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How to Market My New Business – First Places to Start

April 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Starting a business is an exciting time. Marketing a new business often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list when there is so much to accomplish.  However, to really get your new business up and running, move marketing to the top of your task list and watch business start pouring in.

Marketing your new business task list:

#1  Get listed.  This is an easy step, get your business website listed on the search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.  Once you’re listed then you can go about increasing your search engine ranking. To get listed, you can submit via your website host if they offer submission services. If not, simply visit each search engine and manually submit your URL.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Marketing, Social Networking

3 Simple SEO Tips

February 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is tossed around the web like no body’s business. The problem is a lot of the people talking about it really do not know much about it. SEO is complicated in many ways and really does require a lot of time, research and consistency. However, there are a few simple things to get you started if you are a newbie to SEO, cannot afford to hire an SEO expert or time is limited for you.

Simple SEO Tips to get you Started

Keywords

You really need to do research and find out what niche works best for your website. Once you do that focus on two no more than three keyword/phrases. Once you know what they are, make sure you have them through out your page. Do not over use them though. It must be well balanced.

Make sure you have some bold, italicized and/or underlined. Not all…just a few here and there. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Coaching, Featured, SEO/Traffic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

New Years Resolutions for Your Business in 2010

January 4, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

We already discussed the importance of setting goals. Now, let’s talk about making realistic New Years Resolutions for your Business in 2010.

It is pretty much a staple that with the coming of each new year, resolutions must follow. We have this innate need to be better and do better. Because of this, when a new year arrives, we want to try harder and plan for success…again. However, what is the point of resolutions if one does not keep them? I say, no point at all!

2010 is special. It is a new year and a new decade. We have an opportunity to grow as business owners and achieve a new kind of success in an ever changing world.

How can a business set resolutions? Simple. Sit down. Take a long hard look at how your business is doing and what areas can use improvement. Set goals. Change. Do. Follow though!

Ten Resolutions for Any Business in 2010

  • Better Customer Service. If a business lacks good customer service, they are doomed to failure. The customer is the most important aspect of any business.
  • Budget. Every business needs a budget. If setting a budget sounds scary or is not something your business has, I encourage you to sit down with an accountant or someone who has money knowledge. Set a realistic budget and resolve to follow through with it. How the money is spent will affect the ability to promote, grow and provide for the business. Have a clear money resolution. Stick to it.
  • Competitive Pricing. When setting prices for services and products make sure they are not the lowest or highest. It is important for the overall market that pricing is competitive. It there are businesses offering lower than reasonable pricing, they are not helping the over all market for the business they represent. It should not be the goal to crush competition. There are many customers out there and plenty of business to go around. Be competitive. However, do not ruin the market.
  • Marketing. There must be a doable plan to get the word out about your product or service. Think about what forms of advertising and PR you will use. Include marketing in the businesses budget.
  • Use the Internet. Having a website and/or blog is a vital ingredient in the technology crazed world we are in. Find a good web designer and create a web presence for your business. Getting on the web will give the business more opportunities for growth. If your business already has a website, consider freshening it up!
  • Stick with One Niche. Focus on what your business offers. When a client sees your product or service, they should have a clear understanding of what you offer and what your company is all about. Stick to what works.
  • Social Networking. Some people say this is a new form of promoting a business. However, I disagree. Social networking has been around since business began. Think about it. Word of mouth has always been a great way to get the word out about a product or service. The only thing that has changed is the method. It is better in today’s world because of the powerful Internet.
  • Plan for Success. Growth should be the goal of all businesses. Think big and dream bigger. Never limit the possibilities. PLAN for success. Do what it takes to make a mark for your business. Keep a positive focus and clear strategies for how you can make success a reality for your business.
  • New Products and Services. Consider adding new products and/or services that are still within the main niche of what your business has to offer. Set your business apart. Also, plan the year for specials. Use holidays and seasons to help create special promotions and freebies with purchases. It is always a good thing when a business has a special promotion. Doing this will keep customers coming back for more.
  • Stay in Touch. Create a customer list. Send them postcards or emails to inform them of current sales. Use lists to stay in touch with customers and help find new ones. Offer them a special discount on their birthday. Be personal. It is always nice to be personal with a customer. It makes them feel special and sets your business apart from others.

