This month's donation in support of Breast Cancer Awareness will help customers order specialty gift baskets made with quality, brand name products, and help a nonprofit organization in the process. Customers who purchase from an eGiftBaskets.com merchant can choose from a wide range of brand name gift items and products for their order, and eGiftBaskets.com business owners can now extend another incentive to purchase a gift basket this month; a portion of each sale will be donated to the American Cancer Society in support of breast cancer efforts.

Promotions and marketing campaigns are the sole responsibility of each owner, and eGiftBaskets.com provides extensive administration and marketing support to launch and manage a business of any size. Donating to a worthwhile cause is just one way that eGiftBaskets.com gives back to the community. Home-based business owners interested in participating in charitable giving can now promote their eGiftBaskets.com business in support of breast cancer awareness and research.

The dream of owning and operating a successful home-based business is a reality for thousands of entrepreneurs enjoying the rewards of selling gift baskets through eGiftBaskets.com. eGiftBaskets.com offers a range of online business templates for anyone interested in building and marketing a completely customized gift basket business. With the eGiftBaskets.com system, each business owner has a chance to interact with customers, initiative marketing campaigns, and even work with suppliers -- all without ordering inventory or even building the gift basket themselves. eGiftBaskets.com allows entrepreneurs to take advantage of low start-up fees and no royalty payments; it's easy for anyone to set up their very own home-based gift basket business in a few simple steps.

Now business owners can promote their products and themed baskets for a good cause. This November, eGiftBaskets.com will donate 2% of all sales, up to $1,000 per business, to the American Cancer Society. The donation will help support women and families who are living with breast cancer, and the initiative allows eGiftBaskets.com business owners and customers to take part in a noteworthy charitable cause.

About eGiftBaskets.com

eGiftBaskets.com (http://www.egiftbaskets.com) provides home-based business opportunities for stay at home parents, working professionals, and anyone interested in running and operating their own small business. eGiftBaskets.com has launched gift websites that include gift boutique websites, flower websites, and other gift-related online shopping opportunities.

Co-founders Harvard Young and Nouriel Gino Yazdani did intensive research and then created this online community in 1997. Their mission is to provide clients a low-cost start for their own gift basket business. Discounted prices, marketing support, a free list of drop shippers, and more, are available.

Over three billion dollars was generated by sales of gift baskets and flowers last year alone, and home business profits in the US are growing. eGiftBaskets.com business owners can now help fight breast cancer with a donation to the American Cancer Society throughout the month of November.

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed

-Corita Kent.

Boost Your Metabolism, Lose Those Inches

We would all love to know the magic bullet to trim those extra few inches around the abdomen and hips, or under the chin, wouldn't we? Wish I could tell you there were one such thing but unfortunately there isn't. What I could offer you though is some sound yet effective advice if you read on.

Research has made a lot of advances in weight loss research over recent decades, given our current epidemic of obesity and its resulting complications such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. But even those of us who are just looking to improve our self image by fitting into the clothes we love could benefit from what we are now finding out.

First, spot reducing simply does not work. No matter how many sit ups you do, your waistline won't change a bit. Though the muscle underneath the fat may get firmer, inches won't come off unless you are raise your overall metabolic rate. Consider your metabolism like a furnace. Feed more coal and guess what happens – that's right, more heat is produced. Well

calories work the same way. Calories are the amount of heat your body gives off in response to increased workload, and in the case of your metabolism, more calories (and fat) will be burned in the process.

In fact, what we are now looking at is not so much how many calories we burn during exercise, but the overall effect that a particular exercise session has on our metabolism over a 24 hour period. That means that with consistent exercise, our metabolism will be reset to a new, higher level so that we are burning calories even while we sleep! Essentially, what we are doing is tricking the body into letting off more heat (thus burning more calories) than it is used to by simply increasing our exercise frequency, duration, and intensity.

First of all, start small. If walking is your thing, try to maintain a consistent pace for say 15 minutes, uninterrupted, 3 times a week. Set a goal to add an extra 5 minutes a week until you are up to a 45-60 minute session; then maybe add an extra day here and there till you are up to 5 or 6 times a week. It could take you a couple of months to get there but look at what you've done in the process. Boost your intensity by adding some hills or stairs to your walk or maybe even carry some one pound hand weights along with you. Later on you might consider introducing some cross-training into your routine that will have you using different muscle groups and again boosting your calorie output. Some great fun ideas might be cycling, swimming, rollerblading, or rock climbing. Most gyms offer group exercise classes such as yoga (my favorite), aerobics, and pilates, where you have the motivation of others around you to keep you on track.

Whatever your choice of exercise, be consistent, make it fun, and you will most certainly reach your goals in due time. Just intending to do it won't help – you have to invest the time, make it a priority, and I promise you, no I guarantee you, success. Check back in a week or two for nutrition strategies that will boost your metabolism as well!

This information has been provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. **

Healthiest regards,
Dr. Carlos

An easy-to-run gift baskets business connects military wives with a small business dream. egiftbaskets.com, a gift baskets start-up website, provides low-cost, full support to wives who want to start a gift basket business.

“We’re beside them 100% with our customer support,” says General Manager Danine McCulloch, a gift basket business owner herself. Motivated military wives seek an uplifting, profitable way to earn a living from home, and sending gift baskets really appeals to them. “As the largest global gift basket company, we can offer them everything they need.”

Co-founders Harvard Young and Nouriel Gino Yazdani did intensive research and then created this online community in 1997. Their mission is to provide clients a low-cost start for their own gift basket business. Discounted prices, marketing support, a free list of drop shippers, and more, are available.

Over three billion dollars was generated by sales of gift baskets and flowers last year alone, and home business profits in the US are growing. Military wives located across the globe find they enjoy and benefit from starting a gift basket business.

For additional information:
MEDIA CONTACT Charlene Lee
Charlene@StevenPr.com

No matter how good your company is, some people will always write something negative about your site, even if you tried your best to help them. What can you do if web pages with negative comments appear on the first result page for your company name?

1. Just ask

Send the webmaster of the web page in question a polite email and ask for removal of the negative comments. Be friendly and don't threaten the other person. Many webmasters will cooperate if you explain the issue.

2. Give web pages with positive comments a boost

Find web sites that contain positive comments about your site. Link to these pages from your own website to increase the link popularity of these pages. The web pages with the positive comments might get more inbound links and higher rankings then.

You could also suggest web pages with positive remarks about your website on social network sites such as Digg.

3. Use Wikis if appropriate

Websites like AboutUs.org allow you to create an article about your company. If your company is important enough, you might even create an entry in Wikipedia. These Wiki pages might also get listed when someone searches for your company name.

It's very important that you don't spam Wikis. Only add information about your company if it is appropriate. Spamming Wikis will backfire on you.

4. Ask for testimonials

If you receive positive feedback from customers, ask them to write a review on ConsumerReview.com, Epinions.com or similar sites.

The New York Times has recently published (June 19th 2007) an article about Amit Singhal. Amit Singhal is in charge of Google's ranking algorithm. The interview reveals some interesting facts about Google's ranking algorithm. Google knows that its algorithm is not perfect

"Tweaking and quality control involve a balancing act. 'You make a change, and it affects some queries positively and others negatively,” [...] 'You can’t only launch things that are 100 percent positive.'"

"[...] Any of Google’s 10,000 employees can use its 'Buganizer' system to report a search problem, and about 100 times a day they do."

Why Google changes its algorithm

The article lists a concrete example why Google could change its algorithm:

"Recently, a search for 'French Revolution' returned too many sites about the recent French presidential election campaign — in which candidates opined on various policy revolutions — rather than the ouster of King Louis XVI.

A search-engine tweak gave more weight to pages with phrases like 'French Revolution' rather than pages that simply had both words."

If you want to get high rankings on Google, it's important to know whether you should use your keywords as a phrase or as separate words on your web pages.

This can be different for different keywords. Fortunately, there is a way to find out how you should use your keywords on your web pages.

PageRank is just one of many factors

While PageRank was very important when Google was new, Google now uses many more factors to determine the rankings of web pages:

"PageRank is but one signal. Some signals are on Web pages — like words, links, images and so on. Some are drawn from the history of how pages have changed over time. Some signals are data patterns uncovered in the trillions of searches that Google has handled over the years."

There are many factors that influence the ranking of a web page on Google. If you want to get high Google rankings for your website, then you have to work on all of these factors.

