Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Inflation Will Cause Many to File Bankruptcy in the Next Few Years

As 2013 roars up upon us, many Americans are starting to see inflation like we have never seen before. What is funny is how the Department of Commerce has changed the way they report data to make inflation seem like it's almost nonexistent. We do know that over the last year the rate of Americans filing for bankruptcy has declined slightly. Is this a trend or is it a fluke? It doesn't seem like the economy is getting better and we have now seen QE1, QE2, the twist and now QE3. Billions of dollars has been thrown into the economy and nothing is getting any better. Four years ago the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.85, now that same gallon of gas is close to four dollars. Recently, they reported that inflation was less than 2%. This doesn't make any sense if you go to the grocery store you will see that a gallon of milk is up about 25%, coffee is up 90%, orange juice is almost up 50%, Turkey is up 50% and beef is up 60%. I don't know about you but it seems to me that inflation is going to cause more Americans to file bankruptcy in the near future.

A better title for this article should have been the incredible shrinking dollar but I'm more concerned with the long-term impact of the average American. It doesn't make any sense with the news that's being put out by the mainstream media. According to them, this must be the new normal. After further investigation it makes more sense to see how the numbers have changed. The government added in housing, which is currently deflationary, to the inflation numbers and that's how they are reporting that inflation is being kept in check. When American families know that their paycheck does not go as far, they will turn to credit to fill the void. At some point in time the credit will overwhelm the budget making the idea of kicking the can down the road no longer work. This is where the idea that many more Americans will have to file bankruptcy to eliminate this debt that they have accumulated to subsidize their income.

Americans need a reality check and should not feel bad about filing for bankruptcy to eliminate debt. For many, it is not an option but it's more about survival. The idea of becoming debt-free is something that will end up in history books covered with dust. Creditors with the help of the government, have put American citizens in bondage to the lending institutions of the world. The only hope for many of these Americans is to file for bankruptcy and cut the ties. When Corporations file bankruptcy, it's good business. When an individual has to file bankruptcy, it's dishonest to not pay your bills. That is a stigma that we all need to put behind us. A capitalistic society would not survive without having bankruptcy filing is a way out when things fall apart. People should not feel embarrassed about having to consult a bankruptcy lawyer about their financial situation. Most of the time they will leave the bankruptcy lawyer being encouraged that they are not alone during these tough times.

Filing Bankruptcy? Don't Worry About What You Lose But What You Gain   Inflation Will Cause Many to File Bankruptcy in the Next Few Years   

Inflation Will Cause Many to File Bankruptcy in the Next Few Years

As 2013 roars up upon us, many Americans are starting to see inflation like we have never seen before. What is funny is how the Department of Commerce has changed the way they report data to make inflation seem like it's almost nonexistent. We do know that over the last year the rate of Americans filing for bankruptcy has declined slightly. Is this a trend or is it a fluke? It doesn't seem like the economy is getting better and we have now seen QE1, QE2, the twist and now QE3. Billions of dollars has been thrown into the economy and nothing is getting any better. Four years ago the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.85, now that same gallon of gas is close to four dollars. Recently, they reported that inflation was less than 2%. This doesn't make any sense if you go to the grocery store you will see that a gallon of milk is up about 25%, coffee is up 90%, orange juice is almost up 50%, Turkey is up 50% and beef is up 60%. I don't know about you but it seems to me that inflation is going to cause more Americans to file bankruptcy in the near future.

A better title for this article should have been the incredible shrinking dollar but I'm more concerned with the long-term impact of the average American. It doesn't make any sense with the news that's being put out by the mainstream media. According to them, this must be the new normal. After further investigation it makes more sense to see how the numbers have changed. The government added in housing, which is currently deflationary, to the inflation numbers and that's how they are reporting that inflation is being kept in check. When American families know that their paycheck does not go as far, they will turn to credit to fill the void. At some point in time the credit will overwhelm the budget making the idea of kicking the can down the road no longer work. This is where the idea that many more Americans will have to file bankruptcy to eliminate this debt that they have accumulated to subsidize their income.

