How many times have you shopped at a store or eaten at a restaurant and been invited to take a customer service survey. Usually these survey opportunities are presented by the clerk or waiter who points out a web site at the bottom of your receipt. I have never paid attention to these in the past and often find them to be a nuisance. Sure, Target claims to give away $5000 gift cards. But who... Continue Reading

Providing your audience, customers, and potential customers with free, valuable information is a cornerstone of running an online business. If you give enough stuff away for free, and make sure that that stuff is high-quality and indicative of your high standards, then enough people are going to want to pay you to get to the rest of what you know that you will be able to make a nice living from your online income. One... Continue Reading

The following email was sent to me by one of the creators of The Internet Marketing World Cup. I told them I would consider updating my previous blog entry based on what he shared with me. After further consideration, I thought I would just let IMWC's point-of-view speak for itself. With that said, here is the entire email sent to me. It is thoughtful and I admire the IMWC team for proactively contacting me and... Continue Reading

There are certain aspects of web design that you should make absolutely sure you are getting right. Here is a short list of the most important ones: Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman) It can be said that consumers are persuaded to purchase by their perception of the product and not by the actual product itself. What promotes the idea that every need can be satisfied with the goods or services from a given company? Effective and creative advertising is a skill that every corporation desires yet few succeed in mastering. What makes some ads so successful and others just pathetic? A... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) Several weeks ago, we posted an article about the new YouTube Show & Tell channel that highlighted some of the more creative uses of the video giant's site. And now, after watching some of those examples and finding ourselves in need of a new angle to promote our newest iPhone app, I present to you the Sergeant Gun YouTube experience. It's not just a video, it really is an... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joel Ownby) In the early days of the Internet, commercialism had not made its entrance and no one was thinking about tracking traffic, much less analyzing it. Nearly a decade later, we had progressed to tracking visitors in the form of "hits," which did not tell you effectively even how many individual people actually visited your site. Now after nearly another decade, we find ourselves in a virtual analytical paradise comprised... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman) This article is a continuation of our series on branding. (Read Part 1 and Part 2.) By now you have drawn up a list that effectively describes exactly what you want your product to accomplish. You have swallowed your pride and presented your loved ones with this list and allowed them to refine and tweak your dreams. Finally, you have compared this list with products already on the market... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joseph A Michelli Ph.D.) Last week we talked about the importance of having a customer-centric business approach. But how exactly do you go about becoming a business like The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company that adds value though service excellence and desired experience? I take my clients through a very systematic process with delivery of that process adapted to the needs of their business. Typically this journey begins with an honest assessment of... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Tim Golen) Nothing is worse than spending months promoting and preparing for a launch, only to have the anti-climactic experience of your site not loading at the big moment. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) Have you ever seen a television commercial that just drives you nuts because of the spokesperson they use? I can think of at least two regional companies here in Colorado that fall into that category for me. In both cases, the "actor" has a close tie to the company being advertised. For one it's the owner, and for the other one it's the owner's kid that serves as their... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Jared Newgent) What is virtualization? Virtualization is the use of computer resources to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously. The term virtualization may refer to platform, OS to desktop, or resource virtualization. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) Live video broadcasts using Ustream and podcasts each have their pros and cons. I've had some experience with both, and I want to share with you what I see as the plusses and minuses of each. In the end, you can decide which method might be best suited for your needs. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Andrew Albritton) Last week we talked about getting your Google AdWords account set up and the overall importance of SEM. This week we'll focus on optimization. Continue Reading