Internet Marketing Basics

Have you ever sat and thought about all of the people you have met online? No? Do it right now.

Think of what they're good at, think of what they're not good at. Are there things they can help you with, things you can help them with? I'll bet there is!

I've met so many people online over the years in this amazing field of internet marketing, and without a whole lot of them I definitely wouldn't be where I am today.

Yes, some of your contacts will disappear into the distance after a while, but others grow to be great friends and colleagues that will stick by you through thick and thin.

That's because you have a relationship with them. You trust them and they trust you, you help them and they help you.

Relationships in this field are just as important as in any other field, or even more so at times. times such as when you need to get the word out about something, or when you need help with a new idea, or even just for brainstorming etc etc.

If you're sitting there all on your own and haven't got a single contact that you've built a relationship with, I hate to tell you this, but you will not get very far in the IM scene.

So get out there, offer your contact info on your sites and in your emails, make it really easy for people to get hold of you. Go to every online, or even offline, conference that you can. you never know where your next JV partner or helping hand may turn up.

Offer up whatever you can of yourself to help others, and they will turn around and help you when you need it.

The very latest thing I had help with was installing a wordpress blog over on my games site in the wee hours of this morning. I've never used wordpress before, so I needed a lot of spoonfeeding. Thankfully I'd already built a strong relationship with the guy who helped me and he spent hours with me, explaining it all and even setting up the plugins and widgets for me.

Great guy, great relationship, and when he needs me, I'll be there for him too.

You can check out what the new blog looks like right here, feel free to let me know what you think, but remember, it's new and not totally finished yet ;)

In ending, it's back to the beginning; Build strong relationships and you will become strong.

Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

Labels: build relationships, internet marketing contacts, internet marketing relationship, realtionship marketing

Sitting here chatting with other IM'ers (internet marketers) via Windows Live! messenger and I suddenly realize it's already almost 4.30am. It's just been one of those nights where thoughts and conversations have made me forget all about the time.

I love nights like these, they lead to so many fresh ideas and new thoughts, and yes, even to new realizations and conclusions.

One of my friends, Dennis, was asking about the PR4 I have on this blog and wanted some promo tips for blogs. I sat and said, 'I don't really know, I've never actually promoted any of my blogs'. He was quite amused, or bemused even, and said, 'well how come you have a pr4 then??'

So we sat talking about it for a while and got to talking about the fact that both this one and my kids and adhd one both have a page rank of 4, yet my parenting one has a 0 page rank and I was quite sure I hadn't really done anything different with any of them promotion-wise.

Turns out that although I haven't exactly done anything to promote any of the blogs, there are actually a couple of things I've done differently on the 2 pr4 blogs compared to the pr0 one.

Any guesses?

I've posted often and relevant info, and exchanged links with other blogs of similar topics. Yep, that's it, nothing more, nothing less. The parenting blog was started as an experiment and kind of fell to the side, with sporadic posting and no link exchanges.

Of course, now that I've realized that, I know what I have to do to rectify it ;)

Other than that I've been busy hunting down and researching traffic tips, so there'll be something new to read and learn in the near future, so stay tuned for that. This is one I'll be working on with another IM friend, Dave Gammage of NewbieSpot.com and I can tell you it's going to be good.

In fact, Dave really feels like a force to be reckoned with, so keep your eyes peeled for him ;)

As you can probably tell, networking plays a major part in my online business, and you should really make the effort to network as much as you possibly can. You'll be amazed at what it can do for you...

Until next time,

Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

Got Spyware? Tips for detection, removal and prevention
By Anna-Marie Stewart

Spyware, also known as adware or malware, is getting to be more and more of a problem to internet users. Spyware is usually a program or application that is installed onto your pc, often without your knowledge or permission. It may display ads, monitor your Web surfing patterns, steal your passwords or become responsible for a whole range of bad stuff.

Where does spyware come from/What does it do?

These programs/applications can come from Web sites that download music or offer free software, or even from certain popup ads if you click anywhere inside the ad instead of hitting the X button to get rid of it.

Cookies are almost inevitable (most websites use them, and some won`t even work without them), and rarely a problem as they are very easy to clean up or even not accept, but the threat posed by key loggers, diallers and Trojans is much greater.

A key logger can record anything you type, including your passwords, e-mail messages,and credit card numbers, and even your online chats. Diallers will secretly hang up your Internet connection and redial premium services that can run up your long-distance bill. Trojans can embed programs which will open "backdoors" into your computer to allow hackers to steal data or make your pc unusable.

These types of spyware can prove very costly to people unaware of them.

How do you know if your pc is infected with spyware?