Americans need a reality check and should not feel bad about filing for bankruptcy to eliminate debt. For many, it is not an option but it's more about survival. The idea of becoming debt-free is something that will end up in history books covered with dust. Creditors with the help of the government, have put American citizens in bondage to the lending institutions of the world. The only hope for many of these Americans is to file for bankruptcy and cut the ties. When Corporations file bankruptcy, it's good business. When an individual has to file bankruptcy, it's dishonest to not pay your bills. That is a stigma that we all need to put behind us. A capitalistic society would not survive without having bankruptcy filing is a way out when things fall apart. People should not feel embarrassed about having to consult a bankruptcy lawyer about their financial situation. Most of the time they will leave the bankruptcy lawyer being encouraged that they are not alone during these tough times.

Filing Bankruptcy? Don't Worry About What You Lose But What You Gain   Inflation Will Cause Many to File Bankruptcy in the Next Few Years   

Filing Bankruptcy? Don't Worry About What You Lose But What You Gain

Now that we are once again heading into a holiday season most Americans put a high priority on materialism. As consumer debt continues to rise many Americans will be considering filing bankruptcy once again for their New Year's resolution. Most people take on the attitude that they will have one more outrageous Christmas on their credit cards and then start working on becoming debt-free even if it means filing for bankruptcy. But instead of taking care of business now, the pain is pushed off to 2013.

The good news is a bankruptcy filing can break the bondage of debt and free your soul. When we look at how materialistic and superficial the world has gotten we need to look at what the Bible says about it. In Matthew 16:26 Jesus made a strong statement regarding this, "For what willit profit a manif he gainsthe whole world and forfeits his soul? Basically, he is saying that you can't take the stuff with you, so you need to get your priorities in check. The last time I checked, you never see a hearse towing a U-Haul trailer. Basically, Americans are putting themselves in debt so they can have everything they want. What they give up is the debt ends up owning them. Many families end up breaking up as the debt becomes overwhelming that was created so they could have the big house, the fancy cars and give their kids everything they asked for. We see this scenario played out over and over again in American culture where it ends up in divorce, a foreclosure and a bankruptcy filing.

People especially today should be aware of what's going on economically nationwide and take the steps to put their personal financial future in check. For some people, filing bankruptcy might be the best way for them to put their debt behind them and get a second chance at becoming debt-free in the future. Since the housing market blew up back in 2007, many Americans have been scraping along hoping that things will turn around. While hope is good, there becomes a point in time where common sense has to come into the picture. People really need to take a hard look in what is in the future for the industry they are in and how it will affect their finances. The way it looks now for the economy is this is the new normal. Thinking any differently is utter foolishness.

Being proactive when it comes to financial matters will help alleviate any stress that comes with being behind on bills. When someone gets to the point that they are robbing Peter to pay Paul they should consider seeking the advice of a bankruptcy attorney to see if filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy might have something to offer for their personal situation. It doesn't mean that they have to file bankruptcy immediately, but it might give the individual some information that could prepare them for what is to come whether it be good or bad.

All we need to do is remember that knowledge is power and the more knowledge you have about financial matters including filing bankruptcy will give an individual an upper leg on getting out of debt quickly and get on the road to becoming debt-free. Many famous people have done exactly this and are now successful giants in industry. Instead of waiting around for things to turn around people should be proactive especially in this economy and consult a bankruptcy attorney before it's too late.

Filing Bankruptcy? Don't Worry About What You Lose But What You Gain   Inflation Will Cause Many to File Bankruptcy in the Next Few Years   

How to Set an Email Auto-Responder?

It is not a tough task at all to set up an email auto-responder. For setting an autoresponder for your email account you first need to create a text file in your account which would be the body of the autoresponder. After you have created it you need to open that particular file and then create the body where the message of the auto-responder is written. Then you need to login to Webmin and there you need to substitute the name of the server with the name of the actual server that you are using for your account. Then you should go to the Servers section and then click on the Virtualmin Virtual Servers button. There under the Domain Name you should click on the domain name that you need to add the auto-responder to. Then on the Edit Server Page you need to go to the bottom and then click on Edit Mail and FTP Users button. Now you will be able to see all the mail users that are there in the particular domain.

In the next step you need to go to the Name button and then click on the name of the email user to whom you want to send your auto-responder. Now you need to send the autoresponder and for that you should go the Select box in the right of the Email forwarding destinations and there choose the Autoreply option from the file. In the field that is located beside the Select box you need to type the path of the auto-responder file.

