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Five Best Practices For Dominating The Search Engines

It is possible to achieve Page 1 listings on search engines

without ever submitting your website.  If you follow the five

best practices for dominating the search engines that are

described in the two parts of this article, then you will

have a good chance of a high listing, although you will have

to adapt the information to suit your own particular website.

The first part, this one, explains the importance of website

design and the use of keywords. The second part will discuss

contextual relevance to the topic, commonly called LSI, the

importance of links to your website and the fact that you

cannot allow your website to remain static.  You must keep

updating it.

Before you can apply search engine optimization to your site,

you must understand how search engines view it. Let's discuss

Google, as being representative of a true search engine

rather than a website directory.  It is the most used search

engine, and also the one that appears to set the standards

for search and listing criteria.

Google does not list websites, OK?  Get that understood right

now.  Google lists web pages. Theoretically, ten of your web

pages could monopolize the first page for any particular

search term. This is important because it means that you

should make every single page of your website as attractive

to search engines as possible.  However let's consider your

home page as being representative of your website and the

page that Google finds first.

WEBSITE DESIGN IS CRUCIAL

So what are these magical five best practices? The first is

the design of your website. When the search engines check out

your site, they use algorithms, or mathematical formulae,

that apply statistical rules to what they find.  These are

commonly called 'crawlers' or 'spiders'.  I will use the term

'spiders'.  When you design your site, you must make it easy

for spiders to crawl around it.

Spiders are slaves, and follow instructions to the letter.

If you tell it to go to point A, it will go to point A. It

won't wonder if that's the best thing to do - it will go

right there. If it lands at point A and you tell it to go to

point B, it will do that as well.  Now, think what that

means.  If point A is another page on your website, and point

B is a page on somebody else's website, where does the spider

end up?  That's right, you've got it!

When a spider lands on your web page, it does so at the top

left of the first column in the first table.  It then crawls

along from left to right until it reaches the end of the

column, then goes to the next column and so on.  It then goes

to any nested tables, again from left to right and so on.

Using that information, you can draw a spider's web using

your HTML:  spiders are monolingual - they only read HTML,

not Java or Flash or any other script.

Using the information above you should be able to work out a

path on your website that will lead spiders to where you want

them to go. The easier a spider can scuttle round your site

the more pleased it will be with it.  However, as hinted

above, don't lead it off your site: it might just stay there!

There are ways to lock certain doors to spiders but that is

for Part 2.

KEYWORDS ARE SPIDER FOOD - DON'T GET THEM FAT!

Do you remember when you were told to use a keyword density

of 1% - 3% on each page?  Well forget it!  That's nonsense.

First of all let's look at what a keyword is.  Have you ever

used Google, or any other search engine, to find some

information?  Of course you have !  Did you do what I do, and

think of the best wording you can use in the box to describe

what you want and wonder if these were the best words to use?

You probably did, and like me either got what you wanted or

had to type in something else. Do you know what?  Each of the

search terms you used was a 'keyword'.  That's right, a

keyword can be a phrase as well as a single word.  A keyword,

in fact, is any term that a Google user enters into the

search box hoping to get the information they need.

Therefore, when you are adding keywords to your web pages,

you are adding words or phrases that you hope others are

using to find the information you have on that web page.

Remember that Google lists every web page separately.

What this means is that to maximize the traffic to your web

pages you have to figure out what keywords Google users will

use to find your website.  There are tools to help you do

that, such as the free Google Keyword Tool and Digital Point

Keyword Tool, and the paid for Wordtracker.  Check them out

and decide what suits you best.  Keyword research is a big

subject, far too big for this article, but that is a rough

idea of what is involved.

Use your keyword in your title and heading, once in the first

100 characters in the main body text, and once in the last

paragraph.  No more, though you can add it once every 500

words.  And that's it. More information on the use of words

that relate to your keywords will be given in Part 2.