Well, for definite, if you`ve never checked before, you can bet your bottom dollar that you WILL have some spyware on your computer.

Here are some common traits:

1. Changed IE favourites.
2. Homepage changes without you changing it.
3. Popup ads popping up even when you`re offline.
4. New desktop icons appear for programs you did not knowingly install.
5. Some trojans will cause changes to the icons of your normal programs.
6. Prolonged System start-up after a reboot (takes a long time to load user settings).
7. You have to refresh a webpage multiple times before you can see the content.
8. Your pc may seem uncommonly slow or sluggish.
9. A program may not operate correctly. Some examples of this are Windows Media Player will not work. Notepad will not work, Task Manager, MSConfig or Regedit may close immediately after opening.
10. Unexplained loss of internet access (worst case scenario).

To eliminate spyware you should keep it from being installed on your computer in the first place. You could always just never install anything and never visit websites, but then you might as well throw away your internet connection altogether, huh? A better option might be to turn OFF the install on demand option in windows. This can be done by following these steps:

1. Open a new browser window.
2. Click on tools.
3. Click on internet options.
4. Click on advanced.
5. Scroll down through the list of advanced options and UNCHECK "Enable install on demand".
6. Click OK.

You can also make sure you can still download things that you WANT to download by following these steps:

1. Open a new browser window.
2. Click on tools.
3. Click on internet options.
4. Click on security
5. Click on custom
6. Scroll down until you find "Installation of desktop items" and set to "prompt"
7. Click OK

Remember, If your Internet security controls aren't properly set, just visiting a Web site or clicking on a Web ad can install an application.
Please note that if any of your programs are set to auto-update, you will need the install on demand option enabled.

How do you get rid of spyware?

Before running spyware removal tools, clean up your pc a little by hand first, that way the scan won`t take as long.

1. Open a browser window.
2. Click on tools.
3. click on internet options.
4. Choose delete cookies --> ok
5. Choose delete files --> delete all offline content --> ok

The 2 most commonly recommended spyware removers are Spybot Search & Destroy, available here: www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html and Ad-Aware SE Personal, which is available here: www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware

Both of these are free, and they don`t pressure you into paying for a full version, although spybot also immunizes your computer from known spyware without purchasing a "paid version", unlike adaware.

Here`s a great little step-by-step tutorial about how to use Ad Aware:
http://spyware.pcrelief.org

A great forum for getting answers about spyware and other related problems can be found here: http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?b=1

Another really good place to find help with computer problems is http://forums.techguy.org

HijackThis is a general homepage hijackers detector and remover. It does not target specific programs/URLs, just the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. As a result, false positives are imminent and unless you are sure what you're doing, you should always consult with knowledgable folks before deleting anything. The above-mentioned forums are good places to ask for help with this. You can get HijackThis for free here www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

Make it a part of your regular maintainence routine to scan your system for spyware, and remember that NO spyware blockers will be fully effective unless you keep them up to date, so check for updates often.

===============Resource Box===========
What? You’re Not Making Money Yet? Find out
how REAL PEOPLE are making REAL MONEY Right
Now by grabbing your copy of Real Life Marketer
Interviews Vol. II http://annamarketing.com/int2x3.htm
======================================
This article is available for reprint in your opt-in ezine,
web site or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes
to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.
(c) Anna-Marie Stewart All Rights Reserved

Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

DennisEdell.com Internet Marketing and Direct Sales, Affiliate and Viral Marketing, SEO, Traffic, Social Bookmarking: "

50 Tips For Your Direct Sales Business

These are 50 really good tips I’ve collected for running your Direct Sales/MLM business.
Now, I’m sure you can’t do all; in-fact, I would be surprised to see anyone do all 50; at least not consistently. I think doing at least a few of them, you will be surprised at how far your business will go.
I added a little flare of my own to some, you will see this in italics.

1. USE THE PRODUCTS or SERVICES on a regular basis - It’s a fact that when people see you using whatever it is your promoting, they are more likely to trust and jump in behind you.

2. Make a TOTAL COMMITMENT for at least one year to do your best. Don’t be a “program hopper”, you never win this way. make a full commitment and give it your all; you will succeed.

3. SELL YOURSELF first – on the company, the products, and the compensation plan. You must enjoy what you do and believe in it before expecting others too.

4. Spend 90% of your business time with distributors, customers and prospects. This is good advice, but remember to leave some time for family, friends and life outside the business as well. A good balance is very important!

5. TALK to at least ONE person daily on the products and opportunity. RECOMMEND the products and business to them. Be Sincere. Many marketers find out the hard way that there is a thin line between talking business and being pushy; work on it and try not to cross that line.

