Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly Newsletter

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Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #14 Feb. 22, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Guidelines for "Responsible" Cloaking
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
What's In It For Me?
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


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Guidelines for "Responsible" Cloaking

Robin Nobles is Director of Training for the Academy of Web
Specialists. Robin has taught several thousand students in
her online and onsite search engine marketing courses over
the past several years. Her latest books, Web Site Analysis
and Reporting and Streetwise Maximize Web Site Traffic, can
be ordered through Amazon. Visit the Academy's site to
learn more about their search engine ranking courses and
products. http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info

Editor's Comments: This is a great article and touches on a
subject I have been questioned on a few times lately.
------------------------------------------------------------

At the recent Search Engine Strategies Conference in
Dallas, I served on a General Questions & Answers panel
with Danny Sullivan and representatives from the Inktomi
and Fast search engines.

The first question was directed at me: Since the Academy
teaches online search engine marketing courses, why haven't
we started teaching a "responsible cloaking" course?

My initial reaction was probably similar to the way fresh
seafood feels before being tossed into boiling water. After
all, I was sitting on a panel with reps from two engines,
and we were getting ready to discuss the Big C Word.

My second reaction was directed at the gentleman asking the
question. Interestingly enough, Paul, the gentleman's name,
is a past student of mine. So, he's very familiar with the
Academy's course material, and he knows that I teach
responsible search engine marketing strategies in general.

So, my response to him was simple. You create cloaked pages
using the same strategies that you use with all of your
other pages. Spam is spam, and spam isn't "right" just
because you can cloak the page that your users see. Spam is
never right.

Believe it or not, I wasn't tar and feathered by the search
engine reps. In fact, at this conference, their stance on
cloaking was much more relaxed than I've seen at past
conferences. And, as I explained to them, I'm sitting on
the opposite side of the fence from them. I don't see the
unbelievable spam that they do. I work with responsible
students and business associates who are simply interested
in being able to compete in the industry with Web sites
that often have no chance of visibility without using a
strategy like cloaking. We share the same basic philosophy
as the engines: we want relevant results.

Of course, part of the problem stems from the fact that one
person's definition of spam can easily be different from
another person's. However, let's be honest here. Though
there certainly are many gray areas in the field of search
engine marketing, most of the truly "spam" strategies are
no where near that gray line.

Before we go on, what "is" cloaking?

Cloaking is when different pages are served to the search
engines than what your visitors see. In other words, you'll
create separate and simple pages for each major engine,
taking great care to follow each engine's guidelines. The
pages will be simple text without any tactics that can
present ranking problems, such as dynamic content, frames,
XML, or Java.

When a search engine visits your site, the script detects
which engine is visiting by viewing that engine's IP
address, and the page created just for that engine is
shown. But, when a surfer visits your site, a beautifully
designed page is presented that is sure to impress your
visitors.

For more information, I recommend that you read an article
called, "Source Code Cloaking . . . beauty or beast?"
http://www.acws.com/information/cloaking.html

Is cloaking inherently wrong? No!
. . . Can cloaking be abused? Yes.

Did you know that Danny Sullivan offers cloaking sessions
at every one of his Search Engine Strategies conferences?
If cloaking is so "wrong," would Danny continue offering
sessions on cloaking strategies? I think not.

Not only that, but several experts in cloaking are always
invited to conduct those sessions, namely John Heard and
Mikkel Svendsen. If cloaking alone could get your sites
banned from the engines, don't you think that these experts
would want to be kept out of the spotlight? The engines
know who they are and attend their sessions! However, John
Heard has never had a site banned for cloaking. Why?
Because he follows the rules. In fact, I use John as my
barometer in determining how things are going on the
cloaking side of search engine optimization.

My philosophy has always been to explain and teach the
correct way of doing something, rather than getting on a
soapbox and preaching against it. For example, instead of
saying "all doorway pages are wrong and bad," I'd rather
explain how to create content-rich doorway or information
pages that actually work and that the engines like. The
same thing goes for cloaking.

Responsible guidelines for cloaking.

So, in light of Paul's question, let's create a list of
responsible cloaking guidelines. We'll consider this a work
in progress, because new guidelines will always need to be
added as the industry progresses.

1. Don't ever use content on a cloaked page that
misrepresents the content of the site. Cloaking doesn't
give you an open license to do whatever you want with the
content of the page. If your page is about low-cost
automobile insurance, your cloaked page should be on the
same exact topic.

2. Spam is spam, so don't keyword stuff your tags or body
text. Don't repeat your keyword phrase in tiny text over
and over again. Don't hide text, etc. You know the score.
In other words, don't do anything on a cloaked page that
you wouldn't do on a page that your users will see. And,
if you spam on your regular pages, click here to join
Spammers Anonymous
(http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info), and
take a class at the Academy. We'll get you on the
straight and narrow in no time.

The bottom line is this: you don't have to spam to get
top rankings. After all, spamming may get you on top of
the rankings for a short period of time, but those
rankings won't last. Wouldn't you rather have stable
pages that remain in the index?

Remember that because cloaking is somewhat "suspect" to
the engines, make sure you walk a very straight line with
your cloaked pages so that you don't send up any red
flags.

John Heard offers this suggestion to anyone who is
considering cloaking. "To avoid problems with search
engines when using cloaking, don't submit anything that
you wouldn't directly submit to the engines without the
cloaking script. It's not made to hide spam pages and
cannot hide spam from a search engine if they review the
page."

3. Repeat after me: The engines want good, solid, unique
content. So, when you create your cloaked pages, make
sure that they're "content-rich information" pages. Sorry
for sounding like a broken record, but the more content
you build into your site, the better off your site will
be.

4. Cloaked Web pages should make perfect sense and be the
equivalent of an article that's focused on a particular
topic. Don't use "babble" programs that stuff keywords
into strategic places on the page, so that the pages
themselves make no sense at all.