Last week June 12th 2007, Google's Matt Cutts had a Q&A on the SearchMarketingExpo in Seattle. Here's a summary of the most important statements:

Google's supplemental index

Pages in Google's supplemental results are parsed differently than pages in the regular index. Pages from the supplemental results can get into the main index. According to Matt Cutts, phrase relationships are handled a bit differently for supplemental pages. He didn't reveal details.

Webmasters shouldn't be worried if they have pages in the supplemental index. Matt Cutts has hundreds of his own pages in the supplemental index.

Paid links

Google considers buying links to be outside of their guidelines and they might take strong actions against that in the future. Matt Cutts indicated that "Google might take action" if webmasters buy links anyway.

Outbound links

Matt Cutts said that links to other websites are good for users, and therefore good for search engines.

The impact of spammy domains that are owned by the same person

Matt Cutts indicated that a webmaster who owns many spammy websites might get trouble with his other websites.

Catalog pages and online store search result pages

Google tries to avoid online store result pages in its own result pages. If an online store search result page looks like search results that are available anywhere else, then Google doesn't like the page. It's much better if it has unique content.

Category pages in online shops work better according to Matt Cutts. However, a product should only be listed in the best-applicable category instead of being listed in 30 different locations.

Matt Cutts recommended to analyze the web pages that currently have high rankings because webmasters can learn from them.

STARTUP

As with any new business, you will have to make a number of decisions. What types of baskets will you offer? If you are working from home do you have enough space for creating your baskets?

What is your target market? And most of all how will you reach them? If you plan to start on a shoestring budget, start slow and work from home. Running your business from home will allow you to save on overhead expenses. EgiftBaskets.com offers wide variety of Gift Basket Business websites at different price levels, they also offer financing.

Income Potential

Your income potential depends on how hard you work and market your business. Industry insiders estimate potential revenues to range from 50,000 annually working part time from home.

Your Gift Baskets

You can either offer a wide selection of gift baskets, or focus on a smaller market. Some of the common gift baskets being offered include the following:

Gourmet/Food Gift Baskets. These are the most popular gift baskets businesses give to their clients, friends and family.

Bath and Body Gift Baskets. These are very popular! Ingredients of these baskets include toiletries like scented soaps, fragrances, oils, lotions, and aromatherapy products. These are just a few selections of gift baskets offered, the list goes on.

Egiftbaskets.com can supply you with a large list of Gift Basket drop shippers to keep your business fully stocked.

Danine M
June 2007

1. Identify your audience. A basic precept of any business is just as essential with your blog. It's critical to pinpoint your audience and, in the process, decide what you're going to say that will make them read what you write. "It's really a process of elimination —what's not being covered by someone else?" says Scott Allen, co-author of the upcoming book "The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Using Online Social Networks." "What's your unique spin? If you don't have an original voice, why is anybody going to read it?"

2. Decide where your blog should live. Next up is determining where to locate your blog. There are numerous software packages that let you add a blog section to an existing Web site. A more automated and perhaps easier option is a blog hosting site (with a link from your Web site bringing visitors over). Here, the setup is easy, as the site usually provides preformatted designs and other options from which you can choose. In particular, watch for features that may be helpful in building traffic, such as trackers that identify recent posts and the most popular message threads.

3. Start talking. At this point, bringing your blog live will mean little more than placing your thoughts, observations and insights into the blog for others to read. But to really kick start your blogging traffic, don't just vent marketing-speak about how great your business is, or chatter about news and current events for which you offer no expertise. Instead, aim for a fresh, unique take. Provide a perspective that is heartfelt, compelling, and has the potential to help you market yourself and your business. One way to get up to speed on what to say is to read other blogs and, in turn, offer your own viewpoint on an industry or business topic for which you know something about. "It's not a matter of competing with other blogs," Allen notes. "But one way to attract other bloggers to your site is to start reading other blogs and commenting on what they're writing about."

4.Get into the practice of "blogrolling." Getting regular visitors to your site isn't just a matter of fresh, insightful commentary. Building traffic between blogs is another central element to luring repeat visitors. Here, "blogrolling" is an effective tool. This, in essence, is a set of links on your blog site that identifies other sites on the Internet --- related to your business, industry or expertise --- which you find valuable. Developed in conjunction with a fresh voice, blogrolling encourages a steady back and forth between various sites, including other blogs. "Write commentary about what other bloggers have written, then link to them," Allen says. "That really gets you into the overall bloggers' pool."

5.Emphasize keywords. Search engine hits are another element of generating traffic. One strategy to attract search engine interest is through careful use of keywords in both your headlines and blog copy. For instance, if your topic focuses on marketing a business overseas, use of the words "marketing" and "overseas" as often as possible and in varied permutations can help push your blog site toward the head of the search engine line. "Stay on one topic, so your content is focused on keywords," advises Sally Falkow, a Pasadena, Calif., brand strategist who uses a blog in her business. "That, and link to other blogs on the subject."

6.Keep it fresh. One cardinal snafu that can bring down even the best intentioned of blogs is stale content. Nothing is more discouraging to prospective readers than returning to a blog site to find old or outdated material. So, be prepared to work at keeping your blog as fresh and current as possible.

That doesn't necessarily mean regular entries as lengthy as a Michener novel — indeed, many engaging blogs are built of short, concise messages. But make a commitment to update your blog on as regular basis as your schedule reasonably permits. “You need to develop what I describe as a ruthless persistence toward posting, particularly if you disseminate the blog's address, and customers or suppliers come to depend on the information," says Rich Hanley, director of graduate programs in the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. "People view blogs as daily information vehicles, not once in a while musings on a stray issue. Think of blogs as a conversation, and that will help with the daily focus."

7.Watch your traffic closely. Don't make the mistake of feeling locked into your blog's initial topic. Monitor the amount and quality of the traffic you receive. If things seem slow or stagnant, don't be gun-shy about varying your themes or subjects to boost interest. But don't stray too far from your business or expertise. Also, advises Falkow, "Investigate how effective the [publishing] platform you choose to blog in is. I have tried several that did nothing for my search visibility."

Danine M
May 2007

Running my at home-based Gift Basket business, built by EGiftBaskets.com, has become a large part of my identity. Not in a selfish, “See what I can do!” way, but in a positive sense. It has given me the confidence to know that I accomplish things that I never thought possible. Before I was a work-at-home mom, I wanted to be able to be at home with my children, but I also felt that I needed more. I needed something for me alone that would make me feel strong and confident. I also needed the opportunity to keep in touch with others to avoid the isolation that often accompanies stay-at-home moms.

There are three keys areas in my life that I believe my home-based business has helped me develop:

Passion

When I began my gift basket website, made for me by EGiftBaskets.com, it truly was something for ME. I found the perfect opportunity that would allow me to stay at home with my children and have something all my own.

Confidence

In college I was shy and very unsure of myself. I felt like there was not any one thing that I was truly good at. My grades were average, my athletic ability was average, and on and on. Being a successful business owner has opened my eyes to the fact that there are things that I am good at.

Finding EGiftBaskets.com and having them create a business for me has been the best decision for me. Owning a business has taught me to believe in my skills and myself. My fear of success has long since vanished as well; I can now say that I’m proud to own a successful virtual assistant business.”

Courage

Being a business owner has given me courage. Courage to take chances and go beyond my comfort level. Once I have a few successes behind me, I realized that I could do it all. Also, even my failures make me stronger. I found that my business didn’t shut down with each mistake I made and I always found a better way of doing things. Owning my own business has inspired me to do more in all aspects of my life. I love the warmth of success so I try and take the right steps to achieve it. Just as I want the best for my family, I also want the best for my business as well. I’ll often find the courage to go the extra mile and reach far beyond what I think is possible and what I find is that most of the time, I reach those goals.

Having “something all my own” has benefited me in many ways – passion, confidence, courage – and so much more. I’ve been inspired to do things that I never thought possible. If you desire to work from home you’ll find that it’s worth the time and effort that it takes to get started. Take the chance, step out on faith, and work until you succeed. EGiftbaskets.com made it easy for me to succeed. -Joanne Winters, Miami, FL.

April 2007
Danine M.

There's no need to compromise your goals. There are lots of great, budget-smart tactics that will put your business on the fast track--even if you don't have deep pockets.

Here's a list of eight proven marketing tools and tactics specially created for the budget-conscious entrepreneur.

Opt-in e-mail: E-mail is a low-cost, high-return way to enhance customer relationships and increase sales. E-mail campaigns can be conducted for a fraction of the cost of other tactics and can be executed in weeks, not months.

The key is to e-mail as often as twice monthly, but only to an in-house list of members who have agreed to receive e-mail from you. Keep the content extremely relevant, and you'll see response rates climb.

