2012 January | asknancyortberg.com

NFL Releases the 48 Underclassmen Eligible for the April Draft

The NFL released this week its official list of the 48 underclassmen granted eligibility for the April 29-30 draft, this list includes cornerback Youboty, Santonio Holmes, safety Whitner, Reggie Bush and Vince.

Holmess was not a surprise. Every day there are more and more lists that have Holmes rated as the top receiver in the draft. But there were more questions about the draft status of Whitner and Youboty. Youboty rates fourth-best defensive back. Youboty is 6 feet 1, 188 pounds and he is a solid tackler this brings him good possibilities since this is what the NFL likes. The recent history of OSU cornerbacks in the NFL might help, as well.

Donte Whitner said his decision to forgo his senior season at Ohio State in favor of entering the NFL draft was not an easy call.

There was speculation that he could be a late second- or third round pick, but he said he has gotten enough feedback from confidants to believe he could be a late first- to second-round pick.

Whitner believes he could run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds, which would impress NFL scouts and now that he is no longer in school he can concentrate on his workouts. He also said he turned down a couple of paid autograph offerings before agreeing to do some for Ohio Signatures Unlimited four days ago, which effectively ended his college eligibility. Other notables who declared for the draft were North Carolina State DE Mario Williams; running backs Maurice Drew of UCLA, Brian Calhoun of Wisconsin and Laurence Maroney of Minnesota; wide receiver Devin Hester of Miami; and defensive back Ko Simpson of South Carolina.

Hard Money: Borrowers Solution for Low Credit, Foreclosure and Bankruptcy

A couple from Palmdale, California called my office Monday afternoon asking if we can help them save their home. They are delayed in their mortgage payments for 3 months and their house is in foreclosure. They have kids, they love their house, and they don’t want to move anywhere else. They have low credit, in foreclosure and have high debt ratio so banks turned them down. Knowing the urgency of the couple’s situation, I started asking them questions about their financial situation, what affected their credit, how much mortgages they owe, liens, collections, judgments, etc. At the end of our phone call conversation, I told the borrower that we can get them a loan through hard money investors. The borrower was surprised to hear that they finally can get a loan and avoid losing their home. Applying for a loan through regular banks is subject to limited loan to value, debt ratio, income documentation and credit rating guidelines. For homeowners or borrowers who have low credit rating, in notice of default, foreclosure or bankruptcy, they will immediately get declined by banks. Does it mean that they cannot get a loan and lose their home? Absolutely NO!

Hard money or private money loan is the solution for low credit borrowers and who are in financial distress such as notice of default, foreclosure, bankruptcy, credit delinquency, judgments, collections, tax liens, etc. Hard money is equity based, non-fico based lending. As long as the borrower has equity left in the house after the deductions of all mortgages owed, liens, charge offs and collections, interest payment delays, and prepayment penalty. Hard money represents hard-earned money of individual investors, groups, corporations, insurance companies, and hedge fund managers who are able to offer financing based on equity or collateral from the borrower.

Hard money investors or lenders have a standard 65% Loan To Value(LTV). In some cases there are investors who can go up to 70-75% LTV. For hard money investors to go up to 80-90%LTV, they will demand to be on title to secure their investment. At 65%LTV, it is possible to submit a loan as stated income. Beyond 65%LTV will require full income and asset documentation. For borrowers who are going through financial hardship such as employment termination/downsizing, medical emergencies, natural disasters, divorce, business loss, or other valid circumstance that puts them in financial distress, hard money lenders are willing to work with them as long as they show an ability to repay the loan or have an ‘exit strategy’ when the term is over.

Hard money is short term financing, usually within 6 months to 1 year, although 2 or 3 year terms are also available. The purpose of obtaining a hard money loan is to provide immediate solution to foreclosure or low credit borrower that needs immediate cash to payoff debts or the existing loan has already mature and needs to be paid off.

Hard money is the last recourse for borrowers if they can’t get regular bank financing. Hard money or private money loans are much higher in rates and points. The rate can range from 8.5, 11, 12, 13 up to 15% depending on loan to value and income documentation. Although hard money is non-fico based which can go below 500 mid score, the credit history of the borrower can also affect the rate that they are getting. The high rates and points for hard money is an investment caution for hard money lenders or private investors. High risk borrowers present a potential headache to the investors when they default in payment. Going through the foreclosure proceedings, attorney fees and selling the property.turnaround time are factors that bring high liability to hard money lenders.

The reality of hard money is high return vs. high risk business relationship. Hard money lenders or private investors are willing to take on high risks as long as it’s a good investment return. Not all borrowers have good paying ability, which caused the private investors to charge higher rates to prepare for future risks and carry the property through foreclosure and re-sell the property. If refinancing for hard money will not work for homeowners/borrowers who are in notice of default, foreclosure or bankruptcy, there are other creative ways that they can get help from hard money investors. Such creative ways may include a sale contract, lease purchase or the investor going on title and giving time for the homeowner to sell the property. These are not easy to do but can be done if the homeowner doesn’t have other options. The advantages of hard money loan allow the borrower to get out from financial distress by paying off debts, save home from foreclosure, avoid bankruptcy, and ability to rebuild credit within 6 months to 1 year timeframe. Hard money offers a ‘great rescue’ for homeowners and borrowers during hard times.

Hard money or private financing is available for both residential and commercial properties. Common loan programs include Raw Land, Construction, High End Million Dollar Estates, Apartments, Hotels, Motels, Mixed Use Properties, Office Building, Shopping Mall, Mobile Homes in Park, Gas Station, Restaurant, Hospitals, Golf Courses, Casinos, Convalescent Homes, Grocery Stores, Manufactured Homes, and even Business Loans.

The Basics of Weight Loss

For some people, simply exercising and eating less can cause them to lose a lot of weight. These are the kind of people who easily gain weight but lose what they have gained just as easily. However, there are people who easily gain weight but struggle to lose them in the end. Despite hours of running in the treadmill, these people will simply drive themselves to exhaustion but will not be able to shed so many pounds. They will soon realize that their efforts are not enough and it is about time to make use of additional help.

Adventure Travel On Horseback

When you think of adventure travel, what crosses your mind?

Hiking?
White water rafting?
Scuba diving?
Something as sedentary as a cruise ship or land rover safari?

Those ideas lose their adventure status when you compare them to galloping on a horse in Africa with a zebra and wildebeest racing along side you, or quietly observing the elephant and giraffe.