5. Be careful when using software programs that generate Web
pages. The engines don't like "machine generated pages."
However, if you use a software program (like Page
Generator of WebPosition Gold's new 1.60
version)(http://www.webposition.com) that takes your
unique content, your format, and simply puts them
together into a page, that's fine.

6. Don't use a cloaked page to hide a competitor's trademark
or to hide content "stolen" from another site.

7. Whether using cloaking or not, make sure that you don't
create too many pages that focus on the same keyword
phrases. The engines have never liked Web sites that
dominate the rankings.

8. Don't forget the basics! Just like you would on your
regular pages, spend time researching your keywords
through a service like WordTracker
(http://www.wordtracker.com) or WordSpot
(http://www.wordspot.com). Then, create an effective and
captivating title and description for your page. Use META
tags for the engines that consider them when determining
relevancy, and be sure to use link text containing your
important keyword phrase. Place keywords in ALT tags,
headline tags, at the beginning of all tags and body
text, etc. Don't overdo it in the keyword weight area.
For a very handy software program that will check your
Web pages for you and offer suggestions, visit Search
Engine Optimizer (GRSeo) at http://www.se-optimizer.com.
Yes, this is an Academy product, and yes, this is blatant
self-promotion. But, GRSeo is an excellent software
program that will save you a bunch of time. Plus, the
Generic Engine is an ideal starting place when you're
creating cloaked pages.

Remember that cloaking doesn't guarantee you a top
ranking. Cloaking simply allows you to compete, but you
still have to work for that ranking. So, don't think that
purchasing an expensive cloaking software or page
generator tool will guarantee that your pages will always
be in the top 10. Instead, concentrate on solid search
engine marketing strategies--above-board strategies that
you know work. Incorporate those strategies into your
cloaked pages.

9. Be sure to link to all important pages on your site from
your cloaked pages. Add links to external sites in your
related topic area as well.

10. Buy cloaking software from a reputable company. The
cloaking software itself isn't what's truly valuable.
Rather, the constant updates to that software are what's
valuable. So, choose a reputable company where you can be
sure of getting updates as soon as a new spider is
detected. Also, by going through a reputable company, you
can be assured of getting customer support when needed.

Though there may be other excellent companies, three
immediately come to mind:

John Heard's IP-Delivery:
http://www.ip-delivery.com/foodscript

Traffic Titan:
http://position-it.com/traffictitan/

Fantomaster's shadowSniperT:
http://fantomaster.com/fassniper0.html

11. Don't begin cloaking until you understand how to use
the software and cloaking strategies in general. Many
people jump into cloaking before they are ready, and
their results reflect it. So, spend time learning the
software and experimenting with creating cloaked pages.

12. If you use cloaking, don't think that you have to
cloak everything. Cloak when needed! In other words, if
your client is trying to compete in a highly competitive
area, and if most of her competition is using cloaked
pages, you may have to cloak in order for her to compete.
Or, if your client's site is nothing but a Flash movie,
cloaking may be your answer.

Can you think of other "responsible cloaking" guidelines
that I failed to mention? If so, send them to me. We'll
continue to add new guidelines as time goes on.

In Conclusion . . .

Cloaking can be a highly effective strategy for allowing
you to compete in the rankings if your site is in a
competitive area or is using strategies that make it
difficult to achieve top rankings otherwise. However,
because it's subject to abuse, you need to be very careful
and make sure that you stay on the legitimate side of that
notorious gray line.

And by the way, Paul, thanks for a great article idea!

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From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
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Hello and welcome to another issue of the Aaronz WebWorkz
Weekly E-Zine. I received a lot of feedback this week
regarding the domain slamming article that appeared last
week (available online at
www.aaronzwebworkz.com/Newsletter/newsletter.html). I also
received a letter from register.com offering to transfer my
"soon to expire domains" to their service. Gladly, they
aren't slamming. They said right up front on the top line
of their letter that they were offering to transfer my
domains from my current registrar to them for a discounted
price. If their price was better, I might do so.

Speaking of things soon to come, the anniversary of the
founding of Aaronz WebWorkz is coming up soon. A lot of
exciting things have been planned around this event
including prizes for both our valued current customers and
the public at large! A new website will be launched (which
you will get a sneak peek at) full of extra information and
resources.

I would also like to remind everyone that this newsletter
is about you. If you have an idea for an article, a
question you'd like me to answer, or any other suggestions
for this weekly e-zine, please let me know.

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Readers Talk Back!
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Hey Aaron,
Your latest newsletter has an article about Domain Name
Slamming. I recently switched from Network Solutions to
one of the "Switch to us for $9.00 and we'll give you
another year" registrars. Two months later, after the site
was running on the new registrar and host and all was fine
I get a notice from Network Solutions telling me how
horrible it will be in another month when my domain expires.
The truth was that I had 13 months before it expired and it
was with another registrar b then. They are either really
really slow in updating the sites that leave them or they
are doing something that could be called "Reverse Domain
Slamming".

Thought you may want to warn your readers since this came
up. You can publish this message if you wish.

--Jim (no website listed)

[Thanks, Jim! I too have had problems with Network
Solutions over domain transfers and more. I guess they're
still under the belief that they're the big dog.]

Thanks for the info-I find most of the articles that you
send very interesting, the others are a little out of my
league but without the stretch your knowledge base won't
grow - Right?

--Jonathan F. (no website listed)

I just wanted to thank you for the article on Domain Name
Renewal. I received such a letter at the beginning of the
week, and put it in the "to be paid" file in my office. I
did not actually take time to read the entire letter for
lack of time.

After reading your newsletter I pulled out this letter and
just as you described a solicitation to change my
registrar, with a clause in very small print. "This service
is provided as is and without warranty. You waive all
claims to lost profits and other consequential damages."

Thank you for the heads up, and keep up the good work on
this newsletter.

--Erica (www.acctgbugsinesssolutions.com)
Business Solutions

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

------------------------------------------------------------
What's In It For Me?

