Sunday, July 31, 2005

Free teleseminar: Conversations with experts - Kim Dushinski







Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line

Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of Build a Better Blog System.


Marketing Your Book the Easy Way

Wednesday, August 3, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET

Guest Expert, Kim Dushinski, How To Market My Book

195,000 books were published last year. (That is 534 every day!) The fact is that your book faces some serious competition in the marketplace. The good news is that you have tons of choices in how to market your book.

Choosing the right path for promoting your book will not only help you sell more books it will make your whole marketing experience that much easier. In this conversation we go over book marketing strategies and techniques and how to know if they will work for your book.

Registration for this free teleseminar with Kim Dushinski:

http://www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

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Link think: Basic blog SEO

Links come naturally to blogs.

The constantly updated fresh content, that is a hallmark of blogs, is a magnet for natural links. In particular, other bloggers will freely link to content that interests them or their readership.

It’s not unusual to get multiple links from a blog, to more than one page of your own blog. The process is widespread among blog owners, but is rarely considered by those outside the blogging community.

A blog writer adds a fresh daily entry, commonly referred to as a post, to the blog. That post will appear on the blog’s home page. A few bloggers who read the writer’s posts, on a regular basis, will link to the unique URL of the post. That URL is called a permalink. That provides the blog with one incoming link; but wait there’s more.

The linking blog will often add a link a to the blog’s home page as well, as a form of blogging etiquette. When the fresh post scrolls off the blog’s home page, the linked post will be linked from the sending blog, as will the home page.

In effect, a post can but not always, provide a blog with two incoming links. While the sending blog post will scroll off of its blog home page too, it is sending links to two receiving pages.

The links to posts are not the only value either. If that were the case, the blog linking power would be less than what happens in the real world. The linking blog is highly likely to be themed for the same topics as the receiving blog. That common theme relationship alone provides the much sought after relevant incoming links. All of the major search engines place high value, and give high search rankings to pages that are theme relevant.

As if that weren’t enough, there is still more benefit as well. The linking blogger very often provides strong keyword rich link anchor text within the blog post too. That is a powerful and often unexpected bonus, for the receiving blog.

The clickable link, laden with some of the receiving blog’s most important keywords as anchor text, and surrounded by theme relevant content, has sent many a blog page to the top of the search rankings. As obviously natural linking and unmanipulated anchor text, the search engine algorithm gives links from within blog posts heavy weighting.

Along with receiving links from other blogs, incoming links frequently arrive at the blog’s doorstep from traditional static websites. Those website links are usually very strongly theme relevant links, as it’s rare for a website owner to link to a blog that has little theme and topic relevance.

In effect, almost all incoming links from traditional websites linking to blog content, will be theme related. As such, the receiving blog gets strong link popularity value and maximum Google PageRank transfer from the sending web page.

There is even some evidence that linking out to other theme relevant blogs and websites helps to boost your blog in the search engine rankings. Don't fall for the often spoken concern of "leaking" value from your blog. Indeed, the opposite is true. A net benefit is gained from linking out to other blogs and websites.

This linking out concept was strongly implied in the Google patent application, and is part of the development of a highly ranking hub site. A hub site features numerous incoming and outgoing links, based on a particular theme, making that blog or website a very key source of information.

As you can see, it's time to think about links.

Add some links to your blog today.

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Friday, July 29, 2005

Bloggers: Speakers as well as writers

Bloggers should add speaking engagements to their already growing repetoire of skills.

The obvious first step is for bloggers to add voiced audio posts to their blogs. Podcasting provides an important second step for bloggers' voices to be heard around the world.

Once the voice medium has been established, interviews on radio, television, and other blogging media will follow. It's becoming almost difficult for a blogger to actually remain silent!

Speakers are always in demand for many events. Bloggers are natural choices to give live presentations on their topics of experise. Who better to talk about your specialty than you, the blogger. After all, you write about all aspects of your subject matter on an almost daily basis. You know your topics as well as anyone.

As for speaking to business and non-profit organizations about blogging, you are already among the few real authorities in your own community. Think about it. In your own metropolitan area, you are likely one of only a literal handful of full time practicing bloggers. Who better to speak on the subject than you?

As a speaker, you will enhance your professional and business reputation in the community. You will interact with new and interesting people, who you otherwise would not be able to meet. The blogging, or any other topic you choose, would be your ticket into the door.

Contact local business and non-profit groups in your own community. You might become a noted speaker in your area of expertise. Offer to give a free presentation to the membership on your blogging topic; or even on blogging itself. Whatever you do, don't use the platform to give a blatant sales presentation. Provide information freely and generously to everyone in attendance.

This is no place for hucksterism, if you want to develop a solid reputation as a knowledgeable professional.

Let the business arrive later, as a result of your newfound reputation, as an expert in your field and industry.

I am always available to speak to groups on various business and blogging topics. So are many other noted bloggers. You should be available to speak on your favourite subjects as well.

Make yourself available as a speaker.

Start talking today.

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Thursday, July 28, 2005

BlogHer Conference 2005 begins Saturday
















The BlogHer Conference 2005 begins this Saturday, July 30 in Santa Clara, California, USA.

The headquarters for this groundbreaking conference, featuring some of the very best of women bloggers, is TechMart in Santa, Clara, CA.

The mission of the Conference is as follows:

This flagship event is open to all bloggers-including men and beginners-interested in enhancing their online exposure, learning the latest best practices in blogging, networking with other bloggers, and specifically cultivating the female blogging community.


The 2005 BlogHer Conference team:

  • Elisa Camahort

  • Jory Des Jardins

  • Purvi Shah

  • Lisa Stone

  • Katrin Verclas


  • Along with that high energy, high powered team of women bloggers, is an entire lineup of some powerful women bloggers as speakers and discussion leaders.

    It's not all about women blogging either. Men are welcome and everyone, regardless of gender, can learn from the some of the best bloggers on the internet.

    A quick glance at the Conference Schedule will give you some idea of the great bloggers and their topics.

    With the talented lineup of speakers and panelists, BlogHer Conference 2005 is certain to be a huge success.

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    Wednesday, July 27, 2005

    Carnival of the Vanities at Pratie Place

    The 149th edition of the longest running internet blog carnival, the well known Carnival of the Vanities, is up at the eclectic and very musical Pratie Place.

    Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.

    This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, science, medicine, technology, business, culture, comedy, and sports.

    I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.