How can a traveler visit the remote parts of the worlds most beautiful and interesting places while…

Practicing a fascinating sport
Avoiding polluting
Keeping in harmony with history and nature
Being free to explore exotic locations
Making friends in remote places, and
Sharing the experience with a willing animal?

Have you ever considered the tremendous advantages of adventure travel on horseback? A horse can take you to beautiful and remote places which are difficult to reach in any other way. At the same time, you can practice a challenging sport which has been a favorite of mankind for millennia.

Destinations like Africa, Asia, Europe and South America offer a wonderful variety of adventure tours on horseback. Though comparatively little known to Americans, the British and particularly the French have highly developed the riding tour concept in many parts of the world. In many locations in the United States rights-of-way for horses have been lost, but many still exist in other countries.

Horses and horseback riding are deeply woven into the culture and history of most cultures from Argentina to Ireland. This is how our ancestors traveled and for those with a sense of history there is no more appropriate way to go. If you arrive in a foreign place on horseback, you will most likely be enthusiastically greeted by locals with waves and smiles which greatly facilitate meaningful contacts. Those who arrive by bus, on foot or on a bicycle are usually ignored. Horses are a great introduction and ice breaker almost anywhere.

If you seek a wilderness adventure, then horses are the way to go unless you want to walk and carry your equipment. Riding tours can take you from inn to inn, castle to castle, palace to palace or from one comfortable camp to another. Costs are very reasonably compared to biking or bus trips.

Horseback riding adventures vary widely in the skill and experience required to handle them safely. Most of these tours move out at all paces and include some good gallops so that one can cover 15 to 35 miles in a day. Beginners need several days of instruction before attempting even an easy trip, but those who are reasonably fit, not too overweight and have open minds can catch on very quickly. A week of intensive riding with good instruction can easily prepare most people for the less demanding adventures.

One of the enormous advantages of travel on horseback is that you are sharing the adventure with a willing animal who is also interested in the sights and sounds and who loves a brisk gallop on a beach or open plain as much as you do. A day in the saddle is also great exercise and riding is an excellent way to keep fit while having fun. It is far more interesting and satisfying than sitting confined in a bus or land rover all day which really isnt adventure travel at all. Another dividend is the keen appetite you develop after a day in the saddle for the delicious food you will be served.

On an African ride, a good horse can outdistance an irate Cape buffalo or elephant and keep you safe. Comfortable camps are set up for you each night, the food is excellent and the service superb. Or try a horseback tour visiting the castles of the Loire Valley and ride into the courtyards on your horse like a knight of old. You can gallop along forest tracks where the French aristocracy once chased the wild stag. There is a broad spectrum of possibilities available for horseback riding vacations.

If it appeals to you to travel in harmony with nature without using polluting, noisy machines or an unresponsive bicycle, then you should look into horseback riding tours.

Copyright 2005 Bayard Fox and Equitours, Ltd.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/

Not A Day Without A Dictionary

There are many small ways to make your days a little more full and to take every opportunity for learning. As a teacher, I am passionate about seeing people grasp what a privilege and a blessing that learning is. If you are blessed enough to live in a place that allows or better yet encourages you to further your education, then I believe that it is right and good of you to do that. There are many, many ways for you to take learning seriously, but one of the easiest and best ways is to grab a dictionary.

There are many things I love about a good dictionary. Being an English professor, the connection is obvious. I love words. I love the power of language for communication. I think it is quite amazing that two people that have never met can sit down and have a conversation and basically understand everything that is being said because they speak the same language. While it is very true that you can speak a language and even learn new words without using a dictionary, think of all there is to learn by using a dictionary.

I gave myself a challenge a few years ago when it came time to make a New Year’s resolution. Typically, my resolutions had consisted of plans to eat better and workout more, but that year I decided that I would buy a new dictionary and spend a few minutes each day reading it. Sound boring? If so, then you obviously haven’t tried reading from a dictionary. It is actually one of the best decisions I have ever made. I looked forward to my few minutes in the dictionary so much that I began reading it both morning and night. Reading my dictionary daily was by far the easiest resolution to follow.

What I love about reading the dictionary is learning how much I do not know. All I have to do is flip open a page and I am confronted with how much more there is to learn, not just about my language, but about all of life. I read words that I have never heard of and I learn concepts that I didn’t even know existed. Reading my dictionary is one of the most humbling and yet thrilling things I’ve ever done.

So, grab a dictionary. Start the process of learning new words to add to your understanding and vocabulary, but also let your time in a dictionary teach you new and exciting things about the world.

Security For Your Computer

With the uncertainty that exists in the World Wide Web at the present time, every computer must have some security device in place. Viruses and other such software can be detrimental to the life of your computer and can be contracted from virtually anywhere on the Internet. Since these elements are very difficult to immunize once they have infiltrated the surface of your hard drive, it is imperative that they be stopped before they have the chance to do so. Hence having security devices and software in place on your computer is a must, as it can easily detect threats allow you to deal with any problems that may arise with relative ease.

Of particular threat to your computer is spyware. It is basically like a virus in that is spreads throughout your computer however, spyware, as its name suggests, invades the privacy of the personal computer. Thus, the purchase antispyware software is essential in securing your computer from potential threats. Some operating systems are actually equipped with a security center built-in already. This means that when you purchase the computer and operating system software you already have the services of the security center at your disposal. Such services commonly include the ability of an administrator to monitor activity throughout the system as well as potentially block hazardous material on the internet from being viewed by other users, the ability to manage automatic updates and what’s more the ability to enquire about the status of antivirus software.

Many of these pre-installed security mechanisms also come equipped with a firewall. A firewall is essentially a , which protects against incoming threats whether they are in the form of infections or hijackers. Without the aid of a firewall an automated hijacker could hack into your system in a matter of minutes while you are connected to the Internet, completely unaware of what is happening to your computer.

You Can Learn To Play Music On Guitar

When you learn to play music on guitar it is one of the most rewarding things you can learn. It can be used at a variety of occasions and can also be used to make money when you become experienced. I will try to show you some simple steps to learn to play music on guitar, but it requires a lot of patience and even more practice.

You have to remember there is no easy way out you have to practice or you wont perfect the things you have learnt. Try not to get frustrated if it does not come to you straight away because it will develop over time.

Reference material

There is a wide range of reference materials available in book and video form. These are all available on the internet. Classes are also a great way to learn to play music on guitar. In the first few pages of most guitar books there is always a short riff, and easy songs try. Start with them and practice those for a while until you are confident enough to continue.

