Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly Newsletter
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January 31, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #63 Jan. 31, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
January, 2003 Attack on the Internet
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Your Credit Report - Business & Personal
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
January, 2003 Attack on the Internet
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz
Editor's Comments: News reports on this event were sketchy
and often left out important information or gave false
information altogether - as is usually true when the mass
media reports technology news. I thought I would explain,
in an overview, what the attacks were all about.
------------------------------------------------------------
A worm hit the Internet late last week, crippling many web-
sites and URLs. It's called the Slammer, SQL Slammer, or
Sapphire worm. A worm is similar to a virus, in that it is
usually malicious, but operates in a different way. A virus
attacks like a biological virus does, multiplying and
affecting specific operations. A worm works like a tapeworm
or other parasite, getting "bigger" and multiplying, but
sapping resources instead of attacking directly.
The SQL Slammer hit servers world wide, attacking a specific
weakness in Microsoft's SQL Server application - popular
database software.
The specific attacker is not known and speculation has
abounded as to where the worm originated and who's
responsible. The entire Internet network in the country of
South Korea was almost completely shut down soon after the
attacks began and the East Coast of the United States was
also hit very hard. The attacks started Friday night and
Saturday morning, spreading quickly.
Many experts are pointing to the fast spread of the worm as
evidence that it has been long in the making, residing
quietly on several thousand servers where the malicious
hacker must have carefully placed them before they all
surfaced at about the same time. Most fingers seem to point
towards Asia - the first to be hit - but no one is really
sure where the attack originated.
References in the worm code itself point to the Honkers
Union of China, who in 2001 defaced more than 80 U.S.
government websites. Most are quick to point out, however,
that placing those references could have been purposeful to
either lay blame elsewhere or take credit.
The worm didn't affect server software directly, but rather
it "ate up" so much of the bandwidth available on a network
connection (such as a connection to the Internet, World Wide
Web, etc.) that nothing else could get through. Many
servers, unable to handle the load, automatically shut down
or crashed altogether. When this happens to several hundred
thousand machines, the "web" of the Internet starts to break
down as fewer and fewer connections are found from one point
to another.
While we may never know who initiated this attack or why, we
have learned something from it. Patches to SQL are
notoriously laborious and time-consuming, contrary to the
updates Microsoft sends out for Windows and related
software. The time required is well worth it, obviously, in
order to keep security tight, but it should also tell
Microsoft that the process should be simplified to enable IT
personnel to more easily keep up-to-date with it. A patch
for this problem was released over a year ago, but this
attack showed how often those patches are ignored when time
constraints, lack of personnel, and other factors in a tight
economy and fast-paced environment are in control.
------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully everyone has had a great week! Interesting
happenings lately. The SQL worm (above article) hit fast
and hard this weekend, crippling many parts of the Internet.
Businesses were most affected by this, but risidual effects
were felt all around the world.
For those following the illegal online file swapping debates
and legalities, two blows were dealt from either side. RIAA
(Recording Industry Association of America) won a round in
court when a federal judge orered Verizon Communications to
disclose the identity of an alleged music pirate. Verizon
plans to appeal the decision, but shortly after it was
publicized, the other side had their say.
Hackers disabled the RIAA website, redering it unreachable
for three days. The attackers used a DoS (Denial of
Service) as they did last year in July. The FBI and (for
some reason) the U.S. Secret Service are investigating.
------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"As always, your newsletter is amazingly informative! The
first, I remember, that I had sent to me was the one where
you ran an article about Blogs (Sometime...early last fall).
I still refer to it now! But... perhaps you should run an
article on SSI in relation to Blogs. It's an amazing tool,
I'm sure you know, and one easy to use for those of us who
like to...expand on our own works :)"
--Spidey
Editor: Hi again, Spidey. Funny you should bring this up as
I'm currently working on a project that will center around a
blog-type system to regularly post "articles" onto the site.
Server Side Includes (SSI) are truly useful in this and
many other cases. The Aaronz WebWorkz site is almost
entirely built using this technology. It's a great way to
facilitate quickly adding information and storing it in
easily-accessed files. It also allows for many great
"extras" that can't be had otherwise.
Running an article on the subject, though, would probably be
outside of the scope of this newsletter. Most "regular"
people (those who aren't overly tech-savvy) would be lost it
altogether. Thanks for the input, though!
"Great stuff from Dave Mackenzie! That affiliate article
hit the nail right on the head and pointed out what I have
seen as common mistakes on affiliate-based websites."
--Linda T.
"Filter This! was awesome! I love Joe's stuff!"
--Bob R.
"That Joe guy is great! fun article!"
--Jeff M.
"i totally disagree with the article on spam you ran in this
weeks issue. i get thirty or more unsolicited emails PER DAY
and the numbers only get bigger. i am sick and tired of this
crap filing up my box all the time and wasting my resources.
filters are one of the only ways that people like me have of
protecting ourselfes!"
--Jane
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
Your Credit Report - Business & Personal
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz
------------------------------------------------------------
If you live in the United States, you have certain rights
under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you are outside of
the U.S., the information presented in this article is
general only, the specifics may or may not apply to your
country or jurisdiction.
First, by law, if you meet one of the following criteria,
you are entitled to a FREE copy of your credit report by
mail:
*You are a resident of Colorado, Georgia, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Vermont. [Once a year.]
*If you are unemployed or on welfare assistance.
*If you have been denied credit, insurance, a job, etc.
based on your credit history. [Valid for 60 days from the
denial.]
*You have reason to believe that you are a victim of fraud.
Every person who has ever applied for or used credit has a
credit report with at least one of the three credit
reporting agencies in this country (listed at the bottom of
this article). Many businesses (corporations and the like)
are also listed with a rating.
On your credit report, there are two things to be aware of.
One is your credit score and the other is your credit
report. No one can view your entire credit history (report)
without your authorization. On a limited basis, however,
your information (score, address, etc.) are available for
sale to companies who use them for marketing purposes.
Anyone who accesses this information is listed in the
section of your report usually titled "credit inquiries" or
something similar.
Your credit score is a rating based on your full report's
contents. Your total owed versus the amount you are allowed
to draw (e.g. $4,000 balance on a card with $10,000 credit
limit) is figured as a percentage. That percentage is
combined with your payment history, length of your credit
history (when you started credit), new credit, and what
types of credit are and have been used - all to create a
total score. Most of these scores are based on the "FICO"
system, which scores from 300 (bad) to 900 (perfect).
You can order a credit report from any of the three agencies
(or all three at once). If you meet the criteria listed at
the beginning of this article, you can write to them for a
free copy of your report. If you do not meet those
criteria, you can still order your report for a fee. Most
credit counselors will recommend that you review your credit
report at least once every two years.
The price of a report can vary according to your state of
residence but is usually $9 (plus $3-$5 for a total report
with score). To order a report by mail, you will need the
following information in a letter:
*First, middle, and last names.
*Current Address
*Any previous address (within the last 3 years)
*Social Security Number (SSN)
*Date of birth (DOB)
*Current Employer (or "self")
*Phone number
*Statement that you are requesting your credit report and
your signature to the request.
*Fee (if any)
The three agencies are:
Equifax
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0214
www.equifax.comExperian
PO Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013-2104
www.experian.comTrans Union, LLC
Consumer Disclosure Center
PO Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
www.transunion.com ------------------------------------------------------------
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
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).
January 28, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #67 Jan. 28, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
How To Audit-Proof Your Tax Return Forever!
(My Recent Close Encounter Of The IRS-Kind)
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Catering to Beginners, Enthusiasts and Geeks
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
How To Audit-Proof Your Tax Return Forever!
(My Recent Close Encounter Of The IRS-Kind)
Copyright 2003 Wayne M. Davies Inc.
Wayne M. Davies is author of the new eBook, "The Tax
Reduction Toolkit: 29 Little-Known Legal Loopholes That Will
Reduce Your Taxes By Thousands (For Small Business Owners
and Self-Employed People Only!) Don't file another tax
return until you visit:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?aaronzweb/wmdctpEditor's Comments: More great tax advice from Wayne Davies!
------------------------------------------------------------
Congress recently passed legislation that is supposed to
result in a more "sensitive" Internal Revenue Service. You
know, not such a lean, mean, tax-collecting machine.
I DON'T THINK SO! Here's why.
A few months ago, one of my clients (let's call him Mr.
Jones) got one of those IRS "love letters" requesting more
information about his return, and the IRS wanted to meet
with Mr. Jones in person to discuss the situation (not a
good sign!)
Mr. Jones (a local small business owner) was required to
show up at the local IRS office with all his records. The
IRS was questioning the legitimacy of several business
deductions -- and so the IRS was doing what it is allowed by
law to do -- demand that the taxpayer prove that those
deductions were valid.
[By the way, most IRS audits are done these days by mail.