    My entry is called "Trading spaces: Bartering for business" where I discuss how the age old sytem of barter can help conserve your company cash flow, while adding potential paying customers to your business.

    To participate in the Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the other blog carnivals, one of the easiest techniques is to use the all inclusive carnival entry form at The Conservative Cat.

    Another participation option is to simply e-mail your entry to the host of the week.

    That's what I usually do.

    As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.

    Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities will be at the Japan based international politics and motorcycle blog known as Riding Sun.

    In the meantime, head on over to the Pratie Place hosting of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.

    You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new blogs.

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    Tuesday, July 26, 2005

    Blog FAQs: When non-bloggers ask why

    What are blogs anyway?

    A blog is a regularly updated website consisting of regular article postings. Links to and from other blogs and traditional websites are a prominent feature of most blogs. A blog tends to be focussed on a single topic or issue, and usually invites comments from readers on the posted articles, starting a conversation between writer (called a blogger) and the readers. A blog usually reflects the personality of the writer, and is most often written in a personal and informal style.

    Isn’t a blog just an online diary?

    An online diary, or personal blog is only one type of blog. Along with personal blogs, there are many types of business, technology, and professional blogs. The personal blog was once the predominate form of blog, but that is definitely no longer the case.

    Are there different types of blogs?

    Blogs can be in the form of written blogs, hosted on a blog server or on the webmaster’s own site. Blogs can also be found that use audio postings rather than written posts. There are blogs for every type of business, profession, and technological concept. Writers, lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, search engine optimization experts, marketers, and public relations professionals are just a few of the professions making use of blogs in their businesses.

    What value does a blog have for a business?

    A blog opens up the lines of communication between the blog writer and the reader. By becoming accessible to the public, a business can be seen as more than simply a faceless company, but a group of real people. The blog provides a powerful element of personal contact with the reader, building trust and confidence in the business and its personnel.

    What type of businesses could benefit from a blog?

    Any type of business that requires communication with potential readers in the general public can benefit from maintaining a blog. The public can be current and potential customers and clients, the news media, other business or professionals in the industry, or simply casual readers interested in the topic.

    What business uses does a blog have?

    A blog is ideal for opening the lines of communication between the business and the current and future customers. Communications builds trust that goes far in the areas of marketing and public relations. The blog puts a human face on the company and builds the level of trust. People are far more likely to purchase products and services from other people who they know and trust. A blog is also a very powerful tool for improving search engine rankings because of the keyword rich fresh content and the abundant incoming links.

    Are blogs a useful networking tool?

    Because of the intensive personalization involved with writing blog posts, the blog is a natural networking vehicle. Readers interact with the writer through the blog comments and by e-mail. The contacts often lead eventually to many shared business opportunities. Successful business arrangements formed between two blog owners, and between a blogger and a reader, occur very frequently.

    How could I start a blog?

    A blog can be started readily by opening an account with the many free and fee based blogging platforms. Most are very user friendly and a blog can be underway in a matter of minutes. Most blog hosts allow the business to FTP the posts to the company’s own website, providing additional onsite keyword laden content.

    Can I start a blog for free?

    There are a number of free blog hosting companies. The best known free blogging platform is Google owned Blogger. There are many other free hosts as well, including tblog and blog-city, to name just a few of many currently available free blog hosts. As with all free hosts, there are limitations on services and features, so careful examination of how the blog hosting service suits your needs is recommended.

    Can I host a blog on my own website instead of the blog host?

    It is very popular for businesses to host the blog on their own business website. Most blog tools feature an FTP that enables the file transfer of the blog posts directly to the main business website. The post is entered at the blog host, and then printed on the business website. The additional content and inbound links provided by the blog, along with the additional traffic generated to the business site, are the main reasons for the file transfer to the main site.

    What do I write on the blog?

    A business blog can include articles about industry and company news, new products and services, research and development efforts, business tips, and product reviews. Ideas for selecting and using the industry’s products and services are also good topic idea generators.

    What value are blog comments?

    The comments section of the blog post is very important. By providing feedback from the blog’s readers, the blogger can build a conversation with the customer base. The readers’ comments are also an excellent source of product and marketing ideas and mini surveys. The comments section of many business blogs is often the most widely read part of the blog. The opinions of the readers can help steer a company away from some bad marketing ideas, and often toward some very good ones. The comments section starts that business and customer interaction in a very positive way.

    What is an RSS feed?

    RSS stands for either Rich Site Syndication or Really Simple Syndication (no one agrees on the definition). RSS provides an instant update of the latest blog posts. To send an RSS feed, blog must use and be coded for broadcasting an RSS feed. It is very easy to set up an RSS feed and so coding is not really a major concern for most website owners. The RSS feed is read from an RSS aggregator which collects the feeds in the subscription. They are read by the subscriber in a manner similar to reading e-mail.

    Should a blog have an RSS feed?

    A blog should definitely include an RSS feed. The feed increases the blog’s readership to include many subscribers who would not otherwise visit the blog. The ease of reading an RSS feed increases the likelihood of the blog enhancing the site’s sales, marketing, and public relations efforts. The RSS gets the message out in a timely way to the general public, including the media, and prospective customers.

    Do blogs have value in the search engines?

    A blog component to a website is a powerful search engine optimization technique. The combination of fresh theme relevant content and incoming links is just what the search engine algorithms ordered. The strong Google PageRanks displayed by blogs, combined with frequent blog updates, ensure that a blog is crawled and reindexed often by the search engine spiders.

    Why do blogs perform so well in the search engines?

    Blogs perform well in the search engines for several reasons. First of all, blogs are updated regularly with fresh keyword rich posts. The posts tend to be centered around just a few major themes, making the entire blog strongly themed for those keyword phrases. Incoming links from the vast majority of other blogs and websites share that same theme, providing the blog with the full power of their link popularity boost and Google PageRank transfer. Links from within the posts on other blogs are not only powerfully theme related, but often contain some desirable keyword laden link anchor text.

    Are blogs posts classified as theme relevant content?

    A blog post is usually very theme relevant as most blogs are written around very few topics. A blog tends to be very focussed in its subject matter. For that reason, blogs have high keyword density for their most important keyword phrases. Not only are the blog posts theme relevant but most incoming and outgoing links and link anchor text are theme relevant as well. Even though blog posts scroll off the blog’s home page very quickly, they are replaced by other theme relevant posts, maintaining the blog’s overall themes and topics.