(c) Jeff Heisler, 2001 www.heislerink.com

Editor's Comments: Short and to-the-point, this article is
important because it's something that we all forget from
time to time.
------------------------------------------------------------

Every customer has the same thought in mind when evaluating
your marketing materials- "What's in it for me?" This
seems glaringly obvious, but you'd be surprised how many
companies fail to address this in their literature. Here's
an example:
- "Our IT experts have degrees from leading
universities and have all graduated with honors."

That's good - for your company, but what about your
customers? The better way to say that is something like
this:
-"Our IT experts have the knowledge and skills to
provide high quality tech solutions - no matter what your
needs may be."

It says the same thing - the staff is capable and educated,
the difference is that the second passage is talking to the
customer's mindset. It answers the "What's in it for me?"
question.

Whenever you mention your company's strengths, be sure to
aim your message at the customer. You'll be surprised by
the results.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
List Maintenance:
To subscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:subscribe]

To unsubscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:unsubscribe]

This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
online services provider. To view information or to see
back issues of this publication, please go online to:
www.AaronzWebWorkz.com. Please direct all comments or
questions to the editor
(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #13 Feb. 15, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Top 5 Marketing Predictions for 2002
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Domain Name Slamming
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information

------------------------------------------------------------
Top 5 Marketing Predictions for 2002

Michael Low is a widely-published marketing consultant. He
provides top-notch press release (PR) services at
affordable rates. Check out his full-range of PR services
at http://www.prbuilder.com/pr.cgi?a009
------------------------------------------------------------

Prediction #1: Pay-Per-Click Rocks

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising will rock in 2002. PPC
engines like Overture and FindWhat are performing extremely
well.

Sites displaying Overture's listings include America
Online, Yahoo, Lycos, Hotbot, Altavista, Netscape,
InfoSpace, Dogpile and Excite.

Overture's partnership with Yahoo ends in June 2002. Yahoo
is likely to roll out their own PPC system.

I expect more search engines to adopt the PPC model or
offer co-branded Overture listings in the months ahead.
Google, which runs a CPM AdWords model may start
experimenting with PPC.

If you are advertising on Overture, expect gradual
increases in traffic from most keywords.

To read more on PPC advertising, go to
http://www.internetmarketingfocus.com/to.cgi?l=topic-ppc

Prediction #2: Ads Grow BIGGER

Yahoo has begun displaying larger banner ad units that are
720 x 90 in screen size. I expect more sites to follow.
The standard 468 x 60 banner size may be replaced with a
larger one.

Sites that depend largely on advertising for their revenues
are likely to roll out more of these large ad units.

It is an inevitable trend as the fight for advertising
dollars intensify. When web users become immune to these
ads, what will content publishers do next? Try even larger
ads?

To read more on banner advertising, go to
http://www.internetmarketingfocus.com/to.cgi?l=topic-bn

Prediction #3: Rich-Media Ads Gain Respect

Rich-media ads with animation, sound and interactivity will
be common in 2002. Flash ads created using Macromedia Flash
are already gaining foothold on the Internet.

They work well to capture visitors' attention. Best of all,
they don't need to be large and intrusive - they just need
to be creative!

I expect rich-media ads, Flash ads in particular, to become
the advertising industry's hot favorite in 2002.

Prediction #4: Watch That Inbox

Permission-based email marketing will be a winner in 2002.
The response rates to opt-in email campaigns are
significantly higher than other online ad media.

The cost per acquisition is also significantly lower. Turn
around time is faster and results can be accurately
tracked.

Expect more companies to move their offline direct mailings
online. This is already happening with some companies after
September 11.

Expect spam to increase. Spam filters are going to be more
aggressive. Monitor your own mailings to ensure that they
are not being unjustly filtered out.

To read more on email marketing, go to
http://www.internetmarketingfocus.com/to.cgi?l=topic-em

Prediction #5: Viral Marketing Infects More

I expect more companies to use viral marketing campaigns to
promote and brand their products and services. The volume
of viral marketing campaigns will rise - with greater
sophistication.

These campaigns are likely to come with more sophisticated
tracking of open, clickthrough and success rates with the
use of 1x1 GIFs and cookies.

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From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day yesterday.

Today is a big day as well. Many of you use PayPal for
payment acceptance or to make payments online. PayPal is
scheduled to go public today under the sign PYPL. This
will be interesting to watch as an Internet-only company
has not gone public in quite some time. Since PayPal is a
solid company in its own right and not based on some pipe-
dream, I believe it will do well.

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
Surprisingly, there were no reader's comments this week.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

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Domain Name Slamming
Copyright (C) Richard Lowe Jr. and Claudia Arevalo-Lowe,
1999-2001.

Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And
Secrets at http://www.internet-tips.net - Visit our website
any time to read over 1,000 complete FREE articles about
how to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and
knowledge.

Editor's Comments: I receive these notices regularly -
usually by email. They're as bad as those "Virus alerts"
that tell you to delete a common Windows file to remove a
"nasty new virus."
------------------------------------------------------------

Today I received a notice in the mail claiming that my
domain name was about to expire. The letter was written in
extremely alarming terms, as if my entire world would be
destroyed forever if I was stupid enough to allow the name
to expire. The letter made it clear that I could renew
immediately and should, because if the domain expired I
would, of course, lose it and thus life as I knew it would
come to a close.

Closer examination revealed that the document was not from
my domain registrar at all. In fact, it was from some
company that I had never heard of before. The letter
certainly looked official and important, but in reality it
was just more junk mail.

Okay, first question: how had these idiots gotten my home
address? Simple. As it turns out, this is a common practice
among some of the less ethical domain registrars. Using the
WHOIS database, they get a list of all of the domain names
about to expire, then send a letter to each address
explaining this fact and offering to renew the domain.

The WHOIS database is a list of each domain name that
exists on the internet, along with the name and address
(and some other information) of each owner. This
information is public knowledge, freely available to
anyone.

What would have happened if I had sent a check to the
domain registrar to pay for a renewal? It would have been
transferred to the new registrar. If I had not read the
letter carefully, I probably would not have realized that
I was not just renewing my domain, I was transferring my
domain to a new registrar.