Local paid search: The vast majority of American shoppers do research online before making a purchase. They already know what they want to buy-they're just looking for the right place to buy it.

www.overture.com among others, offer services for local advertisers, and www.overture.com Local Sponsored Search program provides a locator page that will drive traffic to your store even if you don't have your own website. Visit www.overture.com and click on "Market Your Business Online" to find out more.

Marriage mail: Trying to reach consumer households in specific market areas? Your own direct-mail campaign could cost a small fortune. Instead, use "marriage mail"--send your ad or coupon in a joint mailing with other advertisers.

A leading provider is Valpak, which designs, prints and mails more than 20 billion ads each year, providing an affordable alternative to stand-alone direct mail. Grass-roots advocacy: Word-of-mouth is often the most desirable form of marketing.

To get people talking, run a contest, stage an event, or assemble a group of "influencers." The creator of a series of books and products for preteen girls, for example, has used its website to enroll several hundred girls to act as advisors on everything from book characters to plots. The members are also the first to receive information on new products. You can bet these influencers share their inside news with friends.

Marketing partnerships: When money is tight, it often pays to partner with another company that targets the same audience. You can forge marketing partnerships with businesses that offer complementary services and pool your prospect lists or share advertising costs.

A Restaurant could partner with a gift basket business to market full-service custom gift baskets, for example, or neighboring companies might jointly promote their region as a gift corridor.

Cinema advertising: Over 27,000 movie screens run advertisements. Screenvision Directworks with local advertisers to produce advertising slides that run during the pre-show entertainment. And with rates as low as $25 per week per screen, you'll pay just $1,000 a month to reach nearly everyone who sees any movie at your neighborhood 10-screen multiplex.

Danine
March 2007

Indeed, job security is a rare commodity in today's workforce. And maybe that's why more and more disillusioned corporate refugees are leaving the 401k fold, opting to put their skills to use by going into business for themselves. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. But the reality of it is that start-up businesses require risk. Likely more risk than the average corporate castaway would care to take. And that's why small businesses have become popular solutions for many job seekers.

Today, entrepreneurs around the world are discovering that running a small business from your own office can not only be convenient and enjoyable, but also a smart move financially. In the U.S., over 20 million businesses are run from home-offices. Most Americans consider this kind of business to be legitimate and often times; we envy people who own these businesses.

With the help of computers and technology, online gift basket businesses can be run from your home. There are many reasons why this is the smart choice for entrepreneurs, people who need supplemental income and for those disillusioned corporate refugees who want something better.

First, the cost of the online gift basket business is significantly lower because you will not need signage, interior branding or to buy or lease commercial property.

Second, your overhead will be greatly lowered, putting more cash in your pocket. You will not have to pay real estate fees, including additional taxes. In fact, you might be able to enjoy tax deductions because you are operating a business out of your house.

Third, you'll no longer have to commute to work, lessening wear and mileage on your vehicle and allowing you to spend that typically lost time focusing on family, interests, or putting it back into your business.

Whether you're a parent who desires to own a business while raising children or you're an entrepreneur who's simply conscious of overhead, owning a online gift business could be a smart decision for you.

So if starting a small business sounds like it could be your best career move, but you still want more information, then sign up today for your complimentary consultation with a small business expert at eGiftBaskets.com.

Danine
January 2007

Here are some proven tips using business cards to increase your chances of landing a large order or creating a business opportunity.

1. NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM. Before leaving home, your checklist should be expanded to include your business cards. Any 'per chance' meeting is an opportunity to give out a business card. A morning run or a quick trip to the local store could be an opportunity to network.

2. INSERT A BUSINESS CARD WHEN MAILING BILL PAYMENTS. You may not think a person in South Dakota who opens your credit card bill payment can help you. Never underestimate the power of networking.

3. USE PROPER BUSINESS CARD ETIQUETTE. Whenever you give a business card, ask for a business card. When given a business card, don't just take it and place it in your pocket. Make the person feel important by looking at their card for a few seconds. Write comments on the card such as date, location and common points of interest.

4. BE GENEROUS. Give business cards out to everyone, including family and friends. Don't let vanity stop you from giving out your last business card or giving 2 at a time to each person. I have met many people who have totally missed the purpose of a business card. I once asked a person for a second business card, so I could refer his services. His response was "I only have a few cards left and I need them", as he looked again at his name on the card. Hoarding your business cards only makes your wallet feel full, not your bank account.

5. ASK FOR REFERRALS. When giving a business card you should ask, "I would appreciate a referral, if you know anyone that could use my services". People naturally like to do favors for people. This places you in a good position with them and they will feel better about helping you. Give them 2 cards.

6. MAXIMIZE EVERY "PER CHANCE" MEETING. You never know when you might meet someone who can help you. Family or friends' social events could produce unexpected encounters with people. Don't discount those events.

7. PLACE YOURSELF AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. Consider volunteering to help out at the job fair or other types of events. This puts you in a better strategic position for presenting your resume or business card. Company representatives might view you differently, if they know you are willing to go the extra mile in helping them make their presence easier to manage.

8. USE "IN YOUR FACE" FOLLOW UP. Today's economic climate dictates you might be competing with 20, 50, 100 or more other people for the same position. So it's up to you to give a person a reason to call you back. Immediately after a meeting send a hand written note thanking the person for their time. Insert your business card. Now you're in the driver's seat in standing out from other people.

9. USE PROMOTIONS TO PROMOTE YOU, INC. Consider getting some blank greeting cards. Search the internet to find out the address of the company's executive offices. Send the blank card with a hand written note sincerely congratulating a person on their promotion. Insert your business card. You have just made someone's day and may create an impression that makes a person feel compelled to respond back to you.

10. BRAND YOURSELF WITH A SLOGAN. Print a slogan on your business card that answers the question "Why should I hire you" Or "What makes you different from everyone else?" A catchy phrase or slogan makes all the difference between getting hired or not, because people will remember you long after a meeting.

Carl E. Reid, B2B Consultant & Career Coach
Nov 2006

They could well be the closest thing to the perfect gift because they can be totally customized to suit the giver, the recipient, the occasion and the desired price. For some people, creating them is the perfect business: an opportunity to be artistic, creative and entrepreneurial.

The product is gift baskets. And as an artistic, creative and entrepreneurial individual, you've decided this is the business for you.

Certainly it's an industry with tremendous "fun" potential. You get to buy lots of cute, clever gift items; you get to pull those items together in an attractive container and create a charming presentation; and you get to provide a product that delivers infinite pleasure to the recipient. Both givers and receivers of gift baskets appreciate the creativity and uniqueness of the concept.

There's also a respectable profit potential. As popular as they are, the market for gift baskets is still wide open and the sales opportunities are virtually limitless. But this isn't a game; it's a serious business. It doesn't require a great deal of startup capital--many successful gift basket businesses were started with just a few hundred dollars. What it does require is thoughtful planning, preparation and commitment fueled by a strong dose of excitement and enthusiasm.

Sign up for egiftbaskets.com FREE ecourse and learn what you need to be sucessful in the gift basket business world today.

entrepreneur.com
Sept 8th 2006

Here are a few easy ways to spread the news.

ANNOUNCE YOUR ONLINE GIFT BASKETS BUSINESS:
- Send out an email announcement to all your friends, family and professional contacts

DISTRIBUTE YOUR WEBSITE ADDRESS:
- Add it to your email signature, business card and stationery
- Record it on your business voicemail
- Update your company with different online directories

Once people have your website address and know they can place orders online wherever they want, they'll be placing orders with your website in no time - So don't hide one of your most important contact points - Get your website address out today!

And remember...the more they visit your site, the more orders you will receive

The egiftbaskets Team

Keyword Research

The first step in SEO is to identify the search terms for which you would like your web site to rank well on search engines. We might believe that we know these terms already, but our intuition is often incorrect about how popular or competitive search keywords actually are in reality. People use all kinds of variations of phrases as they are searching for information on the internet. It's important to identify these terms and use them in your site content exactly as people type them into search engines. To discover what these search terms are, a keyword research tool should be used. There are several free tools available, such as the Keyword Selector provided by Overture, but most of the robust keyword research tools are subscription based.