Humans are rarely involved in these so-called
"correspondence audits."
Those big IRS computers can check and cross-check all kinds
of information that should be reported on your tax return.
And if something doesn't show up on the return that is
easily tracked by the IRS computers, then the computer just
spits out a not-so-friendly "discrepancy notice", which you
can respond to via mail.]
Turns out that Mr. Jones lost the audit and ended up owing
the IRS a significant amount of money -- the additional tax,
plus penalty and interest for late payment of that tax.
Why did Mr. Jones' lose the audit? Mr. Jones made two
"classic" taxpayer mistakes:
MISTAKE #1: "NO RECEIPT, NO DEDUCTION"
Mr. Jones lost several deductions simply because he didn't
have the proper documentation to prove the deductions.
What do I mean by "documentation"?
Well, if the IRS requires you to substantiate a deduction on
your tax return, you must be able to provide written proof
that the deduction really happened. The easiest way to
prove a deduction is to hang on to:
a) The receipt or invoice, and
b) Proof of payment, which can be a canceled check, cash
receipt, or credit card statement.
Mr. Jones reported numerous deductions for which he simply
didn't have the documentation. No receipts, no canceled
checks, no nothing. Turns out that Mr. Jones was one of
those "cash guys". Do you know what I mean by a "cash guy"?
Maybe you know what kind of guy I'm talking about -- He
never wrote a check in his life, just carried a wad of cash
around in his pocket. He paid for everything with cash, and
never kept any of his receipts.
Every year he would just sit down with his wife and
"remember" how much he spent on different things. No way to
prove any of this, of course. He just had a "feel" for how
much cash he had spent, and he had run his business for so
many years that he just "knew" how much it cost to purchase
certain things.
Well, this is the kind of taxpayer that the IRS loves!
It really is true -- if you can't prove that you paid for
something (with receipts, invoices, canceled checks, etc.),
then you run the risk of losing that deduction in the event
of an audit.
One of the most common questions I am asked by clients is
this: "I know I paid for something, but I don't have a
receipt. Should I still report the deduction."
My response is usually this: "You only need a receipt if
you get audited!"
Think about that for a minute! At first, many clients don't
know if I am joking or not. Well, I do make that comment
with my tongue planted firmly in cheek, but there really is
a lot of truth to it. If you don't have the documentation
to prove a deduction, you can still report the deduction
(if you want), because you only have to prove the deduction
if you get audited.
But if you do get audited, knowing that there are
undocumented deductions on the return, be prepared to lose
the deduction!
And here's the second major mistake that Mr. Jones made:
MISTAKE #2: BOGUS DEDUCTIONS!
It turns out that Mr. Jones wasn't completely honest with me
about some of his deductions. He reported deductions that
simply were not real deductions. Here's one example:
Mr. Jones owned several rental houses. These rental houses,
of course, required maintenance and repair work. Many
times Mr. Jones would do the work himself rather than pay
someone else to do the work.
Well, Mr. Jones would estimate what he would have had to pay
someone else to do the work that he did himself, and then
he would report that amount as a deduction, even though he
didn't actually pay anybody to do the work!
In other words, Mr. Jones deducted the value of his time --
a big No-No!
This is an important point -- you can never legitimately
deduct the value of your time for work you did. You have to
actually pay someone else to do the labor.
Well, that's what happened to Mr. Jones. He made a couple
classic mistakes and paid the consequences.
I hope you benefited by learning what can happen in a real
audit. If you ever get a letter from the IRS that demands
additional information, you'll have nothing to worry about
if you do exactly the opposite of what Mr. Jones did. If
you can properly document your deductions and assuming you
have no bogus information, you'll pass the audit with flying
colors!
------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, what a week this has been! Busy, busy. We're fast
approaching tax time here in the USA. Tax-related articles
will continue to run as often as I find them.
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, feel
free to drop me a line (respond to this email, call, or
write).
For those of you who are Online Auction Academy students,
the changes being made and the new server setups have
usurped the newsletter there this week, but be sure it will
return ASAP.
------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Great series of articles by Wayne Davies for the tax info!
I ordered his ebook and it is awesome!"
--Sheryl C.
"I just wanted to refute information in Wayne's article
'4 Simple Steps to Reduce Your Taxes' that you ran last
week. If you sit down and ad it up, your taxes are actually
much higher than just 32% once you ad in all of the other
things you pay taxs towards."
--Bob L.
Editor: Hi, Bob. You're right. The last numbers I saw when
you figure in sales/use taxes, taxes paid on items BEFORE
you've bought them (which would be a part of the purchase
price), etc. the total was more like 47% of the average
person's income.
"Thanks for the timely info about the godaddy domain scam
being done by those telemarketers."
--Earl B.
"The Internet F Word article was hilarious!"
--Jayne T.
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
Catering to Beginners, Enthusiasts and Geeks
by Marcia Yudkin
Marcia Yudkin (
marcia@yudkin.com) is the author of Poor
Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover and 10 other books.
Her site review service tells you what, if anything, you
need to change at your site to turn visitors into customers
and clients. Details:
http://www.yudkin.com/sitereview.htmEditor's Comments: Great article from Marcia on basic mark-
eting strategy when writing website copy.
------------------------------------------------------------
Last year I had occasion to review several dozen Web sites
in one industry -- camera stores. I found this eye-opening,
as an unfortunate pattern emerged that I believe holds not
only on the Internet but also in paper-based marketing
materials, and applies to many professions. First, some
background.
Most of us, particularly those who regularly deal with a
wide swath of the public, know how to adjust our
conversation according to the experience level of our
audience. If someone asks to see a particular camera, a
retailer explains it differently depending on whether the
person seems to know as much as he about cameras or next to
nothing. An oncologist explains the same case of cancer
differently to the patient than to the patient's doctor.
On paper and on the Web, however, we tend to orient our
promotional material to just one kind of audience and only
one level of sophistication. If we do this strategically,
great. If we make a conscious choice to target one audience
rather than another because the former accounts for higher
profits, terrific. But that's not what I saw at the camera
store sites.
For beginners, people who don't know much about a product or
service, it's a huge mistake to lead with detailed product
information. Too much "APS 505 AiAF f/2.8 2x" overwhelms
when I'm wondering whether a digital, 35mm or disposable
point-and-shoot camera would fit my needs.
Beginners need helpful guidance that takes their goal as the
starting point. Questions and answers and products
recommended for specific purposes may work best for this
audience so long as the descriptions use laypersons'
vocabulary.
Enthusiasts, people who love spending money on their hobby,
respond well when invited to adventure farther or deeper and
meet new challenges in pursuit of their favorite pastime.
Activities such as clinics and outings for wildlife
photography, sports shots or photojournalism capture the
imagination of this group -- and get them to spend more
money. Since this segment loves exchanging tips and sharing
their passion, an online discussion group and an email
newsletter containing picture-taking techniques would earn
their devotion to a Web site.
Finally we get to the geeks, the experts, the pros, who
usually have a rough idea of what they want and might be
narrowing down the field to one or two models or
manufacturers. They're the ones that all that "APS 505 AiAF
f/2.8 2x" speaks to. I doubt very much they represent the
majority of camera buyers, or that they bring a merchant the
greatest profit, since they're probably skilled comparison
shoppers. Nearly all the sites I looked at mainly appealed
to geeks. And I think this was unintentional, due to the
camera store owners belonging to this category themselves.
Don't pick out one audience only unless that's your
strategic choice. By combining approaches on your Web site,
or on a brochure or sales sheet, you can lasso all levels of
customers -- beginners, enthusiasts and geeks.
------------------------------------------------------------
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 #67 Jan. 28, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
How To Audit-Proof Your Tax Return Forever!
(My Recent Close Encounter Of The IRS-Kind)
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Catering to Beginners, Enthusiasts and Geeks
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
How To Audit-Proof Your Tax Return Forever!
(My Recent Close Encounter Of The IRS-Kind)
Copyright 2003 Wayne M. Davies Inc.
Wayne M. Davies is author of the new eBook, "The Tax
Reduction Toolkit: 29 Little-Known Legal Loopholes That Will
Reduce Your Taxes By Thousands (For Small Business Owners
and Self-Employed People Only!) Don't file another tax
return until you visit:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?aaronzweb/wmdctpEditor's Comments: More great tax advice from Wayne Davies!
------------------------------------------------------------
Congress recently passed legislation that is supposed to
result in a more "sensitive" Internal Revenue Service. You
know, not such a lean, mean, tax-collecting machine.
I DON'T THINK SO! Here's why.
A few months ago, one of my clients (let's call him Mr.
Jones) got one of those IRS "love letters" requesting more
information about his return, and the IRS wanted to meet
with Mr. Jones in person to discuss the situation (not a
good sign!)