If you want to receive the emails in this mailbox then you have to choose the option "This User's Mailbox" in the next Select box which is just under the first one and do not have to type anything in the corresponding text field. If this second option is not chosen then your mail will be responded and then will be deleted. Now click on the Save option so that the changes are saved.

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Autoresponders - What You Should Know

Autoresponder services are one of the most widely used marketing tools online today. This service is also known as automated email, mailbot, email responder, and even autosender, but regardless of what you call it, it is one of the most effective marketing tools that you can find. When you employ the use of autoresponders, you can save time and effort in your business. Then, you can use that time and energy to focus on other areas of your business. All autoresponders work the same way, automatically sending a message when the parameters are met by the program. You can set up these parameters any way that you like.

Having an autoresponder service can provide your business with many benefits. Of course, these systems are also widely abused on the internet and you need to be careful so that you don't get yourself a bad reputation by using these systems. You should always make sure that you use your personal email to sign up for services or submit your website to search engines. The autoresponder should only be used for emails to customers who have signed up at your website to receive communications. Otherwise, you will likely face a lot of issues along the way.

You should also never use an autoresponder to solicit customers. This is annoying and is technically known as spam. Only email customers that are on your mailing list and who have volunteered to receive messages. Otherwise, you will lose business and get a bad reputation for spamming people, which no one appreciates. As long as you take care of your autoresponder service and make sure that you use it correctly, it can provide your business with increased sales and plenty of other benefits.

An autoresponder should not be chosen solely based on its cost. Instead, you should look at the included features of the service, the reputation of the provider, and other elements to determine which system is the best for your needs. The good news is that you can always find an affordable service as long as you are willing to take the time to look. If you are searching for an easy, affordable solution to marketing for your business, this is it. Use it wisely and you will reap the rewards. If you don't follow the rules, however, you could face serious consequences. Make sure that you understand what you're getting involved with before you employ these services, as well.

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Ready to Build a Website? Here's What You Need

When your website is set up correctly, and focused just right on your ideal clients, it can be a 24/7 sales and marketing tool for your business. Unfortunately, far too many small business owners are missing out on important keys that can make or break their businesses. Don't be one of them! Having a great website is a non-negotiable in 2012! You have to have an effective, strategic online presence in order to grow your business.

Here are five key areas for your profit focused website:

1. Your website platform. I've said it before and I'll say it again - WordPress is the BEST platform for your profit focused website. It's easy to update with new posts, even for a non-techie, and has all of the behind the scenes functions that you'll need to get found by search engines and ideal customers alike. You can create a website with pages and posts or a more traditional blog style website.

Be warned - there are two types of WordPress. WordPress.org is a free blogging platform that is hosted on WordPress's site. What you'll need for your WordPress website is the version available at WordPress.com.

2. Your website theme. One of the reasons that WordPress is such a good choice for your business website is because of the myriad of themes available. You can select a theme that fits your site's purpose and then have it customized by a WordPress expert. There are lots of free and premium themes available that can take your website from bland to spectacular. Visit StudioPress, ThemeForest, iThemes or WooThemes for a theme that fits your brand and your needs.

3. Domain Registration and Hosting. Of course, the best WordPress theme in the world isn't going to do you a while lot of good without a domain name and web hosting! Your domain registration will allow you to host a site at a web address. Try to choose something memorable, not too long and connected to your business name. Your hosting is a monthly fee that will allow you to host your website at that domain name. It holds all of the files, images and content that people see when you visit your site.

If this seems like Greek to you, don't worry! There are several companies that offer domain names and hosting together in the same package. Try out GoDaddy, BlueHost or HostGator for your domain registration and hosting needs. Typically you'll pay a one-time fee for a domain name and then a monthly hosting cost for your website.

4. Royalty-free Images. You can't have a profitable website without images, but you can't just Google an image and use it on your site either. You have to use images that are free for your use - called "royalty free." These images are available for use on your website without paying a photographer a hefty fee. Although there are some sites that offer royalty free images for free, your best bet is to go with a microstock photography website. These sites normally have better quality images that you can use on your site and in your marketing materials. I prefer Dreamstime and iStockPhoto. They both have a great selection of images.

