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Importance of E-Presence in the Google Age
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Maria_Lisa]Maria Lisa

In the world that we are living in today, we want everything to be a click away and internet provides the platform to do just that. Many term an IT expert as the engineers of the modern era and why not it is due to them that we can buy, sell, learn, teach and do pretty much everything that comes to mind. Websites and web designing play a pivotal role in today's society. Long story cut short, a well managed website brings profits and recognition to any business.

In the digital age websites are the most effective tools to attract customers and the best way to utilize this tool is to have as much and as easily understandable information as possible information displayed on your websites. As the end user loves web pages that save their time, cost and energy.

To have a compact website that covers all aspects and gives the user all the information that he desires through a simple yet attractive interface the web designer needs to know what exactly the customer is looking for, one has to get into the shoes of the customer and understand his needs and preferences like his own. i.e the website developer or the designer or for that matter even the programmer should know exactly what information does the customer need, how to facilitate him/her and keeping things clear and simple without compromising on presentation.

Bottom line is website development must be precise, on the target and object oriented in order to get maximum output.

Coming to the technical side there there are various diverse technologies being used for website designing. Some of the major technologies that are being used most commonly are as follows:

Server-side scripting (e.g PHP and ASP)

Markup languages (e.g HTML, XHTML and XML)

Style sheet languages (e.g CSS and XSL)

Multimedia technologies (e.g Flash and Silverlight)

Database technologies (e.g MySQL, MSSQL)

Client-side scripting (e.g JavaScript and VBScript)

Furthermore websites may also be divided into static and dynamic depending on the utility of the website and the designing budget. A dynamic website usually comes along with a content management system using which you can easily update content sitting anywhere in the world if you have access to internet.

The benefits of having a website are countless in this era that would be remembered as the GOOGLE age for the years to come. Here are some very important advantages of website development and having an e-presence:

1- 24/7 access to customers/users whenever and wherever they want it.

2- Having an online presence means you have a global presence, meaning feedback from any part of the world is made possible opening new avenues to expand your business and getting recognition.

3- Comfortable way to do business, all you need is a laptop and an internet connection to be a businessman doing business worldwide sitting on your living room couch with all the comfort you need to work efficiently.

These and many other advantages make [http://www.webcreation.us/]website design ing & [http://www.webcreation.us/]website creation and development a hot cake in the market and make you realize that doing business is not so hard anymore. All you need is a little bit of determination, a whole lot of skill and some patience.
That is the secret behind having a successful e-presence!

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Importance-of-E-Presence-in-the-Google-Age&id=6768374] Importance of E-Presence in the Google Age

New Year, Fresh Gear - $99 LAST CHANCE Identity sale Logo, Biz Card, FB header & 1yr SuiteLotus membership

As posted on Denene Millner's "My Brown Baby" on November 5, 2012. See full post here.

Author: Akilah S. Richards

How is it that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, our percentage of business ownership as black women in the U.S. is up 59 percent since 2002, yet we make up a mere 3 percent  of the $1.2 billion dollars in sales from women-owned businesses?

Unjust systems and long-standing, deliberately placed hurdles aside, many of us are learning to maneuver this new era of social impact through technology, and leveraging our skills with our passions to the tune of thriving businesses and comfortable lifestyles.

But on the real, the numbers of us who hoist sails on sinking ships with unstable businesses far surpass the number of financially and emotionally stable black women business owners.

Certainly, we do not lack access to the resources or the brainpower it takes to excel in business—so what’s the deal?

Business and Life Strategist Katrina M. Harrell and I have got a theory about these troubling truths.  It might ruffle your feathers a bit, but perhaps that’s a necessary part of your growth and ours.

The theory: Black women in business have been B.I.T.C.H.ing up, big time!

Yes, we BITCH up!  We get scared.  We stop trusting ourselves.  We take the shortcuts and we prioritize popularity over business ownership.  Many of us, myself included, spent years building a “popular brand”, without focusing on operating a business.

The results: High visibility, but low income.  Some success, but no real fulfillment.