    Can a blog be optimized for the search engines beyond links and content?

    Blog title tags can be optimized to contain the most important keywords. The h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6 tags are part of most blog templates offered by the many blog hosting companies. Search engine sensitive code can also be used to ensure ease of spider crawling in the same way as with traditional websites.

    Are there different types of blog links?

    There are main types of links found on blogs. There are the links to other blogs on the link list, referred to as a blogroll. Secondly, there are links to other blogs from within the blog posts themselves. Thirdly, there are internal links from one referenced blog post to another, either from within a blog post or as categorized and archived links. Fourthly, there are links from blog comments.

    Are blog links downgraded by search engines like guest book links?

    Because there are many types of blog links, there is often confusion about their treatment by the various search engines; most notably by Google. The links from the blogroll and from within the posts are treated like any other inbound, outbound, and internal website links. They are awarded Google PageRank transfer and link popularity value in accordance with the search engine algorithm. The links that are being downgraded are links sent out from blog comments, as a result of spamming activity by other webmasters. Normal blog links are not affected.

    Can a blog be listed in any free internet directories?

    There are many free internet directories that are open only to blogs. Not only do the blog directories provide link popularity value, and Google PageRank transfer, but they are known to also supply some regular fresh visitor traffic. Blogs are also eligible for inclusion in the many free internet directories designed for traditional websites. Because a blog is simply another type of website, blogs are deemed acceptable for submission and inclusion in the mainstream internet directories.

    Do the DMOZ and Yahoo! Directories accept blogs?

    As with any other type of website, blogs are eligible for inclusion in both the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) and the Yahoo! Directory. The DMOZ Directory has recently created a blog specific category to accommodate the many blogs submitted, while also including many blogs in the standard website categories should their subject matter be suitable.

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    Monday, July 25, 2005

    Carnival of the Capitalists at Political Calculations



    This week sees an economics approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists makes a visit to Ironman's business, economics, and financial blog called Political Calculations.

    This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.

    Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national and global economies, and technology.

    As you would expect from Political Calculations, there are many discussions of business, markets, and economics.

    It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

    We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.

    As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

    My entry post this week is titled "Money saving: Office furniture and equipment" where I discuss keeping your business overhead to a minimum by purchasing used office furniture and equipment.

    If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

    cotcmail -at- gmail -dot- com

    You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!

    Another brand new form for sending entries to all of the internet carnvivals is provided by The Conservative Cat. This is a great one stop entry drop, for all your blog post entries, for every blog carnival.

    If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

    Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

    The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!

    The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

    The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

    Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

    Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

    Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at Michael Cage's business blog called Local Small Business Marketing.

    In the meantime, click that mouse over to the Political Calculations hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

    If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then Carnival of the Capitalists certainly will offer you some calculations. (groan)

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    Sunday, July 24, 2005

    Free teleseminar: Conversations with experts - Des Walsh







    Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line

    Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of Build a Better Blog System.

    Are You Running a Business, or Running Around?

    Wednesday, July 27, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE

    Guest Expert: Des Walsh of Thinking Home Business and featured in the Build a Better Blog System.

    Home based business will in the not too distant future be the preferred model for providing the income to achieve an abundant, fully self-actualised life. For many of us it is already just that or fast becoming so. However, a lot of people who work from home do not feel the sort of pride and exuberance you might expect if home based business is that great a model.

    A real business owner thinks strategically, not just responding to crises, and is hungry for profit (some home based ‘business owners’ find this a shocking phrase). A real business owner understands that consistency and service will be rewarded. (I am not talking about people whose ‘home business’ is actually just a hobby and they’re happy with that.)

    Des Walsh is a business coach and blogging evangelist. A former senior executive in the Australian government service and a home based consultant and training adviser for business and government since 1988, Des helps business owners and entrepreneurs excel in playing the ‘inner game’ on their path to success.

    In his popular blog – Thinking Home Business – Des shares experience and practical tips for the thinking home business owner. He is writing a guide for first time business bloggers. Home is Australia’s Gold Coast.

    Registration for this Conversation with Des Walsh: http://www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

    Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

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    Saturday, July 23, 2005

    Crawling webs with search engine spiders

    When it comes to discussing search engine spiders, this is no time to succumb to feelings of terror. These are not the eight legged variety.

    Search engine spiders are simply robot computer programs, sent out over the internet by the various search engines, to crawl websites. Their purpose is to find as many internet pages as possible, and add them to the search engine’s data base.

    Don’t fear the search engine spiders. Welcome them.

    Are you making the robot spiders feel welcome at your website?

    How to get the spiders to visit your site

    Spiders don’t simply arrive at random at your site. They must be invited, and made to feel at home. The easier you can make their work, the longer they will stay at your site, the more frequently they will visit, and the deeper into your files they will travel.

    Each robot has a different timetable for visiting your website. Some can visit a site almost daily, as the Googlebot often does, while others may not crawl very frequently at all. You want to set up your site to be as inviting for as many of the spiders as possible.

    If you have a new site, you want the spiders to visit you the first time to index your website in their data base. There are a few ways to send out your invitation.

    One method is to find someone with a website, already indexed in the search engine data base, to link to your site. As the spider traverses their outgoing links, your incoming link will be discovered. The spider travels down the link, and finds your brand new site, and indexes it within the search engine files. Your site is then added to the list of sites to be crawled again at regular intervals.

    Another method to attract the spiders is to submit your site directly to the search engines themselves. While a slow process, and often taking weeks to months for your site to receive a robot visit, search engine submissions are an option.

    A third way to invite the spiders into your website parlor is to by submitting your website to the many internet directories available. Whether you choose, DMOZ, Yahoo, JoeAnt, Gimpsy, Zeal/Looksmart, or one of many lesser known directories, inclusion in them will get your website crawled by a spider. Since the various internet directories are crawled on a very regular basis, you can be almost certain a spider will travel to your website.

    Welcoming the spiders

    It’s important that you make your website a spider friendly place to visit.

    One way to do create an inviting place for spiders to drop by is to provide them with a site map. A site map is simply a page of your website that forms an overall outline of all of your web pages. By providing the spider (and any visitors to your site for that matter) with a fully linked table of contents, you enable free and easy movement around your site.

    Since all of the pages on your site should be linked, to easily enter and exit, a robot can crawl your entire site. It will happily index, in the search engine data base, all of the pages you make available. Don’t leave any dead ends, or the spiders may not return to that page.

    How do I know if a spider has visited?

