Month: October 2009

Online Advertising ? the Choices in the 21st Century

Posted by – October 21, 2009

Online Advertising ? the Choices in the 21st Century

As the fastest growing form of advertising in the 21st Century, Online Advertising has been a constant area of discussion and debate. So, how can this format really work for advertisers in a fast moving climate?

In the mid nineties, Online Advertising was going through its initial stages of development. At that time people were intrigued by the power of the Internet and its capacity to give them a vast amount of information very quickly. As time and technology moved on, so did the advertising designs and the way they captured our attention.

There are many examples of Online Advertising formats and the decision of which ones to choose depends very much on the type of product you want to promote and the kind of message you want to give out. The most popular Online Advertising services include:

Contextual ads on search engine results pages

Banner adverts as standard leader-board, skyscraper or bespoke sized formats

Advertising networks, which includes banners and pay per click targeting

E-mail marketing, including the targeted use of opt-in lists or part of an in-house distribution

Sponsorships, including logo or message branding on content and PDF pages

Directory listings or tailored micro-site pages

Most of the above forms of Online Advertising rely on a certain amount of programming and designing to make the ads run and display in the correct way. There is also no doubt that recent advances in advertising technology has played a major part in the way we react and respond to online business and consumer advertising. However, it seems that technology is moving so fast that even the Online Advertising industry can barely come up with applications and tools that meet those changing technologies. Whichever way you look at it though, one thing remains – even though consumers have a consistent requirement for quick information, they are still making those clicks and filling out request forms online.

If we go back a few years, we’d see that accounted for over 50% of total Online Advertising revenue. But with the reduction in ad clicks from banner adverts and other traditional online formats, advertisers are now looking for the next big online development that will get people clicking again.

This requirement has fuelled an explosion in the creative development of advertising formats in online media – love them or hate them, they’ll continue to change, will develop into even more sophisticated designs and will be around for a considerable amount of time yet.

So, now that we’ve established that has evolved way beyond the early days of banner advertising and flashing buttons, how do we get the best value from a media that is constantly changing?

Well, what buyers need to do now is to step back, take a deep breath and make sure that they analyse and research all of the available options before testing different formats. Whatever they do, they must not believe the fly-by-night sites that promise you the earth and tell you that you don’t have to put any work into your Online Advertising. Unless you have a never-ending supply of money, you will have to do some work to make anything happen and it is no different with Online Advertising.

If we look at the more recent online products, one of the success stories of Online Advertising has to be pay per click advertising. A number of providers have developed this as a very cost-effective way of getting clicks to your site, for very little money. For the price of a half page advert in a regional newspaper, you can get a few hundred clicks to your website.

There is still a question mark, in terms of the return on investment value to this format, but there is no doubt that it is ticking all the right boxes when it comes to getting people to visit specific landing pages of a website. If this is all you want to do, then PPC is a must.

Of course, isn’t all about advertising on networks and websites. It also covers email and other electronic formats and this is an area that has enjoyed tremendous growth in the last few years. To reach the inboxes of an opt-in subscriber list is a very attractive means of promotion for a lot of advertisers and this method continues to gain popularity. However, as our overall capacity and enthusiasm for flashy graphics dwindles, publishers of HTML email newsletters and online animations are now toning down their designs across many industry sectors.

As far as allocation and media buying is concerned, it is known that almost one third of Online Advertising will come from incremental spending, but the majority will still come from traditional marketing budgets. This is a sure sign that Online Advertising is now becoming less of an ad-hoc test media and more of an ongoing fundamental requirement.

With the continuing shift from print to online, there is no doubt that this media will continue to grow as the technology and our desire to keep up with new developments grows with it.

Andrew Long is an advertising sales consultant and expert. He runs highly successful UK seminars for website owners at and also offers advertising related advice for publishers and media owners. A range of other pay per click services are also available at

How to Profit From an Online Business

Posted by – October 20, 2009

How to Profit From an Online Business

Things have certainly changed over the past several years when it comes to purchasing things online. I remember not too long ago how people were so afraid to enter any information over the internet. Today though almost everyone uses the internet to purchase things and to pay bills with. Convenience it seems out weighs risk.

That is great news for those of us who are running an online business and are using the internet to make money from home. The people who know how to market their online business are doing better and making more money than ever, despite the downfall of the worlds economy.