Applying For Merchant Accounts

For most businesses, a merchant account is essential to economic growth. Providing business owners with a way to accept credit and/or debit cards, gift cards and other forms of electronic payments, merchant accounts are commonly referred to simply as credit card or payment processing. As a general rule, any merchant who accepts payment in exchange for goods or services must apply for a merchant account if they wish to accept electronic payments. Surprisingly, however, not everyone is approved for merchant accounts. One example of a potential problem could be a business owner who has little or no credit or even a poor credit history may find it difficult to obtain a merchant account.

For many online entrepreneurs, PayPal has revolutionized the way people do business. An online payment system that allows you to instantly send or receive payments using a credit card or checking account, PayPal does not require that its users have a merchant account nor do they perform a credit check prior to issuing an account. In a nutshell, anyone with any type of credit history can sign up for a PayPal account and begin accepting electronic payments within minutes.

For those who do not use the internet, but rather need merchant accounts for in-store payment processing, you will find that there are fees that accompany each credit card payment. The actual cost will vary among providers, but the fees are always present. Among the common fees charged include transaction, authorization, statement, monthly minimum and chargeback fees. A chargeback fee is automatically charged to the business owner if they process a credit card payment that is ultimately denied for any reason. In this scenario, the business owner would then be responsible for having their customer pay the chargeback fee in order to compensate the business for its cost.

In order to apply for merchant accounts, business owners must be able to provide a valid business license, description of the company, business location and other verifiable information used to perform a credit check on the owner. Upon approval, the bank will issue a credit card terminal and/or other equipment that will be used to process payments. Depending on the terms of the agreement, the equipment may or may not remain the property of the issuing bank.

When deciding where to apply for merchant accounts, business owners should consider starting at the bank where they already have a personal account. This will enable them to do business with a bank that they are already familiar with and they may find that their past responsibility in handling their own account may carry substantial weight when applying for merchant accounts from the same institution.

Just What Do We Pay Graphic Designers For

We all know, that in actual fact designers not only create images that are designed to catch the eye of the consumer, but to make a business appear professional also and indeed the core purpose of their work is to help convert potential customers into actual customers via brand/image and marketing materials linked in with this.

Is that all?

I’m sure a lot of business owners think that really is all there is to the design industry that serves them and the many designers that populate it.

In some cases (for some designers) that really is all there is to it – they don’t operate on many other levels other than to make their designs professional, pretty, and eye catching.

However there really are other aspects that must be considered when you commission a design to develop the brand image for your business, a couple of these are explored in more detail now;

1. Target Market;

Recently I was approached by a company interested in brand design; their product and service was one that should be targeting both men and women, and yet when I was shown the design they had received already for another designer I immediately noted some glaring issues with it.

The design itself was eye pleasing and on the surface of it a less experienced person may observe that it was a professional effort; but the designer had produced something which featured a stylised woman as the central figure within the logo and not only that despite the stylised nature of the image, she was clearly of oriental heritage.

I quickly pointed out to the customer that when one’s target market is male and females and not women only, that to gender bias one’s logo design is counter productive, and even worse to possibly alienate even more people by making the character a particular ethnicity when your product is targeted at all nationalities.

A creative must think, think, think, and then and think some more about the target market when they are designing. To enable that before they start designing, they absolutely have to ask the business owner about the business; who are the customers, how will the product or service be sold to them, and so on.

2. Colours & Tones

A long time ago now I wrote a very popular article entitled the ‘The Relationship Between Colours & Sales’ – I’ve long since populated the piece across the internet and you can thus read it on many websites.

Although as creatives we don’t need to enslave ourselves completely to the rules of colour psychology, any designer working on a project should always keep this in mind.

In addition to considering the psychological effect certain colours have on mood and behaviour, which is well documented by the marketing industry, one needs to consider the socio-economic dynamic of the target market as this has some bearing on the tone of the colour scheme chosen.

