Thursday, September 30, 2010

Taking Paid Surveys Online-Think Big

by: Jeff Schuman

It seems to me that people who are thinking about taking paid surveys online should start thinking bigger. Just as with Internet marketing being a numbers game, taking paid surveys online is a numbers game as well. To make more money you need to change how you approach it.

1. Survey companies will pay you to give them your opinion. This form of consumer research is not new and in many ways is even more valuable than ever before.

This is true because survey companies can reach a larger number of people via the Internet than they ever could on the telephone or in a shopping mall.

There are plenty of companies you can take paid surveys for. The key is to join more than one survey company and then get a system in place to start taking these surveys.

2. It is going to take you a few minutes to complete a survey. It could take as long as one hour depending on what is involved.

How long the survey takes is based on your speed and the particular needs of the company requesting you to complete the survey. The more questions the survey contains the longer it is going to take you.

You may as well be prepared to spend some time completing the survey if you expect to make money taking them.

3. How much money can you make? I have seen surveys that only pay a few cents, some that pay a few dollars, and some that pay $50 or more once you complete it.

You need to be done able to differentiate between paid surveys and surveys that pay you in points or prizes. There's nothing wrong with completing surveys and earning rewards for them, but if you need to make cash then that is the type of surveys you should concentrate on.

Most survey companies have different categories so you know exactly what type of survey you are taking.

4. Get a system in place and stick to it. You can always log in to your member area and find surveys you can take to make money.

You should set a schedule every week know in advance what hours you are planning on working. Stick to this schedule and do not become sidetracked by outside interests.

If you are doing paid surveys for a part-time job you will have to work if you expect to get paid. The more hours you can schedule yourself to work the more potential money you will make.

If you had a part time job that scheduled you to work 20 hours a week you would not make any money unless you showed up and work those hours. The same thing is true when it comes to taking paid surveys.

5. One final point to make is refer members and earn money on their completed surveys. If you are willing to spend a little time training people you can actually earn as much money referring people as you can taking paid surveys online yourself.

Think big in terms of how many companies you join, how many surveys you take, and how many people you refer.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Blogging - What Is It All About ?

by: Frank Breinling

Blogging is hard even if you're a natural or trained writer. It's difficult to write and write well on a consistent basis, let alone every day. It is all about sharing knowledge and experience. Thus it is important, that you must have lots of knowledge relevant to your blog niche.

Blogging is an art form in its own and is a valuable resource in this day-and-age. Print media simply CAN NOT keep up with the digital world (or the public's demand) and for a company that, as the author has pointed out, has tons of money invested in blogging, it's pretty damn stupid to go and insult that which gives you money. It is still the center of the social media universe. Now you could easily argue I am a bit biased on that point but the facts support the argument. Blogging is much closer to the informal discussions you have in the hallway or via email than it is to peer-reviewed papers. We have to convince faculty members (and other people involved in science) that blogging is the new email.

Blogging is the perfect small business marketing tool. If you're selling and gaining leads via the web, then the web is also your main marketing super-channel. It isn't just a hobby, it's a way of experiencing the world. Blogging isn't dead in my eyes. I think a person's first instinct is to give up if their blog isn't popular, but all it means is that they have to get better.

Blogging is often taken as informal writing. While this may be true, it does not mean that it is okay for a blogger to disregard writing rules. It is about not following a form, but making your own form. To all those bloggers out there who say you "have to be a niche blogger" in order to be successfull I say . Blogging is not for the faint of heart!

Blogging is one of those things which has inserted itself into American culture whether we like it or not. According to the BlogWorld site, of the 147 million Americans who use the internet, almost 40% of them read blogs. Blogging is a GREAT way to achieve that level of communication. Blogging is a reflection in the mirror of what we want to show to the world. For the most part, blogging is about us.