In some instances worse things happen. You could receive
an email in your inbox, for example, making the same claim:
your domain is about to expire. Click on a link and you've
given (unknowingly) permission for your domain to be
transferred. A few days later you might discover your web
site not working, your email turned off and your domain
information completely unavailable.

This is called "domain name slamming", and it is named
after the practice that some highly unethical long distance
phone companies employ. These companies will, at the least
provocation, change your phone company to themselves. You
could cash a check, return a post card or use any number of
other means to "give permission" to change. Some of the
most unethical companies have been known to just change
your service without even asking.

The moral of the story? Keep good records of where your
domain names are registered. If you do get an email or a
letter, go directly to your domain registrar's web site and
renew the domain yourself. Don't click anything in the
email, respond or send back a letter. Just go to the web
site and renew. This way you can be sure you understand
exactly what is happening, and this way you can be positive
that nothing else is occurring.

And oh yes, stay away from those registrars who engage in
this practice. At least, that's my humble advice. I find
the whole tactic unethical in the extreme, and personally,
I will go to extremes to not do business with any registrar
who slams.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
List Maintenance:
To subscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:subscribe]

To unsubscribe
[mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject:unsubscribe]

This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
online services provider. To view information or to see
back issues of this publication, please go online to:
www.AaronzWebWorkz.com. Please direct all comments or
questions to the editor
(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #12 Feb. 08, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Choose The Right CPA For Your Business
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Organizational Skills for the Home-Based Entrepeneur
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Choose The Right CPA For Your Business

©2001 - Maria Marsala is an internationally known Business
& Life Coach-Consultant. She is a former Wall Street trader
and special projects manager, a director at a non-profit
company and a community activist. Maria provides business,
marketing, Internet and life articles on her site as "free
content" for business owners use in their newsletters. She
loves working with executives, professionals and other
individuals who are designing, starting and creating a
business or redesigning their career. Subscribe to her free
ezine "Helping You and Your Business Grow" at
http://www.coachmaria.com

Editor's Comments: This is a down-to-earth article which
will help you choose a CPA to guide you in your tax needs.
------------------------------------------------------------

CPA's are more than just individuals who do your yearly
taxes. They can advise you a long list of other services,
which may include advice on your accounting system,
financial, retirement, estate and tax planning. CPA's are
part of a business owner's professional team along with a
Banker and Lawyer.

Ask for recommendations.
Your local Chamber of Commerce will tell you the names of
CPAs who are members. When you attend any type of meeting,
or meet other business owner's, ask for CPA recom-
mendations.

Use the 60% rule.
If you're a business owner, pick a CPA who has 60% of their
business coming from business owner's -like you! They're
more apt to keep up with the laws regarding clients they
deal with most often. If you're a corporation, make sure
that the person specializes in corporate accounting,
including financial statements, audits, etc.

Interview CPAs!
Ask what type of services they do for their clients, how
long they've been in business full time, and for referrals,
etc. Don't forget to ask to see their license. Ask them
about the benefits of choosing them over another CPA.

Rates
Ask about their rates and what those rates include. If they
have a rate chart, all the better! Also, ask what their
hourly rate is and what the cost would be to answer
questions during the year.

Ask Them About Record Keeping
Ask what computer program they prefer you use for your
record keeping and why they prefer that program. Many
times, if you use the program they suggest, it can save you
some money because they can use your data files. Some even
have programs they'll set up especially for you!

Bring Your Records To The Interview
Bring a copy of at least one year's tax return when you
interview a CPA. This way your prospective CPA can give you
educated "guesstimates" as to what their services will cost
you.

How To File
If you want to save some money, ask how they want your
paper files.... If you bring your files to them in
shoeboxes (hey, many folks do), you will pay to have all
that deciphered! You can save money if you separate the
information the way the CPA suggests.

Corporation vs. Individual
Are you interested in hiring a corporation of CPAs or a CPA
that has their own business? If you opt for the corp-
oration, find out if you'll be dealing with one particular
person, or will it be whoever answers the phone when you
call. It's best to have one person to build a relationship
with!

When do they work?
What are their hours of operation? Make sure that you can
call them at hours that are convenient for you.

Making a Decision
Interview at least 3 CPAs. Don't rush this decision. Make
sure you have the best CPA and bookkeeper for you and your
business!

------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

First, I would like to apologize to everyone and to Susan
T. for the misunderstanding that led to my printing her
Talk Back letter incorrectly. I have reprinted it in its
correct form below.

Since it is tax season and I'm sure most of us are groaning
at the prospect of either doing our taxes, paying someone
else to do them, or having to pay the IRS (or any combo of
these!) I thought I would try to lighten things with a
good tax joke...

The local bar was so convinced that their barkeep was the
strongest man alive that they offered a $1,000 standing bet
that no one could squeeze juice from a lemon he'd just
squeezed. Anyone who could squeeze just one more drop from
it would win the money.

Well, many people tried: weightlifters, lumberjacks, etc.
No one could defeat the bartender. One day a scrawny
little man with a polyester suit, thick glasses, and a
squeaky voice comes into the bar.

"I'll take that bet," he squeaks. After the laughter had
died down, the bartender took a lemon, held it above a
glass, and squeezed it to a pulp.

"A bet's a bet," he said as he handed the lemon over to the
little man. The small man gripped the lemon, held it above
the glass, and nonchalantly squeezed several more drops
from it.

The bar was quiet as everyone sat in amazement. Finally,
the barkeep spoke up..."What do you do for a living?"

The man replied, "I work for the IRS."

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------

Had to respond on your article regarding "spam". You have
entered a very slippery slope. What some people might
interpret as unwanted and spam may indeed be just the thing
that the next person has been looking for. People do not
continue to market something that gives them no return. If
it is truly spam and something no one is interested in, it
is self limiting. It really isn't a free speech issue,
even the local newspaper has areas that I can advertise in
for minimal dollars or even for free.

