1. Set goals. Goals are absolutely necessary when you do internet marketing. That is because without goals, you are much more likely to waste money and time doing things that do not get you any closer to what you want, which is to have a better business. By setting goals, you illuminate pathways to those goals, which saves you both time and money.

2. Think about the content on your website. You have to make sure that it interests the reader, above all. If you are trying to optimize your site for the search engines, or SEO, you can use some keywords, but do not stuff your entire site full of unnatural keyword phrases. The entire reason to optimize your site for search engines is that you want people to visit your site, and if the content isn’t interesting and relevant they won’t stay. You also have to make sure that your content is frequently updated, so that visitors have fresh information to take a look at.

3. Monitor your site performance. Use Google Analytics or the analytics software provided by your webhost and use feedback from your visitors. Find out what is working and what should work better, and look for ways to further improve your visitor experience. Your website should never be fully “finished” and monitoring site performance is a great way to make sure that you never let down your guard and that you are always looking for ways to make your site all that it can be. You never when or from where your next big customer(s) will come and what they see and read on your website will make the email or call you. Your website is most faithful sales agent working for your 24×7. Keep investing and updating in this faithful internet sales agent of your company.

4. Write articles and spread them with business directories and article directories. If you write articles that can be shared with others and have a link to your site in the author section, you can get a lot of site visitors that can ultimately turn into buyers. Your articles can establish you as a resource or an expert on your chosen subject, and if your article is impressive people will visit your site. Your articles can also provide splendid SEO for you, as the links will attract the search engines to your site as well.

5. Use a blog to keep a good relationship with your customers, as well as to showcase your knowledge about your products and subject areas. Use WordPress to create your blog — its the best software for a blog and has many useful plugins available free. Respond to comments as professionally as possible, and please consider doing video blogs, as video can often be more exciting than text. You can host your video on Youtube and embed them on your blog. Youtube and WordPress have made it very easy to embed videos in your blog posts.

As a small business, you have to take active role in your online marketing, and  the time and effort on internet marketing can start showing positive results within 6-8 weeks in most cases, and it is not difficult to do if you use the Internet Marketing Strategies described above. If you need any specific help, you can contact us, and we can help you with our affordable internet marketing services.

1. Communicate with your current customers with the internet. Think about it: if you are using the internet for all kinds of things, so are your customers. The internet is a great way for you to build a lasting relationship with the people who have already bought your products. You can do this by offering them a mailing list with coupons inside, or by starting a blog that takes questions from consumers.

2. Find new people who want what you are selling. If you are just making your internet presence known, it’s important to reach out to prospective customers who may need your product but don’t know you exist yet. A great way to do this is to do some search engine optimization, or some SEO, to get the search engines to provide your site as a search result. You can also write articles for others in your industry and include a link back to your site.

3. Link your internet marketing strategies with your other marketing materials. Internet marketing can only be one aspect of a grander picture. By putting your website address on your offline marketing materials, you provide people with a way to look you up and investigate what you’re all about.

4. Provide relevant, interesting content often. You don’t have to post new articles or blog posts every day, but it’s a good idea to do it regularly so that people can start to look forward to what you have to say. It’s also a great way for you to show yourself to be an expert in your field, which will only lead to more sales.

5. Don’t rely on your website alone. Your website is almost like your company’s home on the internet. But you’ve got to venture out into cyberspace to find customers. A great way to do that is to use a newsletter, emailed to your customers, or by getting involved in social networks.

6. Attract customers through different methods. You are probably aware that people are viewing the internet in more different ways than ever before. You have to make sure your website can be seen on tablets, smartphones, laptops and computers of all different types. If you can show that you can handle different platforms, you are likely to attract new buyers who use all different devices.

Once you have an Internet marketing plan along with a streamlined website to convert visitor inquiries into business leads, you can reach thousands of potential customers. If you implement the above ideas, you should be able to see a clear increase in sales within 6-12 weeks in most cases.

Answer:  Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology used to place limitations like, access to or copying of, onto digital content (eBooks, music, etc.). You as the publisher or author of the ebook can determines the level of restrictions applied to an eBook. This includes how many times an eBook can be downloaded for a single purchase, and the number of devices (computers, eBook readers, etc.) to which the eBook can be transferred.

Encrypted or copy-protected eBooks can only be read on authorized computers or hand-held devices a limited number of times. An unencrypted or not copy-protected eBook can be transferred to personal computers or reading devices an unlimited number of times.