Web Site Optimization

You now have your well researched keyword list in hand, and are ready to use the keywords in your web site content. How should these search terms be integrated into your web pages? How often should the phrases be used, and in what sections of the pages? Those are excellent questions and the answers are not known exactly because they depend on the algorithms used by search engines. However, it is generally agreed upon that search engines look at several different sections of a page when evaluating its content:
Title tag
Heading tag
Meta Keyword and Meta Description tags
Text within the Body area
Link text and Link URL
ALT attribute for Image tags (the ALT tag may be less significant than other areas of the page)

Search engines look at the various sections of the document for repeating patterns of keywords or phrases. For this reason, it's important to have a keyword density within a specific range. What should that keyword density be? Software tools like Page Critic can help to answer that question. The Page Critic works by looking at the keyword density (and other statistics) of pages that are already ranking well on search engines. Since the search engines keep the details of how their algorithms work a secret, a reasonable strategy is to emulate pages that are well positioned.

HTML Validation It's important to ensure that the HTML code that makes up a web page is correctly formatted. If there are errors in the code, then search engine spiders may have difficulty indexing the page's content.

Site Map

It's always a good idea to create a site map to make it easy for search engine spiders to index the site's content. Link to every page on the web site that has relevant content, and place a link to the site map on the site's home page. It may also help to sign up for the Google Sitemaps program to help ensure your content is indexed by Google.

Develop a Site Theme

One aspect of web site design that is often overlooked is theme development. If possible, organize your content so that particular themes are reinforced.

Avoid Duplicate Content It's important to avoid duplicating content on the web site.

Comply with Search Engines' Terms of Service There are several practices to avoid to stay on good terms with search engines. Techniques like cloaking, hidden text, or spamming, for example, violate search engines' terms of service. If a site is found to be using these types of blackhat techniques, it will typically be removed from the search engine's index.

Build Link Popularity The Link Popularity of a page is a term that refers to the number of other web sites that link to that page. Search engines typically consider how many other sites link to a page as a factor in determining that page's ranking. The idea behind this is that if others link to a page, then they must consider that page's content to be valuable in some way. However, all links are not weighted equally and it's therefore important to try to encourage high quality web sites within your own theme area to link to your site.

Monitor Performance

Once your optimized web site is online, you'll want to monitor its performance on the search engines. If the site is brand new, it should of course be submitted to the search engines, or perhaps resubmitted if necessary. Monitor the site's positions on search engines for keywords of interest to identify areas where the site is performing well and areas that can be improved.

A web site that is positioned well in search engines should start receiving a significant number of visitors. To monitor traffic and other useful web site statistics, a web analytics solution such as WebTrends is recommended.

Conclusion The art of SEO is a set of skills that can be learned and implemented by anybody who manages a web site. However, proper optimization and maintenance of the site requires time and effort, and the fundamental elements of SEO discussed above must be put into practice. Those who find they do not have the time or desire to implement their own SEO program, should search on how to best seek out professionals that can help.

By Richard Rowlen
July 12, 2006

The Process

Developing and refining a PPC advertising management process is essential. It enables a company or individual to train, automate and scale a PPC program, compounding the ROI. There are four key components of a winning PPC advertising program: explore, evaluate, expand and enhance. By following the 4E process, you can virtually guarantee an ROI on your PPC advertising program.

Explore

The exploration phase requires information gathering and assessment, which includes historical PPC account data, internal Web analytics data and peripheral research on customers and competitors. Determining the amount of additional keyword and competitive market research depends on the quality and quantity of information collected in the initial research phase. The desired goal is to formulate a PPC advertising program test campaign that runs anywhere from two to four weeks in duration.

Evaluate

The evaluation phase consists of implementing the PPC program test strategy (keywords, text ads and associated landing pages) and monitoring performance. In this phase, the goal is to determine which keyword phrases, ad copy, landing pages and bid strategies have the greatest potential, and will serve as the foundation for the ongoing PPC advertising program.

Expand

The expansion phase focuses on leveraging insights from the evaluation phase to increase the number of keyword phrases in the overall PPC advertising program to generate the desired quantity of leads or sales without sacrificing conversion performance. For example, a test campaign may incorporate 50 keyword phrases, while the expanded campaign may include 500.

Enhance

The enhancement phase involves constant tuning and tweaking of keyword phrases, text ad copy, landing page elements and bid strategies. Typically, this phase incorporates A/B or multivariate testing to ensure optimal PPC program performance. Developing a highly successful PPC advertising program is an iterative process that is never fully-optimized due to changes in the technology, industry and competitive landscape. As such, it is often necessary to cycle back to the exploration phase and test peripheral keywords, ad copy and landing page creative.

Campaign Elements

Once you’ve mastered the “4E process” concept for PPC advertising, the next step is to apply it to the core PPC advertising campaign elements: keywords, structure, copy, landing page, bid strategies and testing. Each of the following campaign elements are incorporated into each phase of the 4E process.

Keywords

There are an abundance of tools and techniques for identifying possible keyword phrases. While compiling your list of keywords for testing in the evaluation phase, don’t forget to explore “tail” terms, which are typically 4 to 6 keywords in length and are highly focused. Although they generate less traffic, they are often more qualified, less expensive and have a higher conversion rate. Always look at your competitor’s sites and PPC advertising campaigns to enlighten your overall PPC strategy.

Account Structure

One of the most overlooked aspects of a PPC advertising campaign is the PPC account structure. An improperly configured PPC account can nullify brilliant keyword selection, ad copy and landing page creative. Key considerations in PPC account setup include the use of campaigns and ad groups that focus on business or keyword seasonality, geographic targeting, branded terms and the buying cycle.

Ad Copy

When it comes to creating PPC text ad copy that generates clicks and conversions, pay close attention to the following elements: messaging, offer and display URL. Utilizing dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) in Google AdWords can be very powerful, but can backfire if not properly implemented. For example, try a search for “scum” on Google and look at the PPC text ads.

Landing Page

The single most important element of an effective landing page is the “scent.” Does the scent, or theme, of the PPC text ad carry through to the landing page? If not, you can all but guarantee low performance. For example, there are very few good reasons to direct PPC text ads to a home page. Beyond targeting each PPC text ad to a specific landing page, ensure that messaging is consistent across campaigns. Also offer limited options to maximize conversion. If you haven’t implemented conversion tracking by this point, you’ll never be able to truly optimize your PPC advertising campaign.

Bid Strategies

With keywords, text ads and landing pages set up and ready to go; the next step is to determine the overall bid strategy. Are you going to manually manage the PPC advertising program, or utilize automated bid software? There are benefits and drawbacks to both, but our experience is that PPC bid software is overrated, even for larger campaigns. Consider PPC platform capabilities such as geographic targeting and day-parting in your overall PPC strategy. Also consider what time of day, days of week or months of the year you will advertise heaviest.

Testing

Virtually every component of a PPC program can be tested, but that doesn’t mean it should be done all at once. An effective approach to optimizing a PPC advertising program includes a structured and methodical assessment of each component, one at a time. Once you’ve mastered A/B testing of text ad copy and landing page creative over time, move on to simultaneous multivariate testing. This requires additional infrastructure and support, but can boost overall conversion in a time-compressed manner.

Conclusion

Utilizing the 4E process (explore, evaluate, expand and enhance) ensures maximum ROI on your PPC advertising program. This process requires assessing key elements of your PPC advertising campaign: keywords, account structure, ad copy, landing page, bid strategies and testing. In the end, you’ll be pleased with the results.

By Kent Lewis
July 19, 2006

Key Components That Guarantee a Return on Investment for PPC Management

Below is an example of what you may use:

<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOODP">

If you want to just exclude a specific engine, use:

<META NAME="msnbot" CONTENT="NOODP">

<META NAME="googlebot" CONTENT="NOODP">

Google has responded by adding support for these new Meta elements as well. This is good news for webmasters caught in the dilemma of having poor or outdated descriptions, pulled from the Open Directory listings. These older listings can have a negative effect on your organic traffic because a search engines user's impression of your site's description often determines whether they will select your link or a competitor's. Ultimately these changes will impact the effect that site improvements have on bottom line sales and revenue.

It is important to understand that changes to this information in a search engines database will take time to update. Updating your tags today may take several weeks to have an impact on the engines listings. In one test that we have preformed Google has visited the site numerous times over the past 3 weeks; the cached copy indicated a cache date of July 13th. The updates to the site were made prior to the 13th, and had not yet appeared in the cached portion of the search results. It appears that there may be a delay between the caching of the site, and the publishing in Google's search results.

By Curtis Friedl
July 20, 2006

The forecast $211.4 billion includes travel, a category valued with revenues of $73.4 billion in 2006. The top non-travel categories include computer hardware and software ($16.8 billion); autos and auto parts ($15.9 billion); and apparel, accessories and footwear ($13.8 billion). Cosmetics and fragrances ($800 million) and pet supplies ($500 million) are expected to experience over 30 percent growth in 2006, more than any other categories. Pet supplies is a new category tracked in this year's report.

