Archives for Month: July 2009 ::
Streamline Your Affiliate Program Management
Posted on :: Jul 31
Creating Effective Press Releases for Power SEO
Posted on :: Jul 31
Press releases are an effective means to attract media attention, but it is also one of the most cost-effective munitions in the search engine optimization and marketing arsenal. With a solid grasp of the English language and some company and industry knowledge, the transition to being an effective SEO-PR master is easier than you might think.
The Many Benefits of an SEO-PR Strategy
If you’re not sending press releases through distribution services and directly to those you believe are the most influential in your industry, you should be.
Inexpensive: It’s costly to run display and search advertising campaigns and the amount of time it takes for traditional SEO can be immense. The expense of a press release, however, is limited to the time it takes to write it and then distribute it electronically. When the message is picked up by multiple outlets, the cost per impression simply cannot be beat.
Broader Reach (and Links): Perhaps the most noteworthy benefit in distributing press releases is that many Web publishers post them on their websites. In many cases, they do so verbatim from the original and, in some cases, include your original links. The result is that your message is seen by a broad group and influences search result rankings.
Expedited SEO: Nearly every search engine optimization agency I’ve come across in the past few months leverages press releases for their clients. Why? Fast indexing for one, but the ability to “control the content” means that you’ll be able to include the keyword rich content you want to rank for, ultimately influencing your site’s search ranking. Add a compelling title and your URL (with anchor text, of course) and you’ll see your release appear in the search engine results pages in short order and many times over – even for competitive terms.Now that you’re sold on the benefits of SEO-PR, how do you construct an effective press release? Let’s look at a few best practices that make press releases such a powerful SEO strategy.
Increase Focus on Checkout to Increase Sales
Posted on :: Jul 31
It looks like retailers are going to be paying a lot more attention to how the shopping experience ends - that means the checkout process.
According to a survey scheduled for release this morning at Shop.org’s Online Merchandising Workshop in San Diego (conducted by Forrester Research), retailers plan to focus heavily this year on improving customers’ check-out experience. Companies will also place an emphasis on image enhancement on product detail pages and site search filters to help shoppers more easily find what they’re looking for.Seven Steps to Local Search Success
Posted on :: Jul 31
As a small business in a lackluster economy, making the most of your marketing dollars is critical to your bottom line. Using a local search engine, you can target customers in a particular region while maximizing your marketing investment. Local search is more targeted and less expensive than other forms of online and offline advertising, which can translate into more leads and customers for less money. In addition to offering inexpensive, relevant advertising dynamics, local search also provides an audit trail to measure results, and other opportunities to increase revenue. As a result, it has enjoyed steady, annual growth and is proving to be a solid marketing tool for growing small businesses. Here’s what you’ll need to know to get started on the road to local search success.
13 Tips for a better E-Commerce Website
Posted on :: Jul 31
Many websites / applications can handle the risk of "developing while online". E-commerce is not one of them, at least the core parts.
You may be using a ready-to-go software or built a new one from scratch. In both cases, test how it works very well on every level: browsing, cart functions, payments. and make sure they work. A bug in payments or a product that can’t be added to basket will not only result in un-completed sales but also lost future customers and bad word-of-mouth.
Using Coldfusion to Import CSV Files
Posted on :: Jul 29
Using Coldfusion to Import data into mySQL
Many times we need a quick and easy way of importing data into our website databases. The CSV file format is one of the defacto standards for moving data between databases easily. Virtually all databases allow exported to CSV format. And virtually all database support importing a CSV formatted file. So why use Coldfusion to do this mundane task? Simply put it is database independant - in this example I created a simple script that reads a CSV file and inserts the records into a matched mySQL table. When I first started looking at this I was surprised that I could find very little of how to achieve this. So now that I have it worked out I thought I could share this little piece...
Lets set the stage:
Setting XAMMP to automatically start on MacOS X
Posted on :: Jul 29
well, the problem is in the mac os x version there is no easy way to start the application and all the services automatically when you boot up. the windows version has an option to install as a service. but us mac guys/gals are left in the dark. and have to manually start all the services. which sucks because i use a site in xampp as my homepage.
so i found a rather easy way to get xampp to auto start at boot up.