For instance it’s not uncommon for my clients to ask for a bright colour scheme for their brand design, but this doesn’t always suit their target market; it’s known that low income groups are attracted to bright colours and thus if you don’t wish to attract low income groups a bright colour scheme isn’t right for your brand design regardless of what you like as an individual.

When your designer goes to work and you review concepts it’s vital to appreciate the design isn’t supposed to necessarily appeal to what you like, it’s supposed to appeal to your target market and this may not necessarily be the same thing as your own favourite colours.

These are just a couple of important areas that must be considered by your designer before they start work on your brand development, some of the other areas include;

-      Ensuring the design will work well whether printed billboard sized or business card sized.

-      Making sure the company name is easily readable.

-      Ensuring the design is neither too tall in height, or too wide horizontally; disproportionate designs can be more difficult to incorporate into layouts for print such as flyers, stationery, brochures and so on; this means these items may not look as good as they should.

Much of this advice can also be applied even when you already have your brand design established and have moved on to developing this further with your marketing materials.

It’s important that the designer working on your printed stationery and marketing materials appreciates the need to be sympathetic to the brand theme already established, and also has sufficient skill and experience to bear in mind that designs created must appeal to the target market.

5 Home Business Solutions for the Homemaker

If you stay at home and want to earn an income for yourself or your family, there's never been a better time than now. With so many opportunities online, you can easily start your own home business with a computer, Internet connection, desk and chair! Whether you want to start a part-time or full-time home business, here are some excellent home business solutions to consider.

1. Make Money Online by Offering Web-related Services

If you're skilled in Web design, graphic design, Internet marketing, or other Web-related services, you can make money online by offering these services to others. There are many homemakers and business people just like you who are getting online to start a business. They'll need their own website, hosting, domain name, company Web logo, and Internet marketing services.

If you can provide these services, you'll have a terrific opportunity for residual income. Many of these services are paid monthly or yearly, so the potential for success is amazing.

2. Educate Others and Work from Home

If you have special skills and love to teach, there's good news. You no longer have to apply for a teaching job at a school or university. You can now start your own training website and teach others from the comfort of your own home. The Internet is flooded daily with people who want to increase their knowledge and skills. Many moms and dads are now offering classes, selling e-books, and providing instructional websites all while staying home with the kids. It's a great way to make money online without paying high daycare bills!

There are also unique home business solutions online where you can sign up with a company that provides training to students for you. You can potentially earn a huge residual income by promoting their educational services.

3. Join an MLM Opportunity

MLM has grown tremendously in recent years thanks to online technology. More and more people are making money online with MLM because it's so much easier to communicate using online resources such as email, websites, and instant messaging.

If you decide to join an MLM company, be sure the company is trustworthy. Investigate before you sign on, or find a company that will investigate for you. A good place to start is a dependable MLM directory. These companies will investigate many different home business solutions and list only those that are legitimate and that offer the most profit potential.

4. Niche Home Business Solutions

Many homemakers are earning a substantial income by offering niche products or services. For example, the mother who loves to sew baby clothing decides to sell her items through her own website or through consignment websites. Or, a father who loves to do handiwork around the house starts a "handyman" e-zine and sells related products and tools. A young college student discovers the secrets to college life and starts his or her own "college life" newsletter.

The possibilities are endless. Other niche home business ideas include baking, hunting, fishing, musical instruction, handmade crafts, handmade furniture, parenting, pets, weddings, gardening, and sports.

5. Investments

If you like to take your chances in the stock market, investing is easier than ever on the Internet. Many homemakers make money online by investing in Forex, the popular and lucrative currency exchange market. Some earn money with traditional stocks. If this is your passion, you can now do it from home with minimal effort.

Please be careful, as there are many scams with companies trying to get you to invest in fake stocks. Check out every opportunity carefully, and keep your funds safe by dealing only with reputable, well-known stock companies and brokers.

No matter which home business solution you choose, use online directories and the testimonies of other online business owners to help you find the opportunities that will fit your schedule and budget.