Blogging is not a unique concept, its simply one of the oldest concepts applied to HTML rather than pen and paper. In this matter the buzz word blog and ever possible tense there of are nothing more than keeping a journal and using HTML rather than Pen and Paper to do it.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

An Apple Mac - Reasons for Choosing to Own One

by: Frank Breinling

When people are looking to buy a new computer, whether for work or home use, they tend to opt out of buying an Apple Mac. Choosing an Apple Mac is perhaps one of the most wonderful computer investments you will ever make. There are a lot of companies that offer them at very affordable rates; comparing prices will of course save you a lot of money.

There are a lot of people who later decide against purchasing an Apple Mac because they are a little bit afraid that they may not be able to conveniently connect with others, because they erroneously feel that a Mac is not compatible with other systems.

You will discover that one of the biggest problems faced by people, who would love to buy a Mac to replace their computer, is that they are unsure as to whether they will be able to conveniently transfer data from their old computer to the new one. This is certainly no longer a problem; Microsoft has now allowed their "Office Programs" to be effectively applied to Apple Macs.

Users also have the opportunity to conveniently access other types of popular software programs too. These days you will discover that Apple Macs also come with these three;

- Adobe Photoshop

- Access to iTunes

- MSN Messenger

If you find out that there are certain files you have on your old PC and your Apple Mac does not seem to have the application to use them, fret not. There are lots of programs which are available that can assist you in transferring the files that are quite common for different types of computers to your Apple Mac, utilizing the right type of application.

You need to understand that there are certain programs i.e. Microsoft Publisher (which usually does not allow users to convert their files into an Apple Mac format) - thankfully, Apple has corrected this problem. These days, all the Intel based Apple Macs will allow users to boot up directly into MS Windows and allow users to make the required changes from Microsoft Publisher into an Apple Mac Application instead.

So you see you can get an Apple Mac, not only because it is beautiful and lightweight, but because it will meet all of your requirements whether you are using it at work or at home. Using a Mac is always special and it will keep you stay out of the crowd.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

How To Make Money Offline - Using The Internet To Easily Achieve This Goal

by: Jeff Schuman

Are you trying to learn how to make money offline easily using the internet? There are many different ways that you can easily achieve this goal once you know some ideas that will help you get your own business started.

You want to be sure that you find a business idea that you like because this will make it much easier for you to build it to be successful. Otherwise, your business will eventually end up feeling like the dreaded job you are trying to get rid of.

Now that you know that important thing, you need to know some ideas that anyone can use to make money from your home offline using the internet. The following are some of the best ideas available to you:

1. MLM - This is an idea that many people have achieved success with and you can also. Starting this kind of business will mean marketing your business online and offline, but a lot of things will need to be done offline only.

With this business type, you have to market in as many ways as you can, offline marketing included. Talking to people face to face about your business is one of the best ways to market.

MLM offline is just as important as it is online if you are really serious about making money and achieving success.

2. Party plans - There are many businesses that you can start where you have parties in your home. You will use the internet for this business to market and for orders, but you will also do a lot of it offline.

If you are someone that enjoys hosting parties, then this could be your best option for starting a business.

3. Carpet cleaning - This service is one that many people want done for them and you can take advantage of that to start your own business. This is obviously a business that will be done offline, but taking it online is also smart for your business success.

4. House cleaning - Again, this is a service that so many people are willing to pay for. If you start a business doing this, then you will use both online and offline methods to build your business to be successful.

5. Your own products - If you enjoy creating products like gift baskets, jewelry or deserts, then this is a business that you will enjoy. This is the type of business that you definitely have to take online and offline in order to find the most success possible.

These are just a small number of the ideas that are available for you to choose from. You have to take time to search out all your options so you can choose the best business for you to start. Now that you have this important information about how to make money offline easily; all that remains is to get started with your search.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Truth About Aged Domains

by: Frank Breinling

Domains that have been registered and never dropped are called "Aged Domains".

These domains normaly sell for more than a new one because they have been around for a while. They're usually out of the Google Sandbox and for those who are looking for aged domains, it can help them manage a living online, having a history, or raise credibility in their niche markets simply because if the domain has been around for years, it appears that they have as well.