These ten 2010 New Years Resolutions are useful for any Business. Use them to help your business start the new decade off right!

Here’s to your success in 2010…and beyond!

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Blog, Business Coaching, Featured Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

New Year. New Decade. New Business.

January 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

2010 is here and an opportunity to start a new decade filled with new goals and a strong business plan. Let go of the past and press on to the future. It is a fresh new year and decade filled with opportunities for growth and success in business.

There are certain steps that are important for all businesses. Today, let’s look at goals…

Setting Business Goals.

Goal setting in business…actually in many areas of life is vital to success and proper growth. There must be a clear plan and focus so that business owner and client can see a future.

Step by Step.

First, a business plan should be made. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the purpose of your business?
  • What do you want to accomplish in the next year, five years, and even decade?
  • What is your main focus?
  • How do you plan to achieve it all?

Once you have clear answers, use them to create a plan and strategy for your business. Be purposeful. Take one step at a time and start small. Set mini goals to get you started with medium and long term goals for a broader focus.

Setting goals and planning your business’s future will not only help your business succeed, it will relive stress and give you something to work towards.

Set the Goals.

It is much easier than you think to set business goals. Below is an example of goals that can be set.

Short Term Goals

  • get a website, logo and brand for my business in 2010
  • work on gaining at least 1 new client a week.

Medium Term Goals.

  • Turn a profit within 3 years.
  • Expand.

Long Term Goals.

  • Double current income by 2015.

This is just an example. When you sit down to focus on what you want for your business it will be different. Also, please note: you must be willing to do the work to accomplish the goals you set. They will not just happen. Put action behind the goals.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Blog, Business Coaching, Featured, WAHMS Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Yet Another Related Posts Plugin to Help Your Readers

December 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Yet Another Related Posts Plugin is a handy little plug in that I use on one of my other sites. I tested it out there and plan to incorporate it onto all of my other blogs soon. You can visit plug in site here.

What exactly does it do?

Simply put, it detects other posts on your blog that relate to the one being posted. It uses key words, phrases, titles, etc to help it find related posts. It shows up at the bottom of the posts and says; “Related Posts.” Under the title is a list of posts and their links that relate to what you just wrote.

Another interesting thing about this plug in is that next to each “related posts” link, it has a percentage. This percentage tells the reader just how related the topics are. Very helpful for someone researching a specific topic.

It is a great tool to help readers browse your site about specific topics. It also encourages them to read more of what your site has to offer. As a website owner, my goal is not only traffic, it is continual traffic, return traffic and quality traffic. I believe this plug in helps facilitate that goal.

Plus internal link to other pages on your website are very good for SEO.

You can see it in action on my Mom site. Simply scroll down any post. At the bottom you will see the plug in at work. Here is a link to one of our recent posts: http://momsoffaith.com/blog/faith-and-business-101-the-nitty-gritty-part-2

Let me know what you think. Have you used this plug in or one like it? What was your experience?

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Links, SEO/Traffic Tagged With: , , ,

EBooks: A High Profit, Low-Maintenance Business

August 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

If you are serious about making money online, there are a number of ways to do it. One profitable idea is eBooks. They require very little cost upfront and can provide lots of revenue for your business.

What are EBooks?

EBooks are digital reading media that is easy to pass along to others. Many are opting for electronic books over printed books these days for several reasons. One, eBooks are shorter versions of more traditional books that can be created and published by you.

Secondly, eBooks are easy to use and store. They fill files on your computer instead of space on bookshelves in your home. EBooks can be read in PDF format online or printed to take with you. Unlike traditional books, as soon as you order an eBook, you can have access to it in minutes.

What does that mean to you?

