend on HR issues.

Financial insight
A great deal of your
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time and energy will have to be invested in keeping your records and making sure you comply with all the financial and fiscal rules to which you are subject as a business owner. In fact, it is imperative for you to seek tax advice even before you have launched your company. Make sure to pick an advisor who has practical experience in the small businesses sector and enjoys helping you weather all the regulatory storms as a business start-up, pointing out both financial pitfalls and money-saving strategies and helping your fledging company gain a firm footing in the business arena.

Each of the issues outlined above deserves a far more detailed discussion. Keep an eye, therefore, on subsequent articles from this author in which he will discuss the many benefits the business owner may enjoy once the above conditions have been fulfilled. Those benefits may be considerable. However, we believe it is wise at this stage to emphasise the hard work, rather than the rewards. After all, business success is always based on a fair amount of realism – and a little bit of the stuff that dreams are made of.

By: rosannakamp

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

For more information concerning technical translations please visit:
www.tech-trans.nl/“>technisch vertaalbureau
technische vertaling
technisch vertaler

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Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…

hrouda: 10 Ways to Find People on Twitter http://ping.fm/Whfc2 by …

10 Ways to Find People on Twitter http://ping.fm/Whfc2 by @catone.

furicle: @cabrey Hey, I can find people on the internet that …

@cabrey Hey, I can find people on the internet that actually prefer IE Take my comment as 'it works fine for me…'

10 Ways to Find People on Twitter http://ping.fm/Om8Dt #KF

10 Ways to Find People on Twitter http://ping.fm/Om8Dt #KF.

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: Find People

Technorati Tags: Find People

A Proven Formula for All Websites

Every business needs a website. It is an absolute MUST! Nowadays, it’s like not being in the phone book. The Internet is a digitally-indexed database that is searchable. Whenever anyone wants to know more about anything, they look it up on the Internet, in their own time, 24/7, without the pressure of a sales person. With search engines, such as Google.com or Yahoo.com, the information they are looking for can be found in seconds.

If you aren’t where people are looking, you CAN’T get the sale.

Even if you aren’t planning on selling anything online, you still need to have an Internet presence, telling your story and being a 24/7 sales person for you. The Internet is information. So, even if you just have an informational website, people can find out more about you, your company, what you have to offer, and why they should choose you over your competition. A website gives you the opportunity to get all of that across to your potential customer.

Following, are proven components of a website and why you will need them in yours.

A Home Page is the window into your website and should be short, sweat, and to the point. Statistically, it has been proven that you get about 3 seconds, once a person arrives at your website, to get them interested enough to click for more information. If you can get them to click, then you have them! If you try to give them all of the information at once, then you will lose them.

Some websites try to give you their inventory on the home page, or write a story that scrolls forever. This is not good. A home page should not scroll. This is a big “No No”. When people get to a home page and see paragraphs, trust me, they go on to the next website. It needs graphics that represent the services, happy pictures, happy customers, and a quick sales pitch. Remember, people are lazy and won’t read large amounts of text, unless they have a need to. And included on the home page, needs to be quickly gotten across, why someone should use you over your competitor.

The About Us page sometimes gets left off, in favor of making the home page the About Us page. You will want to have an About Us page that explains in detail what you have to offer, your history, your mission statement, and a good reason that a potential customer should use buy from you over your competitor. This can be seen as the detailed version of the home page. However, it is a mistake to forgo the About Us page in exchange for a detailed home page. Again, this will just push people away who do not want to read all of the details to find out who you are and what you have to offer. This information should be available for those who wish to see more information after they are intrigued by the home page.

Design rules. For uniformity and good design, websites (any marketing piece) should have rules for graphic elements and text. For example, all headings should be the same size/style/color, etc. All subheads should have their own size/style/color, etc. This helps the eye make sense of what it is looking at. Guide your visitor with well-placed graphics and text.

Make sure that your website has good navigation, with buttons/links for all main sections of your website. And be sure to keep these navigation buttons/links visible on ANY page. There is nothing more frustrating than to not be able to find your way while browsing a website. People will leave before becoming too frustrated. Don’t let this happen on your website!