Aged domains can also be found on forums like DNForum.com and simply by typing in the keywords "Aged Domains" into the search bar you can easily locate domain auctions that include these older domain names.

I have purchased dozens of domain names for $40 or less that were anywhere from 5 - 10 years old. Just based on the age alone I was able to flip these domain names for over 5x what I paid.

For instance, one domain name I purchased was never used, meaning it had never featured a website on it, it just sat parked in the users account for over six years.

I purchased the domain for only $30.00 and because of its age, I was able to flip it for $379.00.

That's quite a boost in profit from a domain I paid so little for.

While there is no exact science how to flip domains here are a few things to keep in mind:

1) Development Potential

When you analyze the availability of domains in your list, consider what each domain name could represent and be used for when creating a website presence.

An example of which is whether the domain name is one that could represent a product title, or better served as a personal portfolio, a social community, a directory or perhaps a forum.

While the purpose of the domain name will unlikely match your ideas when it is sold, by thinking of a clear purpose for each domain name will not only help you make sound choices during the selection process, but can also be included in a domain auction, as a way of passing on the ideas to prospective buyers who are considering purchase.

2) Length

It can not be said enough, most of the domain names you purchase should be relatively short, basically consisting of two words.

3) Trademark Issues

Avoid registering any domain names that could infringe upon the trademark of existing companies, whether or not you believe that the company will take action or not should not be considered.

The last thing you want is to purchase a domain name that is unable to be sold due to buyers being cautious or concerned of building a website on a domain that ends up being seized by a company wishing to protect their identity.

4) Relevant / Popular Keywords

Does the domain name contain popular keywords that are used by those seeking out more information in search engines? If so, your domain name just increased its value instantly.

One of the easiest ways to determine whether a keyword is a common one is by using the free service available at www.SEOBook.com or www.Overture.com

5) Existing Traffic

If you are purchasing aged or recently expired domains, you will want to determine whether there is existing traffic to the website or not, thus increasing it's value immensely.

Organic, natural traffic sent directly from search engines is the best kind, however back links from other websites are also very important to potential buyers.

An easy way to determine the number of backlinks as well as page rank and other important information is by visiting www.CheckPageRank.net where you can enter in domain names and retrieve useful data relating to the name itself.

When it's time to register your domain names, you can use any registrar that you wish.

Personally, I use www.TLDwebshop.com , a favorite among the domain buyers and sellers. Regardless of the registrar you choose, you will want to make sure that you park them on service sites such as www.Afternic.com or www.Sedo.com so that you are able to generate revenue while you are preparing to sell the domain itself.

6) Spelling

Is the domain name easy to remember? If your customer would purchase the domain and build a business with this name, would he be able to easily brand it?

For example, domain names with double letters such as www.cashhour.com may often be mistaken for www.cashour.com, just the same, domains with odd spellings, hyphens or numbers would have to be clearly spelled out, or explained when someone is attempting to promote their website through word of mouth, rather than in print.

Consider this when registering domain names, and make sure that the names you choose will not be mistaken or misspelled by potential customers of yours, as well as the person who purchases it from you at the last end, otherwise your client will experience a significant loss in perceived value.

When choosing your domain names, there will be many factors that come into play.

The type of audience you are offering to, the auction sites you are featuring them on, the price range you are expecting and so on.

There is no 'one way' to do this, and you will learn to become a better domain evaluator (and purchaser) from hands on experience. Using the guidelines above however, will help you maximize your efforts and minimize your costs (and losses).

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Best Place To Post Resumes Online

by: Silas Reed

If you are about to end your academic career and step into the world of employment, or you want a quick change in your job, then you first need to know the places where you may post your resumes. You need to post your resumes to such places where you will get the immediate attention of many organizations at the same time. This article focuses on the places and sites where you can post your resumes and immediately draw the attention of reputed organizations.

If you happen to be in college or almost on the verge of qualifying from your institute then you need to know something about the career centre of your college. Most good and reputed colleges over your country have a career center, but the question is how do you find that out? You need to visit the website of your college or institute and find out about this center.