How to Install ColdFusion 8 on Mac OS X
Posted on :: Jul 29
The setup used ColdFusion 8 through Apache (XAMPP) all on Mac OS X.
The Ultimate Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ
Posted on :: Jul 24
Microsoft has done an exceptional job of designing Windows 7, but a terrible job of communicating how it will be sold. As Microsoft dribbles out details of the Windows 7 release schedule and product lineup, including pricing and upgrade offers, I’ve been deluged with questions from readers about whether they qualify for a Windows 7 upgrade and, if so, what’s the simplest, most cost-effective way to acquire it.
Before I dive into the Q&A section, it’s worth taking a second to clear up the source of much of the confusion I’m encountering. In the often bewildering world of Windows licensing, the word upgrade has two separate and distinct meanings. The first refers to the license that you purchase, which in turn allows you to run Windows on a specific PC. The second refers to a mode of setup, where you keep installed programs and personal data files while replacing the underlying operating system.
Confused? Let’s see if I can untangle things.
The Scarlet V: What's a Vista business user to do?
Posted on :: Jul 24
Windows 7 has been released to manufacturing and is obviously the operating system that Microsoft and its partners will be pushing for the next two-plus years. If you’re one of those business users who is in the midst of deploying Vista, what should you do?
Up until fairly recently, Microsoft was telling users to continue going forward with their Vista deployments if they’d already begun them, and to just skip Vista and go straight to Windows 7 if they were just starting them.
But in May, around the time Microsoft delivered the near-final Release Candidate (RC) test build of Windows 7, Windows execs stopped saying much at all about Vista. In fact, it was like pulling teeth to get them to talk about Vista Service Pack (SP) 2, in terms of discussing features, fixes and/or availability. At the company’s recent Worldwide Partner Conference, the message was clear: As of May, any marketing campaigns that had been using the word “Vista” should be switched to refer to “Windows.”
Where does that leave big shops that bought into Vista? Are they deigned to be ridiculed and abandonned like Hester Prynne, forced to don a scarlet “A” (or, in this case, “V”)?WebOS SE Currently in development
Posted on :: Jul 23
That's right, there's a new WebOS version on it's way!!!
Now if you're a user of or have been following the WebOS Development Topics here on the site you're probably wondering, what happened to Version 1.5.0?!!!
Well Version 1.5 went into development, and through out the development process so many changes were made to the system, that it was scrapped and development on version 1.6.0 started, using many of the new features in 1.5.0 that were developed.So what's new in version 1.6.0?
Is Microsoft's GPL2 support really a big deal?
Posted on :: Jul 22
Microsoft’s decison to release 20,000 lines of device driver code under GPLv2 is viewed as a big deal but not that surprising given the context.
After all, the only technology Microsoft fears more than Linux is VMware’s bare-metal virtualization platform. The release of the three device drivers under GPL2 this week — which will better allow application workloads running in Linux virtual machines on Windows to access storage devices– is designed for one reason and one reason only: to advance Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor.
The code, also known as the Linux Integration Components, has been deployed for some time in Novell’s SUSE Linux 10 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.X. following agreements Microsoft signed with the two leading Linux companies.
The announcement this week — Microsoft’s first support of the GPL2 — will more widely release the code under the leading open source license so that other Linux distributors and potentially Linux itself can incorporate these device drivers, which offer support for iSCSI and network storage devices.
Microsoft’s director of open source said today’s announcement is a big step for Windows-Linux interoperability. It is — but it is only for Linux Virtual Machines on Windows, not physical Linux servers and Linux desktops.
Does social media really correlate with the bottom line?
Posted on :: Jul 22
While many claim that social netwroking, (or as the 'in-the-biz' people shall refer, social media) assists with an increase of Profits, SEO, Page ranks and the like, I am still somewhat skeptical...
A study has found that revenue, gross margins and profits correlate nicely with companies that are the most engaged with social media. Should you build a portfolio around these highly engaged social media friendly brands? Probably not.
Microsoft unleashes 20,000 lines of Linux code
Posted on :: Jul 21
Microsoft is releasing three Microsoft-developed Linux drivers to the Linux community for possible inclusion in the Linux source tree.