The constant, flashing email (or other) button/advertisement is a “No No” these days. In the old days, flashing and blinking graphics were used. As websites became more graphically sophisticated, these types of elements were not used any more. It can be annoying to see something flashing just off your vision, when you are trying to read the web page.

Text links at the bottom are rarely used any more. They were implemented back in the day of the text-based websites, when they were just starting out. This was for the dial-up users who had the option to turn off graphics for faster web page loading. When this happened, there were no links for navigation, unless a webmaster placed text links at the bottom. Nowadays, most people have broadband connections, and this just isn’t necessary any more.

The biggest problem I see with websites these days is that a person has to read quite a bit to see what, exactly, a website is selling. When people show up at your website, you get about 3 seconds to peak their interest. Get it across very quickly, with icons/graphics/bullet points that are easy to understand. Tell them why they should choose you over your competition. And then tell them where to go to get started.

Another very important element is testimonials. More important than telling them why a potential customer should use your services over your competitions’, is a customer of yours saying the same thing. Not only is a testimonial someone who used your services, but they can say “how” you were able to help them. This gives new potential customers ideas on how your services will help “them”. Testimonials are also sales pitches from your happy customers, people just like them. They are people who were in the same position as they are right now and they got through it, so they can too. They also build credibility. When you are endorsed by other people, you have credibility and that you can do what you say you can do. And even though they may be saying the same thing that you are saying, it is coming from someone just like them, and not someone who is trying to sell them anything. They have nothing to gain by saying this. You do. So they need to hear from them. You absolutely MUST have endorsements for your business; otherwise, you are just blowing your own horn!

The next best thing to a testimonial page is an FAQ page. An FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page answers questions for your company 24/7, when you can’t be at the phone to answer, and for people who would rather look over your information than speak to someone who might try to sell them something. FAQs also help to give scenarios of how they can be helped, by answering questions that other potential customers have asked, and they might not have thought of themselves. This gets them thinking and gives them answers in a risk-free environment. It is VERY important to have an FAQ working for you 24/7. It’s like having a free sales person working for you around the clock, fielding all questions that might come up! It’s a MUST-have for ANY website!

Your website should also have a clear “call to action”. A lot of websites say that “we are here and we do this”, but they don’t tell them how to get started, or tell them where to go to get started right now… no call to action. Now that they have the information, now what? People are like sheep. They must be led. You must lead them to the next level; otherwise, they probably won’t get there. You should have calls to action by all services, and on your home page. You should sprinkle testimonials throughout, as well, leading them back to the full testimonials and then to the call to action, which should be placed on the testimonials page, as well. You could offer a FREE Consultation by calling right now… or click HERE now to email us 24/7 for a FREE Consultation… something that tells them where to go from here and a reason to get started right now and how.

There also needs to be graphics to help tell the story; high-end icons that help draw the eye to the item of interest, to get them to read it. Having a text-only page usually does not get read. People are lazy and will not usually read paragraphs of information in hopes of getting the information they are looking for. They would have to first be extremely interested before reading the “fine print”. And to get them interested, it should be broken up with graphics that represent each section. They will see the related graphic first, and then move to that area if interested. But to give them a page of information usually doesn’t work.

You also need meta tags. This is very important to search engines. These are hidden key words and phrases that describe what you offer, but also your location, etc. Search engines rely heavily on key words and phrases in order to give your website as a result in a search done for your type of business. In fact, it is also good to have misspelled keywords that people might type in order to find you. Obviously, you won’t want to have misspelled words or phrases on your page, since this will give the wrong impression of who you are. With meta tags, misspelled words are hidden in the code of the website, but can be used to bring people to your website who may not be able to correctly spell some your services. Even putting your competitions’ names and products in your meta tags can help get traffic to your site, so that they can compare your products and services to your competitors’.