The internet is a new frontier and policing this area is
going to prove to be difficult at best with ISP's that are
not always local, but can be off shore. You can find
anything on the internet just as you can find anything
in print....moral or legal is in the eye of the beholder,
especially on the net. There are networks out there that
are family oriented just as there are networks that are "X"
rated.

You use an example that "coffins" rarely lead to residual
sales.....I have to ask about your personal experience that
would lead you to this conclusion.....also, I must correct
you. The term is "casket"... coffins were first used in
Europe in the early 19th century, also known as "toe
pinchers", one rarely, if ever see's them in the United
States today, except in a museum. Unless you are an only
child with no survivors and you also have no friends, I
guess you would be an example of no residual sales. I
engage in this business all the time, please refer to
www.saltlakecasket.com, www.provocasket.com,
www.wholesalecasket.org and www.funeralparlorweb.com.
The people who see and purchase my products use me again
and again and refer me to their friends....is that not
"residual sales"...? I serve families over and over, why??
Take a look at my cost and then research the same casket at
your local funeral home, not to mention my definition of
service is a little different than you may find at your
local funeral home.

At each funeral or memorial from 50-500 people see the
casket or urn that has been purchased from me, and if I
have served that family well...it will be like the
"Ultimate Electronics" ditty....."Oh, oh where'd you get
that...." Just today, I had a request for a casket
"...just like the one that I saw at Mr.. Provonsha's
funeral, they told me they bought the casket from you...."
How am I not building "lasting relationships" in my
business?? Also, it is of interest to note that
Batesville and Aurora, some of the world's largest casket
manufacturers, have websites and you can buy their products
online. These are multi-billion dollar businesses some
listed on the stock exchange...why do you think they do
that if they don't have any residual sales. I somehow
detect a death denying or uneducated attitude here.

It seems to me you are editorializing, judging different
businesses and ways of doing business. Why not simply look
at both sides of an issue and report your opinion and why
you chose that opinion without making all other choices
sound "wrong or bad". Let the reader settle on what seems
right and appropriate for them. After all, is your
objective to educate or editorialize and promote your own
agenda? We all enjoy the sound of our own voices. People
function at different levels for different reasons. It is
easy for me to tell you how you should be doing things or
tell NASA how they should fly their rockets, even though I
have never flown one, but in this case I HAVE AND AM flying
my own rocket....selling my products every week on the net,
so I do speak with some authority. A person could sell ice
on the net if they could effectively ship , I'm positive
you can comment on how one could accomplish that.

You suggest that if you haven't paid for the space it is
spam. You list rules and regulations of your opinion.
Software was basically free before the Bill Gates era too,
so is software or the place it is today bad???

However people choose to do it, it isn't good or bad, just
their choice. It is no different than television ads, I
can turn it off, walk away or look at it. Everyone has a
delete button and they can also "unsubscribe". How is it
any different than sending "jokes" to all your friends with
YOUR tag on it and hoping they forward to all their friends
and maybe someone sees it and needs it??? Would that be
"labeled" kind of sneaky, spam or just another way to get
your name out there?? Anything can be labeled "senseless
hype" if you aren't personally interested in it, but it
might make perfect sense to the next person, that is the
beauty of it, that is the thing one can NEVER control. If
you feel you have a better mousetrap, get it out there for
people to see....and by the way, loosen up, stop being so
offended and touchy about everything that might come across
your screen, you have a delete button, use it!!

Oh, by the way, I have invented a new product that removes
feet from mouth, will send you some spam on it.

P.S. I have included a thank you note I received for
service provided, it really says it all, don't you think?
I have literally hundreds of these and I measure my
effectiveness by them and the counter button on my sites
and oh, yes, my bank deposit slips :):):):

"Susan,
Thank you so much for all you have done for our family. We
are so thankful we found you on the net and can never tell
you how grateful we are for all you did for our family and
for the beautiful casket. We WILL be recommending you to
all our friends and business acquaintances and using you
again. We would never think of using anyone else after
finding you. Thanks again.
Love, The [removed] Family"

Looking forward to your next issue.


Susan T., Funeral Director
icq # 124423053
website: www.funeralparlorweb.com
e-mail: susan@funeralparlorweb.com

In response to this Talk Back, another reader says:

Two quick comments:
1. Her example of residual sales is entirely off base.
As you know a residual sale is something you sell once and
keep getting income from for some time thereafter. What
she calls residual is actually referral sales where one
customer referrs another to you, or repeat sales where a
poor soul that loses several family members comes back
again and again.
2. You missed another cost of UCE - many end-users have
pay-by-the hour internet accounts so the time they spend
"just deleting" the spam costs them. (And no, you can't
"just delete" some of the spam because the good ones looks
so much like legitimate email you have to look at it to
classify it as junk.)

Best Wishes
Jim - (Deverill @ About.com web design forum)
Key West at its best:
Worship - http://www.covenantwordchurch.org
Childcare - http://www.lcachildcare.com
Lodging - http://www.hideawaykeywest.com
Fishing - http://www.grandslamkw.com
Web Design - http://www.kwfamily.com/jscs

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

------------------------------------------------------------
Organizational Skills for the Home-Based Entrepeneur
Copyright © Don Mehlhouse All Rights Reserved.

Don Mehlhouse is Editor of The-Time-Is-Now Newsletter.
You can subscribe to TTIN by sending a blank email to:
mailto:ttin@reply123.net?Subject=New_Subscriber or visit us
at: http://the-time-is-now.com

Editor's Comments: This is a pretty good article outlining
basic ideas for getting and staying organized in your home
office.
------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, let's get organized!

Now, I'm not an organizational nut by any means. If you
could see the clutter on my desk right now you would find
some irony in me preaching about organization at all.

If you have children (or are young enough to remember your
own childhood) you're familiar with the phrase "But I know
where everything is!" in response to the "Your room is a
mess, I want it straightened up this instant!" demand.

Here are a few tips that may help you in your efforts to
get a handle on your day to day operations and, as a
result, make it less stressful.