You can get your account created there and post your resumes. The career centers of most colleges have good links with businesses all over the country. They very often come to college campuses in order to conduct open interviews. Many a times they can send you a letter asking you to sit for an interview. So you can benefit a lot from these networks.

You may also post your resume over sites that are exclusive to your states like the alabamajobs.com or to you can have it posted in monster.com. Many people have posted their resume online and they have bagged jobs which has been very promising and good for them.

There are innumerous sites where you may post your resume online. With just a press on the button you can upload your existing resume without any trouble. Again there are many sites where you have the option of cut and pasting your resume with the help of a resume building wizard.

In order to save some amount of time it is always a good idea to start with some of the top job sites. Try and make a note of your login name and password and remember the sites where you have uploaded your resume. This technique would be of good help to you if you want to make any changes in your existing resume.

You will come across many employers who would not find the idea of posting their open jobs in job sites a very good idea. They find it far more convenient if they are able to have their links posted at job sites.

It is very easy for them to pick the right candidates from these sites when they have their jobs posted online. They also get to save some money in this way, since most job boards charge an amount more than $200 in order to post a single job.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Get Some Useful Information On iPad Skins

by: Bhrat Brij

We have to confess. Credit to the cutthroat competition cell phone makers are coming with totally trendy cell phone models. The scheme is that if one competitor has one function your cell phone may have 3 functions. The cell phone market is booming these days and that is the basis why you can see really amazing range of cell phones. So if you have already invested in Samsung Rogue or Blackberry storm it is a provided that you know accurately what you wish.

Well the only difficulty with the cell phone manufacturers is that they designed a chic cell phone but did not do much concerning guarding its outer surface from scratches and smudges. Therefore it is regular that your Samsung Rogue or Blackberry storm has gathered a lot of marks during its association with you. You would want to find for ways to protect the cell phone from any type of added outer damage. This of course is going to be in the type of Cell phone skins of iPad skins, Blackberry storm skins and Samsung Rogue skins.

iPad skins, Blackberry storm skins and Samsung Rogue skins are made up of vinyl. This is one of the most stretchy yet most elegant positive materials going around in the world nowadays of these Cell phone skins. Not merely can you get iPad skins, Blackberry storm skins and Samsung Rogue skins which are tailor made but also Cell phone skins which are printable can be printed. Consequently you do not have to worry regarding boring skin covering your cell phone. You are going to find something which is robust, supple and elegant. You may also find custom-made cell phone skins.

These iPad skins are definitely one of a kind, especially when you have your own patterns to be printed on them. That implies that you are not restricted to one design, one style, and one color combination. The thought is that you will have a protecting vinyl covering to cover up your cell phone. Apart from that, you are going to have something which is really attractive and individual like you.

So what are you looking for, boast your style and trend sense by getting personalized Blackberry curve skins for your cell phone? You might also want to wrap up your Blackberry curve with psychedelic colors. The sky is the limit on ingenuity particularly when you are scheming iPad skins to your own liking. You can have all these Skins on the Web and ask the merchant to make special Cell Phone skins for you according to your own specifications.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Facebook - A New Way to Communicate

by: Frank Breinling

Social media marketing is here to stay. It is the new way of communicating for both businesses as well as individuals. With all things, there are fans and there are cynics. However, there is no denying its impact. A crucial tipping point in how the world communicates has been passed. Online social media is now mainstream. Nearly everyone has some method of social media be it Twitter or Facebook. Facebook and Twitter have certainly become the main tools by which small businesses and the upwardly mobile engage the outside world.

From the rise of Facebook a new method of marketing has developed. Social Media Marketing is now one of the primary means of relating new products and services to the world. Social media is perfect for getting the word out. It is fresh, fast and free. Sure, there is some effort to it after all, you have to Tweet or write on your wall several times daily, but it's free. Let's say it again. Free.