Another item that puts you high on the search engine results listing is having articles about your type of business, both on your website, and other websites that link back to yours for more information on the subject. Offering free information makes you an authority on the subject, not just someone trying to sell their wares. This plays heavily in search results, along with one-way links back to your website. When you get one-way links back to your site for more information, this gives you much credibility and definitely helps to make you an authority that other sites rely on. So when someone looks up your type of product or service for more information, obviously the search engine will give a site that has the most helpful and free information (and one that other sites rely on for more information on this subject) a higher rating and puts them higher on the search results list.

A FREE Tips & Tricks or Hints page is also a good way to get relevant traffic. People are always looking for How-To’s and DIY information on all types of subjects. On my site I have FREE Tech Tips that get hits all the time, which pertain to my services. Again, a percentage of these hits click on my services. And the only way I got them there was because of the FREE How-To’s that I offer. So, you have to entice people to your site, by offering more than your competitor’s website. This is where these types of pages come in handy.

It is also good to have a Privacy Policy page. This shows integrity and also builds credibility and a higher ranking in the search engines. This is one item that search engines look for, in particular. Websites with a page dedicated to a Privacy Policy get a higher ranking and your site will show up higher in the search results.

A Guarantee page is also a good idea. Again, this gives credibility and will give you an edge over your competitor, who may not offer a guarantee. A website that has a guarantee, but is hard to find, makes a potential customer feel like they have something to hide and may not purchase from that website. However, if you have an easy-to-find Guarantee that you put right in their face (whether you dedicate a page to it, or you put it right on the Home page), it eases potential customers into a buying position.

You may want to have a form that allows a customer to request more information about your product or service, and which also lets the customer type in their personal information and what they are looking for. This not only helps you by getting their contact information, it also helps by prompting the potential customer into thinking about other aspects. By doing it this way, you will also get all of the information needed to correctly quote a product or service more effectively, without having to make additional phone calls to the customer. The more common way of requesting information is just by posting an INFO email address and hope that the person requesting the info knows enough about what he is looking for to provide all of the info to get a good quote. This is not usually the case. Most of the time they need a form to fill out. In most cases, there is info that is left out. A form ensures that you get everything needed to quote the product or service accurately. And, also, by offering a form to request more info, leads will be generating 24-7 for you. All you have to do is the quote and give them a call. This reduces the need for cold-calling, and gives you an excuse to call and close the deal.

If you incorporate all of the above pages, along with the “way” these pages should be shown, your website will have a higher ranking in the search engines, which puts your website higher in the search results, thus significantly increasing the traffic to your website!

The above categories aren’t the only things you can do to increase traffic to your website. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) should also be done, as well as swapping links with relevant websites, and posting articles and links back to your website from online article and content websites.

To have an award-winning and specially-formulated website designed for your company, contact Michigan Tech Group TODAY at (810) 496-4595 or email us at info@MichiganTechGroup.com Visit us online at http://www.MichiganTechGroup.com

Good luck. I hope this article has helped you. If you live in the Lapeer, Genesee, or Tuscola County, Michigan areas, and would like an IT Professional to do a professional to help you in your home or business,please contact Michigan Tech Group at (810) 496-4595, or visit our website at http://www.MichiganTechGroup.com. You can email us at info@MichiganTechGroup.com.

If you would like to use this article for any publication, you may do so if you do NOT change any of the content, and the tag line remains intact.

About The Author

Jim Shutes

I have worked in the IT field since 1989 and hold several Microsoft certifications. I am a network administrator and co-owner and co-operator of Michigan Tech Group, located in Flint, Michigan. During these years, I have supported both Macs and PCs, am an accomplished graphic and web designer, and have had the opportunity to support 2nd and 3rd level enterprise networks for GM, EDS, Delphi and Delco. If you would like to get in touch with me, you may do so at (810) 496-4595, or by email at jshutes@MichiganTechGroup.com. My website is http://www.MichiganTechGroup.com

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Where can I find other Irish people who are living in Perth WA ?