Equipment

When it comes to buying a guitar go to a music shop and pick them up and hold them try to choose one that feels comfortable and if you still cant decide talk to the shop assistant and see if they have any tips and tricks for picking the right guitar. Dont be fooled by the price tag most of the cheap guitars are fine to begin with. When you first learn to play music on guitar you will not need a fancy guitar as most of the features will go unused and will only get in the way. However as you improve you may want to upgrade in small stages to suit your level of experience.

Classes and community lessons

There is a wide range of classes to learn to play music on guitar. Some classes are free or require a small donation. However most have a fee attached to cover the costs of teachers and equipment. When you participate in a free class, these are generally just as good as a paid class. All classes will help you with basics when you learn to play music on guitar. The best thing about classes is the hands on approach to learning; there is nothing better than having someone give you first hand knowledge on how to do something.

Practice makes perfect

There is no such thing as too much practice when you decide to learn to play music on guitar, but you need to spread that practice out. Dont burn yourself out to the point where you stop enjoying playing. Always remember that its about having fun and the second it stops becoming fun dont do it anymore. There is no point pushing yourself to do something you dont want to do.

Always remember that when you learn to play music o guitar its not just for you its for everyone one else to enjoy as well so dont be afraid to share your new talent with your friends and family.

Loose Covers and Sofa Covers

If you change the interior dcor of your home you may come across the problem of having furniture such as sofas and chairs that look out of place. Its very common for you to want to change the dcor in your house and it can be a very expensive task if you have to buy brand new furniture every time you redecorate. However, there are other methods available which can be relatively cheap that you may not know about. Sofa covers are a great way to take your existing sofa and match it to any design you wish, they come in a great range of colours and patterns so you can guarantee to find one that suits your requirements.

Being a Part of a Blogging Society

The blogosphere, made up of countless blogs from all over the world, is one of the most popular faces of the Internet. It’s not just for teenagers anymore. Several years ago, most blogs were run by kids who just wanted to keep in touch with their friends, or people who just wanted to talk about their daily life.

These days, almost everyone online has a blog.

Chances are, you have one – and if you don’t, you should.

Stay at home moms like to blog about their daily lives and raising children. CEOs of major corporations own blogs about the latest happenings at their company. Many celebrities run blogs, and they blog about their upcoming events, movies, and roles (not to mention scandals).

And marketers have blogs about every niche imaginable!

I’m confident to say I myself am part of the blogging culture.

Blogging is a great way to reach out to the people on the Internet. They can touch millions of lives, and spread your message like no other medium. You can say almost anything you want, and there will be an audience for almost every niche!

You can run a blog just for fun. If you want to talk about parties you attend, restaurants you eat at, places you go shopping, or where you go on vacation, someone will probably want to read about it.

Even if the only audience you have is your close friends and relatives, you’ll have fun and be able to say whatever’s on your mind.

More and more people are turning to blogging as a way to make money. Some people just want to make a few extra dollars for spending money, but others are actually making a full-time income with their blogs.

A few prominent bloggers even boast of making hundreds of thousands of dollars with their blogs (a la Perez Hilton, who parlayed his blogging fun into thousands of dollars in ad money each month, which delivered him his own TV show, podcast, and clothing line)!

There are plenty of ways to make money blogging. Whether you’re a college student who just wants to make a little extra cash for pizza and clothes, or you’re a serious marketer who wants to make a small fortune, it’s totally possible with blogging.

Blogs are big, even if they’re small. Some blogs get millions of hits per month. Blog traffic has been growing steadily for several years as consumers gain confidence from peers rather than trusting hard hitting sales pitches they find on the web.

With more and more people jumping onto the blogosphere bandwagon, it probably won’t slow down within the foreseeable future. If you’re thinking about getting into blogging, it’s a good idea to get started now.

It generally takes a few months to begin building up a following. And you really need regular visitors if you want to make money with your blog. You should work to gain subscribers to your RSS feed, because those people will come back often to read your new posts.

And remember to lend your own unique voice to your posts. One of the most important nuances in regards to why blogging is such a major global phenomenon is the fact that people really enjoy reading unique voices on certain topics.

They crave the differences in personalities. It’s refreshing to read information that has personality and isn’t stale or stuffy, which means it’s been translated by a single editor so that every voice is uniform. This is why columnist pages in local newspapers are so popular.

Your unique voice is the most important part of getting regular visitors to your blog. If you want to see examples of this, visit some of the most popular blogs you can find. You’ll see that one thing these blogs have in common is the fact that the bloggers make engaging, funny, or original posts.

That’s your key to making it big in the blogosphere!

Before You Blog, Build a Blueprint

A lot of bloggers put together a blog without any real plan for how they’re going to promote? it or monetize it. Putting a blog together without a plan is like trying to build a house without a blueprint.

It’s possible, yes. But the end result is probably going to be shoddy, and the whole thing could fall apart at any minute.

You should create a solid plan of action before you even buy the domain. You need to develop a strong blueprint before you ever get started. Waiting until after you’ve already set it up and are getting traffic could mean a lot of extra work going in to correct mistakes.

Changing themes and adding plugins after you’re already getting traffic could interrupt your traffic. Sometimes new plugins and themes can temporarily break your blog, which could mean a loss of traffic (and money) until you’re able to fix everything.

The first part of your plan should be choosing a niche, of course. Part of choosing a niche is finding products you can promote. If a niche has no products available, you could create your own.

But if there are no affiliate products available, it could be because there isn’t enough demand there for a product. In this case, you’d have to do some careful market research in order to determine whether or not a niche is truly viable.

What’s your purpose for blogging?

Do you have your own product you want to promote?

Do you want to promote affiliate products?

Do you want to just put AdSense or CPA offers on your site?

You need to ask yourself questions like these so that you’ll know how you intend to monetize the site. If you plan to promote affiliate products, you should test the products yourself before you promote them.

If you don’t, your visitors could end up being very upset if you promoted a product of really poor quality and they bought it because they trusted you. Even worse, what if you end up promoting something that turns out to be a scam?

You don’t necessarily have to purchase every product you wish to promote. If you can prove you have a decent amount of traffic (and sometimes if you just ask), you may be able to get free review copies of some of the products you’d like to promote.

It doesn’t hurt to ask. Even if you don’t have any existing traffic yet, you can write to the owner of a particular affiliate program, tell them what you’re planning to do, and ask if you could get a review copy.

Some people won’t give you a review copy. Plenty of marketers get requests for review copies from those who just want to get a copy of their product for free. So if you run into a skeptic, or someone who’s been burned before, you may get turned down.