6. LET EVERYONE KNOW what business you are in. Promote what you love to do! Again, don’t be pushy. If you truly love what you do, your enthusiasm will shine through" read the rest of the story here

I've been incredibly busy with the new games site lately. I've now got over 3000 games on there, and am working on quite a few advertising options for visitors and registered users. I'm having a lot of fun with TrafficGamers, and although it's barely a month old it's already getting between 300-500 unique vistors per 24 hours.

I bought a chat script for it, and have set that for members only for now and I just bought a bunch of custom made graphics from Keith over at Outlaw-FX. He did a fantastic job, especially as I didn't even know what I wanted. He came up with the whole design and had 5 graphics ready for me in the space of 2 hours!!! Fantastic man and well worth hiring if you need graphics!

Take a look at these and see what you think:

So this is what I've been up to lately, and the past couple of days I've been hunting out link exchanges with similar type sites. It's going quite well but I still need more before I can get some good pagerank on Google. What I need most is one-way links, so that's next on the agenda, as they are much more important than reciprocal links.

The good thing about recip. linking with other arcades and games sites is that a lot of them have a good size members list, and my site has more games than theirs, so some of their members might just mosey on over to take a look ;)

Anyway, that's all for now. Take care and have a blast!

Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

MLM, Pyramid Schemes, and Matrices
By Anna-Marie Stewart

Have you ever wondered what the difference is? MLM operators claim they're not operating a pyramid scheme. Matrix and "forced matrix" operators claim that what they have is better than MLM. So what are the differences?

Pyramid Schemes:

Pyramid Schemes are illegal in the USA, and probably abroad. We all know how these schemes work, or at least get the jist of the idea. A person (the originator) starts by sending a message to several people. Usually people he/she knows. The message in some round about way, will tell everyone to send him $5 or so...and then send the message to someone else. All the while adding names to the list, and each new recipient must send money to the first person, second person...etc

There are a million variations of the Pyramid Scheme, but the main attribute that define a pyramid scheme ( also known as chain letter) is that there is no product, it's just people sending money. The term "Pyramid Scheme" is derived from the fact that it starts with one and the size of those involved increases as you move towards the bottom. On paper, it looks like the shape of a triangle, or pyramid.

Multi Level Marketing:

How is MLM different from a pyramid scheme? After all, on paper any MLM looks like a pyramid in reality right? The differences are very simple. In MLM there is a product being sold. Income is generated from "commissions". It's actually a pyramid scheme, except that the participants get something back...regardless of whether the people they refer actually pay for something...

In MLM, the participant always gains from their investment. The catch is in the value of the product that the participant receives. This is the reason that MLM is so big on the internet. Because, information can have a monetary value, and it cost the distributor nothing. So ebooks, software, newsletters...etc... these are the most common products used in MLM. MLMers have added tangible products as well, and home products were the first to use MLM as a primary marketing strategy.

The Forced Matrix:

With so many MLM programs on the market these days, originators have tried to make their programs more desirable than others. Hence the forced matrix idea. In a regular MLM program, your monetary gains are based entirely on how good you are at marketing the program. However, most people aren't very good. So it would benefit the less talented if they had help from the talented. Basically, if the number of people who can join under you is limited in any way...then it's a forced matrix. The
idea being, anyone else you refer extra..will go under someone else. The best implementations put the extra person under one of the people YOU have under YOU. Hence it helps the person under you, which helps you too.

The term is tossed around a bit, and sometimes not used at all. However, that is what defines a forced matrix. Sometimes numbers are used to describe a forced matrix more thoroughly....like "4 X 4 forced matrix" for instance. Which might mean that you can only have 4 people directly under you and only 4 people under those 4 who you recieve commissions from.

There is a hibryd idea that has become common now, where by a person can deliberately place a referral in another line of their choice. A sort of traffic control attribute that helps originators get their referrals interested. This has been an attempt to make regular MLM more appealing, and it has worked. In fact, forced matrix MLMers have even implemented the option in their own programs.

The benefits of either are about equal. With a forced matrix, you stand to earn an income faster, but increases in income are slower because your referrals get forced further down the line from you. With regular MLM you have a stronger base, and sustaining it is generally easier...but first profits can be slow. If you want a little income faster, go with a forced matrix. If you want BIG profits and are willing to work a long time for it, go with regular MLM programs.
===============Resource Box===========
What? You’re Not Making Money Yet? Find out
how REAL PEOPLE are making REAL MONEY Right
Now by grabbing your copy of Real Life Marketer
Interviews Vol. II http://xrl.us/rimj
======================================
This article is available for reprint in your opt-in ezine,
web site or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes
to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.
(c) Anna-Marie Stewart All Rights Reserved


Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

Top 10 Tips for WinXP Users
By Anna-Marie Stewart

Are you new to WinXp? Just upgraded, or gotten a new computer maybe? Or you might have friends and contacts who use it and you want to "show off" a little by teaching them a few tricks? I`ve collected 10 of my favourite WinXP tricks, each of them easy to use, and very helpful, and if you follow the instructions step-by-step, they work perfectly. So here goes:

Top Tip #1:

Having a problem making your desktop icons stay exactly where you put them?