Integration between online and offline activity is key for retailers who report 22 percent of offline sales are influenced by the Web. Retail Web sites are also a viable channel to reach new customers; 38 percent of online customers are first-time buyers.

The study finds the Internet can serve as a means of window shopping. Consumers compare prices, find gift ideas and research products. Some of the resulting sales are transacted offline. To integrate the experience online and offline, 79 percent of retailers have instituted consistent pricing across channels, and 46 percent allow for customers to buy and redeem gift cards on the Web site as well as at brick-and-mortar locations. Thirty-three percent of retailers have loyalty programs to retain customers, and 26 percent offer in-store product availability information online.

Payment over a secure channel remains an important task. Sixty-three percent of retailers surveyed require card verification value (CVV) codes at checkout. Private-label cards are accepted by 25 percent of retailers. Twelve percent of online retailers offer third-party e-mail payment options, and nine percent accept eChecks. A further seven percent offer third-party credit accounts.

Data in the report are derived from sales data reported from 174 surveyed retailers and publicly available earnings statements. Forecast figures for 2006 are estimated based on the percentage of individual product categories that will move online and compared against a list of top online retailers by category.

By Enid Burns
July 5, 2006

You've paid for those clicks; now how do you convert new website visitors into customers? Most marketing experts agree that it takes an average of seven contacts with a prospect before they'll buy. So the way to convert site visitors into prospects and prospects into customers (and first-time customers into repeat customers) is by building relationships over time. E-mail marketing supports pay-per-click advertising efforts by giving businesses a tool to reconnect immediately and directly with new visitors by:

* telling them more about products and services,
* learning more about visitors' specific interests,
* offering value through content prior to purchase, and
* initiating those critical business-to-customer relationships before those leads go cold.

Being found online is a start, but communication is what builds the relationship. Here are three basic steps to unite e-mail marketing with paid search advertising.

1. Collect Visitors' E-Mail Addresses The first step is getting new site visitors engaged enough to share their e-mail addresses with you. A "Join My Mailing List" box is fine for people already engaged with your business, but for newcomers who don't know you, it's not enough. You need a direct call to action and a reward. Entice them with something valuable that you give them for free in exchange for their e-mail address, such as:

A free white paper that educates them about the problems your business solves.
A free educational seminar or webinar that helps them evaluate what you sell. * A free consultation or evaluation (which can lead to a proposal for their business).
Or offer your free e-newsletter as an enticement to sign up. (See "Creating Newsletter Content" for ideas.)

Don't feel squeamish about asking for contact information upfront. It's a classic marketers' dilemma--whether to use that first communication to passively educate visitors toward conversion or to directly ask for contact information to learn more about them over time. Given you've paid for that click, it's better to entice them to share their e-mail address immediately than risk their leaving without it. Because when they're gone, they're gone.

2. Send Paid Clicks to a Special Landing Page You may want to drop pay-per-click visitors onto a specially designed landing page that provides more direct communication and less other distraction than your regular homepage. Landing page content should be geared specifically to the search term the visitor clicked on, while putting your other navigation and content section links lower on the page. A sporting goods store that bought the search term "tennis" may create a special landing page with tennis content and offers, rather than directing paid-click visitors to its general web store, where tennis content might not be so obvious. Make it easy for them to find what they were searching for while engaging them and building confidence in your business. Put your "Join My Mailing List" box and free offer right on that landing page. It's your one chance to grab 'em while they're interested.

3. Think About Ways to Re-Engage New Signups Now that you have their e-mail address, you can re-engage these potential new customers through a multi-step e-mail marketing campaign combining promotional and informational content. Follow through on their signup with a thank-you note targeting what you know about them based on their encounter with your website. Invite them to sign up for your e-newsletter (if they haven't already), and when they do, track which links they click on and target mailings to their interests and habits. You can even segment people who found you through search engine marketing in a separate mailing list from your general list and think about ways to connect your online and offline customers. (See "5 Key Ways to Build Customer Relationships" for other engaging ideas.)

Paid search advertising combined with e-mail marketing is an opportunity to say something meaningful about your business to potential customers. Picture yourself at a networking event meeting the perfect prospect. You wouldn't shake hands and walk away. You would want to spend some quality time getting to know them and understanding how you might do business together. Think of your pay-per-click prospects that same way. Make sure that first virtual handshake is only the beginning of a long, valuable relationship, and that your website is never just a one-hit wonder.

By Gail F. Goodman
July 2006

The recent Internet Retailer survey, reported in a lead article by Mark Brohan, shows that 40% of the retailers taking part in the survey anticipate growth of 30% over 2005, but 39.5% of chain retailers, catalogers, virtual merchants and consumer brand manufacturers are ready to reduce expenses, including their marketing, fulfillment and general overhead, to sustain profitability.

Conducted by WebSurveyor Corp., participating company profiles indicate that:

* 87.5%, are privately held and have been in business for at least two years.
* 79% established their web retailing operations 4 to 9 years ago
* 7% have been in business for a decade or longer and only
* 4.5% are just starting out

The survey also reveals that:

* Among participating companies, 79%, are profitable
* Among all companies, 50.5% of virtual merchants have been profitable for 3 to 6 years
* 44.3% of chain retailers' web operations have been profitable for 3 to 6 years
* 28.1% of catalogers' web operations have been profitable for 3 to 6 years
* 20% of consumer brand manufacturers have been profitable for 3 to 6 years

57.4% of catalog companies have been operating web sites profitably for more than 6 years, followed by consumer brand manufacturers at 25%, virtual merchants at 17.9% and chain retailers at 6.7%.

Brohan says, "... web merchants are connecting with customers by employing the right mix of merchandising, pricing and site experience while keeping their expenses in check. And... the retailing organizations taking part in Internet Retailer's latest survey expect to finish the year with solid gains in both sales and net income. A total of 40% expect annual sales to grow by more than 30% versus 47.5% at between 10% and 30% and just 12.5% that anticipate a yearly gain of below 10%. Consumer brand manufacturers... are the most bullish, with 45.5% expecting sales to grow in excess of 30% in 2006, followed by web-only merchants at 42.6%, chain retailers at 40% and catalogers at 17.6%."

With regard to spending on marketing and advertising as a percent of sales, the survey shows:

* 7.7% spend less than 1%
* 18% spend between 2% and 3%
* 19.9% between 4% and 5%
* 28.1% from 6% to 10%
* 21.9% from 11% to 25%
* 4.1% of all companies earmark more than 25%

* 46% of catalogers allocated 6% to 10% of sales to marketing and advertising,
* 31.8% of manufacturers
* 27.8% of virtual merchants
* 20% of chain retailers

Research Brief for Monday, June 12, 2006:
(c) 2006 MediaPost Communications

“Sole proprietorships are a vital part of our economy,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “Many are homebased micro businesses; collectively they generate a significant amount of economic activity. For the average sole proprietor, their business provides benefits of entrepreneurship that go beyond just income and revenue.”

The report presents a comparison of homebased and non-homebased sole proprietorships. For example, it finds that the average homebased sole proprietor earned $22,569 in net income while their non-homebased counterparts earned $38,243. Due to lower expenses, particularly in rent and labor costs, the average homebased sole proprietor consistently gained a higher return on gross revenues at 36 percent, versus 21 percent for the non-homebased.

The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues.

John McDowell
June 2006

First, let's start with the numbers. If you study categories, you will discover a simple but startling reality about market share: Your place in the market tends to be geometric. If the leader has a 40% share, the number two brand usually has half that, or a 20% share. Number three has half again, or a 10% share, while number four has a 5% share. Believe me, over time these numbers are very accurate. This means that number one is wonderful, number two can be terrific, number three is threatened and number four can be fatal.

Jack Welsh of General Electric fame made his reputation on the following principle. He said to his people, "I want to be a number one or number two. If not, I will sell the business." What he recognized was what I call "The Law of Duality." Most markets, over time, become a two-horse race.

The bottom line supports what we have always said, "Better to be first than to be better."

Let's continue to talk about why leadership is a powerful communications message. As I wrote in the New Positioning, my 1996 sequel to Positioning, the human mind tends to be insecure when it comes to purchasing things.

Psychologists have outlined five basic risks that come into play, depending on what you are buying. They are:

-- Monetary Risk: Is it worth the money?

-- Functional Risk: Will it work as promised?

-- Physical Risk: Is it safe to use?