In this case, it’s probably best to just go ahead and buy the product if you really want to promote it. If it’s a scam or a really crappy product, just ask for a refund.

You can also consider using a donation button on your blog. If you can’t find any good products to promote, and you don’t have the time, money, or ability to create your own product, you can still put up a donation button. If your blog is very good, you may get donations.

Or, you can always sell ad space on your blog. If you start getting a substantial amount of traffic or you get a very high PageRank in Google, you could charge a lot of money for a link on your blog. You can also get paid for making posts on your blog that review other sites.

Should a Blog Topic Be Broad or Narrow?

There are two schools of thought regarding blog topics. Some people believe your topic should be very focused, because you can bring in a flurry of laser-targeted visitors. Plus, you have less competition in smaller market segments.

Another group of people believe that anything worth doing is worth doing big. They believe that the only way blogging can truly be worth it is if you’re bringing in massive traffic, and the only way you can achieve that level of traffic is by being very broad – casting a wide net, so to speak.

For example, you might have a sports blog that has broad appeal. You could talk about baseball, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, and golf. This would give you a much more broad appeal, and the potential for larger traffic.

But since there would be so much competition, it might take a lot longer to get more traffic coming in. Plus, the way I see it is, if I’m interested in golf, I really won’t care about the other parts of the blog, so the value of it plummets in my eyes.

But let’s say you choose golf as your broad topic. Even this is broad, although you just segregated it from the other sports in existence. There are many things you could write about golf – vacations, apparel, clubs, courses, techniques, etc.

You could choose an even more targeted niche like women’s golf or senior golf. This is a smaller segment of a small niche. This means you could get traffic faster, because there would be less competition.

Less competition means you have the potential to rise faster in the search engine rankings. Of course, women’s golf would get far less traffic from the number one spot of Google than the combined traffic of all of the other sports niches, but the chances of that traffic converting into a sale will soar.

So basically, it boils down to how you feel about your abilities. If you believe you have the ability to get one large blog to the top of the search engines rather quickly, then you might be able to handle a broad topic blog.

If you don’t believe your abilities are up-to-snuff, then you might want to stick with a smaller niche at first. Remember, you can always start other blogs later. You could either build a network of small niche blogs, or you could start out with one broad blog and then start multiple sub-niche blogs later. You could then link to all of your smaller blogs from your large blog.

You could also start with the smaller blogs, get them to gain some popularity, and then start a large, broad blog later. Once you start the larger blog, you’ll have several smaller blogs already getting traffic and already having PR that can link to the larger blog to get it started.

If you already have a lot of SEO experience and you’re confident in your ability to pull off some great search engine rankings quickly, then starting with a more broad blog might be a better option.

You can still get some of the benefits of having a smaller blog by having categories for each of the smaller niches on your broad topic blog. One last thing to keep in mind is that your traffic will be less targeted if you run a broad blog.

If you have a site about skin care, you may get a lot of traffic that’s just looking for information about the best lotions or skin creams. But if you start a blog about something specific, like acne, you’re more likely to get people who are ready and willing to buy something.

Where Will You Host Your Blog?

A lot of people start out by hosting their blog for free at one of the common blog hosting companies. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s a much better idea to host your blog on your own domain if possible.

Let’s take a look at WordPress. WordPress is a very popular blogging platform. You can host your blog on their servers, or you can download the software and host your blog on your own domain.

There are a few reasons why you should host your own blog, rather than hosting your blog directly on WordPress.com. For one thing, WordPress doesn’t allow you to promote affiliate links on their domain.

So if you want to make any money with your blog, you can’t host it on their server, you’ll have to host it yourself. Another reason why you shouldn’t host your blog on WordPress is the fact that you can’t use the variety of plugins and themes that you could use on your own domain.

WordPress is very limited as far as the functionality, so don’t expect to have anything really cool on your blog if you host it there. You can find free WordPress tutorials to help you get started with your blog.

Now let’s look at Blogger. They do allow commercial blogs, so you can post affiliate links there if you want. But they’re also against what they deem as “spam blogs” or “splogs.” If they decide your blog is spam, or they decide it’s “too” commercial, or they just don’t like it, they can delete it for any reason.

There goes all that hard work you put into it!

You have to agree to those terms and conditions when you sign up. That means that even if you don’t actually break any rules, they could still delete your blog if they chose. That’s a pretty powerful motivator.

It certainly wouldn’t be a very pleasant thing to build a blog up to several thousand hits per day, only to have it deleted (and trust me, I’ve heard these horror stories). You’d lose all of that traffic, all of those backlinks, all of your reputation and your search engine rankings.

Imagine it all being wiped out overnight. That’s not a good thing.

It’s like having a fire rip through your brick and mortar store and you don’t have any insurance to rebuild.

Another very important reason to host your blog on your own domain is that it gives you credibility. If you host your blog on your own domain, you’ll appear more professional, and more like an authority figure in your niche.

People will automatically assume you’re more serious if you’re hosting your blog on your own domain, rather than putting it up somewhere for free. If you do decide to host your own domain, the first thing you’ll need to do is choose a domain that contains a few keywords related to your niche.

If your blog is about house cleaning tips, then try to get housecleaningtips.com. If that’s not available, go down your keyword list and find the next best thing. Then register the domain.

Next you need to find a host for your blog. You might want to choose a host that has Fantastico, which is a program that sits on the server and allows you to very easily install WordPress (and other scripts) without having to create and manage MySQL databases yourself.

Once you have hosting, you just need to go to your domain registrar and set up the name servers to point to your new host. Your hosting company’s support should be able to help you with this.

Blogging Is Big Business

More and more companies are starting blogs, and many people are even forming their entire companies around blogging. Customers really love blogs because they’re generally full of great (free) information, they offer a personal touch that generally isn’t found on a standard corporate website, and they’re not usually full of a lot of hype and hard sell tactics.

Another reason customers love blogs is that they offer a great medium for interaction. Visitors can leave comments and receive responses to their comments. This helps build loyalty to your blog and your company, and readers really enjoy this level of interaction with someone they consider an authority figure.

It helps them feel like they’re really being listened to, and like the company really cares about what they have to say – even if that “company” is an entrepreneur like you! Blogs are a fantastic way to build loyalty.

You can reach your audience in a very personal way, must more so than with a standard, stuffy stagnant website. Readers expect to see some personality coming out in a blog. If you really let your personality shine through, you can build a following that will subscribe to your RSS feed and come back often, eagerly waiting to hear more of what you have to say.