Here are a few ideas you can use just to make sure your profits continue to rise.

One thing that sells constantly in the online world are information products. Information is a hot commodity and sells well in almost any online business. The biggest advantage of selling an info product is that there is not limit to the amount of them you can sell. They are digital so you literally have an infinite amount of them to sell which means your profit potential is infinite as well.

You can either create your own info product or find someone elses to promote via the many affiliate merchants there are online. It does not matter what type of website you run, more than likely that someone has written an e-book on the subject. All you have to do is find it, promote it, and earn a commission.

If you decide to go ahead and create your own information product make sure to create something that offers a lot of value. I mean really go out of your way to make it something your readers will appreciate and be able to use. This benefits you because you will be able to sell that product for much more and it benefits your customers because they’ll need it.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Successful entrepreneurs are constantly going with their gut instincts and taking risks that others wouldn’t. In the online world the risks aren’t so much money related as they are time related. If you think something might work, give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that it wont work and you’ll just learn how to do it better next time.

Last but not least, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Look for multiple ways to profit from your online business. You’ll be a lot better off if you have multiple streams of income coming in. That way if one income stream were to dry, you’d at least still have income coming in from other income streams.

Residual income is another great bonus about running an online business. The opportunity to be able to earn residual income from projects and products you have produced in the past makes running an online business fun and exciting. The potential is there, you just have to work hard first to get it.

You don’t need to have a product in order to make money. Heck, you don’t even need to leave the house anymore. Come see how I make money from home working no more than only a few hours a day! You can do the same…

Free Business Advertising Made Easy

Posted by – October 19, 2009

Free Business Advertising Made Easy

With the popularity of internet advertising, businesses can now go beyond geographical boundaries and market their products and services to the whole wide world. Complementing each other, millions of businesses now offer free business advertising to each other for better reach. Free Internet classified advertising is slowly catching up as the preferred mode to sell directly to buyers.


Advertising on the Internet is an effective option Everybody is on the Internet. And everybody is looking for something unique. Unlike other media, online Internet advertising needs to cater to specific needs of surfers. Classified advertising, as the name suggests, is a simple way to find exactly what you need. Offers and needs are neatly classified in easy, searchable groups. In this age of information overload, the classified ad information is precise, simple and easy to find.


Classified ads are primarily designed to sell and buy in a more personal, one-to-one setting. In addition, classified ads are now a preferred and cheap alternative for businesses to showcase their products and services due to the immense reach that they offer. The Internet has now made it even easier and widespread. Most of the online advertising sites offer very cheap classified ads or go a step further by offering free business advertising through free Internet classified advertising options. The heavy traffic due to the free classified advertising ensures revenues to these sites through advertising space for clients. Millions of buyers and sellers visit these free classified ad sites and spend considerable time searching for just the right product or service. These free classified advertising sites thus turn into highly effective platforms for brand building assets for bigger advertisers.


Everybody wins with free online classified advertising The equation is simple. A business needs to reach out to more and more people on the Internet. Each website has a particular level of visitors, otherwise called traffic. In order to reach out to more traffic, businesses barter Internet online advertising space and thus increase traffic. This way, everybody wins. The businesses are more visible at no additional cost and the customer gets a wider choice of products and services. In addition, partner websites ensure better traffic for better business.


Like a newspaper, there are numerous websites that are specifically designed for free business advertising. Based on the simple theme of sharing information for overall profitability, these free classified ad sites offer free advertising tips for anyone who wants to harness the power of Internet online advertising. In addition, these classified advertising sites offer effective tools for free business advertising. A free classified ad gets more mileage, as everyone else is also looking for free business advertising in the true spirit of the Internet. The phenomenal success of free classified advertising in the print media is a reassuring backdrop for these free classified ad sites to operate in. Personal, exact and easily available information make free online classified advertising such a hit.


Adding wings to free classified online advertising Finding the right website is the first step to optimize response for your free classified ad. The more websites you are on, the better are the chances of hits. Many classified ad sites cater to specific target groups and visitors like photographers, motorcyclists, etc. Others are more generic and cater to almost all needs and offers. If you are selling something unique, then a site that caters to your specific target group should work. Nevertheless, many people actually buy goods and services only when they see them listed on a classified ad site and it is usually a good idea to place a few free classified ads on general free classified ad sites.