When you temporarily change your desktop to a lower resolution—for example whilst using Safe mode, Windows can wreak havoc with your careful positioning of desktop icons.

Right click your desktop click arrange icons and uncheck auto arrange. You can now drag & drop them wherever you want them. Note that if you start your computer in SAFE mode you will have to rearange them again.

Top Tip #2:

Accidentally moved your taskbar and want it back where it was?

Point your mouse to a 'blank' area inside the taskbar, THEN hold down your left mouse button, and DRAG it down where you want it to go. It may take a couple of tries to get it over.

Top Tip #3:

Feel like changing your Start Menu?

(1) Right click a blank spot on the Start Menu.
(2) Select Properties
(3) Select Customize
(4) Select the Advanced tab.

Most of those preset items which don't have the option to check or uncheck will be there. For each item listed you'll have the option to Display as link or Display as menu or Don't display this item. Make your selection as you desire. Note that you will have the option to display the Control Panel as a menu, which you might find very useful.

Top Tip #4:

Getting grey popup boxes with ads in? Stop the spam like this:

(1) Select "Start"
(2) Select "Settings"
(3) Choose "Control Panel"
(4) Choose "Administrative Tools"
(5) Choose "Services"
(6) Right-click on "Messenger"
(7) Select "Stop"
To permanently disable Messenger:
(8) Right click "Messenger"
(9) Select "Properties"
(10) Change "Startup Type" to "Disabled" and click "OK"

Top Tip #5:

Having problems viewing sites cos your computer isn`t accepting the cookies?

Open a New Browser window.

(1) Click on Tools (in toolbar).
(2) Click on Internet Options.
(3) Click on Privacy.
(4) Click on Advanced.
(5) Click on Override Cookie Control.
(6) Click on Enable First Party Cookies.
(7) Click on Enable Session Cookies.
(8) Click OK.

Top Tip #6:

Want to change how you see your emails? Try this:

Click on "view" at top. "Layout" will allow you to fix what you see. "Sort by" will let you arrange the order the messages appear in.

Top Tip #7:

Want to disable the Automatic Update reminders in Windows?

Open Internet Explorer/Tools/Internet Options/Advanced tab, under "Browsing" take the checkmark out of "Automatically check for Internet Explorer Updates", click Apply, click OK.

Another thing to try is to:

(1) Click Start
(2) Click Run
(3) Type in: "MSCONFIG" (without the quotes)
(4) Click OK.
(5) Under the Startup tab take the checkmark out of "Critical Updates"
(6) Click Apply
(7) Click OK
(8) Restart your computer.

Top Tip #8:

Got too many icons on your desktop?

Right click on an empty space on your desktop, highlight "Arrange Icons By", the click on Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Top Tip #9:

Tired of seeing your pointer as an arrow or an hourglass all the time? Windows XP offers a number of alternative pointer schemes, such as Dinosaur, Ocean and Sports.

Open the Control Panel, double-click Mouse, and select the Pointers tab. (If you start in Category view, select Appearance and Themes, then click Mouse Pointers under "See Also.") Next to Schemes, click the down arrow and select a scheme to preview its pointers. Click OK to apply the scheme to your desktop. Simple as that.

Top Tip #10:

Want to hear your computer talk?

Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Narrator. Or press the Windows key plus the letter "U" to open the Utility Manager. Microsoft Narrator, an accessibility option designed to assist readers who are blind or have impaired vision, starts automatically.

Once you've read through the intro screen (or let the Narrator do it), click OK and you'll see a dialog box of Narrator options. Assuming you want to leave Narrator running, select the desired options, then minimize its dialog box. And if you've opened the Utility Manager, feel free to close it.

To turn Narrator off, click the Exit button or right-click its taskbar item and select Close.

Hope this has helped you get your WinXP working the way you want it to, and given you a little fun too. For more information like this, I highly recommend that you visit, read through, bookmark and re-visit this site:

http://www.winxpnews.com/issues.cfm

Have Fun Learning!