This is a great way to brand yourself and your business. Since you can get more personal with a blog, people start to get to know you a bit as a person. This makes you seem more real, and people begin to trust you and your messages more.

For some reason, people trust websites with identifiable people behind them.

Remember, when you’re blogging for business you should stay somewhat professional. It’s probably best not to post about your aunt’s cataract surgery or your grandma’s cat that died. You can get a bit personal – after all, that’s what really makes you stand out.

But most people who are reading your blog are there to find out information about the niche, seeking solutions to their needs. Keep your posts on topic, but get personal by providing your own voice within those entries.

Provide valuable information within your blog posts. People aren’t going to keep coming back to your blog over and over just to read about the new products you’re releasing, unless you’re releasing some really revolutionary stuff.

They’re going to want to read industry news, tips and tricks, special strategies, and other important information for free. While it’s perfectly fine to blog about new product releases, it’s also important to keep providing helpful information to keep your readers coming back.

Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that your readers are real people. You know what you enjoy reading in a blog, right? You want solid information – something useful. You probably don’t mind the occasional sales pitch on a blog full of great information, but you’d be pretty annoyed to reading nothing but pitch after pitch.

If you’re running a business blog, it’s important to keep your readers in mind. Give them the kind of quality information they’re hungry for, and they’ll keep coming back for more. In fact, the more you give them for free, the more loyal they’ll become, and the more likely they’ll be to buy from you in the future.

Blogging is all about informing and educating. If you can do that, your visitors will form a bond with you and they’ll be sure to spread the word about your blog so that your URL goes viral and it attracts an even bigger following within your niche.

Blogging can be very lucrative, not to mention it enhances your overall branding and networking on the ‘net. Here are the steps you need to take to get started RIGHT NOW:

1.) Pick a niche topic (my advice is to go narrow).

2.) Find a domain and buy it.

3.) Set up your WordPress blog using your Fantastico host.

4.) Pick a theme online – Google free WordPress themes and you’ll find millions you can upload.

5.) Set up your blog for categories, ad space, and stick an opt-in box in it to begin building a list.

6.) Start posting to your blog using keyword relevant titles and entries.

7.) Start bookmarking your blog and sharing that link to get it moving in the viral direction.

8.) Test the conversion of various products you promote on your blog and switch out those that aren’t working well for you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog report. Feel free to pass it around and share it with others you feel it might help!

Bret Glick

http://www.Dragon-Adventures.com

Bret C Glick
Lindenhurst NY
11757
http://www.dragon-adventures.com

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bret_C_Glick

Movie rent soundtrack – Now available everywhere

Rent movie soundtrack will be available on a 2 Disc DVD. You are now able to preorder the Widescreen version, Full Screen version or order it. Be sure to check back for more updates regarding the DVD release.

Well, RENT movie soundtrack, it’s been a great ride. Your excitement, enthusiasm, and dedication to the RENT movie have been overwhelming, and it’s been wonderful providing a venue for the voice of the fans. Rent movie soundtrack certainly have appreciated and treasured all your encouraging comments.

Rent is the first Broadway-musical-turned-Oscar-hopeful slated for the end of the awards season to hit the theaters this year. Winner of the Pulitzer and a handful of Tonys

The cast is primarily the original Broadway ensemble. The musical is a phenomenal accomplishment that will forever stand as a testament to the dedication and talent of Jonathan Larson. Rent movie soundtrack has most of Major musicals that have become part of Americas cultural lexicon.

Rent movie soundtrackmakes great business out of living the live Boheme. At one point in the title song Roger and Mark ask themselves why they choose to live this way. So many authors that have had great strife in their life went on to create beautiful and lasting works of fiction. The live broadband has made the transition to the film version of the hit stage musical.so today only get the rent movie soundtrack and start enjoing your favorite soundtracks.

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Rent Movie . For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

What To Do With An Old Computer System

Anyone who has purchased a computer system has learned how quickly they lose their value, and become obsolete. This rapid devaluation often leads to the dilemma: what to do with an older system, when youre no longer going to use it? Selling it is most often a waste of time and effort. A computer bought for $3,000.00 on January 1, 2005 and then put up for sale on December 31, 2005 will rarely bring offers of more than $100.00 – $150.00, and even these dont come often. Older systems are proportionately less valuable.

One quick, easy solution is to donate the computer system to a charity, and write-off what is appropriate. However, charities are quickly becoming more and more skeptical about accepting older computer systems, and less and less likely to surrender receipts (for use with a tax return) for very much money.

Sometimes it is a wise course of action to simply ‘cannibalize’ the older system for components that will work in other systems. Some components can be switched between older and newer computer systems. These can include power supplies, hard drives, RAM, graphics cards, speakers, keyboards, CD and DVD readers/writers and so forth. If you have a use/need for your old DVD burner in your newer system, you’re almost always best off going the ‘cannibal’ route. But there are some other options, some of which can be quite attractive. Sometimes, the otherwise out-of-work computer system can be set to tending some necessary and/or useful affairs and matters.

Hand-in-hand with cannibalizing is stripping out components and selling them individually. This can be especially beneficial if you recently installed a hardware upgrade to the now defunct system such as a good DVD or CD reader/writer, or a new hard drive. Not only are the components often easier to sell, they will bring more money and ship much, much easier and cheaper.

DEDICATED FAX SYSTEM
You can turn almost any old system into a dedicated fax receiver at either your home or office. It can be incredibly convenient to have a fax at the house! Anyone who has bought a house or car lately will attest to how nice a fax at the house would be. Remember, the system does not have to be set to always receive faxes. You can turn it on or off as you deem necessary based on your use and needs. All your system requires for this application is a phone line, a modem, and Windows. The fax service in Windows must be turned on and configured in order for this to work properly. This is very easily accomplished through the Control Panel of Windows.

HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Recently, manufacturers of computer systems and components have entered the home entertainment business with a vengeance. No longer are computers just good for games and music, now you can hook them up to control your TV, cable signals, speaker systems, VCR, DVD player, etc. You can even record to and play from them. The system would need some hardware and software, but not too much, and all of the necessities can be had at reasonable (and quickly dropping) prices. You can learn more about the rapidly growing home entertainment computer systems industry on any number of sites on the Internet. A good place to start is www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx.

As you can see, you don’t have to throw up your hands and scream when you’re offered 5% of what you paid for your computer system a year earlier. There are some other options, some of which can be quite satisfying and rewarding.