I was a slave to the very thing I had built.  But thankfully, I got free.

READ MORE HERE...POWERFUL READ.

Tired of waiting for someone to update your site? Want to add a new skill to your portfolio? Need somewhere that will point you in the right direction if you're having a problem with your site? Then our newest partner - SuiteLotus- is for you! Learn to maintain your WordPress site yourself, tips on improving your site, member forum, online business resources and web/graphic goodies are to be had once you become a member. The full site launches in January, HOWEVER if you join now you will receive a full year's membership for the price of ONE MONTH. Yup. Save $220 on an annual membership by joining now.

Oh. And those who join during the introductory period can earn cold, hard cash - well, PayPal deposits. Details on that part of your membership will be sent when the full site launches. Get your "Webmaster in an (in)Box" today!


During the introductory period, you will receive a site planner and guidance on how to prepare to make the best of the learning experience.

Okay, so you've built or have paid someone to build this beautiful website but you are about the only visitor to the website.  Not good.  So here’s the deal.  Website visitors don’t appear out of nowhere. You have to drive people to your website and not just any people either.  You want to drive people to your website who are your prospective customers; the people who want, need and can afford your goods and services.  So here are three things you must do:

1. Ensure Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  You must make sure that the pages of your website contain key words and key phrases that your target market will most likely use to find your business.  There are a lot of free tools that will help you decide what those key words and phrases are.  Here are a couple of those tools:  

Submit Express

Google Adwords

I suggest devoting individual pages to key words and key phrases.  For example, if you offer business services such as bookkeeping and virtual assistance to home-based and small business, you should devote pages containing articles and other helpful information for both of these services.  Just be sure you don’t overdo it because prominent search engines like Google will accuse your site of stuffing key words and you don’t want that.  Here’s a nifty free tool to help you with keyword density:  Live Keyword Analysis.

2. Get Inbound Links to Your Website.  The goal is to get quality websites to link back to your website.  This isn’t easy but it is critically necessary.  Here are some ways to do it:  

• Make sure you offer good, quality and helpful content to your website.  If people like what they see and find your content helpful, they’ll link to your website or refer others.

• Write blog posts on other people’s blogs.  You know those Ning sites you joined?  You have the ability to create blog posts on those.  What about those great articles you find on Forbes Magazine or Black Enterprise Magazine, post a comment that adds useful information and provide a link back to your website.  You have the ability to post a note on Facebook on your business page; provide a link back to your website within the Facebook note. Be a guest blogger for someone or just post meaningful content to other people's blogs that your target market reads.

• Submit your website to free directories such as:  Localeze.com (search for your business; if it’s listed, click on “Add a listing” link),Superpages.com (look in upper right-hand corner for a powder blue button – “Add Your Free Listing”).

3. Add Meta and Title Tags to Your Website.  Search engines look at Meta tags to tell what the page’s content is about.  Make sure Meta tags are put on every single page of your website – time consuming but darn well worth it.  If someone built your website for you, ask them to insert Meta and title tags on each and every page.  This is one of the services which should be included in the price they charged to build your website.  If you built your website yourself, you can add the tags yourself; the editor you used will have an area for you to add Meta and title tags.  

Please feel free to use this article in your newsletter, on your website or blog.  However, the following byline must be included in its entirety and the article must not be edited in any form and must be presented exactly as it appears here.

About the Author:

Carmin Wharton is a home-based business expert and the founder of e-BlackWomenNetwork.com, a membership community designed to take businesses owned by women of color from startup to prosperity. Carmin's mission is to help women earn what they're worth and make it big in their home-based business on their own terms.

Are you considering starting a blog? Do you already have one?

Blogging is a wonderful way to connect to potential clients and customers and share your expertise.

If you would like to test the waters with blogging, starting a free blog on Blogger.com is a good idea. You can get a quick and easy feel of what it is like to be a blogger with investing little no money.