-- Social Risk: How will I look to my friends and neighbors if I buy it?

-- Psychological Risk: How will I feel about myself for buying this product?

In other words, to most people, purchasing things can be a risky business. That's why most people don't know what they want, and most people buy what they think they should buy.

Based on this premise, another psychologist developed a theory that can be described as "following the herd." His point is that "we determine what is correct by finding out what other people think is correct. We view a behavior as correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it."

This is why leadership as a concept is a powerful communications idea. It tells people what others are buying, which makes them comfortable in their purchases. It's also why word-of-mouth is a powerful motivator; you are being told by others why they purchased a product.

An example of the herd effect? Consider the sport utility vehicle craze in recent years. You couldn't watch television without seeing one of these vehicles driving into a jungle, through a desert or up a glacier. But how many of these vehicles actually leave the highway? Less than 10%. Ask a person if they are about to drive their vehicle into the bushes, and they will say, "What? And scratch up my $40,000 car?" When you ask them why they bought it, they will probably answer, "Hey, you never know. I might have to go into the woods some day."

Want the real reason? They bought it because everyone else bought one.

The same could be said for the current MP3 craze. It's hard not to buy an iPod after you've seen 20 or 30 people walk by with those things plugged into their ears. (What are they listening to that I'm missing?)

Finally, leadership can be expressed in many ways, and you don't have to hit people over the head with your No. 1 status.

Many years ago, Cadillac came out with a great way to express their leadership (at the time). Their line: "The leader should do more. It's only right."

Nike could nail down their leadership by simply stating the obvious, "What the world's best athletes wear." (Nike should know this since they bought them all.)

There are also times where your leadership is clearly understood by your customers, so it doesn't have to be mentioned. Quiksilver the dominant and very hip leader in surf and skate clothing, probably should keep their size and dominance under wraps. The founder, when asked why they didn't expand into wider distribution, replied, "Big is the enemy of cool."

So there you go. If you want to use a meaningless slogan instead of declaring your leadership, be my guest. Or if you feel you'll find happiness as an also-ran, all I can say is good luck.

Jack Trout
May 2006

At the rate we're going, this could become the unfortunate fate for a frightening number of today's workers. It presents a big problem for the country and for the people that work in its companies. Now is the time to tackle it. How did we get into this mess? It's simple: Think of retirement funding as a three-legged stool, in which needed savings comes from the workplace, the government and from personal savings.

Traditional pension plans are in jeopardy. Witness the recent decision by IBM to freeze its pension plan or the push by General Motors and Ford to scale back their pension obligations to remain solvent. They also cannot count on Social Security, which will provide only a small portion of living costs. Add to this a personal savings rate in the United States that stands below zero and, unfortunately, none of the retirement cylinders look to be firing right now.

While the lion's share of attention is focused on big corporations and their pension problems, America's small-business community cannot "fiddle while Rome burns." There are more than 10 million small businesses in the United States. Collectively, they employ about a third of our country's workforce. More than 80% of small businesses do not offer 401(k) plans to employees (translation: about 30% of all workers don't have access to a retirement plan). And for those employees with access to a 401(k), data shows that utilization is far below what it needs to be. This must be addressed.

One could argue that the actions of any single small business may not have a big effect on the country or the economy, but how small-business owners or managers make decisions about employees can and will affect a great many lives. It's time small businesses step up to the plate. A small business itself, I think we have an obligation to our employees concerning their retirement. Today, we face a myriad of legally prescribed obligations to employees, such as paying salary, withholding taxes, accommodating the disabled and maintaining a safe work environment.

Other duties fall under what I call our "moral obligation" as employers--treating people fairly, providing reasonable benefits and doing more than the minimum to facilitate retirement planning.

This may sound like an unnecessary burden for small-business owners, but I challenge anyone to find a sector in our economy that is better positioned to help solve a looming financial problem than they. Getting employees started right financially won't cost business owners much, and it can be simple to implement. It will also pay long-term dividends in the form of better productivity and lower attrition.

If your company doesn't have a 401(k) plan, make 2006 the year you implement one. Get your employees to start saving now.

If you have a 401(k) plan, conduct a critical plan review to determine if it's efficient. Many plans have high sales charges or fund expenses that unfairly burden employees (and you as a participant) with lower investment returns. Deducting 2% or 3% each year from a lifetime of savings makes a huge difference.

Adopt "best practices" and get employees to use the 401(k) plan to its fullest. Encourage your workers to enroll in the plan and teach them how to use it. And what are those best practices?We've come up with the following "Retirement Plan Manifesto" for small businesses to adopt for their employees.

Actively talk about your own 401(k) plan. Promote participation and endorse your plan benefits. Make your 401(k) a cornerstone of your annual benefit review.

Build in "auto-enrollment," which automatically puts each employee into the plan. (They can opt out.) Have a goal of higher-than-90% participation, with a default contribution of 3% of gross pay.

Provide a match. If you can afford to match, then do so. Walk the talk with your employees. Consider annual profit-sharing contributions as the alternative.

Select low-cost, diversified investments so employees can maximize their long-term wealth accumulation goals. We provide people the ability to choose exchange-traded funds or low-cost index funds as a core investment. Keep company stock out of the plan to avoid conflicts of interest.

Simple is good; too many choices will overwhelm employees into a state of paralysis. Limit the number of investment options to 15 or fewer with enough diversification.

Install a program of automatic retirement savings increases such that an employee's deferral automatically increases when there's a salary increase.

Reduce employees' temptation to borrow and spend their retirement savings by restricting 401(k) loans to hardship cases only.

Build in an automatic IRA rollover to ensure that departing employees secure their retirement savings instead of spending the money. Counsel them not to "cash-in" their 401(k) plan when departing.

Why should we, as employers, subscribe to these themes? Because we as business decision-makers can make a difference, and because it's the right thing to do.

With the weakened foundations of Social Security and the decay of the corporate pension plan, we as employers need to step up and promote better investing and retirement planning for our workers. Taking care of employees, leading by example and demonstrating that you're interested in helping build their security will have a collateral benefit. And that, in turn, will do nothing but increase your own financial security.

Jeff Seely
May 2006

Here are seven tips to get your Web log up and blogging.

1.Identify your audience. A basic precept of any business is just as essential with your blog. It's critical to pinpoint your audience and, in the process, decide what you're going to say that will make them read what you write. "It's really a process of elimination —what's not being covered by someone else?" says Scott Allen, co-author of the upcoming book "The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Using Online Social Networks." "What's your unique spin? If you don't have an original voice, why is anybody going to read it?"

2.Start talking. At this point, bringing your blog live will mean little more than placing your thoughts, observations and insights into the blog for others to read. But to really kick start your blogging traffic, don't just vent marketing-speak about how great your business is, or chatter about news and current events for which you offer no expertise. Instead, aim for a fresh, unique take. Provide a perspective that is heartfelt, compelling, and has the potential to help you market yourself and your business.

3.One way to get up to speed on what to say is to read other blogs and, in turn, offer your own viewpoint on an industry or business topic for which you know something about. "It's not a matter of competing with other blogs," Allen notes. "But one way to attract other bloggers to your site is to start reading other blogs and commenting on what they're writing about."

4.Get into the practice of "blogrolling." Getting regular visitors to your site isn't just a matter of fresh, insightful commentary. Building traffic between blogs is another central element to luring repeat visitors. Here, "blogrolling" is an effective tool. This, in essence, is a set of links on your blog site that identifies other sites on the Internet --- related to your gift business, industry or expertise --- which you find valuable. Developed in conjunction with a fresh voice, blogrolling encourages a steady back and forth between various sites, including other blogs. "Write commentary about what other bloggers have written, then link to them," Allen says. "That really gets you into the overall bloggers' pool."

5.Emphasize keywords. Search engine hits are another element of generating traffic. One strategy to attract search engine interest is through careful use of keywords in both your headlines and blog copy. For instance, if your topic focuses on selling baby gift baskets, use of the words "baby gifts" and "baby gift baskets" as often as possible and in varied permutations can help push your blog site toward the head of the search engine line. "Stay on one topic, so your content is focused on keywords," advises Sally Falkow, a Pasadena, Calif., brand strategist who uses a blog in her business. "That, and link to other blogs on the subject."