Facebook allows you to freely contact your friends, family, potential employers and potential customers. You can market yourself or business by establishing an engaging online profile. You have the potential, if you are clever and savvy, to reach out to and influence a wide customer base. Friend people, Write on their walls, Create events that will post to their walls, Comment on someone's status, Review a movie, Play games, Having fun is now work—how awesome is that?

Games and Pay Per Click

Companies create games now as a means of advertising their product. For a grand and a half you can create a viral game that reaches literally millions of potential customers. Users may also choose to use affiliate sales links to earn a little extra cash from Facebook.

You also have the option to create a Facebook PPC campaign and create an ad that will be run according to keyword searches. Facebook offers you the opportunity to advertise to a broad demographic, and create a series of social actions that will enable you to grow your business across the community of millions. Facebook makes it easy enough for a beginner to set up with its easy walk through and tutorial. However, if you are uneasy about starting a campaign yourself there are companies that will help you select the appropriate keywords and demographics.

Pay per click is an effective advertising method because you only pay per click, not per view. This is a different approach than say a commercial that people can forward past or leave the room during. You pay for the direction action, or curiosity, of your web user.

Whether you want to use Facebook to stay in touch, get a new job, or grow your business customer base, Facebook has the capacity to fulfill your needs if you can just learn your way around a few kingdoms.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

What Domain Parking Is About

by: Frank Breinling

Domain parking is the registration of a domain name without assigning the domain to any particular services. This is usually done to house the domain until it is ready to be developed into a website. It is a simple way to make money from your undeveloped domain names. Your domain names will display targeted advertising links generated by a parking company. Domain parking is an advertising practice used primarily by domain name registrars and Internet advertising publishers to monetize type-in traffic visiting an under-developed domain name. The domain name will usually resolve to a page containing relevant advertising listings and links.

Parking Sites like Sedo.com offer a domain parking service, which generates the page with the pay-per-click links on it that redirect the visitor to other sites which might be relevant. You could also set up your own parked page, and just put pay-per-click ads on it of your own.

Check to see whether a fee is associated with transferring the domain. Checking for validity is very simple, a WHOIS on their domain name, or a simple search on the Internet (Google, Yahoo search) for their business name. Include the word scam, fraud into the query to specifically ask for negative results and if you could not find any relevant results then it could be they are really legitimate or they have changed their names, use another email address, use another company name or you are being worked by a new (not necessary inexperienced) scammer. Check to make sure you are using the right Logins and Passwords at the right area. The Login Id and Password are for access to the free modification functions from www.cadomains.ca , and the CIRA User Account and Private Password is to confirm information changes to CIRA.

Domain parking is really domain "monetization" business. Domain parking is the simple concept of taking a domain that you own, placing it on a host, and creating a website filled with ads. If a person happens to "stumble-upon" the website, there will be related content (to the domain name) that may lead them to what they are looking for. Domain Parking is an advertising practise used mostly by domain registrars and internet advertising publishers to earn revenue from type-in traffic to an blank domain. The domain will typically resolve to a page containing nothing but adsense ads or links to affiliate programs.

Sedo is a excellent choice . All you need do is buy an excellent domain name that is related to the niche you are targeting and then re-direct it to the parking company name server. Sedo is one of the more internationally oriented parking companies. This makes it your best choice for parking your country-specific domains.

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Need for Server Management Support

by: Kathryn Dawson

Server management is one of the most important functions of any organisation that wishes to maintain a solid presence on the internet. However, these servers are used for much more than just web services. For example, they can also be supporting the back-office functions, running databases and a huge range of database applications, such as ecommerce and customer relationship management systems. Without careful management, these services could suffer from poor or insufficient administration, leading to deteriorating quality of data, out of date software, incomplete backups, poor security standards and so on. This could put a business at a range of risks, from their systems becoming slow and inefficient to full-blown outages due to the lack of disk space or even security breaches by hackers.