Here are are few tips to get the most out of your free blog on Blogger and create a memorable experience for your visitors:

1. Buy a domain from Godaddy.com and point it to your free blog.

Having a personalized domain that includes a keyword helps your blog standout from the other free blogs and it helps add to your credibility. Sometimes visitors to your free blog might not take your advice seriously, even if it is good advice. So having a domain can help build confidence with your visitors.

2. Jazz up your site with a customized banner.

If you really want to convert your blog's visitors to loyal followers, it is very important to create a memorable impression. Part of creating a long lasting impression is making sure that your blog's design is professional and unique. An inexpensive way to make your blog standout on Blogger is to add a professionally designed banner to your header. The banner is one of the very first things people see when they visit and it helps increase their chances of remaining on your site if it is one that is uniquely and professionally designed.

Need help finding a banner for your blog? Check out these low-cost, professionally designed banners.

3. Share your expertise in a fun and creative way.

The absolute most important thing about a blog is the content. Share helpful information that answers your visitors'  questions. If you are comfortable doing so, share personal anecdotes.  Include pictures and if possible videos to help capture the attention of visual learners.

If after a few months, you find yourself in a writing rut, invite a few guest bloggers to post. Guest bloggers are always nice treat for your readers and it is a nice way for you to take a day or two off from blogging.

4. Have fun! Blogging should be an enjoyable experience.

It is a great way to give back to the community and help others. So don't get bogged down, if you are not getting tons of traffic in the first 6 months or even the first year. It takes time to build up traffic. The most successful bloggers will tell you that it took them at least a year before their blog became successful.

People often say “Pictures are worth a thousand words!”. I say, “Pictures on your website or blog are worth a few seconds”. If you include at least one illustrative picture on each page of your website or blog posts, you will help grab your visitors’ attention and keep them engaged on your site longer. 

Now let me back up! Using professional images that are clear and not distorted will help keep your readers engaged! One of the worst things you can do to hurt the credibility of your website or blog is to display images that are distorted and/or have improper resolution. Doing so shows a lack of professionalism and your visitors will not take you or your website/blog seriously.

If you are using photos or images that you have taken yourself, make sure they are NOT blurry, distorted and/or are too dark or light. Make sure your images have a resolution of at least 72 to 92 dpi.

Where to find professional images for your website/blog

My favorite site to use is Fotolia.com.  Fotolia.com has lots of fabulous pictures and they start from $1.25. As a matter of fact, I purchased the picture accompanying this post from there and added an overlay to it using my photo editor.

Find Professional Images For Your Blog That Only Cost $1.25, Click Here!!

Regardless of whether you buy your pictures or use your own, just make sure to use ones that will help portray a professional web image and add credibility to your site.

Want to increase your audience reach and engage visitors even more? Learn more»

A strong book cover is a necessity when it comes to publishing a High Quality book. As much as we may not like it, books are judged by their cover! According to ‘The Wall Street Journal’, “The average bookstore browser who picks up a book spends eight seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds reading the back.”

Therefore, the window of opportunity to sell the book by its cover is limited. To attract attention and make a lasting first impression, be ready to do all that you can to be at the top of your game and make that first impression one that last in the mind of the viewer. 

Read More: http://wattspublishinggroup.com/the-benefits-of-strong-book-cover-design/

One of the biggest challenges that Small Businesses face is creating effective marketing collateral.  In addition to a challenging budget, there is just the question of what to communicate.  My motto is K.I.S.S., Keep It Seriously Simple! Don't make the mistake of over communicating your product or services.  Consumers are a lot smarter than you think, but they don't want to be bombarded with tons of messaging or content.  It takes too much time to sift through the clutter.  So in order to help you avoid overkill, I will offer you some Tips in Marketing K.I.S.S.

1. Avoid Hokey Taglines - If you can't afford to hire a marketing consultant, then leave off the tagline all together.  As cleaver as you might think you are, customers can always tell when your tagline is homegrown.

2. Get to the Point - Don't waste time with too many details on your materials.  Your collateral should communicate four things immediately.  1) Who you are, 2) What you do, 3) What is unique about your offering and 4) How to contact you.  Anything more is TMI (too much information).

