Archive for January, 2010
Are Your Subscribers Receiving Your Newsletter?
January 31st, 2010 | 
Author:
In my e-mail one day, I received the following message: “Hello, I am a subscriber to your ezine and received the attached e-mail. Please advise if this is actually from your website. Thank you.” The attachment was from my mailing list program. It was informing my dear subscriber that since her mail kept bouncing, “I`m not going to try again; this message has been in the queue too long.” 1. The Problem Why was my newsletter bouncing? My mailing list program reports receiving this message: “…The information presently available to AOL indicates this server is transmitting unsolicited e-mail to AOL. Based on AOL`s Unsolicited Bulk E-mail policy at http://www.aol.com/info/bulkemail.html AOL cannot accept further e-mail transactions from this server. Please have your ISP/ASP or server admin call AOL at 1-888-212-5537, or visit http://postmaster.info.aol.com for more information.” Basically, I was being accused of sending unsolicited commercial e-mail. This was a double opt-in subscriber. I don`t do spam! America Online, Inc. (AOL) had blocked my subscriber from receiving the e-zine she requested. About fifteen percent of my subscribers use an AOL e-mail address. Not only am I adversely affected, but my AOL subscribers are not getting their e-mails. In contacting AOL sales and technical support, I found myself against a brick wall. Although, I was repeatedly offered a free trial to their service, they were unable to help me regain my subscriber. “Why don`t you contact your subscriber and have them whitelist your e-mail address?” How? All I have is her AOL e-mail address and everything I send to her fails. Believe me, I`ve tried. (You could use another e-mail address, I suppose, to trick AOL, but why should you have to?) Of course, they absolutely refused to remove the block against me. (If you would like to learn more about AOL, try the search terms “AOL” and “AOL sucks” in a major search engine.) By the way, it isn`t just AOL that is doing this. Some other major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are doing the same thing. As well, some popular e-mail software programs also filter out wanted e-mails. 2. Some Solutions If your subscribers are not receiving your newsletter, here are some things you can do to alleviate the problem. 1. Warn your subscribers. On your newsletter signup page, explain why they might not receive your e-zine. Explain about e-mail filters; ask them to whitelist your domain, not only to bypass the ISP spam filters but also to allow mail through any e-mail software they may have. 2. Try to avoid using words that trigger spam filters. Personally, I don`t like this one; it smacks of violating my right to free speech, freedom of the press, et cetera. (Yes, I know. With rights come responsibilities. However, I am acting responsibly!) As a practical matter, though, it`s something you have to consider. (I had my newsletter checked by a popular spam checker and it passed with flying colours.) 3. Send a text e-mail informing your subscribers that the current issue of your newsletter is available online at your website. (It could also be a good move to have an archive of past issues there, too, to boost your content and search engine rankings). 4. Consider using alternative ways of communicating. For example, you might try Really Simple Syndication (RSS). Oh, by the way, my replies (with read receipt requested) to my dear subscriber`s e-mail address appear to never have made it. To her I say: “If you`re out there somewhere, please re-subscribe. You might want to think about using a different e-mail address, though.”
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Posted in Internet Business | 
Tags: AUTORESPONDER SERVICE, autoresponders, email, ezine, newsletter, SUBSCRIBERS | 
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How Does Affiliate Marketing Works?