6.Keep it fresh. One cardinal snafu that can bring down even the best intentioned of blogs is stale content. Nothing is more discouraging to prospective readers than returning to a blog site to find old or outdated material. So, be prepared to work at keeping your blog as fresh and current as possible. That doesn't necessarily mean regular entries as lengthy as a Michener novel — indeed, many engaging blogs are built of short, concise messages. But make a commitment to update your blog on as regular basis as your schedule reasonably permits. “You need to develop what I describe as a ruthless persistence toward posting, particularly if you disseminate the blog's address, and customers or suppliers come to depend on the information," says Rich Hanley, director of graduate programs in the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. "People view blogs as daily information vehicles, not once in a while musings on a stray issue. Think of blogs as a conversation, and that will help with the daily focus."

7.Watch your traffic closely. Don't make the mistake of feeling locked into your blog's initial topic. Monitor the amount and quality of the traffic you receive. If things seem slow or stagnant, don't be gun-shy about varying your themes or subjects to boost interest. But don't stray too far from your gift business or expertise.

By Jeff Wuorio
May 2006

Knowledge@Wharton: What prompted you to write this book?

Emery: It started with a conversation that Mark and I had with Jerry Porras about whether the ideas in the original Built to Last might apply to individuals. That idea was further fueled in the intervening years between the publication of the hard copy edition and the paperback edition. Jerry and Jim (Collins) received letters from people who had reported successfully using some of the principles of Built to Last in their personal lives. This prompted a whole lot of inquiry which gave birth to Success Built to Last. T

hompson: The original premise of Built to Last was visionary companies. The idea was that a visionary organization would have more enduring success -- but what about individuals in terms of their work and lives? What about careers built to last? What about a life built to last? What could we learn from people from a wide variety of professions who had had enduring impact in their work for decades? These were not one-hit wonders or superficial successes; these were people who were able to make a contribution and have enduring impact. That is what we wanted the new book to explore. K

nowledge@Wharton: Is that the main difference between Built to Last and Success Built to Last -- the first book focused on companies while the new one is about individuals? Are there other differences as well?

Thompson: That was the fundamental driving principle that created the project. As Stewart was saying, the fact is that people were reaching out and looking at their careers and their lives to see if they could find a way to use the metaphor and the power of [the book].

Emery: Historically there are a couple of other things that have transpired in the 11 or 12 years between when this book will come out and the original Built to Last hit the bookstores. Life expectancies have gone up, and it turns out that people are likely on average to far outlive the average life of corporations. So how do you create a life built to last, particularly from the point of view of Success Built to Last? And then, if you consider the fact that people might have multiple careers, what are the attributes that are essential to the individual to allow that kind of reinvention? While careers may come and go, the success of the individual is sustained across multiple careers. That became a driving force as we got into our research.

Knowledge@Wharton: You interviewed a number of remarkable people -- or 'builders,' as you call them -- for your book. What were your initial findings and how did these individuals think about success?

Thompson: We found that three fundamental principles drive lasting success; these need to interact with one another and also to be integrated and aligned. We describe them in our first chapter in a diagram with three intersecting circles -- meaning, thought and action -- and the bull's eye is where they all come together. We found that individuals across the spectrum of professions were striving to find something that mattered to them in a very fundamental way. This prompted them to drive their thoughts to frame a way of producing those results -- and then acting on those results.

If you take any one of those principles away -- for example, if you take meaning away from thought and action -- you might be successful in the short term. This is because you have a plan in your head and execute against it. But if your plan is disassociated from meaning, it might not matter. And it wouldn't have the meaning which sustains you through the inevitable challenges and difficulties of trying to create a career. That fundamental step of finding meaning, finding the passion that matters to you and that drives your behavior, is often skipped.

When we interviewed people for our book, we learned that whether you are Jack Welch or the Dalai Lama, it is dangerous not to do what you love. If you don't have a level of passion that drives your thinking about what you're doing day in and day out, there will be others out there who are passionate who will overtake and outrun you. People who care will take the initiative away from those who are half-hearted. So loving what you do is a competitive imperative, not simply a nice thing to have.

Knowledge@Wharton: Loving what you do and being passionate about it is certainly a necessary condition for success. But don't you think that timing and chance also play a part? For example, what about people whose ideas are too far ahead of their times?

Thompson: You earn your luck in those circumstances. In other words, if you are willing to invest in going deep into developing your skill set and knowledge, and you are passionate about what you do, then when circumstances work in your favor or against you, you're better prepared for opportunities that present themselves.

There is one thing that we discovered consistently about people who were enduringly successful. If you ask them about their careers, they will say, "Well, it was a bit of a serendipitous journey. I started out with a focus area that I cared about and became an expert at, and then the opportunities started to present themselves." And yes, many of them stayed with their chosen area when the timing wasn't right and when the circumstances did not work in their favor. If you ask them about it, they will describe the pain that they went through, and how difficult that was, and how they stuck with it and eventually prevailed.

We have a chapter in the book that's called "Wounded Wisdom." It deals with people who found that they were better off taking advantage of a later opportunity than an earlier one. Now, it's hard to say whether they are re-framing that question after the fact in an optimistic fashion. But people describe their journey as one where they had many setbacks and difficulties, but because they had the courage of their convictions, they were able to prevail and have lasting impact.

Emery: The question you asked earlier was about how these people think about success. The answer is that they don't. People don't start out to be successful -- they start out to be very good at what matters to them. And when timing and circumstances come together, then they end up with success.

One of the issues we are very clear about is that success needs to be redefined. This is because if you read the definition of success in the dictionary, it sounds like it was written for sociopaths. If you go to Oxford or Webster -- whether you take a dictionary from either side of the Atlantic -- they define success in the same way, as the accumulation of influence, power, wealth and accolades. We see a lot of people chasing that kind of success. What's remarkable is that a few people whom we talked to have achieved that kind of success, but it was never their goal.

A lot of people are experiencing incredible success. Although they don't think about it per se, they have rich lives and they are having an impact that will probably benefit the world way beyond their lifetime. The traditional definition of success doesn't fit their lives at all. What we have here is an historic opportunity to start a global dialogue about success. That's our intention -- to challenge Webster to alter its dictionary definition. That is why we decided to do a global success survey.

Knowledge@Wharton: Do people think about success in the same way over time or does that definition change? For example, do people think about success in the same way in the beginning of their careers as they do at the end?

Thompson: That's very interesting, because the definition might shift over time. We've spoken to CEOs who, for example, learned from earlier experiences that perhaps they were too focused on getting into the corner office, and they might feel about it differently later in terms of what their priorities should be. But in terms of the overarching focus in their lives, it wasn't the traditional definition of success.

Emery: I'd say what appears to be constant is that the principles don't change over time. What defines these people's lives is their commitment to doing something that is meaningful to them. If they're pursuing a cause of public service, certainly they are living a life of service, but they are also clear that this life serves them. So it's not an either/or situation. They never talk about it as a sacrifice, and so that principle of having an anchor to what is meaningful to them never changes.

And another thing we noticed in our research is that when you talk to these people, after a while you feel something is missing from the conversation. Mark and I have explored this, and we realized that what is missing is that they never blame anybody for their circumstances or their mishaps.

They also never hold themselves to be victims of anything. It was astonishing to be with Senator John McCain in his office in Washington. Regardless of your politics, it's astonishing to listen to a man who is a true hero, who went through extraordinary physical pain and deprivation, and who talks about being grateful for the transformational experience he had in Vietnam.

Knowledge@Wharton: One of the most interesting ideas in your book is that successful people harvest their failures. How do successful people stay successful?

Thompson: The chapter we spoke about earlier focuses on people who take their wounds and turn them into wisdom. For example, Charles Schwab, the founder of the successful investment bank, is a lifelong dyslexic. John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco Systems, and Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin, also had learning disabilities. Even though some of these difficulties were intractable, they chose to see them as an opportunity.

Some people have enormous setbacks in their lives, or they make mistakes, but you have to learn from your mistakes. As Quincy Jones, the musician, asked us, when was the last time you actually did that? When did you take the lessons from a setback and put them to use? These people were very consistent about looking to success and failure as feedback. In other words, it's all input. Sometimes, success can make you sloppy, just as a setback can make you [understand] more clearly what works and what doesn't. They're disciplined about looking at how things had good or bad results and seeing them as opportunities for improvement.

Wharten Business School Interview
Published: April 19, 2006

For whatever reason, a free shipping offer that saves a customer $6.99 is more appealing to many than a discount that cuts the purchase price by $10, says Wharton marketing professor David Bell. Bell noticed this phenomenon a few years ago while doing research for an online grocery store, and the observation prompted him to look more closely at the ways Internet retailers use shipping charges -- or the lack thereof -- as a promotional tool.