3. Minimize Images - Too many images can be a lot of the brain to process.  Keep your collateral to 1 or 2 images that communicate your focus at a glance. If you need to show multiple images, then stick to one main image that draws the focus.  Keep the other images subordinate so they con't compete with the main focus.

4. Use the 3-Click Rule - When it comes to your website or blog be sure not to bury your content and confuse visitors.  The 3-Click Rule states that a visitor should be able to get to any content on your site within 3 clicks.    Does your site measure up?

5.  Eliminate Business Card Clutter - While your business card has a lot of 'real estate', its important to stage the content carefully.  Stick to relevant contact details on the front, such as your name, title, email address  and phone number.   Put all other details on the back (but don't make the mistake of printing a book back there).

There are lots of other ways to Keep It Seriously Simple, but its easiest just to keep the customer in mind by asking a simple question.  If I had 5 seconds what would I want my customers to know? I have included a sample ad that we designed for a customer utilizing Marketing K.I.S.S.

Happy Branding!

You can continue this conversation on Twitter @brandcoachllc or on Facebook.com/TheBrandCoach

Ends today! www.suite369.com The $22 web identity specials

Get Domain/Email/1page site OR blogger custom background/header OR 2side Biz Card Design for just $22

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Hi Ladies!

My name is Kimberly Clark and I'm a website designer.  I have recently launched my latest venture - http://www.just1page.net.  It is an online store that primarily sells single page wordpress themes and html templates.  For those of you who don't know what that means, they are basically ready made websites, just purchase and install.

I have set up my site so that every new member can download a free single page wordpress theme called "LaunchPage".  It is perfect for anyone who will be launching a new website or product.  As well as for anyone who just wants to count down to some special event!

Sign up for my website and download the theme from the membership area:

http://www.just1page.net/register

View the live demo for "LaunchPage" here:

http://www.just1page.net/demos/launchdemo/

I sincerely thank you for your time and support!

Kimberly Clark

Please like my facebook page to stay updated as I release new themes and templates!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Just1Pagenet/120200591390576

In the spirit of giving, I decided to do a New Year’s Sale on custom blog headers. Don’t worry if your blog isn’t on WordPress. This offer is open to all bloggers on all platforms.

For a limited time only, I am offering custom blog headers for a discounted price of $15. You may be asking yourself, “Why would I need a custom header designed for my blog?” Let me ask you this – “Does your blog use one of the million free themes available to everyone?” How will you blog stand out above the crowd if you and a few dozen other people are using the same exact theme?

Having a custom header for your blog is a great way to set your blog part from others. This one change can give your blog a simple and quick customized look that no one else will have.

Here are some sample of headers from blogs I have designed:

Don’t miss out on this sale! Ends. Jan. 14th | Discount Code: NYSBHD11

Please make sure you hit “update cart” after entering the discount code to get the reduced price.

It is a new year! You have  a new business, a new book, a new CD or new event idea! Put things  into action and motion with your own new website! Visit http://www.Mitchell-Productions.com for packages and samples.

Sharvette Mitchell

Mitchell Productions, LLC

Offering Stylish Web Design Services

Email: info@Mitchell-Productions.com

"SIMPLY UNIQUIC" is our FREE online magazine (click this link to subscribe) that promotes fashion, style, beauty and health.

Each and every day, millions of commuters hit the highways and city streets throughout America. By placing your company's name and logo in front of these consumers with vehicle advertising, you can rev up your marketing efforts.

Vehicular advertising options are plentiful and can generate a mighty return on investment whether you advertise on a single vehicle or on a company-wide fleet. Hitting the road with advertising on your business vehicles can:

1. Generate about 8.4 million impressions a year (according to a study by Driving Revenues)
2. Help you reach a wide variety of consumers
3. Be very cost-effective
4. Build brand awareness
5. Influence purchasing decisions

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Match up with magnetic signs: Removable magnetic signs let you decide when you want to use your car, truck or van as a marketing tool and when you prefer it to be sign-free. These easy-to-apply signs also let you switch vehicles or share signs with others.