===============Resource Box===========
What? You’re Not Making Money Yet? Find out
how REAL PEOPLE are making REAL MONEY Right
Now by grabbing your copy of Real Life Marketer
Interviews Vol. II http://xrl.us/rimj
======================================

This article is available for reprint in your opt-in ezine,
web site or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes
to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.
(c) Anna-Marie Stewart All Rights Reserved


Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

Free Information On Web Hosting. Where to find Linux, Windows, or Unix Web Hosting - GetWebHost.Info:

"A Good Host Is Hard To Find. Well, sort of. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of web hosts to choose from when searching for a good web host. So, how do you know which ones are -good- and which ones will take your money and run? You've got to do a little homework...and that's why GetWebHost.Info is here!

Get Our Guide To Web Hosting!

Need answers? We are offering a 47 page guide to web hosting called 'Web Hosting Exposed!' that answers all of your common questions about the ins and outs of web hosting. It covers everything from server hardware to bandwidth to reseller hosting. " read full story here

Possibly THE most irrtating, yet strangely addicting, free flash game I have found up to now. It's all about Christmas here when you get to throw hats, twigs, lights, bulbs, and other decorations on the snowman, the xmas tree or Santa

read more | digg story

Ok, I'm not totally changing direction, but i have been really pre-occupied with my new site latey http://www.trafficgamers.com

The plan is to have as many flash games as i can possibly find for people to play for free. I'm already making a little cash with the google ads onsite, and there are multiple advertising options available for visitors and registered users, so should see some money coming in from that too soon.

I've already had a chatscript installed for the use of registered members, and although I'm not fully sure of all the editing etc I need to do with it, I'm getting there.

Rich, my programmer has gone totally AWOL, last I heard, he was ok, but nothing since and that's a LONG time ago now. Busy as anything teaching myself all kinds of HTML coding and editing. thank god he spoonfed me lots before he disappeared!

I've been really salow on publishing my ezine too lately, and am feeling a tad guilty about that, but hopefully I'll get at least one issue out for around Christmas time.

I've also spent the last week or so unsubscribing to all the various 'lists' I was on. I kept a few, such as Willie Crawford, Eric Louviere and John Delavera, but most of the others lost me due to them being way too hypey. I used to subscribe for the sake of following what was going on, what the latest trends were etc, but they all just went beyond a joke with their constant promoting of crap products.

And yes, a lot of the products WERE crap, I had the 'privelige' of seeing a few of them before launch, and decided there and then I wouldn't be promoting them.

Well, that's my quick update, if you have the chance, go check out Traffic Gamers, play a few games and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Anna
http://annamarketing.com

Did you find this helpful? please leave a comment.
Thanks

p.s. Have you visited my Real Life Marketers Get-Together forum and posted your free ad yet?

marketing tips marketing online business information online marketing internet marketing

Cool new blog with tons of great info for internet marketers regarding both marketing and direct sales. Well worth checking out.

read more | digg story

I've started a blog, dedicated to affiliate marketing, I am showing some great tips that top affiliate marketers use. And this is not spam, since I try to write quality content. Thanks.

read more | digg story

Google has just released a powerful tool that allows you to test changes to your website. Here are 101 tips to improve your web site based on the information it reveals.

read more | digg story

This social network has more than 500 million pages stumbled already. The best way to find new places in the net. As they say: StumbleUpon helps you discover great websites. With a single click you can find and share cool sites matched to your interests.

read more | digg story

In 2007, advertising will focus on a more targeted approach towards marketing for localized exposure.

read more | digg story

If you celebrate Christmas, you may think this is the happiest time of the year. If you have kids, you may also think it can be a major headache. Most kids want toys for Christmas, and it is of course, up to you to provide them.

read more | digg story

authoritative view on the things that affect your page rank. A high page rank alone will not push you to the top of the search engines. BUT all those hours you have spent gaining quality inbound links could be in vain if you have overlooked one major element

read more | digg story

1. Talk to someone more successful than yourself
2. Turn the music up really loud
3 ...

read more | digg story

In the spirit of Christmas and all things nice, go have a drink with Santa, but stay off the tracks LOL. This is just too funny, who'd have thought Santa would drink so much so close to Christmas?

read more | digg story

there are 10 different fun Santa/Christmas themed flash games to play here. My fave out of them all is the 'Adventure Elf' game. I love all the elf games, so I'm off to hunt out more. Mind you, if I can't find any I'd quite happily sit and play adventure elf for hours and hours on end.

read more | digg story

This had me in tears. I laughed so loud I almost woke the kids! LOL!
For years and years, the moles in whack-a-Mole have been taking it on the head. Whack! Whack! Whack! Well now they're fighting back!

read more | digg story