I have just moved from Ireland and I am finding it very lonely here in Perth. How do I find other Irish people to socialise with? Living in a hotel/apartment at the moment, on my own. Is it very quite here or is it my imagination? (Female so cant really go out to pubs/clubs on my own.)

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Different Cures For Tinnitus

Many people who have tinnitus learn that the condition can be unbearable if they do not have ideas regarding the different cures for tinnitus. Because the condition is so very hard to diagnose, in most cases a person may have to resort to ways to relieve the problem enough to live with it comfortably.

Curing the actual condition may not be possible for some; however there are quite a few ways that a person can find a cure for the symptoms of tinnitus:

• For many people with hearing problems, most will be prescribed a hearing aid, these are known for their ability to keep the person from experiencing the loud sounds of tinnitus and in some cases they are an efficient cure for tinnitus.
• Some people may use natural sounds as a way to drown out the sounds associated with tinnitus. These sounds include water running, static from an FM radio, soothing music and many other natural sounds.
• Other people may get their doctor to prescribe a tool that is called a “tinnitus masker”; this piece of equipment also provides the person with sounds that work to drown out the ringing or other noises that a person may get from tinnitus.
• In some cases, a person who has extreme hearing conditions may experience a worse case of tinnitus; therefore their doctor may use a cochlear implant in order to rid them of tinnitus symptoms.

For most people the most common of the treatment methods for a person with tinnitus would be the masking technique. As the most effective of the cures for tinnitus, it will help you get rid of the problems you may have. The most frequently used of these techniques involves using the FM radio static to block out the sounds that come from tinnitus.

You may also find that an efficient cure for tinnitus is a medication called lidocaine, which is used to provide quick temporary relief; this is given intravenously and lasts approximately 30 minutes or less. More than 80% of all the sufferers who use this technique are known to have a complete silencing of the sounds of tinnitus.

Another popular medication used as a cure for tinnitus is alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), which is reported to allow a person to notice a significant reduction in the noise associated with tinnitus.

The last and least popular cure for tinnitus involves having surgery to cure the condit
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ion. Some people find that this is sometimes needed in order to allow them to live normal lives; however some people will experience some side effects which may extend to total deafness. It is very important that you only choose this option if it is your only alternative.

By: Aidan Ashcroft

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

Aidan Ashcroft is an ex-sufferer of Tinnitus who now helps others treat this frustrating illness. Find out about End Your Tinnitus today which has been voted the top Cure for Tinnitus by many users.

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How about these right… I think you’ll find the following nuggets of wisdom particularly insightful. Leave your comments below. Check out the second one in particular…

College Grads Still Can’t Find Jobs, Like Most People | NBC Washington

College Grads Still Can't Find Jobs, Like Most People Does this economy have no shame? By JIM NEWELL. Updated 6:45 AM EDT, Thu, Jul 9, 2009. Related Topics: Eric Donahue 8 Comments Post a Comment. Print Email Share …

Free People Look Up – Find Old Friends

Looking for ways to find people that used to mean something in your life and you have lost contact with? Here are some tips on how to find people for free online, only some efforts on your part are required. …

10 Ways to Find People on Twitter

Twitter is all about facilitating conversations, but until you’re following some people, it’s just a blank page. Once you find people to follow and talk to, however, Twitter becomes exceptionally useful.

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: Find People

Back with more news for you today. It’s amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were…

Find People on Twitter

Twitter is all about facilitating conversations, but until you’re following some people, it’s just a blank page. Once you find people to follow and talk to, however, Twitter becomes exceptionally useful. You can share thoughts, …

Twitter Tip #1: Using “Find People” To Find And Be Found

When you are searching on shoes or sneakers or high-tops (be creative) or whatever your target phrase is, you’ll likely get some enthusiast accounts, but with how Find People works (searching on usernames & names), you will likely see …

Best Last Minute Deals Found Only on Twitter | ChattahBox News Blog

If you are not already following your favorite retailers and travel sites, typing in the word “deals” in Twitter's “Find People” tool will get you started in finding the best deals on the Internet. The search for deals will bring up …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: Find People