Online Internet advertising is all about reach and can turn any idea into a profitable online business idea or a profitable home business if it reaches out right. Free business advertising adds wing to an idea at no extra cost and success stories abound on the Internet. A good online advertising plan and help from free online advertising sites can take your business far on the Internet realm.


Free Internet classified advertising also helps those with limited advertising budgets carry out effective Internet online marketing at no extra cost. The best online advertising methods are the ones that use free business advertising to leverage their traditional advertising plans. Online Internet advertising is a powerful tool for profitable home businesses or businesses that are primarily dependent on networks of other people . Placing a classified ad on the right website is an important part of a good online marketing strategy. A good online marketing consultant can also help maximize returns from online Internet advertising. Online direct advertising considerably cuts overhead costs and the need for sales people by directly reaching prospective buyers with precise, edited and exact information about your products and services.


So go on, add the wings of the Internet and make free online classified advertising work wonders for your business and for you.

is a very aggressive internet marketing expert.
is an Independent Internet Marketing And Advertising Company That Specializes In Boosting Website Sales.

Practical Alternatives For Commercial Finance Funding

Posted by – October 15, 2009

Practical Alternatives For Commercial Finance Funding

When faced with business finance funding decisions, it is essential for business owners to determine their practical and effective alternatives. In the face of recent volatile conditions impacting financial markets, this will not be an easy task. For example, there has been much misinformation and confusion about the true availability of commercial financing throughout the United States. Getting more accurate information about what is realistically possible can be one of the most difficult challenges for commercial borrowers.

Even for business owners who are satisfied with their current commercial finance funding arrangements, it is advisable to explore business financing options that might be necessary if economic conditions change further. The use of Plan B contingency financing is an important tool to assist commercial borrowers in this process.

There are a number of harsh realities which must be confronted by all commercial borrowers when assessing their realistic options in the current challenging commercial finance funding climate. There are several factors which will have an immediate impact on which financing alternatives can be considered. First, unsecured lines of credit are rapidly disappearing for many businesses because commercial lenders are eliminating or reducing this kind of working capital financing. Second, many regional banks have decided to stop or reduce their lending activities involving commercial mortgages and other commercial loans. Third, commercial construction financing is available on a very limited basis. Fourth, businesses which are not currently profitable or not current in their debt payments will encounter particular difficulties in seeking new funding. Fifth, many lenders are requiring more collateral for any new commercial loans.

The primary message of this article is to emphasize the importance for commercial borrowers of being more realistic when seeking new financing or refinancing. As noted above, there are some stark changes which now impact almost all new commercial loans. Despite these new and difficult challenges, most business owners will still be able to obtain new financing, although it is very likely that either the terms or kind of financing will be different from previous business financing arrangements.

For example, even though working capital loans are not as widely available as they were just a few months ago, this kind of commercial financing is still in fact obtainable. The main change for business borrowers is the likelihood that they will be dealing with a different commercial lender, since some of the largest providers have stopped making these loans. Furthermore, the lenders which are currently most willing to consider working capital funding are not aggressively promoting these particular financing activities.

Business cash advance programs which are based on credit card processing activity are another example of an increasingly practical commercial financing option in the midst of an uncertain economy. Although this business funding option has been available for several years, it has not been utilized by most small business owners. For most businesses which accept credit cards, business cash advances should be evaluated as an important tool for improving business cash flow. Commercial borrowers wanting to consider this financing alternative should consult with a commercial finance funding expert who is knowledgeable about both this specialized kind of working capital financing as well as commercial real estate loans and other commercial loans.

Steve Bush is a expert – programs at AEX Commercial Loans and Business Cash Advances

Building an Online Business – Phase 2: Getting a Website Designed and Developed

Posted by – October 14, 2009

Building an Online Business – Phase 2: Getting a Website Designed and Developed

In , I described developing a solid plan. A plan takes all of the guesswork out of the equation. Your plan is invaluable because it will describe in detail what you want your website to do. The plan will help the web developer understand what you want the website to do and what goals it must accomplish.  The plan does not have to be a lengthy thesis. Just a simple one page description will suffice. Try to be as descriptive a possible.