Go Lean To Eliminate Waste

Surplus inventory is one of the seven "muda" or wasteful processes identified in the lean manufacturing methodology. Eliminating them can be applied to any manufacturing or production process to achieve performance improvement.

Raw materials, work in progress and finished product ties up valuable capital into the production chain when it could be released for better use within the business. Handling and storage utilizes valuable space, takes up time and resources and adds even more costs. Shortening production lead times and reducing handling and storage tasks releases capital and cash.

Leading manufacturers have found that modular and adaptable carts, trolleys and lineside storage facilities can help to introduce flexible processes and deliver materials and components to the lineside when they are needed to align production more closely with demand.

Modular systems enable rapid implementation and reconfiguration. New or temporary applications can be built quickly and adapted easily to meet changing process requirements. This means that the overall cost of implementation and ownership is reduced because all components can be re-used for new applications.

Carts and trolleys can be designed to carry precise numbers of specific items to the lineside. Parts supermarkets can be created at the lineside and replenished frequently when stocks fall below predetermined levels. The overall result is that the amount of inventory in the supply chain can be reduced. Manufacturers can also introduce greater agility into their processes to respond more quickly to changing customer demands.

Reduce wasteful production movements

Another of the seven "muda" is unnecessary handling and storage movements. Unnecessary movement in the working area adds to the time taken to complete a task which reduces productivity and adds to costs. It occurs when items such as tools, equipment and components are positioned so that staff have to walk, reach or stretch to collect or handle them.

To avoid these wasteful movements, modular workstations and storage areas can be configured ergonomically so that items are in the correct position and close to hand whenever they are needed. The savings in movements achieved by staff reduce the overall time taken to complete a task or process and this contributes to increased productivity and performance.

Ergonomic production and storage areas also present staff with fewer distractions which means they are less likely to make mistakes and this helps improve overall quality.

Adaptable workstations and parts supermarkets can be designed to take up the correct space - no more, no less - to accommodate the specific manufacturing process. In addition to improving ergonomics this helps increase overall production density because more workstations or manufacturing cells can be fitted into the same space which reduces the cost of each.

How to Write a Great Press Release and Increase Press Release Distribution

Every online business should have a marketing and advertising plan. While paid advertising - especially Internet advertising - can drive highly targeted traffic to your site, many online businesses overlook a key component of any marketing and advertising plan: press releases and press release distribution. A great press release can garner the kind of exposure that money can't buy; in essence, it's free advertising. Press release distribution is an extremely cost-effective way to get the word out to thousands, hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions of potential customers.

Many business owners might respond, "But I've written press releases and haven't received a single response." If that's the case, the lack of response is most likely either due to either a poorly written press release or poor press release distribution.

Although virtually anyone can string words together, writing a press release that will grab and hold the attention of the media is an art. Many press release services also offer press release writing services; in most cases, it's worth the money to leave it to the professionals. If you do want to write your own press release, though, here are some tips:

1. At the top of the release, include a contact person's name, phone number, and email address, as well as the URL of your website. It's imperative that whomever is listed will be available to speak to the media. In other words, don't decide to distribute your press release and then head off on vacation.

2. Make the topic timely. Unless yours is a Fortune 1000 company, simply announcing that your product exists will draw only a yawn from the media. Find a hook. Your hook could be an upcoming holiday, for example. Better yet, find a way to piggyback your product or service onto something that's currently making news. Reporters are always looking for new angles for their follow-up stories.

3. Don't forget the Five Ws. A reporter should be able to read the first paragraph of your release and know who, what, where, when, and why. If they don't find the information there, they won't read any further.

4. Incorporate quotes from an "expert." The expert could be you, the CEO of your company, or someone with whom you collaborate. The bottom line is that he or she should be able to authoritatively speak about the topic of the release, and should be available to the media for interviews.

5. Keep it short. A press release is a teaser to get the media interested in your company. Say what you need to say in 400-500 words. If reporters want more information, they'll contact you.