With the internet, you can get almost anything at the click of a mouse. There is tons of data and information out there on all subjects or topics. And the Internet continues to affect how we operate on a daily basis. People use it for everything from entertainment to education. So it is not a stretch to the imagination to see that there are great financial possibilities for the entrepreneur. Its not only for the professional business types, any individual can make money without a traditional company. You don’t need products to sell. How is this possible? Affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing works when a merchant gets an affiliate to promote his service or product. The affiliate shares some of the revenue. This scheme is an efficient way of getting profit for the merchant it also pays for the affiliate and the affiliate network. The merchant benefits by having someone else spend the time and money advertising and encouraging customers to buy the product. He also benefits though the variety of markets the products can be reached using different affiliates. And his sales may be increased through word of mouth rather than other costly endeavors. The affiliate benefits by getting a commission of each sale he makes. If a consumer clicks on the merchant’s link on the affiliate website and buys the product or service, then the affiliate may get percentage of the sale. To become a successful affiliate, you must first figure out what you are interested in. What are you passionate about? You will have to build a website around your subject and be informative about the topic. It would also help to make your site unique. Then look for a merchant that pays well for products or services related to your area of interest. While making these decisions you may want to think about the conversion rate of visitors becoming buyers. Browse through the various affiliate networks to find out which products work for you. After choosing the area, the products you would like to use and setting up your website, you will have to address the issue of traffic to your site. This is important if you are to make any kind of money. For example, if you are selling expensive items it is possible to make a lot of money very quickly but high ticket products may be harder to sell. To help with promotion and marketing do some research online and purchase books about the subject.
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Avoiding Scams With Data Entry At Home Jobs
How can you protect yourself from data entry scams that are all over the Internet today? Here is a guide to help you steer clear from potential scams. You surely have seen one of those “data entry at home” ads that are all over the Internet today. The fact that this article caught your eye may be proof enough that you are interested in pursuing this job! The question that surely preoccupies you right now is this work at home opportunity is really a money-generating online venture or simply just one of the many scams proliferating around? The main factor that makes people hesitant about data entry at home jobs is the fact that they require some joining fee. Unfortunately, some fraudulent sites have started to make way into this business, with people getting victimized by their scam tactics everyday. They usually ask you to pay joining fees and you end up with company names which do not assure you of getting a job anyway. There are those who sell you software, start up kits or even expensive equipment. Do not fall prey on these tricks, as these sites may just run away with your money without looking back. This is not to give you a wrong idea that data entry at home is a scam altogether. There are a wide number of genuine, legitimate sites which offer real data entry jobs. It may just take some time, a lot of patience and good research in order to find the right sites. It is very important that you do not fall right into the lure of earning big money fast. As with most other work at home jobs, you have to remain realistic about how much you can earn. You should not hastily believe that paying $30 will land you a typing job that will earn you hundreds of dollars a day. That $30 may sound relatively cheap considering the rate of investment, but $30 lost due to scam is $30 down the drain. The best way to avoid scams in data entry at home jobs is to check with the Better Business Bureau or with FTC for the legitimacy of the site. The BBB will also tell you whether there are current pending complaints about data entry sites you want to join. You can also visit anti-fraud sites such as http://Scam.com to find out whether others have experienced anything unpleasant with the data entry site you are eyeing on. You can also go for sites which offer money-back guarantees in order to lessen your risk of being scammed. Better yet, you can pay through your credit card as it can be easier to get your money back in case the company you chose turns out to be a fraudster. Getting good pay through data entry at home is by all means possible. You only need to look for the right sites, patiently give it time for your earnings to stabilize and work as hard as you can. More importantly, you have to keep your eyes and ears open, and your intuition in place in order to avoid scams that may go along these types of jobs.
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Digital Zoom Versus Optical Zoom
Many digital cameras offer both digital and optical zoom. These two often confuse the average camera buyer, until you know what you’re looking at. Optical zoom works much like the zoom lens on a 35 mm film camera. It changes the length of your camera’s lens and draws the subject closer to you. The optical zoom keeps the quality of the picture. Digital zoom works differently. It simply takes the picture and crops it then enlarges the part that is left. It causes the quality of the photo to be reduced, sometimes greatly. What this means in terms of output is you may have a larger view of an object with the digital zoom, but chances are your image will become unfocused. Details will become lost. It is actually best to turn off the digital zoom feature of your camera if possible. This will prevent you automatically zooming in too close as the digital zoom is often an extension of the optical. There are a couple of things you can do if you want a closer view of a subject but want the quality of your picture to still be good. Try moving in closer when you take the picture. Often only a foot or two will do the trick. If this isn’t possible, you can set your camera to take a picture at its highest file size. This will result in a photo that can be cropped to include only your desired subject, yet allow for an image that is still clear at http://www.reviews2.info Digital zoom has its place. It can be used if the only destiny of your photo is the internet. Photos online can be a much lower quality in the camera and still appear acceptable when sent through e-mail or posted on a web gallery. If your goal is printing, however, seek a camera that has a greater optical zoom and turn off the digital zoom. Your pictures will be better in the end, even if they are not as close up.