Mr. Jones (a local small business owner) was required to
show up at the local IRS office with all his records. The
IRS was questioning the legitimacy of several business
deductions -- and so the IRS was doing what it is allowed by
law to do -- demand that the taxpayer prove that those
deductions were valid.
[By the way, most IRS audits are done these days by mail.
Humans are rarely involved in these so-called
"correspondence audits."
Those big IRS computers can check and cross-check all kinds
of information that should be reported on your tax return.
And if something doesn't show up on the return that is
easily tracked by the IRS computers, then the computer just
spits out a not-so-friendly "discrepancy notice", which you
can respond to via mail.]
Turns out that Mr. Jones lost the audit and ended up owing
the IRS a significant amount of money -- the additional tax,
plus penalty and interest for late payment of that tax.
Why did Mr. Jones' lose the audit? Mr. Jones made two
"classic" taxpayer mistakes:
MISTAKE #1: "NO RECEIPT, NO DEDUCTION"
Mr. Jones lost several deductions simply because he didn't
have the proper documentation to prove the deductions.
What do I mean by "documentation"?
Well, if the IRS requires you to substantiate a deduction on
your tax return, you must be able to provide written proof
that the deduction really happened. The easiest way to
prove a deduction is to hang on to:
a) The receipt or invoice, and
b) Proof of payment, which can be a canceled check, cash
receipt, or credit card statement.
Mr. Jones reported numerous deductions for which he simply
didn't have the documentation. No receipts, no canceled
checks, no nothing. Turns out that Mr. Jones was one of
those "cash guys". Do you know what I mean by a "cash guy"?
Maybe you know what kind of guy I'm talking about -- He
never wrote a check in his life, just carried a wad of cash
around in his pocket. He paid for everything with cash, and
never kept any of his receipts.
Every year he would just sit down with his wife and
"remember" how much he spent on different things. No way to
prove any of this, of course. He just had a "feel" for how
much cash he had spent, and he had run his business for so
many years that he just "knew" how much it cost to purchase
certain things.
Well, this is the kind of taxpayer that the IRS loves!
It really is true -- if you can't prove that you paid for
something (with receipts, invoices, canceled checks, etc.),
then you run the risk of losing that deduction in the event
of an audit.
One of the most common questions I am asked by clients is
this: "I know I paid for something, but I don't have a
receipt. Should I still report the deduction."
My response is usually this: "You only need a receipt if
you get audited!"
Think about that for a minute! At first, many clients don't
know if I am joking or not. Well, I do make that comment
with my tongue planted firmly in cheek, but there really is
a lot of truth to it. If you don't have the documentation
to prove a deduction, you can still report the deduction
(if you want), because you only have to prove the deduction
if you get audited.
But if you do get audited, knowing that there are
undocumented deductions on the return, be prepared to lose
the deduction!
And here's the second major mistake that Mr. Jones made:
MISTAKE #2: BOGUS DEDUCTIONS!
It turns out that Mr. Jones wasn't completely honest with me
about some of his deductions. He reported deductions that
simply were not real deductions. Here's one example:
Mr. Jones owned several rental houses. These rental houses,
of course, required maintenance and repair work. Many
times Mr. Jones would do the work himself rather than pay
someone else to do the work.
Well, Mr. Jones would estimate what he would have had to pay
someone else to do the work that he did himself, and then
he would report that amount as a deduction, even though he
didn't actually pay anybody to do the work!
In other words, Mr. Jones deducted the value of his time --
a big No-No!
This is an important point -- you can never legitimately
deduct the value of your time for work you did. You have to
actually pay someone else to do the labor.
Well, that's what happened to Mr. Jones. He made a couple
classic mistakes and paid the consequences.
I hope you benefited by learning what can happen in a real
audit. If you ever get a letter from the IRS that demands
additional information, you'll have nothing to worry about
if you do exactly the opposite of what Mr. Jones did. If
you can properly document your deductions and assuming you
have no bogus information, you'll pass the audit with flying
colors!
------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, what a week this has been! Busy, busy. We're fast
approaching tax time here in the USA. Tax-related articles
will continue to run as often as I find them.
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, feel
free to drop me a line (respond to this email, call, or
write).
For those of you who are Online Auction Academy students,
the changes being made and the new server setups have
usurped the newsletter there this week, but be sure it will
return ASAP.
------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Great series of articles by Wayne Davies for the tax info!
I ordered his ebook and it is awesome!"
--Sheryl C.
"I just wanted to refute information in Wayne's article
'4 Simple Steps to Reduce Your Taxes' that you ran last
week. If you sit down and ad it up, your taxes are actually
much higher than just 32% once you ad in all of the other
things you pay taxs towards."
--Bob L.
Editor: Hi, Bob. You're right. The last numbers I saw when
you figure in sales/use taxes, taxes paid on items BEFORE
you've bought them (which would be a part of the purchase
price), etc. the total was more like 47% of the average
person's income.
"Thanks for the timely info about the godaddy domain scam
being done by those telemarketers."
--Earl B.
"The Internet F Word article was hilarious!"
--Jayne T.
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
Catering to Beginners, Enthusiasts and Geeks
by Marcia Yudkin
Marcia Yudkin (
mailto:marcia@yudkin.com) is the author of Poor
Richard's Web Site Marketing Makeover and 10 other books.
Her site review service tells you what, if anything, you
need to change at your site to turn visitors into customers
and clients. Details:
http://www.yudkin.com/sitereview.htmEditor's Comments: Great article from Marcia on basic mark-
eting strategy when writing website copy.
------------------------------------------------------------
Last year I had occasion to review several dozen Web sites
in one industry -- camera stores. I found this eye-opening,
as an unfortunate pattern emerged that I believe holds not
only on the Internet but also in paper-based marketing
materials, and applies to many professions. First, some
background.
Most of us, particularly those who regularly deal with a
wide swath of the public, know how to adjust our
conversation according to the experience level of our
audience. If someone asks to see a particular camera, a
retailer explains it differently depending on whether the
person seems to know as much as he about cameras or next to
nothing. An oncologist explains the same case of cancer
differently to the patient than to the patient's doctor.
On paper and on the Web, however, we tend to orient our
promotional material to just one kind of audience and only
one level of sophistication. If we do this strategically,
great. If we make a conscious choice to target one audience
rather than another because the former accounts for higher
profits, terrific. But that's not what I saw at the camera
store sites.
For beginners, people who don't know much about a product or
service, it's a huge mistake to lead with detailed product
information. Too much "APS 505 AiAF f/2.8 2x" overwhelms
when I'm wondering whether a digital, 35mm or disposable
point-and-shoot camera would fit my needs.
Beginners need helpful guidance that takes their goal as the
starting point. Questions and answers and products
recommended for specific purposes may work best for this
audience so long as the descriptions use laypersons'
vocabulary.
Enthusiasts, people who love spending money on their hobby,
respond well when invited to adventure farther or deeper and
meet new challenges in pursuit of their favorite pastime.
Activities such as clinics and outings for wildlife
photography, sports shots or photojournalism capture the
imagination of this group -- and get them to spend more
money. Since this segment loves exchanging tips and sharing
their passion, an online discussion group and an email
newsletter containing picture-taking techniques would earn
their devotion to a Web site.
Finally we get to the geeks, the experts, the pros, who
usually have a rough idea of what they want and might be
narrowing down the field to one or two models or
manufacturers. They're the ones that all that "APS 505 AiAF
f/2.8 2x" speaks to. I doubt very much they represent the
majority of camera buyers, or that they bring a merchant the
greatest profit, since they're probably skilled comparison
shoppers. Nearly all the sites I looked at mainly appealed
to geeks. And I think this was unintentional, due to the
camera store owners belonging to this category themselves.
Don't pick out one audience only unless that's your
strategic choice. By combining approaches on your Web site,
or on a brochure or sales sheet, you can lasso all levels of
customers -- beginners, enthusiasts and geeks.
------------------------------------------------------------
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).
January 24, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #62 Jan. 24, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
Affiliates Should Give First and Sell Second
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
FILTER THIS!!!
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
Affiliates Should Give First and Sell Second
By David McKenzie
David McKenzie is offering a Free Email Course
"5 Tips to Being Successful with Affiliate Programs"
==>
http://www.1sthomebasedbusiness.comClick now for your FREE course!
Editor's Comments: A great, basic article on how to really
prompt action in your affiliate sales pitch. His course is
also highly recommended!
------------------------------------------------------------
As an affiliate your primary goal is to make a commission on
the sale of a product you are re-selling.
However, it is important to know the best method to getting
this result. For the affiliate the best method may be
different than for the direct seller.
As a direct seller, selling up front without getting to know
your visitor is a viable option. It does work, however it
relies heavily on a well-crafted sales letter.
For an affiliate, there is another way to `get the sale' and
it involves getting to know your visitor before they buy
through you.