Server Management – A Common Scenario

Many companies believe that by creating special roles in their workforce for server management, they have everything covered. They couldn't be more wrong, as is apparent in this scenario of a manufacturing firm in Sussex. The company in question had been using a UNIX powered server for managing all its databases, including updating the daily shipping records. The role of server administrator was held by the person who originally designed the server. For several years he held this role, during which time the server showed no shortcomings. However, the employee stopped working there suddenly, leaving the company in a tight spot.

The server still ran for two months without any problems and everyone at the company breathed easy. One day, without any warning, the server crashed. Bewildered, the company immediately hired a server management firm. In their survey, the networking experts found that the server was completely outdated and had no data recovery policies in place. What this meant was that the manufacturing firm now found itself in a situation where it risked losing all crucial data like customer contacts and sales figures.

The one thing that this example brings to the fore is that even if your server is not currently causing a problem, it is not reason enough to ignore it. It is not a signal to relax. There are still very strong chances that it could be lacking in vital software updates (for example). In the case of the company above, the problem did not arise because of an individual's incompetency, but because of the lack of proper supervision.

Going Down the High Availability Path

The main advantage of carrying out regular server management is decreasing the risk of downtime (from one cause of another). Looking at this from another angle, state of the art systems can be used to provide High Availability. This makes use of technologies such as load balancing and content delivery networks to make sure that your web or offline services are available quickly and all the time.

Basic Server Management Steps:

1) Installing Typical Software: Well managed server hosting is possible with the application of specific software. These server administration tools help keep the server online and in case of a failure or a deterioration in services, alert the system administrator.

2) Upgrading the System: By updating the servers from time to time, server management vendors ensure that the website or server is always abreast of the latest additions in network technology.

3) Common Administrative Tasks Carried out by Skilled Professionals: This is the point where the server management vendors become almost indispensable. Their workforce boasts of employees with technical qualifications such as:

a) Microsoft Certified administrators for Windows Server troubleshooting

b) Cisco Certified technicians for networking

c) Linux Certified administrators for Linux/UNIX troubleshooting.

d) Experienced certified programmers and database architects.

By using a combination of people, process and technology, outsourced fully managed servers are almost guaranteed to meet all of an organisation's online or offline needs.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Mangaged Or Unmanaged Server ? What Is Better?

by: Frank Breinling

What is a dedicated server?

The only function of a stand alone server, a so called dedicated server, is to serve one client. Service providers can have direct access to the dedicated server which are hosted in data centers. The main reason for moving from a shared hosting account to a dedicated server is a need for more data space and bandwidth. You don't have to share any resources and you can install the software you want with this type of server.

There are two types of hosting you can choose from:

Managed Dedicated Server - The host looks after your hardware and operation needs. This means they monitor and manage the network and any connection problems that occur. They also install new updates, replace any hardware that is needed, put in and update security measures and install patches (software that fixes problems).

Unmanaged Dedicated Server - With this server the responsibility of the daily operation and maintenance needs are yours. It all will be your responsibilty, i.e updating software, applying of patches and security or updating the software. The service provider still looks after the network monitoring, connection problems and the hardware; they may only offer to take part of the responsibility for these things.

What is better for you? A managed or unmanaged dedicated server?

This all depends on your needs and the personnel you have available to you. If you do not have a server administrator or IT staff at your location who can dedicate a fair amount of time to maintaining, monitoring and troubleshooting the dedicated server, then you should get a managed dedicated server that will be able to fulfill all these needs, including upgrading and security monitoring. You will also keep your staffing budget low by choosing this server method.

If, however, you already have IT staff in your employment, with the time and expertise to maintain the dedicated server, then the unmanaged dedicated sever could be just right for you.

Once you have selected the hardware and operating system that is best for your dedicated server, you need to decide who you are going to get to run your server. It's clever to find a hosting company that is offering both, managed and unmanaged servers, if for some reason your IT staff is away you can make use of switching from unmanaged to managed service. Now that you have hosting, things should run smoothly.

For beginners I recommend choosing a managed server. Unmanaged servers can be very time consuming to keep them running and online.