Do you like to write? If you have a way with words and a talent for enticing readers, you can use eBooks to bring a profit to your blog or website. Use your niche as subject matter for your eBooks. Since you already have knowledge about, say, Internet marketing, put your experience to work by offering it to others in the form of an eBook.

The cost to you is negligible. With a blog or website, you already have access to the Internet and a computer that is probably filled with software that is needed to work with eBooks: Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word. It is not a matter of creating the inside of the eBook. There are books and online articles that give tips for writing eBooks people will want to read.

EBooks vary in size. You may be able to charge more for longer books or you may command a good price for shorter ebooks that provide very concise and valuable information.

An eBook can be composed in a Word document on your computer. Use Microsoft Publisher to format your work and add extras to attract readers. Turn your Word document into a PDF file for easier downloading and printing by customers.

Selling EBooks

Now that you have created this eBook, you’ll need to find a way to get it into people’s hands. Marketing your eBook follows the same lines as marketing your website or blog.

Use article marketing to draw attention to your eBooks. Create an article series based on your eBook. Submit these articles to article sites and on your blog or website. Give just enough information in the articles to have the reader wanting to know more. In the resource box, mention the eBook and link to your website. Submit articles to social bookmarking sites with links to your website page showcasing the eBooks.

For customer ease, link your eBooks with your checkout process. Once the customer pays (PayPal, credit card, debit card) they will receive a link via email or automatically where they can download your product.

EBooks cost you next to nothing to produce so the money you make is all profit. Turn your writing skills and expertise in a certain area into money for your business.

Mom PLR eBooks Membership Site Tour

Copyright © Home Business Resource Directory, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: ebooks, Featured Tagged With:

SEO and Active Links

July 16, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an art. If you own a website or blog and want it to grow and be a great site with lots of traffic, SEO must become a regular part of y our life. Webmasters, successful ones anyway, never stop optimizing their sites. There is always something that can be tweaked or new idea surfacing to help site owners have better SEO.

Active Link Factor and SEO

You must be very careful how many outgoing active links (that are not a part of your actual domain) on your site. If you have too many, search engines will think you are a link farm and punish you for it. If you research and look for successful, high ranking and high traffic sites, you will see that they are not an ocean of outgoing links…especially on their main page.

If you have a lot of resource links, consider just putting them up as a reference and not making them active. That way visitors can still access the resource, but you are not hurting your SEO with a sea of active links.

Link Exchanges should be made only with good ranking sites and or quality niche sites. Be very picky. Also, make a separate page for link exchanges. Better yet, place link exchanges around your internal pages in places they will be most appreciated by visitors and encourage the same for those you exchange with. Remember, a quality link coming IN does not necessarily need to e a high ranking page. A page within your NICHE is the best.

Good SEO requires commitment and regular attention. Take the time to optimize your site regularly and you will reap the benefits for years to come.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Featured, Keyword Usage, Keywords, Links Tagged With: , , , ,

10 Reasons cPanel Hosting is the Best

July 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

There are many hosting companies tooting their horns these days. However, if they do not have cPanel with Fantastico, they are pointless and not worth your hard earned money.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should never spend more than $65 per year on hosting, and that is if you are getting premium hosting. Basic should be no more than $50 per year. Period. Oh, and avoid builders at ALL costs!! If you want easy, go with a free WordPress or Blogger blog.

10 Reasons cPanel Hosting is the Best

1. They Offer More than the Average Host. With cPanel you are getting more than just hosting. The platform is user-friendly and comes with video tutorials. A great option for the savvy webmaster and/or a beginner.

2. Email Accounts. Depending on the plan you purchase, at least 1 email account should be included. Not only do you get email accounts, you also get at least a couple different choices on retrieving webmail, optional forwarding, mailing list and more. With the webmail, there are signature options and sending options as well. Tons of mail features come with cPanel hosting.

3. Superior File Manager. Your files are in good hands with many options, including; back up abilities, ftp accounts, and more. Once in your file section it is extremely easy to manage. There is even a WYSIWYG editor for creating website pages…and many other helpful features for files and website pages.