    Because an internet spider is a simply a visitor, like anyone else, a record of their arrival will be noted in your site visitor logs. Be sure to closely examine your traffic logs, if you don’t monitor them closely already. They contain a wealth of information on all of your website traffic, not restricted simply to search engine spiders.

    Knowing when the various search engine spiders visit your website enables you to know the frequency of their visits. It also helps you to know approximately when crawls of your website are being scheduled.

    Feeding the spiders

    Search engine spiders thrive on fresh website content. That includes all of the text, title tags, alt tags, CSS tags, and photo tags on your website. Every time you add new web pages, and updated content to your site, there is a reason for the spiders to return. Making even small changes to a file can result in a visit to your newly updated pages.

    Because they are computer programs, as long as they can read and devour the content food you offer, the spiders will crawl your site. To help keep the search engine spiders coming back for more, be sure to update and add fresh new text content to your pages.

    Don’t forget to keep adding new pages as well, and link them properly to your site map. The spiders can’t find and index them, if there is no open space to crawl through. As you add new content to your site, the search engines will crawl the updated pages.

    Because of the importance of being crawled by the spiders from as many search engine spiders as possible, you should do everything to make them feel at home. As you add new web pages to your site, or fresh new content to already existing web pages, make sure they are spider friendly.

    If you keep the incoming links to your website open, and the internal paths within your website clear, the robot spiders will visit and index them all.

    A happy spider, is an welcomed spider, who is kept well fed with lot of yummy spider food.

    Don’t fear the spiders. Invite them into your website.

    Make them feel at home and they will return again and again.

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    Friday, July 22, 2005

    Visitor logs: Gold mines for you

    If you're like most webmasters or bloggers, you are constantly searching for fresh ideas to add content to your website.

    You realize that you require more keyword phrases to find their way into searches.

    The question arises as to where to find ideas that appeal to your visitor traffic. The answer may lie in your own visitor traffic logs.

    Hidden in the pages of those ubiquitous, but often overlooked features of every website, are some gems waiting to be mined. Keywords used to find your website are one of the most ignored, yet very valuable prizes found in your visitor logs. By using those keywords, in a manner consistent with the main theme of your website, you can gain additional search engine referrals.

    Visitor logs also provide useful information on the activities of your visitors that can helpful in adding fresh content to your site and in improving conversion rates from tire kicker to customer status.

    Visitor logs are keyword goldmines

    When a internet search engine user enters keyword phrases into the search box, you want them to find your website high on the search results. It logically follows that the more keyword rich content is found on your site, the more searchers will find you. Occasionally, they find your site through very unusual searches.

    Your visitor traffic logs will normally contain a list of the keywords and keyword phrases that led an internet searcher to your website. Some of those phrases ranked highly enough on a search engine result to cause the user to click on the link to your site. As you check through your visitor logs, you will see several patterns in them.

    First of all, you will see the regular keyword searches that you expect to find. They will be your main important keyword phrases. As expected, your visitors found you through them. If a phrase is heavily targeted, and finds many users discovering your site by searching them, you will know that to be an important keyword phrase for internet searchers. Be certain to use those key phrases early and often as you build new content pages, or freshen up the content on existing ones.

    Secondly, there are your secondary keyword phrases and combinations. Not being your main focus, these keyword phrases are often overlooked in favor of the more heavily targeted search terms. As secondary terms, they may even be sources of better quality internet traffic, as they are the result of more specialized and deeper searches.

    As you analyse these terms, be sure to include them prominently in newly added content pages. The pages where they brought traffic to your site can be revamped as well, giving the keywords more strategic placement and usage.

    The third set of keywords, found in your visitor logs, are the very unusual and occasionally downright hilarious. Before you spend your entire day laughing at them, study them carefully. Look for recurring words and phrases within the unorthodox searches, keeping in mind that the search engines equate those terms with your very site.

    Should any of the search terms prove useful, and on topic in any way for your website, their inclusion in added content pages might bring some unexpected bonus visitor traffic. Keep in mind that many of these unique discoveries may be exactly that. They may be one time events, and never repeated. They may have little long term value for your site. Before dismissing them all, however, make certain that your are not tossing away some real internet gold.

    Length of stay and making it pay

    Visitor traffic logs normally maintain a record of the length of stay for each visitor. Keep in mind that you are tracking unique visitors, so as to have accurate visitor counts. As you search through your records, you will discover that many visitors arrive, stay only a few moments and leave. What they found at your site was not to their liking and did not solve their problem.

    If you have a large number of short time stay visitors, check the pages at which they entered your site. If the pages in question are not content rich, there is no need for visitors to remain on your site. Their needs were not met. If some entry pages are showing fast exits from your website, it’s time to revamp those pages with some new content.

    It is also a good idea to have links to other pages on your site prominently displayed as alternatives for the visitors. If you can solve their needs on other pages, your traffic may remain longer on your site. Longer stays mean higher proportions of conversions to customers, whether at the present time or in the future. The raw number of visitors is not as important as the conversion rate of visitors to paying customers.

    New visitors for old

    Every website needs a steady influx of new visitor traffic, whether from search engines or from links on other sites. To enable visitor traffic growth, new visitors are constantly required. At the same time, a webmaster must retain already existing visitors and customers. The previously acquired traffic forms a base for new arrivals to build upon, increasing the traffic levels overall.

    In your visitor logs, there will be records of new visitors and of returning traffic. Be certain to determine the percentage of your traffic that is new, against the percentage of previously existing visitors. A large drop in new visitors could indicate that your keywords are not ranking very highly in the search engines. Your links perhaps are not being clicked, or your other website promotional activities are not as effective as they were in the past. It is necessary to take some action to remedy the situation.

    In the case of your visitor logs, you possess the data to make the needed changes. If you are not ranking well in the search engines, it would be time to do some website optimization. The best place to begin is by adding more keyword rich content. More pages of content will also help your site toward potentially becoming an authority site in your area. Combining that activity with an active linking program to increase your Google PageRank and incoming links can help as well.

    If the number of returning visitors begins to fall in proportion to the new traffic, it is time to create some new content as well. If the regular visitors find no updating of information at your site, there will be no real incentive for their return. They may turn to a competitor’s website instead. That should provide enough reason to create some new and informative content. As a bonus, the fresh content will help in the search engines, gaining more new visitor traffic.