Basketball For Short People: Basket To Be Lowered

Since the 1950s, when short but fast players had a chance of making it onto a professional court such as the legendary Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics, known for startling innovations like dribbling and passing behind the back the sport has been dominated by ever taller athletes, starting with the arrival of Wilt, The Stilt, Chamberlain.

Now, The National Basketball Association has come to realize that the trend to tall has demoralized people of who fall within the usual range of human height and that it has positively devastated short people.

Compared to the slam-dunking ways of the seven footers, these distressed athletes just cant get people interested in watching them hoop it up. As a result, interest in the game as a participation sport has waned, and the association is concerned that, as fewer people work up their excitement about playing it, fewer of them will pay to see it.

In an effort to return basketball to the widely poplar place it held in the minds and hearts of the American public before it became the exclusive province of players whose mothers are suspected of stretching them as infants, the association is considering legitimizing a court just for people of average height, with a special accommodation for shorter people. The basic plan calls for the basket to be lowered by one foot for players from 5 6 to 6 6 and two feet for people who are even shorter but still imagine slam-dunking the ball and hanging from the hoop in a celebratory manner.

When the new rules go into effect, virtually everyone will finally be able to play the game in as dramatic a fashion as todays seven footers.

For now the plan calls for limiting the innovation to amateur players, but the association confides that if fans once again take an interest in watching average-size people play the game, there is the potential to establish an entire new league, made up of speed merchants who are only eye-high to a current pros elbows.

Coupon Codes: Saving Without The Clipping

If you do a lot of shopping online, there are a lot of savings to be had using coupon or discount codes. These are codes that you enter during the checkout process that may give you a percentage off your total purchase, discount a particular item, or reduce or eliminate your shipping costs. If you are registered with certain stores, they may send you periodic notices about discount codes, but there are websites that are devoted just to coupon codes. A search of one of these sites before your online spending spree can be the virtual equivalent of cruising the Sunday circulars before going grocery shopping. There are a couple of things you want to keep in mind, though. As with paper coupons, you only want to use coupon codes for things you were going to buy in the first place. Otherwise, you may end up spending more that you would have without the coupon. For example, you may have only needed to buy $60 worth of items from an online store, but the coupon code is for 20% off purchases totaling over $100. If you buy more stuff just to use the coupon code, using the code just cost you at least $20. You should also still compare prices of other brands and other stores. You may be able to find the item at a lower price somewhere else even after the discount.

Here are some sites to get you started in your search for coupon codes.

At CouponCabin.com, you can browse a list of featured deals, search for codes by store name or item category, and create a list of favorite merchants to save you time when you return. They also have printable coupons for brick and mortar stores, and you can sign up for a weekly email of their best deals. The site is easy to navigate, and you can get to what you are looking for quickly.

OnlinePromotionCodes.com also lets you search by store and category, and it lists the coupon codes for new discounts right on the home page with the description. Codes that are expiring soon appear in their featured discount section at the top of the home page and show the expiration date.

SimplyBestCoupons.com has a separate tab on their home page for codes that expire soon, as well as a tab for free shipping codes. There is also a tour available for first time users, and forums where you can post your own finds or see what others have found.

MySpace Layouts watch out for hidden links

Once you start see the nice profiles on MySpace, you instantly go towards either Google or YAHOO and start searching for free MySpace layouts websites. What we dont keep in mind is that the sites we find are likely have maximum spam in them. A MySpace layouts user will not notice these hidden links on those codes. And so they are not able to understand why they are there in the MySpace layouts. MySpace layouts are all fitted with various hidden backlines to the html codes layouts. What this accomplishes for the MySpace Layouts website is that it becomes a form of free advertising and possible increase in traffic from all over the world. Apart from this, these back links help their pages get a better ranking in the search engine giving it more visibility. The more links to their site, the more important their site looks to Google, therefore the higher up it will rank when MySpace layouts are searched for. MySpace layouts site has a tutorial that gives a bit of detail about how to use and what are the drawbacks of the MySpace layouts… it is advisable that a user go through this if they are new to MySpace layouts and then use the theme they like.

Avoiding Penalties In Hockey

Hockey is really a pretty rough sport considering the fact that there are twelve players on the ice who are seemingly fighting over a tiny little rubber puck thats only an inch thick and three inches in diameter. Add the fact that they knock the puck around the ice with big sticks while wearing skates and youve got a game that can seem somewhat brutal at times. The truth of the matter is, accidents happen in hockey and it isnt unusual for players to get roughed up a little. However, the sport is really disciplined with precise rules and penalty assessment for infractions. Penalties, depending on their nature, may result in a player being temporarily or permanently put out of a game while more severe penalties may lead to a player being suspended or fined.

Because unintentional events can happen on the rink, penalties cant be altogether avoided in hockey. However, by playing by the rules, a player can prevent unnecessary penalties from being assessed against him and his team.

Players, other than the goaltender, are not allowed to enter the crease the blue area in front of a goal unless they are in control of the puck shooting it or carrying it into the crease. If another team member is in the crease when a player scores a goal, the referee may assess an interference penalty for interfering with the goaltender as well as disallowing the score for the goal. Additionally, goaltenders cannot be checked even if they are outside of the crease.

Boarding is a pretty serious violation of hockey rules which occurs when an opposing team member checks a player and forces him into the boards of the rink. Boarding can result in minor, major or severe penalties depending on the circumstances and the referees assessment of the situation. Charging is another infraction that has penalties associated with it because it is the act of charging at a player from a long distance before checking the player which can be pretty violent in practice. High-sticking, elbowing and head-butting are taken pretty serious in the game of hockey. Such actions may result in a major penalty, a game misconduct penalty, suspension or fines.

Some behaviors are allowable to some extent but may result in penalties if they get out of hand. These include cross-checking, hooking, roughing, and slashing. Cross-checking occurs when a player rams into another player while holding his stick in front of his body with both hands. With hooking, a player interferes with another players movement using his stick. Roughing pushing, shoving and minor wrestling usually doesnt result in a penalty unless it gets out of hand. Slashing hitting another player with a hockey stick doesnt usually result in penalties unless it appears to be an intentional and malicious act or results in injury to the player being slashed. Holding or grabbing another player is not allowed and will result in a minor penalty as will tripping another player.