This is the first time Microsoft has made Microsoft-developed code available directly to the Linux community. The Redmondians have released various pieces of code under different open-source licenses over the past few years, but this is the first time Microsoft has released Linux code and the first time the company has used the GPL license to release code, I believe. (Anyone know otherwise?) My ZDNet blogging colleague Jason Perlow says Microsoft previously released part of the Linux Integration Components under the GPL, so this isn’t technically the first-ever GPL’d code from the Softies.
Microsoft made the Linux driver announcement on July 20, the opening day of the O’Reilly OSCON open-source conference.
(The driver news also comes a week after Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner told Microsoft reseller partners that Microsoft has competed really well against “the fraudulent perception of free” that is at the core of many Linux vendors’ sales pitches. Not all of Microsoft management is onboard with this newfangled licensing world….)
Passing JavaScript Values to Coldfusion
Posted on :: Jul 21
Is it possible to pass JavaScript Values to ColdFusion? Not directly no, as JavaScript is a Client side Language and ColdFusion is a Server-side Language. It can be done, however not without refreshhing your Page and.or Form.
This tutorial will show you one possible method of sending a JavaScript variable to coldfusion via using the url.
Could Apple really dictate iPhone terms to Verizon Wireless?
Posted on :: Jul 20
The bricks just keep being thrown through AT&T’s reputation window.
This time, TechCrunch’s MG Siegler has an entertaining rant on how Apple needs to dump AT&T and put the iPhone on Verizon Wireless. As noted before, the iPhone may be the worst thing that has ever happened to AT&T’s reputation over the long run.
But Siegler reckons that Apple can dictate terms to Verizon Wireless and simply appear. Siegler writes:
Apple no longer needs AT&T. Thanks to its huge success, it can dictate its own terms to other carriers now, and ensure it controls the iPhone ecosystem — its top priority. Verizon, as the nation’s largest carrier, is likely to give it the most resistance. But that resistance is futile. The iPhone will eventually be on Verizon, on Apple’s terms. It’s just a question of when.
The first part of that riff is true. Apple doesn’t need AT&T. The second part of that—Apple dictating terms to anyone—may not apply.
Create and Monetize Podcasts on Any Budget
Posted on :: Jul 20
Integrating audio and video content alongside standard text and graphics was once solely the realm of major media outlets and technically sophisticated webmasters. Now, rich media engagement is possible for owners of any size website on any budget. And it’s remarkably simple.
The word “podcast” is used frequently to refer to audio content available on a website that is organized in some fashion. An actual podcast is much narrower in definition. A podcast is a feed to which iPod owners can subscribe and automatically downloads newly added pieces of audio content. Subscribers can then access and listen to the podcast at their convenience.Optimizing the On-Site Engagement Experience
Posted on :: Jul 20
Increasing site effectiveness and visitor satisfaction through on-site engagement optimization ultimately results in a higher conversion rate, which is why it is so important.
By not engaging in optimizing consumers’ e-commerce experiences, merchants ultimately risk generating fewer sales over time. That alone should be reason enough to consider routine testing of page elements — and combinations of them — to generate more revenue from each user session.
Many merchants are surprised at the number of users who abandon their shopping carts before they reach the checkout. While Web analytics tools can show us the specific percentage of shopping cart drop-off, they don’t show us the element that caused the drop-off.
Let’s look at a few best practices for optimizing the e-commerce landing page experience. While it’s important to seriously consider these tactics, it’s even more important to test them thoroughly before a full-scale roll out.SEO (or is it DEO?) for Microsoft Bing
Posted on :: Jul 20
While it remains to be seen if this latest search entry will wrestle any significant market share from Google, it’s a good idea to get familiar with Bing.com, from an SEO perspective.
Bing is branded as a “decision engine,” enabling users to make better choices by drilling deeper through search results filtering. The jury is still out on whether it produces what it’s advertising, but if Bing can provide a positive search experience, it might just eat away at Google’s search dominance. Even if its impact is far less groundbreaking, Bing will be a significant source of traffic, making it worthy of attention.