    Once a visitor arrives at your website for the first time, it is important to keep them there and to have them return over and over again. As a visitor becomes more familiar with you, your site information, and your products, that individual is much more likely to become a paying customer or client.

    Traffic flows within your site

    Another helpful feature of your visitor logs, are the records of the pages accessed by surfers. If any one page is receiving very heavy usage, it makes sense to examine that page carefully to see why it works so well. With close study, that page’s success can be duplicated, on other pages throughout your website.

    Be certain to have each web page optimized for its main keyword theme only, to maximize its power in the search engines. It doesn’t matter which page is your visitor’s entry page. What really matters is whether they move freely around your site, with possible action taken toward becoming customers, either now or in the future.

    Tracking your visitors, as they navigate around your site, can also help determine if your site architecture is visitor friendly. If your site is difficult to move around, requiring many clicks to get anywhere, the visitor’s next click will be out of your site. Make certain your on page menus are easy to read, understand, and follow. Be sure they take the visitor somewhere helpful as well.

    Conclusion

    Your website visitor traffic logs are a veritable goldmine of information, for helping to attract and keep visitors to your site.

    The search terms users enter into the search box, that wind up finding your site, can provide you with ideas to add new pages of fresh content. The search terms and phrases include your main targeted keywords, your secondary and less fully developed keywords, and those phrases that you never thought were important. All of the searches provide ideas for adding new pages of additional information.

    By tracing the proportion of new visitors to returning traffic, you can determine if your site is successful at adding new readers, and in retaining your regular customers. Should there be a dramatic change in the percentages, you can investigate the reasons. If positive, you can emphasise those factors more. If negative, you can make changes to prevent major traffic dips.

    The visitor logs can also help in keeping your site easy to navigate and visitor friendly. Knowing which pages are popular, and which ones receive little surfer activity, can assist you in revamping your site to be more useful for visitors.

    Your visitor traffic logs are there to use for your benefit.

    Mine them for gold today.

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    Thursday, July 21, 2005

    Gmail invitation giveaway

    Gmail invitations are very popular items.

    As a Google owned Blogger user, I have a few invitations to give away.

    If you are looking for an invitation, simply send me a note.

    blogbusinessworld - at - gmail dot com

    or

    blogbusinessworld - at - yahoo dot com

    I won't make you write a poem, sing a song, or give me a sad tale of woe as to why oh why you need a Gmail invitation.

    I just like helping people.

    So send away!

    And start using Gmail today.

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    Carnival of the Vanities at New World Man

    The 148th edition of the longest running internet blog carnival, the well known Carnival of the Vanities, is up at Matt Barr's wide ranging New World Man.

    Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.

    This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, science, medicine, technology, business, culture, comedy, and sports and a very healthy case of the United States Supreme Court.

    In fact, each of the nine SCOTUS Justices sponsors a different page of post entries.

    I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.

    My entry is called "Bloggers: Are we in competition?" where I discuss whether the growth of the blogosphere will affect individual blog traffic. I think the enlarged blogosphere, and accompanying heightened public awareness of blogs, will give each blogger more visitors as a result.

    To participate in the Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the other blog carnivals, one of the easiest techniques is to use the all inclusive carnival entry form at The Conservative Cat.

    Another participation option is to simply e-mail your entry to the host of the week.

    That's what I usually do.

    As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.

    Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities will be at the eclectic and very musical Pratie Place.

    In the meantime, head on over to the New World Man hosting of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.

    You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new blogs.

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    Wednesday, July 20, 2005

    Shoot for 1000 blog posts

    1000 blog posts is a solid achievement for any blogger.

    Not only does the 1000 post mark display blogging longevity, but perhaps more importantly, committment to blogging and to the blog's regular readership.

    Shai Coggins of ShaiCoggins.com is currently maintaining a running total of all bloggers who pass the 1000 post...well...post.

    Once you achieve the 1000 post level, Shai offers a button to display on your blog, to mark your writing milestone.



    If you are not yet at the 1000 post plateau, but want to commit to blogging your way to a grand, Shai offers another display button to show your dedication.



    As Shai says:

    If you would also like to join me in getting to 1,000 blog posts, let me know. I can add you to a separate 1,000-posts wannabe list.


    My roller derby blog is showing 939 posts at the moment. It's getting very close to breaking the blog 1000 barrier. I'm looking forward to adding one of Shai's landmark blogging buttons to that blog.

    How about you?

    Is your blog near that magical 1000 post milestone too?

    Be sure to let Shai know, and get a button for your blog.

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    Tuesday, July 19, 2005

    Webcasts: Sales and marketing powerhouses

    Webcasts work well for internet sales and marketing.

    By combining the multimedia power of audio and video, the webcast enables streaming voice and images to broadcast a sales and marketing message. In fact, many leading internet marketers are already presenting their products and services to audiences through the webcast medium.

    Today, I checked out a farm auction sale that was presented by means of a webcast. While I didn't buy anything (a $180,000 Canadian dollar combine is too rich for my blood), the webcast sales concept was what interested me.

    Note that this auction sold each item in a metter of minutes, unlike the better known days long online auctions presented by eBay. At a regular auction, you snooze, you lose!

    By presenting a Manitoba, Canada based auction on an internet webcast, sales were recorded in at least three Canadian provinces and three US states. The range of the webcast far surpassed the ability of everyone to attend live. Bids were appearing regularly through the internet bidding system driving the prices ever higher.

    I could hear the auctioneer's distinctive patter, and since I attend many, many auctions, I had no problem following his bid requests. The bids and asks were also presented visually in real time on the webcast. A photo of the item on offer was on the screen as well.

    If a farm auction sale can use a webcast successfully, there is definitely room for webcast marketing in almost any online business. The combination of audio and video creates an even more powerful tool than either audio or video alone.

    Along with the audio based marketing power of podcasting, and the text and video strength of blogs, the webcast is yet another tool to add to your marketing lineup.

    If a farm auction can do it, so can you.

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    Monday, July 18, 2005

    Carnival of Personal Finance at I Will Teach You To Be Rich

    The up and coming Carnival of Personal Finance has just been posted at Ramit Sethi's financial advice blog called I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

    This week's edition of Carnival of Personal Finance features personal finance posts from all over the blogoshere and the internet in general.

    I have a post in this edition of Carnival of Personal Finance as well.

    My post is titled "Podcasts market books" where I discuss how using podcasts can help an author increase sales of e-books and hard copy books. I provide examples of ways to use podcasts in any book marketing campaign.