I've broken down this article into 4 important criteria for
keeping your business organized. These are not the only
items that should be considered, but it's a start.

* Time Management
* Managing Email
* Expenses
* Keeping Current

I've singled out these topics because they seem to be the
ones that bog down and, inevitably, cause the demise of
many a home business.

Time Management
---------------
Managing your time effectively is the cornerstone to any
successful business. Everyone knows you need to manage
your time but what does that really mean? Whether you run
your business full-time or part-time you need to set aside
time each day to run it.

Only you know how much time you need to allot. Whenever
you decide to work, sticking to a schedule is important.
Routines are much easier to control than random attempts at
keeping the business afloat.

You need to treat your business seriously to get serious
results.

Managing Email
--------------
Email is a major component of any online business. Keeping
separate folders in your email program for different
categories is a good idea. Some possible folders can be:

* Downline/Current customer correspondence
* Newsletters/official messages from your business' parent
companies
* Ezines you are subscribed to
* Confirmations of ads placed
* Prospects - people who visit your sites and request more info

These folders, like your room, will need to be cleaned out
every so often.

You don't have to be a veteran home business entrepeneur to
realize that many questions you get via email are basically
the same. Keeping a large text file (or a few smaller
ones) where you have 'canned' responses is a great time
saver. It also ensures you are giving out consistent
answers. Just copy and paste the appropriate portion into
an email and personalize it.

You should also keep text files with variations of the ads
you use. Make a note where and when they were placed.
These ads can be separated by size. 3-line ads, 5-line ads
and full page ads, etc. If you use any type of URL
tracking for your ads (you really should!), then noting
which ones are used here will be helpful.

Expenses
--------
Keep track of every dollar you spend. Sounds simple, huh?
Every ad, domain hosting, ISP, web promotion tool, etc.
should be accounted for. It might not seem like a big deal
now but as you start earning the big bucks you (and the
taxman) will be glad you have records.

This record keeping should be part of your routine. You
can do it as the money is spent, once a day or even once a
week. The point is to just do it. Thank you, Nike!

Keeping Current
---------------
As you know, the internet is an ever-changing place. You
must change with it.

You should try to spend a few hours each week searching for
new sites and resources. There are constantly new sites
popping up where you can advertise or that show promise in
helping you grow your business.

Maybe there was an article in an ezine you read that
mentioned a site. Maybe there was an ad that caught your
attention. Ezines are a great way to stay on top of new
trends in online marketing.

In Closing
----------
Well, that's it. You'll be surprised just how much you can
accomplish when you add a little organization to your
business.

------------------------------------------------------------
If you wish to send your own articles to be reviewed for
inclusion in this publication, please send them to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Except where noted, this publication and all of its
contents are copyright (C)2002 by Aaronz WebWorkz, all
rights are reserved. To reprint an article, send an email
to mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com for permission.
------------------------------------------------------------
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This newsletter is produced by Aaronz WebWorkz, a complete
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(mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #11 Feb. 01, 2002
Aaron Turpen, Editor, aaron@aaronzwebworkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of the
Aaronz WebWorkz E-Zine. You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instruct-
ions are at the end of this newsletter.
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------

=> Feature Article:
Immediately Deducting The Cost of Equipment
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Media Tactics: Getting Your Ads Where They Need To
Go
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Immediately Deducting The Cost of Equipment

You can find help at my website: http://all-about-taxes.com

Or just send me an email. mailto:okaycharles@yahoo.com

PLEASE subscribe to my ezine at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taxtip

Editor's Comments: This is a great article about probably
the biggest change and benefit to small business taxes this
tax year.
------------------------------------------------------------

Under current tax law, small businesses can deduct up to
$24,000 spent this year to purchase equipment rather than
depreciating the cost over several years. The amount was
scheduled to remain the same in 2002 and increase to
$25,000 in 2003.

However, on October 24, 2001, the U.S. House passed a bill
that temporarily increases the deduction to $35,000 for
both 2002 and 2003. This is a significant change and bears
close scrutiny by the tax savvy as action moves to the
Senate.

This special writeoff method (IRS calls it "Section 179" or
"first year expensing" ) is intended to give smaller
businesses a simple and fast way to deduct the cost of
business equipment. It's an incentive to purchase now
rather than later because of the favorable immediate tax
consequences.

There are several restrictions, however.

The deduction is generally limited to the amount of taxable
income you have from your business. However, there is an
exception if you have income from another job. IRS allows
an employee with a sideline business to count the salary
he/she earns from the regular job as business income when
figuring the limit on the expensing deduction for the
business.

For personal computers and cellular phones to qualify for
expensing, they must be used more than fifty percent for
business purposes. Special limits also apply to cars.

The bottom line is that this tax technique, when properly
used, can result in significant tax savings for the small
business owner.

As always, PLEASE make sure you read and understand the
fine print. It wouldn't be taxes in America otherwise!

------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------

Another week has gone by and things continue to build. The
Winter Olympic Games will be starting in about a week here
in Salt Lake City and I expect that one of two things will
happen. Either my neighbor is right and madness and mayhem
will rule or the politicians on TV are right and it will be
a fun and interesting event. I'm just glad it's not
spring or summer fishing season so I won't have to drive up
the canyon towards Park City.

I received a set of emails from one of our readers (one of
which appears below). I'd like to thank Susan T. for her
suggestion of adding the "mailto:" tag in front of the
email addresses appearing here to facilitate a clickable
email link in most email readers.

I've continued the tax theme in this issue and hope to have
articles on this subject running for the month of February.
If you have any article suggestions or ideas, please let me
know. Feedback is always appreciated!

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
Editor: I debated whether to publish this article in its
entirety as one email with my responses at bottom, but
decided to keep it as I responded via email to the
submitter. I believe it reads more fluidly this way and
the idea exchange comes out much better. Susan's remarks
are listed regularly while my additional remarks in reply
are encased in square brackets.

[Since this is a discussion of my article, I'll try to
respond with words I've already printed there.]