With this method you develop your web site to be as content
rich as possible. Articles, newsletter archives, tips and
advice.
Then visitors visit your site to read the valuable content,
not to buy from you.
However, what actually happens is that these visitors come
back again and again to read your content.
Eventually after coming back to your site a few times they
feel like they know and trust you. When they feel like this
they will end up buying what you are offering.
Throughout your web site you could be selling different
affiliate products and it is these products that your
returning visitors will buy.
How do I know if this works?
Well, I have set up a web site in just this manner and over
the years it has produced countless affiliate product sales.
They come for the content but you end up getting the sale!
------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
The online world has been busy lately. A new virus has been
spreading worldwide with some proliferation. Many of you
have probably received emails from "big@boss.com" with one
of four subject lines: "Re: Movies" "Re: Document"
"Re: Sample" or "Re: here is that sample". There is usually
a file attachment as well (the actual virus).
The virus is fairly new and is known as the "Sobig" virus or
"W.Sobig" (worm.sobig). More information can be found at
the Symantec website (makers of Norton products):
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/
w32.sobig.a@mm.html[Cut & paste as needed.]
In further federal government news, the IT spending in
support of Homeland Security last year was 2.9 billion
dollars. It is expected that at least that much, and
probably more, will be spent in 2003 - accounting for
about 8% of total federal government spending on
Homeland Security this year. These numbers DO NOT
INCLUDE some costs such as multi-agency infrastructure,
new intelligence systems, etc. that are not slated for
use only as part of the Homeland Security office.
That's all for this week. See you next week!
------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Good work, Aaron! I love those technology updates!"
--Bob L.
"Your Russian bride awaits you! Come meet her at
http://..."
--Anonymous
Editor: Uhh...gee, thanks, but I married a girl from Chicago
already. You may have me mixed up with Rob.
"Wow! Thanks for the marketing article from Debbie Allen.
I went to Amazon and purchased her book. You did a great
job in there! I recommend it to everyone!"
--Jamie P.
Editor: *blush* Thanks, Jamie. :) To those of you who
aren't familiar with her book, the title is "Confessions of
Shameless Internet Promoters" and it was compiled by Debbie
Allen. It contains great articles from such genius-experts
as myself on Internet marketing.
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
FILTER THIS!!!
*Written by Joe Bingham of the NetPlay Marketer
Joe has written many articles, both informational and
humorous, with the intent of helping others gain a better
understanding of Internet marketing concepts. His 'tell it
like it is' approach has many offering the NetPlay Marketer
as one of their most favorite ezines. See for yourself at:
http://www.netplaynewsletters.comEditor's Comments: Another great article from Joe!
------------------------------------------------------------
I've had it. I really have. I'm so sick of all the whining
about spam and the idea of email filtering.
You know what that means, don't you?
That's right, it's time for a rant.
First, consider who it is that is making all the fuss about
spam. Personally, I don't know anybody who really worries
that much about it. Everyone I know hates the idea of
filtering more than getting a few unwanted emails.
So who is it making all the noise about spam?
1. People who sell anti-spam software or services
2. ISPs
Hmmm... What is it they say? Follow the money trail and
you'll find the real truth behind any problem.
Gee, if I'm selling anti-spam software, what do I need?
People to hate spam so they'll buy my product. Enough said
there, but what about ISPs, what's their problem?
ISPs whine about too many emails overloading the system.
Well, don't they realize more and more people are coming
online and using the Internet all the time anyway? Which
means an increasing amount of email will be sent as time
goes on?
Why don't they quit whining about the numbers, quit wasting
time developing filters, and get to building a system that
will serve our needs!
Where is my monthly access fee going anyway?
And what is the big deal about getting a few advertisements
by email anyway? We watch TV, it has ads. We listen to
radio, it has ads. Newspapers, billboards, signs, flyers,
snail mail, all have ads in them and nobody cares, but send
an ad in an email and my goodness you're violating civil
rights?
Come on!
But I get stuff that I don't want, stuff that's not related
to me.
Well, whoopee! Does every ad on TV relate to you? As a
guy, do I have to run out and buy women's underwear if I
happen to see an ad for it on TV? I don't think so.
So why is it ISPs think our email needs filtered for us? Do
they think we are all incapable?
Besides which, I get emails from my ISP all the time that
contain advertising. Why don't they filter themselves?
Hmmm? Remember the money trail idea? Still applies doesn't
it? Are the ISPs really creating email filters because of
public demand, or to save themselves from lawsuits by the 5%
of their users who like to complain about everything?
Honestly, I don't know.
How many people do complain to their ISPs when they get
email they don't like? How many people complain to the post
office when they get bills they don't like? How many people
complain to God when they get weather they don't like? How
many people just plain like to complain? I'm complaining,
want to complain back? Is there a point to it all?
Now, ok, there is a problem with porn ending up in the
inboxes of people that don't want it, and I agree that
shouldn't happen. But how offensive can an email be if you
delete it without opening it?
The point is trying to restrict the method of delivery is
NOT the solution.
When people wanted to restrict cigarette advertising in the
U.S., they made it illegal for the cigarette companies to
advertise on TV. They didn't shut down television stations
or put filters in people's TV sets. Why do we want to take
such a restrictive approach with email?
Email and the Internet grant us more freedom than any other
medium EVER. Let's not screw that up!
I get approximately 60-100 emails every day, depending on
how active I am online. Usually, only about 10% of them are
ones I actually read. The other 90% take roughly one extra
minute to download and one extra minute to delete.
As Garfield would say, BIG, FAT, HAIRY DEAL!!!
I'm willing to give up two minutes a day in exchange for
keeping the freedoms the Internet offers me.
Aren't you?
So, if you really want to filter your email. That's fine.
I don't care. Go for it. That's up to you. You should
have that choice. Buy software that will do it for you.
Spend your two extra minutes a day playing with your
filtering software instead of deleting a few extra emails.
But ISPs have NO business forcing such things upon those of
us who think it's ridiculous.
As with anything else, let's leave the freedom of choice in
the hands of the individual and quit making this whole thing
out to be a colossal problem because it's not!
Or at least it shouldn't be.
I mean really. Where's common sense gone in this matter?
If you don't like an email you've received, delete it!
If you don't like getting commercial email, buy your own
filtering software. Don't force it's existence on me!
If you don't want OPEN communication with the rest of the
world get off the Internet altogether!
One last point, and then I'll shut up. Just think about
this, though.
Do people advertise their web sites by chiseling their
domain names into stones and casting them through people's
windows at night?
Of course not, that would never work.
So, why do they advertise through unsolicited commercial
email? Because it DOES work!
So what's the ONE and only way to end the use of unsolicited
commercial email? Make it ineffective!
When it no longer works, it will go away. That I can
promise.
Until then, all filtering, complaining, and whining about
spam will do is put the effective use of ALL email
marketing, unsolicited and opt-in alike, into the hands of
large corporations and ISPs and away from the independent
business person.
That's ALL any of this is going to accomplish. Why do you
think email filters are more effectively filtering out opt-
in ezines than ads coming from the ISPs own advertisers?
That's what's happening in my inbox anyway.
Like I said, follow the money trail and ye shall learn the
truth.
Thanks for reading my rant. Happy emailing!
------------------------------------------------------------
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).
January 17, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #61 Jan. 17, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
Technology Update, January 2003
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
5 Marketing Mistakes You Can't Afford To Make
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
Technology Update, January 2003
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz
------------------------------------------------------------
Not nearly as much to talk about this month as there was
last month. November/December are always great times for
techno-geeks. Sort of like October/November is great for
car lovers.
Smart Cards are gaining ground as several retailers begin to
implement them. A Smart Card is kind of like a cross
between your discount card at the store and a VISA card.
They can be used in a variety of ways, usually to give
"coupons" or "cash back" to spend at other participating
retailers. The largest retailer to jump on the wagon is
Target, with an estimated 7 million cards entering
circulation worldwide and with their program slated to begin
early this year. Other, more localized merchants, are
setting up small programs of their own to trade "foot
traffic" with one another by giving incentives for using
their "smart card" debit cards to purchase at one merchant
or another.
Most people aren't aware that there are two types of dialup
modem on the market today. One is the older "V.90" standard
while a newer type called "V.92" has come on the scene.
This type of modem can increase your connection speeds
significantly by increasing the compression on transfers of
web-style data (graphics, video, sound). These increases
can be from 10 to 120 percent! Watch out before you run out
and buy a new modem, though. If you ISP doesn't provide
V.92 support, you will be wasting your money.
Circle K mini-marts and truck stops around the country will
soon be providing free 802.11b wireless Internet access.
These stores will allow anyone within range to use the
access point for free! A great boon to travelers!