4. Awesome Log Features. One of the best parts of cPanel hosting is the stats and logs that come with it. It has a bandwidth checker so you can keep track of bandwidth usage. It also comes with error log and several different stat counters for website traffic. The traffic stats are great and show you several different demographics and other important information on  your visitors.

5. Security Features. You can password protect pages, have hotlink protection, ip deny manager and more.

6. Domain Options. Again, depending on what package you purchase, you can have add on domains, parked domains, subs and redirects. How many depends on package.

7. Databases. No matter who you get cPanel hosting through, one database should be included. Otherwise, it is not worth it. Databases can be used for fantastic features, forums, blogs, and much more.

8. Software Services. This is bar far one of the best parts of cPanel hosting. Depending on the company you choose to get hosting with (and I recommend you shop), you will have several features to choose from. A few of them may be…

  • Fantastico. It’s all free and included with hosting. However, you must make sure you have enough databases for what you will be wanting to accomplish. With fantastico, you have easy access to many features, including; free forums like SMF, WordPress and other blog platforms, classifieds, content management, ecommerce options, image galleries, website templates and building options, Wiki, PHP form generator, auctions and much more…all at the click of your mouse!
  • RV Site Builder. This is a great option for beginners. Instead of paying a ton of money ($20+ per month or more) for a  builder host, RV site builder is included with most cPanel hosting companies. Very easy to use. Tons of templates and customizing features. It is a very user-friendly software.
  • PHP Pear Packages. PEAR packages are collections of functions that allow you to perform tasks in PHP.
  • Perl Modules functions and installer. Perl modules are collections of functions that allow you to perform tasks in Perl.
  • cPAddon Scripts. These are great for adding chat, bulletin boards, carts and more. Check with your host for more information.
  • CGI Center. Pre-installed scripts for you to use with your site. Some examples are; random HTML generator, advanced guestbook, java clock and much more.

9. Advanced Features. As if cPanel hosting did not come with enough features, you will also find things like; Apache handlers, error pages, index manager, Cron Jobs, Network tools and many more goodies depending on your host.

10. The Administrator Back Office Set Up. Not only is it easy to navigate, but there are admin features that make it easy for you to know what you have and your stats as well.

  • Search. Can’t find what you need in your cPanel. They provide a search function.
  • Frequently visited area. This is a great help if you mainly visit your mail, stats, and a couple other areas in your cPanel. It is like having a “quick links” section.
  • Stat Section. I am not talking about website traffic. I am talking about an admin stat section. Things like how many databases, email accounts, etc that you have, versions, bandwidth usage, disk space, and more.

As you can see, there are many many reasons that cPanel hosting is the best option for hosting  website or blog. Do some research and find the best company with the most reasonable prices. Make sure you know what you are getting with your cPanel and be sure Fantasitco is included, and RV site builder if you will need a user friendly builder system. Personally, I think a WordPress blog through the Fantastico will do the trick.

Do not forget that more than $50  a year for basic and $65 a year for premium hosting is a rip off. Period.

If you would like more information on cPanel hosting at reasonable pricing, click here.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Featured, Web Hosting Tagged With: , ,

Promoting Content is an Important Part of Increasing Traffic

July 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Writing original content is vital for designing a successful website or blog. New content must be added on a regular basis to keep it active. If a site is neglected, PR ranking and traffic will be lost and hard to get back.

One thing to remember: writing and posting the content is only part of the work involved in promoting a website. The content itself needs to be promoted.