The plan you choose must include the following phases:

Getting a Website Designed and Developed (you are here) Setting up an E-Commerce Shopping Cart CRM (Customer Relations Management) Getting Your Website Indexed in the Search Engines Online Advertising Email Marketing Start a Blog and/or Forum Social Networking Go to Step 1

The order of the above phases is only a suggestion. The is order is up to you, but each of them should be implemented.

Phase 2 : Getting a Website Designed and Developed

Once you have your plan written, Phase 2 of Building Your Online Business is to have your website designed and developed. A great design is extremely important to your online business. In the online world, it is even more true that first impressions are everything. A websites design is not just about pretty pictures and colors. Your website is the perfect marketing resource that will keep your current and future customers informed. It should contain all of your company’s information, brochures and other materials. Are you going sale your products through your website? All of these things must be considered in your design.

If you choose you can of course do the design and development yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you have the skill to do this, by all means, do it. That is up to you.

However, there is also something to be said about having a professional web developer build the website for you. To avoid confusion, in this article I talk about website designers and developers inclusively as “web developers”. Since we are designing a website, the professional must be able to do design first and foremost. Development, or programming, is usually a secondary skill. Your website might not require any “functionality”, or interactive parts of your website such a contact form or booking application, for example.

Question: What are the advantages of hiring a web developer to do the website design and development for me?

There are numerous advantages to hiring a web developer. Some of those advantages might be:

Freeing up your time so that you can run your business. Putting their professional experience to work for you. Receiving professional opinions and creative ideas. Getting your website completed faster. Your website will require less maintenance. Greater compatibility with all of the major web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). Achieve Search Engine friendliness.

Remember that web developers are professionals. Rely on them for their experience and knowledge. For example, while you could fix your clogged sink yourself, wouldn’t it be better to hire a professional plumber? The same goes for any other service you might need.

Question: How do you pick a professional web developer?

Finding and hiring a professional web developer is perhaps the greatest hurdle to overcome when creating your website. There are literally thousands and thousands of designers and developers available to choose from on the internet. Here are some suggestions to make the search easier.

Start Local

Start the search for your web developer of choice by looking in the your local area. The yellow pages might not be the best place to look. Because the primary domain of a web developer is the internet use a search engine such as Google (www.google.com). Type in a search query such as “website design in <your city and state here>”. If nothing turns up in the search results, look at websites for other companies in your local area. Ask those companies who they recommend.

Use Online Services

There are many websites on the internet that will help you find a professional web developer. The ones that I recommend are Elance, Guru and Design Quote. You might also try job search websites such as Dice, Monster and Career Builder.

Ask for a Portfolio and Client Testimonials
Once you have located one or more web developers ask them for their professional portfolios and some of their client testimonials. Visual representation of their skills is a must. Client feedback and references will further prove that the web developer can do the work you need. If you are still not convinced, ask the web developer for a free mockup, or design draft, of your website idea.

Question: What is the typical website development process?

After you have hired your web developer, typically the website development process goes something like this:

Website design mockup(s) is done via a graphics program such as Adobe Photoshop Review of design mockup(s) Feedback of the design and further design work if needed Convert design into website template Use website template to make content pages Content is filled in using the information that you provide Search engine keywords are chosen and content modified for search engine friendliness Meta tags are written and inserted into your pages Domain name is setup on your website hosting account Email accounts are setup Website is uploaded to your website hosting account Domain name is manually submitted to the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) Continue to add content and improve the website as needed

The above process is by no means set in stone. Every website is different and the process can vary greatly. The saying goes that “A website is never done.” Your website will be a living extension of your business and it should be changed and improved upon. Remember to inform your website visitors of new and exciting things that are going on at your company.

Phase 3 of the crusade to Building Your Online Business is Setting up an E-Commerce Shopping Cart. If your business sells any kind of product having an easy-to-use e-commerce shopping cart where you can accept online payments is a must. We will step you through all of the ins and outs of getting it setup and going. Please so you can get all of the details.

Jason Cochran
WebFusion5
“We don’t just create websites. We build businesses.”

Jason Cochran is a web developer for WebFusion5.com who specialize in helping companies build their online business through website design and development, e-commerce, crm, cms and email marketing. We deliver results and customer satisfaction. Visit us online at http://www.webfusion5.com.

“We don’t just create websites. We build businesses!”