Initiative

I wanted to share with you something that I discovered while I was watching an excellent video online. I learned about the concept of initiative and taking action and how simple it can be to catapult yourself past immobility. Having said this, keep in mind that initiative is as essential to success as a hub is essential to a wheel. And initiative is precisely taking action when we know it ought to be done but no one is asking for it to be done. Most of the time, when we elect to put aside some action that needs to be taken, we are anticipating that our effort may not give us exactly what we desire from it. Whether our desire is instant gratification or simply a journey of smooth sailing we often anticipate one or both of these things will evade us and we are caught up in immobility due to fear. When we accept that our efforts will at some point deliver to us that which we are working toward, we can more easily surpass any fear that stumps us.

Taking action that results in achievement truly does require us to gradually overcome the bumps and tough spots along the way, but by continually putting forth effort in this manner, we can achieve numerous things that are very much worth the work.

I’d like to share with you a powerful example of how initiative can propel a person into high achievement. Two men who initially came to know one another while in high school, were each doing their own thing in their adult lives, but they did manage to keep in contact. One day the two men decided that since they recognized a need in the computer industry they would take it upon themselves to write a simplified version of the programming language called BASIC. For two months they worked on the rewriting of BASIC, and then contacted contacted the computer engineer who designed the computer that used the language. The simplified version worked, and the engineer was so impressed with the work that the two men were given a contract with the production company. Soon they were adapting other programming languages for the computer and by that summer they formed a company they called Microsoft. Without initiative, a person will remain caught up in a life of less than average quality. With initiative, comes great reward.

Thank you for taking initiative in reading this post.
Joe Clinton.

Plasma TV Wall Mount

For those who want their home theatre to imitate the cinematic experience, a plasma TV wall mount is a good investment to save space and to give a great effect. A plasma TV wall mount is easy to install yourself, but if you prefer, you can hire a professional to do the job for you. The price of a typical plasma TV wall mount can range from $60 to $350, and it is a good idea to invest in the best plasma TV wall mount you can afford, since plasma TVs are quite delicate and you cannot risk having your plasma TV fall to the ground. However, most plasma TV wall mounts do the job sufficiently well.

Your plasma TV wall mount should contain at least the following items:

Wall plate
Rails
Arms

The wall plate attaches to the wall and the rails are for the back of the television. There should be two perpendicular arms with devices to connect to the back of the plate. The rails enable you to move the TV to the right or the left across the wall and enable you to lift the TV off, if necessary.

You need to select a plasma TV wall mount suited to the type of plasma TV that you have. The average size is 26-41 and weighs up to 100 pounds. A typical plasma TV wall mount can handle this type of set. However, if you plasma TV is larger than this and weighs more than 100 pounds, you will need a two stud wall mount.

It is possible to install your plasma TV wall mount on a concrete wall, although you will need a different type of plasma TV mount. Cement anchors are needed to keep you TV in place on a concrete surface, and you can also find long belts and other devices specially designed for concrete. As with any type of Plasma TV mount, ensure that your cement anchors are sturdy enough to hold a heavy unit.

When you install your plasma TV, you might not be certain about what height you want. If you have a typical, flat plasma TV wall mount, you will need to put your plasma TV at the correct height. However, many people like to have their plasma TVs a little higher. One reason is that, since plasma TV are so vulnerable to damage, those with children prefer to put their plasma TV as high up as possible to avoid stray balls from hitting the screen. If you want to put your plasma TV up high, you will need a special plasma TV wall mount that tilts so your set can face downward at an angle. You will also need a tilt plasma TV wall mount if your set is not completely flat, but has a gentle curve at the back.

You can purchase a plasma TV wall mount with fixed arms or with articulating arms that move along a 90 degree swivel. The articulating wall mounts may cost a bit more, but are worth the investment if you like to view your television from different angles. They are not much more difficult to install than fixed arm wall mounts, and are just as durable.

Ensure that your plasma TV wall mount is sufficiently durable. It is a good idea to install your television along with a friend who can help you take your plasma TV on and off the mount while you are testing it for durability. A partner can also see if there is any giving or wobbling, and this second pair of eyes might just save your set. If you are unsure of your abilities, it is worthwhile to hire a professional to install your plasma TV mount.

How To Improve Your Cheerleading Skills

If you are interested in cheerleading, you may wonder how to improve your skills on your own. If youre not on a squad, drilling and practicing at home can help you prepare to wow your judges at cheerleading tryouts someday in the future. If youre already a member of a cheerleading team, improving a few key aspects of your technique on your own can help you excel at meets and during routines. Gaining mastery of cheerleading techniques can help you build confidence and skills that will translate into success in other arenas of life as well, and if you have the time and inclination, practicing some cheerleading techniques solo can help you take your cheering to the next level. There are three things that you can improve on your own that will strengthen your cheerleading. These are your muscles, your voice, and your mind.

Practicing some gentle stretches or a regular course of yoga, pilates, or strength training can help you to gain flexibility and resilience that will allow you to tackle increasingly advanced athletic feats on the field. From effortless splits to attention getting aerial moves, the better shape you are in the more successful you will be in achieving your goals. You can increase your athletic prowess by spending just twenty or thirty minutes a day stretching in the privacy of your own home. Using the skills youve built later, during a game, can help your squad get the crowd excited and the sports teams you are supporting are certain to appreciate your extra effort.

Although cheerleading is highly visual and depends greatly on athletic feats, the heart of any cheerleading squad is the cheering. Upping your vocal power can help you to reach the sports fans way in the back of the stadium. Learning how to breathe deeply and how to improve your annunciation and vocal control can help you get your message out there without shouting yourself hoarse. For a comprehensive guide to vocal technique, check out any book by Cicely Berry, a theatrical vocal coach renowned for her ability to get the most power and resonance out of any actors throat.

Last but not least, you can train your mind to make you a better cheerleader. Many cheerleaders enjoy the excitement of cheering for huge crowds, but along with that excitement nerves and tension usually show up before a big game or a competitive cheerleading meet. Psychological tension often translates into physical tension, which can spell problems for a cheerleader who needs to stay relaxed and keep muscles loose in order to execute the sports demanding moves. The job that cheerleaders do is just as stressful as the job that any athlete does, so it is important to take care of your spirit the same way that an Olympian does. Practicing relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing can help you to make sure that when you step onto the field, you are at your peak no matter how many people are watching.

Get All Of The Facts In Dealing With Your Fears And Phobias

When dealing with our persistent fears and phobias, it is easy to let our imagination get the better of us. Our negative and scary thoughts can overcome the reality of the situation and can make things worse than what they really are. As a result, here are some techniques a person can use to help gain a better perspective of your fearful situation.