5. Copywriting. Copywriting is essential to your profit-focused website. Your pages and blog posts need to speak to your ideal customers and motivate them to take the next step with you. A copywriter can take your basic message and turn it into something that really compels your audience to make a purchase, sign up for your course or reach out to connect with you.

You can find a copywriter by asking for referrals. If you know other small or solo business owners who has a website that makes them money, ask them about their copy and who created it. Choose writer who experience developing effective web copy for your target market.

Another option is to post a project on Elance.com. With Elance, hundreds of copywriters will bid on your project and you can select the one with the right qualifications and price for your needs. Elance copywriters are rated based on their past projects, so you can be assured that the writer you're working with knows his or her stuff!

With the right platform, theme and copywriting, your small business website can become the profit driving machine that you're looking for. Look into these resources if you need a new website, or want to revamp your old one.

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Digital Agency And Its Role In Retaining Business Sanity

It's a mad, mad world

The green shoots of recovery are showing but every person in business that has to sell a product or service to survive knows that there could be a late frost that would set back financial recovery by at least another year. Nobody knows what is going to happen financially or politically but there are positive signs in the USA. The role of a digital agency is to help its clients maximize opportunities to market and sell online whilst also protecting its clients from all the online madness that can send a business into a downward spiral.

An E-commerce digital agency has to balance budget against expectations which can mean maximizing all the opportunities that exist online that do not necessarily incur cost. One of the best ways to keep a website hot and attractive is to ensure that its content remains fresh, relevant and fully search engine optimized; that way, both Google spiders and visitors delivered by Google remain impressed. Other forms of marketing that are inexpensive but essential include the writing of numerous original articles, peppered with relevant key words that are posted on article websites such as Squidoo, Hub and EzineArticles and also numerous specially created affiliate websites. For a business person to follow a policy of writing content and then seeing that content posted online takes a massive amount of effort and knowledge; but a good E-commerce web designer will have the knowledge and the content writers to help drive traffic to the client website whilst the client company focuses on developing products, sales and clients.

Stop the world

In the TV series 'Mad Men', there is a madness that comes from a post-war generation with too much money, too much drink, too many cigarettes and too many women; it is the bounty of those years before the start of the Vietnam War that sends the men into a spiral of excess. Today, there is no excess in web design and marketing, just very hard work trying to keep abreast of what is happening on a daily basis. For example, a travel web design agency has to ensure that its client's travel website can compete on a global scale with every travel website in the world. There are few boundaries to the internet, except those created by Iran and China, which means that a travel website that offers deals on flights and hotels, car hire and insurance will have to compete with a website designed and hosted on the other side of the world that is offering customers the exact same deals.

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Different Ways of Earning By Web Design

Are you interested in to earn from the internet by using your custom web design abilities and talents? You would definitely like to make some money online. The good news is that internet offers great opportunities that are in search for opportunities. There are numerous ways through which a talented and proficient web designer can earn a hefty amount from the internet. In this article we will discuss some of the most effective and successful ways to have a custom website design business.

As a web designer, you might definitely know that the creation, maintenance and management of each website design varies and in the same way the revenues and profits of each website varies as well. You have a number of options, and you have to choose the right model of business depending on the time, money and efforts that you are willing to invest in the business. Overall, web designs pricing these days are very high and you would definitely be able to earn a lot of money if you have the potential to come up with creative designs efficiently.

High traffic advertising websites are good sources of earning money these days. One of the most widely used online business models it is the sole source of profit for many organizations. To earn money, you can design and develop a website, have high traffic on it and then put some type of advertisements on the website. This will enable you to sit and receive the money for the advertisements. In order to have high traffic on the site, first of all you need to have an attractive and custom web design, and then you must invest some funds for the advertising and search engine optimization of the website. Search engine optimization techniques ensure high traffic on a website. Revenue from advertising on a site can be earned in three ways, cost per impression, cost per click and fixed rate space. Cost per click is the most popular and widely-used method.

As a web designer you can also launch a commission or fee based brokerage website to earn money. The best example of a website like this would be eBay. Again, you need to have an interactive and custom website design for such a project. The design of the website should be highly attractive, it should have a good and smooth navigation structure so that the visitor of the website easily finds what he is looking for.