    Next week's Carnival of Personal Finance will be at FMF's business blog called Free Money Finance.

    Here's how to participate in next week's Carnival.

    Hosts for future Carnival of Personal Finance events are also being sought.

    In the meantime, click on over to the I Will Teach You To Be Rich hosting of Carnival of Personal Finance.

    You might earn a few dollars as a result.

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    Carnival of the Capitalists at The Club For Growth




    This week sees an economics approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists makes a visit to Andrew Roth's politcal and economics blog called The Club For Growth.

    This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.

    Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national and global economies, and technology.

    As you would expect from The Club For Growth there are many discussions of business, markets, and economics.

    It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

    We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.

    As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

    My entry post this week is titled "Seek the facts: The truth shall set you free" where I discuss how an honest and open assessment of your business, free from wearing rose coloured glasses, is the best approach. Knowing what is really happening in your business is one way to seize opportunities and to avoid problems.

    If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

    cotcmail -at- gmail -dot- com

    You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!

    Another brand new form for sending entries to all of the internet carnvivals is provided by The Conservative Cat. This is a great one stop entry drop, for all your blog post entries, for every blog carnival.

    If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

    Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

    The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!

    The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

    The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

    Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

    Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

    Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at Ironman's business, economics, and financial blog called Political Calculations.

    In the meantime, click that mouse over to the The Club For Growth hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

    If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then Carnival of the Capitalists certainly will offer you a chance to get multiple ways to look at everything. (groan)

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    Sunday, July 17, 2005

    Free teleseminar: Conversations with experts - Milana Leshinsky







    "Does Your Niche Make You Rich?"

    Wednesday, July 20, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE

    Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of Build a Better Blog System.

    Guest Expert: Milana Leshinsky, Founder & CEO of Association of Coaching & Consulting Professionals on the Web, and featured in the Build a Better Blog System.

    If you feel like getting clients is a struggle, I can almost guarantee it's because you're not working in any specific niche market. In this Conversation, you will discover what a niche is, how to find a lucrative niche market, and how to make well-paying clients seek YOU out!"

    Milana Leshinsky is the founder & CEO of ACCPOW (Association of Coaching & Consulting Professionals on the Web), and is a business and marketing advisor helping coaches, consultants and other solo professionals attract clients, build passive revenue and enjoy a unique quality of life. Milana's web site is Coaching Niche.

    Registration for this free telesminar with Milana Leshinsky:

    http://www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

    Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

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    Saturday, July 16, 2005

    Blogging software compared

    Blogging software platforms.

    Which blogging tool to choose is a dilemma faced my many new bloggers. There are so many good options, with varying levels of services and features, that the novice blogger is often at a loss about what to choose.

    Out of frustration, the final choice is often the last one you see on your computer screen, or you simply try the one a friend is using at the moment.

    Well, now there is an easier way.

    Susannah Gardner of Buzz Marketing With Blogs has done the heavy blog lifting on your behalf. She has searched high and low, and deep within the often confusing maze that is blogging tool selection.

    In a very well written and researched article entitled "Time to check: Are you using the right blogging tool?" for USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review, Susannah has taken the mystery out of blogging platform selection.

    Along with the great article outlining the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular blogging software, Susannah added a powerful bonus for you.

    She has created a handy one stop shopping blog software comparison chart.

    The chart summarizes the pros and cons of the various blogging tools into an easy to understand blog software comparison chart. Talk about making things easy for us all!

    Note that the chart only analyzes the installed versions of the blogging software, and not the many various available plugins. For a more indepth analysis of the literally hundreds of available blog software plugins, check the website for each of the platforms.

    If you are new to business blogging, or any other genre of the blogging community, check out Susannah's article. She will make your choices that much easier.

    While you're at it, Susannah has also written a great blogging advice book entitled Buzz Marketing With Blogs For Dummies. Be sure to check it out and order a copy as well.

    Now, it's time to check out the features of your current blogging software, and the others available. If you are new to blogging, you choice is now that much easier as well, thanks to Susannah Gardner.

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    Friday, July 15, 2005

    Money saving: Office furniture and equipment

    Small businesses often face cash flow problems. It's not a result of bad management, but simply the cyclical nature of a business.

    You know the situation. At times you are so swamped with work, that you can't possibly get all of it done, without sacrificing sleep and adding extra numbers to the clock. At other times, you have no clients or workload and are considering a second and third job for the month.

    Cash flow management is a discussion for another day.

    Today, I want to talk about a couple of ways to reduce costs and overhead to keep your business operating in the black. Okay, at least in the grey.

    When seeking services, consider the barter system. I discussed that time proven concept indepth yesterday. Not only does barter ease your cash crunch, but it also helps out your trading partner as well. The additional reference acquired can also help to attract paying customers.

    Keep your overhead for furniture and equipment to a minimum.

    Look to purchase used office furniture and equipment. While it's nice to maintain new computer equipment, it's certainly not essential to have a brand new desk and chair. Very nice used office furnishings can be purchased at used office furniture stores, auction sales, and even from classified ads in the newspaper.

    In the past, I have used all of those techniques. I have even acquired nice used furniture at garage sales. In any case, isn't an antique looking wooden desk and chair nice to have anyway? I am sitting in antique arm chair right now, and the computer is on a garage sale purchased wooden dining room table that I use for a desk.

    I like to practice what I preach.

    Mostly.

    The dining roon table makes a great desk for the computer, printer and scanner, monitor, and tower. The airiness of the table is very nice for cool airflow in the summer and for heat flow in winter.

    Next to the table starring as a desk, is yet another antique table used to store papers, and office supplies.

    Many businesses purchase used fax machines, copiers, and even electronics equipment to keep their expenditures down. The money saved can be used to grow and market the business instead.

    Think about used office furniture the next time you plan to upgrade the business furnishings.

    It will definitely help with the cash flow.

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    Thursday, July 14, 2005

    Trading spaces: Bartering for business

    Barter.

    Good old fashioned trading and swapping of goods and services is a time tested way to get more bang for your business buck. In fact, you can often get away without spending any of your hard earned business revenue, with some well planned trades.

    Often bartering simply involves a swapping of services. For example, web designers trade work with search engine optimization (SEO) professionals. Writers will often trade their services as copywriters and article authors for other services. Sometimes products are acquired in return for working for the product vendor.

    The list of trading and bartering combinations is almost endless. It's only limited by your imagination and creativity.