Lulu.com offers Digital Rights Management for eBook publishing, however you have to agree to their revenue sharing scheme. And e-junkie.com offers an easier but less stronger solution where you can limit the number of downloads of the ebook.

If your ebook is high value, then you can even send it to the buyer by email attachment after purchase. You can set the expecation on the order/payment page that its not an instant download but it will come by email within 12 hours. You must give your phone number in such cases to give confidence/credibility to your message.

We suggest US-based visitors to contact your Representative or Senator, and its International customers to donate to organizations like EFF, to ensure that broad opposition to this proposed legislation rings loud and clear. Many prominent Internet companies participating in the protest are listed here: SOPAstrike.comMore information about SOPA/PIPA

• S.968 – PROTECT IP Act at OpenCongress.org
• H.R.3261 – Stop Online Piracy Act at OpenCongress.org
• Take Action Checklist
• VoteForTheNet
• Fight for the Future
• A video explaining PIPA
• A technical examination of SOPA/PIPA

Blackout in the news

• CNN
• National Post
• Al Jazeera

Blog and other media:

• Copyblogger
• Consumerist explains that these bills are far from dead.
• Mashable: SOPA Will Take Us Back to the Dark Ages and Why SOPA is Dangerous

Answer: Here is a list of basic questions they will are very likely to ask you:

• Have you ever been in sales before? If so, what was your closing ratio?
• What do you know about our company/products/industry?
• What is the most difficult problem you have ever solved?
• Explain a time when you have worked effectively under pressure.
• Explain something that you have attempted and failed. What did you do next?
• How do you feel that your personal or academic background fits with the position that you are seeking?
• What do you believe will be the biggest challenges of this position?

The demand-supply situation for job is highly favorable towards the employers, i.e., htere are more candidates than jobs. Try to share examples from your past work, and if possible, ask the intervieweers to call your previous managers, or references on the phone. Positive references help a lot in all kinds of job interviews, from entry level jobs to the senior  executives, and company board positions.

All the best!

In an interview with ET Now, Jim Rogers, Chairman, Rogers Holding, talks about the correction in global markets besides giving his views on commodities and India. Excerpts:

Q1: Global markets are correcting and everyone is saying it is because of Korea. Would you endorse that thought?

First of all, global markets should be correcting about this time because they have been pretty strong recently and there is always some reason to correct. This time, it looks like it might be Korea. Whenever you have threat of war, usually everything goes down at first, then you have to figure out what to invest in after the initial collapse. In my view, the thing to invest in is commodities because if there is going to be war, it is always good for commodities and if there is no war, then commodities will rally like everything else.

Q2: So what did you make of today’s sell off and the news coming out of Korea? Do you think it was just a trigger point for people to unwind positions in the market and do you think stepping into December from a near term perspective, there would still be some selling pressure that will continue?

Yes, we have had very strong markets in the past 2 or 3 months in the West anyway and whenever you have strong markets, something always comes along to call for correction. There is always some surprise and again, I have no idea what is going on in Korea, but just that nothing else is the reason for the correction, it could have been rain in Spain that could have caused the correction and the markets always find a reason to correct after they have been strong for a while and this is certainly a good reason to correct. If suddenly World War III is about to breakout, a good reason for the market to correct. I do not expect World War III to breakout by the way.

Q3: Buy on rumors and sell on news and we have seen that happening once again. Immediately after the QE2, blueprint was out, commodity has corrected and dollar actually has reversed. Do you think this is a short term phenomenon? Everyone took Mr. Bernanke for granted that he will continue to print money, there was too much of forward buying which happened before the QE2 final announcement and now the excesses are getting flushed out?

Yes. No matter what happens, America is going to continue to print money. Unfortunately that is all America knows to do, it is not the right thing to do, it is not good for the world, but that is all America knows to do.

If there is war, they are going to print money. If there is not war, they are going to print money and so whenever there has been money printing, the result has been that you should have your money in real assets. It has been a pretty clear thing throughout history. The real assets are the only way to protect yourself. Real assets are basically the only way to protect yourself in time of war.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Today in 2010, due to the global recession since 2008, there is a much higher supply of commercial real estate than its demand, and hence the prices are attractive and can be negotiated hard by interested buyers.

We expect that commercial real estate prices may correct by 10-20% in 2011 depending on the country and city. In general one can’t go wrong with buying commercial real estate (office space, rather than shopping malls) in big cities if the time frame is 5-10 years.