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Industrial Lubricants
Lubricants may be solids, such as plastic beads, glass beads, nut hulls and graphite, or liquids, such as oils, synthetic fluids, glycols, modified vegetable oils, fatty-acid soaps and surfactants. A lubricant provides a protective film which allows for two touching surfaces to be separated, thus lessening the friction between them. The two major categories of lubricant are those that are organic and those that are synthetic. Specialties include: any type of industrial or power train lubricant, fuel, base stock, intermediate, additive, functional chemical, coolant, or process oil. As with other lubricants, its job is to reduce wear and friction between moving objects (like engine parts), enabling longer operation and higher efficiency. This reference summarizes current knowledge about the different materials that are added to lubricants to improve their performance characteristics. Oil as a lubricant Oil – A general term for a water-insoluble thick liquid that possesses lubricating properties. You may be tempted to use other types of oil you already have around your house or WD-40 or something, but many of those things are flammable and will only serve to damage your shredder or worse. In the last century, synthetic additives extended the effectiveness of age-old lubricants like oil. Emulsifying agents are sometimes added to oils for production of cutting fluids, which are to be mixed with water. The primary purpose for changing the oil, of course, is to eliminate the contaminants because in most instances the lubricant is physically and chemically fit for continued service. Due to environmental concerns, the disposal of used oils is heavily regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The groundbreaking technology of fully synthetic gasoline engine oil formulated from Di-Synthetic Protect technology with SAE 0W-40; which fuel economy follow by ILSAC GF-4 standard is an advantage. In most complex mechanical systems, lubricants help reduce friction and protect moving parts against wear. Knowing how the behavior of lubricants can change and affect the lubricated surfaces under these conditions is becoming more important as the need for miniaturization leads to development of ever smaller components.
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Corporate Print Buying – Online Solutions
Compared to traditional methods, using ’simple to use’ internet applications can deliver cost savings, reduce human error and enable faster delivery of products and services to all parties in the supply chain. For enterprises, marketing agencies and printing companies who need to streamline the print ordering process, web to print solutions are available on every level. In today’s market place, you can choose from fully managed on-line print procurement systems to self hosted solutions that will enable total control of print procurement and application management. For the corporate print buyer, the first step in moving your print procurement on-line is to list the requirements for your individual business needs. Your existing print suppliers should provide help with identifying these requirements. It is in everyone’s interests to end up with a seamless print procurement process. One of the biggest obstacles to implementation is the printer’s desire to lock in a customer to their own on-line system, with the customer having the opposing view. It is vital for the print supplier to recognise this fact. Equally, the customer needs to recognise the value that a totally integrated print ordering solution will provide. The advantage to both is that it can cement a relationship for a period of years, leading to stability for the supplier and enhanced service for the customer. Another challenge is introduced when more than one print supplier is involved. One answer for the corporate would be then to use a print management company or agency. If you’re superhuman and know your printers will collaborate well, you might be able to manage this yourself. The above statements will apply. Another option is to bring the whole thing in-house. Whether ordering stationery or managing constantly changing marketing collateral, the fundamental benefit is being able to enforce brands and manage document print and distribution. Sometimes, the corporate is the best placed to manage this. Whatever route you choose, successful print ordering implementations are those that involve all people. Those who will be touched by any new processes – internal employees or suppliers – should be part of the planning process. It’s better to do this in the beginning when you are listing your requirements. People’s fears can be addressed as well as outlining the benefits of change. What’s Possible? Ordering Versioned Print. Typically, versioned printing is referred to when there is more than one copy of a version of a document or item. But, there may be any number of variations of that document or item. For example, a sales leaflet for a holiday company may have a design which it uses to advertise a range of holidays. However, even though the design and layout is the same, the content could be different for each type of holiday. There may be changes to text, pictures and colours specific for each offer. However, the print quantity for each offer will be more than 1 copy. Ordering Personalised Print. Personalised printing