10 Tips to Promote Content for Free

  • Start a Newsletter. A mailing list is extremely helpful. It allows the owner of the list to send out weekly or monthly updates about website, specials and new content. It also keeps business owners in touch with their readers and clients. Note: Only including partial articles in the newsletter will encourage readers to keep reading the piece on site. They may wind up reading more than the article that got them there!
  • Tweet about it. Twitter is growing in popularity every day. Business owners, bloggers and webmasters should jump on this lucrative social networking bandwagon while they have the chance. Who knows what the next “in thing” will be! Read more about promoting on Twitter here.
  • Digg It and Others like it. These types of sites are designed to get the word out about new and top notch content. Joining these free sites and using them to promote content is a must for getting the word out about a website and it’s content. A few of the good ones are; digg.com, plurk.com, buzz.yahoo.com, delicious.com, reddit.com and stumbleupon.com.
  • Facebook. Another great place to network and connect with other business owners is to have a facebook account. It should be used for more than just connecting with old highschool friends. Using it to connect with others in business is very savvy. Starting a fan page is also a great way to get the word out about new content. Posting regular updates on facebook will bring in more traffic and new readers.
  • Submit Content to Article Directories. It is important to have a good authors box with 1-2 links back to writers websites. After 30 days, sending original content to article directories, makes it available for others in the same niche. It is a great tool to get free back links.
  • Install Social Plug Ins. WordPress is by far the best blogging platform in this writers opinion. They have fabulous plug ins to help readers promote what they read. Every blog owner should have social links in the footer of their articles. It gives readers the ability to tweet about great posts they read, or at the very least give it a thumbs up on sites like digg!
  • SEO. Always make sure articles have good titles, meta tags, h1 & h2 headings, proper key word usage and tags. This helps search engines promote the articles, and index them properly so potential readers can find them! Proper SEO is a vital key for increasing traffic. Tip for WordPress Bloggers: Install All In one SEO plug in.
  • Encourage and Respond to Comments. If an article receives a comment, respond to the comment. Encouraging conversation is the site owners job. Asking colleagues and friends to read and comment on articles is a great way to get conversations going. If a site is intriguing to readers they will come back, tell their friends and maybe even post about it on their site/blog!
  • Link to Articles. Visit other blogs and leave NON spam comments. Instead of linking back to home page of site, linking to actual articles on site will help get the word out about the content. This is also a great tip for forum signatures. Using the title of article with link is also a good way to intrigue potential readers and make them want to click and follow.
  • Guest Blog. Being a guest blogger is another free way to promote a website. In the authors box can be a couple links back to articles that are popular or new. Guest blogging for website with high ranking and same niche is the key to making the most of this tip.

Promoting a website is an ongoing task. There are no “quick fixes” to increase traffic. It takes hard work and determination to create popular websites.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Article Marketing, Blog, Blogging, Featured, Marketing, SEO/Traffic, Social Networking Tagged With: , , , ,

One Change to WordPress Blog Can Help You Rank Better with Google

June 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

There are many things that must be done in order to obtain a better ranking with the top search engines like Google. However, one change can make a world of difference.

First, if you do not have WordPress self hosted already, I highly recommend it. I have done it all…builders, html, blogger, you name it. In the end a self hosted WordPress blog is the best all around. Period. (Click Here if you want some help with hosting or design)

A WordPress blog allows you to do so many things easily. One of them is to optimize your site for search engines.

One Change for Better SEO on WordPress

Simple…USE the SEO tools that are provided and available!

What are they and How?

1. Download the all in one SEO plugin. Follow the simple directions and you will be in a much better position.

2. Use categories to the fullest. When you create a new category, add proper keywords to description area. Just keywords separated by commas.

3. Repeat above with post tags.

4. Have good titles for posts. Make them at LEAST five words long.

5. Permalinks. Change them to custom or at least so they have actual names and not the default numbers.

Seriously, this one area of attention will make a world of difference. SEO is not the all in all of having a successful website or blog. However, it is one very important piece of the puzzle and this part of SEO is vital.

I have implemented them on all of my sites and am already seeing the fruits of my labor.

A website or blog is like a baby. It needs attention and care. If you give it those two things, you will be well on your way to success, and with success comes profit!

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Blogging, Business Coaching, Featured, Google, SEO/Traffic, Web Design Tagged With: , , , , ,
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