The most important thing is to get all of the facts of the situation. Gathering the facts can prevent us from relying on exaggerated and fearful assumptions. By focusing on the facts, a person can rely on what is reality and what is not.

Do not let your negative thoughts get the better of you. Replace those negative thoughts with positive statements that represent the reality of your situation. Remember that our worrying and fears can make the problem even worse.

Sometimes, we may lack the self-confidence of doing a certain task that may be scary. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship hockey game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that your playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

If you have trouble overcoming your phobias, remember to learn from your mistakes and to give it another try. Doing anything in life requires practice and persistence. For example, remember the time when you first learned to ride a bike. The first few times, you kept following off the bike. With some practice and some time, you were able to ride your bike with no problem. Everything we do is a learning experience so do not get discouraged if you dont make it on the first or second time.

As a layman, I realize it is not easy to overcome our phobias. Take things in stride and try not focus too much on the problem. In time, you will find the ways to overcome your phobia. If you have trouble, talk to a professional who can give you additional insights on your situation.

Selling your Art Online – Website Tips For Artists

If you plan to sell your art online with your own unique website, my advice is simple: Be Different! There are hundreds of artist websites online today that are all making the same mistakes.

The first problem I would like to note, is the use of long multimedia presentations that artists are incorporating into their websites. I don’t think there is anything more frustrating then arriving at a website and waiting for this huge multimedia presentation to download and play. The artist may think it’s cool or adds something to their work, but in all actuality, it only frustrates impatient surfers. Not all Internet users have super fast cable or DSL connections. Many are still using dial up modems and if they have to wait for something to download, they will simply leave and visit your competition.

There are also sites that insist on putting unrelated banner ads or other unrelated advertising on their websites. Just the other day I was doing a search for original watercolor art. The first website I arrived at had a big banner at the top of the website advertising a dating site. I am not sure how dating is related to watercolors? This is simply a distraction and you are immediately sending visitors off your website. If you are going to advertise on your website, make sure it’s related to the theme of your website and is helpful to your visitors. Do not make it the very first thing they see when they arrive at your home page.

You need to catch your visitor’s attention right away. This means putting your most important information near the top of your website in plain view. Your goal is to draw your visitor into your site immediately with a compelling headline so that they stay long enough to check out what you have to offer. Once you draw them in with a good headline, you must then direct them to take an action. That could be to subscribe to your newsletter, or to check out your latest product(s).

Keep your site navigation consistent throughout your entire site. This means having the same navigation links in the same order on every page of your website. Your goal is to make it as easy as possible for your visitors to get from one place to the next, not to confuse them.

Make sure your visitors can easily contact you. Put a link to a contact page on every page of your site.

If you have testimonials, use them. Testimonials are awesome sales tools. People love to hear good reviews about a product or products they are about to purchase. It really does boost sales. If you have ever received testimonials from customers, highlight a few of them on your home page in clear view. If you do not have testimonials yet, contact people that have purchased from you in the past and ask if they could provide feedback on the product they purchased for inclusion on your website. Make sure they know how you plan to use their testimonial, and ask if you can site their name with the testimonial.

Start an opt-in newsletter. If you do not already have a method for collecting your visitors email addresses, then you may be losing sales. Many people who first come to your site will usually leave without making a purchase. It is important therefore to collect as many email addresses as possible so that you can follow up with your visitors. You could send out an announcement to your list of subscribers whenever you have a new piece for sale. If you regularly attend art or craft shows, you could send out an email and let your subscribers know when and where. You could also send out surveys or questionnaires to your list to get a better idea as to the type of products they are interested in purchasing.

Make certain that you have a variety of different payment options for your customers, especially payment by credit card. Studies have shown that sites, which accept credit card payments, have significantly more sales. Use a service like PayPal to accept credit cards from your website. It’s free and easy to setup.

Make sure you have detailed purchasing and shipping instructions in place.

Have a good refund policy. When your customer receives your product, it may not be exactly what they anticipated. By having a good refund policy upfront, you will gain your customers trust and they will be more comfortable making a purchase, especially if they are parting with a lot of money.

Include a “Privacy Policy”. Internet users are a paranoid bunch. People are still somewhat reluctant to part with personal information, so it is your job to make them feel at ease when they use your website. In a nutshell, a privacy policy clearly states what you do with users personal information. What kind of information do you collect from your visitors? What do you do with that information? Do you share it with anyone? If you are not sure how to create a privacy policy, visit the following website to access an easy to use Privacy Policy Generator: http://www.the-dma.org/privacy/creating.shtml
Include a “Terms of Use” section. This section outlines the terms and conditions for using your website. For instance, you probably want to restrict visitors from copying or reproducing the images on your website. You would put that in your Terms of Use section.

When adding images of your products, always use thumbnails that can be clicked to show a larger image, so that your pages download quickly. If the larger image is a big file, let the visitor know that they may have to wait for the picture to load.

Avoid putting traffic counters on your site. Counters make your site appear amateurish. If your site is fairly new, and your traffic is not yet established, you are broadcasting this to everyone that arrives at your site. If you need to track your website statistics, check with your hosting company. You may already have a good website statistics program included.

Choose a basic color scheme and only one or two different fonts. If you go overboard on color and use too many different fonts, your site will look out of balance and amateurish. Your website does not have to be a work of art. You are trying to sell your art, not your website.

Use a light background, preferably white, with dark text, preferably black. Don’t use images or textures for your background. This makes it difficult for your visitor to read the text on your site.

Avoid adding music to your site. You may think it sounds nice to include your favorite songs when your page loads, but not everyone will agree. If they find the music annoying, they will leave.

Don’t make your visitor have to scroll horizontally to view information on your website. Web surfers are lazy. Most hate to even scroll up and down let alone left and right.

Avoid animated graphics and scrolling or flashing text. This only distracts your visitors.

Put prices on all of your products. If people have to contact you to find out the price of something, they will more often than not leave and look elsewhere.

Make sure your site works in all the major browsers. The most popular browser today is Internet Explorer, but there are a good amount of surfers who use Netscape, Opera, and Firefox. Check out http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html. They have a great tool that enables you to see what your site looks like in various browsers.

Lastly, make your website personal. Speak to your visitors. Let them know who you are and what your art or craft is all about. Educate and enlighten. Include a step-by-step article or demonstration on how your work is created. If people have more of a connection with you and your art, they will be more comfortable buying from you.

I hope these website tips have helped. I wish you the best of luck in everything that you do. God Bless!

Pages