6. A picture is worth 1,000 words. If you're promoting a product, have high-resolution (300 dpi) images available, and state their availability at the end of your press release. Editors will choose to cover a product with a photo over a product without every single time.

When it comes to press release distribution, use press release services. Ideally, you should use a press release distribution service that can target your release to members of the media that specifically cover your market or industry. Consider a press release distribution service that offers online print distribution, fax distribution, and audio distribution.

Keep in mind that press release distribution can take awhile to bear fruit. In contrast to websites, which continually publish new content, magazines often have months of lead time. Your press release may get some immediate responses, and continue to receive a trickle of responses for months to come.

Lastly, press release writing and press release distribution should be a cornerstone of your marketing and advertising efforts. Issuing a new press release every three to four weeks keeps your company in front of the media, and has a cumulative effect of increasing the effectiveness of your press releases.

Office Chair

An office chair is a type of furniture that is designed to help employees sit in a single location for extended periods of time. Many office chairs can swivel, and this will allow the workers to reach different places without having to get up. The seat of these chairs will conform to the shape of those who sit in it, and they will often have armrests and backing to support the spines of those who sit in them. The goal of an office chair was to make the worker feel comfortable so that they could concentrate on performing various tasks. Because of the environment, the chairs that were used by executives differed from the employees.

Traditionally, office chairs that were designed for executives did not have the ability to swivel, and this showed that the executive had no need to move into multiple places, and could reside in a single position. Over time, the executive office chair became large, and many of them also featured closed arms, and are made with luxurious materials. Most executives today have office chairs that are large and elaborate. While office chairs were first designed in the 19th century, it wasn't until the 1970s when ergonomics was used in their design.

Because those sitting in chairs for extended periods of time would experience back pain, an emphasis was placed on designing chairs that would be as comfortable as possible, and would prevent those sitting in them from getting stress injuries. This led to office chairs that were adjustable in many ways. A person of a different height or size could adjust the chair in a way that fits them. The best contemporary office chairs can be adjusted to fit a person of virtually any size. Despite this, sitting down in any chair for extended periods of time will bring stress to the back. Even those who sit in the best chairs will want to get up and move around once every 30 minutes.

People who spend lots of time sitting in an office will want to make sure they purchase the correct chair. While being cheap with other forms of office furniture is generally not a problem, you should want to invest money in a good chair that will bring comfort to your back. Using office chairs which are ergonomic can help you avoid back problems. The best office chairs are those which offer support to your lower back. There are hundreds of office chairs available on the market, and no one chair is considered to be the best, even if it is the most expensive. In addition to back support, a good office chair should have an excellent amount of depth. The standard depth for office chairs is a maximum of 20 inches.

The height of the seat is also important. For most people a height about 16 to 20 inches is usually sufficient. This is a height which should allow you to rest both of your feet flat on the floor. It is also important for office chairs to support your lower back, because chairs that don't support the lower backs of those who site in them will cause them to slouch, and this will add even more stress to their lower backs.

To incorporate or not to incorporate?

To incorporate or not to incorporate?

It seems that more companies feel the need to incorporate than ever before. In today's society,  just everybody can sue and everybody can be sued and that makes a corporation all the more attractive. However, there are unfortunately more obstacles surrounding incorporation than ever before. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of incorporation? Is it right for your company?

First off, incorporation might be the best decision for one company and the worst decision for another! There is not just one right answer out there. The key is to determine what liability concerns you have in particular and what tax benefits you desire and then find out if incorporation will help your company fulfill its goals better.

Probably the biggest benefit of incorporation goes to the company's owner. Once a company becomes a corporation, it essentially becomes a separate entity and its owner will only have limited liability as a result. Don't think that this gets individual shareholders out of the clear, though! Shareholders can be held liable in many circumstances; they can't always hide behind the corporation.

There are many other benefits, though. Investors are drawn to corporations, and for some companies, investors are invaluable. Not only will investors buy stock in your company, but your employees can have stock options as well. Your employees also might be happier working for a corporation because corporations are forced to be well-organized and consequently, are very efficient.