    One of the best known trades is for advertising space. In return for placing an ad for a product or service, the business often receives the item placed in the ad copy. Bloggers trade articles and posts all of the time. In blogging, bartering is so widely used, it's become one of most powerful, but less well known benefits of maintaining a blog.

    Article exchanges in newsletters are a popular barter. Also high on the trading list is newsletter advertising, where you and your new partnership offer one anothers ads in your respective newsletters. Often, these exchanges grow into joint ventures, offering one anothers mailing lists the products and services of your new barter business partner. The barter transforms into a recommendation and helps one another to grow their mailing list and customer base. A win-win for sure.

    If you have some ad space available on your blog, you might consider offering the space in return for products and services. It's better to get something for a blank advertising space than nothing. Over the longer term, the bartering partnership can often grow into cash or referral business.

    Be sure to offer your products and services in exchange for almost any business transaction your company is undertaking. You never know when the vendor might prefer your trading offer to an unfilled time slot or space. They might even be looking for your particular service at the very time of your approach. By offering the exchange, you have helped your new business associate save money, and their budget, as well. Everyone wins in the end.

    In fact, if you are offering barter, place some exchange offers right on your blog or website. All you need is to find one other business who matches your needs; and you can fulfil their requirements. Think of barter as a one business and one person at a time transaction.

    Be sure to include one another in your client lists, and share product and service testimonials. Mention one another on your blogs and newsletters. By helping one another out without spending cash, you can often add paying customers and clients as a result. The trade helps you to go from no cash barter arrangements to real money transactions. Now that's real magic.

    Small business people, and that includes most bloggers, should look into making barter business happen for their companies. You never know what cam result from the partnership.

    Think bartering, and trade your way up to a larger online or offline business.

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    Wednesday, July 13, 2005

    Carnival of the Vanities at Wallo World

    The 147th edition of the longest running internet blog carnival, the well known Carnival of the Vanities, is up at Bill Wallo's eclectic Wallo World.

    Carnival of the Vanities is the original collection of blog postings, assembling some of the best and wide ranging bloggers on the internet.

    This week's Carnival of the Vanities entries include politics, literature, science, medicine, technology, business, culture, comedy, and sports.

    I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Vanities as well.

    My entry is entitled "Better writing through blogging" where I discuss how writing blog posts will make you a better writer. It's the constant practice thing.

    To participate in the Carnival of the Vanities, or any of the other blog carnivals, one of the easiest techniques is to use the all inclusive carnival entry form at The Conservative Cat.

    Another participation option is to simply e-mail your entry to the host of the week.

    That's what I usually do.

    As I suggest elsewhere, hosting and contributing to the various internet blog carnivals is a great promotional idea for your blog.

    Next week's edition of Carnival of the Vanities will be at Matt Barr's wide ranging New World Man.

    In the meantime, head on over to the at the political blog known as Wallo World hosting of Carnival of the Vanities and enjoy the posts on offer.

    You will almost certainly be introduced to some great new blogs.

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    Tuesday, July 12, 2005

    Bloggers: Are we in competition?

    Blog competition.

    Does it exist?

    I was asked the other day if I thought the new crop of business, marketing, public relations, and SEO blogs represented competition for the existing blogs in those categories. The questioner seemed concerned that more blogs meant fewer readers for the currently read blogs.

    The bottom line question was this: Is a larger blogosphere harmful to existing bloggers?

    I responded that I didn't believe in blog competition, and in fact, I believe precisely the opposite to be true. In my opinion, the more good business blogs that appear in the blogosphere, the better for all bloggers.

    Of course, I was pressed for reasons for my ideas. Obviously, they seemed counter-intuitive to the query.

    Blogs are still a niche segment of the internet, despite what we sometimes prefer to think. Many non-bloggers, and of course people who aren't even on the internet (yes, there are some), have never even heard of blogs. As such, simply having more business related blogs raises the profile of the entire blogging genre.

    Business bloggers read other business blogs for ideas, techniques, and even posting ideas. A new blogger, who had never read a blog before, is a wonderful and welcome new visitor for existing blogs. Along with the readership boost, more comments are probable as well, creating more dialogue. Blogs are partially about starting conversations, after all.

    Novice bloggers are quite likely to ask questions and show interest in learning all about how blogs work, and how to make their new blogs better. As a practicing blogger, you are likely to be one of the sources of that knowledge. Your blogging expertise will be sought, over and over again. Your blogging experience is your best calling card.

    New bloggers are a source of new friends. As we communicate with other bloggers, whether new or established, we create a new circle of acquaintances. That blog networking power translates readily into business relationships and personal ones. While some new bloggers doubt the network strength of blogging, it's like anything else. The more you give and put into it, the more rewards will flow back your way.

    Established business bloggers, or at least those seeking more incoming links for SEO or for, Technorati and The Truth Laid Bear Ecosystem ranking purposes, can receive them from some freshly minted blogs.

    Business bloggers selling blogging products and services have a fresh new market for seminars, platforms, addons, blogging books and manuals, and much, much more. The enthusiastic blogger wants to learn everything about the blogging tool. Remember, we all had to learn how to blog ourselves. We are all still learning from one another, as a matter of fact.

    More business blogs are better for every blogger. While not all new blogs will last, some will become mainstays of the blogging community. As such, we all have much to learn from them and their ideas as well.

    The higher profile of blogs and blogging is only one part of the equation.

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    Blog Business World sponsors Blog Business Summit








    Blog Business Summit



    The annual Blog Business Summit is scheduled for August 17 - 19 2005 in San Francisco, California, USA.

    The event will be held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

    Always a premiere blogging event, the Blog Business Summit provides a first class opportunity to meet and network with some of the leading bloggers in the blogosphere. Many of the big names, and some up and coming blogging stars will also be in attendance.

    As with any conference or trade show, the real value is in meeting the people. Making connections and friendships should be one of your goals, along with learning new information about blogs as a medium of communication.

    Blog Business World is proud to be announced as a Media Sponsor of the Blog Business Summit. I even have a special logo and brief summary of what my blog and I do on a daily basis to help others succeed in business.

    You can become a sponsor too.

    The event is seeking blogging sponsors. Don't let that scare you away. The organizers offer opportunities, for the less well funded blogger, to fully participate in cross promotion with the event.

    For more information on how you and your blog can participate as sponsors, simply send an email to:

    steve -at- blogbusinesssummit -dot- com

    There. That was easy, wasn't it!

