Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Great Resources...

All of the links below are products or services that I have used and found extremely helpful. I only endorse things I have used my self. If you find you have any problems with the services or products listed below please let me know. As I find great resources I add them to my website so you need to check out the website from time to time http://www.artistadesign.com Web Development & Implementation Resources My #1 Choice for hosting a website.Great customer service - prices cannot be beat for the value they give you. Click Here Need graphics - I use this resource. It is a wonderful place to get you graphics. Millions of downloadable royalty-free clipart images, photos, web graphics, sounds and fonts by subscription. iCLIPART.com Great Auto Responder Build your data base all the while automating your marketing plan! check this auto responder out I have been using it for years! Click Here Free Goodies!! Who doesn't love that.. The best freebie site I have ever seen. You designers and developers will love this site Click Here Another great royalty free service. For pictures, clipart, anything you need for your online visuals. Clipart.com
Content & Articles
Need help with articles ideas? Here is a great resource that allows you to use articles and rewrite them as well... Unlimited articles downloads and article niche packs Inforgoround.com
Search Engine & SEO Keywords and more... Keyword Tracker Google Analytics
Do you want to know if your web site is search engine ready? Go to this web site and see. It is free! Scrub The Web
Free Link PopularityWant to know who is linked to you? Fantastic Resource! Click Here
Spam CheckBefore you send out your marketing messages you need to make sure it will not be seen as spam. Here is a great link that will help you edit your messages properly! Click Here
Graphic Design Resources
Printer great price - good quality - Vista Print Click Here
150,000 stock photos for $139.95. High resolution for brochures and print items. Royalty free! Only at Photos.com.
Fantastic Free Fonts and More Click Here
Internet Knowledge Confused by web site terminology. Want to know the meaning to an internet acronym? I have the solution for you! Webopedia.com

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Delivery is EVERYTHING!

“It doesn’t matter whether your product is information or a flyswatter. If you understand marketing, you can make serious income.” Robert G. Allan, Author Multiple Streams of Internet Income How will your offerings make me look better, feel better? What will my family and friends say? Will this help me enjoy my leisure? Money is forever the great desire. Saving money and buying at a lower price are sound copy points. But they must be followed through with benefits, reasons, sound facts and lots more benefits. When designing your copy, stick to the emotionally-gratifying benefits. A potential customer may be sold, but will that person buy? Getting Your Reader's Attention Endorsements and testimonials are effective ways to dramatize facts and back up the benefits of your product, but don't use ones that look or feel transparent. If you use an endorsement from a famous or popular person, that person should use the product. Any testimonials you use must be true. Always aim for satisfaction. Self-respect, accomplishment and security are human aspects everyone strives for. Never talk down to the readers as though you know something they don't or you're better than they are. To you, the potential customer is POTENTIAL GOLD. Absolutely STAND BEHIND your word. Be cheerful and expedient in returning a phone call. Let them know that you sincerely appreciate their business and not to hesitate in contacting you, if there is any way you can be of further assistance. If you give a time limit the product will be offered for sale, or mention a limited supply, or have a reduced price for a certain time, you'll increase the impulse to act. Again, STAND BEHIND your word; and you will find customers come back again and again...

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Follow Your Passion

You know. I think a lot of us get caught up in the rate race and don’t stop and really think about what makes us happy. Are you only out to make riches or are you truly following your heart desires? I heard a great saying. I am not sure who wrote it, but It is so true….

“Follow your passion and you will never work a day in your life.”

If you really love what you do - it will fulfill and motivate you. My hope is that this article will help you in evaluating your journey in business and in life. You really can have whatever you want in life - when you truly believe it and put action to it.

People have different perceptions of the ideal life, and it ranges from obtaining financial freedom to something as simple as being able to spend more time with your family. Unfortunately, many fail to reach their aspirations because they can’t get a solid, clear picture in their mind or are confused about what they really want.

How do you know exactly what you want?

Write down all your possible answers to the questions below. Write down everything, no matter how silly or unimportant it seems. When that’s done, go back and circle five to seven items that interest you the most. Then evaluate and choose with your heart, not your mind, the one and only thing worthy to spend all your time and resources on and that brings out the best in you. Focus all your efforts on that particular desire. Those who are not clear about what they want and those who give up easily when the going gets tough will never get anywhere.