is referred to when each print copy is unique to the recipient. The individual difference of each one might only be a change of name and mailing address. Or, if it is for 1-to-1 marketing, personalisation could be a complex combination of different text and images. An example might be a postcard advertising a car with an offer personalised to fit the recipient’s profile. Printing Versioned and Personalised Items. With the very latest Digital Presses, quality is very close to that of Litho. Using real inks, immediate drying and fast delivery of finished personalised print, it isn’t difficult to see why this sector of print is growing. Many organisations are enjoying reduced costs and business growth as a result of implementing targeted print campaigns as part of their overall sales and customer service strategy. Modern Digital Presses are capable of producing quantities as low as 1. Although technically there isn’t an upper limit on quantity, runs up to about 2000 will remain competitively priced. At this point the higher speeds of Litho Presses will make Litho Printing a more cost effective option. Combining the latest on-line technology with variable print solutions provide print buyers with maximum advantage. Being able to manage marketing campaigns and short run variable printing from the desktop has never been easier. With the right solution, it is possible to order print 24/7 from anywhere in the world, send files direct to press and have jobs delivered within hours. Stock Management. For printing where larger quantities are needed, e.g. 10s of 1000s, storage, call-off from stock and re-orders need to be managed in an efficient and cost effective way. The best way to achieve this is by implementing a stock management system, with ordering and administration available via the desktop.
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Posted in About Internet |
Tags: catalogs, catalogues, consultan, management, online, print, printing, shop, shopping, templates, web-to-print |
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Count The Cost
There’s a cost for what we want most. Nothing comes free in this world. Even nineteenth century pirates understood that. Pirates of the Caribbean characters echoed this sentiment throughout the final of three films with the statement, “There’s a cost for what we want most.” How true. For every hour a businessman spends at his desk he misses another minute in the life of his children. For every hour a woman spends in the office, she misses another step that her toddler makes. But at the same time, for every hour a business man or woman spends at the office, another bill they can pay. Where do we draw the line? Can we have it all, where we do not sacrifice that which we love the most for what we need? Enter the world of the home business. While the home business is not a panacea for the marriage of business and family, but it certainly offers some major benefits that the traditional model of business and family offers. Those who think about a full-time home business neglect to note the consequences cost for what they want most, with staying home acting as the thing they want the most. First and foremost, home businesses offer no benefits. The second that a person decides to leave his traditional job and move home to work, he or she sacrifices the health benefits that the job once paid. The monthly cost of health insurance for a family of four can run nearly $1000 a month. This is on top of the deductible. Furthermore, some people are not insurable. Have you been diagnosed with diabetes since starting your job? Does your child have diabetes? You will have an incredibly difficult time finding an independent insurance provider for a family with health problems. Consider this carefully before tossing your keys at your boss. Secondly, the home business does not come with a matching retirement plan. Those who want to start their own business at home must consider how they can put money away, and not just save it, but invest it so that by the time they reach retirement age, they will have a nest egg to live off of. No one will be matching what they put into their fund, so they must compensate for this as well. Financial experts state that individuals should find a way to put away 10 to 15 percent of their monthly take home pay for retirement after paying off debt and after putting away three to six months worth of expenses as an emergency fund. If you cannot afford to put away that 10 to 15 percent on your own or if you lack the discipline to do so, reconsider your choice to work from home. Finally, be prepared to sacrifice your straight-laced reputation. When you quit your job and decide to work from home, your neighbors will look at you differently. They will see the sacrifices you’re making, such as selling a new car and driving a used one, or playing ball in the backyard with your kids at three in the afternoon, and just shake their head in disbelief. Few will applaud your move, and most will just think you’re strange. Those who have gone home to work instead of staying at their traditional office job understand the necessary sacrifices. They’ve made them. They know about the looks, and they pay the high bills for independent health insurance. And at the same time, while they recognize the sacrifice, they consider the payback much higher: time spent with family and the opportunity to dictate their own future.