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Why Website Design Succeeds

Internet is a common place to make a product or service familiar for everyone in the world. Internet exists only because of webs which freely flow all over the net. The websites need something different to reveal, something which makes a difference. This is achieved with the help of website design.

Websites are designed to serve a lot of purposes. Firstly, it creates an appeal for the world audience. The beauty attracts anyone from anywhere. If the website has attraction, people would like to flock several times a week or month. The colors, links and presentation of content make the web look alluring.

Secondly, every company needs a base to showcase its product. With internet, it is able to show its product on the front page. The page can work fruitfully when product description is presented with pictures and colors. The webpage is web design of the company where the product or service gets a window.

Thirdly, presenting the content is foremost for company to give information to the viewers. Content can be written and displayed. But, it should be presented in a proper manner keeping in view the space, distance and structure. If the information is presented without tables or indents, everything will go haywire.

Designers are using different software to achieve beauty on the web pages. Software like Photoshop is used to accentuate the page appeal. Dreamweaver makes it easy for designer to design page without touching HTML. DHTML tools are integrated to enhance the look of the web pages. Adobe Flash is mainly used for inserting animations or creating movement of objects.

Web design services are available online through a number of web development companies. Companies providing the services provide a package which depends on the number of pages to design, size of website, type of animation or graphics to be used and content.

Many companies are working as freelancers, bidding for work after showing their creations live. The work is distributed equally among all the designers and developers so that each one can concentrate on their own theme and give the best output. In fact, web design has become a part time or work from home job as many website buyers are interested in the work and not the place where designer works.

Search engines prefer a good quality and fast website. A site which opens fast and shows the desire results is likely to be admired by surfers who don't want to wait for long to go through the site. If the website design is complex and cumbersome, it would take time and you would prefer to close it at once.

Uniqueness is very vital ingredient of website design. Original ideas can make a website stand apart from other general websites. The idea used in designing carries weight as it is the sole factor to sequentially place the website on the internet. Without effective design, it is difficult to reach the heart of net user or the target audience.

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Web Design - Links Are Important

The idea of becoming a web designer is very appealing to many people. How many times do you wish you could sit in your pajamas on the back porch, and be at work? However, designing websites is not quite that simple. Sure, maybe you can sit in your pajamas, but that doesn't let you off the hook when it comes to doing a good job.

One of the jobs of a good web designer is to make sure all of the links on the website work. You've probably had that experience - you click the "service areas" tab, and nothing happens. Well, there are a lot of links in a properly designed website, and if they don't work, you lose customers.

LINKS BRING CUSTOMERS IN A link is just that - it links your customer to more information about that same subject. You'll have articles out on the internet, catching the eye of search spiders, with valuable key words in the article. The keyword will probably be highlighted, and when the reader clicks on that keyword, the link should take them to your website. This is one way to get traffic to your site. So, if you are a roofing contractor in Boise, Idaho, and want more customers in that area, you put articles on the web about "roofers in Boise". Link that phrase back to your website, where the first thing your potential customer sees is your company name, and "Roofer in Boise".

LINKS CATCH SPIDERS Another great use for links is that Google likes them. When you have links on your website or in your articles, the Google spiders notice your content more quickly, and rank it higher.

LINKS HELP CUSTOMERS FIND THEIR WAY Links also help your customers navigate around in your website. For instance, if you have an online catalog, you want your customers to be able to click a link to the particular product relating to their search. Usually, in good web design, you'll have tabs on your home page. They usually go across the top of the page, right under the header, but some people put them vertically on one side or the other. While you may want to be different, just make sure that the location of the tabs is visually clear to your customer. You should have a "Home", "About Us", "Service Area", and "Contact Us" tab, at the very least. If you have an online catalog, there should be a tab for that, as well. Make sure all of the tabs work.

Links within your website will take the customer to various pages, providing further information about the product they are searching. You may have a link from your list of services to a blog post, also on your site, with more information about that service.

It is of vital importance that you check the links on your web site quite often. Make sure they function, and do what they say they will. Try to buy something from your own site, and make sure the process is smooth. If you link off of your website, make sure the links are operable. Check links frequently, and keep everything running smoothly.