If you’re a bit confused and aren’t sure what you really want in life answer the questions below. Take the next few days and embark on a fact-finding journey that will be a life-changing experience. Get a pad and pencil and start with this first step:

1. What makes your heart beat with excitement?

2. What makes you happy?

3. What are you constantly thinking of day and night?

4. What do you want to do with the rest of your life?

5.What do you enjoy doing?

6. What are your obsessions?

7. What things make you jump for joy?

Now you may wind up with something like, “I want to be a professional dancer.” If you’re over 45 I’d say that isn’t too viable a choice, but you could do something related to dance or the arts. How about starting a ballet school for children? Or perhaps a retail business related to all things dance, promote the arts through working with struggling artists, or even managing a dance troop could be the answer. You can always read books and surf the net to help you in your search. The most important thing to remember, no matter how “pie in the sky” it seems, is to USE YOUR HEART. Others may disagree with you, but you should be firm with what you really want. Others may offer comments or advice, but the final decision is always yours to make. You should concentrate on what you want, not what others want.

"You only get one shot at living your life."

There are no replays and you don’t get to do it over. Too many lives have been lived in quiet desperation waiting until - they retire, and then they depart from this life before “until” ever arrives. Don’t go to sleep tonight without making a decision on WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IN LIFE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. Then spend a few days evaluating how to make it possible and make a living at it.

Begin living every day as if it were the last day you had – never leaving anything to be done next week, next month, or next year. There will always be bills, there may be storms and earthquakes and repairs – but there will only be one life for you to live. It can’t be put on “hold”! The outcome of your efforts may be in the future, but you’re living each day by taking steps toward that outcome.

Pamela Jacob is the owner of Artista Design. Being in business for well over a decade she delights in helping others achieve the successthat she has enjoyed. For a free consultation please email her at pamela@artistadesign.com or 801-910-4825

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Get it while it is HOT!

This is the introduction from my new ebook“The Ultimate Guide to Free Traffic” On sale now! The Importance of Web Traffic There is an enormous number of ways that you can earn online. Whether you are selling advertising space, selling actual merchandise, or selling information, You Determine Your Success or Failure by Your Ability to get Individuals to Visit Your Website Think about it: If you started a business and put all of your advertising on the side of a dirt road with minimal traffic, do you genuinely think you will be profitable? Some of your best business will come from people who just drop in while window-shopping. In the same way, you need your online store to be located in a busy part of a town where casual shoppers linger. The key to succeeding in any Internet related business is traffic. You must find ways to lead potential customers to your front page. If you believe you can rely solely on the search engines to put you at the top of their lists, then you may be setting yourself up for failure. Search engines use a complicated formula when deciding which pages show up first. Unless yours is the only business of your kind in the universe that has a web site, you will have to work hard to get one the first page of the search engine. The simple fact is Corporations buy the rights to search phrases and generally pay big money for the opportunity to be highlighted at the top of the list. One interesting point to keep in mind is that, the more traffic you have at your site, the more likely you are to slide up in the search engine results. The question: How do you get that initial flow of customers, clients, or readers to make your website a place that they regularly do visit? As a basic rule, as you make a plan and design your website, you should be looking at other sites that are in the same genre as yours (competitors). Maybe they offer similar or complimentary services. Maybe they provide information about the same topic. Look at the website and determine what makes it work – what you don't like and how when rebuilding or planning your website you can make your’s more customer oriented – What can you provide your clients that they can't or don't on there website. A good web developer/designer that is savvy on marketing and promoting websites can help you in assessing the website you want to analyze. Find sites of businesses who compliment your and see if these sites have a blog or message boards go in and try to build relationships with individuals that are running these sites. Leave comments on their blog's and engage in forum discussions. Tip: Make sure you fill out the signature card available when creating your profile – this is like a mini advertisement, leaving a link to your own page in your signature. As you become more familiar with this type of venue you definitely will want to consider adding a blog to your website. Be diligent about keeping the material on your website fresh and you will find that you begin to get repeat traffic. Others will begin to link to you from their own pages and list you as a valuable source of current information. Just as in any traditional business format, building relationships and networking will be vital pieces of your success. The important thing you need to know as you begin is it takes work to get traffic to your website. The traffic flow at your website won't happen by accident. It takes careful planning and sharp execution to make that hit number go up. In this book we are going to show you how. For more information, articles or to sign up for my newsletter go to my website www.artistadesign.com