The result is a model that can help managers set shipping fees in ways that both appeal to customers and drive them to buy in quantities that can be efficiently processed. "There is no direct analog to this in the traditional retail world," Bell says. "It seemed to us that firms had not figured out the 'right' shipping policy, so there's a lot of experimentation going on without clear guidelines."

Internet-based shopping is the fastest growing sector of retailing in the U.S., Bell says, with sales exceeding $110 billion during 2004. Approximately 60% of online retailers cite "free shipping with conditions" as their most successful marketing tool.

Consumers like free shipping offers, perhaps because it makes the online retail transaction more comparable with that at the neighborhood store. Whatever the reason, it's clear that consumer behavior changes when shipping fees are imposed. With fees, shoppers will make fewer shopping trips and purchase more goods at a time -- not unlike shoppers who drive great distances to a particular store, Bell says, and decide they had better stock up while they're there. Alternately, fees can prompt consumers to simply walk away. A survey from 2004 found that shipping and handling costs triggered 52% of the abandonment of online shopping carts, Bell says.

While some might argue that shipping fees are merely a substitute for the time and travel costs involved with visiting a bricks-and-mortar retailer, consumers may not buy that argument, Bell notes, adding that the link might not be so clear in the minds of many because travel costs are not collected at the traditional retailer's point of sale.

Some companies have struck a middle ground by waving shipping costs when customers exceed a threshold -- a strategy that can indeed make customers think differently about price, Bell says. Whereas higher prices always are bad for consumers in traditional retailing, customers of online retailers can benefit from higher prices because they push the total closer to the free shipping threshold.

Setting Thresholds -- and Prices

In a recent paper titled, "Free Shipping and Repeat Buying on the Internet: Theory and Evidence," Bell and two colleagues -- Skander Essegaier, a professor at Koc University in Istanbul, and Yinghui Yang, a professor at the University of California at Davis -- developed a model that shows how firms can use this dynamic to their advantage, while not putting customers at a disadvantage.

Bell gives an example of a firm that lowers its free-shipping threshold to induce customers to purchase smaller quantities with greater frequency. If the company's goal is to leave consumers equally well off in terms of their long run costs, should the threshold change be accompanied by price increases or decreases? Bell's model shows that the answer depends on where the firm's prices currently stand.

A firm with already low prices, relative to the model, should drop prices further when lowering the threshold. A failure to do so would give consumers a benefit at the firm's expense, Bell said, because consumers would hit the free shipping threshold more often. Conversely, a firm with high prices should increase them further when lowering the free shipping threshold, since the company is likely to be paying shipping costs more often. "In the latter case, people pay more for the products, but they will more often get free shipping. In the other case, they will pay less for the products, but more for shipping," Bell says. "So, the total cost of products and shipping cost will net out to be the same in both cases. ... Ultimately, the rational consumer is indifferent."

If consumers are indifferent, why should managers care? Because a firm might be able to more efficiently deliver the same quantity of products to a customer in, for example, four purchases over a period of time than the same quantity all at once or in eight smaller purchases.

Bell cites the example of Net Grocer, an online grocery firm that calculates shipping costs based on the size and location of particular orders. The company uses shipping fees to push consumers away from ordering either tiny or massive quantities of goods, both of which can be more costly for the company to fill. Companies that want to fill relatively few orders will raise their free shipping threshold; firms that want customers to visit regularly -- perhaps so they can sell ads on their site -- might prefer low shipping thresholds.

Bell points out that Amazon.com has experimented with free shipping thresholds since 2002. Initially, Amazon offered consumers free shipping if they spent $99, and then lowered the bar twice during 2002 -- first to $49, then to $25. Data from comScore, a firm that tracks Internet browsing and purchasing behavior for academic research, documented the impact of the changes. When a $49 purchase triggered free shipping, the average purchase quantity of products per order was 3.31. When the threshold fell to $25, the average purchase quantity dropped to 2.53. The comScore data included 45 purchasers who bought from Amazon.com when both thresholds were in place. Those consumers spent $17 less per "free-shipping" order under the lower threshold, and purchased 1.82 fewer items.

In addition, the Amazon case shows that lower thresholds for free shipping also lead to greater variation in prices for the same goods. It makes sense, Bell says, because as free shipping thresholds drop, consumers have less reason to make purchasing decisions on price alone. A similar dynamic explains why there is less price dispersion -- a smaller gap between the minimum and maximum price at a specific point in time -- for pharmaceutical products used chronically, rather than episodically. In an extreme world where price information about a particular good can be obtained from many sellers at zero cost, there should be no price dispersion. This is because there is no effort or search cost for consumers that make it possible for different sellers to charge different prices for the same item. In the pharmaceutical example, users should be more willing to shop around for drugs that are used repeatedly for longer periods. "The more incentive there is to search on price, the less dispersion there should be," he says.

As Internet retailing grows, there likely will be more opportunities for research on trends in free shipping. Bell's model, for example, is based on consumption patterns in which the purchaser shops, stores the inventory and then replenishes once the inventory is depleted. So, while the model works for describing how people buy groceries or even books, it's not applicable to durable goods, such as household appliances, automobiles, or other large ticket, infrequently purchased items. Even in the world of non-durable goods, there's room for more research as companies innovate. Amazon.com, for example, now offers what Bell calls an "all you can eat" express shipping option, called Amazon Prime, for an annual fee of $79. "While we do not consider this variation explicitly, our research is a first attempt at an analytical framework for understanding the effect of such policies," Bell and colleagues write. "Future work might also consider different classes of shipping service defined by delivery speed."

The researchers do note, however, that it is unlikely the "all you can eat" policy will be valued by Amazon users who purchase sufficient volumes of products. These customers can "strategically" time the placement and volume of orders in order to always hit the free-shipping threshold and avoid such fees altogether. From a purely rational perspective, Bell says, these strategic and/or heavy use customers, therefore, have little to gain from paying $79 to avoid shipping fees when they can already avoid them through judicious purchasing strategies. On the other hand, if this kind of annual fee leads consumers to make purchases that are truly incremental, it could be worthwhile.

Wharten Business School
Published: April 19, 2006

Yet, I still insist that everyone is successful no matter who they are and what they are doing. That is, without question, a fact. The question is not whether or not a person is successful; rather what they are being successful at.

Remove the idea that success means that there is a positive outcome. Think more about success as the ability to follow through with behavior to produce any outcome. A definition of success is “to end up with the intended result.” Nothing is ever achieved, good or bad, without successful behavior.

The results in our lives (be they positive or negative) take time to realize. No one walks into a gym and gets in shape the same day. Getting in shape requires that you develop successful behavior towards the result of being in shape. First, the person makes a choice, either on a conscious or unconscious basis, which internalizes the decision to get in shape. Next, the person follows through with the behavior, works out, and eats correctly so that over time the result of being in shape is realized.

We consider the behavior of getting in shape and producing that result a success. Conversely, the same is true about negative results. It takes successful behavior to produce a negative outcome. Just as getting in shape takes time, an alcoholic does not become addicted the first time he or she has a drink. They internalize a decision either on a conscious or unconscious level and follow through with consistent behavior that successfully results in alcoholism.

Therefore, whether you are making money or not, either is a result of your successful behavior. If you are in shape or overweight, both are successes. Whether you have a good or a bad relationship, a job you like or not, A’s or F’s in school, everything is a result of the choices you are making and each is a success in that regard.

The importance of recognizing both your positive and negative results as successes means that you recognize that you do have the ability and power to produce results through successful behavior. What this also means is that you know how to be successful. The problem is not your inability to be successful, but rather the choices you make in what you decide to be successful towards.

This means that you do not need to learn how to be successful. You need to learn how to make different choices and then follow through with the successful behavior you already know. Interestingly enough this applies equally to negative and positive behavior. The most successful people you can think of in business, entertainment or other, often are not flourishing in other areas of their lives. One can have isolated success yet maintain a very unhappy or dissatisfied life.

I often challenge people to decide to mirror their positive successful behavior in all areas of their lives creating what I call a balanced successful life. You can achieve this through recognizing your successful behavior and working towards positive outcomes and self-development. The guidance of a proper self development program can work as a roadmap to the life you want to create.

I like to over simplify the idea of success and say that if you can put on a pair of shoes, then you are successful. In order to put on a pair of shoes a person has to first make a decision to do so, select the shoes they wish to put on then follow through with the behavior to put on the shoes. Once the shoes are on, that person has produced a success. The question now is what shoes are you successfully deciding to walk through your life in? The truth is you can wear any shoes you choose!

By Devlyn Steele
Life Coach Advice
April 2006