A little-known chip maker called Transmeta has unveiled a
new suite of chips on the x86 platform (similar to AMD and
Intel) with embedded applications from an impressive lineup
of big-name software companies. This new chip line, called
the Crusoe SE, will be targeted at medical and specialty
kiosks in retail, among other things.
A new email worm has hit the streets. It's currently prop-
ogating throughout the Middle East and is known as the
YahaWorm. This one, similar to Klez, has the ability to
gather email addresses from Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger,
and .Net Messenger. It also has the ability to, once it's
infected a system, circumvent or shut down security
precautions including products such as McAffee and Norton
Utilities. If your virus definitions are up-to-date,
however, you should be OK as both McAffee and Norton have
had sniffers for these available for a couple of weeks now.
Well, that's it for this month's tech updates.
------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
Most of you know that I was in Reno, Nevada last weekend to
speak at a conference for the Online Auction Academy
(
http://www.auctiontrainer.com). Well, it was probably the
most fun I've had at a conference...ever! I've been to more
than one, but they have usually been dry and boring
technology, political, or get-rich-quick deals. Not this
one! I had a great time. It didn't hurt that it was held
in Reno, Nevada, in a casino...
You can see photos here:
http://www.auctiontrainer.com/winterconf/In other news, the U.S. Small Business Administration has
announced the launch of the SBAExchange Pilot Program as an
"electronic purchasing tool designed to facilitate small
business e-procurement opportunities and improve the
efficiency and accountability of current government
procurement processes." In other words, you can now bid
on government projects over the Internet. For more info,
go to
http://www.SBAExchange.govYahoo! has announced that they will be buying the Inktomi
search engine and its database. Currently, Yahoo! uses
Google for "third-party" search results (editorial results
outside of Yahoo!'s own database). This could be a sign
that once the three-year contract with Google is up, they
will be switching. This would give Yahoo! plenty of time
to revamp and recharge the Inktomi database. Time will
tell.
New numbers from PC Magazine show that broadband Internet
access has increased dramatically. In 2001, about 49% of
readers surveyed used dialup modems to access the 'Net.
In 2002, that number is down to 32% with the difference
going mainly to DSL and Cable Modem access. The future
is now!
A quick mention of the Homeland Security Office: their
IT budget alone is slated to be around 2.6 billion dollars!
That's it for this week! See you all next Friday.
------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"I read every issue, Aaron! Good work. Thanks for the info
last week!"
--Mark M.
Editor: You're welcome, Mark. Here's a link to that list of
marketing definitions:
Word:
http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/resources/Web Marketing
Acronyms and Definitions.doc [cut & paste]
PDF:
http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/resources/
webmarketingdefinitions.pdf [cut & paste]
HTML:
http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/resources/webmarketingacro.html"Wow! Another great issue!"
--Bob L.
Editor: Thanks, Bob.
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
5 Marketing Mistakes You Can't Afford To Make
by Debbie Allen www.DebbieAllen.com
Debbie Allen is an internationally recognized marketing and
sales expert, professional speaker and author of 3 books on
business marketing including, Confessions of Shameless
Self Promoters and Confessions of Shameless Internet
Promoters. For information email:
Debbie@DebbieAllen.com Phone: 800-359-4544 Website:
www.DebbieAllen.comEditor's Comments: Debbie, of course, is the author of the
book which includes my article. The book is titled
"Confessions of Shameless Internet Marketers" and is now
available on Amazon.com
------------------------------------------------------------
In virtually every area of business, there will be pitfalls
along the way. Marketing is no exception. Time and
time again I see retail stores large and small making the
same costly mistakes. By knowing how to avoid these
mistakes, you will save energy, disappointment and
money.
Mistake #1:
Eliminating marketing efforts when times get tight.
When cash flow slows, advertising, direct mail and
other forms of marketing are the easiest expenses to
reduce, right? But cut these, and you eliminate the
very activities that will bring in new customers to turn
your business around. This is the time when you may
be spending more time analyzing the results of your
marketing efforts. But by stopping marketing efforts,
you will be setting yourself up for additional loss of
business.
Mistake #2:
Not measuring results.
Don't wait until times get tight to start measuring the
results of your marketing efforts. By constantly analyzing
these, you will be able to reinvest in what is working, and
drop those that aren't. Ask customers how they found your
business, and then track the results. Use in-store or on-
line coupons, or host a focus group of a variety of
customers to discover what attracts them to your business.
Mistake #3:
Putting all your marketing dollars in one area.
If your entire marketing budget is used on just one method
of promoting your business, you wont realize the highest
return on your investment. Diversifying your efforts will
increase the frequency and reach of your messages and
stretch your marketing dollars.
Businesses can get hooked into one large advertising program
with a local newspaper, magazine or radio station, and put
the majority of their marketing dollars there. They feel as
if they have to advertise with the same media source, just
because they always have or fear they will lose ground since
their competitors are advertising there as well.
I have actually known some business owners that stay with
a company for fear of upsetting their sales associate.
Remember, its YOUR money and YOUR investment. Don't
ever let anyone talk you into an advertising program that is
not producing the best results for your business. I know
this can happen, because it happened to me. My advertising
dollars were spent mostly on the same magazines for years
until I started to focus on measuring the results more
effectively.
Start to measure the results of your advertising dollars
spent vs. the income received from your advertising on a
consist basis. Many business owners tell me they only do a
few direct-mail programs a year, targeted to their existing
customer base. Your customer base and mailing list is gold,
make sure you have budgeted a large part of your marketing
dollars to advertise to your existing customers. They
already love you, so keep them coming back by sending
marketing flyers, postcards and personalized cards at least
six times a year.
Mistake #4:
Allowing your ego to get in the way of common sense.
Ego can tempt a very bright person to do dumb things. Your
marketing decisions should be based on factors that will
positively impact some area of your business - usually the
bottom line. Buying full-page ads or covers featuring your-
self and not focusing on your business unique offerings may
result in money out the window.
I've been there and done that one too. In fact, I've made
about every marketing mistake in the book. Yet I lived to
tell about it and also to warn you from making these same
costly mistakes. I guess that earns me the right to be
called a marketing expert today.
Mistake #5:
Not getting help when you need it.
If you find you're too busy to handle your marketing efforts
or that your materials aren't looking as professional as
they should, it's time to call in the reinforcements. Hire
a full-or part-time employee to allow you more free time to
work on the business end or hire an independent business
consultant to bring in new concepts and fresh ideas.
------------------------------------------------------------
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).
January 14, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #65 Jan. 14, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
Technology Updates, February 2003
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
5 Tax Myths That Are Costing You A Bundle
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
Technology Updates, February 2003
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz
------------------------------------------------------------
Wow! Plenty of stuff has happened since the first of the
year. Most companies that haven't already are now
announcing their new products to be introduced this year.
Let's just get right into it.
IBM has announced that they are working on a new type of
storage technology which could eventually replace the disk
platter hard disks we use today. This technology, called
Millipede, is slated to enter the marketing in two to three
years and uses nanotechnology and a "scanning probe AFM
cantilever array storage technique" (decipher THAT!) to
store 100-400 GIGABITS per square inch. Compare that to
today where we're lucky to get 1 gigabyte in that space.
A company called CenDyne has released a cool audio product
called the Gruvstick. This thing can hold 128mb of music
files (around 2 hours) and can play them back through head-
phones or an FM radio transmission to your car stereo,
personal stereo, etc. Cool! All in one little unit that
will easily fit in your fist.
AMD will be releasing the Clawhammer to the public market
very soon. This is the first 64-bit processor to enter the
desktop PC market. It will take some time to catch on,
though, since the real power of these can't be used until an
operating system can harness it.
Some new web cameras from Logitech have quietly entered the
scene. These cameras (some are below $100) can track human
faces like a virtual director to keep them centered on the
screen. Tests by labs like eWeek have found that they work
fairly well, though they are limited.
RSA Security, Inc. is developing an online identity
management system that would allow users to keep their
personal data on their own machines (rather than stored on
Microsoft servers as with .Net) and release only that data
they want to the sites they want to have it. For example,
if a user accessed a website to register for a monthly
subscription, they could give out their credit card, name,
and then create a password while holding back their age,
social security number, marital status, etc. This software
is meant to compete directly with .Net Passport as an
identity management solution.
Network Associates' foray into the control of the public
knowledge of their software was shattered when a judge
ordered them to stop their "free speech ban" in their user
agreement which did not allow benchmarking, editorials, or
product reviews to be published without NA's permission.
They will, of course, try to appeal.
That's all the new technology updates for this month. I
would, however, like to touch on the future. The market
research firm IDC has released it's predictions for the next
ten years' worth of technology.
According to their scientists, doctors will monitor vital
signs through a computer connected to tiny sensors implanted
in the patient's body. Carbon particles called "nanotubes"
will form the structure of buildings, making them thousands
of times stronger than steel and able to withstand any
disaster. The Web will be able to "semantically" answer
questions and search queries based on intent instead of
content. You can read more on this at Wired News:
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,57238,00.html------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
Another great week! Things have been busy here and around
the world. Hopefully this issue finds everyone in a good
position and happy.