Had to respond on your article regarding "spam". You have
entered a very slippery slope. What some people might
interpret as unwanted and spam may indeed be just the thing
that the next person has been looking for. People do not
continue to market something that gives them no return. If
it is truly spam and something no one is interested in, it
is self limiting. It really isn't a free speech issue,
even the local newspaper has areas that I can advertise in
for minimal dollars or even for free.

[Also not in the article: I've advertised in the newspaper.
One three-line ad which ran for one week was over $80 and
netted a whopping 0 sales. I brought up free speech
because the most common refutation of using email as a
marketing tool is calling on free speech rights. Not
surprising since that's the defense in just about every
similar type of marketing as well - the current issue of
telemarketing is an example of this.]

The internet is a new frontier and policing this area is
going to prove to be difficult at best with ISP's that are
not always local, but can be off shore. You can find
anything on the internet just as you can find anything
in print....moral or legal is in the eye of the beholder,
especially on the net. There are networks out there that
are family oriented just as there are networks that are "X"
rated.

[In my article:
"I've undoubtedly saved the most controversial subject for
last. The title of this article shows the fine line
between a morally criminal way of thinking and a viable and
useful marketing tool. Sending SPAM (officially called UCE
or Unsolicited Commercial Email) is wrong - I will go into
the reasons for this later. However, sending commercial
email for advertising is an effective and low-cost way to
market your business or products.

"Email marketing will probably be around for as long as the
Internet is alive and supports email protocols (or any
similar type of communication). Contrary to what some
would say, it also has its place. Advertising is a form of
communication. However, just like any other form of
advertising, there are rules governing this medium as
well."

I believe this draws a line between the use of email
marketing in the wrong way and the right way. I didn't
define the line, but I pointed out that there is one.

.... [Further down in the article]...
"In addition to all of these moral issues, there are legal
ones to consider as well. There are several laws
governing the way that you are allowed to advertise
anything anywhere in the United States and elsewhere.
Since government is just a large committee of people making
decisions (in most places), it is always one step behind
when it comes to technology under the law. However, since
the Internet is really just a large cooperative of
commercial and private networks, it is a little more
dynamic in its dealings with "perpetrators." One network
can effectively ban whomever they deem a miscreant and
others will eventually follow suit as the offender moves
through the different networks to try and bypass the
blockage."

Nowhere does it say that government policing is needed,
required, or wanted. The system in place now can be used
to take care of business without government intervention
unless a specific law ALREADY ON THE BOOKS has been broken.
I know if someone uses my system (server or otherwise) to
send their UCE, I put a stop to it as quickly as possible.
Not only do I not want to have my network banned from other
networks, but I also economically need to keep my costs as
low as possible and someone sending UCE through my network
costs me money. The question of morality is not a question
of sex in this case. It is a question of use of resources.
The Internet is an open network and must remain so in order
to function as it does. When someone takes advantage of
that network wrongly, they steal something from every other
person who uses the network. I did not say that no one
should send commercial email, I just said that some
consideration needs to be made when doing so.]

You use an example that "coffins" rarely lead to residual
sales.....I have to ask about your personal experience that
would lead you to this conclusion.....also, I must correct
you. The term is "casket"... coffins were first used in
Europe in the early 19th century, also known as "toe
pinchers", one rarely, if ever see's them in the United
States today, except in a museum. Unless you are an only
child with no survivors and...

[This is like arguing with a nuclear physicist or a Star
Trek fan. I don't know anything about his field, as you've
pointed out. I draw on common knowledge. Common knowledge
states that you only buy a casket once. Whatever the
reality is, this is common knowledge. I needed an example
and that was a good one. I apologize if I hit a cord or if
I'm stepping on someone's public awareness campaign. It's
also common knowledge that since I'm white, male, and not
from California I'm never going to be politically correct.]

...you also have no friends, I guess you would be an
example of no residual sales. I engage in this business
all the time, please refer to www.saltlakecasket.com,
www.provocasket.com, www.wholesalecasket.org and
www.funeralparlorweb.com . The people who see and purchase
my products use me again and again and refer me to their
friends....is that not "residual sales"...? I serve
families over and over, why?? Take a look at my cost and
then research the same casket at your local funeral home,
not to mention my definition of service is a little
different than you may find at your local funeral home.
At each funeral or memorial from 50-500 people see the
casket or urn that has been purchased from me, and if I
have served that family well...it will be like the
"Ultimate Electronics" ditty....."Oh, oh where'd you get
that...." Just today, I had a request for a casket
"...just like the one that I saw at Mr.. Provonsha's
funeral, they told me they bought the casket from you...."
How am I not building "lasting relationships" in my
business?? Also, it is of interest to note that
Batesville and Aurora, some of the world's largest casket
manufacturers, have websites and you can buy their products
online. These are multi-billion dollar businesses some
listed on the stock exchange...why do you think they do
that if they don't have any residual sales. I somehow
detect a death denying or uneducated attitude here.

[Which one of these companies uses SPAM to advertise their
products?]

It seems to me you are editorializing, judging different
businesses and ways of doing business. Why not simply look
at both sides of an issue and report your opinion and why
you chose that opinion without making all other choices
sound "wrong or bad". Let the reader settle on what seems
right and appropriate for them. After all, is your
objective to educate or editorialize and promote your own
agenda? We all enjoy the sound of our own voices. People
function at different levels for different reasons. It is
easy for me to tell you how you should be doing things or
tell NASA how they should fly their rockets, even though I
have never flown one, but in this case I HAVE AND AM flying
my own rocket....selling my products every week on the net,
so I do speak with some authority. A person could sell ice
on the net if they could effectively ship , I'm positive
you can comment on how one could accomplish that.

[I thought I did a pretty good job of showing both sides of
the issue. I know that most people who send UCE are doing
so legally and do not believe they are doing anything
wrong. In fact, 90% of the SPAM that I receive in my email
box is stuff that, in one way or another, I've probably
asked for. However, I don't want to receive the same stuff
all the time and I've also found that of those 90%, a good
half of them have bogus "removal" systems that never really
remove me. I'll get the same email again next week. All I
asked is that the sender or originator of the email
solicitation include a valid way to either get you off the
list or tell you how you got on it in the first place.]