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Top 5 Design Mistakes That Kills the SEO of Your Website

This is why it is important not only to design visually pleasing and navigation-friendly websites but create ones which are SEO-centric too. It is significant to learn a few tricks of website creation and not make 'killing' mistakes. Some such mistakes are mentioned below.

Creating Templates in the first place Though WordPress, Magento and other Open Source platforms allow you to create terrific Templates at a very low cost, their SEO related deficiency cannot be underestimated. It is well known that templates are not Meta tagged extensively from the back end and hence they are very hard to read by search engines. Customized websites with unique contents are far easier to be crawled by Google's robots. Thus one can infer that creating websites with intense HTML tagging and CSS frameworks are far more suited to the task of SEO. It only helps that customized websites are also much more pleasing visually.

Using Flash on the home page Flash cannot be decoded by the robots of Google. Despite its brilliant algorithm, Google largely remains biased towards text. Thus, flash images on the home page can be detrimental to the fortunes of your websites. If you want to use them, you can get your websites worked over the JQuery platform. If you do not believe in this superb technique of java scripting you can introduce a Skip Intro page or create a Flash enabled and non-flash website simultaneously (both hosted on the same server)

Failing to use image optimization Unless optimized with image based meta tagging, you will find the images suffering in hands of Google robots. For instance, if you are using the image of 'Dove shampoo' on your webpage, Meta tag the image with.txt. This way, crawlers will be able to fetch the content and also the text in its proximity.

Not creating sitemap in XML format Sometimes website designers rely on creating a HTML sitemap forgetting that the XML format is more easily accessible by Google bots. This way, they miss out on showing each page 'in one go' to the robots and hence the websites turn out poorly indexed. Naturally, it affects the search engine rankings a great deal.

Not creating drop down menus Adding a long list of main navigation bars can be really harmful for a website's SEO. It is much more viable to create fewer main pages and various drop down menus or sub pages to a website. A simple CMS can help in updating the sub pages as many times as you want. This way, a website owner doubles his privilege. As a first, he can put up new offers and discounts or change his images as many times as he wants. Second, the website gets terrific SEO boost.

To sum up With a professional hand to help you out, such mistakes can be easily avoided. Thus it is important not to go the DYI way if you are not well-versed with the art of making websites. Also, it is always better to do some research online and read academic articles on the "Mistakes to Avoid".

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Web Design Tips - Ideas Overwhelmed

When you tell someone you're a "Web Designer", you usually get raised eyebrows and an "ooooh!" expression in return. That's because most people wouldn't dare to tread into such an ether world as designing something you can't touch, occupying space in - well - space. But, do you really know what you're doing? No matter how many ideas you have, you can always learn a little more. So, here are some tips for web design that you may not have considered.

BACKGROUND First of all, make sure the web design is not too hard to read. This starts with the background, and ends with the colors of fonts you choose. This is also why many web designers actually hire a graphic artist to do this part of the job.

The background more or less sets the mood for your page. If it is super bright, with lots of patterns on it, It may overpower the main content. The same is true if you have a GIF in your background, or use strobe effects.

Sure, you may have a really "punk" concept to promote, but remember that if the viewer can't read the information on the site, you won't be able to promote anything. If you choose to use a really busy background, make sure there is a solid layer between the background of your web design and your information.

COLORS Red font on a blue background. Seriously? NO ONE can read that! What are you trying to say? If you have ever had to copy the text from a website, past it into a word document, highlight it all and then change the font color JUST TO READ the content, then you have been a victim of bad web design. There is a reason that almost all printed text is in black and white, and it's not because white paper is cheaper than colored paper. No, you don't have to stick with black and white text, but you do need to select a color combination that doesn't cause an epileptic seizure or migraine headache when someone tries to read it. And that is a real threat - it's called episodic seizure, and can be brought on by flashing lights or difficult color combinations.

Another thing to remember when choosing colors is to select a color palette. A good rule of thumb is to use a paint sample strip from a paint store. The colors usually go well together, so they won't clash on your web page. Of course you can use contrasting colors - if you don't your text won't show up - but make sure any text is legible.