Since this is tax season (again), I will feature a tax-
related article in each coming issue until April 15.
Several of these articles will be from Wayne Davies, who has
written a great eBook for small business and self-employed
people that I highly recommend. You can get more info on it
here:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?aaronzweb/wmdctp ------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"'One of the options you can set is to have your domains on
'Domain Lock' which doesn't allow any transfer whatsoever.
This allows you to secure them until you want them released,
at which time you just 'unlock' them and go through the
transfer normally. I am unable to find a similar service on
GoDaddy.'
"GoDaddy does offer domain locking with all their domains.
The service is FREE. In fact, I just went to GoDaddy to lock
all my domains with them.
"Thank you for mentioning this service. I didn't know it was
available until I read about it in your newsletter. It's
always good to have that extra level of security in place."
--Steve E. (
http://sherwoodwebdesign.com)
Editor: Thanks for the info. I'll include your comments in
next week's issue. I couldn't find it at GoDaddy, but
currently I don't have any domains there so perhaps you need
some for it to show up as an option.
DirectNIC doesn't charge for this service either, by the
way. It's a great extra level of security wherever you
register!
"Your concept of an Internet coffee house is right on
target. I've been corresponding with five or six
"netrepeneurs" like yourself, and they've all been immensely
helpful in getting my journalistic enterprise launched. Some
days when I run into a problem, I'll get a newsletter from
someone who's had the same problem, and has found a
solution! Or, I can go to two or three discussion boards,
post a question, and get a reply within a few hours. I'm
starting to visit Elena Fawkner's site, as well. She
certainly has some good advice to share.
"Years ago, when I was selling real estate, realtors from
different companies would get together for "swap meets" at
local restaurants or coffee shops. We'd discuss property
values, what's happening in various communities, etc. Some-
times the conversations would stray way off the subject, but
they were usually informative. It looks like now I'm doing
the same thing on the 'Net. Some things just don't change,
I guess.
"In any case, keep up the good work!"
Roy T. (
http://www.webservertimes.com)
"You may remember recently sending an email to a Spam Arrest
customer, and receiving a response asking you to visit our
website and type in a word that was shown to you in a
picture.
"It was pretty easy, wasn't it?" ....
Editor: This is a generic email that is sent from SpamArrest
whenever someone responds to the email sent in behalf of one
of their customers to "clear" their address and allow the
email to go through. It works like this: someone sends an
email to a SpamArrest customer, SpamArrest holds the email
and sends a verification email to the original sender to
verify their return address. Once the sender responds, the
original email is sent to the recipient (SpamArrest
customer).
The email above was sent to me after verifying a newsletter
sent to one of our subscribers. It was sent several days
after my response (I just got it yesterday) and there is NOT
a note on the verification page with an option to "not opt-
in" to their list. This seems to be breaking their reason
for existence. I sent an email to complain and have not
received a response. I'll keep you informed.
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
5 Tax Myths That Are Costing You A Bundle
Copyright 2002 Wayne M. Davies Inc.
Wayne M. Davies is author of the new eBook, "The Tax
Reduction Toolkit: 29 Little-Known Legal Loopholes That Will
Reduce Your Taxes By Thousands (For Small Business Owners
and Self-Employed People Only!) Don't file another tax
return until you visit:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?aaronzweb/wmdctpEditor's Comments: Here's the first of a series of articles
from Mr. Davies. Again, I highly recommend his e-book.
------------------------------------------------------------
This article is based on the following 2 assumptions:
1) You are a small business owner or self-employed person
(including home-based businesses and part-time
entrepreneurial activities).
2) You don't like to pay taxes. In fact, whenever you think
about paying taxes, you get so mad you end up "all lathered
up and nowhere to go."
Now, if paying taxes makes you so upset, what have you done
about it lately?
Why was your tax bill so high last year?
You paid too much tax last year (and the year before that,
and the year before that . . .) because you have probably
been an innocent victim of many popular myths about taxes.
Here they are. Get rid of them or you'll be stuck paying
too much tax forever!
Tax Myth #1: "I don't make enough money to worry about
reducing my taxes."
Nothing could be further from the truth. People at all
levels of income can pay less tax.
Tax reduction strategies are not just for the rich and
famous. No matter how much money you make, you can pay less
tax than you currently pay.
In fact, even if your business (or part-time entrepreneurial
venture) has a loss, you can use that loss to offset other
sources of income, such as wages from a "regular" job, your
spouse's wages, investment income, rental income, other
business income.
And if your business loss is so great that it more than
offsets all your other income, you can take advantage of a
special rule that lets you: a) Carry back that excess loss
to the 2 prior years, thereby entitling you to a refund of
taxes you already paid for either (or both) of those 2 prior
years; and/or b) Carry forward that excess loss to the next
20 future years, so that any income you earn in the future
will be reduced by that excess loss.
Tax Myth #2: "Tax reduction strategies are too complicated
for me to use."
Again, total and complete hogwash. There are plenty of ways
for you, the average American, to lower your taxes.
Tax reduction is not just for the wealthy who pay high-
priced attorneys to finagle their way out of paying taxes
with sophisticated tax-avoidance schemes, like off-shore
trusts and foreign bank accounts.
The average Small Business Owner has plenty of tax reduction
strategies at his/her disposal. You just have to know what
they are and how to use them.
Tax Myth #3: "I had my return prepared by an Accountant, so
I know I paid the right amount of taxes."
There are thousands of excellent, hard-working accountants
doing a great job. And if you use a tax professional, maybe
he/she has done everything possible to reduce your taxes to
the legal minimum.
Based on my own experience, however, I'm convinced that many
taxpayers who use professional tax preparers are overpaying
their taxes, sometimes by thousands of dollars each year!
Why is that? Well, there are many reasons. The most
obvious one is this: Many professional tax preparers are
just that: tax preparers and tax preparers only.
A good tax accountant may know how to prepare a tax return
in his/her sleep. He knows the forms backwards and
forwards. He knows what numbers go on which form perfectly.
But that's it. That's all he/she knows.
A good tax preparer is not necessarily knowledgeable in tax
reduction strategies. There's a big difference between a
good tax preparer and a savvy tax reduction specialist.
When you look for a good accountant, make sure you find one
who doesn't just "do the returns", send out a bill and say
"Next, please."
Tax Myth #4: "My tax situation is OK because my BLANK (fill
in the blank with a family member or other "good friend")
takes care of my taxes."
There are various versions of this myth. Do any of these
sound familiar?
"My brother-in-law takes care of my taxes."
"My uncle takes care of my taxes."
"My college buddy takes care of my taxes."
And of course, the same problem exists with Myth #4 as Myth
#3. Even when someone you know and trust does your returns,
how do you know that this person is a good tax reduction
specialist?
And often, many of these family members or "buddies" are not
even professional tax preparers. This person just happens
to be "The Family Accountant. Just like every family has
one person who knows a lot about cars (or mutual funds, or
carpet cleaning, or whatever), many families have someone
who "knows enough to be dangerous" with regard to taxes.
And even if your "Family Accountant" is a professional tax
preparer, he's probably not charging you for the return.
He's doing you a favor. He prepares your return; you change
his oil.
My first reaction to this kind of situation (when someone is
getting his/her return prepared for free) is this: You get
what you pay for! When a family member does your return
"for free", how much attention can he give to your need for
tax reduction strategies? Probably very little.
Tax Myth #5: "My tax situation is OK because I prepare my
own returns."
If this statement applies to you, then perhaps you are a
"do-it-yourself-er". Money is tight and you are used to
doing things yourself anyway, so why not save a few bucks
each year and do your own returns?
So you've spend countless hours over the years pouring over
the forms and instructions, trying to figure out how to do
the returns. And you've done OK. No letters from the IRS,
no audits. Hey, pat yourself on the back!
And now that tax preparation software is so readily
available and affordable, doing your own return is a breeze!
Just key in a few numbers here and there, push the print
button, and presto, you've got your return done in record
time! And now you can even e-file your return with your own
computer.
Have you ever heard of the book, "The Millionaire Next Door"
(by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko)?
This book describes the common characteristics of
millionaires in our country. My favorite millionaire
characteristic is this:
Millionaires become millionaires by minimizing their taxes
and getting their tax & other financial affairs in order.
Now comes the "Million Dollar Question": How do you think
millionaires get their tax affairs in order? By doing their
own tax returns? Of course not! Millionaires NEVER do
their own tax returns! They have more productive things to
do with their time.
Instead, what millionaires do is spend time and money each
year on tax planning and tax reduction strategies, not
figuring out what number goes on which line of Form XYZ.