The risk-reward is more in commercial property than in residential property. Commercial real estate returns can give attractive over 5-10 year period; much better than you would get from residential real estate of the same proportion.

Location is very important in commercial real estate. Our experience has been that “it is better in general” to have a small space at a busy city-center/downtown place, than to a big space at a suburb.

London and New York are two cities that will deliver good returns despite recession if you can invest for 5-10 years. Irrespective of where you are in the world, see if you can invest in commercial property in high growth cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, etc. These cities can deliver 5x returns in 10 years.

Buying, selling and evaluating commercial real estate is a complex process. If you are an investor, or an aspiring investor, banker or real estate professional, acquire a better understanding of commercial real estate by learning key terminology and quantitative concepts.

Commercial real estate is made up of all property that is for sale or rent. It does not include residential buildings. The property will appreciate as long as people are selling things and offering services to the public – using a brick and mortar set-up.

Given the low interest rates of today for 10-20 year loans, one can purchase commercial property on attractive terms.

Commercial real estate is characterized by six principles:

1. location
2. financing
3. timing of market cycles
4. leasing
5. ownership structure and
6. external factors.

From the perspective of the developer, lender and investor, there are five basic types of commercial real estate: office, industrial, retail, multi-family, and hotel.

Leasing commercial real estate is a process – a lot of ideas and knowledge that combine into a successful lease agreement that meets the needs of all the parties involved. Lease documents will likely contain new provisions to modify the established rent on day one of the lease.

Just like passing the gas station, the price of construction changing from one day to the next will force landlords to increase rent between the execution of the lease and the move in day.

But supply eventually begins to outstrip demand, causing rents to fall and capital values to tumble. Finally, a period of relatively little construction – like that experienced by many Western countries for the past several years – leads to under-supply and a rise in prices.

You could take up commercial real estate for either reselling after appreciation or for renting out to, say, retailers.

Office building leases can also be simple month to month rentals. Office centers also have facilities such as FedEx, UPS and other delivery companies that you may need and therefore good to know where they are located as well.

Please Note: The increasing use of the Internet for work and e-business is a factor to keep in mind. It reduces the demand for commercial real estate and probably shifts the demand to higher quality residential real estate. So you have to select locations that will remain important in the coming years. Commercial real estate is a long-term investment so please do your homework and find a property that can make you money over the long haul.

About the Author:  Shankar AVSB runs MyOrbit Online, of which MyOrbit.tv is a part. He is a real estate investor and follows real estate industry developments across America, Europe and Asia.  He is also leads 7Avenues, a private equity with ventures in Retail, Farming, Financial Services and MarketStar Capital, an investment services company. He can be contacted from here.

UK HMRC at melting point

There are a million pieces of unanswered post. It will be taking 3 months to answer them, which itself might increase the problem further if a person has to pay back taxes with interest.

The UK HMRC contact centers are severely under-staffed, and that fact comes out from numerous press reports of people having to wait for a long time just to be able to speak to a tax officer to understand any discrepency in the tax numbers they have with them vs what HMRC is asking from them.

The average tax payment due is about £1400 and about 1.4 million people will receive letters from HMRC by Christmas.

So if you are in the UK and frustrated with not having any response from the HMRC, now you understand that many others are facing the same, and that the staff at HMRC are stretched to the limits already.

As long as you keep the communication from your side intact, it should be okay.

Michael Pento, senior economist at Euro Pacific Capital, and Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist with Miller Tabak, debate the issues in this clip.

I strongly disagree with Michael Pento, who says a depression should be encouraged in America. His view that the govt. should be as impotent as possible, is one of the most funny statements in the recent months. The need is to increase the money supply, not decrease it. The asset prices (home prices) will automatically fall down gradually in the coming years, based on demand-supply, but it will avoid a crash. Today is not the time to trim the role of the Govt.

If anything can prevent America from depression with deflation, it is the US Govt taking the lead with offering new economic stimulus packages – for infrastructure, for education, for vocational training, etc. Fiscal policy levers/incentives must be used to spur private sector growth, where in the govt. either becomes a buyer or actively sources buyers through export opportunities.

The need is for the govt. to take charge and play a major role. US businesses alone can’t do much. In addition, taxes on the rich must be renewed, not removed. Unless job growth happens, no real economic recovery is possible.
-Shankar

When a business finds the right sales staff, it will see how sales can help it expand to a new level.
“It’s integral if you want to grow your business to a more substantial agency that you understand how to successfully ramp up a salesperson,” — Jenny Dibble, owner of SearchMarketMe.