Still, there are a handful of glaring disadvantages of incorporation that you should also consider. While hopefully a corporation will run like a well-oiled machine, it takes a long time to build that machine. And time is money. Incorporation is a process that all must be entirely committed to. A company doesn't turn into a corporation over night!

Even after the process of incorporation is over, it can be a real headache to those in charge, as they must welcome a lot of bureaucracy into their company. Many decisions and practices are standardized for corporations across the country and this means your employees might have to go to a regular meeting every week that they didn't have to go to before. It's no secret, but small companies are a lot more personal and easygoing than corporations.

There's also the whole tax issue. While incorporation can sometimes lead to some great tax benefits (which you'll want to research on your own), it can also lead your company into some financial difficulties. Whether or not taxes get better or worse for your company depends on your specific situation, but don't assume tax benefits will be waiting for you just around the corner if you incorporate.

Will incorporation make your company bigger, better, and more secure? Probably. But what is the price you will pay for a sturdier company? If you don't have many concerns about liability and your autonomous company is performing quite well, then there might be more cons than pros to incorporation. So, when deciding whether or not to incorporate, just remember to take into consideration every aspect of your company.

Dining In Pattaya Thailand

In Pattaya you will be bombarded with smells and tastes from a wide variety of cuisines.  Determining where you will dine for the day may be the biggest decision of the day.

I will list approximate prices in Thai Baht and the exchange rate as I write this is about 33 Baht to 1 US dollar.

Breakfast is cheap in Pattaya.  You can get basic fare for about 50 to 80 baht which consists of bacon and eggs, toast, juice and coffee.  A better deal is the hotel buffet.  The Lek Hotel, Apex and Diana Inn on Second Road all have buffets for about 110 Baht.  Lots of food but nothing really spectacular.

I prefer to have a big breakfast but one that also tastes good.  My favorite is at the Sportsman on Soi 13.  They have a full English breakfast for about 240 Baht.  This is served on a platter and comes with bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, beans, bubble and squeak, and fried tomatoes.  It is all you can do to finish it.

I usually don’t eat lunch after having the big breakfast but for those who get hungry mid-day, there are many, many places to get something to eat.  Everything from fast food to street vendor dishes are all over the city.  You won't be able to walk ten feet without someone selling something to eat.

If I am hungry at lunchtime, I usually go to the Royal Garden Shopping Center upstairs to the food court.  There you buy a card similar to a credit card and put however much Baht on it as you want.  I usually add about 200 Baht and if I have money left over, I can get it refunded.

Then you just walk around to the many vendors and see what you like.  Most of the food is Thai and there is everything from soup, to rice dishes to noodles.  Beverages and dessert are also available.  Most of the meals are in the 30 – 40 Baht range.

For dinner, I usually stop at a street vendor and get some meat and rice.  There is a group of street vendors, or an outside food court on Soi Buakhao just north of Soi LK Metro.  The northernmost vendor is my favorite.  He has boiled chicken, fried pork, and cooked red pork.  All dishes come with rice and cost 25-30 Baht.  A bottle of water is an additional 10 Baht.

If you get hungry while out on the town in Pattaya, you will be able to get food no matter what time it is.  Stationary street vendors and vendors with motorized stalls are everywhere serving soup, bar-b-que, and rice and noodle dishes.  You can even get a sampling of Northern Thailand snacks – grasshoppers, silkworms, ants, and beetles.

Eating in Thailand is a way of life and you will find yourself eating 4 to 6 times per day.  The meals are small in size and huge in taste.  Some of the Thai dishes can be very spicy so be careful with the chili peppers.

And if you only eat pizza, burgers and fries, you can get those dishes all over the city too.

You can even find some of the best steaks and European cuisine in this former fishing village.  Seafood is also abundant and you can get lobster or crabs for a small fraction of what you pay at home

I can guarantee that you will not go hungry when you are in Pattaya.