So my challenge to you is this: What are you going to do
this year to reduce your taxable income?
Are you a believer in any of these 5 myths? Now's the time
to get rid of them, once and for all.
Your financial well-being depends on it.
------------------------------------------------------------
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).
January 10, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #60 Jan. 10, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
5 Key Marketing Questions
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Do you have a human-Interaction plan in place?
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
5 KEY MARKETING QUESTIONS
Copyright 2002 Bob Leduc
Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses just like yours
find new customers and increase sales. He just released a
New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business
Fast With Simple Postcards and several other publications to
help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information:
Email:
BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards"
Phone: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
Editor's Comments: Another great article from Bob!
------------------------------------------------------------
When you know the answers to these 5 key marketing
questions, you can create effective web pages, sales letters
and other sales generating communications. The answers to
these 5 questions reveal how you can get your prospect's
attention and motivate them to take the action you want.
1. WHO DO I WANT TO REACH?
Describe detailed characteristics of your ideal prospect. Be
very specific.
Once you clearly define the characteristics your ideal
prospect you can develop a powerful sales message appealing
directly to their unique interests and needs. Prospects are
more likely to respond when they feel you are talking
directly to them about their individual needs.
2. WHAT ACTION DO I WANT TO GENERATE?
Decide in advance what action you are trying to stimulate.
Do you want to get inquiries for your product or service? Do
you want to produce sales directly from your promotion? Or
do you want to build a list of qualified prospects willing
to receive frequent offers from you?
You can develop an effective promotion in a short time when
you have a clear understanding of the action you are trying
to generate.
3. WHAT IS MY COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?
Identify why prospects should do business with you instead
of with a competitor selling a similar product or service.
For example, do you provide faster results, easier
procedures, personal attention or a better guarantee? If you
cannot think of a reason - create one. Add something to your
business you are not already doing.
Your competitive advantage can be responsible for fifty
percent or more of your sales. Make sure you have one - and
don't lose it. Keep checking on your competition and make
any changes necessary to keep your competitive advantage.
4. HOW WILL I PROVE MY CLAIMS?
Don't expect prospects to believe what you say. Make sure
you provide proof of any claim you make.
For example, collect and use testimonials from satisfied
customers. Provide research data supporting your claims. Get
endorsements from experts your prospects are likely to
recognize.
5. HOW WILL I CREATE URGENCY?
Most prospects do not respond the first time they see your
promotion. Instead, they delay making any response - then
often forget about you.
You can convert many of these procrastinators into buyers by
giving them a compelling reason to respond immediately. For
example, give them a special price if they order now - or
include a valuable bonus if they order by a specific
deadline.
TIP: Develop a series of 4 or 5 different special offers.
Use them one at a time with an expiration deadline. When one
offer expires, replace it with the next offer and a new
deadline. Continuously recycle through the same series of
offers. This enables you to create urgency using special
offers without taking time to create new ones.
You need to answer to these 5 key marketing questions before
you can create a motivating web page, sales letter or other
sales generating communication. The answers to these 5
questions will reveal how you can get your prospect's
attention and stimulate them to take the action you want.
------------------------------------------------------------
From The Webmaster
by Aaron Turpen, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
I hope everyone is doing well this week and has a great
weekend planned. I will be in Reno, Nevada as a guest
speaker at the Online Auction Academy's Winter Conference
2003. You can find more information here:
http://www.auctiontrainer.com/winterconf/A new year usually means resolutions. I received a few
emails this week commenting on the resolutions I had noted
were mine for the new year. Many of you are expecting big
changes socially, financially, or personally. I've noticed
a trend in the thinking of people I've talked to both on and
offline: many are just hoping to survive intact this year.
Interesting. Since we have such a survivalist attitude, I
decided to help everyone out and offer something free of
charge to further the goal of survival: FREE survival kit
instructions! You can find them here:
http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/survival kits.htmEnjoy!
------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
Health insurance premiums for the self-employed and their
dependents is 100% deductible as of January 1, 2003. Tax
law says:
"amount paid for health insurance for the self-employed
individual and the individual's spouse and dependents."
--Fred P.
Editor: Thanks for the tip, Fred! Everyone should know that
Fred is my brother-in-law and is a licensed and working
accountant and tax consultant. This is GREAT news for those
of us who are self-employed!!!
"Great article on internet marketing basics, Aaron! That was
a great over view for the uninitiated. You run great stuff
in your newsletter. Where can I find more info about online
marketing?"
--James C.
Editor: Hi, James. I highly recommend the book "Web
Marketing Applied" by Joe Tracy. There is a link to it on
Amazon.com on the website's recommended product page:
http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/resources/index.shtml?affil"Thanks for the basic marketing information! I ahve been
reading marketing articles and ebooks for a few weeks now
and have had a rough time understanding a lot of information
because I did not understand what they were talking about.
your article explained a lot of that for me!"
--Marcy J.
Editor: Glad to help, Marcy!
"Great marketing article, Aaron. What does "CPA, CPC and
CPS" mean? I see these in regards to advertising stuff all
the time but have no idea what they stand for."
--Mark M.
Editor: Hi, Mark. CPA means "Cost Per Action," CPC means
"Cost Per Click" and CPS means "Cost Per Sale." These are
ways of measuring the cost of advertising. For instance, if
one sale means a profit of $10 and you have a CPC of fifty
cents (50 cents per click to your site from the advertising
source such as a search engine) and if you get one sale for
every ten clicks then your CPS is $5 ($.50 x 10 clicks = $5
spent). That means your actual profit is $5 after your
cost of advertising.
Interestingly, for this coming conference, I am putting
together a list of these types of acronyms for marketing and
other common abbreviations. There will be a link to it in
next week's newsletter.
"Hey! Great information in the marketing for $100 article.
Thanks!"
--Carol Z.
Editor: We aim to please, Carol. :)
------------------------------------------------------------
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!
------------------------------------------------------------
Do you have a human-Interaction plan in place?
Nadin Rath is an Industrial and Hi-tech copywriter and free-
lance writer. You can subscribe to his newsletter on
practical info and tips on Marketing, copywriting and
business success by sending an email to diary@inkscribe.com.
Visit his web site at
www.inkscribe.com.
Editor's Comments: Good, solid stuff here!
------------------------------------------------------------
So you are ready to take the plunge. You got it all figured
out. You have been reading all the business start-up news-
letters, you got an idea; you have saved a little cash to
last a few months – just in case your baby takes a little
longer to start walking and then running. You have been
talking to yourself, on the exact lines you want to tell
your boss, when you quit that day job next month. It's all
set. You are going furniture shopping next weekend.
Hold your horses. Are you planning to go at it alone? Don't
you think you need other people around it to make your
venture a success? No matter what everybody says, business
is team work. You work with employees, customers,
professionals and other human beings to run your business.
Be it in person-to-person or electronic communication, you
will in touch with the rest of the mankind. Have you
considered your human-interaction plan for the business?
Follow the following 7 tips to establish a strong team
working attitude with respect for others.
1.Don't burn ANY bridges – Don't throw that resignation
letter in your manager's face after giving him a piece of
your mind. He's still "a" manager and tomorrow he could be a
decision maker at a potential customer of yours.
2.Respect people. Respect your employees, customers, peers
and other people you work with. Respect their abilities and
weaknesses. Compliment them on their strengths and overlook
their foibles. If you want them to have a high regard for
your abilities and skills, you have to display the same
towards them.
3.Before you quit you day job, make sure everybody knows
that you are going into business for yourself. Let them feel
that you really enjoyed working with them and would really
love to do it again some day (It could really happen, in
ways you can't even think of now).If you are in a related
business, discuss the possibility of working out a co-op
deal with them. It's always better to discuss these while
you are still an employee than when you are an ex-employee.
4.Consider the product or service that you are planning to
provide. Why do you want to do it? Do you think that there's
a genuine need out there that you can fill? If you don't
think you are filling a need-void of your customers, but
plan to use "aggressive marketing" to "sell" your goodies –
you are not respecting your customers. You might sell a
little, could make a little money, but it won't last long.
There *has* to be value in what you are providing.
5.Have you identified the skills that you lack but are
essential to the success to your business? If you think you
can do it all, you are deluding yourself. Create your team.
Get the best-you-can-afford person for each of the special-
ized skills that you need. You could work out different
business deals with each of them – but make sure that all of
you can work independently as well as together without
stepping on each others toes.
6.Take ego out of your vocabulary. I have seen smart people
with great ideas falling out because they could not keep
their egos under control. Think before you act. If you think
you can't work with a particular person, don't bring him
into your team to start with. It's not always possible to
realize this in advance, but do your due diligence.
7.Can you work with other people in the same competing-
domain in a strategic way? What I mean is, can you
simultaneously work with them, while competing at the same
time, without jeopardizing a professional and decent
relationship? It's a tough game even for the best and it's
always good to have a strategy in mind.