I recommend: Order magnetic signs for as little as $25 each at MagneticSignsOnTime.com.

Explore vinyl lettering: When you want a more permanent solution, try self-adhesive vinyl lettering. These ready-to-apply letters come in several design options and can be applied to vehicles or vehicle windows.

I recommend: View vinyl lettering options as they'll appear on your particular type of vehicle at SpeedySigns.com.

Get better night-time exposure with reflective signs:Don't limit your vehicle advertising to the daylight hours. Make your vehicles visible day or night with reflective lettering.

I recommend: StreetGlo offers reflective fleet graphics and a free design tool.

Shout it from the rooftop: You don't have to be a taxicab to take advantage of signs atop your vehicle. Most restaurant delivery services opt for car toppers because they're magnetic and can be attached to any delivery vehicle.

I recommend: Find a variety of sizes and shapes of roof-top signs at CarSigns.com or at Autosox.com, which also offers antitheft cords to protect your car toppers.

Wrap your entire vehicle: Wrapping vehicles from bumper to bumper in vinyl graphics is one of the most attention-grabbing forms of fleet advertising. It looks like you've painted the entire vehicle in graphics, but the wrap is removable for seasonal campaigns and costs less than painting the vehicle.

I recommend: Bumper2Bumper Media and Custom Auto Wrap provide full-service fleet graphics wrapping.

Tout your business with truck graphics: There's no better way to get regional or national exposure than to equip all of your delivery trucks with advertising to drive your message to consumers.

I recommend: Graphic Concepts is a good choice for small businesses with a single truck because they have no minimum vehicles required. RoadBoardz Truckside Ads has an in-house team that can design your graphics and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren't satisfied.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

· When designing your vehicle graphics, choose contrasting colors and large type that can be seen at a distance. White type on a colored background is very difficult to see on the road, so if your logo includes white type, consider reversing the image to a dark colored type with a white background.

· Keep copy simple. Don't list your entire services, rather try to use a company logo, motto and phone number.

· When purchasing vinyl graphics and wraps for your vehicle, ask about warranties. Some vinyl will stay on five years, whereas other vinyl is meant for short-term usage.

· Always ask about the proper care and usage of graphics. Any warranties may be voided if you care for the graphics improperly

PresGuru Print's Small Biz Hump Day Promotion

Small Biz Hump Day Promotion - March 10, 2010
1000 Business Card Design and Printing Package: FREE - A $65 Value

• 2-3 custom business card designs with 2 variations for you to choose from
• See Design Example 1 • See Design Example 2
• 1000 standard business cards printed on 14pt or 16 pt stock
• Full color, double-sided printing with UV high-gloss or AQ semi-gloss

The Fine Print
• UPS ground shipping fee of $10 is not included
• In lieu of shipping, print-ready file will be provided for $10
• Business card design does not include logo design

To enter the giveaway/promotion, leave a comment at our site and include your business industry in addition to why it's important for small business to help one another. All comments for this giveaway/promotion be accepted until March 9, 2010 and the winner will be announced on March 10, 2010.

PresGuru Print's Small Biz Hump Day Promotion

Business Card Design and Printing Package: $35 Dollars - Save $45

• 2-3 custom business card designs with 2 variations for you to choose from
• See Design Example 1 • See Design Example 2
• 1000 standard business cards printed on 14pt or 16 pt stock
• Full color, double-sided printing with UV high-gloss or AQ semi-gloss
• Free UPS ground shipping
• Note: Business card design does not include logo design

www.presguruprint.com • 347-494-1588 • info@presguruprint.com

About This Promotion
Each week PresGuru Print will provide one entrepreneur / small business owner with a 40-55% discounted design and printing package that includes free UPS ground shipping (within the United States). To enter the promotion, leave a comment on the promotion page and include your business industry in addition to why it's important for small businesses to help one another.