FONTS The fonts you choose for vital information on your web design should be easy to read. Sure, you can use crazy stuff for the special effects parts of your page, but if you choose a font that makes it hard to tell the difference between a "3" and an "8", or a "c" and an "e", you're going to have people show up at the wrong address on the wrong date.

Choosing your background, colors, and fonts are just the beginning of your new web design. There is plenty more you can do, though, to make your web site a money-maker.

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Designing and Creating Effective Landing Pages

For online businesses, it is of prime importance to convert traffic into leads and sales. Internet strategists and copywriter, Bob Bly, presented a webinar on writing and designing landing pages that effectively generate leads and convert them into sales. I'll outline here the core ideas I learned from his webinar.

A landing page is intended primarily for visitor conversion. After driving traffic to our landing page through various methods like e-mail and social media marketing, we aim to convert this traffic into leads and eventually, into sales.

How well your landing page in inciting visitors to do the action you wish them to carry out will tell you how effective its conversion. Here's a simple equation to quantitatively figure out your page's conversion:

C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

C - conversion rate

M - prospect motivation

V - value proposition

I - incentive to take action

F - friction

A - anxiety

The above equation tells us that conversion rate is determined by five factors: prospect motivation, value proposition, incentive to take action, friction, and anxiety.

1. Prospect Motivation

Prospect motivation is the most important factor in visitor conversion. It pertains to how well your motive in persuading your visitors. Your motivation should get your visitors' attention and inspire them to sign up on your page or subscribe to your updates. Or your motivation should positively affect your visitors about your products or services and in making purchasing decisions.

2. Value Proposition

Value proposition denotes the clarity, on the part of your prospects, of the value of your products or services intend to deliver. What advantage they can get from using your products or services? Is purchasing your products or services worth their money?

3. Incentive to Take Action

What advantage your visitors can get by immediately responding to your call? Will they get special discounts? Do you offer product bundling? Or are you offering limited edition products?

4. Friction

Friction refers to any difficulties that could prevent visitors from subscribing to your site or responding to your offer. Thus, friction may cause visitors to ignore your offer. For instance, if you're offering a bait piece but in return visitors must fill out a sign-up box asking for a lot of information, this may dismay them.

5. Anxiety

Visitors may be hesitant to subscribe to your page because they're thinking that signing up could lead to receiving e-mail spams. Or putting in some of their personal details on your site is unsecured.

Hot Spots of a Landing Page

There are at least seven important areas of a landing page. When designing a landing page, these are the variables that are worthy to be considered and tested:

1. Banner

What comes above the headline on your page, adds credibility to your business or to your self.

2. Headline

It is the most important area of a landing page. It primarily receives the visitors' attention.

3. Subhead

It explains what your page is all about. It should able to catch the visitors' interest and draw them to the body copy.

4. Body Copy

It presents and discusses all about your special offer. What are the benefits visitors may get from your products or services?

5. Close

It is in this part that you ask for action. What advantage visitors may gain by responding immediately to your offer?

6. Image

You may include the images of your offers. These may further persuade visitors to buy your products or subscribe to your site as you provide them a glimpse of the benefits they may get.

7. Form Position

You collect information from your visitors by having them filled out a form. Aside from making the form noticeable, make sure that you only ask for the most important information from your prospects. A form that asks for trifling information may dismay them and prevent them from completing it.

Tips on Creating a Landing Page

1. Select the Best Image

The best image for your landing page should give visitors a glimpse of the benefits they may get from purchasing your products or subscribing to your site. As we used to say, a picture paints a thousand words; so, the best image should engage visitors' imagination and stimulate their creative thinking as they imagine the benefits of your products or bait piece.

2. Use Online Video

Not all of your visitors are patient enough to read your marketing content all the way through. A video presentation is a great alternative means of persuading visitors to subscribe to your site or prospective clients about the benefits they may get from your products or services. Moreover, a video marketing increases the chance of having your site on different types of search results like video, web, blog, or forum.

3. Keywords Should be Relevant to Content

Your Advertisement keywords should be related to your targeted keywords in your content. Searchers use keywords or phrases to find specific information on the internet. That is, they primarily look for quality content. Making your Ads related to your content keywords will not only boost the online presence of your products or services, but their salability as well. Your content itself will either directly or indirectly speak of the advantages people may get from your products or services.