You suggest that if you haven't paid for the space it is
spam. You list rules and regulations of your opinion.
Software was basically free before the Bill Gates era too,
so is software or the place it is today bad???

[Actually, this is largely incorrect. Software for most
public-style systems (which were fairly rare, since the PC
was not in general use) was hard to find and usually very
expensive. Software for private/commercial use was also
very expensive. Only the software freely traded among the
original "hackers" at universities and educational
institutions was free. Computers at that time were still
a niche market.]

However people choose to do it, it isn't good or bad, just
their choice. It is no different than television ads, I
can turn it off, walk away or look at it. Everyone has a
delete button and they can also "unsubscribe". How is it
any different than sending "jokes" to all your friends with
YOUR tag on it and hoping they forward to all their friends
and maybe someone sees it and needs it??? Would that be
"labeled" kind of sneaky, spam or just another way to get
your name out there?? Anything can be labeled "senseless
hype" if you aren't personally interested in it, but it
might make perfect sense to the next person, that is the
beauty of it, that is the thing one can NEVER control. If
you feel you have a better mousetrap, get it out there for
people to see....and by the way, loosen up, stop being so
offended and touchy about everything that might come across
your screen, you have a delete button, use it!!

[I didn't say you can't delete your email. My question is:
who paid for it to show up in your box? Certainly the
person sending it and the person originating it did to
start with. Continuing down the line, however, there are
at least two (usually more) other networks of computers
that passed the data along and weren't paid. Sure, one
email doesn't amount to a very measurable cost. Millions
daily do, though. This can be cut down if those who don't
want to see it don't receive it in the first place. That
was my point. In this way, everyone's happy.]

Oh, by the way, I have invented a new product that removes
feet from mouth, will send you some spam on it.

[I'm sure it's destined to be a worldwide success.]

P.S. I have included a thank you note I received for
service provided, it really says it all, don't you think?
I have literally hundreds of these and I measure my
effectiveness by them and the counter button on my sites
and oh, yes, my bank deposit slips :):):):

"Susan,
Thank you so much for all you have done for our family. We
are so thankful we found you on the net and can never tell
you how grateful we are for all you did for our family and
for the beautiful casket. We WILL be recommending you to
all our friends and business acquaintances and using you
again. We would never think of using anyone else after
finding you. Thanks again.
Love, The [removed] Family"

[This doesn't mention SPAM or your use of it to get a
sale.]

Looking forward to your next issue.

Susan T., Funeral Director
icq # 124423053
website: www.funeralparlorweb.com
e-mail: susan@funeralparlorweb.com

------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to send a comment or letter to the editor
for inclusion in this newsletter, please address it to:
mailto:newsletter@aaronzwebworkz.com?subject=TalkBack!.
All are welcome to give their opinion, criticism, or kudos!

------------------------------------------------------------
Media Tactics: Getting Your Ads Where They Need To Go
by Kahlia Hannah

Kahlia Hannah provides marketing advice and popular
promotion packages. See her low-cost direct marketing and
PR deals at http://MarketingHelp.NET Reach Kahlia at
mailto:kahlia@drnunley.com or 801-328-9006.

Editor's Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------

Every week I get an email from someone who says that no
matter how great their ad copy, they just don't seem to be
getting results. More often than not, the problem lies in
the where the ads are being placed.

All forms of media have their own particular advantages,
but with those advantages come disadvantages. By knowing
just what the pros and cons for these mediums are, you can
get a better grasp on the best place for your ads.

Radio, for example, is a very intimate type of media. Many
people that listen to the radio are in their cars on a long
commute or at home listening while they accomplish some
other task. Keep in mind that they could very easily reach
over and turn off your message with a flick of the wrist.
The ad should grab the listener's attention and make them
feel like you are on a one to one level.

Advertising in the newspaper can bring some great prospects
--but try advertising outside of the classifieds section
for a change. Ask yourself why people read the newspaper.
For news of course! This means your ad should be abrupt,
in your face, and concise.

Although many people consider magazine advertising to be on
the same level as newspaper advertising, it's really quite
a different story. Most magazines are specialized to a
specific interest and therefore involve the actual reader
more than a newspaper does. Also, people tend to spend much
more time with a magazine than with a newspaper, mulling
over the articles and pages. Your ad, too, can pull the
reader in, if it fits the mood and tone of the magazine.

Television is a great medium for advertising if your
product is something that needs demonstration. Television
combines pictures, colors, words and action which can all
be important ways to entice your audience. Once you target
your potential customer base, you can figure out which time
slots work best for your needs.

Billboards and signs should not be used as a direct way to
lull people into using your product or service. These
mediums should be used strictly to remind people that you
are there and ready to serve their needs. Alone, a sign or
billboard will not create much response, but used in
conjunction with other methods, signs can generate a lot of
impulse traffic that otherwise never would have come your
way.

Using direct mail marketing can be a good tactic, but only
if you are willing to stick it out for the long run. One
mailing of sales letters or ads isn't exactly going to
superglue your message to someone's brain. If you used
follow-up mail, and coupon mailings as supplements to your
direct mail campaign, a bigger response will be seen.

Remember when we were discussing newspaper ads, and I said
to try placing your ad outside the classifieds section?
Well, there does come a time and a place to ignore my
marketing advice, and that is when you know that your
targeted market will be looking for YOU. Yellow pages and
classifieds can be a great way to catch people searching
for your kind of business, with little effort involved.

Telephone and canvassing can be even more intimate forms of
marketing, although they are more time consuming and tend
to be a little trickier. After all, there are so many phone
solicitors out there these days that you might not get a
less than enthusiastic, if not downright rude response.

So how do you choose which of these methods to use? Try as
many as you think you can effectively do a great job with,
and that won't put you over your marketing budget. The more
places you are seen, the more business you can potentially
attract.

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