One argument I have heard is from those who call themselves
"Internet Marketers". They presume that since most
communication is via electronic means, human interaction is
not an issue. What about the subscribers to your newsletter,
or the customers of your ebook or members of your paid web
sites? They are people too. Show them lack of respect by
peddling goods and services of little value, making
inconsistent and impractical claims or misleading them into
buying-and you will lose them forever.
"Respect" is the word to keep in mind….
------------------------------------------------------------
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).
January 3, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #59 January 03, 2003
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. Back-issues are
available online at: http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> Feature Article:
Internet Marketing Basics
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
No Marketing Budget? No problem!
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Marketing Basics
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz
------------------------------------------------------------
With all of the marketing articles I've read and written, I
have yet to find one that covers all of the basics at once.
I think that this may be because there is just too much
information to cover in a few words. Despite this worry,
I'm going to attempt it. Obviously, this article will be an
overview, not an in depth affair.
I will cover six basic marketing subjects: Market Research,
Search Engines, E-zine Advertising, Email Marketing, Local
Promotion, and Offline Marketing.
Market Research
This is the most basic part of any marketing campaign -
whether it be a $50 e-zine advertisement or a $5 million
dollar blitz. If you don't know your target market and how
to reach them; if you don't know the value of the message
you're attempting to convey; if you don't know the answer to
all the pertinent questions…your advertising will fail.
The most basic step in researching your market is to first
have a "target." This means you know who you're aiming for
(their likes, dislikes, general age group, income, business
type, etc.) and have a general idea how to "hit" them.
Sample target markets would include:
Males age 18-30 with an interest in technology. This market
group would have an average income of $20,000/year with a
discretionary income (money to spend on frivolous items) of
around $4-5,000/year.
Women age 12-16 with a love of animals. This market group
would have an average income of less than $1,000/year but
all of it is discretionary and is supplemented by what their
parents are willing to spend over-and-above that amount.
Middle-class persons age 30-50 who own their own business.
This market group would have an average, middle-class income
($40,000/year or higher), would probably have a family
(marriage, children), and a busy lifestyle. Their discret-
ionary income would depend on whether you are marketing
towards their business needs or their personal/family needs.
Once you know who your target is - the more information the
better - you're ready to get into the nitty-gritty of market
research. There are five basic ideas in market research:
"Primary," "Secondary," "Combined" (all types of research)
and "Qualitative" and "Quantitative" (ways of gathering the
information). A quick definition of each:
Primary research is research conducted by the primary user
of the information (in this case, you). Secondary research
is gathered elsewhere and used by you (purchased, leased,
etc.). Most small businesses conduct both of these types of
market research - customer surveys for primary information
and by researching free or paying fees for secondary infor-
mation. This is called "Combined" research.
Qualitative research is usually exploratory and has a
direction or goal. It generally aims at specific issues in
the subject matter and gives you a better idea in which
direction you should proceed. This type of research is
"loose" and is geared more towards finding a market or
narrowing your market than it is towards getting specific
information on that market and where your product fits with-
in it.
Quantitative is much more rigid than qualitative marketing.
This research gets much more accurate statistical results
and information and is best used when your target market is
already narrowed and you wish to find ways to reach or
explore that market as well as find specific information on
your product as it relates to that market.
Generally businesses conduct qualitative research during
the exploratory research and development phase of their
product to see if it is viable on the market and what they
need in order to reach their market more fully with the
product (colors, shapes, uses, etc.). Once the item is
ready to hit the streets, qualitative research is used to
fine-tune the market niche and begin offering the product
for sale.
Conducting your own market research is time-consuming, but
is very well worth it if you have a need for information or
if you are spending any considerable amount of money on
your marketing for specific products or services.
Search Engine Marketing
This has, for a long time now, been a "buzz phrase" in
online marketing circles. I'm not sure why, since while it
is generally an important part of a presence online, it is
not the end-all-be-all of marketing on the Internet. Search
engines have become one of the most expensive forms of
advertising on the Web, but have also become one of the most
effective. Great search engine marketing (read: placement,
strategy, etc.) is done by professionals and takes a lot of
time to do correctly. There are two types of search engines
to market towards: search engines/directories and pay-per-
click (PPC) engines.
Search directories (Yahoo! for example) and engines (Google
is an example) require a lot of patience to market
effectively. Even if you are paying for your listing, it
can take weeks to appear on their site. Further, your
positioning on their site can change regularly as their
indexes change or they change the rules of "ranking" on
searches. On top of all of that you have paid advertise-
ments and paid listings (see PPC below) that can usurp your
position or push you further down in the results.
Pay-per-click (PPC) engines are much easier to use, but also
more expensive. A campaign on Overture, for example, can
total hundreds of dollars in a single day. These engines,
however, can usually get you a higher listing on a regular
search engine (such as Yahoo!) much faster and with steadier
results.
Whichever course you take (I would recommend both if you're
serious about search engine marketing), be prepared to spend
a lot of time and a goodly amount of money in your endeavor.
A listing at Yahoo!, for example, is $300/year and the
average per-click cost on Overture is about $0.75.
E-Zine Advertising
In my experience, this is by far the most effective form of
advertising at very low cost online. That said, be leery of
offers to "get your ad in 50 email newsletters for only
$25." I doubt you'll see one response for your $25 since
most of the "readers" of these e-zines are probably other
people who paid for advertising as well.
If you have researched your market well then you know the
general wants and desires of your targets. Using that
information, you can find the online newsletters (email or
web-based) that these people would be interested in.
Chances are that publication takes advertising. There are
three basic types of advertising to a newsletter list: solo
ads, top-line ads, and classified ads.
Solo ads are sent to the entire (or a part of, depending on
the options given) newsletter list - these ads contain ONLY
your advertisement or perhaps your ad plus an article to get
the reader interested in looking. These are the most
effective type of advertising through most newsletters, but
are also the most expensive. Expect to pay $20 or more per
1,000 impressions in a good publication.
Top-line ads are just that: ads that appear at the very top
of a newsletter or at the top of an article in the news-
letter. These are also highly effective and are fairly
cost-efficient at about half the price of a solo advert.
Classified ads are the most useless of the three options
given. They're usually very cheap, but almost always appear
at the bottom of the newsletter and are generally bypassed
by the readers who rarely read that far into the
publication. These are cheap, though ($5/issue is not
uncommon) and can be effective when combined with one of the
other two options to spread your advertising over several
issues.
Email Marketing
Marketing online using email is a touchy affair and can
easily lead to many problems. Despite this, it is by far
the most effective form of advertising online - bar none.
An email advertisement to a targeted and strong list of
people can generate responses of close to 1/3 (1 response
for every 3 targets). That's phenomenal in ANY form of
advertising.
There are three types of email marketing: SPAM/UCE, opt-in,
and newsletter marketing.
SPAM/UCE (Unsolicited Commerical Email) is something that
everyone, whether savvy online or not, has heard of. The
word SPAM has risen from "questionable meat in a can" to
"plague of the Internet" in the past three or four years.
Despite its bad name - and any personal feelings I may have
about it - SPAM is a very effective form of email
advertising. If it weren't, it wouldn't exist. Doing it
correctly, however, is expensive and requires much thought -
using it even just once can affect your business for better
or worse for the duration of your time online.
Opt-In email advertising is extremely effective and carries
very little of the weight of SPAM marketing. The idea is
pretty basic: you create a list of email addresses and send
marketing messages to them occasionally. The hard part is
getting those names to start with. Usually other forms of
advertising get your website going and this type propels it
forward.
Newsletter marketing is similar to opt-in marketing, but
includes useful information such as articles or insights.
In fact, you're probably reading this article through a
newsletter that is being used to market a business of some
type or another. Newsletters can be time-consuming, but are
well worth the effort. Some newsletter publishers
supplement their income by running advertisements in their
publications (see "newsletter marketing" above).
Of these three types of marketing, I have had the most
success with newsletter marketing followed closely by opt-
in advertising. That said, be VERY wary of "email lists"
for purchase or hire that claim to be "opt-in." Generally,
these are NOT what they appear to be and you will receive
several complaints of SPAMming if you use them. Building a
list of names and emails for opt-in or newsletter
publication is difficult, but very much worth the trouble
for the payoffs in the long run. I have run my own news-
letter for over a year now and receive more comments, input,
and business through that than I do any other venue
excepting word-of-mouth. If done right, a proper newsletter
or opt-in list can greatly increase your success online. If
you feel you don't have the time or skill to publish your
own newsletter, there are those who will do it for you
(including myself!).
Local Promotion
When you do your marketing, do not forget that promotion
around your local area can also be very important. Many new
business owners or entrepreneurs focus so greatly on the
"world-wide audience" online that they forget the