4. Have the Right Length for your Landing Page

The length of your content is largely shaped by the length of your e-mail marketing content that intends to direct recipients to your site and your landing page itself. If your e-mail marketing is long enough, presenting every detail of your products or services, it's better to have a brief content on your landing page. This is because visitors directed to your site through links in your e-mail marketing, likely are those who read well your e-mail content. So you need not to repeat the content of your e-mail marketing on your landing page. Hence, if you have a brief e-mail marketing content, you should elaborate the features of your products or services on your landing page.

5. The Power of One

Have one kind of products or services and sell it to one kind of audience through one kind of idea or strategy at one time. Market your products or services to people who will likely to have interest on them the most.

Landing Page Strategy

Capture E-mails through a Preview Page

A preview page or squeeze page is just like presenting a sign-up box to visitors. Persuade them to sign-up, putting in their names and e-mails, through subtle marketing statements. You can offer a free e-book as your bait piece or a free access to an exclusive content if visitors would sign-up for a no-commitment subscription.

Your preview page will help you to gather information necessary in e-mail marketing. Use e-mail marketing to further promote your free content or make follow-ups on those who didn't directly respond to your marketing spiel.

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Best Children's Books: Ten Top Selections for Pre-Schoolers

Children have cherished books for centuries now. They love books for different reasons. Sometimes their reasons even stump us adults. The following are ten carefully chosen books books for pre-schoolers, though some a little older still like them. We adults may struggle selecting books for children because we are looking for a plot or story line-we are maybe looking for excitement. But pre-schoolers want something they can understand, something fun, something with which they can identify, maybe something cuddly and comforting.

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, tight in its language yet exuberant in its pictures. When Max is trundled off to bed without his dinner, he imagines an adventure in the land of the Wild Things, where he meets a raucous collection of fanciful beasts. After some monster fun, he becomes homesick, awakens in his bedroom to find a piping hot supper waiting for him.

2. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff. Oh, that starving little mouse. Once you give him the cookie, you kick off a crazy trail of action! By the end of the story, the mouse, the boy that gives him the cookie, and maybe even the reader, are exhausted! Wonderful illustrations and a kooky lead character.

3. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is the only wordless tale in this list. A great book to begin getting a child interested in reading. A memorable story of a boy who makes and then befriends a snowman who enters his world and takes him out on a nighttime journey. The non-conclusive ending can also furnish a great beginning.

4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. The author apparently accepted a wager that he couldn't write a story using only fifty words. "Do you like green eggs and ham? I do not like them Sam-I_am." This book's repetitive phrases, simple drawings and goofy charm make it one of the favorites and also a book to help kids learn how to read..

5. Curious George by H.A. and Margaret Rey. The has got to be the world's most beloved monkey! Curious George has had many thrilling adventures in his day, but it all starts with the first one, which has become a classic. Of course, we've got to introduce a new generation of readers to this crazy troublemaking chimp.

6. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Watch out for citified ducks... A great read aloud, this tale of two mallards who decide to raise their family in the Boston's Public Garden is an all-time favorite. Beautiful drawings and a great story have made this story one sought out by thousands.

7. No, David! by David Shannon. As little David somersaults from one outlawed activity to the next, with his mom shouting the title, David's naughtiness is quite impressive. Believe it or not, this kid's book has a "real" soundtrack: the text is drawn from a book the author produced when he was 5!

8. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McClosky. As Sal and her mom head toward a patch to pick blueberries, so do a mother bear and her cub. Eventually the young set swap moms for a cockeyed adventure tale and a comedy of errors. Kids like it.

9. The Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. This colorful classic depicts a very hungry insect eating his way through an apple, two pears, three plums, and a collection of other treats. Part of the trip includes readers learning about colors and counting-plus the added benefit of an intro to the life cycle of a caterpillar.

10. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. The story of a boy and his mom. While the mother continues to rock her boy to sleep-even if she must sneak into his bedroom to do it-life continues through stages as he grows up and his mom grows older. Eventually, he rocks his own aged mother to sleep. A touching cycle-of-life tale that may bring a tear to the eye.

So, parents, grandparents, teachers, and other assorted readers, here are ten sure winners for pre-schoolers. I hope it helps you in the unending quest for the love and satisfaction of the young-uns.

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