    If you are planning on attending the event, online Blog Business Summit registration is available.

    Some special pricing has now been extended until July 18, 2005.

    That is great news if you are looking to save a few dollars; and even if you aren't.

    Special online hotel rates, for Blog Business Summit attendees staying at the Palace Hotel are also available for online booking.

    Some Blog Business Summit speakers have already been announced. There are more speakers to be announced soon.

    Event sponsors are also on display.

    Make your plans now to attend this major blogging event.

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    Monday, July 11, 2005

    Carnival of the Capitalists at Multiple Mentality

    This week sees a multiple approach to the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists makes a visit to Josh Cohen's eclectic, political, and entertainment blog called Multiple Mentality.

    This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.

    Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national and global economies, and technology.

    As you would expect from Multiple Mentality there are many discussions of technology, computers, business, markets, and economics.

    It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

    We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.

    As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

    My entry post this week is entitled "Reviews: Build traffic and reputation" where I discuss how writing reviews of books, blogsm and other products and services can boost your reputation as a blogger, while at the same time, building traffic for your own blog and the blog or site of the person receiving the review.

    If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

    cotcmail -at- gmail -dot- com

    You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!

    Another brand new form for sending entries to all of the internet carnvivals is provided by The Conservative Cat. This is a great one stop entry drop, for all your blog post entries, for every blog carnival.

    If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

    Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

    The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!

    The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

    The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

    Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

    Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

    Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at Sam Decker's great business, marketing, and leadership blog known as Decker Marketing.

    In the meantime, click that mouse over to the Multiple Mentality hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

    If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then Carnival of the Capitalists certainly will offer you a chance to get multiple ways to look at everything. (groan)

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    Sunday, July 10, 2005

    Free teleseminar: Conversations with experts - Andy Wibbels







    Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
    Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of Build a Better Blog System.


    Podcasting Exposed!

    Wednesday, July 13, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE

    Guest Expert: Andy Wibbels of Easy Bake Weblogs

    What is podcasting? How does it work? Why would you use it? Blogger and podcaster Andy Wibbels takes you through the basics of how podcasting works and how businesses can use it to get a direct channel to their prospects and clients.

    Andy Wibbels is creator of the Easy Bake Weblogs and has helped business all over the world use blogs to market and promote their business. He is also the leader of Podasting Bootcamp.

    Registration: http://www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

    Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

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    Saturday, July 9, 2005

    Seek the facts: The truth shall set you free

    Business people often have a blind spot when examining their own companies.

    Because of the emotional and personal involvement with the organization problems are often ignored, deliberately downplayed, or even refused entry into the office or boardroom door. A business person ignores the warning signs of impending business danger at her peril.

    It's a good policy to seek the facts, the hard data, and the truth about what is happening in your business. Ignoring or even refusing to examine the numbers and the overall health of your firm can lead directly to liquidation. We don't want that!

    When establishing a business, it's essential to keep track of the basics of accounting. Your business needs a balance sheet listing the company assets minus the liabilities, both short and long term, providing a snapshot of the owner's equity. That's how much is yours after all the debts are paid.

    When preparing the balance sheet, be honest and realistic in your assessment of value. It's of little benefit to anyone to claim your old battered equipment is worth millions of dollars. Self delusion doesn't make for a successful business.

    An accurate profit and loss income statement is also essential. It's nice to know if the business is actually making money; or at least not drowning in red ink.

    Prepare a cash flow analysis to ensure that you have some idea when your business revnues will arrive in your company accounts. It's also important to know what times of year major expenses will be incurred. This is especially vital for seasonal industries. Become very aware of the monthly peaks and valleys in your business income. Better preparation can then be made, to avoid being short of cash, to pay your bills in a timely manner.

    If there are impending cash flow difficulties, the prudent manager must be informed of the financial situation in a timely manner. Steps can then be made to right the ship, or at least prevent a possibly business crippling disaster.

    Employee problems often arise in a business. Stopping personnel issues in their tracks, and ensuring that only the best people are hired and retained is extremely important. A business is only as good as its people. Hire the best, and reward them well for their efforts. By the way, there are other staff motivators besides money.

    Let your staff be open and honest with ideas and problems. Ask for their input on potential solutions. Employees are much more likely to work hard to achieve a goal or complete a project they initiated themselves. Keep everyone aware that open dialogue does not allow for complaint sessions, but rather are early warning systems and idea generators. Think of the positives, and not the negatives, while accepting and acting upon the bad news as well as the glad tidings.

    Keep up to date on news in your industry. It affects your business directly, whether you like it or not. Be well informed about the state of the local, regional, national, and global economies now and in the future. Crises can be avoided, and emerging opportunities can be seized ahead of the competition.

    Don't suppress your business problems. Embrace them. In the clothing of a a major problem or crisis, a powerful business opportunity can be the result.

    Openess and honesty, whether with the staff, your business associates, your customers, and with yourself pays.

    As they say, honesty is indeed the best policy.

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    Friday, July 8, 2005

    Internet difficulties: They happen

    Internet problems.

    Have you ever had them?

    You know what I'm talking about, I'm sure. The biggest problem was getting and keeping a dsl connection all day. It kept dropping out on me.

    Good thing I'm patient and don't yell.

    I took my time and got some work done, but it was a bit of a challenge. Sometimes things not going as planned is good for you. I like to believe that anyway.

    More worrisome was the extremely slow internet and computer. My first concern was an invasion of some diabolical spyware. While I am very careful, the possibility was a real one.

    I ran all of my various spyware and virus checks and they showed nothing. I kept getting the very welcome messages that no viruses, spyware, or evil alien beings were inside the computer. Of course, that didn't explain the snail's pace of the computer and the internet.

    I tried a reboot, as that was the tried and true solution to almost every problem, when I ran Windows 98. That wasn't the problem today with Windows XP, however. The internet stayed extremely slow. No pages would load in less than the time elapsed since the last Ice Age. Empires have risen and fallen at a faster pace.

    I decided to shut the computer down entirely, and leave it to its own devices for a few hours. That was the right plan of action. Upon starting the computer again, everything is up and running at its normal speed.

    The problem seems to have rectified itself. It seems to me that the problem was the internet connection being wet from our recent heavy rains. Moisture was apparently getting into the connections. In the end, it was only the weather.

    I'm glad that problem is over with, and I can get on with more important things; like blogging.

    Good thing I'm patient.

    And looking for sunny skies.

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